South Africa’s Springboks will be sweating on the fitness of back Jean de Villiers and forward Willem Alberts when they arrive two days ahead of their clash with Ireland.
The Springboks have been hit hard with injuries to their centres for this tour and now De Villiers threatens to make matters worse.
Coach Peter de Villiers had so much depth at centre during the TriNations that he was forced to name centre Jean de Villiers at wing as he did not want to miss out on his talents.
However following squad withdrawals through injury from Wynand Olivier, Jaque Fourie and Juan de Jongh the only starting centre from this season in the squad is Jean de Villiers who did not train on Wednesday.
Both De Villiers and Willem Alberts missed the squad’s final training session in Cape Town on Wednesday which leaves coach Peter de Villiers with the worry of an ever-expanding casualty list.
Adi Jacobs who last played for the Boks in November last year was called up earlier this week as de Jongh’s replacement and is likely to start against one of the world’s best centre combinations of Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy.
“We have had our challenges with the number of injuries, particularly among the centres, but that’s not unusual in international rugby,” De Villiers told the Telegraph on departure on Wednesday night.
“The players have shown a great attitude in training and we now have to take that on to the field. Ireland have a good record against us in Dublin in recent years.”
The injury curse that has hit South Africa’s rugby players has seen the Springboks lose flanker Schalk Burger, centre Juan de Jongh and scrum-half Ricky Januarie – since the squad was announced on Saturday night.
I saw Ricky in Checkers Cobble [or should that he Hobble] Walk on crutches yesterday.
An injured JDV and a defensive liability in AJ against a decent Irish pairing, it might get ugly.
Unless we get Lambie and Habana, but that might get ugly too.
Why not call up Strauss? He was outstanding for the Sharks on Saturday.
On Saturday evening I said we were light on Centres, right wing and fullback…
By now Zane has been added to the squad, so fullback has been addressed to an extent…
I suggested Mvovo as a possibility on Outside Centre, he’s played there, is strong, defends well… solid, solid, solid. Rather Mvovo at No 13 than Adi, a million times rather.
That still does not alleviate the Inside Centre conundrum for this Saturday with Jean injured and with Fransie Steyn only joining the squad on Sunday…. so what to do here, the only viable option would be to play young Lambie there, I suppose…. with Zane on at No 15 and Gio GifAplontjie at No 14.
So considering injuries, my backline would have been:
9. Hougaard
10. Morné Steyn
11. Bjorn Basson
12. Patrick Lambie
13. Lwazi Mvovo
14. Gio Aplon
15. Zane Kirchner
On the bench you can have Bryan Habana, Ruan Pienaar, Adi Jacobs…
ek sal maar wag tot die bok span bekend gemaak word.maar om onervare senters te kies teen o driscol kan backfire.
Jean has to be fit….I need to see him play Wales! 🙁
GBS – Why do the page refreshes take so long these days?
Don’t tell me it is my laptop….an EXPERT recommended it to me!! 🙂
4@ Piet visagie:
Adi Jacobs has played 30 or 40 minutes in how many months…
I’d rather play an in form player who shone on defence and attack, even though out of position, rather than play a hasbeen who is short on game time…
At No 11 it’s a toss-up whether you play Habana or Bjorn Basson… since Habana has regained some form. The reason I’d go with Bjorn is to give Habana more rest (with an eye on RWC 2011) and at the same time giving Bjorn more International exposure to boost his experience levels.
If Jean de Villiers can’t play who else than Lambie can you play at Inside Centre.. who in the current squad?
There is ONLY 1 Right Wing in the whole squad, so Gio GifAplontjie naturally makes that spot…. which leaves us with fullback…. you can play Zane there (he is the only full time fullback in the whole squad) or Ruan Pienaar or Bjorn Basson or Habana…. I’ve given my reasons why it can’t be Bjorn or Habana, Ruan needs to cover the bench for 3 positions (scrumhalf, fullback and flyhalf).. so it logically has to be Zane.
Snorre’s backline will probably look like this though: 9 Ruan Pienaar, 10 Morné Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 12 Lambie, 13 Adi Jacobs, 14 Gio GifAplontjie, 15 Zane Kirchner… with Hougie, Bjorn, Mvovo on the bench
Grootblousmile. daardie neverbeen jacobs hoort nie naby groen en goud nie.wat my pla is die bokke se verdediging.dit was vrot in tri nations met ervare senters.
