Break would have served Habana better
31 Aug 2010
GRANT BALL writes that Bryan Habana should have been rested for Saturday’s Test against Australia.
Peter de Villiers said on Monday that every step from now on must be for the good of the World Cup, and you would assume that would mean seeing the top players reach the event in the best possible form and in good physical condition. Mentally, the players have highlighted the difficulty in getting up for big matches consistently, and this seems the likely scenario with Habana, who will be expected to play another Test in Bloemfontein.
His confidence hit new lows at Loftus as he gifted James O’Connor a try and was caught in possession in the build-up to Dean Mumm’s. In between those two examples it was clear he tried too hard to make up for O’Connor’s score by running from behind his own line after Kurtley Beale’s missed long-range penalty, and then he hacked the ball into touch, which resulted in a net gain for the Wallabies. That example more than any other showed what state of mind Habana is in: he felt he should counter-attack, but then didn’t believe he could break through the defence when confronted by would-be tacklers.
The question is how can he – like so many other Boks this season – look so different a player to the one who succeeded in the Super 14? Habana, and for that matter any Bok back and especially wing, hasn’t been helped by the Boks’ limited and one-dimensional attacking game. Habana’s last three Test tries have come against Italy – a side ranked outside the top 10 – while he’s also had little constructed for him. At the Stormers, Habana is used as a strike runner, but with the Boks he’s merely a finisher on the end of a backline who’ve lacked creativity.
Habana’s best moment in the last two years was scoring the series-turning try against the British & Irish Lions at Loftus. With the exception of his tries against Australia in Perth, he’s looked largely ineffectual since. The worrying factor from the Bok management’s perspective is why similar opportunities haven’t been created for him.
Telling statistics since De Villiers took over as Bok coach show that Habana has scored just eight tries in 29 Tests, compared to 30 in 36, pre-2008. During the same time-frame against the top five nations, including the Lions, Habana’s record has slumped to five tries in 21 Tests under De Villiers, compared to 15 in 23 between 2004 and the end of 2007.
It may seem harsh to drop or rest a player who’s been susceptible to the team and coaching staff’s failings, but a break at times like these is often the best medicine to refresh the mind and body.
Habana is set to be announced in the Bok side named on Tuesday where he’ll benefit from a midfield combo of Jaque Fourie and Jean de Villiers, but he would’ve been aided more by a complete break from the game, with Gio Aplon starting. In two interviews with keo.co.za in the last three months, Habana has been one individual to speak openly about not being over-played, as before the Tri-Nations started, he was already nearing the recommended game-time of 1400-1600 minutes per year.
Habana talked about the value of being rested at the right times, and this week was just that. De Villiers explained his re-selection of players such as Habana due to the local fans wanting to see them, but bowing to perceived public sentiment isn’t in a Springbok coach’s job description.
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138 Comments
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31 Aug 2010, 10:57 am
@Hooker22(Hooker22)-88: Hooker I’m not saying its a fact I’m merely expressing an opinion that it might be playing on his mind. The expression on his face that i saw was one of disappointment that the ball didn’t go to him which is why I thought that the idea of breaking the record is weighing heavily on his mind. I did not suggest that he wasn’t happy that Frans scored but rather that he didn’t celebrate it in his normal fashion which made me think what I did. Again I’m not saying its a fact or even that I’m right I’m just wondering about the possibility.
31 Aug 2010, 11:02 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-56:
awesome. what a great reminder of what can happen in a year.
further evidence being whats happened to the ABs in last 12 months.
the key to success at world cup will be how well we manage our players between now and then.
31 Aug 2010, 11:13 am
@GreenLion(GreenLion)-96:
“A cliche but a series between NZ would be epic…”
Our two teams play each other three times every year. What more do you want?
31 Aug 2010, 11:20 am
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-103: Maybe I wasn’t specific enough in my post.. I said I’d rather have the Tri-Nations every 2 years perhaps even 3 years and then a series between countries during the gaps in the Tri-Nations.. I think we play NZ too often..
31 Aug 2010, 11:21 am
@GreenLion(GreenLion)-104: Agree
31 Aug 2010, 11:22 am
@I_support_BEES(suffer_guy)-99: Dude, is your new username a joke? Cos if it is, it ain’t funny. About the only peolple that should be supporting Bees are these people:
“Roux’s father, Phillip, his mother, Yvonne, and his friend, Carien du Toit, were also in court.”
Anyone else and it looks goulish.
31 Aug 2010, 11:22 am
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-101:
Fair enough – and you’re right, it may well be a factor. But it’s conjecture, and the argument you used in your post that Habana was next in line to receive the pass was incorrect.
This isn’t aimed at you, but I’m just so tired of all the negative know-it-alls on this site who take opinion for fact. Have the Boks been poor this year…duh. Is it disappointing…of course it is. Are we way behind the ABs…sure looks that way. What are the reasons? As many and varied as the opinions in these posts.
