Profile of a master mind
27 Jan 2012
Keo.co.za reflects on Heyneke Meyer’s career and credentials.
Meyer’s professional career began as an assistant coach of the SWD Eagles in 1997. Such was the impression he made that he was promoted to head coach the following season and within two years proceeded to lead the minnows to a Currie Cup semi-final.
In 1999 Springbok coach Nick Mallett, impressed by Meyer’s work as forwards coach of the Stormers, included him on his coaching staff for the Rugby World Cup, a promotion Meyer has reflected on as ‘premature’.
In 2000 he was in the hot seat at the Bulls. He managed just one victory in 11 matches and was subsequently demoted. He won the Vodacom Cup in 2001 with a side that included young players he had identified such as Fourie du Preez, Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha He would later assist Harry Viljoen with the Springboks.
A return to Super Rugby followed in 2002, but Meyer oversaw a winless season. He did, however, win the Currie Cup against the odds later that year. Despite this, Meyer was again demoted. The Bulls just missed out on the Super Rugby semi-final in 2003, but added to their Currie Cup haul and Meyer would lead the Blue Bulls to the domestic title in 2004 and 2006 (shared).
Two Super Rugby semi-finals in 2005 and 2006 preceded their dramatic victory of the Sharks in the 2007 final. A fallout with the Bulls’ board saw him resign and take up a marketing position with a popular sports supplement company. Meyer returned to coaching in 2008 with Premiership side Leicester Tigers but returned to South Africa in 2009, citing a family crises.
Meyer also declined an offer to coach French side Toulon in 2008 and was a strong candidate for the role of forwards coach with Ireland the same season. Before being appointed Springboks coach Meyer was in the process of rebuilding the structures at the Bulls.
While Meyer is recognised as one of the best tactical minds in the game, he is also an excellent motivator. He does psychological profiles on all his players in a bid to understand how to extract the best out of them.
The finest example of this skill was seen during the 2007 season. Needing to beat the Reds by 75 points to secure a home semi-final, Meyer set about mentally conditioning each player of his squad to believe the feat was possible. They won 92-3 and the rest is history.
Personal
Date of birth: 6 October 1967
Age: 44
Place of birth: Nelspruit
Education: Bergvlam HS (Nelspruit), University of Pretoria
Degrees obtained: BA (Psychology, Geography and Human Movement Science), Hons BA (Geography), HED
Family: Married to Linda, three children
Coaching career
• 1988-1996: Coached a number of High School first teams, Under-21 sides and Carlton first teams in Pretoria.
• 1997: SWD Eagles assistant coach
• 1998: SWD Eagles head coach (Vodacom Cup semi-finalists and Absa Currie Cup)
• 1998: Emerging Springboks head coach
• 1999: Stormers assistant coach (semi-finalists in Super 12)
• 1999: SWD Eagles head coach (semi-finalists in Currie Cup)
• 1999: Springbok assistant coach (third place, Rugby World Cup)
• 2000: Bulls head coach (Super 12)
• 2001: Blue Bulls head coach (Vodacom Cup champions)
• 2001: Springbok assistant coach
• 2002: Bulls head coach (Super 12), Vodacom Blue Bulls head coach (Currie Cup champions)
• 2003: Blue Bulls head coach (Currie Cup champions)
• 2004: Blue Bulls head coach (Currie Cup champions)
• 2005: Bulls head coach (Super 12 semi-finalists), Blue Bulls head coach (Currie Cup runners up)
• 2006: Bulls head coach (Super 14 semi-finalists), Blue Bulls head coach (Currie Cup joint champions)
• 2007: Bulls head coach (Super 14 champions)
• 2008-2009: Leicester Tigers head coach
• 2011: Tuks Varsity Cup – Advisor
• 2011: Blue Bulls Company – Director of Rugby
• 2012: Springbok head coach
7 Comments
27 Jan 2012, 17:17 pm
Mediocre Dragon!!!!
28 Jan 2012, 04:55 am
Super Rugby intro for his first two seasons with Bulls : played 22 won 2 drew 1 lost 19.
28 Jan 2012, 15:25 pm
Yes Tackles, we know that. It was in the article, remember.
28 Jan 2012, 22:12 pm
This a pull off wiki pedia?
28 Jan 2012, 22:22 pm
The Boks are long overdue for a coach that stays on past the four year mark.
Grumpy Henry got a whole bunch of chances to prove himself before finally being handed the RWC trophy by Bryce.
29 Jan 2012, 02:49 am
@Great White Sharks gonna get ya-5: Grumpy Henry consistently won 3N titles, year after year, and consistently kept the ABs in the #1 IRB ranking, in spite of being denied the 2007 RWC by a ref called Wayne Barnes who missed a blatant 3m forward pass by the French…
29 Jan 2012, 21:32 pm
Great to have a coach that has a coaching CV. Nobody can deny that he deserves it and i’m considering sending Bryce a thank you card for ensuring piet pienkdas is game over! Start of his super career reminds me a little of slow starts experienced by a certain mr kallis and a certain sir ferguson!
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