John Mitchell’s Lions deserved their 2011 Currie Cup success, but it is their 2012 Super Rugby campaign that will prove more telling. And it has to be a results-driven one.

Putting in good performances is no longer good enough. Playing good rugby is also not good enough. Winning in 2012 is what has to define the Lions.

Mitchell’s mongrels (said with great affection) are no longer a young squad. This will be their fourth tournament campaign with Mitchell and for all the heroics of their domestic high, the road to the play-offs was made easier because of the World Cup. The Lions, it cannot be ignored, were not affected by national call-ups. There was no disruption from the Super Rugby tournament into the Currie Cup. No other team had such a luxury.

Mitchell’s side struggled in Super Rugby in 2011 because of poor decision-making, inexperience and an inability to translate good intentions into victories.

For every good performance there was the converse a week later. Many of the results were defeats by less than seven points, but that should never be the measurement of a team with any aspiration. To win you only need one more point than your opponent. Those who beat the Lions may feel they won with something to spare.

Lions president Kevin de Klerk has spoken glowingly of Mitchell and his influence at the union. De Klerk said he never stopped believing in the New Zealander and never doubted for a moment that he could transform a team – mocked as circus Lions – into something a bit more intimidating.

The euphoria among the Lions players, management, administration and supporters was understandable after the Currie Cup final win against the Sharks. But the reality of the Lions is that until they deliver a winning Super Rugby season little will have changed.

I am not suggesting they have to win the tournament, but the expectation has to be a top-six – and play-off – finish. The Currie Cup is a feeder competition to Super Rugby. The strength of a team is what they do in Super Rugby and not the Currie Cup.

There is no escaping this reality and the only way to give the Currie Cup success of 2011 credibility is for those same players to win more than they lose against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa’s best. This will also be an important season for Mitchell, who has a reputation for being able to fix a team but not always deliver champions.

I don’t think the Lions have a good enough squad to win the Super Rugby title, so it would be unfair to demand of Mitchell to add it to their Currie Cup crown, but if the hype of dominating a watered down Currie Cup tournament is to be accepted as an accurate reflection of their strength, they can’t be excused a season in which they finish in the bottom three and claim the odd victory.

The Lions in 2011 were the good-news story of South African rugby, more so because it allowed everyone to forget the Springboks’ Tri-Nations and World Cup disasters, in which the Boks finished last in the former and equalled their worst-ever performance at the latter.

The Lions can’t afford to be an illusion similar to the Boks of 2011. There has been no internal analysis of where the Boks went wrong in 2011. There has simply been a collective belief that the Boks were done a dirty by a New Zealand referee.

There has to be a bit more realism attached to the story of the Lions and there are still questions that have to be answered. We’ll get that in the 2012 Super Rugby tournament.

What we will also get is the return of the Bulls. I’m backing them to be the South African team to beat, which doesn’t excuse the Lions finishing outside the top six.

– This column first appeared in the Jan-Feb issue of SA Rugby magazine. The March issue is on sale from 15 February. Click here to subscribe to the print or digital edition.

Hougaard was recruited from Western Province in late 2007 with the intention of grooming him to replace Du Preez. However, such was his talent that the Bulls’ senior players urged the coaching staff to accommodate him at wing, where he made telling contributions.

However, with Du Preez having ended a career in Pretoria – one in which he became the fulcrum around which the Bulls revolved – for a stint with Japanese side Suntory Goliath, Hougaard will get the extended run in the position he considers his best.

‘Coach Frans [Ludeke] has told me I’m the number one scrumhalf for the season,’ Hougaard told keo.co.za. ‘It is the chance I’ve been waiting for for some time and I know Fourie’s shadow will loom until I establish myself as a worthy successor.

‘That said, I’m a different player to him, more combative and robust than tactical and technical. He worked hard with me on the tactical side of things when he was still here but he always encouraged me to be my own man. That’s what I intend to do.’

The Bulls are well stocked in the scrumhalf department with the highly competent Jano Vermaak having signed in late 2011. Vermaak is set to be given a run against lesser opponents, at which time Hougaard may revert to the wing.

‘I enjoyed my time out wide. I understood the planning around me being played there and was prepared to bide my time,’ Hougaard explained. ‘Now I’m set on playing in my preferred position and showing why I think I’m a better scrumhalf than a winger. I’m open to being used on the wing from time to time, but I see myself as a No 9 and the coaches have backed me in that position.’

