National rugby coaches are like lightning conductors for raw emotions and there is no such place on earth like the seat of the South African rugby coach, he gets struck multiple times with the intensity of heaven and hell colliding.
When it’s good — the coach can do no wrong and when the Springbok team loses they are damned to eternity with such seething fire and brimstone and naked aggression, it releases such negativity and rage that clear and concise thinking is almost impossible. If ever the statement, “courage under fire is required”, it applies here.
In a week’s time Peter de Villiers, the South African rugby head coach, will review 2010 on September 28 and will have to put markers down for the pathway he wishes to go down to defend the Rugby World Cup title in New Zealand.
This cannot be some blue-sky new innovation of some new-fangled strategy ie a knee-jerk reaction to extensive losses in the Tri-Nations.
Firstly, the Springbok players are not at fault because they are the elite core that won the Super 14, so the focus naturally falls on the strategy and competency of the head coach and assistant coaches Dick Muir and Gary Gold in determining the appropriate winning strategy.
Clearly this trio hasn’t been able to accomplish a winning strategy and upon closer scrutiny, Muir’s performance record as a coach stands out as the weakest link.
His record over at the Lions left them with the worst performance ever in the Super 14 with not a single win. Then followed the losses at the Springboks combined with the early season Currie Cup losses by the Lions. Tally this up and it is likely the worst coaching record ever for an elite coach in South African rugby.
Twenty Three losses in 9 months.
Muir somewhat salvaged the Sharks performance under him by calling in john Plumtree as a defensive coach and so again he had to call on John Mitchell as head coach, to make good at the Lions in the latter half of 2010 what Muir was unable to achieve himself.
It is true that the South African rugby team is gifted with phenomenal talent and it is true that De Villiers has provided a formidable team spirit, never before experienced in a Springbok side but De Villiers and the Springbok team’s vulnerability and weakness is in Muir and he will just have to go.
His replacement needs to be by an experienced master backline coaching strategist and De Villiers and SA Rugby has an abundance of talent to choose from.
With Ian MacIntosh, Peter Jooste and De Villiers as the selection triumvirate, candidates for the replacement to prepare for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, are in abundance.
If there is a need — and it is clear that modern-day rugby requires modern-day futuristic thinking — bring in national coaching patriot specialists like Alistair Coetzee, Heyneke Meyer, Gert Smal, who are all familiar with the strategies of England, France, the All Blacks and Wallabies. Then if need be, hire coaching guns or technical specialists, like Sir Clive Woodward, Ian McGeechan, Bob Dwyer, who are all potent and formidable students in the roster of coaches and the required style to win the World Cup. In fact anyone of either a Kiwi (Mitchell), Aussie (Jones), British (Jason Leonard) and French/Italian (Mallett) technical coaching support team, will buttress the Springbok strategy and undermine those national sides, if these individuals care to be a part of this winning 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign. Mallett is an example, as he is taking Italy through to 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
The Springbok team management needs to be overhauled and a rejuvenating programme implemented that can deliver a tight multi-dimensional attack and defence strategy for both the forwards and backs so that they peak like F-16 fighter pilots for the end-of-year tour and rigorous campaign leading up and into the 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign.
The decision is a hard one and De Villiers will have to have the courage and strength to make these wholesale changes to his support staff.
Then and only then will South African rugby be re-aligned and rejuvenated to deliver the results expected for the end-of-year tour and 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign.
This need not be a public execution or banishment of an individual into Siberia, as it is not about their feelings, but the pride and performance of the national team – so De Villiers better prepare a presentation that unleashes a swift and incisive deployment of world-class coaching talent.
Well PDV has been given enough time to work a plan of defence, or should it be plan of attack?
It is clear he is not going anywhere, so he will have to throw some one under the bus, and pull some names out of his hat.
Allistair Coetzee has publically supported him, so there is your most likely candidate.
And due to his involvement wit Rassie most likely another possible candidate
TonyM,
Thanks for this Article, as an insider in the workings of rugby and one of the few who know how SARU operates, I value your input tremendously.
I have a couple of questions:
1. What are the chances, you think, of De Villiers being bold enough to let someone on his staff bite the dust (Muir), to be replaced?
