Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, with the bulk of his first-choice players likely to be involved in the Super 14 play-offs, plans to put his back-up team on trial against Namibia next month.
“New talent coming through in a big rush, not just a trickle.”
The match between a South African XV and a Namibian invitational selection in Windhoek on May 29 will be De Villiers’ only match opportunity before the Boks’ three-Test series against the British and Irish Lions in June and July.
The Bulls and Sharks, who are likely to provide as much as 80 percent of the Bok team for the Lions series, are perfectly placed to reach the Super 14 play-offs – the semifinals being on the weekend of May 22 and 23 and the Final a week later.
That means, with the Namibian game in the middle of that, De Villiers won’t have many of his frontline players available.
But he is happy that the game is a great opportunity to introduce some new faces to the Bok culture and also trial some back-up players.
“If something happens with my first choice players, I must be happy that my back-up players will be able to make the step up,” De Villiers told rugby365.com in an interview.
“The same goes for those players that have not played with the [Bok] team.
“That is why I wanted this match against the Namibian selection, so that the back-up players can play along with the few first-choice players who will be available and can take the lead and guide the others.
“It will allow them an opportunity to play together, so we can get them to slot in with our way of thinking and the way we do things.
“It is important to get our back-up players ready.”
YOUNG TALENT
De Villiers said he was extremely impressed with the number of young talented players that are coming through the system, a group that would provide some of the players for the Namibian game.
“I have been really impressed with some of the younger players, and a number of players have really put their hands up,” he told rugby365.com, adding: “That is why the Namibian game is so important to me … because of that untapped talent.
“If we can start gelling that talent together in a team, then there is no need for concern for the next four years … the future is indeed bright.”
De Villiers said the talent are coming through in a “big rush” and not just a trickle.
“This [talent coming through] is not a leaking tap, this tap is open full blast.
“The key is to develop that talent so they can fit into our pattern and be an advantage to South Africa.
“I have certainly been very impressed with the younger players in particular.”
April 28th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Will this be a team of REAL prospects or just another window dressing exercise by the ‘gushing’ coach…
Will we see the likes of Wepener, Liebenberg, Ludick, Vermaak, Kockott to name but a few… or predictably Ralepele, Rose etc…
I’m tipping the latter…
April 28th, 2009 at 10:14 am
I am still waiting for the list he would have given the public (updating every now and then) on who he sees as the number 1 in each position and who he sees as potential back-ups…
I remember a promise like this when he got appointed as he had ‘nothing to hide’…
Reason for this is I would like to know which young players caught his eye as I have not been overly impressed so far.
April 28th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Reply to Morné @ 10:14 am:
Vermaak, Kirchner, Deysel, Brussouw, Ludik are some that spring to mind straight away?
April 28th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Vermaak… was much better last year than now
Kirchner… could deserve a look in yes
Deysel… simply has not played that much rugby so far but lets see how his return pans out.
Brussow… is a Bok already.
Ludik… Hot and cold really
April 28th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Reply to Morné @ 10:24 am: </p
Wepener, Liebenberg, Du Preez (Wiaan)…
April 28th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 10:35 am:
wepener – yeah, I wanted him there last year already.
liebenberg – a shit lot better than brits but we are quite well set on hookers
Du preez – never a bad thing to include an extra donkey.
April 28th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Reply to Morné @ 10:51 am:
Has Brussow actually been capped?
April 28th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 11:03 am:
As far as I know he came on as a replacement…
April 28th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 11:03 am:
Vs England 22.11.08
No.8 replacing Spies
in 75th minute.
April 28th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Reply to Morné @ 11:17 am: Correct
April 28th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Reply to Boertjie @ 11:26 am:
Dankie Oom Boer – seem to remember it.
And that brings me to another point where I think subs should not receive caps.
But then again, it goes against my other belief that modern rugby has moved beyond the run on 15 guys and has to include all 22…
Tough one…
April 28th, 2009 at 11:29 am
Reply to Provincejoulekkading @ 11:28 am:
tjings.
April 28th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Reply to Provincejoulekkading @ 11:28 am:
HoeZit Boetie?
April 28th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Reply to Morné @ 11:28 am:
Quite a few “Boks” were on the
field less than a minute.
I have an idea Vlok Cilliers and
a hooker from WP are on the list.
Will maybe check and publish.
April 28th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Reply to Boertjie @ 11:42 am:
Helgaardt MuLLer as weLL!
