Brendan Venter
Nick Mallett once famously stated that you don’t necessarily have to be the best coach in the world but rather the smartest selector to attain a consistent level of success at the highest level.
I wholly concur with such a sentiment and would suggest that the core of professional coaching achievement essentially stems from discovering the right blend in terms of playing personnel.
However, it’s important to stress that although said recipe is relatively well-known within top-level coaching circles, the ingredients often prove challenging to source and assemble.
SuperSport
At present, Heyneke Meyer is experiencing something of a selection conundrum. While there is no absolute formula for squad selection and composition, the Springbok side appears imbalanced.
Upon technical analysis, it’s clear for me that the Springbok class of 2014 fundamentally lack players with genuine ball-carrying ability – although they are heavy, they lack explosive pace.
As a direct result, Meyer has recently dabbled with the likes of Lood de Jager, Handre Pollard and Damian de Allende in the starting side. While said players impressed individually, they struggled to stamp their authority as a collective force.
Having narrowly escaped defeat to Argentina in Salta, Meyer has returned to a core of experienced players, such as a fit-again Victor Matfield and Morne Steyn, ahead of the encounter with Australia.
While the 37-year-old possesses a wealth of experience and his decision-making ability – particularly in the line-outs – is second to none, the law of physics dictates that the lock forward simply cannot jump as high, run as fast and be as physical as he was, say ten years ago.
Meanwhile, Steyn is simply not the type of player that poses a significant threat to defence structures with ball in hand. I believe the art of being a successful ball-carrier rests upon three key pillars: weight, speed and evasive ability.
Some players possess all three of the above qualities, while others only enjoy one or two, at most.
In Bryan Habana’s case, I believe there will come a time when the veteran’s work-rate and decision-making ability will have to be weighed up against his raw but diminishing game-breaking ability.
The reality is that the 2007 World Cup-winner is no longer an out-and-out ball-carrying threat.
The crux of the matter is that ball-carrying ability is linked to speed, of which there is no substitute, and age. As a player, speed is the one critical element you lose as the aging process takes effect.
Moreover, rugby union remains a game punctuated by physical prowess and explosive power.
Of concern ahead of Saturday’s test match in Perth is the fact that the Wallabies boast a surfeit of explosive ball-carriers in their armour and could expose the Springboks’ ball-carrying deficiencies.
Captain Michael Hopper may be small in stature but possesses genuine game-breaking ability and explosiveness. And in Wycliff Palu, the Wallabies have a bulldozing force from the back of the scrum.
Meanwhile, in their backline, Israel Folau’s physical presence and threat to the defensive alignment is undeniable, as is Kurtley Beale, who curiously starts from the wood this weekend.
I believe the dearth of effective ball-carriers selected in the Springbok side has reached a crisis point.
In Salta, Eben Etzebeth represented the primary ball-carrier in Meyer’s run-on forward pack, which is why the return of Marcell Coetzee to the starting line-up should not be understated.
Coetzee’s 28-minute cameo in Argentina, underlined the player’s considerable ball-carrying ability. The flank made a notable impact due to his physical presence and ability to get over the gain-line.
Meanwhile, in our back division, worryingly the creative magic ostensibly stems from Willie le Roux. I believe the fullback stands alone as the player that possesses the requisite speed and evasive ability.
For someone with limited understanding of the game, I look forward to reading Brendon Venters articles above all else. Always level headed, says it as it is, and knows the game better than most.
As usual, a good article.
@ Just For Kicks:
mens kan duidelik sien waar hy sy rugga geleer het
I enjoy Brendans articles immensely. he really helps give us plebs insight…
just one thing though… “the law of physics dictates that the lock forward simply cannot jump as high,
run as fast and be as physical as he was, say ten years ago.”
I like that, it could start an entire non-rugby debate.
@ MacroBok:
HM reckons that experience counts for more than the law of physics (as defined by Brendon).
We will soon see who is right.
Personally i have no doubt that the good doctor knows better.
@ robzim:
I wonder if Isaac Newton would have been a great coach as well 😀
@ MacroBok:
@ 5
Steven Hawking developed a mathematical model to predict that England did not stand a chance to win the soccer world cup this year. He used data such as the number of left footed and ginger haired players in the team, the colour of the team’s jerseys, average daily temperatures in Brazil etc for his model. Maybe we must ask him to develop something similar to predict the Bok’s chances for next year. It will save us a lot of anguish and worry over the next 18 months 🙂
6 @ robzim:
Bwahaha.