2. Who do you think is the logical replacement(s) and to what extent would SARU go with these replacements?
3. What will happen regarding De Villier’s wayward Media Comments in his review?
Thanks brother!
What do you think of this guys Bok team. He is called Mad Hatter
Let us hope that PDivvie will have learnt from his woeful end of year tour last year where we had the embarassment of losing to the Saracens and Leceister Tigers and where nobodies like Davon Raubenheimer were picked. Hopefully the fact that the noose is tightening around PDV’s neck will convince him to pick great players, as all that window-dressing achieves is to deny a more worthy player a chance of playing himself into a Springbok place. This will also be the last chance Div will get to test players on the fringes of selection before next year’s cup, so I am hoping for a bit of innovation.
My XV and the reasoning behind each selection:
1) Beast Mtawarira
Gurthro was allowed to play himself pack into a Springbok jersey and Beast should be given the same opportunity. In truth I don’t think there is a lot to seperate these players. Gurthro probably makes more tackles in a game and is regarded as a slightly better scrummager, whilst Beast offers more at the rucks by stealing the ball, and is better with the ball in hand. Obviously Gurthro needs a break, while Beast hasn’t been played much by the Sharks or the Boks and should be fresh.
2) Chiliboy Ralepelle
I know what you’re thinking: Bismarcke du Plessis, Tiaan Liebenberg and Gary Botha are all better, right? I agree. But since the Bok management persist in picking Chiliboy above what many considered to be better players, let’s see if they have the guts and the courage of their convictions to give him a few full games and prove he’s not just a quota selection. BTW I am a Chiliboy fan, I think the guy is going to be fantastic one day, I just don’t think he’s earned his spurs just yet.
3) Werner Kruger
While I don’t think CJ, BJ or JDP have done anything particularly wrong, none of them have made the jersey their own and we know what they all have to offer. I like Werner because he is a very hard worker, gets down and dirty at the rucks and while he is not the best scrummager, niether are the other guys I just mentioned.
4) Alistair Hargreaves
Andries Bekker is injured, Victor Matfield needs some rest. I would pick someone else but no-one really springs to mind, being one who is firmly against handing out cheap Bok caps I pick Hargreaves who is a youngster and has already been capped.
5) Bakkies Botha
I know I’m going to get stick for this one, but despite the fact that Bakkies is a thug he is OUR thug, and when he is not picking up yellow cards he is the biggest asset on the team. We suffered without him in the Tri-Nations. But after his nine week suspension and being reviled by the SA public for his actions has he learned to lose the red mist? That is what I’m picking him to find out. He can and should play in next year’s World Cup but has to show that he has the discipline to be asset rather than a hindrance to the team.
6) Luke Watson
Brussouw is injured, Stegmann is injured, Schalk Burger needs to be rested and I am yet to be convinced by Francois Louw or the Bok management’s claim that Louw was the best fetcher according to Super 14 stats. To me it’s clear that Flo has all the attributes of a blindside flank, not an openside. Then there’s Botes and Baywatch, both fetchers, but niether of them were better than Luke when he was in SA, and besides when the November Tour arrives the Northern hemisphere season will be in full swing and Luke will be at the peak of his fitness and form arc unlike the tired Currie Cup players who will be finishing their season.
7) Juan Smith
Hasn’t had too much game time this season due to a family bereavement. What more do I need to say about a man who is arguably the best blindside flank in the game except that he would make the ideal captain for the end of year tour?
8) Dewald Potgieter
I would love to see a work-horse in the 8 jersey instead of show ponies like Kanko and Spies who disappear when the going gets tough.
9) Francois Hougaard
Yes, he has been overplayed this season but he is still young, and besides, he will get a rest next season when Fourie du Preez comes back.
10) Elton Janjies
Morne Steyn needs a rest and this bright talent has been allowed to shine under the tutelage of Carlos Spencer and John Mitchell, he’s the closest thing SA have got to a Dan Carter, although obviously he’s along way off that class. I say they should throw him in at the deep end. We have a bad habit in SA of wrapping youngsters in cotton-wool, unlike New Zealand and Australia who throw their green horns into the fray early and let them sink or swim, just like Daniel Carter, Quade Cooper and James o’Connor who have a head start on other players of their age.
