As we wait, and as we wonder, with some trepidation I tell you, for the announcement of our next coach, thoughts will start turning to the next captain. I have posted an article by Totalflanker as to his thoughts on what makes a good Captain.
Some time ago I was asked the question: what does a captain actually do?
My response was quite unsatisfactory, with words like ‘trust’ and ‘presence’ and ‘respect’ scattered throughout, as if there was some kind of mystical recipe that just made a great captain.
Utter nonsense of course but I must say, after plenty of time to think about it, I doubt I can come up with anything else to describe what is required to be a great captain at the elite level.
At grassroots level, however, it’s a different story.
I mentioned in my previous response that at school I took captaincy to mean that I had to call heads or tails before the game, choose which end to play and shout quite a lot during the game. When all is said and done, that really is about the long and the short of it – although if you want to be a really successful captain there are a few character traits that will undoubtedly help, namely:
- Ego-mania. There’s no point being captain unless you are a control freak who revels in the power and just loves being in charge. Absolute certainty that every decision you make (on or off the field) is the correct one is a must, as is the requirement that you love the sound of your own voice – important because pretty much no one else will (if they can be bothered to listen). You may think that you are imparting words of wisdom before the match or rousing the troops with inspired rhetoric but, honestly, all they hear is “blah, blah, blah.”
- Workaholism. There’s no getting around this – if you are in employment when you start the season as captain there’s a very good chance that you won’t be by the time the season’s finished. If you have a great relationship with your family at the start of your tenure, expect bitterness and acrimony by the end of it. Pretty much all of your time will need to be devoted to your club. Well run rugby clubs have Chairmen, Secretaries, Social Secretaries, Coaches, Fixtures Secretaries etc etc etc. Others tend to rely on the captain to do pretty much everything and, without exception, no one is grateful for what you do. You have been warned.
- An incredibly thick skin. When elected you may well be one of the most popular members of your club. This will last until after the first selection meeting when the whispering campaign will be started by a disgruntled few who failed to make the team. Before long this campaign will have spread like wildfire throughout the club and people will be openly questioning your competence, character and parentage, especially if results don’t go your way. The best way to deal with this is to be totally oblivious to it – and your ego-mania will certainly help in this regard. The other thing you should remember is that it’s highly unlikely that your club will seek to remove you from your position or even allow you to resign as this would then involve other club members getting off their arses and doing some work.
For all of the above reasons scrum halves often make very good captains.
At this time Schalk Burger will be the likely Bok captain, but it’ll be interesting to see how well Juan Smith has recovered and would be playing again after the long injury lay-off…
@ grootblousmile:Problem with Schalkie is that no matter how good a player he is, no one really takes him seriously enough as Captain
2 @ Just For Kicks:
The other thing, of course, is wheter Schalla will be able to hold down a starting position… there’s Brussow at openside (which for me is a MUST), Juan Smith at blindside and a few very good No 8’s.
I’ve always maintained Schalla is more of a blindsider than an opensider!
Oh, and Schalla got married this weekend, I believe… and there was heaps of kakkas between Schalk Snr and his brother.
I gather this from browsing quickly, not reading, through Rapport on Sunday.
I loathe going to weddings, but that one must have been well worth the invite!
scalk het die kapteinskap met die semis verloor,juan was al n toer onder kaptein en ek dink hy moet ten minste die volgende twee jaar bok kaptein wees,dan kan hy oorgee aan iemand soos hougaard of bismark of parkbank bekker
How about Spies? Or even better, Habana?
i don’t think schalk burger must be the captain, he doesn’t inspire me as captain, but having said that he is and has been in awesome form since his return from injjury, I don’t think his starting place is in any real danger, his game has evolved a lot in the last year, his offloads are unmatched by any other SA loosie and his ball carrying ability has improved as well.
Captain?
Andries Bekker
Daai Baardman van die Leeus moet net weer sy baard laat groei en weer so goed lei. Hoor my lied DAAR is n man vir die toekoms. As daar n wakker afrigter is sal hy daai ou inbring. Wat is sy naam nou weer. EK like hom , ek sou die bank breek om hom by die Bulle te kry.
@ superBul:
Joshua Strauss?
‘n Flippin goie kaptein, maar waar pas hy (op hierdie oomblik) in die Bok span?
Vir my part kan hy Schalla se plek vat. Anders as van die mense hier op RT het hy (Burger) my GLAD NIE beindruk by die wereld beker nie.
Hy draai sy rug na die opponente toe net voordat hy kontak maak, en sodoende verloor al momentum.
Strauss (en Minnie) vat ‘n baie direkte voernetoe roete.
As ‘n Leeu ondersteuner hoop ek dat AC die nuwe Bok afrigter word, dan sal al die jong Leeu spelers glad nie ‘n groen truie oor die kop trek vir ‘n paar jare.
