Sean asked:
Hi Brenden i am really excited about the rugby championship but I was wondering why they didn''t include pat lambie in the starting xv
Brenden answered:
Sean, I think it was basically because of Zane's better nature under the high ball, and the fact he was in the position before he got injured.
Harry asked:
Hi Brendan. What do you thingk the boks chances are of winning this tournament and will Ruan Pienaar ever play for one of the provinces again. Regards Harry
Brenden answered:
Harry, its gonna be tough to win it, especially with the travelling schedule. I'd say the All Blacks are favourites but we should do well. Ruan, well, he is doing well at Ulster, and wasnt really treated well at the Sharks, so not in the near future, but never say never.
deon asked:
hoekom loop een van ons beste loskakels hier rond?derriek hougaard hoekom koop wp hom nie vra maar net?sterkte aan die bokke ons staan 100%agter hulle.
Brenden answered:
Deon, as far as I know Derick is still contracted to Saracens, and is still injured.
francois asked:
Is Morne Steyn the best choice on flyhalf given his recent form?
Would it not be better to experiment with new players now than against New Zealand and Australia?
Brenden answered:
Francois, Morne has not been in great form at all, but I believe he has been played into the ground over the last 3 years and needs a mental break. Heyneke said he needs to up his game or will be dropped. Experimenting at test level is always risky.
Tumelo asked:
Hi Brenden,
I think Cheaters should try to bring Deysel the FS because of his exp and ability as a Loosie,i think he will bring stability to the back row and it will offer him needed game time and a chance with the springboks seeing that Seph du Toit will be converted. your thoughts
Brenden answered:
Tumelo, he would definitely get more game time, but unfortunately he signed a new contract with the Sharks last year, so is unlikely to ever happen.
granville asked:
Morne must be dropped how much faith can a coach have and how many chances can a player get.I won''t forget how much he has done for the country but we must think ahead
Brenden answered:
Granville, I agree Morne has not had a great year, but he was still our top points scorer in Super Rugby and is a game winner. He is off form and Heyneke has said if he doesnt improve will be dropped. People forget though how good his record is against NZ and how many times he has rescued the Boks. He is class, and will come through this.
SAMMY TANUI asked:
Jambo Brenden?
Q1: Why is SARU not committed in helping the development of rugby in the rest of Africa? Kenya n Uganda for example have a potential to be rugby powerhouses in Africa like SA, but lack technicality. SARU is gifted with talents in coaches, players who should hold regular clinics n tours in these places to spread this beautiful game. The last time boks toured Kenya was way back in 1961 what are your thoughts on this? SARU regularly sends an emerging boks 7s side to Safari 7s tourney here which we find it degrading! Your take on this?
Q2: Who do you think will win this years 4 nations? Basing on S15''s final, SA side SHARKS was outmuscled by NZ side CHIEFS. do you think this will reflect on 4 nations?
Brenden answered:
Sammy, on point one I have to agree, SARU could do more, but don't - or if they do, we never hear about it. I'd love to see more SA teams touring Africa as well. Secondly, the All Blacks have to be favourites as they are a settled side, and have continuity.
Darryl asked:
Me again lol you answered me the last time by saying that the people from cape -town believe in rubbish but I''m not even a stormer supporter.....
my question is how can there be 10 bulls players in the bok squad and only 5 stormers when the stormers topped the log and the bulls could not even go past a play offs....this question is regardless that spies and chillyboy dropped out of the squad because of injury and that liebenberg and de jong got called up.......this question is also regardless if the starting line up has more sharks players
Brenden answered:
Darryl, I'll answer you again - There are 8 sharks, 4 stormers and 3 bulls in the starting XV. Thats the fact. Heyneke picks sides to win, not on provincial bias. The quicker people realise that and realise this is a Bok squad and nothing else, the better for everyone. I have come to the conclusion some people have been against Heyneke from day one...and unfairly so. He has won the England test series and has been true to his word so far.
malcolm sandt asked:
i see south africa having an easy win at home and nz beating australia.were do yu see the pumas giving us the most problems.the jury is out for steyn and kirchner i would say.if they do not perform this weekend what will yu do.
Brenden answered:
Malcolm, I think people are very unfair on Zane - he has been performing at a consistent level over the past few seasons and is not a bad player at all. Some people dont like him for whatever reason and it has nothing to do with his play. Morne - I've answered that above. I feel people want to throw players away too quickly.
