Boks need provincial buy-in

4 Mar 2010

South Africa’s Super 14 franchises need to make sacrifices for the leading Boks to be in peak condition come the 2011 World Cup.

Another week in South African rugby, another Test scheduled in the penultimate year leading up to the Boks’ World Cup defence. South Africa against Wales in Cardiff is the latest Test scheduled in a commemorative match from 11 years ago.

That was the last time the Boks travelled north mid-year, a slump in form ensued, and ironically enough captain Gary Teichmann was later dumped by Bok coach Nick Mallett as the World Cup defence derailed.

The Millennium Stadium encounter on 5 June now brings the number of Bok Tests this year to 14 – plus a Barbarians match in December – just a year out from the global showpiece.

Saru are content as they sign on for more TV rights and fill their coffers, the players are happy as they earn an extra cheque for match fees, while the franchises – who have completely different goals – are unlikely to give in and rest their players with a Test confirmed just three months prior to the match.

However, Derik Coetzee, the Boks’ former conditioning coach from 2004 until 2007, says that co-operation between the unions and Bok coach Peter de Villiers is the only way the players will survive.

‘The key thing is, and there is no other way around it, but there must be proper planning from the Bok management,’ Coetzee told keo.co.za. ‘All the franchises have to buy in. If they don’t, and the players don’t get active rest periods, they have no chance of surviving until the World Cup.

‘It’s imperative the whole country is working towards New Zealand 2011. With this Wales Test and Grand Slam tour, drastic plans need to be in place.’

Coetzee suggested resting a core group of senior players, such as John Smit, Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield, Juan Smith and Fourie du Preez. It’s also vital that this rest comes during certain periods throughout the year, and not much later once the damage is irreparable.

‘The players have to be in peak condition for the World Cup,’ said Coetzee. ‘The problem is franchises have different objectives in terms of when they want players to peak physically and mentally compared to the Boks.

‘However, I’m sure the Bulls’ Boks will have a full week off now that they have a bye this weekend. They must still have more breaks throughout the Super 14, but if they want their stars playing every weekend, it will be detrimental to the individuals.

‘The franchises have to work with Saru to ensure the World Cup is a success, that’s the top goal by a mile.’

The reality is that Peter de Villiers is going to have to have rest his players. De Villiers is against this policy, as he said last year the provinces should be the ones resting the players, but someone will have to give in.

‘In 2006, Jake sacrificed results on the year-end tour as he rested players, and we also didn’t allow any players in the latter stages of 2007 Currie Cup,’ said Coetzee. ‘We had everyone on our backs, from the public, to the media, to the provinces, to Saru.

‘Excellent communication from Peter to the franchise coaches is the only way. If the players don’t rest before the Tri-Nations, that will just be too long. They need a break before that, a core group must be developed and they must be rotated.

‘The Wales Test brings in a new dimension to how they do it, while the end-of-year tour is another story.’

By Grant Ball



445 Comments

Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9] Show All

  • 401.carol: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:00 am

    @JL1: What are you saving up for JL1, perhaps we can help you to decide? :lol:

  • 402.gunther: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:01 am

    WPTID

    Boknooi..

  • 403.carol: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:02 am

    @katman: Yes, I heard that this was a South African Rugby Blog!! :lol:

  • 404.The Almighty Shaun: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:02 am

    @TASSIES: She only flirted.. she is getting married to her beloved boere sweetheart shortly.. She lost all idea of her past and future for a moment.. It was a good moment for her.. Imagine this.. She tried to talk to me about the Kffrs at the airport in Joburg.. I was so taken aback.. I burst out laughing. I was actually gobsmacked by her stupidity and naivete.. Her line manager is of Jamaican descent.. A rather strong woman.. Luckily she was clever enough to avoid any incidents.. It would have been ugly

  • 405.katman: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:02 am

    And damn straight, I support the lions.

    >^..^<

    We're one game away from turning this big old ship around and crushing the rest of you.

  • 406.WP Till I Die: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:03 am

    @katman: Both, I think.

    ****, if this was Malawi I might be wanted by now.

    Yoh.

    Had some brilliant mussels, though.

  • 407.TASSIES: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:04 am

    @The Almighty Shaun: sound familiar boet? I think you’d be more of a catalist in this department and proud of it too.

  • 408.carol: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:05 am

    @charo: Great conversation opener to a Saffa Bloke – “Where do you come from”?
    They tell me, I say “So you support the *******”!!

    You guys are so provincial I guess right every time!! ;-)

    It also throws them that a Pom female knows!!

  • 409.gunther: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:05 am

    I think the shipping metaphor is unfortunate when discussing the lions..

    Icebergs all around ..

  • 410.WP Till I Die: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:07 am

    Boknooi!

  • 411.katman: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:07 am

    @gunther: We’ll be fine. We’ve got Baywatch.

  • 412.katman: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:09 am

    I think the end is nooi.

  • 413.The Almighty Shaun: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:09 am

    @charo: I have a powerful tone to my voice.. maybe that is what drives them wild

    @JL1: They both have contracts for £35pm with a million minutes.. whatever.. apps or performance is the issue…

  • 414.charo: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:10 am

    @carol:

    makes me laff when 1st time overseas saffas think they have this “bird-magnet” appeal because they talk with a cape flats accent…. 8)

    naive country yank women are sooooo waiting to meet a foreigner they mistake the most basic saffa for a frenchman…

  • 415.katman: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:10 am

    Cheers all.

