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, 12:00 pm
David,
Ja- I agree. I did touch on signs of change in my earlier post, but the reality is that it will take a while before we can come close to NZ and Aus in this dept.
If you look at the NPC in comparison to the CC, you can see the difference. The CC is definitely coming right though.
16 Aug 2006, 12:01 pm
Murph,
yeah i dont know anymore, i thought AP was the answer (most naturally gifted) but he can also get erratic, butch james is pretty good in all respects but injury slowed him down slightly, Bosman did not look good on EOY tour but has a huge punt, Hougaardt is a place-kicking machine like de waal but not sure either attacks the ball with pace. russel does do this well.
16 Aug 2006, 12:03 pm
i thought since JdV is basically the backline general, play him at 10. Olivier’s done well at 12 and JF at 13 is irreplaceable.
16 Aug 2006, 12:03 pm
My 2 cents..
Steyn had a very average game on Saturday… and he is young… But I think he is a very good all-round flyhalf… And he has been very consistent up until Saturday when he had an off game. He can kick, pass, run and tackles very well… Against the Cheetahs he put in three tackles inside a minute or so… among many others.
But best of all (IMO) is his temperament and the way he marshalls his line and gets the guys into position… He is the reason the Bulls have been playing more open rugby… They’ll miss that with Hougaard back…
Yes, he’s too young at the moment, but I think Steyn is one of those young guys who should be nurtured at National level and given specialist coaching…
16 Aug 2006, 12:07 pm
UFO,
I def thought Steyn was the business, and I still do, but the best way for him to break into the National set up would be to move to another province.
I risk incurring the wrath of many a Bulls supporter here I’m sure, but with their gameplan, the Bulls are the death of any 10 who wants to play running rugby.
16 Aug 2006, 12:07 pm
bring back Herchelle Gibbs to rugby!! now that was a gifted 5 8th.. seen him play 4 Bishops yrs ago.. the way he marshalled his backline.. and not scared to run… aaa those were the yrs..
16 Aug 2006, 12:07 pm
My a and B team will look like this:
A: B:
15)Percy 15)Peterson
Big Joe 
Spies
14)Russel 14) Paulse
13)J Fourie 13) Olivier
12) JDV 12) Bosman
11) Habana 11) Ndungane
10) Barrit 10) A Pretorius
9) Pienaar 9) FDP
7) J Smith 7) AJ
6) Watson 6) Solly
5) Big Vic 5) Muller
4) Bakkies 4) Rossouw
3) BJ Botes 3) Visagie
2) JS 2) Brits
1) Os 1) Guthro
Given everybody is fit. Then there is also guys like Ashwin, other Ndungane, Butch, Januarie, Wikkus, CJ, Gary Botha etc.
JW has got no excuse. He should have given the above some gametime period!!
16 Aug 2006, 12:07 pm
You know sporto, I actually agree with you – habana needs to move to a team that would better utilise his skills. He has no chance at the bash-it-up-bulls. At WP he would only grow his hair into a semi-afro and peroxide it blonde, and his ego would get even bigger to fit in with everyone else – the only team that could bring the best out of him is the Sharks.
Pienaar in rugby league? I don’t believe it!
16 Aug 2006, 12:09 pm
UFO
ssshhhhh
they will rush him and ruin him !!!
16 Aug 2006, 12:10 pm
Vetkoek…
I agree with you… I’ve posted before that we could use him down here in the Cape on a rotational basis with Olivier and Grant…
16 Aug 2006, 12:10 pm
Good point Murph…
16 Aug 2006, 12:11 pm
I’d look at ging JDV a run at 10. Jake’s always said that if you don’t have a natural kicker at 10 then you need one at 12. Maybe Butch at 12? A bit radical…
Also wouldn’t mind seeing Barritt at 10.
16 Aug 2006, 12:12 pm
Gold Coaster
Would love to see gibbs play a bit of rugga. Especially since his done it all in cricket. You know being a major part in the biggest successfull runchase in the history of one day cricket.
16 Aug 2006, 12:13 pm
Wooden spoon
I also would love to see young barrit in the mix. I like his direct approach and his abillity to ofload under presure.
16 Aug 2006, 12:14 pm
cab
I’d have agreed with you previously about Hougaardt, but he was almost unrecognizable on Saturday. He not only looked composed and confident but he was also prepared to attack the advantage line.
