Springboks may have a totally new look loose trio.

First topic message reminder :

Springbok rugby has never been short of physical, athletic and big back rowers, but it seems for the first time a Springbok coach may have to look ouside the "favoured" players when selecting his back row for the upcoming English test series.

They are currently severely deppleted by injuries and those lucky enough to still grace the field has question marks over their form.

Juan Smith - out
Schalk Burger - out
Jaque Potgieter - out
Duane Vermeulen - out
Willem Alberts - niggly shoulder and dropped for lack of form by John Plumtree

Pierre Spies - out of form
Heinrich Brussow - has not yet convinced this season
Jean Deysel - only coming back from injury now
Ashley johnson - Started few games this season mainly utilised as a bench player

Does this leave the door open for players like Marcel Coetzee the 21 year old up and coming star from the Sharks? Perhaps Josh Strauss even though he plays for the Lions? How about Derrik Minnie, will he at last get an opportunity?

You would think Meyer will have no choice to keep Spies at 8 for his experience, he may even reason that an off form Brussow is better than starting with a player with no international experience.

I would expect Meyer to keep Spies at 8, start Marcel Coetzee and Heinrich Brussow, with Ashley Johnson on the bench.

I just think JDV's a must have Biltong. Looking at the crop of world centres around now theres a common theme to most- big and/ or experienced.

You don't have an effective backline unless your Centre or at least 12 is both a leader and has a lot of test experience. He needs to control the space both inside and outside him on defence and attack and with the varying nature of attacks around the world thats where the experience is crucial.

Putting new 12 and 13's at the same time is asking for trouble, particularly if SA are going to embark on more expansive backplay. It may be hard for JDV to distribute in the extra space he's given if they try to open up but at least he'll know where it is and can martial it.

Pretty sure the AB's will either have SBW or Smith, or the wings, Dagg flying through there as much as possible if they introduce a new 12, 13 setup.

Taylorman, Frans steyn has 47 caps, not exactly inexperienced. Habana has 70 and JP Pietersen has 38. Those three guys can assume leadership in the back line.

We know Morne Steyn is going to be there and even though he isn't my first choice, he is also experienced enough with 29 tests.

So you are looking at Lambie at fullback with 7 tests, Hougaard with 10 tests as players with a little experience.

De Jongh 8 tests, Aplon 15 tests as players who can come in if things do go a bit south, and a few newbies such as Mvovo, Joe Pietersen etc to get some game time when the opportunity allows.

I don't think de Villiers is that necessary anymore.

BB

I think the boks have a lot to look forward to…. They are continuingly producing world class forwards like they’re running out (albeit few tightheads) and now have some exciting backs which are set to add another dimension to bok play.

However its all good and well blooding young players but not all at the same time. ENG post RWC03 is a very good example. They had some amazing young centres in players like Abbott, Simpson-Daniel, Tait and particularly a lad called Ollie Smith. Yet with mass retirements and injuries they were thrown into the deep end and weren’t given the allowances to develop their test game that their predecessors did. I would say most ENG fans will look at Smith the most as the one player they wish was managed better… instead he was thrown into the test wilderness and is now barely playing first class rugby.

No one learns anything from getting a pasting bar how bad it feels.

Albeit as a Stormers fan I wouldn’t have too much of an issue of a Steyn-De Jongh partnership (De Jongh at least has a couple of years of test experience). But I think that a Sadie/JJ Engelbrecht start would be too soon. Tuilagi is a big lad and OC is notoriously the most difficult defensive position in the backline… it would be one hell of a test debut for anyone facing Tuilagi that’s for sure.

But IMO it would be a mistake to leave out JDV.

You could go down the line of playing Morne at 10, Lambie at 12 and Frans at 13 (with perhaps Joe Pietersen at 15).. but I don’t think Frans has played any games at OC so it would be a little risk there. I haven’t seen much of Frans this season but I think he’s a little heavy for OC also… assuming he hasn’t changed much since the RWC. He is a quick guy but a little too bulky for the position…. He would need to get on the treadmill pronto if he’s going to face players such as Tuilagi & Smith come the test matches

I would consider the following as plausible

12 Lambie
13 Frans Steyn
15 Joe Pietersen

12 Frans Steyn
13 JDV
15 Lambie

But I do think the latter is stronger and offers a more stable platform to build the side with JDV dropping out of test rugby next year.

Whatever the case, Meyer is a good coach and knows that a winning start and a 4th place rankings spot minimum is required come end of season so I would feel confident given his options (thats if I was a boks fan!... bok fan lite.. well depending on how successful they are.. the more successful the less likely I am to support them )

Biltong

Love it. This entire thread is a very thinly disguised boast about what depth SA has in its back row stocks!!

Triangulation wrote:Biltong

Love it. This entire thread is a very thinly disguised boast about what depth SA has in its back row stocks!!

You might be right tere Tri.

However I thought it was common knowledge?

Yes as i suspected.

It has an enticing tag line "entirely new SA back row" hinting at vulnerability and then proceeds to list and discuss about 1000 world class back row options!

We are spying on you back 5 forward factories in the hope of gleaning some know how.

We already know that you feed your babies raw red meat.

Its not doing us Stormers any good though.... we lost another loose forward this weekend.

We've run out of so many backrow players this season perhaps our only option left is to go to Grey College and ask their starting loose forwards to sign short term contract until the end of the season... they'll probably all be boks come a few years anyhow so won't be far off in terms of quality.

Triangulation wrote:Yes as i suspected.

It has an enticing tag line "entirely new SA back row" hinting at vulnerability and then proceeds to list and discuss about 1000 world class back row options!

We are spying on you back 5 forward factories in the hope of gleaning some know how.

We already know that you feed your babies raw red meat.

It is the secret laboratory where we enhance them genetically that nobody tells you about.