With knee injury sustained in training - huge huge loss - our turnover king

Terrible news. Hope Bongi steps up and recovers his form from 2 years ago.

I’m guessing Dweba will be called in

I’m concerned we have now lost our turnover master - he wins us a good few often vital turnovers a game

Fuck.... that is absolutely massive

I wonder if Rassie will use this opportunity to bring in Handre Pollard. He has got Deon Fourie as backup hooker although I'd much prefer Dweba.

This is a disaster.  

Oh that’s not good news.

Hard luck for Marx. A key man gone.

Players are dropping like flies!

No worries.

We have the best 12 in the game to carry us over the line.

The versatile Deon Fourie, who also plays in the back row, will be the replacement hooker on the bench against Romania, while fellow back rower Marco van Staden has also been training in the position.

"We'll assess our needs for the rest of the tournament and confirm who we are calling up as an additional player later this week," said Nienabar.

"We have enough cover at hooker with Bongi and Deon [Fourie] in the squad, while Marco [van Staden] has also been training there and has been named on all our team sheets so far as a hooker option."

Huge risk relying on Fourie as our bench hooker when it comes to the knockout stages

I think they want Pollard but need Dweba

Marx is indispensable.

Yes one could almost say our most valuable player

We rely on him heavily to effect those turnovers especially when camped in our 22 and under pressure

He is an absolute master of his art

It may force a change of personnel - we might see Vermeulen elevated above Wiese as he is better at effecting turnovers

Fourie might be a handy bench hooker as he is good at effecting turnovers as is Kwagga and v Staaden

It’s why I don’t get why Koch is ahead of Thomas du Toit in the squad - Thomas is younger, bigger, better and great at effecting turnovers

Will be interesting to see if Marx’s departure changes the coaches thinking in terms of team make up away from hooker

Marx also doubles up as a potent ball carrier.

Massive ball carrier

Bongi is good but he is no Marx and we don’t see him effecting turnovers

Pointless looking for a like for like replacement, there ain't one, best to beef up the pack.

We're paying the price for the ridiculous decision to include 4 scrumhalves.

Bongi is a better lineout thrower than Marx.

Don’t forget the 4 openside flankers in Kolisi, Kwagga, v Staaden and Fourie

There is just no rationale in these selections other than them not being able to agree on which 3 to select and instead opting to select all 4 thereby compromising the team elsewhere

There is absolutely no merit in trying to convince the public that these players are versatile and can cover multiple positions. Bullshit Faf is not a flyhalf, nor is Kolbe just like Williams or Reinach are not wings and v Staaden is not a hooker

In a squad of 33 there is more than enough room to have 2 specialists in each position with an additional hooker and 9 and one utility player like Willemse

Our squad of 4 scrumhalves and 4 open sides leaves us 3 places short elsewhere one of whom should obviously have been Pollard, the other Dweba

Some very strange selections even down to the match day team.

Another huge loss…Marx is a vital key to our Forwards success…I also think with Nienhaber saying that van staden can also Cover hooker + Fourie, that they eyeing bringing Pollard back….has van staden ever played hooker before and how long ago did Fourie play hooker? Well we will have to see but dweba is not close to Marx….I would rather go for Johan Grobbelar which is a better bet. This strange 33 man squad is showing his ugly head.

Well, we need guys that can hit our jumpers. Right now only Bongi had a decent track record. Dweeb and Fourie is a massive risk. 

We saw ho much momentum and points we conceded when Dweeb played for SA in Johannesburg. 

You give possession away to a team like Ireland and it will lights out for us. 

They should have invested more in Grobbelaar 

Dweba’s throwing was fine for the Stormers

I doubt v Staaden has ever played hooker and if he did it would have been pre him being a pro

Is there not a law that only recognised frontrow players can play in the frontrow which would exclude v Staaden

Marx was the catalyst that compensated for our  loosies who can’t fetch and our forward ball carrier, who can’t run.  Other than Etzebeth there is no bigger loss.

No worries, surely one of the halfbacks can step in for him??

Is he a loss? He is not a big presence at the breakdown, and his defence is average. He hadn't played especially well this year. Maybe marginally better than Bongi this year, so far. 

