Seeing as the Sharks are not in action for the remainder of the year, we cannot let the site just run dry. So I will do my best to get daily news titbits up for your reading pleasure
The biggest news overnight is that Eben Etzebeth has signed a short term contract with Saracens. He will go as a medical replacement for the now retired Alistair Hargreaves and is set to join the club on completion of the End of Year Tour. So much for an off season for the big lock? I am surprised that Western Province and SARU have allowed such a move considering the work load of the young man and his recent run of injury niggles.
In more surprising news, Johan Goosen has been named as the Top 14 player of the season for the 2015/2016 season. His team, Racing Metro, won the Top 14 and he won the award at a gala dinner last night. His fellow nominees included Dan Carter. The big question here is, how can you have a player who is rated as the best in his league (and not exactly a small league) and he cannot find a spot in his national team? What are we doing wrong?
In some local news, Western Province has received a boost ahead of their Currie Cup semi final clash this weekend. Both Bongi Mbonambi and Juan de Jongh have been released to play for the side this weekend. Damian de Allende, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth were not released for duty. Western Province take on the Bulls at Loftus this Saturday afternoon.
That is all for the time being.. Happy Tuesday!
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Let me answer the second question first. We DID give Goosen a run and he was shit. End of 🙂 Maybe it’s possible the Top 14 isn’t as demanding as test rugby?
@robdylan (Comment 1) :
I hate saying this, but he sure was better than Lambie at fullback?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 2) : You not allowed to say that word here
But yes I agree.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 2) : both were shit. That doesn’t make Goosen the answer.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 2) : He was yes. It was so obvious that Lambie is not match fit or even close to being in prime condition though. Question regarding Goosen is where do you play him? 15 he was ok but when Le Roux came on you could see his class compared to Lambie and even Goosen. So do we play Goosen at 13? It would make a possible 10,12,13 of Lambie, De Jongh and Goosen attractive but a bit light weight
@robdylan (Comment 1) : If am not mistaken Goosen played most of his rugby in France at 13.
@Uli Boelie (Comment 3) : no, you can say what you like. I’m smart enough to notice when Pat has a bad game. In his third game back after a 3-month lay-off, he was shit. So why is he playing a test against the All Blacks when he’s not in form? You tell me.
Goosen, on the other hand, is apparently in the form of his life in the pensioner’s league, yet is equally shit at test level.
@robdylan (Comment 7) : The point being is, who was the better FB over the series? Goosen or Lambie? Goosen by far. Should either of them have played is very debatable, considering that both had to play out of position in the first place , and then Lambie just came back from his long layoff, the coaching staff is to blame, but I also point a finger to the player. He should have known better and not made himself available in the first place.
@robdylan (Comment 4) :
Goosen was being played in a position that he hasn’t played in, similar to Lambie.
It is a joke that players of that quality are being played where they look shit, and in the case of Lambie, when he is not even completely ready..
The point I am making in the article is, how can a player be so good in a decent league, and you can complare that league to Super Rugby, and he cannot make the transition into International rugby?
@SheldonK (Comment 5) : Seen as we are throwing new combo’s together, how about
10. Lambie
11.TBC
12.Pollard
13.Goosen
14.Combrink
15. Willie
This is assuming that Frans is never playing for the Boks ever ever ever again.
@Hulk (Comment 10) : Id be happy with that. probably put Mapoe on the wing.
@Hulk (Comment 10) : move willie to wing and kriel to 15 and you can call it the protege backline !
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 2) : How could Lambie anything but off the pace after being on the sidelines for months, having 10 minutes of watered down game time and then being played out of position. His elevation into the test squad was not the right call in the first place. Player management my backside..
@Zibbie (Comment 12) : Or could move Kriel to 15 and Ulengo on the wing and have a very young but promising backline. Could include big chaps like Van Rensburg and Esterhuizen on the bench
@SheldonK (Comment 11) : @Zibbie (Comment 12) : hmmmm, decisions, decisions. Hot to admit I thought about Willie on the wing but felt 15 was a problem then. At the same time I’m not sure about playing Mapoe out of position so at the end of the day perhaps Kriel at FB and Willie on the wing. Now with that as the line up are we defensively good? I’m not so sure we are.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 13) :
I agree with you completely!
@Hulk (Comment 10) : If we going to play this game how about this
10 – Lambie
11 – Jamba Ulengo
12 – Pollard
13 – Francois Venter
14 – Sergeal Petersen
15 – Combrink
@Tintin (Comment 17) : I’d say you are way left field but can’t imagine that is going to be any worse than what we saw on Saturday so why not.
@Tintin (Comment 17) : @Hulk (Comment 18) : going to need a lot of patience with that back line
and who would you have at 9 ?
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 13) : @Richard Ferguson (Comment 16) : Done him more harm than good by playing him out of position in a game where even Dan Carter would have looked shite against that opposition that charged down kick that lead to a try had ring rust written all over it,
Seriously why is no one talking about Willie as the leading number 15 in the country.sure he’s had shite games but not one of his replacements have been better.Doesn’t get picked the whole season and is thrown onto the field when we are 5 trys down and expected to shine.