Christo asked:
Hi Brenden,
Na die eerste ronde van die Curry cup, ek weet dit is early days, maar wie dink jy het die mees realistiese kans om te wen.
Brenden answered:
Christo, I think the Lions and Sharks are the most dangerous at the moment, but WP were my favourites before the competition began.
MYLES asked:
HI BRENDEN
IM VERY HAPPY ABOUT THE SELECTIONS IT SEEMS TO BE THE NEXT BEST TEAM WITH THE INJURY LIST WE HAVE,JUST WISH THERE WAS A SPACE FOR JACQUES POTGIETER?YOUR THOUGHTS?
Brenden answered:
Myles, his time will come...sure about that.
John Rambo asked:
What is the atomic weight of lead?
Brenden answered:
John...hell what am I - a rocket scientist? mmm...on second thought...don't answer that...
Philasande Qwase asked:
1.It seems like Heyneke does not rate Siyamthanda Kolisi very highly,I mean he is not even on the bench.2.We all know Heyneke is a lovely chap but it seems you guys are sooo scared to criticize him.Jake and Peter got thier share from you guys (were heavily criticized).Thanks
Brenden answered:
Philasande, I don't agree. He is a young player and will get his chance. He is in the squad, so is good enough, and competes with Marcell Coetzee for the openside position. And to criticise a coach who has won two and drawn one so far is a bit harsh, give the man a chance.
Anthony Donaldson asked:
What is HMs reason for picking Zane over Lambie? He seems to be the only person in the whole of SA that rates him ahead of Lambie!
Brenden answered:
Anthony, not the only one I'm sure. These things dont go on emotion. They go on stats and analysis, and Zane is better under the high ball. He was also the man in the position before he was injured.
Boet asked:
Good day, I am so excited can''t wait for the rugby championship to start. I''ve always wondered does Australia have a domestic rugby tournmant (like our Currie cup and NZ ITM cup)?
Brenden answered:
Boet, they do now - its called Super Rugby...no only joking. Rugby is not the most popular sport in Australia and think the distances and lack of teams probably hindered it in the past.
Ismail asked:
Hi Brenden. Although the bok ''Meyer'' era started against England, Meyer''s gameplan ''DNA'' only begins to take shape from now onwards with the build up to the next WC. However is there a consensus/agreement between Meyer & all our coaches that from the next S15 onwards, the provincial teams will play the type of rugby that will assist/complement Meyer''s overall gameplan for the Boks? I sure hope that this is the case as it will allow new/fringe players to adapt quicker once they put on a Bok jersey. Thanx for your time.
Brenden answered:
Ismael, glad you're one of the few who doesnt judge the coach on England, and see a bit further down the road. I know between Heyneke and Rassie they are working on that, and hope to have it in place, but it is a tough task, as each coach has his own philosophy.
Wes asked:
Hi Brenden
What do you think it would take for Morne Steyn to be dropped?
Brenden answered:
Wes, answered this above.
Bennie asked:
Hey Brendan
Looking at the Bok team to face Argentina, what changes, if any, would you have made to the match 22?
Brenden answered:
Bennie, not sure I would make any changes, think it is a solid side
Gerhard Botes asked:
Hi Brenden
Wat dink jy is die rede Heyneke vir Zane bo Patrick Lambie kies? Lambie is sekerlik die beste heelagter in ons land en gee vir jou meer aanvallende opsies. Zane is volgens my nie aanvallend genoeg nie.? Lambie is ook so goed of sels beter onder die hoe bal as Zane.Of is daar ander redes?
Brenden answered:
Gerhard, het al geantwoord.
louis asked:
brendan wat dink jy van die springbok span as kombinasie en dink jy dat JJ groot gemaak word om by jean de villiers oor te vat hy raak ok lank in die tand????
Brenden answered:
Louis, I'm pretty happy with the squad, think Heyneke has gone for combinations. As for JJ - don't think to take over from Jean, JJ is more a 13/14 than a 12. But Heyneke obviously sees something in him as a future Bok.
Diederik asked:
Hi Brendan, I think Kolisi might have been a better option on the bench rather that Potgieter, what''s your thoughts on that?
Brenden answered:
Diederik, think it comes down to game plan and how the coach wants to play. I reckon he wants Jacques to come on second half and take the ball up. Simple game plan decision as far as I know.
