Winging it
14 Jun 2011
RYAN VREDE, writing in SA Rugby magazine, says Francois Hougaard should replace Bryan Habana in the Springbok side.
Ignore the hairstyle that looks like a team of aeronautical engineers crafted it, so precise is its constitution. Pay no mind to the designer clothes, the flashy cars, the beautiful women and the A-list company Francois Hougaard keeps. He is no show pony. There is substance to go with his appreciable style.
Hougaard is a game-breaker with the potential to develop into a match-winner. Players of Hougaard’s ilk are a rarity and his talent must be harnessed and exploited by the Springbok selectors at the World Cup later this year. He plays with a level of belief unique to special players. It would be remiss to call it a swagger because it is in no way ostentatious or insolent. But his demeanour says he isn’t racked by self-doubt or fear of failure, which has been debilitating to young players of superior technical ability to his in the past.
‘I saw better players when I was recruiting for the union,’ says Heyneke Meyer, Bulls director of rugby, of his first encounter with Hougaard in late-2007. ‘But none of them had his mongrel and will to succeed. I’ve made mistakes recruiting technically exceptional players who’ve had nothing else about them. The best players I’ve seen have rarely relied on talent alone. Francois has got that something special to go with his obvious talent – the thing that gives you a sense of expectation when he is in possession of the ball.
‘He is the type of player who forces the opposition to focus on him, and one his team-mates will look to in the middle of a tight match and know he can change the course of events. We [the Bulls] don’t have any doubt that he will develop into a world-class No 9. But at the moment we need Fourie du Preez on the field in most games and for 80 minutes. But Francois is too good, too influential, to not be utilised. That’s why we still want him on the field even if it’s out of position. He’s become that important to us.’
Hougaard was central to the Bulls’ successful 2009 and 2010 Super 14 and Currie Cup campaigns where he played on the wing. In the 2010 Super 14 he made more positive contributions (successful gain-line breaks, effective tackles, metres run, passes completed, etc) on average per match than any South African wing.
And while he has made and continues to make strong impressions in a position he had never played in at any stage of his career prior to being asked to do so at the Bulls, Bryan Habana, the man Hougaard replaced when Habana joined the Stormers, has been floundering in a role he was once peerless in.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to build a compelling argument for the 2007 IRB Player of the Year’s inclusion in the Stormers’ run-on side. If form is the primary criteria for Springbok selection, Habana should not be considered, such has been his ineptitude in the past three seasons.
Statistics tell part of the tale of alarming regression – eight tries in 32 Tests since 2008 (he scored 30 in 36 preceding that). But statistics alone don’t capture just how desperately poor Habana has been by the standards he has set. There has been endless conjecture on this topic. It’s time we stopped asking why Habana is impotent, and started asking who should replace him in the Springbok squad.
Hougaard is the who.
However, Habana isn’t alone in his struggles. His World Cup-winning partner JP Pietersen has suffered with injuries and is a poor imposter of the player he was in France in 2007. Bjorn Basson thrilled in the Currie Cup in 2010 but has failed to replicate that form against the best players in the southern hemisphere, although his cause has been undeniably undermined by the Bulls’ general incompetence.
Lwazi Mvovo is a good prospect but is in need of refining, while Lionel Mapoe has struggled to kick on from the promise he showed in his rookie season.
The dynamic Gio Aplon’s claim for a regular run with the Springboks can no longer be ignored. There is no finer broken- field attacker in the country, and his ability in this regard ranks alongside the finest that New Zealand has to offer. With Aplon partnering Hougaard, and with the right service, the Springboks would have wingers with the skill set to unlock even the most organised defences.
Former Springbok wing Breyton Paulse is convinced Hougaard will be an asset if deployed as a Test wing.
‘He has no obvious technical limitations that would preclude his selection,’ the 64-cap flyer says. ‘He is fast, has good positional sense, is a sharp decision-maker under pressure, solid defender, is good under the high ball and can kick – the latter two being of primary importance to the modern wing.
‘He clearly has the temperament too. I remember watching him when he came into the side for the Soweto Test against the All Blacks last year [Hougaard played scrumhalf] and being struck by how composed he was. There were some senior boys who had forgettable evenings, but he played like a seasoned pro against the best side in the world. More to the point, he hasn’t folded in major play-off matches in the position for the Bulls. If you don’t have the mental toughness to go with the talent you’ll never make it at a high level. Hougaard has both those elements.’
Hougaard’s exploits have attracted praise from astute observers outside the Republic too. Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder, for one, is taken by the 22-year-old.
‘We’ve faced them [the Bulls] a couple of times with Hougaard on the wing and I can’t remember having an easy ride against him,’ Blackadder says. ‘At the Crusaders we encourage our wingers to pop up in unorthodox positions, we don’t like to constrict them with structure. It gives us an air of unpredictability. I see that free spirit in Hougaard, and in the right playing environment and with sound tactics, he is an asset.
