Tag Archives: springboks

Joy and Heartache… All In One Day

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Two things struck me as interesting topics to talk about on the rugby news front. First is the news of John Smit as the new Sharks CEO and the second is Heinrich Brussow not being considered in the Springbok training group due to a perceived high penalty count (absolute bullocks!).

Let’s start with the good news first and that is the appointment of John Smit as the new Sharks CEO. The reason I say that this is good news is that for a change rugby will be run by someone who actually knows the game.

For a number of years now we have had, mainly, a bunch of narrow minded business personnel running this beautiful game of ours. Mostly not well. Case in point being the palookas that are ruining rugby in the Western Province (Rassie Erasmus débâcle comes to mind). Administrative decisions are being made on a business level and in the end has adverse effects on the game we all love.

Having a person like Smit in charge is a master stroke by the Sharks board… well in my opinion it is. Smit is no moron even after years of banging his head in a rugby game. He is highly intelligent and commands respect from his fellows. He definitely has the business acumen needed but more importantly his decisions SHOULD be to the benefit of the game as he KNOWS the game (almost like why I regard Glen Jackson as the best ref so far in the Super 15 because he blows like someone who knows the game intimately).

So kudos to the Sharks who seem to, as usual, lead from the front in innovation.

The bad news. Springbok management have made a pathetic attempt to point out to Brussow why he does not get picked, that being his penalty count. Rubbish!!!! If you read Front Row Grunt you will have seen the stats that points out Brussow as having a low penalty count compared to others. In 6 games he has only had 7 penalties against him.

What does count against him however is his low turn-over rate of only 2 in 6 games. A guy like Brussow should be doing about 2 to 3 a game at minimum.

What pains me is that the Springbok management actually try and point out that his count is high when it obviously isn’t! Just tell Brussow, like a man, that you won’t pick him because he is not your favourite. Don’t lie to him… that’s just cowardly. But then again everything SARU does these days is cowardly…. they have no backbone.

I do however like Brussow’s response, “I’ll just have to work harder to prove that I deserve to be in the Springbok squad. It’s frustrating sometimes because penalties will happen as referees are so strict at the breakdowns. But I’ll do whatever it takes to earn my spot. I’m even working hard on becoming bigger.”Can’t help but feel that last little bit is a dig at Meyer’s selection policies!

So kudos to Brussow on his reply (and slight retort)

Meyer’s Breakdown Blues

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One can’t help but comment on Meyer’s speech about the breakdown “blues” of this country. Meyer is of the opinion that if we can sort out the breakdown of South African teams we can win matches. Truer words have never been spoken but then one would have to look at why we are having breakdown issues.

Meyer likes to say we have breakdown problems but then why does he not pick the players who can resolve that issue in his squad. Why is their no Brussow? Hell I’d even go as far as picking someone like Deon Fourie at 6 because on the ground he is devastating.

To me the problem doesn’t really lie in the fact that we are “behind” other teams in the pecking order come breakdown time but in the players we pick to win the breakdown game! Meyer is also a culprit in this regard.

When Meyer took over as Bok coach he believed that to win matches you need to boss the collisions. Fair enough, but without any ball to play with the only way you’ll win a match is tackling a team into submission.

I believe that this philosophy of big players has filtered down into our Super Rugby thinking. Of all the teams out their only the Cheetahs play a true fetcher in Brussow. The Stormers are playing a “big” loose trio but none of them really play to the ball. The only person who can is Duane Vermuelen but he is an 8th man and “fetching” is not part of his criteria. The Sharks have Keegan Daniel and Jacques Botes. Botes doesn’t make the starting team often and Daniel is fair on the ground but no where near the likes of Francois Louw or Brussow. The Kings have Watson but he is injured and way past his best and the Bulls have Stegmann who has never ever ever been anywhere near class… never mind international class on the ground.

Our team selections these last few years has been based on a Meyer philosophy of size wins games. Now Meyer is singing the breakdown blues. It makes no sense. I feel we have the talent and I believe to sort out our new Meyer issue we should pick the appropriate players for the role. Being great at the breakdown is a talent and not something that can be coached. The top three for this country, in my opinion, at the moment are Francois Louw, Heinrich Brussow and Deon Fourie. Of course when Bismarck comes back we have an extra “fetcher” and Adriaan Strauss and Coenie Oosthuizen are also not bad on the ground come ruck time.

So I do not agree with Meyer in saying that we are not good at the breakdown. If anything team choices make us bad at the breakdown. We look bad because we don’t pick a specialist. Looking at Meyer’s training squad selection it looks no better and I foresee a loss at the breakdown if Louw gets injured.