What about Frans Steyn? Did an awesome job in the World Cup
@ grootblousmile:
Wat van: 9 Ruan, 10 Morne, 11 Habana, 12 lambie, 13 Hougi 14 Mvovo, 15 Zane
9.hougaad. 10.morne 11.habana 12.de villers 13.lambie. 14.aplon 15.zane.
@ Blue Bird:6 Hello BB, The same is happening to me. Taking forever to refresh or even log on.
How you doing? Have you heard from our Irish mate here? Have not seen IrishDevil on here for a very long time. Wonder if he will blog here for the eoyt?
This site is very slow gbs, with the refreshing and now can’t even post. Everytime posting it just bombs me out saying “Error”
Fark, you guys like to complain hey….
9@ rugbybal:
Kannie vir Fransie Steyn kies vir hierdie Saterdag nie, hy is nog by Racing Metro, join die Bokke eers Sondag.
Verder sal ek NOOOIT vir Habana kies op senter nie, hy is nou ‘n defensive liability met sy Intercept Opskiet attempts op vleuel en sal nog erger so kak maak op senter.
Natuurlik sal ons seker almal vir Jean de Villiers verkies op 12 maar hy is dan nou juis die ene wat nie saam oefen nie en beseer blyk te wees en dalk eers more saam met die Bokke kan oefen… een dag voor die Toets…. dis moerrrrrrrrr risky.
Lambie of Hougie op 13….. eishhhhhh ek weet darem nie, mens kort ‘n groter en sterker senter op buitesenter… mynsinsiens.
My backline if JDV doesn’t recover:
Mullet
Morne
Lambie
Mvovo
Basson
Habana
Aplon
@ grootblousmile:
With all the options available to him, I think Div should put the numbers 11-15 in a hat and let the guys draw for positions.
@ Loosehead:
Ek hoor dat dit dalk nou Lambie en Kichner kan wees! Hahaha, nee wat, maak nie saak hoe graag Div wil nie, hy kan net nie. Luister, Jean is ‘n BOK. Adi is ‘n BOK. En wat dit beteken is dat hulle hul harte uit sal speel, maak nie saak hoe lanklaas of hoe gekrok hulle is nie. Dis steeds ‘n beter combo as Lambie en ZK.
@ grootblousmile:
Sorry GBS, maar ek dink daai backline sal MOER toe gehol word. Dan weer, omtrent enige backline wat SA nou het sal moer toe gehol word. Alhoewel, Mvovo op 13 is dalk nie ‘n slegte roep nie, maar ek sal steeds gaan met combos en ervaring. Jean en Adi het saam amper 100 toetse en het laas jaar (toe ons BAIE suksesvol was) saam gespeel. Ek weet Jean is dalk nog styf, maar weet julle wat, dit is ‘n all or nothing game die. As ons hom verloor gaan die reeks ‘n RAMP wees. Self draw is ok op die punt. En Dan kan hulle Steyn van volgende week af op 12 kies en sommer vir Jean se, right, hier is jou kaartjie, gaan huis toe, gaan rus, herstel.
En as ons nou wil praat van spelers wat sukkel om die trappie van CC (Bulle) na die Bokke te maak is dit (van goed-sleg) Spies, Olivier, ZK. veral die afgelope jaar.
SO BAIE word geskryf, veral op die site die afgelope week, oor die nuwe strategie onder die nuwe reels. HOU DIE BAL. En dis die probleem wat Kichner EN Jantjies het. Up en under, skop, skop, skop, skop.
Daarom is GifAplon en selfs Louis Ludik en Jaco Taute se spel baie beter vir die nuwe reels. Jammer, want 3 jaar gelede sou ek nooit kon raai dat ek nie Kichner sou vetrou om te hol met die bal. Maar ja, ons het die probleem met regter vleuls. Watsfout met Ndugane of Gerhard vd Heever?
Ek stem egter 1000% saam met jou. GEEN HABANA op 13. En ja, speel vir Basson en rus Habana vir volgende jaar. Hulle kan selfs vir Mvovo kies ipv Basson. Ons het meer as genoeg linker vleuls, anders as binne senters.
Stem ook saam met Ruan op die bench en Hougaard vir begin.
Om vinnig terug te kom by die senters. Hoekom roep hulle nie vir Oupa in nie? En waarom word Marius Joubert, een van sy club se beste spelers die afgelope 3 jaar, heel oorgesien. Hy is reeds in Eu en ‘n BAIE ervare senter?
