Everybody and their aunt became a selector last week. Heyneke Meyer announced his squad on Friday and as a result even the most rugby averse aunt is having her say on the matter.
Already players have been dubbed “unlucky to have missed out” whilst others have had their relationship with the coach questioned, citing “special” favours that must have been dished out to warrant their inclusion and an unknown political party has even sued the Springboks for their lack of transformation, despite the coach meeting all of his transformation targets.
I’m not going to do any of that. I’m going to select a Springbok Action Squad of players since re-admission who I think could have been great Springboks but never got the chance due to injury or a perceived selection bias by the coach at the time, or an untimely and tragic accident.
15. Gaffie du Toit
Gaffie had all the skills necessary to be an absolutely great rugby player except one; mental fortitude. He could kick a ball a hundred miles, had the pace of the paciest wing and size to boot, but when he was criticized or corrected, the grapevine tells, he was prone to sulking and negativity. In his defence I believe he was picked for the Springboks too soon. He needed time to grow as a person and a player but alas, the story is a different one. I always hoped he would find himself and dominate like I believed he could. Last I saw of him he was playing in France off the bench for one of the teams with a pink jersey.
14. Stefan Terblanche
Stefan managed to play 37 tests for the Springboks but I think he should have played at least 50 more than he did. He was a lethal finisher but also a very clever player with keen leadership instincts, able to play wing, fullback and centre towards the end of his career. He scored 19 tries in those 37 Tests and despite playing until 2014, played his last Test in 2003.
13. Andre Snyman
Andre Snyman was a lethal finisher, big and strong at 1.87m and 100kgs. He played 38 Test matches but was plagued by injuries. I recall one instance when he’d just returned from a year or two out with a serious knee injury. He scored a great try against the All Blacks but in the process did his other one.
12. Etienne Botha
At the tender age of 26 Etienne Botha was killed in a car accident. Playing for the Blue Bulls he established himself as high quality centre and was widely touted to be a future Springbok. Sadly his life was cut short by terrible circumstances.
11. Tonderai Chavanga
He scored 6 tries on his Springbok debut against Uruguay and was considered the fastest man in rugby, perhaps the fastest player in Springbok history. He too was beset with many injuries and only managed to amass 4 Test caps.
10. Andre Pretorius
Andre earned himself the nickname “The Man of Glass” amongst my mates and I. I once heard a rumour that he even managed to injure himself in his sleep and another occasion did his knee whilst disembarking a plane. When fit though he was one of the best 10s South Africa produced in the era he played in. He was deadly accurate with the boot, didn’t shirk on defence and attacked the line creating doubt in even the most staunch of defences.
9. Enrico (Ricky) Januarie
At one stage I was his biggest anti-fan and looking back, unfairly so. At his best his service was quick and crisp and he had a nuggetty presence on the field that instilled doubt in anyone wanting to make a quick break on the fringes. He had to compete with Fourie du Preez and Ruan Pienaar for his spot. He also battled with his weight, much like New Zealand contemporary Piri Weepu and that lead to him losing some of the spark he had as his career went on. He will be remembered for his amazing try to claim victory against the All Blacks at Dunedin’s house of pain.
8. Bob Skinstad
In a country where loose forwards appear to grow on trees there are many unlucky guys to choose from. Bob is one that stands out. As a young tearaway he was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise serious and often quite depressing era. He linked well with his backs and displayed excellent leadership ability. In 1999 he was controversially selected ahead of Gary Teichmann to go to the Rugby World Cup in England and Wales. He’d been injured most of that season and as a result didn’t impress. All in all he played 42 Tests, scoring 11 tries and captaining the team on 12 occasions. He made a comeback late in his career and won a deserved World Cup winners medal in 2007.
7. AJ Venter
AJ played in the same era as Andre Venter, Rassie Erasmus, Gary Teichmann, Bob Skinstad, Corne Krige, Andre Vos and the like. He played only 25 Test matches between 2000 and 2007. At nearly 2m tall and a weighty 112 kg he was a formidable opponent and would have walked into almost any other international side.
6. Heinrich Brussow
Heinrich is the best fetcher / openside flanker South Africa has produced in the last 10 years. Unfortunately injuries and being labelled “too small” have hindered his career to date. A stand out player in the 2011 World Cup until falling victim to an illegal charge by Dan Vickerman in the quarter-final vs Australia, Heinrich spent the next three years in the international wilderness. He has received a re-call in 2015 after showing excellent form in Super Rugby but unfortunately missed out at the 11th hour.
5. Geo Cronje
Geo was a giant of a man with a giant of a beard. At one stage he looked certain to become a great Spingbok lock forward. However, his reputation and career were tainted by allegations of racism on tour involving an incident with Quinton Davids. He was later badly injured in an accident with a tractor on a farm and his career cut short by subsequent injuries.
4. Quinton Davids
The other party in the racial incident with Geo Cronje, at 2m tall and 120kgs he was a monster of a man and a promising young player. Whether his courage at speaking out in a highly charged and overly traditional Springbok environment hampered his career is up to debate. In the end he only played 9 Test matches.
3. Brian Mujati
Born in Zimbabwe, Brian is an impressive tight-head prop, an area where the Springboks have battled to find a suitable back-up to the evergreen Dr Jannie du Plessis. He has proven himself in the harsh climes of the frozen and muddy north where front row play is a form of artistry understood by very few. He was bizarrely declared ineligible for Springbok selection despite having already played 12 Test matches in 2008. Still only 30 he continues to terrorise scrums in the northern hemisphere.
2. Lukas van Biljon
Van Biljon and John Smit battled it out for the hooker berth at both the Sharks and Springboks early on in their careers. Lukas was a bombastic player who liked hard hits and bouncing defenders by running through them instead of around them. While Smit continued on until 2011 and captained the Boks to world cup glory in the process, van Biljon’s career shone bright and faded quickly, only managing 12 Test matches between 2001 and 2003.
1.Guthro Steenkamp
At 1.89m and 120 kgs plus Guthro is a giant. Early on his career he was spoken of as “The Next Os”, big praise indeed. However, injuries and inconsistency have plagued his career to date and he has generally played second fiddle to Tendai Mtawarira. Even so he has amassed 53 caps for the Springboks, mostly off the bench. He is currently plying his trade in France.
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