After 4 Springbok losses in a row in a Tournament, the Tri-Nations, which lies very close to the hearts of South Africans and with the Rugby World Cup now exactly a year from now, the temptation is there to insist on taking the knives out and to cut some dead wood from the Springbok team and management.
… but we’ve been there before, remembering so well how we, me included, shouted from the rooftops that Jake White needed the axe.
However, this to me seems somewhat different, there has been a few too many incidents where we were within rights to be very critical about Peter de Villiers, his Assistant Coaches, our Captain John Smit and possibly a few Springbok players.
Let’s start with John Smit… was it mere coincidence that he missed the critical tackle on Ma’a Nonu, which saw Israel Dagg score the winning try on Saturday or is there justifyable critisism about John Smit’s general standard of fitness and ability to keep up with the rigors Springbok rugby requires in the twilight of his career.
To me it is clear that South Africa has an abundance of hookers who are right up there in International standards… there’s Bismarck du Plessis, Gary Botha and Adriaan Strauss who have all played for the Springboks with disctinction and additionally there is the form of Tiaan Liebenberg and Deon Fourie in the Provinces. Naming these 5 successors totally negates the availability of Chiliboy Ralepelle, well let me put it diplomatically, he does note rate, as far as I’m concerned, amongst SA’s top 6 hookers.
Pierre Spies has not been on form either and the voices are rising that alternatives for this talented athlete must be tried and that he should be replaced by real hard men, players like Duane Vermeulen or Willem Alberts. I tend to agree with them.
Victor Matfield is also coming in for some stern critisism, yet in his case I would still stay with the old grizzly, specially in the absense of Andries Bekker. Here’s hoping “Big Vic” still has a year and a bit of his best rugby waiting in the wings, for that to happen it is clear to me he needs a good break after the next 2 Tests.
Bryan Habana, what is wrong with you? Is it time to replace you with a hungry youngster like Lwazi Mvovo, a new hero to carry the candle and make us proud next year in the World Cup?
Then we move to ultra-sensitive ground… the Coaching staff.
I have personally had one too many excuses flung at me by Peter De Villiers, too many poorly worded media statements, a few too many poor diplomatic performances.. and quite a few too many tactical and substitution blunders.
The fish rots from the head, it is said, so cut the head off, replace the fish with a fresh one… do what is in SA’s best interests!
What about Dick Muir and Gary Gold? Can anyone give me a few, yes just a few, positives these two Assitants have brought to SA Rugby. I am battling to find any and I am constantly reminded at what they have given us in 2010 from a Super 14 and International perspective.
We are not a bunch op limp and forgiving supporters in South Africa, we set high standards, we expect nothing but the best.
Let me ask the question this way, would any of you out there employ Dick Muir in your business, or Peter de Villiers, or Gary Gold? I would not, they would not make it past the stage of sending CV’s, they would get no further interview and they would most certainly not get the position, not even to wash my dirty little car!
I have had enough of these clowns and I think there is time, a year out from the World Cup, to turn fortunes around.
Go Bokke rugby!
If this does not elicit response, then you are all on drugs!
Yes GBS it is time for change.
The problem we always have is that it is all or nothing.
In other words we go along until everything breaks down and then the changes that are needed are seriously big and it takes time to get strong again.
The best professional sports managers/coaches are constantly changing and evolving so that they are not faced with this all fall down situation.
They are men with vision who are constantly planning for the future by understanding when to let the old go and just how to groom the young, so that the mix is always best for the team dynamic.
All of this is done in an enviroment in which they realize that what was good enough yesterday will not be good enough tomorrow in professional sport.
It seems to me that with all the baggage we carry around in our rugby like politics we are headed for the situation where change will come when we are rock bottom and there is no other option.
And so the cycle starts again!!
2@ tight head:
The Way SARU is structured, plays a major role in this type of attitude.
Big Business will fail if they had to adapt the same stance.
But to our peril SARU is not run to the standards of big Business.
Dis waar, die grootse probleem le natuurlik by die afrigters.
