PREMIUM!
What’s with Allister’s fixation on Damian de Allende?
People are puzzled by certain absences in the Springbok squad. My problem isn’t so much with players who didn’t make it, but those who did.
Jaco van der Merwe.
Over the past couple of days there’s been a lot of the usual debate around the 34-man Springbok squad for their tour of Europe.
Many people are puzzled by Robert du Preez’s absence and others want to know why Nizaam Carr or Makazole Mapimpi didn’t crack the nod.
My problem isn’t so much with the players who didn’t make it, but rather those who did.
Well, actually only one: Damian de Allende. Seriously? How long is Springbok coach Allister Coetzee going to cling onto this guy for?
And the sad thing is, most of the reasons Coetzee uses to justify why he didn’t pick certain either players, applies to De Allende.
For starters, Coetzee loves to tell us why he overlooked someone because of a lack of game time.
Take Ruan Combrinck for example.
He’s out injured at the moment, but when he was available last time round, we heard that there were some issues with his fitness.
We are talking about a seriously classy player here who scored a sensational try against the Bulls in Super Rugby when he was rushed back only half-fit in May.
He regained his fitness for SA A versus the French Barbarians and in the latter part of Super Rugby, but weeks down the line wasn’t considered fit according to Coetzee’s high standards.
But in the same Bok squad, De Allende and Handre Pollard were deemed fit enough.
Pollard who missed almost all of the Bulls’ Super Rugby campaign and De Allende, who made a very belated comeback for the Stormers after playing only 63 minutes before round 13.
A handful of Super Rugby games followed by a total of 53 minutes in all of five Tests for the Boks this year.
This included his little cameo against the All Blacks at Newlands during which he conceded a crucial match-winning-penalty and was shown a red card for his stupid charge on flyhalf Lima Sopoaga.
And even though neither De Allende nor Pollard were released to play in the Currie Cup because of their national contracts, they were deemed good enough and fit enough for inclusion in the yearend touring party.
But Rohan Janse van Rensburg isn’t.
A guy who was sublime in Super Rugby before getting injured and even though he didn’t start in the competition after his comeback, he saw more action in the Currie Cup than De Allende saw all year long.
“We know what Rohan can give the team,” said Coetzee this week. Those were his exact words on Ruan Combrinck. It means he doesn’t rate you.
But rate De Allende he certainly does.
“Damian didn’t get a lot of time out on the field to gain that confidence. I know Damian is a quality player, he just needs to be backed and gain confidence.”
For goodness sake Allister, we are not talking about a worldclass player like Brian O’Driscoll or Tana Umaga here.
If De Allende hasn’t been playing for whatever reason, let him play in the first available tournament to prove to supporters why he should be in the Bok team on merit.
Until such time, don’t try and fool the fans with your confusing little analogies. We are not all as stupid as we look.
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