Hotstepper asked:
A couple of things Gavin, dont you think Juan de JOngh should have been given a chance at second centre for the Boks as our captain has been anything but impressive for the Stormers and the Boks? Why has PAT lambie not been considered as an alternative to Morne Steyn in the Boks jersey?
Gavin Rich answered:
I have been happy with Jean de Villiers' form and don't think Juan was good in Super Rugby, which is the only level of rugby I would use as a criteria for selecting a Springbok these days. Pat wasn't considered chiefly because he hasn't been playing flyhalf for the Sharks. Successive Bok coaches have been slammed for mistreating Pat, and I do believe he should be in the mix somewhere, but playing two different positions hasn't helped him.
darryl asked:
Do you think the Kings will mess up South-African?
the way its looking now the bulls might be playing for currie cup status against the kings in result this might see the bulls playing for super rugby status against the lions next year (2013)
is this political decision really worth it?
Gavin Rich answered:
I don't think it's worth it but I do think some sort of effort needed to ber made to accomodate the huge geographical area, and passionate rugby population, between Plettenberg Bay and Kokstad. Apart from anything else, it's just too big a proportion of our country to leave out. I think I said it in a previous Q and A - knowing that SA rugby contributes so much to the coffers of Super Rugby, I think it's time that the Kiwis and Aussies played ball and allowed the machination that would enable SA to have six teams in the competition. NZ should also have six. Aussies can't sustain five and as a result they are struggling.
Nico Keys asked:
are we wasting Patrick Lambie''s talent by making him warm the bench game after game. i think Patrick is a brilliant rugby player and don''t think it is justified making him sit on the bench. your feeling''s??
GAVIN RICH answered:
I think he should start. No doubt about that. I think I have made that clear in most of my writing. I thought Zane played his best two games in the Bok jersey these past two weeks, but he doesn't have the all-round footballing ability and X-factor of Pat. Having said that, we must remember that Pat didn't cover himself in glory the last time he started, which was in the Super Rugby final. He needs to do something to convince Heyneke he is the business. Unfortunately warming the bench won't do that, so it's a pity he can't squeeze a Currie Cup game in somewhere...
Edrich de Beer asked:
Why are we playing a game plan that is familiar to all the other teams - even the NZ coach knew what out game plan was and announced it on television before the match. Our players are also not able to do offloads in a tackle - why not that is the way NZ makes most of their ground?
GAVIN RICH answered:
There is a mindset in South African rugby that is conservative and thinks we can't play any other way. Unfortunately the current coach achieved his success playing exactly the way the Boks played on Saturday. When he was in charge of the Bulls though he had the pick of some of South Africa's best ever players, so the catch-phrase of opposing coaches went something along the lines of "We know what they are going to do, the challenge is to stop them doing it". During Heyneke's time at the Bulls very few teams were able to stop them playing his game. It's what he knows and it's what has brought him success. And if he can develop a pack that can consistently dominate, it will bring him success again. But you will note though that there is an 'if'. It's the key word in the sentence.
Christian asked:
Will Elton Jantjies ever get a chance to play for the Springboks? What does he need to do to get his chance within the short term?
GAVIN RICH answered:
Earlier in the year people were asking the same question about Peter Grant. It's a good question, because if Morne is going to be dropped, and he should be, with Goosen coming in to add a new attacking dimension to the game, it isn't going to help South Africa if Morne is then on the bench. It will mean that when Goosen is injured, the Boks will have to change their game back again. Jantjies, and for that matter Grant or Lambie, fit better into the type-set that the Boks may need for a flyhalf going forward.
Ismail asked:
Hi Gavin. ... eish! i am having conflicting feelings over our recent performances: i know its stil early days into Meyer''s tenure as caoch but some of his decisions regarding playing personel & game tactics have been unconvincing. but (& theres always a but!) in having saying that the number of our injured players would probably make a decent team on their own! so as much as i was disappointed about the results, i am even more hopeful about the future. Steyn''s poor kicking of late is a real worry: psychological or just plain overplayed? Thanx for your time & all the best to the Bokke :)
GAVIN RICH answered:
Your thinking is just like mine. I see a lot of negative, but I think I can also see a heck more positive than a lot of other people can at the moment. But we must also beware to read too much into two gutsy defeats. The Boks will always be competitive on the days where they "get up". I think Heyneke's stint so far has been a cameo of both the extremes of what he is going to bring us - on the day they were near full strength and dominated at forward against England in Joburg, they were awesome; but when they were under-strength and didn't dominate at forward, such as in PE against England and against Argentina in Mendoza, they were rubbish. New teams are sometimes inconsistent. I remember Kepler saying that about the Proteas when we first came back into international cricket in 1992. He warned against too much expectation, saying that a new team would have good days and have bad days. Bottom line: this is a new team, and I do think Heyneke needs to be given some time to develop it before we draw a line in the sand and say whether he is a good or a bad Bok coach.