Hougaard appealed for patience before making absolute judgements on his suitability for the role. ‘To expect immediate success is unrealistic,’ Hougaard offered. ‘I haven’t played regularly at scrumhalf for some time. It will take some getting used to. That said I have high expectations of myself and understand my importance in the context of the team’s success. I can’t take forever to settle. There is no room for that in Super Rugby. You’ll be exposed and the pressure will snowball. But I love the challenge. I feel alive.’

He added that his ultimate goal was to surpass Du Preez’s feats at Test level. ‘I want to be the best scrumhalf in world rugby. To get there I will have to at the very least meet the standard Fourie set,’ Hougaard said. ‘But the game will evolve to a level that will probably require me to go past that standard. It’s a big challenge but I wouldn’t be able to settle for a mediocre goal.’

Read the in-depth feature with Hougaard in the current edition of SA Rugby magazine.

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Ahead of the Currie Cup semi-final against Western Province, Golden Lions president Kevin de Klerk sat down to pen a letter to each member of the squad of 22.

To Doppies la Grange, he wrote, ‘You are one of those rare players who can turn a game … but we haven’t seen the Doppies factor for a while. We need it.’ To Elton Jantjies, he wrote that he believed he could become the best flyhalf in the world and that he needed to continue working hard on the basics.

And so he went.

Such was his painstaking attention to saying the right things, it took him five hours.

For De Klerk, the original lion king, it was a matter of honour to be associated with the Lions of 2011. Indeed, when they followed up a week later with their rousing Currie Cup title triumph against the Sharks, he was beaming.

They had come through tortured times and he had inherited a mess, but here was growth at its most resplendent.

Exactly 40 years before, he had made his first start for Transvaal, the Rooibonte. In the ensuing years he had watched despairingly as the grand empire built by Louis Luyt in the 1980s slowly crumbled.

De Klerk, who earns his money in the demolition business, is central to the Lions narrative because he is such a core part of their revival. He wasn’t motivated by the gravy train, the free tickets or the headlines. What motivated him was history.

‘I grew up in Rosettenville, the son of a miner,’ he recalls. ‘I was always guaranteed a fight on the way home – and that was usually with the strongest girl.

‘I played rugby because I loved it. My first game for Transvaal in ’71, I locked alongside my hero, Piet Botha. I always appreciated what administrators and coaches did for me.’

That same year he was in the side that drew with Northern Transvaal in the Currie Cup final. He would go on to play many more games for Transvaal and later shared in a Springbok series triumph against the All Blacks. Lions blood courses through his veins.

Many factors contributed to the Lions’ ascendancy this year, but arguably one of the most important was the very first issue De Klerk tackled when he assumed the presidency in 2009.

‘I needed to get the team ethos back. We were very fragmented – practising in Randburg, gyming in Bryanston and then playing at Ellis Park.’

The point was that the team was literally and figuratively all over the place. And it showed as they became a laughing stock.

De Klerk’s philosophy was that the Super Rugby and Currie Cup sides were the shop window to the union. But the window was muddy, tatty, embarrassing.

‘We didn’t have the money … we had to farm with what we had. There was talk of unloading Derick Minnie and Michael Killian and I said no. They needed encouragement and belief.’

The next thing he did was work on morale, among the team and the administrative staff.

‘The first thing I did was pull the dynamics together – coaching, training, motivation – and helped elevate the spirit among the staff, the executive committee, the board and the trust. I involved equity partners too, but that backfired.’

De Klerk still hosts a bi-weekly session with his staff over tea and biscuits.

‘The improvement in morale has been phenomenal,’ he says, stressing that any success achieved has been the result of a collective effort.

‘Among the team, I wanted to bring back the culture of old, how we used to sing songs and tell rugby stories.’

In De Klerk’s first few months, Jake White’s ‘Winning Way’ was brought in, as was Dick Muir. The results were mixed, but one happy spinoff was that Muir recommended coach John Mitchell to the union.

De Klerk liked the New Zealander the instant he met him.

‘His demeanour, attitude and philosophy were just right. Take my word for it: there isn’t a better technical coach in world rugby and there is no way I would allow him to be poached by the Springboks. He is with me until 2013, at least.’

Mitchell arrived with the reputation of being a straight shooter. His direct style had won him few friends in Perth, where he was the founding coach of the Western Force, and he was known for wielding the big stick.

By all accounts, Mitchell’s players aren’t his biggest fans, but De Klerk likens that to his days in the army. ‘I hated my corporal, but I was never fitter in my life.’

The Mitchell method isn’t for everyone. The Force team ultimately rebelled, but the Lions were different, responding to his strong sense of order and discipline.

