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3028 Topic: The Northern Hemisphere Selections
clevermike

Status: Rugby Legend
Posts: 5527		 The Northern Hemisphere Selections
November 18, 2012, 08:00:21

Meyer made a huge noise abiut how he was going to select Northern Hemisphere players and he picked the following players for the relevant purpose:-

Louw. Pienaar, Steenkamp, Van der Merwe and Brits.

Now lets look at their performances and see how successful he was in that case:-

 *   Louw was a real success story - so much so that he was MOM yesterday.  Really top class - that one.  However, we must remember that he is relly a regular MOM for his team Bath and is regarded by them as tops.   So that was not  a surprise either.

*    Pienaar was in the main also successful.   However, there is a wory - when Pienaar plays for Ulster - he plays an entirely different game than he does for the Springboks.   He is justifiably so - very highly regarded by Ulster and was a key to their progress in the Heineken Cup last year.   Why is he playing a different game now?

*    Steenkamp is at present the bench playing prop for Toulouse.   He wa spicked by Meyer - bit only in the starting line up for the first time in the test yesterday.He was firm in the first three scrums and then his scrummaging disintgrated.   He carries too much lard aad is patently unfit.   In the game yesterday he was a serious flop     Bad selection - especially if Meyer took the trouble of checking with his club about performances.   What was the reason for this selection?

*   Van der Merwe - was brought in last of the others and played off the bench in both the Irish and the Scottish tests.   In the irish test after he came on - he really showed some power in scrummaging in two scrums.   Afterwards he showed nothing and was even penalized once.   On the whole I would say a 50:50 selection.  Better than Steenkamp - but not an international level player.

*   Brits - came on for 10 minutes yesterdayand did nothing worth reporting on.

Two of the above five are props.  It seems as if Meyer has endless problems in prop selection.- after all since he became coach - this is one area where he made crazy selections  as bench players. He startedof with Kruger and Greyling - both shockingly poor and  then he progressed to Cilliers - very moderate indeed.  Lately his picks were Steenkamp, Van er Linde and Van der Merwe.   Basically all three are failures to various degrees.   Steenkamp is patently oiverpweight and  unfit - really bad news.  Vn der Linde is a disgrace and Van der Merwe moderate to mediocre.  

I can understand why Louw and Pinaar were picked and were really successful - but what caused the selection of the other four NH players?  Some explanation please. 

  
Sharkbok

Status: Senior player
Posts: 1560		 RE: The Northern Hemisphere Selections
November 18, 2012, 08:38:41
clevermike- I never supported the Brits selection. I never even knew he was on the pitch.
Although the one thing I did see him do, and the only time I even realised he was on the pitch was when - he got the turn over penality that sealed the match. This was good play. He was the first to the tackle ruck area- and was in the perfect position.
I think Steenkamp had a decent game for a prop. Not much done in the loose in terms of carries, but in the tight it is not easy to allways see what is going on. I think the drive that scored, he looked like he was the primary driving force. However he undone this, as he gave away the penalty for playing the ball on the ground that lead to Scotland scoring. This was against the run of play, and helped Scotland back into the game at this critical moment. His scrumaging was better than when he was replaced, much better. The scrum was a shambles at the end of thegame, so not that muh of a compliment.
CJ also made the tackle that stopped Scotland from scoring the 2nd try. The scots player got over the line, and was about to touch down and then CJ pushed him back over the line. Their was a 2nd bok that contributed to the tackle, although I am not sure who it was because it was so fast. Again I am no CJ fan, but to some degree this was potentially a match saving tackle.
sebastienchabal

Status: Squad member
Posts: 216		 RE: The Northern Hemisphere Selections
November 18, 2012, 08:56:46

Clevermike...your observations are valid...Ruan Pienaar does play a VERY different game for the Boks compared to what he plays in Ulster...and he is not the only player affected...Lambie is doing things he never did with the Sharks...does this not ask a question why? Is HM trying to restructure a style that goes against the grain of natural flair.  Sure, have the right game plan but it must compliment and fit to the individual skills put together...he is trying to force a square peg in a round hole...so it seems??
clevermike

Status: Rugby Legend
Posts: 5527		 RE: The Northern Hemisphere Selections
November 18, 2012, 11:16:23

Sharkbok

Have a look again at that drive.   Initially the Scots tried to make out that they were not opposing the drive as they did in the first attempted drive that let to a penalty.  However, one payer did not comnply in full with the avoifance strategy - whilst the rmainder of the players did not at least initially oppose the drive.   Then - realizing their mistake - they formed up to defend and in the process Steenkamp ended up on his backside behind the drive.   Would not say he was the key person in that drive at all.

Ny problem is his scrummaging was not consitent - he was foirm in three scrums at ths astart of the game - and then wen bad.  Then came on the second half - firm in one scrum - followed by rubbish. 
carpetmuncher

Status: Senior player
Posts: 1208		 RE: The Northern Hemisphere Selections
November 20, 2012, 08:59:14

@sebastien

 

in short yes....HM is one of those coaches that loves to overcoach and does not take into consideration a players skillsets that they bring but rather loves to pigeon hole them to a certain meyer role in a team. that is why our rugby is so backwords. he is a remnant of a by goen era of coaches. one look look at pienaar lambie and co all different players at there unions now suddently playing within themselves and not going out there and enjoying that they do and not showcasing there skills.

 

 
 
 

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