There is no Bok World Cup plan
16 Aug 2006
Everything about the Springboks at the moment is hit and miss. It will be no different at next year’s World Cup.
Events in the last two months have shown up the lack of World Cup planning, starting with the warm-up match against the World XV, the debacle at Newlands against the French and the embarrassment overseas during the Vodacom Tri Nations.
Each time the Boks stumble, the management ducks in behind a World Cup excuse. There’s no crime in that if there was a World Cup excuse. If the Boks were losing and struggling because of World Cup preparation, you could still stomach recent events. But there has been nothing to suggest any sort of plan with any player.
Let’s go through the list, starting with Meyer Bosman last year. Bosman was the controversial selection for the end of year tour and White waxed lyrical about the natural talents of a 20 year-old he said could play anywhere in the backline. White told the media he had been following Bosman’s career since the player was a 16 year-old and that the kid had it all. He picked him against Wales and started him against France. And that’s been Bosman’s exposure to the big time, other than warming international benches and carrying tackles bags.
White could have played him against the World XV or in two Scottish tests if he had a plan with the player. He never did and despite Bosman not making the initial playing squad for this test season injury to Andre Pretorius prompted White to pick Bosman again. He took him on a Tri Nations tour and never played him again. Instead he flew Butch James to New Zealand and played him against the All Blacks. There has been no plan with Bosman whatsoever, other than to stuff him around.
White introduced 32 year-old veteran Andre Snyman from Leeds and told the media Akona Ndungane lacked pace. Two months later and Ndungane is the test winger and Snyman is trying to get a release from a World Cup contract to play in France. Danie Coetzee, another veteran playing in England, was flown in from London Irish and paid to travel with the Boks. He is 32 years-old and played eight out of 22 matches for London Irish in the last year. We saw nothing of him in the test arena in the last two months. He’s on his way back to England. When Jaco van der Westhuyzen signed to play in Japan White said it was the best thing for him. White (YAWN) quoted his good mate Eddie Jones on the pros of Van der Westhuyzen playing in Japan and how the player could improve his skills because of the lack of pressure. Now White says he needs to get Van der Westhuyzen out of his Japanese contract because it is killing his international rugby. Van der Westhuyzen’s also gone back to Japan. Three players on Bok salaries not currently involved in the Tri Nations.
White at the start of the year said this was the season that he needed to find out if he had capable back-up to Percy Montgomery. In seven matches, six of them being tests, he has tried no other fullback and in four of the tests Monty has been appalling. When asked in Australia who Monty’s back-up was, White mentioned the likes of Johan Roets and Willem de Waal. He did this while Pietersen was lugging tackle bags around. Pietersen will get a game this weekend, but it will be for the Sharks. White wants him back with the Boks on Monday. Why? To carry more tackle bags. After 79 tests with Montgomery, he knows what he has. Why doesn’t he expose Pietersen to test rugby and see what he may have in the 20 year-old? If there was any planning around the likes of Pietersen, we would have seen a game schedule mapped out for him.
White and his selectors continue to clutch at straws. The majority of players who cocked up in Australia continue to be rewarded, while domestic form has proved meaningless.
Breyton Paulse has been lured back to South Africa and is now on holiday. White has axed him from the Tri Nations squad.
Brent Russell was not in the mix before the French test in Cape Town. He got picked because of injury to Paulse and was one of the Boks better players. He got taken to Australia and New Zealand and never made a match 22. Now he is out of national mix again. Where was the planning around Russell? There wasn’t any.
Pierre Spies was overlooked for the initial season’s training group and the excuse was used that he would be available for the under 21 World Championship. He excelled as a flanker in the tournament and White picked him to tour Australia. He then capped him as a No 8 in a one-dimensional ball-carrying loose-trio to play Australia in Brisbane. Spies was poor and the hapless Joe van Niekerk was even worse playing out of position as an opensider. A few weeks earlier Van Niekerk had looked good as a No 8 against the World XV and Scotland. Now he can’t make the starting XV.