He’s the incumbent fullback after all,hows he supposed to feel when he knows four guys have been tried before him in his position and failed.
That was the joke of all jokes in Alistar Coetzee stand up comedy show.
,
@The hound (Comment 20) : I agree with you regarding Willie…looked classy when he came on. He was caught out of position with one kick but think Mapoe was actually meant to be covering that area.
@The hound (Comment 20) : Never understood why he was dismissed as he’s clearly the best choice we’ve got. Thought when Combrink went down JPP should also have been recalled.
@Hulk (Comment 18) : @Zibbie (Comment 19) : We going to need alot of patience with what ever backline we pick, at least this one is young and full of power and speed.
9 is a bit of a problem, right now there is no one that has a rounded skill set, I think we should not look for a new Fourie Du Preez, those dont come round every day, but I would like to see Faf at 9, if he can sharpen up his kicking I recon he could be a good’un
@Zibbie (Comment 19) : Just having fun with the names that keep cropping up. For me I’d keep Faf as my Scrummie. I like him.
@Hulk (Comment 22) : Yes I would have had Willie at 15,JPP and reluctantly Habbanna on the wings,RJVR and Mapoe at centres and started Steyn at 10 with Lambie or Goosen on the bench.
@Tintin (Comment 23) : @Hulk (Comment 24) : yea the team will grow with time and experience . ifthey will be offered that without constant chopping and changing remains to be seen
@Zibbie (Comment 26) : I think the point is if AC would of pick a side like that from the start, one thats young and has the right kind of experience in key positions, we as the public would certainly give him sometime.
I mean picking Morne, is nothing sort of shambolic!!!
@The hound (Comment 25) : That sounds very reasonable
@SheldonK (Comment 28) : I would also have loved to see if Michael Claassens could still raise his A game against the AB’s he couldn’t have been worse than Faf and Houghaard.
While everyone is on the blooding the next generation and building for the future,there’s a time and place to do it,and its definitely not in a test against probably the best team in history one game off a world record of consecutive wins.
@The hound (Comment 20) :
I am also confused regarding the Willie situation.
I thought that he had left Willie out of the group as a result of him signing an overseas contract, maybe even going as far as telling him to go find some form before he gets back in the team.
But to then play two flyhalves out of position at fullback and still call him up at the first opportunity he gets, and still leaves hi on the bench in those two games, leaves me pondering whether AC knows where his arse is..
@The hound (Comment 29) : I think the speed and stamina has run out of Claasens legs- was evident in super rugby. Perhaps a Jano Vermaak instead. I do get what you mean by having a good experienced core. If you have that core in key decision making roles then you can build the youngsters around it
@The hound (Comment 29) :
His time to blood his generation of players was in the Irish series, so that by the time they face the All Blacks in Durban, they have had a good run of games to find their feet, not be thrown in the deep end and fucking drown..
@SheldonK (Comment 31) :
Quick question: Is Cobus Reinach fit again by the time this tour rolls around, or is he injured until next year?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 33) : Think he is out till next year.
@SheldonK (Comment 34) :
Would have been interesting to see if he makes it into the squad, seeing as the current coaches enjoy playing players straight from injury…
I really think Sergeal Petersen should be given a look in at the Boks. That laaitie has been playing some brilliant rugby.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 9) : is the Top 14 comparable to Super Rugby? For me, the jury is out.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 33) : only expected back in Feb, I think
@robdylan (Comment 37) :
You have a point with the amount of geriatrics around there, but still a healthy pool of players to be selected the best of..
@KingRiaan (Comment 36) : The problem comes when Peterson has to make a tackle…on attack he is very good
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 39) : it’s one of those questions that you can never really answer anyway, so it will always be a matter of opinion.
@robdylan (Comment 41) : I would say Super rugby is probably played at a higher sped but the French top 14 is probably more physical
You should “never” play a player out of position at international level…rather play the next best regular in that position!
@Lastoutpost (Comment 43) : So Israel Dagg shouldnt be on the wing? Neither should Dane Haylett-petty. Frans Steyn won a RWC at 20 yrs old playing centre for the first time. It can work depending on the players attributes.
@robdylan (Comment 37) : Is Super Rugby comparable to Super Rugby…..I think not if one considers the current format as an example the Sharks / Lions etc Super Rugby experience was far different to that of Stormers/ Bulls etc. Its crazy but its true.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 45) : Interesting perspective
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 2) : what position did he play in Top 14?
@JD (Comment 47) : 13 and 15 mostly i think
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/springboks-are-spiralling-out-of-control-rvp7g0tg5?shareToken=f8613e7e2e07dd835b13ee7c75505c21
@The hound (Comment 25) : Ideally my 1st choice would be: 9. Faf 10. Lambie 11. Habana (as I’m not sure who else to pick) 12. Frans 13. Mapoe 14. Combrink 15. Willie with RJVR and JPP on my bench. Now assuming Frans isn’t coming back and with Combrink going down, I’d pull the 2 guys from my bench into the starting lineup.