Sitting on my couch waiting for Liverpool's Europa League game against Napoli listening to the lads on Boots & All discuss the Springbok side selected for Saturday's Test against Ireland and I'm struck by something which, to be honest, I don't know how to process, maybe you can help? Should we be concerned?
We are about 11 months away from defending our World Champions title and 13 "probables" are out injured, something Tim Noakes has expressed concern about happening all year! The net effect is that the side selected to grace the paddock of Ireland's spectacular new home, Aviva Stadium, seems a paltry shadow of the side that should be experiencing the honour as the first ever opposition to run out of the new sheds.
Zane "love child of Sideshow Bob" Kirchner at outside centre, for the first time at any decent level of rugby to my knowledge and against one of the greatest centre pairings of the last decade! P-Div says he's there for his defensive capabilities, sorry his what? Does our irreverent coach actually watch rugby in this country? Fair enough there's a plethora of centre talent sidelined, but is Kirchner really the best left available?
Then he's picked Ruan at the base of the scrum, sorry, wasn't he your first choice flyhalf less than 18 months ago Pieter.....I suppose asking you to make up your mind is tantamount to heresy in your eyes! Nice to see Ruan finally get a fair crack at his preferred position, but what's Hougaard done wrong?
Bjorn Basson, great pick, the kid can finish and I hope Mvovo gets a run, they are both exciting to watch and seem to have slightly better rugby brains than a number of our second string flyers have in the last few years. I'm also very happy Habana is on tour, he's back to his best and should get a few chances to break out the best scoring dive in World rugby!
I'm a big fan of Aplon, but is he the right call on those heavy fields from Fullback? How fleet of foot can he be with an extra couple of kilos of sodden mother earth attached to his boots?
There's a strong possibility that the next big thing in Springbok Rugby will get a start if Jean De Villiers doesn't come right by tomorrow. I'm so excited about this kid that I wasn't even bothered by the way he destroyed my beloved Province on Saturday. This kid can play and he seems to have the B.M.T. that sometimes seems to elude the previous Sharks prodigy, Frans Steyn. I'll state it now, Patrick Lambie is going to be one of the greatest Springboks ever, he will dominate the Bok side for the next decade and is going to have a fair crack at a number of Percy's records while doing it.
Playing him outside Morne is the right thing to do, that's how the Kiwi's blooded Carter. Defensive concerns I hear you mutter, not an issue I retort. At one point in the 1st half of the Currie Cup final they showed flyhalf stats. At that point Lambie had made 4 tackles, De Waal only 1 for W.P., AND THE SHARKS HAD BEEN IN CONTROL OF POSSESSION! Don't worry about Lambie, he can hold his own if he plays, but I still think B.O.D. and D'Arcy are going to tear Kirchner apart!
The other young gun in the squad, Elton Jantjies, is bound to get some game time on tour and is destined to be a long term Bok. Somebody at Vodacom must have spotted him a few years ago, because the stars of the superb Player 23 campaign are.......Elton & Jan........I know, crazy isn't it! Seriously though he's also going to be a star. 2015 RWC - Hougaard at 9, Jantjies at 10, Lambie at 12 is going to wipe from our memories what we seem destined to witness in N.Z. come September 2011!
Our pack for Saturday is pretty solid, although I still think Spies should be playing for the Blitz Bokke on the 7's circuit, I can't think of one big game against a big team were he's justified his place! I rate Deon Stegman, but I'm surprised that he's in ahead of Keegan Daniel. For a "little bloke" he's superb, and has been for a number of years, but in particular this season, and especially in the wet, so why not give him a crack? The front row is immense, as always and Juan Smith is the most understated rugby player in World Rugby, what a legend. Then there's Bakkies and Victor, those words say it all, what a pair, superb, just hope they haven't forgotten the lesson the Guinness drinkers taught them last year, all be it with a little help from Gert, again I question our coach not taking that into consideration, they didn't read us like a book, they had the damn book translated weeks ahead.
I'm a tad worried about Victor's leadership, he's a great student of the game, but seems to disappear as a Captain when the chips are down, hope he proves me wrong on this tour, even better I hope the chips aren't down too many times!
So yes, I'm concerned, this Grand Slam could be in reverse, and I'm pretty sure no SANZAR side has ever lost all 4 Tests on a Grand Slam tour. However we also get to see how deep our talent actually runs, mainly due to injury rather than a decision by P-Div, which has been the hallmark of his tenure as Bok coach. Some of his best selections have been forced on him by injury, hope this runs true come Saturday!
Believe and it will BE!
GO BOKKE!!!!
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