White had the opportunity to introduce new midfield talent against France, if there was indeed a plan. He didn’t. He phoned De Wet Barry, asked him to play 80 minutes of test rugby after a month’s break and then dropped the player because he lacked penetration in the test match. White then told the media that he was keen to pick Marius Joubert on the Boks return to South Africa. Joubert had not been on a rugby field in two months and when he eventually got back on a week ago he hurt his ankle.
White in May flew Anthony Eddie, an Australian consultant, into Bloemfontein to work with the Bok backs. He waxed lyrical. Now Eddie’s out of the mix and White has turned to Alan Zondagh to work with the backs. Zondagh has been in Cape Town for the last few years and has been running his own academy in Cape Town. Where was the planning around that one? Where was Zondagh in May?
Gary Gold was White’s ‘rush defence’ expert and go to man in 2004 and 2005. Gold is now working in South Africa, but his expertise has not been asked for again with the Boks? Planning?
Gert Smal went to Toulouse to find out a bit more about scrumming techniques, but no call was made to Heyneke Meyer, the best forwards specialist in South Africa. White ended up with Balie Swart, whose role at the Sharks was reduced to a cameo post Kevin Putt.
Andy Marinos, National Teams general manager, lambastes his players for lacking professionalism in a rugby magazine in an article that reads desperation and not inspiration.
All World Cup planning as far as selections go were put on hold when France beat the Boks. At least that’s the excuse at SARU.
But if there was a World Cup selection plan and it was founded on solid principles then a win or a defeat against France should not have altered these selections.
New Zealand’s coaching staff declared that Dan Carter would play only two matches on the Grand Slam tour and that only a few players would play more than two matches. They were true to their word. When the All Blacks beat England to set up only the second Grand Slam for New Zealand the following week against Scotland coach Graham Henry made 13 changes. He said that playing the new guys meant more in terms of the World Cup planning than playing his best team to win a Grand Slam. He said the same when he juggled for the two test series against Ireland and the one-off against Argentina. In all three tests New Zealand struggled and were in a position to lose all three. Henry stuck to the plan because he had a plan and it was a plan he and his team believe in.
Henry had picked both Irish and Argentinean test line-ups three weeks before the tests. Results did not change this.
Take young Isaia Toeava as an example of World Cup planning. He was taken on tour with a coaching staff intent on playing him only in the last test. This done, he was drafted to the Canes to play regularly at fullback. This done, he was picked to play Argentina at outside centre. This done, he was picked in the match 22 for the Australian test. This done he was released to play for Auckland at inside centre one week and a request was made that he play outside centre last week. Now, nearly nine months after first touring with the All Blacks, the management are comfortable to give him a start at outside centre against Australia. It is part of the World Cup plan.
The All Blacks have even pencilled in the team to play the Boks in a fortnight. It is called planning. Now compare Toeava to Pietersen, Russell, Spies, Ralapele, Sephaka, Gary Botha, Pienaar and Bosman and talk about a World Cup plan.
This week White will again talk about his axed international coaching mates Eddie Jones and Clive Woodward and the need to explore every avenue. Unfortunately there is no conviction about any World Cup plan. There is a lot of talk about it, more as an excuse when things go wrong, but the examples I just listed illustrate how little thought has gone into who the 30 World Cup players should be and just what each player’s role will be.
Again I ask. What happens when Monty goes down? Who replaces him? Still Jake plays him into the ground, as he does with John Smit. For what? To gain some redemption at winning home test matches?
It is all hit and miss as are the excuses about Luke Watson’s continued omission.
The latest one is that the senior players don’t want Watson. Yep, those brave souls who turned their backs and threw in the towel 49-0 in Brisbane. Those senior players.
As I said, all in the name of World Cup planning.
Yeah. Right.
821 Comments
Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 17 » Show All
16 Aug 2006, 03:06 am
Very good post Keo. I was a Jake supporter until I read and agree with your post.
Skim- I only ever read 3 of your posts to find it complete waste of time. You dont like to read but expect me to read all your wasteful posts?
16 Aug 2006, 03:16 am
Viva la France as the bokke right now have no chance. Anybody as world champs except NZ or OZ. We could have done it. Two years ago I was so hopeful. Now my hopes are in tatters. How does the hero coach become the villan. How did Jake see so clearly in the early days and now he gets it so wrong? 49-0 really hurt. I dont think Jake and the boys will recover. I predict a new coach and team within a year.
