Well, it’s not really news that most of us here and especially yours truly has been very impressed by the game of a certain young Marcell Coetzee. It is however really big news if this player gets a special mention by the new Springbok coach.
According to NEWS24.com Meyer was speaking at a the second four-day Springbok planning camp in Pretoria on Wednesday, where players from the Bulls and Sharks assembled this week as part of preparations before the three-Test series against England in June.
Meyer said due to injuries to key players, he is forced to look at other alternatives, after he initially wanted to send an experienced Sprinbok team onto the field in the first test.
“Like I said, I thought it would be an experienced side just to get us going and get the continuity because the guys know a lot of the stuff and lead the youngsters. “But it’s changed a lot and I think we’ll go for a younger team than I expected to go with,” Meyer told SAPA
Meyer was reluctant to single out names, but according to Beeld, he did mention that he was impressed with Coetzee.
“We have an abundance of quality loose forwards, but I’m very impressed with his (Coetzee’s) form thus far for the Sharks.
“There are brilliant young players putting their hands up, so it won’t be a problem for me to pick more of them for the Bok team,” said Meyer.
Marcell has been a stand-out in the Sharks team so far this season and he plays with a will to win. He has an incredible work-rate and plays well under pressure. Coetzee has also had to play both open and blindside flank and have made both positions his own. Then not even to mention the fact that he is actually an 8th man. So that would make him a very versatile choice for the Bokke.
In my mind Meyer has nothing to worry about if he chooses the young yster for the bokke. As someone once said: “if he is good enough, he is old enough”….and Coetzee is certainly good enough.
Go MARCELL, you good thang! I am sure if the honour befalls you, you will do an excellent job of it.
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Well deserved too! 😎
well played Marcell! What a legend.
@Pokkel (Comment 1) : Indeed!
“……and he plays with a will to win.”
Yes, this is important.
Imagine him and Brussouw hunting as together for the Boks – Marcel tackles everything that moves, and Brussouw steals ball all game long
Good going Marcell 😎
@Bokhoring (Comment 5) : the penalty count will be astronomical 🙄 😛
@Bokhoring (Comment 5) : and we sit in the stands and smile 🙂
@Megatron (Comment 7) : against the opposition yes – for holding on
Anyone else seeing the broken image beneath Bokhoring’s avatar where the stars should be?
Nevermind, clearing my cache fixed it.
Very good player…
But I’m even more of a CJ Stander fan. Incredibly physical player who’s more about accuracy. Having the ‘highest’ workrate doesn’t mean much. (and no, I wasn’t taking away from what Coetzee has done)
Meyer shouldn’t have any problems picking good young loosies to fill in for injuries. I’m just glad we’ve moved on from hearing Josh Strauss, Derick Minnie etc mentioned as Springboks.
@hendrikp (Comment 11) : the fact that Coetzee is performing, even under a “losing” side, is the crux here for me. Imagine what he can do within a different winning structure. Its much easier to be noticed if all around u is playing well, so for Meyer to rate him highly has to mean a lot.
Initially I would’ve gone with Marcell,because at that point CJ Stander was on the bench and we didn’t see a lot of him,but recently I have been very impressed by CJ Stander and I think Ludeke would be very stupid if he brought Deon Stegmann without him fighting for his place,I know Stander isn’t the genuine fetcher,but he’s been superb for the Bulls,that said heads up to Marcell,certainly deserves the attention
I don’t see Marcel competing for the Bok 6 jersey, as he is not really an open side flank – rather the 7. He played for the Sharks at 6 purely to accommodate Alberts at 7.
none of stander, kolisi or coetzee are fetchers but they’ve beem thrust into the fray bcoz of injury & have acquitted themselves admirably.
@hendrikp (Comment 11) : Hendrikp explain accuracy to me? In my opinion Coetzee has been the best loose forward in the country by some way, followed by Potgieter then Daniel .Stander has put in some massive performances in the last few weeks but nowhere near Coetzee.
If any of you think Meyer will play an out and out fetch you are mistaken.
@Ludz (Comment 13) :
CJ Stander is playing well at 6 because he listens to the refs calls.
Steggman is not a bad player but he just never listens.
The poor lad is a walking penaly.
@Talent (Comment 16) : If you measure Coetzee on fetching skills, he is not accurate, as I don’t recall him really pilfering or slowing ball. But if you measure him on tackles and metres made – he is definitely the business
People seem to forget that Marcell is actually a 8.
@Ben (Comment 19) : Third last paragraph of the article. 😉
@vanmartin (Comment 20) : I know. Pointing it out to the People discussing his “fetching” skills.
@Bokhoring (Comment 18) : and Stander is more accurate?
He should get a special mention. He has been a highlight in an otherwise dismal campaign.
@lostfish (Comment 23) : amen
Let’s just hope his versatility to cover all the loose forward positions does not limit him to covering the positions off the bench..
We have seen this with many players over the years..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 25) : Maybe after all this shifting they can figure out his best position and then let him specialise in it. The Sharks are masters in making players versatile and then shunting them around to their detriment. I hope this doesn’t happen with Marcell. I would hate to lose him to his first love.
@lostfish (Comment 26) :
You think Ice will make him stop playing rugby? 😯
@lostfish (Comment 26) : I am hoping the fact that they were not interested at first would make them think twice! 😉
@lostfish (Comment 26) : I am hoping the fact that they were not interested at first would make them (him) think twice! 😉
@Big Fish (Comment 27) : She has her ways.
@Ice (Comment 29) : He was young and untested and they had a plethora of decent loosies. Now that everyone has seen what he can do, EVERYONE is interested in him.
@Big Fish (Comment 27) : @lostfish (Comment 30) :
just now u get me in trouble with a certain beautuful YOUNG blonde!
Marcell will be the guest on Toks en Tjops tonight. So tune in!