Cheetahs scrumhalf Piet van Zyl is in line to win his first test cap with news that Francois Hougaard is struggling with a recurring knee injury.
Hougaard is in doubt for the test against Scotland this weekend after a knee injury sustained earlier in the year flared up. He has gone to see a specialist and a call will be made later in the week. Meanwhile, coach Heyneke Meyer is scratching his head as to who to add to the squad. He has already called up Piet van Zyl, but looks set to make another SOS call to a third squad scrumhalf.
Who that third scrumhalf might be is a debate all to itself. The players available include Dewaldt Duvenhage, Nic Groom, Charl McLeod, Sarel Pretorius, Louis Schreuder and Shaun Venter. It is unfortunate that Cobus Reinach is injured as one would expect him to be in the mix at this stage.
Good news for the Boks though is that both Willem Alberts and Bismarck du Plessis are available for selection against the Scotland. Alberts is expected to return to the starting team while Bismarck might just make the bench as backup to Adriaan Strauss.
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Glad that van Zyl gets a chance. Provides fast accurate service to his back line.
team I would like to see this weekend:
1.Coenie
2.Strauss
3.Jannie
4.Flip
5.Etzebeth
6.Labascagne
7.Alberts
8.Botha
9.Van Zyl
10.Lambie
11.JJE
12.Jdv
13.Serfontein
14.Habs
15.Le Roux
@Talent (Comment 2) : Am I the only one here that think Coenie is useless? Once he came on saterday we lost almost all our scrums.
@KingRiaan (Comment 3) : no, you’re not. I’ve long held that view
@KingRiaan (Comment 3) : @robdylan (Comment 4) : Handy guy to have around in a bar fight though…
@Culling Song (Comment 5) : amen to that. Everyone has to have that one friend
@Culling Song (Comment 5) :
😆 
@KingRiaan (Comment 3) : His scrumming isn’t great at TH ,to be honest it is only marginally better at lh. Good in every other respect.
What use is a prop that can’t scrum?
He’s useless when he’s at tighthead, apart from that he’s exceptional
would have liked sarel before van zyl and herbs before coennie don’t khow way he’s in the team to many penalty’s
@sharks4eve2013 (Comment 11) : I really think that Herbst is a much better player than Coenie. But Sarel just has a really good running game, the rest of his arsenal is pretty bare
@KingRiaan (Comment 3) : strumming is not all about power it’s about timing the hit and momentum caused by it, its like a golf swing-some weeks its on then it laps a bit untill you get the rithim bak. Coenie like beast is one of the best scrum dumbs in the game. You can’t after one bad night say a player can’t scrum. Coenies off the ball play is head and shoulders above all in super rugby. But hey this I don’t know as a Old fly half I learnt this from the scrum whisperer 😉 a few years ago
@BoerSeun (Comment 13) :Much more than that seun 😉
@Talent (Comment 2) : That one’s less questionable… 😉
I would switch Engelbrecht for Mvovo and rotate the 2 centers. I also wouldn’t have dropped Kruger or Louw. I am guessing most people will agree that Beast should stay.
Hey Rob, is Reinach not just about ready again? If I remember correctly, he is due back about now.
@KingRiaan (Comment 12) : I hear you but isn’t that what we want i think the inter play between him pat and willie should be great running rugby and sarel is alot more aggresive than piet when it’s scrum time and by the rucks plays alot like jano where as piet well probebly fit HM game plan more just my 2 cent’s
@BoerSeun (Comment 13) : I would like to know at least one game where Coenie has held his own at th, even in SR or CC?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 17) : Some facts to go on….this is what oosthuizens game is about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUrNhRqfPP4 and this is his scrumming, have a look at the first scrum- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq70fXCzjDU this boy has one flaw that’s his rate of penalties given like all fetchers and stealers he lives on the edge just a bit to much. please note that this is against the Bulls-he killed the very crap Stormers an WP pack on many a occasion. this boy can scrum, he can play rugby if he under performs is most likely his coach brawling him week in and week out…@Talent (Comment 14) : there is only ons other prop in this country making the same impact on a game thats the BEAST, IF AT HIS BEST….
@Talent (Comment 2) : So we have a massively impressive starting debut for JJ at 13, providing unparalleled pace in the positions and you want to drop him???
I’m all for Serfontein in the side, but that has to be at 12 with JJ at 13. Put old man Jean on the bench. JJ is a must at 13 and he needs investment. His pace will provide us with an edge once he settles as a test player
@KingRiaan (Comment 3) : You are speaking complete shit. Coenie is huge, which game were you watching? The only time the scrums struggled was thanks to Beast suffering from fatigue. As soon as Nkanyane replaced him and Coenie was at tighthead, the Boks scrum dominated
@Talent (Comment 8) : You have clearly missed his scrumming all season. I have read some shit in my life, Coenie has been massive in the scrums along with Adriaanse and equally good when he moves to TH, with Nkanyane at LH for the Cheetahs.
You blokes clearly have no idea when it comes to scrumming
@BoerSeun (Comment 13) : Spot on, Coenie’s strength is unrivaled. He is the only prop I have ever seen, take an early hit in a scrum, readjust and through pure strength turn the tide on his opponent.
He sometimes tries to overdo the domination and in the process pushes his opponent upwards. Coenie will go down as one of our best props ever, he has the credentials to be better than Os
Talking about scrumming. I reckon Serena Williams will make a nice combo with Beast. That chick has some serious legs and arms!