This would have been my Bok squad also without international players, based on current form in the Super XV:

Loosehead: Tendai Mtwarira (I know he is out of sorts but won’t play without him), Steven Kitshoff

Hooker: Adriaan Strauss, Kyle Cooper, Chiliboy Ralepelle

Tighthead: Coenie Oosthuizen, Wiehan Herbst, Frans Malherbe

4 Lock: Flip van der Merwe, Steven Sykes

5 Lock: Franco van der Merwe, Pieter-Steph du Toit

6 Flank: Heinrich Brussow, Deon Fourie

7 Flank: Lappies Labuschagne, Rynardt Elstadt, Siya Kolisi

8th Man: Duane Vermuelen, Phillip van der Walt, Jacques Engelbrecht

Scrumhalf: Cobus Reinach, Shaun Venter, Francois Hougaard

Flyhalf: Morné Steyn (as much as it pains me), Pat Lambie, Dimitri Catrakilis

Left Wing: Bryan Habana, Raymond Rhule

Inside Centre: Jean de Villiers, Robert Ebersohn

Outside Centre: Juan de Jongh, Lionel Mapoe (for lack of a better option)

Right Wing: Willie le Roux, JP Pietersen

Fullback: Frans Steyn, Joe Pietersen (for lack of a better option)

Note: I did not select current major injuries

So all in all I feel we are not behind when it comes to breakdown play… we just aren’t picking the right people for the job.

Is Meyer Developing Talent?

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The Boks will be playing there last match of this gruelling season against the team that we started to show decline, England. In the June tests at home the first test was a convincing thrashing of the Roses. The second test Was less convincing but still looked good. In the third test the wheels started coming off and cracks were starting to show in what was looking like a promising start under Meyer.

Ever since then dubious selection like Jacques Potgieter and Arno Botha, the constant faith shown in Morné Steyn, Zane Kirchner, Jean de Villiers and Francois Hougaard, and the obvious snubs at players like Lwazi Mvovo, Elton Jantjies, Juan de Jongh and Patrick Lambie have plagued Meyer through the rest of his tenure. The eye of the public was firmly placed on the man and his every move questioned with scepticism.

Yes Meyer has had a tough time, he should have expected no less but he has sorely let the public down. I read an article on Rugby365 yesterday about how Meyer was throwing egg on the public’s face by telling Lambie to play to his strengths. What a load of bollocks. The public have been baying for a more attack orientated game and by asking Lambie to now play his style and not the one asked is nothing more than a knee jerk reaction to public opinion.

Meyer did the same when he finally called in a specialised “fetcher” in the form of Louw because trying to turn Marcell Coetzee into one was not working. Not only couldn’t we win ball on the ground it was obviously also hurting the player as his game overall started taking a knock. Back then there was also calls from the public and media alike to include a fetcher, and look how Louw has responded. Now our forwards look unstoppable.

Wasn’t Hougaard’s move to wing nothing more than a knee jerk reaction to public pressure?

One thing is certain through all this and it is that slowly but surely Meyer seems to be walking in the right direction.

But I still have one point of criticism to make against Meyer and it involves this end of year tour. Meyer, in my opinion hasn’t done enough to bring through the youngsters and has failed to identify key areas of personal that are almost at their sell-by date.

Lets start with the front row. Everyone knows and agrees that Beast, Bismarck and Jannie are the best we have and will be for some time. However what bother me is the backup. On the loosehead side we are pretty much covered with the like of Heinke van der Merwe, Guthro Steenkamp and JC Janse van Rensburg.

At hooker we have Adriaan Strauss, but after him who do we have? Schalk Brits is no spring chicken. Tiaan Liebenberg is also on the wrong side of 20 and Chiliboy is once again a tackle bag specialist. Why have no young hookers been identified and taken on tour?

Same thing with the tighthead side. We have Pat Cilliers who looks like a great replacement yet they picked CJ ahead of him and we suffered for it. Why show no trust in a man who has given you no reason not to. Meyer has obviously identified Frans Malherbe as one for the future yet left him at home instead of gaining some touring experience.

Our Lock reserves are also thin yet we have plenty of young guns coming through who can make a statement like Etsebeth… well probably not as massive a statement but a statement nonetheless. Andries Bekker isn’t that young and prone to injury plus all the other guys picked are in their twilight years.

At loose forward we have a plethora of talent. This country always has yet Meyer seems to be picking favourites over those that actually perform. Jacques Potgieter and Arno Botha are cases in point. Jacques hardly played Super Rugby this year yet got picked even when injured and Arno Botha has had a mediocre showing at the Bulls during the Currie Cup so how does he qualify. Even playing in a less “demanding” tournament he looked average. Why did CJ Stander leave when he has produced fine performances? Kolisi was given the cold shoulder and players like Kankowski and Daniel were hardly given chances even though they played the best out of almost everyone.