Oh Doos you really are a useless fucking waste of space

You seriously know fuck all about rugby

It’s a real pity you have returned to pollute this board with your rugby ignorance

Over and out - just fuck off

I know enough to mop the floor with you with ease. That's good enough . 

Doos you are so fucking stupid that you are unable to comprehend how embarrassing you are.

Let’s take your utterly ignorant view on Marx for instance. Not a single poster on this board nor any view published out there on Marx would ever agree with your insulting take.

You really are a fucking joke - go back to crying in your pillow it was a pleasure without you while you were gone, you pathetically negative prick

My wife knows next to nothing about rugby. She has no interest in the game and harrdly ever watches it. On the rare occasion that she does watch rugby (like during a RWC when we have friends and family around to watch the game) she'll be saying things like "why is he playing if he's got bandages around his legs?" . . . or when a defender makes a perfectly legitimate tackle she'll be on her feet demanding a red card . . . or she'll be asking why the kicker is cheating by using a kicking tee. Stuff like that. We're used to it so we just roll our eyes and send her to the kitchen to get more dry wors or beers.

Why am I saying all this? Because as clueless as my wife is when it comes to rugby, she still knows a lot more about the game than Doos XL.

Fact.

Does XL claims the Boks (ranked #2  in the world) have the worst defense out of all of the top 10 rugby test teams...

Even without knowing anything about rugby or sport, anyone could look at that statement and see it is impossible. 

It's actually a bit embarrassing having this ignorant yet opinionated and very vocal rugby noob posting on the same board.

Rooi there is no doubt your lovely wife knows more about the game than this negative blue arse fly

My cat knows more about the game and I’ve never seen kitty in front of the telly

Marx won’t be missed - fuck me can anyone be more stupid

What surprises me more than anything is that some fools on here give Doos some credit at times fuck me some were stupid enough to call for his return during his pleasurable absence

A major blow for the Springboks WC chances.

Irrespective of who fills in for him they cannot match his power, skill or class as the #1 Hooker for RSA.

Mr Steriod is a poor replacement and Fourie is going to be out of his league.

Well if they do not win the RWC 2023 this injury to Marks will  be exploited to the fullest by Rassie and his clowns.

Sa dly.

Best hooker in the game

Best hooker in the game

Naah Sheehan for Ireland is better.  Just coming back from injury though so not sure if he will be trusted against SA,  We do have two other excellent hookers in Kelleher and Herring. Think Kelleher is as good  as Marx.  Ireland was not concerned about your hooker it is the size of therest of your bloody pack

Well for his latest effortless embarrassment DoosXL deserves an upgrade......

DoosXXL....there........sorted!

the size of the rest of your bloody pack

Be afraid Boor ad.....they're coming for you, all born in the year beef was cheap.

"Is he a loss? He is not a big presence at the breakdown, and his defence is average"

There are quite a few posters on this forum that know a lot more about this great game, than I do, and I really enjoy reading their individual assessments and opinions of certain players, laws... games or teams etc etc

That includes you as well Deus .... you clearly do know a lot about the game ... and I can see that from some of your posts ...and whether I agree with what you say or not.... is irrespective, because you know a lot more than me, and I respect that.

However, even with my limited knowledge and understanding of this fantastic game .... I cannot comprehend this statement from you ... sorry, but it is just absurd.

Borat you are speaking through your arse

Marx is better than Shee it’s not even close Shee is on par with Bongi

If you were not concerned about the size of Marx let me remind you he is all of 118kg

You are wrong DA, Doos knows fuck all about the game - I don’t recall a single post from him that was ever accurate or had any relevance

The closest he has come is liking one of the du Preez twins but even there he fucked up telling us the other was nowhere near as good

Most negative and ignorant poster I have ever come across

In insult of a Bok supporter

Agreed Saffex. I'd go as far as saying anyone who thinks Doos is anything other than a rugby noob must be pretty clueless about rugby himself.

Typing up enormous amounts of ignorant garbage through the night doesn't make anyone a rugby expert. The more this twit writes the more he exposes his laughably weak knowledge of the game.

Is it absurd? I logged him being brushed aside at the breakdown in the majority of instances in the RC. I haven't seen a great deal of improvement. He was attribute for things that he never did. 

