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The Springbok match 22 to face the Wallabies in Brisbane this weekend shows an astonishing nine changes to the unit that lost against New Zealand on Saturday. Sharks players Ruan Pienaar and Ryan Kankowski have been elevated to the starting lineup.
Coach Peter de Villiers seems to have finally heeded the calls to drop under-performing scrumhalf Ricky Januarie and has dropped his favourite mechanic not only from the starting lineup, but from the 22 entirely. Pienaar starts in his favourite position of scrumhalf, with Bulls utility back Francois Hougaard covering off the bench.
Further changes to the run-on team see BJ Botha replacing CJ van der Linde at tight head prop, Kankowski coming in for Francois Louw in the somewhat unfamiliar position of blind side flank and Gio Aplon replacing the suspended Jean de Villiers on the right wing.
On the bench, Flip van der Merwe comes in for the injured Andries Bekker, while Dewald Potgieter is the fourth loose forward, as Louw is the second player to find himself out of the 22 altogether after starting last week. The final change sees Juan de Jongh occupy the number 22 jersey worn by Aplon last week. John Smit will again captain the team from hooker – this will be his 99th test appearance.
The Springbok team is:
15 Zane Kirchner (Vodacom Bulls) – 9 caps
14 Gio Aplon (Vodacom Stormers) – 6 caps
13 Jaque Fourie (Vodacom Stormers) – 59 caps
12 Wynand Oliver (Vodacom Bulls) – 31 caps
11 Bryan Habana (Vodacom Stormers) – 62 caps
10 Morné Steyn (Vodacom Bulls) – 17 caps
9 Ruan Pienaar (The Sharks) – 42 caps
8 Pierre Spies (Vodacom Bulls) – 33 caps
7 Ryan Kankowski (The Sharks) – 14 caps
6 Schalk Burger (Vodacom Stormers) – 59 caps
5 Victor Matfield (Vodacom Bulls) – 97 caps
4 Danie Rossouw (Vodacom Bulls) – 50 caps
3 BJ Botha (Ulster) – 24 caps
2 John Smit (The Sharks, captain) – 98 caps
1 Gurthrö Steenkamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 27 caps
Reserves
16 Chiliboy Ralepelle (Vodacom Bulls) – 14 caps
17 CJ van der Linde (Vodacom Cheetahs) – 61 caps
18 Flip van der Merwe (Vodacom Bulls) – 2 caps
19 Dewald Potgieter (Vodacom Bulls) – 5 caps
20 Francois Hougaard (Vodacom Bulls) – 1 cap
21 Butch James (Bath) – 39 caps
22 Juan de Jongh (Vodacom Stormers) – 4 caps
Kanko at flank and Flouw out? Nuts! Drop the overrated Spies and keep Flouw where he is. Why is Olivier still there? Sometimes these idiots make me want to puke.
They are what they are… IDIOTS
Richard Brown and David Pocock must be licking their lips…..no fetcher for the Boks
@rhineshark (Comment 1) :
We can only hope that Spies will be subbed off early with Potgieter moving to flank and Kanow moving to 8
I would have dropped Spies and Schalk and put Flo at 6 and Potgieter at 7
Much better team BUT Wynand is useless and i agree that Flouw should have been retained and SPies dropped with Kanko moving to 8th man.
Now that Ricky is not in the team I wonder who the next scapegoat will be IF we lose this coming wkend.
Probably Kirchner or Habana.
@rhineshark (Comment 1) : Agree Agree Agree Agree
@wpw (Comment 6) : Don’t go there Wes, I reckon Smit will get it from all angles if we lose.
Then again I never think the Bokke will lose so I will mo longer mention it.
@wpw (Comment 6) : I feel sorry for Ruan…he finally gets a chance to play and now we have no fetchers to give him some ball….
With the squad overseas at the moment I would have picked.
15. Aplon
14. Hougaard
13. Fourie
12. de Jongh
11. Habana
10. Steyn
9. Pienaar
8. Kanko
7. Potgieter
6. Flo
5. Matfield
4. Danie
3. BJ
2. Smit(only just because Chilli is looking better)
1. Guthro(been the 1 Boks thats really given his all)
@Pokkel (Comment 9) : I’m damn sure this team would do better.
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 8) :
Yeah sorry!!
I forgot about Smit.
Matfield and Spies have been just as bad but not a peep from the media.
@wpw (Comment 6) :
My Money is on kankow to get it. Played out of position and if we lose he will be one of the scapegoats ala Gaffie & Van Hoeslin.
@wpw (Comment 11) :
Because BB Harmse would never write a bad word about them.
@Pokkel (Comment 10) :
Talking to yourself? No Need. I agree with you
@Pokkel (Comment 9) :
That is a flippen good team!!
@wpw (Comment 15) :
Why the surprise?
I am more surprised that the selectors on tour can’t assemble this team.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 13) :
Yeah and Morne Steyn has been pants!!
I think Ricky has made mistakes but for goodness sake our forwards have been absolutely diabolical.
He has had to clean out rucks and fight for the ball at ruck time!!
Good team just hope we get a win
@wpw (Comment 17) :
What are you moaning about?
Isn’t a prop SUPPOSED to clean out at the rucks???????????
