SA Prelim WC squad announced

by Adam D Mon 20 Jun 2011, 1:17 pm

Preliminary Bok RWC squad named
June 20, 2011
Twenty-one Rugby World Cup winners were among a preliminary Springbok squad of 49 players named for the 2011 tournament by the South African Rugby Union (SARU) on Monday. The final Rugby World Cup squad of 30 will be named on August 23.
The names were submitted to the International Rugby Board as part of a requirement of Rugby World Cup planning. However, the list is not definitive and the final squad can include players from outside the initial group.

Rugby World Cup-winning 2007 captain John Smit and vice-captain Victor Matfield were joined by 19 other members of the World Cup winners of four years ago in coach Peter de Villiers’s preliminary squad or 49.

“I’m very happy with the squad,” said De Villiers. “We have got a good blend of youth and experience as well as including some uncapped players who have forced their way into contention for selection with their performances in Super Rugby.

“Our planning is at an advanced stage for the international season and the vast majority of these players have attended one or both of our planning camps.

“Our Castle Tri-Nations squad will be drawn from this group once we have been able to sort out those players who are carrying injuries at the end of the Vodacom Super Rugby competition.”

Newcomers to a Springbok squad naming in 2011 are Vodacom Bulls loosehead prop Dean Greyling and the Ulster duo of Johann Muller (lock) and BJ Botha (tighthead prop).

As well as 21 World Cup winners, the squad includes six uncapped players and four whom are based with European clubs.

The Springbok squad for the Castle Tri-Nations will be named on July 2 or 9 (depending on South African involvement in the Vodacom Super Rugby final).

Preliminary Rugby World Cup squad (in alphabetical order):

Willem Alberts
Gio Aplon
Bjorn Basson
Andries Bekker
Bakkies Botha
BJ Botha
Heinrich Brüssow
Schalk Burger
Juan de Jongh
Jean de Villiers
Bismarck du Plessis
Jannie du Plessis
Fourie du Preez
Jaque Fourie
Dean Greyling
Bryan Habana
Alistair Hargreaves
Francois Hougaard
Adrian Jacobs
Butch James
Elton Jantjies
Enrico Januarie
Ashley Johnson
Ryan Kankowski
Zane Kirchner
Werner Kruger
Patrick Lambie
Francois Louw
Victor Matfield
Tendai Mtawarira
Johann Muller
Lwazi Mvovo
Odwa Ndungane
Wynand Olivier
Coenie Oosthuizen
Ruan Pienaar
JP Pietersen
Chiliboy Ralepelle
Danie Rossouw
John Smit
Juan Smith
Pierre Spies
Gurthrö Steenkamp
Deon Stegmann
Frans Steyn
Morne Steyn
Adriaan Strauss
Flip van der Merwe
Duane Vermeulen

link to site and original source: http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?category=sarugby/springboks&id=421942

Prop

Botha, du Plessis, Greyling, Kruger, Mtwarira, Ooosthuizen, Steenkamp

Hooker

du Plessis, Ralepelle, Smit, Strauss

Lock

Becker, Botha, Hargreaves, Matfield, Muller, Roussow, Van der Merwe

Back Row

Alberts, Brussow, Burger, Johnson, Kankowski, Louw, Smith, Spies, Stegman, Vermeulen

Scrum Half

du Prees, Hougaard, Januarie, Pienaar

Fly Half

James, Jantjes, Lambie, M. Steyn

Centre

de Jongh, de Villiers, Fourie, Jacobs, Olivier

Back Three

Aplon, Basson, Habana, Kirchner, Mvovo, Ndungane, Pietersen, F. Steyn

by Standulstermen Mon 20 Jun 2011, 1:29 pm

They better not take our Johann!!!!

by MBTGOG Mon 20 Jun 2011, 1:32 pm

I need to break that down into positions, too hard to read it as an alphabetical list.

by **rodders** Mon 20 Jun 2011, 1:33 pm

Standulstermen wrote:They better not take our Johann!!!!

