The manner in which the South African Union has gone about awarding Springbok contracts opens them up to more questions than answers. Coach Peter de Villiers announced all the players currently on contract and those awarded new contracts.
Most of the usual faces are there but surprisingly there are very few new players that have been contracted. If these players are going to make up the majority of the RWC squad, which seems likely, it does not make a very balanced squad.
The contracted group contains two props, two hookers, four locks, three flankers (four if Danie Rossouw is included in that number), one eighth man, one scrum-half, one, fly-half, five centers, centres wingers and zero fullbacks.
Overall it is a strong core group but the questions has to be asked whether certain players are there on their reputation or being the coaches favourite. I would like to specifically mention Adrian Jacobs who has enjoyed success in the Springbok jersey but due to injury has not been able to play much domestic rugby. He is slowly being eased back into Super Rugby but it does not mean that he will regain any form and the less said about his defensive capabilities the better.
Also of concern is that there is no specialist fullback as of yet. That can not instill much confidence in any of the local incumbents with the coach publicly stating once again his desire to retain the services of Frans Steyn at the Lions. That of course would not be a bad thing for South African rugby. How Steyn performs in a losing team is another question.
As mentioned before one has to assume that most of these players will be traveling to the world cup despite De Villiers' assertion to the contrary. If these players are not certain the go to the RWC , what is the point of awarding them contracts?
Who will fill up the final seven spots when there are already a few questionable inclusions five months out from the RWC? (Assuming they take 30 players) The rugby loving public will now have to trust the Springbok management team to select the form players and break away from those players who have not performed particularly well, and there is sure to be much more disagreement this time around compared to 2007.
Peter de Villiers has shown himself, at least in public, to be a short sighted and stubborn coach who refuses to accept the obvious.
One good thing to come out of this is that there is no Ricky Januarie, but that could all change come the big RWC announcement.
Contracted Springbok players:
1.Tendai Mtawarira, Gurthro Steenkamp (both new contracts)
2.Bismarck du Plessis (new contract), John Smit
3.Jannie du Plessis, CJ van der Linde (both new contracts)
4.Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw (new contract)
5.Victor Matfield, Andries Bekker (new contract)
6.Heinrich Brussow new contract), Schalk Burger
7.Juan Smith
8.Pierre Spies
9.Fourie Du Preez
10.Morne Steyn (new contract)
11.Bryan Habana
12.Jean de Villiers, Juan De Jongh, Wynand Olivier ( all three awarded new contracts)
13.Jaque Fourie, Adrian Jacobs (new contract)
14.JP Pietersen
15. None selected so far.
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