England summer tour - A South African perspective

For Heyneke Meyer this may not be the easiest way to start his tenure as Springbok coach. He has but a week to prepare his team and has already divided opinion on first impression when he surrounded himself with the Bulls assistant coaches on the whole and his squad selection has a decidedly blue tinge to it.

Suprisingly there were only 3 players from the leading Franchise in Super rugby (The Stormers) in his squad, with the Bulls (predictably) and the Sharks with the majority of players making up his squad.

Due to injuries to Andries Bekker, Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Duane Vermeulen and Jean Deysel, Meyer will lose a lot in terms of physicality in the forward pack and apart from having his first choice front row available, the rest of the pack will be decidedly inexperienced.

What will he want to achieve with this tour? Well simply put a loss a won’t do, the South African rugby public is not very forgiving and the first criticism he will face if he loses a test match will be that his team is too blue.

But having only a week to prepare his squad does mean he will have to make some very important decisions.

Coaching panel:
Head Coach: Heyneke Meyer
Assistant coach: Rassie Erasmus
Forward coach: Johan van Graan
Backs coach: Ricardo Loubscher
Defence coach: John McFarland
Kicking coach: Louis Koen
Scrum coach: Pieter de Villiers

Props: Tendai Mtiwarira (Sharks), Coenie Oosthuizen (Cheetahs), Jannie du Plessis (Sharks), Werner Kruger (Bulls)
Hookers: Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs), Chiliboy Ralapelle (Bulls)
Locks: Franco v d Merwe (Lions), Eben Etzebeth (Stormers), Juandre Kruger (Bulls), Flip v d Merwe (Bulls)
Loose Forwards: Keegan Daniel (Sharks), Willem Alberts (Sharks), Marcell Coetzee (Sharks), Pierre Spies (Bulls), Jacques Potgieter (Bulls), Ryan Kankowski (Sharks)
Half Backs: Francois Hougaard (Bulls), Jano Vermaak (Bulls)
Fly-Halfs: Morne Steyn (Bulls), Elton Jantjies (Lions)
Centres: JJ Engelbrecht (Bulls), Jean de Villiers (Stormers), Wynand Olivier (Bulls)
Wingers: Bryan Habana (Stormers), JP Pietersen (Sharks), Lwazi Mvovo (Sharks), Bjorn Basson (Bulls)
Full Backs: Zane Kirchner (Bulls)
Utility backs: Ruan Pienaar (Ulster), Frans Steyn (Sharks), Patrick Lambie (Sharks).

The big question is how will Heyneke Meyer employ his utility backs, they have never played for him before, so there is no way of knowing his intentions with them.

His game plan is clear, control with the forwards, control the game from the boot and play territory, take the points on offer and when relentless pressure provides an opportunity to score a try without too much risk involved, they’ll take it. Problem with this theory though is execution. It doesn’t seem that Meyer is too concerned with what the English will bring to the party, he expects his team to execute his plan to perfection.

So what will his team look like? You need to think conservative, you need to think as many experienced players as possible, with perhaps a tinge of inexperience where necessary.


Likely starting 22 for the first test.

Beast Mtwarira
Bismarck du Plessis
Jannie du Plessis (although I wouldn’t be surprised if Werner Kruger gets the nod)
Flip v d Merwe
Juandre Kruger
Marcel Coetzee
Willem Alberts
Pierre Spies
Francois Hougaard
Morne steyn
Bryan Habana
Jean de Villiers
Frans Steyn
JP Pietersen
Patrick Lambie

Bench
Chilliboy Ralapelle
Coenie Oosthuizen
Werner Kruger
Eben Etzebeth
Keegan Daniel
Ruan Pienaar
Zane Kirchner

The Key indviduals for execution of his plan will undoubtedly be Morne Steyn with his tactical kicking and accuracy at the goal posts, Habana and Pietersen in chasing the high ball and Jean de Villiers to organise the defences. Up front it will be the Beast and Bismarck who will make life difficult for the English.

It is unclear at this stage who his captain will be, but don’t look much further than Jean de Villiers.

As for the youngsters, expect to see Marcell Coetzee running the ball into the traffic and around the forward pack at every opportunity, expect Juandre Kruger to establish himself as a prime candidate to lead the SA line out for the next four years. The English will have their hands full with young Eben Etzebeth, but most importantly, the individual moments of brilliance will come from Frans Steyn, Francois Hougaard and Patrick Lambie.


This series result will depend on how quickly Heyneke Meyer can get a relatively inexperienced pack of forwards to dominate play, and how well the Back line executes his plan. It should get easier as the series progresses, in my view, a likely 2-1 series win for South Africa.

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I am surprised SA persists with the beast. He, to me, flatters to deceive. Good props seems to have sussed him out, and his carries whilst good, not impressive enough.

The bench cept for chilliboy don't think have been seen in Tests yet?

your 1st sentence on expected play are to be honest no more than you'd expect from he boks, cept you missed out '... and the intercept try from Habana..'

do we know who the refs are going to be yet?

OzT Beast has been very much improved since his return after his injury, he has most certainly worked on his scrumming.

Yes he is no woodcock, but then he is better looking,

stormers1 wrote:do we know who the refs are going to be yet?

Walsh is officiatng in two and Rolland in one

South Africa vs England at Kings Park, Durban
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia) australian??? HAAAA!!
Assistant referees: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official: Iain Ramage (Scotland)

No Bruce, but then we aren't playing his countrymen are we?

wow

biltongbek wrote:No Bruce, but then we aren't playing his countrymen are we?

biltong, that almost... libellous... !!!!!

