How to make Russell rock
17 Jan 2007
Brent Russell needs a coach who believes totally in his skills.
I thought Kobus van der Merwe would be the man to do so, but I fear the pre-season optimism has quickly been dashed after one trial game. Naas Olivier is a competent flyhalf, but he is in the Louis Koen mould. He’ll never let you down, but he won’t win you championships. Russell is a player who can be the difference in a competition like the Super 14.
The Aussies have always said that if Stephen Larkham was South African he would never have played test rugby. Equally, they’ve said if Brent Russell was Australian he’d have played 50 tests by now. Invariably because there are so many good players in this country in every position coaches are unwilling to coach a player when it comes to Super 14 or test level. They want the finished article and the investment in a player is minimal when you compare it to the likes of Australia, who have a limited supply of quality rugby union players.
Russell, in other countries, would be an asset because of what he can do and not a liability or potential weakness because he has vulnerabilities in his game.
Already the doubts have been allowed to creep in. The media questioned Russell’s first appearance and the coach felt obliged to concur that the player had struggled. What did he expect? Russell has played a handful of games at flyhalf in the last five years. Take the good in his attacking game and nurture it. Take the weaknesses and work on them.
Playing percentages rugby in the Super 14 has never won a team anything. So the Stormers looked more structured when Olivier played flyhalf in the second half against the Bulls. So what. Structure is not the key ingredient to winning the Super 14. The Stormers last year lacked a playmaker close to the scrum. The did not have that X-factor from broken play or when quick ball was recycled. They had solidity in Peter Grant and Olivier. Nothing more. Near misses remained just that.
Russell has the X-factor, but he is also a player who simply has to be boosted to get the best out of him. He has to be trusted to make an impact and I can only hope Van der Merwe has sat with him pre-season and told him he’s got the first 5 games to prove he is good enough. To judge him on every game individually will lead to failure. To unleash the beast, there has to be some massaging of the shoulders and there has to be a belief from the coach that playing Russell at flyhalf is not a gamble, but an investment.
Russell’s out of hand kicking game must improve and as a natural soccer player it is something that can be fixed. He is not a goalkicking option and to try and make him one will lead to frustration.
To allow Russell to prosper Van der Merwe should pick Grant at inside centre, shift Jean de Villiers one out to the number 13 jersey and give Grant the goalkicking duties.
If blue is the new black in Cape Town, then boldness must be the coach’s motivation. A year ago Van der Merwe suffered because of conservatism in his selections and because of a reluctance to back playmakers. Russell gives him the chance to change all that.
689 Comments
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18 Jan 2007, 13:20 pm
Stem saam blouste…
18 Jan 2007, 13:21 pm
blouste
ek dink eintlik jy oorskat die leeus – meer as 15 punte…
18 Jan 2007, 13:22 pm
Wat ek bedoel, word die game êrens uitgesaai?
18 Jan 2007, 13:23 pm
Diep binne in daink ek ook so.
Wou nou net nie te windgat klink nie.
Nou nou begin die manne sê die Bulle is windgat
18 Jan 2007, 13:23 pm
Ig, are we allowed to say P*@s in your last month?
18 Jan 2007, 13:23 pm
blouste
Nee – maar ek wil gaan kyk – ek is in PTA saterdag so gaan dit probeer maak.
18 Jan 2007, 13:24 pm
Yes jy het so gesê, maar ek bedoel eintlik die krieket…
18 Jan 2007, 13:25 pm
Tony
You dirty mouthed 2nd hand…
18 Jan 2007, 13:26 pm
hehe – die skotland game? Het sommer gespot want wie volg nou eintlik skotland teen kanada behalwe familie en vriende!
Maar as jy ernstig wil weet sal ek jou update?
18 Jan 2007, 13:26 pm
Ek gaan die naweek Bloemmies toe, so ek mis uit om Loftus toe te gaan!
18 Jan 2007, 13:26 pm
Die bulle is windgat….
18 Jan 2007, 13:26 pm
348….nee supa, die dom ene….almal weet wie DomDanie is…..bly jy onder ‘n rots….
18 Jan 2007, 13:27 pm
Hehehe Tony – i was wondering how i should play it, but note to everybody only leaving at the end of March….
Think i will clear the banned word list and unban everybody and make him start fresh…..
