Super rugby kicks of in South Africa
February 24, 2013 in Uncategorized The first weekend of Super rugby is behind us and it is clear that quite a couple of players is still a bit ring rusty. The Bulls , Sharks and the EP Kings won their respective matches and is off to a good start. Congratulations especially to the newcomers on an unlikely win against the Force. Clearly rugby in the Eastern Cape is still alive and kicking. Proud of you guys.
The Bulls and the Sharks looked quite well organised and the Stormers did not look to bad after they woke up during the second half. The Stormers paid the price for not playing against some better quality teams during their preparation phase. Elton understandably looked the most rusty of the lot. He will definitely bounce back rather sooner than later and should be retained as flyhalf.
Johan Goosen looked as if he is carrying an injury and were not up to his usual high standards.Catrakilis were struggling to adapt in the first half , but did much better in the 2nd half. Morne Steyn stood out head and shoulders above the other number 10 s with Lambie in a distant 2nd place. At number 15 Maraisof the Kings impressed me and Kirschner was the best of the rest..
Habana and Mvovo was the best wings on display and Sergeal Petersen and Raymond Rhule the most promising. The latter i regard as an outside centre and i hope the Cheetahs use him there. Francois Steyn and Paul Jordaan would be in my starting 15 as the centre pairing based on this weeks play. I liked young Reinachs play and was also impressed with the quick thinking Nick Groom. Francois Hougaardt was for me however the pick of the scrumhalves.
The best number eights on display for me was the reserve Jaques Engelbrecht of EP Kings, Ryan Kankowsky and Pierre Spies. Although i do not think Pierre is in the mould of a claasical number 8 i think he did enough to get my vote. Strangely enough i think that the biggest threat to Spies will come out of his own camp in the form of Arno Botha and then off course Duane Vermeulen when the Stormers starts firing on all cylinders.
Frans Viljoen, Morne Potgieter, Marcel Coetzee, Jaques Botes en Elstadt was vir my die beter spelers hierdie naweek. Die standouts was vir my Morne Potgieter en Jaques Botes met Frans Viljoen wat vat-vat aan hulle hakke en as ek sou span kies sou Morne en Jaques die manne wees.
Wat die slotte aan betref sou ek die kombinasie van Jeandre Kruger en Flip Van Der Merwe kies alhoewel Bresler ook beindruk het en Andries Bekker hard geveg het.. Wat die hakers aan betref het Adriaan Strauss kop en skouers bo die res uitgestaan met Chiliboy die enigste waardige ander kandidaat. Wat die losskop stutte aan betref is daar slegs twee kandidate. Mellet van die Bulle het my geweldig beindruk en ek het hom sedert laas jaar teen Tukkies al fyn begin dophou. Daar is Springbok op sy voorkop gestempel . n Sterke derduiwel wat tonne vernuf uitstal. Net jammer hy speel vir die Bulle. Mellet was baie naby om my regmerkie te kry, maar die Beast met n massiewe vertoning sal my duim kry op grond van sy ervaring . Ongelukkig het net een vasskop die paal gehaal en dit sal Jannie du Plessis wees. Werner Kruger het egter genoeg gedoen om Jannie se plaasvervanger te wees .
My span uit ons verroeste klompie krygers sal dus as volg wees. Heelagter Marais -Kings -L-vleuel Mvovo B Senter Frans Steyn Binne senter Paul Jordaan Regter vleuel Bryan Habana Losskakel Morne Steyn Skrumskakel Francois Hougaardt Agsteman Pierre Spies 6flank Jaques Botes 7flank Morne Potgieter 5slot Jeandre Kruger 4slot Flip van der Merwe Losskop Beast Mtawarira Haker Adriaan Strauss Vasskop Jannie du Plessis my reserwes as volg Stutte Mellet en Werner Kruger, Haker Chiliboy Ralepele, veelsydige losvoorspeler Frans Viljoen en slot Andries Bekker, Losskakel Pat Lambie en skrumskakel Nick Groom.
Kyk ons gou kortliks na ons spanne se kanse sal ons sien dat daar net te min talent en ervaring by die Kings is . Geen span wen hierdie kompetisie in sy eerste jaar nie. Ek sal hierdie bladsy laat druk en opeet as die Kings die kompetisie wen. Die Cheetahs het ongelooflike talent agterlangs en baie goeie losvoorspelers met te min ervaring. Hulle vaste vyf het ook nie genoeg perde om die wa oor die bult te trek nie. Die Sharks en die Stormers het geen verskonings om nie aan die einde van die groot honde te wees nie. As hulle nie daar gaan wees nie , sal hulle die hand maar in eie boesem moet steek. Die Bulls wat n nuwe groeifase betree het eintlik die minste druk op hulle en het n magdom nuwe sterre in die pyplyn. Sulke jong talent moet egter goed bestuur word en ek glo Ludeke weet wat hulle doen. Die outjie wat ek graag wil sien is egter die jong Prinsloo. SPRINGBOK in hoofletters. Hy is die hele pakket. Slim gekoop Bulle. Ja en dan wil almal nog vir jong Serfontein sien en ons praat nie eers van die ander klomp goeie senters by die Bulle nie. Ja, die Bulle het verseker n meer as goeie kans om daar te wees wanneer dit saakmaak.
