Peter de Villiers, National Coach and his Springbok selectors have named an extended squad of 27 players, with notable omissions Frans Steyn, CJ van der Linde, Joe van Niekerk, Meyer Bosman, Odwa Ndungane and Andries bekker.
De Villiers will announce his 22 man squad for this saturday’s Test against France tomorrow, Tuesday.
The broader squad is:
Zane Kirchner, Gio Aplon, Bjorn Basson, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Wynand Olivier, Juan de Jongh, Butch James, Morne Steyn, Bryan Habana, Ruan Pienaar, Ricky Januarie, Pierre Spies, Ryan Kankowski, Dewald Potgieter, Francois Louw, Schalk Burger, Bakkies Botha, Flip van der Merwe, Danie Rossouw, Victor Matfield, Alistair Hargreaves, BJ Botha, John Smit (c), Chiliboy Ralepelle, Jannie du Plessis, Gurtho Steenkamp.
In the case of Odwa Ndungane, he sustained a rib injury last Saturday against Wales and will undergo scans today but is out of the French Test.
Andries Bekker is apparently struggling with a back and foot injury and might be considered for the Italy Test, whilst suspended Bakkies Botha is in the squad but will only be eligible to play in the 2nd Italy Test.
Jean de Villiers is being monitored for a troublesome shoulder injury and Dewald Potgieter for a rib cartilage injury.
Flip van der Merwe is the only new Bok squad member, this after a very good season, all in all 4 Bulls locks in the 27, indicating the Bulls dominance in this department of the game.
It appears Ruan Pienaar is selected as scrumhalf, the only other scrumhalf being Ricky Januarie, whilst Butch James is obviously included as flyhalf option in addition to Morné Steyn, with Morné starting in the important Tests. A notable omission is that of Peter Grant.
Once again, the lucky players who arguably should not be near the Springbok squad at present is Alistair Hargreaves, Chilliboy Ralepelle, Rickie Januarie, Jannie du Plessis and Ryan Kankowski.
Players unlucky not to make this initial squad is Peter Grant, Gary Botha or Tiaan Liebenberg, Werner Kruger, Jean Deysel, Duane Vermeulen and Sarel Pretorius, whilst Francois Hougaard and Andries Bekker is expected to make the squad once they have recuperated from their injuries.
This is my view on the unlucky players mentioned here:
Botha, Liebenberg, Deysel and Bekker are capable of international rugby right now.
For Kruger it is too soon and Jannie Dup is our second best tight head right now.
Vermuelen is up against too much world class competition in SA right now, and is not as good as others.
Same logic for Sarel Pretorius.
Hougaard is a scrum half playing wing albeit doing a brilliant job at wing.
However his right place is scrum half,and I cannot see how people can consider him a scrum half option for an international today when he has not been playing there.
He needs to go back to playing scrum half and I have no doubt could be a very good international scrum half in time, if he is allowed to develop his game in that position.
Once again, in SA that is a big “IF” as we do not seem to build players in their rightfull position.
They should throw out Muir and his under 13 ideas about backline versatility.
Specialists win tests.
The omission of Kruger is short sighted. Tight head is the position the one position you need enough cover. You only need two injuries for SA to have a crisis on tighthead.
The right time to introduce a new tighthead is now.
@tighthead i agree with vermeulen and do not understand why cj is left out unless snorre is persisting with smit as a prop witch is only an excuse to give chilly his 15 min and a nice fat salery,i wonder if all chilly,s caps ad to a full game,cj was robbed here he was the only frontrower that did his job well and did not make k@k at some stage saturday.
Watse nonsense is dit nou hierdie?
Another bit of news. Heinke vd Merwe has joined Leinster from 1 July. That will happen if overseas based props is selected as first option.
@ dWeePer:
Ja wel goed vir hom, hy verdien dit.
There’s bound to be some minor changes to this enlarged squad… expect Bekker to be there in a week or 2, also Francois Hougaard… with Bakkies back in almost 3 weeks, expect Hargreaves to fall by the wayside.
waar is gary botha?????
8@ Durban Bulle:
Pretoria
@ grootblousmile:
Maybe PdV will leave out Flip when Bakkies returns.
Hargreaves is being groomed for bigger things in a couple of years time.
Come on blokes – You cannot have all your bulletjies in the side, its a national side
The final 22 as I predict PdV will pick it
He is a bit stuck at No 15. I reckon he should have stuck with Steyn
Zane Kirchner, Gio Aplon, Jacque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Wynand Olivier, Butch James, Morne Steyn, Bryan Habana, Ruan Pienaar, Ricky Januarie, Pierre Spies, Ryan Kankowski, Dewald Potgieter, Schalk Burger, Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw, Victor Matfield, BJ Botha, John Smit (c), Chiliboy Ralepelle, Jannie du Plessis, Gurtho Steenkamp
10@ Biscuit:
Do YOU really think Hargreaves is anywhere close to the standard of Flip?
He’s a lightweight for now… Flip is a few classes above him… no wait, they’re not even in the same school…
It’s not about Bulls or Sharks… it’s about simple quality…
Before Hargreaves in the pecking order as No 5 lock (and remember Hargreaves could not even hold onto a permanent bench spot at the Sharks), as No 5 locks there is Victor Matfield, Andries Bekker… there’s no doubt about that… plus I would seriously rather have Muller or Wilhelm Steenkamp (who was on loan from the Bulls to the Sharks) before Hargraves.
To put it bluntly, I simply do not see what they see in Hargreaves…. just like I do not see what the rave about Chilliboy is all about.
No 4 locks in my book the pecking order is now like this… Danie Rossouw, Bakkies Botha, Flip van der Merwe a ball hair’s breadth behind Bakkies and soon to overtake Bakkies, then follows Sykes, Fondse and Van Zyl.
But relax, that is MY viewpoint, you’re welcome to differ.
You’re probably right, Snorrie will leave out Flip when Bakkies has served his ban, similarly Hargreaves would probably fall out when Bekker returns…. like for like, I suppose.
In most positions the Bokke are rich in depth, a few positions worry me though, as far as proper depth is concerned… tighthead prop, Outside center, right wing…
We have enough hookers, locks, loosies, scrummies, inside centers, fullbacks.
12 @ grootblousmile:
Flyhalfs ?
@ grootblousmile:
Right now Flip is ahead of Hargreaves no argument.
But I can see what PdV sees in Hargreaves.
* PdV is looking for his captain to replace John Smit after RWC 2011.IMHO he has two and only two candidates, Potgieter and Hargreaves
* Since 1980 we have had only a few decent captains, a couple of mediocre ones and a whole stack of rubbish ones. The good ones, Morne, Pienaar, Teichmann and Smit.
* I think we have finally figured out that leadership is very important. I am not a subscriber to the best 15 then pick the captain. We need a captain that is intelligent, eloquent and a leader that can remove petty provincial divisions
* So I reckon his logic is to expose Hargreaves when he can afford to do it. So he will drop out against France and will probably be back against Italy.
Hargreaves will develop. He was superb in age group rugby.
His captaincy ability is well known. He took over his club captaincy at age 19 and the old hands accepted his leadership.
Right now I am predicting that Potgieter will be the next captain but we need backup.
@ Biscuit:
Small correction to the above. Bakkies is still suspended. So Bakkies out, Flip in.
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