your starting XV's

[Jer1cho]

Every player has their own strengths and weaknesses. Smith and Fourie are too different. Fourie hits way more gaps than Smith, but Smith makes way more gaps for other players than Fourie does. It's like everybody up north slamming Spies because he doesn't play 8 the way they do up there. I am willing to bet my life that no other 8 in the world has made as many running meters as Spies has. But then again, not all guys want an 8 to play the way he does. They want someone like Harinordiquay, who does far more work at the breakdown, and bears a certain grunt that Spies doesn't.

I like players with flair, and speed. Which is mainly why i favor running 8's like Kankowski and Spies over players like Jamie Heaslip and Imanol Harinordiquay or Duane Vermeulen.

It's the same with Smith and Fourie, or Daniel Carter and Morne Steyn. Steyn has broken every bloody record there is, but is not as complete a player as Daniel Carter is. His kicking game may be slightly better, but Carter is much better with ball in hand than any other 10 out there.

Conrad Smith doesn't get as much praise as Fourie because he simply doesn't score as many tries. What Smith does do though, is organize one hell of a back-line, and in doing so, creates far more tries than Fourie does. It's really hard comparing certain players, because no two players are equal, and your heart will always tell you which player you think is better.

 

[nickdnz]

Every player has their own strengths and weaknesses. Smith and Fourie are too different. Fourie hits way more gaps than Smith, but Smith makes way more gaps for other players than Fourie does. It's like everybody up north slamming Spies because he doesn't play 8 the way they do up there. I am willing to bet my life that no other 8 in the world has made as many running meters as Spies has. But then again, not all guys want an 8 to play the way he does. They want someone like Harinordiquay, who does far more work at the breakdown, and bears a certain grunt that Spies doesn't.

I like players with flair, and speed. Which is mainly why i favor running 8's like Kankowski and Spies over players like Jamie Heaslip and Imanol Harinordiquay or Duane Vermeulen.

It's the same with Smith and Fourie, or Daniel Carter and Morne Steyn. Steyn has broken every bloody record there is, but is not as complete a player as Daniel Carter is. His kicking game may be slightly better, but Carter is much better with ball in hand than any other 10 out there.

Conrad Smith doesn't get as much praise as Fourie because he simply doesn't score as many tries. What Smith does do though, is organize one hell of a back-line, and in doing so, creates far more tries than Fourie does. It's really hard comparing certain players, because no two players are equal, and your heart will always tell you which player you think is better.

Wow...nicely put. Must have been hard to say knowing your views on NZ centres

 

[Jer1cho]

You have to give credit where credit is due. It's not that hard once you actually think with your head instead of with your heart.

 

[rugbywriter]

Every player has their own strengths and weaknesses. Smith and Fourie are too different. Fourie hits way more gaps than Smith, but Smith makes way more gaps for other players than Fourie does. It's like everybody up north slamming Spies because he doesn't play 8 the way they do up there. I am willing to bet my life that no other 8 in the world has made as many running meters as Spies has. But then again, not all guys want an 8 to play the way he does. They want someone like Harinordiquay, who does far more work at the breakdown, and bears a certain grunt that Spies doesn't.

I like players with flair, and speed. Which is mainly why i favor running 8's like Kankowski and Spies over players like Jamie Heaslip and Imanol Harinordiquay or Duane Vermeulen.

It's the same with Smith and Fourie, or Daniel Carter and Morne Steyn. Steyn has broken every bloody record there is, but is not as complete a player as Daniel Carter is. His kicking game may be slightly better, but Carter is much better with ball in hand than any other 10 out there.

Conrad Smith doesn't get as much praise as Fourie because he simply doesn't score as many tries. What Smith does do though, is organize one hell of a back-line, and in doing so, creates far more tries than Fourie does. It's really hard comparing certain players, because no two players are equal, and your heart will always tell you which player you think is better.

Yeah I can agree with that. I may have been a bit harsh with Conrad I admit, but I don't think I can ever think of himin O'Driscoll's league. Truce nickdnz?

 

[User1245]

rugbywriter has been officially warned for swearing via a PM.

If any members get insulted by him unnecessarily or spot him swearing please report the post.

Thanks

 

[ranger]

Every player has their own strengths and weaknesses. Smith and Fourie are too different. Fourie hits way more gaps than Smith, but Smith makes way more gaps for other players than Fourie does. It's like everybody up north slamming Spies because he doesn't play 8 the way they do up there. I am willing to bet my life that no other 8 in the world has made as many running meters as Spies has. But then again, not all guys want an 8 to play the way he does. They want someone like Harinordiquay, who does far more work at the breakdown, and bears a certain grunt that Spies doesn't.

I like players with flair, and speed. Which is mainly why i favor running 8's like Kankowski and Spies over players like Jamie Heaslip and Imanol Harinordiquay or Duane Vermeulen.

It's the same with Smith and Fourie, or Daniel Carter and Morne Steyn. Steyn has broken every bloody record there is, but is not as complete a player as Daniel Carter is. His kicking game may be slightly better, but Carter is much better with ball in hand than any other 10 out there.