11) Lionel Mapoe
I know that this guy hasn’t been playing in the Currie Cup due to contactual disputes, but Bryan Habana is looking seriously jaded and Mapoe oozes class, let’s see what he can do.
12) Doppies le Grange
People don’t actually realise how brilliant Doppies is because he plays for such a crap team, if there was one player I would trust to provide go forward ball, get over the gain-line and not spill the ball, whilst making all his tackles it would be Doppies, plus it doesn’t disrup the lions 10-12 axis. Okay I know this is a left-field selection and I am not going to get my wish on this one, but heck, I am not a Wynand Olivier fan and I’m terrified Jean de Villiers will get injured AGAIN just before a World Cup.
13) Juan de Jongh
Jaque needs a break, and although Juan has also played too many games this year, we still haven’t seen enough of him. Yes, it is true that he has not been playing in the Springbok 12 jersey for long enough to decide whether or not he is better than the incumbent, Jean de Villiers, but my feeling is that 13 will be a more natural position as he will revel in the extra space that an outside centre has, and maybe get more chance to show off that magic step of his.
14) Gio Aplon
Some people say he needs to be given a chance to play in his natural position of fullback. I haven’t picked him there for reasons that I will reveal later. He replaces JP Pietersen who, although he hasn’t been overplayed this season is a known quantity. This is the ideal opportunity to test strength in depth and Gio Aplon has had the kind of season where it would be a travesty if he didn’t start.
15) Patrick Lambie
Patrick Lambie is the reason I didn’t pick Gio at fullback. Although he is supposed to be able to play in many positions he has had most of his games for the Shark this year at fullback, and I wanted to make space for both Janjes and Lambie in the team and I have only seen Janjes play in the position of flyhalf.
This is the last opportunity to pick young, exciting, up-and-coming talent and pick a few people on the fringes of selection and to innovate, befor the World Cup. I really don’t think PDV’s team will be all that different to mine (Although is unlikely to pick Werner Kruger, Doppies le Grange or Dewald Potgieter at 8th man) There’s no need to window-dress with six players of colour and an honourary player of colour in the form of Luke Watson to make it 7 in total, which I believe is the official target SARU wanted PDiv to achieve. This would be an exciting attacking team I reckon, but obviously is nowhere near the best team SA can produce because their top 15 are being rested, but an ideal opportunity to test South Africa’s depth nonetheless.
Let me know what you think…
Superbul, I agree with most of your selectioms but:
Puke Watson no way not even when hell freezes over.
Deald at six and Duane Vermeulen or Willem Alberts at 8.
That will most likely be the smallest Bok backline ever
@ superBul:
Super…you mixed 4 and 5 up. Elton Jantjies should go as a sub not as the flyhalf, Lambie should play there…otherwise your thinking is fine, but then the guys should start training together already, so they can learn to play the Bok patterns as opposed to their Currie Cup/S14 teams.
I think Watson will be a disruptive factor and I think Alberts deserves the spot on current form.
As for coaches…Div should be the one to go but it is not to be. Muir has actually been credited for doing the groundwork for the Lions recent revival, Gold was a political appointment…Muir will go….he is busy with his academy anyway, knowing the guy, I know he will be gatvol with the politics in any case.
Hey guys you must read, that is not MY team. Read the first sentence. I will NEVER pick Luke on this Site.
4man wrote:
Not so sure , i see the support for him lately. But really his job is not to find coaches to do HIS job, he can just pass the buck. No ways, he is crap. Might be a nice guy but his head is too full of dreams. He will always change a player who is good in one position into a mediocre player drifting around in the team.
@ superBul:
I disagree, but do agree that he has lost interest.
In any case I am sure he will be a casualty.
@ superBul:
So when did u change your name to Mad Hatter? 😉
Ek weet darem nie of Jantjies en Lambie noual reg is vir Bok rugby nie! Wat het Jantjies nou al gedoen wat hom so wonderlik maak? Laat hom eers vir Juan Smith tackle of kyk hoe lank vt hy om optestaan na ‘n Schalk Burger tackle. Daar is ‘n ou gesegde, in die land van die blindes is eenoog koning!! Lambie het ook nog baie om te leer voor hy Bok materiaal is.
