Brüssow Boks’ ‘true poison’
Marc Lievremont says Heinrich Brüssow will have to be nullified as he has added an extra dimension to the Bok side.
Brüssow has had a dream run in his first full year of Test rugby, but in Toulouse on Friday night he will continue his learning curve. It will be the first time he comes up against a physical French pack and opensider Thierry Dusautoir in a hostile atmosphere in the 37 000-capacity Stade Municipal.
The Free State opensider was set to be dropped for this Test before Pierre Spies’s tour-ending injury, but France coach Lievremont singled out the Bok No 6 ahead of any of his other team-mates as one to keep quiet if they are to claim their third successive win over the Boks.
‘They have in their armour a fatal weapon in Brüssow,’ he said. ‘He is true poison. It is the first time that the Boks have relied on such a player, a great performer on the ground.
‘Because of that, they are even more complete than ever before. And having seen their provincial games, it is a sector in which they excel. I have learned that at training they do a lot of fighting and judo. It is perhaps the key to their success in this factor.’
Brüssow was one player singled out, but the Tricolores seem obsessed with the Boks’ physicality, and Lievremont said ‘they play to hurt’.
‘With them, it’s a cultural thing. They play to do bad things. It is not provocation. Of course they have players like [Bakkies] Botha who are sometimes at the limit of the rules, but I find them more and more disciplined.
‘They don’t make any of those stupid mistakes they made in the past and which have perhaps cost them some victories.’
It is clear from their comments that the French will be looking to niggle in order to disrupt the Boks’ focus, and here Botha, Brüssow and co will have to maintain discipline.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Jake selected a team from scratch and coached us to greatness.
Helium got a great team and looks good.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
#26 fsjakes: The only ignorant one here is you if you think that Heliums success is due to his coaching and not due to the fact that he got a great team that was about to peak and play really well.
Please wake up.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
#51 dr dre: yaaaaaaaaaaawn
November 11th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
#51 dr dre:
Below is the 2003 WC squad. See how many Jake inherited rather than built from scratch. JdeV had to withdraw at the last moment due to a shoulder injury.
I think you’ll find that the bulk of Jakes side that he started with, were already Boks.
Name Club Position
De Wet Barry Western Province Centre
Richard Bands Northern Tranvaal Prop
Christo Bezuidenhoudt Northern Tranvaal Prop
Selborne Boome Western Province Lock
Bakkies Botha Northern Transvaal Lock
Schalk Burger Western Province Flanker
Danie Coetzee Free State Hooker
Thinus Delport Falcons Fullback
Neil de Kock Western Province Scrumhalf
Jaque Fourie Transvaal Centre
Werner Greeff Western Province Fullback
Derick Hougaard Northern Transvaal Flyhalf
Louis Koen Transvaal Flyhalf
Corne Krige (c) Western Province Flanker
Ricardo Loubscher Natal Sharks Fullback
Victor Matfield Transvaal Lock
Jorrie Muller Transvaal Centre
Breyton Paulse Western Province Wing
Faan Rautenbach Western Province Prop
Danie Rossouw Northern Transvaal Flanker
Dale Santon SWD Eagles Prop
Hendro Scholtz Free State Flanker
Lawrence Sephaka Transvaal Prop
John Smit Natal Sharks Hooker
Juan Smith Free State Cheetahs Number 8
Stefan Terblanche Sharks Wing
Joe van Niekerk Transvaal Flanker
Joost vanderWesthuizen Northern Transvaal Scrumhalf
Jaco vanderWesthuyzen Northern Bulls Fullback
Ashwin Willemse Transvaal Wing
November 11th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
#53 Valkyrie: go take a nap if your yawning ..
Must be exhausting being a C**t
November 11th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
#54 David: were they all boks playing in the current team? NO
Was it a successful bok side / players he took over. NO
All you have listed is a mix and match list of bok current and bok not so current players.
Different to identifying the right ones and moulding then into success at intl level.
Sorry old sport.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
#49 Taahirah: please quote for me where pdv said he was going to drop heinrich for the french test? Please direct me.
