This time of year we usually get the ‘awards’ columns from rugby journalists or experts, I am neither so I won’t bore you with another one.
Taking time out and not doing this straight after our last test against Ireland gave me time to reflect on the season more holistically, and in many ways I disagree with the general sentiment out there that this was a special season for the Boks in the sense that people refer, or reflect on 2009.
For me personally, I am left disappointed.
At the end of 2008 I was excited by the promise the team showed. They had a willingness to adapt and change or for a better word, evolve with the game.
2009 however showed me nothing to get me excited.
Yes winning is nice and no-one could be more proud of what the boys achieved on the pitch this year.
It is not every year that we can sit back and look at our trophy cabinet and see a Super 14 trophy, a Lions series trophy, the Tri-Nations trophy, The Mandela Shield (or is it s plate?), the Freedom Cup, the Sevens World Series Trophy, and of course old Bill.
But many guys will tell you it is one thing to get to the top, it is quite another thing to stay there.
So yes, congratulations to Peter and the boys on their success in 2009, but these days the top prize is sustained success.
As an example, the World Cup gives any nation who holds it a bit of bragging rights, but anyone who knows anything about the game would be stupid not to admit that for the last 20 odd years or so, apart from a hiccup every now and then, the All Blacks have been the best in the world.
It is great to have the wood over them in 2009, where we beat them 3 times! But that hardly makes up for the last 15 years or so where we have been the bridesmaids.
So when it comes to sustained success against the top teams in the world we have to ask ourselves – do we believe we will do the same against the All Blacks and Australia (our main rivals) in 2010? I know we all hope and believe it is possible, but hope and belief achieved very little throughout the history of the game. Unfortunately, I personally believe we will not have a similar year of success in 2010, because I have seen very little ‘development’ or some sort of evolution in our game to show me we are not one-trick ponies but a team that grows with the times and ensures sustained domination in the game.
We have plan A, and if that fails, we pretty much have nothing else.
Now Plan A worked pretty well in the first Lions test but got worked out after that.
Plan A worked pretty well in the Tri-Nations for us but also got worked out on the End-of-Year tour especially when we came up against a guy (Gert Smal) that helped devise the plan in the first place.
Have we grown at all since 2007? In 2008 I believed we did, but 2009 showed me that when the chips are down, we are pretty much still those one-trick ponies.
One of our saving graces however is that what we do, we do pretty damn well and in fact, I think we are the best in the world at it. But unfortunately, as 2004 proved where we were the best at the rush defense, we will get worked out.
Peter talked about taking this team to the next level, that we can add another 20 to 30% to these guys and take them to a level to achieve sustained success never before seen in Springbok rugby in the professional era. Not only did I believe him, I also felt he was right and that it could be achieved.
It is not changing or dropping players or not playing towards our strengths, it simply evolving as a team and as players and the class of 2009, showed none of that.
I believe it is best explained in a quote I heard on television on Discovery channel about evolution in general, and that the species (read team) most likely to survive and not go extinct or become someone’s lunch are not those who effect change, but those who adapt to changes (read evolve) best.
In life or in that context you cannot afford to be a one-trick pony, if you are, you will be the ones being dug up and studied in future, rather than those doing the digging or those who survived.
It means that you have to evolve to add multiple dimensions and skills to meet whatever challenge head-on and survive, and not only rely on the tried and tested because as in nature where your enemies (viruses and bacteria) evolve and work out your natural and current defenses, so do professional rugby teams you come up against.
The Springboks have not.
In fact, where we won 69% of our tests in 2008 we only managed to win 66% in 2009. So yes the trophy cabinet might look very pretty, but in terms of our results, we have not evolved, or grown, we have in fact statistically speaking, regressed.
2010 will be a shocker of a year for many teams. Included in that of course I believe will be our Boks who will hit a low next year for many reasons, but also, I think the All Blacks will also suffer a shocker because their situation is very similar to that of the Boks.
I said many times this year that I cannot see the Blacks evolving or changing or becoming better under Henry, and I stand by that still. Take Carter out of that team and they are average.
Teams that will do well in 2010 includes Australia, France and Ireland (so make your picks today if you want to make a couple of bucks).
Australia and Robbie Deans are being criticised in a very similar way Peter was criticised in 2008, but what I believe they do not see is how Deans is busy evolving the game of rugby in Australia with a new breed of player and a fresher, newer way of thinking and playing.
Two years out, those three teams are also my picks for success in 2011 in New Zealand.
Of course the Boks and the Blacks will be there and amongst the top 5 for the next couple of years, because as long as we have the physical edge to the game we have in those two teams, they will be tough to beat.
Within saying that, it also means they only present a singular threat to opposition, where the aim really is to present multiple threats to opposition teams so you cannot be easily worked out and countered.
There is still time for possible success in 2011, but do not expect anything special in 2010.
Who will win the match? You have up until the scheduled start of play on Day 1 to make this pick.
This was copied from Superbru, we must get the real starting time, i also think the toss will be at least half a hour before that.
Question is now, do we prefer the PDV of 2008 or the all conquering one of 2009???
@Puma – The world cup will only take place in September, so plenty of time for playing the Tri-Nations (Actually weird because the previous World Cup played in New Zealand was around May – June). Probably a shorter competition though. The Super 15 was not the brightest idea I have to say. In my opinion there’s nothing wrong with the Super 14, except for three South African sides in the bottom three!