‘Last year I was surprised to find out he is actually a halfback,’ he continues. ‘You’d never say that when watching him play on the wing. He is international class there. I was in the company of other Kiwi coaches who were having a rap about him not so long ago and they share my thoughts. A fine player.
‘To get the best out of him the Springboks would have to adapt their tactics, though. In fact, there are a couple of players who are wasted in the side. There’s such a wealth of attacking talent in this country. I mean, when you have a scrummie who plays wing with no discernible drop in standard, you know you’re blessed.’
Hougaard is predictably cagey on the issue – ‘I will play wherever the coach selects me’ – but doesn’t lack the belief that he could excel if asked to do the job.
‘I never go out there thinking “I hope I do well”. I expect to do well. Maybe some players would have felt uncomfortable being asked to play out of position and that’s understandable, but I love the challenge,’ he says.
‘There was probably no massive expectation of me [playing wing] from others. I think most people saw it as temporarily filling a gap left by Bryan. But I looked at it differently. I set myself high standards. I want to be the best in everything I do. I never want to hide behind the excuse of not being a specialist wing. That’s a coward’s way 
out. I think because I’ve embraced playing wing it’s changed me. It’s made me a better all-round player.’
Meyer counters: ‘I think he has changed us for the better. I like the idea of specialists in positions, but Francois has made himself very difficult to leave out. The senior players also feel like he elevates the calibre of the team when he plays. I don’t have any doubt he could do the same for the Springboks.’
– This article first appeared in the June issue of SA Rugby magazine. The July issue will be on sale from Wednesday, 22 June.
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62 Comments
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14 Jun 2011, 11:15 am
@race of tan(race of tan)-50: a rugby players time over 100m means absolutely nothing. a rugby field is only 80m long and besides, they hardly ever run the length of the field. that’s why when ppl ask them they never know. what does matter though is their time over 20 – 30m. it’s the explosiveness, the power out of a tackle and the speed to hold off defenders.
in fact, i’d go as far as to say usain bolt will make a very poor winger as his speed out of the blocks is weak, although he is the fastest man in the world.
14 Jun 2011, 11:19 am
@race of tan(race of tan)-50: I agree thats what he has always been best at – but personally I think the team should be creating opportunities for themselves instead of only feeding off the other team´s mistakes. Look at the way the Cheetahs are playing. They are creating the space and with good interplay between the backline they are making tries happen. Habanas strength is now a weakness. He is continually going for that elusive intercept try of his in the hope that that will rekindle his form. By coming off his line for the intercept he exposes his wing and tries are scored down that side. Go have a look at Bok games from last years Tri Nations and June tests. How often do you see him racing back to try and catch someone who has outflanked him because he came in off his position to try for the intercept? He is such a liability nowadays that with his defensive mistakes and on the high ball he is a major liability for the Boks. He is the one man in the team that can lose us a match now. In effect his strength is now his biggest weakness. He hasnt tried to develop his game beyond the sneaky intercepts and quite frankly i´m sick of us scoring so much from opportunism. I´d much rather see the Boks creating their own destiny instead of this reliance on feeding on the scraps.
14 Jun 2011, 11:33 am
Slumtown – I see your point. That has been a Bok problem for years, creating tries from set pieces etc It was under White were i began to see some/alot of creativity, the Boks scored alot of tries under White. Under PDV the Boks have regressed in creating tries from set pieces etc!!
I guess Habana has been poorly managed/coached. Rokococo went through a similar patch infact he is still not the same explosive player he use to be!
Habana to me seems to be trying to hard, again poor coaching, and he does run out of position alot. One thing in Habs defense is atleast he is always looking for work!! But it seems all a bit erratic from him nowadays.
I guess i am using blind faith and i can still remember his golden era!!
14 Jun 2011, 11:57 am
@race of tan(race of tan)-53: Yes thats the main problem – if you think of him at WC 2007 he is a must have – but in all honesty since then its just been one long run of bad form with one small patch of maybe a season where he started doing better again (just before leaving the Bulls and first few months at the Stormers. Since then its been one long decline and because he is always assured a starting berth there has been no pressure or challenge for him to improve. How many times a match does he drop his head and shake it – he is obviously not pleased with his own perfromance. So how can we be expected to be happy with him and believe he is going to be an asset in the WC team. Does Bassons form not warrant his inlcusion above that of Bryan? I mean really – what kind of message is this sending to all the younger hopeful players? It doesnt matter how good you are because you wont ever be picked anyway? Look at Sarel Pretorius – one of the best and top perormers of this years Super 15 – he has been absolute dynamite – and he doesnt even get a chance to prove himself in the Tri Nations. How can you leave such an explosive little player behind? It boggles my mind. If he were a kiwi he´s be their starting scrumhalf in the WC.
