Flip van der Merwe

Flip van der Merwe

Springbok lock Flip van der Merwe says there is enough leadership in the team to fill the void left by Jean de Villiers.

The Springbok captain suffered a horrific knee injury in last Saturday’s Test against Wales in Cardiff. He faces an extended period on the sidelines and could even miss next year’s Rugby World Cup in England and Wales.

While losing De Villiers would be a big blow, Van der Merwe feels there are enough leaders in the squad for coach Heyneke Meyer to call on.

“It’s one of Heyneke’s big success stories during his time as coach. He concentrated on establishing a leadership group. of which Jean merely acts as manager,” Van der Merwe says.

Sport24

“It’s obviously bad losing Jean, but I think any guy can walk in and take over the reins. A number of provincial captains play on the national team, so I don’t think we’ll have any problems in that regard.

“Modern-day teams do not depend on only one or two guys when it comes to leadership. We have a lot of decision makers at different levels and areas in the team.”

Van der Merwe, 29, hopes to be back in action next year after missing a big part the 2014 season due to a knee injury. He recently also injured his shoulder while training with the Bulls.

Van der Merwe tore a pectoral muscle while doing dips in a gym session to regain his fitness along with his provincial team-mates.

While the off-season will mean more recovery and rehabilitation for Van der Merwe, he is confident he could be back in action by late January, meaning there is still a good chance he will be ready for the Bulls first game in next year’s Super Rugby series.

19 Responses to Enough leaders at the Springboks, says big Flip

  • 1

    I don’t really know how to take Flip’s comment… ‘merely a manager’ sounds like a flippant remark… I was impressed with an interview given by Flouw here in Nz and he sounded like he is leadership material andis world class on the field… ticks the boxes imo… plus he plays in the forwards, another bonus.

  • 2

    ” Any guy can walk in and take over the reins”

    Flip should perhaps first learn the proper technique to do dips in a gym without tearing his pectoral muscle before he gives us his distorted views about the intricacies of leadership and management.

  • 3

    @ robzim:

    Well he probably knows more about it than some try hard sitting in Durbanville yanking his pizzle.

    😆

  • 4

    @ gunther:

    It is not compulsory that you HAVE to defend a bulls player every time he says something stupid.

    Just let it go sometimes…

    🙂

  • 5

    robzim wrote:

    @ gunther:

    It is not compulsory that you HAVE to defend a bulls player every time he says something stupid.

    Just let it go sometimes…

    Forgive him Rob……it’s ingrained in the psyche, when last has a Bulls player said something that can not be construed as stupid?

  • 6

    @ robzim:

    Au contraire I only feel the need to step in when somebody says something so fatuously maladroit that it can’t go unpunished.

    @ nortie:

    That’s rich coming from you.

    Very rich indeed.

    😆

  • 7

    Cheetahs are playing in light blue as well 🙂

    http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Cheetahs-unleash-new-jersey-20141204

  • 8

    nortie wrote:

    robzim wrote:
    Forgive him Rob……it’s ingrained in the psyche, when last has a Bulls player said something that can not be construed as stupid?

    We’re still waiting for it, it will be

    “Pierre Spies announced his retirement today”

  • 9

    2/4/5: touchie van julle wiepie oukies, hoekom so ontsteld deur ‘n glas-half-vol opmerking van Flip ?

    Ou JDV is nie dood nie, ekself hoop regtig hy is terug vir die WB (stem nie saam met Superbul se opmerking nou die dag nie, maar Superbul het darem teruggetrek en verduidelik), ons het sy ervaring nodig.

    Maar ek kan regtig nie sien hoekom julle so dikbek is oor Flip se positiewe opmerking NADAT hy gesê het: “It’s obviously bad losing Jean”

    Of is julle anti-Bulle so bietjie dikbek oor die moontlikheid dat ‘n Bul die Bokke gaan aanvoer in die WB en nie een van ‘ons ouens van die kaap’ nie ? 😉

    Julle moet bietjie die provinsialisme drop terwille van Bokke.

    In my oë is beide Vic en JDV legends van ons land, beide goeie leiers wat die meeste spelers sal volg.

    Net jammer dieselfde geld nie vir die ondersteuners nie.

  • 10

    Luister nou na Boots and Balls.

    Dit gaan oor die up and under.

    Robbie maak die opmerking, as jy die uppie game wil speel, kies dan die beste daarvoor, soos Basson.

    Stem 100 persent saam.

    Maar wat ek nie kan verstaan nie is dat ons hierdie jaar twee of drie geelkaarte juis gekry het omdat ons nie reg in die lug gekompiteer het nie.

    As die uppies so groot risiko is, en die kanse omtrent 50 persent of meer is om ‘n geelkaart so te kry, hoekom enigsins daardie gameplan speel ?

    Veral in uitspeelwedstryde is dit nag as jy geelkaart kry. So speel persentasie rugby in die noordelike haldfrond, so min as moontlik risikos.

    Dit beteken, skakelpaar van Morne en FDP met ‘n monster pak wat alles beheer, en nr.11-15 wat dodelik kan verdedig.

    Dit beteken ouens soos JDJ, Willie en Hendriks wat nie kan verdedig nie is uit.

    Goeie verdedigers soos Jan, Lambie, Frans, JF, JDJ, Habana is in.

  • 11

    FDP/Pienaar
    Morne/Pollard
    JPP/Hougaard
    JDV/Frans
    Jan/JF
    Habana/Ellendige
    Frans/Lambie

    Almal manne wat goed kan verdedig.

  • 12

    @ Victoriabok:
    #7 Hi Vicbok I like that away top, now if one could get a big enough plaster to cover the Cheetahs logo then it would really be lekker Happy

  • 13

    @ Ben-die-Bul:
    Ja ek stem, as ons as dit n risiko is om die uppies te skop en ons kan nie goed genoeg skop en die vlueel n regverdige kans te gee nie, moet ons dit maar los.

  • 15

    @ Ben-die-Bul:
    #10 Hi Ben you got me confused first you said player JDJ can’t defend and then soon after that he can.

  • 16

    Bullscot wrote:

    @ Ben-die-Bul:
    #10 Hi Ben you got me confused first you said player JDJ can’t defend and then soon after that he can.

    He meant JdV

  • 17

    15/16: jip, tikfout gewees, dit moet JDV wees.

  • 18

    @ Victoriabok:
    @ Ben-die-Bul:
    Ahh ok get it now thanks

  • 19

    11 @ Ben-die-Bul:
    What is Mvovo’s defence like? Sounded like he was tracking back and covering quite a bit in defence against Wales saving the Boks

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