Actually I think Andries Strauss would make a great Bok Captain. Problem is, he’ll be in the same position as JS.
Couldn’t be guaranteed of his place.
7@ Lion4ever:
Both playing out of the country (I think), so may not even make the team.
Hab’s is finished as an international IMO.
As for Spies, IMO he needs a coach like Mitchell to bring his best qualitites to the fore.
He tends to disappear when the pack are not going forward.
Scrumdown wrote:
so se ek mos ook tydens die WB, hy is baie maklik om te lees, n oop boek. Hy is lankal nie my eerste keuse nie, selfs op voldys het ek destyds gese hy ly aan tourette sindroom….., so sonder om lelik te wees hy is GLAD NIE my keuse as Bok kaptein nie.
En as AC boonop die job kry los ek rugby .
Darem het Victor in sy boek gewys dat Peter de Villiers nie bad was nie en ek was glad nie “way out ” deur hom soos Vic , JS en van die ander groot menere in die Bok span te ondersteun nie.
13 @ superBul:
Ons het almal die Bokke hand en tand ondersteun, of die “groot menere” soos jy hulle noem.
Maar om nou te sê Snorrie wassie soooo kak nie, net omdat Vic se boek vir jou daai boodskap gee… verander gladnie aan die feit dat in jaar 3 en jaar 4 ou Snor se wenpersentasies heelwat onder 60% gedaal het nie.
Kom ek sê dit reguit, Snor is seersekerlik in ‘n baberkompetisie gevang en het ons rugby ontsettende skade aangerig in die proses. Maakie saak hoe hoog of laag voorgaande coaches se persentasies was nie, 57% en 55% van jaar 3 en jaar 4 is skandelik!
Daai ou is nie ‘n coach se agterent nie!
Hulle moet daai ou so ver moontlik weghou van die Bokke as moontlik… saam met Tricky Dicky natuurlik!
@ grootblousmile:
Ek gaan nie weer begin nie , ek berus daarby dat Vic dit geniet het om onder Snor te speel. Hy raak aan wat jy oor Dick se en se ook dat dit soms op n gestryery afgestuur het tussen Div en die twee clowns.
Wat moerse insigewend is is hoe hy HM se afrigting beskryf deur sy boek. Hy le veral klem op hoe min HM werklik aan taktiek gewerk het en hoe baie het HM net die game eenvoudig gehou. HM is beskryf net soos wat ek hom opgesom het. Baie min tierlangtyntjies , goeie verstaan van die plan, almal word oortuig om saam te speel na daai plan en dan “buzz words” of vergelykings of stories wat die manne laat fokus op die taak. Gaan lees self die boek en jy sal sien HM en FL is eintlik net moerse groot motiveerders.
Jy ek en ALMAL in SA weet die Bulle speel eintlik n baie eenvoudige game, baie noem dit boring.
Nou dink vir een oomblik wat die Springbok coach te doen staan, hy moet verskillende speelstyle laat saamvloei en as n eenheid laat “operate”, selfs HM het jare gevat om die Bulle te laat glo. Nou dink net as HM nou die taak het om die WP manne en Sharks saam met die Bulle te laat seepglad operate. Dit sal ongelukkig dalk nooit bewys kan word nie , maar Victor het in sy boek gese hy is nie so oortuig dat HM dit sou regkry nie.
Het jy gesien ek het dit nou die dag ook uit sy boek aangehaal?
@ Just For Kicks:
I understand Schalk’s family own a vineyard, so I bet the bar at the wedding did not run dry, however Schalk looks more of a Castle man to me!
@ Blue Bird:
Hi there, nice to be on site when you are here.
Your commentary on the Wales test was real entertaining, i was not near any sports channel until late Sunday, but i read every word you said. Great work.
@ superBul:
Thank you superBul, GBS asked me for some comments but I was multitasking rather and was not able to give it 100%.
Luckily I caught the final try that Shane would score wearing the Welsh jersey
Promise I will do better if asked again..
@ superBul:
Thank you superBul, GBS asked me for some comments but I was multitasking rather and was not able to give it 100%.
Luckily I caught the final try that Shane would score wearing the Welsh jersey
Promise I will do better if asked again..
How come I cannot master this smiley thingie…why does it keep repeating my first comment?
16@ Blue Bird:He does, a mate of mine has just started as winemaker there. He has about 7/8 different labels, and, yes, they make a lot of the stuff. So they wine would have definitely been flowing at the wedding!
20@ Just For Kicks:From what I hear the punches were flowing as well. Schalk senior moered someone.
@ Loosehead:Nothing like a Platteland Klap out of a double burger to get the tomato sauce flowing! Yes, so GBS said, inter-family affair, I think. All very incestuous!
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