Boks pursue perfection
John Smit is not content with the Springboks’ notable achievements in 2009.
With a series victory over the British & Irish Lions and a Tri-Nations triumph that included three wins over New Zealand, one of those away from home, the Springboks’ players and management have every right to feel proud of their feats this year.
However, Smit stressed that a European tour, which includes Tests against France, Italy and Ireland and two midweek matches against Leicester and Saracens, fourth and first in the Premiership respectively, were to be negotiated before they could reflect positively on the season.
‘Yes, we’ve had a good season, but three Tests remain. It’s a big challenge that lies ahead and we start against a tough French team,’ the Springbok captain said.
‘There are also games against club sides that have players from all over the world. That amounts to five big challenges.’
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has predictably opted to rest the majority of his key players for Friday’s fixture against Leicester, but he conceded that the short break would do little to refresh his battle weary troops.
‘We allowed the players to play in the Currie Cup and we could see how it contributed to the quality of the play. But we now play against France and Ireland, and they are going to take the game to us,’ he said.
‘It’s not difficult to maintain the standards that we set, but the players are psychologically tired. We’ll have to think about how to overcome that.’
The starting line-up for the France Test in Toulouse on 13 November is unlikely to contain many surprises. However, Heinrich Brüssow’s inclusion in the starting line-up for the Leicester match throws into doubt his participation as a starter against the Tricolores.
With Pierre Spies ruled out through injury, Ryan Kankowski is likely to start at No 8. The flank roles will be contested between Brüssow, Schalk Burger and Danie Rossouw. Burger has played at blindside flank in Juan Smith’s absence and the combination of his strength and physicality on attack and defence, combined with Brüssow’s skill on the ground, is an enticing one. However, France are expected to pick a burly loose trio, and the Springbok coaching staff may opt to match them by including the bruising Rossouw.
The other conundrum lies at fullback, where either Ruan Pienaar or Zane Kirchner will take over from Frans Steyn. Pienaar started two Tri-Nations Tests at fullback, with De Villiers intimating that he was being groomed for the role in light of Steyn’s departure for Racing Metro. Kirchner, who debuted against the Lions in the third Test, can probably at best hope for a spot on the bench.
Meanwhile, there is also a selection poser in midfield, with Jean de Villiers’ move to Munster leaving a void at inside centre. Adi Jacobs started at 13 in the first two Tests of the Lions series, then shifted a channel inside with De Villiers making way for Jaque Fourie. He was widely perceived to be a liability in a key defensive channel.
Only injury robbed Jacobs of the opportunity to start the Tri-Nations at inside centre, and Peter de Villiers was forced to pair Jean de Villiers and Fourie. The duo excelled, and Jacobs was unable to force his way back into the starting line-up.
Wynand Olivier and Meyer Bosman are the other options available to De Villiers, although neither are likely to beat Jacobs to the No. 12 shirt.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:28 am
If they do not lose all three Tests which is very unlikely, they already can say that this was a very good season. Probably the best season since 1998.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:31 am
Hammer them John,show em who num 1!
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:33 am
Take no prisoners. I want to smash Ireland, I don’t care about France, but I f’kin hate those Irish players after the **** they talked during the B&I Lions series. Especially Heaslip, arrogant useless twat.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:37 am
WHo said Adi was going to start in the Trinations? PDV and his assistants did not, where do you guys get this? You have no evidence that this is fact and yet every other week you spew the same garbage…tsk tsk
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:38 am
#3 Bagel: Bit harsh calling them arrogant wasnt it a Bok coach not to long ago that said that not one Irish player would make his team the next day Ireland beat the boks thats arrogance
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:43 am
#5 west: actually i agree with bagel that they are arrogant, but then the whole B @ I lions group were, nobody can argue that.I hope we smash ewvery damn team up there. especially the midweeks as they are going to try claim a bok scalp that they’ll tell their grandkids about.
by the way..it actually was long ago that the incident in which we lost happened, and im sure u’ll recall that they got away with murder as ronan o’gara’s try shouldnt have been allowed as he quick-tapped while we were having a team talk.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:43 am
#5 west: Wasn’t it the Bok coach who was asked the question,
“Which Irish players would make your team?”