"You are wrong DA, Doos knows fuck all about the game"

No I'm not ...you are

This is where you let your emotions get the better of you Dave

Did I say he was always correct... no

Did I say that what he posts always makes sense ...no

Did I say that I agree with everything he posts .... no

Did i say that his opinion is better than mine or any other poster .... no

But I do respect the fact that he knows quite a lot about the technical side of the game and the laws

Precisely Dave... like you do, as well as Rooinek, and Moz and a few others like Plum and King or Pakie with his expert video analysis ...

Just because I might not agree with what you always say about a player, a game, a law or even a sanction, it doesn't mean I think that you know fuck all about the game...

I do agree however that the continuous negative posts about the Springboks and our players is just boring and nauseating ....

You miss my point DA everything he says is incorrect so how the fuck does he know the game?

Clearly what he is seeing is the polar opposite to everyone else which tells me he knows fuck all

How the fuck can you sit there telling the board that the likes of Arendse, Moodie, Am, de Allende, Willemse, Libbok, Faf, Hendrikse, Malherbe, Lood, Kolisi, PSDT, Roos etc etc are not test standard players or that Marx won’t be missed

Is that coming from someone who knows the game? Bullshit

Best of all Rooi is some fools on here fuel his belief that he should be heard

Freedom of speech and all that - but come on there is only so much garbage a man can take

I try ignore him but I’m so drawn to telling him he is fucking stupid - why I do that is beyond me as it makes zero impression

The biggest joke is the imaginary evidence he keeps telling us he furnishes - his standard response is I dealt with the issue some time back. Should be quite easy for him to retrieve if that is the case - but noooooo…..like Marx being brushed aside at the breakdown - dream on dumbass

Borat you are speaking through your arse

We will disagree Saffex.  I would have Sheehan every day of the week,  he is lighter but he is a superior athlete.  He is very fast and nimble on his feet around the tight and very regularly finds yards in close.   He gives us a lot of go-forward ball.   He is also very strong in the defense and has very good technique.  Unfortunately we will not find out now  

I rate him don’t worry but Marx is in a different league

Marx is a freak, his power is something else - so much go forward from him and he is the best in the business over the ball

French hooker is a class act as well

"You miss my point DA everything he says is incorrect so how the fuck does he know the game?"

Exactly my point, which shows me that you are actually missing my point Dave

Not everything that yo u say about the game on this forum is correct Dave.. but it is your own personal opinion ... that you stand by ..... and I respect that... although it may not always be correct... although to you it is.

Take DDA for example .... by your own statement above, "polar opposite to everyone else" .....most people on this forum do not rate DDA anymore....at all.... and they used to.... but not anymore... myself included.... but you then believe that everyone else knows fuck all about DDA ... only you.... again your opinion... but you are doing here exactly what you are accusing Deus of ...albeit to a lessor scale.

So it does not mean that if someone has a different opinion to you, on a player or a team, or even the interpretation of a phase of play.....that they know fuck all about the game.

"How the fuck can you sit there telling the board that the likes of Arendse, Moodie, Am, de Allende, Willemse, Libbok, Faf, Hendrikse, Malherbe, Lood, Kolisi, PSDT, Roos etc etc are not test standard players or that Marx won’t be missed

Is that coming from someone who knows the game? Bullshit"

I 100% agree with you here.... but as I said earlier, he clearly knows a lot about the game itself....and like I said, the ongoing negative player analysis ad nauseum is not even worth reading

DA I might have one or two points that differ not 99% of them like Doos does

Huge difference

He knows fuck all about rugby. The fact that he tells you he is analysing the game does not mean he knows what he is doing

His content is a load of shit. Volume does not equate to knowledge. Accuracy does

He is like Mostert - all energy and zero productivity

So no new news on who they will call up to replace Marx?

"So no new news on who they will call up to replace Marx?"

Very possible it's Pollard, but not guaranteed

Nienaber said that he will be keeping an eye on how Pollard plays his first game back when he plays for Leicester against Sale Sharks later today...

Ok Thanks DA….So that means they will stick with Bongi as the only specialist hooker and Oom Fourie + Flanker van Staden, will be back up….this might just be a crucial mistake, as we thrive of scrum/ Forward dominance.