Die belangrikste invloed op die span en sukses is sekerlik spankeuse. Maar dis juis die narre wat die keuses maak.
Ek sien geen manier dat Pieter de Villiers afgedank sal word nie. Hy sal ook seker nog aanbly na 2011.
As ek die Lorrery win, begin ek my eie bok span…wie will my coaches wees? đ
Banana Habana …needs to go!!!!
Nots ure how many of you guys on facebook but on thebulls site i said back then when Habana moved to WP this will be the start of the end and i hate to say it but i told you so………:-)
Dick, Gary and PDV needs to go and bring H. Meyer to the boks he will fix this!!!
Well I know Dick Muir well and have in fact done business with him…and would work with him again at any time, so I dont agree with that analogy. The other two I dont know as individuals. But it seems to me that people are getting worn down by the system. John Smit is not fulfilling the Captains role in the same way as he used to, it appears to me. I think a rest is in order, but his leadership is required for the world cup. The main coach and Gary, I cant really comment but they seem to be without ideas. When White was battling with the backline he got the Aussie to come in and help. I think SARU should give Plumtree and Rassie a callup and get some input from them, often when you are in the middle of a thing you cant see the wood for the trees and some outside objective criticism is required. Clearly there is a strategic management problem.
Habana should be rested or go and play Currie Cup. He is busy but clearly the coach appears not to have spent time with the game plan on the wing!!! Where is his cover when he comes inside. John Smits missed tackle…why is a hooker trying to tackle a centre in the middle of the field…where are our centres as good as both the guys are on Saturday, clearly the combination is lacking. Bismarck will return to the squad shortly and Chiliboy will drop away. do we replace our locks…I think not, but Victor must go and rest NOW let the young ou’s and Danie shoulder the burden. Bakkies and Victor work well as a combo, when Bakkies is back, he should go and play Currie Cup for a while.
Do we outright end some peoples Bok career? At this close to the world cup…no we dont. I called for wholesale changes 3 years ago…it didnt happen. Do we have a chance to win the world cup 2nd time on a trot….if someone else takes NZ out, yes we can, against the Aussies I give us 50/50….with the cup in the SH I dont give anyone elswe a chance really, but there will be the usuual suspects in the Quarters…England, France and Argentina may be a surprise.
@ grootblousmile: Well…I am on drugs for the rest of my life, its called chronic medication. Please qualify your statement, say something like “If you dont react, then you are on RECREATIONAL drugs” đ
@ grootblousmile:
GBS, just to prove I’m not on drugs đ
No need for radical surgery on the player’s side. Weed out a few old ones – Smit, Matfield & Spies. Await the return of the missing – DuPlessis, Botha, Brussow, Du Preez & Fourie. Juan Smith is back, that’s a big plus. Then you have a good team shaping up. Someone has to decide about Morne Steyn, whether it’s the player or the coaching strategy. Either way some more offensive play has to be injected at the #10 position. Currently the opposition does not have to worry about an offensive threat from #10.
As for the coaches I can’t say other than they make some stupid substitutions. Who actually makes those substitutions? Maybe the coaches need to bring in some advisers on a temporary basis to offer some fresh insights. I would drop Habana for the 2 wallabie tests just to shake him up. If he does not shape up, then it’s bye, bye. Maybe this where you play Frans Steyn on the wing?
Footnote to the above appoint Juan Smith as skipper in place of Smit.
ja jaag die hele spul in die see in hou net vir juan want hy het die bokke aleen laat goed lyk snaaks wat een vrystater aan die bokke gedoen het dink net wat twee sal doen
Juan Smith the only injury concern for Boks
Flanker Juan Smith is the only injury concern in the Springbok camp following the weekendâs last-gasp 22-29 loss to the All Blacks at the FNB Stadium.
Team doctor Craig Roberts reported at a press conference at Loftus Versfeld today that Smith has an abdominal muscle strain sustained in the first half of the Vodacom Tri-Nations match. Smith did not take part in the training session on Monday morning and is receiving treatment for the injury.
Roberts added that he was confident that Smith would recover in time to be considered for selection for this weekendâs clash with the Wallabies. The team will be announced tomorrow.
