Disciples of the delusional
6 Jul 2009
The Lions are heroes again after beating a Bok B-side that was a disgrace to the jersey, writes Keo in his Business Day newspaper column.
If the celebration of the supposed heroes who lost a meaningful series-deciding Test in Pretoria two Saturdays ago defied belief, it does not compare with the response to the British and Irish Lions defeat of a Springbok side in which 10 regulars were rested.
Some, among the British and Irish, called Saturday’s dead rubber a great occasion. Others called it one of the greatest victories in Lions history and pondered what may have been if the Lions had not arrived in Johannesburg with the series already lost.
It is why the British, and to a lesser degree Irish, win nothing of relevance. They are the kings of the afterthought, the masters of the dead rubber and they will forever remain disciples of the delusional.
In all of the emotional outpouring of an after the fact Test win, there was no criticism of Lions coach Ian McGeechan’s poor selections for the first two lost Tests. McGeechan picked the wrong lock combination in the first Test, selected the wrong front row combination and never got it right all tour with his back three combinations.
Not that it mattered because the Lions get on the plane heroes for winning one out of three Tests. It is the British and Irish way to applaud finishing second in a two-team race.
South Africa, in Johannesburg on Saturday, were a disgrace to the jersey a disgrace that started with a white armband protest against Bakkies Botha’s two-week suspension and ended after 80 minutes of clueless and ill-disciplined rugby.
The build-up to the Test was a shambles with Bok coach Peter de Villiers spending all week mixing his metaphors, defending eye-gouging and telling the media that he changed his mind four or five times before settling on a Springbok B team because he wanted to give every player in his squad the feeling they had made a contribution to the Lions series.
Test rugby, to De Villiers, is obviously a charity in which you hand out jerseys instead of asking players to earn the right to wear them. After all De Villiers was gifted the job in the name of transformation.
De Villiers has been riding on the coattail of the 2007 World Cup winning squad and Saturday’s team selection and approach to the game was the first example of a Peter de Villiers selected and coached team. The result was a 19-point defeat in Johannesburg; and the Boks were lucky it wasn’t close to 30.
The De Villiers philosophy of not coaching off a clipboard and just playing the situation as the players see it does not even work on the club fields of his hometown in Paarl, let alone in a Test match environment. De Villiers, on Saturday, showed us that it is not only at press conferences where he plays the part of the court jester.
De Villiers’s insecurity has meant that he has always wanted to dismantle White’s World Cup winners and on Saturday he used his chance to introduce his breed of player and ineffective style of play.
It was a disaster because of the naivety of the approach and the arrogance of believing, that at this level, a team can play laterally without getting go forward and expect to be successful. It serves no purpose to take the ball to the wingers when they get it 20m behind the gain line while back-pedaling.
The scrum and lineout are the primary phases and in the scrums De Villiers got it wrong by pairing loosehead prop Beast Mtwarira with hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle, with the latter not having the grunt or grind of Bismarck du Plessis. It was no coincidence that when Du Plessis entered the arena English tighthead prop Phil Vickery left two scrums later and Mtwarira again looked more the Beast of Durban than the Bunny of the first half in Johannesburg.
Rugby selection is about getting the combinations right, settling on a structure that works for those players and then allowing them freedom of expression within that framework. Once that has been agreed the player’s mindset must kick in.
On Saturday there was no structure, few match-winning combinations and a player mindset that confused the wearing of a white armband with the waving of a white flag to signal the end of Jake White’s World Cup winning team.
Black armbands for South African rugby lovers would have been more appropriate of an occasion that should be mourned and not celebrated.
759 Comments
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6 Jul 2009, 12:05 pm
Nail on the head as usual.
6 Jul 2009, 12:05 pm
Keo you sound like one unhappy Dragon this morning!
6 Jul 2009, 12:06 pm
This whole series has been a celebration of mediocrity and in that I include both the Safricans and the Lions.
6 Jul 2009, 12:09 pm
#3 ad_oz: this is more an article bout PDV than the Lions.
