We’ll obviously all be glued to our TV’s on Saturday morning for the Super Rugby final, but something else is happening on that day too… and I’m not talking about the launch of Spud 4 either.
Bok coach Heyneke Meyer will announce his 30-man squad to compete in the inaugural Rugby Championship at some stage on Saturday afternoon and once the dust has settled on the big showdown in Hamilton, all eyes will again turn (very quickly) to the green and gold, with the first match against Argentina just a little over two weeks away. Rugby fans certainly aren’t being given much of a chance to catch their breath this season!
Looking back at the English series, I think it’s safe to say that most Bok fans probably understand why Meyer made the selections he did, given how little time the team had to prepare, but few would argue against a slightly more adventurous selection approach going forward, with form in Super Rugby the final arbiter, rather than familiarity with a pattern that there simply wasn’t enough time to change.
A number of players who were picked in that squad for the England series have, to my mind, failed to live up to their billing as Boks, either during those tests or in Super Rugby since and while one hesitates to stick the knife into any particular team or individual, it would, to my mind, be quite wrong if quite as many Bulls players were to make the cut this time around.
As Sharks fans, I think we have little room to complain about how many of our boys made the squad that earlier in the year and I certainly wouldn’t expect that level of representation to drop off when the Rugby Championship squad is named. How Meyer opts to fill the gaps in the squad, though, will be very interesting to see, with the feeling earlier in the year that he’d far too often pushed the “pick a Bull” default button, leading to some hard-to-justify selection calls.
How do you see it? Who would you include in a 30-man Bok squad, taking form over the last few months into account?
Tweet
Insane Kirchner to be replaced by Louis Ludick.
Spierre “I can’t run through a wet tissue” Spies to be replaced by Ryan Kankowski
Wernerschnitzel Kruger = Pat Cilliers
Deon MacGuyver Greyling (didn’t even need to do anything there) = Steven Kitschoff
Jacques “Hairy” Potgieter = Siya Kolisi
Meisiekind = Tim Whitehead/Juan de Jongh/Paul Jordaan
Bjorn-this-way Basson = Lwazi Mvovo
Flippen-crazy van der Merwe = Anton Bresler
Morne (deep in the box) Steyn = Pat Lambie
@Ernie (Comment 2) : I took the squad and did changes from there and Pat Lambie was already in the squad but we may as well:
Mourner Stain = Peter Grant
One change in the bigger squade will surely be the inclusion of Bekker. In terms of the starting lineup, we need a plan at 10 and Kanko has to come in at 8
On current form, bok stalwarts Morne Steyn and Pierre Spies do not deserve their place in the springbok team. There, I said it for Rob
I agree with Butchie that it would be insane to select Kirchner over any other fullback in the country, especially considering the great season Joe Pietersen and Louis Ludik had.
Jacque Potgieter is that rare breed of South African flank in that there is absolutely nothing remarkable about this guy whatsoever. I think Meisiekind’s days in the bok jersey are over following an atrocious season, but Heineke may yet prove me wrong.
Assuming that Zane will be starting 15, who will be backup if Lambie plays 10? Gio is seen as a wing by HM. Does this possibly open the door for Ludik or possible Joe. The way Ludik has played the last couple of weeks HM had to take notice.
@CapeShark (Comment 5) : I don’t think HM will back Joe purely on his preference for size. But we need someone. Lambie cannot cover 10 and 15 while both are playing like crap.
Guys that were not really involved which i think should come in and for who-
Wynand out and P.Jordaan In; Heyneke has been talking about how he wants impact off the bench, and if he really wants some proper impact, despite Jordaan’s little experience, i feel he won’t let us down, he has been brilliant every minute he has been in The Sharks’ jersey this season.
Need a 5/2 split on the bench and proper tighthead on the bench; i think Herbst and Dean Greyling should be on the bench.
Ludik is number 1 fullback at the moment, he should make it in. We can’t expect to Win the Rugby Championship with Steyn at 10; Lambie must be given a run at some stage to prove his worth at 10 for the Boks.
Anton Bresler simply has to make it, a guy that’s getting better every week, dominating physically, can cover 4 and 5 and hardly makes any errors, and a workhorse of note…he should be on the Bok bench, IMO.
Kanko simply has to come in at 8, with Alberts at 7 and Coetzee at 6…The Sharks loose trio…Keegan off the bench, Impact again should be the emphasis for our bench selection.
