Lessons from Leicester lashing
Dick Muir says the midweek Springboks learned valuable lessons from their Leicester defeat and are better equipped for Saracens’ challenge.
The team gathered in London for a training session on Monday ahead of their clash with the South African-laden Saracens on 17 November at Wembley.
Muir and assistant coach Jerome Paarwater took them through their paces, although reports suggest that they were unable to work on their scrummaging, the facet of play that was central to their defeat on Friday, as Heinke van der Merwe was the only fit prop.
The dirt-trackers will unite with the senior Springboks in Toulouse on Thursday, where they’ll then be able to address their struggles in the aforementioned facet of play.
Muir, who was scathing in his criticism of the team’s performance at Welford Road, explained that the squad had received a harsh education in what it required to succeed at international level, but said the experience would benefit them immensely.
‘We warned them beforehand that everyone wants to knock you off your perch when you are world champions. I think they realise that now. I think valuable lessons were learned,’ Muir said.
‘There is a good attitude and I think the guys realise the team’s performance will only be good if each guy does his
bit.’
Muir stressed that perspective had to be attained on the result and that it should not be allowed to dictate the mood of the squad.
‘Each guy has a lot to play for and you can’t allow a defeat like the one against Leicester to turn an entire tour upside down,’ he said. ‘The individuals must ensure that it does not happen, and then it also won’t happen in the team context.’
Centre Wynand Olivier said he was encouraged by the team’s late surge and is optimistic about the match ahead, but offered no excuses for the diabolical performance.
‘The guys are already more focused than they were at the beginning of the tour. The start against Leicester was good, but we lost direction and took too long to get back on the right track,’ he said.
‘We did not adapt well enough to what happened and there are no excuses for that. We should have performed better as professional players, even if some of them are still young.’
November 10th, 2009 at 9:58 am
better because Guthro and Jannie dup back in SA …
November 10th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Minder en Paarwater….says it all……..
imo…
November 10th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Based on teh performance of Heinke, I am not so sure he is “fit”.
The worst part about the Bok play was teh lack of varioation – ppure boring old-Bulls style rugby. When you crash it up every time, it just becomes easy to defend against. You have to create doubt in teh mind of teh defenders as to whether they should move in to gang tackle, or move out for the wide surge.
The one time the y did swing wide was when they made ground. They seem firm in the belief that they could over come a tough club team on pure power. The advent of professionalism means that pure power is no good enough any more. Strategy and playmaking ability is what it takes, and superior team work.
Clearly there were just not enough big boys there who were willing to put their hands up and make the hard yards – but it didnt help that they were so predictable.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:07 am
2nd string Leicester are barely an international level, its not surprising that a European “super rugby” team equivalent beat a South Africa vodacom cup side with one or two world class imports. Rugby is after all a team game
November 10th, 2009 at 11:14 am
I take it a “South African-laden Saracens” will be close to a full strength Side.
Could be interesting……..Nah ….surely not. It couldn’t happen again………………..or
November 10th, 2009 at 11:19 am
This particular lesson should’a been learned from the 3rd B&I Lions test….there’s an old afrikaans saying that is quite fitting “As jy dom is moet jy K@K”
November 10th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Yeah. It could happen again. But they are there to develop as international players, so the results are really minor.
The question is… will the All Blacks be able to win anyone without Carter?
November 10th, 2009 at 11:26 am
#7 Bouts:
Nah…….it won’t happen again Bouts. Saracens are “SA Laden”.
They will roll over and let the Boks tickle their tummies.
(before anyone from Saracens gets offended……that was not a serious post).
November 10th, 2009 at 11:29 am
Hmmm… jokes aside, most of those ‘SA player’ at Saracens left the country because they were overlooked by the selectors. This will be a true grudge match.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:32 am
#8 cane:
Mmm.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
They haven’t been practicing their scrumming????
The area of the game where they were utterly destroyed?
Is this a joke?
Where is CJ?
Heinke, Maku, CJ – come on!
Is this article suggesting that CJ was drafted into the Bok mix and he isn’t fit???
November 10th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
more like the coaches have learnt a lesson stop picking kuk players
November 10th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
i mean j.botes should be there if he isnt
November 10th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
#13 klippies101:
Botes was on fire a few years ago.
But lately he’s looked decidedly ordinary.