The Grand Slam dream is over. The one thing that could have redeemed the Boks and its management came to an embarrassing end on Saturday as the Springboks went down to the Scots, and as my three-year old would say; ‘Now what now?”
Indeed, what now?
Predictably I see calls all over the show for De Villiers to get fired, even my friends are asking me over emails whether I still ‘back him’?
To answer that it would probably be best to go back to what I said about the Springboks, and Springbok management in the past, and that was, if a decision is made regarding the Springboks and especially management, it has to be done with the view on improving the current situation.
Now of course the first reaction of most will be; ‘How can it get any worse than what we have seen in 2010, and a loss like we had against Scotland last weekend?’, and although I would agree it might not get any worse, I believe change like the ones suggested now, won’t improve anything either.
Firstly one has to look at De Villiers in isolation, and ask whether he is a good, or bad coach? There are arguments both ways and his record although having a lot of downs, has had a lot of ups too.
Secondly we would have to look the team environment and if a new coach is appointed right now, if much or anything will change?
I don’t think De Villiers is necessarily a bad coach, but I do think there is a lot of scope for improvement. I have voiced my concerns about the Boks and De Villiers often in the past, most importantly of which is my belief of the lack of expertise in the coaching department to assist the head coach.
Secondly, and more recently, is my concern with De Villiers seemingly being hesitant to make the tough calls, and wrestle some power back which he has extended too much to the senior players in the recent past – in other words, I think the setup needs discipline.
All of these are issues that can be easily rectified in my view, which is why I suppose I ‘back’ the coach.
Now the primary reason for either ‘backing’ or not ‘backing’ the coach is centred around the World Cup it seems, where there is no hope in hell of us winning it, and that changing coaches even at this late stage, will change that or give us some hope.
I find this amusing if not a bit daft.
If we are going to fire a coach because we do not believe he can win a World Cup that has not taken place yet, then why appoint a coach for that sole purpose which will no doubt be nothing more than a hospital job?
Many who has read my views during the last World Cup will know I detest the competition. Union’s whole cycle is built around that and say what you want about the guy, Keohane is right about one thing, the Rugby World Cup is just another tournament like the Six Nations or Tri-Nations, with the only difference being that it is a knock-out tournament which is both easy to win, and easy to lose for that very reason.
So why do we need a coach, or any team, to build 4 bloody long years towards one where results inbetween (just look at Jake White) means nothing? The World Cup is a competition which needs the same, or similar build up to any competition.
But the reality is, everything now is about the World Cup.
And this brings me to the team context (excluding coaches).
If we do bring in Heyneke, Rassie, Allister, Mitchell, Plumtree or any of the other names touted as possible replacement to De Villiers should he be fired today, how will the team and player context change, if at all?
Given it will be a hospital job to ensure we stand a good chance of winning the World Cup, will any of these coaches drop John Smit, Victor, Schalk, Juan, Fourie, Morne, Jean, Habana or any of the seasoned senior Boks who are incumbents when fit?
Will there be a dramatic or evolutionary change in the way we play the game in the 5 tests left leading up to the World Cup?
I don’t think so.
None of them will make Victor a better line-out specialist, Morne a better kicker, Fourie a better scrumhalf or John a better captain.
So as much as De Villiers and his assistants deserve a lot of blame for the embarrassing loss to Scotland over the weekend, or the whole of 2010, the problem is not them alone but also the players, and how they execute on the field.
I will be bold enough to say that none of the coaches suggested to take over from De Villiers will have the balls to change the Bok approach fundamentally, because for that they would need to change the team, and team personnel fundamentally. In fact, no matter who takes over, I expect a similar game plan to what we saw in 2009 and 2010, because that is what our current players know and trust.
Peter de Villiers is being asked to resign or be fired (by the media) based on retaining the World Cup next year, and I think that is stupid. So if you ask me in the current context or the one explained here if I still back De Villiers, my answer is quite simply yes.
However, if you ask me if I believe we can appoint a better coach right now for Springbok rugby as a whole, looking beyond just a World Cup but looking to win at least 75% of our games over extended periods, I would say yes.
So by all means, fire De Villiers, but do it for the right reasons, and a World Cup hospital job is not it.
This is the type of coach we need:
@ Pam Anderson:1 – Pam, That was hilarious…hehehehe. But could you see that tiny coach smacking Bakkies? hahahaha Not a chance he would get a bigger klap back me thinks… 😀
We have to make a change now and not attach WC victory to the direction we need to go in.
I said this earlier this week.
We have to build a medium to long term vision and we cannot carry on the way we are right now.
The game has progressed and we have not.