That is pretty much it for now. Listen to us asseblief Heyneke
My team for 1st test-
1.Beast
2.Bissie
3.Jannie
4.Etzebeth
5.Bekker
6.Coetzee
7.Alberts
8.Kanko
9.Hougie
10.Morne (to be subbed if his boot is off)
11.Habana
12.Frans
13.JDV (C)
14.JPP
15.Ludik
16.Strauss
17.Wors
18.Bresler
19.keegan
20.Pienaar
21.Lambie
22.Jordaan
5-2 split if Beast is moeg and needs cover.
@JJR (Comment 9) : don’t forget Coenie. Not sure if he is fit but he played really well of the bench against the poms. I woul put him on the bench.
@Viking (Comment 10) : I think Coenie is still injured
I would not expect HM to make too many unforced changes. Bekker will come in from injury. But surely Kanko cannot be ignored over Spies. The same goes for Steyn @ 10. His bad form came before the poms, continued with the poms and remains after the poms left. How patient can HM be with the guy?
@Butchie34 (Comment 1) : have yuou inserted the guys from other teams to make it look like unbised comments
on a serious note – was cilliers that good?
@rekinek (Comment 13) : We give him the benefit of the doubt because he is an ex sharkie
@Viking (Comment 10) : Ja, Coenie would be great off the bench if fit…i want worsie because i would rather have a very good scrummaging tighthead on the bench than an average 3/1 on the bench in kruger.
Coenie fit, he will always be in that 17 jersey, great impact from him.
@rekinek (Comment 13) : Never Biased when it comes to the Boks…the best must play.
@JJR (Comment 15) : The new laws coming soon that will force you to have a full frontrow on the bench will take away the issue of having a player that can cover 1 and 3. I am not keen on including the Bulls props purely on the amount of penalties that they give away.
My 22 for Argentina Test [ will be on grandstand ]….and other 8 …
15 Gio Aplon
14 JPP
13 JDV
12 F STEYN
11 HABANA
10 LAMBIE
9 R PIENAAR
8 W ALBERTS
7 MARCELLE COETSEE
6 BRUSSOW
5 A BEKKER
4 ETSEBETH
3 JANNIE DUP
2 BISSY
1 BEAST
16 CHILLIBOY
17 COENIE OOSTHUISEN
18 J KRUGER
19 KANKOWSKI
20 F HOUGAARD
21 JD JONGH
22 E Jantjes
Other 8 players
23 mvovo
24 Kirchner
25 k daniels
26 A Strauss
27 mc cLEOD
28 d VERMEULEN
29 S Kitshoff
30 Kolisi
@Viking (Comment 17) : for me it’s the fact that neither of them can scrum for shit
@grant10 (Comment 18) : you could probably have squeezed a few more Stormers players in there… not sure how, but maybe
Just not sure how Japan and Ulster are going to affect Kanko and R Pienaar.
J Kruger would be very unlucky in my team, I certainly would not be averse to him starting ahead of Bekker at this stage…
Hougaard is struggling at 9in my opinion, he cracks the nod on bench because of his versatality….
I would not have Spies or M Steyn near my squad….never mind my team….on current form they are woeful…
Once fit I believe J Goosen will make the 10 jersey his own, the best 10 prospect I have ever seen…a wonderful talent.
I would never start a test match without Brussow….Marcelle Coetsee, whoo is the find of the season, is a blind sider in my opinion…..Brussow showed his value in that first 40 against Sharks when he literally murdered the sharks man alone….as he dis the week before when frustrating the Stormers to distraction in Bloem…
anyway…just my 2 c worth..
@rekinek (Comment 13) : Trying to be neutral and see who would be best for the Boks.
SA’s problem at the moment is that there aren’t that many tighthead props around. CJ is completely useless and if BJ was in the country I might be tempted to include him instead. But out of all the players who are playing SupeRugby, the next best after Jannie is Pat.
If I had to select a team mine would be:
15. Ludick
14. JP Pietersen
13. JDV
12. F Steyn
11. Bryan Habana
10. Lambie
9. Pienaar
8. Kankowski
7. Alberts
6. Brussouw
5. J Kruger
4. E. Etzebeth
3. J Dup
2. B Dup
1. Beast
Replacements:
16. P Cilliers
17. Chiliboy Ralapelle
18. D Greyling
19. Marcell Coetzee
20. F Hougaard
21. L Mvovo
22. G Aplon
I have to admit that I’m not too impressed with the man with the glass spine, Andries Bekker and think Juandre Kruger will play for the Boks for longer
I don’t like this blerrie Bok announcements after our games…I take you back to a Lions game earlier this year..
