Stormers could dominate new Bok squad
Durban - No-one writing in the pages of the Independent Group can accuse Springbok coach Nick Mallett of a Cape bias. At least not if he has a heavy Stormers emphasis in the first 28-man squad which will be announced on Monday night.
Rugby writers are notorious for being biased towards the team they report on day in and day out, week in and week out throughout the course of a season. It is perhaps understandable if you consider that often we only have time to watch the team we are writing about.
But when seven Independent Group journalists from around the country were canvassed for their squads on Saturday, it emerged that either the nature of the beast has changed or, like Mallett, we have used form shown in the Super 12 as the prime selection criterion.
For while the three Cape writers canvassed - Mark Keohane, Joslyn Titus and myself - all had more Stormers than Cats, Bulls or Sharks, so did the hacks from Pretoria, Durban and Johannesburg.
Indeed, if Mallett's selections are anything like ours, the squad will closely reflect what has happened this past season in the Super 12.
All but one writer, Mike Greenaway of Durban, had the Stormers as the biggest representation followed by the Cats. Greenaway conformed to the old Last Outpost habit of finding some good in even this most abysmal of seasons for rugby in those parts - he has 10 Stormers, but as many Sharks as Cats (8) in his squad.
The loyal Durbanite is also the only writer to have found a place for 1995 and 1999 World Cup veterans Mark Andrews and Chris Rossouw, both of whom have been given little chance of making the team by critics who hail from north of the Drakensberg or south of the Kei River.
The journalists were briefed to choose the team they would pick if they were sole selector - in other words, no-one is trying to guess this time at what Mallett is doing.
It is interesting to note that everyone has young Stormers centre De Wet Barry in the squad, while Charl Marais, the Stormers hooker, and Thinus Delport are other players who were not at last year's World Cup but are regarded as unanimous choices now.
The Argus duo were the only writers to ignore the talent of Cats outside centre Grant Esterhuizen, while Greenaway, suffering from Natal fever, found place for Stefan Terblanche ahead of Chester Williams, who would otherwise have been a unanimous choice.
In my team there were several close calls, most notably at centre, where I found it hard to choose between two veterans who have seldom let their country down - Pieter Muller (Sharks) and Japie Mulder (Cats).
Maybe it was my Durban background that swayed it Muller's way.
At scrumhalf I have opted for three players on the basis that Joost van der Westhuizen, the obvious first choice, still has to prove his fitness over 80 minutes.
The extra space was found by the reckoning on the versatility of Barry, who can play both inside and outside centre, and Deon Kayser, who can play wing and centre.
The other debatable areas were lock, where Johan Ackermann, Andrews and Hottie Louw all challenge strongly, particularly if Albert van der Berg's injury problems persist.
There was division over whether the squad should be split between an equal number of forwards and backs or whether forwards should predominate by two.
Gavin Rich (Weekend Argus):
Percy Montgomery, Thinus Delport, Breyton Paulse, Deon Kayser, Pieter Rossouw, Chester Williams, Robbie Fleck, De Wet Barry, Pieter Muller, Braam van Straaten, Jannie de Beer, Joost van der Westhuizen, Dan van Zyl, Werner Swanepoel, Andre Vos, Andre Venter, Rassie Erasmus, Corne Krige, AJ Venter, Albert van der Berg, Krynauw Otto, Selborne Boome, Cobus Visagie, Willie Meyer, Charl Marais, Naka Drotske, Os du Randt, Robbie Kempson. (14/14 split - 12 Stormers, seven Cats, five Bulls, four Sharks).
Mark Keohane (Weekend Argus and Rugbynet):
Percy Montgomery, Thinus Delport, Pieter Rossouw, Breyton Paulse, Chester Williams, Deon Kayser, Grant Esterhuizen, Robbie Fleck, De Wet Barry, Japie Mulder, Clinton van Rensburg, Joost van der Westhuizen, Werner Swanepoel, Andre Vos (captain), Andre Venter, Rassie Erasmus, Corne Krige, Hendrik Gerber, Selborne Boome, Krynauw Otto, Albert van der Berg, Hottie Louw, Cobus Visagie, Robbie Kempson, Ollie le Roux, Willie Meyer, Charl Marais, John Smit. (13/15 split - 12 Stormers, nine Cats, two Bulls, five Sharks).
Joslyn Titus (Cape Argus):
Percy Montgomery, Thinus Delport, Breyton Paulse, Deon Kayser, Pieter Rossouw, Chester Williams, Robbie Fleck, De Wet Barry, Pieter Muller, Jannie de Beer, Braam van Straaten, Joost van der Westhuizen, Dan van Zyl, Werner Swanepoel, Andre Vos, Andre Venter, Rassie Erasmus, Hendrik Gerber, Corne Krige, Krynauw Otto, Selborne Boome, Hottie Louw, Cobus Visagie, Willie Meyer, Charl Marais, Naka Drotske, Robbie Kempson, Ollie le Roux. (14/14 split - 14 Stormers, seven Cats, four Bulls, three Sharks).
Liam del Carme (Sunday Independent):
Percy Montgomery, Thinus Delport, Breyton Paulse, Pieter Rossouw, Deon Kayser, Robbie Fleck, Japie Mulder, Grant Esterhuizen, De Wet Barry, Jannie de Beer, Braam van Straaten, Joost van der Westhuizen, Werner Swanepoel, Andre Vos, Andre Venter, Rassie Erasmus, AJ Venter, Corne Krige, Krynauw Otto, Selborne Boome, Johan Ackermann, Albert van der Berg, Cobus Visagie, Willie Meyer, Charl Marais, Naka Drotske, Os du Randt, Ollie le Roux. (13/15 split - 10 Stormers, nine Cats, five Bulls, four Sharks).
Mike Greenaway (Natal Newspapers):
Percy Montgomery, Thinus Delport, Breyton Paulse, Deon Kayser, Stefan Terblanche, Pieter Rossouw, Robbie Fleck, Grant Esterhuizen, De Wet Barry, Pieter Muller, Braam van Straaten, Jannie de Beer, Joost van der Westhuizen, Werner Swanepoel, Andre Vos, Rassie Erasmus, Andre Venter, AJ Venter, Corne Krige, Albert van der Berg, Johan Ackermann, Mark Andrews, Cobus Visagie, Willie Meyer, Ollie le Roux, Robbie Kempson, Charl Marais, Chris Rossouw. (14/14 split - 10 Stormers, eight Cats, eight Sharks, two Bulls)
Brendan Nel (Pretoria News):
Percy Montgomery, Thinus Delport, Breyton Paulse, Pieter Rossouw, Deon Kayser, Chester Williams, Robbie Fleck, De Wet Barry, Grant Esterhuizen, Braam van Straaten, Jannie de Beer, Joost van der Westhuizen, Werner Swanepoel, Andre Vos, Andre Venter, Rassie Erasmus, Corne Krige, Hendrik Gerber, Krynauw Otto, Albert van der Berg, Johan Ackermann, Hottie Louw, Cobus Visagie, Willie Meyer, Ollie le Roux, Os du Randt, Charl Marais, Leon Boshoff. (13/15 split - 11 Stormers, 10 Cats, four Bulls, three Sharks)