But maybe the players who when interviewed after a game give thanks to a higher being, should all get together, put their hands together, close their eyes and ask their particular diety very nicely to make them win?
But on the other hand Darren…………
PLEASE GBS, don’t ban me for treading closely to a fine white line that divides the real world from that of imaginary friends in the sky.
robzim wrote:
Flip I could have told anyone willing to listen that they couldn’t win without involving ginga ninja and caggy handed dwarf player stats and amospheric phenomena.
In fact, 99% of the world’s population could probably have predicited this correctly!
@ Scrumdown:
then all the games will be drawn 😉
8 @ Scrumdown:
Precisely.
I’m sure Hawking is sitting and working out the odds of the Pumas winning on Saturday, mumbling along the lines of “they actually don’t deserve to be nr 12 on the rankings, and if only they actually knew how to win a rugby game they would have beaten the Boks”
@ Scrumdown:
@ 7
hahaha…… Not sure if even Steven with his formidable intellect will be able to bring that variable into his model. He will probably assign a value of zero to it and will most likely be spot on in doing so.
@ nortierd:
The Kings are also not supposed to win on Saturday 😉 but…
MacroBok wrote:
But…they might lose without conceding 4 tries?
@ nortierd:
That depends, is Gary playing? Fark me that guy is kak now, I would still accept or listen to a theory that he fixed the previous game vs PW.
14 EP were still in the game untill Gary stamped his “authority” onto the game.
MacroBok wrote:
He only misjudged the pace of Senatla… I mean he is used to play with wings such as Poolman so give him a break
@ robzim:
lol he was shocking that entire second half, so bad that I honestly feel he could have fixed that game. Did you see him kicking? haha
Venter is correct and current, however, it has been stated here already time and again,
so what’s new?
14 @ MacroBok:
No Gary.
Whitehead is 10, Gary not on the bench either
MacroBok wrote:
There are 3 rugby players who I rated very highly but who disappointed me ( mainly due to injuries i have to add).
Nic Koster
Gary van Aswegen
Conrad Hoffman.
@ nortierd:
I think the way to look at PW games, is will the opposing team give them enough counter attacking chances to score enough tries, Bulls, cheetahs, Lions, EP, Griquas have no chance.
They will probably win this weekend but without Senatla, 4 tries would be hard.
@ robzim:
I watched a bit of the Kings match now, Gary got some nice speed to his passes even if he does not run straight it is ok, but his tactical kicking is atrocious.
@ robzim:
“average daily temperatures in Brazil etc” ???
Manaus, Forte Aleze, Rio, Belo Horizonte, and Sao Paulo are all totally different climate zones in the winter June-Aug
Geez Brendon, I also feel fooking imbalanced today.
As a medical doctor, do you think it’s a “left over” from the recent surgery, too much oxygen, or just my body reeling from the shock of seeing the Lions with a player on the SA bench for Saturday?
PS, can GBS please investigate opening a weekly “ask Dr Venter” column, so that us ignoramuses can get a better insight into matter concerning the world in general? (And maybe Rugger as well)
PW will lose their first game in Nelspruit though
MacroBok wrote:
Are they playing the Pumas there or at Newlands?
You must bear in mind that the Sharks, Cheetahs, Pumas and Griquas group is easier than the WP, Lions, Bulls and EP group.
The Pumas have done well in Nelspruit, but not against the best of opposition
In our team’s group we only have the Kings who are easy beats, the Pumas have the Griquas and the Sharks who you can milk points off of
@ nortierd:
27 September 2014 Pumas v Western Province
@ nortierd:
I think the Sharks could beat you at Newlands, if they play a conservative style game plan with Zelinga at the helm, and don’t completely write off that Lambie and Reinach could be there.
@ MacroBok:
atleast looks like we qualified for the Tri Series final vs Aus… unless Zim chases 271 runs in 25 overs.
MacroBok wrote:
Cool, shouldn’t be a problem for PW, Pumas will soon realize that we are not Guppies 😀
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