Butchie34 (comment 1)
Preach!!
*Bresler
*Kolisi
*Kankowski
*Daniel
-Players who deserve to be used more at international level.
Players who are not performing ;
Kruger
Spies
Morne Steyn
Olivier
Jissie mense, but I’m glad some folk from this site won’t be leading the Springbok into the renaissance which it so badly needs.
Dean Greyling shouldn’t even be allowed to touch a Springbok tog bag – the closest he needs to get to a Springbok game is watching the delayed broadcast on sabc 2
Seriously considering any of Joe, Grant or De Jongh probably indicates that you’re Gavin Rich
And Bekker? Really? Why? because he’s tall – kinda reminds me of primary school, the tall guys were picked at lock, and the fatties at prop.
And lastly – it’s Ludik, with a name like his, please check your spelling.
@grant10 (Comment 21) : I have to agree – I prefer Marcell at 7, f he has to play flank.
Etzebeth has been very good, but for the life of me, I cannot find an answer to the following: Surely with locks like Bekker and Etzebeth in one team – no opposing team should be able to win their own lineouts???
Can’t they read lineouts? Why don’t they even contest?? Damn stupid if you ask me.
Maak die Sharks almal Bokke.
Seriously.
HM biggest headache for the Arg. test is that the core of his Bok team will be knackered by recent travel across a zillion time-zones.
How to erase the travel fatigue?
How to motivate the guys if they’ve just won SR in fairytale fashion?
How to motivate them if they’ve stumbled at the last hurdle after achieving so much?
I actually think Coetzee is better at 6 than at 7 ,regardless of where he plays he is a potent weapon .
If one had to judge on the entire season –not just the last several weekends of rugby;
1.Beast/Missed first half of season
2.Bismarck
3.Jannie
4.Etzebeth
5.Bresler
6.Kolisi
7.Coetzee
8.Daniel
9.Hougaard-had some massive games ,McLeod a close 2nd
10.Lambie
11.Aplon
12.Whitehead
13.JDV
14.JPP
15.Le Roux
Talent
I’d rather have someone who is playing well (Ludik) than an untested player like Le Roux who started off on the wing and truth be told he is a very weak defender.
In fact, I wouldn’t have him near the Bok team. Same with Joe Pietersen. Not test quality!
I think HM should rest as many of the Sharks from this weekends game as possible against the Argies
I bet Meyer wished Michalak was South African
@Butchie34 (Comment 22) : I think Pienaar needs to come back to SA, he’s under so much pressure when he plays for the Boks, he needs to play his rugby here and show the public he’s still good enough and get that monkey of his back
@Die Kriek (Comment 34) : After that our best team imo will be
1. Beast
2. Biz
3. Doc Jannie
4. Etzebeth
5. Juandre Kruger
6. Marcell
7. Alberts
8. Kanko/Keegs
9. Hougie
10. Lambie
11. Habs
12. Frans
13. JdV (c)
14. JPP
15. Ludik
16. Strauss
17. Pat/Coenie
18. Bresler
19. Keegan/Kolisi
20. Pienaar
21. Whitehead
22. Aplon
this might look a very bias team but bar one or two favourites is FORMIDABLE:
1. Beast
2. BISMARCK
3. Jannie
4. Ysterbeth
5. Bekker
6. BRUSSOW/KEEGAN (Keegan played off his nut at 6 last few weeks – even poaching at breakdown)
7. Coetzee
8. Kankowski
9. PIENAAR
10. LAMBIE (if 100% fit) – Pienaar and Steyn to cover
11. Habana/Mvovo
12. Steyn
13. de Villiers (C)
14. PIETERSEN
15. Ludik – Steyn and Lambie to cover
16. Strauss
17. Coenie (if fit)
18. Kruger
19. Alberts
20. Keegan/Brussow
21. Whitehead (give Jordaan time he will be here)
22. Hougaard
I know HM will never pick this team but hey…oh and I prefer mobility so I went for Alberts on the bench
@Ice (Comment 28) :
I ALSO AGREE THERE..DEFINATELY A 7…he prefers to run more and is so good at it..