16 Aug 2006, 04:09 am
boklash post #48
Is that your “Bok World Cup plan”?
Better than Jakes I guess but I can still spot a few flaws in it!
16 Aug 2006, 04:55 am
i dont know what to say okes another hit and miss for out poor boks
16 Aug 2006, 04:58 am
as long as province wins the currie cup
16 Aug 2006, 05:03 am
No not my plan just winding the kiwis up seem to have got your attention…..My plan keep Jake White hopefully he will wake up soon and not get his sons to fetch his beer.We have enough good Coaches to give him fresh ideas and even help as spesialist coaches and we have the talent U19 & U21 World Champs those payers are around we need to use them and stop flogging the dead horses we have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
16 Aug 2006, 05:04 am
Ye Go Povince!!!!!!!!!!!!!
16 Aug 2006, 05:07 am
We’ll see you in 2010 then,
by then you should be able to front a respectable challenge.
16 Aug 2006, 05:18 am
Sorry to hear about your moari Queen bro!!!!!!!!!
16 Aug 2006, 06:22 am
Moa is a bird that we wiped out in NZ a couple of hundred years ago…Maori would be better if you’re being sincere.
I actually go to her Wellington home very regularly
16 Aug 2006, 06:47 am
Is she like the queen of England or some thing?
16 Aug 2006, 06:52 am
Article is spot on !
For a change…I hope you can tackle the useless squad that Jake has assembled as well, next time Keo ?
You can start with the gingerbread-man captain at number two and work your way down to the pudding playing at fullback, Pissy Monty, ouch, it will be painful reading, hardly a worthwhile name in between…
People ask;
How did Jake get it so wrong ?
Well he never had it right to start with !
He was a lucky coach whose luck has simply ran out(which is going to be the WP story this year as well), I never liked him nor his team right from the start, and after winning the Tri nations on a bonus point, the facade started to crack immediately in the North when he got badly beaten by the Irish and English, yet most people continued to believe beyond believe, the king wasn’t naked after all…until now !
People say he can’t be fired now, but why not ?!
I don’t think there is anyone left in SA anymore who HONESTLY believe SA is going to pull off anything at the world cup, so why go through the motions ?
Fire the guy and the WHOLE squad…better to start from scratch, or the last supporter standing will be the one crying the longest crocodile tears…
Francois
16 Aug 2006, 06:59 am
Mmm, have to say I agree. White seemed like he had a plan 2 years ago. He had the midas touch. That has all changed, the way all these players have been treated are just stupid.
What about Cobus Visagie, he proves that Jake is taking things personally instead of thinking clearly.
Having said that, we will NOT WIN the WC. No coach is going to change that.
Well, ok, lets be positive,10 % of that happening
16 Aug 2006, 07:09 am
pompies,
No the Maori queen is nothing like the English queen for 2 main reasons:
1. It is more of a ceremonial position than one of power, she had no say in the government (although she was often consulted by polititians and those on positions of authority
2. The people of NZ respect her!
16 Aug 2006, 07:18 am
In general, a very well constructed article with plenty of pertinent facts to ponder. There are one or two comments which may be speculation but I suppose when Saru don’t have any idea where they headed, speculation may just be correct in the end. I am now going to read what old Noakes has to say about “the Tackler”.
16 Aug 2006, 07:26 am
I see that the Sky Sports rugby commentators have included Cobus Visagie in their “dream team”, chosen from everyone playing in the UK. Local and foreign. He’s included alongside the likes of Justin Marshall and Carlos Spencer.
Of course, we all know he doesn’t bind and the English rugby writers don’t have a clue about the game.
16 Aug 2006, 07:41 am
As I’ve said before .. and will until jw is gone ..
Jake White needs to go, and with him his useless assistance, gert & allistor .. and lets not forget that useless lump of lard that lumbers around the field and pretends to be a rugby player, our weak capt, john ‘homer’ smit.
