Bok coach wants captain with character
27 Jan 2012
Heyneke Meyer is in no rush to name a Springbok captain but is of the belief that the next national leader should have particularly strong mental qualities.
Several members of the Boks’ leadership core retired from international rugby following South Africa’s exit from the 2011 World Cup. John Smit, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha and Danie Rossouw have all moved on, and so a new Bok team under Meyer will require new leadership.
Of the remaining senior team members, Schalk Burger was touted as the strongest candidate to succeed Smit on a long-term basis. When Meyer was announced as the new Bok coach on Friday, however, he confirmed that there will be a due selection process and that every leader in this country will be assessed.
Four months remain between now and the Boks’ first Test against England, but Meyer believes that the Boks’ strongest leader will reveal himself in the near future. He added that he is looking for a captain of a particular stature, a man that will stay true to the values that Meyer himself holds dear.
‘I want to pick the best possible Bok team and I want the country to be proud of that team,’ Meyer explained. ‘So to name a captain now would probably be too early.
‘I want to give everybody out there a fair chance, I want to get to know the players. For me it’s about character, that’s what a captain has to have. I probably won’t appoint a captain for the long term, I want to see what the players can offer first. Once I know the players I can make a final decision.’
Burger will captain the Stormers for the third-straight season in the coming Super Rugby tournament. The Cape team may not have won any trophies in recent times, but Burger has been at the forefront of some relatively successful campaigns. As a player, he also embodies the type of character and never-say-die attitude that Meyer covets.
Outside of Burger, there are other franchise leaders that stand out. Juan Smith has been a terrific servant for the Boks and while he is a leader that prefers to let his actions do the talking, he certainly fits the job description. Bismarck du Plessis is another impressive physical and mental specimen, and he was unlucky not to start at the 2011 World Cup.
Meyer was adamant that a previous provincial allegiance to the Bulls would not influence his decision to appoint the next Bok captain. He maintains that he will select the next Bok leader based on what will benefit the collective.
When he was with the Bulls, Meyer always gave players from other franchises their due. In a previous interview he admitted that Luke Watson was a player that possessed good leadership qualities, and when fronted with a reminder about Watson on Friday, Meyer reiterated that everybody in the country would be evaluated on the basis of their strengths rather than their provincial ties or current involvement in lower-tier competitions.
While it didn’t confirm that Meyer was considering Watson as a front-runner for the position, it showed that the new coach will explore every option and keep an open mind.
‘Every player out there has the same opportunity,’ he said. ‘Ultimately I have to do what’s best for the team.
‘I’m also going to travel around the country and speak to the players and from there I will make my final decision. It’s up to the players out there to prove themselves.’
By Jon Cardinelli
102 Comments
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30 Jan 2012, 09:06 am
@justrugby-99:
judgmental much?
cry me a river you farken lightweight.
et will be here soon and you can chat about the Bond’s next move.
lekker.
twat.
31 Jan 2012, 09:47 am
@Taahirah-90:
That would mean Victor having to play in the S15 to get game fit. If he does appear in the Bulls squad then we’ll know it’s on.
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