Building an innings.

For far too long South African rugby coaches have been playing it game by game. They very often lack the vision and the luxury of building an innings where sometimes sacrifices have to be made.

Pick the best player available at the time and just try to win the match at all costs, would more often

than not be the theme of our approach, and it’s totally understandable if one considers the enormity of the pressure South African coaches are working under. The media is absolutely relentless and even more so the fans. Three losses in a row from a franchise and the stands run dry! So the pressure is on, not only to perform well, but to produce positive results as well.

The ripple effect of this “tendency” however, is the fact that player development more often than not, goes totally down the drain. 

After the retirement of Fourie du Preez, South African coaches hang on for dear life to old custodian

Ruan Pienaar. While in reality I had no problem with Ruan Pienaar as the first choice scrumhalf, I did however condemn the fact that no consistency was shown towards the second-string scrumhalf! Jano Vermaak, Cobus Reinacht, Louis Schreuder, Rudy Page, Charl Mcloed, Ross Cronje, Faf de Klerk, Sarel Pretorius and Dewaldt Duvenage all at some stage, formed part of one Springbok group or the other, but none of them ever really got proper game time so as to settle in as a second or first choice scrumhalf.

For longer than the last decade, proper development seemingly went flying out the window, but under Rassie Erasmus it seems like we can finally look forward to seeing the opposite. Obviously Erasmus is no one day cure and one victory over the mighty All Blacks in New Zealand, doesn’t right all the wrongs, but at least he is creating a belief amongst the players. He is creating a healthy competition within the group and some combinations are starting to settle. Understandably the Springboks face major challenges with first choice players not being available for the year end tour, and this will not only test the Boks, but will also disrupt the combinations that Erasmus had started to develop. So there is no doubt about the challenges lying ahead but what I like about Rassie Erasmus’ approach, is the fact that he is busy setting up more than one player in a position and ultimately he is creating a safety net for players.

To my absolute frustration, we are found comparing players like Duane Vermeulen and Warren Whiteley with one another all the time. This is rather unfair as they have two totally different approaches to the game. In the past, South African coaches would for example play Duane Vermeulen with a cracked rib, just because hís approach is more physical than thát of for instance, a Warren Whiteley! And only when Duane is medically certified as unfit, would they play a Warren and then worse even, they would have that second stringer try an emulate the first choice player in terms of approach and performance. This is just all wrong and I got the feeling that with Erasmus in charge, a Duane and Warren for an example, would not be molded into the same player but rather be utilized to grant each other some well-earned rest and to enforce some form of a rotation policy. More importantly, it seems that Rassie has the vision to have his game plan fit the players and he actually plays towards the players’ individual strengths. So it becomes a whole lot easier to replace a Duane with Warren, or a Pollard with Jantjies, and a Beast with Kitshoff, etc.  The Safety net does not only get bigger, but also a whole lot stronger.

The front rankers are settling in and younger players like Wilco Louw and Malcolm Marx, are being

set up to become 100 cap players. The Second row also saw some real consistency under Erasmus and yet the development of a RG Snyman, had already begun! Erasmus might have had two very poor games this year, but ultimately enormous progress has been made and displayed on-field, and the leadership within the group is growing stronger day by day.

From a South African perspective, this type of preparation was last witnessed in the Jake White era. I love the fact that Erasmus did not only focus on the Championship itself, but he quite clearly also spared a thought towards the year end tour and the fast approaching World Cup! 

As stated in an earlier article, I do hope that the South African fans are patient and open minded enough to understand that sometimes you have to lose matches in order to win trophies.

Back-Row Battle

From a South African perspective, operation first concern should be to cement Siya Kolisi in the nr 7 jumper. Recently Siya has been jumping between positions six and seven quite frequently and the shift is most probably unpleasantly disturbing. The roles differ immensely and to reset your approach every single week would make life tough on any professional athlete. As of 2018, Siya Kolisi found himself wearing the big C on his chest and one would like some stability in position, and in performance from your captain.

The past has proven that the captain’s role goes a long way in determining world cup glory. Some rumors have it that Francois Pienaar might not have been the best option at six in 1995, as is the fact that Gary Botha, Lukas van Biljon, Schalk Brits, Adriaan Strauss and  Bismark du Plessis all at some point might have been a better option for Jake White regarding the number two jumper during his reign as Springbok coach, but no one came even remotely close to leading their respective squads as well as Francois and John had done.

Recently Eben Etsebeth and Warren Whitley lead the Springboks and they both did a fantastic job of it, but things changed on June the 9^th. Siya Kolisi was elected Captain of the Springboks on the 28^th of May 2018 and the media had a blast. Being named the first black African captain of the renowned Springboks made headlines all over the world. Personally the story of the first black African person to lead out the Springboks didn’t faze me too much, as I strive to look beyond color. However, what did faze me abundantly was the story of a kid, growing up in a township, being raised by his grandmother, coming from dirt poor circumstances and changing the stars to fulfill his destiny and become the captain and leader of a national rugby side. That fazed me! It’s an unbelievable journey and the feeling that filled Ellis Park on June the 9^th, was a feeling only experienced in 1995 when Nelson Mandela and Francois Pienaar lifted the William Webb Ellis Trophy. For the first time since 1995, rugby felt united in South Africa. One team, supported by the whole of South Africa. It really is something special to experience…. 

All that said, I love the fact that Springbok rugby took the first step to becoming a power house once again, by  structuring the leadership within the group. Siya Kolisi, Warren Whitley, Eben Etsabeth all have worn the armband and with senior personnel such as Duane Vermeulen the job becomes seemingly easier.   

