Etienne writes: This is the dream SA team I’d pick to face Chris’s dream Wallaby team…
15 – Andre Joubert – he was brilliant in the 95 world cup. Good kicker of the ball, good positional play, exciting attacker. More solid than Cullen, more exciting than Burke.
14 – James Small – strong, fast and confrontational.
13 – Danie Gerber – I’ve seen very little of him, only a few clips, but he’s a legend. Missed out on the world cups because of SA’s isolation.
12 – Jean de Villiers – Very strong and creative player. Will create space for the players on his outside.
11 – Brian Habana – extremely quick and very opportunistic. A good finisher.
10 – Joel Stransky – won the 95 WC with a brilliant drop goal, but can also get his backline going and knows how to control a game.
9 – Joost van der Westhuizen – very strong and dangeroues around the edges of the ruck. Gets his forwards going, um, forward
8 – Bob Skinstad – BEFORE his knee injury, was possibly the most explosive loosie I’ve seen play.
7 – Andre Venter – hard man who does the hard work which allows Bob to do what he does best.
6 – Schalk Burger – his intensity at the rucks and workrate does a lot to disrupt opposition ball. Makes a truckload of tackles. Will often win the collission due to his strength and intensity.
5 – Victor Matfield – lineout legend, disrupts opposition lineouts, dangerous with ball in hand, strong defender (ask Byren Kelleher) does his bit at rucks & mauls.
4 – Mark Andrews – hard bastard in Martin Johnson mould. Good lineout forward.
3 -Adrian Garvey – stood his ground in the scrums and got through a lot of work around the field.
2 – John Smit – good all round player and a good captain. Very strong scrummager (helps that he’s as big as a prop)
1 – Os du Randt – The Legend.
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matty said | July 27th 2007 @ 5:56am | Report comment
Nice team Etienne. That is some Tight 5!
But the Wallabies would win!
swifty said | July 27th 2007 @ 7:11am | Report comment
Mark Andrews would have been my first pick. Every great team needs a man like that to do the dirty work. Mind you Andre Venter was carved from the same stone.
Hennie Le Roux and Japie Mulder can’t be too far out of the reckoning.
Jerry said | July 27th 2007 @ 11:00am | Report comment
Etienne – if you think late, high shots are the mark of a strong defender, I’m surprised you haven’t put “No Arms” Butch in at 10.
Temba said | July 27th 2007 @ 11:23am | Report comment
two words… Naas Botha
Craig said | July 27th 2007 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
I don’t know if there is a date limit for this team but one cannot forget the greatest bok of all, that being Frik du Preez.
I am only 25 years old but my father talks non-stop about the grace and strength that he played with. I watch some old footage of him and he was very impressive. It would be difficult to slot him in as who would you drop? Maybe Bob.
Temba said | July 27th 2007 @ 12:49pm | Report comment
Ha to funny… my father also never stops talking about Frik Du Preez, never seen footage though.
Etienne said | July 27th 2007 @ 5:34pm | Report comment
I never saw Frik play – it was before my time – but, legend that he is, he would probably have been too small for a professional era lock – unless you moved him to loosie. In that sense it’s difficult to compare players before the world cups with players since the world cups – because the game is so much different and players so much bigger.
Also never saw Naas play, but from what I hear he wasn’t the best defender, whereas Joel’s defense in the 95 WC was very good. I also rate Henry Honiball, but picking him would leave the team without a proven goalkicker (Henry was a good goalkicker at times, but not in the same league as Joel). Jerry, I’d pick Henry over Butch as a defensive flyhalf.
Temba said | July 27th 2007 @ 6:26pm | Report comment
Etiene…. I like Honiball myself, there has been a problem at 10 since he left but I will strongly disagree with you about the kicking, no one came close to Naas. The man could read a game of rugby in a split second and respond. Other big no-no is picking anyone over Butch for defense. I know for a fact there are many international player that fear him. He is with out a doubt, keeping in mind his size the most destructive tackler alive.
I think its Steven Larkham that said a couple of seasons ago “you can always tell by your pain after a game that you have played the boks… especially when Butch James is playing”. He is injury prone because he is fearless and tackles like a demented person.
I don’t know about you guys but I am very happy with the currant squad. The Shark forgot in the dieing seconds of the S14 final about the other destructive force in Rugby… Brian Habana, let hope the other nations in the RWC will do us the same favor.
Temba said | July 27th 2007 @ 6:37pm | Report comment
I only rate butch for defense… Honiball for sure as an all-rounder. And the Rolls-Royce of fullbacks will be a sure thing in my 15..
Etienne said | July 27th 2007 @ 8:15pm | Report comment
Agreed about the 07 WC squad, Temba. If Butch and/or Andre has a good tournament SA could threaten for the WC. Flyhalf is the only “unsettled” position in the SA team.
The team only really needs 2 (France in Semi’s and All Blacks in Final if all goes well) or 3 (England could be a challenge in the pool, but probably not on current form) good games to win the thing. Still rate the All Blacks as favourites, though.