6 Jul 2009, 12:10 pm
“De Villiers has been riding on the coattail of the 2007 World Cup winning squad and Saturday¹s team selection and approach to the game was the first example of a Peter de Villiers selected and coached team.” THATs NONSENSE! Morne Steyn, WO and JF are the darlings of the media. You guys pushed for their selection. They failed … now you blame PDV.
6 Jul 2009, 12:10 pm
The first 2 tests were nail-biting and exciting, but shouldnt have been.
Im very very VERY concerned about my Bokke…
6 Jul 2009, 12:12 pm
The style we played on Saturday resembled the Tri nations last year. It was just helter skelter.
6 Jul 2009, 12:13 pm
#4 Big Hit:
Ya. With the players at our (Safrica’s) disposal, this series should have been walked 3 – 0. Yet here we are, celebrating a shaky 2 – 1 series victory. We have failed – sport isn’t purely about wins and losses.
6 Jul 2009, 12:16 pm
As previously stated PDV missed the chance of personal glory on Saturday. No Springbok side has EVER whitewashed the Lions in SA. The chance will come again in 12 years time for the Boks…but not for PDV.
6 Jul 2009, 12:16 pm
#8 ad_oz: Not if you are a Pomm, they take honourary laps for drawing, celebrate losses and hand out OBEs when they win once a hundred years
6 Jul 2009, 12:17 pm
I think more importantly than anything else Saturday’s match served to highlight the importance of playing your strongest 1st 15 but it also served as a reality check regarding the “true” depth we have in South African rugby.
We see players show good form and touches of brilliance at domestic and super 14 level and instantly supporters of those players and their respective provinces start shouting for their starting places in the Bok squad. Saturday justified why a lot of these players don’t get game time in a Springbok jersey and why a flavour of the month selection policy will never work.
6 Jul 2009, 12:17 pm
#8 ad_oz: it shouldn’t be forgotten the Lions had a few good players at their disposal too. Indeed, when they put the 8 English players in, they won the 3rd test
6 Jul 2009, 12:19 pm
#12 Big Hit:
If you believe Stephen Jones, it was just Simon Shaw
6 Jul 2009, 12:21 pm
I remember many PDV-o-philes also rejoicing last year at a record winning last game despite coming stone cold last…#10 JL1:
Interesting… I remember all the PDV-o-philes rejoicing last year at a dead-rubber win despite coming stone cold last in the 3N series…
6 Jul 2009, 12:23 pm
Keo, time for a little meeting with your staff writers. Ryan named Chiliboy his MOTM after the game on Saturday. Mind you, Ryan was the only one who saw it that way.
6 Jul 2009, 12:23 pm
Disgusting that PdV has so little respect for the Springboks that he’d rather they lose at home than Jongi or Odwa feel sad for not playing.
I’m a firm believer in one of the first non-negotiables that Jake White had, and that was that the Boks do *not* lose at home…and that was a record that he carried forward for how many years? And how many times has PdV already single-handedly gifted the opposition wins on SA soil?
6 Jul 2009, 12:24 pm
Good article for showing that there is need for a reality check, of which Saturdays annihilation was just a first Installment, imho.
And I agree with fingers pointing at PdV, but this is SA, so all local arguments will be warped and put in weird contexts, racism and the like.
So, a suggestion aimed at getting a neutral opinion profile:
GET QUOTES FROM INTERNATIONALS RE PIET HELIUM!!!
(I tried this at some of the other threads as well)
This cries out to be done, also because Keo dot coza is being vilified for pointing out that his reasoning and comments are being questioned.
So, give the guys a chance to go on record, scribes and ex-players specifically – and then maybe Piet or Oregon will be able to take some measures that will serve to make the Boks management team and Saru lesser objects of ridicule during the Tri-Nations.
Most importantly, this could take the racism card of this discussion – and what a relief that would be, oh man!
Or should Keo.co.za not start doing the YouTube and/or Facebook thing with a bit of a poll campaign.