I prefer PDV from 2008…
33 – Van, I would have reduced the S14 back to S12 or 10 even. Too much rugby and many wont be at the same strength as some teams. Just hope it is not SA at the bottom as usual. Somehow think this year we going to do a bit better there. Hope Dick can do something good with the Lions. Have a good feeling for them, hope I am right.
Well if we play Tri-Nations in the wc year. Just hope no injuries and think it will be that we only play each other twice that year instead of 3 times. Still crazy. With the world cup in September. When will the Tri-Nations then take place? It normally ends end of Aug/early Sept.
31 – Super, Thanks. Will watch for the toss first then put in my picks.
32 – Morne, I liked the way we played against Oz and England last year. Then was it because Oz never had their full strength side in that last game? or that they never took much notice of it being the last game? Also England were very poor last year. So do we look at those games or the others where we lost really bad.
This year we won most of our games. I like the feeling of winning but you are right they will suss us out all the time if we play the same gameplan. Need a bit of what we done right in those games against Oz and England and what we done right this year.`
VAN,
Me too.
@35 – Dick can make magic with a good backline coach. The Sharks played great rugby when Campo was the backline coach, nice structured rugby, when he left the Sharks just started punishing mistakes (opportunistic rugby, Bulls played that way in the Currie Cup, you kind of feel lucky when your team wins a game like that).
39 – Van, You very right mate. When Campo left our backline was never as good.
Muir was very good in the first year. Then after not too sure. What irratated me is all the subs and just far too quick and too many at the same time. As soon as we were looking good he would sub someone. Never forgive him for leaving Francie on the bench and playing him anywhere it suited him. But think he will have learned and has a lot more experience now. I think he will be good for the Lions. Hope so. We need a strong Lions. Such history that franchise. Sad to see them always sitting near the bottom of the S14.
sorry meant irritated
Puma,
That is the base of my train of thought – we beat the best of Aus and Eng with some great rugby – it is something we should have built on, not left behind as we did in 2009.
32
Morne remember how Jake got speed when new ideas came from Eddie? PdV must get some decent help , Dick had his chance and nothing is happening in our back line. Almost all the tries come from mistakes by the opponents.
The game the All Blacks played against France is what we must build towards.
42 – Morne, Agree we should have built on that. Then this was a tough year. Playing the Lions we had to play like wc rugby. Tight to win it. Think maybe that messed up from what we were trying to do last year. Not sure. Just think between those great games last year. I could have pulled my heart out…….hehehe. We looked awful. Then in those games got it spot on. Now looking at England and looking back at Oz at Ellis Park. Not sure if it was because Oz had not their full strength side playing and that England are just plain poor. Or did we actually get it right for those games. I would like to think we got it right and if we could play like that all the time. We could be unbeatable. Well maybe. Have to see how we do this year. Like you say somehow I also don’t see us repeating what we done this year into next year. Unless we have another gameplan.
44 – Super,
Or the game Bulls played against Chiefs. Brilliant stuff that. Count the tries there boet. That was one of the all time great games.
Boks need to pull off something like that.
43 – Super, Think PdV needs the Bulls backline coach for the Boks. He has done brilliant at the Bulls. Muir can go and coach the Lions.
46
that game was FdP best of many great games this year. Within minutes he broke the Chiefs.
48 – Super, It was the best game of the year for me too.
FdP should have won player of the year. How McCaw got it instead is a mystery.
That will go down as one of the greatest S14 games ever by the Bulls. Just slaughted the Chiefs.
I know you team slaughted the Reds too but that was not a good Reds side, this Chief side was a good side so it was great to see Bulls playing like that.
What a great year the Bulls had this year. Just awesome.
I dont think we will have the same this year. I hope that our young guns step up this year and grow a beard. That will be good for me. And i hope that with JL Potgieter there we can play a A and a B game when we choose to.
The Sharks have about 10 loose forwards to pick from, hope they get their combos right and it is not a constant chop and change story. I was quite surprised how the Sharks fell out of contention in both the s14 and CC.
Continuity was not there in my eyes. You must get the right combo and stick to them for at least 80% of the game, this 50 minutes play before subbing is nonsense.
51 – Super you are 100% right. This subbing is a complete utter waste of time. It is nonsense really. That I think cost us a lot.
We started well and just fell off the pace. Also not picking up bonus points cost us. Then losing Ruan to injury and having Fransie go to FH was not ideal either.
Hope we have a better season next year. Somehow not expecting much next season like I was this year. Then when you don’t expect much they could surprise. Think the Saders will be a good team next year. Chis Jack is back too.
OK i am going out , night
Cheers Super, I am also out now. Catch up tomorrow. Let us hope the weather stays good through out the cricket. Really looking forward to the tests.
52
Puma one last thought. Monty Dumond is not bad at all, they are ruining his career there.
SuperBul is it up to me to turn out the lights tonight?
GBS, WHEN IS OUR CHRISTMAS PARTY?
Ive got a great new Armarni mini dress too and 5″ heels……
BRING IT ON………
A mini dress Carol?
59 – Pill, well it is Christmas!! 😉
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