    Go Lions.

    >^..^<

  • 416.carol: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:10 am

    @WP Till I Die: 408 You what?

  • 417.gunther: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:12 am

    Katman

    That’s what worries me..

    Leonardo Grobelaar..

  • 418.charo: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:12 am

    @The Almighty Shaun:

    get a blackberry…. still the best and easiest business tool

  • 419.WP Till I Die: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:13 am

    Amor Vittone sees herself as a Boknooi.

  • 420.carol: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:15 am

    @charo: French…Bwahhahhaah.

    The first time I was in the States I was astonished how sales assistants used to shrek “Gee, I just lurvee your accent, say it again”

    I would repeat ” Can I have a coffee please” and nearly got a round of applause.

    However, since Hugh Grant the British accent has lost it’s lustre!!

  • 421.carol: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:15 am

    @gunther: 415 – Any relation to Bruce?

  • 422.katman: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:15 am

    @WP Till I Die: No, she’s Nooik. Because Joost did it.

  • 423.katman: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:17 am

    On that lame note… g’nooit.

  • 424.The Almighty Shaun: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:17 am

    @charo: Fk the blackberry.. I don’t work after 5pm.. and I am office bound. I have a desktop also.. no laptop to take home to do some work. They get 8hours per day.. I offer to work in that time at double intensity.. so they get 16hours.. 8)

  • 425.charo: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:20 am

    @carol:

    yeah, but were you ever deep in redneck country?

    west richmond, south carolina, north texas?

    tacitus could have walked in and they would have he was a parisien.. 8)

  • 426.TASSIES: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:20 am

    @The Almighty Shaun: why not? Dof or otherwise, one chooses to hitch up with whom one chooses. One should be fine with that.

  • 427.The Almighty Shaun: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:21 am

    @charo: Attitude sells mate.. accent is Bullshit.. been here for 4years.. I know how to work it.. ;-)

  • 428.carol: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:21 am

    @katman: Night Lion Fan

  • 429.carol: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:23 am

    @The Almighty Shaun: You are a gift Shaun, I am biting my lip here!

  • 430.charo: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:24 am

    @The Almighty Shaun:

    ok, but for me the blackberry saves me lugging my laptop home.
    different strokes etc but the future is 24 hr business connectivity whether we like it or not.

    i work for a global company so have no excuse for closing at 5 and having weekends off

  • 431.The Almighty Shaun: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:24 am

    @TASSIES: 424..Lost you mate.. which post were you refering to

  • 432.carol: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:25 am

    @charo: Urmmmmmm, well Boston, New England and Aspen!! Oh other snowy bits too!!

    No redneck country, yet….why would you?

  • 433.TASSIES: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:25 am

    @charo: LMAO. Takkie might not have been amused as much.

  • 434.carol: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:26 am

    Night Gents……and Robzim, where did you go too?

  • 435.TASSIES: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:28 am

    sorry Shaun. 402 mate. The dutch girl. :)

  • 436.charo: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:31 am

    @carol:

    far too civilised – try midwest, alabama, baton rouge, houston, charleston, virginia (particularly if you travel west into the old confederates country) – different species of human beings populate these regions.

    californians are aliens and saffas (even from pretoria) are soooooo sophisticated :lol:

  • 437.The Almighty Shaun: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:32 am

    @carol: 427..Fk.. I am losing it.. which post were you refering to

    @charo: Don’t be fooled by all the macho BS of working 24hours per day.. its not necessary.. I had to procure over 300 suppliers in 5weeks.. I did it with 5 hours to spare.. probably because I lost a bit of confidence and pushed in a few extra hours early on ( no more than 4 though).. They think that I am sound kind of god ;-)

  • 438.TASSIES: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:33 am

    @carol: hullo Carol. I think you’d better next visit here in summer girl. Then you’d stand a better chance of experiencing that red neck folk are referring to. Last winter was strictly white neck. ;)

  • 439.The Almighty Shaun: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:35 am

    @The Almighty Shaun: 435..sound=some

  • 440.charo: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:36 am

    @The Almighty Shaun:

    well done boet…. but don’t compare working for the brits in england with working in an international environment – now its 24 hrs and time zones mean fuggal – margins are tight and we all have to pull together.

    the chinese have the work ethic and we all have to follow suit.

    now time to hit the sack – cheers all.

  • 441.TASSIES: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:37 am

    ja, I think I’m about ready to hit the pitt. Conversation is starting to get beyond this simple mind. Cheers folks. Try to enjoy your dreams without me. Okay. :)

  • 442.The Almighty Shaun: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:44 am

    @TASSIES: 433.. she is a pretty little dingetjie.. hardworker.. but she actually misinterpreted my role in the office initially until she saw my invoice.. I sell myself as commercial support.. Best commercial support in the world.. clients do not like you to be taking on titles in their organisations… so I avoid calling myself a manager.. My role is commercial support. The respect only came after she saw the invoice.. huge pity

  • 443.The Almighty Shaun: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 00:51 am

    Cool dudes.. nice talking to all.. I will be back to my best over the weekend.. just did not have the energy tonight.. sorry keo.. I know how much you depend on me.. ;-)

  • 444.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 11:40 am

    @carol: it hasn’t really, those New york girls still love it :)

  • 445.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    5 Mar 2010, 11:41 am

    @Big Hit: @ carol 420

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