Sponsors and a competition for the best PdV sketch,a marketers dream!
6 Jul 2009, 12:24 pm
I think this is a poor effort, disgrace to the jersey and all that, especially since players truly bled for the jersey out there.
There was not much in this test match, 3 of the tries were intercepts and breakouts. its another poor effort.
6 Jul 2009, 12:29 pm
The Sunday Times in London yesterday described the 28-9 Lions victory over the Boks as amazing. Highest rated Bos was Johann Muller (8/10) and for the Lions – Kearney, Flutey, M Williams and Heaslip rated 9/10…
“The pride of the Lions restored by romp”
If PDV had picked his best XV the history books might be recording the whitewash achievement as amazing, Bok confidence would be sky high for the forthcoming Trinations and the Lions would have sent the Lions home with their tails between their legs.
Arrogant selection decisions by PDV sadly backfired and the rest is history.
6 Jul 2009, 12:30 pm
Agree with 1000% What really gets me is PD Comments a couple of months ago when approached about the ticket prices, and his response was something in the line that South African’s will/would pay any amount to see the Lions vs the Bokke.
So tell me PDV why did you field a B team, when people spent so much money to watch the Lions in the Final test? Who do you think you are? You allowed your boys on Saturday to do something that is not in the spirit of Rugby! Even if they did not break any laws by wearing an armband … it certainly is not in the spirit of Rugby. PD you are not above Rugby you are just a servant to it…accept it or bugger off.
Your arrogance sir is ruining what 15 years of post apartheid have tried so hard to build on…
6 Jul 2009, 12:32 pm
We won the series with a penalty in the 80th minute.
That is how close it was.
If someone had told me that a month ago ……
6 Jul 2009, 12:33 pm
glad this is all over ….. in retrospect what should have been a celebration of SA rugby has left a bad after taste.
our rugby was dubious, our coaching staff moronic at times and then there was the small forest of press reportage on matters which should not take over a lions tour
- eye gauging
- ticket prices
- players pulled from arm ups
- bakkies’ suspension
- off the ball handbags
FFS …. thank g-d we are now back to normal service … bring on the TN and the standard one or two wins, a bunch of defeats and some political bitching.
6 Jul 2009, 12:33 pm
what i want to know is whether there are any true independent-minded journalists on keo who are willing to express a contrary opinion to what clearly seems to be some sort of winning-ways party line Or whether the agenda has been set from above?
Which is more than a little hypocrytical considering the same site was tearing down old mr winning ways himself just a few years back. Its all a bit odd.
6 Jul 2009, 12:34 pm
and who thought the boks were ever capable of playing proper rugby in a “structure-less” environment and make a political statement at the same time !!?
most of them struggle to chew gum and walk … the moment i saw those armbands i knew we were in dee trouble
6 Jul 2009, 12:35 pm
We were very lucky that the BIL were a hotspotch of decent Heineken Cup and Magners league players. None of them and I include BOD would seriously compete for a Bok jersey.
The Boks have 6 world class forwards in their starting line up
Smit
Matfield
Botha
Smith
Burger (despite the foul play)
Spies
Beast and Bismarck are just below world class simply because of experience, they will no doubt step up in the years to come.
The only player in the above to have not played under JW was Beast and that was because he was just starting out and had not qualified for the Boks at that stage.
In the backline the boks have world class players in
Fourie du Preez
Jean d V
Jaque Fourie
Bryan Habana
All made names for themselves under JW.
Adi Jacobs, Frans Steyn, Jonghi Nokwe, Ndungane all got caps with JW.
Why then does our side seem so disjointed and clueless? The only later additions by PDivvie include Morne Steyn, Heinrich Brussouw and Zane Kirchner. None of these guys had the experience or form to warrant selection during JW’s era. What concerns me the most though is that with such stability in selection and with players with the exception of Burger who all had good Super 14′s did the Boks look so disjointed?