Conrad Smith doesn't get as much praise as Fourie because he simply doesn't score as many tries. What Smith does do though, is organize one hell of a back-line, and in doing so, creates far more tries than Fourie does. It's really hard comparing certain players, because no two players are equal, and your heart will always tell you which player you think is better.

I always thought Spies is unfairly picked on when people call out his tight work. It seems like he has it in him to play a tight game if he wants to, but South Africa have the best loose forwards in the world, the best locks in the world and a very handy front row. He doesn't really need to get stuck in the tight play because the other 7 men can take pretty much take care of business without him. He is better spent running the ball and he does that very well.

 

[rugbywriter]

I always thought Spies is unfairly picked on when people call out his tight work. It seems like he has it in him to play a tight game if he wants to, but South Africa have the best loose forwards in the world, the best locks in the world and a very handy front row. He doesn't really need to get stuck in the tight play because the other 7 men can take pretty much take care of business without him. He is better spent running the ball and he does that very well.

Well said. Why does he need to be a breakdown expert when we have Burger and Brussow?

 

[Jer1cho]

Precisely my point. Spies is a devastating runner. If he hits a gap, you can bet that not even the wingers will have enough time to catch him. He is very good on defense as well, and it usually takes more than one defender to bring him down, unless you are Andries Bekker that is...

 

[nickdnz]

Yeah I can agree with that. I may have been a bit harsh with Conrad I admit, but I don't think I can ever think of himin O'Driscoll's league. Truce nickdnz?

Sure mate.

 

[Muzzy]

1. bj. botha - Tialata - ma'afu
2. j. smit - Mealamu - polota-nau
3. steenkamp - O.Franks - alexander
4. botha - Thorn - mumm
5. matfield - Boric - sharpe
6. burger - Kaino - elsom
7. louw - McCaw - pocock
8. spies - Read - brown
9. januarie - Cowan - genia
10.M. Steyn - Carter - cooper
11.Habana - Rokocoko - Mitchell
12.de villiers - Stanley - Giteau
13.olivier - Smith - Ioane
14.ndugane - Jane - Ashley-Cooper
15.kirchner - Dagg - O'Connor

 

[rugbywriter]

1. bj. botha - Tialata - ma'afu
2. j. smit - Mealamu - polota-nau
3. steenkamp - O.Franks - alexander
4. botha - Thorn - mumm
5. matfield - Boric - sharpe
6. burger - Kaino - elsom
7. louw - McCaw - pocock
8. spies - Read - brown
9. januarie - Cowan - genia
10.M. Steyn - Carter - cooper
11.Habana - Rokocoko - Mitchell
12.de villiers - Stanley - Giteau
13.olivier - Smith - Ioane
14.ndugane - Jane - Ashley-Cooper
15.kirchner - Dagg - O'Connor

Hahaha your South African team is pretty funny. You're quite the comedian

 

[Muzzy]

did i get the props around the wrong way? i forgot who was loose head and who was tight head.

also i based it on who is actually in the team, i just looked at your lists and a lot of the players you named aren't even in the team.

 

[Darwin]

did i get the props around the wrong way? i forgot who was loose head and who was tight head.

also i based it on who is actually in the team, i just looked at your lists and a lot of the players you named aren't even in the team.

Yeah the props are around the wrong way (but I don't really think that matters). To be honest, I think it looks pretty close to what will be the SA starting lineup for the trinations. Van der Linde may be in contention as a prop, and I'm not sure who the locks will be as both Rossouw and Bekker are probably in better form than the established pair. The only definite change I would suggest would be Fourie starting at center, while Aplon may start on the wing ahead on the wing ahead of Ndungane.

The NZ team looks pretty close to what I would expect - I think Nonu is expecting to be back by the start of the trinations so would displace Stanley (barring Stanely having a couple of blinders in the early tests), while similarly Muliana may replace Dagg (though if Dagg plays well he may be hard to displace). Up front I'd probably expect the Franks brothers to start.

 

[rugbywriter]

did i get the props around the wrong way? i forgot who was loose head and who was tight head.

also i based it on who is actually in the team, i just looked at your lists and a lot of the players you named aren't even in the team.

What's your story for dropping Jaques Fourie???

 

[ranger]

What's your story for dropping Jaques Fourie???

Its possible that he just didn't think he was a very good player..

He has never impressed me really, he seems solid if unspectacular.

 

[rugbywriter]

Its possible that he just didn't think he was a very good player..

He has never impressed me really, he seems solid if unspectacular.

Haha cool. If you say so.

 

[Muzzy]

What's your story for dropping Jaques Fourie???

meh i guess i probably would put him in there, don't think it would make much of a difference though. just realized the nz team is almost exactly the same as the one starting against ireland

 

[nickdnz]

Smith just had a blinder against Ireland, I think he proved any point I was making.

 

[rugbywriter]

Smith just had a blinder against Ireland, I think he proved any point I was making.

He played well, sure. So did O'Driscoll. And Jaques Fourie just had a blinder against France

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Not sure about your signature rugbywriter....think you should change it. It's too big for a start, and a little unsavoury...