Bok squad named by head coach Heyneke Meyer on Monday 19 May 2014
| FORWARDS | SCHOOL | SUPER RUGBY TEAM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tendai Mtawarira | Peterhouse,Zim | Cell C Sharks |
| 2 | Trevor Nyakane | Ben Vorster | Toyota Cheetahs |
| 3 | Marcel van der Merwe | Grey College | Vodacom Bulls* |
| 4 | Jannie du Plessis | Grey College | Cell C Sharks |
| 5 | Frans Malherbe | HJS Paarl BH | DHL Stormers |
| 6 | Coenie Oosthuizen | Grey College | Toyota Cheetahs |
| 7 | Bismarck du Plessis | Grey College | Cell C Sharks |
| 8 | Adriaan Strauss | Grey College | Toyota Cheetahs |
| 9 | Eben Etzebeth | Tygerberg | DHL Stormers |
| 10 | Lood de Jager | Hugenote (Springs) | Toyota Cheetahs* |
| 11 | Victor Matfield | Pietersburg | Vodacom Bulls |
| 12 | Flip van der Merwe | Grey College | Vodacom Bulls |
| 13 | Heinrich Brüssow | Grey College | Toyota Cheetahs |
| 14 | Marcell Coetzee | Port Natal | Cell C Sharks |
| 15 | Siya Kolisi | Grey High | DHL Stormers |
| 16 | Willem Alberts | Monnas | Cell C Sharks |
| 17 | Jacques du Plessis | Ermelo | Vodacom Bulls* |
| 18 | Teboho Mohoje | Louiis Botha | Toyota Cheetahs* |
| 19 | Duane Vermeulen | Nelspruit | DHL Stormers |
| 20 | Schalk Burger | Paarl Gim | DHL Stormers.Backs |
| BACKS | |||
| 21 | Fourie du Preez | Affies | Suntory, Japan |
| 22 | Francois Hougaard | Paul Roos | Vodacom Bulls |
| 23 | Johan Goosen | Grey College | Toyota Cheetahs |
| 24 | Marnitz Boshoff | Nelspruit | Lions* |
| 25 | Jean de Villiers | Paarl Gim | DHL Stormers |
| 26 | Damian De Allende | Milnerton | DHL Stormers* |
| 27 | Jan Serfontein | Grey College | Vodacom Bulls |
| 28 | Juan de Jongh | Hugenote | DHL Stormers |
| 29 | JJ Engelbrecht | Grey High | Vodacom Bulls |
| 30 | Sbura Sithole | Queens | Cell C Sharks* |
| 31 | Frans Steyn | Grey College | Cell C Sharks |
| 32 | Lwazi Mvovo | Maria Louw | Cell C Sharks |
| 33 | Bjorn Basson | Dale | Vodacom Bulls |
| 34 | JP Pietersen | Gen Hertzog | Cell C Sharks |
| 35 | Cornal Hendricks | Berg River | Toyota Cheetahs* |
| 36 | Willie le Roux | Paul Roos | Toyota Cheetahs. |
* denotes uncapped player
The more games he plays, the more I find myself thinking that Damian de Allende is the best 12 in South Africa.
Frans has some serious work to do to keep him out at this rate.
@Gungets Tuft: huh? I like Cooper, Whiteley and Zeilanga. All have outside chances of making the Boks end of year tour. I have to remain positive with all 3, they certainly wouldn’t let any side down. Not the best but still quality…Glenwood needs another Bok, it’s been 25 years in waiting!
Congratulations to Queen’s old boy Sbura Sithole on making the squad, captain of Queen’s 1st XV in a very special year for our school during our sesquicentenial year!!! We’re all very proud of the lad, been a while since Queen’s had a Bok, I think it was more than 10 years ago when Robbi Kempson made his last appearance for the Springboks. So hopefully Sbura will get a chance sometime this season
@vatikaki: He did play in 2006 a few games at centre and was picked in the 2007 team. He got injured very early in the season and did not play again until Interschools when he played his first and last game for 2007 for the seccies…
@Tandem:
Don’t think it as insulting him. I’m sure he’s a great person.
But it doesn’t change the fact that he’s a terrible fullback, at least at the moment.
And tbh I don’t think it comes down to ‘developing’. I just don’t see him as having the talent.
@BoishaaiPa:
Yet he never played first team?