Rassie Erasmus, selected old stalwart Francois Louw and rookie Marco van Staden in his squad of 35. Both these players are known for their ability to play towards the ball. In South Africa, (and only in South Africa) the player in the number 6 jumper plays towards the ball. In recent years the position is often referred to as the “fetcher”. The player makes a menace of himself at every breakdown opportunity whilst the player in the number 7 jersey takes the ball up over the advantage line and carries the ball into space. While the number 6 defends close to the rucks the number 7 is often found out wide defending behind the backline. The rest of the globe has the same approach, but everywhere else in the world the number 7 plays in the close quarters whereas the number 6 plays the part of the bigger, stronger ball carrier playing trade a channel wider. 

I would love for Siya Kolisi to own that number 7 jumper. Make it his own, and to see Erasmus backing him up. Opt for a real live-wire in the number 6 jersey that can actually contest for the ball at every breakdown. If not, Matt Todd and David Pocock will have the time of their lives poaching balls galore all championship long. Now is the time to invest heavily in our captain and to get the balance right in the back row. Obviously Duane Vermeulen and Warren Whitley has two totally different approaches to the number eight role, but we could use that to our advantage.

Jean Luc du Preez, Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Cyle Brink can fight out the spot on the bench and the competition would be healthy if anything. I love the fact that an amazing youngster with heaps loads of potential such as Du Preez has to fight for playing rights, and the fact that he can gain so much from senior personal such as Francois Louw and Duane Vermeulen, whilst warming the bench. Proper development and player management is something long forgotten in South African Rugby. For too long has the culture in South Africa been to play the person in form and to drop him as soon as things get tough. By doing so, we never develop players and hence the catastrophe concerning depth at scrumhalf…

Personally, I love the way Steve Hanson is backing up Beauden Barrett. The media all had a fair bit to say about Richie Mo'unga and how he is the inform first five eight at the moment in New Zealand. New Zealand coaches tend to back potential above form and it shows in results! They always tend to back the player in the driving seat and yet their player pool only turns bigger and better.

By the time this article gets published Erasmus will already have announced his 23 players taking on the Pumas from Argentina in their first clash of this year’s Championship, and I would really hope that he strikes the balance perfectly within the back row and hands Kolisi that Golden number 7 jumper before all else.  

The Blitzbokke striking gold, again.

2016 & 2017 is truly and finally something of the past and not only would all business owners be ecstatic about it, but so too all South African rugby fans. We all struggled with a very poor economic climate and somewhere between deadlines and bills to pay, the feeling had shrugged off onto our weekend heroes as well…

One could go on forever about how SA rugby had gone from bad to worse under the supervision of Allister Coetzee, but that would just be icing on a terrible piece of cake. In reality Allister’s record is horrendous, or abysmal if you would, but badmouthing the bloke any further would not rectify the wrongs of yesterday, and neither shall it lead us to a winning way. In all fairness though, enough has been said about it, so let’s just move on to something worth writing about - The Blitzbokke…

One really needs to tip your hat to Neil Powell for what he has actually accomplished with this squad. Not only did he coach this outfit really well, but he also managed to create one big family of players playing for one another and in reality managed to become the flagship of South African Rugby. Since the start of 2017 they managed to win 5 tournaments and out matched their closest rivals by 28 points on the overall point log and were ultimately crowned World Series Champions. Bookies more often than not would have gambled with their homes or even worse, their children’s college funds on the Blitzbokke, and rightly so. The stats are absolutely phenomenal and declare volumes of just how much progress this team has made. Fortunately professional sports goes way beyond records, stats and trophies. 

Since Powell took over the coaching from Paul True in 2013, he did three things that really stood out. Firstly, he got the team’s defense on track.

Sevens rugby is very popular and basically known for try scoring. The faster, more agile team usually scores more tries and that pretty much always leads to victory. Between the likes of New Zealand and Fiji, they dominated the game of sevens with their great skill, speed and ability to play what we kids use to refer to as hot potato. These guys could run from basically anywhere on the pitch and end up with a five pointer. With their dominance, everyone else thought that they had the blue print for success in the sevens format and so they all emphasized the importance of playing offensive rugby and attacking the space.

In my book, Powell was the first sevens coach on the circuit that laid the same amount of emphasis on the big D, and he could really get his troops to man up defensively. Stats prove this statement as they only had 507 points scored against them compared to the 1320 points they managed to accumulate over the previous season. 13 of the 47 games won by the Blitzbokke in the previous season was in the form of a white wash, as the opponents were unable to cross the try line. The Blitzbokke seem to have this wolfpack mentality when it comes to defending, and they end up forcing so much pressure on the opposition that they place themselves in a position to score off the opponents’ errors. Don’t get me wrong, South Africa has got some seriously talented speedsters with “Magic Mike” like feet and they are really good on the offense as well. The beauty of it lies in the balance that Powell has established between defensive and offensive play, between speed and physicality.  

And that’s the second thing that Powell had done perfectly. He managed to get the balance of the team spot on! The hard men of the team, who compete for ball possession come ruck time, the Kwaggas, Browns, Drys’ and Kochs’  are just as quick, nippy and agile as the speedsters. Du Preez, Senatla, Afrika and Speccies are all guys with jet shoes and yet they defend really well, and are able to make a nuisance of themselves at every ruck, competing for the ball as if they were specialist loose forwards. As time passes, Powell is constantly fazing in young blood to the squad although the core remains the same. The squad can therefore handle injuries and retirements better than most other teams due to the fact that they are constantly developing young guys in whom they invest.  When Frankie Horn retired, Chris Dry could immediately take over the “axe man” role. When Kyle Brown announced his retirement as captain, Phillip Snyman was comfortable enough to take charge without any hesitation. When speedster Rayno Benjamin got less involved, Senatla was an absolute revelation and still is. Over the festive season, manager and trainer of the SA Sevens Academic side Marius Schoeman, had the freedom and guts to take with him on tour to South America two boys who haven’t even yet received their grade 12 exam results - this is what I call proper development.

