Ruan Pienaar
Get better as quickly as possible, Fourie du Preez!
That should be the earnest, continued wish of all astute Springbok enthusiasts… even given the knowledge that his return to fitness after an ankle operation for national team purposes probably only comes in time for next year’s roster.
But with 2015 hardly unimportant as it signals the advent of another World Cup, in the United Kingdom, that’s still not the worst scenario to mull over.
Sport24
Frankly, the more often the proven genius and much-needed game management of Du Preez is not available to the Boks, the more prone they seem to be becoming to experiencing critical breakdowns of efficiency and X-factor in the key scrumhalf slot.
It happened again in Perth on Saturday, where South Africa’s sterility both at No 9 and to a lesser extent flyhalf, in the shape of Morne Steyn, hardly aided the cause in the damaging, controversial 24-23 Castle Rugby Championship defeat to Australia.
Elsewhere on the park, a host of Bok players produced either forceful or at least acceptably decent performances and it is widely acknowledged – even among some Aussie pundits and observers – that the visitors ought to have done enough to win after building up a nine-point cushion and looking in control until a sequence of late events, including the bewildering yellow card for caps centurion Bryan Habana, conspired against them.
Admittedly, the Boks were also their own worst enemies for botching this one, and are now under enormous pressure to knock over the mighty All Blacks in their own Wellington den this Saturday (09:35 SA Time) if the 2014 tournament isn’t to be turned into simply another one-horse race.
Wholesale changes – despite the inevitable, emotion-laden public spittle that inevitably follows a loss – are not justifiable: instability and heightened unfamiliarity of combinations are the last thing the underdogs need for their tough quest in the Cake Tin.
Yes, Steyn’s failure to find touch from a manna-from-heaven, relieving penalty in the dying stages will long be remembered as a massive contributor to the Wallaby rally for a fortunate triumph, but I also made the point on Saturday that ahead of that gremlin, the seasoned if rather predictable pivot hadn’t performed too poorly.
You have to fancy that coach Heyneke Meyer will forgive the expensive boo-boo and stick with Steyn against New Zealand, figuring that his experience and kicking ability both at the posts and out of hand – supplemented by a very necessary, particularly thunderous effort from the Bok pack – is the likeliest passport to an upset in what look like being soggy conditions once again.
But is a scrumhalf shake-up required to pep up the broader “nine and ten” dynamic this weekend, perhaps infusing a welcome mystery element to a partnership that seems no more than bland and workmanlike at present?
It is desperately tempting to believe so, after Pienaar struggled yet again to truly impose himself on the Perth fixture – in damp, Ulster-like conditions that are supposedly his forte.
Of course it is a subjective exercise but a mounting common denominator in Bok Tests minus the services of the ever-shrewd, crisp-passing Du Preez is a low score for the scrumhalf (whether Pienaar or anyone else) out of 10 on the Sport24 performance chart.
It was no different at Patersons Stadium where we gave Pienaar the lowest ranking of the entire Bok side (4.5), a downgrading even of the five dished out to him in the nerve-jangling Salta clash with Argentina a fortnight earlier.
In mitigation, there are times when you can feel quite sorry for scoring him so low, as seldom does a game go by where he doesn’t contribute at least some useful element now and then, and it can come to light more on second viewing of a particular match.
For instance, just how thankless would it have been for any scrumhalf operating behind that violently retreating Bok scrum in Argentina?
In Perth, too, Pienaar was an alert mopping-up element on defence at times when peril possibly stared the Boks in the face … although the old bogey of the player just looking too infuriatingly sluggish and unassertive at his core trade certainly resurfaced as well.
The tricky question facing Meyer, if he acknowledges a need for a shake-up, is which of Francois Hougaard or Cobus Reinach to install in Pienaar’s place; the former is presumably next in the intended pecking order as he was the substitute against the Wallabies.
But Hougaard has had his own Test-level ghosts, including a penchant for struggling with his box and clearance kicks, making him vulnerable to charge-down, whilst Reinach is a mercurial, effervescent character and nippy athlete but can go a bit “headless chicken” strategically.
Perhaps, though, this is one occasion where you simply must make a change for the very sake of it, in the desperate hope that it makes a difference?
The No 9 jersey is a weakness for the Springboks right now, and there don’t seem any guaranteed, immediate-fix solutions on that front.