Good point. You have to say he deserves his call up. I think he's been awesome this season and would walk into most international sides. Thankfully for Ulster though SA isn't one of them!

by Standulstermen Mon 20 Jun 2011, 1:38 pm

Rodders

I will delighted for him if he gets called up but from a purely selfish point of view i would prefer to see him Captaining Ulster as opposed to getting splinters in his orse for SA

Munster could be without BJ aswell

by MBTGOG Mon 20 Jun 2011, 1:44 pm

Prop

Botha, du Plessis, Greyling, Kruger, Mtwarira, Ooosthuizen, Steenkamp

Hooker

du Plessis, Ralepelle, Smit, Strauss

Lock

Becker, Botha, Hargreaves, Matfield, Muller, Roussow, Van der Merwe

Back Row

Alberts, Brussow, Burger, Johnson, Kankowski, Louw, Smith, Spies, Stegman, Vermeulen

Scrum Half

du Prees, Hougaard, Januarie, Pienaar

Fly Half

James, Jantjes, Lambie, M. Steyn

Centre

de Jongh, de Villiers, Fourie, Jacobs, Olivier

Back Three

Aplon, Basson, Habana, Kirchner, Mvovo, Ndungane, Pietersen, F. Steyn

by funnyExiledScot Mon 20 Jun 2011, 1:50 pm

Looks about right to me. Shame that Mujati and Brits can't be included, but otherwise I'd say that's the right pool to choose from.

I'm a big fan of de Jongh, would be good to see the Boks use him at 12.

Tough calls to make in the back row, 9 and the back three (particularly 15).

by MBTGOG Mon 20 Jun 2011, 2:03 pm

Why can't those two be included fES?

by MBTGOG Mon 20 Jun 2011, 2:14 pm

I'll tell you something, no other country in the world has the depth in the back-row that South Africa has.

by MR. scotland27 Mon 20 Jun 2011, 3:14 pm

Does anyone think that the South Africans in England's squad would be able to make that squad? Because if they couldn't, and IMO only M Botha would have a chance, then why pick them when England could have taken young English players instead.

by funnyExiledScot Mon 20 Jun 2011, 4:12 pm

MBTGOG - I should rephrase - shame those two aren't picked!

No reason I'm aware of as to why they aren't selected by PDV. I had heard that there was some visa issue surrounding Mujati (despite him already having Bok caps), but to my knowledge his non-selection is down to the fact that PDV doesn't rate him highly enough.

Both should be there in my view.

I agree on the back row - frightening depth. Juan Smith is pure class and surely has to play. Burger looked pretty good for the Stormers the other day and seems to be back to his best. Brussow is a great classic 7. Alberts is having a great season. Kankowski is a great ball player. Spies a great athlete.....remarkable!

by MBTGOG Mon 20 Jun 2011, 4:38 pm

I wouldn't go for Brits for South Africa myself. He doesn't fit into their style of play at all.

Mujati though could have been a useful addition but I think PdV is annoyed about him moving abroad when he put a lot of faith in him.

by **Notch** Mon 20 Jun 2011, 4:51 pm

I'm surprised to see Muller there- and I think Ulster will be very surprised as well! And Johann.

by funnyExiledScot Mon 20 Jun 2011, 5:16 pm

MBTGOG - I'd still have to say that Brits is better than Ralepele whichever style you want to adopt, and is Strauss really vastly different to Brits in terms of style?

They have such a big hard working pack, I personally don't think it would do them any harm to include a maverick, and Brits for my money makes a perfect impact sub.

Smit goes for influence and leadership and Du Plessis is the number one. The third choice hooker should in my book add something different and provide an option. Strauss is good, but I think Brits can be a game changer.

by Knowsit17 Mon 20 Jun 2011, 6:32 pm

Assuming they're all fit then I expect the side we face first up in September to look something like this:

1. Mtawarira
2. B Du Plessis
3. Smit
4. Bakkies Botha
5. Matfield
6. Brussow
7. Burger
8. Spies
9. Du Preez
10. M Steyn
11. Habana
12. De Villiers
13. Fourie
14. Pietersen
15. Aplon

16. Ralepelle
17. J Du Plessis
18. Bekker
19. Smith
20. Pienaar
21. James
22. F Steyn

by MBTGOG Mon 20 Jun 2011, 6:37 pm

Knowsit,

If they're all fit, I'd say Smith will be ahead of Burger and Steyn ahead of Aplon.

by Knowsit17 Mon 20 Jun 2011, 6:57 pm

MBTGOG wrote:Knowsit,

If they're all fit, I'd say Smith will be ahead of Burger and Steyn ahead of Aplon.

The Tri-Nations will tell us, though last autumn Aplon shared the fullback position with Zane Kirchner. I thought Frans Steyn, as a utility back, would be reserved on the bench.

Also Willem Alberts could be in there over Bekker.

by Artful_Dodger Mon 20 Jun 2011, 7:05 pm

Delighted for Johann Muller.

by Sponsored content

SA Prelim WC squad announced

SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced

Re: SA Prelim WC squad announced