So basically, they managed to keep the squad as fresh as possible and together with managing the squad well, they developed the core skills of all the guys within the group. Personally I feel so strong about their core development, that I would really love to see all centers and loose forwards contracted with SA’s top 6 franchises, training with the BlitzBokke at least twice a year in order too also develop their speed, ball poaching ability and all round vision.

 The third and final most instrumental thing Powell has achieved with this group, was creating a family of players. A family where you are believed to be good enough for the jersey. Selection is based on your ability, and what contribution you can make towards the team. Not once have I ever been confronted about the color, race or ethnical background of any player within the sevens group. All supporters and fans truly believe that the 7 guys out on the pitch are the best the country has to offer and that the replacements are all worthy to represent our country.  Though this might not sound like much to other rugby playing nations, it certainly is a huge deal back in South Africa. Transformation has become synonymous  with rugby in South Africa, and all politicians threw the phrase around as and when required, but there seems to be an unspoken restriction about Neil Powell’s troops where you as a politician or a supporter for that matter, would not dare. The players have moved beyond the point where they consider each other as teammates, and have reached the point where they are now brothers.

This coming weekend we will cheer the boytjies on as captain Phillip Snyman plays in is 50^th World Series Tournament down in Australasia. Though we know they can’t win every single tournament, I am more than confidant that they will defend their title with everything they’ve got. To Neil Powell, Phillip Snyman and every other player, manager and or staff member of the South African Sevens Team, thank you for being the flagship of South African Rugby and representing South Africa with the utmost respect and honor. Thank you for portraying a true rainbow nation, and stating what the rest of us has long forgotten within the spoils of politics and sports.  

Bring Super Rugby back to life.

Super rugby has been losing steam quite rapidly over the past four to five seasons. Not only is there less fans in the stands, but less people seem to be viewing the games on telly too. The decreasing figures are not only a concern in South Africa, but so too in Australia and New Zealand. One would imagine with the inclusion of Japanese and Argentine based franchises, the figures would increase but you would miss the posts by a mile.

Obviously there’s quite a number of reasons as to why the popularity of Super Rugby is on a slope, and personally I believe the number one reason would be the format.

Playing in three separate conferences complicates things drastically. All the teams don’t front up against each other and to make matters worse, some teams have an automatic advantage based on their conference position, tour schedule and fixed fixtures. Its rather essential that each team plays all the other teams. So, to better explain, we are currently facing a situation where the Hurricanes on 50 points and the Chiefs on 45 points, are dumped in a worse position than the likes of the Waratahs and the Lions on 44 and 41 points respectively. This is not a fair system and one would really love seeing your team compete against all the other sides. To determine the top 8 teams in July, you’d require an Oxford degree and that’s just all wrong. The average rugby supporter doesn’t want things any more complicated than it has to be and therefor the comp has to get back to basics (no pun intended).

The other great concern that Super Rugby is facing is the injury count. Some teams in 2018 had to compete despite the loss of more than 20 first class players at once. Squad depth has always been a reality and rightly so, but as off late it's just ridiculous. A couple of years ago the Stormers had lost 5 flyhalves in one season…

Players simply don’t have sufficient time to recover, and it would be safe to argue that the players spend too much time on the pitch, and way too much time in airplanes. If I may, I would like to use Beauden Barrett as an example. The two games Beauden did not start in 2018, the Hurricanes ended up on the wrong side of the score board, even though they were heavily regarded as favorites. His influence is impeccable towards the Hurricanes’ campaign.

If Beauden was to play 80 minutes of every game the “Canes was scheduled for, he would have played 1,280 minutes of rugby. Let’s say the ‘Canes make it all the way to the final he would have spent 1,440 minutes in his rugby gear just for the Hurricanes alone…  

These are just a couple of issues that the current format has to offer. I would like to see SANZAR bulking the comp up with an additional five teams and then tearing the whole lot into two separate divisions with a promotion / relegation system. As ludicrous as this may sound, bear with me and read it out…

Add the likes of a Samoan based team, a Tongan based team, the Western Force, and you can take your pick between the likes of Fiji, Namibia, Griquas and or the Pumas from South Africa. It might even be that New Zealand has another team on offer. These teams might not be as competitive in year one, as one would like but with the funds (broadcasting funds obviously) going their way this might just be exactly what they need to turn from amateur status to professional status. Within one season surely they will consist over the funds to lure back their own, playing trade abroad. This will obviously help turning the younger generation players into full scale professionals.

So basically (based on the current log) the comp will be as follows:

Tier A :                                                                                Tier B:

Crusaders                                                                            Sharks

Waratahs                                                                             Brumbies

Lions                                                                                    Stormers

Hurricanes                                                                           Bulls

Chiefs                                                                                  Reds

Highlanders                                                                         Blues

Jaquares                                                                              Sunwolves

Melbourne Rebels                                                                Pumas / Griquas / NZ Based Side

Samoa                                                                                  Namibia / Fiji

Tonga                                                                                   Western Force

 At first you might get the impression that Tier B will not exactly be competitive but I beg to differ. Between the Sharks, Brumbies, Stormers, Bulls, Queensland Reds and Blues you would have a pretty solid competition. In this tier alone there are 19 Finalists and 9 Champions based on results since 1996. The divisions however is based on the current log and the best part of the proposed format would be the promotion / relegation sequence. After each year, the two teams with the least points from tier A would automatically be relegated to the Second Tier. The two teams from tier B that makes the Final, would be automatically  promoted and advance to tier A.

This feature will have the teams buzzing as there is substance and the results has real purpose and absolute significance. 

In the past, Sanzar rejected a proposal to split the Super 14 into two seven-team divisions, but as of late, they might just reconsider.

