Nothing cowardly about Kobus
15 Mar 2006
Coach Kobus van der Merwe has been caned for the performance of the Stormers in the Vodacom Super 14, but his brave team selections for the crucial Cheetahs clash deserve nothing but praise.
In partnering Jean de Villiers with Marius Joubert in the most attacking midfield combination possible, and selecting both Tonderai Chavhanga and Joe Pietersen, Van der Merwe has confounded those who seek to tag him as an ultra-conservative.
De Wet Barry played 872 out of a possible 880 minutes of the Stormers’ Vodacom Super 12 campaign last year. Despite disappointing results compounding week on week, Gert Smal became more entrenched that Barry was essential in jersey 12.
The worse it got, the quicker Barry was picked.
Van der Merwe’s results may be similar to last season, but it his reaction to these results that deserve applause.
Naming Schalk Burger at No 8, opting for the untried Jean de Villiers as captain and handing Justin Melck a start above the likes of Gerrie Britz and Hendrik Gerber are not the actions of a man clinging to his job.
Van der Merwe’s baptism of fire in the Vodacom Super 14 has taught him that you never arrive in first-class rugby, you only leave. He and technical director Gary Gold have been in the job at Newlands for less than a year, and already there are calls for their dismissals. There is no denying that the Cape side’s underperforming, but lumping the blame on the collective doorstep of Van der Merwe and Gold is foolhardy.
Both are coaches with track records that underline their tactical ability. Whether either were prepared for the complex politics of Cape rugby is another question, and the occasional ‘deer in the headlights’ effect can be attributed to a lack of streetsmarts rather than a lack of smarts.
In the face of hostility, the honesty with which Van der Merwe deals with the media has led to accusations of naivety, but where he has been criticised he should be commended. Despite the avalanche of criticism the only mind games Van der Merwe has played concerned the fitness of De Villiers, when he delayed the announcement of his exclusion due to injury for two days before the Brumbies bash.
After only one victory from five matches, four of which have been at home, other coaches in Van der Merwe’s position would (and have) release dummy team-sheets, stick with combinations obviously not working, make statements that the team is one victory away from turning it around, and generally just hit and hope.
Van der Merwe’s stint as Stormers coach has not yielded acceptable results thus far, but his attempts to redress deep and underlying problems in a side he inherited have been proactive and not reactive.
Allied with Gold, one of the finest tactical thinkers on the game our country possesses, Van der Merwe’s honesty and adventurous mindset could yet rescue the Stormers from the spiral they seem scarily close of slipping into.
82 Comments
15 Mar 2006, 12:44 pm
You can’t sack him so soon you have to give him at least a year or two to prove himself.
15 Mar 2006, 12:45 pm
The OAKS a loser and needs to move on and become a Stunt Double for Fester.
What will you say about him next week when the changes he has made have given the super 14 the second 50 pointer against an SA side this season, and the third will come when the Bulls pitch up for a 5 pointer lol.
I have Zero faith in this guy and the Stormers, there just seems to be a total lack of anything in this side.
15 Mar 2006, 12:46 pm
Yes Chris, let’s hope. It’s not as though there’s anything else we can do.
15 Mar 2006, 12:54 pm
The Stormers lack a person setting the standard for training and conditioning and attitude. The Sharks have Smit and Percy leading the charge by example, the Bulls have Victor and Habana and, to a large extent, most of the team.
The Cats have their captain courageous Wickus and Fourie, except that no-one is even paying enough attention on or off the field to care(nuff said).
Nobody is setting the standard in the Cape, and if they are, none of teh others is rising to met the challenge.
15 Mar 2006, 13:01 pm
so chris, if joe and chavanga is a flop would you/ they still praise his moves or crusify him.
just a thought
15 Mar 2006, 13:03 pm
Couldn’t say it better than wls in comment 2
15 Mar 2006, 13:07 pm
jds it has gone past being a joke. I will watch this game against the cheetahs (cause at least we know one SA side will win) and i simply wont waste my weekend on this lot. No one in that side even looks remotly interested in playing rugby
15 Mar 2006, 13:13 pm
Uhm… How could he play 872 out of 880 mins?
Didn’t he get a yellow card in Jozi?????