It’s almost as if the players and provincial coaches are trying to prove that Jake’s an incompetent.
Let’s face it, he’s managed to insult most of the contenders for Bok places by his policy of taking youngsters on tour to experience the Springbok culture, as he puts it. It’s not a bloody school field trip! If he wants them to learn about the Boks he should take them to the museum at Newlands.
16 Aug 2006, 12:14 pm
That’s another step where the Kiwis are ahead of us. They don’t suffer from Province over country syndrome and have a practical and beneficial drafting system in place for the S14. We sit with 2 or 3 players competing for the same position in one province and none in another.
16 Aug 2006, 12:14 pm
that was all smackdown brickie, although i almost kicked tv..
16 Aug 2006, 12:16 pm
y do birds fly up side donw in NZ..?
16 Aug 2006, 12:17 pm
down..
16 Aug 2006, 12:18 pm
cause kiwis aint worth shitting on..
16 Aug 2006, 12:18 pm
David,
Hougaard ran with purpose the other night, but I got the impression he was doing it from way behind the advantage line. I still feel he stands too deep and relies on lapses in defence to break the advantage line rather than attacking it directly to free up those around him.
16 Aug 2006, 12:21 pm
Yeah right Keo
You know as much about the world cup planning as any South African Knows. It’s very easy to twist stories and statistics as you please. Its just propoganda. If Jake were wrighting a story on this Blog, we would hear a completly different thing. I noticed you didn’t mention anything about the performance clause in Jakes contract. Or what about the controversal transformation clause, which knowbody actualy knows exists (or dosn’t.) 1. Meyer Bosman has not performed well. Not great against a third rate Wales, and shocking against France. I would have also told him to go practice some more.
2. Andre Snyman. The big centre who looks great at Leads, but then again playing in a half pased league in england will make ollie Le Roux look fast aswell. Sorry Andre looks like the age has got to you.Who said Ndungane is the best wing anyway Keo? Do agree he lacks a bit of pace.
3.Danie is a man who could bring allot of experience to the tight five unfortunatly the english have mede him week and he obviously is not as strong as what we have already. Worth the try though.
4. Pieterson is a young man and has mounds of time to prove his consistancy. Keep him in the mix. Let him experience the Springbok culture, but let him get as much game time with the Sharks as possible. And when Jake feels he is ready (not Keo) then give him some game time for the Boks.
(Player management)As for Percy. Why not play your best. If he feels up to it, and has performed well in training, let him play. There is a number of backup fullbacks. Pulse, Russel, even Ruan Pienaar.
5.Anthony Eddie did absoluitly nothing for our back line. Glad he was sacked. Great choice in Zondagh. Watche the boks train Yesterday under him and the looked better already.
You see Keo you can twist anything to suit your oppinions but you have no clue as to what is going on in the bok setup today. The type of relationships, the frictions, personality clashes. Clauses in contracts etc. etc. etc.
Let the Boks be.
16 Aug 2006, 12:22 pm
David,
funny you say that about hougie, i also saw glimpses of a totally different player in the odd S14 game last year, he really was trying to attack the line on occasion. he does look a bit fragile tho and after a knock goes back into retreat. if he continues to play positively, more than willing to change opinion. hard to find a better kicker when on song.
i think you are way of on white tho, he more than anyone wants them to attack, but also realises that if they dont tackle and organise properly on defense, its going to be a massacre.
16 Aug 2006, 12:24 pm
i would like to see
THGHM QD start for FS again soon !!!!!!!!!!
16 Aug 2006, 12:26 pm
ha ha..bunker busting great white seal flipping.
16 Aug 2006, 12:26 pm
Vetkoek #266
Clinton vd Bergh made an interesting comment in the Sunday Times last week about this. Apparently, WP/Stormers have said that Shimange isn’t part of their plans next season but won’t let him move to the Cheetahs for game time as this might help them in the CC.
So, as soon as Brits is back Shimmie sits on his arse until next year.
16 Aug 2006, 12:26 pm
world cup plan, doh
What about the TriN plan – still looking for it out here!
16 Aug 2006, 12:30 pm
David
thats why .. imho the wp are C..ts
16 Aug 2006, 12:32 pm
Keo,
Breyton Paulse wasn’t lured back to SA, his employers in France didn’t take-up the option to renew his contract.
16 Aug 2006, 12:35 pm
David,
I know- it’s ridiculous.
