Comments on: Battered Boks need rest

By: savethespringbok

savethespringbok — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:41:13 +0000

Not saying Rossouw is a top Springbok but he was used a lot at end of year tour. And I have not even mentioned the Sharks players that also had their top Boks gunning for the Currie Cup in the late stages of the competition.

By: savethespringbok

savethespringbok — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:40:00 +0000

@Hurricane:

No McCaw, Carter and most other top players played in Air New Zealand Cup Semi-Finals or Finals or most other games for that matter.

New Zealand played 15 tests in 2009 and lost 4 games
(played England and Italy twice)

South Africa played 12 tests in 2009 and lost 4 games
(played Italy once)

Do not fool yourself dude; It is not about how many games the two countries played. It is how many game star individuals played. Please show me how many games the top 7 New Zealand players played versus the top 7 Boks which will include

S14 Final 21 May

Matfield, Habana, Botha, du Preez, Steyn, Rossouw, Spies

Currie Cup Semi Final, 17 October

Matfield, Habana, Botha, du Preez, Steyn, Rossouw, Spies

Currie Cup Final, 31 October

Matfield, Habana, Botha, du Preez, Steyn, Rossouw, Spies

By: Bakmister

Bakmister — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:23:05 +0000

@BOFH: Yeah tired my behind, the boks used to tour 25 – 30+ games with no sound of fatigue.

They lost becuase they are mentally battered, they stand and cry like little girls each time the ref penalize them, and in the mean time they cant figure out plan b, becuase there is no plan b.

What happened to we dont lose against ireland or wales or scotland, for more than a century they were batting practise for the real games France/England. I dont care how good they are or how much respect they deserve what happen to respect for yourself and jersey and its history. Imagine what would Danie Craven had said if his side lost against ireland three times out of the last three meetings? This is nonsense and put a sour taste on the entire year. And due to the lack of respect from the SB, the AB is and always will be the only dominant team in this sport

By: BOFH

BOFH — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:09:03 +0000

2000 minutes of rugby is just 25 games. Surely that is in the acceptable range for the top players?? How can we blame fatigue then??

By: Oubaas2009

Oubaas2009 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:43:18 +0000

All Blacks rotate their players alot more, I reckon. Its leaves them much more rested. Also had key injuries to McCaw and Carter, which means they weren’t overplayed this year.

Problem with the AB’s philosophy of changing the team every week is that its been 22 years since …… you know what.

By: who cares

who cares — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:23:41 +0000

@TheTackler: I think both the AB's and Springboks are tired, but that's not the reason why SA lost. SA lost because they didn't have a game plan, if they did it was the wrong one. Every game they played it was kick, kick, kick. Against the AB's (because they are just as physical) that tactic works great if the kicks are pin point and we have the players chasing. Whats the use of us having these huge physical players and when we get possesion we kick the ball up into the air, even I was exhausted after the season just from bending my neck, it's like watching the French open. When we play in the Northern Hemisphere keep possesion of the ball. Let this tour be a lesson to the Boks, although next year the same thing is going to occur.

By: TheTackler

TheTackler — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:37:29 +0000

ABs weren’t overplayed. Look at how they thumped France, running in five tries.

By: KevinRack

KevinRack — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:23:32 +0000

It was clear the boois were overplayed. If they did not take their wives with them, we would have seen them rested. There are certainly enough players who could be developed.
I still dont know why Alberts, Deysel, Eberhom, Sarel Pretoruis, Joe Pietersen, Mbiyoso, Vermeulen did not get run.
I think we will need to break the old boois club and maybe ditch Smittie.

By: haribaldi

haribaldi — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:13:38 +0000

Conditioning is key (for all). SA has enough NH-based players to field an entire starting XV. Send 15 youngsters up next year–link them with a few senior guys, and blend them with JdV, Frans Steyn, Joe van N, BJ, CJ, etc.

3N and home tests: keep the squad that’s been good.