Oor die afrigters, ek sou like as Dick en Gary gefire word en vervang word met Pieter Rossouw en Mat Proudfoot.
@ superBul:Super,
I would replace 8 with either Vermuelen or Alberts. Maybe Alberts he has been outstanding. Such a strong ball carrier. I would go with Lambie at 15 and Jantjies at 10. Would like to have them both start. (Wow!!!!!! we have talent now at FH. From famine to feast…hehe) I also think Lambie is a superb FH but would like both Elton and Pat to start. Lambie has played FB/12 and FH so let Elton get the FH duties. Lambie FB or even inside centre. Both these youngster have to start not leave one on the bench. Don’t agree with you there 4man. Taute is also playing well for the Lions. (We have plenty young talent at the moment)
Would never ever select Watson. As good a player he is NONE of the players get on with him mate. So he would be a destructive influence there. Rather shift Potties to 6 or Botes. Pity Deysel is injured for the eoyt in the wet conditions I would have had him at 6 with Alberts at 8 and Juan at 7. Those loosies would be awesome. Potties though would be just fine at 6 too. Mapoe is such a great player but with no game time I would give that postion to Mvovo or Basson for now. Also the Sharks TH on Saturday surprised me. He was superb. But will go with your pick in W. Kruger.
Who on the bench?
Also think Muir will leave. My feeling the same as 4man. Think Muir will want to get out of this political farce. Then I never rated Muir with the Boks so wont worry me if he leaves. It is who will take his position that counts more. Gold should leave too.
@ KingPaul:10 – KingPaul, Just throw those two youngsters Lambie and Jantjies in the mix. Australia and New Zealand would try them out on the eoyt. We should never be afraid to try out our young talent. We don’t we will never know what we have. We have nothing to lose but more to gain by playing them.
Don’t think we will be taking our top team over. So then just try out the youngsters. Now I am never one for not sending our best. Always want the best to play a test, but don’t think our best will get selected. So time to try out these youngsters. Maybe by the world cup we will be pleased we done just that.
Okay out of here. Just a quick few posts. Been hectic busy today.
Catch up tomorrow.
OK goodnight all, I have a glass of Pinot Grigio waiting for me and better get some stuff packed for the trip on Friday to SA.
Oi, oi, oi!!
3@ superBul:
This Mad Hatter is indeed as mad, dof, dom, dig and difficult as his name suggests.
1. A guy who does not know the difference between a No 4 and a No 5 needs to be hung upside down.. and apart from that Hargreaves is a lightweight, I can think of 3 better No 5 locks offhand, starting with Anton van Zyl, Juandre Kruger and Fondse.
2. Stegmann is fit again and should be picked for this coming weekend. There is no way in hell Watson should come near the Bokke again… never! Rather play Botes, or Minnie. When last did Baywatch ever grace the field… oh yes, as losing crying captain of the Lions, forget about him!
3. The Mad Man man forgets about Duane Vermeulen and Willem Alberts…. fat lot he knows, although Dewald Potgieter to my mind suits No 8 bloody well.
4. So Elton Jantjies he chooses for flyhalf, after half a season… gmpffffff… rather Lambie then or even Willem de Waal.
5. Mapoe at left wing… hahahaha, hehehe… the man is a right wing, fella… one that can play center too… but when last has he taken the field…. no man, please! MVOVOOOOOOOOOOOO!! or BJORN BASSONNNNNNNNN!!
6. Doppies at inside centre… the same man who fell off the mediocre Watermeyer on Saturday, you can’t be serious…. puleaaaaaaaaaaaaase!
7. On the right wing J P Pietersen needs game time, desperately… he needs to be there, but Aplon there would not have been bad…
8. At fullback I’d choose Aplon… and Hennie Daniller is impressing me more with every game, not Lambie because Lambie now seems to specialize at flyhalf… do we really need to shift this youngster around willy nilly and make another Gaffie or Brent Russel or Ruan Pienaar…. no man, FFS!!
Jaaaaa, swaer, some people’s varkies have gone a wandering…. dom werfetter!
Ek dink Kobus Wiese gaan die moeite werd wees om vanaand te kyk, op Superrugby
@ grootblousmile:
Duidelik sal ek hom nie oornooi na ons vanaf sy Blog nie.