16 Aug 2006, 12:35 pm
Gold coast,
#256, Gibbs was one hellof a player. It was a bit longer than 4 years ago that he played for Bishops though. He was certainly a Bok in the making. Would have had to stop smoking **** and weed for a cardio sport like rugby. Cricket one can pkay if you are a smoker and puffin’ on da ‘erb.
16 Aug 2006, 12:35 pm
Hey Supa rugby. Please can you tell me how you insert those smiley yellow faces in your blog? I am not the most gifted bloke when it comes to these technical things. Do you get them off some sort of wesite?
16 Aug 2006, 12:38 pm
I have just read Prof. Noakes’ response to our village idiot Tackler… I cannot stop laughing.
I just had to share how amused I was by that- poor Tackler. He really is an amusing pet to have.
16 Aug 2006, 12:38 pm
Murph
Watch out that’s my province you’re insulting!
Ig, Ig! Where the **** are you when you’re needed?
Seriously, though, this attitude is rampant amongst all the provinces, not just WP.
16 Aug 2006, 12:38 pm
Wooden spoon,
You speak sense for once. I actually don’t mind where he plays, as long as he can grow as a player. He is really a great talent and with all respect to the Bully-boys, is a great waste in the pastures of the north.
16 Aug 2006, 12:40 pm
Sporto you must be smoking some strong herbs, GC said he had seen him play 4 (ie. “for”) Bishops years ago.
I doubt even GC sees Herchelle as being 22yrs old even though he acts it
16 Aug 2006, 12:43 pm
Johnny fancied a girl in his office…..but she belonged to someone else…
One day Johnny got so frustrated that he went up to her and said: I’ll
give
you a £100 for ***, but the girl said NO. Johnny said:
“I’ll be fast, I’ll throw the money on the floor, you bend down, and I’ll
be
finished by the time you pick it up.â€
She thought for a moment and said that she would have to consult her
boyfriend… so she called her boyfriend and told him the story.
Her boyfriend says ask him for £200, pick up the money very fast, he won’t
even be able to get his pants down.
So she agrees and accepts the proposal. Half an hour goes by and the
boyfriend is waiting for his girlfriend to call. Finally after 45 mins the
boyfriend calls and asks what happened…
She said “the ******* used coinsâ€!
Management lesson:
Always consider a business proposal in its entirety before agreeing to it
and getting screwed.
16 Aug 2006, 12:43 pm
If the article is a hit (i.e. not a miss) then it is in the least scary. I get the same feeling that we are experimenting and trying to see what works. The Alan Zondagh invovlement this week scares me because I get the feeling the coach is grasping straws and don’t believe in his own abilities (but it is my perception).
I would like to see at least two things happen – in both instances we should learn from the Kiwis.
1. There should be a squad that allows at least three possible teams from being chosen. In this manner be have backup for injusries close to the world cup for every position. Thus at least three players for every position should be groomed. They should all get game time so all of them are in a position to fit into the Boks’ game plan at any given moment.
2. A simple strategy (a la Crusaders) – defend our line and use our scoring opportunities. The tactics should be built on this simple strategy and scenarios can be played out and trained so that the players know how to act in any given situation. But whatever game plan is played it is built on this simple but effective game strategy.
We can do both things without compromising the traditional strengths of SA rugby because these are the basics.
Or am i asking for a pie in the sky?
16 Aug 2006, 12:46 pm
Hey Supa. Please tell me about the little yellow faces dude?
16 Aug 2006, 12:48 pm
Hey stormers just put your mouse cursor on the faces and it will show you what to type to get them.
16 Aug 2006, 12:50 pm
stormers
Are you talking about this?
16 Aug 2006, 12:51 pm
david
soory bru couldnt help it !
damn goats , i smaak ol shimmie , wish he had never left FS
16 Aug 2006, 12:51 pm
here is a few i can remember
Read 290
16 Aug 2006, 12:52 pm
16 Aug 2006, 12:54 pm
16 Aug 2006, 12:54 pm
What the Folanke happened to good old Francois?
16 Aug 2006, 12:55 pm
Fred… how about the boks getting Robbie Deans to coach them.. he is ******* good.. the next kiwi coach mate.. or u can have Eddie Jones for FREE!!
16 Aug 2006, 12:58 pm
16 Aug 2006, 13:02 pm
:doos:
16 Aug 2006, 13:03 pm
doesn’t work
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