At scrumhalf we also have a problem. Ruan is the incumbent and has a cool head but he is also approaching his twilight. Hougaard hasn’t measured up but I’m sure he will again soon. But why is someone like Vermaak picked? He hasn’t played rugby to prove he is the second or third best option and he is also no spring chicken. Why not take a younger chap with like Reinach or Groom? This tour exposure would have been vital for their growth and increased our depth at 9.

At flyhalf we have been all sixes and sevens. At least here the young guys have had exposure but none has done enough to say they are the future. I appreciate the fact that Meyer is giving Lambie time but someone like Jantjies should have also benefited, even if only for 10 or 15 minutes per game.

At inside centre we have a problem. Jean de Villiers is near the end of the road and probably only has a year left in him, two at a stretch. Yes Frans Steyn has been identified as his replacement but who is there after Steyn? Why has Meyer not identified a third or even a fourth choice? Why was someone like Whitehead not taken, or Francois Venter or Jan Serfontein? At outside centre why was someone like Paul Jordaan not taken with? Taute can play 13 but is not a great choice.

At wing we have enough young cover but Meyer doesn’t seem t be doing enough to give them exposure. He picks Hougaard at 11 where he says he doesn’t want to be at the expense of players like Mvovo and Rhule who could benefit from game time.

At fullback a lot of soul searching also needs to be done. Yes Kirchner has been solid but neither is he anything to write home about. And if Taute is the future why is he not getting a go at fullback? And why have younger possibilities not been considered as backup? Lambie can play there yes but his future seems to be written in flyhalf stone. Frans Steyn can also play there but likewise he seems to be our first choice 12. So why have no other possibilities been discussed or brought on tour if for nothing else than to learn?

This also brings me to my point on captain. Jean de Villiers has been retaining his starting berth for he is captain. But there does not seem to be a search for an alternative. Who will captain the Boks in Jean’s place? Adriaan Strauss seems a likely candidate but will be second fiddle to Bismarck. Is enough being done to recognise a new leader or are they banking on Jean living forever?

Lambie and Hougaard Being Turned into Carbon Copies

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I have been reading a few blogs and one thing that keeps on rearing its head is the why Lambie seems to be failing. Most people are of the opinion that it is down to the game plan being implemented by the Boks. I strongly agree with this fact but at the same time it cannot be the sole reason for not just Lambie’s performance but the back line play in general.

On Uysh’s blog he does an interesting piece of statistical breakdown featuring our Lambie versus guys like Carte and Beale. The stats are very interesting. Our flyhalf receives much less ball compared to our Southern counterparts. The other interesting fact is that even the scrumhalf receives less ball than our Southern brethren. Another interesting titbit is that percentage wise our flyhalf also receives less ball from the scrumhalf.

How can one expect to run a game when you get to use less than 50 percent of possession.

Yes the stats centred around Lambie mostly but that got me thinking about another talent, one that had us all licking our lips at the prospects he offered the green-and-gold, Francois Hougaard. Why did Hougie fail. Well if one wants to answer that question I guess one will have to look at how he plays.

He made his name as an attacking scrumhalf. Always keeping the opposition guessing around the rucks, having quick feet and immense strength for his size. He had flair!!. His defence was even outstanding. Yet when he finally donned the green-and-gold in the June tests a person didn’t see that player. What we saw was a copy of Fourie du Preez, albeit a broken one. His kicks from the base of the ruck were abysmal, he never asked question of the defence and never seemed intent on doing anything that even required a minuscule of flair. His rugby took a knock and he was moved to the wing where his “magic” could truly work.

But why hasn’t it? Why when he did play did he struggle? I once again come back to a point I wrote about a few months ago. He was playing against his natural urges, his instinct. He wasn’t asked to play towards his strengths but curb them and improve his weaknesses. This was obviously counter-productive. He hasn’t featured on the wing either because his role has merely become that of a chaser of kicks. His role has basically become one of defence and no more.

When you look at his body language you don’t see a guy strutting his stuff.

Look at Lambie’s body language pre-Bok games. He was raring to go and when he got back to the Sharks he showed why he should be a serious number 10 contender. Meyer seemed to bow to pressure and gave his Lambie his shot. In the Irish game he didn’t play badly but was not his “I am the general” self. The biggest shocker for most watching the Scotland game was also how he was playing like Morné Steyn. It was almost carbon copy. His body language wasn’t showing confidence. It was almost like watching a person go through the motions instead of playing with intent.

