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RE: Spies re Rob Houwing's article
A few counterpoints:
1. Spies has only an effect when the game is extremely loose and he is put into space.
2. Spies has generally hard hands and doesn't receive the ball with confidence, as his higher than average tally of knock-ons would indicate.
3. Spies' inability to consistently burst through a tackle whilst retaining the ball.
4. Spies' ineffective clearing out technique at rucks has directly lead to points, and in one instance, the match being lost.
5. Check Spies' turnover count. Virtually zero.
Basically not a player I want in a Springbok team.
Out of current playing players, the loose trio is Brussouw, Vermeulen and Labuschagne. A physical presence with an ability to dominate the breakdown point and win turnover ball at 8 (Vermeulen), a terrier who spoils opposition ball, wins opposition ball and tackles like a man possessed at open side and lastly a runner of lines the likes of Rassie Erasmus, yet with a physical presence in the contact situation on the other side. I will win more matches with these three than lose.
A few counterpoints:
1. Spies has only an effect when the game is extremely loose and he is put into space.
2. Spies has generally hard hands and doesn't receive the ball with confidence, as his higher than average tally of knock-ons would indicate.
3. Spies' inability to consistently burst through a tackle whilst retaining the ball.
4. Spies' ineffective clearing out technique at rucks has directly lead to points, and in one instance, the match being lost.
5. Check Spies' turnover count. Virtually zero.
Basically not a player I want in a Springbok team.
Out of current playing players, the loose trio is Brussouw, Vermeulen and Labuschagne. A physical presence with an ability to dominate the breakdown point and win turnover ball at 8 (Vermeulen), a terrier who spoils opposition ball, wins opposition ball and tackles like a man possessed at open side and lastly a runner of lines the likes of Rassie Erasmus, yet with a physical presence in the contact situation on the other side. I will win more matches with these three than lose.