14 Jun 2011, 12:21 pm
I can’t believe that in the year of our lord 2011 people still think Bryan Habana deserves a place in the Springbok team. he’s bad, real bad!
14 Jun 2011, 14:49 pm
At test level, you cannot fault Habana. He has still been our best wing. Only exception being the 09 end of year tour when Pietersen saved our bacon in all our games. No wing has done well under Peter coaching. Our wings do not get the ball and do not score. In 08 the Bulls struggled in the S14, and Habana was not supplied posession at test level. In 09 the same thing occured though Habana was very good in that S14. In 2010 the Stormers were very poor ball in hand and the Boks had their worst season in tri nations history. So how anyone can blame habana solely defies the facts. It’s a onesided argument that is flawed in most ways. Replace habana if you want, but no other wing will succeed either. Harsh realities that must be learnt the hard way as they always are in sarugby.
14 Jun 2011, 14:57 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-54: Not bad form, bad coaching and setup. When has habana been in a well run backline since the start of 2008? Only argument can be 2009 S14. The Boks are a complete rabble. Relying on forwards for big scores not wings. And Stormers not as good ball in hand from 2008 to 2010. This year we see more of attacking play and you see Habana doing things others are not. Why are so many people so willfully blind? Its amazing!
14 Jun 2011, 15:07 pm
Habana stealth account spotted
14 Jun 2011, 15:50 pm
@Blitzbok(Blitzbok)-57: Personally I feel we lost or almost lost a lot of games in 2010 directly because of Habana. His form at test level has not always been impeccable. Go look at videos of tries in last years Tri Nations and June tests and eoyt and see how often Habana was the fly in the ointment. if its because of a badly run backline why then do players like Aplon actually succeed? I agree the coachin staff are to blame – firstly for his continual selection – maybe if he had something to fight for he´d stop Twittering and spend some time getting his 5h!t together.
Secondly they should have concentrated heavil heavily in making sure he does not come off his line EVER. To tell him to absolutely stop going for intercepts until his form improves and he needs major work on hand eye co-ordination. the fact he was in programs before for these problems is a good indication that he has a problem with this – perhaps some eyesight or hand eye co-ordination issue that has a physical origin. Just those 4 facts alone would make a massive change in Habana. But no – everyone just keeps saying he´s industrious and looks for work and for is temp class is permanent like a bunch of ostriches with their heads stuck in the sand. I dont care if he works his *** off every game – if he lets one try through due to negligence and going for personal glory its one too much. in a Spartan battalion his own mates would have killed him already because in the context of a team not one man should expose his team mates. He is there to hold the line in defense and he betrays his own every time. UNACCEPTABLE. FULL STOP
14 Jun 2011, 15:59 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-54:
About Sarel Pretorius/if he were a kiwi etc thats not entirely correct at ll bud. Alby Mathewson has for a couple of season been the most explosive NZ scrummy scoring the most tries the last 2 seasons(plays a lot like Pretorius-compact and very fast-good athlete) yet he is still behind in pecking order to Cowan,Weepu,Ellis.Has had a couple of caps here and there but really not a permanent squad member. Same can be said for Sharky Robinson a few yrs ago for Ab’s only got 3 AB caps.
14 Jun 2011, 17:29 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNuBAeSAza0
77minutes on the clock – South Africa is in the lead Habana lets a try through at 3.40 minutes John Smit (the other useless baggage in the Bok setup) lets the winning try through (after hanging around in the backline) at 4.24 minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGBvny83OsI&feature=related
Habana botches the high ball from kickoff 1.43 minutes
Habana does an Earl Rose 3.03 minutes
Habana almost botches a try 4.05 minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUXukM4-H8o
0.29 Habana trips over himself and let Beale through. (bit harsh this one but poor decision making again.
1.36 O Connor slips the tackle of Habana.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La3iYZFyzSg
2.58 check how far off the mark Habana has come up at the bottom of the screen. he has to turn and chase all the way back leaving his opposite man completely unmarked
5.18 Aplon tries to clean up Habana´s mistake. All he had to do was mark his man. but at take not that Habana was the one to knock that ball in an attempt for an intercept – he was nowhere near makring his wing and left Aplon to do the dirty work which he botched up.
2 errors one match – almost cost us the game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OO2WmYjm9E&feature=related
2.05 – look how far Habana is off the mark and obviously looking for the intercept
5.26 Habana out of position yet again not marking his wing watch him appear bottom screen and so how far back he has to run
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM49oy33Kzw&feature=related
1.16 John Smit struts his stuff in the backline . dork.
Need I say more?
14 Jun 2011, 17:30 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-60: Duly noted
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