Share

Div's choices spot on - Treu

Cape Town - Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu believes the Boks picked precisely the right team to take on Fiji in their second Word Cup clash.

Click to BUY the new Drifta Mobile USB Decoder

Click to BUY the Rugby World Cup 2011 Game for Xbox

The Fijians are renowned for their running capabilities and thrive in a loose and unstructured environment. Therefore, it is vital that the Boks stick to their more structured game plan.

And Treu believes Bok coach Peter de Villiers made the right selections for the game plan they need to employ against the islanders.

"I think the Springbok team picked for this game is spot on. We don't want the game to be played beyond the outside centre, because between our forward pack and a physical inside centre like Frans Steyn, the Fijians won't be able to do what they want," Treu told Die Burger newspaper.

"They even struggled against Namibia in the tight phases. They enjoy space and are capable of scoring tries within two phases.

"If we put them under pressure in the tight phases and in the first channel in the backline, their attacking structures will disintegrate. Once the Fijians get frustrated, their discipline lets them down and that's why Morné Steyn's boot could play such a big role in the match."

He also reiterated that the Boks' strong points could be utilised to exploit the Fijian weaknesses. They are poor at scrum time, lineouts, kickoffs and under the high ball - all areas where the Boks excelled in against the Welsh. "That's where we could determine the tempo of the game and make it much slower than what they would like."

De Villiers has come under fire in some quarters for not giving dangerous attackers like Gio Aplon and Juan de Jongh a chance. But Treu believes it was the right decision not to start with them against Fiji.

"Gio Aplon and Juan de Jongh will provide the X-factor against more structured teams. You shouldn't try and beat a team with the same kind of game that it employs. Therefore, against Fiji, you pick a guy like Frans Steyn to dominate them physically," said Treu.

Teams:

South Africa:

15 Pat Lambie, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Fourie Du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Danie Rossouw 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie Du Plessis, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp

Substitutes: 16 Bismarck du Plessis 17 Tendai Mtawarira 18 Johann Muller 19 Willem Alberts 20 Fancois Hougaard 21 Ruan Pienaar 22 Juan de Jongh

Fiji:
15 Kini Murimurivalu, 14 Vereniki Goneva, 13 Gaby Lovobalavu, 12 Seremaia Bai, 11 Naipolioni Nalaga, 10 Waisea Sedre Luveniyali, 9 Nemia Kenatale, 8 Sakiusa Matadigo, 7 Akapusi Qera, 6 Dominiko Maiwiriwiri Waqaniburotu, 5 Wame Lewaravu, 4 Leone Nakarawa, 3 Deacon Manu (captain), 2 Sunia Koto, 1 Campese Ma'afu

Substitutes: 16 Telemaitoga Dautu Tuapati, 17 Waisea Nailago, 18 Netani Edward Talei, 19 Sisa Koyamaibole, 20 Vitori Tomu Buatava, 21 Nicky Little, 22 Gaby Lovobalavu

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE