Annoyed at Heyneke Meyer referring to Springboks as underdogs!
September 4, 2012 in International, Rugby, Rugby Championship, Springboks
“Springboks are underdogs – Meyer”
via Annoyed at Heyneke Meyer referring to Springboks as underdogs!.
I just can’t seem to accept that with the abundance of depth and talent we have in this country coupled with our proud history, that we should ever be considered underdogs. Not the Springboks. Not the All Blacks.
I’ve just never fallen foul to the tactical “We’re the underdogs” game… You know, the game where “I pretend I’m the underdog.” Sorry, no such thing. The mere fact that you (Heyneke) feel it justified to call yourself an underdog; means exactly that. You actually think it!! You wouldn’t say it if you didnt think people would buy it?
Somewhere deep down in Heyneke Meyer’s sub conscience, he actually believes we’re underdogs, and I just don’t want the coach of my beloved Boks to be thinking like that. We’re the bloody Springboks!! South Africa and New Zealand dominated the Super Rugby Season, and with the extraordinary amount of rugby being played, depth is near 1st choice factor for success. The 5 SA franchises collectively played 80 games in Super Rugby (including debies) and won 42. Similarly, NZ franchises grabbed 46. The Aussies an even 32. In percentages thats high. Work it out.
As the story goes, here were some of Heyneke Meyer’s Quotes:
As the story goes, here were some of Heyneke Meyer’s Quotes:
“Australia are going to come out all guns blazing,” – Really? Isn’t that the norm with any test…?
“They are a proud team and they have been together for quite some time. I have the highest respect for Robbie Deans as a coach. There is obviously a lot of pressure on them and we are probably the underdogs.“ – No – we are not the underdogs Heyneke!!! Aussies just lost 22-0 to the All Blacks and I don’t think Robbie Deans will ever feel more nervous! If you feel we’re the underdogs, perhaps you need to make some changes to your tactics and/or game plan? The talent is there – make it work for you.
“We don’t have a good record against them. We have lost four out of four against them, and won one out of seven, which shows how tough it is to play against Australia. Even though New Zealand beat them quite convincingly they are still a quality side,” – Yes, Australia are quality and always will be. That doesnt justify the “underdogs” tag. Sorry!
“We knew that three away games were going to be tough and hopefully the guys have learnt from the Argentina game. I have high standards and I want the players to have high standards and the biggest disappointment is when you disappoint yourself.“ – You say “hopefully the guys learnt from the Argentina game” – I’m thinking: “I hope you’ve also learnt from the Argentina game”
“The team is much better than they showed (against Argentina) and I do take it personally because we want to make the whole country proud,” – Should I feel grateful for that, or should we as a nation feel entitled to expect that from you? IE: I don’t see that as a gesture of kindness #justsaying
“I’ve always said that we will have a horses-for-courses attitude. Hougaard gives you something different on the wing while Ruan is a little bit more experienced and he has a brilliant kicking game so he can take some of the pressure off of (flyhalf) Morne Steyn. It is not a definite thing but we are looking at that option,” – I’m liking this quote. Its funny, cos for some reason its the South African culture to never commit to an opinion. Its obvious that he’s saying Francois Hougaard is struggling. Something we all already know. Funny enough, reminds me of something Peter de Villiers once said to me in an interview… In his words, “diplomacy is the new ‘lie‘”. Heyneke is being diplomatic, but actually what he’s doing is trying to make us think its his choice, due to the pressure he’s under. The whole country has been saying Francois Hougaard is slow behind the breakdown, and his kicking game has been poor since the 2nd test of the England series. Sadly, he found a big loss in form between the said game and the end of the RWC, where he enjoyed being the poster boy of South Africas new rugby era. Heyneke has to make a change at scrumhalf, because the “combination” which he always speaks of is not working at 9 & 10. We’ll see a change at 9 come Saturday.
“I want the option of a specialist openside, maybe on the bench. Northern hemisphere refs are normally a bit more lenient at the breakdown and I want us to be covered there. But I’ve said before that the whole team needs to be able to compete on the ground and at the breakdown.“ – Another change to his tactical thinking, and I’m very happy for him to evolve into the new era of rugby… We need someone at the breakdown cos its obviously a part of our game where we’re struggling. I’m hoping for that to change on Saturday.
“Our problem, against Argentina, was not just taking the opposition’s ball at the breakdown, it was protecting our own ball at the breakdown and that is not just the openside’s role that is the whole team’s responsibility. We need to be more effective at the breakdown, our body height should be lower and we should clean out more effectively,” – Well said coach.
Here’s to my Boks on Saturday!
mclook said on September 5, 2012
Aussie won the tri-nations last year. They did that by using the Reds as the core of their team. The Reds brought their structures,calls and basic game strategy into the national side.
This year the Aussie S15 sides were woefull hence the Wallabies are struggling.
In 2007 the Springboks won the tri-nations in the same way namely by taking the bulls structures, key players,calls and game strategy into the national side.
The core of the AB team has been for the last 10 years the Crusaders. This year the Chiefs has been the inform side in NZ and in the S15 and it is interesting that the AB started off looking a little less oiled that usual. Is that because the try and play Crusaders style with Chiefs players or at least with less than usual amount of Crusaders in the team?
Bulls struggled this year but HM are still trying to play BB rugby with BB. Robbie Deans was at least clever enough to make the Reds captain captain of the Wallabies last year and to utilise those structures.
When I was a u/20 player we had a brilliant coach for the university team. The majority of that team was selected for the provincial side but the provincial coach was useless. The provincial team reverted to stuff we got coached by the Uni coach and won most of our matches.
HM should have selected the majority of his team from the Stormers if his aim were to play defensive rugby or from the Sharks If he wants to play attacking rugby. It is madnes to think you can win international matches with players and game strategies from a team that struggled. It is also madness or play a brand of rugby from one team and then expect players from another team/franchise who play a totally different style to be effective in such a set-up.
uysh said on September 5, 2012
@Koos. Correct, they did.I think the point is though that the timing was different and the Bulls finished their games earler, meaning a week longer rest before TRC kicked off than the Stormers and 2 weeks more than the Sharks.
Purple Dragon said on September 4, 2012
What really annoys me about HM is the fact that he is changing tack on the whole winning games vs building for WC thing. When he got hired he was saying how he believes in winning every game and that is more important than building for WC. He is now going on about building a team for WC.
I don’t know mate, I’ve always thought SA has the biggest talent pool in the world. I reckon they should be #1 nearly all the time. I thought HM had the brains to do this, but the more I see of him the less I think of his coaching “prowess”. I cannot take a coach that picks players like Kirchner seriously. It really baffles me, how can one pick players that are clearly not test level players?
Maybe it’s a bad argument but before isolation SA were beating NZ by miles in the total win-loss margin. Fast forward to now and that margin has been completely reversed. I think that speaks for itself.
Chris said on September 4, 2012
Howzit Met uysh,
What bugs me about the article is the “excusish” sort of ring to it…
I mean you kind of get the feeling that old HM is slyly trying to cover all of his bases.
If the Boks lose it will be a case of: “Well, we always knew that to win it was going to be a tough ask – afterall, we were the underdogs” and if we win it’ll be: “what a great victory – to beat the Aussies was a huge ask and we did it… aren’t we great!?”
I know its still early days but I for one am sooooo dissapointed with Hm – I really expected more from him
Met uysh said on September 5, 2012
Also expected more from him…as someone said, can one really take a coach that picks Zane Kirchner as Bok full back seriously whilst we have Lambie sitting for 160 minutes on the bench?
guntz27 said on September 4, 2012
I think Heyneke thinks we are going to lose and are trying to make the blow a bit less by syaing we are underdogs.
He just needs to play a gameplan that suits his best players and should not play a gameplan which only suit Morne when he is on song!
Met uysh said on September 4, 2012
Great point on your second sentence. First one, if Meyer really thinks so, he is really under estimating the Bok supporters’ IQ. He is not the Bulls coach now where the majority of their supporters IQ is a little less than the amount of Super trophy’s the Bulls won!
guntz27 said on September 4, 2012
There is one thing about the majority of Bok Supporters we are not stupid.
We are now comparing White and Meyer but White had Fourie Du Preez, Matfield, Bakkies and Percy even Juan Smith, Schalk Burger (Meyer with his bulls winning team too), and this style suited that core of players.
