Bob gives us a shout from OZ

I managed to catch up with a mate of ours here at BlogspotRugby this week , Bob Skinstad, on his tour to Oz with the Springboks, and asked him a few quick questions about the Boks current Tri Nations campaign.

Being a former Springbok himself, Bob is no stranger to the rigours of life on the tour, and should be well equipped in taking part in a quick Q&A session.

Here it goes:

• Dooley: Bob, the Springboks were criticised for playing ‘boring’ rugby after their first 3 wins, but put the flair in for the most recent win against the Wallabies. Do you think there is substance in the ‘boring’ label, or is winning winning at test level?

Bob: People are quick to criticise – especially when they are looking from an opposition fans point of view and their sides aren’t winning – I think there is only one measure for success, and that is winning – and there is also a separate measure for entertainment and that is crowd pulling factor. The IRB made the laws and the Boks play to them – they are just playing to them better than anyone at the moment !

• Dooley: PDV has done a lot better tactically so far in the Tri Nations than in the B&I Lions Series, do you think he will be able to keep the edge on our opponents for the last two games?

Bob: Yes – he has a healthy mix of senior players and young flair players that compliments his strategic edge with one of diverse talents, so they should be able to keep doing that. 

•  Dooley: PDV looks like he has got the bulk of the Tri Nations squad selection spot on, finally cutting away from one or two unnecessary selections. Are you happy with the current squad and do you feel like anyone really missed out on selection?

Bob: Obviously very happy with his selection as we were almost bang on! I think he has so much talent in this country that it is harder than ever to pick exactly the right mix – barring one or two players going overseas and others retiring – we should see this squad being close to the same for the next two years.

• Dooley: One of the most clear answers that came from the B&I series, in my opinion, is that Jaque Fourie is our best #13. He didn’t receive the ball once from a set piece during the 1st Wallabies test, but scored from 1st phase in the 2nd. Do you think his combination with Jean De Villiers is back to it’s best?

Bob: Form is temporary and class is permanent – he is the best centre in the world and he showed it on Saturday.

• Dooley: Heinrich Brussow has shown he has what it takes to match up to the likes of George Smith and Ritchie McCaw. With Schalk Burger back, where does he stand in the long run?

Bob: He is big part of the success , no doubt , but so is Schalk and the best thing was to see them play together for a bit on Saturday – loose forwards are competitive by nature so it will only enhance the healthy jostling for position within the squad.

• Dooley: The Aussies have twice, uncharacteristically gotten the better of us during the scrums, and John Smit has openly admitted he isn’t yet up to scratch to maintain at prop for the full 80 minutes. Should we be concerned in this area, or do you feel they will rectify it before the next test?

Bob: We will be ok – so long as Bryce Lawrence gets it right – I thought he was in the wrong three or four times on Sat, both for and against us so I am not being biased – he just made judgement errors – scrum reffing has been very poor in the last few years – Wayne Erickson was the last great scrum ref, cause he played prop – hope Wayne Barnes is up to it, cause the Aussies will try and target us there.

• Dooley: Morne Steyn has put his hand up well for continued selection, but perhaps needs to improve on his defense. Do you think Ruan Pienaar, with his creativity at #10, will get another start in order to open the game up now that we all but have the trophy?

Bob: No – I like the 10 / 15 combination with the prodigious talent of Fransie Steyn on the bench – it is the way we will win on Saturday and we need the balance.

• Dooley: Name your ideal starting lineup for the remaining Tri Nations tests?

Bob: Same as before (Aus) – except with Frans on the wing and Odwaon the bench (or other way round , don’t mind), and Danie on the bench.

You can also check out the Q&A session on Bob’s Blog over at the SuperSport website. Also check out Bob’s own personal blog, and don’t forget to follow him on Twitter.

While I’m at it, you can also follow BlogspotRugby on Twitter, or my own Twitter account.

Now that I’m done turning your screen blue, what did you think of Bob’s responses? Do you have a different opinion? Leave a comment.