Wow what a great question. To which he replied, “Well Brian O’driscoll is the best player in the world and would walk into any side and you guys have a great lock pairing.”
The headlines the next day: “Bok coach says only 3 Irish players would make his side” oooh those arrogant Saffas they said. And then they beat us after that disgraceful try allowed by the disgraceful Honiss and after that they wouldn’t shut up.
But it’s all in the past… Nat.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:48 am
#7 Bagel: fair enough but they have done well against the boks in Ireland the last few times i think it was 30-15 last time in Dublin. What did Heaslip do that was so arrogant? surely its Tommy Bowe who should have the biggest grudge after being gouged
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:54 am
They are arrogant… OGara refusing to shake hands at the coin toss and after the game…??? and go and watch the documentary about the Tour…
makes you wanna klap them…
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:54 am
well if none of the players against leicester will play against france, its seems they might pick rossouw, which will surely send grant10 over the edge, looks like it might be jacobs at 12 too so france teamsheet might be:
1. Beast 2. Bismarck 3. Smit 4. Bakkies 5. Matfield 6. Burger 7. Rossouw 8. Kanko 9. FdP 10. Steyn 11. Habana 12. Jacobs 13. Fourie 14. JP 15. Kirchener.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
#5 west:
West – you got that wrong.
White said “probably only 2″ would make the bok team, BOD and 1 of the locks (take it he meant our dearly beloved 2009 BIL captain…)
And we beat the Irish 2-0 in that series.
Only much later did we go to Ireland and lose there.
I lost a lot of respect for BOD on the last 2 BIL tours. Moans like a 3 year old…
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:02 pm
#8 west: Heaslip went on and on about how they were clearly the better side during the tour, comepletely ungracious. Tommy Bowe didn’t even recieve attention he got straight back up and played and Schalk was severly punished afterward. 6 week ban or something, it was foul play but it didn’t change the game, except we lost Schalk for 10 minutes.
That game you talk of, the 30-15 one, was in Croke park against a severly depleted Springbok team. Bevan Fortuin at fullback, Habana at outside Centre with Pretorious on the Wing. It was hardly a top side and Ireland played exceptionally well, but then they made it sound like they were a better Rugby side than the Boks? Come on…
#10 cab: Hopefullly Brussouw instead of Rossouw. I would rather have Olivier but Jacobs can hold his own. A very good side to say the least.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:03 pm
#9 ufo: yeah i have watched the tape but you have to realise the boks and the blacks would be saying the same thing behind closed doors, if they were playing the NH teams i bet they are saying a lot of stuff about how **** these teams are.
What you have to realise if a player talks there team up a bit and acts a bit arrogant its all part of gamemanship. You cant expect NH teams to continually praise there SH opponents, once in a while they may something a little bit arrogant. God look at mark Andrews after the boks lost to the blacks back in 96 in NZ at the end of the game he went up to fitzpatrick and he said we will kill you when you come to South africa! I am sure both players took this with a grain of salt as its said in the heat of battle.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:05 pm
#10 cab: Which isn’t a bad team. But with Brussouw it’s just better.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:06 pm
I can live with Jacobs, Olivier or even Bosman at 12. They all have excellent distribution skills and great decision-making abilities. I reckon Bosman has had his best season to date.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:10 pm
#15 katman:
Bosman very solid!
wat hapnd to the talk,wen Bosman was Dubbed the next Henry Honiball!I think he can still live up to that,he very solid in the tackle,can distribute well,mayb sharks should put him on they shopping list!