Spies has been invisible,he should have been droped! but atleast more sharks players are playing.my girlfriend asked me last saturday what do i think is wrong with the boks,i said “2 many bulls and not enough sharks” she wasn’t very impressd by that as she is a bulls supporter.needles to say i slept alone that night.lol go sharks! c.burden to tour in november hopefully
Spies has been invisible,he should have been droped! but atleast more sharks players are playing.my girlfriend asked me last saturday what do i think is wrong with the boks,i said “2 many bulls and not enough sharks” she wasn’t very impressd by that as she is a bulls supporter.needles to say i slept alone that night.lol go sharks! c.burden to tour in november hopefully!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 19) :
Lag maar lekker.
You will probably not find it funny when it happens to Ruan this weekend!!
@Poisy (Comment 20) :
No Burden is still a VERY long way off.
There is still Liebenberg, Botha & Bismarck between him and those currently in the Bok squad. There is NO shortage of top class hookers in SA.
@wpw (Comment 22) :
@Poisy (Comment 21) :
We heard you the first time!!
I cannot fathom the Bok managements brains – how they got to this team sheet one can only wonder.
Spies has been selected for the past two weeks and hasn’t be present on defence or offence. Personally i think Kanko is still in the squad on reputation, but i will give him the benefit of the doubt – its just a pity i have to do it with him playing out of position. He should have replaced Spies and been given a run in his position.
Louw has had two poor games, but again – i think it has more to do with the All Blacks play at Ruck time, they have been committing to the ruck with aplomb as the Boks just stood back bar Louw – who spent 160 minutes getting the shit cleaned out him. If they wanted to Leave Louw out – Pottie should have replced him.
As to Ricky – i guess he needed to go, personally i don’t think he has been as bad as everyone made out – His kicking game is poor – but then again is there anyone in the world who can kick like FdP? Again i think Rickys has been hot and cold, but he has been carrying the blame for some pretty poor ball protection and having to avoid 3 All Blacks lying all over the place, but that said – I think we need to look at Ruan – although knowing Div – he will come off at 60 minutes regardless or get recycled to 15. Which defeats the exercise.
But the worst part of this team? Is the player selected at 12, everyone else bar the idiots in management have now started to acknowledge that WO is a good Super 14 player and nothing more.
No shame in that. He just isn’t international quality. I felt Similarly about Zane at 15, but out of the backs – he has been looking pretty useful – and i might need to relook my views on him.
So according to Gavin “Vowels” Rich – Its Gold and Muir running this team, According to others its the senior players – personally the madness represented by this team suggest its Div in charge – it boggles the mind and smacks of mild panic.
Last year and in the early season tests – this team prided itself on defence – we have leaked 8 tries in 2 matches – this is the real problem with the Boks – we haven’t dominated the collisions. In fact we have been sent packing by a motivated All Blacks team – in fact whimpered off to complain abut the Refs et al – the Boks need to look at themselves and find the commitment and hit the players back in the tackle. Something thats been missing since we smashed a poor France team.
Good luck – but i suspect another loss is on the cards – hopefully it will be by less than seven.
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 26) :
Good post Sauce!!
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 26) : Morne logged in as Sauce
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 28) :
GO BOKKE !!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 4) : You know how it’ll work. We’ll be something like 27-15 behind with 10 minutes to go then PdV will leave Spies on to miss 5 more tackles, while he subs Kanko with Potgieter.
Aussie loosies will fancy their chances….the Bok pack in general may be under the blow torch after 20 minutes of non stop running…..fatigue could be a real factor !
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 26) : Ricky’s kicking game was rated poor just because there was no chasers, I recall a kick during the Newlands test against France that could have been a try if Kirchner just could have passed the ball to a supportive player before being tackled just short of the tryline, behind a struggling deck Ricky did good, this is Ruan’s chance to prove if he can do it, should he fail, I am just not hoping to hear he rather prefers to playhalf…Well on the two step by Ricky before passing the ball, Ruan did the same on Saturday…
@Pokkel (Comment 9) : I would to put you name in the running for Springbok coach, finally some sense…
Cant see how Olivier keeps the 12 jersey, what exactly has he done since being given the position? also not convinced with Kirchner…
Good to see Ruan finally getting a run! Lets hope he gets subbed for Hougaard (moving to 14) with Aplon at 15.
What exactly has Snoor been smoking? It seems that after two losses they are starting to clutch at straws…
@Charlie (Comment 33) :
@Charlie (Comment 33) : Thats what i was getting at – a lot of Anger is being directed at Ricky for no good reason. his forwards and specifically the loosies are making his life a mare.
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 28) :
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 37) :
@Charlie (Comment 33) :
Dewald Duvenage also does it!!
The 2 step i mean!!
@wpw (Comment 40) :
@Pokkel (Comment 10) : I agree 100%.
Ridiculous having Kanko at 7. Pottie should be there if anyone.
PDV is acting like a bigger idiot than usual ,I really hoped he,d come in and develop the world cup winning team to spread the ball more but his regressed this team ,but the way there playing is very suited to winning the world cup they need to bring in eddie jones because lets be honest without eddie jones we wouldn,t have won the world cup .well kanko and ruan bring brought in means all out attack I,m not sad about that at all ,putting in kanko into this team makes no sense ,the mix of this team makes no sense ,I like W.Olivers style of play but he needs to sit out
just a question – what’s up with Beast? He was named in the touring party .