JL asked:
Morning Gavin
Just want to know how come heyneke is so blind to see that his "BULL" game plan does not work anymore and how about playing Peter Grant at flyhalf if GooSen is stil to new to play at international level not that Goosen plays badly at all but morne is there 4 his kicks right....why not let grant play as his kicking was at well over 90%
thanks
GAVIN RICH answered:
I've always felt that where Peter Grant falls down is in his field kicking, and we saw that in the Super Rugby final. The Sharks kicked the Stormers into a box from which the Stormers could not get out because they just didn't have the yards on their kicks that someone like Riaan Viljoen had (remember Viljoen was the Sharks' surprise, unannounced selection that day). But I do think that with Frans Steyn at inside centre, perhaps Grant can now be accomodated. I would only select him as back-up to Goosen though, Goosen must be start. I think he is the future.
walsham asked:
Why don''t meyer put aplon at fullback and jean at 14 and de juan at 13 and goosen 10
GAVIN RICH answered:
Lambie is a better allround footballer than Aplon, who I thought blew his one big chance against England in Port Elizabeth. Juan hasn't been playing well enough to justify all the confidence some fans have in him. Jean is okay at No13, and Steyn must be the No12. I think outside of flyhalf and fullback, the backline picks itself, and is the one that is currently playing.
Len white asked:
When is this arsehole Heyneke going to open his bloody eyes and see what he is doing to our once proud boks.He,Morne and to a point Kirchner is stuffing everything up.In soccer if a coach does not perform,he is replaced asap What and who the hell does this stubborn twit thinks he is
GAVIN RICH answered:
The thing is it's the start of a new cycle and I have a feeling that the Boks would be up and down at the moment regardless of who was coach. I don't agree with the rigidity of Heyneke's game-plan, and have written that he needs to be braver and be prepared to go out of his comfort zone and back talent above structure more than he does, but at the same time I think we need to be patient and give him time to settle. If the Boks were trying to play a new game, like Div tried to get the guys to do in 2008, we would all be calling for them to return to their "traditional strength" if it didn't work immediately. That really is the problem - at international level you are expected to win all the time and there is no time honeymoon period. It is why it's going to take a damn brave coach to come in and change the fundamentals of the Bok game. The public and media just won't allow him an easing in period and he will have to get his new game to work first time out. That's not possible, and if anyone wants to use the Sharks as an example that a different game can work, let's not forget that the Durbanites spent the first half of the season losing in Super Rugby before they finally hit bulls eye.
Grant asked:
Do you honestly believe that HM will ever change our game plan to a more running game rather than the kick and chase?
GAVIN RICH answered:
I am hopeful that he will have the intelligence and rugby nous to realise that there needs to be a better balance to his game.
Gavin asked:
The current team selection and game plan is not working for the Boks. Where to from here?
GAVIN RICH answered:
Everyone is talking as if they were beaten by 50 points in Dunedin. It was actually a game of very narrow margins, at one of the most notorious venues (well, okay, the city, I know the stadium is new) for teams visiting New Zealand to play the All Blacks. He needs to bring more balance, and two different selections, one at fullback and the other at flyhalf, will do that. I don't think the Boks are far away from becoming a successful team.
Calvin asked:
Hi Gavin, thought we had a decent game against the allblacks and should have won it. I thought Johan Goosen brought a lot of speed and rythm to our backline both against nz and aus and i felt we were far better on attack. I think Morne has done alot for Sa Rugby but i truelly believe its time for him to step aside for Goosen to take over the number 10 Jersey. Morne is in the team due to his kicking accuracy so why keep him in the team if he is kicking poorly and is not giving us points? Glad to see Habana back to his best, awesome try!
Thanx
Calvin
GAVIN RICH answered:
I personally never agree with selecting a player just for goalkicking ability. That was something that I became very wary of in 1987, when Ian Mac kept selecting Cliffie Brown on the wing in his Natal team even though he was past it as a player and couldn't kick. Natal didn't score any tries, only penalties, in the first half of the season. Then when Mac chose Neil Penrose for his pace on the wing, suddenly Natal started to score tries, and the number of points for a try made up for points they may have missed by not having Brown there for his boot... But that is a horrible digression - it is time for Goosen to take the No10. And Bryan will probably be even better when he does...
