Before the World Cup kicked off two of the SARugby.com Editors - Dave Wessels and Gareth Rosslee - locked horns in a battle to select their World Xv’s.
Unfortunately the launch of the new SARugby.com site and move to new servers wiped out our final selections and the final team line-ups. It was a stuff […]

Despite late support for Lewsey, Rougerie and Heyman there wasn’t enough there to challenge the pace and tryscoring ability of Joe Rokocoko.  “Smokin’ Joe” has the knack of finding the tryline despite looking almost nonchalant at times.  That’s just fine with me!
He’s big, he’s fast and he rocks. 
I must admit I thought long and hard […]

I’m fairly confident that I’ve got this here competition in the bag. The only worry was at tighthead, but the news yesterday that Pieter de Villiers is fit and raring to go was yet another blessing in a trail of good fortune.
Mind you, Scrumfan’s suggestion I should have considered Greg Sommerville on the loosehead side […]

It is no secret that Fourie du Preez is the best scrumhalf in the world.  I was in awe of him this weekend as he slotted straight back into top form against Scotland and was easily the best player on the field. 
In fact, I don’t think much of the other scrumhalves that will be heading […]

I just thought I’d let everyone know that this morning Gareth called Fourie du Preez ‘the best scrumhalf in the world without doubt’…
It was a small, but significant joy that interrupted my coffee making routine…as if God had chosen today as a special blessing for me…then, just to be sure I double checked the number […]

The biggest blow to France’s chances of winning the World Cup in front of their home crowd is the lose of prop Sylvain Marconnet. I wanted him badly. I even waited until the very last moment to select my frontrow - hoping that he would return to fitness in time. It wasn’t to be.
In truth, […]

With Dave having picked Matt Giteau a while back in his All-Australian backline (what is up with that?) I’ve had plenty of opportunity to mull over the choice between Jauzion and D’Arcy at inside centre. 
D’Arcy is a special player with a good relationship with B’OD, but in the end - and particularly in light of Jauzion’s […]

France’s demolition of England over the weekend (without Chabal mind you) has me seriously considering a number of Les Blues. England are supposed to have a powerful pack yet were completely and utterly destroyed by the rampant French. I’ve picked Ibanez this time out, but there are more Frenchies to come…
Ibanez is a robust and […]

I’ve been mulling this one over for a while and have decided to go for the risky option in picking All Black mad-man Sione Lauaki at number eight.
My reasoning is that my pack is already so physically superior to Dave’s that I might as well go all out and put Lauaki behind them to complete […]

I undoubtedly would have liked Dan Carter in this position - who wouldn’t. But Jonny Wilkinson and Ronon O’Gara are two experienced campaigners that could have done the business for me at number 10. Though Michalak has been out of the game with injury for some time, he remains one of rugby’s brightest stars.
Michalak […]