Dwebba is the only candidate for a hooker replacement, given he has experience with the Boks

Like going negative on Mostert ad nauseum? We have no rugby press that criticizes anything or provides any useful analysis. I haven’t read one article on the age of the Bok team for example, which is a huge issue. You can read those canary in the coal mine views on Ruckers, because posters like Deus don’t conform to the conventional beliefs.

Intolerance is never good….independent thought is

Journos are petrified of slating players these days.

Thanks to social media.

Basically, all players are awesome, everything is amazing and we live in a perfect rugby world.

Deus knows a lots a facts about rugby but the problem lies in understanding those facts. Hence due to lack of understanding he comes to weird conclusions.

Now ou Rooitwit know little about rugby and understands even less. To him Luke Watson was better than Schall Burger who went on to win World Rugby Player of the year. Hahahahaha.

 But let's not forget Mozzzz who trash WORLD RUGBY PLAYER OF THE YEAR Du Toit.

Deus has his faults rugby wise but comes out around the tops in politics.

Rooitwit knowledge and understanding of politics is abysmal.

So Rooitwit you have little to shout about. Bwahahahahaha. 

Yes the Marx loss is a terrible blow.

Deon Fourie will make a very pacy hooker. Who can do some good fetching. How he will shape if he has to play 80 minutes I don't know. I suspect he is pretty fit and raring to go.

Best start him against Romania. 

Doos knows fuck all about rugby - nothing he ever says has relevance or is by any stretch accurate - especially his take on players - it’s the worst player read I’ve ever come across, distantly followed by Moz :)

I hope Deon can still find his jumpers.

So, Marx is a key Bok at the breakdown, despite being cleared out of rucks at least 80% of the time? What other contributions?

PTSD has been rated as the 17th best flank in 2019, and the 30th best carrier of 30 by volume in Super rugby that year. His production has never been any better. He has the most missed tackles of all Boks over the past fifteen years at least. Is cleanly beaten a good 40% of all engagements which aren't accounted for in stats. Yet I'm just being negative.

Pollard hasn't outplayed an opposition 10 since Scotland 2018. But that's no problem. 

Our defence over the past two seasons is at 77%, worst of all tier 1 nations and some tier 2. However, I'm just being negative.

Our lineout has ranked bottom the past three years. But I'm just being negative. 

Our scrum has consistently ranked near the bottom. However, I'm just being negative. 

No, the guppies like Saddex, Beanbag et al don't understand the technical side of the game and don't have the analytical skills to discern anything of note. As evidenced by them lying and also failing to see Willie play 10 for 80 mins against NZ when lambasting Willemse and praising the shambolic Libbok. 

I'm wasting my time on clowns who cannot be educated. 

sadly if poor Deus's comments were even remotely true we would not be anywhere near number 2 in the ranking going into this RWC.

Deus is now doubling down on stupid rather than learning from his mistakes. I wish him a spee dy recovery!

According to Rugby 365 "... the Bok camp revealed that Etzebeth is now just four to five days away from completing his recovery plan."

So some good news for Bok fans. Here's hoping injuries won't be a big factor for all teams. ABs still have some to deal with.

Tonga is potentially a banana peel, and we could pick up damaging injures. It's a rough one to plan for. You wouldn't necessarily want a pure B team there. 

"No one can be this stupid . . ."

No, he really is. 

I'm sure there were posters who thought I exaggerated when I said that Doos has the least rugby knowledge of anyone on this board . . . which is quite an achievement if you think of ou Maaik and Baboon-ou . . . but I wasn't.

To think there are posters like DumbAss and ButtPlug who think Doos is some kind of rugby guru!

LMAO!

Well Dairy Bells, you are quite welcome to take anything I've ever said, and we can go frame by frame through any test. The floor is yours. Any time. Ende. 

Okay then chump, how about this . . .

Ummmmm . . . the floor is all yours, Doos.

Uh-oh . . . looks like the loud-mouthed rugby noob has vanished.

The Boks rank bottom for tackle stats. Ranking 4th in the RC with 83%, and 77% of the past three years. How then is the defence a dominant feature of our game? Again, where are is this dominant defence to be found? I have pointed out numerous times to this weakness. Marx is a breakdown beast? I already exposed that myth. PTSD is a great contributor? I already exposed that. You have nothing Mrs Searle. You never have, and the carp who follow you like Guppy and Beanbag never will. You can reference nothing. I've never seen you contribute any rugby content. 