“glossing over” in my initial post i said “thank you for having a current coach who is adaptable & dynamic in his rugby thinking” meaning even when he had thought of something he is not hard-headed & arrogant to a point where he won’t see the error of his initial judgement or the exciting possibilty of the alternative!
Jake before the tri-nations this year was still talking down Heinrich, asking questions whether brussow will ever win irb player of the year like schalk did & pointing out that he is not a lineout option, when in the team we have 4 superb lineout options already!
November 11th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
#55 dr dre: lol!
November 11th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
#54 David:
In fact the only two missing that he included are Butch James and Marius Joubert.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
#8 Transformation: Jake still defends his decision. Must be very stubborn.
Although can’t understand de Villiers insistance not to select Brussouw either. Just think had Burger not been suspended we wouldnt have one thr tri nations and if Spies hadnt got injured we wouldnt be getting our first victory in france in ages.
Yes Brussouw does make that much of a dfifference to the team…
November 11th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
#54 David: Will make it easy for him, only Habana, JPP and Francois Steyn were identified by Jake White. FDP was already rooming with Geo Cronje during Kaamp Staaldraad
November 11th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
#56 dr dre:
The point is that Jake took the young players that Strauli had already identified and blooded in his WC 2003 squad and used them as the basis of his own squad. He didn’t exactly pick these guys out of nowhere, their talent had already been recognised.
Remember Stauli had just over a year to create a WC squad and team when he took over from Viljoen in 2002.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
#59 David: hahaha
good 1
November 11th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Brussow is a legend. How PdV and co. thought they could not have him for this game was pure madness.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
#58 Valkyrie: was not meant personally as I dont know you ..
hehe.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
#64 Ratel Brussow (MSIUR): Sweet mother of pearl….we actually agree on something!!!!
November 11th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
#56 dr dre:
Here is the side that lost to NZ in 2003. The pack and bench has an awfully familiar look to it, doesn’t it?
November 11th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Springboks
15 Jaco van der Westhuizen, 14 Ashwin Willemse, 13 Jorrie Muller, 12 De Wet Barry, 11 Thinus Delport, 10 Derick Hougaard, 9 Joost van der Westhuizen; 8 Juan Smith, 7 Danie Rossouw, 6 Corné Krige (captain), 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Faan Rautenbach, 2 John Smit, 1 Christo Bezuidenhout. Replacements: 16 Danie Coetzee, 17 Richard Bands, 18 Selborne Boome, 19 Schalk Burger, 20 Neil de Kock, 21 Louis Koen, 22 Jaque Fourie.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Guys…
I know we all defend what we believe in and all have a point of view and that these points of view are based on a myriad of different things namely:
Experiences
What you were told
Media
Growing up
Race
And many other factors.
Thing is, if we lived in a colourless and bland world where most of our systems ran in neutral and things were as they seemed, would you really pronounce Snor to be an excellent rugby coach or would you, without emotion or other systems blinding you call it as you see it?
November 11th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
#14 Jozi: Agreed, he is pure class. I prefer him at 13 though and would tell Jacque Fourie the 15 jersey is his until the world cup
November 11th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
#67 David: I do see the point you make!
Jake instilled in those players the will to win, ethos, spirit, playing a clean game, fitness, and they believed in each other and him.
A winning culture was bred and its this culture we see peaking today.
My point is simple really.
PDV has thankfully kept largely to this recipe and we are still at the top. Imagine if he tried to change things and bring his own ideas and players into the system
Catastrophe.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
#36 Transformation: Transformation, I have read hundreds of your posts and many arguments you ave had with many a blogger. I love it that you are accusing me of not entering into a rugby debate and only dicussing achievements.
First of all, my post was not just directed at you (although, you are one of the people who love to shoot down JW more than alot of other people), but to everyone who loves to shoot down both these coaches. Don’t ask me to calm down, you are the one who went a frantic debate and tried to bring across your point (using bold print and all).
Sescond, you are accusing me of of not being able to formulate a rugby argument. I just stated that both these coaches have achieved much and that SA rugby is better because of them and not inspite of them. Especially if you look at their achievements. How can that not be a logical rugby arguement? You start your arguement with: “if jake (thank you for everything you did) was out there in the rugby wilderness enjoying his millions & not constantly putting his boot in on everything to do with the springboks, then i would certainly not make comparisons between his thinking & that of ROBBIE DEANS & MARK LIEVREMONT and others.” Is that rugby philosophy or your own personal opinion?