But to wish your team to lose, to constantly denigrate guys who’ve put their bodies on the line for so long from the comfort of armchairs, and to do it with such obstinate and pedagogical arrogance…man, it rankles.
Everyone’s entitled to an opinion, everyone’s entitled to express it, everyone can shout from the rooftops at everything from ageing warriors to inept coaches. And it’s understandable that, in the heat of the moment, remote controls are thrown at TVs and inflammatory insults are hurled about like cookies at a teenage drink-fest.
But in the end, in the cold light of day, our job as fans is not to choose the team, not to decide on tactics, not to cling to our provincial and personal biases, it’s to support our team. Through thick and farking thin. Anyone can be a fair-weather fan. A true fan supports his team even when they’re super kak.
31 Aug 2010, 11:24 am
mouton .. didn’t you watch the news? The whole bok team incl. PDV supports bees …. so do i!
31 Aug 2010, 11:25 am
@GreenLion(GreenLion)-104: Hopefully, once Argentina arrives and the 4N is just home and away it might be less “samey”. I’ll believe the 4N when I see it though.
31 Aug 2010, 11:30 am
@I_support_BEES(suffer_guy)-108: What, support him as in he’s a dangerous freak and should be carefully watched by psychiatric professionals? Yes, I suppose that’s fair. You wouldn’t want to go have a beer with him while he’s out on bail though would you?
31 Aug 2010, 11:36 am
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-110: Who is a “dangerous freak”?
31 Aug 2010, 11:41 am
@Hooker22(Hooker22)-107: spoken like a true lions fan
31 Aug 2010, 11:59 am
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-110: Why bother with a trial then? You KNOW he’s guilty….so lets just hang him off a lampost
31 Aug 2010, 12:01 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-112:
It’s that obvious?
Actually, no, I’m a bit of a hooker (as in the woman, not the middle of the front row) when it comes to local sides – I do ‘em all. I don’t support any local side except when they play foreign teams, then I’m all over whoever the local side is. In local derbies, I support the team for whom the result best suits SA rugby.
As for the CC – I enjoy the rugby and don’t get too caught up in the whole fan mania thing. it might make it less intense, I suppose, but it allows me to avoid the petty provincial biases that are so prevalent among the rabid local supporters…and evident on these boards.
31 Aug 2010, 12:08 pm
@Hooker22(Hooker22)-114: is your other nic Pearl Rose?
31 Aug 2010, 12:10 pm
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-110: Come on – who is a “dangerous freak” and what facts speak for that?
31 Aug 2010, 12:12 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-115:
Qué?
31 Aug 2010, 12:18 pm
@Hooker22(Hooker22)-117: nevermind then, another blogger who expressed the same sentiments as you when it came to backing a team…
31 Aug 2010, 12:42 pm
I would still like to know how resting a player now will keep him fresh for a WC 12 months down the line if he is going to play something like 12-14 S15 matches next year in any case.
Don’t drop him to give him a rest. Drop him because he is playing poorly and there are others who are playing better.
31 Aug 2010, 12:51 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-56: Wow that is amazing Transie. Hope this means the cup is ours next year
31 Aug 2010, 13:02 pm
The irony is that being a beloved Bok supporter,
I’m more of a Basson fan than Habana at the moment. Also more of a Juan fan than both Jean or Jaque.
31 Aug 2010, 14:01 pm
@Hooker22(Hooker22)-107:Understand fully and agree about the constant harping on about players and selections etc.
31 Aug 2010, 14:50 pm
@Andre_WP(Andre_WP)-94: They’ve only played 2 tests in the last two weeks. Prior to that, they all had a massive three week break from all rugby.
Ordinary folk get three weeks off to rest and then must go to work for another full year at their jobs for 49 more weeks.
The Boks come off a three week break and, two weeks later, they’re “tired” again and in need of more “rest”?
That’s just mental softness. It’s not tiredness.
31 Aug 2010, 15:19 pm
@Bok fan(Bok fan)-121: I agree. I like de Jonge….he will be the future inside centre, but at the moment JF & JDv have played many tests together, and they are a lethal combo.
31 Aug 2010, 15:27 pm
They must give Habana a break. Much better wings out their, but with Olivier on centre (in many previous encounters),you can’t expect him to score tries with a man like that on his inside.
That man is Bostic, no vision!
31 Aug 2010, 15:53 pm
Habana is SA rugby what Ponting is to Aussie cricket – they never dropped Ponting even though he went through serious patches – but he always emerged with a big score; the psychological harm of dropping Habana is not worth it – what for, to save one game?