GD asked:
How high or low is Elton Jantjies in Meyer''s plans at FH? From what''s been seen, it looks like Morne will keep the seat warm till Goosen''s fit. Is Pat higher than Elton in the pecking order at FH?
Also, injuries not withstanding, whom would you pick as your loose forward trio for the AB''s and Wallaby fixtures?
Brenden answered:
GD - good question, I think Elton is lower in the pecking order as Goosen and HM could have played him against England. Not sure where he stands at the moment. Secondly, if it was my choice and no injuries involved - probably Vermeulen, Alberts and Coetzee.
AndrewG asked:
Hi Brenden. With a large proportion of the Boks being from the Sharks (especially in key ball carrying positions), do you think we can expect to see a more exciting brand of rugby with offloads in the tackle rather than the players going to ground and consequently losing attacking momentum?
Brenden answered:
Andrew, think it all goes about momentum and dominance, if we get both, players are more free to express themselves, but pressure stops that, no matter what the game plan.
Christo Spies asked:
Fixtures, flight schedules and travelling, etc have influences, or rather benefits certain sides. Especially more so now that Argentina has joined the ranks of the extended competition. Based on these types of information, realistically who will be in a better position and how will this affect the Boks?
thank you!
Brenden answered:
Christo, think Argentina are probably worst off, but it has evened up the field a little bit. Don't think it will be a factor because there are breaks inbetween.
Thapelo Selebano asked:
I think you have been asked a lot about Morne Steyn, my thought was to give maybe Lambie/Jantjies an opportunity in this match because from there on I don''t see them take part in Rugby Champs, as we will be facing tougher oppositions, Aus and NZ and Arg away, it seems we are putting other NO10 in an unnecessary pressure,eg let us assume Steyn get injured were we are about to play AUS/NZ. I have a strong believe that this was a great opportunity for Jantjies/Lambie @ 10, what''s your thought on that?
Brenden answered:
Thapelo, i agree, and would have rested Morne for these two games. It is a bit of an opportunity missed I believe.
Kevin Sacks asked:
Hi Brenden, thanks for communicating with us,great to get a bit if insight into rugby matters!
Two questions, your gut feel about Lions S15 prospects? Will public know by end of today SARU meeting ?
Second question, any clarity on Nienamber,s future ?
Brenden answered:
Kevin, obviously things have moved on and the Lions are out...so no gut feel there. Feel for them though. Secondly, still nothing, we're all still waiting.
Christopher asked:
besides being unlucky, why would you say Peter Grant didnt crack a nod. he created have the tries the stormers scored this season with a few of his own, and has the best percentage place kicking in SR?
brenden answered:
Christopher, he wasn't unlucky, just not good enough. Fourth worst missed tackle stats, and no kick taken that is outside 22 metres out. His linekicks also average 10m shorter than the other flyhalves. Peter is a good Super Rugby flyhalf, but have my doubts he can take the step up.
Hadley asked:
Brendan maybe you can explain the selection of Kirchner over Lambie. Besides the fact that Kirchner has been tested at this level before and does not do much wrong you need to question if that is enough in comparison to the explosive flair that Lambie brings to the position.
Brenden answered:
Hadley, answered this before, but also think Lambie needs to decide if he is a 10/15 as the constant shifting hampers him.
Sanjay Galal asked:
Hi Brendon. A concern from my side is that we persist in "bashing" away instead of opening up and using the creative players we have provided the forwards set up solid platforms and we focs our defense. To me this may work against the lesser teams and not against quality opposition like the AB''s. Meyer keeps speaking of playing to our strengths-can you ellaborate on these? To me bashing is not a strength...
Brenden answered:
Sanjay, give the coach a chance. He had 4 days to prepare for England and chose a side to win. We will see more of his blueprint in this series.
Reon asked:
Good day Brendan, thanks 4 the time! I just want to now wouldn''t this first game had been ideal for someone like Elton to start with Hougie to build experience? Or is Heyneke trying to get Morne back on form for the big games stil to come?
Thanks!
Brenden answered:
Reon, a question i've got a lot today. I would have rested Morne.
cuan asked:
Hi brenden,really happy for keagan daniel!I feel that''s the best pack we have now,now daniel must just prove to heyneke that he don''t need size!why didn''t heyneke try lambie at 10?isn''t that our best best option?I believe pat can be the best in the if heyneke go with him there and trust him to dictate the game for us...he has potential 10,don''t think he has a future at 15 because he''s to slow...jaco taute will be the man at 15 when he is fit,so where does pat lambie fit into springbok rugby?number21?ooh no pat u couldve be 1st choice in nz or aus at 10!