Thirdly, you are generally the first person to jump on someones back if they make a comment that you regard as racist (wether they inetnd it or not). Is that rugby philosophy?
I did not attck you, PdV or JW. I simply said that both these coaches deserve their rightful place in SA rugby. That maybe we should stop bickering about who is better and who is not. Stop thinking across racial lines (which frankly, you seem to do just as much as aany other). With a name such as “TRANSFORMATION”, I would have thought that you of all people would be able to understand my very logical arguement.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
#60 Bok fan:
How many bloggers on this site had HB in their starting line-up before the first Lions test? I can’t think of too many apart from G10 and Skoppie. They were lambasted here for even suggesting that Schalk should make way for HB. Now everybody is talking as if they would have gone the same route and that it was only PdV who was too stupid to see that it was the right move back then.
Have you ever think back and wonder what the outcry would have been if PdV dropped SB for the first test against the B & I Lions?
November 11th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
#26 fsjakes: Good points well said.
Dont always agree with them but they have both done great jobs as SA coaches
November 11th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
#72 fsjakes: Transformation allows his “life environment” and experiences to guide him in his thought processes.
You cant blame him, we all do it. It is difficult to think logically and without influence.
His ame should say why he disses Jake.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
#73 nama1: Hey I was certainly saying that Heinrich must start. It was obvious, maybe not to the slow witted, but to everyone else Heinrich was an obvious choice. Just as Morne was too.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
#52 dr dre: How can you say that? PdV and JW both coached the SA under 21 side before moving on to the senior. Both won the under 21 Wold Cups, both also lost out in the finals of the under 21 Wold Cups. Was PdV success at junior level also because of Jake White leaving behind a team? No!
Yes, PdV did recieve a settled and successful team. I’m not argueing against it. But, Jake White never won in NZ. He never went unbeaten against NZ in a season. He never went on an unbeaten tour of Europe. PdV has done these things. Did Jake White’s reign as coach helped in PdV success, ofcourse it did! Is PdV success only due to JW, never!
November 11th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
#71 dr dre:
I suppose I’m just trying to balance out the idea that Jake started from scratch, when in fact he already inherited the core of an extremely strong pack to build on. For me, his weakness was in his approach to the backs, who he seemed to regard purely as a defensive addition to the forwards.
That, I believe, is the one area that PdeV identified as needing changing, with his playing the situation philosophy.
What he underestimated was the mindset that had already been bred into the players.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
#75 dr dre: Of the starting 15 that played in the WC final, only 4 made their debuts under JW. Of the team starting on friday 4 have made their debuts under PdV.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
#71 dr dre: You are a serious **** ol’ chap, there are no Jake White players, there are no PDV players, these are South African young men, playing for their country.
Jake didnt discover these players why should PDV discover players?
” Thing is, if we lived in a colourless and bland world where most of our systems ran in neutral and things were as they seemed, would you really pronounce Snor to be an excellent rugby coach or would you, without emotion or other systems blinding you call it as you see it?”"
The answer is yes, the only reason you think it would be no, it is because of who you are not what the truth is.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
For me i would still want Boks to have a ‘real ‘ tighthead….cant accomodate Beast and Smit…both pap snoek.
Brussow a non brainer…Steggmann must get in as back up.
Adi and WO ….jury out…perhaps even F Steyn at 12 vs Frogs….damn he was playing well at 12 in super 14 before ruan got injured.
MS at 10 a no brainer.
Adi may be the surprise packet Fri….Kanko as well….
November 11th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
PDV VS JW….no brainer…
PDV prepared to change…admit mistakes and take action….
JW…stubborn…conceited…and bullied LW …plonker….Hope his W W Ays never reach the Stormers…
November 11th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
The Boks potentially are going to have a very difficult time, because the french are talking themselves into war, one which i think the Boks can take to another level, but if they do so, will be sent from the field.