Basically what I am trying to say is that our guys don’t seem to be given any freedom to play. It was the whole reason Francois Steyn left the country to. His creativity was being stifled. It seems to be happening again. Our players seem like they are being asked to ignore their strengths if it doesn’t compliment a forward orientated approach to the game. This in turn has a chain reaction where our wings are nothing more than chasers and our outside centres are nothing more than extra defenders. And when the ball does seem to leave the flyhalf’s hands to reach another player via pass rather than kick, it is for no more than that player to crash it up and have it contained in the forwards.

Our under 20’s showed what could be done when using the ball. Our Boks are showing us what we can expect with containing the ball. We play for penalties and tries are a very lucky intercept bonus.

Where Did We Go Wrong?

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A few things were glaringly obvious in the game against the Scots. It was always going to be a game of attrition. The Boks looked liked a team scared of losing and not one hungry of winning and Lambie played a very Morné-esque sort of game.

We played well in the first half and we were determined to stick to our structures, sort of play in our “comfort” zone. In the second half the Scots realised we were never moving out of second gear and more than happy to stay there. Then they upped the anti and the Boks were scrambling like mad men. Something that should never have been allowed to happen.

Gone are the days of outplaying a team in the first half and then using that killer instinct to slaughter them in the second. The Boks were on top of the Scots but in the second half it almost looked like we were relieved to be in front and rest on our laurels.

Two things stood out as negative points for me in that game. Lambie playing Morné rugby and CJ still being considered as a world class prop. The game obviously didn’t suit Lambie. There was none of that free flowing spirit we have seen from the young lad. He seemed stifled and perplexed for big parts of the game. In some way I think the “game plan” stifled him and in others he didn’t do himself any favours. Besides playing in a plan that obviously doesn’t allow him to be him, his kicking out of hand was atrocious. Seeing Lambie that far in the pocket had a lot of tongues wagging. The question is why? Why was he so far back? Why wasn’t he flatter? Why was he kicking so many up and unders? Why? Why? Why?

A lot of questions can be asked of his style but similarly a lot can also be asked of his execution. I would love nothing more than to start throwing conspiracies around but let’s face it, Lambie did not do himself any favours on Saturday. The problem with that is that it now gives Meyer the chance of bringing in Morné, so that the bore-fest can continue… in earnest… and alienate even more supporters of the green-and-gold.

Another thing that someone couldn’t help but notice was the glaring fact that our back players, bar De Villiers and Lambie, never got ball unless it was given to them by the opposition. Juan de Jongh touched the ball once, had a magic little half break and then never got given the ball again. Right there it proves that something is fundamentally wrong in the make up that is Bok rugby. Maybe it is the reason why Jaque Fourie refused to return. He doesn’t want his role at the Boks to be one of a tackling centre. Mallet summed up the de Jongh situation nicely after the match.

The turning point of the match, in my opinion, was the introduction of CJ. Once we lost dominance in the scrums we seemed to loose dominance in the forwards as a whole. We were slipping tackles and looking ever more lethargic as the game wore on. What makes it worse is that I do not blame tiredness. Our ascendancy was no more and the Scots took full advantage. CJ was the biggest instigator in this free fall and it almost cost us dearly.

Now I know a lot has been said of the style of rugby that the Boks play and that it has always been an ingrained thing in South African players. The kicking game is our game. But then again what was said in the Supersport studio rings true. Even with Naas as our flyhalf we had world class backs outside him, Gerber, Du Plessis, Huenis, Pienaar… legends of yesteryear.

Another interesting fact is that when we had our 17 match winning streak with Mallet as coach we did not have a kicking flyhalf. We had Henry Honniball and at 12 Dick Muir, a maestro of distribution. What I mean by this is we played our best rugby when not playing the traditional Bok style… if such a thing exists.

All in all I feel there is a stifling of development under Meyer and I don’t see it ending any time soon.

Bok Game a Tale of Two Halves and an Inconsistent Ref

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Well, well, well. That was a tale of two halves. I read a lot about how the Boks upped their game in the second half and how poor they were in the first half. True they were but what was really at the root of the Bok problem in the first half?

One thing was sure about the game, and especially after the second time I watched it. Barnes had a shocker… again… surprise, surprise! He seemed to do a lot of guessing and taking in to account how the penalties were blown it seems that only one arm worked and that was the left one.

In the first half both teams struggled to find any rhythm and it was easy to see why. Both teams were struggling to play the way Barnes was adjudicating. Why is that you ask? Easy, because Barnes was all over the place. Non of his decisions had any consistency to them. His handling of the ruck was a prime example. Bodies were on the ground, or players were holding or suddenly daylight wasn’t given, even though the player in question was the arriving player and not the tackler. It was a lottery, I know it generally is but quality refs tend to stick to a formula that teams can suss out and then play to, and in Barnes there was none of that.

