Ruan Pienaar has been named to start at flyhalf for the Bok dirt-trackers against Leicester on Friday night. This is despite being used only at scrumhalf in the Currie Cup. Sharksworld has been lead to believe that Pienaar no longer sees himself as a flyhalf option…
In a pretty strange team that look very different to the one many pundits expected, a number of players who were expected to make the test lineup, including star openside Heinrich Brussow, have been named to start against Leiceser. The absence of Schalk Burger’s name would indicate that he might just be primed for a start at openside against France, with Ryan Kanokwski possibly slotting in at 7.
Gurthrö Steenkamp joins Jannie du Plessis in a front row that also contains hooker and captain Chilliboy Rallepele. Bulls utility Danie Rossouw will start at lock, together with Andries Bekker, while Dewald Potgieter and Ashley Johnson complete the loose trio.
Pienaar’s halfback partner will be the Bulls’ Heini Adams, while the exciting Juan de Jongh will be outside Wynand Olivier in the centres. Both wingers, Odwa Ndungane and Jongi Nokwe, are already capped Boks, while everyone’s favourite, Earl Rose, will be in the number 15 jersey.
On the bench, Heinke van der Merwe will cover the front row, with the uncapped trio of Bandise Maku, Alistair Hargreaves and Davon Raubenheimer all sure to come on at some stage. Bulls utility back Francois Hougaard will be the scrumhalf reserve, while the Cheetahs’ Meyer Bosman (a capped Bok) and Griquas fullback Riaan Viljoen make up the balance.
Springbok team: 1 Gurthro Steenkamp, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle (Captain), 3 Jannie du Plessis, 4 Danie Rossouw, 5 Andries Bekker, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 8 Ashley Johnson, 9 Heini Adams, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 12 Wynand Olivier, 13 Juan de Jongh, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 15 Earl Rose.
Reserves: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Heinke van der Merwe, 18 Alistair Hargreaves, 19 Davon Raubenheimer, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Meyer Bosman, 22 Riaan Viljoen.
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Interesting team….I hope this doesn’t mean Schalk is back at 6. I liked the 6 Brussow 7 Schalk 8 Spies combo
I would have liked to see Riaan Viljoen rather starting at 15
Lekka.
This is going to be a very good loose trio….I can see the Tiger’s having a difficult time at the breakdowns
@Pokkel (Comment 1) :
Also thought the Brussouw / Burger combo was a wenner…(No this is NOT a Steers whacky wednesday special incase you wondered, WES…) 😉
Wonder whether Lote Tuqiri will be playing for the Tigers.
Very interesting backline …and Good Luck to Earl Rose… 😛
@McLovin (Comment 6) :
We’ll stalk him on Twitter… 😈
brussow at 6 is the biggest surprise, surely he will not play this game and in the test team??
@war1 (Comment 9) : well, everything we’ve been told would indicate that the test starting XV will fly out later – ipso facto, anyone starting in this match cannot be a part of the test starting XV. Unless there’s an injury in the squad that we aren’t being told about. Even in that case, why start with Brussow?
Rob Houwing is equally puzzled… http://www.sport24.co.za/Content/Rugby/264/0bf6da1bdea846d9bbfd2d7f84cd9a8a/02-11-2009-02-31/Br%C3%BCssow_in_Bok_riddle
@robdylan (Comment 10) : Good afternoon Everyone. Rob, are you saying Brussouw will be left out of the test??
@robdylan (Comment 11) : i smell controversy, does not seem right
@war1 (Comment 13) : maybe the cheetahs want him out of the country asap
@Whindy (Comment 12) : Test team stayed behind in SA to prepare for the France test. So by all accounts it appears that way. Maybe a PdV surprise, but I doubt it.
@GI Ice (Bulletproof) (Comment 5) : 🙄 😐
@wpw (Comment 16) :
Speechless?? 😆
what do you guys make of Ruan being back at flyhalf now?
