Ricky Januarie: Are we flogging a dead horse?

So, a 47 test veteran for the Springboks with 72% win record but at 29 years of age and looking overweight and unfit, should he really be in the SupeRugby setup let alone the International setup?

His stats are good but the bottom line is why is he being favoured over players that clearly have more to offer, are younger, fitter and more consistent?

There are 5 scrum -halves that have been named in the Springbok provisional squad : Du Preez, Januarie, Hougaard, Pretorius & McLeod. Who would you cut from those five names? In fairness Hougaard has struggled with injury and du Preez hasn't been his best, McLeod has been in sparkling form but Sarel Pretorius, WOW, he has been sensational!

Yes, Hougaard doesn't start but he can fill a utility position in the Squad. Januarie has hardly started for the Stormers in this season SupeRugby Tournament, he has been playing behind a great young talent in Dewaldt Duvenhage.

Peter de Villiers has said in interviews that he is speaking to the player (Januarie) regarding his fitness and weight. Surely, he should not be rewarded for being out of shape with a Springbok call up and surely that is a conversation that Allister Coetzee (Stormers Coach) should be having?

I don't think he should be in the mix when it comes to Springbok selection and possibly SupeRugby selection until he sorts himself out. In this professional era all players have access to dieticians, fitness consultants, training plans just to mention a few perks but the bottom line is, YOUR A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE! Act like one and show the discipline to look after yourself and your physique. The rest will fall into place as he undoubtedly has the talent and skill.

Most of our memories of Januarie of late have been negative but there is one thing we all remember about him and that's his game winning try against the All Blacks!

SupeRugby Round 8 Recap:

The Bulls got a duck, The Reds blew the Stormers away, The Brumbies finally won and the Sharks nearly expended themselves in the first half and left nothing for the second. This is pretty much how the weekend went along for SupeRugby. The combined log has chopped and changed and there are a few sides realising that there is no hope left for them. On the other hand there are 5 teams fighting for 3 positions in the knock-out stages.

• The Highlanders would have walked into the changing room after the game on Friday thanking their lucky stars that rugby is only 80minutes long. They looked to be extremely comfortable but the Cheetahs came back in the 76th minute with a converted try from Phillip Burger.The Highlanders had to defend for the final 4 minutes to hold onto the 3 point win. Highlanders won 24-21

• WOW! When last did you watch a SupeRugby game where a team played without scoring? Can you hear the warning bells ringing because I can. The Crusaders owned the Bulls on Friday and took them to task. The only blemish was not securing a bonus point win. Crusaders won 27-0

• The Brumbies won the battle of the 2 most disappointing teams this season, and only just. A single point separated these 2 non-achievers and the win seemed like a SupeRugby final win for the Brumbies, as all the subs and management flocked onto the field after the final whistle. The boot of Matt Giteau lifted the hopes of the home team with a single unconverted try from winger Henry Speight. Brumbies won 17-16.

• The Waratahs secured a comprehensive bonus point win over fellow Australian side the Western Force. The Waratahs back three have been in sublime form this season and came up with the goods again on Saturday as Drew Mitchell (2) and Kurtley Beale (1) crossed over for the visiting team. Tom Carter at inside centre started the try scoring in the29th minute. Waratahs won 31-3.

• The Stormers fell again at yet another crucial hurdle by losing to the Reds at Newlands. The games was riddled with handling errors and the Reds capitalised on a poor Stormers performance. Last weeks JudgeRugby Player of the Week , Peter Grant, did not perform and you wonder if the absence of Jean de Villiers outside him contributed to his performance. Reds won 19-6

• The Sharks earned a bonus point win on Saturday against the Lions but not without a little second half resistance from the visitors. The Sharks had already scored 3 tries by half time and a bonus point win was on everyone's mind. The Lions however, had a different plan. Out of pure grit and defensive strength they held the Sharks off and it was only in the 81st minute that Charl McLeod managed to squirm over for the 4th try. Sharks won 27-3

Player of the Week: Drew Mitchell
Team of the Week: Waratahs
WTF of the Week: The Bulls
Ouch of the Week: Flip van der Merwe & Conrad Smith