Nothing was more clear in Barnes’ inability to control a match than when the handing out of handbags started. He stood off to one side and let the show carry on. He wasn’t interested in keeping discipline. Yes he gave two yellow cards in the game. One was a dangerous tackle and merits could be made for the awarding of the card but Heaslip getting a yellow for what wasn’t even a repeated offence was a bit strange.

So why did the Boks improve in the second half? Simple, they started playing the ref and not the laws. This allowed the Bok forwards to gain the ascendancy they needed and shut out the Irish.

Now don’t get me wrong here. I am not saying that only the Boks were blown up by Barnes. He was pretty harsh on the Irish as well. How someone like Barnes is even allowed to be an international ref after all his blunders escapes me, and I don’t mean in just this match. He has been shocking almost every time he has reffed a game.

Anyway, this is how I rate the Bok performance for Saturday’s clash against the Irish:

First XV:

15 Zane Kirchner – 6

It was a solid showing at the back once again but the man still lacks the ability to create an attacking opportunity from the back. I wish he would stop prancing around and just take the ball in full flight into contact if need be. At least he’ll gain metres and not get tackled back.

14 JP Pietersen – 6

Despite that one miss-timed tackle JP had a solid game and a few good runs. The man is clearly in the mood for rugby!

13 Jaco Taute – 6

Still not my first choice 13 but he got better as the game got on. Still I think Juan de Jongh’s fleet-footedness could have come in handy. Taute was much better in his defensive channels this time around.

12 Jean de Villiers – 6.5

Definitely one of Jean’s better games in a long while. Maybe the small break from Currie Cup duty did him good. Took the ball up well. Would still like to see him try and link up with his back line players more.

11 Francois Hougaard – 5

Another quiet game from the once vibrant and slippery player. He needs to find his mojo quick because I fear time might be running out for the man. Give him an impact role when the game is more open. Maybe then he can win back some confidence.

10 Patrick Lambie – 6

The mercurial Lambie didn’t get to do much in the first half and did look a bit out of sorts but produced a much better display in the second. His kicking out of hand wasn’t to good either and I put that down to nerves. He knows he is playing for his rugby life under Meyer.

9 Ruan Pienaar – 7

Ruan produced one of his most mature games in a while. I think getting an extended run at 9 is helping his confidence grow.

8 Duane Vermuelen – 6.5

Stole one or two balls and tackled very well. Would just like to see him link up with the backs a bit more.

7 Willem Alberts – 6.5

Not at his rampaging best but still a solid game. Tackled very well and made them feel it.

6 Francois Louw – 7.5

This man is proving to be talismanic. Slow down opposition ball and is a menace on the ground. Great cover defence too.

5 Juandré Kruger – 5.5

Had a quiet game. His forte is the line out and he has usually been an excellent stealer of the ball but wasn’t as effective as he can be. Also disappeared a little in certain stages when the game got tight.

4 Eben Etzebeth – 7

This kid will be a legend one day if he can carry on like this. Extremely strong and stole a few line out balls.

3 Jannie du Plessis – 6

Someone should give the doc a rest. He has had a massive season and keeps chugging along. Another solid performance but he could do with a breather.

2 Adriaan Strauss – 8

He had a massive game. One of his best. I am sure playing opposite his cousin gave him extra incentive and it showed. Played very well and was all over the park.

1 CJ van der Linde – 6

I was worried when it was decided he would start. I have never rated CJ as a strong scrummager but he was solid. Good game

Reserves:

16 Schalk Brits – wasn’t used

17 Pat Cilliers – 6

This man had a good game. Scrummed well and really threw himself into tackles.

18 Heinke van der Merwe – 6.5

Really showed his power in one scrum and played a pleasing game with the time he had on the field.

19 Flip van der Merwe – 6.5

If there is one person this year who has made me swallow my words it is Flip. He is really showing good growth and ever since he has “calmed down” and shown controlled aggression, he is playing some good rugby.

20 Marcell Coetzee – 6.5

This kid looked like he was on speed. Threw himself into everything and had one monster tackle.

21 Morné Steyn – wasn’t used

22 Juan de Jongh – wasn’t used

23 Lwazi Mvovo – wasn’t used

I do find it interesting that no substitutions were made in the back line, especially Hougaard as he wasn’t having his best outing again.

Bok Pros and Cons this Weekend

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With the game looming tomorrow a lot is being said of inclusions and exclusions and expectations. I felt I would give my opinion on the possible strengths and weaknesses the Boks have in their armour and how it could impact the game. Let’s start with the glass half full and talk about our obvious strength… the forwards.

When it comes to the front row the Boks should have the upper hand against the Irish. In Beast and Jannie we have two of the best props in their respective positions in world rugby. They stood up amicably to the All Blacks and even managed to dominate them. Adriaan Strauss was always my concern but he has found his feet quite quickly and has really produced some good games in the green and gold. However Bismarck will always be missed.

