The Bok 22 - A Veritable Band of Brothers

The Springbok Team to face the (rather crocked) Wallabies at the Subiaco Oval in Perth, at 12h05 (SA time) this Saturday, was announced by Coach De Villiers today.
Only two changes were made to the 22 that thumped the Australians in Cape Town earlier this month. One of those changes was enforced, with Schalk Burger returning from his 8 week suspension to replace Danie Rossouw on the bench (the latter is nursing a slight hamstring strain).  The other change sees a shuffling of the starting lineup, with Francois Steyn and Ruan Pienaar swapping positions.  Steyn moves to the bench, whilst Pienaar will don the number 15 jersey (emulating his father, former Bok fullback of great repute, Gysie).
A few pundits have questioned the need to tamper with the starting fifteen, suggesting that the team was just fine, as it was.

In this regard, although I would have been equally happy with an unchanged starting lineup, I am not altogether unhappy about the change.


Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely a supporter of Frans Steyn, and I do believe that he’s been playing well this season.  And I also don't believe that he should be disadvantaged because of an imminent departure to play for Racing metro in France at the end of our season, because of the Bok Coach's penchant for preferring players who ply their trade in SA.  Having said that - and knowing the Bok Coach, I doubt very much whether that was in any way a factor in the selection process.  In fact, I KNOW it wasn't.

I feel that perhaps we need to start seeing the bigger picture here. Could it not be that the coach and his selectors and assistants feel we need to just add a bit to that which we are doing so well, by bringing in a player that can spark something different – something the Wallabies may not be expecting or be prepared to handle.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting we should now be dumping Frans, (he’s in the mix anyway, and probably still is going to play a major role, perhaps just in a different way). Far from it.  I rate him very highly in fact.
Remember, this is a squad of 22 where all have a role to play, and we should not become fixated on the starting lineup vs bench, mentality.

I’m sure there’s good reason for this change, and quite frankly, I’m excited to see what plans unfold on Saturday.

What a pleasure it must be for any coach to be in the position where you can mix and match with little or no disruption to your team. I'd be tempted to suggest that, if you were to ask either of Robbie Deans or Graham Henry if they would welcome such a situation, they'd gleefully agree.  But that would be obvious....wouldn't it?

I have watched the Boks' progress very closely this season, improving game by game, and bringing a whole new dimension to their dominance in international rugby.

True, this could all go pear-shaped on Saturday afternoon. But conversely, it could bring yet a new dimension. Yet a whole new weapon to be added to the incresing Bok armoury.

We’ve seen so much newness about our Boks this year. Tactical supremacy, outstanding discipline, deadly accuracy, admirable confidence. Why not another weapon – confident variety in selection?

I really do not see a switch in positions in the match 22 being risky. Not in the least.
The selectors, in effect, made only ONE change to the match 22 – and that was enforced if you like. Schalk in place of Danie (who has a slight injury). Otherwise it’s the same personnel, about to take another step on the road to total dominance.
I cannot see why they should not be bold enough to be taking these steps on a regular basis.

Don’t see Frans & Ruan’s positional swap as punishment for the one, and favouritism for the other. See it as two members of a well-drilled team of personnel being given a chance to augment their skills in the interests of their team – and their supporters.  See the positions in the Bok team being from 1 to 22, rather than 1 to 15.  Rugby has become a squad game.  Everyone now has a major role to play.  Those who begin on the bench know that they have an equally important role to fulfil if the match situation calls for it.  Remember, it's a team game - and these boys do it for the team.  And what should really be abundantly clear to us all is the way these Boks play for one another, and for the team.  Could that not be the MAIN reason for their major ascendancy over the past season?  By George, I believe it may well be!!!

Other rugbywriters have questioned the shifting of Ruan to fullback for Saturday, suggesting that the likes of Conrad Jantjes and Zane Kirchner are earmarked for that position going forward.
To raise the names of these guys in the context of the current series – players who are not at the coalface of test rugby right now, seems futile to me. I have a very high regard for both Conrad and Zane.  And I too believe that they're destined for greater things. But c’mon guys, let’s keep it real. They are not around right now.
Let’s focus on the here and now!!!

Let’s enjoy this wonderful, previously rare, experience of what it’s like to really be living up to the mantle of the world’s best team. Let’s celebrate the fact that our team’s selections are borne out of a commendable sense of adventure to see just how much more we can achieve, rather than the former scramble we used to see, when week after week we were trying out new players in the blind and desperate hope of stumbling upon the right man for the job.
That now seems to be the lot of our two SANZAR opponents.

We should be happy in the knowledge that we are able to make team selection changes from a position of strength. Happy, but not complacent.

Long may it last…….....