Brenden answered:
Cuan, just to illustrate my point, I've had several questions why lambie is not at 10 and several why he isnt at 15. Think he needs to settle into a position and compete in it.
Axolile Wasa asked:
Hi Brendan
1st question: do you think we got a chance of winning the rugby championship? 2nd question: If the Kings get promoted into SRugby, do you think theyl stick to the same players theyve got now or buy better players?
Brenden answered:
Axolile - Yes we always have a chance, but we aren't favourites. NZ are, but we can always surprise. As for the Kings, think they will buy players...as their current squad is not good enough.
Samuel asked:
Hi Brendan.
Who will the loose trio be if all players are fit to play?
Schalk, Heinrich, Duane, Marcell, Willem, Pierre, Kolisi, Potgieter, Keagan, even Jean Deysel and Juan Smit?
What a nice headace to have!
Brenden answered:
Samuel, good question...any combination should be good.Agreed, a nice headache to have.
Jeandre asked:
Hey brendan I just have 2 questions
1)I don''t know how much you know about bulls rugby but here goes, with the boks taking the core of the bulls managment team do you know who will replace them at the bulls? I heard ludeke will take Meyers post which means we will have a new coach, do you have any info about it?
2) This is my bok team what do you think of it ( includes injured players) 1 beast 2 bismarck 3 jannie 4 ezebeth 5 kruger 6 coetzee 7 alberts 8 kankofski 9 mc cleod 10 goosen 11 hougaard 12 frans steyn 13 juan de jongh 14 pietersen 15 lambie 16 burden 17 coennie 18 bresler 19 vermeulen 20 jordaan 21 mvovo 22 ludick a team that can do well in the future
Brenden answered:
first question, we've heard of Victor Matfield possibly for forwards coach, and Jacques Nienaber for defence coach, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Secondly, I'd differ on a few, but not a bad team at all.
boetieayms asked:
Hi brendon wht do u thinks of this bok side chance agains the all blacks,an do u think morne is really that refres like hm thinks,and do u think kolisi whil get a chance to prove himself like marcell coetzee did get?thanks
Brenden answered:
Boetieayms - People forget Morne has one of the best records against the All Blacks, and this team wont do badly. I'd like a bit more grunt though, but that's me. As for Kolisi, he competes with Marcell for a position, but his time will come.
Melt Calitz asked:
Hi Brenden
I think Francois Steyn''s best position is centre. However people make as if he is going to be massive improvement in the bok backline, but they forgot that the much critisised Wynand Olivier had a super game in the last test against the English. Rugby is about the team, not the individuals and it takes time to built up a good mutual understanding and cohesion. The longer the players play together, the better they should perform. I believe our biggest problem is still at flyhalf. Teams that really do well normally have an excellent flyhalf and I think Jantjies should have been given a chance now in stead of throwing him into the deep end against the All Blacks or Australia. Your view please?
Brenden answered:
Melt, Wynand did play well but Frans is a quality player who is big and physical. As for flyhalf, answered above.
Clint Africa asked:
Hi Brenden,
Will Peter Grant ever play again for the springboks,he has been playing well for the last 3 seasons and why is it that players are not in the team on merit?will this ever change with South African rugby?
Brenden answered:
Clint, you've got to be kidding me, this team is possibly the closest to current form that we've had for years. As for Peter Grant, answered above.
solly balata asked:
hi brenden, dink jy ook nie ons moet ons speel patroon verander nie. al die ander lande weet wat ons gaan doen.ek dink as ons meer die bal dra en minder skop ons n gevaarlikke span kan wees. die allblacks en wallibies hou nie baie van verdedig nie, hulle jou aan val,dus moet nie vir hulle bal gee nie. laat hulle werk vir die bal.ons moet ook sorg dat ons buite spelers beter balle kry om mee te kan speel.hulle is gevaarlik gee hulle net genoeg en regte balle dan wen s.a maklik. dankie
Brenden answered:
Solly, As said above, give Heyneke a chance, he had 4 days to prepare for England and kept things simple. I think we will see more how he will play in this series.
werner nel asked:
1. The people who complain about you not thinking with you heart. Please reply to them with the words no comment. Hopefully they will stop wasting our time and we can talk rugby. I''m a big sharks fan. They did great but the final was just a bridge too far. Question- will keegan daniel be up for test rugby. He is not the type of player that jake white would have chosen ever. What do you think is heynekes thinking on keegan?