In the tight five our only “weakness” is the locks. I use weakness in inverted commas because Etzebeth has proved he is, at 20, already a world leader at 4 and Juandré Kruger is a great lineout man. The only short-coming I can see is Juandré’s “lack” of physicality. His he gets stuck in but doesn’t have the weight of the bigger men. Even though that is the case he is a very mobile lock with plenty of potential.

In the loosies we have a great balance. Louw being able to impose himself at the breakdown has really allowed Alberts to be freed up to do his crash balling best. With Vermuelen being able to play towards the ball and fill the 8th man role admirably I can’t see these guys taking a step back against the Irish. We should dominate on the ground and thus have plenty of ball to play with.

Having Pienaar at scrumhalf and Lambie at flyhalf can only bode well for the Boks. Pienaar knows the Irish conditions very well and he has good decision making abilities. Lambie probably has one of the coolest and calmest heads on a rugby field and his decision making is also usually spot on. His kicking out of hand is good and gets good distance, his defence is excellent and his attacking prowess is good.

At centre is where our biggest weakness lies at the moment. Jean has not had a good season and he has a bit of an injury cloud hanging over his head. Taute I rate highly as a player but not so highly as a centre. He was exposed against the All Blacks. Keith Earls and the boys have obviously seen this and have no doubt decided to exploit this. Hopefully it will be better come this Saturday.

In the back three we have a bit of a toss up. JP is an obvious choice and before his injury he was in sublime form. Zane and Hougaard are my odd ones out. Zane has been a solid performer but just like Morné he offers nothing special. He is not the kind of guy that can pull a rabbit out of a hat when needed. Hougaard has had a shocking time behind the scrum. His move to the wing hasn’t been invigorating either. He clearly lacks confidence but he is a player that has the ability to pull a rabbit out of every nook and cranny on the field… but is it enough to warrant inclusion above Mvovo? I personally don’t think so and would have preferred Hougaard on the bench as an impact player.

When it comes to the bench a few things worry me. Schalk Brits above Chiliboy. Yes Chiliboy has come off an injury and Schalk knows the environment. But does he know the Bok environment? CJ van der Linde I have never rated as a quality national player, never mind international player. I would have gone with Guthro and Cilliers as cover because we all know Guthro CAN scrum. Flip has been getting better and better as a lock and I hope it carries on. Marcel Coetzee is one of those players that basically picks himself. But what Meyer is doing to the boy seems criminal. He is not a player that plays towards the ball. It is not his natural inclination and it cannot be coached because it will be a detriment to the rest of his game. Fetchers are born, not bred.

Morné Steyn… I have never been a supporter and will never be. I feel his role on the bench will be a huge one. I truly believe Meyer will sub Lambie early to get his darling on the field. My biggest concern is when we play catch-up rugby. Will Morné be able to produce then? Will he be able to get a back line going when we need a try to win it? I have my reservations, yet miracles do happen.

Juan de Jongh is an unlucky Bok in my opinion and I would have started him at 13. Yet he is an able replacement. All I wonder is if it will be at 12 or 13. Jean is an injury worry and Juan has been training at 12 all week. I am not so sure about Juan at 12 just as I am not sure about Taute at 13. Mvovo is also an unlucky starter in my opinion but at least he is on the bench. Hopefully Meyer gives him a run on this weekend.

When it comes to the squad picked for the tour a few things bother me. First and foremost we don’t have a quality tighthead backup for Jannie. We also don’t have quality lock cover. We don’t have adequate cover for Jean as almost all the other centres and “centres” cover 13. Lambie can cover 12 if pushed but why did Meyer not take another 12 with on tour? These are our biggest weak points… is poor planning to blame?

What is Meyer thinking?

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One thing has become very clear in Heyneke Meyer’s messages these last few days. His emphasis on kicking. It is sad really when one can see the potential in almost all of the players present. South African rugby fans are making a lot of noise on general team selection and it generally tends to be the same. Play the players who have that something extra in them.

Yet Meyer is ignoring these calls. He is steadfastly sticking to what he perceives he knows. I use the words perceive in this case because Meyer has done his fair bit of backtracking on stances he has taken. To highlight the most obvious one is the case of flyhalf. The country has been talking about Lambie and Jantjies a lot, and not just the last few games but for a while. Yet Meyer seems to stand fast on denying there talent. One thing I knew to be bull when he talked about it was Lambie’s perceived lack of tactical kicking. The kid has always been brilliant at it yet Meyer has come out and said that Lambie needs to work on his. What rubbish!