The fact that the SA rugby public expect results in every test is the way it will always be and the way it should be, but that is not a reason to not have the guts to make a change for the better.
Rugby fans want to see a well conditioned team that looks like it has a strong team culture and confidence in the manner in which it wants to play the game.
They also want to see skills that are equal to or better than the All Blacks.
They want to see intelligent rugby decisions being made on and off the field.
They want to believe in progress and will back a team with a clear and understandable vision.
The real problem,as I have said yesterday is that the right manager/coach to lead us into the future will not appear and join the current shaky set up.
SARU have to clean out their house in order to attract confidence in the quality manager/coaches that will feel empowered to take the team into the future.
@ tight head:
TH, your last sentence speaks volumes.
I personally do not think that SARU’s management have the collective will to sweep all clean before them.
They are (for the most part) serial administrators who are trying to please all and failing all by doing so.
I think that they are either totally out of touch with the feelings of the ticket buying / dstv subscription paying public that really keep their salaries being paid, or they just don’t give a toss.
Perhaps it will take the Boks being booed off the field like in Durban (2008?) against the Aussies to awaken SARU from their full bellied siesta.
@ Scrumdown:
Yes Scrumdown, unfortunately I think that you are dead right.
It all starts with a jellyfish called Hoskins.
@ tight head:
Now you insult the poor old jellyfish.
Hoskins has F-All sting in his tentacles!
Can someone tell me what (Voortvarenheid) means? Will try the translate button.
Voortvarenheid
Okay it never translated it. So have no idea.
@ Puma:
Checked online but got nowhere.
My wife will check in Eng – Afr dictionary and let me know.
Voortvarend – Impetuous, rash, impulsive, pushing.
Voortvarendheid – impetuosity, rashness.
Puma, did someone call you voortvarend?
Ai, die flokken Souties in onse eie land wat nie behoorlik Afrikaans magtig is nie… waar gaan ons met hulle heen?
Klomp voortvarende flippen torre…. hehehe
… Bwahaha… the freegin Translator is farked…. hehehe
Many energetic girl was torre …. hehehe , the translated version of #14.
True so bloody true.
Read Morné’s Article above now…. and beg to differ on many aspects..
Firstly, agree that the World Cup every 4 years gets too much emphasis and that too little importance is given to continued and sustained performance, and an attitude of win every Test is shunned in favour of this willy-nilly World Cup ideal.
Where I differ is about the following:
1. Arguing that the New Coach needs to only do an Ambulance job is nonsense. One could appoint a proper coach now for the immediate future and for after the World Cup.
2. Arguing that the New coach would have the same players so why would we expect different results is complete twaddle, hogwash, nonsense, snert, crap, kak, twak, bollocks, mamparra-speak! The player base to be successful is there and even if exactly the same player group is taken forward, a new vision, dicipline, improved game plans and strategies, correct coaching, the right assistants… would transform this group of players very quickly…. provided however that the right coach head coach is appointed and given the scope to act corectly by SARU.
3. The same player group, to the most extent, was known as the tightest defensive unit before Div’s time, now this same bunch, under an incompetent fool, is defensively sloppy, tactically naive… and do not know how to attack.
4. The same players, at their different Unions, under their respective coaches there, boast a far better record than at the Bokke…. 3 Super 14 Titles in 4 years (Bulls), another Super 14 Finalist this year (Stormers), the best defensive Unit in the Super 14 in 2010 (Stormers), highest try-scoring Unit in the Super 14 in 2010 (Bulls), solid last 8 wins in a row in Super 14 of 2010 (Sharks)…. and all of these players are the players who make up the Bokke.
5. An astute new coach won’t be guilty of making as many daft substitutions at critical times in Test matches.
6. An astute new coach won’t be the Media’s Joker and Fool and have this negative public image.
7. The collective “Headspace Management” of the team, motivation, tactical responsibility and awareness is virtually an immediate fixable situation… we often see a BaaBaas team, under a completely new and foreign coach, play as a team with great creativity, are wide awake and even do well in set pieces…. why… the building blocks (quality players) are there, as is the case with the Bokke, but they’re just guided well, managed well, tactically sound….
8. The current Bokke have showed glimpses of absolute brilliance, for 20 min here and 30 minutes there…. a simple change of game plan, by the new coach, breaking away from Peter Snorrie’s up-and-under chase madness… can work wonders… no radical changes necessary.
I say basta with Snorrie, I say we have had enough… I say we can have a new coach AND win the World Cup and do well in EVERY Test… before and after the World Cup!
I say there is enough time to end this madness!
grootblousmile@17 wrote:
Hoor, Hoor. Well spoken old wise one.