15 Mar 2006, 13:14 pm
Sorry my mistake!
15 Mar 2006, 13:39 pm
wls, it is a sad affair, i am a “proud” cats supporter and it doesn’t really get worse. I however, think that the stormers are in a worse way than the cats. The stormers must tour and i do not see them succeeding in more than 2 more games. They play the cheetahs and bulls in CT, and they will not win those.
Atleast the cats play the force and reds in JHB with andre pretorius back. I do believe we will take atleast those two and give the sharks a go. That is more than the stormers can hope for, hence i think the cats will end above the stormers on the log.
15 Mar 2006, 13:39 pm
Stormers 48
Cheetahs 10
15 Mar 2006, 13:42 pm
cool,
but these changes should have been done long ago, and no not the centers i know there has been injuries.
loose trio sucked every game.
greeff although solid offered nothing else and is predictable.
and dont come with chavanga is only fir now…
they have seconds as well that could have played. peach, pietersen was also there.
you speak of a proven track record.
okay i know a bit about gold, but exactly what is kobus’ record.
provinces, wins/losses, etc?
would be an interesting read that.
15 Mar 2006, 13:45 pm
Make no mistake this is going to be tough. A derby is never easy…..
Won’t be surprised if the Stormers win.
15 Mar 2006, 13:47 pm
Let’s not confuse bravery with kamakaze behavior.
15 Mar 2006, 13:52 pm
Saying that….
I still rate the possibilities of the DeVilliers/Joubert combo as the best in the country.
If the Cheetahs don’t defend DeVilliers properly, particularly withregards to the way he is able to unload in the tackle….it could get messy for the Cheetahs should the Stormers start getting their fair share of ball.
Who wants to put money on Gaffie putting in a big game on Saterday?
15 Mar 2006, 13:56 pm
M Joubert, Gus Theron wat is die diff.
Who was the centre’s for the Super Stromers in the CC semifinal against the Cheets
15 Mar 2006, 13:57 pm
I agree with PA on this one. What record does fester have? Coached Border, backline coach to the Sharks. Now I ask you, what record does he have? I`m at a loss. Please support with some facts, then we can make an informed decision.
15 Mar 2006, 13:59 pm
Spank me, if I remember correctly it was JDV and DeWet and they played for WP that day, not the Stormers.
15 Mar 2006, 14:00 pm
Yikes Chris, you under pressure or what? The standard of your writing is slipping my man – there are so many errors one can hardly understand what the hell you are on about! Little bit of QA would be appreciated.
15 Mar 2006, 14:01 pm
QA – Quality Assurance
15 Mar 2006, 14:04 pm
My two cents worth says the Stormers will win this one, but it will be close. There is too much talent in the Stormers squad. (I know this has been said week in and week out) I just think that the Cheetahs don’t have the same talent.
Bigg any new on the golf day boet???
15 Mar 2006, 14:06 pm
what has garry gold achieved, won one competition when brendan venter was in charge. after that he almost got london irish relegated 2 years running and since his left them they are achieving again. why does jerome paarwater never get critisised his been the forwards coach, gets very well payed and has also achieved nothing in his career if u can call it that
15 Mar 2006, 14:23 pm
If anything the tight 5 has been something of a revelation this season.
15 Mar 2006, 14:24 pm
StPeters (15)
good point about JdV ability to ofload in contact …. that is maybe he’s biggest strength.
First time i saw him was u/21 or u/20 semi-final at Loftus against the bulls. Twice took the bulls apart with stunning brakes in midfield….. unfotunately the bulls forwards took the province forwards apart 99% of the game
hence another loss for Wp.
Sorry dit was eintlik ‘n snotklap wat Wp gekry het daai dag. Maar JdV het daai dag gewys wat hy kan doen op sy eie.
Sorry to bring up but that was also B Skinstad’s strong point … he always offloaded in a tackle … for that he was brilliant.
15 Mar 2006, 14:37 pm
Cape Shark?> what are you on about man. The Stormers have all the talent in the world yet it does not look remotly like being utilised.
The CHEETAHS have talent and it is being utilised.
They have played a good season this year and the log says it all.
Cheetahs will win this easily.
