There is no doubt the book written by Bok skipper John Smit has and will cause quite a stir, but maybe its good for the truth to be told.
The article is courtecy of News24.
John Smit’s new book (File)
Durban – Current Springbok and World Cup-winning rugby captain John Smit pulls no punches in a new book to be published this weekend.
Smit relates how Luke Watson had a “cancerous” effect on members of the national team, the inside story behind the notorious Kamp Staaldraad, and what he terms the rugby “treachery” of former Sharks prop Ollie le Roux.
Smit says: “He (Watson) never tried to become a part of us. I think he really wanted to play for South Africa, but couldn’t stand the environment, and the truth is that he irritated the living shit out of the guys. I had players in my ear about him every flipping day. He was referred to as “the cancer” of the team.”
Captain In The Cauldron Captain In The Cauldron – the John Smit Story also outlines his assessments of Bok and Sharks coaches. On the one hand there is Kevin Putt’s double-speak and Rudolf Straeuli’s overly militaristic 2003 World Cup campaign; on the other he is full of praise for Dick Muir, John Plumtree, Jake White and Peter de Villiers.
Written with The Mercury’s Mike Greenaway, the book states that former Sharks Ollie le Roux and Chris Rossouw were involved in “a poisonous collaboration” against a number of younger Sharks players, especially in their disastrous 2000 tour under Hugh Reece-Edwards.
“Those guys taught me a lot about what not to do in a team environment.”
During practice, Smit wrote, Le Roux would deliberately hold back against the scrummaging machine – his way “of telling me that I needed to know my place”.
As senior front rankers they had wanted to control the team and, night after night, he says, they had accused Smit and Craig Davidson of causing a rift in the team. He was appalled at the treatment meted out to former Sharks captain Wayne Fyvie – a true son of KwaZulu-Natal, who had put his body on the line in every match.
Smit is, however, very passionate about the Sharks and full of praise for their set-up.
While much has already been written on Kamp Staaldraad, Smit relates how this over-the-top militarism did not stop with Smit himself having to rip the head off a live chicken. The campaign was carried into the 2003 World Cup in Australia. In a stupid attempt to bring back memories of Staaldraad they were served chicken legs and eggs. They had guards posted at their doors and were trailed by the coach’s spies (their chief Adriaan Heijns, a former undercover agent in the SA Police Force, being dubbed 000 by the players) wherever they went.
“All that suffering in the pit achieved nothing, in fact it had set us back,” Smit says.
While he supports the goals of transformation, Smit also has some strong things to say about the role of some of the sport’s administrators. Sadly, he thinks they are there for personal benefit, rather than for the good of rugby.
He relates how former rugby union deputy president Mike Stofile had never supported Smit in any way and had made his views known through the media.
It had hardly filled him with confidence to know that his employer felt that way about him.
However, Smit said, it did not take him long to get over things because Stofile lost his credibility through his actions.
Asbak @ 27
Te laat, jou musiek smaak suck. ALMAL weet dit nou. Eric en Cat Stevens klink anyway soos katte op hitte.
Daai tipe musiek is net gewild noord van die jukskei.
Is jy ‘n closet Bull? :smiley:
gbs @ 28
ek stem nie saam nie
ek like daai song (nog steeds)
bdb
Ek het pas op daai link @29 geclick, dit werk!
Jy moet net onthou om English te click, daar by die vlaggie, dan sal jy die skedule sien, en kan jy jou program kies.
Kyk bietjie, ek hol eers buite toe, sal later weer inloer om te sien of jy reggekom het.
29: ja, ek click bv op die eerste sport daar, maar dan wil dit nie iets wys nie.
#27 Eishley
Mmmm….nou raak jy mos warmer. Ma daai Slowhand song se regte naam is “Wonderful tonight” nie “Beautiful tonight” nie.
I can see it gonna be a process…. 😉
21 – VanStraaten,
Let us read the book first. Just reading a clip from it really does not tell us much.
Everyone on Voldy is going bats. Really have to read a book to really discuss anything from it.
Just want to talk a bit of rugby here.
What is everyones thoughts of the game tonight. Think we going to beat France? My feeling we going to do it. Close but we will be up for the battle. Boks by 7.
bdb
Click rugby op die blou lyn, MAAR NB, jy moet eers die spvod player aflaai onthou!!
Dis vinnig, kwessie van 5 sekondes.
Kyk manne en maninne…. hoeveel top-rugbyspelers dink julle verneuk nie hulle wederhalftes nie… dis ‘n epidemie as jy luister na wat sommiges sê oor dit… en hoeveel mense in die publiek issie net so skuldig aan verneukery van hulle wederhalftes nie…. so los nou maar die Joost kritiek… dis daar maar hel, om so ‘n ophef te maak is verregaande.
