Cotton wool key to Bok backlash
There’s nothing to be gained by starting an already exhausted Bok senior side against Saracens and Italy.
Peter de Villiers was clear about his goals when naming a 37-man squad to tour England, France, Italy and Ireland. Five wins from five matches was the target, and the Bok coach also hoped to develop some untried youngsters and work on strengthening the second-choice combinations.
South Africa suffered the worst possible start to the tour with the dirt-trackers going down to a depleted Leicester, and the Boks’ reserve front row returning home with injury. The senior side was outmuscled in Toulouse, and unless the Boks reassess their priorities, the tour could finish in disaster.
To salvage this tour, the Boks need to beat Ireland in Dublin. To beat the Irish, the incumbents will need to time to recuperate, and giving them the next week off could also aid De Villiers’ secondary ambition of developing the second-string.
It’s yet to be confirmed whether the team named to start against Saracens will be available for starting positions in the Italy Test. One hopes this is the case, because the Boks’ best could do with a break, especially after the beating they took at Stade Municipal.
Wian du Preez, Adriaan Strauss and CJ van der Linde are picked to front Saracens, a powerful Free State combination that should provide the South Africans with stability at scrum time.
The smart move is to start these three against Italy, a side renowned for their scrum. The Boks would have a shot at parity despite the absence of Beast Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis and John Smit, while the frontline players would be spared a physical tussle a week before the game that really matters.
Ireland’s scrum was poor against Australia on Sunday, an encouraging sign for a Bok team that’s endured their own problems in this facet. Nevertheless, you’d want your best players available for this clash, and you’d want them firing at something close to 100%.
Again, the Boks are well capable of beating this Irish outfit, but after Friday’s French lesson, they will know that intensity is everything. It’s the last game at the end of a taxing year, but they’ll need to be at their brutish best.
The most recent selection suggests De Villiers and company are taking the Saracens match seriously, but they need to keep their eyes on the prize. The Six Nations Champs have been hyping the 28 November fixture as the ultimate north versus south clash, and those British & Irish Lions players who tasted defeat earlier in the year will be desperate for revenge.
It won’t help the senior Boks’ cause to arrive in Dublin after what should be a physical battle in Udine. With respect to Italy, this is a Test where the fringe players should get a start. Start Danie Rossouw and Andries Bekker in a Test environment, and see what loose forwards Jean Deysel and Dewald Potgieter have to offer when awarded an official Test cap.
For Du Preez and Strauss, it’s a massive challenge scrumming against a team that includes Martin Castrogiovanni, but they’ll have one of the world’s best and most experienced tightheads alongside them. In an ideal rugby world, that’s how you’re supposed to blood newcomers – by surrounding them with experience.
So let’s hope the announcement of the side to face Saracens isn’t a case of the Bok management hitting the panic button. Let’s hope the first team aren’t rolled out in Udine, because it won’t contribute to success in Dublin.
The Irish press believe De Villiers’ job will be on the line by the time the Boks arrive. There’s no chance of the South African coach being sacked after the Boks’ success in the Lions series and Tri-Nations. But the Irish are correct in assuming South Africa’s tour would amount to a failure if they’re downed at Croke Park.
By Jon Cardinelli, in London
November 16th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
#237 Fidget: 2 nd team scrum may be bettter than 1 st team scrum?
November 16th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
#241 PissAnt: fatigue and intensity go hand in hand…like salt and pepper
November 16th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
#244 nama1: More Saffis that anything else??
November 16th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
#250 Ratel Brussow (MSIUR): LOL…kiwis biggest bloody chears ever….2 kakkest scrums….thats the truth
Problem is kiwis will have Hayman…Jack…ali williams back…problem solved.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
#253 Fidget: SA 2nd team vs sa 3 rd team….will be a tough one …
November 16th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
#241 PissAnt: Bissie and Beast are tired from a physical year. Schalk has hardly played and is not the player he once was, he’s still young, but his body is old. Look at Gerrie Collins. No man is unbreakable.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
#234 Ratel Brussow (MSIUR):
He did have a very good game vs the AB’s in the last 3nations match for the Boks.
#241 PissAnt:
Agree on your point regarding good players. Just don’t want to blame it on fatigue either. As you saw last week a guy like FdP played the equivalent of only 23 matches this year. Way inside the recommended 26-28 matches per year.