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:12 pm
#16 usualsuspect: I begged the Lions management to buy him two years ago.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:13 pm
#14 katman: #12 Bagel:
yeah brussow really deserves his spot at the moment, he has been in scintillating form, but it seems they going for the bigger rossouw, guess we will have to wait and see.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:13 pm
#13 west: hahahaha that is so typical of mark andrews, gotta love the guy, cant think of a bloke as fearless as him.
anyways u guys could go back and forth, at the end of the day the boks are the best and hopefully when we beat the other sides enough they’ll actually believe it too.
bottom line.
thats not ‘arrogant’, (maybe a lil biased) but definitely true!!
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:17 pm
in hindsight…
Ludicrous Frans has no defence
There is no defence for Frans Ludeke as Bulls coach. He should never have been
appointed in the first place.
Watching the hapless Wikus van Heerden try and encourage his players was a
flashback to the very same Van Heerden when he led the Lions when Ludeke’s
side limped from one embarrassing defeat to another. Poor old Wikus must have
thought those days were long gone.
I am sick and tired of hearing what a good guy Ludeke is. Those who have
interacted with Ludeke know he is a good guy, but that is not the qualification for a
Super rugby coaching job. I have mates who are good guys, but I’d never back
them to coach a Super rugby team.
Bulls team manager Ian Swartz, this website’s best mate during the Bulls good
times of 2007, has tried his utmost to defend the Bulls this season. He has resorted
to the petty in his interaction with Bulls beat writer Ryan Vrede. He has accused us
of getting personal with the team and of our criticism lacking substance.
Ian, it is time you got some perspective. In defending the Bulls head coach you are
making a *** of yourself. Yours is the credibility that is taking a pounding with every
attempt to put gloss on the ugliness of another Bulls disaster. How do you defend a
six try to three thumping against the Chiefs? How do you defend a 32 point
pounding against the rubble Reds? How the bloody hell do you even try and justify
the tournament champions giving up 50 points at Loftus against the Crusaders?
How can a team boasting Springboks Gurthro Steenkamp, Bakkies Botha, Danie
Rossouw, Wikus van Heerden and Pedrie Wannenburg be hammered up front
against a Chiefs pack that has struggled against every team? How can a team with
the luxury of the world’s best scrumhalf in Fourie du Preez appear so devoid of
spirit, of enterprise and of expression, be it on defence or attack?
Bulls Super 14 title-winning coach Heyneke Meyer may have left structures behind,
but structures don’t coach players. Todd Louden, the Australian who transformed
the Bulls back play, is now with the Waratahs. Coaches do make a difference.
Good coaches get quality out of limited teams. Bad coaches can make even the
best players look average. It is the case with Ludeke.
Every time a South African team gets smashed the conservatives complain that
quotas are killing our game. The obvious response to that is how you explain
Ludeke’s appointment in the first place? Heaven forbid if he was actually black!
He won three from 25 matches as coach of the Lions and Cats in Super rugby.
Two of those wins came against SA teams. This year his only two successes came
against SA teams. In successive weeks his Bulls have conceded more than 40
points against two of the weakest teams in the tournament.
The Bulls have been a disgrace in their championship defence. But all I keep on
hearing is what a nice guy Ludeke is. Quite frankly I’d rather hear he was an
******* and look at a league standing where the Bulls are in the top four and
playing the kind of rugby you expect from a champion.
I wrote it in a previous article after the Crusaders embarrassed the Bulls by scoring
50-plus in Pretoria that Ludeke should never have been appointed; let alone that he
has to go. However, when he does get the boot the same clever guys who actually
appointed him ahead of far more qualified coaches should get the sack with him.
We all know that is not going to happen because it is an administrative strength in
South African rugby for the amateurs running the game to revel in the good but
never take responsibility for the bad. Ludeke’s appointment was a case of jobs for
pals.
And it wasn’t one given to him by Meyer either. Meyer had no say in the
appointment of his successor because he feared accusations of bias. He must be
very thankful he did not give the deciding vote to Ludeke.