← 2013 and Super rugby is ready to explode on our TV screens
SA teams starting to run into some form. → 7 responses to Super rugby kicks of in South Africa	Alasdair Fraser said on February 24, 2013	“Morne Steyn stood out head and shoulders above the other number 10 s with Lambie in a distant 2nd place”
No offence, are you crazy? Did you actually watch the whole match in Bloem or just ‘blitz’ highlights? Lambie was man of the match – as was Morne Steyn. (Where’s the “distant second” in that?) He kicked superbly and played like a star. i’m not a Sharks fan, but give credit when it’s due.
Reply	scrumchums said on February 26, 2013	I know you re a big Lambie fan, but i am an equally big Goosen fan and history will stil prove that Goosen is the best Flyhalf this country will ever see. I liked Lambie this weekend, but Morne Steyn really had an excellent game and although i was one of his big critics last season, i must give him his due. Absolute brilliant way to answer his critics. At the moment we are blessed with a couple of great flyhalves and must appreciate all of them. We will need all of them with the hectic pace and the number of games that are played nowadays. Personally i believe that the Stormers and the Sharks will probably be our top teams with the Bulls giving a reasonable account of themselves.
Reply	punishr said on February 25, 2013	I must have been watching different games from you. Groom was Ok but not better than Reinach. Elstadt didn’t do much either. Vermuelen was one of the few Stormers players to do anything useful, and Pierre Spies was mostly MIA.
But your 15 is pretty good, maybe move F Steyn to 12 and Jordaan to 13.
Reply	scrumchums said on February 26, 2013	I went for Groom because he is more steady under pressure. Reinach i do agree with you is very good and i believe this season is a big chance for him to make his mark. He is however still very young and must just be patient and enjoy the game. In Jordaan you have a superstar of the future.Yep, it mighy work better with Jordaan on the outside, but i just wondered if the backline is not going to get away that yard faster with Jordaan on 12. He is also a very quick thinker that just about never takes the wrong option.
Reply	guntz27 said on February 25, 2013	Ek stem saam met jou dat Johan Goosen sleg begin het maar hy was een van die groot redes hoekom die Cheetahs so goed terug geveg het, dis sy eerste game van laasjaar se drie-nasies! Hy het geen wedstrydoefening gehad nie, so mens kan hom verskoon om baie geroes te gewees het in die begin. In die tweede helfde was dit die Johan van ouds en hy het die Cheetahs oor die voordeellyn gesit en sy agterlyn die nodige trefkrag gegee. As die game nog tien minute langer was dink ek sou die Cheetahs dit gevat het. Op die stadium is daar nog geen gunstelinge vir my in die kompetisie nie, meeste van die spanne lyk baie verroes. Die beste game van die naweek was verseker ook die Sharks teen die Cheetahs as dit is hoe die twee spanne gaan speel in hul eerste game kan ek nie wag om hul te sien mid seisoen nie!
Bulle-Stormers wedstryd was Morne Steyn uiters goed, hy het die wedstryd beheer en Elton soos ‘n beginner laat lyk. Bulle sal altyd goed wees op Loftus. Stormers het baie gesukkel agv Elton Jantjies wat niks op die dag kon regdoen nie toe Joe Pietersen op is toe gaan dit heelwat beter.
ReplyReport user	scrumchums said on February 26, 2013	Man , al het ek gese Goosen is verroes , bly hy my eerste keuse wanneer Bokke in n toets speel. Die plek op die reserwebank moet tussen Lambie , Steyn en Jantjies uitbaklei word. Jantjies het natuurlik ook soos Goosen aan geen voorbereiding wedstryde deelgeneem nie. Beide was verroes en dit moes ons te wagte wees. Jantjies het verder ook nog die verlies van sy vader gehad om te verwerk en heel verstaanbaar kan sulke dinge n mens se fokus beinvloed. Feit bly, dis lekker om so n klomp losskakels en dan nog Catrakilis ook beskikbaar te he.
Jy som dit natuurlik raak op as jy se die beste wedstryd van die naweek was die Sharks en die Cheetahs.
Reply	Mudguts said on February 27, 2013	I like your 15. Also really liked the Kings reserve number 8 Engelbrecht. agree that Morne bounced back extremely well to rub his many detractors noses in it.
active 4 hours ago	dynamo
active 7 hours, 28 minutes ago	KerryJimmy
active 2 days, 10 hours ago	KerryMonteith
active 2 days, 10 hours ago	Lanora Prowse
active 2 days, 14 hours ago	© 2012 24.com. All rights reserved.