At the end of this year’s Tri-Nations the Springbok management will have to stand objectively and clinically look at the difference between blind loyalty and blind faith as opposed to reward in selecting the best Bokke to lead them into next year’s Rugby World Cup.
This is not their only poser, they have to decide whether Assistant Staff has the ability and afinity to take it competently from here as well as how to adapt or fine-tune game plans for the World Cup.
Today I look at player selection only, the game plan strategies and coaching staff will have to wait for another time.
Somewhere the line has to be drawn between continuing along the path with players AND their form on the field. A year out from the Rugby World Cup is already a bit late in the day and I am one who rues the chances not taken during the June Test window for bringing in some new faces and rejuvenating Bokke player ranks.
If we’re brutally honest, some Springbok players have disapointed us this season… John Smit, Bakkies Botha, Pierre Spies, Ricky Januarie, Bryan Habana, Wynand Olivier… to name just some of the the old stalwart names, which immediately springs to mind.
My questions are simple:
How long must players keep knocking on the door for inclusion?
How long can we persist with players who cannot effect the game plan envisaged?
How long can we afford to carry players who cannot give us more than 50% possession or players who cannot make their first time tackles?
Under the Laws as they currently stand and as they are interpreted, the attacking team is favoured, the team with possession is favoured, making it imperative for the Bokke to have more possession of the ball and giving less senseless possession away.
This immediately impacts on 2 specific areas of play, the battle of the breakdown and defensive competence. These two areas are non-negotiable areas where the Springboks need to sharpen up dramatically if there is to be a hope of winning and retaining the World Cup crown.
With this in mind, the backrow forward dynamics, or loosies as we call them, needs to be addressed first and foremost, not only regarding exactly who they are but more importantly how they approach their respective tasks. Having endured the unfortunate injuries to Heinrich Brüssow as well as Juan Smith’s untimely injury and personal family loss, has been a huge stumbling block and has hampered the Bokke, there is no doubt in my mind about that. Add to that a No 8 who shuns from the hard graft and who misses critical tackles, no wonder the Springboks have had a very disapointing Tri-Nations campaign in 2010.
The second aspect to be addressed is the hooker berth and captaincy. Can we afford a hooker and captain who misses his jumpers in the lineouts with regularity (at present) or who is defensively less than solid in the tackle area…. OR… do we go for someone who ticks these boxes and move the capatincy to someone like Juan Smith? My preferance lies in the latter, there will be those of you who disagree with me.
The third aspect is replacement or “early retirement” of Springboks who just do not add enough constructive value anymore… players like Bakkies Botha, Bryan Habana, Pierre Spies, Ricky Januarie and Wynand Olivier. Do we have replacements for them, players who are curretly better and who offers more for the future? The answer is an undoubted YES… Flip van der Merwe, Lwazi Mvovo, Duane Vermeulen or Willem Alberts, Francois Hougaard and of course Juan de Jongh.
Where we have limited depth in certain positions, like TIGHT HEAD PROP, training and skills in those areas of expertise has to be spot-on for those in the saddle already. Give extra attention to Jannie du Plessis, BJ Botha and CJ van der Linde… get them up to speed! The same applies to OUTSIDE CENTRE….
Considering this, how’s the following for the almost immediate future:
15 Frans Steyn, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Juan de Jongh, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Juan Smith (C), 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Gurthro Steenkamp
With the following players (amongst others) on the bench or in the broader squad… Patrick Lambie, Francois Hougaard, Schalk Burger, Danie Rossouw, B J Botha, Gary Botha, Beast Mtawarira.
My feeling is that it is dangerous to sit on our thumbs and do nothing, the game evolves, so should we!
Ek stem 100% saam.
1@ Pokkel:
Pokkel, these are my heartfelt and totally objective thoughts.
I think you’ll agree, there is no Provincial bias envolved, just an honest apraisal of the current situation.
Ek sal twee mense wil byvoeg om die Autumn Internationals by te woon, Gerhard van den Heever en Andries Bekker, maar daardie span sal nie selgter af wees as wat ons nou het nie.
Daar is 10 toetse oor voor die Wereld beker, en as daar enige vernaderinge gaan plaasvind moet dit nou gebeur.
Sorry, het van Jean de Villiers vergeet.
3@ biltongbek:
You’ll see that I said, “amongst others” on the bench….
Of course Bekker and Jean should be in the broader squad…. bit unsure about Shadow though… would additionally have Gio Aplon in the broader squad (wing and fullback cover).
Players who would definately not make my broader selection will include John Smit, Butch, Ricky, Ruan Pienaar, Bakkies, Chiliboy…
@ grootblousmile:
I agree about your exclusions
@ grootblousmile:
Were are on the same page then because when it comes to the Boks cause provincialism should never be a factor in my mind. We all have our favourite players and they often come from the team we support but we all need to be honest with ourselves when it come to the Boks and I can see that you have the Boks best interest at heart.
