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
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16 Aug 2006, 09:39 am
Keo
Are you still a journalis?
What else do you do besides run this website?
Nice article as I’ve said before but
why don’t you get your hands dirty and get an interview with Jake for some answers and then post that interview on this site.Do you have the balls to interview him in person and get answers?
Does Jake not want to talk to you? or haven’t you got the contacts anymore to get that interview.
Please Keo, share YOUR PLAN about getting that interview with Jake for your website readers.
16 Aug 2006, 09:40 am
styv – go back to your class room or get off your mom’s pc before she finds out.
16 Aug 2006, 09:41 am
Post 100 your language will ensure that becomes your last post on this site…
16 Aug 2006, 09:43 am
Keo what do you make of the fact that they approached Zondagh?
16 Aug 2006, 09:43 am
styv – feel free to critise on the site but try to do so in a constructive manner. Your use of language indicates a lower than average degree of intelligence.
16 Aug 2006, 09:43 am
keo cant U GET HOLD OF IAN MACINTOSH AND ASK HIM A FEW QUESTIONS!!
ON MARINOS – since he started our teams went just southwards!! Why not appoint some one credible like Teichman or Andre Joubert or Henry Honiball or some one like that?
So interesting that Dan Carter leads a normal life – goes playing 3rd league soccer on a break!! MY RESPECT FOR THAT GUY JUST GREW WITH 500 %!
16 Aug 2006, 09:44 am
School hollidays again ? can’t be . styv , go play with the kids outside in the snow.
16 Aug 2006, 09:47 am
Good piece Keo.
I am sorry to say (being White’s biggest supporter) that if he cannot get things to change or display a clear vision of what he wants for the next year – it is time for him to go.
It seems he is clouded by so many external factors which might or might not be his own doing, fact is, the White of 2004 seems to be long gone.
He should either come up with fresh and daring ideas and with that give Saru or anyone that does not agree with it the finger (read Saru and PC) or call it a day.
And no, with that I am not saying include Luke – but the examples used on Russel and Bosman in this article are things that worry me.
BTW, why is the same fuss not made around Jacques Botes from the Sharks?
16 Aug 2006, 09:48 am
Who are the senior players who dont want luke? probably the jealous blue bulls who have 3 home losses to talk about
16 Aug 2006, 09:49 am
Eloise, you are being way too kind to the pumas. You really think they can score 12 points against Luke and the boys? No ways!!!
16 Aug 2006, 09:49 am
keo – i’ve read your book and there is a pattern devoloping here as far as jw goes. all the coaches start off well and then the wheels start coming off, paranoia sets in and some of the most puzzling selections and statements are made. i’ve said it before i truly believe that jw will resign willingly or be forced to resign after the 3n. the writing is on the wall.
16 Aug 2006, 09:54 am
Keo is the insider for SARU…he is doing what they pay him to do
16 Aug 2006, 09:55 am
What is the story about seniour players not wanting luke? .. I’ve missed that …
16 Aug 2006, 09:57 am
Let me just put two and two together…
Luke Watson left the sharks to go to WP, because he clashed with various team mates .. Not because he wanted to proove to Jake that he could play in the same team as Schalk Burger. Fact. His team mates at the Sharks basically said that they would not play if Watson played.
I will put money on the fact that one of the his old shark team mates he clashed with or prehaps out of the recomendation from him.. Jake has excluded him from the side for fear of breaking up the Springbok team harmony..
And i will put a further ten bucks on the player from the sharks that is influencing Jake’s selection of Watson being John Smit.
Any Takers?
16 Aug 2006, 09:58 am
Keo, the headline is quite a dramatic one and I would think you would agree when I say a false one as you cant really prove Jake has no plan whatsoever for the world cup? Especially after all his comments about the topic…
Is it not possible that maybe he has a plan but things are not going to that plan? Perhaps the plan is flawed too but to say that the man has no plan whatsoever would be presumptious (unless you have access to the mans office and can scout for World Cup Plans documents on a regular basis).
