70 Responses to End Of Year Tours: Springboks – Lions prop Ruan Dreyer called up to squad

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  61

  nortie on 18 November 2014 at 8:22 am

  Angostura wrote:

  “The key to unlocking South African rugby’s attacking potential at the back is to start selecting a different type of player in the all-important inside centre position.
  That’s the view of former Springbok coach Nick Mallett, who feels it is no coincidence South Africa have failed to provide invention and flair at a time when they are virtually the only top rugby nation that continues to select centres whose main role is to operate almost as an extra flank by setting up the ball.
  Everywhere you look at the moment, the most successful teams appear to be the ones that have a player in the No 12 jersey who has either moved there from flyhalf, or who can easily make the switch if required.”
  …

  “But if you want to attack successfully, you have to have a creative presence at 12, someone with handling skills, stepping ability, someone who can pass well both left and right.”

  5 August 2006

  What Mallet says makes sense, but what I find interesting is that this quote was made in 2006. The next year we won the WC and since then we have been fairly consistent in being the nr 2 side in the world, and all this without having playmakers at 12.
  Barring the All Blacks, could one assume that the other nations would think that if they adopted our policies they might be more successful?
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  62

  Jeraldjay on 18 November 2014 at 9:14 am

  @ nortie:

  If only JDV could off load in the tackle.
  He consistently gets over the advantage line and his defence is exceptional but if he could keep the ball “alive” before going to ground our attacking game would improve dramatically.
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  63

  nortie on 18 November 2014 at 9:18 am

  @ Jeraldjay:
  Yep, we lack the “SBW” type player in the midfield.
  The pass Willie gave to Reinach that led to his try is precisely the sort of offloading skill we want to see more often from our backline players
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  64

  Jeraldjay on 18 November 2014 at 9:28 am

  @ nortie

  Funny thing is if had those skills early in his career.

  Wonder who is responsible for skills development in the Bok setup.

  Ricardo Laubsher?
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  65

  charlesm on 18 November 2014 at 9:51 am

  nortie wrote:

  @ Jeraldjay:
  Yep, we lack the “SBW” type player in the midfield.
  The pass Willie gave to Reinach that led to his try is precisely the sort of offloading skill we want to see more often from our backline players

  This specific skill – offloading from the back of the hand – is even being practised at school level. A year or two ago it would never have happened. The lesson IMO is that we should embrace change and utilize anything of value. The younger we start to improve / enhance the skills the better
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  66

  grootblousmile on 18 November 2014 at 9:57 am

  64 @ Jeraldjay:
  Should’nt you already have the skills when you land up at the Springboks??

  Is’nt that the aim of the whole thing?

  Is’nt that why National Franchises and Unions should work closely with the Springbok coach, in a clear joint vision forward… to be on the same page?

  Who made Jean de Villiers lose those skills? Is it the last 4 Springbok coaches or is it perhaps his Union / Franchise coaches… or is it just his age catching up to him?

  For me, the Springboks is the place to APPLY ALREADY DEVELOPED SKILLS and to mould the players with these individual skills into a team, with a game plan(s) which suits the style of the combination of all these players, considering where special strenghts are and where the group as a whole lack certain qualities.

  At most maybe slightly enhance those already developed skills and attributes… not teach or develop them to start with!

  A coach and his team of assistants is only as good as the sum of the material given to him… and in general South African players are behind both the New Zealand and Australian players in the skills department, both in the forwards handling skills as well as in the backline handling and passing skills and identifying space.

  Skills development and application needs to be ingrained from primary school and high school levels already, for it to become second nature and part of the armour.
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  67

  grootblousmile on 18 November 2014 at 10:04 am

  65 @ charlesm:
  Exactly!
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  68

  Jeraldjay on 18 November 2014 at 8:08 pm

  @ grootblousmile:

  Yes you should have those skills before being selected as a Bok.

  But some players are selected based on those skills but as soon as they get to international level those skills are coached out of them to suite the coaches blue print.

  Therefore skills has to continuously be developed.

  When HM started it was all about the basics and perfecting the little things. I think those structures are slowly coming in to place. The next step would be to further develop skills.

  To cut a long story short I think the the Boks should employ a specialist skills coach.
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  69

  Victoriabok on 18 November 2014 at 8:33 pm

  grootblousmile wrote:

  64 @ Jeraldjay:

  Is’nt that why National Franchises and Unions should work closely with the Springbok coach, in a clear joint vision forward… to be on the same page?

  Rassie and his High Performance Team visits all the franchises
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  70

  grootblousmile on 18 November 2014 at 9:24 pm

  69 @ Victoriabok:
  Our blogging friend, PissAnt (Morné) or Pismier as I call him, is part of Rassie’s squad, doing those rounds.

  But frankly, it envolves more than Rassie’s group, to get that same page principle going. Problem has been that some Franchises work closely with Heyneke Meyer (eg Bulls) but some others like the Sharks under Jake White did not give a continental shit about Heyneke or the Country’s aspirations.