- btw Im not saying he lacks in the tighter department HE IS THE FULL PACKAGE and a definate Bok starter
@pierre_mackie (Comment 36) : Too bad he has signed for Ulster until 2014.
@wpw (Comment 33) : I agree ,but he has been a good find for them, and one of the more dangerous backs around over the entire season. I also added a few players in the interest of being diplomatic and non sharks bias.
@robdylan (Comment 19) : All of a suden we are looking a little thin on the prop backups?
Yeah I can’t select a team, because I might as well just say make all the Sharks Bokke, but it’s not because I’m bias, it’s because IMO it’s just the best team Meyer can select.
15. Louis
14. JPP
13. Jean
12. Frans
11. Habana
10. Lambie
9. Ruan
8. Kanko
7. Alberts
6. Coetzee
5. Bekker
4. Etzebeth
3. Jannie
2. Bissie
1. Beast
16. Struass
17. Coenie
18. Juandre/Anton
19. Brussouw/Keegan
20. Hougaard
21. de Jongh
22. Morne/Jantjies
If Lambie is given a shot at 10, which he should especially after the way Morne played not only for the Bulls, but also against England, then Louis should play 15. Zane has never been good enough, Taute is one of my options but still injured and I would also consider Goosen at 15 and Andries Coetzee. Aplon and Joe hasn’t been good in the last 4 weeks of Super Rugby, but Aplon is still a quality player and his selection could also be justified.
Ruan is better than Hougaard by a country mile, he would have to play much better rugby at 9 for me to select him there again. He’s a great option on the bench though.
Kanko has always had my vote on form, he’s a class player and brings way much more to the team than Spies ever did, it’s time a coach has some guts to drop the under performing Bulls captain.
He needs to be replaced, if not with Kanko there is a few other better options than him. Bring Brussow to 7 and shift marcell and Alberts to 7/8.
Keegan at 8.
Josh Struass at 8.
And if Duane Vermeulen is ready he’s definitely a better option at 8.
I can name a few others, Spies has been really poor.
I thought Juandre Kruger did a good job against England, but Bekkers physical presence and experience must pip him for the spot. Anton Bresler IMO has also played outstanding rugby improving each game, maybe he won’t be drafted in for this comp yet, but he surely must be close.
Flip van der Merwe surely can’t be above him in the pecking order anymore. Anton has played both 4/5 this season, so that should also count in his favor as this makes him a good bench option.
I would have Brussouw on my bench and sometimes starting depending on the game and team we’re playing. What he did against the Sharks a few weeks ago is still a great asset to any team.
De Jongh, who can play both inside and outside centre is a good bench options, but the so is JJ and Tim, all of whom have been playing good rugby this year.
Other players that could slot in next to FSteyn in the future are Jordaan, Sadie, F Venter, Ebersohn …. quite a few young talented in/outside centres. A very nice situation to be in compared to NZ.
10 Lambie If only to shut me (and a few others) up.
We can’t possibly think a 28 year old morne Steyn is a better option than Lambie, Jantjies, Goosen and now even Pollard. They all have more potential and should be given a shot (a decent shot) to prove themselves in this position – starting with Lambie.
Not sure if this is a bit of a dampener, but I do not think Kankowski is available for selection for the Rugby Championship??!
He is set to join his Japanese club on 6 August, which is Monday next week…
Hougaard could be excellent, but he’s not at this moment. If Ruan played in SA there would not have been a question about this position.
We really need to find a proper backup to these guys.
I wouldn’t have Morne on my bench for long, too much young talent coming through.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 51) : International selectors would get first pick, would they not?
@Letgo (Comment 54) :
No they would not..
He signed a contract to be available for selection for the club from 6 August.
The same applies to Peter Grant and coming back to SA to start the Super Rugby season, he is always a few weeks late..
In essence, in going to Japan, like Jacque Fourie, you rule yourself out of selection for the Boks..
The good news is that Wynand Olivier would also not be available for selection..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 55) : So that will leave Spies at 8 again for the Boks by default. Kanko must be kicking himself for taking the Japanese offer – just when he played himself into Bok contention
@Letgo (Comment 47) : Bekker? Physical presence!? Bwahahahahahahahahahahah….
…..17 Oct, 2015, Culling Song’s bemused laughter finally dies down…
@Culling Song (Comment 58) :
Hahaha.. Brilliant..