@ biltongbek:
I would prefer to see Bjorn Basson rather than Shadow at this stage to be honest.
ek het al baie gese dat bakkies john vic en danie een seisoen te oud is,pdv moes al in 2008 die regte opvolgers geeien het spelers soos heinricg steggies flip duane hougaard moes nou al met 30 plus toetse kon spog,snor het egter gekarring met mense soos rose johnson hargraves hy het raak gevat met gio en de jong maa het te lank met ander probeer wat niks beteken nie bvb chillie en rose,die eenigste uitweg is radikale veranderinge NOU
My 2c worth (if it’s worth anything), is that it seems almost as if the people in charge are afraid to try anything new, IN CASE THEY LOOSE, rather than taking a chance on new blood.
The net result is that we still have players like Butch and Ricky in the squad.
Players like Wynand Olivier are perhaps a bit more difficult to assess. Initially (IMO) he really struggled with the National jersey on his back, and I was convinced that he didn’t have it in him to take the step up from S14. However a couple of decent test matches seemed to dispel that fear, only to be followed up this year with what can at best be described as mediocre performances.
A guy like Dewald Potgeiter has already proven his ability at International age group, S14 and CC, as well as the limited test time he’s had, and one has to ask what he needs to do for inclusion.
It’s time to get rid of the fear of the unknown before 2011. The only thing to fear is fear itself, and unfortunately I have a feeling that the Bok coaches are still afraid of ruining their reputations.
If only they knew about their reputations with the public.
One thing Jake White said was that experience win WC’s, and that was one reason why Os was picked in 07, even though he was probably past his best and could play 60 mins at the most. He provide a certain aura of invincibility to the team.
Quite honestly, I would not drop the old stalwarts like Smit etc. I would not take them with me on the EOYT. I would take the exciting youngsters with, let them experience the rigours of a punishing Grand Slam tour. They may get their asses whipped by the Home Unions, or they may spring a surprise or two, but they will have been blooded. Players like F Steyn, Pietersen, Fourie and Du Preez would go along as they have plenty of experience to help calm players like Hougaard, Lambie & Mvovo down. I haven’t done the exercise but If I was Snorre, I would look at the standout CC players, choose them for the EOYT, and include youngsters like Jantjies and Taute to give them a taste of what being a Springbok is about, and let them play midweek games(if any).
That way our older guys like Smit, Habana etc would be rested, brought in slowly during the 3n and would also ask the S15 coaches to use the veterans sparingly. And get JS to lose a bit of his bulk.
But GBS, that is a pretty potent team that loses very little in terms of talent, but it just could do the job, if injury/retirement/dropping causes the vets not to be there.
Scrumdown, we have a huge pool of talent waiting in the wings, but the problem is if we clear out all the vets, we will be starting afresh in the year we should be be putting the finishing touches in for the WC. Our older players need to be managed carefully, and also get properly fit, as Mclook ahs said in other articles.
ek kyk nou n rerun van oor die kole waar hulle met pdv praat,nou my vraag is net hoe kan so n nederige en smaart mens wat my so kan beindruk so n deurmekaar afrigter wees,of gaan daar goed aan wat ons nie van weet nie ala kopana,stofile ens?
Scrumdown wrote:
When PdeV started his Bok coaching career he picked a lot of new players, he said he want to re-invent Springbok rugby. His head was almost bitten off when we started losing games.
Peter tried to play running rugby , i wish that R-T was in existence back then, i would bring forward some of the articles then.
And a while back there was also a article about PdeV wanting a squad of 45 Springboks all equal and capable to play for the Boks at any given time. Remember it? We said that although SA might have talent , we certainly dont have 45 all International quality.
Rewarding players for great seasons in S14 was done by Peter, in 2008. Remember the lot of Stormers players?
This year he did it for the Winter tests another few rewards for excellent play.
The Step UP to internationals must only be done where a player is better than the incumbent Bok, if not you lose continuity and cheapens the jersey.
So by the way Duanne’s ass was handed to him last Saturday by the Sharks, who did it Kanko. No one mentioned it but he was outplayed by a international experienced player. And did Spies had the upper hand over him in the S14 final? I think so.
14@ superBul:
So what is your point, SuperBul…. should we just plod along?
@ grootblousmile:
My point is we must not write our players off.
They will produce.
We lost a few games and the referees helped in that.
If we panic the new guys will get the same.
ek vermoed dat spies dalk net so 6duim te lank is
17@ superBul:
Certain aspects of Bokke play is broken…. some of which can only be rectified with innovation and different personnel.
