Since I did not watch the game let me rather deal with statistics. I don’t know whether this will support Heyneke Meyer or not because I will post them as I source them. You sift through it and make with it whatever you will.
The three National coaches (I will leave Argentina out for now) currently have these win percentages:
Steve Hanson 100%
Robbie Deans 68%
Heynecke Meyer 50%
Steve Hanson has been with the All Blacks setup for years, Robbie Deans is into his 5th year and Heyneke Meyer is new, only had six games.
Looking at our Tri Nations history, it is absolutely depressing and if anyone doubts our loyalty they can fly. When you read this stat and think how we all try and stay positive we all need gold medals.
Since Saturday 18 July 1998, the first Test coached by Nick Mallet we have this away record in the Tri Nations:
Played 32, Won 6, Lost 25, Drew 1
That is a mere 18% win record!
This is the one specific statistic we are all praying for to change. We want to turn the wheel NOW!
I will show the different coaches performance a bit later.
Our home performance against the old foe is better: Played 32, Won 20, Lost 12
That gives us a 62.5% win record at home.
A lot of factors influenced the different coach’s performance, like resting players, taking over from a total mess, to playing with a World Cup winning team from a previous coach. South African teams went over to Australasia with an apologetic attitude that varies from underdogs to whatever excuse each coach can come up with. The fact is we go there as sitting ducks. Nick Mallet started off his away career and promptly beat both New Zealand and Australia in 1998. That gave us hope that at last we will just go over and set the record straight. But since that tour we look dismal in losing 25 out of the next 30 played.
To start with the individual coaches let me say this, if Heyneke Meyer sticks around, he does not have a high mountain to climb, he can become the best away coach with relative ease. Have a look (and weep) at what figures he must beat. Remember this is the away records.
Nick Mallet: Played 6, Won 2, Lost 4
Harry Viljoen: Played 2, Won 0, Lost 1, Drawn 1
Rudolf Strauli: Played 4, Won 0, Lost 4
Jake White: Played 9, Won 1, Lost 8
Peter de Villiers: Played 11, Won 3, Lost 8
So there you have it! Heyneke, beat them 4 times and you will be our best, but how long will you be alive to do it. I doubt that you will be afforded the same leniency the others had.
A bit about Heyneke Meyer’s Super rugby career, concentrating on the last three years when he was afforded the time to build a team. The previous stints were either a learning curve or a hire and fire situation.
If you look at his building a team to win the 2007 Super trophy you could clearly see a gradual improvement. He also showed a lot of loyalty and in the end it paid dividents. His Team gelled and the results became better year after year. In 2006 he reached the playoffs with 7 wins out of 13 and in 2007 it improved to 9 out of 13. His try tally increased from 36 in 2005, 41 in 2006 and to 45 in 2007. So it seems he is a slow builder with all his structures.
My question is, Can I bear it or can the average South African bear the slow rate of change?
As a true Bulls supporter that gets older by the day, my patience has grown shorter, so Mr Meyer I doubt that you will stay on for longer than the end of this year’s tournament if your team cannot put up a decent fight in New Zealand this weekend and then return to South Africa and beat them both locally. If you do beat the old foe in South Africa I would suggest that you ask for midweek games on the End of Year Tour to be able to commence building a team to beat the Australasian teams in Australasia. Also, try something new – have a few plans, yes even if we laugh at plan A, B and C. Just don’t be so rigid in your game plans!
This is stretching my patience, to think of it, results only by the end of 2013.
But OK, that is the time I will give you.
27 @ Scrumdown:
28 @ Loosehead:
You know I might sound crazy now, but think we have a chance to win this week. After watching the AB/Arg game again don’t think ABs are playing that great either. Well they most definitely playing better than all of us in the RC. I just think we could be up for this one. Bakkies is on stand by as well. Even if Etzebeth is let off think we must just bring in Bakkies. Kruger, Bekker and Flip just not cutting it really. Play Etzebeth then at 5 with Bakkies at 4 lock.
Meyer should move Coetzee to 8 with Alberts 7 and Flouw 6. Bench Vermeulen. Don’t think he was that great on the weekend (I do rate him) just think he is not match fit. I would replace Ablerts later on with Vermeulen.
Coetzee I feel would be a great 8 and we need Flouw to start at openside.
31 @ Puma:Geez Puma, lay off the Deben Poison.
Hi Puma, sorry mate – no Mitchell please. He might possess an excellent rugby brain but there is a body of evidence from NZ, Oz (Force) and here with the Lions that suggests that he is not a leader of men.
The last thing we need is to import dictators. We produce enough of our own.
33 @ Loosehead:
hahahaha. I know it’s lethal…hehehe. Look I have been dreading us playing the ABs since the game on Saturday. However, watching their game again don’t think they are that great, well not like they were in 2010.
Now not so sure again, just read that Jannie and Cilliers may not start due to injuries. Crikey who do we have then for th? Then we in the poo.
34 @ fender:
I think he is a great coach though. Also we should not be so ‘soft’ we are tougher than that. Look have no idea what he said to his players to piss them off so much. I know he caused some havoc with the Force players as well. So have no idea just know he is a very good coach.
34 @ fender:
Meyer most definitely should get Carols Spencer. Our backline coach is just not up to standard nor our forward coach really.
Reading on SS that Meyer said he will give Cilliers and Jannie until tomorrow and if they still injured will call up a replacement from SA. He has in mind who it will be. Please Meyer it can’t be W. KRUGER 🙄 Damn who else though do we have?
If a replacement has to be brought in that means he will only fly out on Wednesday night. Damn that will be tough to just slot in. Jet lag will be hectic.
Okay will come back later. No-one on line here again.
Help me out here. this from Front row grunt on twitter: Meyer confirms to @keocoza that Bakkies Botha, (playing for Toulon) will join the squad if Etzebeth is banned. Won’t start, though.
Now surely there must be some locks playing in SA at the moment in the CC that are the future of Bok rugby???????? If they’re going to sit on the bench, shouldn’t we be looking at them? The Rugby Champ. is a lost cause. Lets build for the future. This obsession with old players is just plain kak.
If we were doing well, and on top, then I would agree, but not now. The sooner Ostrich Meyer does a Leicester Tigers, and “sluips” off, the better in my book.
38 @ Puma:I would call up the Lions TH, or WP Nel.
Anyone but Brok Harris. But then HM likes players with experience.
40 @ Just For Kicks: he should call up Elstadt.
@ Just For Kicks:
Yip, stupid move. Typical of the man we are coming to know tho. Always yearning for the old players that he coached in the “middle ages”. There is zero foresight in this man.
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