Hoe dit ook al sy, die toer gaan ‘n FOKOP wees. Ek dink hulle moet se, right, die Bokke moet volgende jaar rus vir die eerste 4 rondtes van die S15 (dis anyway wanneer die derbies plaasvind) en ook sommer vir die toer deel van die 3N.
En hulle moet NOU al vir Meyer en AC kontak om oor te neem by die Bokke, dalk met jaques Nienaber as backline coach! hahaha… ag ja manne… laas jaar het my hart GEBARS van groen en goud, nou bloei dit net swart en nag.
-ek vra HEAVY omverskoning vir al die taalpuriste hier rond. Dis maar hoe dit rol.-
Wat van:
(9) Hougaard (10) Lambie (11) Mvovo (12) Doppies Le Grange (13) Marius Joubert (14) Ndugane (15) Aplon.
Hahahaha, sweer, sonder jokes. Ten miste speel niemand dan uit posisie nie.
Mens kan net ‘n backline kies uit die wat in die wat reeds in die squad is, en bygesê wat nie beseer is nie… so dit limit ons geweldig.
Kom julle wat op die vleuels gespeel het, julle beurt om te antwoord hier, ek het ‘n genuine vraag…
Hoe maklik speel ‘n natuurlike Linkervleuel (Habana, Bjorn, Mvovo) op Regtervleuel…. met ander woorde, wat is die invloed van aangeë wat nou van die ander kant af kom, hoe beinvloed dit sy aangeë terug na binne en kontinuiteit, hoe word die swenk en aftrap beinvloed… en baie belangrik hoe beinvloed dit daai speler se skopvoet waar hy saam met die heelagter moet help uitskop (‘n Regtervleuel moet verkieslik links kan skop).
Baie vleuels is vreeslik een-handig en kan net een kant toe aangee….
Ek het probeer dieper kyk in hierdie verband hierdie jaar en het opgemerk daai spelers wat so uit posisie aan die verkeerde kant van die veld speel sukkel kwaai en sukkel met hulle skopvoete, die enigste SA Linkervleuel wat BAAAAIE werk kom soek het met sukses op die regtervleuel was Mvovo… en hy was nogal skerp op aanval daarmee, maar ek het hom nooit sien skop aan die regterkant nie.
20@ Greenpoint-Gunner:
Flok, 3 van jou manne issie eers op Toer nie, broer….. eishhhhhhhh
@ grootblousmile:
Enige vleuel behoort links of regs te kan aftrap. Behoort nie ‘n verskil te maak nie. Die aangee na links maak ‘n groot verskil. Dis baie makliker om manne te trek en lang pass wyd te gee vir die heelagter wat die lyn join of die vleuel. Skip pass ens. Na regs aangee is nie so natuurlik nie en jy sal meer kort backline bewegings na daai kant toe vind. Wat skop aanbetref: Dis ‘n bonus om met jou linker voet te kan skop as jy op die regtervleuel speel. Persoonlik dink ek nie dit behoort ‘n groot probleem te wees om van links na regs of vice versa te skuif nie.
GBS het jy my mail gekry?
Injury ravaged world champions South Africa are heading for Britain and Ireland hoping to complete their first Grand Slam in 50 years.
I wish a win, not even my worst enemy in life would get a wish from me to start the tour with a loss. Shame the pressure on Peter if we lose the first, hell i can not contemplate it. It will be a disaster for him and SA.
Gbs, What time is the Bok team going to be announced?
@ superBul:25 – Super, I hope we win the first test but having doubts now. PdV should have selected centres once his centres were injured. Adi is a good choice but only if he is fit. When last has he played? So long back I can’t remember. Why not take Strauss he was outstanding for the Sharks. Now I read that Zane might play outside centre!!!!!!!!! Really hope not.
24@ AB:
Mail gekry… gaan woes die kant… werk flippen my moer suur.
Sal more daaraan aandag gee.
26@ Puma:
I have no idea, apparently sometime late afternoon there or early evening… today, heard so on 94.7 Highveld Stereo.
@ grootblousmile:28 – Thanks boeta. Put it up as soon as the team get announced.
GG, ja I heard that Kirchner will be at 13.
I have also had problems with the site freezing and being laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank slow. I now log on via Google Chrome and it works just like in the good old days when the Bulls were the CC Champs.
Team to be announced at 17h30.
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