But those guys is not the core anymore and thus the gameplan should suit the likes of Hougaard, JDiv, Frans Steyn and our lighter loosies!
Thus we need a more open style and not this stampkar rugby
Met uysh said on September 4, 2012
ALso remember that those guys were inexperienced when Jake started. He took a palooka side from 2003 and made them tri nations champs in 2004. No excuses of “losing experienced players blah blah blah” then!
guntz27 said on September 5, 2012
ja I know, but I am trying to say that this gameplan suited those players and a more open style will suit the currrent crop.
As they say, one need to play with the cards dealt!
Met uysh said on September 5, 2012
True.
Baylion said on September 4, 2012
I wouldn’t write off the Aussies just yet. The All Blacks only scored one try against them, the rest was penalties and we know how inconsistent Mornetjie is nowadays.
Starting without a fetcher means that Hooper can have a field day until the second half if HM decides to put Flo on the bench.
I’d like to see more mobility in our starting pack too. Pat in for Jannie and Duane at #8.
For more grunt up front and in the rucks and mauls start Juandre instead of Bekker and start Flo.
1. Beast
2. Tiaan
3. Pat
4. Eben
5. Juandre
6. Flo
7. Marcell
8. Duane
Although, looking at that pack it’s maybe too inexperienced but maybe that’s what we need – rookies who want to prove themselves.
Met uysh said on September 4, 2012
After Argentina one could very well argue we are the underdogs. But for the Springbok coach to actually believe it enough to say so in public is very concerning! I don’t think anyone will be writing off the Aussies, in fact they might be writing us off with good reason. And therein lies another concern. A SPRINGBOK side who are seen as the underdogs against Australia? And that with a well decorated coach? And Meyer also feeling that way? Shows that something is not lekker in paradise!
Labach Tanai said on September 4, 2012
Strange question, but I have been wondering. Are these guys not being over-exercised for lack of a better word? They look hell tired and one cannot blame the S15 as the AB’s do not look the same way! Is HM doing what Straueli did and pressing these guys way too hard with fitness drills and so on that they are just completely knackered? Remember WC2003 when we were the “fittest” team according to Corne and company? Maybe we lost because he did not have Twakkie or maybe there is a reality called over-training!
Met uysh said on September 4, 2012
Could very well be. I mean you can imagine if he thinks one needs 3 weeks to understand his game plan how much they are training to get it fixated in the players minds and coach their own talent out of them.
Labach Tanai said on September 4, 2012
Just look how tired JdV looks in that 2nd picture you posted – does that look like a player that is nice and fit and raring to go? They look tired before they even take the field to play or are they just very emotional after the anthem? What did Rassie do last year before the WC to invigorate them because this year’s group sure as hell needs it!
Met uysh said on September 4, 2012
Definitely LT. It’s been a very long season for JdV and several of the other okes. The Bulls at least had a few weeks off when they dropped out of the SR. But guys like Etz, Bekker, JdV, Beast, Jannie, Marcel, Habana have been playing non stop since February.
Labach Tanai said on September 4, 2012
The only way tom get away from this problem is to have stringent rotation systems. Making bok players play less matches despite the heavily loaded schedule. With the number of injuries currently going on – coaches cannot complain because the rotation will keep their players fresh…
Met uysh said on September 4, 2012
LT, I’m just not sure that it is a valid excuse. The AB’s and Aussies (to a lesser extent) play just as long a season as ours do in the Super Rugby yet they still come up tops. Question is, do they really play as much as our players? Or do they get rested more often than ours?
Labach Tanai said on September 4, 2012
I think even if they play the same amount of rugby our players do – they do not play stampkar and that is where all our injuries come from. Our players are like “vuisvoos” boxers at the end of a season because our coaches employ stampkar rugby 9/10 times.
Koos said on September 4, 2012
I thought that the bulls and stormers have played exactly the same number of super games.
gertbloues said on September 4, 2012
Tony Johnson in his column on Supersport.com said something about the AB’s conditioning team doing a fine job.
Unfortunately, this requires the national coaching team and the S15 coaching teams to work together towards this goal. The current environment does not allow that. Especially the prospect of missing out on participation in the S15 all together.
Met uysh said on September 4, 2012
Ya, the Super 15 Kings and relegation issue is not good for our Rugby. Interesting point.