This talk of the Bulls being a young side is also absolute rubbish. The starting
line-up against the Chiefs included seven World Cup-winning Springboks and
another two Boks in Derick Hougaard and Wannenburg. There are far younger
and more inexperienced sides in this year’s competition.
I pity the players who still have two months left with Ludeke. Even more I feel for
the hapless Bulls supporters.
Posted by keo
22nd march 2008
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I predict that, except against Italy, the Boks will not win a single match during the tour.
Alas, I do hope they murder the Irish, who are be lovely people, but exceptionally cocky idiots at sport. To France the Boks can lose with pleasure, they are superbly unpredictable on any day.
However, I`m sure the UK media will go bezerk once the Boks get beaten, digging up all the BIL tour drama and how they deserved to take the series. It`s the roll of the dice these year-end-tours but I`m afraid the Boks are just too tired.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:25 pm
#18 cab: Do you know who this “burly” loose trio is that the French will pick? Because they always seem to have guys who can compete well at the rucks. Apart from Betsen, guys like Nyanga and Dusautoir have always been excellent scavengers. I’d hate to underestimate this part of their game.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:42 pm
#22 katman: Dusautoir scares the hell out of me…
We need a rock solid defense which Brussouw clearly offers more than Danie. Also Rossouw is quite easy to pick the ball off, and I don’t think giving to French prime counter-attacking oppertunities is advisible. Rossouw can be effective as a ball carrier but that’s hardly enough reason to pick him when we have Bissy, Beast, Kankow and even Bakkies for carriers.
PdV will be making a huge mistake if he doesn’t pick Brussouw, but I believe he will.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
#23 Bagel: Plus Brussouw showed on Saturday what an effective ball carrier he can be. He’s like a rabid pitbull with ball in hand.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:51 pm
#24 katman: Exactly, low centre of gravity, who never concedes the turnover, and often gets difficult offloads away. For me he’s the ideal flanker, except that he talks like a bit of a moron.
He was effectively taken out of the breakdown last week by the Bulls and he’s going to have to adapt now that he’s a marked man, much like Habana had too.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:53 pm
#22 katman:
lol, no not really, i assume at least one of the 3 will be dussatoir who is very good, but not really burly, harrindoquai is the same, both tough mobile players as is Bonnair and Ouedraogo. Proably the light back 3 in world rugby, very mobile. Got a tight 5 that really hits rucks, Nallet is one to watch.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:34 pm
One reality we should not forget is that our “Bok B team” did not show up at all in the third test. I personally believe that we have the players, but they were not given enough time to “gel” which kind of makes sense since at least 10 of those guys in the third test were not “starters” and thus had much less time to play as a unit. However, the utmost arrogant British media will look for anything to shoot down the Boks and the glory of winning the BIL. Maybe this tour will surprise many and help the Bok team plan for the future. I hope our journalists focus on that rather than how we “should” smash the team we play in the 3 tests. But then again, I also LOVE the Bok Captain’s attitude where he damands perfection. At test level, that is exactly what we expect. Step up newcomers, the senior players have set a very high standard!!!!
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Kirchner at Fullback, Olivier and Fourie at 12 and 13 respectively, Pienaar and Jacobs on the bench.
Pienaar to cover 9 and 10, not 15. We need another specialist Fullback for the bench.
Geez coming to the right selections is slow with this group. At least now we have a specialist Fullback in the side.
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:39 pm
#21 sandeno: They won’t lose to Ireland.
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:43 pm
#5 west: That was 5 years ago West! I agree with Bagel – although not Heaslip so much, but O’Driscoll’s behaviour was shocking.
I thought some of the other Irish players behaved ok. Kearney played well etc
#3 Bagel: I with you man – the amount of **** and off-the-ball stuff from the B&I Lions was shocking. I wish we were playing England too so we could HAMMER them again like last year!