18@ superBul:
Hy moet maar kom, sodat hy kan leer, want hy weet duidelik fokkol van rugby nie…
Kyk, ons gaan in Nov teen ‘n paar spanne speel wat lus is vir ons. Stuur ‘n gemiddelde span en ons gaan goed pakslae kry. My eie standpunt: elke toets moet gewen word, of dit nou teen wes-oos-suid indie is en of dit teen die AB’s is.
Ek is moeg vir hierdie WB koors waaraan ons lei, nee man, maak ons weer trots met elke toets, veral teen die toplande, speel ons beste span teen AB, Aussies en 5 nasie spanne, en Arg. Teen ander lande kan ons ‘n B span stuur.
Elton en Lambie kort eers ‘n S15 voor hul vir die wolwe gegooi word. Jammer, maar Lambie het my al beindruk, maar nog nie werklik oortuig nie. Hy sal ook so bietjie meer hamburgers moet eet, met klein mannetjies soos hy en de Jongh gaan ons nie die AB’s klop nie.
20: een of twee dwergies in die agterlyn (Aplon en De Jongh) kan nog gaan, maar meer as dit, soek jy vir pakslae.
@ bdb:
Ek is n groot hater van die WB, net omdat dit kwansuis die belangrikste is in die wereld. Gee my ver eerder die All Blacks se wen rekord.
22: nou praat jy superbul. As die AB’s volgende jaar die WB verloor, beskou ek hul nog steeds as die beste span deur die geskiedenis, bloot omdat hul so baie wen, nie net elke 4 jaar ‘peak’ nie. En, as hul die WB volgende jaar wen, wat gaan ons dan sê ? Dan is hul mos gelyk met ons EN hulle het ‘n beter wen rekord as ons.
Dit is hoekom ek sê, sodra ons weer ‘n bokafrigter/bestuur span het wat elke wedstryd wil wen, en ‘n konstante wenkultuur opbou jaar-vir-jaar, dan sal die res van self kom, ‘n goeie wenrekord soos die AB’s s’n én nog WB’s !
Maar, met die Boswell broers aan bewind, vergeet dit.
@ bdb:
Nou ja PdeV het bleddie goed begin en was naby 80% wen op n staduim, darem jammer Jake het daardie verskonning geskep. “Rate my na die WC”
@ grootblousmile:
All good questions and Peter de Villers better show he can walk the walk on the 28th – it is a showdown of note and only a well thought out 13 month plan will cut it.
He will stay but he needs to show and explain who and why this Bok campaign bombed- we all saw it – upfront and personal and it hurt.
Then on his media handling – that is the job of SA Rugby and their media department – this is why it exists and the person or persons there have not been doing their job or jobs.
Peter de Villiers is a rugby coach not SA Rugby’s media and communications department.
If they are unable to manage the process with simple Q&A FAQ sheets then they are out of their depth.
This is the critical coal face that SA Rugby must manage of the expectations of the South African rugby public and even the players.
Peter de Villiers is now not the only one facing a review and evaluation on the 28th September………….
25@ TonyM:
I see, like usual we’re both up late… yes I suppose it’s more than Divvie under review!
@ TonyM:
Tony
Doesn’t it all point to poor Management from Mr Hoskins Esq and his team? For goodness sakes, if they’ve allowed PdV to suffer with his Foot in Mouth this far, how can they now lambaste him for it?
My missus couldn’t speak a word of English 10 years ago, and after even living in Africa for 3 years where Afrikaans was not spoken by too many, I still won’t let here make official statements on my behalf, let alone a National sporting body.
Sometimes I think SARU set people up to fail.
It is more complex than that. SARU appointed PDV, knowing fully there will be shortfalls in his make up.
They admitted to the reasons he was appointed, and that was their first mistake.
They have to be more lenient in his case, as they can’t now admit it was a failure.
The problem they face is they are damned if they do get rid of him and damned if they don’t. They opened Pandora’s box when they appointed him and now can’t close it as it is too late
TonyM wrote:
So even the “we was robbed” excuse wont work.
TonyM wrote:
Agree, keep him away from direct contact with the nasty, negative and spiteful press, just like the French and other nations do. Let him talk Afrikaans and basta with the rest. The interpreter can then take the punch or soften the words.
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