The news of the preliminary 39 man Springbok squad for an upcoming two day training camp has understandably been overshadowed by the Currie Cup semi finals being played tonight.
Good news for Sharks players is the inclusions of uncapped players in Pat Lambie and Lwazi Mvovo among the backs as well as Willem Alberts and Gerhard Mostert in the forwards.
Other Sharks players in the preliminary squad are: Adi Jacobs, JP Pieteresen, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Alistair Hargreaves, Ryan Kankowski and Tendai Mtawarira.
Other notable inclusions (for altogether different reasons) are Victor Matfield who probably needs a break more than anything and the exciting prospect of Elton Jantjies.
The full preliminary training squad is as follows:
Backs: Gio Aplon (Western Province), Bjorn Basson (Griquas), Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana (all Western Province), Francois Hougaard (Blue Bulls), Adrian Jacobs (Sharks), Elton Jantjies (Lions), Ricky Januarie (Western Province), Zane Kirchner (Blue Bulls), Patrick Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo (both Sharks), Wynand Olivier (Blue Bulls), JP Pietersen (Sharks), Morne Steyn (Blue Bulls).
Forwards: Willem Alberts (Sharks), Bakkies Botha (Blue Bulls), Schalk Burger (Western Province), Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis (both Sharks), Dean Greyling (Blue Bulls), Alistair Hargreaves (Sharks), Ashley Johnson (Free State Cheetahs), Ryan Kankowski (Sharks), Werner Kruger, Victor Matfield (both Blue Bulls), Gerhard Mostert, Tendai Mtawarira (both Sharks), Coenie Oosthuizen (Free State Cheetahs), Dewald Potgieter, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Danie Rossouw (all Blue Bulls), Juan Smith, Adriaan Strauss (Free State Cheetahs), Pierre Spies, Deon Stegman (both Blue Bulls), CJ van der Linde (Free State Cheetahs), Flip van der Merwe (Blue Bulls), Duane Vermeulen (Western Province).
This squad certainly makes for interesting reading and I’m sure it will provide much food for thought in the two weeks between now and the Currie cup final. What do Sharksworld readers think, who should have been left out and who was unlucky not to make the first cut?
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Dean Greyling?? Werner Kruger?? 😯
Newcomers are Lwazi Mvovo, Willem Alberts, Werner Kruger, Dean Greyling, Coenie Oosthuizen, Gerhard Mostert (he has been in a Bok training squad before though), Duane Vermeulen and Deon Stegman.
what about Charl McLeod and Keegan Daniel? they definitely deserve it. as for some of the guys on the list………
@wpw (Comment 1) : Dean Greyling is a MONSTER but because of that he is quite injury prone, Kruger, ja hey would rather have had Brok Harris in there to be honest
@jessi (Comment 3) : Keegs is a glaring omission
I am really glad to see the efforts of Willem Alberts and Duane Vermeulen being rewarded. Mvovo deserves his call up too.
Not sure about Kirchner and Meisiekind, been there and done that with them and they are not good enough to be a Boks.
4 Number 8’s??
@lostfish (Comment 6) : remember this is a preliminary squad, it will without doubt be trimmed especially with a few overseas-based players also in the mix then
Other glaring omissions are WP Nel and Francois Louw!!!
JP, I think is already out injured, hope he recovers 😉
Conrad Jantjes should have been there imho!!
🙄
@war1 (Comment 7) : Yeah I know, but what is the point of using Meisiekind and Kirchner when they have proven over and over again that they are not good enough at Bok level.
Lostfish
I don’t get why people are so dead against Kirchner.
He had one or two bad tests but has since improved.
I’m not a huge fan of his but I must admit there’s not many great fullbacks around and he is a consistent performer.
@wpw (Comment 10) : Jantjies still needs to have the pins out his leg after the Final so he it out of the reckoning by all accounts so he can be ready for next season.
Thanks Sportbilly!!
You are awfully busy on twitter nuh?? 😆
@wpw (Comment 12) : He is consistent and he isn’t awful but he just can’t quite make the step up to Bok rugby. We know what we have in him so why not get Ludik in or even Daniller who have both had good seasons and see what they could offer in the training group and on the EOYT.
@wpw (Comment 10) : agreed, boks need him, especially on an EOYT
@lostfish (Comment 15) : Ludik and Daniller are two VERY good options as well, SA rugby has so much depth!
