Well, in news that is likely to surprise nobody at all, the most overplayed guy in Rugby 2015, Doctor Jan Nathaniel du Plessis, has been ruled out of the Springboks’ final test of the season, against Wales in Cardiff this weekend.
When Jannie limped off against England ten days ago, it was blindingly clear to all save, I guess, the Bok management, that his season was over. Having started every one of the Boks’ 11 tests in 2014 up to and including Twickenham, as well as the vast majority of Sharks Super Rugby games hank to Jake White’s refusal to rotate, it was patently clear that Jannie needed a break. For some inexplicable reason, though, he was kept on tour and dragged all the way to Italy and back as a spectator, rather than simply being sent home to recuperate in the Durban sunshine/
Let’s hope sanity will now prevail and Jannie will be given a decent rest ahead of yet another grueling season in 2015.
Coenie Ooehstuihen and Julian Redelinghuys are expected to share the tighthead duties against Wales, as they did against Italy.
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Nathaniel…!? 😯
@Culling Song (Comment 1) : 😀
Might not be the worst thing in the world if Jannie is given off the fist few games of Super Rugby
Good, give the man a break
Boks quite likely gonna take a loss this weekend.
I hope Beast and Bismark are given another rest.
And a beautiful hot sunny Durban it is 🙂
I’d like to see all the Boks be given the first qtr. of SR off….and only start playing games around the half-way mark. (or whatever the latest research shows in terms of time required for peaking at the right moment)
@Culling Song (Comment 1) : yup 🙂 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jannie_du_Plessis
By all means give Jannie some time off, by no means have Coenie Oosthuizen fill his shoes.
Ruan Dreyer, Julian Redelinghuys either should have started NOT Coenie.
What are our (sharks) prospects for Tighthead? At the moment all we have is Adriaanse and at times he looks too weak. Du Toit was a tighthead in highschool. Dale Chadwick has also wanted to develop at tighthead for a while now, hasn’t he?
With all the overseas Boks not available, who exactly is available for Wales? Are we looking to face their no.1 side or a second string?
Let him take a break. He more than deserves one.
Interestingly is that the Doc has never ever scored a super rugby try. poor oke having played over a 100 games in super rugby.
Super Rugby
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2006–07 Cheetahs 26 (0)
2008– Sharks 106 (0)
@Uli Boelie (Comment 13) : And Beast has only scored 2. Both very recently. That’s because we have proper meat & bone props, not fat wings as is the recent trend. They know their job and do it well, leave the scoring to the loosies & backs
@coolfusion (Comment 9) :
so for how long have you been a closet Lions supporter ? 😛
@coolfusion (Comment 10) : our tight heads, in order, are Jannie, Lourens, Matt Stevens, Marne Coetzee, Bart le Roux, Ruan Kramer
Don’t know the last three but no 2 and 3 on thr list was a huge disappointment in this year’s Currie cup!!!!! Really hope their form vets sorted in the off season otherwise it will once again be a very hard and long year for Doc!!!!!!
@JD (Comment 17) : Well, Lourens scrummed well but was rubbish in general play in Super Rugby; he was great in general play but didn’t scrum so well in the Currie Cup. So just get both aspects right in Super Rugby 2015 and Lourens will be great!!
I’m just chuffed that Jannie got these two weeks off! Relax big man and be ready for a big year next year.
Oh, and I am sure the Sharks will rotate Jannie more next season!
@pastorshark (Comment 18) : ja he seems to be one of those players that played great rugby until he landed in Durbs. He bas just not plqyed the same rugby that made him a bok!!!! Like you said hope in 2015 they can sort that!!!!!
@pastorshark (Comment 18) : I would not just blame the props for our scrum woes in CC – we had a back 5 who where also not contributing much.
I for one am very glad janne-man is getting a few days off. Sad it had to take an injury to bring it about. I told my dad a while ago if they continue to abuse the man like this he’s going to break down, and i fear it would happen just before the RWC. At least with BV in the mix again we will see a lot more rotation, a real welcoming prospect ahead of the wc.
@Bokhoring (Comment 22) : I absolutely agree! I was just simplifying the matter and being a bit fascetious!