To determine how good a team's defense and attack are, you take the average of other teams in the same tournament. (Points for, and points against).

If a team ranks number 2 in a tournament, it is obvious that on average, their defense and attack are better than most teams. 

Basic tackle stats give context, but it is a limited dataset with unreliable data. 

If 2 teams play each other, and one scores 5 tries and the other scores one - then obviously the first team has a better attack and defense. 

The Boks miss a lot of tackles each game. They are not a dominant defensive team. The official stats for the Scotland test is that the Scots put in a third more dominant tackles than the Boks. This is evident in the porous defending of the Boks. Guppy, you are a relativist trying to weedle your way to "proving" something in a very indirect way without any tangible data or evidence. You've actually embarrassed yourself significantly this far this season. 

Doos keeps quoting stats and percentages - I want to know where this lying twat gets these stats from, what is his source?

No doubt it’s his own - it would not surprise me

I tell you what Doos please be man enough to provide the frame by frame analysis that Rooi has requested from you

I can’t fucking wait for this one - defence into attacking opportunities bwaahaaaaa

While you are at it could you please provide us with a frame by frame analysis on the art of making a milktart - I bet that is where your strength lies for it sure as fuck is not rugby

First and foremost I consult film and bring all in line with that. None of the carp can stand up to vid scrutiny. You all for references and they consistently and predictably provide nothing. We all know that Saddex listens to whatever journalist or pundit agrees with him. Bitter old Dairy Bells on the other hand simply looks for an opportunity to sling mud.  As can be seen in these recent threads, they collectively amount to nothing but hot air.

Ah so Doos admits that all those stats, figures, percentages etc are all his own. Makes more sense than ever

Doos your stats carry about as much merit as my morning dump

As for me - I use pundits to back my takes up you idiot not to formulate them

Do you know the difference

Now give us your take on milktarts

Doos, you're dodging the question in a rather cowardly manner. How or why are defenders supposed to "create opportunities"? You said you'd back it up with "frames" but so far all you've done is duck, deflect and obfuscate.

Come on big-mouth, you're always proclaiming yourself to be an expert and telling the rest of us how stupid we are, here's your big opportunity to prove that you actually know anything about rugby.

So how or why are defenders supposed to "create opportunities"?

The floor is still yours.

Yes Doos where are those frames?

Defence into attacking opportunities - bwhaaahaaaaa

Come on Doos

Doos, you're dodging the question in a rather cowardly manner. How or why are defenders supposed to "create opportunities"? You said you'd back it up with "frames" but so far all you've done is duck, deflect and obfuscate.

Come on big-mouth, you're always proclaiming yourself to be an expert and telling the rest of us how stupid we are, here's your big opportunity to prove that you actually know anything about rugby.

I cited evidence that the defence is not top tier, you denied this to be true. The onus is on you to provide evidence of the Boks being a threat on defence, creating opportunities through pressure. You said this was a fact, and I challenged you to provide such evidence by referencing anything at all. I challenged you on any game and any frame of said games. How then can I provide references for things I don't believe existed in the first place. How can a team who ranked bottom of the RC on defence - by a comfortable margin - be a top tier defence? How can a team who has 77% tackle efficiency for the past three seasons be a top tier defensive team? They have the leakiest defence in tier 1 rugby. You say that is incorrect, well, provide something resembling evidence to the contrary. You can start with any game from PTSD, Damian, Kolisi, Lood, Arendse, Libbok et al. The floor is yours... of course, we all know that you will never provide anything. You don't make rugby contributions. 

It’s a while ago I know, but Marx,s tackle in the 2019 Final that dislodge the ball, PSDT picks up the ball start making Forward metres and then Kolbe got the Ball and the rest is history Try time ! P.S. Dirty Boy was left in the Dust like a MF : )

"I cited evidence that the defence is not top tier, you denied this to be true. "

Mrs Searle, you are becoming hysterical and nonsensical. I think you should stay in the kitchen, and for goodness sake, wear the appropriate restraining harnesses for those dreadfully hanging glands of yours. 

Wehe . . .

". . . you are quite welcome to take anything I've ever said, and we can go frame by frame through any test"

Ja right . . .