Each team would be playing 9 games. With two breaks per team, a Semifinal and final format, along with a break in between the semifinals and the final, the tournament would still be able to finish within four months. No midterm break for internationals… Start February and finish mid-May. Almost the same amount of rugby, but in way less time. Simple as that. Enough time for June Internationals and for a possible 4 Nations in August. What could also turn out as an incredible initiative, is a possible 5 Nations between the likes of Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Japan and Namibia. With all of them already represented in a possible Super Comp, the ground work would be done and the broadcasting rights would finance the adventure. Rugby will turn PRO in the South and we as the fans would get serious value for money.

Sanzar should urgently look into the format, address and alter the competition in order to win back some lost interest. This path alone might not be the right way, but it’s definitely in the right direction. The Pacific Islanders need a change of luck and accommodating them in a Super Rugby format will change the game of rugby globally. 

Springbok future might be bright after RWC 2015

Springbok future might be bright after RWC 2015

Springbok supporters should be careful of what they wish for…

Springbok supporters should be careful of what they wish for…

Missed opportunity, I’d say so…

Missed opportunity, I’d say so…

Heading into a World Cup, no coach could ever satisfy a whole nation with every single selection made. Selections are usually based on form, potential, versatility, experience and leadership skills.

Obviously Heyneke Meyer disappointed some fanatics with the absence of Brussow, Kriel, Serfontein, Jantjies, Reinach and Mapoe just to name a few, but generally he got it spot on. The squad only makes provision for 31 players and the mere fact that some guys ought to count themselves unlucky to miss out, is an exclamation of the depth South African Rugby has. However, what bamboozles me is Heyneke Meyer’s player and squad management…

Heyneke Meyer, Coach of the
Springboks

I’m not too fond of fishing, but whenever I get the opportunity to go out with the lads and have a couple of cold ones next to the fishing waters I jump at it. The wife probably thinks I’m the worst fisherman ever but what she doesn’t know is that I’m not in any way interested in the fish, but rather I keep myself busy with the “tjopping” and “dopping”, the braaing and the laughing. If there is meat on the grill and a cold one in my hand I’m in heaven. The best part is whenever I get home I receive some TLC from the Mrs as she would like compensate the poor fisherman for his lack in success. As a man, opportunity well and truly taken, which brings me to my dilemma concerning the Springboks’ starting 15 against Japan…    

No team or opposition is to be underestimated, especially in a World Cup, but there is some flaws in other teams that one has to use as an advantage. It takes no Einstein to figure out that Japan is in no way as physical as Samoa, and that Japan offers you a great opportunity to play attacking rugby from set pieces that ought not to be under such immense pressure. Playing Japan in the first round also generates the opportunity to settle in tournament winning combinations which should have been done by now. The Springboks lack a proper 9/10 combo, and with our leader of the pack out with injury, he might be a disruption to the centre field combination when making his return. Damien de Allende and Jessie Kriel seemed to gel quite well in the midfield and brings forth some promise for the future, and a combination I would have liked to keep intact.

Hitoshi Ono, one of Japan's more
                      physical forwards. 

When referring to poor player management, our props could be used as a prime example. Jannie and Beast is seriously overplayed and I would have reckoned that the game against the Japanese would be ideal to play the lads better rested. Rather introduce your players coming off injury like Duane Vermeulen and Fourie du Preez back into action against a less physical side, and not against the Samoans who we all know loves the rough stuff. Schalk Burger is another player who had to perform duty for 80 minutes in all 3 of the Rugby Championship games, along with the last test against Argentina. Schalk is one of the older players in the squad and one we ought to manage a lot better, considering that he covers all three positions in the loose trio. Schalk could make a significant contribution from the bench in the second 40, when the Boks should be in a comfortable lead. Avoiding unnecessary injury is unfortunately a necessity and Wales could surely testify. 

Hardman, Schalk Burger

Handre Pollard certainly had his off day during the Rugby Championship, but so did our whole pack of forwards, not to mention Ruan Pienaar. Continuity in Pollard would have had him growing in confidence and playing with the master on his inside supporting him, who knows…

No one really knows in what form Fourie du Preez is, but for Meyer to stick with him we could only assume that Fourie still has the goods and I can’t wait to see what a inform Fourie du Preez does for the performance of a young talented Handre Pollard. Personally I can only see Pollard flourishing in that combination.

Zane Kirtchner proved against Argentina that Heyneke Meyer  has reason to have faith in his abilities, and ultimately justifies his inclusion, but once again I would have preferred a quicker, more running, less kicking fullback such as Willie le Roux or Patrick Lambie to face Japan. Zane will be perfectly suited for the Samoan game, but they bring different challenges to the table. Willie is in my opinion a much better rugby player than he is a fullback, and in saying so, I imply that against opposition with a well structured kicking game, Willie would be better off playing on the wing, entering the flyhalve channel as often as possible without the rest of the team dependant on him to cover the back. All that said, and with all due respect to Mr. Eddie Jones, I doubt that the Japanese consist of a kicking game capable of bringing the Bokke’s dreams and aspirations to an halt, and therefore I would have not gone with Kirchner for our round one opener.   

My final question towards Heyneke Meyer’s starting 15 is Jean de Villiers’ starting position. De Villiers is a capable player and a phenomenal leader, and I don’t question his inclusion, but would have loved to see the midfield combination of De Allende and Kriel to continue. Though Jean has lost a heck load of speed, he has played on the wing for South Africa more times than I can care to remember and I believe he has the experience not to let the team down. It’s easier to compensate speed on the wing and this will also give Jean a head start on regaining some lost form and confidence.

