Springbok squad retains core strengths
Oct 31, 2009 11:19 PM | By SIMNIKIWE XABANISA
Ricky Januarie’s omission was about the only obvious thing in Springbok coach Peter de Villiers’ announcement of the team to tour Europe this year.
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The Western Province scrumhalf, who has a warrant of arrest out on him for not appearing in court for his drunk driving case on Friday, left the Bok selectors no choice but to leave him out .
This is after a year in which De Villiers has time and again had to defend selecting the overweight and out of form Januarie.
But De Villiers denied that Januarie could have banked on making the 37-man squad, saying he wanted to see what other players could offer.
“It (Januarie’s legal woes) had nothing to do with it,” he said.
Januarie’s misfortune opened the door for the Bulls’ long- serving second-string scrumhalf Heini Adams, along with fellow new caps Juan de Jongh, Alistair Hargreaves, Francois Hougaard, Ashley Johnson, Bandise Maku, Dewald Potgieter, Davon Raubenheimer and Riaan Viljoen.
From the list of potential new caps the Bulls’ Hougaard, who was moved from the base of the scrum to the wing during the Currie Cup, crops up as a utility back.
“If you look at how blessed we were with Ruan Pienaar and Frans Steyn, it never ends,” De Villiers said.
“We’re looking to use him the same way as Ruan and Frans — as a utility back.”
Another player to change positions was Lions loosehead prop Heinke van der Merwe, who with Jannie du Plessis will be used as one of captain John Smit’s back-ups at tighthead. Van der Merwe hasn’t played since injuring his knee in April.
Other surprises were Griquas’ Davon Raubenheimer, the Bulls’ third-choice hooker Bandise Maku, and former SA Under-19 captain Alistair Hargreaves — players De Villiers worked with at junior level.
The highly rated Maku’s selection may well be to prevent him from signing for the Western Force.
“They’re brilliant players and if you were to tick boxes in terms of their ability, three out of four would be ticked. ”
Griquas’ run in the Currie Cup, which saw them fail at the final hurdle to make their first semifinal in 11 years, was rewarded with two players making the touring party for England, France, Italy and Ireland in Raubenheimer and fullback Riaan Viljoen.
“They deserved their places, we’re not doing anyone favours. If they don’t make it we’ll know they can’t play at this level.”
Commenting on the nine new caps, De Villiers said he was looking to not only developing for 2011, but for beyond.
“After 2011 we mustn’t sit and think we could have done this or that,” he said. “We’re looking ahead and don’t want to be caught with our pants down.”
As part of that, the Bok coach also took the first step in developing Smit’s successor as captain by installing Chiliboy Ralepelle as the captain of the dirt-trackers side to play Leicester and Saracens on tour.
After flirting with the idea of resting some of his all-conquering seniors, De Villiers opted against it: “I went to see a few of them, but they want to be part of this happy family.
“We’re the number one side and want to stay there. You can’t lead from the back and we want to lead the world.”
De Villiers also had a thinly veiled dig at his provincial counterparts on resting their senior players.
“We’re working with international players here. We can’t play them into the ground at national level and rest them internationally. We must work out how to rest them at national level.”
De Villiers has chosen 15 players of colour for the tour.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/article174761.ece