BOKKE!
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:44 pm
#11 Mongril: Well said!
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:47 pm
We have proved that South africa is the strongest rugby playing country on the planet in 2009 in winning the Tri-Nations, B&I Tour and Super 14.
We have found some hottest new talent in the Currie Cup.
Our Boks have played incredibly hard this season, and yes to win the final 5 games would end the year on a high, but at what cost? A Tri-Nations defence, a Super 14 defence, or a RWC defence??
Think back to 2007 – we sent what was called the C-team to play Oz and NZ. Why couldnt that happen again? The pillars of the team are tired, there are players that have shown that they have the talent, yet we perserve with players such as Odwa, Adi, Rose and Chilliboy. We could have sent a young, inexperienced team to Europe that would give any team a good run, and as a world class coach with so much talent at his disposal you would expect him to have the balls (and talent) to choose a young team.
The team that faces Leicster is exactly what should have been playing against the French, expect for the 4 players mentioned above.
Mapoe for Odwa, Kuun for Chilli, Pietersen for Rose and Grant for Adi (provided Adi is playing 12, if 13 then Murray), Sykes for Hargreaves.
You cant build for the future if you pick the players that havent proved anything this year, this just makes players being left out dispondent and fuels the fire to leave for Europe where merit is everything the pay is incredible and they are given a fair chance.
SARU, how you keep stuffing up is beyond me… Or am I completely crazy and naive?
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:52 pm
#3 Bagel: Well said – I have to say that I have no fondness for the Irish. There romantic blarney is something that the chicks fall for – but us guys see that they are bunch of w@nkers with little sportsmanship and a whiny cheating attitude.
And BOD is amongst the worst of them – they all collectively need to grow a pair.
#5 west: showing that British and Irish habit of twisting facts again already I see? its not teh fact that your journalistst are a bunch of liars, its teh fact that the pblich wholeheartedly believe it and jum p in boots and all.
When you as a Bok coach a stupid question like “who would be in your Bok steam” do you think he should answer “well based on our analysis, Xis better than y, z is beter than a, etc” is acoach not allowed to stand up for his own players anymore? and STILL you only won because you cheated. see my comment above.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Always makes me laugh when I see SA people call other countries arrogant,
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:10 pm
There’s a fair bit of bile being slung in Irish direction. No big deal – I’m probably one of the few who read this blog (and a good one at that) and I prefer to focus on rugby. I expect Ireland to put up a decent fight but expect SA to win. In terms of arrogance and poor behavior on the B&I tour it must be said that Bismarck’s behavior is just plain and simple dumb – He acts tough and he really isn’t but he is a good player I will give him that and in terms of arrogance, Bakkies wins hands down. Again a great player and a warrior but if his silly smile and jutting out chest isn’t the epitome of arrogance I don’t know what is. BTW Matfield is the best player on the planet bar none. Here’s looking forward to a good game. Its a sell out 82,500.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:01 pm
#35 AlanD:
The Boks got away last year against Sccotland and Wales by a whisker, poor place kicking from a goalable spots cost them the Celts
Ireland will be different, many of their stars coming off a Lions tour they should have won, a wet, soggy underfoot pitch will help their cause against tired Springboks with a full Super14, CC and Test seasons last 6 months behind them.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:32 pm
#35 AlanD:
yeah bismarck’s fist posturing is also alot of rubbish, bladdy stupid, but the whole tour was ill-tempered and i was glad to see the back of the BIL who seemed liked whinging moaners from day 1.
That all said, the rugby was some of the best of the last few years.
electric atmosphere.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:41 pm
#33 SjamBok: Geez I didnt mean to upset you so much , I am not Irish and i dont expect them to beat you this year i was just surprised by all the hatred to them on this blog. I will go and punch one of those “w@nkers with little sportsmanship and a whiny cheating attitude” the next time i walk into an Irish pub. .