Opinions split over Meyer’s latest Springbok squad

Heyneke Meyer named his team for the Boks’ final Rugby Championship match ahead of the Rugby World Cup. With the rugby showpiece kick-off looming, every squad Meyer names will be analysed with a fine toothcomb by both fans and pundits alike.

 

The latest squad has divided opinion amongst many, including Jacasport’s own Trevor Cramer and Echbert Boezak.  Our two senior sports guys give their divided opinions on the latest Springbok squad.

 

Trevor Cramer:

Putting aside the emotion of quotas and transformation, or past mistakes -- yes the Boks are winless this season -- one has to feel Heyneke Meyer has selected the best possible team available to him for the trip to Argentina.

 

This is effectively the Boks' last game ahead of the rugby World Cup next month and Meyer has selected players, injury enforced or otherwise, who he feels could still be in strong contention for a spot in the 31-man World Cup squad, and he wants a last look at them in a pressure-cooker match environment...

 

If anything, even in a losing cause, Meyer has at least had the opportunity in a very short international window to assess all his options and should by now have a pretty clear picture of who will be aboard that flight to England next month, even if they are 'borderline' cases.

 

Echbert Boezak:

Heyneke Meyer, the meticulous planner, the strategist, the thinker. Or at least that is what we have been made to believe. After three years in the job and the trophy cabinet still bare, all of his planning is unravelling ahead of the World Cup tournament.

 

His muddled thinking is laid bare in the latest team to play Argentina. It’s a game the Boks must win, yet the team shows 7 changes. This at a time when All Black coach Steve Hansen has more or less a clear idea of what his World Cup squad will look like.

 

Meyer is still testing combinations and has fallen back into his default setting: go for the tried and tested. Kirchner at fullback, Matfield at lock, let’s give Pat Lambie a stint at fly-half again. This was the time to be bold and he missed a trick again. This thinking might yet save us against Argentina this Saturday, but will it at the World Cup?

 

What is your take on the latest Bok squad? Did Meyer get his selections right or did he indeed miss a trick? Tell what you think in the comments section below.