Patrick Anderson asked:
I dont want to run Heyneke down but
is Morne Steyn our country best flyhalf on current form and Jean DeVilliers merrited to be in the team on current form
GAVIN RICH answered:
I'm not seeing the problem people have with Jean. The other question has been answered already - I don't go for the Morne type of flyhalf. To me playing near the gainline and bringing the players around you into the game is crucial for the guy wearing No10. Funnily enough, it was because Morne does that better than Derrick Hougaard that I always thought Heyneke was wrong to select the latter when he was Bulls coach in 2007.
Nico asked:
Morning Gavin
One question...boks kicking game is not up to standard and I would say boks require some X-Factor players!
Why is HM still playing Morne & Zane even though I think Goosen and Lambie are better players!?
The 10min they came on was a different bok team.
HM wants to ease goosen into test rugby, but what about lambie?
Clearly he is a better fullback than Zane, allthough I think Zane had the best 2 games of is LIFE!
have a good one!
Cheers
GAVIN RICH answered:
Thanks Nico (for saying you hope I have a good one, I also hope so!). On the subject of Goosen and Lambie, let's not forget two important points in Heyneke's defence - Goosen was injured for four months and has played just one game plus 30 minutes since coming back from that injury. And Lambie spent quite a bit of time sidelined towards the end of Super Rugby too. When he did play in the Super Rugby final, he didn't advance his cause. That said, I would choose both players to start the next Test.
Troydon asked:
To my mind Morne Steyn is still a great flyhalf but he has played too much rugby of late and seriously needs to be rested. Do you think Goosen is ready to be the starting flyhalf for the Boks? And how do you think Elton Jankies would fare as a Bok flyhalf? He has had more game time of late and seems to be in good form.
GAVIN RICH answered:
On Elton I have to say I don't know, I would have to see him play a bit of international rugby before deciding. Maybe if he moves to a more competitive Super Rugby franchise next year we might get a better idea. I do think Goosen is ready for international rugby, but let's not do what cricket supporters did with Imran Tahir and expect him to be a world beater before he has really properly played.
Wesley Reid asked:
I believe the boks are on the right track. Last weekend was one of the worst games I have watched in a long time regarding missed opportunities, however it has been ages since I''ve seen the All Blacks put on the back foot like that. Heyneke Meyer is one of the best coaches of the modern era and has proved himself. I believe we all stay calm and only start panicking if this trend continues for another year.
GAVIN RICH answered:
Spoken like a true Pretoria boytjie... But seriously, although I think he is going to need to pull his head out of the sand and understand the need for more variation, I don't completely disagree with you. The only thing I completely disagree with you on is that next year maybe we should panic. We should NEVER panic...panicking never helped anybody.
Rindie asked:
Do we know of any new names signed by WP yet? Do you think that AC will keep either Jean or Schalk as captain for the 2013 season?
GAVIN RICH answered:
I just hope Schalk plays again. The nature of his injury, with the goal-posts continually shifting, does worry me - though I have to add that my name is not Professor Tim Noakes, so what the heck do I really know? I think they should stick with Jean as the captain. Although when it comes to those two I am not sure it really matters, they're close. I do prefer Jean tactically. In fact, I much prefer Jean tactically to Schalk. I think Schalk is weak tactically, perhaps because he's a bit like Barry Richards in the sense that he thinks mere mortals are capable of doing what he can do, which they can't. Apart from Elton Jantjies I haven't heard of any other potential new big name signings.
Jacques asked:
Hi Gavin
I believe if Heyneke put Goosen on earlier or even in the starting lineup the boks could have scraped through. Why didn''t he change the kicker after three misses by Morne?
GAVIN RICH answered:
That confounds me too.
Daniel asked:
Hi Gavin. I was actually very happy with our improved performance over the mendoza and aus matches. If we had landed our kicks we would have won comfortably. I really think loose back 3 worked really well together. Do you think there is a place for Pierre Spies in the team when he gets fit? And what are the chances of Fourie du preez coming back for the outbound tour at the end of the year?
