The Springboks may have an alternative captain leading them onto the field for their second tour match against Scotland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on Saturday.
supersport
Coach Heyneke Meyer has said that while he intends keeping changes to a minimum out of respect for Scotland and the need to build winning momentum, he is considering giving his regular captain, Jean de Villiers, a rest.
Meyer was responding to a press conference at the team hotel in Edinburgh on where Western Province’s inform centre Juan de Jongh stood in his plans. The omission of De Jongh, the star of his team’s recent win over the Sharks in the Currie Cup final in Durban, was one of the talking points before the match against Dublin in Ireland last week.
“I definitely want to give Juan a chance, the reason I left him out last week was just because I wanted to keep changes to a minimum from the perspective of what we needed on defence,” said Meyer.
“I haven’t made up my mind completely about this yet, and I still need to talk to a few people, but I would like to institute a rotation policy in the midfield. I thought Jaco Taute played his best test so far against Ireland, so it is a case of whether we play Jaco and Juan together in the midfield, or whether we pair up Juan with Jean.”
Asked if that meant he was thinking of leaving out his captain, Meyer said that there was a chance De Villiers would not be leading the side at Murrayfield.
“I am thinking of giving Jean a rest this week as he has been struggling a bit with that hamstring injury that has been bothering him recently,” he said.
“I still believe fullback is Jaco Taute’s best position, and would love to play him there now, but I don’t want to make too many changes for the Scotland game. I think we should be looking to build momentum, and we did not play well last time out against Ireland. I have a lot of respect for Scotland.
“They may have lost heavily to the All Blacks but it was mainly in a period of 10 minutes that the All Blacks did most of the damage. Scotland scored three tries, which is not something we or Australia have managed against New Zealand this year.”
The Bok team will only be finalised later and named on Wednesday, but Meyer confirmed that Pat Lambie would continue at flyhalf.
“He didn’t have much opportunity to stamp his authority on the game in the first half but he showed some nice touches in the second and Pat also knows he is capable of better so I would like to back him and give him a chance to gain confidence going forward by building on his performance,” said Meyer.
Should De Villiers sit out the Murrayfield test, vice-captain Adriaan Strauss, who has rapidly stamped himself as an international player of quality in the absence of the injured Bismarck du Plessis, should be the man to lead the Boks.
Mmmmm, interesting!
For once, I agree with Ostrich wholeheartedly. It doesn’t matter whether we think JdV is in form, or not, the man needs a break…..badly.
The question now is… If Jean sits out and the Springbok backline suddenly looks better on the weekend… what then?
@ grootblousmile:Like I said in another thread, we need a visionary, not a historian. If the backline looks better, hopefully he will stick with it and look forward.
Would be great to see Juan getting a start. So if JdV rests then we will still see Taute at outside centre. Wonder if Meyer has ever thought of playing JPP there? We have brought enough wings on this tour. Then think the rest of the wings play 11. JPP and Juan together and Lambie at fh could work really well. Though Meyer will not want to mess now with positions it seems and probably right not to do that. But if he is looking for a big centre JPP was outstanding for Sharks there. That would allow for Taute to move to fb for this game. Still doubt it would happen but a nice thought. Have seen Mvovo play 14 once but he is better at 11. Think Rhule and Mapoe play 11 as well. Could work. Think Hougard will start though, doubt Meyer will drop him even though he has been totally out of form.
Let us see how this backline looks:
15 Taute
14 Mvovo (has played a game there, though better playing 11)
13 JPP
12 JdJ
11 Hougaard
10 Lambie
9 Ruan
Could work well with those players that we have there. Just doubt Meyer will mess with the centre. So we will see either JdV with JdJ or JdJ with Taute
Then even if Jean starts with Juan at outside centre would be great, then it would allow Taute to play at fb.
