Bakkies Botha plays RUGBY

R21 Million does not lie, and that is what Bakkies Botha is going to be paid when he relocates to France after the rugby world cup. He is obviously seen as a very good player. Termi-bakkies or the Bakkies-nator is a hard player and does not conform to the IRB's persistent push to sanitize rugby.

Rugby is famously a game for all shapes and sizes and since when is cleaning out smaller players from the ruck seen as bullying? Shane Williams does not run slower when he sees Andries Bekker or any other large forward in front of him, no, he uses his speed to his own advantage. And rightly so.

Rugby is war and if the officials in charge of this great game wan't to do some good for a change they should start by cleaning up the scrums, cutting out the pause nonsense before the engage and bring back old-school ruckking.

Botha may watch romantic comedies with his wife these days but that does not mean he should stop being the feared and respected player he is on the field. Yes, he has been prone to brain farts but he is only human.

If the officials continue to kill the game we are going to end up with touch-rugby and the possibility of never getting to see a hit like the Chiropractor did on Derrick Hougaard at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

So here is some advice for all those out there complaining about how rough and dangerous rugby is. If you don't like it you do not have to watch or play it.

The Bok-o-meter: The Sprinbok team thus far.

We are heading in to week 6 of the Super Rugby tournament and so far it has delivered some very entertaining games. With the Rugby World Cup only a few months away the Springbok coaching team has probably started looking at the old and the new. Based on current for who should make the Springbok team today? The Hospital Pass takes a closer look.

The Front Row:

Few will argue that the Sharks front-row has been impressive and based on their current form it would be hard to think of a more settled combination than Beast Mtawarira, Bismarck Du Plessis and Jannie Du Plessis. It is still early days and anything could happen.

Locks:

Currently South Africa are in a bit of a purple patch as far as lock is concerned. We have the old combination of Botha and Matfield. There is also Steven Sykes, Andries Bekker, Franco van der Merwe, and Alistair Hargreaves. Based on current form however it would be hard not to choose Bekker and Sykes who have similar attributes to Botha and Matfield, except that they are younger, possibly hungrier, faster and stronger.

The Back-row.

Everyone has their own opinion on this area, but based on current form our flankers would have to be Brussow and Alberts. For Brussow to make a come back like he did against the Waratahs bodes very well for the Springboks. At No 8 we have the great debate between Pierre Spies and the rest. Spies enjoyed his best form for a long time in the November internationals but has been playing in a seemingly struggling team, and has not replicated that great form. He can not make it on current form. There are those who would argue for Duane Vermeulen but he is limited to tackling, and crash ball tactics. Purely based on form he cracks the nod for now.

No. 9

Scrum-half is much simpler. We have a pecking order. Fourie Du Preez, Francois Hougaard and Charl McLeod.

10.

 Based on current form it seems to be a two way race between Peter Grant and Patrick Lambie. Morne Steyn is solid but the Springbok game-plan has stifled his natural style of play. Butch James could be in contention but we'll have to see how he responds to Super Rugby first. On current form Lambie gets the nod.

The Midfield.

The usual chorus from Western Province will tell you that it should be Jaque Fourie and Jean De Villiers in the  number 12 and 13 jerseys but if one looks at the lack of tries scored by the Stormers this season one has to question that logic. Defensively the Stormers have been fantastic but a team needs to score points to win a game and can't rely only on the kickers to make it happen. Granted the Bulls have lost two games this season but Wynand Olivier has been enjoying great form. He does not possess the creativity of Jean De Villiers but he makes up for it with his strength and straight running. On his outside based on current form slot in Lion's boy Doppies La Grange!

Wing.

Lwazi Mvovo and Gerhard Van Der Heever. Two big, strong, fast, hard running wings that know how to sniff out the try-line.

Fullback.

Fullback is the only area of real concern for the Springboks. Zane Kirchner and Gio Aplon have their strengths but both will struggle to dislodge Francois Steyn from the back. However, because he is playing in France he can not be considered for this particular line-up. For the moment we'll have to go with Aplon as his counter attacking ability can not be underestimated.

Hospital Pass XV.

1. Beast Mtawarira
2. Bismarck Du Plessis
3. Jannie Du Plessis
4. Steven Sykes
5. Andries Bekker
6. Heindrich Brussow
7. Willem Alberts
8. Duane Vermeulen
9. Fourie Du Preez
10. Pat Lambie
11. Lwazi Mvovo
12. Wynand Olivier
13. Doppies La Grange
14. Gerhard Van Der Heever
15. Gio Aplon

Feel free to disagree!

'Tahs 'Still Pretty Solid'

Phil Waugh and Chris Hickey have assured Waratahs fans that reports of bickering between players, disharmony in the squad and unhappiness with the coaching team is nonsense.

Waugh who makes his return after recovering from a bicep injury described the team as 'still pretty solid' to AAP.

The Waratahs who sensationally lost to the Cheetahs last week have been struggling for from in the last few weeks and things won't get any easier when they face the Brumbies in Camberra.

"They had a hard look at their own performance and it wasn't a matter of pointing the finger at other people, it was more a matter of self analysis," Hickey told reporters.

