It never seizes to amaze me how South African rugby teams and coaches remain oblivious to such obvious solutions to their problems.
The Vodacom Bulls find themselves in one of their worst runs in Super Rugby in the last 8 years. As defending champions they have suffered uncharacteristic defeats to teams they would have been a sure bet to beat in the past.
I think to pin-point one reason for this would be ignorant as the problem is far too complex, but part of identifying a problem would be to listen to the players and where, how or why they are struggling.
Having read interviews with Frans Ludeke and most recently a column by Bulls loose-forward, Dewald Potgieter, it is clear to me that the Bulls have in fact no bloody clue as to where the problems are.
Of course they identify the obvious as reasons for their continued failure such as poor execution or loss of confidence, but no-where will you read on how they plan to fix this!
It is almost as if the Bulls are waiting for the ‘wheel to turn’ or for the ball to ‘bounce’ in their favour, or for a bit of ‘luck’ to go their way.
Scrap that – they are not ‘almost waiting’ they are waiting and doing nothing themselves to correct the issue.
We continue to read comments from players or coaches that they can only ‘control what they’re capable of controlling’, but more and more it becomes glaringly obvious that they cannot even do that. They would rather wait for some ‘miracle’ of some sorts which will magically sort out all their problems.
If execution and confidence is the problem as Potgieter and Ludeke eludes to, why not get specialist coaches in to address this?
Coaches are quick to appoint skills coaches if there is a problem with player’s techniques, or defense experts to sharpen up defensive structures, or even kicking coaches to help with players skills in that department – so why not recognise that problems with execution and confidence are also areas of the game of rugby in which experts can be called upon to assist?
Not only is there massive amounts of information available on experts in these areas like mind-coaching and co-ordination specific experts to help sportsmen and women, but there are practical examples of this at work and evidence of its success!
If Dewald Potgieter thinks it is frustrating for them as players to go through what they are currently experiencing, imagine what the likes of Sherylle Calder or Dr. Ross Tucker feels like knowing they have the tools to help these players overcome something which is very ‘coachable’.
Professional sports people and teams who embrace the value of these experts should never fear their team or individual form going through cycles or dips, because believe it or not, it can be explained and even fixed!
Take control, pick up the damn phone and change your destiny, it is easy.
As I mentioned yesterday….it is difficult for a paternalistic type manager or management to admit that they could be the problem.
As for players talking in the press….it can only mean one thing, there isn’t a forum for the players to be heard…..Dewald is a Springbok for heavens sakes, they should welcome his input…..frustration is as much part of the problem as anything else. Come hell or high water, Ludeke has to kick Vics arse and tell him to wind his neck in and then get the “kop smokkelaars” there to take the guys through an empowerment and self belief session. Its not rocket science.
My personal philosophy is “you become what you think and talk about” and this is a very old concept.
John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Sorry GBS I am not preaching, I can find similar verses in the Quran, Talmud and Bagadahvita. Even the old people knew your mind is your strongest muscle!!
If only Morné Rysmier was’nt so spot on and therefore the Bulls so close to pulling things right… eish, eish, eish!
It needs fixing… pretty, pretty please!
1: 4man, I believe our ‘strongest muscle’ is faith, see the whole of Hebrews 11, especially verses 33,34.
And, yes, I am ‘preaching’, and cannot make any excuses for that, because then my Captain will one day,to use your words, ‘kick my arse’ for doing so ! (Mark.8:38)
@ bdb:
Faith, Spirituality, belief, conviction….its much of the same thing…..but now we ARE discussing religion and that isn’t allowed on this blog.
Denial is not a river in Egypt.
Players view
We didn’t have the traditional “kontiki” after the game, but we assembled in the team room in the hotel like we always do post match, and it was pretty quiet. Victor stood up and suggested that we go around in the circle and give opportunities to those that felt like they had something to say,
A lot was said. The usual suspects did the addressing, and although the punch lines were diverse, the disappointment was universal.
I have noticed before how most people in those circumstances convey messages that they themselves actually need to hear. At times I didn’t have a clue what the guy was on about, and then I would realize that he was probably just giving himself advice, and perhaps holding thumbs that someone else might relate.
Someone said that we needed to train harder.
Someone said that the constant mental errors hinted at an patchy level of effort across the board from week till week.
Someone said that we got ourselves into this mess, and that no one else will help us out of it, neither should they,
Someone said that he would like to apologize on behalf of the team to the coach, because “some below par individual performances” is the cause of a lot of undeserved flack sent in his direction.
A lot more was said. Coach Frans landed the plane in the end; he settled everything down and gave direction to the pleas that filled the air.
A player can lose his form in a moment, but you don’t just become a bad player overnight. At the moment we just haven’t had a game where all 15 of us fire at once. How can we expect to gain momentum, nevermind keep it? It’s not always the same two or three players that screw up, but the two or three screw-ups are consistent.
How do you solve it?
You don’t. You just take care of yourself, you make sure you do the job the team requires you to do, the job you get paid to do, and then you need to trust the guy next to you to do the same, twenty-two times over. And then you have to do it, every week for 21 weeks.
tighthead @ 5
😆 you’ve told a joke!! 😯
and may i add a good one too!! 😀
..
to all the bulls supporters and others who didnt understand it …. denial (sounds like … ok, almost) the nile … therefore: denial isnt a …
(sigh) ag, why bother? 😀
..
anyway tighthead …. good one!!! 😆
@ Ashley:
You are getting nastier by the day, you try and take over Saints role?
Die rooi trui waarmee die Vodacom Bulls more teen die Chiefs speel is deel van Vodacom se “brand refresh”. Ek merk dat die Blou Bulle Maatskappy en Vodacom gekritiseer word in die verband. Party van ons se geheue is baie kort, nie alleen het Vodacom oor die afgelope jare miljoene rande in die Blou Bulle en Bulls geinvesteer nie maar Vodacom het ook aan die begin van sy borgskap die Loftus Versfeld naamregte terug aan die Bulls en sy ondersteuners gegee. Loftus is sedert hierdie gebaar weer LOFTUS VERSFELD!!!
In die huidige ekonomiese klimaat is dit noodsaaklik dat borge en sport handelsmerke saamwerk, anders sal sportorganisasies nie oorleef nie!
Interessant dat ons sedert gister talle navrae gehad het van ondersteuners wat die rooi trui wil koop. Die trui is egter nie te koop nie, jy kan slegs een van die twee en twintig truie wen as jy more op Loftus is en deelneem aan die Vodacom kompetisie.
Groete, Barend van Graan
super @ 8
naaah, just warming up for that june encounter (stormers/bulls) 😀
super @ 8
btw
why are you seeing RED so early in the day? 😆
#11
now i wonder
would it have be more correct to say
you’re like a bull (supporter?) seeing a RED flag? 😀
red red wiiiiiiiiiiiiiine
agge ek bedoel
die bloubul eet nie vannie …. (hehehehe)
btw
word “al wat jy sien, is die blou masjien”
nou
“gly, of bly
hier kommie rooi gety”? 😀
oh, and any bull supports thats now “bedonnerd” or thinking of becoming “bedonnerd”
remember
how you guys went on about the stormers sponsor (dhl)?
hellloooooooooooooo!!
waars almal? jeez maar die site is vandag stil!!
nee wat, sal maar weer aflog en môre trugkom!!
cheers ouens
rooi dag vir julle almal!!
#16
ek bedoel …. mooi dag vir julle almal!! 😀
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