For now it seems as if Jean needs to rest that hammie. He has not been playing very well either of late. We also have to think of the future when Fransie is back next year he will play inside centre and who for outside? Unless Fourie is back I think we have to now see what we have in Juan at outside centre. This is a good tour to see what we have in players. I doubt Juan will disappoint. He was very good in the CC final. Only problem I do have with him sometimes he does like to hog the ball, otherwise he is a top class centre.
The Bulls will announce their Coaching Staff as well as their 2013 Super Rugby squad tomorrow at a Press Conference at 11:00
@ Puma:
Nope Pooms, JPP musyt be left on the wing boet, we never gonna get the team to gel if we chop and change not only players but the positions they play.
I sat here earlier thinking If Jean is not playing well why not move Lambie to 12 with Juan at 13? then again we stuffing the player around, As it is HM is doing some stuff right but he still seems to be wanting to stick with Taute at 13??
It is causing so many problems
And also in reading this article again it shows HM refusing to drop Zane?? why??? It surely makes sense to play the players in their rightful positions
s
Om goed te speel teen Skotland gaan eintlik ook nie veel beteken nie en gaan ook nie ‘n goeie maatstaf wees wie nou werklik die beste is in sekere posisies nie.
So ek stel voor, laat die sleutelspelers rus of op die bank diens doen sodat hul vars kan wees vir die Engeland wedstryd.
Gee die spelers kans wat nog glad nie gespeel het nie, dink hul sal goed genoeg wees om Skotland te klop.
7: hoop net hulle drop die idee van verskillende afrigtingspanne vir Super en CB rugby, ons soek een bestuurspan, een afrigtingspan, een span vir die jaar, maar ….. baie bekers ! hehe
@ bdb:
Hoop hulle laat FL ook “rus” gee hom Heynecke se job en “leen John Mitchel en Carlos vir die S15”
11: dink nie daar gaan veel veranderinge wees nie, dalk net Nollis Marais en Pine Pienaar wat by superrugby betrek gaan word, en miskien VM wat ‘n groter rol gaan speel. Hopelik is daar ‘n aangename verrassing of twee, sal maar moet wag en sien.
9 @ bdb:
Ek raak so bietjie oud en kan nie altyd so lekker onthou so se vir my bdb wat was die telling toe die Bokke laas op Murrayfield teen Skotland gespeel het, twee jaar terug.
8 @ Sharks_forever:
Ja I don’t like the players to be moved about either. Was just thinking that Meyer likes big centres and wondered if he ever thought of JPP there. JPP has been great this year, wing or centre for Sharks, but now agree don’t shift him from 14. We are then stuck with Taute at centre again. Jeez not sure why Meyer keeps on playing him there, he has really not been great AT ALL there. Saying that Jean has not played well for awhile as well. Think with the players we have on this tour they have to give Juan a start, though he will play inside centre if Jean is out. If Jean starts then expect to see Taute at fb.
For now it seems that outside centre is still up for grabs. Plenty will be putting their hands up next year. So would be fair to see Juan tried out there now, as he is there and he played well in the cc final. Only problem he too hogs the ball a bit. Still he is way, way better than Taute at outside centre and should have started there long before Taute did. Meyer has some favourites I think.
Taute has been pratically given the fb position by Meyer, so it seems he is in no rush to play him there, will probably play him there next year. Remember we have I think Scotland touring here in June next year and it will be a depleted Scots side as most of the top players from up there will be with the touring BIL to Australia. Would be a perfect time to try out some youngsters in the June tests next year.
Just wonder who will be on the bench if Jean sits this game out? We will have to cover ourself at centre. Mapoe might make it on the bench then, with probably Jantjies and Mvovo.
Still think we must not take the Scots for granted. They beat us the last time and came so close the year before that as well.
9 @ bdb:
Bdb England were very lucky to beat Scotland in last 6 nations.
I see Jannie rolled his ankle in the game on Saturday. Jeez please Meyer don’t play CJ there. If Jannie can’t start it has to be Cilliers. So it will mean we will see CJ on the bench as who else do we have to cover th if Jannie can start? Pity they can’t get Mujatis citizenship sort out.