I dont know if you realise just how influential you are in the minds of the general rugby watching public. Most of the Muppets here (excluding a few like Tackler) will just accept what you say without formulating their own opinions. Hence headlines like “There is no Bok World Cup plan” can be extremely damaging in public opinion about a person when in fact you have no evidence to prove such a statement. Such actions can add to a problem instead of simply raising healthy debate about it.
You have put forward an argument that Jake has made and is making mistakes which is true but that is not proof of no plan at all. And personally I would love to see someone in his position that is capable of never making mistakes. It cant happen.
Keo, please try and avoid the sensationalism in headlines that is so prevalent in our media. It may get you the page hits (and thus for your advertisers) but is it an ethical practice?
16 Aug 2006, 09:59 am
I know Zondagh is a good coach. But why didn’t Jake go for Meyer ? Mayer coach the bulls forwards and he did a good job. But as they say , some people can’t work with other people.
16 Aug 2006, 09:59 am
i will go with that nirvana
16 Aug 2006, 10:00 am
I’ll double that bet nirvanarama
16 Aug 2006, 10:01 am
Andre_WP Jake like the two dummies Gertie & Ally to much
16 Aug 2006, 10:02 am
thanks Martin..
16 Aug 2006, 10:03 am
Luke is a very good player. but the oak is so arrogant that he rubs people up the wrong way.
16 Aug 2006, 10:04 am
iamthebear – do you honestly think that there is a plan? i don’t. we all live in hope but hope will not win us the wc. we went through the same scenario with rs at the 2003 wc and look what happened. the most optimistic that i can be is by saying we will win the 3n if australia beat the ab this weekend and don’t give them a bonus point.
16 Aug 2006, 10:04 am
Keo can’t answer our questions, he is too exhausted from planning and writing this long article. He is at home recovering.
Get well soon Keo, and then please answer our questions.
16 Aug 2006, 10:05 am
iamthebear
Are you Jake White?
16 Aug 2006, 10:05 am
Nirvanarama it’s only recently that Watson spoke out about Jake not selecting him & to be fear I dont think he’s arrogant.The guy is playing skillfull rugby & the whole country sees it….that is besides Jake & the rest of the selectors!
16 Aug 2006, 10:06 am
Thats why he can only play as Captain of the team i bet to.
16 Aug 2006, 10:07 am
Martin, the fact is you dont have any real evidence that Jake has no plan whatsoever hence a headline like this is a presumptious one. Personally I believe the man has a plan. Maybe the plan has major flaws in it, but no-one can prove that he has no plan whatsoever.
16 Aug 2006, 10:07 am
Nirv and that is why we will stay happy as long as Jake ignores him
16 Aug 2006, 10:07 am
Ha ha Wooden Spoon! I wish I got paid like Jake White!
16 Aug 2006, 10:08 am
Haven’t read all the posts… (gotta work…)
Keo… you raise some good questions but is anyone gonna hold their breath for answers…?
We all know the story… Players who ‘demand’ attention from Jake White get snubbed… Read Brits, Watson and Visagie…
Steve McClaren sacks David Beckham from England squad and captaincy… He does so one-on-one and explains why…
Beckham responds that he feels he still has a lot to offer England so he will fight to regain his place in the team.
What does McClaren say? If he was Jake White he would take offense and never pick Beckham again…
But McClaren says… “That’s the answer I was hoping for. I will never close the door on any player…!”
Wonder… out of McClaren and White, who’s the better man-manager and motivator of players…
Just makes White sound like the clown he is…
16 Aug 2006, 10:09 am
Great player….but..Nothing changes the fact the guy was basically kicked out of the Sharks team by the players because they could not stand him.
16 Aug 2006, 10:12 am
Since we played so kak against scotland the plan has been to win each test match on a piece meal basis (to save jake’s arse) with no thought to the WC next year. We should have been blooding newer players, and experimenting with new combinations (particularly against the World 15 and Scotland). NZ’s squad management is a perfect example of this. Lets face it, we have no chance to win the 3N, but we will stick to the same players who jake perceives to be the best 15, meely to save face.