At the end of the day the answer to your question may just be that the French outsmart, outrun and outplay us. What we need to do now is go back, analyse what went wrong, where it went wrong and why it went wrong. Come up with a plan to ensure that this tour can still be regarded as a success. That mean, we HAVE to win the two remaining tests matches.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
#195 grant10:
lol
November 16th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
#257 nama1: True, he had a decent game, but herdly a stand-out. One can only wonder how Vermuelen, Alberts or Deysel would perform if given the chance. Surely better than one good game between what can only be described as nightmares. On S14 form he has been even worse.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
#255 grant10:
Good one. Real funny.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
#257 nama1:
Unfortunately it is not as simple as putting a blanket number on recommended amount of games for all players.
If we apply the science of player fatigue to players it has to be done properly and also individually for all our top Boks/pro players.
#256 Ratel Brussow (MSIUR):
Players do get broken, this is what the player fatigue issue all boils down to.
What we need to figure out is how far down the line someone like Schalk (and do not forget Juan Smith in all this) is and see if it is still possible to reverse the effects cause by stupid amounts of rugby and physical abuse these players are subjected to.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
#250 Ratel Brussow (MSIUR): At the moment you got to say battle of the softies ….. Did you see how well the Aussies scrummed against the Irish ?
Now you wouldnt in your wildest dreams say that the Australian pack is better than South Africa but in reality the Aussies will outscrum most teams at the moment – this therefore comes down to technique ….. The Springbok pack need a massive wake up call , just because you are WC champions dont expect to walk onto the pitch and walk away with a win , every team will want to knock them over – the pressure is on
November 16th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
#261 PissAnt: Well Schalk, is an easy one. Rest him for all Springbok games until his domestic form has improved. Ie. drop him like he’s hot. Juan Smith still has it. We must manage our players properly. Maybe, the CC should be shortened to coincide with the 3N?
November 16th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Noakes actually sums it up nicely where he says a team that has been successful for some time runs the risk of developing the disease of success.
He puts something I tried to say a couple of weeks ago so much better (winning the battles but losing the wars) where he mentions that a successful team, like the Boks needed to shift their goal from winning, to perfection.
They are not busy trying to perfect the art at the moment, they are all too hell-bent on just winning (at disastrous costs) the small battles and to repeat myself again, lose the war.
Perfecting the art now, in my my, has to include amongst a host of other things developing world class back up’s and depth in association with ensuring our top Boks are always in 100% peak physical and mental condition when taking the field and for that, sacrifices need to be made.
It is a broad topic and one not easily understood or grasped because as fans we are obsessed with winning.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
#244 nama1:
that eittienne reyneke is damn good, another great hooker lost, and who, the Lions again.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I suppose we will see tomorrow if the 2nd stringers can scrum, the problem is that Italy scrum will be far, far better that scarecens.
Picture this: They may do well tom night, get picked for Saturday, get hammered on Saturday, SA Lose against Italy.
Then i will just shoot myself in the foorking head.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Question is: How did the All Blacks manage to maintain their intensity for so many years… season in season out… at home and away… game after game…
How come they never suffer from fatigue but our guys do???
November 16th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
#266 Fidget: LOL…ja…that will be a bridge too far for me too….bloody hell…the mighty boks lose to Italy….ooooohhh hell…i am off this sire for a week i tell you….fark me it will be a shitstorm!!
November 16th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
#264 PissAnt: Agree, we should never have sent our tired guys on this tour, but then we also need to choose the best possible back-up team. Something we normally fail at.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
#267 ufo: they embrace that squad system a lot more than we do??
November 16th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
#268 Ras_nervous_grant10:
at it again, i see!!
November 16th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
#234 Ratel Brussow (MSIUR): Cool if that is your opinion !!!
I would still have him on my teamsheet !!
November 16th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Another bok who is all over the bloody place is JPP…He must be wide awake …that Mapoe gonna be blowing down his neck!
November 16th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
#271 ashley:
What you doing here
Has your website died.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
#267 ufo: They built a squad of 30 and alternated every-one. Something that also cost them at WC time.
#264 PissAnt: Maybe the answer is to pick mainly on form. To a logical point obviously, keeping the tired stalwarts in the squad, but only start them when they actually deserve their spot. Most of the stalwarts in 2008 were terrible and shouldn’t have been starting. Then we might still have been smashed by everyone, but at least some other players might have been uncovered.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Yes PA this is why I say my team above would have more than likely perhaps won the battle and to cap it off possibly won the war too.
Du Preez
Liebenberg
Nel
Breedt
Bekker
Brussow
Deysel/Potgieter
Vermeulen
Pretorius
Pienaar
Le Grange
De Jongh
Mapoe
Joe Pietersen
Viljoen
Blaauw
Strauss
Buys
Sykes
Alberts
Hougaard
Kirchner
Would have possibly achieved more with this team in the battle and perhaps won the war too down the line
November 16th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
#270 grant10:
don’t think they do… Carter and McCaw play every game they’re allowed to… They never look jaded…
November 16th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
#274 Dawn:
naaah, i missed you
November 16th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
#267 ufo:
Our manne are always tired.