Also Meyer don’t play Jannie if he has just the slightest pain because us SHARKS need him coming back home without a injury……
@ Puma:
Make up your mind Puma, one moment you want to play all 15 Sharks …..
SBTW Aussies is toying with our Proteas. One thing about the Aussies they can be very average , but when the play the world no 1s they step up. Ask the #1 Proteas , ask the #1 All Blacks.
Or Malherbe will be on the bench to cover for Cilliers if Jannie can’t start. Then I hope Cilliers can play for the full 80min.
17 @ superBul:
No don’t want all Sharks just the best. If Jannie is injured then it has to be Cilliers to start. He was very good when he came on.
Ja saw those Aussies sneak up on us in the Cricket. Then again Super, we never had Duminy to bat. If we had who knows we may have had 500 or more for them to chase. We now sitting without a bowler and a batsman. So they only really have to bowl out 10 men and not 11. One day left so let us see how they go. After our very good start it was a pity to lose Duminy. Just hoping for a draw now.
17 @ superBul:
Also hope this is a lesson to the selectors not to leave out a geniune spin bowler. Looking at it now we could have done with Tahir. The last I looked they had 464/4 not sure if that is how it ended.
Really would love us to win the series over there again.
13/15: dink die Bokke was heeltemal oorgerus 2 jaar terug en die weer was die groot gelykmaker. Behoort nie weer so te glip nie. Ja natuurlik kan die Skotte ons ook klop, soos die Aussies amper nou die dag NZ geklop het, maar dit is een in 10 wedstryde wat so iets dalk sal gebeur. BTW, Skotland is my gunsteling oorsese span, saam met die Franse. So as daar ‘n span is teen wie ons kan verloor is dit my Skotse maters, net nie die Engelse of Aussies nie.
17-20: hierdie toets laat my dink aan die eerste toets teen Engeland vroeër vanjaar. Engelse was trots op hul 385 wat hul gekry het, maar toe kom ons en kolf hul uit die toets uit, uit die toetsreeks en sommer uit die hele wegreeks, doef-doef.
Hopelik gebeur dit nie met ons more-oggend nie, sal moet onbeslis eindig, anders kan dit ‘n laaaaang reeks word vir ons.
@ Puma:r
Don’t know about this Malherbe all of a sudden….
23:Wat gaan hulle hom in Engeland noem: Crazy Herbs ?
@ Puma:
@5
Juan de Jongh without ‘front foot ball’ will be one big balls-up at centre in.
This boy is like Mannetjies Roux/Eben Olivier/Peter Whipp/Faffa Knoetze and those, he needs the ball spread at the speed of lightning with dummy runners cutting in from his outside, or he will get tackled off the pitch, mark my words…..
@ bdb:
@24
Ek sou Janse van Rensburg van die Leeus eerder gevat het, maar nouja…
@ Pietman:
Delete ‘in’, end of first sentence (new notebook, apologies!)
26: al die pad, JC.
So from I have read on SS it seems for now that is that Jean will start on Saturday with Juan de Jongh. If that is the case then Taute will be on the bench, or could Meyer play him at FB? Reading that article it does not seem that way. So from the backs then who will be on the bench if Juan does start, which he deservest too then think we will have, Jantjies, Mvovo and Taute on the bench. Unless Meyer still goes with the insurance thing with Morne on the bench. Just have to wait and see.
Still don’t think we must take the Scots for granted, but with them having some injury problems from last week, we should beat them easy I feel. Mostly because they don’t have the depth like we do if we pick up injuries.
So for now it seems the same team that started last week for Boks will start this week and only change will be Juan in for Taute.
I think from next year for the eoyt we should organise a mid-week game. The way it always used to be. That way all the players get a game.
So for this tour we would have seen, Jantjies, Rhule, Mapoe, Van der Merwe and others that have not had a game get one. Something for saru to think about. Bring back the mid-week games.
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