@CapeShark (Comment 5) : hahahaha,had me in stitches with the Jacques Potgieter part there,but ya,he’s really got nothing special about him which is rare in South African flankers. What’s this I hear of Marcel and Alberts at 8,no no,I know we’ve got Sharks fans here,but these guys don’t have the brain to play 8. They were both 8s and now flankers,don’t you think there’s a method to Plum’s madness in doing that? Oh please no Wors on the Bok bench,are some of you listening to yourselfs?
I know we sitting with a bit of a crisis with Coenie unavailable and Bulls prop struggle to even bind properly,but we have no other choice.
@Culling Song (Comment 58) : He’s 208 meters tall and weighs 121 kgs… laugh all you want. When you have a guy like that in the line-outs it’s a physical presence. A physical presence does not imply bulk only.
@Letgo (Comment 61) : @Culling Song (Comment 58) : He’s also got a glass spine!!! Ask Dewaldt Potgieter what happens when you break a pane of glass??
@Letgo (Comment 61) : And yet 1.98m 112kg Bresler and 1.93 107kg Kanko rendered him rather useless
@Letgo (Comment 61) : Um, no, all that means is that he has bulk. He definitely does not have presence. Notice how he intimidated our locks last weekend…? Me neither.
@Culling Song (Comment 64) : @Butchie34 (Comment 62) : are you okes for real? Sorry to say,but Letgo’s got a point,he’s a 5 lock,he isn’t supposed to bash the opposition out of the way like Eben Etzebeth,he’s supposed to be more mobile lock,gaps rather than bashing at opposition,Bekker is bloody physical at contact point and more often than not he’ll gain ground on his ground,not only through gap,but sheer physicality
@Ludz (Comment 65) : I mean ‘ground on his carries’
@Ludz (Comment 65) :
The shame is, he is mobile for only 60 minutes, and that is when he is actually fit..
Generally, he play 75% of the games, because he is always injured..
And when he is fit, you can count on him being down for half the game, and being replace just after half time..
@Ludz (Comment 65) : I guess by Matfield’s standards (when at his best), Bekker is nowhere near the menace on opposition line-out ball that one would expect him to be
@Bokhoring (Comment 68) : To be honest I did not watch many Stormers games this season (did not want to bored to death
), but in the last 2 Sharks he had close to zero impact on the Sharks ball
@Ludz (Comment 65) : I remain underwhelmed by Bekker. He is slightly above mediocre at best and his replacement, De Jongh Steenkamp, was as effective as he was at troubling our lineout or our line the whole game.
I don’t expect him to make the barreling runs of Etzebeth but he has been rather anonymous on the field. I’d actually like to see his stats from Saturday compared to Bresler.
@Ludz (Comment 65) : molo mhlekazi, ndiyathemba le ntsasa ikufumana uphilile apho phezu kwe buffalo river…
re bekker…in terms of technical nous at lineout time, bekker is getting left behind, mallett alluded to this earlier this year, bekker doesn’t seem to read other team’s lineouts at ALL, did he even threaten sharks ball on saturday?
compare that with the work kanko has been doing in the past 3 weejks. the 1st lineout in the reds game i said to my mates, kankp will steal this and lo & behold he did and it’s not like i can predict lineouts but the guy and clearly whoever is coaching him are doing their homework!
bekker thinks because he is 2.05m or whatever he can just out-jump everyone.
@Culling Song (Comment 64) :
@Megatron (Comment 71) : 2.08
@Butchie34 (Comment 70) :
De Kock Steenkamp
@wpw (Comment 74) : Hey I got the De right!!
With the Steenkamp’s current positions I’m lucky I didn’t just call him De Substitute!! 
@Ludz (Comment 65) :
Are you listening to yourself? Firstly, the responses on physical presence were only because Letgo said that he had it. Secondly, a number 5 lock is still a tight forward – he cant ignore the rough stuff. Thirdly, Bekker’s lineout work at 5 is far off the pace. Bresler and Kruger are currently leading the way.
@robdylan (Comment 73) : as i said, “whatever”!
@Ludz (Comment 65) : When I say Bekker lacks physical presence, I’m not referring to the donkey work that a 4 lock (such as Eben Etzebeth, who is pretty much a freak of nature) does, I’m referring to dominating lineouts, which should be a 5 lock’s principal task. And I’m sorry to say, but Bekker is just not up to standard in that department, especially if you consider his physique.