Springbok coach Peter de Villiers is undergoing his most difficult year in charge, with the world champions having lost all three of their Tri-Nations games. He spoke to SIMNIKIWE XABANISA this week about his plan to turn things around. (more…)
Category: Springboks
News and discussion about the Springboks
A Bok squad of 24 players has gathered in Johannesburg to prepare for Saturday’s Tri-Nations Test against New Zealand.
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The Springbok squad for the home leg of the Trinations has been announced.
Forwards:
BJ Botha (Ulster)
– A regular in the side contradicting PDV’s claims that he would not pick overseas-based players and that they’re off the pace.
Schalk Burger (Stormers)
– Back to his headless chicken days without a plan from Gary Gold.
Jannie du Plessis (Sharks)
– Solid, not spectacular.
Ryan Kankowski (Sharks)
– Where does he fit in to the current Bok gameplan? Definitely not at flank hey Gary?
Francois Louw (Stormers)
– Back after being dropped for the Aussie game in what is widely regarded as the worst selection blunder in years (Gary take a bow).
Victor Matfield (Bulls)
– Out on his feet and needs a serious rest.
Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)
– Back in the mix.
Dewald Potgieter (Bulls)
– Playing a holding role while Brussouw recovers.
Chiliboy Ralepelle (Bulls)
– Still no faith in his abilities from the coaches – so must be a token appointment at best.
Danie Rossouw (Bulls)
– Out on his feet and needs a serious rest.
John Smit (Sharks, captain)
– Out on his feet and needs a serious rest and fitness regime. Being rolled out for his 100th test despite his poor form.
Juan Smith (Cheetahs)
– Great to see him back.
Pierre Spies (Bulls)
– Out on his feet and needs a serious rest. Been exposed as the most overhyped No.8 in world rugby. Still goes missing.
Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls)
– In the form of his life, but must surely need a rest.
CJ van der Linde (Cheetahs)
– Solid not spectacular.
Flip van der Merwe (Bulls)
– Still learning the ropes.
Backs:
Gio Aplon (Stormers)
– Will hopefully inject some attacking spark into our backs.
Juan de Jongh (Stormers)
– Should start at 13 with Fourie banned for the Soweto test.
Jean de Villiers (Stormers)
– Play him at 12 and 12 only.
Jaque Fourie (Stormers)
– Misses the first home game.
Bryan Habana (Stormers)
– Out on his feet and needs a serious rest.
Francois Hougaard (Bulls)
– Should start ahead of McJanuarie with Ruan Pienaar out injured and then overseas. Has Pienaar played his last test?
Ricky Januarie (Stormers)
– Ruan Pienaar’s injury gives him a place on the bench – hoepfully not starting.
Butch James (Bath)
– Another strange selection contradicting PDV’s claims that he would not pick overseas-based players and that they’re off the pace.
Zane Kirchner (Bulls)
– Not international quality – holding Steyn’s place for him in the team.
Wynand Olivier (Bulls)
– Been given plenty of chances but a Super14 player at best.
JP Pietersen (Sharks)
– Hopefully he is building back up to his form from the last RWC. He is the opposite of New Zealand – he only peaks in RWC years!
Frans Steyn (Racing Metro)
– Injured two days before the squad was announced so will probably play no part in the Trinations campaign.
– LATEST: Has been cleared of injury and will join the Springbok squad on Thursday. Scan results were positive and he will return from France to train with the Boks. He is likely to play fullback against the All Blacks.
– LATEST LATEST: Out of the All Blacks test because injured and SARU didn’t arrange with his club. PDV questioning his commitment to the Boks…
Morné Steyn (Bulls).
– Out on his feet and needs a serious rest. Needs Fourie Du Preez on his inside to take the pressure off.
“I was always saying the greeting ‘even the bad days are good’ and there have been some bad days just now, that we can’t deny. But I keep myself motivated because I believe in this team and what we are doing and know that we have the answers within ourselves to the problems that we had overseas.
“It’s not like other years where we were bad and had no solutions in sight – we definitely know we can beat anyone in the world when we fix the small things that add up to a bad defeat.
“As for the criticism, I have had it since before day one! But it goes with the territory – a winning Bok coach is a superman; a losing Bok coach is a ‘clown’, I’ve learnt to take both with a pinch of salt.”
Reports from a source with impeccable connections to the Boks are that significant differences exist between the coaching style espoused by assistant coaches Dick Muir and Gary Gold, while head coach Peter de Villiers is said to be wavering. (more…)
The Springboks played Italy in the second test at the Buffalo City Stadium in East London on Saturday 26 June.
Springboks 55 (27)
Tries: Morne Steyn (2), Pierre Spies, Jannie du Plessis, Bryan Habana, Flip van der Merwe, BJ Botha
Conversions: Steyn (5), Ruan Pienaar (2)
Penalties: Steyn (2)
Italy 11 (6)
Try: Michele Sepe
Penalties: Mirco Bergamasco (2)
Springboks – 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Jean de Villiers, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Juan de Jongh, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Subs: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 BJ Botha, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Dewald Potgieter, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Butch James, 22 Wynand Olivier.
Italy – 15 Luke McLean, 14 Michele Sepe, 13 Gonzalo Canale, 12 Andrea Masi, 11 Mirco Bergamasco, 10 Craig Gower, 9 Simon Picone, 8 Sergio Parisse (c), 7 Manoa Vosawai, 6 Paul Derbyshire, 5 Marco Bortolami, 4 Carlo del Fava, 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 2 Fabio Ongaro, 1 Salvatore Perugini.
Subs: 16 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17 Franco Sbaraglini, 18 Quintin Geldenhuys, 19 Alessandro Zanni, 20 Tito Tebaldi, 21 Riccardo Bocchino, 22 Matteo Pratichetti.
Other tests
New Zealand 29 vs 10 Wales
Australia 22 vs 15 Ireland
Argentina 41 vs 13 France
Peter de Villiers got some tough questions this week. He discusses the “dropping” of Frans Steyn after the Wales Test and his plans with John Smit and Ruan Pienaar. (more…)
Springboks 29 (22)
Tries: Bryan Habana, Francois Louw, Morne Steyn, Zane Kirchner
Conversions: Steyn (3)
Penalty: Steyn
Italy 13 (3)
Try: Sergio Parisse
Conversion: Mirco Bergamasco
Penalties: Bergamasco (2)
The Boks play Italy in Witbank on Saturday 19 June at 15:00.
Check out the odds and place a bet:
Springboks – 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Jean de Villiers, 12 Butch James, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Subs: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Alistair Hargreaves, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Juan de Jongh, 22 Bjorn Basson.
Italy – 15 Luke McLean, 14 Kaine Robertson, 13 Andrea Masi, 12 Matteo Pratichetti, 11 Mirco Bergamasco, 10 Craig Gower, 9 Tito Tebaldi, 8 Sergio Parisse (c), 7 Alessandro Zanni, 6 Simone Favaro, 5 Quintin Geldenhuys, 4 Valerio Bernabo, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Salvatore Perugini.
Subs: 16 Fabio Ongaro, 17 Lorenzo Cittadini, 18 Marco Bortolami, 19 Paul Derbyshire, 20 Simon Picone, 21 Riccardo Bocchino, 22 Gonzalo Canale.
Other tests (2010-06-19)
09:35 New Zealand 42 vs 9 Wales
11:40 Australia 20 vs 21 England
20:45 Argentina 9 vs 13 Scotland