By: whatever

whatever — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:21:14 +0000

@toe-jam: Disagree Boet. For me the best game of the season was the Currie Cup Final. Beats even the Boks v AB's. If you want to cut down on games, get rid of these useless end of season games, or send over the Junior Boks if you want to blood younger players. Let the senior player go tan their plumbs on Clifton or Umhlanga or The Vaal Dam. Or is this all about bucks???

By: 111BIG5

111BIG5 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:48:45 +0000

34
AUS PLAYED 14 WON 6 LOST 7 DRAWN 1
SAF PLAYED 12 WON 8 LOST 4
NZL PLAYED 14 WON 10 LOST 4

Clearly the AUS was under prepared , under cooked….

Bullshit this tired story
2000 minutes divided by 80 minutes give you 25 games.

By: 111BIG5

111BIG5 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:45:21 +0000

Think all agree that Australia dont play so much? Do they have a provincial competition.
Well they have the worst test record this year
AUS

By: TheTackler

TheTackler — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:30:52 +0000

PDV selects the team. So, if they’ve been over-played to the point of exhaustion, it’s PDV who is to blame.

By: Hurricane

Hurricane — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:18:25 +0000

@Amerifikaner: Wrong. NZ players did play in the Air NZ cup,not all games but they did when avalible to.

By: aliboy

aliboy — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:16:26 +0000

I think that the ‘fatigue’ issue is a mental one as much as a physical one. The AB’s and the Wallabies both played 2 of their best games of the year (for the AB’s the absolute best game) at the end of seasons just as long as the Boks have had. The AB’s have just played 5 tests in a row on the road, at the end of a 14 test season, with Italy the only ‘easy’ game. They certainly didn’t look to be running on empty last weekend.
I think that the coaching team need to not only look at managing the physical demands, but possibly even more at the team environment and how they keep the players mentally fresh. I think Mils M of the AB’s is classic example. During the trinations he looked a bit like some of the Boks do now. Tired and uninterested. Somehow, the AB coaches have ‘mentally refreshed’ him and he played possibly his best game of the year in his last game of the year, with the improvments starting to show in the previous few games. He was peaking at the end of the year, so it is obviously more a mental issue than a physical one for some players.

By: upandunder

upandunder — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:41:33 +0000

Rugbygenius, Now’s there’s a contradiction in terms. LOL. Anyhow you have brought a smile to my face at least thanks.
Back to the subject- Agree fully that PDV should have first pick at the players. Thereafter depending on medical advice the franchises can use the quota of hours as they choose. SA rugby have to contract first and then loan out to unions. They should contract the top 30 players (on merit) and only with injuries buy in thereafter. needs to be done!!!

By: toe-jam

toe-jam — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:40:18 +0000

@iceman: i would let the top players not play currie cup at all,use the curry cup the breed young blood,since the vodacom cup was supposed to do just that,but that failed big time. use the varsity cup to breed players for currie cup,currie cup for super 14,and super 14 for boks,there is no point in a player missing any steps in order to get to bok level@rugbygenius: lol,ur funny

By: rugbygenius

rugbygenius — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:31:56 +0000

@toe-jam: No sir you see that is where Oom PDv is misunderstood. His knowledge is not always easy to understand for example the Tiger Woods analogy. But you check, when he does speak it is wise things that we as ordinary people may not be able to appreciate. PDv has a gift. We are so lucky to have him because he is the envy of the world. My Cousin in London said even there the people are crying for PDv to come there.

By: iceman

iceman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:30:00 +0000

With out any doubt next season is the critical one. This is the year to rest our top players and ensure that they are in prime condition leading up to the W.C. in 2011.

I would only start playing the top 15 players at least halfway through the Super 14 Competition next year and let them play only in preselected Currie Cup games ie. the most important fixtures.

However, I do believe that the best Boks should play in the test matches.

We have got to also satrting identifing the next best players in every position ensuring that if there are injuries we can still put a competitive team on the field unlike what happened on this very disappointing tour.

By: toe-jam

toe-jam — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:27:24 +0000

@rugbygenius: LOL,perfect,a prophet he is indeed.maybe he gets he's wisdom from gammat julies up the road,the one that's known as mister bergie. i've heard the man talk kak like it's his last day on earth