Heyneke Meyer may have selected his last Springbok team, and much like his 4 years to date, it has failed to generate much excitement.
As was expected, Victor Matfield has been selected to captain in his last match for the Boks (hopefully) by being selected over Lood de Jager, who drops to the bench. Matfield gets the captaincy from Fourie du Preez, whose cheek injury rules him out of contention for this match, meaning he would have played his last match in the Springbok jersey. Rudy Paige should win his second cap from the bench.
Springbok team: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Eden Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Jannie du Plessis, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Willem Alberts, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Jan Serfontein
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Ag. My. Fok.
Heyneke Meyer may have selected his last Springbok team … moet my nie opgewonde maak oor niks nie …. ?
And this is what is wrong with Heyneke Meyer’s approach. He may be a super guy and probably knows more about rugby right now than I will ever learn in a lifetime but his decisions seem to be based on a fear of losing as opposed to a desire to evolve the Boks and grow their game. All international coaches are conservative, Heyneke to his own detriment unfortunately.
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 1) : My sentiments almost to the word…
I didn’t think I would care much about this game…but I am very disappointed in the side chosen… 😐
@pastorshark (Comment 4) : Why almost? Wouldn’t you have used Ag and My being English and all?
@pastorshark (Comment 5) : Same here. I think Heyneke is gifting his oldies a farewell game, which some of them simply don’t deserve.
@vanmartin could not have said it better
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 6) :
I would have spelt “Ag” as “Ach”… 
Someone is scared of lose it seems.
@pastorshark (Comment 9) : Ja, typisch Deutsch! 😀
@Seth101 (Comment 10) : His entire time as Bok coach.
Wow really did not see him picking this team.
Just wondering how old will Vic be next World cup as I’m sure if HM is still coack of Bokke Vic will again be captain!!!!!
Im with Pastor on this….not inspired by the selection or vision for captaincy. ..thor should have been skipper. …but a few fringe players and subs should have started like pat
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 11) : So ist es! Sheer force of habit…
@Sharkfinn (Comment 14) : Yup…
Win or lose, this game (and team) probably encapsulates the Meyer tenure – uninspiring.
this is not at all the team I would have selected. Why all the old guys, i realise arg are good, but we can still beat team them without making it a farewell match for people whose farewell match should have been 4 years ago
@Zibbie (Comment 2) : Something nice to look forward to for Christmas
I would actually not mind them winning if it meant HM out sooner. But it looks like saru wants him ruining rugby for 4 more years.
@coolfusion (Comment 20) : We won’t lose…we’re playing a depleted Arg side.
A win here will probably be used as the driving force behind another 4 years of HM dinosaur rugby. 🙄
I am so disappointed. What a terrible way to start off my day.
Well I was not gonna watch the game now I def won’t! Hahaha meyer won super rugby but his a fucking idiot as bok coach
@StevieS (Comment 22) : I almost feel like sulking about this selection…
I would like to hear this a -hole,explain exactly why he chose Koilisi for his squad,he hasn’t given him one outing.You would have thought for this game Burger and Mattfield could have sat out.
Give PSDT and Koilisi a go,they can’t be worse than the chosen 2
I laughed Burger’s comment after the semi ”Ihave seen this movie before”
Yes the one where you try and run the ball out your own 22 cough it up,it is turned over and the opposition score a try and we lose by 2 points.
Afrikaans Press reporting Sharks have signed Robert Kruger, Leopards lock and player of the year…
@grant10 (Comment 27) : Is he any good? I’ve never heard of him?
Enforcer lock or a lineout specialist?
@grant10 (Comment 27) : And let’s hope Rob ‘s birdie is right about Botha. Then we just need to get hookers and a young enough tighthead.
@ChrisS (Comment 28) : Apparently 2 years in a row Leopards player of the year…..I dont know much about him…
@pastorshark (Comment 24) : I am sulking about this selection!
