It appears that the Springboks might not choose their best team for a number of their Test in 2010, in an attempt to rest and manage players for the all important World Cup of 2011… is this wise or absolute folly?
Lee Flello, on his site rugbyweek says the following:
The Springboks could start the 2011 Rugby World Cup after suffering a number of defeats in 2010 as the best team might not be selected for all Test matches leading up to the tournament.
Experts at a media workshop in Johannesburg on Wednesday agreed that a number of standout players will have to be carefully managed in the next two years.
Springbok fitness and conditioning coach Neels Liebel and sports scientist Tim Noakes said this would be vital to ensure top ,players were are fit and in peak condition for the World Cup in New Zealand September 9 in 2011.
Noakes showed a series of graphs on how players used excessively in a season tended to either get injured or under-perform the following year.
Liebel agreed senior players like Victor Matfield, 32, Bakkies Botha, 30, and John Smit, 31, should still be available for the 2011 World Cup –but on condition that they were properly managed.
Noakes warned that John Smit collapsed in 2008 after a strenuous season. Fourie du Preez, he pointed out, played 1 835 minutes of rugby this season — the equivalent of 24 matches.
Du Preez still had three Tests on this year’s outgoing tour ahead of him. “It is highly unlikely that he won’t be injured next season,” said Noakes.
He pointed out that the form of former Springbok centre Marius Joubert, after a season of 38 matches, went downhill to the extent that he never played for South Africa again.
“Heinrich Brussow has to be watched,” Noakes said, as had Morne Steyn. All the players needed a single continuous break of at least eight weeks to recharge.
“Jake White was prepared, on our advice, to rest players for the away Tri-Nations series before the World Cup in 2007,” said Noakes.
“The Springboks lost both the away Tri-Nations Tests against Australia and New Zealand, but that gave our players the chance to go into the World Cup rested, motivated, uninjured and in peak physical condition.
“In fact, Jake had 30 completely fit players he could pick from for the final against England.”
Noakes said the Boks in 2006 had a poor year — so much so that White’s head as coach was called for. But it was necessary to give some players a break from the game.
“The saving grace of the Springboks is that they have (lately) cut down on training, but that is to a large extent offset by the players being trained into the ground by their provinces,” said Noakes.
He warned that there would be a price to pay, for the player, the country and also in the psychological plane where it will give opponents the confidence that the Boks were on their way out.
Liebel said the Springbok management were in constant discussions with the unions, but had to accept that the provincial and franchise coaches were measured by their results and would often opt for their best selections.
How to counter that?
Noakes agreed with a suggestion that the only way to really monitor and control the game as well as the training time of players was for them to be contracted by SA Rugby.
Liebel said teams managing their players the best were also at the top of the tree in the provincial and Super 14 competitions.
The Bulls, who used only 28 players in their 15 Super 14 matches, were a prime example of good management of players.
The Springboks’ success this year could also be contributed to good management of the players, with the injuries this year coming down significantly.
The recovery time of injuries within seven days was also much improved, and a cut-down on training time coupled with more attention to recovery were instrumental in that, Liebel said.
If sacrifices have to be made, it is my opinion that these sacrifices have to be made at Provincial level, not at Test level… damn, let Vic, Bakkies & Fourie du Preez sit out in the Currie Cup end of next year (damn that might be a problem for the Bulls to defend their crown)… similarly, let Brussow, John Smit, Beast, Mossie, Habana… and the Bokke who are carrying small niggles all sit out…
During the End of Year Tour of next year, 2010, let those Bokke with niggles sit out and not go on TOUR.
GBS,
This is a bit over the top. These guys can be mentally drained but not physically.
Fourie Du Preez – missed 4 super 14 games due to injury, didn’t play the 3rd lions test and only played 3 currie cup matches.
Victor Matfield – missed 4 super 14 games due to injury.
bakkies botha – was suspended for 3 games in the s14 and supended for the final B&I lions test. He never played more than 65 minutes.
The selfsame Prof Noakes said a couple of years back that the maximum amount of games should be 28.
The way I read it, if Fdup plays 3 tests it will be 27. So what is the problem. Victor might be the one that needs a break though.
I can only comment on the bulls players as I follow them more closely during the season.
Niemand wil dit sê nie, so ek gaan dit sê:
Noakes is ‘n spioen van die WP, wat nou met sogenaamde mediese verskonings moet kom om al die topspelers in ander provinsies te dwing om te rus (daar is mos nie in die WP sulke spelers nie), sodat die WP/Stormers weer ‘n kans kan kry om ‘n trofee te wen volgende jaar.
Daar is dit nou uit, julle het dit eerste hier gehoor op RT.
Sal nie verbaas wees as sy kantoor nog iewers naby Nuweland is nie …
🙂
2@ Onerb – Don’t kak on me… kak on Noakes and Liebel… hell I did’nt even write the Article… Lee Flello did…
You’ll see I say in comment #1 that I would not like the Bokke Test sides being weakened… and only “If sacrifices have to be made” rest some buggers who have carried a heavy load, rest them in the last part of the Currie Cup next year, which is after the Super 14, after the Mid-year incoming Tours, after the Tri-Nations… and at the end of the Currie Cup.
I also suggest only resting Test players with injury niggles end of next year, which should be simple logic and make perfect sense anyway…
Ek hoor sy kantoor is by die High-performance sentrum by bellville. Dis mos waar die disas oefen, nie waar?
🙂
Wasn’t drolling on you. Was also commenting on the arti and you were the only one commenting here, hence having a discussion with you.
Die High Performance Centre is langs Nuweland, daar waar SARU se kantore ook is.
Verflaks, ons moes dit gesien kom het. BDB is darem te uitgeslape vir daai manne in slaapstad!
6@ Onerb – Oh, OK… apology accepted…. oh shit, there was no apology either… hehehe
As long as you know I disagree with Noakes & Liebel, I’m totally against devaluing Tests as a means of achieving rest for players…. there are other avenues.
I agree they shouldn’t be playing too much. Bakkies will never play more than 30days, the SANZAR judicial committee and IRB will make damn sure, so he’s covered.
Matfield has a weak arm and injures it once a year resting him for 4 weeks, as does Fdup. The beast will be down on his feet as I don’t recall him being rested/injured one this year – O.k, he was rested during the semi’s of the s14 and the final of the cc…….
30 days = games. One = once. Sheesh that was terrible.
8: ja-nee, kyk regdeur hul planne. Hul noem my nie verniet Ben die Baasspeurder nie …
10: stem saam, en as die BB se afrigtingspan nie vir Bakkies wil afgee nie, dan ‘reël’ hy dit sommer self !
11@ Onerb – One simply gets days where the fingers and the brain are not very well connected…. first thing it farks with is with typing and spelling.
From what I read, Noakes wants all the Boks rested for the CC next year.
Maybe that is the way to go.
Now GBS help our here boet. Just bought a nice new pc screen and the bloody thing wont work? I am using my lap top at the moment but wanted a bigger screen. Pluged the screen into my lap top and boom nothing. This is how I normally work from another old screen that went down a few weeks back. So why is this not working?
GBS I worked it out. Got it to work finally. Damn not sure why it would not work the first time. 😆
GBS, ek verkies dat dit my vingers is en nie my mond nie, want dan beskuldig my vrou weer dat ek drink by die werk!
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