The kid probably has the biggest rugby brain and cool head in the entire squad. His tactical kicking has always been good, his defence has always been rock solid and his attacking acumen is probably one of the best in the country. Elton has shown the glimpses of brilliance we know he has. Has he been as steady as Pat? No but he hasn’t been up and down like a yo-yo either. Yes he had a shocker in the semis to a degree but he didn’t play that badly either. Yet Jantjies hasn’t even made the bench.

Morné Steyn has had one of those seasons that any normal person would want to forget… and quickly. He hasn’t been his metronomic best this whole season. Yet he makes the bench based on one good game for the Bulls to make the semis of the Currie Cup, yet has another shocker against the Sharks a week later. Other than his boot he offers nothing yet he gets the nod because Meyer perceives him to be a better tactical kicker. Well someone should tell Meyer that Steyn’s kicking has been so bad this season that he even made Peter Grant’s kicking out of hand look sublime.

Meyer harps on about tactical kicking and kicking to posts yet not once has he said anything about a complete game, something Lambie and Jantjies can offer. Steyn only offers kicking. Which in a way scares me when you think about what Meyer might be thinking about, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who has. Meyer has made no secret about the fact that he doesn’t rate Lambie. He has put his favourite player on the bench in Morné. Does that mean Lambie will be subbed after 20 minutes? Hmm. Also by picking Morné, who has had a shocking season, above someone like Jantjies, who has had a good season, are you not psychologically telling Jantjies that you don’t rate him either?

Now on to Zane Kirchner. Captain Niknaks has been solid but other than his placement and kicking out of hand he has offered about as much as a church mouse to the church coffers. Zane’s kicking, Meyer explains, is what gives him the nod above someone like Taute. Taute can hoof a ball miles, yet he can also run and is an extremely strong tackler. Zane doesn’t offer those last two at all. When Captain Niknaks starts dancing on the spot like a jack rabbit… wait I shouldn’t liken him to the jack rabbit because the jack rabbit can actually side step. When Captain Niknaks prances on the spot like a jack-in-the-box he becomes the easiest target to tackle.

Taking Taute to 15 and bringing on Juan at 13 would have made perfect sense. You have a kid who knows the defensive lines of outside centre patrolling outside centre. Plus you bring on someone who is tenacious in his defence and someone who in the blink of an eye can actually do what a jack rabbit does, evade would be predators!

Almost the entire country bar the truly fanatical Bull supporter can see that removing Zane and Morné from the equation greatly improves our chances against the Irish, so why can’t Meyer? All I know is that if we do lose this game on the Emerald Isle, Meyer will have a lot of explaining to do, not to the South African fans only, but to a certain Mr Gwede Mantashe too.

Has Meyer Missed a Trick?

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With injuries having played a massive role this year one can excuse a watered down Bok team… or can we? One thing that has been obvious during the Currie Cup is the emergence of young players. Yes it was a watered down version because a lot of the Boks were missing but in the final the Sharks were almost full strength and the “young guns” from WP pulled them through.

We have a plethora of young talent coming through and someone like Eben Etzebeth has proved that by announcing himself on the world stage even. Meyer has chosen his squad to tour Europe but I can’t but help feel he has missed a trick. He has still stuck to his “guns” as he likes to point out. I do applaud the man however for picking Rhule. The kid has been in sublime form for the Cheetahs. Yet overall I feel Meyer is still lacking in vision.

Where is Ludik, Groom, Reinach, Jordaan, Whitehead and the likes? These guys have proved themselves this season. We have had a terrible time at scrumhalf. Pienaar offers stability but after him who do we have? Yes we have Hougaard and Vermaak but they have no form to speak of. Yet Groom and Reinach have proved that they can play an all round game. Plus Reinach has clearly inherited his dad’s pace! Hougaard’s future is not at scrumhalf and will never be. If anything he will always be an impact player or wing. On this tour one could have picked both Groom and Reinach to gain some experience. So why didn’t he? Simple, he still plays favourites.

At centre we have been thin this year. Jean is holding the ship together, not just in the midfield but also as captain, Frans Steyn is injured and we seem to be short on genuine inside centres. So then Why not take Someone like Whitehead or Serfontein with? They are definitely the future! Ever since the departure of Fourie we have also been lacking for a 13. Juan de Jongh has shown he has the temperament but unfortunately his size under Meyer will always count against him. Unfortunate really since he showed South Africa what he can produce on the big stage. Frans and Jean are not the answer as a centre pairing. So why not give Juan his chance and bring someone like Jordaan on tour who can only benefit from it. Why not even take someone like Catrakilis along?

