Based on reports surfacing in some media circles, PDV may have revealed his probable team for the first test. It appears that the team looks like this :
1)Beast 2)Bismarck 3)Smit 4)Bakkies 5)Big Vic 6)Juan 7)Dannie 8)Pierre 9)Fourie 10)Ruan 11)Habana 12)Jean 13)Adi 14)JP Pieterson 15)Frans
I would have liked to see Heinrich at 7 to give the boks the edge at the breakdown especially because the Lions have struggled in this area in their warm up matches. This would have given the boks a chance to get more turnover ball and we all know what the men in green and gold can do with turnover ball. Just ask the Aus and the Poms about how quickly the score board can tick if you give the boks too much turnover ball.
Secondly, I would have also liked to see Morne Steyn at 10 because he is the best drop goal and place kicker that SA has at the moment. These are 2 aspects that will also determine which team wins the series. Having said that, I still trust the bok coach to have a plan to counter these perceived weaknesses. In my opinion, this team is 87% accurate and should do well enough to take the first test.
What is your take on it?
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8 comments
Manny says:
Jun 12, 2009
If this is the Bok starting XV then lets chalk game one down to the Lions.
Steyn at the back is a gamble.
As Guru pointed out this is a team without a fetcher, and considering that the breakdown area is a big problem for the Lions right now this seems like a critical mistake by PdV who seems more concerned about winning the physical battle up front than anything else.
Not surprisingly he’s gone with the half-fit second choice fly-half in Ruan who is going to be severely tested come that first game. Guaranteed.
Smit v Sheridan at scrum time? No contenst. Sheridan wins hands down.
2-1 to the Lions but if he picks this time three times in a row Im tempted to say 3 nil to the Lions!
BP says:
Jun 12, 2009
have we got earl ‘elastoplast’ rose on the bench there?
if this is the team i reckon they’ll lose.
jean, adi, ruan and frans are all lacking match fitness of any kind, thats a very risky card to play in the first test.
i still think smit at tighthead is a liability, but i stand to be proven wrong…
flutey and BOD i think will take advantage of the lack of fitness and sharpness from the adi and jean…
again, if PDV picks the strongest team they could win, but he’s unlikely to
Fraz says:
Jun 12, 2009
lads lads lads….. fully in agreement on the no7 and no10 issue, but if ruan is having a mare i am sure morne will be quick off the bench to patch the leak “IF” ruan struggles.
But lets not get critical of the defensive wall and counter attacking ability of that backline…. i think it is dangerous!! and huge on defense too!!
And watch steyn work from the back, that is a lot of lad to stop when he has momentum!!
3-0 bokke. period.
BP says:
Jun 12, 2009
how those beers looking fraz?
Kambas says:
Jun 16, 2009
i disagree ron, brussow shudn’t be in there, just becoz he is a fetcher doesn’t mean he will perform i mean look at luke watson when played for the boks as a fetcher, he wasn’t convincing but hes super rugby and provincial seasons were immense.
too many half fit players in this squad. but i’m still leaning towards the boks to take it. too much class even at 67% of their fire power.
Kambas says:
Jun 16, 2009
just read that brussow has been added to the squad and has participated in a training session. this changes everything doesn’t it.
plus, in the lions squad it looks like jenkins instead of sheridan. what does this say for smit?
BP says:
Jun 16, 2009
it all depends on the boks game plan, brussouw may be as ineffective as luke was, but you cant deny that brussouw made a huge impact in the cheetahs game against the lions and ni their entire s14 campaign where a fetcher was needed.
both jenkins and sheridan are good. think jenkins is better ni the loose. smit might struggle still in the scrums tho i think
Boks name team for first test against Lions says:
Jun 17, 2009
[...] due to the injury of Burger which sees Brussow come in for him on the flank. Guru had earlier on predicted his starting XV and he had suggested that Danie Rossouw would come in for [...]