The World Cup has become a marathon and is in no way a sprint. Our preparation prior to the WC

Japan's national Rugby Coach, Eddie Jones

was mostly due to injury not that great and we need this game to fine tune our combinations. I have no question that HM’s Springboks will run havoc against the Japanese and set up a comfortable margin, but I do fear that we have set our sights on Eddie Jones to such an extent that we have missed the bigger picture and ultimately the opportunity to run the inside lane…           

As a nation, South Africa deserves a whole lot more and so does the game of Rugby.

Writing about colour, race and politics is probably my least favourite topic to discuss, taking into consideration that in my view it doesn't belong near any form of sports. As a professional athlete, your race should play no part in any criteria for participation except for when you are a South African athlete, I would assume...  

In sport there is a saying that timing is absolutely everything, and with less than two months before the Rugby World Cup, it has been proven to be exactly the same for politicians and dimwits pushing their own agendas. Not even 48 hours after South Africa's shock defeat to Argentina, Tony Ehrenreich, the provincial secretary of Cosatu (South Africa's largest workers union) claimed that Heyneke Meyer is deliberately not selecting black players in the match 23. Though there is merit in Erenreich's claims that some players are denied game time, he failed to mention that those players denied are all South Africans, some black, and some white, not that it should matter anyway.  

There is a reason why boxers are not allowed to continue a fight while the opponent is down and out lying on the canvas dreaming about sunshine on a cloudy day...

Rule of thumb makes this quite simple, "you don't kick someone while he is down" and believe me Heyneke Meyer and his Springbok team was pretty much knocked out! This is a gesture that most South African supporters seem to forget whenever our heroes are lying flat on the canvas grasping for air, fighting a count down. No one took more punches and blows than our own Jake White. He was highly criticised for his defensive game plan, selections, losses and for sticking with captain John

Smit. However everything seem to have changed on the eve of 20 October 2007. All of a sudden this same guy was considered a genius and one of the best that we had ever had... Seriously? After a career of more than 100 test caps we seem to be nothing more than our last performance. This is how short-sighted we have become. Speculation has it that whenever you are fortunate enough to have a fan base, you are in no need of any enemies...

Faf de Klerk, Elton Jantjies, Scarra Ntubeni, Schalk Brits, Heinke Van der Merwe, Steven Kitshoff, Zane Kirchner, Franco Mostert, Rudi Page and even Patrick Lambie all have good reason to question their lack of participation in this year's Rugby Championship, but as far as I am concerned, it should

be a honour and a privilege to represent your country at the highest level, not a right! 

Has our standards deteriorated to such an extend where players can now all of a sudden claim game time? A track athlete doesn't have to qualify for finals, he could just claim that he is good enough and with the sound of a gun he's running next to Mr. Bolt himself.

I am not defending the lack of squad rotation by no means, and I too question the Springboks' approach over the last 10 months but I would very much like to erase the political concerns that has now been aired. Obviously the national coach has a game plan (probably not a very good or successful one I might add) and some players might not fit into the picture, though they are good enough to fill the void should injury force the hand of the coach. One should also hope that Heyneke Meyer still has his eyes firmly set on the World Cup and as I have stated on a dozen occasions, that takes proper preparation.

The term "kwota" in my view is rather offensive, and one I despise using. Would the minister of sport Mr. Fikile Mbalula refer to world cup winning, international player of the year Bryan Habana as a player of colour, or as a "kwota"? I would certainly hope not! 

Players like Breyton Paulse, Chester Williams, Errol Tobias, Brian Mujati, Eddie Andrews and personal friend of mine Ashley Johnson deserve a whole lot more than to be referred to as "kwota" players. They all made the national side on merit, and the fact that the government forces the selectors to have a certain amount of players of colour in a team places players of colour under immense pressure, and this should be brought to an end, as South Africa consist of bucket loads of players of colour who is coming through the ranks with heap loads of talent and potential. Consider this, if Jonah Lomu or Tana Umaga was representing the Springboks they would have been regarded as making up numbers, instead of being considered for what they really were, brilliant rugby players. 

I find it mind blowing that a coach of a national team is held responsible for "transformation". Surely his job is to coach, strategise a proper game plan and to make sure that the country's best rugby players fill the trophy cabinets. Transformation is something that the South African Rugby Union should take accountability for. They are to make sure that the game gets promoted in areas where people previously did not have the opportunity of playing rugby. Take the sport to all schools and let the talent develop naturally.

Tony Ehrenreich (Cosatu)

Earlier this year the South African Proteas was blown out of the Cricket World Cup, and the only thing that the media could rant about afterwards was the fact that there was allegedly interfered with last minute team selections. As they had it the call came from some guy wearing a tie and authority, apparently. It was argued that the coach had to play injured medium pace bowler Vernon Philander, because in Philander's absence the team would be considered "politically incorrect". Philander, when fit, is probably one of the best bowlers in the world and one I highly rate. Personally I believe Philander has the goods to in future be compared to the likes of Shuan Pollock and Australia's Glen McGrath, but obviously not while he is playing with an injury. The injustice in this scenario, should it be true, was not against the team who lost and dropped out of the World Cup, but rather towards the individual. Vernon Philander is by no means a "kwota" player and South Africa seems to be the only country in the world where players are regarded as such. How humiliating and unfair, to say the

least. 

21 years after independence, and probably after a life time of inaccuracy, Mr. Ehrenreich is still

campaigning for a national team to be selected on the demographic state of a nation, instead of merit. If his wish were to be somehow commanded, a 23 man team would ultimately consist of 18 Black

Africans, 2 Coloureds, 2 Whites, and 1 Asian. The mere fact that I have to differentiate between

South Africans is offensive and I find it sickening to say the least. Personally I believe the true heroes of this world like Madiba, fought a damn hard fight to make sure that 21 years after apartheid we are all equal, and valued for our input, not the colour of our skin... Select 23 SOUTH AFRICANS, FULL STOP.

