Reading between the lines as we assimilate the various news snippets and sound bites emanating from the various teams competing in this weekend’s final round of Currie Cup matches, it sounds as though there won’t be much resting of Rugby Championship Springboks going down after all.
In yet another complicated tail involving tails wagging dogs and carts placed ahead of horses, it appears that the union CEO’s (apparently the ones behind the decision to withdraw ALL Boks from the ENTIRE Currie Cup at the start of the year) have once again backtracked entirely on that position and insisted instead that they should have full use of all their players for the next three weeks. This will lead, I’m sure to at least one or two more injuries ahead of the End of Year Tour squad announcement.
The fact that certain unions find themselves in the somewhat uncomfortable (and rather unexpected) position of facing a potential last-place finish, it’s probably not that surprising that those coaches are diving for the panic button and seeking to include as many of their top players as they possibly can in the hope of salvaging something this weekend. For the Blue Bulls, Cheetahs and Western Province, victory this weekend is non-negotiable and all three could potentially still finish last, as could Griquas, who unfortunately have no Boks to include in their side, even if they’d want to.
It’s only really the Sharks and Lions who have any real choice in the matter, with their sewing up of the home semi-final positions a round early giving both the luxury of phasing their Boks in more gradually. Johan Goosen is, of course, crocked once more, but aside from him, expect every available Springbok who holds a contract with any of the Bulls, Cheetahs or Province to be thrown straight into Currie Cup action this weekend.
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Hope that Plum will not be too hasty to include the Boks – maybe off the bench if need be. The bokless Sharks should be more than capable to beat Griquas at home.
I’d pick Lambi, Burden and Marchel in the starting 15, Alberts, Beast and Jannie off the bench…
@Franshark (Comment 2) : and Lwachi?
🙄 Same old, same old, in SA rugby. Always short term gains.
I saw the Bulls want to start Morne. Surely that would be more of a hinderance…
the bulls want to finish last so they can include MS for sure
2 Burden for Cooper
7 Coetzee for Deysel
10 Lambie for Bosman
12 Bosman for Whitehead
13 Still debating whether Whitehead or Jordaan should start here
Bench = Du Plessis, Mvovo
Completely Rested = Alberts
@robdylan (Comment 3) : Odwa MOTM, and JP on the other side, is he ready in any case?
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 7) : Whitehead to start, and Coetzee for Botes…
Burden and Lambie must start! Mvovo and Coetzee can play from the bench with Jannie, Beast and Alberts resting.
@JD (Comment 10) : I don’t think rest is necessary, these guys have been at home for long now.. We need them to get game time together if we want a different result than last year, this year we have an extra week.. Let’s use it well..
Plum must not change too much at once. Only Burden and Lambie did not play much so they MUST start, rest of bokke must play of the bench if they play.