‘I think it’s because South Africans grow up with a deep respect for their elders and leaders,’ says De Klerk.‘John talks to the cause. Hy dra nie doekies om [he doesn’t beat around the bush]. There are lots of teams where it’s a case of the tail wagging the dog. You can’t become friends with your coach. John has no problem saying, “Listen pal, you’re not cutting it.”’

One moment during the Super Rugby season perfectly demonstrated his attitude. After losing 34-30 to the Chiefs in a classic game, there was a feeling that the Lions had done well. Mitchell wouldn’t hear of it.

‘We let this one slip. I’m not interested in people praising one another because they came close to winning.’

It’s an attitude recognised by Josh Strauss, the piratical figure who became a lightning rod for the team’s fortunes.

‘The talent was always there; the coach just managed it better. He instilled discipline and he made us choose core values. The guys he finished with are the guys who can handle it, who can take the criticism.’

Strauss and La Grange addressed the team during the captain’s run on the eve of the final. Their message was that they had taken so many pot shots from the media and supporters that nothing the Sharks did could blow them off course. When the players were handed their match jerseys, the number ‘9912’ was embroidered on, to represent 1999, the last time they had won the Currie Cup, and the dozen years since.

Part of what made Mitchell so successful was the training team he assembled. Wayne Taylor of New Zealand, his conditioning coach, is a stickler for fitness. He got stuck in. Even now, he says they are three years off where they ought to be physically.

Backline coach Carlos Spencer’s reputation precedes him, suffice to say that he hates losing. Despite his quiet presence, he lets the team know exactly how he feels. It was Jantjies who earned the plaudits after scoring 24 points in the final, but less dwelled upon was the bag of tricks Spencer endowed him with. The jinks, the subtle touches and the clever kicks are straight from the Spencer manual.

Then there was the quiet, brooding presence of Johan Ackermann, who fired up a pack of forwards that could by no measure be called outstanding. But JC Janse van Rensburg, Bandise Maku, Franco van der Merwe and others were like a band of brothers who stuck together and fought together.

Elsewhere, you only had to look at the form of players like La Grange, Strauss, Michael Bondesio, Minnie and Jaco Taute, a group of renegades, aspirants and nearly men, to realise that Mitchell’s great gift was his ability to draw the very best out of them.

But the Lions’ journey to Currie Cup success wasn’t without potholes. The fallout with their equity partners was damaging and there was also the messy departure of Jano Vermaak, one of De Klerk’s great regrets.

‘To lose him was a helluva blow, but then Bondesio came in and injected a tempo we never had. Watching every player develop was a thrill, but a particular highlight was JC Janse van Rensburg. He has the heart of a lion despite not being physically imposing. It’s hard to dwell on individuals, there were so many. Michael Rhodes, Elton, Josh Strauss, Franco … I saw Franco walking down the tunnel the other day and told him, “Now you’re starting to look like a lock, my mate.”’

Notwithstanding the difficulty in signing new players – ‘You don’t just pull them off shop shelves,’ says De Klerk – he believes they are well set to approach the new Super Rugby season with greater confidence. There is no hubris surrounding their Currie Cup win, just the certainty that they need to build on it.

‘I must reiterate that the victory belongs to the players,’ says De Klerk. ‘We were behind the scenes. All glory to them.’

The success in the Currie Cup will doubtless help attract players, as it did in early November when a number of new signings were announced, including the Cronjé brothers (Guy and Ross), Stephen Greeff, Callie Visagie and Hendrik Roodt. Mitchell will doubtless be shopping for more.

There’s no outlandish claim to cracking the Super Rugby play-offs, but De Klerk says he would be disappointed if they didn’t finish in the top half. The last year was pock-marked by what-could-have-beens, but with many young players now entering their third season of Super Rugby, the expectations are rooted in realism. ‘We’ve helped stabilise the rocky ship and they feel it.’

Happily De Klerk is in it for the long haul. He may be hobbling around thanks to recent knee replacement surgery, but the to-do list remains long and he remains determined.

Right at the top is preserving the status of the Lions as Saru ponders how to make six go into five for the 2013 Super Rugby season. De Klerk won’t tolerate talk of the Lions being removed or merging with the Cheetahs.

‘It’s been tough, but I’m going damn nowhere. I won’t allow these doors to close.’

– This article first appeared in the December issue of SA Rugby magazine. The January-February issue is on sale now.

