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Comment: Stephen Nell
Cape Town - Is South Africa ready for a white Springbok wing?
When I wrote down Gerhard van den Heever’s name in my form team this week, I thought back to an incident on the 2004 Springbok Grand Slam tour.
It appeared as if Jaque Fourie would be in the team to play England, but politicians kicked up a fuss when it came to light that Eddie Andrews would be the only black player in the team.
Breyton Paulse was then picked ahead of Fourie.
Springbok management described it as a “rugby decision”, but everyone knew it was not the case.
I’m not mentioning this to complain about the treatment of white players, but rather to illustrate the complexities that often confront Springbok coaches.
It’s much easier to pick Bok teams on paper than to be confronted with a coach’s realities.
Van den Heever has showed a lot of promise this year and is deserving of a place in the form side while JP Pietersen is injured.
The latter remains South Africa’s best option on the right wing and is worth his weight in gold to the Boks, so I hope the knee injury he suffered last week is not serious.
For Van den Heever I hope that South Africa is politically mature enough to be able to make a rugby decision the day he will be the best choice for the Boks.
Fourie can now look back on the incident in 2004 and smile. He is now comfortably the best outside centre in South Africa and probably also the world.
The loose forward combination of Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Pierre Spies is an easy one to pick.
I expect coach Peter de Villiers to pick John Smit at hooker and have Bismarck du Plessis on the bench. The latter’s experience places him just ahead of Tiaan Liebenberg.
Stephen’s form team: Zane Kirchner, Gerhard van den Heever, Jaque Fourie, Wynand Olivier, Bryan Habana, Morné Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield, Andries Bekker, Brok Harris, Bismarck du Plessis, Gurthrö Steenkamp.
• Rapport’s rugby writers pick form teams every week. These teams are based on Super14 performances.
Cape Town - Is South Africa ready for a white Springbok wing?
When I wrote down Gerhard van den Heever’s name in my form team this week, I thought back to an incident on the 2004 Springbok Grand Slam tour.
It appeared as if Jaque Fourie would be in the team to play England, but politicians kicked up a fuss when it came to light that Eddie Andrews would be the only black player in the team.
Breyton Paulse was then picked ahead of Fourie.
Springbok management described it as a “rugby decision”, but everyone knew it was not the case.
I’m not mentioning this to complain about the treatment of white players, but rather to illustrate the complexities that often confront Springbok coaches.
It’s much easier to pick Bok teams on paper than to be confronted with a coach’s realities.
Van den Heever has showed a lot of promise this year and is deserving of a place in the form side while JP Pietersen is injured.
The latter remains South Africa’s best option on the right wing and is worth his weight in gold to the Boks, so I hope the knee injury he suffered last week is not serious.
For Van den Heever I hope that South Africa is politically mature enough to be able to make a rugby decision the day he will be the best choice for the Boks.
Fourie can now look back on the incident in 2004 and smile. He is now comfortably the best outside centre in South Africa and probably also the world.
The loose forward combination of Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Pierre Spies is an easy one to pick.
I expect coach Peter de Villiers to pick John Smit at hooker and have Bismarck du Plessis on the bench. The latter’s experience places him just ahead of Tiaan Liebenberg.
Stephen’s form team: Zane Kirchner, Gerhard van den Heever, Jaque Fourie, Wynand Olivier, Bryan Habana, Morné Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield, Andries Bekker, Brok Harris, Bismarck du Plessis, Gurthrö Steenkamp.
• Rapport’s rugby writers pick form teams every week. These teams are based on Super14 performances.