With this uncomfortable article now written and soon to be published, I would like to plead with South African politicians and media to keep away from racial debate and racial issues. Within the sport of rugby we are all friends and ultimately family, and if anything could unite South Africa, there could be no better example than the one of Rugby World Cup 95'. Let the guys play, and lets suport them all the way, together as ONE NATION!        

     

Heading into a World Cup, does one opt for creativity or reliability?

In rugby, your more conservative coaches used to believe in a golden line. A line that went straight through the heart of any team, and in fact formed the beat of many a team.  The math was simple. You draw a straight line starting with the hooker, passing both the locks, running through the eightman, the scrumhalf, flyhalf and eventually ending up with the fullback. These were the positions that one would prefer your more experienced players, calming things down whenever the bounce of the ball seems to be bouncing in favour of the opposition.

John Smit, Sean Fitzpatrick, John Eales, Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Fourie du Preez, Johnny Wilkinson, Dan Carter, Percy Montgomery and Andre Joubert are all perfect examples of

players illustrating what the Golden Line in rugby exemplifies. They are all match winners in own right but prefer the spotlight on the chap next to them, playing with an attitude of “ nothing flashy, just do the basics right”. 

Some coaches on the contrary, prefer not to believe in the Golden Line and fancy their playmakers in the exact same positions, and no example could be more suitable than Carlos Spencer, Quade Cooper, Zinzane Brooke and Isreal Felou. These are all game breakers who tend to steal the show and believe to be in exactly the right position to do so…

Following Springbok rugby quite closely, I sense that Heinike Meyer might be at a split road, especially regarding his first choice fullback. Over the last three seasons, Heinike Meyer has invested quite heavily in Willie Le Roux, the young boy that stole South African hearts by running at every opportunity he got. Le Roux played a major part on all levels of the game, and very quickly became one of the senior players in the Cheetah camp. Naka Drotsky unleashed Le Roux into Super rugby as a wing and to his delight Le Roux made a massive impact in their campaign. Although the Cheetahs were more often than not on the wrong side of the score board, Le Roux was instrumental in almost every counter attack and every try scored. 

In 2013 Le Roux made his Springbok debut and has since established himself as the number 1 contender for the nr 15 jumper. With Jean de Villiers and Bryan Habana entering the final phase of their careers, Le Roux has stepped up as the playmaker and the one sparking fire of unpredictability. He is undoubtedly the man with the X-factor in the Springbok backline and has the ability to generate 7 points from a stop-start.

Meanwhile in the shadow of a poor Super rugby campaign and a serious neck injury, HM still has the option of Patrick Lambie to consider. Lambie has proven himself on more than one occasion as Mr. reliable and a player loaded with big match temperament. The typical “nothing flashy” type of guy that does all the basics right, and making it look easy too. He always seems to be in full control and just has this calmness about him. This is the perfect candidate for any coach who still believes in the Golden line.

To chose between the two is a bit like choosing between BMW and Mercedes Benz in the late 80’s. The one is this incredible sporty ride with leather seats, while the other one is this ridiculously elegant drive with a touch of sportiness… in the end they were both equally quick and you will most certainly reach your destination in both, the only question was how you prefer getting there. I tend to opt with Patrick Lambie and here’s why.

Willie le Roux is a far better rugby player than he is a fullback, meaning that he has this raw type of talent that will excel in almost any position, as long as he is on the park. Spotting gaps and running angles at high speed comes naturally for this bloke and it’s not something that can be taught, but rather something that you are born with. Such skills can be developed but you either have it or you don’t. Playing from the back against ordinary opposition, Willie le Roux will tear you apart. Just the other day he ran in three tries against the World XV.

The flip side though, is that against real quality opposition like the All Blacks, he might be neutralized by them playing strategic footy. With proper analyzing they can starve le Roux of the ball and whenever he enters the line he will ultimately leave a void at the back. Because of this, I much rather prefer le Roux on the wing. It makes it so much easier for him to enter that first five eight channel and to fire out one of his trademark bullet passes to a speedster running flat and into a gap. It opens up the option of a little chip kick without leaving the back uncovered. Opposition is to be so much more aware of the blind side with Le Roux possibly in that channel. 

Its seriously much easier to cover a wing out of position, compared to covering a fullback on the deck and both wingers having to play towards their own goal line.

Patrick Lambie offers you quite the opposite, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. With 40 test caps Lambie has this mature approach, creating a sense of security at the back. He is capable under the high ball, very seldom gets caught off guard or out of position and when touch is needed he makes sure that the ball crosses the white marker. Both South Africa’s WC winning teams consisted of a fullback rather opting for a calm, steady approach and ones who left the flashy stuff to the wingers and centers.

Being the motor fanatic that I am, I would leave my Beamers out on the wing to show off their speed and skill, while the Benz who epitomizes consistency, stability and reliability takes charges from the back and insures the Golden Line to stay intact.         

Rating the Boks on their performance against the World XV

    1.      Tendai Mtwarira :    5/10

Very average performance before being substituted for obtaining quite a bad cut to the face.

   

    2.      Bismarck du Plessis    6/10

Did all the basics right but was ultimately outclassed by for former Sharks teammate Craig Burden.

    3.       Jannie du Plessis    4/10

Failed to get the upper hand in the scrums and needed his contact lenses reinserted in order to spot the opposition.

    4.       Eben Etsebeth   8/10

Got stuck into the more physical stuff and slowly starting to show signs of the Etsabeth of old.

    5.       Victor Matfield.  06/10

Glad to see Big Vic going for the full 80. Except for competing for a spot on the wing, had a pretty good game and combined well with Etsabeth.

    6.       Francois Louw    05/10

Not the performance we have become accustomed to. Was far below the radar and gave his team some defensive practice by spending 10 minutes in the sin bin.

