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Where the 'next generation' of Springboks could come from
The four-year cycle leading up to the World Cup in Australia has started and Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen believes he has players that can play a big role for the Springboks.
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The Lions have only won two of their six games so far in the United Rugby Championship season, but they have shown plenty of promise with their performances.
In the matches that they have lost, it has been by seven points or less on each occasion and on Saturday they moved up to ninth in the standings after a 61-19 win over Zebre in Johannesburg.
Players like Henco van Wyk, Francke Horn, Sanele Nohamba, Ruan Venter and a few others have proved their worth on the field and they could be knocking on the Bok door when Rassie Erasmus and the rest of his coaching team select the first squad next year.
“We believe we have eight to 10 guys that can be involved with the Boks in the next cycle, in terms of the more junior guys,” Van Rooyen told reporters after Saturday’s win.
“Off the bat there, Willem [Alberts] has probably been playing the best rugby for years,” he added with a smile.
“We are confident in the sense that the next generation [of Boks] could come from our team.”
If the Lions do offload a few players to the Bok squad, it would mean they will be unavailable for certain periods of the season with internationals and camps taking centre stage. However, Van Rooyen prefers to look at the positive side of it all.
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“If the World Cup is sitting in the cabinet, I think what we are doing is working. I think the main priority stays the Springboks and I think that is also important for the country.
“Obviously we are not in the position to lose players or get players. If you look at the Sharks, I think they got eight players back and obviously that will make a difference in your team, but it also tests your depth a little bit.
“Any team that plays without eight or nine of their best players will feel it a little bit, but I think for a South African franchise that it will build depth and we get exposure to the future superstars.
“I think in the short term it is challenging, but in the long term I think it is still good for South African rugby.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Danny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
35 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
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