You’d read about it in a comic book or in a sport-meets-sci-fi short story. The powers that be respond to a World Cup failure by ordering their coaches and sport scientists to build the perfect player. Deep in the catacombs of the Newlands headquarters, the eggheads utilise advanced bio-technology to extract the strengths of each South African flyhalf and assemble a composite capable of spearheading a new breed of Springboks.

This hybrid possesses the boot of Morné Steyn, the vision of Ruan Pienaar, the cool composure of Pat Lambie and the innovation of Elton Jantjies. He has Butch James’s defensive belligerence, as well as Johan Goosen’s rare ability to nail long-range penalties. Rejoice all ye faithful South African supporters, for at long last we have manufactured the perfect 10.

It’s a fantastical scenario, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s going to take a laboratory experiment or even a radioactive spider bite to initiate South Africa’s flyhalf evolution. This country is blessed with an abundance of talent and yet the coaches continue to back limited players in the all-important position, or indeed fail to back those who have the potential to develop into something resembling the complete package.

In early 2008, Peter de Villiers expressed his desire to mould the Boks into a more threatening attacking unit. Ruan Pienaar was hailed as The Chosen One as the Boks embarked on a tour of the United Kingdom, and by the end of that three-match sojourn Pienaar had proved it was possible to strike a balance between running the ball and playing a more conservative, territory-oriented game.

In 2009, however, De Villiers lost faith in Pienaar as well as his own ambitious strive for duality. His selections, once made with the future good of the game in mind, became purely results driven. Pienaar was replaced by Steyn and while the selection brought the Boks short-term success, it proved to be a long-term decision that set South African rugby back four years. Predictably, the Boks stagnated in 2010 and 2011 and their subsequent World Cup quarter-final exit only underlined a pre-existing problem.

Most South African rugby supporters will want to forget about that disastrous campaign. They will want to read about the next Bok coach and the next group of players tasked with taking this nation forward. They have every right to feel enthused given that the well of talent in South Africa runs deep, but it would be foolish to ignore the failures of the past. The next Springbok coach has to take these harsh lessons into consideration when selecting his preferred flyhalf and formulating his game plan ahead of the 2012 season. What De Villiers’s tenure has provided is a blueprint of what not to do when it comes to managing key players and constructing playing patterns designed to win matches between and at big tournaments.

Steyn may have provided the Boks with goal-kicking security and a formidable tactical kicking game, but his weaknesses were mercilessly exposed by some of the better World Cup teams. Wales targeted his channel in South Africa’s opening game, while Samoa and Australia also enjoyed terrific momentum whenever they focused their attack on the limited No 10. With ball-in-hand, he played so deep in the pocket that he allowed opposition defences to negate South Africa’s attacking space. To paraphrase Eddie Jones, you just can’t afford to pick a flyhalf who plays in a dinner suit.

While the past few seasons have highlighted what is wrong with our rugby, they haven’t given us a definitive answer to the flyhalf question. If Steyn is unable to rectify his shortcomings, which after three international seasons looks to be the case, then the next Bok coach has to back someone new whether the goal is short-term success in 2012 or even long-term success in 2015.

Pat Lambie is a prime candidate. He was handed the flyhalf responsibility as a 20-year-old in the 2010 Currie Cup, and proved to be the difference in the final against Western Province. He was given limited opportunities on the Boks’ tour of   the home nations, but honed his game in the 2011 Super Rugby tournament, particularly in the departments of tactical kicking and shooting for goal.

Lambie did an admirable job at fullback during the recent World Cup, but has the skill set to excel in a greater game-shaping role. After four seasons, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has now decided that it’s time to move the supremely talented James O’Connor to inside centre or flyhalf. After a two-season apprenticeship, perhaps it’s time that Lambie made a similar shift to the playmaking axis.

That he has the composure to perform in a high-pressure environment is not in question, and his value on defence and attack has been evident in previous Tests against the home nations as well as in this year’s Tri-Nations Test in Wellington. That latter display was especially significant as Lambie showed that he could impose himself on attack despite the lack of momentum up front.

Elton Jantjies’s match-winning efforts in this year’s Currie Cup final capped an incredible comeback for a player who had struggled in the preceding Super Rugby competition. That he had the goal-kicking ability and tactical-kicking prowess to be a success was never in doubt, but what marked his recent rise was a new confidence on attack and a willingness to take on the defence. Next year’s Super Rugby instalment will show just how far he’s come in this respect, and will also serve as an indicator of his defensive progress. If he can build on his Currie Cup form, he should be groomed for the ultimate responsibility at Test level.