18@ McLook:
Ek is nie so oud as wat ek lyk nie… hehehe
Gepraat van oud… in watter ouderdomsklas val jy… hehehe, amper sê ek in watter prysklas is jy…
I gave my age away in my last post on the most enjoyable test against England. I believe you are just as old as you believe you are. Can still do 10 pull-ups, run 10 km on a sunday morning and win 18 year old doing kata and kumite.
Most people say the problem is with the administrators, and that is correct – they appointed Snor. Aside from that, they decide on the grand slam tour and Barbarians game. PLUS, what about the Baby Boks? When last did they win anything meaningfull? (Glad about Dawie now in charge).
I don’t think Snor is the problem in SA rugby, he is just a sympton. Part of the issue is that not the best candidate is appointed as SARU President, but the best Non-white candidate. How strong would SA rugby been if the Bulls or Sharks CEO could have been SARU President?
In terms of the next RWC, get the best candidate and appoint him to the 2015 RWC. That way he would have RWC experience. And give the new coach scope to impliment his new game plan (if required) in the next RWC. I agree that we have a very small chance to win the 2011 RWC, so let’s go for the one after that AND get a winning culture back asap.
In terms of Snor’s capabilities – yes, he has done some good things. He got Smittie and Victor back from France and kept Jake’s team as much as possible together. My problems with him is though:
* Little forward planning in case of injuries (Kirchner this EOYT)
* Some team selections (January!!!!!!)
* Substitutions – Seems he don’t understand the way the game is going (Morne Steyn against Scots a good point)
* He is not in charge – with all SA’s coaches everybody knows who is in charge. I asked this before – who is in charge here? Snor, Muir or the senior Boks?
*Media comments (you al know what I mean).
*Not a clear understanding of what support staff he needs. Why did he earlier this year asked WP to release their defence coach. Why did he not YEARS ago got his coaching structure right? Go look at the Bulls (and Stormers and Sharks and ABs and and and) coaching set up!
The problem, as nice an ou he is (and he is a nice guy), he is out of his depth in this position.
I have no doubt that with the right coaching team it is still possible to win the WC and to change things quite quickly.
I also have no doubt that this is impossible with PDV at the helm.
So as I have said many times, CHANGE NOW!!!
WAITING IS MADNESS!!
Madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result!!
There is nobody more sure of himself than a fool!!
@ grootblousmile:
Wat is dit met julle Blou Bul ondersteuners en die ability om te lees? 🙂
GBS,
Read again, I agree that a new coach can be appointed now, who will be better than the current lot in charge, my argument is do not appoint a coach in a hospital pass job just to do well in the RWC, the RWC should just be another stepping stone to help Bok rugby become a world power.
My reference to players, and what they do or can and cannot do, is specifically with this airy fairy belief amongst supporters on various blogs that we should adapt and adopt our playing style – there is nothing wrong with how we play, it is how it gets planned and executed where the problem lies.
23@ Morné:
You say there is nothing wrong with how we play… my goodness Morné Pissmier…. were you on Tik, Coke, Smack, Crack and Pot all at the same time when you wrote or observed this??
Of course there are fundamental flaws apart from executing the game plan well….
In the first instance, it is absurd to kick so much…. and don’t tell me that is not Twakkie’s misplaced directive, it is absurd to gift possession away the way the Bokke do.
Secondly, playing so much crash and bash through the centres… that is Twakkie’s game plan as well, well between him and freegin Muir of course. There is absolutely NO CREATIVITY in the Bokke backline!
Thirdly, defensively… man oh man, surely you’re not saying there is nothing wrong and only execution is lacking…
Fourthly, who is responsible anyway to put the execution of the game plan and play into practice… it has to happen under the guidance of the head coach… and he’s had 3 freegin years to start getting the bloody execution right, with a bunch of supremo rugby athletes.
So in summation, EVERYTHING IS WRONG with how we play, including but not limited to execution.
Airy fairy belief amongst supporters you say…. well let me counter that, those who foolishly and feverously believe that there is nothing wrong with how we play or with our game plans are living in Lala-Land!
Come on, tell me you were just taking the piss, because what you said was certainly the dumbest thing you EVER wrote on any single blog!
… it’s like saying about a car with farktup shocks…
Hey, there is nothing wrong with these shocks, it is just the way the wheels negotiate the choppy road which is not so good…
@ grootblousmile:
Uhm…
The All Blacks have kicked more than any other team this year.
So is kicking the problem, or the execution?
Is setting up phase ball in midfield a problem, or the fact that we do not clean rucks effectively to allow for quick ball? (Execution)
Is the rush defense, or drift defensive systems the problem, or how it is called and executed?
Etc etc etc.
Of course there is something wrong, there is no aim to anything we do on the field.
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