16 Aug 2006, 07:48 am
Folanke – Good thing you want him to start with to Cause there’s nothing wrong with nr 1 . OS is a LEGEND
16 Aug 2006, 07:49 am
Here is a plan for you, Jake. Reward creativity, initiative and thinking for tehmselves. Get rid of the thick players. Here here is the run-on 15 you should be looking to for the world cup.
1.Os du Randt
2.Schalk Brits
3.Cobus Visagie
4.Bakkies Botha
5.Victor Matfield
6.Luke Watson
7.Pierre Spies
8.Schalk Burger (give him game-time in this position and he will be great)
9.Ruan Pienaar
10.Butch James
11.Bryan Habana
12.Jean de Villiers
13.Jacques Fourie
14.Ashwin Willemse
15.JP Pietersen
Reserves:
Chilliboy Ralepelle
CJ van der Linde
Johann Muller
Joe van Niekerk
Fourie du Preez
Brent Russell
André Pretorius
16 Aug 2006, 07:49 am
oops to=Two
16 Aug 2006, 07:51 am
Garth , what did you have for brealfast mate? Ashwin?, no Juan Smit?
16 Aug 2006, 07:52 am
Agreed…Os is the MAN !!!
F
16 Aug 2006, 07:54 am
KEO,
One of your best articles ever. EXCELLENT.
Yes there is no plan and there never was a plan. The only plan is that Joke wants to win the home 3N testsn to get critics off his back.
Compare NZ’s planning over the last two and a half years to the planning of the boks. It would be a grave injustice if the All Blacks dont win the 2007 WC.
As for the rumour that senior player dont want Luke, it is criminal. But the likes of keo and andy colquhoun have said as far back as last year that JW had turned the Boks into a clique. The result is that Joke actually listens if Smit says he doesnt like Luke.
16 Aug 2006, 08:01 am
Keo – who is Jake’s back-up captain when John Smit fails?
Excellent article – just proves once again that Jake has painted himself into corners too many…and one only does that by contradicting one self once, thrice too many times…
16 Aug 2006, 08:02 am
Tackler of note
Juan Smith – He would be in my ideal squad, but I do not rate him above those I have listed. Ashwin, if fit and in form is briliant.
16 Aug 2006, 08:07 am
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Jake White picked Springbok rugby up out of the gutter.. and brought it down to his level.
16 Aug 2006, 08:07 am
Nice team Garth although I’d move Jacque Fourie to fullback (which I believe to be his better possie) and give Habana a run at 13 where he’ll see more of the ball.
Does anyone really believe Ashwin is going to play again? I love the idea but unfortunately it seems he’s screwed longterm. I’d like to see Pietersen, both Ndunganes, Chavangha, Nokwe (once they work on his high ball technique) and that new Sharks wing Burden(?) battling it out on the wing. Pietersen to be backup for 15
Reserve bench would probably also feature BJ Botha, Robbie Diack, Ross Skeate
16 Aug 2006, 08:19 am
Good article Keo, although I am not sure that the planning exercise was ever a one man job. It would have involved all those wonderful committees at least and that door mat Hoskins.
I still think that the poison in the mix is the PC 14 together with the SARU structure. It’s enough to make a sane person mad.
Going against the ‘wonderful’ academy at Alicedale, I’d be more positive about rugby’s future if there were full time facilities at all the major unions at least.
16 Aug 2006, 08:19 am
The All Blacks have started planning for the RWC about 2 years ago. With 14 month to go it’s not too late for SA to do the same. After Saturday trinations will go to NZ and there will be no meaning in remaining matches. This will be the best opportunity to see what players that are on form can do. Give the likes of Matfield, Os, Smith, Habana a rest to get off many niggles they they I’m sure are carying. Get rid of dead wood like Percy and try new players. Give Bossman a go at 12, try barrit, give JP Petersen a go at 15, try other players, experiment and may be by next summer JW will know what he’s got.
16 Aug 2006, 08:21 am
“In Jake we trust!”
Haven’t we all seen that posted on this site many times. Doesn’t sound so cool no, does it?
