Heyneke Meyer
The question to be asked is: How does Heyneke Meyer compare with South Africa’s most successful coaches?
For this exercise, I decided to take two former coaches – the World Cup-winner, Jake White and Nick Mallett, who is currently the co-holder of the record for most consecutive Test victories – to draw a comparison with Meyer’s first two years in the hotseat.
The cold statistics will tell us only part of the story, but it is certainly important that we take them into account – or at least use it as a starting point.
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Meyer has so far been in charge in 27 Tests, as the Bok team’s head coach. He has won 20 of those, giving him a winning percentage of 74%. At home he has a winning record of 80%, while away from home his record is almost 67%. That, in a nutshell, is the first two years.
Now we compare it with Messieurs White and Mallett.
White, in his four years in charge, coached in 54 Tests – for 36 wins (nearly 67%), with 19 victories in his 23 Tests on home soil (about 83%). Mallett, in just over three years, before he was unjustly fired, coached the Boks in 38 Tests – for 27 wins (71%) and 12 wins in his 15 Test on home soil (also 80%).
Is there a pattern emerging, or can we draw a firm conclusion from this? Maybe, but I feel we need to dig deeper.
We know that Meyer, in four attempts, has failed to beat New Zealand. White, in his nine Tests against the All Blacks, won only three times, all three on home soil. Mallett’s winning percentage is the only of the three that tops 50% – four wins in seven matches, but only one in New Zealand, one on a neutral field (Cardiff in 1999) and two on home soil.
And still there is so much more hidden below the crust of these cold statistics.
Meyer went head-to-head in 13 Tests against the Southern Hemisphere’s greats – which he won seven times (54%) and on home base won five of seven (71%). Against the Northern Hemisphere Meyer is still unbeaten. Yes, in 14 Tests he has 13 wins and one draw.
White scored 19 victories in 30 Tests against the Southern Hemisphere (63%) and on home soil he has 11 wins in 13 outings against them (nearly 85%). Against the Northern Hemisphere White’s record is 17 victories in 24 Tests (71%) and eight wins of 10 Tests on home soil (80%).
Mallett’s record against the Southern Hemisphere’s greats, despite his four wins over New Zealand, is a dismal 50% – eight out of 16 games. At home he has only four wins out of six matches (67%). It probably has to do with his dismal performances against Australia. Against the Northern Hemisphere Mallett was on the winning side 19 times in 22 attempts (86%), and eight out of nine times on home soil (89%).
I would like to dig deeper, because Meyer is often blasted for his so-called ‘kick-and-chase’ style and his team’s inability to score tries.
Well, in 27 Tests, Meyer’s teams scored 773 points against the 448 they conceded (this is an average score of 29-17 per game). In addition, they scored 87 tries and conceded 39 (three tries to one).
White’s teams in his 54 Tests scored 1740 points and conceded 1097 (32-20), scored 194 tries and conceded 110 (four tries to two). Mallett’s 38 Tests yielded 1251 points, conceding 678 (33-18), 152 tries for and 49 tries against them (four tries to one).
Meyer’s biggest victory was the 73-13 demolition of Argentina last year and there was the 55-6 hammering of Scotland in June. His best win against one of the top five on the world rankings was the 38-12 victory over Australia last year. His greatest loss was the 16-32 defeat in the first Test against New Zealand in Soweto in 2012.
White beat England 58-10 in Bloemfontein in 2007 for his biggest win over a Tier One nation, although a 64-15 victory over America and a 105-13 win over Namibia also appear on his record. We all know about the 0-49 loss to Australia in Brisbane, which will always the biggest blot on his name.
Mallett can boast the biggest away win – 52-10 over France in Paris in 1997, his best performance of all time. There is, of course, the infamous 0-28 defeat against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1999, where he publicly lambasted some of the players in such an ugly manner that it ruined their careers.
So what to make of all this information?
For me one thing stands out like daylight.
Every coach has his strengths and weaknesses. Meyer is not as bad as some “experts” would suggest. He compares very well with both White and Mallett.
In fact, there has been a noticeable upward curve in the team’s performances over the past 18 months. In their first year, Meyer’s teams won with an average score of 23-16 and managed just two tries per game. The past 18 months those statistics improved to 35-16 and four tries to two – which certainly puts him on a par with Mallett.
Cheers, have been saying this for a while now, and the boks will peak 2016-2019 if Meyer can stay put.
I think that these stats are meaningless unless the opposition are provided.
Beating a “World15” then a shithouse Wales twice and an even shitter Scotland only helps the coaches winning stats.
@ Loosehead:
I doubt world15 would count as a test match… but you are right, its really easy to cherry pick.
@ Loosehead:
Same can be said for the quality of the all black team now compared to pre 2010?
Like Mallet never played a shithouse Wales or Scotland.
😆
MacroBull wrote:
From what I remember it did.
@ gunther:
or england
@ Loosehead:
Thats odd, usually those exhibition games does not hold test match status.
@ MacroBull:
Indeed not.
No test status.
I remember a particularly shithouse Ireland.
😆
@ gunther:
didn’t stefan terblanche score 5 tries all by himself against that quality team?
