Die Springbok-afrigter, Peter de Villiers, het gister ’n reddingsboei gegooi na die Suid-Afrikaanse rugbyspelers wat oorsee speel en nog droom om vir die Bokke in die Wêreldbeker-toernooi in 2011 te speel.
Stephen Nell, Die Burger
Veel eerder as om nukkerig te wees oor die toets op 5 Junie in Cardiff teen Wallis – net ’n week ná die Super14-eindstryd – het dié Suid-Afrikaanse breier besluit om dit as ’n “eenmalige proefwedstryd” te gebruik.
Die samestelling van die span kan afhang van hoe die Suid-Afrikaanse spanne in die Super14-reeks vorder, maar ’n rits oorsese spelers kan moontlik gekies word.
“Ek sien dit as ’n geleentheid wat tot voordeel van Suid-Afrikaanse rugby kan strek omdat dit ons kan help om ons beste span na die Wêreldbeker-toernooi te neem,” sê De Villiers.
“Dié toernooi vind net elke vier jaar plaas en daar is baie prestige daaraan verbonde. Ek sal nie weer die kans hê om die oorsese spelers onder daardie soort druk (toets teen Wallis) te sien nie.”
De Villiers kan saam met Jean de Villiers, Frans Steyn, BJ Botha en CJ van der Linde, ook die kans gebruik om Wikus van Heerden, Joe van Niekerk (albei losvoorspelers), Michael Claassens (skrumskakel) en Butch James (losskakel) op die proef te stel.
“Hoe sal ek weet of Joe steeds die speler is wat hy paar jaar gelede was en of Wikus nog gemaklik op dié vlak kan meeding?
“Die een ding wat ek in die Wêreldbeker-toernooi in 2007 opgemerk het, is dat die sogenaamde tweede linie nie sterk genoeg was om die eerstekeuse-spelers vir die uitspeelwedstryde vars te hou nie.”
De Villiers het nog nie besluit hoeveel oorsese spelers vir die toets teen Wallis gekies sal word nie.
Net twee uit ‘n unie
Hy beoog steeds om John Smit as kaptein teen die Rooi Drake te behou, mits hy nie op 29 Mei in die Super14-eindstryd betrokke is nie. Voorts wil hy ook nie meer as twee gekontrakteerde Springbokke uit ’n unie vir dié toets kies nie.
De Villiers het op dié roete besluit nadat daar onlangs goedkeuring verleen is dat die Bokke op 12 Junie in Kaapstad teen Frankryk mag speel. Dié toets vind ’n dag voor ’n Wêreldbeker-sokkerwedstryd in die Kaap plaas.
Daar is aanvanklik verwag dat die Bokke en Hane in Londen sou kragte meet. As dit die geval was, sou De Villiers nie gretig gewees het om verskeie oorsese spelers teen Wallis te oorweeg nie.
Soos sake nou staan, is dit ’n logistieke uitdaging, want die toetse in Cardiff en Kaapstad vind op agtereenvolgende Saterdae plaas.
Beste span by WB 2011
“As die oorsese spelers goed vaar, verwag ek hulle moet voor die Wêreldbeker-toernooi na Suid-Afrika terugkeer. Ek gaan myself nie in die voet skiet en die Suid-Afrikaanse publiek daarvan ontneem om die beste span by die Wêreldbeker-toernooi te hê nie.
“Hierdie toets (Wallis) is ’n kans om te sien of van die spelers nog opgewasse (vir die taak) is. As dit die geval is, kan ons onderhandelinge in belang van Suid-Afrikaanse rugby begin.”
March 6th, 2010 at 12:30 am
Logisties gesien maak dit baie sense!
March 6th, 2010 at 6:28 am
Reply to JT @ 12:30 am:
Jip – en baie pragmaties.
Die lewe – en gevolglike omstandighede – gee ons nie elkedag wat ons verwag nie.
HOE ons daaroor reageer is BAIE belangriker !!!
Welgedaan PdV !!!
March 6th, 2010 at 6:29 am
Kan jy asseblief translate?
Or is dit unnutther Die Antwoord stuff?
March 6th, 2010 at 6:35 am
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 6:29 am:
He he he – have you SEEN them – ha ha ha
– - – -
Jip – and very pragmatic
Life – and the coresponding circumstances – do not give us everyday what we expect.
HOW we react is MUCH MORE important!!!
Well done PdV !!!
March 6th, 2010 at 6:37 am
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 6:29 am:
Bwahahahahaha – LMAO
Only NOW realised ARTICLE is in Afrikaans !!!
Bwaahahahahahaa
DO you really not get the guts of it ?
For YOU i will attempt – free translation
March 6th, 2010 at 7:25 am
Bryce here you go.
– - – - – —
The Springbok Coach, Pieter de Villiers, yesterday threw a life-boy to SA players playing overseas and still dream of playing for the Bokke in RWC 2011.
Stephen Nell, Die Burger
Rather than twisting his panties in a knot about the June 5th test against Wales at Cardiff – only one week after the Super14 final – the SA coach decided to use it as a “once-off trail-game”.
The team composition will depend on how the SA teams performed in the Super14, but a lot of overseas players may be chosen.
“I see this as an opportunity benefitting SA-rugby because it can only help us to take the best team to the WC” said De Villiers.
“The WC happens only every four years and have a lot of prestige. I will not have another chance to see the overseas players under this kind of pressure (test against Wales).”
De Villiers can together with Jean de Villiers, Frans Steyn, BJ Botha en CJ van der Linde, also use the opportunity to evaluate Wikus van Heerden, Joe van Niekerk (both loose-forwards), Michael Claassens (scrumhalf) en Butch James (10).
“How wil I ever know if Joe is still the player he was a few years ago and if Wikus can still compete at ease at this level?”
“The one thing I saw at RWC 2007, is that the so-called second line of defense was not strong enough to keep the first choice players fresh for the play-off-games.”
De Villiers have not yet decided how many overseas players he will choose for the Wales test.
Only two per Union
He aims to keep John Smit as captain against the Red Dragons, given he is not involved on 29th of May in the Super14 final.
Furthermore he does not want to choose more than two contracted Springboks from each Union for this test.
De Villiers decide on this route after permission was given that the Bokke may play France on the 12 of June at Cape Town. This test happens a day before Soccer-WC in Cape Town.
There was initially expected that the Bokke and French would play in London. If that was the case, De Villiers would not have been keen to consider several overseas players against Wales.
As matters are currently, it is a logistical challenge, because the tests in Cardiff and Cape Town is being played on consecutive Saturdays.
Best team at RWC 2011
“If the overseas players do well, I expect them to return to SA before the WC. I am not going to shoot myself in the foot and deny the South African public the opportunity to have the best team at the RWC.
“This test (Wales) is an opportunity to see if the players are still equal to the task. If that is the case, we can start negotiations in the interest of SA rugby.”
– - – - –
He he he
March 6th, 2010 at 9:30 am
Reply to The Brand @ 7:25 am:
March 6th, 2010 at 9:54 am
Reply to The Brand @ 7:25 am:
Ek hoop die bliksem lees
dit nou.
March 6th, 2010 at 11:32 am
Reply to Boertjie @ 9:54 am:
hy het NIE
March 6th, 2010 at 11:33 am
Reply to The Brand @ 11:32 am:
hy slaap!