Rob needs to make an emoticon where the toys are being thrown out of the cot…
Really though, I’m disappointed with the team selected. No thought whatsoever about the future. PSDT’s development is being hampered because of Matfield and Kolisi hasn’t been given a fair shot.
@grant10 (Comment 30) : Sounds promising! I hope he can deliver the goods!
@coolfusion (Comment 29) : Ruan Botha?
@The hound (Comment 25) : I wonder if Reinach, Marcell and the other deserving players not selected are not feeling kind of relieved that they weren’t part of the shambles that is Bok rugby.
If Heyneke stays on as coach then will we see more and more young players turning down the chance to play for the SA u20 side (as Tim Swiel did) as that would tie them to SA for life???
Big part of me wants us to loose this game – then SA Rugby will surely not re-appoint Meyer for another 4 years. However it is nearly impossible for me to support someone else against our boys.
@Bokhoring (Comment 35) : nearly… Just give in you not the only one
@Bokhoring (Comment 35) : I’m battling with the same problem.
I want the Boks to win because of the tradition and pride that it symbolises but on the other hand I want the heyneke Meyer-coached team to lose!!!! 👿
@grant10 (Comment 30) : It certainly sounds good…and obviously RdP would have been influential enough and must rate him…
@ChrisS (Comment 31) : Yup…that…plus one or two other selections! I agree with the emoticon suggestion… 😀
@ChrisS (Comment 33) : Yup…all the birdies are saying he is on his way to us…yay!
I think i understand this selection and im not sure how much impact it will have going forward, well unless we lose. I think Meyer is under big pressure for a win, esp against Arg. Hence if DuPreez was fit i think the exact same side would have been selected as the semi. Meyer has shown huge faith in the older guys he has known for years and they have failed him. But he has backed them so why would he stop now in the last game, he is backing them to the end and giving them a send off and hoping they can eek out a win for him somehow. I think his squad composition for this tournament was way off but making big changes for this game wouldnt have glossed over that even if all the fringe guys got a run. Guys in the squad that added no value were Brits, PSDT, Kolisi, Paige, Steyn, Kirchner. Perhaps a lesson going into future World Cups is to be a bit braver in the selection of the ‘squad’ members. So can we read much into this game- no other than a win would hopefully at least boost moral a bit going into 2016. What i am interested to see is in 2016 the vast majority of the ‘experienced’ players Meyer backed to the hill will be gone…so how will he treat the new breed?
@ChrisS (Comment 37) : I want Meyer to go so that I can support the Boks again,I dislike this man so much that I probably would support England against Meyer’s Boks.
Maybe thats pushing it a bit,but definitely these Argies.
@pastorshark (Comment 38) : i saw him play a few games for the Leopards…good player, gets stuck in and has good hands. Not sure if he will break into the Sharks loosies though but certainly would be interesting off the bench. I wonder if any more will follow from the Leopards…
@The hound (Comment 42) : Im not a fan of Meyer’s thinking etc…but im not sure if im more concerned about him staying…or about who would take over if he left.
@SheldonK (Comment 44) : Gary Gold would do a better job.
@The hound (Comment 45) : Yeh look he prob wouldnt but my concern (although hard to discuss here) is that if Meyer goes we then get a ‘forced’ appointment if that makes sense? Powers that be would never let a foreigner be head coach. So i reckon best case scenario is Meyer stays…Van Graan and Loubscher get the Dont Come Monday speech…and we get 1 or 2 international assistants to coach. Meyer can do the motivation and sing the anthem
@SheldonK (Comment 41) : Intellectually I can understand all that…and yet the selection remains disappointing…
@pastorshark (Comment 47) : Ya look it doesnt inspire me to do cartwheels. But i kinda get it and in the greater scheme of things the best we can really get out of this game going forward is a moral boosting win and not much more
@SheldonK (Comment 46) : IMO SA right now needs an international coach, although I think Ackerman in slowly getting there (probably 2 years too early for him).