15 Mar 2006, 14:51 pm
Keo, that is a 180 degree change, if ever I saw one.
Here is a thought, with you being such an influential ruby man & all, why don’t you add on a coaching tips etc onto your website. If you are clever, you can influence coaches & players of the future!
Rugby 365 has one, but not too sure it is well utilised. Someone like you could talk to all the coaches (although we know you will have a massive Cape bias) & pass on tips that the school coaches etc can use, therby eliminating all these mistakes from being repeated in the future.
come on Keo, anyone can moan, but you are in a position to do something!
15 Mar 2006, 15:05 pm
i think the jury’s still out on these guys. By the end of the currie cup, we’ll know what we’ve got.
its hardly surprising the reaction of some fans though. given most fans act as though they’re a braincell away from being an amoeba when they open their mouths on the subject of rugby. it appears rational people are few and far between…
15 Mar 2006, 15:12 pm
Munikiboi, very true
there are always 60000 experts and 30 idiots at a rugby match.
But you cant blame any SA supporter for being upset with this lot.
Provide results and youll hear less complaints.
If i dont prove myself at work im out of a job.
Why should it be any different for rugby players and coaches ect?
15 Mar 2006, 15:33 pm
Chris
It sounds like Kobus has you in his pocket. He has been hanging onto Greeff for 5 weeks now when it is obvious that he has not played any decent rugby for a few years and his only out because of injury.Pietersen would not have played had he been there. Never rated him in any case. He stuck with Barry as captain, and now lumps it on JDV. Under the additional pressure his flair might be stifled. We’ve seen it before.Being a great player does notmake you a great captain. Chavanga is back from injury and had he not been would have been their first choice in any case. Oh and we have heard the only one game from turning it around.
15 Mar 2006, 15:34 pm
Cheetas 36
Stomers 10
If they get a lucke bounce or intercept
15 Mar 2006, 15:36 pm
Stormers that is, otherwise 3
15 Mar 2006, 15:36 pm
Tackler jou doos
23-16 next year 23-0
15 Mar 2006, 15:40 pm
Alles propaganda
15 Mar 2006, 15:42 pm
‘n Benoude kat maak benoude spronge. Jy kan dit dapper noem as jy wil. Ek sal dit sommer net desparaat noem.
15 Mar 2006, 15:49 pm
I see Nick Mallet had a quite word in keo.co.za’s ear …
15 Mar 2006, 16:15 pm
Kobus Van Der Merwe has a coaching pedigree?
He coached the Griquas to failure and then was an assistant to the youngest coach in CC.
Oh and he coached the worst Stormers backline ever in 2001
Ja for sure that’s a coaching pedigree
Gary Gold
Was a pathetic coach at Villagers
Was the forwards coach of London Irish with Brendan Venter when Venter played The Rush Defence for the first time in union. London Irish won the premiership.
Then Venter came back to SA and Gold became head coach at London Irish.
Then they slipped to mid table next season
Then the next season he got a ‘free transfer’
Oh yeah, that’s a proven track record.
With an almost all Bok backline, this team can’t score tries? Yup, it’s foolhardy to blame the coaches because the team doesn’t score tries. I agree. These Boks they have there are just prima donnas who don’t really want to score tries. The coaches training has nothing to do with it at all. Neither does the gameplan. Nothing at all.
Nice try
Feed the ******* that feed the information.
15 Mar 2006, 16:18 pm
This Kobus knows nothing about rugby.I dont say I am a coach but he knows fuckall.There are a lot better coaches than him.
15 Mar 2006, 16:29 pm
dAVID sp AS WELL PUT AS ANYONE COULD.
15 Mar 2006, 16:30 pm
coachie9, Paarwater coached overseas in Italy if i’m not mistaken, came back and has been involved at WP ever since. He is actually the only coach who seems to be doing well as the tight 5 are doing much better… As for the rest, KVDM is coach, of the backline as well, Hawies is the drinks boy at practices, gold is the technical director…
15 Mar 2006, 16:33 pm
wat defok help dit om tegaan coach in italie?
15 Mar 2006, 16:39 pm
you get to eat spaghetti and pizza real cheap.
15 Mar 2006, 16:42 pm
Ja PA dis omtrent al en jy kry dalk so n bietjie “style” soos AJ.