Japie se MISDAAD, want ja dis misdaad… met ‘n dogter is skandelik… dis bar en onaanvaarbaar…
Ja-ja, Joost het ‘n lyntjie of 2 gesnuif… fark die rumours hardloop wyd oor ander in SA, onder andere ‘n welbekende coach wat ook daai gewoontes het…
Hel, ek het al op een geleentheid self Vitamin Green beproef, laasjaar, om te voel hoe voel dit.. en ek is nie soooooooooooo sleg moerrrrrr nie…. hehehe
GBS don’t forget to put up a Cricket thread. Proteas playing England in the first 20/20 game later. Should be a cracker.
Now please hope there is no thunderstorms up there on the highveld to stop play there.
Good luck to our Proteas and of course our Bokke for later on.
39@ Puma – It’s scheduled already to appear in 20 minutes….
Come join R-T pool in SuperBru England in SA Tour, the ultimate England in SA Tour prediction game! It’s easy – just go to the website and enter the pool code spotelal to join the R-T pool, Rugby-Talk Cricket 2009. Website: http://www.superbru.com/englandtour Pool code: spotelal
#39 Puma
Ja, I’m really looking forward to tonight’s match-ups. Enjoy them, Puma.
I’m out of here.
Groente
39 Puma
Is there already a cricket Superbru game?
I started one , a bit late but lets see how many join.
But is you are already in one tell me , i would hate to play with myself. 😆
32: as lady in red jou gunsteling song is, dan is Rooikappie seker jou gunsteling storie ?
36 – Puma,
Mark Lievremont’s selections actually surprised me a bit. It’s obvious the channel between Morne Steyn and Adi Jacobs will be tested. I would’ve preferred Wynand Olivier at inside-centre, although I do rate Adi highly but as an outside-centre.
I’d like to see if Peter de Villiers’ (Retired South African born French prop) help had any influence on the South African scrum. I’m hoping for an improved performance, but I’m not banking on one. I think the French will probably get the overhand upfront.
John Smit talking about the Springboks being fresh. Well I’m not buying that. That’s all psyching themselves up and getting themselves in the right mental state to be able to tap into the last reserves. Guys like Fourie du Preez, Morne Steyn, Heinrich Brussow, etc. have played non-stop rugby since the beginning of the season. It will be tough. Of all the SH teams it is believed that Australia is the soft-target but personally I think South Africa should be viewed as the soft target. We could return home with 1 out of 3 wins.
I’d like to see if Morne Steyn gets targeted. No team have targeted the lad. He’s not the biggest bloke, and it would be interesting to see huge loose-forwards target him, and see how he responds.
The loss of Spies (Streriods? Hahaha), Frans Steyn, and Jean de Villiers (although I do believe Wynand should’ve been Springbok 12 the whole season) will affect us, as we will now have guys who didn’t play a whole lot this season there.
It all depends on South Africa’s approach towards the game. France could well upset South Africa today. With the changes, and tired bodies they have a good opportunity to do so.
fender @ 35
nope,
its definately “wonderful tonight”
..
btw
julle ouens moet daai songs meer vir julle beter helftes speel … dit laatie brownie punte opstapel soos f*kkol anders kan nie, hehehe
bdb @ 44
lmao
47: Ashley, dink jy het baie RED Heart gedrink toe jy so verlief geraak het op die lady in red …
Most of the comments on that other blog about this subject are very obviously made by people who have a strong opinion about how people should behave in a team, but who don’t seem to have had much experience of team dynamic at a reasonable level.
It is not about whether Watson or Ollie were bad for the team, it is about a team at the highest level getting the team dynamic right and not allowing selfish people to spoil this vital mental structure in a successfull team, whoever they happen to be.
I have oftened captained a team where I will reject a skilled player because he is not a TEAM man and is therefore more disruptive than good, in spite of any rugby talent that he has.
Believe me, all players in a team know when somebody is not with the rest of them.
Cheers all have to rush will be back later.
45 – VanStraaten mate will answer your post later. Have to rush out quick.
hey,
waars almal nou?
😯 flok, nou waarvoor MOES ek nou browny punte noem?
almal nou natuurlik daai cd’s gaan uitkrap!! 😆
TIGHTHEAD BOET ………………………… Amen
This is a reason i ignored in voldy and just read
i have played this game at a reasonable level . and understand it when a team has a bad eliment in it
another thing is i have many contacts in the sharks team , specially from a few years ago, and i was told on a few occasions on how arrogant and disruptive luke watson was even then at the sharks, so to ollie
i wont mentkion the players names , but the watson storie is not a new one ,his whole carreer so far has had its pot holes
i have never slated watson in here or voldy and i dont feel its my place to , but one thing i know is, so many people cant be wrong
and good afternoon everyone
and goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo bokssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
hi sharky
bye sharky
….
ok guys i’m outta here
enjoy the game
and
goooooooooooooo bokke!!
Hiho Sharky have as good weekend
GO BOKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
byeeeeeeeee
Over here, on R-T, a Luke thread hardly reaches 50 posts….just the way it should be, on a true rugby blog 🙂
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