âThere are a few guys with a bumps and bruises but that was expected after such a physical Test. We are fortunate that we have only one injury concern,â Roberts said. âThere were reports that JP Pietersen had an injury but these are completely incorrect and he took part in the full session this morning,â he added.
Meanwhile, Sharks loose forward Ryan Kankowski joined the squad this morning as a precaution. Kankowski was released to his province after the training camp two weeks ago and put in a solid performance at the weekend as the Sharks downed Vodacom Western Province in the Absa Currie Cup.
I need drugs… freegin hell I injured my left shoulder tonight to kingdom come playing squash, nogal my left shoulder and I’m left-handed.
Played through the pain, we played for 2 serious hours from 6 till 8 tonight
Stopped at the Chemist and bought some Mypaid tablets, an anti-inflamatory pain killer and some Voltaren Gel..
SPORTBESERING!!
Now I feel fatigued, like the Bokke…. hehehehe
13@gbs
mens noem dit ouverdomp!!! :-p
hehehehe geen drug help vir daai een nie….
14 & 15@ J.M.E.:
Flok nee, ek is nog ‘n jong blaar… maar ene met seerplekke waar ek nie gedink het ek het plekke nie…
sluk bietjie eno’s saam met die kondensmelk af……
dis agv te veel speel (soos die bokke) dat jy so fatigued is
plaas bepaal jy jou by die spel en die game plan….. of was daar ‘n plaasvervanger v jou? hehehehe
Problem in SA rugby really starts way, way higher but ultimately manifests itself on the pitch when 15 guys go out and try to win a test match. The problem is the structure behind them is not geared up to helping them win that match.
An overbloated bureacracy who are all full of self interest and petty rivalries run a massive organisation very badly. I have lost track of how exactly SA rugby functions but with all the councils, committees and cliques there is no clear direction and no competence. This weak structure has allowed the PDV situation to arise and get worse with each passing match – they all know he is incompetent but to sack him (or even offer him meaningful support) would be politically unacceptable, he has too many supporters on the various committees(heaven knows why) and whilst we have a massive pool of the best talent in the world they are let down by useless management at the highest level. This manifests itself in the substandard performance we see week in and out.
We have an international expert in Tim Noakes who warns the Boks are being overworked – why have Hoskins and Marinos not taken note and ensured players are rested.
Why is De Villiers begging to use the WP defence coach in the week before the AB test – surely his expertise was recognised much earlier and if there was any form of planning he could have been brought in properly.
Why is he allowed to mouth off like an eejit about the refs. If one of my employees opened his mouth and publicly blabbered about a competitor or an official we did work with he would be told in no uncertain terms to shut it. But he is allowed to continue embarrassing himself and the organisation he represents.
Who allowed the Francois Steyn fiasco to happen ? How can it be that he is “uncontactable” – he was in freakin Paris not Timbuktu. A language breakdown with his club ??? Is there no french/english/afrikaans translator available to SARU ?
I don’t ever hear of any crisis or drama within NZRU or the ARU or the English RFU but SARU – a disaster across the board.
GBS says a fish rots from the head – SA rugby administration is like a huge vrot whale festering on the beach and the stench is wafting over the pitch !
The only other organisation that is as bloated and political as SA Rugby is the English Football Association and look at how they are doing !
We need a tough and streamlined body running SA Rugby who can make the hard decisions, hire and fire coaches, put the structures in place to ensure national coaching teams are composed of the right people and allowed to pick the right players. Only then will the Boks truly dominate as we expect them to.
Jim T – appreciate your spirited comments on Mealamu, he is a good player.I was very down and sad for John Smit – never been a good loser I’m afraid.
Wouldnt it be nice to hear Peter say this again. All the critics of the Bulls players, look no further than the coach and his captains relationship. Both are struggling at this stage. Both under severe pressure of their own.
COACHESâ VIEW
Frans Ludeke (head coach):
âThis is not about me.