@BOG: No sensitivity intended. I think you need to be a member of said organization before you can claim to be one..thus he is not regarded as an OB as far as I know..as you said..you had to matriculate there. But he has a choice to aknowledge his previous Alma Mater(s) as he sees fit I guess.
@BoishaaiPa: Goodness me, why so sensitive today? I only responded to a remark made by Tandem. He simply confirmed a suspicion I had – the high standards of the FS ito academics. Surely, it will be his decision whether he regards himself as a OG, O Boishaaier, or both. As far as Im concerned, someone is an OG if he matriculated there. @Tandem: Too late to cover up your remark, or admission of the very high standards of a FS education. The hoarse has bolted! And by the way, some of the most intelligent people that I have known, are props. Their so-called stupidity is a myth.
hope he’s not picking Brussouw now just to drop him out completely again for some crap reason
@Ploegskaar: Sounds like Andre Joubert when he started. Do you think Ian Mac started out with those wild eyes and grey hair …. naaa, Joubert gave him those things because he was so unpredictable. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not, but he was never, ever boring, and he was an yster during the ’95 World Cup.
I reckon things have become too formulaic, coach the flair out of everyone so that they don’t make defensive errors.
@Grasshopper: Not a hint of Glenwood bias in your choices of #10 or #15 hey?
@vatikaki: SP is a Boishaaier and I for one will never see the need to insult a follow Boishaaier and in such a rude manner.
@BOG:I was obviously sarcastic Bog . Front rowers are generally speaking not on academic scholarships .
@Grasshopper: Ja ja, you would disagree with me out of principle and despite the facts. Let’s be honest though, coaches generally pick Aplon’s, Kolbe’s and Russels for various reasons, including public pressure, “hoping for the best”, but not because they believe in their capabilities. That is the feeling that I get anyway. Marais may not be Mogg, yet, but was Mogg the finished article when he started out? Wonder where Larkham would have ended up in SA, and we all know how he started out.
@Grasshopper: Prinsloo is better because he is steady and can kick..and that’s about the total sum of his abilities..and what most of you rate as a good fullback it seems!….I have watched both him while at Marlow and Marais through their school years as players…
@vatikaki: One season is not enough to benchmark a player…He will get his game back…I dont recall Basil Bey being wrong about much in his life when it comes to rugby…and he liked what he saw in SP Marais way back when in 2006 in Gr 11!…
@vatikaki: agreed, Gouws Prinsloo was much better. Marais is certainly no Mogg! Gio Aplon is far better there than Marais, any day even Colby…,now they ain’t gravel donkeys…
If SP Marais has vision and unpredictability then I must be watching another game.
I see terrible kicks, terrible up-and-unders, terrible passing, terrible defense.
I really can’t think of any aspect of his game that I would rate as good.
I also thought when he was with the Kings that he was a good player. But I’ve quickly changed my mind this season.
Some of the opinions here on SP Marais is so typical of SA pundits, coaches and selectors. He does not fit the mold of the stereotype SA 15 that can catch, kick, chase and tackle, bit his unpredictability and vision adds an exiting dimension to any team that he plays for and as he gains experience he will learn to temper and apply those attributes better. I can only imagine how players like Mogg, Dagg and the very exiting Andre Taylor would have gone to waste in the SA system. Some of you are also real hypocrites, encouraging, praising and punting exciting 15’s at SBR level and then tossing them aside at the expense of gravel donkeys at senior level. Conservative is still king and that’s why not much has changed on or off the field.
@vatikaki: This is SP’s second season at this level..Last year with the Kings he performed well enough. He is a footballer in the Willie le Roux mould…Did any of you watch Willie when he played for Boland a few years back?…Did anyone think then that he would become a Bok and be one of our best attacking options?…SP has vision..something that cannot be taught and is rare in our modern game. Give him time, he is not one dimensional like most of our current fullbacks. He is just playing under pressure for his spot at the moment, with that comes mistakes. He is a confidence player like Frans Steyn…Jake gave Frans his confidence back and look at him now versus last year this time!