Brenden answered:
Werner, I think Heyneke has rewarded form, and sees Keegan's leadership abilities. It is now up to him to make something of the opportunity.
solly balata asked:
jy se die stormers se huidige afrigter doen goed. wil verskil van jou my rede is stormers sowel as wp het al jare hardloop rugby gespeel en het bekers gewen.ek dink ons wil blou bul rugby speel om dat hulle 2 keer die beker met skop rugby gewen ,ons kan nie want ons is aanvallende span.met daar die rugby het ons stadions vol gemaak, wen was by saak.dankie
Brenden answered:
Solly, winning rugby is what counts but can understand the frustration. I ask whether the pattern is the problem or the halfbacks distribution?
Gavin Kolz asked:
Good day, let say the Boks had a machine that accurately measured all aspects of players'' game and then did the selection for the Boks squad,do you think it would have picked the same players currently in the squad?
Brenden answered:
Gavin, probably not, but thats the great thing about rugby, we'll never all agree on the side.
stephan asked:
Hi Brenden ,
With the news of the Kings participating next year in the place of Lions . Will the Kings contract these(Lions) players ? Or will they actually use their local talent base players. I just think the Kings side will differ at least by 80% than the side playing now .
Brenden answered:
Stephan, think you may be right about different players, but remember, the lions players can move anywhere, they dont have to move to the kings.
Jeremy asked:
Fans are too quick to write players off as useless when they don''t have a good game. Can you imagine what the Bok team would look like if the fans ran the selections...within a week the team would be in ruins and nobody would want to play Rugby! Stars can splutter, take JP Peterson, a year ago he looked like a token player, now they are raving about him from all over the World! Morne was the Tiger Woods of Rugby, has won SA many games...don''t call for his blood too quickly, he''s quality! Hope you agree Brenden
Brenden answered:
Agree 100% Jeremy
Phil asked:
Why do South Africa produce so few quality centres? And why did the Springboks not push harder to get Jacque Fourie to return for the first part of the Rugby Championship like the All Blacks did with SBW?
Brenden answered:
Phil, probably the type of game we play. As for Jaque, talk money my friend. He made the decision not to play for the Boks as he is being paid millions in japan.
Derik van Rooyen asked:
Is the reason for starting Kirchner ahead of Lambie in Saturday''s test due to Meyer believing Kirchner will have a bigger impact on the game than Lambie, or that the latter will be more useful as an impact player? Lambie is surely in better form.
Brenden answered:
Derik, purely playing devils advocate here, but would you say that after the super rugby final?
Pieter Boshoff asked:
Is it a good or bad thing for NZ to still select older players like: Ma''a Nonu, Keven Mealamu and Piri Weepu? Surely NZ have way more depth and creative players in reserve?
Brenden answered:
Pieter, experience is crucial at test level, and coaches understand that. Sometimes fans dont, the mix is often the reason for success.
Zola asked:
Afternoon Brenden I was hoping Meyer would select Kolisi @least starting from the bench bt he opted for Potgieter which in my oponion is not equiped enough @international level other than am satisfied ur input pls?
Brenden answered:
Different players, Zola, different positions. and picked for different reasons.
max asked:
Hi,good luck with saterday game.
According to the super15 stats and stat online Jaundre Kruger was better then Andries bekker. Steeling ball and jumping in the line outs, also gaining meter running with balls, most tackle between them per game.
Why aren''t we picking the best players for the job as new Zeeland will trash us with a second hand team!!!!
Brenden answered:
Max, heyneke said he is giving andries a chance and deservedly so. The better player will surface...
Christo asked:
Die Kingtjies wat nou ingesluit is, hoekom speel hulle nie eers ''n uitspeel wedstryd teen die Lion''s nie, dit sou mos meer regverdig wees as dom beloftes?
Brenden answered:
Christo, ask SARU, although dont think it would have been fair to either team
James Rambo asked:
What''s your favourite colur? Mine is yellow.
Brenden answered:
Purple with blue polka dots :)
Tumelo asked:
Hi Brenden
How is Taute''s injury coming along
Brenden answered:
Wont be back until October I hear