OzT wrote:South Africa vs England at Kings Park, Durban
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia) australian??? HAAAA!!
Assistant referees: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official: Iain Ramage (Scotland)

His issues with alcohol saw him dropped by NZ, so he moved to Australia and is now on the Australian panel. Not sure if he has (or is allowed to) reffed any matches with NZ.

LondonTiger wrote:

OzT wrote:South Africa vs England at Kings Park, Durban
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia) australian??? HAAAA!!
Assistant referees: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official: Iain Ramage (Scotland)

His issues with alcohol saw him dropped by NZ, so he moved to Australia and is now on the Australian panel. Not sure if he has (or is allowed to) reffed any matches with NZ.

Pretty sure he hasn't reffed NZ since. Not even the IRB could justify doing a "Rolland" there

The SA cupboard is looking a bit bare - great opportunity for England and for those fringe Saffer players. Should be an intriguing contest

Interesting. Biltong, how do you think Coetzee will get on, is he more of an openside flanker or blindside and will he make the step up to international rugby?

biltongbek wrote:

RubyGuby wrote:The SA cupboard is looking a bit bare

I take it you just found some beef jerky in the back corner

Zander wrote:Interesting. Biltong, how do you think Coetzee will get on, is he more of an openside flanker or blindside and will he make the step up to international rugby?

He isn't the biggest, by memleory he weighs around 106kg, but he is quick and lithe on his feet, big work rate and athletic. Not a classis fetcher, perhaps a smaller version of Schalkk Burger. Exciting player

Those fringe bok players done pretty well in the super15.

I think maybe tempers may ruin England's chances. I know, falling into the the trap of generalizations, but maybe if frustrations creep in the 1st test maybe discipline will crack. No idea what the bok's discipline will be with the new chap in charge.

England do have have pretty strong squad with a good running backline as well, but with Pieterson one of the best defending wingers in the business not sure they'll get much change out wide.

Looking forward to the forwards' battle

RubyGuby wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

RubyGuby wrote:The SA cupboard is looking a bit bare

I take it you just found some beef jerky in the back corner

Yep, under the fridge.

RubyGuby wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

RubyGuby wrote:The SA cupboard is looking a bit bare

I take it you just found some beef jerky in the back corner

I think they call that biltong over there....

LOL!!

Springboks – 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jean de Villiers (c), 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis (v/c), 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Keegan Daniel, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Pat Lambie, 22 Wynand Olivier.

Heyneke goes for the BIG team .Interested to see the second half changes. Meyers backtracked and said Lambie looks better at flyhalf where he's played all season so i expect he'll be deployed there sometime in the second half .I am 100% against removing Hougaard for any reason except injury so i wonder where Ruan fits into all this. Adriaan Strauss is a good replacement on the bench so to Coenie. The only real shock is Wynand Olivier who just confirms my suspicion that he has pictures of Meyer in a mankini

Yeah Bullsbok, Meyer has some manlove for Meisiekind, must be the hair.

I think ruan is there as utility as is Lambie, they do cover almost every position in the back when you think about it.

Which England will turn up? the one that played Scotland and Italy or the team that put in decent performances away to France and home to Wales. That's actually a real issue IMO.

I really hope it's the one that played France, Wales and Ireland, otherwise we're doomed.

SA are taking the conservative approach. That is clear in the squad Meyer has chosen. What remains to be seen is whether SL is bolder in his approach and gameplan. Both teams have similar styles and both teams pride themselves on their defence. But England have been overpowered in recent encounters but then again England have a largely different set of players.

So preparation will be key. The one saving grace of picking so many Blues players is that combinations won't be a problem. Campese wrote in an article on Australia's defeat that they looked underdone in terms of combinations at 8 9 10 and 12. Maybe this swayed Meyer's thinking to select so many Blues players. The intriguing thing will be if the unthinkable happens and SA lose the first match, how will Meyer react to that? More of the same but second time round with more aggression or change his approach. If it does happen, I don't think he'll change tactics because lots of changes give the image you were clueless in the first game.

Kia, I don't think he is being that conservative mate.

He is going with an all new locking pair, no caps between them. Etzebeth will be his Bakkies and Kruger will be his matfield, he could have easily gone with the more experienced and older guys in the two Vd Merwes.

He picked JdV at 13, a move that has never been done before, now if he was ultra conservative he would have gone with JdV at 12 and stuck to a selection of combination with Juan de Jongh.

It tells me that he understands he needs combinations, he needs experience, but he is also aware that Frans Steyn offers more in attack than JdV.

Another way to look at it though is by keeping JdV he is being more conservative than saying he hasn't been in good test form and should be out altogether and give de Jongh a go.

Really the most conservative selection though is Morne Steyn and that shows Meyer's intent. Strangle (not literally!) England and kick the goals when they make a mistake.

I take your point about the locking combinations but maybe he saw how England introduced some young talent and did very well. To me conservative is about selections but far more important is the game plan SA will utilise.

Which England will turn up? the one that played Scotland and Italy or the team that put in decent performances away to France and home to Wales. That's actually a real issue IMO.

Not so worried about that. Scotland was the first game the side played together with a new manager and coaches and a lot of new faces in the squad. And we got the win.

Italy was the day the France Ireland game was cancelled wasn't it? Frozen pitch. And frozen players in atrocious conditions didn't handle well. But wan't that the second match? And we got the win.

After that things improved. But this is still a very raw, new outfit, we are missing a few players through injury, and we don't know how Catty will go in the coaching set up. I think we can win the series. I think it will be tough and close, but I'm not worried about English inconsistency because a) there simply hasn't been time to tell if England are inconsistent or not and b) the poor games were the early games and we got better as the 6Ns went on.

Look I didn't really expect him to go gung ho in his first test series. What we don't know is what his intentions would have been if Goosen was available.