GAVIN RICH answered:
I wrote a column yesterday about the positives and the negatives, and Duane establishing himself as the replacement for Pierre was actually something I was going list among the positives but then elected not to. I don't think there is place for Pierre, and if not Duane, it has to be Ryan Kankowski (assuming he retains his more physical approach after playing in Japan). I hear FduP is coming back for the end of year tour. But then back in May I also thought, and wrote as a certainty, that he was going to be the Bok captain...
chad asked:
Hi Gavin
My question is: do you agree with heyneke meyers choice to start morne and kirchner? Do you think it is a combination reason? Because I feel that you need atleast one of those two players to be a play maker as full back can always come in at second phase to create play so I feel if your not picking a flyhalf who can create, you atleast need a full back who can, such as goose or lambie, they offer the same as morne and kirchner but they bring the added attacking dimension aslo. Kirchner was practically non existent on saterday. Also why do you think meyer subbed beast, cus jannie is has played the same amout of rugby as beast, so the "tired" excuse that mayer gave doesn''t make sense and jannie was the man with the niggle in the week. Do you think its a bulls thing possibly? The selections regarding the squad have just been too "bulls" for justification. What''s your view? Thanks
GAVIN RICH answered:
Kirchner/Goosen I have done ad nauseaum, the Beast question is the interesting one. I am not sure why he subbed Beast. Heyneke used to get his substitutions spot on at the Bulls, but since being at the Boks he hasn't had quite the same knack. That is assuming the call wasn't made by forwards coach Johan van Graan or scrum coach Pieter de Villiers. It was a substitution though that was a bit reminiscent of the other Peter de Villiers, the one without the 'i', against the Lions in 2007. Though lets be honest, he wouldn't have expected Greyling to come on and do what he did. I have tried to defend Heneke from accusations of a "Bulls thing", as you put it, but I am finding it harder to do that. Let's just see that he is too afraid to move away from what he knows. It's his biggest weakness.
Aidan asked:
Hi Gavin,
What are the current race requirements within the Springbok team/squad? When searching (unsuccessfully) for a reason Kirchner is still in the starting 15, the "race quota" issue of old was brought up and nobody seemed to have an answer. Can you give clarity? Thanks,
GAVIN RICH answered:
I can't give clarity because no-one every wants to talk honestly about that. What I can say though is that I would be surprised if at some stage Heyneke hasn't been challenged by some official/politician for lack of racial representivity and reminded of how important it is for the team not to be too lopsided in favour of one race group. So it is a question that will feature in his thinking when he makes his selection.
Gary Evans asked:
Morne Steyn is the reason why our backline has been static and ineffectual. Francois Steyn is one of our most gifted players , but with Morne Steyn who is playing like a "schoolboy" he is still given the position of flyhalf. How many more chances does he get...just because he used to be able to kick at goal. Which he is not doing anymore.
GAVIN RICH answered:
A statement that I will agree with.
Juan Pierre Bosch asked:
If HM knows most likely we will win our home games & only need to win one to stay at 2''de place (the best we can do for now) will he have B.lls to play Goosen & Lamby at full game? Why is he not playing Lamby ?? There is word going around here in Ireland HM don''t play Black player is a trend back to Apartheid Rugby days .But then the "Paddies always have a dig at us at Rugby (not that they are any good)" thx have a good one
GAVIN RICH answered:
I don't think Heyneke has a trend against black players, I just don't think there are many that he rates at the moment. If anything he is a sizeist, which is what rules out Aplon and possibly even Jantjies (not to mention possibly even Pat). As possibly the only person on the planet who felt the Stormers lost something the day they let Sireli Naqelevuki leave, I don't completely disagree with him on the size issue.
Gerhard Karstens asked:
Hi Gavin, I would just like to hear your view on JDV at the moment. During the England series he was full of running, scoring a great try, almost rounding Ashton once, and even put in the "shoulder" against Tuilagi. The last 2 test he doesn''t seem to make contact, attack the space or try the hand off he is so good at. We all saw in the England series he still has the pace and can be a destructive runner (1/4 final WCup, even though we didn''t finish of the moves and the pass was marginally forward to Lambie)I am all for grooming guys like Jordaan, Serfontein, but I think JDV still has a lot to offer, he should just start running at the defense. I also think he was injured this past weekend. Thanks.
GAVIN RICH answered:
I wasn't in New Zealand and haven't spoken to Jean in a while so can't comment on the injury. I thought the Bok game broke down on Saturday among the inside backs, so don't really have much to say on Jean. All I can say is I hope you're wrong because I agree that Jean at his best is a great player, and he was brilliant in that World Cup quarterfinal you speak of. Interestingly, if you read Peter de Villiers' book, he has a theory that as Jean has got older and become more involved in helping with the coaching and setting team strategy, so he has become more conservative. That was before he was even Bok captain, so maybe it is something to consider.