16 Aug 2006, 10:13 am
Getting so pissed off with all of this. Let all the players foookooff with Jake and go play overseas. I am sure if we have to put a team together from the Sharks, Bulls and WP we will beat the current bok team. I hope we loose all our home games. Starting to loose all respect for the boks.
16 Aug 2006, 10:14 am
Nirv that’s their loss and our gain..I said it before the players come to the Cape and get their colours.I just hope LW gets his shot before he plays against SA in next years WC
16 Aug 2006, 10:14 am
iamthebear – the evidence all points to man without a plan. never mind not picking lw, that does’nt influence anything, it’s all the other selections and mostly the statements that he has made that suggests that he has no plan. sure he might have had a plan a year ago but if plan a goes awry then you have plan b. at the moment jw has ditched any plan just to stay afloat.
he will resign after the 3n – that i am sure of.
16 Aug 2006, 10:15 am
the seior players not wanting watson,bugger them no one in the team should have a say in selection. make me coach,i’l bliksem bakkies and os,i’l smack them around a bit and show them who’s boss
16 Aug 2006, 10:15 am
meely=merely
iamthebear
So, when there may have been a WC plan last year, it has now been thrown away.
16 Aug 2006, 10:17 am
eloise
What other country is luke eligible to play for as soon as next years WC?
16 Aug 2006, 10:17 am
i dont think he will ever leave SA.. because of what his dad achieved here
16 Aug 2006, 10:19 am
iamthebear,
I disagree with you. Keo’s headline is not misleading. The purpose of a headline is to attract the reader’s attention, not to give a 100% correct and factual summary of the content.
Furthermore, the content of the article shows that, on the preponderance of probability, Jake either does not have a RWC plan or he has a very poor plan – one hardly fit to be called a plan.
In that context, the headline is perfectly apt and completely justified.
And you probably overrate the influence of this website mate.
16 Aug 2006, 10:19 am
Nirvana…
If Watson was so disruptive, arrogant and all the players cannot stand him…
How has he been able to turn Province around leading by example and motivating a long of really young and inexperienced guys…??
Could it be those Sharks and Bok players don’t want him because they’re threatened by his leadership qualities and playing abilities…?
Also think your chronolgy is a bit squiff…
As I remember it… Watson was playing for the Sharks and signed for WP halfway through the season. He said he’d see out the season and play as hard as ever… THEN the Sharks management threw their toys like girls in a sandpit and said they don’t want him and he must rather go to PRovince straight away…
16 Aug 2006, 10:19 am
he is eligible to play for timbuctoo.
16 Aug 2006, 10:21 am
ufo….post 126.. he is captain
16 Aug 2006, 10:21 am
Didn’t know they played rugby in Mali
16 Aug 2006, 10:21 am
I agree from a rugby watching public point of view (of whom 99 percent are not privy to the inner workings of SA Rugby), the current bok situation can seem at times rudderless, but there is no physical proof of no plan. Do you really think that if Jake had a plan before he would totally scrap it or at least not replace it with something else? The fact is we cant prove that, hence the headline is a sensationalist one.
16 Aug 2006, 10:22 am
but jake has a plan .. he spells it out for us before each test match … “we are going to dominate them at the scrum ..”
16 Aug 2006, 10:23 am
and ..ufo .. you are right that is how it happened.. no one wanted to play with him.
16 Aug 2006, 10:23 am
juck…another Luke discussion…
16 Aug 2006, 10:24 am
Nirvana…
So you’re saying… Sharks and Boks are not picking Watson because even though he’s a better leader than the lot, they’d rather stick with the old boys club…
and you say watson is at fault…?
16 Aug 2006, 10:25 am
based on circumstantial evidence, we, the rugby fans, find jw guilty of having no plan and sentence him to coach the Siberian labour camp 4th team for a period of 4 years.
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