Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Rassie’s first squad could throw up some surprises
SA’s best in the IPL What’s in the Kiev cup final cocktail? Ill-timed Danny Jordaan charges ‘hard to believe’
NEW Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has stated there will be a few surprises in his first squad, set to be named later today.
A group of 40 players will be picked to prepare for the one-off Test against Wales in the USA next week and for the first of three Tests against England. Here rugby writers
(backs) and
( forwards) discuss the men who could be viewed as the surprise packages in Erasmus’ squad
Backs
There have been enough players who have put up their hands and will certainly make good of the form they’ve shown in Super Rugby.
At the same time Erasmus sits with a conundrum at scrumhalf and it will leave him with no option but to call on Sale Sharks halfback Faf de Klerk as his number one.’
Then it is race on as to who will deputise for De Klerk between Louis Schreuder and Ross Cronje, with an outside chance that Sharks scrumhalf Cameron Wright might be the surprise inclusion in the greater squad.
While Handre Pollard and Elton Jantjies are almost certain to battle it out for the number 10 jersey, there could be a temptation for Erasmus to grow his stocks at flyhalf with Curwin Bosch being able to cover both flyhalf and fullback but it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see the name of one Robert du Preez for the trip to Washington at least.
Erasmus is smiling at the form of his centres with Damian de Allende, Lukhanyo Am, Jesse Kriel and Lionel Mapoe all playing outstanding rugby, while Rohan Janse van Rensburg could burst his way back into Bok contention with some solid cameo performances for the Lions.
It is on the wings that Erasmus’ job becomes somewhat tricky with the likes of Aphiwe Dyantyi, Sbu Nkosi and Madosh Tambwe making a strong claim for recognition while Raymond Rhule and Dillyn Leyds have done enough to retain their places in the team.
One cannot leave out the try-scoring machine that is Makazole Mapimpi, who has proven his value in every team he has played in over the past two years.
Fullback shouldn’t be an issue at all with the in-form Warrick Gelant the sure bet to start while Andries Coetzee remains the safe selection as cover with Bosch also considered maybe even ahead of Coetzee.
The versatility of a lot of the players will work in their advantage with most able to play in at least two positions.
Erasmus, though, will need to strike the balance in rewarding form and choosing the right combinations for the good of his team.
Forwards
It all starts up front, doesn’t it? So Erasmus will want to make sure he gets the mix right, but he won’t be able to consider a few key men who’d be part of just about any matchday squad, and here we think of Eben Etzebeth, Malcolm Marx, Warren Whit- eley, Lood de Jager, and Coenie Oosthuizen who’re all injured and unavailable for the June Tests.
What that’s done is open the door for a few others to grab their chance.
Among the loose-forwards, Erasmus could surprise by picking Lions blindside flank Cyle Brink, who it is believed he rates highly. Brink’s strength over the ball, and as a carrier, are understood to be traits the Bok boss likes.
Also, there is the Bulls duo of Marco van Staden – who can play anywhere in the back-row and who is also immensely strong – and Roelof Smit, a genuine “fetcher” who has shown he is up for international rugby.
At lock, the absence of De Jager and Etzebeth could open the door for rookies Jason Jenkins and RG Snyman of the Bulls, but let’s not forget the Lions’ Marvin Orie, who has enjoyed a good season up to now.
In the front row, the Cheetahs exciting prop Ox Nche could get his first taste of Test rugby in the next month, while Thomas du Toit, the Sharks man who’s moved from the loosehead to the tighthead, is also in with a shout of getting a first Bok cap.
And what about cens- based Vincent SaraKoch, who’s rated among the best in England?
Then there’s the much talked-about hooker position.
Will Erasmus go with Bismarck du Plessis, who’s already 34, or will it be Sharks man Akker van der Merwe, to join Bongi Mbonambi and Chiliboy Ralepelle? Or, will Stormers man Ramone Samuels get a look-in?
The good news for Erasmus is he can pick any number of players who’re in good form and have shown they are keen to step up to Test rugby.
Finding the right mix and getting the combinations spot on, especially in the back-row, will be crucial. IN Part II of II of our Safa elections build-up, Independent Newspapers spoke to Mzwandile Maforvane, the secretary-general of Football Transformation Forum (FTF). FTF are backing Danny Jordaan to be re-elected as Safa president in the elective congress that will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre today.
MM: You have to closely look at the allegations and how they came about. Why is it that they only came up just before major events in our football? That’s why it’s hard to believe them.
But also we believe that a person is innocent until they are proven guilty. We are not the only sporting code that believes that. Makhaya Ntini was accused of rape and Cricket South Africa under the leadership of Ali Bacher supported him. Even when he was found guilty they supported him when he appealed the matter. He was eventually cleared and if Cricket South Africa hadn’t backed him we probably wouldn’t have seen one of our finest cricketers.
Rugby also did it. They backed their CEO ( Jurie Roux, who was accused of corruption with allegations that he manipulated financial management systems to favour the rugby programme during his time at Stellenbosch University).
There is also the gun scenario in the PSL (relating to chairman Irvin Khoza who was arrested in 2001 and charged for illegal possession of a rifle and ammunition but was eventually cleared). If people had just agreed and accepted those charges, perhaps the PSL wouldn’t be one of the best leagues in the world like it currently is. Our problem is how those charges and accusations came about.
The first time this came up was just before the constitutional congress and the charges were laid just before our elective congress. Under his administration the men’s Under-17 national team qualified for the World Cup in Chile in 2015. In 2016 both the women’s national team and the men’s Under-23 team qualified for the Olympics. It’s a rare feat to have a nation that’s not hosting the Olympics having two teams in the tournament. The Under20 national team was also at the World Cup in Korea. That means by the time 2022 comes, we will have a group of players who have played at the highest level for a number of years before graduating to Bafana Bafana. That can only help our team become stronger.
MM: What’s important isn’t getting a coach as soon as possible. What’s important is ensuring that you get the right person for the job. We had to thoroughly look at the candidates to get the right person. Look at Banyana Banyana for instance, we had to make sure that the person we hire has the right philosophy and understands our players.
Desiree Ellis fits into that and she knows what’s expected of her. Vera Pauw was a very good coach but there were things she didn’t understand about us as a country and us as black people. Desiree understands the country’s dynamics and how we do things.
MM: It didn’t have any effect. It’s just that there were mistakes made that needed to be addressed. What was important for us is to have stability in the organisation. The process itself has had a negative effect on the Safa brand because the other side (Ace Ncobo who is challenging Jordaan for the top seat) was more interested in destroying the association than building it. As soon as this process is over, we have to work hard in putting together the pieces. What I am happy about is that the running of the game and football development was never affected, our leagues ran smoothly.