Eugene Bennetts asked:
Do you think that Morne Steyn should rather get his self confidence back in test rugby or in Currie cup Rugby? What is Zane Kirchner still doing in the team if we have much better players than him.
GAVIN RICH answered:
I actually think Morne should take a break. In fact, I think most of the players are due a break. The season is way too long and too taxing, and as an aside, if I was the Bulls I would want to be relegated from the Currie Cup premier division. That would enable them to spend next August/September and October giving proper rehabilitation/conditioning to the top players who are not with the Boks.
Teddy asked:
Zimbabwe has done so much for south Africa over the years when it comes to providing some world class players yet SARU keep turning a blind eye when it comes to helping the game in our country grow, do u think this is fair, and do u no what can be done to change the situation
GAVIN RICH answered:
The fact that I don't know what is happening in Zimbabwe rugby, and probably haven't for 10 years, probably illustrates your point. The best advice I can give is that maybe Zim gets included in the lower tier of the Currie Cup, or in the Vodacom Cup, but how strong are you? If you can't beat Namibia, then it's hard to see what value you can add at this stage, and at the end of the day it is money that makes the world go round.
Talha asked:
It was the most frustrating experience, watching the Boks throw away the game at Dunedin. However I feel very optimistic for the future, my question is relating to Pat Lambie. The kid is absolutely amazing, with that X factor and Big Match Temperament. I am struggling to see the logic behind Meyers decisions not to utilise him fully. Goosen is definitely the next fly half - morne needs some time off.what''s your thoughts regarding Boks prospects for the future?
GAVIN RICH answered:
If they stop kicking ALL their possession away and use some of it differently I think they have a bright future.
Hadley asked:
Gavin I realize you going to field many questions regarding Morne Steyn this morning but I have to ask : Can a player be played back into form at international level?? Another repeat of last week and you have to ask what will it do to his career.
GAVIN RICH answered:
I think the "what will it do for his career" game was last week's. He's clearly not kicking his goals anymore, and you're right, the 80 minutes of a test match is not the time to be working on technique.
louis asked:
Hi Gavin
Do you think the public is to critical about HM as he has to rebuild a whole team with combinations ,where as other couches took over wining or more settled team ,and is it good that HM is slowly bleeding goosen in to the box setup
GAVIN RICH answered:
It would be a bit rich of me, if you will excuse the pun, to say that the public is too critical, as some of my articles have been very critical. But when you remove yourself from the situation, and take the emotion and anger out of it, maybe we are too critical. My line has always been that the coach who takes over now is going to struggle initially just because Div stuck with the old stagers for so long. It meant that there wasn't enough new blood coming in to gain the all-important experience that is so vital on the international stage.
Sholto asked:
I know you hate getting the lambie questions but do u think he will go overseas and play!? Also I don''t mind the kicking game but we need to beable to play attacking rugby when the opportunity arrises. Guys seemed completly lost when they got an overlap or space. This is not HM fault as he expects proffesional rugby players to know what to do in those situations. Your thought on how to improve this!?
GAVIN RICH answered:
I don't mind Lambie questions at all, and selecting him and Goosen for the next test will help alleviate the other problem you refer to.
norman du randt asked:
Will Goosen be the right choice at flyhalf for the up coming test?
GAVIN RICH answered:
Yup,
Wayne Lawson asked:
Do you think that SARU should be spending more money on the smaller unions like Griquas so that they can remain competitive in the Currie Cup
GAVIN RICH answered:
I think Griquas are doing fine like they are at the moment. Unfortunately, depending on how you look at it. it is really all about Super Rugby these days.
Jason asked:
Hi There Gavin
Is Morne battling because he hasn''t got Fourie Du Preez to back him up anymore.Since Fourie has gone Morne''s has been battling. They played together for the bulls and in the WC Is it time for a new combination to be formed?
GAVIN RICH answered:
That may be the case with his allround game - in fact, it is almost cdertainly the case - but it doesn't explain his goalkicking walkabout.
Johann asked:
Do you think it is possible for the Pumas to score an upset win over NZ or Aus???
I think that would put our result in Mendoza in perspective.
GAVIN RICH answered:
They might beat Oz, but I have a feeling we gave the All Blacks a wake-up this past week.
Pierre asked:
Hi Gavin!Thank you for taking time to answer questions.
