WOULD A NORTHERN HEMISPHERE ONLY BOK TEAM BE COMPETITIVE??
After reading articles on all the players leaving to join overseas clubs at the end of this season I started thinking that a pretty decent Bok team can be picked from all the players up North. By picking a team from all the players up North to represent the Springboks for the end of year tour the workload on our top players will be split hopefully leading to less injuries and better conditioned players. Then the excuse of 'fatigued players' can not be used come end of the year tour as the players selected from the Northern Hemisphere will be fresh and eager to play.For the Worldcup you can pick a team from both Hemispheres to represent the country (preference to be given to players from Southern Hemisphere - another incentive to keep players in the country). For the Lions tour only players from Southern Hemisphere to be considered (also an incentive to keep players South of the equator).
Obviously some sort of regulations for picking should be set in place that only players older than a certain age (25) or players who have represented South Africa in a certain amount of tests (10) or a certain amount of Super rugby caps (50) can be considered for this team. These regulations would hopefully help in controlling all 'young' players to then just flock to the Northern Hemisphere if they have ambitions to one day represent the Boks.
Keeping the regulations in mind that I have mentioned above (and they can be altered) you can pick a Bok team from the following players in the Northern Hemisphere. (there might be more - but these are the ones I know of).
PLAYERS CONSIDERED FOR SPRINGBOKS - NORTH XV SELECTION (players already up North & players leaving end of this season considered for this team)
Front Row Forwards:
Guthro Steenkamp / WP Nel / Wian du Preez / Bees Roux / Heinke van der Merwe / Eugene van Staden / BJ Botha / Dean Greyling / JC Janse van Rensburg
Hookers:
Schalk Brits / Gary Botha / Chilliboy Ralepelle
Locks
Andries Bekker / Johan Muller / Bakkies Botha / Alistair Hargreaves / Gerhard Mostert / Anton van Zyl / Quin Roux / Ross Skeate / Danie Rossouw / Juandre Kruger / Wilhelm Steenkamp
Flankers:
Pedrie Wannenburg / Joe van Niekerk / Josh Strauss / Francois Louw / Jacques Potgieter / Dewaldt Potgieter / Deon Stegman / Heinrich Brussouw
8th Man
Jacques Cronje / Ernst Joubert / Ashley Johnson
Scrumhalf
Jano Vermaak / Ruan Pienaar / Fourie du Preez / Rory Kockott / Neill de Kock / Michael Claasens / Dewaldt Duvenhage
Flyhalf
Morne Steyn / Jacques Louis Potgieter / Conrad Barnard / Burton Francis
Centres
Robert Ebersohn / Wynand Olivier / Meyer Bosman / Doppies le Grange / Corne Uys / Jacques Fourie
Wings
Bryan Habanna / JP Pietersen / Danie Poolman / Tonderai Chavanga
Fullback
Zane Kirchner / Joe Pietersen
MY FINAL NORTH XV SELECTION:
1) Guthro Steenkamp
2) Schalk Brits
3) Heinke van der Merwe
4) Bakkies Botha
5) Andries Bekker
6) Heinrich Brussouw
7) Francois Louw
8) Jacques Cronje
9) Jano Vermaak
10) Morne Steyn
11) Bryan Habanna
12) Doppies le Grange
13) Jacques Fourie
14) JP Pietersen
15) Zane Kirchner
BENCH (players with versatility got preference)
16) JC Janse van Rensburg
17) Chilliboy Ralepelle
18) Danie Rossouw
19) Jacques Potgieter
20) Ruan Pienaar
21) Robert Ebersohn
22) Joe Pietersen
Having a look at the team selected above I recon they will give any team selected for the Southern Hemisphere a proper run for their money ,... think they would most likely beat a team selected from the Southern Hemisphere. The pack of forwards available for the Northern Hemisphere selection could possibly be one of the best packs in world rugby if they are all fit and training together. In short a team selected only from the Northern Hemisphere will be more than competitive and on its own could rank in the top 3 or 4 in world rugby (possibly even rank above the Southern Hemisphere team).
Maybe the two team approach is the way to go in the future to split the workload on our top players and have better player depth during Worldcup years. Only problem I can see around this is that two management teams will need to be set in place and also two coaching teams. Keep Heyneke the Director of rugby and the coach of the Southern Hemisphere team and employ an 'Assistant Director' for the Northern Hemisphere while Heyneke is busy with the Southern Hemisphere team. Heyneke can then take over the coaching role during the end of year tour. I for one will love to see Mallet as the 'Assistant Director' who will be in charge of the Northern Hemisphere team.
In short we must have two teams of players and coaches with one director of rugby controlling both
and having them work together. Drafting players from one Hemisphere to the other where injuries might have effected selections should be allowed but should not be the norm.
Please feel free to comment on the idea or make your own selection for the northern team or just spreading this blog if you support this idea. If you know of any players overseas or heading overseas that I should consider please let me know... I might pick a revised team at a later stage and compare it to a Southern selection in the future.
Brandewijn van Coke
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