Is success in rugby defined by an individual or by a collective team effort?
I know it is almost impossible to define so I won’t try and give you an answer to that question, but I am going to try and explore which is more important.
Throughout Peter de Villiers’ tenure when people tried to play down his achievements I insisted that better Bok teams lost against worse New Zealand and Australian teams in the past, and I stick by that.
During the week Zelim Nel from the Cape Argus wrote a column many De Villiers supporters did or will not enjoy, basically asking and telling us to put his record into perspective. Now the arguments he used in his column is not necessarily something I agree with, but I think most people missed the message in his column, and that is quite simply, if we lose John Smit we are screwed.
Great teams and great era’s are defined by many things, for me, any great team currently or from the past always had a great captain.
I was asked recently why I was so emotional whenever something negative is said about Peter de Villiers. And I think I need to put my support for old Snorre into perspective.
Nothing he has done in the past, or what he has done in his first few months of his appointment as Bok coach, convinced me that he is on the right track until the moment Peter went over to France and asked John Smit to come back to South Africa and lead the Springboks. From that moment, and until he is fired (which is the only way Bok coaches leave) he will have my support for that one single action.
We have debated many times in the past whether you select your captain first, and your team around him, or whether you select the best 22 and pick your captain from that group. It was a contentious debate back in 1995 when Francois Pienaar’s selection of captain basically guaranteed Tiaan Strauss’ exclusion from the Bok team, and it there was similar sentiments when Jake White stuck with John Smit as his captain and first choice hooker when he clearly was not the best hooker in the country.
All of this is of course a matter of opinion and preference, and I am sure you will know on which side of the fence I am sitting on! But it is an opinion which made me slept much easier when I recently read an article by one Gregor Paul of New Zealand when he chatted to Alan Whetton, a former New Zealand loose-forward flanker.
It was a discussion with the former All Black great on why New Zealand, dominating world rugby for the last 20 odd years, failed to win a World Cup since the inception of the tournament which was held on New Zealand soil in 1987.
In what was a summation by Whetton (which I am sure many South Africans will enjoy too given how he lashes out at the lack of discipline we instill in our children today) it basically came down to one thing he said that caught my attention; “We have lost a generation of leaders”.
That one quote sums up so many things for me personally it is almost unbelievable and impossible to highlight all of them in one single article – but the message is clear, strong and to the very point I, and I believe Zelim Nel try to make when we say that; “If we lose John Smit, we are screwed”.
Yes one man cannot win you a game of rugby, as much as one swallow does not make it summer, just as many conspiracy theories or opinions and ‘open secrets’ about De Villiers is, or might be true, but the one thing that defines this Bok team, hailed by some as the greatest ever is defined by only one thing, or one person, John Smit.
@Puma –
People that were there once told me that the most important reason we were successful in 1995 was Morne DuP. The way he brought the guys together as manager and how he managed them made them into the force they were – with Francoise of course.
@Puma –
Yes I agree. Potgieter.
A small percentage of people are born to lead, most are born to follow and make no mistake, are good followers and supports the leader – and Pottas is one of those – a leader.
The adverse is also true and I have experienced it.
Great leaders are terrible followers.
It was the main problem in 2003 with Joost and Corne, and it was the same for the Sharks in the Super 14 this year.
Before the season started I wrote an article for a Sharks supporters website, I said Plumtree will rue the day he did not select John as captain. I was laughed off because Johann just lead them to a Currie Cup victory… The rest is history.
@Puma – If the Bulls will do SA a favor we can see how he leads the experienced boks in the Bulls side. Just wonder if Matfield will be so gratious to stand back for a snotkop 😀
@Morn̩ Р61
I can believe that. M. Du Plessis was a superb leader when he lead to the Boks too. It just carried on with him no matter what he does.
@Morn̩ Р62
Yes Potgieter really impressed me when he leat the E.Boks this year. A born leader too. Think he will take over after the wc. My feeling.
@Puma – 66
meant lead.
@superBul – 64
:laugh: Don’t think Matfield will stand down for Potgieter right now. Potgieter will be the Bulls next captain when Matfield has left and I think he will be the next Bok captain. Probably after wc 2011.