I would like to see, like all the other people, that Goosen start for the Boks in their last two games at home. I personally think that Morne cost us the game with poor goal kicking. I was very impressed with our forwards, especialy the loose trio. Louw and Vermeulen was very effective at the breakdown and made it very difficult for the All Blacks to get quick ball. Do you think Heyneke will stick with that loose trio combination? I feel sorry for Coetzee, but Louw brings something alse to the loose trio. Do you think Brussow will get a chance? I would also like to see Jean Deysel in the mix.
GAVIN RICH answered:
Quite a conundrum at loose-forward as Coetzee is tailored for the more attacking game people are also calling for.
Werner asked:
With the all blacks alrady bagging the rugby championships. who would you like toe see get some game time. Not only goosen and lambie. But some of the younger guys or guys that have been in the squad and not getting any game time? Who is going to win the currie cup this year. Like the new strenth vs strenth format. Better currie cup that previous seasons?
GAVIN RICH answered:
I will be able to tell you who is going to win the Currie Cup this year after this week. Sharks if they win at Coca Cola Park, but any of Sharks, Lions or WP if they don't. Can't see any of the other featuring.
David le Roux asked:
If you were to advise Demitri Catrakilis on his future, where would you recommend he play his rugby in 2013? What do you think of his progress in the last 2 years?
GAVIN RICH answered:
Hi to the Eastern Cape's beautiful City of the Saints. I would probably advise him to go to the Kings now that they are definitely playing as I am not sure Stormers will play him ahead of Grant etc, whereas in PE he will be more likely to start. He has grown enormously in these two years. i really like him as a player.
Kagiso Taukobong asked:
Why do you think Heyneke Meyer is pessisting with the current game plan, which is failing both the Boks and Bulls currently, and not making the necessary changes which would improve the team? Do you think this game plan will change when all players like Bismark, Shalk, Juan, JP, Fourie du Preez, Spies etc are all available?
GAVIN RICH answered:
Possibly, but don't bet on it. A return for Fourie du Preez would probably get him to lean to a kicking game as the Boks can perfect it if Du Preez is at No9 (and the pack continues to improve).
Sergio Short asked:
Good Morning.
Thanks for the opportunity to delve into your mind. Why is Heyneke Meyer using so many Bulls players after their poor season in super rugby?
How can Pat Lamie ever make any kind of impact with only 5-10minutes per game?
Is Heyneke Meyer against running rugby because the players people want to see on the field (Goosen, Lambie) remain on the bench while the kicking minded Steyn(who is out of form) and Kirchner are always playing but underperforming and just hoof the ball nowhere? Even Ma''a Nonu kicked the ball better on saturday and that''s saying something.
GAVIN RICH answered:
Thanks for the opportunity to exercise my mind... Heyneke goes with what he knows, and what he knows most about is Bulls rugby, Bulls personnel, Bulls way of playing (of which he was the architect).
craig augustine asked:
Hi gavin , everyone sees the possibility of a great bok team but how long before we start seeing the results ? Ruan got dropped for much less is it fair to say that morne need to b dropped from the squad to go play currie cup and regain some form , and do think the coach is tempted to give ruan or pat a crack at flyhalf ? Thanks
GAVIN RICH answered:
No to Ruan or Pat at flyhalf, though I would consider Pat, behind Goosen. End of year tour is going to be interesting judge of growth of this team. Think at altitude everything is a little bit too skewed in favour of Boks, though nothing wrong with the confidence that wins over Aussies and New Zealand would bring.
Andrew asked:
Hi Gavin
Why did the selectors fail to notice Josh Strauss? Especially if we look at our long injury list of loose fowards.Now we have lost this brilliant player to Scotland possibly forever.
GAVIN RICH answered:
There are enough loose-forwards to choose from not to worry too much about where Josh goes to from here.
Johann Bezuidenhout asked:
Morning Gavin. I would like to ask two questions please. Firstly, everyone is going to question you about the Steyn/Goosen/Lambie at flyhalf situation. Which flyhalf do you think would New Zealand not prefer to play against, given the style of rugby they play? Secondly, is Heinrich Brussouw in your opinion still an option after Francois Louw''s excellent performance on Saturday? I can''t see both of then starting for the Boks, but Brussouw could be a great impact player for Louw off the bench.
GAVIN RICH answered:
Brussouw should be in the squad and then take it from there. Think the Kiwis will prefer to play against Morne as it reduces effectiveness of players around him and it must be great lining up to face a penalty when you know there is a 50/50 chance the guy is going to miss. At the same time, they might recognise that Goosen is inexperienced and if Pat played they would be emboldened by his lack of recent game time at No10.
