Meyer realises Bok dream
27 Jan 2012
Heyneke Meyer was on Friday named coach of the Springboks.
Four years after Meyer fell victim to political engineering that installed the inferior Peter de Villiers ahead of him, the 44-year-old strode through the doors of the Sports Science Centre in Cape Town with a tense expression. Privately he is undoubtedly apprehensive about what lies ahead.
There are few more unforgiving jobs in professional sports than that of Springboks coach. But for now his enthusiasm, optimism and unrelenting work ethic has yet to be dulled.
Meyer’s task, a four-year gig that will take him through to the World Cup in England in 2015, begins in arduous fashion. He’ll have roughly a week to prepare his Springboks for a three-Test series against England in June – a vicious introduction to Test coaching if ever there was one. And this without any certainty about who his assistants will be, with his preferences tied up in contracts.
Meyer, vehemently opposed to mediocrity, will pay no mind the fact that the bar was set decidedly low by his predecessor. A Tri-Nations title and series victory against the Lions plasters over three last placed finishes in the southern hemisphere showpiece and a quarter-final exit at the 2011 World Cup. Meyer has consistently said that the Springboks need to be held to a higher standard than they were made to, particularly on home soil. Now he will experience first hand the challenges associated with achieving that goal.
‘The World Cup is important but I believe you can’t build at Springbok level in the way you can in Super Rugby. My goal is to win every single game,’ Meyer said, in contrast to his predecessors, who’ve had an intense focus on winning the World Cup.
‘I’m not being arrogant and I respect other nations, many of whom have continuity [in their playing and coaching staff]. Every single game will be very important. So the World Cup will be the cherry on the top, but you want to be number one in the world for a long time. If you put the right structures in place, the right game plan, get the ethos of the team where you want it and get the type of players that will die for their country, then the World Cup will take care of itself.’
Saru CEO Jurie Roux explained that they had head-hunted Meyer and that he was their preferred candidate. He lamented a fallout with Bulls after Meyer indicated that he would like to take up the position of Springboks coach (he was their director of rugby) but maintained that Meyer had effected the exit clause in his contract.
Meyer thanked ‘the Bulls family’ and spoke fondly of his time at the union. On the Springboks job he spoke with visible emotion.
‘It is humbling to be named as coach. It’s an honour. I realise its a huge responsibility to represent the whole of the nation. But I’m ready and looking forward to the challenge. I realise that winning is the most important thing. But I also intend to make a difference to the lives of the people of our country. I hope I achieve that.
‘I want to be a Springbok coach of the people. And I want to make the Springboks accessible to all people. I want all our supporters to be proud of the team, and what the jersey stands for. My wish is that all South Africans will join hands in the bid to make this the best team in the world.’
By Ryan Vrede
429 Comments
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27 Jan 2012, 20:36 pm
28-6 Stormers, 10min left
27 Jan 2012, 20:38 pm
@JockBok-348:
Bulls game will be a biggie. Was at the same game at Loftus last year. The Bulls supporters were yakking all season long that we caught them cold too early in the season.
27 Jan 2012, 20:40 pm
@PissAnt-349:
Cool. Thanks PA
27 Jan 2012, 20:41 pm
@Dawn-350:
I hope so, just wish the season would start and help things along a bit.
27 Jan 2012, 20:44 pm
5min left still 28-6 Stormers
27 Jan 2012, 20:45 pm
@IAAS-352:
Yep, I remember you going. That was a great result, just hope we get a few more of the same this year.
Man, I wish they’d at least show us a highlights reel of this game on at the moment. It’s torture sitting here reading the comments from those guys who are there…
27 Jan 2012, 20:48 pm
Katman is there. Must be fuming.
Strauss and doppies can’t be playing.
27 Jan 2012, 20:51 pm
@Dawn-357:
Katman will be chilled. This was a practice match. Nothing more, nothing less.
But I’ll still take the win.
27 Jan 2012, 20:52 pm
28-6 Full time at Newlands, Stormers ended with only 12 men on the field – defence massive.
27 Jan 2012, 20:53 pm
@JockBok-356:
Last year these matches were shown live. Neo-Africa as a sponsor pulled out at the last minute. whether it was that, I don’t know.
27 Jan 2012, 20:54 pm
12? What happened?
27 Jan 2012, 20:54 pm
@PissAnt-359:
28 – 6 win and 12 men on the field. That sounds about right. Who were they playing again?
27 Jan 2012, 21:01 pm
@Dawn-361:
Yellow cards.
27 Jan 2012, 21:02 pm
Good grief is everyone watching Midsome Murders
27 Jan 2012, 21:06 pm
@Dawn-364:
Pawn Stars.
27 Jan 2012, 21:16 pm
Terrible Jock!
27 Jan 2012, 21:20 pm
@Dawn-364:
How did you know?
27 Jan 2012, 21:27 pm
@Dawn-366:
Sniff.
My name is Jock and I’m addicted to pawn…
27 Jan 2012, 21:29 pm
Educated guess?
