Comments on: My dream South African team

By: Byron Jones

Byron Jones — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:51:00 +0000

There is, on the net, a Colin Meads Fan Club. Great man, Meads. Cannot some enterprising South African get a parallel fan club site up and running for that rock of a man, that great rugby hero, Frik du Preez? If anyone deserves it, he certainly does. Ah, but perhaps those who dabble with computers think that today’s players are the best. Poor ignorant sods! Mr du Preez was not a rugby player: he was a phenomenon; an EVENT.

I am a Welshman, so I like to think I know rugby quality when I see it. I have seen Mr du Preez and Mr Meads and Gareth Edwards and JPR Williams and David Duckham and Mike Gibson and …………… Damn, I have been blessed, have I not?

Come on, you Springbok fans, get off your arses and pay appropriate tribute to South Africa’s finest.

By: sheek

sheek — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 08:20:02 +0000

I have followed SA Rugby from afar. The sanctions bit most heavily during the 80s, when ironically the Boks possibly had one of their strongest eras.

My Boks team of the 80s would be as follows:

15- Johan Heunis. Safe in all he did. Tips out Gysie Pienaar.
14-Ray Mordt. One of the best Bok wingers ever.
13-Danie Gerber. The non-pareil (incomparable).
12-Willie du Plessis. Tips out brother Michael. However, swap with Gerber, 12 & 13.
11-Carel du Plessis. A great finisher. 3rd du Plessis brother.
10-Naas Botha. Not my cup of tea, but a legend.
9-Divan Servontein. Great scrumhalf.
8-Morne du Plessis(c). Not related to the others. jannie Breedt misses out.
7-Rob Louw. Blond bombshell. Tips out Gert Smal.
6-Theuns Stofberg. Hard man also play lock.
5-Louis Moolman. Giant lock.
4-Shalk Burger snr. Another giant.
3-Hempies du Toit. Some Saffies I know love him. Flip van der Merwe misses out.
2-Uli Schmidt. By a country mile.
1-Ossie Oosthuisen. Ahead of Heinrich Rodgers.

Maybe some Saffies of that vintage (1980s) can tell me how I went!

By: Jamie

Jamie — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 01:06:09 +0000

If you’re going to name a best-ever South African team, surely you don’t need positions 11 through 14?? Surprised the Bok’s back-line didn’t get deep vein thrombosis from inactivity on their tour of Australia and New Zealand…

By: DF6

DF6 — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 23:29:58 +0000

Yeah not a bad team Etienne however some would argue that SA rugby was consistantly better than NZ rugby before being banned therefore they must have had some great players. You mention for fullback that Andre Joubert (who i thought was a great attacker) that he was more solid than cullen and more exciting than burke? cullen never based his game on being solid and burke never based his game on being exciting, have you got these mixed up? Naas Botha is the name most rugby fans outside SA relate to SA rugby i think i never saw the likes of danie gerber or frik du preez but as a young kid growing up in nz and hearing about these blokes when they didnt even play international rugby must have meant they were great

I used to like Rassie Erasmus and Ruben Kruger, 2 players that had the complete game i thought and i will throw this one out there, Uli Scmidt, i have heard he is a doctor and the story goes something like he used to create his own patients!!

By: sheek

sheek — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 21:10:32 +0000

If you look at Etienne’s team, it seems to be selected only from 1992, when SA returned to International rugby. This was also Gerber’s last season of test rugby.

Agree if Gerber is there, perhaps Botha should be there also, although personally I was a Honiball fan.

By: Etienne

Etienne — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 09:15:01 +0000

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.

By: Temba

Temba — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 07:37:12 +0000

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..

By: Temba

Temba — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 07:26:11 +0000

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.

By: Etienne

Etienne — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 06:34:05 +0000

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.

By: Temba

Temba — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:49:04 +0000

Ha to funny… my father also never stops talking about Frik Du Preez, never seen footage though.

By: Craig

Craig — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:44:55 +0000

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.

By: Temba

Temba — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:23:34 +0000

two words… Naas Botha

By: Jerry

Jerry — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:00:18 +0000

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.

By: swifty

swifty — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 20:11:40 +0000

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.

By: matty

matty — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:56:12 +0000

Nice team Etienne. That is some Tight 5!

But the Wallabies would win!