Its a real problem, especially if the ref lets them get away with stuff. Our coaches should have a chat to the ref pre-game, they will have to maintain their disciple but at the same time meet fire with fire.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
#72 fsjakes: without putting my foot in, only Skoppies doesn’t regard what Jake White did as good/great for our rugby. The rest of us all agree he was the right man at the time and did a lot of great things.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
#52 dr dre: Jake White did set the platform anybody who cant see this is blind or only started watching rugby this year – right on Dr Dre
November 11th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
#81 grant10: Think Kanko will struggle on the NH fields, but would be happy for him to surprise me.
One of the best things JW did was treat LW the way he was meant to.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
this jake v pdv argument is sooooo tired…it’s been going on for almost 2 years now it’s bordering on obsessive…that’s all i have to say about that.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
#73 nama1: and me
, remember I called people “Schalkanators”
November 11th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Actually this entire pre-game talk appears to be read from some sort of contrived script, which i believe is totally unfair and is being used to single the Boks out – which not only creates a false impression in the minds of the public but the ref too – in affect the french are trying to beat the boks with propaganda before even taking to the field.
The french are one of the dirtiest sides in history and have absolutely no room to talk. Their hooker, scazevski, is even more of a hothead then bismarck and is constantly involved off the ball in his local league.
I hope the Boks absolutely bash em.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
#78 David: Got to disagree with you on the back situation … The Boks have never looked as potent in the backline as they did during the WC – granted JW maybe forward orintated but he brought in Eddie Jones – the Boks to this day havent been as potent in the backs as they were in that WC …. differences maybe FSteyn at 12 , Butch and Eddie Jones
November 11th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
#77 fsjakes: it’s difficult to debate these things with ignorant fools like dr dre.i understand what you are trying to say,that jake as well as pdv brought something special to the rugby table and i totally agree with you.it’s very difficult,and it should not be,for bloggers here to give credit to both pdv and jake.viva jake!viva pdv!
November 11th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
#89 cab: Got to agree with you there…it seems there is a massive underlying agenda to paint the boks as dirty and try to influence the ref (who is he by the way). The French are well known as dirty players.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
The Boks also have the skill to cut through this french side, which has been beaten by the australians and new zealanders – which the boks have beaten easily when in top form.
So the French are quite beatable if the Boks play to their form.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
#80 XhosaKid: You are defending on the basis of colour. I cannot take that away from you and its fair enough.
Stick to your guns and go for it !! Clouded judgement or not, who am I to say.
What I will say is that PDV is out of his depth.
Put that in yer old pipe and smoke it bru.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
#57 Transformation: No, he never uttered it outright. But if you were in a court of law the probative value of the evidence at hand (Schalk making up 60% of his game plan, Brussow flying out with the mid-week team)would be enough to safely assume that Heinrich would not have started. Again. That does not make him a bad coach.
Jake White believes in bulky loose forwards. It has brought him a great deal of success. Cant imagine any coach in the world saying no to a Tri-Nations title, a World Cup, 2 IRB coach of the year awards and a number 5 to number 1 ranking in a 4 year span.
Both are entitled to their respective opinions. Ultimately only results matter. Jake delivered results. PDV is delivering results.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
#91 Valkyrie: Go take a nap son, your being one of those female organs again.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
#90 stew: Some of the tries the Boks have scored this year (Fourie, Habana coming straight through the backline) have been outstanding. I recall few tries like that under JW. Our backline was sharp at the RWC, but they have been pretty potent this year.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
#89 cab: Have to agree.
Many SA players plying their trades in the French leagues have expressed shock at the level of `off the ball` and dirty play culture that exists among the frog legs players.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
#90 stew: You must also take in account the opposition that they were facing during the WC07. They did not exactly set the field alight with they were up against Fidji and Tonga.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
#89 cab:
Fark that. I say Unleash the Dogs of War !
The messier and more manic-induced bodily mayhem causing piles of mashed-flesh, the better.
Toulouse will be a seething cesspit of spewing venom blended with a crazy cocktail of Gaulish scizophrenic insanity.
vs Bakkies.
Viva la France. Ama Bokke Bokke !