Asked whether he thought he had lost the players' support, Hickey said: "No, not at all.

"Sometimes out of adversity comes strength and I think that, while it wasn't a pleasant experience, the Cheetahs game, I think that as a team we'll actually come closer and be stronger together."

OPINION: Mark Bates - The Winds of Change, A Welcome Breeze.

With doom and gloom abound in SA rugby I've decided to view things in a slightly different light.

Something I have been waiting for for a long time is happening right now. South African rugby is filled with a promising group of young players that are slowly starting to nudge out the old guard.

For far to long we have been watching the same old faces turning up in our beloved green and gold.

Don't get me wrong, I am by no means begrudging the service they have given us over the years, the many times iv tipped my beer glass in there honour will not be forgotten. But the time has come for new heroes, new fitter and faster gladiators if you will, for us to cheer on.

It amazed me to see how wary the Bulls where Of Andries Bekker's presence. Throwing their first line out of the match to the back. Bekker, who it must be said has come on in leaps and bounds since a few seasons ago. He has a work rate that a flanker would be proud of and is a line out jumper par excellence who it would seem has eclipsed the great Victor Matfield.

As for Bakkies, I have had enough of him to be honest. He is old and a liability. My lock pairing would be made up of Flip Van Der Merwe and Andries Bekker.

As for the front row, the debate is what do we do with John Smit. My debate is why haven't we been blooding a captain to take over from Smit?

The problem we face is that you just can leave out Bismark du Plessis. Although his line-out form has been atrocious so far this season , his tight loose play is phenomenal and he is a vicious ball carrier.

So what do we do?

I'm sure P Divvy will come up with some outrageous plan, maybe play Bismark at inside back!

In the loose-forwards we are stronger than ever and almost every South African franchise is flooded with talented loosies. A double edged sword in some aspects.

Being spoilt for choice makes for difficult team selection and when it comes to selecting the final three and who to come off the bench it must be a nightmare. I feel that the selectors are to set in their selections for the back- rowers.

Yes, Juan Smit is an incredible flanker but so is Francois Louw who got a chance in the green and gold for a whopping five games then got the boot for one poor performance.

As for Duane Vermeulen, his work rate far out weighs that of his counter part Pierre Spies who seems to disappear when the game gets tough and is bog average when the pack doesn’t have the upper hand. Duane never disappears, if anything he would probably have to be asked by his captain to get less involved. Again I offer you a combination. Brussow, Alberts and Vermeulen.

That is a mouth watering prospect.

As for the backs, I guess it all depends what kind of plan our brains trust ( if we can call it that ) has in mind. Fourie will always be first choice 9, but the romance is surely over for Ricky Januarie, his distribution is laboured at best and takes what seems an age to get the ball away from the base of the ruck.

It is no coincidence that the Stormers running game has improved since Dewald Duvenhage has been given the starting 9 jersey. Francois Hougaard is a good choice as he offers wing cover if needed and definitely brings a certain amount of flare with him.

Which brings us to the great number 10 issue, again this heavily dependant on game tactics, and yes Morné Steyn is tactically sound, handles pressure, and has a great kicking average, but at the same time is predictable, one dimensional and if I’m honest...just plain boring.

Enter Pat Lambie, such a talent who has proven that he can handle the pressures of big matches and definitely has a winning temperament. He has yet to prove himself on the international stage, but it's time to play him in the Tri-Nations.

What I would give to see Peter Grant in a Bok number 10 jersey. He has over looked for far too long. A kicking average that matches Morné Steyn's, Fears no line, great distribution and massive on defence! But a dream I guess it will stay.

In my mind opinion the centres are a easy one including the 3 J's of destruction. J de Villiers, J Fourie, and J de Jong. Enough said.

The back three, for so many years a rock in the side, now it's wide open. With Habana looking like all those soap ads have done some permanent damage to his hands, and JP Peterson having a horrible run of injuries the young guns have a great opportunity for the young guns to get in there.

Lwazi Mvovu is a player that has definitely impressed. He is strong, quick and possesses a high work rate. He is definitely making an impression.

A lot has been made of his size, but Gio Aplon has to be in the mix, he is so good from the back and a potent option when counter attacking. Teams will think twice about kicking the ball away with Aplon at the back. He has proven many times that he can take the hits even from the enforcer himself Bakkies Botha. Whether wing or fullback he has to play.

I guess for lack of any other options Kirchner at the back. Quality fullbacks seemed to have dried up in the Republic and that is of deep concern.

So this would be the my experimental team for the Tri-Nations. Considering the Rugby World Cup is looming we need to starting having a look at these players, while loading the bench with experience.

In a Tri-Nations that will be heavily overshadowed by the World Cup its the perfect time to do this.

1 Coenie Oostehuizen

2 Bismark Du Plessis

3 John Smit

4 Flip Vd Merwe

5 Andries Bekker

6 Heinrich Brussow

7 Willem Alberts

8 Duane Vermeulen

9 Fourie Du Preez

10 Pat Lambie / Peter Grant

11 Lwazi Mvovu

12 Juan De Villiers

13 Jaque Fourie

14 JP Peterson

15 Gio Aplon

The Oracle - Mark Bates