One can’t gain experience until you fought Stan off…..
farking smilies
18 Jan 2007, 13:28 pm
hmmm
Ja, ek bly net bo jou en jou wurms!
18 Jan 2007, 13:28 pm
361….nee hulle ruik net so!!
18 Jan 2007, 13:28 pm
Nee thanks supa, net gewonder, nog nooit so game op tv gesien nie…
# 361
Sies man en ek was so nederig…
18 Jan 2007, 13:29 pm
363…hehe Ig, that is so true…..
Especially during the S14
18 Jan 2007, 13:30 pm
# 365
Jy praat van stinkgat, dis die Stormers…
18 Jan 2007, 13:30 pm
He he Blouste!!!
18 Jan 2007, 13:31 pm
supa 364, twyfel, my wurms is van lint gemaak…..
18 Jan 2007, 13:31 pm
Ig, throw him into the deepend so to speak!!
Do it, everybody needs a new beginning…… except folanke of course!
18 Jan 2007, 13:31 pm
368….what’s the dif…..
18 Jan 2007, 13:33 pm
363, LOL The poor new oke!!!
Just warn him about Supa and his Kolpophobia (Fear of genitals, particularly female genitals)
18 Jan 2007, 13:33 pm
Swem Jannie, swem!!
18 Jan 2007, 13:34 pm
And all the Bulls suffer from Brontophobia… (a fear of storms, particularly thunder and lightning)
18 Jan 2007, 13:34 pm
Waar’s Lam vandag??
18 Jan 2007, 13:34 pm
# 372
I told you, ask the experts.
You can find them @ stormers website…
18 Jan 2007, 13:35 pm
Heheh Tony – nah thats my farewell present to myself i am going to ban Supa and delete all his comments so he doesn’t feature on the top posters list
18 Jan 2007, 13:36 pm
# 378
What does the list look like Ig?
18 Jan 2007, 13:38 pm
ig
By that time i wont be posting here a lot anymore so it wont make a difference – i’ll retire number one!
You’ll anyway get hit by a bus or something for doing that…
18 Jan 2007, 13:38 pm
378….Ig you are my new hero…..
3 cheers for Ig, Huray, Huray, Huray…..
18 Jan 2007, 13:39 pm
378, YES IG, that`s the one!!!!
18 Jan 2007, 13:39 pm
Ig
At least we all know now you got peanuts for doing this **** work!
18 Jan 2007, 13:39 pm
Where are you going Supa?
18 Jan 2007, 13:39 pm
380….jaja
18 Jan 2007, 13:41 pm
Ig that is a brilliant idea, I hope they appoint a young rookie, we will give him so much K@K he’ll choose to retire early…
And if he is windgat, then we all just fark-off, and start our own blog…
18 Jan 2007, 13:41 pm
I can picture it!!!
“Hi Mr New Webmaster, my name is Supa and I was the top poster on this site”.
“Sorry Supa, no record of you but what is Kolpophobia?”
18 Jan 2007, 13:41 pm
384….His getting a indoor job….packing or something at a spar…..
18 Jan 2007, 13:41 pm
Hey Ig
What does the list look like at the moment and do you guys start over each year?
18 Jan 2007, 13:42 pm
How are all my favourite Dutchies doing?
18 Jan 2007, 13:43 pm
ig
You see hmmm is going jaja for you being hit by a bus!
Blouste
I might be changing jobs in the next couple of months – my brother wants me to run a business for him. But, we’ll see…
18 Jan 2007, 13:43 pm
Nou die Blou!
18 Jan 2007, 13:43 pm
Blouste – its pretty rough, Stan – farking idiot that he was, made great use of language and could be quite subtle at times.
Supa – you sound bitter?
18 Jan 2007, 13:44 pm
I might even become hmmm’s boss! Then i’ll fire that lazy etter…
18 Jan 2007, 13:44 pm
391. A new hot dog stand Supa?
18 Jan 2007, 13:44 pm
Nah Blouste – bannings carry over
18 Jan 2007, 13:45 pm
ja ig…i’m bitter because i will miss you…
18 Jan 2007, 13:45 pm
Ig,
Is it a pre-requisite for the webmaster to be Slaapstad based??
18 Jan 2007, 13:45 pm
I was on the banned list.
For about 2 hours.
18 Jan 2007, 13:45 pm
Ig, how`
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