@ superBul:
It’s not about writing them of it’s about getting the hunger back….the best thing that can happen to the likes of Habana, Spies, Smit even Morne is to be dropped so they can realise that they are not indispensable and I guarantee you they’ll come back as better players.
@ grootblousmile:
Net een vraag aan jou, dink jy die Bulle se manne gaan volgende jaar deur die selfde vernuwing moet gaan, gaan ons Victor, Bakkies, Spies en Morne as te sleg te oud te moeg vind vir ons poging om n driekuns te behaal?
@ superBul:
Ek voel soms of die Bulle spelers meer trots het om die Blou trui aan te trek as die Springbok trui.
@ Pokkel:
20
Jong die honger glo ek is nog daar, die twyfel oor die rigting maak meer skade. Weet die Bokke waar die afrigting span heen beweeg met hulle. Spanbou beteken geloof in jou manne en samespel help baie.
GBS is reg as hy se die winter toetse was verkeerd benader, ek voel dat ouens van vorm af is weens hul uitlating uit die span.
Kyk hoe min het Graham Henry sy span die jaar verander. Nou praat baie van seker ABs gaan gerus word, watch hoe val hulle soos in 2007 weer uit die bus. Toe het GH mos twee van elke speler gehad, en op die ou end het hyself nie geweet wie is sy beste nie. Die res is geskiedenis.
@ Pokkel:
22
as dit so is kan ek jou se, die Bulle weet waar hulle met die coach staan en dan het ons nie net een nie maar twee goeie motiveerders , meesters in sielkunde. HM en FL.
21@ superBul:
Vic en Bakkies gaan uittree of oorsee gaan… kyk maar mooi.
Spies sal moet vinger uit die hol ruk, daar’s manne wat hard aan die deur klop… Van Velze, Dewald Potgieter (wat mynsinsiens ‘n No 8 behoort te wees), jong CJ Stander vir blindside flank…
Daar’s niks met Morné Steyn fout nie, het ook nooit so gesê nie.
Fourie du Preez gaan Japan toe… Danie Rossouw gaan nie vir ewig hou nie en dalk gaan hy ook oorsee…
So, JAAAAAAA, die Bulle sal ook deur vernuwing MOET gaan…. maar so ook die Stormers, Sharks, Saders… ensovoorts
@ grootblousmile:
My vraag is bedoel vir die 2011 Super 15, ek weet hulle gaan weg maar dink jy ons moet hulle nou “discard” oor hulle aan die einde van die WB weggaan?
En ek weet jy het nie vir Morne afgeskryf nie maar oor die algemeen gaan hy onder baie kritiek deur.
26@ superBul:
Vic sal natuurlik Super 15 speel… kyk mooi die man is steeds in my Wêreldbekerspan…
Maar Bakkies, wie weet… hy het nie hierdie seisoen enigsins gefeature in die Super 14 nie (benewens in die B-span wat teen Stormers A verloor het en as gevolg waarvan hy geskors was vir sy clean-out op Aplon) en ons het die S14 gevat met Flip en Danie daar. Bakkies moet pasop of hy kry gladnie span nie!
Spies se vorm is uiters kommerwekkend vir so atleet….
Neem maar aan dat die WB Bokke ook meer sal moet rus in die S15 volgende jaar….
Wie anders sal ons mis… die res sal mos bly tot na die WB
26@ superBul:
Kom ek vra ‘n teenvraag of 2…
Dink jy Habana hoort steeds in die Bokke?
Dink jy John Smit hoort steeds in die Bokke?
Dis nou 2 beginspan spelers….
Dan, wat die reserwes aanbetref…
Dink jy Butch, Januarie, Chiliboy hoort in die reserwes… wel ek weet eintlik klaar wat jou antwoord oor die seun van jou area afkomstig is.. so ons kan maar konsentreer op Butch en Januarie as jy wil?
Julle manne gesels nou oor n’ klomp dinge hier, en ek wil net n’ stuiwer in die lot gooi.
Dink julle nie die Spelers is dalk net so gatvol soos ons nie?
As julle nou gaan kyk na die kombinasies tot dusver hierdie jaar, as julle nou mooi dink sal hierdie Saterdag die eerste kee wees hierdie jaar was daar naastenby dieslefde span gaan uitdraf as laas jaar.
Behalwe natuurlik vir Bakkies en Fourie du Preez.
Al die skommelinge kan ook nie vir hulle goed wees nie.
Ook as jy na n’ boer kyk, hy het maar tog a pakslae noding van sy caoch om hom reg te ruk, en ek twyfel of daar veel leiding is.
GBS Of the current Springbok squad, are you able to establish what their contractual situation is with a) Their Provincial team.
b) The Bok team.
If you can get those stats, it might tell us a story.
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