@BoishaaiPa: Same with BJ Botha and Scarra Ntubeni. BJ was only 1 year at DHS, he was a Kloof boy most of his schooling. Only moved because Kloof is a minor rugby school. Scarra again only spent a couple of years at KES, but I honestly think he is not ready to be a Bok….Kyle Cooper is ahead of him on experience and a better traditional hooker…
@BOG: Geez Bog..There is a HUGE difference..Marcell spent his rugby forming years in Boishaai…From Gr 8 to Gr11 and became a WP Grant Khomo and CW player there…He was exatly 10 months in Grey and played how many games?…But he did not matriculate from Boishaai and doesnt have a old boy tie or belongs to the OBU..Therefore you can claim him!..History will show he will be one of Greys Springboks…but we all know the real story.
@vatikaki: I don’t rate him at all and he needs to get rid of those white cycling pants he always wears. I would actually play Frans at fullback and Fred Zeilanga at flyhalf for the Sharks but I think Fred is still injured……I actually liked Gouws Prinsloo before he left….not sure where he is now. Even Louis Ludik was better than SP Marias…
Nelspruit trots op julle Bossie & Duane!! Ook ons Blitzbok Werner Kok!!
Watch this space … Rassie v Vuuren (Frankryk) , Jacques Kotze , Conrad v Vuuren (SA skole 2013) ,Menzi Nhlabathi, Mark Pretorius (2012 SA 0/20 ) , Henri Boshoff ,Christoff Gouws, Emile Temperman… en wees verseker hou vir Daniel Maartens dop!!! Go Rhinos!!!
@Grasshopper:
What you think about SP Marais at fullback?
I don’t think there is a worse fullback in South Africa at the moment. Offers nothing but a mistake every second time he touches the ball.
If I were Jake I’d have Esterhuizen in there ASAP.
Agree Whiteley is very unlucky and that is not because I’m a Glenwood supporter. He is a very skillful No8, is everywhere on the field, great line out option, offloads well and is a leader. Could be a great impact player once Duane has smashed the opposition to bits. Also, Kyle Cooper, surely our third best hooker. He would start in any other franchise bar the Sharks and Cheetahs…….
I like the inclusion of Damian de Allende (our best attacking 12) and Marcel van der Merwe (expected him to be included. easily the best prop in Pretoria)
Always going to be a few in there that we don’t think should be there. I think the names are obvious. One only has 4 Super Rugby games and barely any Currie Cup under his belt.
But the players I thought were unlucky are:
Kyle Cooper – Third best hooker in the country. Heyneke went with only 2 while Scarra is injured.
Lourens Adriaanse – Would’ve taken him ahead of Trevor Nyakane.
Boom Prinsloo & Nizaam Carr – Only 8 in the squad is Duane. Would’ve taken one of these guys ahead of Oupa Mohoje any day.
Cobus Reinach – Not that I think he is in any way ready for test rugby. That attempt he made at covering ground to take a high ball on the weekend was a shocker (he was scared). Also seen him trying stupid things in his own half and turning over possession as a result. And his kicking game is terrible at times. But he’s got something and is a better choice then Schreuder, Pretorius, Faf de Klerk etc. Bok training squad might have been what he needed to sharpen up.
Paul Jordaan & Johann Sadie – I’d have picked one or both of them. Paul is an excellent all-round centre (Ebersohn mold), while Sadie has gotten a lot better since he left Pretoria (unfortunately his time with the Bulls is probably what is keeping him out). They’d have been better picks then Basson & Hendricks.
Jaco Taute – Willie the only fullback in the squad. Jaco probably could’ve and should’ve been there ahead of one of the wingers as well (with most of our centres being able to play wing).
Oh and it’s great to see he’s included Brussow. He should be picking him ahead of Marcell & Siya when the Incoming Tour comes around. Even if he doesn’t, everytime he leaves the guy out of a squad like this it is unsettling and disruptive to the entire team.
@Tandem: For academic reasons? Now, thats an admission.What is the cut-off to be regarded as an old boy of a school? I know BJ Botha and Allan Donald were both at Grey primary, but as far as I know, GCB have never “claimed” them as OBs.
Marcel Van Der Merwe was actually in Paarl Boishaai and only went to Grey Kollege in grade 12 for academic reasons !
@hilton: That is correct yes ! It actually made Marcell Coetzee more determined
Is it correct that the only KZN schoolboy did not even make KZN schools?
@DC ARMY: With a definate shortage of quality no 8’s also astounded. But maybe he does not bench enough or some or other stupid qualifying measurement he fell short of. When are we going to learn to pick the bollers.
Warren Whiteley desperately unlucky not to be in, in fact i don’t understand why he’s not in.
No Handre Pollard
