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Joined August 2016
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Hi Suzy!
Just saw the Springbok team sheet for Saturday… Eishh… Methinks I’ma rather gonna practice my make-up skills come Saturday afternoon. Back to kick-chase against the best kick retriever in the business (Folau)? Lambie at 15 still under a concussion cloud? Surely he’d be safer at 10 from getting another knock on the head? Also very little match practise, madness I tell ya’. If there were no fitness question marks I’d agree that he would be the best option at this stage. Paige (alongside Oupa) will set new standards for mediocrity (both are good Provincial level players at best). Yes my side is inexperienced and yes it is loaded with Lions players (seeing as I’m a fan) but it’s only fair that these players, who have been on a different planet than any other team from the Republic, gain that invaluable experience the only way you can: by actually playing! Stop picking players seriously on the downhill slope (Beast/Adriaan/Flouw/Steyn/Habana comes to mind) and start building towards the next World Cup now. Agreed with Hougaard being a good option at nine, but give him the freedom to express his natural (instinctive) game, he’ll never be the next (tactical genius) Fourie du Preez like they tried to make him. Maybe it’s best we lose come Saturday for fear of this terrible reign continuing longer than it needs to… Yes the coach (/selector) is the biggest dog (in the system). Just to put this in context (his selection of players out of position): The fullback is a fly-half, the right wing is a left wing, the left wing is a scrumhalf, the outside centre is a full-back and the inside centre is an outside centre (played at 13 for Stormers last week). With everyone but the halfbacks in your backline playing out of position it stands to reason that your defence will be out of sorts (as it has been). I’m no rocket scientist but surely ironing my panties come Saturday afternoon seems more productive than watching this lot…
The Big Rugby Championship question: Home and away
I did the sacrilegious and predicted a Wallaby win on Saturday. How different the outcome could be with proper selection/coaching. I believe the ‘bokke would be a much better proposition come Saturday if they looked like this:
1. Kitshoff with young gun Ox Nche on the bench.
2. Marx. Line-out (throw-in) deficiencies should be easily resolved at this level.
3. Redelinghuys with Koch as back-up.
4. Etsebeth. The only reason why All Black locks are rated higher is because it’s easier to “shine” in a good team.
5. Mostert. He’ll always put in an honest day’s work.
6. Kriel. Come on, give him a (decent) run!
7. Du Toit. He’ll provide the grunt (and more) at blindside.
8. Whiteley. I’ll entrust him with the leadership as well.
9/10. Faf and Jantjies. Why? Three of the four Rugby Championship tests were away from home, Jantjies played his best rugby on the hard/dry highveld pitches during Super Rugby and struggled away (like in the Super final). I’d give him another shot in conditions that suit him and back him to come good. Faf? Well the alternate (Paige) doesn’t offer anything. Lambie not ready yet and persisting with Steyn will just take us down the wrong path again. The time has come to grit our teeth and try something new.
11. Habana, but it may be time to start looking at some of the young guns (like Ulengo) coming through in the Currie Cup.
12. Rohan. Offers so much more than De Allende or de Jongh.
13. Mapoe for the combination but there’s a guy from the Cheetas I’d be tempted to give a go called Francois Venter.
14. In the absence of Combrinck this probably is the hardest position to pick. Unfortunately we don’t have the All Black’s headache of who NOT to pick, we’d gladly pick some of their guys not getting a shot! Probably go with Kriel and have a look at what’s available in the Currie Cup?
15. Willie. With his current (questionable) form it’s risky but look what a difference a classy player like Genia made to the Wallabies once he regained form (and how suddenly it came!). The only way we can put some spark back in our backline pity SA coaches did what they do best: Coach the creativity out of a player.
The Big Rugby Championship question: Home and away
I would dearly like to know where this perception that we (South Africa) have these huge forwards that can outmuscle others (both from within SA and other countries) come from? I look at the pack weights they display at the start of the game (normally both teams at +-900 kg’s) and more often than not the opposition outweighs the South African side! So are we really bigger then? Maybe it’s time we South Africans cerebralised up a bit and focused on skills development in stead of always (unsuccessfully) trying to outmuscle everyone. The Lions showed the way but I’m afraid the old way is (still) too entrenched in the powers that be.
Boer Power: The poetic brutality of Springbok Rugby
There are two points regarding Saturdays Super Rugby final I’d like to make:
First off I’d like to state the importance of the 50-17 league loss to the Hurricanes by the Lions. Contrary to the widely held belief (mainly from the New Zealand side to generalize. 🙂 ) that this points to their susceptibility. I do not concur with this sentiment. I think it was an important aspect of the growth in the Lions’ progression to where they are today. A lot more was learned in defeat that day than what was conceivable had they been victorious. The introspection and re-assessment caused by such an ignominious of a defeat was much needed at the time when over-confidence (and even an inkling of arrogance) came to the fore as they ran onto the pitch that day. They are the better for it.
Secondly, they get the opportunity to dispel any of the excuses of their worthiness as (potential) title holders (should they win of course!) by having to do it the hard way travelling to New Zealand. None of the usual excuses of travel fatigue/playing at altitude will hold water (again, should they win!).The only complaint from that side of the ditch could be having the perennial chokers tag absolved from the Proteas and transferred to the Hurricanes! Everyone (including the hardest nut Kiwi) will have to admit to them being worthy champions. This would not have been afforded them in the case of the (relatively) easy route of a home final, especially after the conference system favoured them in the regular season. They get the opportunity to make history, who can ask for more than that?
I know I will be supporting them (the Lions of course!) all the way. After a 20 year drought (last success being in the Super 10) as a die-hard supporter, it doesn’t get any better than this! 😉
SPIRO: Can the Lions win Super Rugby 2016? Yes they can!
Aussies should win this. Why? You have a coach with half a brain as compared to what can only be described as a headless chicken pushing all the panic buttons simultaneously. Do what you did when you beat us (SA) in the past: Through clever enterprising backline play. We have the worst backline I’ve probably seen in a ‘bok jumper with players out of position all over the park, so we’re making it easy for you. DON’T get involved in a trench warfare because (at home) we’ll probably have more grunt up front than you, but if your forwards can secure just 45% of the go forward ball, your superior backline skills (yes I know it’s not up to your usual standards but not nearly as atrocious as ours) should see you through. Aussies by five will hopefully lead to the demise of the worst mentoring team since Harry Viljoen, or was that Straeuli … hmmm … Carel du Plessis? (great player though) … Eisshhh this is bad, really bad. 😉
Cheika wants to win the 'Aussie way'