@war1 (Comment 14) : why’s that, dude? To stop him doing any “negotiatin'”? 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 18) :
Did you not say he will decline if he is FH?
@robdylan (Comment 19) :
Maybe they dont know that Rudi has a passport???
I still think Ruan has the makings of a great flyhalf. I believe that his inconsistancy is all a mental problem. Ruan needs a good ‘kop dokter’. You can see in his body language when he is going to have an off day. He seems to be very hard on himself and when he makes a mistake early in the game he is usually useless for the rest of the game. This applies whether he plays flyhalf or scrumhalf or fullback for that matter
@robdylan (Comment 18) : I’m mostly apathetic.
@Pokkel (Comment 22) :
That is not really a good “testimony” for his BMT, now is it??? Kopdokter of te not…
And if he needs a kopdokter, I am afraid he has to leave the Sharks, coz, unless someone can knock some sense into Plums head, i do not know if that facility will be available to our players…
@GI Ice (Bulletproof) (Comment 24) : I get so frustrated with Ruan,and I know this is very cliched, but I know he is better than he is showing us and that he is extremely talented and I still think he could be SA’s no 1 flyhalf.
@Pokkel (Comment 25) : Ruan gets messed around to much. There are alot of people out there that seems to think that Ruan will be/could be our # 1 flyhalf. Too much presure is being put on the lad to perform in a position he does not feel comfortable in and that will cause him to fade away with never really reaching his true potential. He should never have been moved from 9 where he played his best rugby. If this trend of shifting him around continues he will just become an average utility back who no one takes seriously.
@McLovin (Comment 15) : Your comment on News24 – suggest you are in two minds 😈
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 27) : 😯 There’s an imposter on the loose. 👿
😀
So then. Joost needs to sell a book. 🙄 I’m not buying it. 😈
Well you know there is nothing original in it
Star player retires
Star player marries another star leaving an ex-wife one behind
Star player caught using drugs and hookers
Star player apologises and writes book
Star players book fails dismally because fans don’t really care
Satr player gets arrested for trying to sell his body to former fans in his home town
And so it goes
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 31) :
Hi all from the swinging metropolis of lubumbashi saw the side and unless there is a misscount at least one of the loosies playing friday will be in the side against france maybe JP is going to play flank!!!!
@Pokkel (Comment 25) : let’s think about positives – at least he is not playing fullback with rose at 10.
this ruan debate seems to be nevereanding.
@robdylan (Comment 10) : i’m bit puzzled by brussouw as well and also other players who played in CC final – don’t they get a bit of rest. who put this schedule together.
Ruan is overrated. Period.
@wpw (Comment 36) : You looking for me??? 😆
@robdylan (Comment 19) : hey Rob just heard monty is on his way to free state any truth in it?
also Brussow on his way to the tank
Really interested to see if the assumed experiment of Adi at 12 works. If it does, then it’s imperative that we keep Crabman. I think the Jacobs-Murray combo could work. I’d normally prefer someone more physically substantial in that inside channel, for defense and crashball, but if it works with Fourie on his outside, it should work with Waylon. Keeping Waylon means our depth isn’t compromised.
Spies is out of the tour, underwent an operation on his finger. Jean ‘Wolla’ Deysel is his replacement! I think this was their intention all along. Really hope he plays in at least one test. I reckon the loose forwards for the French test will be Burger, Deysel and Kankowski, with Russouw and Brussouw on the bench.
@MerckZ (Comment 40) : where did you hear that, buddy?
@robdylan (Comment 41) : ok, just found it. Superb!!!!
Chilli as captain? Here is a guy who battles to keep his place on the bulls bench… But he can captain the boks b team. He has probably played 80 minutes of rugby this year!
@Rahul (Comment 43) :
He must be a good captain. 😉
Brussow withdrawn from this match.
@McLovin (Comment 45) : ah ha!
@robdylan (Comment 46) : Raubenheimer starting and Deysel on the bench…..this leads to the question…did PdV really want to drop Brussow for the 1st test.