However no international coach will put up with the “extra” issues an SA coach will always have to handle. Perhaps the best would be to appoint an SA coach (like Coetzee) as head coach (with more of a manager role), with some very strong international assistant coaches.
@The hound (Comment 45) : Would not go as far as saying that
@Bokhoring (Comment 50) : One way for us to get rid of [email protected]<a
@Bokhoring (Comment 49) : Yeh the foreigner assistants is prob best case scenario i reckon. As you say, and well so did Steve Hansen, no foreign coach could handle the ‘extras’ and still coach effectively
@The hound (Comment 51) : Rather convince the Stormers that they made a mistake, and swap him for Eddie
@pastorshark (Comment 40) : So stoked!!!
@The hound (Comment 42) : I feel the same. If he is reappointed then I’ll be supporting New Zealand and Argentina going forward as they play an exciting style of rugby.
@pastorshark (Comment 40) :
Excellent news. I may prefer him over “the-on-who-shall-not-be-named” ;-), seeing as we may actually see him play. Plus, the Sharks can do with a couple of guys that are more under the radar. We’ve missed a player like Jacques Botes, who were never considered as a Bok, but never disappointing at the Sharks.
@Sharkfinn (Comment 14) : This side should have been selected with the main criteria being game time – those with the least to start and on the bench. Meyer should really have a more holistic attitude to those HE selects and professes to have faith in.
Is it even worth it to say that I hope HM at least use his bench players for more than 20 minutes.
Bring on Paige and Lambie at the 50 min mark?
As well as Jan and Willem.
We haven’t seen much of these players this RWC and think they deserve the time.
I suppose the only way they will get more time is if we are 20+ points up by half time and even then, it is highly unlikely that Lambie and Paige will get more than 10 minutes.
@Letgo (Comment 56) : In hindsight one now realises the incredible value, to the Sharks, of Botes not having got that call up. On a personal note I really wish he had got it though.
@Bokhoring (Comment 49) : I seriously doubt that SARU would even consider an international head coach. Allister Coetzee with some decent assistant coaches would probably be a more realistic option but even that seems unlikely. One gets the feeling SARU really want to stick with Meyer.
I’m with you on Ackers, he has to be considered at some point but give him a few more years to build a legacy at the Lions. We need strong SA unions playing that style of rugby. Ackers is best serving SA rugby doing what he’s doing right now.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 59) : he definitely deserved it and I can remember a few Boots and All shows where Naas and Darren where baffled by his continued exclusion. Similar to Kriel now…
Hoping he can make the next phase of his career a massive success
@Letgo (Comment 56) : charl van rensburg was another player like that.excellent loosie/lock.
@vanmartin (Comment 60) : Problem with that being – you play that style of rugby (or come from that union) you, at best, only get a sniff of Bok rugby.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 63) : Fair point but I’m thinking more long term here. Meyer can’t be Boks coach forever and even if he is, he can’t ignore the Lions forever. The press will place even more pressure on him than they currently are.
@vanmartin (Comment 60) : One huge big glaring question exactly who controls SARU.
Meyer through out his four years bleated judge me on the 2015 World Cup.
Well judge him on that he failed.
Judge him on his ability to transform the team in his four years he failed.
Judge him on his record over the four years he failed.
So you have to question exactly who is controlling SARU and what can be their motive in retaining this failure.
He has been given carte blanche with our rugby team for the past four years and taken it slowly
backwards
@Letgo (Comment 56) : 😉 You may just be right…
@vanmartin (Comment 60) : I agree with your points, especially regarding Ackermann.Jus one thought i had on this…Ackermann has done well creating a good environment at the Lions and in that he is doing SA rugby a great service. I just have a slight doubt about whether with a lot less contact time he would be as successful at creating the same environment with the Boks? And would he not be best served creating good players at the Lions that the Boks can use.
@vanmartin (Comment 60) : Although should Meyer be allowed to continue as coach, Acker’s work will only pay off after four years time. HM does not select Lions players, and he would certainly not follow that style of play at the Boks.