15 Mar 2006, 16:50 pm
personally i would love to spend some time in milan or rome or whatever – any italians reading this i am open for offers.
i hate pizza but maybe we can get around that somehow.
15 Mar 2006, 16:51 pm
oh yes and i would love to be flashy like AJ one day too.
15 Mar 2006, 16:56 pm
ps. Italians don’t have pizza in Italy. Pizza is an American invention.
In real life, Italian food is superb.
15 Mar 2006, 16:58 pm
cool that settles it then, i will accept any offers!
15 Mar 2006, 17:01 pm
Pasta was invented by the Chines and not the Italians.
15 Mar 2006, 17:04 pm
not to fond of pasta either actually – this deal is getting better and better.
15 Mar 2006, 17:08 pm
one thing is for sure; movies are bullshit
15 Mar 2006, 17:47 pm
This article is rubbish!
15 Mar 2006, 17:55 pm
“Proactive and not reactive” my eye.
Never read such twaddle in all my life.
15 Mar 2006, 18:00 pm
“Van der Merwe’s honesty and adventurous mindset” …. caramba is just gets worse!
(Grabs peppermint chewing gum to stifle gag reflex).
15 Mar 2006, 18:01 pm
Mmmm.. This is fun.
Ranting away to myself without Bliksem and Stan.
15 Mar 2006, 18:07 pm
caramba
holy cow:?:
15 Mar 2006, 18:18 pm
Cmon you gotta admit it’s tripe.
15 Mar 2006, 18:18 pm
DavidSP, Kobus coached the SHARKS backline under Straeuli.
Many factors involved in a slip to mid-table.
Your all-in-one, overly simplistic attempt at correlations is pathetic.
SA fans hardly have any damn perspective. Mallett was right.
15 Mar 2006, 18:25 pm
Mikeybraas
You’re right. Fans don’t have any damn perspective.
They tend to live in the here and now and not harp on what their coaches did in a past life.
15 Mar 2006, 18:52 pm
hehe dawn,
so mike, since you seem to be in the know, give us a rundown of his record as coach then?
15 Mar 2006, 19:01 pm
If someone wants to slam someone else, do it from an informed base, not facts dragged from someone’s arse. If you don’t know a fact, don’t give a false one. Pretty easy and yet so bloody difficult.
Perspective is always important. No perspective = knee-jerk reactions (as per Mallett and White’s public statements in the past regarding this ****)
15 Mar 2006, 19:25 pm
Be grateful that you have vd merwe.
Without him it would have been 5 losses…
15 Mar 2006, 19:35 pm
so apart from the sharks thing, what was wrong about davidsp’s comments?
he said stormers instead of sharks.
what else makes his statement or post “all-in-one and overly simplistic” as you so nicely put it?
“if you dont know fact” either what gives you the right to slam him?
pot and kettle?
again i ask, if you know his record then please enlighten us, otherwise your “public slamming” of davidsp’s comment is exactly what you so vehemently condemn.
otherwise just stop now.
15 Mar 2006, 20:39 pm
Mallet said he will give him 3 YEARS as coach
15 Mar 2006, 20:46 pm
fair enough.
i actually rate mallet.
i hope results wil come sooner rather than later for his sake (and Kobus)
15 Mar 2006, 22:23 pm
This is an articel meant to open a debate. So, Chris, well done you got it!
I agree that new things are being tried and tested done in the Cape and it feels great. I remember in 97 when Percy was put at fullback, 99% of the country thought the end was near!
It’s not like there was a winning formula down there for the last few years, its nice to see something different. To be honest,we have sem some of the best play out of sicknote (who is finally living up to his nick). And those of you who say he has morew to offer, I don’t think so!
Give the young guys a run, the old gaurd might come back from overseas but blood the new talent.
Kobus & Gary will prove their worth in that I am sure!
16 Mar 2006, 00:01 am
Has South Africa ever thought about getting New Zealand Coaches into the system, as New Zealand have done so many times before, by allowing outside coaches to coach in New Zealand just to see how the rest of the world do things.