But let’s not forget that next year it should, all going well on the Du Preez recovery front, suddenly veer toward an area of strength once more.
Yes, there is mounting debate about the wisdom of Meyer putting his faith in more than a handful of perceived “old crocks”, with decidedly mixed success of late.
But the one veteran to have convincingly reminded – prior to his latest injury setback – that class is permanent has been the 32-year-old former Bulls favourite.
Does Du Preez have another World Cup in him?
Fuelled by what we’ve seen of others in the No 9 shirt for the Boks, and even acknowledging the passing of his peak … oh, you bet he does.
It is just a shame he can’t gallop in on his horse to Wellington.
Loosehead wrote:
Have to take your word for it.
Never really saw him play much until he cleaned out that Irish ref’ in the test v NZ.
Carreer seemed to go South somewhat after that!
Scrumdown wrote:
The Bulls have turned him into a kicking 9. Completely ruined him.
@ robzim:
But everyone is saying they will win?
That’s realistic.
Supporting another country against your own?
That’s yellow.
What we expect from you.
😆
@ Nama:
I WANT THE BOKS TO WIN ON SATURDAY…
I WANT THE BOKS TO WIN ON SATURDAY…
I WANT THE BOKS TO WIN ON SATURDAY…
I WANT THE BOKS TO WIN ON SATURDAY…
I WANT THE BOKS TO WIN ON SATURDAY…
I WANT THE BOKS TO WIN ON SATURDAY…
The lady doth protest too much methinks.
😆
@ gunther:
@ 63
I see you are still struggling to grasp the difference between concepts such as ” realism”, “blind faith” and “to support another country”.
Will you call me yellow if tell you Bafana Bafana will most likely lose tomorrow night against Nigeria?
And who do you expect to win the test on Saturday in Wellington?
@ robzim:
Read my post again meathead.
I’m saying we all expect the All Blacks to win.
Oh dear.
😆
@ gunther:
Oh please, you latched onto UFO’s post like a tick on Lambie.
Anyone not blindly following the Boks and believing that they are on the right track is negative, pessimistic and glass half empty, with a couple of traitors and hensoppers thrown in for good measure 😆
@ nortierd:
Actually I was talking about people supporting other teams because they don’t like the coach out the game plan.
Don’t come now with your prefect vibe.
You aren’t at work now.
Or maybe you are.
😆
@ gunther:
That would have been the logical ( may we use the word logic? ) explanation, but it has progressed from there to anyone not part of the glass full club, being in the dark side.
@ nortierd:
Don’t put words in other people’s mouths.
This isn’t one of your interrogations.
😆
@ ufo:
“Sports Day
at the Glass Half Empty Primary School”
gunther wrote:
Your words?
@ nortierd:
Yes indeed.
One of the bloggers here said he was supporting any team that played the springboks.
That’s yellow.
@ gunther:
So far Gunther I have seen one post from McLook where he said he won’t support the Bokke because of the way they play.
Yet, these last few days all the bloggers who have not been enamored with the Boks and question things and don’t just blindly follow and believe, seem to have been clumped together.
So if all the glass half empty club members are “against the Bokke”, then so be it, I’m looking forward to all you members of the glass half full club joining Cosatu in their next march to get rid of the Boere cliques and white players, because it’s the Bokke and the glass half full club doesn’t shirk away from supporting them 100%, no matter what 😆
@ gunther:
If you agree with me that the AB’s will most likely win why do you then say in your same post that you “expect it from me to be yellow and support another country against mine” ? That is the part of your post I am trying to figure out and why i asked you the leading questions.
@ robzim:
Sorry I thought you were an Ozzie supporter.
@ nortierd:
There you go putting words into other people’s mouths again.
Not enamoured? That’s putting it mildly.
You’ve been whining like a bitch for two months.
😆
Sports day at the glass is full club.
What a wonderful day, everyone got prizes, there are no losers or winners, everyone is a winner.
They all ate ice cream and patted themselves on the back because they all won.
The end
😆
75 @ gunther:
Maybe that’s because the Bokke have been playing like shit for two months?
@ nortierd:
Leave the sarcasm to the pros you aren’t any good at it.
😆
@ nortierd:
Well let’s hope they improve because you are boring the tits off everybody.