So kinda off and topic but not really. Assuming Heyneke Meyer remains coach and sense kicks in and his assistants are told dont come monday. Who would we want as a forwards and backs assistant? Im assuming foreigners here unless someone local is preferred? Are we also happy with John Macfarland and Pieter DeVilliers as breakdown/defense and scrum coaches?
@SheldonK (Comment 69) : I thought Richie Gray is the breakdown coach.
@Bokhoring (Comment 70) : Oops yeh meant to include his name there before Macfarland. But think u get what i meant overall
@SheldonK (Comment 71) : Scrums and breakdown went pretty well in the WC. Defence could have been better, but more due to individuals making wrong decisions at critical times. So I would keep those guys.
Biggest issues were 1) utter predictability on attack, 2) inability to exit 22 after kickoffs, 3) poor tactical kicking, 4) line-out letting us down
Luckily the game is showing at three in the morning here, so I don’t have to sit through this shit again.
@Bokhoring (Comment 72) : I think in the scrums, breakdowns and even lineout its more individual error than anything technique wise letting us down although i would like to see us more aggressive at the breakdown. So basically a new forwards and backs coach then to give new direction and skills. All this assuming HM stays. So now the question is who would be good assistants?
@SheldonK (Comment 74) : Plumtree & Jones 🙂
@gregkaos (Comment 75) : To add to this wishlist… I would like to see Marcell and Heinrich become our 1st choice flankers going forward.
@gregkaos (Comment 75) : I dont think either available…but money changes things. So throw names out there what about Leon Macdonald as a backs coach- he been doing good things in the ITM Cup with his side. As forwards coach- eish not many names come to mind…
@SheldonK (Comment 74) : This is my Springbok coaching dream team.
Head coach – Robbie Deans
Forwards coach – John Plumtree
Backline coach – Stephen Larkham.
@The hound (Comment 65) : Probably the Illuminati based on some of the decision making regarding our national coach.
@SheldonK (Comment 67) : Good question. We won’t know till we try though. Guess a lot of it will boil down to how good his support system are in terms of assistants and managers and how much the big unions will support him.
@Bokhoring (Comment 68) : Should Meyer continue on, he can’t afford not give Lions players their chances. There is no way he can ignore guys like Mnisi going forward. I suspect he’d even lose support from SARU’s side were that the case.
@gregkaos (Comment 76) : No flavour of the month Jaco Kriel?
@Ben (Comment 78) : Your dream team fails as will need to be a local head coach to be any sort of realistic. Also i refer you to Robbie Deans and the Wallabies…eish. It leads to my point that a coach that creates a good culture at a Union (like Deans and the Crusaders,) wont necessarily be able to create that same good culture at national level where your contact time with the playing group is a lot less. But i like the assistants.
@vanmartin (Comment 79) : Yeh agreed can only know once given a chance but would def need the support of the union coaches. Just who takes over at the Lions tho? Swys DeBruin…to me i think he isnt a guy to be the main man.
@SheldonK (Comment 81) : Key word is ‘dream’.
@Ben (Comment 83) : hehe i know…but i still wouldnt take Deans
@SheldonK (Comment 84) : Who would you take if you could choose anyone in world rugby? Please don’t say Gary Gold… 🙂
@SheldonK (Comment 80) : Oh he’d be in the squad alright!
I don’t normally do this but if I had to design a team for post RWC would probably look something like this
Hookers:Bismark, Strauss
Props: Beast, Tank?, Malherbe, Redelinghuys? StevenK
Locks: Eben, Lood, PSTD
Flanks: Marcell, Brussouw, Kolisi, Kriel
8th: Duane(c), Carr
9’s: Paige, Reinach
10’s: Lambie, Polland
12’s: Damian, Mnisi
13’s: Juan de Jong, Jan Serf
Wings: Mvovo, Senatla, JPP
FB’s: le Roux, JKriel (I’m still a bit on the fence about JKs best position, but I think WlR needs some healthy competition here.)