16 Mar 2006, 07:34 am
Where does this praise come for Kobus ‘Mom-I’m-on-tv’ van der Merwe. Face it, he was a mediocre player at best and the same for his coaching. Are you telling me that his track record compares to someone like Pieter de Villiers. If Nick Mallet went around the country looked for good coaches, how the hell could he go to Griquas?
Has anybody questioned Nick Mallet? He is a good coach but his not doing much, besides having hissie fits every week. Could he have not struck a deal with David Nucifora, Alan Solomons, Rob Louw, Pieter de Villiers. Are you telling me, Kobus was the best he could negotiate?
16 Mar 2006, 07:35 am
yes, laurie mains and grisley wylie coached in sa before.
16 Mar 2006, 07:38 am
The problem is not the players, its the gameplan…Kobus van der Merwe has some of the best young players in the country…in the world. Most of these guys have one a junior World Cup medal. Its any coaches dream… I still can’t figure out what is there game plan. If it is…forwards take the ball up, then swing to the backline, then kick. Then we are not much different from the bulls.
16 Mar 2006, 07:41 am
If you analyse the Crusaders and the Brumbies. The reason they are successful, is because they have a specific gameplan. To me, it seems Kobus has sort of a High School gameplan…and when one player is injured he panics and switches to another gameplan.
16 Mar 2006, 07:47 am
Very vauge post Edwil.Care to eloborate on the curent gameplan.Rugby is rugby wheter high school or Super14.
16 Mar 2006, 07:55 am
Dankie bliksem…Anybody who’s played rugby, knows there’s a difference between High School and Super 14 rugby.
Super 14 rugby is about, how quickly your recovery or turnaround time is, confidence, concentration and intensity. Firstly that is not in place with the Stormers because the coach has no clue what this is. Secondly your gameplan has to have some sort of close structure and must be player independent. When playing in the Super 14, relying on one player (Jean de Villiers) to implement your game plan is fatal. If you look at Australia, New Zealand, England of a couple of years ago. Nobody dared panic when there’s an injury. The gameplan didn’t change.
The Stormers have always played entertaining rugby and that is what the Stormers is all about. We used to have quick turnaround time. Meaning when we are on defense and the ball is loose, suddenly there’s a counter-attacked, everybody knows there place and angle of run (watch the Crusaders). We used to run into gaps more than now. (Watch Jean De Villiers playing under Carel du Plessis a couple of years ago).
16 Mar 2006, 07:58 am
Edwill the basics stay the same.We dont compete because we cant even do the basics.Tana has admitted that when he has a bad day at the ofice he just falls back and just does the backs.His bad day at the office is usualy a solid performance.
16 Mar 2006, 08:00 am
Are F’n telling me, a Super 14 coach should be teaching basics to professional rugby players who earn R15000 a month and up?
16 Mar 2006, 08:05 am
Well Edwill that is the problem.Our players cant do the basics.It stems from a bad/non existant coaching program for coaches at all levels.
16 Mar 2006, 08:07 am
That’s why I ask…what is Nick Mallet doing?
16 Mar 2006, 08:08 am
And you can’t win the Super 14 by just doing the basics right…
16 Mar 2006, 08:09 am
Edwill you need to have mastered the basics first and then build from there to win.
16 Mar 2006, 08:10 am
Ask keo what mallet is doing,they are mates.
16 Mar 2006, 08:10 am
Well, duh!
16 Mar 2006, 08:14 am
Keo doesn’t know…I’m not sure, Mallet knows.
16 Mar 2006, 12:42 pm
Things went better last week despite the last minute debacle and JDV had a lot to do with that. I think that the Centre combo Jdv with Joubert must just come off if Peter Grant plays the game and if the Cheetahs forwards allow the Stormers the ball.
My only concern is the time it will take the centre’s to personally hand the ball to the blistering stormers wingers because neither can catch the bloody thing.
Now imagine if the Stormers had kept Gaffie, I still rate him as one of the best SA flyhalves on his day, and Percy. And then if Nick “Mullet” Mallet had done some pre-season forward buying as the Bulls did. With that little lot happening one could see something happening at Newlands….Its simple really….
16 Mar 2006, 12:44 pm
Sorry guys Typing error I meant the new centre combo MIGHT come off not MUST come off….
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