At full back Ludik has been in sublime form. The kind of form that would make anyone stand up and notice… unless you are Meyer. Meyer’s blind faith in Captain Niknaks is bordering on insanity. He offers nothing from the back. Yes he is solid but his one on one defence has never been great and he has no attacking skills to speak of. His only claim to fame is kicking, which Meyer seems to prize above all else. I would play Taute there and Ludik as backup… plus if you really have to you have Lambie. Zane doesn’t even need to feature… at all… ever!

I also feel Meyer missed a trick With Deon Fourie. Our only fetcher in the group is Francois Louw, and no matter how much Meyer wishes it, Coetzee will never be in that mould. Why not then pick someone like Fourie who has been a revelation at 6? I can only think size once again… which is sad really. And what about someone like Anton Bressler or even Jaco Kriel from the Lions? Don’t get me started on the Keegan Daniel debate. The man would be a shoe-in anywhere else.

The other trick that Meyer has missed is in his player “32”. In the group we have one genuinely world class tighthead in Jannie. Pat Cilliers is still on probation. Why not pick another tighthead in the group instead of Heinke van der Merwe, another loosehead. We basically have have three looseheads, one tighthead and one all rounder in Pat Cilliers. CJ doesn’t count because he can’t scrum on his best of days!

However the biggest trick Meyer has missed is in the naming of his match day 23, and here is the team to take on the Irish:

First XV:

15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaco Taute, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.

Replacements:

16 Schalk Brits, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Pat Cilliers, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Marcell Coetzee, 21 Morné Steyn, 22 Juan de Jongh, 23 Lwazi Mvovo.

Zane at 15 should not even feature in the team or bench. Taute isn’t a 13, his defence is shoddy there. Francois Hougaard has not done enough to warrant a starting berth at wing, his form is shoddy. Having CJ on the bench and not Guthro makes no sense and never ever will no matter which universe you find yourself in. Having Morné Steyn on the bench can only mean one thing… Lambie will get substituted… very soon in the game. I confess I would be very surprised if we beat the Irish with this team, especially is Lambie gets taken off.

A better combination would have been as follows:

First XV:

15 Jaco Taute, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermuelen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Eben Etzebeth, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Tendai Mtwarira.

Replacements:

16 Schalk Brits, 17 Guthro Steenkamp, 18 Pat Cilliers, 19 Juandré Kruger, 20 Marcell Coetzee, 21 Jano Vermaak, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Francois Hougaard

I only pick Vermaak for lack of a better choice. There is so much potential that Meyer left at home its actually scandalous. I read that he bemoans the fact that we lose so much talent overseas but it is easy to spot why. If someone keeps on picking the talentless above the talented, then don’t expect the talented to stick around.

Where Did Common Sense Go?

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A lot has been said about the Springboks joining up with their provincial teams. The unanimous decision from a fan perspective is let the guys rest who need rest. Cannot say I disagree.

Now I know as much about contracts as the average person knows about the Linux computing environment, basically not much. I cannot tell you if a central system is more viable or a provincial system is the way to go. From the noises being made it seems that everyone wants a central system, like the All Blacks have, in place. Only problem I have with that is that it will be managed by SARU, and we all know how brilliant they are at anything. Just ask the Lions.

In my opinion it all comes down to common sense. Let’s take WP as an example. Now Coetzee has been a very outspoken coach when it comes to player burnout. It makes sense since he was there with Jake White so knows what is was like trying to keep your best players at their peak. But at the same time this man has had injuries galore at WP. Some of it one can speculate is due to burnout. He was notorious for sticking to a team instead of looking to rotate players who weren’t props.

Come Currie Cup time and he has done pretty well considering injuries and so on with the team he has at his disposal. Some kids stood up to be counted and others were ok. Now he has most of his Boks back. He has dumped them all in to play. On the one hand I agree with his statement that promotion/relegation played his hand but on the other did he really need to make wholesale changes to be competitive? I think no.

This is where Coetzee could have used some common sense. Overplayed individuals like Habana, de Villiers and Etsebeth could have been given a rest. WP have more than enough cover on the wings and Marcell Brache and JP du Plessis were doing well as a centre pairing. That being said someone like Juan de Jongh could benefit from some game time after the huge amount of rest he got. So only dropping du Plessis or Brache would have been fine with de Jongh taking his place. The young locks at Coetzee’s disposal could also have given Etsebeth a much needed rest. Someone like Don Armand was doing well at 4 so there was no reason to be forced to play Etsebeth.

John Plumtree has got it right by playing Lambie and resting players like Beast, Jannie and Alberts. They need some R&R. But that being said the Sharks are sitting pretty which gave Plumtree the leeway to do it.

I know coaches are under pressure and probably none more so than Coetzee who, with a talented bunch of individuals, has not managed to win a trophy. But still the call to rest overplayed players would not have made such a big impact as suggested by Coetzee.

Rest our Boks. Frankly most of them could do with a break.