    7.       Marcell Coetzee   08/10

Got smashed on a couple occasions in the first 40, but certainly got up tougher and made a few hits good enough to dominate the highlight real. A complete performance and certainly a candidate for man of the match.

    8.       Warren Whiteley   07/10

Played quite a balanced game and seem to pop up everywhere when least expected. 

    9.       Ruan Pienaar    6/10

Did nothing spectacular and was out runned by opposition hooker Craig Burden on two occasions. If not for experience, he would have possibly been warming the bench…

   10.   Handre Pollard. 6/10

Though he made one or two poor tactical kicking errors during a 13 man period, he played a good running and distributing game. Substandard placekicking for a international player with his abilities.

   11.   Bryan Habana 5/10

Playing on reputation and one would expect more from him in a high running game of this nature. Made an exceptional pass that lead to a try though.

   12.   Damian de Allende   9/10

The real stand out player of the day. Ran great angles, scored two tries and were physically and defensively a real menace to the opposition. 

   13.   Jesse Kriel   7/10

Made a great debut, especially considering the fact that he did not play in his preferred position. Seems to run good supporting lines and might just turn out as the find of the season.

   14.   JP Pieterson    06/10

Nothing spectacular but did his job and did it convincingly.

   15.   Willie le Roux    07/10

Recovered quite well after having three blunders in the first 20 minutes. Scored a hatric of tries and glad to see him playing with confidence after suffering from injury. Better opposition will obviously test his positional game and some might still argue that Willie would perform best on wing.

The guys on the bench made a big impact and none bigger than Vincent Koch and Schalk Burger. Between Koch and Trevor Nyakane they brought stability to the scrums. Koch made a couple of big hits and covered the park like a loose forward. Adriaan Strauss seems to have found some of his lost form. Oupa Mahoje did his part while Burger was quite instrumental. The veteran losie doesn’t have the speed anymore but does seem to have a skill set to get the flyers away. Cobus Reinach recovered well from injury, scored a try and might get the starting jumper soon. Patrick Lambie brought some calmness and stability to the back and slotted both conversions with ease.  You could literally hear the whole Newlands crowd holding their breath when Jean de Villiers got his first tackle. This shows what a phenomenal player and leader he has become. Still lacking speed, but good to see Jean stepping off both knees with confidence. 

Preparation equals perfection.

Preparation equals perfection.

When looking forward to rugby’s most prestigious tournament later this year, one can’t help but revert back to the past.

I found myself wondering as to what the blue print should be for a World Cup winning coach, and the only answer I could come up with, was proper preparation.

Upon my blast into the past I tried to find a parallel between Kitch Christi and Jake White, both men who were able to guide the Springboks to World Cup glory. My conclusions were discussed over a couple of beers with mates and the one thing that stood out most was the fact that these two coaches had shown so much continuity in their players and their positions. They both went into a World Cup

with captains that might not be remembered for being the absolute best at their positions, but for their undeniable leadership skills and ultimately for holding the William Webb Ellis Trophy on behalf of 46 odd million South Africans celebrating and uniting, not only as rugby fans but as a nation.  

In the days of oom Kitch, there was no question as to who would wear what jumper. We all knew his first choice hooker was Bullet, the locks was big old Kobus Wiese and Hannes Strydom. Flankers was Ruben Kruger and Francois Pienaar. Joost operating as the main link, Hennie and Japie playing in the midfield and the Rolls Royce covering at the back. Now you might argue that this was before rugby had turned professional and rightly so, but Jake White had the same approach and eventually tasted the same champagne in 2007.

Thinking back, there was very little time for any critics to accuse Jake of not being consistent regarding first team choices. Jake White knew very well two years before travelling to France who the 15 men was he would want in any final. Except for a injury here and there, Jake stuck to his team and as a team they played and won!

Of all South African coaches taking charge after oom Kitch, Nick Mallet was the only one to show some consistency. This was now until Jake took over. Jake had a tendency to pick players out of position quite regularly but in doing so he had this unbelievable way of phasing in youngsters and getting the balance spot on. He created real legends for not only the Springboks but for the whole global community of rugby. In 2004/2005 De Wet Barry and Marius Joubert had covered the midfield for the Springboks but JW knew they might not have four years of quality international games left in the tank, so he drew in a very young inside centre from Western Province and a even younger outside centre from the Lions in the form of Jean De Villiers and Bryan Habana respectively.

They didn’t just replace De Wet and Marius but rather seemed to be phased in by starting out on the wing, gaining confidence and experience. Bryan did so well on the outside that today he is regarded as one of the best wings to ever have played the game. Same chapter in the book of a young Francois Steyn and Patrick Lambe. JW also seems to have a talent for taking risks, and investing heavily in second chances….

He brought back guys like Os du Randt, Percy Montgomery and Bobby Skinstad, who were all seemingly written off by the media, and who evidently played a fundamental part in their 2007 WC campaign. He took Ashwin Willimse off the streets of Jozi and later in his career got South African born centre Clide Rathbone to return to the game after suffering from depression…. This is not only a rugby man, but a man who believes in building relationships, developing youngsters and one who offers great loyalty to all his players. 

All that said, I’m very concerned about the Springboks not finding the right balance between youth and experience. The pressure to win every single match has deprived coaches of taking chances, developing the young guns and creating new combinations. Pieter de Villiers played out his stint with the exact same core as the one that stood tall in France 2007. De Villiers failed to develop any of the younger players and I felt quite a bit for HM when he took over as coach, because his main core was well overdone while the squad lacked young talent. Four years after the Bryce Lawrance incident we still have to play with Fourie du Preez and Ruan Pienaar. I find this mind blowing considering the talent we had to our disposal. Should Pienaar pick up an injury, we would have to compete with a debutant in what’s probably the most crucial position on the pitch. Same can be said about our props. For way to long have we been counting on the services of Jannie and Beast. The Stormers created havoc in the scrums this year but neither Steven Kitshoff or Vincent Koch has played in the Northern Hemisphere, let alone has a test cap….