Januarie??? Oh FFS!! 🙄
2 Scrumhalves and 4 (or 5 if you include Alberts) 8th Men? #WTF
Could PDV be banking on an overseas option? Michael Classens or Neil De Kock? #WTFx2
Oh just remembered thankfully Ruan Pienaar!
Other notable players that probably wouldn’t have looked out of place in there: Eugene van Staden, Craig Burden, Keegan Daniel, Charl McLeod, Louis Ludik, Hennie Daniller, Jaco Taute, Jano Vermaak, Michael Killian, Sarel Pretorius.
Agree Greyling is an impressive prop forward, but Kruger is useless and soft… always has been, always will be.
Leaving out Keegan is a travesty.
@klempie (Comment 18) :
Januarie has been in top form since returning to CC Rugby.
HOWEVER He will be playing 2nd fiddle to Hougaard and then 3rd piano behind FdP when he returns next season.
@vanmartin (Comment 20) :
Most of those would fit into the squad well enough, but it’s not about being good enough it’s about being the best or in the top 3 in your position and a few of those guys just aren’t in the top 3. 🙁
Well said KSA Shark!
Wrt Keegan, you know I don’t rate Spies right?? But is Keegs really better than Alberts, Duane or Kanko??
Is he in the same league as Smith, Burger or Potgieter??
I don’t think so!!
@wpw (Comment 24) : Geluk ou maat. So die oorlog is oor 2 weke
I see Victor Matfield is there, right behind Werner Kruger. And Elton Jantjies was there in the squad in both the squad of Keo and sarugby.
Dankie Pokkel!! 🙂
Vir julle ook. Die Sharks sal favourites wees!!
After watching the ‘Boks’ back from ‘fitness and conditioning’ yesterday and again on TV right now AND judging by last year’s EOYT being called up to the national Protea XV isn’t the best thing for a player’s career.
They come back unfit, out of condition, lacking ball skills and generally looking out of sorts.
Top that off with a possible hiding for the guys, not great for the confidence of the younger guys like Lambie, Jantjies and Mvovo.
I for one would rather they didn’t tour, given the current Bok setup.
It will be interesting to see which of the overseas based players are selected.
Snor must be banking on using Steyn at fullback, else Taute or Daniller or even Ludik would have been in the squad.
I’m happy for Alberts, just not quite sure about Mostert in there..
@vanmartin (Comment 20) : Burden being left out is such a shame. He was one of the form hookers in the CC and has such explosiveness. I would pick him ahead of Chili everyday.
I think Sykes could have fitted in there too..
Was just thinking. There are so many srcum half’s that put their hand up this season. Think from all the unions.
As much as I rate Keegan D he will get hammered in the soft wet fields up North..
Burger / Vermeulen / Alberts would be my back 3.
Mostert is there after only playing 1 full game while sykes isn’t, wierd that
@RuckingFun (Comment 34) :
He has been a favourite with PDV , he was a bolter way back when PDV took over and still is on the radar …unfortunate for other locks that have been playing like Sykes and even Franco VDM from the Lions had had a good season.
PDV is not worth talking about.
@goyougoodthing2 (Comment 36) :
Perhaps for you ..but given he is the current coach its worth talking about 🙄
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 37) : Well… that he is the ‘coach’ of the Proetas XV is the issue. The way they played they are not worthy of being called ‘Boks’>
@jessi (Comment 3) : too many quality scrumhalves and too many quality loosies. keegan is I guess bit too small and he’s been around for a while and not always that consistant.
@lostfish (Comment 6) : looks like Kanko may have some run at 7 or so 🙄
@lostfish (Comment 11) : meisiekind does not seem to be able to make a step up but IMO too early to judge Kirchner he had some nice touches in few games so I would give him a chance.
goyougoodthing2
Its what ‘supporters’ do! Support the team in the good and especially the bad times!!
One only has to look at how Habana was abused by all and sundry and yet it seems all he needed was a break!
He seems back to his best doesn’t he??
As for the ProteasXV comment, I dare you to say that to the players’ faces.
@wpw (Comment 42) : It’s not the players I have issues with, they will play and play and play, it is PDV and Muir. I’ll call them the Proteas XV as long as that pretender pretends to coach.
Pathetic
@wpw (Comment 42) : As a true supporter you should realise that sometimes you need to be cruel to be kind.
Anyone who really cares about ‘Springbok’ rugby needs to walk away and show the rugby bosses we won’t tolerate an inferior coach. It isn’t what ‘Bok rugby is all about.
So you rate Gary Gold do ya??