Another sinister side to all this is that not once have I heard any complaints about enough colour in the side under PDivvie. JW was under far more pressure and was forced to put up with a lot more Kak and somehow with the same personnel seemed to have a more cohesive team. In fact it was only during last years 3nations after a much publicised player revolt that the Boks looked like a decent team against AUS at Ellis Park.
PDivvie has been given some of the best players in the world and it would appear that he is being allowed to do as he pleases yet he still cannot deliver any consistency in selection, tactics or results and this at a time when all our major opponents are rebuilding, we should be putting 50-60 points past teams at the moment.
SARU need to bite the bullet now and let a qualified coach take over with enough time to have a good crack at defending in 2011, I cannot bear the thought of enduring another world cup like 2003.
6 Jul 2009, 12:36 pm
#18 cab:
I have to agree with you. The bounce of the ball did not go our way on Saturday. If we scored instead of Monye I would of backed the boks to win the game.
One thing saturday proves is that there is no Substitute for experience. The new comers tried to much to early and we were way to loose especially in the first half. We would never have played that type of game plan if that was a deciding series test match.
6 Jul 2009, 12:36 pm
CAB … you making the age old mistake of confusing a blog site with news sites
6 Jul 2009, 12:38 pm
if we are as goods as the bloggers and the keoites would have it … why did we come last in the TN and why did we not put the BIL away like we should have ?
MAYBE, just MAYBE we are not actually world beaters.
6 Jul 2009, 12:38 pm
“De Villiers has been riding on the coattail of the 2007 World Cup winning squad and Saturday’s team selection and approach to the game was the first example of a Peter de Villiers selected and coached team.”
That is just a bizarre and maliciously bigoted statement to make. Keo must be the biggest twat ever to become a rugby jouno – even bigger than Stephen Jones. A poephol of gigantic dimensions.
6 Jul 2009, 12:39 pm
Is there anyone out there that still thinks Peter De Villiers can actually coach the Springboks?
I don’t find any of this funny. Fire the transformation coach and get an able and competent coach as soon as possible please.
6 Jul 2009, 12:39 pm
#5 psycho:
How did Morne fail he kicked us to victory in the 2nd test. How did JF fail he scored a vital try in the second test. How did Wo fail, expect for trying to make sense out of a rejigged backline?
The coach failed the players by making 10 changes and expecting the players to hold it together.
Nobody makes 10 changes to a team and expects to win anything. I think we should check the gambling on the result 10 minutes before the team announcement.
6 Jul 2009, 12:39 pm
Just to put things in persepctive: The Lions scored a intercpet try and we had a try disallowed. The Lions deserved their win and i do not suggest another outcome, but if the score was 21-16 with 10 minutes to go, things might have looked different.
6 Jul 2009, 12:41 pm
#32 Beertjie:
True, it looks worse than it was.
Kirchner should also have scored.
6 Jul 2009, 12:41 pm
#25 DEE DAH:
Spot on! And I am going to 2011 (Minimum of R 150 K gonners!, can only hope we don’t rock up as reigning champs and leave as confirmed chumps! With PdV as Head Coach we will, I believe.
6 Jul 2009, 12:44 pm
pdv must go!!!!!!!!!!!!
we need to make our voices heard
6 Jul 2009, 12:44 pm
Ahem, before swiping the Brits and Irish for being losers, before we mention Button or Brawn, where is SA’s formula 1 driver, or team, or grand prix for that matter. And when it came to medals at last year’s Olympics, how many did SA win and how many did Britain. You don’t want to compare British sport with SA on a holistic basis, because it’s one way traffic. One penalty kick separated the Boks from the Brits in this series, that hardly makes British and Irish losers…
6 Jul 2009, 12:44 pm
Selection had nothing to do with the outcome of this match, if the Boks kicked for points instead of the touchline then we would have won.
So Keo you are right about there being no structure, but wrong about it being a selection issue..
Sure Chilliboy struggled at the scrums but excelled in the loose. The real failures of the day were Nokwe and Ndungane, both failed to finish or creat something.