16 Aug 2006, 08:23 am
So true , but these guys don’t listen and they never will. Why didn’t Jake just take the job overseas. I don’t think he know’s what to do anymore. Why does Hoskins hang on to Jake if Jake doesn’t do a good job ? Well one can understand that Jake is without a few of his top players but that’s no excuse for the poor performance so far. What do we call this now , a gravy train ? Howcome you take so many players with you and all they do is carrying bags around. I don’t believe that Jake’s got a plan for the World Cup. I would say it’s time for all of them to go after the 3N.
16 Aug 2006, 08:23 am
Let’s look at it from Jake’s point of view:
“Fok die beplanning, waar gaan ek weer ‘n job kry na die world cup?â€
16 Aug 2006, 08:31 am
Keo, one of the better articles written about the current crisis the springboks are in.
In fact many springbok supporters in this country could have written this article. We all know what the big problems are in the Springbok setup.
When is someone in the media going to get some answers about the lack of planning for the world cup. Everyone seems to write article after article but never manage to get answers from SARU, Jake White, his coaching staff and the selectors. The guys on Boots and All have got no balls and Joost and his bunch even less.
If Jake and his team were running a business and reporting their results, progress and planning to
the board, they would all be out on the *** without a job.
Can someone in the media, with balls, please get some answers from these clowns.
We the rugby public, wait in anticipation for their answers.
16 Aug 2006, 08:33 am
keo
I’m beginning to get the impression that Jake is rather a weak man.
His use of various part time assistants is indicative of someone who is frightened of losing control.
If the speculation is correct that his senior players don’t want Luke then the tail is really wagging the dog.
Without proposing a conspiracy theory, the senior players are mainly Bulls forwards and probably have far too big an influence on the game plan.
16 Aug 2006, 08:43 am
One better, Jake White if you actually read this website, how about answering the questions and sharing your plans with the rugby public directly on this website.
If you have a plan, tell us about it, then maybe you will get some support from the public.
Come on Jake I dare you.
16 Aug 2006, 08:49 am
alien
jake cant read, otherwise he wouldve been able to read the writing on the wall! :0
16 Aug 2006, 08:51 am
SARU is a circus…
Any coach in a circus looks like a clown!
translation: until SARU comes right, the coach is irrelevent.
16 Aug 2006, 08:52 am
Alien
Why should Jake go public with his cunning plan? Once the ABs, Aussies, French and English know how brilliant it is they’ll ditch their own mediocre attempts at winning the WC and steal it for themselves.
16 Aug 2006, 08:54 am
i saw Jake on superrugby and his reasoning just doesnt seem sound..
he seems like a nice guy, but you know what they say about nice guys. He is beginning to remind me of Ford when he was coaching the cricket team..
16 Aug 2006, 08:58 am
Bluebarb
He actually reminds me of Ford when he was running America.
In fact the whole of SARU sounds like another Ford. “You can have any colour you like so long as it’s black”.
16 Aug 2006, 09:18 am
very clever David
16 Aug 2006, 09:19 am
White has lost the plot, but you have to say the system has now worn hin down. He will quit after the tri nations. Doesent matter who replaces him the system will have the same effect. Sadly our sport at the highest level is gone for good.
16 Aug 2006, 09:23 am
I think that a bok coach must only sighn a 2 year contract .. and then only extentions from there on ..
16 Aug 2006, 09:24 am
KEO – KEO – KEO
Is there a perfomance clause in Jake Whites contract – we all have heard stories about the need to win as many matches as possible because of a contract clasue
What is the clause and how does it work ???
I have a feeling this is the root cause of selection issues
16 Aug 2006, 09:27 am
Maybe it’s because his an english man We need an afrikaans coach Ons ken net van skiet skop en donner
16 Aug 2006, 09:29 am
post 69
Garth
Go back and put some proper ethnic colour in the mix – you’ll never get that team past anyone
16 Aug 2006, 09:32 am
Jake’s the man with the plan because he believes he can!!
16 Aug 2006, 09:32 am
Weepee 100
Pumas 12
16 Aug 2006, 09:35 am
wp 1050 pumas 3
16 Aug 2006, 09:37 am
The WC07 plan is to win the Poms and loose the rest!
Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 17 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.