Gifting Bok blazers
2 Nov 2009
Token black players continue to be selected for the national squad, writes Keo in his weekly Business Day column.
A domestic final with an inevitable script and a Springbok touring squad so predictable that every newspaper got it 100% correct ahead of the announcement.
The Bok squad leaks to the media were to soften blows about selections such as those of Earl Rose and the Griquas duo of Riaan Viljoen and Davon Raubenheimer. Bandise Maku and Chiliboy Ralepelle were also Springbok tour inclusions, even though they were never the first-choice hookers in the Bulls’ victorious Currie Cup campaign.
South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins felt the urge to put it on record that this was a touring squad selected on merit. The fact that he felt compelled to tell us this was a squad selected on playing ability alone, means it was not.
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, as with his predecessors, is entitled to his own opinion on players, and he will argue that those selected are the best in their positions. Anyone with half a brain knows it is nonsense and the squad of 37 is bloated by black numbers, with very few of those players possibilities for the three Test matches.
The message it sends to the players left behind is that very little has changed within South African rugby and, despite the quality of black players, there are still black players gifted a free blazer and tracksuit at national level. Political pawns have walked the same path, only to be cast away afterwards.
Pity the black player who deserves to be there on ability because there are a few who aren’t good enough who continue to be selected.
There is no argument that can be made to justify Rose’s inclusion. Currently he does not deserve to be a Springbok. Given the need to find greater black representation, the biggest shock is the omission of Cheetahs wing Lionel Mapoe. Outside of Bryan Habana, Mapoe has been the form wing of the Currie Cup and there is no explanation that will convince me he was not good enough to go. When you get a player like Mapoe, you pick him and give him an overseas tour to settle into the Springbok dynamic.
With Mapoe the selectors missed a trick. With a few others they’ve played a trick on what it takes to be a Springbok.
The selectors and bosses at South African rugby have also ignored the advice of sports science specialist Dr Tim Noakes, who suggested that the senior Boks had to be rested this month if they were to make it to the 2011 World Cup. All of them were picked and all those who starred against the British & Irish Lions and in the Tri-Nations will play another month of rugby. As Noakes warned, the damage is already being done, but the extent of that damage will only be seen in a year.
The Bulls Springboks, in particular Victor Matfield and Fourie du Preez, were instrumental in the Bulls 36-24 Currie Cup final win against the Cheetahs, but they looked like two great players tapping into their last reserves. They were monumental in the final, but they were also tired.
Do the duo, the best lock and scrumhalf in the world, have two more Test matches in them this season? And what will the long- term consequence be of playing them against France and Ireland? Emotionally they must be drained.
Too much is being asked of the senior players on this tour, that should have been used to strengthen the depth of the squad. The results should have been secondary to the 2011 World Cup planning, but the fact that De Villiers has picked his strongest starting Test XV, excluding overseas-based players, means this is a tour that will be defined by results.
The attitude towards the tour short-changes the Boks, just as the selections short-changed some of those players who were outstanding in Saturday’s final.
That the Bulls deserved to win is not in question. No team wins easily against the Bulls in Pretoria, but to gift them a 24-point start after 20 minutes ended the contest before it had even started.
The Cheetahs were brave. Some may even say they were heroic. But with a 24-point cushion the Bulls were always two scores to the good. It was a quality final, but the identity of the Springbok squad unfortunately said more about South African rugby than the climax to the domestic season.
114 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 [3] Show All
3 Nov 2009, 04:05 am
I don’t know about everyone else but I find Keo’s columns too pretentious and a bit condescending.
Anyway I have to agree that Mapoe had to be in the team and that Earl Rose isn’t worth this much loyalty. He just doesn’t have the look of a Springbok he has no positive attributes that make up for his negatives. He’s been playing at a respectable level for a while now and even now he hasn’t even shown a glimpse of potential.
To put it bluntly, the odd token player might have been tolerated but to have a player who deserved a shot miss out because of said token player is despicable.
3 Nov 2009, 04:59 am
#40 rugbygenius: #47 rugbygenius: #50 rugbygenius: #54 rugbygenius: #58 rugbygenius: #64 rugbygenius:
It’s blindingly obvious from your impassioned posts that you are either:
a) Earl Rose
b) Earl Rose’s father
c) Peter De Villiers
I suspect you’d have better luck trying to convince us all that the Earth is flat.
3 Nov 2009, 05:03 am
#24 toughnrumble: Good post.
3 Nov 2009, 09:06 am
Token Selections, no wonder so many quality players are playing Rugby in Europe.
3 Nov 2009, 09:30 am
Blah blah blah blah blah. Shut up Keo. Same old story. You keep rehashing this article year after year. If anyone is past their sell by date its you.
Get some fresh blood into Highbury.
3 Nov 2009, 09:46 am
what?? only 105 comments so far on another race related KEO post??? advertisers are going to sit up and take notice and take their business elsewhere soon…
3 Nov 2009, 10:19 am
#102 wooden spoon: I bet he is earl himself. earl shouldnt be allowed to play beach touch rugby.
3 Nov 2009, 13:10 pm
While I do agree with the comments, I will say this:
There are many, many people eating humble pie who said PDV didn’t know what he was doing…. maybe he has a plan with these guys.
Earl Rose is the kind of player that can have an absolute blinder and earn man-of-the-match. Unfortunately though he will generally follow it up with a match-losing performace the next week…
But I, for one, will wait and see.
3 Nov 2009, 15:21 pm
At least PdV’s approach is straight unlike that Athletics South Africa Chief who lied to Caster and the world.
I can live with PdV as long as he wins. He’s not the first coach to give touring tickets to favourites nor is he going to be the last.
Harry Viljoen and Rudolf did their fair share of devaluing the bok jersey.
I say, take it easy keo, Noakes and all the Winning Way surrogates.
3 Nov 2009, 15:22 pm
Eidrich Lubbe; Quota or merit?
3 Nov 2009, 15:39 pm
89 THE TACKLER
Stofile did not succeed. Bok blazer still in use. President JZ has a way of massaging the Afrikaner community.
3 Nov 2009, 16:59 pm
oh well as per usual these guys are going to break down and probaly in the wet surfaces of the northern hemisphere
3 Nov 2009, 20:09 pm
Let us be honest,some selection are made simply to satisfy
the politicians.If you select on merit Mapoe would be first choice and Joe pietersen ahead of Viljoen.
The Boks have an excellent 22,the A-team,so the natural next step is to find replaements for your A -team, by simply asking
who is next in line.
If Morne suffers an injury who will take over the position and
not disrupt the pattern of play and so on.Now Rose has been
tested on flyhalf and full back and has been found wanting in
both positions.
So taking him on tour is a huge gamble and if he is found
wanting he may well cost the Boks their first tour match as
he was solely responsible for a number of Lions losses.
If you are not good enough at Currie Cup level you are not
going to be good enough at international level.
4 Nov 2009, 04:38 am
There are some token selections but also token selections for oldmates and some for the provinces. The 2 hookers are wrong and Earl in the Northern hemisphere is tragic. Mapoe, Juries, Stick and Mpho Mzukisi Mbiyozo are obvious selection mishaps.
Mpho Mzukisi Mbiyozo is one great player and should have toured.
Dinorasaraus and some of the senior players(older ones) should have been rested.
Pages: « 1 2 [3] Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.