And last year when we were TN champions and beat the AB’s 3 times??
Beat the B&I Lions??
The very same coaching staff was in charge!!
@goyougoodthing2 (Comment 44) :
As a true supporter you should realise that your team will not ALWAYS win.
We were in this same situation in 2006 and We all remember what happened in 2007.
Well done to everybody for getting Bok call-ups. Not taking anything away from any player, but Mostert has played one game since the 1st week of S14. Stegman only made his return a week ago after a long lay off. On what grounds were they selected? Merit or past reputation. I would go for Sykes and Flo (neither a “new cap”, although i know this is only a preliminary training squad).
@JustPlainSHARK (Comment 47) :
I agree. And it will be a real let down to both players to be dropped out of the 39 man squad when it is reduced.
Then you have to ask yourself what purpose does their inclusion actually serve.
I shake with enthusiasm at the prospect of Ruan Pienaar and Lambie as a half back pairing.
Would have loved to see Keegan Daniels get a call up but it is understandable cause his not a fetcher and his not big enough to play 7 or 8 but W.T.F has frans louw done his better than Stegman the grey Fu*^ .Buuuurden ,Wp Nel are unlucky .they should take E.Jantjies and P.Lambie on tour Lambie can cover fullback
@rekinek (Comment 40) : I hope not, he is no 7 and has said so himself. It will do his future prospects a huge disservice.
Can someone please tell me who the hell Keegan Daniels is?? 😈
@KSA Shark © (Comment 46) : You’ve been brainwashed. The All Blacks and the ‘Boks have always had one thing in common – losing is not an option.
2006 may have been a bad year but there was clearly a plan that needed to develop. This time around a winning formula was dismantled and the plan, if there is one, has not moved with the times. Clearly evident this year that no one knows what is going on.
And no, I don’t rate GGold, just think he’s a nice guy who actually cares about rugby. I don’t think the other 2 stooges care about anything except their egos.
There is zero chance that with these guys in charge, the amazing turnaround we saw in 2006 to 7 will happen again.
@wpw (Comment 52) :
thank you!!!!
Sharksworld pool code for the End of year Tour:
honeyore
@lostfish (Comment 51) : my thoughts exactly, but PdVivvy may want to reward hin for good form without dropping Spies.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 55) : thanx 😛
@Mocho (Comment 49) : do you really think that Ruan will get a boks call out ❓ i don’t think so.
@goyougoodthing2 (Comment 53) :
How many Tri Nations titles have we won since re-admission???
How many times have be beaten the AB’s away from home as well as AT Home since then??
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 55) : are you sure – I typed just that and now I am in pool 217 😯 and don’t know how to escape now 😐
Hi everyone can anybody tell me if there is going to be a offical SW EOYT
😉
@wpw (Comment 59) :
I just don’t get it ..you’d swear we were back to where we were in 2001 -2003 ..Fans memories are short …
Then there is the small matter of PDV wanting to play an expansive style of rugby and he was crucified for it …
You couldn’t even buy a win in NZ ..we managed 3 !!!
Put 60 plus past Australia.
Not to mention th B&L win and Tri-nations.
Am willing to bet had HM been in charge would we have had such sweet victories..?
doubt it …
Beat Eng by a record margin at Twickenham.
@wpw (Comment 59) : Your point is irrelevant to be honest. A lucky kick doesn’t make a great team, it just makes a lucky kick. No point in arguing here, as sure as the Protea XV are going to look like numbnuts EOYT.
SORRY
Pool code:
HONEYORK
@goyougoodthing2 (Comment 63) :
Be sure to show face if the Boks don’t look like numbnuts on the EOYT …
What saddens me is that there are supporters that want to see us do badly just so that they can say afterwards ..I told you so …
That is sad 🙁
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 65) :
Don’t even bother dude!!
‘Herd mentality’ is all i can say!! 🙄
Not so keen on the selection of the Sharks and WEEPEE players ahead of the CC final. This might just cause them to be hesitant?
@SharksRTB (Comment 67) : I just hope this training camp doesn`t involve contact of any sort!
We cannot afford injuries right now.
What`s the latest on JP ?
@Original Pierre (Comment 68) :
JP has a hammie injury but Plum was confident that he would be back in time for the Final.2 weeks is a long time to get back. And he did walk off the field okay.
@SharksRTB (Comment 67) : not that impressed with the whole announcement either.
why not just wait until the end of the CC – what difference will 2 day make?