âIt is obviously great to be in a situation like this and the senior guys need to get a lot of credit for what they have done. We are blessed with a special group of players and their contribution was massive. I read in Robbie Deansâ book about his âplayer driven systemâ where the players take a lot of responsibility for what happens on and off the field – we implemented that and it made a huge difference for us.
âThe Bulls take a lot of pride in what they do and the team surely delivered the goods on Saturday. I didnât have to say a word before the match or at halftime, I could see and sense that the guys are here to win the final.â
5 September 1997, Beeld.
n OU berig met waarhede wat vandag nog tel, nogal van die vader van blou brille.
RUBRIEK: Quintus-toer om die wĂȘreld
Risiko’s al hoe hoĂ«r vir afrigters
Quintus van Rooyen
Dit lyk na ‘n uitgemaakte saak dat Carel du Plessis se doppie as
Springbok-afrigter vandag deur die Suid-Afrikaanse rugbybase geklink
gaan word weens die Bokke se swak vertonings onder hom.
Maar dit is onregverdig dat hy alleen die skuld moet dra.
Moet sy twee mede-keurders, Mickey Gerber en Francois Davids, nie
ook gepos word nie?
Het die tyd nie aangebreek dat daar weer ‘n verteenwoordigende
keurkomitee van drie of vyf lede op die Sarvu-jaarvergadering
verkies moet word nie?
Of moet die nuwe afrigter en sy hulpafrigters alleen die span kies?
Ek dink die grootkoppe van Sarvu wat nå André Markgraaff se
gedwonge bedanking die onervare Du Plessis as afrigter aangestel
het, is net so skuldig as die Bok-breier.
Maar die man wat die meeste skuld moet dra vir die Springbokke se
swak vertonings, is niemand anders nie as die gewese Griekwa-haker
André Bester wat met sy bandopname Markgraaff se graf gegrawe het.
Dat Markgraaff gefouteer het om rassistiese opmerkings te maak, kan
niemand betwis nie.
Maar die wyse waarop Bester die geheime bandopname gemaak het, bly
nog laakbaar. En om sake te vererger, is dit toe na die media
uitgelek.
Bester het Springbok-rugby baie skade berokken, want Markgraaff se
bedanking het die kontinuiteit in die Springbok-spankeuses en
afrigting verbreek.
Hy het eintlik twee Springbok-afrigters “gesink”, maar skotvry
daarvan afgekom.
Ek het baie simpatie met Du Plessis en al wat ‘n afrigter is.
Hulle moet dikwels die blaam dra vir swak beplanning deur die
administrateurs en vir spelers wat net eenvoudig nie die mas opkom
nie. Ek het nog geen afrigter teengekom wat nie afrig met die doel
dat sy span moet wen nie.
Wyle brig. Buurman van Zyl, een van die grootste afrigters wat
Suid-Afrika gelewer het, was in die kol met sy siening dat dit wat
tussen die vier lyne gebeur, beslissend is, wat ookal ‘n afrigter
doen om ‘n span voor te berei en vir ‘n wedstryd te beplan.
Myns insiens moet ‘n afrigter die blaam dra ten opsigte van
omstrede spankeuses dit was een van Du Plessis se groot swakhede
swak wedstrydbeplanning, verkeerde strategieë, swak skrum- en
lynstaanwerk, spandissipline en spangees, ‘n swak
verdedigingspatroon, ongeorganiseerde agterspel en gebrekkige
kommunikasie.
Maar ‘n afrigter is magteloos as ‘n stelskopper vlak voor die pale
‘n strafskop pale toe verbrou wat die wenpunte sou wees.
Dit is ook nie die afrigter se skuld as ‘n speler met ‘n oop
doellyn ‘n drie met ‘n aanslaan weggooi nie of dat ‘n onderskepdrie
gedruk word nie. Dit is ook nie ‘n afrigter se skuld as ‘n bepaalde
skeidsregter omstrede beslissings gee of blatante onkantspel toelaat
nie. En wat kan ‘n afrigter doen as een of meer van sy
sleutelspelers in ‘n wedstryd beseer word?
Dit is dinge wat al te maklik deur die kritici misgekyk word
wanneer daar oor ‘n afrigter besin word.