I would have liked to see a scenario where Senior WC winners like Fourie du Preez, Victor Matfield, Os du Randt and Percy Montgomery all form part of the Springbok squad as technical assistants rather than players. They would have brought so much insight and probably added great value inside the camp.

Injuries obviously did take its toll on some players leading up to the WC, one can’t argue about that, but I am yet to be convinced that HM has a proper blueprint come September…. By this time the second best team in the world should surely have cemented out nametags to the Green & Gold jumpers with their first, second and third team choices. The fact that we need a rugby Championship 2 months prior to the WC to contemplate selections and combinations is not only alarming, but in fact disturbing.

One could only hope that sanity will somehow prevail at SARU and that they will apprehend the fact that you sometimes have to sacrifice games, in order to win trophies!  

Too Much of a Good Thing…

Too Much of a Good Thing…

Its five o'clock on a Saturday morning. Usually you would want nothing more than the sweet sound of silence.Suddenly the door bursts open and you wake to the sound of excitement. Dad’s screaming like a man possessed. The smell of coffee and anticipation is hanging in the air. No time for yawning, as the old chap enthusiastically almost brakes the door in an attempt to wake you. 

It’s an immediate adrenaline rush from the second you open your eyes. You've guessed it…

It’s the Springboks playing the mighty All Blacks in New Zealand.

The two top teams in world rugby gets to slug it out in what becomes the most anticipated 80 minutes of the last 12 months… you get to witness the “HAKA”, as if its performed within your living room, and better yet, you get to see the Boks accepting the challenge by a stare-off. 

Biscuits and sweet cakes are served with the coffee in order to chew on something as this match tends to be a real nerve snapper! This is the only time ever dad will offer you some of his “biltong” at five in the morning, so you literally grab it with both hands. Today is all about, real rugby rivalry.

Before rugby had turned professional, tests would only be played on tours, which in this case would only come round once every five to six years. We have been starved of this spectacle for more than a decade due to the political disarray South Africa had been in and evidently one could understand why the excitement is so highly contagious . Since the famous 1995 World Cup final featuring these two great rugby nations, they got to face each other twice a year and we would sometimes even be fortunate enough to be entertained no less than three times a year, in what was called the Tri Nations, also featuring Australia.

The “rude awakening” is one of my fondest childhood memories and a memory that’s fast becoming an idealistic dream for the future.  It seriously saddens me to think that my boy and I, will never get to enjoy this spectacle with the same hype, enthusiasm  and eagerness as we did in the late nineties. Now you might argue that I'm a wee bit cynical, and so it might be but don’t get me wrong, I'm all for the game being professional, but to what cost I wonder…

The magnitude of rugby we enjoy in the Southern Hemisphere is a topic immensely discussed the last couple of years and rightly so. Not only are the players facing hectic touring schedules, but the number of injuries has increased quite tremendously. Super Rugby transformed into a marathon where squad depth is as important as game plans and defensive structures. Gone are the days where the coach’s biggest predicament was selecting the 15 strongest players. Nowadays, the coach has to deal with player management, rotation policies and more medical reports than  Meredith Grey in Greys Anatomy…

Currently the 2015 Super Rugby season consist of 16 games per team. That’s 1280 minutes of possibly the toughest Rugby competition in the world. Now picture a scenario where a player like Handre Pollard plays a full eighty in all his team’s round robin matches, makes the inbound tour, Castle Lager Championship and plays all the matches on the year end tour, meaning that this player had basically played  2400 minutes of more or less  International Rugby, facing off against the very best of the best… Personally I’d consider this to be a suicide mission!!! Looking at the bigger picture though, we as spectators are spoilt so rotten, that we tend to lose the significance of it all.  Super Rugby has expanded to such an extent that it almost seems to lose its value. As a Springbok supporter, I'm not eager on what a Sonny Bill Williams or Julian Savea could be up to in the mighty black jersey, cause I get to watch them on telly week in and week out and I know all too well what they are capable of…

USA is not considered a rugby nation by any means, and yet they had a sell out crowd of 61 000 fans last year when the All Blacks played the Eagles at Soldier Field, Chicago. They wanted to see their very best taking on the world’s best and though the yanks were annihilated on the score board, they were never humiliated as a team, nor as a nation. In fact, that one night in Chicago went a long way and had meant more to the rugby playing community of America than anything they had ever seen. USA is starving for rugby and subsequently they should be fed, but we should all learn from their hunger and not forget that Southern Hemisphere rugby might be the fat kid suffering from obesity, not appreciating the value of rugby pumping in our veins…

I don’t mean to say that the international rugby games played per annum is too much, by no means. But what I do want to bring across is that too much Super rugby has definitely deprived us of what makes old traditional rivalries so nostalgic.

At this point I quite like the Six Nations format and I love the fact that they only get to play one another once a year. Its keeps the rivalry alive, the intensity up there and the crowd’s bottoms off their seats!

I didn't completely agree with Steve Hansen when he recently stated that rugby union is getting a tad

boring, but he did make a valid point though, and money might just be the one cup-cake we should not place above all else…  we should all fear for the day when the soul of sport and more in particular, rugby, is sold for fame and gold. Lately it’s become quite common for a international player to rather walk in the direction of domestic rugby. Facing that crossroad between domestic rugby and representing your country at its highest level is one where players all of a sudden has no shame on rather banking the cheque, and compromise the opportunity of wearing a jersey that so many others had bled for…    

I truly believe that in this case less will be more and less rugby evidently should be the way forward.