@superBul –
Matfield needs to take him under his wing imo.
Most important, Pottas and the rest of the team need to be told he is taking over from Matfield – that will help Pottas and the team ease into the transition.
Most important, it should be a coach’s call in full support of the current leadership of the Bulls, Matfield & Du Preez
Am I the only one that still doubts Ludeke’s coaching ability?
It is a personal view but certain coaches for me have an aura around them, when you see them, even on TV, you can just see they command respect in the way they talk and act.
Ludeke misses that one thing for me.
A trade of a great manager in my personal opinion.
@Morné –
Current coaches that have this (and there isn’t many) include Naka for me, in addition to Dawie Theron and Jimmy Stonehouse.
Paul Treu and Eric Sauls also display this type of quality.
Okay Sunady lunch time here, later gents.
@Morn̩ Р70
I dont know him that well , the results came in and we are happy. Think he is more like a good head doctor , HM was too.
This year he played a bit around with the team and i am worried that we did not build up to a great crescendo. Or are we.
Cheers Morne and Super. Out of here now. Lunch time here too.
Captain. “O Captain, My Captain” wrote Walt Whitman back in 1865. This handsome blogger is saying the same thing in 2009. Say what you will about his logs, or the fact that he’s a tighthead convert, but John Smit has everything to do with our dominance. When he’s off the field we lose focus. He drives the team and binds them together. When he speaks off the field, the world listens and takes notes. He’d take a bullet for the Springboks and you, me and every man playing underneath him knows it. And that’s why he’s so great. He doesn’t need to try and make us believe in him, we do simply by looking at him. And his tighthead game improves weekly, but if it means keeping him on the park, I’ll have him there no matter what his form’s like.
Somebody said this on another blog. Scary to think the whole Springbok culture/success turns around one man, really scary.
Eishhhhhhhhhhh, strong words to heap so much praise and emphasis on the roll of John Barney Smit.
I think John Smit is a wonderful captain, presents himself well in interviews and does everything which an ambassador should do.
That said, he is surrounded by vastly experienced fellow leaders and probably the best group of players a captain can ever wish for AND ably led by Peter de Villiers who seems to be a very good man-manager (despite his inability to be a brilliant speaker in the media and the tendency to have foot-in-mouth disease).
For success, a blend of great captain, good players, good management and coaching is required… the Bokke are in the wonderful position that all these ducks are securely in a row.
Be careful not to place to much emphasis in one factor alone…. John Smit.
That said, I hope John Barney Smit stays captain, retains form and leads the Bokke till after World Cup 2011.
I also see only a few candidates as logical successors and I have to agree that Dewalt Potgieter fits all the requirements…
Goooooooooooooooi Mieliessssssssss
@grootblousmile –
Just as all great leaders present and in the past needed their support group around them to achieve the impossible, so to John needs his people around him to achieve success.
But there is only one leader.
“Hello” – silence :ghost:
77@Morné – And so… he’s an excellent leader… I agree…
Is he irreplaceable…. no… none of us are…. except me… hehehehehe
78@carol – am I a ghost?
@carol – 78
Hi Carol, sorry about your team the other night, so by the way did you get the video clip of the lions?
@grootblousmile – Hi…
@grootblousmile –
Irreplaceable?
No.
Exceptional and rare?
Yes.
@grootblousmile – Phew, no it was just geeting a bit spooky and quiet!!
You OK now?
81@superBul – Mater, lykmy ons tjomme het babbelas maximus vandag….
@superBul – Hello, sounds like we just did not have it is us to put the Aussies under any pressure. I am just going to do Ausies to win tomorrow!!
I will look in junk mail incase the lions were forwarded there.
84@carol – I’m fine… lying in bed, blogging on the new little Notebook.
It’s raining outside and it’s a bit chilly……
@Morné – How did you change your spelling error so quickly? Is this the advantage of being an ‘author’? 😀
BTW I think unique would be the word I used!
@superBul – I see it – can’t get it to play though!! will have a go tomorrow!
@carol – sorry i think it was to big , will learn how to make them smaller
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