Die afrigters is dikwels die slaansak van die rugbywĂȘreld en moet
die gelag betaal vir onbeholpe spelers en swak skeidsregters en
rugby-administrateurs wat te lig in die broek is. En dan speel
afguns en persoonlike jaloesie ook ‘n rol.
Min van 1995 se WĂȘreldbeker-afrigters is nog daar. Suid-Afrika,
Nieu-Seeland, Australië, Frankryk, Engeland, Ierland, Wallis,
Skotland en Kanada het almal nou ander afrigters.
In Suid-Afrika op provinsiale vlak was daar die afrigtersdrama in
Noord-Transvaal wat skynbaar hoofsaaklik van buite geloods is en
Ligblou-rugby kwaai geknou het.
Die Gauteng-Leeus, die Oostelike Provinsie en Noordwes het in die
loop van die huidige seisoen van afrigters verander, terwyl die
Westelike Provinsie, Griekwas, Gauteng- Valke en Suidwestelike
Distrikte einde verlede jaar hul afrigters verander het. Dit is agt
van die veertien provinsiale spanne.
Geen wonder dat werklik goeie afrigters al hoe skaarser word, veral
in Suid-Afrika, ondanks die feit dat hulle groot geld kan verdien
nie. Daar word beweer dat die Bok-afrigter se vergoeding by die
R500000 per jaar beloop, terwyl een provinsiale afrigter wat
onlangs aangestel is glo R700000 kry.
Afrigting het ‘n te hoĂ« risiko-beroep geword.
Mielie Pap Mike wrote:
Absolutely spot on mieliepap mike.
We need to realise that very little will change, PDv will remain until after the RWc and we need to accept that.
There should a public call for specialist coaches to be added to the current “squad” of coaches. This is most likely the best we can hope for there.
The next thing we need to accept is our playing style is not going to change until the “old guard” retire from international rugby and PDV has left.
So that leads me to the conclusion we will most likely continue playing the same way for the foreseeable future.
Therefor the selections of players are most important. Forget about getting young guys like Aplon, Lambie and the like into the squad until the coaching staff changes.
We will have to get our guys that were effective last year, to up their game and do those basics to a tee. That is the only way we stand a chnace of retaining the Cup.
PDV is not going to change the playing style of these boks, and that is the reality.
Winning an easy WC does, in no way, exonerate him from his mistakes. He may have won us the trophy, but he’s still an average coach.
As for renewal. It needs to start at the top, otherwise it’s pointless.
die valk @ 22
nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!
as jeremy at top gear would say
..
some say he’s a visionary
others say he’s a prophet
some even argue that he in fact coached the team from behind the “bossies” last year
all
we know he’s called the snake
…
and he made me (and a lot of you) eat humble pie …. i learnt my lesson … just seem like some of you didnt!! đ
23@ Ashley:
Ek dink nie ons gaan die Final maak volgende jaar in die RWC nie, genoeg so om nog ‘n botteltjie Roodeberg op die spel te sit…
gbs @ 24
hmmmm, laat ek bietjie daaroor dink … sal jou later sĂȘ!!
maar eks bereid om te wed dat nz BESLIS nie in die finals gaan wees nie!!
25@ Ashley:
Ek sal jou aanvat op beide….
Blacks SAL hierdie keer die Final maak
Bokke SAL NIE hierdie keer die Final maak nie
25@ Ashley:
Op grond van wat glo jy die All Blacks gaan nie die final maak nie?
Ons speel teen hulle in die Semi Final, dink jy werklik waar ons gaan wen?
27@ biltongbek:
Dis INDIEN ons wel ‘n semi maak…. dan speel ons DALK teen hulle…
@ grootblousmile:
Kom nou, ons sal darem seker teen Ierland kan wen ten spyte van PDV.
29@ biltongbek:
Tyd sal leer…. maar laat ons nie dinge vooruit loop nie.
Dink die All Blacks, Wallabies en Frankryk gaan in die semi’s wees…. dan is daar paar buiteperde wat die dinge vir ons kan bedonner…..
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