The article writers on this blog have had a bad last few days – and, like the refs under O’Brien, they all follow the “lead” of Keo. Come on guys – none of you are more important than the game: lay off the wild, hysterical suggestions and anlaysis.
Saturday was the most entertaining game of the year – Kurtley Beale’s initiated try was the try of the competition and the Wallabies showed the merits of qucik decision-making and playing at lighning speed – so what if there were missed tackles and ****-ups. There was a lot of very good rugby played and Bok fight-back was bloody good, so were the tries they scored and Smit at last showed some capataincy.
Keo and all the rest of you trashing the game leaves a bad taste in the mouth; I doubt if you people even love the game after all the negativity you have spewed on this site.
31 Aug 2010, 16:11 pm
very disappointing
very disappointing indeed
31 Aug 2010, 16:53 pm
@Zandberg Jansen(Zandberg Jansen)-125:
True about Olivier!
31 Aug 2010, 17:03 pm
@Slartifartfast(Slartifartfast)-128:
Excellent man on your inside…totally underrated by most bloggers!
31 Aug 2010, 17:41 pm
@Slartifartfast(Slartifartfast)-129:
Why on earth was he dropped??
31 Aug 2010, 17:55 pm
my eoyt squad….of 30.
F steyn
Aplon
Jpp
Mvovo
Basson
JDV
JF
JDJ
WO
B JAMES
P LAMBIE
F HOUGAARD
J VERMAAK
S PRETORIOUS
L WATSON
D VERMEULEN
J SMITH [CAPT]
W ALBERTS
F LOUW
D STEGGMANN
A HARGREAVES
J KRUGER
F VD MERWE
B BOTHA
BJ BOTHA
CJ VD LINDE
BISSY
CHILLIBOY
BEAST
CJ VD LINDE
31 Aug 2010, 18:01 pm
@grant10(grant10)-131:
WO to be captain.
31 Aug 2010, 19:51 pm
@nama1(nama1)-119:
Drop Morne Styen first, he makes Habana desperate
And, don’t ever bring back Aplon and De Jongh, they compete for the ball with Habana but have no capabilities to score, its simply a matter of Quotas ruining another Quota albeit a merit one.
31 Aug 2010, 20:04 pm
@grant10(grant10)-131:
Mine would be.
Back line players:
15. Gio Aplon
14. JPP;
13. J. Fourie.
12. Jean d. Villiers; Juan de Jongh
11. Bryan Habana; Bjorn Basson
10. Morne Steyn
9. F. du Preez; Sarel Pretorius.
Forwards:
8. Dewalt Potgieter.
7. Juan Smith; Francois Louw.
6. Heinrich Brussow; Schalk Burger.
5. Victor Matfield; Andries Bekker.
4. Bakkies Botha; Flip vd Merwe.
3. Jannie du Plesis
2. Bismarck du Plesis; Chilliboy Rallapele
1. Gurthro Steenkamp; Beast Mtawarira
Utility players:
Forwards:
1. John Smit (1, 2, 3)
2. CJ vd Linde (1, 3)
3. Danie Rousouw (4, 7,
Back line:
1. Francois Hougaard (9, 13, 14)
2. Frans Steyn (10; 15)
31 Aug 2010, 20:14 pm
3. Danie Rousouw (4, 7, 8 )
Identify about 5 young players for the WC in 2015 and let them go with the squad to the tournament next year to soak up the atmosphere and the kind of pressure that goes with it.
I would take.
Backs:
Lambie
Mvovo
Elton Jantjies
Forwards:
WP Nel
Brock Harris
31 Aug 2010, 20:22 pm
@nama1(nama1)-134:
Sorry, still miss one player.
8. Duanne Vermeulen.
31 Aug 2010, 23:47 pm
Any other team with players like JPP and Habana and Nokwe would RELISH being able to create space for them to use- because they are DEADLY finishers that can take a half gap. If done properly, its almost a gimme.
We, instead, use them as kick chasers, and hardly EVER get the ball to them in space. Instead, we have Kiwi wingers running at them in space. MAAAAAARRRRRAAA WHY!!!!?????
Why can we not trust our skills and develop them (amongst forwards and backs)? Why do we have to be the lumbering stupid oafs of world rugby, when we have the talent to run rings around most, if not all?
FFS I hope we dont play the kick chase game against the NH nations again- they thrive on that 10 man rugby. We need to stop showing them so much respect, and hammer them with skill, size and pace. THAT, they have no answer for.
1 Sep 2010, 07:26 am
#137 Sjambok, I’ll go with that.
But I think Habana does need a break. He’s almost toooo desperate, darting here and there and trying for the intercept. PdV should have planned this and have Aplon or Basson VD Heever etc waiting in the wings plus making sure Habana’s morale remains high (Alex Ferguson style if needed).
Rest him, let him do some skills training and I think he’ll come back Rockacoconut style even better.
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