Graham Smith has stomach cramps. Poor baby.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
#278 ashley:
Did they insult you in some racist despicable fashion.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
#277 ufo:
Our manne are gatvol for all the politics.
First it was Beast, then the incredible Ras!!!!!
November 16th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
#278 ashley:
How you could go blog with that bunch of nwatas is beyond me.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
#271 ashley: Hi there my man…ja…wheels coming off a bit now….i see the boys on the other site agree with me about Smit….close to 84% of them agree Smit back to 2!!
Not often those guys and i agree…LOL
November 16th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
#280 Dawn:
never in a lifetime, dawnie
anyway
how’s life treating you?
November 16th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
#264 PissAnt: I see your point here.
Look, We have the rights to an exclusive springbok photo to put on all our products. Its called “The Conquerors” and we are very amped about the forth coming sales. The problem is that if this tour is not successful , they are no longer, “The Conquerors” which will ultamately impacts on our numbers, how we market etc, etc. Losing is bad for business, for everybody. Do you have any idea how much money SARU make out of Brand Royalties, product comm?? I know, and it will knock your socks off.
My partner said something true, every side has its cycle of ups and downs and no side can stay on the top forever. It all comes down to player management at the end of the day to ensure more overall success over a longer period of time. This comes with sacrificing games, rather running the risk of loosing but protecting your best for the WARS and not risking them in the BATTLES.
Nicely said.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
#277 ufo: that team vs\italy??
November 16th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
#279 Dawn:
Dawn…
Thought you were ignoring me this morning…
But I’ll take your word for it that our manne are always tired…
November 16th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
#62 Dawn: u gotto listen to what Noakes is saying
regardless of guys now being professionals..because of tiredness and fatigue the players become more prone to make mistakes they wouldnt ordinarily make, and more prone to injuries
u cant outwork or outsmart your body telling you you’re playing too many games in a year
November 16th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
#269 Ratel Brussow (MSIUR):
Rest the buggers during the S14 and CC, never at the expense of a Bok side. The Boks should always field the best.
The realities for this to happen are far to complex to discuss here.
Bok caps should only go to the best of the best.
I don’t care what the NH sides do when they come here.
I hate seeing understrength Bok teams. I have no problem with a squad system as long as those picked are the best in their posistions.
Palying S14 and 3N’s in the same year is ludricous, with all the travelling, and I propose that in a WC year that no S14 or 3N rugby be played.
This will allow injuries to mend, conditioning to take place and fitness levels to be increased.
Then when the WC is played the best players in the best possible physical condition are showcased to the world.
Should that not be the case ?
But money dictates so it will never happen !!
November 16th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
#283 grant10:
difficult one that grant (although i suspect tighthead wont agree with me)
we might be giving up when he’s about to turn the corner for good!!
November 16th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
#286 grant10:
not saying they played well against Italy… they didn’t… but they just didn’t play well… they didn’t look fatigued like our guys did…
November 16th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
#288 Papoose:
Noted.
But I also notice that Noakes re-hashes that story EVERY YEAR this time.
Surely by now, after 6 re-writes, he has come up with a solution.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
#287 ufo:
Man, poor ol’ Graham.
He is a true hero.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
#268 grant10: I know, imagine how many heads will be called for, gosh, i will stay well away from Rugga sites, my stomache goes into knots just thinking about it.
when i told my wife, she said – lord please dont let this happen, my husband will not speak to the rest of the family for a month!!!
November 16th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
#294 Fidget:
They won’t lose to Italy, but they will lose to Ireland.
Mark me.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
#157 Oubaas2009: in a side which includes senior boks u want to give the captaincy to pottie???
nuff said
transformation window dressing and nepotism is rife in our rugby
November 16th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
#295 Dawn:
Mark me, you mean trust me? Or do you have access to our personal info? That was just a little wierd.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
#292 Dawn: less i’m mistaken he said the core players shouldn’t have gone on this tour or at least they shouldn’t be part of the currie cup and should be managed better during the Super 14
look how **** Smit and Matfield were last year after continuing they’re careers in France
too many games
u nt sharp and it leads to injuries
November 16th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
#283 grant10: Hi there Grant! Nice to see you are still blogging away. When you say “guys from the other site” are you refering to whom I think you are?
November 16th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
#296 Papoose:
JS got the captaincy ahead of a few seniors as well !
The best man for the job irrespective of age , true leaders overcome these things, potgieter appears to be one of those individuals !!