😆
gunther wrote:
O yes, that comment is the work of a pro.
Should you be working on your placard for the big march?
🙄
@ nortierd:
There was no sarcasm in that post can you not tell the difference.
Why am I marching again?
@ gunther:
“So if all the glass half empty club members are “against the Bokke”, then so be it, I’m looking forward to all you members of the glass half full club joining Cosatu in their next march to get rid of the Boere cliques and white players, because it’s the Bokke and the glass half full club doesn’t shirk away from supporting them 100%, no matter what”
@ nortierd:
Boere cliques?
I’ll be marching next to Nama again.
😆
83 @ gunther:
Nope, Nama is glass half empty, he won’t be there.
@ nortierd:
He loves a Boere clique though I’m sure he’ll make N exception.
Let’s hope they don’t start on the Boere cliques anywhere else.
😆
@ gunther:
@75
I am not an Aussie supporter over South Africa although I respect them for being a very good sporting nation and don’t moan for days about a ref whenever they beat the boks.
It pisses me off when people (not you) who were dead quiet about a ref during previous games he controlled (won by the boks) now suddenly call for his head because of one decision that went against the boks and in the process forget conveniently about all the 50/50 decisions that went their way..
I support South Africa in all codes of sport (nationally), The Stormers/Wp in rugby, Liverpool FC in soccer and the Cape Cobras in cricket. I also believe the AB’s are by far the best rugby playing nation in the world ( also playing the best rugby) and that Kelly Slater (American) is the best surfer who ever lived and that Lance Armstrong did not really have another option but to have done what he did ( if he wanted to win).
There you have it. Sue me 🙂
@ robzim:
Sorry my mistake you just came across as a wannabe Convict.
😆
Ah come on Norts… 😆
For the last few weeks you’ve been banging on about this. You’ve been generalizing and extrapolating over everyone who does not agree with you things that they have never said.
IAAS and I both called you on it a couple of weeks ago but you still carry on and do it. And now complain when the boot is on the other foot?
Why is it that your opinion is more valid than mine? Why is yours somehow intelligent, considered and rational… and mine is somehow reached “blindly”, stupidly, thoughtlessly?
You call yourself a realist. I call you a pessimist and I’ll tell you why. A pessimist expects the worst, as you do. And a realist would look at ALL the facts, which you don’t. You conveniently ignore or downplay realities that don’t support your viewpoint, weather, form etc. You ignore all the posts several of us have made where we have criticised the Boks play and the coach’s game plan. You just latch onto the fact that we still support the Boks positively as if that is somehow wrong or stupid or criminal. You are the one who started, and repeatedly carry on, making snide remarks about me and others “blindly” supporting and “not caring” about the Boks results as long as they win, as if you have some sort of exclusive claim on intelligent opinion. You’ve not let it rest in nearly 3 weeks and now you’re surprised and upset that some of us are giving a little “push back”?
Sheesh Norts…! 😯
Answer me this… why does it upset you so… and did from the beginning… that some of us do not agree with you and jump on your anti-bandwagon…? You were chuffed to be gathering new members on your bandwagon… but can’t resist showing the finger to us stragglers who refuse your ride and choose to walk…? Why do you insist on couching your responses in snide, negative terms?
It’s just a difference of opinion about a sports result Norts… it’s not “realism” no matter how hard you try and make it… Go to Syria, Ukraine, Iraq for “realism”.
Win or lose, rugby is just fun man… and it’s fun to support the Boks (and WP). Why get so worked up about it…?
Chill bud… and cut a little slack for those of us blind people who don’t agree with you… neither are wrong or right… but we’re all entitled to our perspectives, no…?
Even if some of us reached them blindly… 😉 😆
@ ufo:
I do support the Boks, and want them to win.
We look at things differently, and with that I don’t have a problem.
I may over analyze a game prior to kick off, and if I think we will lose, that doesn’t mean I don’t want them to win.
I said last night that what started as a joke with the glass empty and full clubs seems to have escalated, everyone questioning tactics and the Boks are lumped together now.
That’s why I think a poll might be interesting, we must just come up with the correct questions
@ ufo:
He’s asking you not to pigeonhole him but he invented the glass half full club.
But I don’t want to be seen to latch tick like into your posts.
So I’ll admire your work from a distance.
😆
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