Scary to think that the current coach of the University of the Western Cape has a better record against New Zealand/Australia (combined) than Meyer.
So Heineke better watch his step… in 2 years time he might coach the University of Venda.
“Meyer went head-to-head in 13 Tests against the Southern Hemisphere’s greats…”
One can hardly call Arg a SH great. They are currently ranked 12th, for crying out loud.Mallet and White never played against Argentina twice per year. If they did, their record against the “SH greats” would’ve looked better as well.
The only stat of importance is our performances against NZ and Aus in the SH.
vs AB
Mallet: 4/7 (57.2%)
White: 3/9 (33.3%)
Meyer: 0/4 (0.00000000000000000000000000000%)
vs Aus)
Mallet: 3/8 (37.5%)
White: 6/11 (54.5%)
Meyer: 3/4 (75%)
Combined</b)
Mallet: 7/15 (46.7)
White: 9/20 (45%)
Meyer: 3/8 (37.5)
Pretty dismal by HM AT THIS STAGE, I would say.
Something went wrong there. 😳 😳
“‘Mallett’s record against the Southern Hemisphere’s greats, despite his four wins over New Zealand, is a dismal 50 percent ……………………….””
The Wallaby Team that played against Nick Mallett’s Boks was a far more ferocious Beast,
than that which Meyers Springboks have had to confront.
Their Coach at the time…………….one………………… Rod McQueen, is considered a rugby genius by many.
Indeed he crushed my All Blacks in 7 of 9 games played.
He more importantly picked up a RWC.
He had a winning Test ratio of 79%………………………………..and only one SA Coach……………………….. Post-Isolation, comes close.
And that is Nick.
Without doubt SA best and most personable Coach ……………………………………….Nick Mallet……………………………………All hail Nick.
we should get a full time coach and squad like the sevens team to prepare for all black tests alone. because other games are statistically insignificant.
@ Nama:
We get the message just the same Nama. Looks just fine to me.
😉
@ cane:
Look I agree with everyone that Mallet was probably one of the best coaches we have ever had and Meyer will have a lot to prove be cause no the Boks in 1998 Tri Nations were unbelievable.
“The Wallaby Team that played against Nick Mallett’s Boks was a far more ferocious Beast.”
I find this interesting, pretty much like comparing cricket players from different eras, or even just a decade apart.
How does the All Black team over the last 4 years compare to the teams Mallet and White played against?
@ MacroBok:
the teams Mallet and White’s players played against?
From what I remember from P Divvies team is that they basically ended Sivivatu and Rocococo’s careers.
@ MacroBok:
All I was trying to say Macro,
is that Mallet not only had to contend with a very strong All Blacks Team, Coached by John Hart,
but also World Champion Australian Team, Coached by Rod McQueen.
By and large, it was a tough day at The Office.
It was a Golden Era of Southern Hemisphere Rugby.
@ cane:
Well we might be entering another golden era, boks have been consistent for 2 years now (for a change) and it seems like Aus has joined us, hopefully there will be more games like in Jhb last year.
@ MacroBok:
I do hope it is more golden for some than others.
😉
But you make a good point Macro…………………………………………..bring it on.
Come on JP you are so close.
Well done JPD on fifty 😆
@ Loosehead:
2
Pretty much agree, the article is a childish attempt to camouflage HM complete failure against the ABs
It’s like stating thatShavenga’s the highest Test tries’ scorer with 6 tries against Uruguay? 😉
@ Nama:
12
The Wallabies last year under Robbie Deans were a train wreck, I would scratch off the two 2013 tests victories, HM won against a test team at disarray
@ robzim:
11
I wouldn’t run down PdV that low
2009 test season was the Boks most dominant Test season EVER; Winning the Lions series and a clean sweep of both the Wallabies and the ABs in 3-Tests series!
So at least SOME credit must go to the PdV?!
@ MacroBok:
20
Going 0:4 vs the ABs is also a measure of ‘Consistency’ by HM?
😆
@ Hondo:
no doubt no one can camoflage the failure vs the all blacks. but to shoot down all other results as meaningless because its against weaker teams is pretty pointless. undefeated vs northern hemisphere so far is really impressive… no one else could do it.
1998 is by far the most dominant springbok season ever imho.
The all black rightly deserves ridicule… but when people look at the other results “yes hm’s boks beat them but they are pisspoor”
cant you then launch an arguement that the current all black team is a beast compared to the other sides we have played recently?
P divvies bok team was good but the all blacks were pisspoor under the high ball, thus players like sivivatu and rocococo’s careers got buried.
our all blacks RECORD rightly deserves ridicule…*
MacroBok wrote:
27
My argument is that the 2009 Test season comprised of 3-Tests Mini series with the B&I Lions, the ABs and the Wallabies
That is far more formidable a challenge than facing Ireland 3 times and Wales twice 🙁
Big deal
@ Hondo:
yep and the bulls won everything in 2009. 😀
Even if Myer beat the BI Lions 3-0, but still lost to the All Blacks I’m Sure you would stil be harping no the same tune right?
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