27 Jan 2012, 21:30 pm
HelLooooo Jock
27 Jan 2012, 21:36 pm
I have so much kuk to do tomorrow and I don’t smaak.
27 Jan 2012, 21:45 pm
@Dawn-369:
And now Charlie Rose. How’s your crystal ball?
27 Jan 2012, 22:08 pm
@Dawn-364:
You seriously have Midsummer Murders over there!!
Hahahahahah
27 Jan 2012, 22:11 pm
Oh btw Dawn, I’m not there yet!!
27 Jan 2012, 22:17 pm
Course we have midsomer murders here!
Very frightfully frightfully we are!
27 Jan 2012, 22:23 pm
@carol-373:
With the new Barnaby.
27 Jan 2012, 22:31 pm
ROAR roaaaaaaaar! And ROAR.
27 Jan 2012, 22:31 pm
ROAR.
27 Jan 2012, 22:32 pm
ROAR ROAR ROAR.
hell man what time us it!
27 Jan 2012, 22:32 pm
@Dawn-375:
@David-376:
To say I am surprised in an understatement!!
Now you know the county where I live! Except that is South Oxfordshire and I am North Oxfordshire!
Not so many murders this end, Midsomer is as dangerous as Cape Town!!
27 Jan 2012, 22:33 pm
Where is everyone, how the heck I’m I goin to get home. Fark!
27 Jan 2012, 22:33 pm
@RL-379:
Is that because your boys lost, bad luck…..!!
27 Jan 2012, 22:35 pm
@carol-380:
You forget that friends of ours live just outside Chipping Norton.
27 Jan 2012, 22:35 pm
Women Brokeback city is the most dangerous crime ridden place in
SA followed by PE and sharkievakie city … it is true.
27 Jan 2012, 22:37 pm
Hell battery is almost ded … 1 bar I’m out. Chow all.
27 Jan 2012, 22:38 pm
No cause I drank shiit!
27 Jan 2012, 22:38 pm
Obviously not real shiit but memory losing shiit.
27 Jan 2012, 22:39 pm
Are you dronk.
27 Jan 2012, 22:39 pm
Night buddies.
27 Jan 2012, 22:44 pm
@RL-389:
Night Loser.
27 Jan 2012, 22:49 pm
I think he sleeping outside tonight. Can’t find his ride home.
27 Jan 2012, 22:54 pm
@IAAS-360: Not all the games were shown live. Only the Sharks and Stormers game. Iffy highlights were shown of the Stormers/Lions and Sharks/Lions games. I heard there will be a highlight package of the Stormers/Lions game before the Cheetahs/Stormers game (it will be live).
27 Jan 2012, 23:05 pm
@David-383:
I had forgotten that David! Are you visiting anytime soon?
27 Jan 2012, 23:08 pm
@Dawn-391:
Hope old RL is ok….!
27 Jan 2012, 23:11 pm
He be fine. He needs to find shady spot to sleep cos it’s gonna be hot tomorrow.
27 Jan 2012, 23:15 pm
@carol-393:
No, my wife was there year before last, though.
Apparently Midsomer is filmed in a variety of locations, not just Oxfordshire. Tonights episode contained a number of old red brick houses, common in East Anglia and I’m sure I recognised one river setting as being on the Broads.
27 Jan 2012, 23:20 pm
‘Night everyone, it’s late and I’m off to bed.
28 Jan 2012, 00:06 am
Sports, Cultures and Identities in South Africa a book by John Nauright dispels any attempts the apologists might try (false notions) to lie to spare them from shameful embarrassment.
Ch. 4 ‘White Tribe Dreaming’ : Rugby, Politics and White Identities …
Ch 6. ‘ No Normal Sport in an Abnormal Society’: Apartheid, The Rise of Non-Racial Sport and International Boycott Movements …
Ch 8 The Burden of the Past : (Re)Presentation, History, Sport and Society in the Rainbow Nation
These chapters , amongst other, will not be soothing reading for the apologetic LIARS here even though not written by active non-racists especially in Cape Town and still living.
Be careful LIARS, be very careful.
28 Jan 2012, 00:16 am
The sad sack racist still has … race on his mind. Fancy that.
What a knobber.
28 Jan 2012, 00:26 am
White Tribe Dreaming tells us of the appointment of the Jnr. ‘Broederbonder’, Avril Malan as capt. of the 1960 ‘Boks to England. This ‘Ruiterwag’ member was a political appointment, as was the appointment of Dawie De Villiers and Nellie Smith as capt. and v-capt. in 1965.
Abe Malan, brother of Avril, alternated with his brother as capt. in the early ’60s but were clearly not the best for that job(see next post)
Malan’s father was a prof. at Stellies and later a member of parliament and De Villiers was after his ruugby days a Cabinet Minister.
In it too is info. that english speaking players were denied captaincy often because they “were inimical to the interests of the Afrikaner ‘nation’.
There is much much more written though.
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