If we punished the lions’ penalties with 3 point every time and Habanna and Peterson were on the wings we would have won this game.
Also let’s all eknowledge the limitations of Kirchner.
6 Jul 2009, 12:44 pm
He broke 2 non negotiable rules of international rugby.
Firstly you always play your best 15.
Secondly you never disrespect the opposition.
These are 2 basic principles, before you even get to coaching and press conferences.
6 Jul 2009, 12:44 pm
I dont understand why everybody is attacking De Villiers so much. Did we not win the series? Big Deal we lost a dead rubber game. I would rather loose a dead rubber and learn something than win everygame like the All Blacks and loose the important games.
6 Jul 2009, 12:46 pm
#14 money_man: Yes, they did but not a word after the 19-0 snotting in Cape Town or the loss against the convicts for the first time in 8 years
I am not one of them, I was crying.
I was in a very dark place.
Still trying to deal with it, but the pain is still there
6 Jul 2009, 12:47 pm
#29 klingon_x: Then you do not Quintus can Rooyen, do you?
6 Jul 2009, 12:48 pm
the best thing for south african rugby is to get rid of peter de villiers.
6 Jul 2009, 12:50 pm
#38 tight head: Come on get real and the Pomms and Welsh and French who send second rated oppo down south every year
It has become the norm and nothing to do with respect
SA Rugby do not even care as they must be so busy counting the millions they made that PDiv will get his own statue soon
6 Jul 2009, 12:51 pm
Strange…
For a man trying his damnest to dismantle the JW RWC heroes he seemed to have gone to incredible lengths to keep that team together…
Kirchner, Morne Steyn, Brussow, Beast, Sykes (as far as I can recall now) where the only players that never featured under a Jake White sqaud – and then the media were basically writing most of those okes into the test team anyway…
I do not agree with the principle of picking a test team or B-team with a view on something still coming up – it is something personal however and it is because each test in rugby, should always be exactly that, a test…
But White did the same too, as did many other coaches from all over the world in all countries.
We did not have one settled combination going into this test, and we should not be happy with that as I am not ecstatic that we did not clinch it 3-0 because we could.
6 Jul 2009, 12:51 pm
#37 Breakdown Boy: Your point being that someone made so selcetions.
Now let su see who it could be:
Peter Pan?
Peter Pumpkin eater?
Piet Pompies?
No it was Pieter de Villiers
6 Jul 2009, 12:54 pm
I’m saddened to be a South African today.
To see civilized people launch such a malicious, petty and mean spirited attack on a coach who had just won us a B&I Lions series. I’m speechless, gutted. Perhaps we don’t deserve better then. Perhaps this pettiness and meanness will come back to haunt us – a self-fulfilling prophecy and consequences that none of us can foresee.
6 Jul 2009, 12:56 pm
#44 PissAnt: We are not rooting for his dismissal but things were strnage when he took over and it is getting even creepier now
Strange selections
Strange combinations
Strange quotes
but guess what?!!
Very familiar results
6 Jul 2009, 12:57 pm
#46 klingon_x: Were you sad when Jake got fired after winning us the RWC?
6 Jul 2009, 12:58 pm
Apparently Joel Santana & Mickey Arthur have also been reprimanded by the Sports Minister for riding Jake Whites considerable 2007 coat tails…They have both since promised NOT to struggle against Tonga & Fiji in a World Cup year.
Personally I think the coaching team (John, Victor, du Preez) got their tactics wrong, although I thought Wynand & Morne stood out with their beautifully structured way!
PS: Jake: If you’re reading this, will you bear my children? …you non-Helter Skelter-England-slaying-rugby-genius you…
6 Jul 2009, 12:59 pm
#47 JL1:
Since when has any coach’s actions been widely accepted by the rugby public and media?
The only guy which seems to have Carte Blanche at the moment seems to be Deans – but if the Aussies start losing a couple of games you will see the beast turn even on him.
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