April 28th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Reply to wiLLem @ 11:51 am:
Hey dude are you at the Cheetah matches?
April 28th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Speaking of which, where is Cosa lately?
April 28th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Reply to Morné @ 12:01 pm:
Good question.
BTW the S14 log has been updated.
Little mistake there:
Force has 26 points, not 28.
Makes for interesting reading.
April 28th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 12:23 pm:
Hmmm…
Got the info off superrugby and they have it on 28 too. Usually they are quite reliable.
April 28th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 12:23 pm:
Keo has it on 28 too…
April 28th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Reply to Morné @ 12:31 pm:
OK, you’re correct – I missed
the draw.
But they should then be placed
above the two teams with 27.
April 28th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 12:35 pm:
Ahhh, I will look to clean that up.
April 28th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Okay they should be all in the correct order now too.
April 28th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Well this will surely be an oppertunity for Div snor to promote his WP buddies and make a case to include them.
By watching them perform this year it begs the question. Why are there so many springboks in the current Stormer side.I do not believe that they are Springbok material and it is showing big time.
April 28th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Reply to onerb @ 1:29 pm:
Nothing wrong with Afkophoender
(but don’t quote me), #46, Grant
JdeV, Bobo.
Bekker (and JdeV) injured.
Goose Step and Meerkat useless.
AJ Venter and Oorlede Human way
past their sell-by date.
Pablo will go with the likes of
Mummy, Chiliboy, Murray, Nokwe
Kirchner etc.
April 28th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
going to be a helluva interesting end to the season.
Its all about trying to land home semis.
The bulls v sharks game at the end might very well determine this.
April 28th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 1:38 pm:
Pablo will go with the likes of
Mummy, Chiliboy, Murray, Nokwe
Kirchner etc.
Nothing wrong with that as they have played well, well maybe not Murray but you can state a case for the rest.
As long as Mujaat is not there I will be happy.
April 28th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Reply to onerb @ 1:53 pm:
Oh and who is Mummy?
April 28th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Reply to onerb @ 1:55 pm:
Rose
April 28th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Reply to Morné @ 2:00 pm:
O.k, not rose. He is not the kind of player you need for test matches. In a free flowing league like battle he is good, but tighter test situations is not his forte.
April 28th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Reply to Morné @ 12:01 pm:
Alive and back again.
Let me tell you guys something:
Vietnam is not a place to visit. I realised why the Americans lost that one – they wanted to!
And spend a week fighting a stomach bug that accompanied me back home that threatened me to loose my lungs – through my exhaust!
Third world.
I came back with a renewed love for SA, nearly voted for the Zulu, so glad I was back!
And our taxis have nothing on the 2 million motorcycles in Hanoi. NO traffic rules, everybody is hooting, it drove me nuts!
Bought some genuine fakes there, though. A pair af genuine faked Adidas lasted me just the flight back, which was horrible in itself. We left the hotel in Saigon (sorry, Ho Chi Ming City)10:30 local time, as the drive to the airport took an hour (15km), two hours check in, four hours to Singapore ( a great place!), eight hours connection to Dubai, seven hours flight to Dubai, nine hours connection for eight hour flight back to good old RSA.
Fkn travel agent, we could have been on a direct flight Singapore – JHB, only eight hours!
Will be on duty on Saturday again!
April 28th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Reply to onerb @ 2:10 pm:
Pablo will go with the likes of
Mummy XX, Chiliboy XX, Murray XX, Nokwe
Kirchner etc.
=============
There is about four hookers better
than Chiliboy.
Kirchner deserves a chance.
Nokwe is starting to prove me wrong
and deserves a chance.
Maybe Mentz will get a look-in.
Akona is on form.
Habana will never be on form again,
or so it seems.
Brussouw and Scholtz also deserve
a look-in.
April 28th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Reply to Cosa @ 2:23 pm:
Good to have you back from that other 3rd world!!!
April 28th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Reply to Cosa @ 2:23 pm:
lol, what the hell were you doing in vietnam?
April 28th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Fightin the war and looking for MIA buddies cab…
Terg net Cosa
April 28th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Fukkin bastards smash and grabbed my wife’s handbag this evening….
We all know what kind…
April 28th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 10:34 pm:
Net wanneer ‘n mens nie
jou geweer naby het nie . . .
April 29th, 2009 at 5:08 am
Reply to Boertjie @ 11:19 pm:
Ditto!