@Ben (Comment 85) : hmmm its a tricky one as i like being semi realistic. Id also want to have guys that may play a brand of rugby i like. So as a head coach i need a calm tactician and to that extent id look to a Rassie Erasmus (i think only a local guy can deal with the added distractions unique to SA) As a Backline coach i mentioned a guy like Leon Macdonald who has got his side playing great rugby in the ITM Cup. He also understands the pressures of test rugby. As a forwards coach- Plumtree would be a good option. But if anyone perhaps id prefer a Jamie Joseph or Mario Ledesma. If local id perhaps look to a guy like Paul Treu as a backline coach and a Johan Ackermann/Mathew Proudfoot forwards coach.
@gregkaos (Comment 86) : Good side. At lock id probably add Mostert as the 4th lock. Flanks id move Vermuelen there and include Whitely as an 8th man. 9s id probably look to a Faf DeKlerk and Hougaard over those 2. If Mnisi has a good super rugby then yes, if anythign like this years then def no. DeJong has been pretty decent at 12 for WP too. Id like to see a guy like Combrinck hav a look in at wing. and if Kriel plays 13 for the Bulls then he must play 13. If 15 for Bulls then he must play 15 with Leroux on the wing
@SheldonK (Comment 44) : It’s not like Heineke is in the middle of a term or 3 months left to world cup. This is the best time to replace him if that is the plan.
@SheldonK (Comment 87) : I would take any of those options if it meant that Heyneke had to pack up and leave!
@SheldonK (Comment 88) : I’d stop selecting overseas players. Full stop.
@coolfusion (Comment 89) : @Ben (Comment 90) : Yeh im not against replacing him. I just hav this uneasy feeling that if he does go there will be ‘other pressures’ that may result in an appointment that none of us want…
@Ben (Comment 91) : That would be a big call. Yes some say it would help the local game, im not so sure. Yes some may stay but in the economic environment we live in and with super rugby and cc structured the way it is a guy knows he has a very limited lifespan as a pro player playing in SA. So for his family and career does he stay and be patriotic or does he go overseas and kno he can probably play longer and that the money he makes could support his family after rugby…its a tough toss up for a young guy.
@SheldonK (Comment 88) : Can’t argue with that either.
Desperately want specialised 12 and specialised 13.
And more mobile loose trio. Reckon with combination of either two of Brussouw, Marcell or Kriel would be a nightmare to play against. Not too unlike how well Pocock & Hooper combination is working out for the Aussies.
Only thing would be running the risk of the rest of the team having a quick smoke and drink on the touchline while they do all the tackling and pilfering.
Do think that sacrificing a small amount of strength in Flow and Alberts, we’d gain a significant amount of mobility which would mean less risk of sending the ball out to our talented but under utilised backs.
Forgot about Faf. Not a bad option.
@gregkaos (Comment 94) : I think of you have Lions- Mnisi/Mapoe, Bulls-Serfontein/Kriel, WP-DeAllende/DeJong, Cheetahs-Venter/Smallsmith, Sharks -Esterhuizen/Sithole…then picking Bok centres shouldnt be an issue. I do like the more mobile ball playing loose trio and i dont think we would lose anything if u task your tight 5 with carrying primarily (in that regard the props need to carry the ball more, they lazy). Personal pref i would move Vermuelen to flank (where he started off) and play a quicker 8…even if its Kriel or Coetzee or Whitely.
This is how much I’ve been cross about Lambie not being used. I have not watched the World Cup for the first time ever. I’ve had better things to do!!! HM must GO! He can go back to the Bulls or maybe the Leopards need a coach now.
I’ve become a Sharks supporter way above being a green and gold supporter.
@Den (Comment 96) : Bulls don’t want him back. They are evolving and moving towards a modern game too.
@Den (Comment 96) : Its obviously your choice but if you didnt watch or support the Boks because of 1 guy im not sure how much of a supporter you are. Just my opinion.