Etzebeth off to Toulon

after the RWC. Drat these parasitic frogs. I have no time for them anymore. May their rugby languish until even sides like samoa beat them!

Ex Planet Rugby:

Toulon have found their replacement for the retiring Bakkies Botha with reports that Eben Etzebeth has signed for the French champions.

According to local paper Var Matin, the Springbok lock will join the club from the South of France after next year's World Cup.

It would be a major coup for Mourad Boudjellal, who will lose Botha at the end of the season when he hangs up his boots.

Clermont Auvergne were believed to be keen on signing Etzebeth from the Stormers, but it seems his heart is set on Toulon.

Etzebeth would join the likes of Mamuka Gorgodze, Ali Williams, Romain Taofifenua and Jocelino Suta as second row options next year, while Samu Manoa is also believed to have signed for the club.

The 23-year-old Etzebeth has 33 Springbok caps to his name since making his debut back in 2012.

This scenario is thanks to Heyneke Meyer who convinced SARU to pick overseas players.

The only way to stop this rot is to stop selecting overseas players. 

For me it is simple, if you want the money go for it, but then you don't play for the Boks.

Yes, let's continue to select overseas players, until the whole bloody bok team is playing overseas.

Then our fans have no one they identify with.

Fu...n smart idea. 

Then we can select the whole bloody Bok team on reputation.

The local players will have no in because they would be measured up to a reputation which is mythical in its existence.

What a way to go, soon we will have Vodacom sides playing CUrrie Cup and Super Rugby, we'll be the laughing stock of world rugby.

Beeno, do you want to see a springbok team with no local players?

Will you be passionate about seeing players you don't see any other time of the year?

This is what will happen.

All Boks will go overseas if they get an offer.

Those that have aspirations to become Springboks and are being overlooked because of reputations will leave.

The quality of our competitions will get worse and worse.

Eventually people will lose interest in a rugby due to the poor quality. 

There is no way to compare a player in SA to a player overseas who is selected on reputation, when do you know a local player is now good enough for a coach to a last give up on the overseas player, (a) until he decides to retire or (B) until he is injured?

Beeno, you are not answering my question, when do we know they are no longer the best?

Knowing that they will NOT lose their Bok spot has thus far only encouraged them to go.  

Besides that, I have previously given the reasons and complications in regards to selecting overseas players and how it affects preparations etc.

I know I am in the minority in this regards, many just accept the status quo "he has been the best the last decade, so must still be" but I don't, on the evidence seen over the last three years only Francois Louw has not lost form.

I want my country to be represented by the best local players, everyone says "Ja but what if the best player is overseas?"

How the hell do you know that? You are comparing the idealistic notion of reputation playing overseas to proof at home.

Knowing that they will NOT lose their Bok spot has thus far only encouraged them to go. 

BB there are wasy of assessing overseas players. Watch tapes of the games. Go and watch the games personally if necessar. How old are the  guys. Are they bench players. Atre they palying 80 minutes. Are they winning man of the match awards. What are their stats saying etc etc.  

Surely you are not going to tell me when Etzebeth leaves in 201 in the prime of his palying days we must write him off for the Boks.

I have already said there will be top players who will go regardless of losing their Bok spot. Eg Bekker. 

BB the way its going to work for the wise player is up your market value by playing test rugby for a couple of season and then while relatively young go and play abroad and earn double or more.

Retire a rich man for life with earnings safely invested overseas. 

Do you think Jaque Fopurie was worried about his Bok spot - of course not and rightly so. The steps he has taken have set him up for life!

Beeno the realist trying hard to get the fanciful BB on course!

 Ha, fanciful.

When a player leaves he is putting his game management, his career, his form and conditioning and his availability for tests in the hands of his new club.

A Springbok coach needs his players to be available to him when he does pre season training camps, he needs his whole squad together for as long as possible prior to a tournament or tour, he needs to know he can rely on the players being available during tests.

A Springbok coach wants continuity in training, preparation and selections.

He should be able to compare his players when they play each other in matches during the local season to assess whether players have lost form, reaction time, speed and are up to the pace he requires his team to perform.

If that is just fanciful requirements, then by all means, continue with the status quo and continue to fail

No mate, for me there is only one way, you pick home based players every time, this hanging on to players who has left is not the way forward, and you will never convince me otherwise.