There are more established options that the incoming Bok coach may want to consider. Steyn is a safe bet as long as the Boks aren’t playing a team that can outmuscle them in the forwards. If he wants to be viewed as more than goal-kicking insurance or a one-trick pony in general play, he will need to prove that he’s capable of a more balanced game in the coming Super Rugby tournament.

It’s a tough ask given the Bulls are at the beginning of a rebuilding process and the bulk of their forward veterans, namely Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw, Gary Botha and Gurthrö Steenkamp, have left the franchise. Unlike Lambie, Steyn has shown himself to be particularly susceptible when his pack is under pressure, and it would be  a stretch to believe that he can develop while his forwards are losing the battle up front.

De Villiers abandoned the Pienaar experiment in 2009, and his successor is unlikely to reinstate the versatile player given all that has transpired over the past two seasons. Once open to the possibility of playing 10, Pienaar has declared himself a specialist scrumhalf since moving to Irish club Ulster in late 2010. His confidence has also been dented through the mismanagement of previous Bok coaches, and while it will remain one of the great tragedies that he wasn’t given a fair go at flyhalf, it’s a mistake the next coach won’t be able to rectify.

Peter Grant is another who has hurt his chances of a Bok recall by deciding to play at least half of each season abroad. After his first stint with the Kobe Steelers in Japan, he returned to the Stormers undercooked, and struggled to recapture his form as the 2011 Super Rugby competition progressed. While Grant’s general game has regressed since 2010, his line-kicking has been consistently underwhelming.

The Boks need more than a kicking flyhalf to be successful in 2012, but they also need a pivot who can play a territorial game when the situation demands it. Steyn doesn’t meet the requirement of a modern-day 10 because his attacking game and defence are substandard, and Pop-gun Pete is at the other end of the scale of flyhalves who lack a balanced game.

Apart from Lambie and Jantjies, there are several other youngsters who the Bok coach should be monitoring closely over the next year or so. Sias Ebersohn has flourished in the attack-minded Cheetahs set-up, while Lionel Cronjé has shown at times why Rassie Erasmus once touted him as the next Frans Steyn. Johan Goosen, a schoolboy prodigy who became a YouTube sensation thanks to his outrageous long-range penalty attempts, shouldn’t be spoken about in the national context just yet. What is clear at this point is that all three of these players have the raw potential to be something special.

Of the young prospects, Lambie has had the most opportunities with his franchise and the Boks, but needs to be managed carefully if he is going to be a driving force. Sharks incumbent Freddie Michalak enjoyed a good Currie Cup this year, but if the next Bok coach intends to use Lambie at flyhalf, the 21-year-old needs to be starting in that position for his franchise. That Michalak plans to return to France should also influence the Sharks coaches’ decision to start Lambie at No 10 sooner rather than later.

Lions coach John Mitchell publicly criticised Jantjies at the beginning of Super Rugby this year, but recognised the need to back the youngster towards the end of the tournament. Mitchell also stuck with Jantjies throughout the Currie Cup and preferred him ahead of Butch James when the Bok veteran returned from a failed World Cup campaign in late October. Mitchell should continue to play Jantjies in this key position in 2012. Jantjies’s performances in the 2011 Super Rugby tournament suggested he needed another season to develop, and the 2012 edition will show whether he’s made the necessary improvements to be considered a realistic candidate for Bok playmaker.

That the Boks need to start embracing all facets of the game and maximising their attacking potential is not up for debate, but as to who is worthy of that hallowed No 10 jersey will only be decided after  several months of Super Rugby action. Providing the candidates receive sufficient opportunities to prove their worth, it promises to be an absorbing contest that will give the Bok coach something that his predecessors may have lacked: a number of balanced options.

– This article appeared in the December issue of SA Rugby magazine. The January-February issue is on sale now.

They all have the X factor, something that sets them apart from the rest.

If the Springboks are to achieve consistent success against the world champion All Blacks over the next four years, they will have to change their conservative mindset and play an expansive game when the situation demands it.

These seven players can lead South Africa’s rugby revolution and take our game to the next level.

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Also in the new issue:

– Many junior players have failed to make the transition to senior rugby over the years because of flaws in the Baby Boks set-up, but the situation seems to be improving

– Why rugby is ripe for a global rebel league

– SA Rugby magazine reveals how Solly Tyibilika wasn’t the only black player to be mismanaged over the past four years and how South Africa has regressed with regard to transformation at the highest levels

– Saracens flyhalf Derick Hougaard on suffering from depression, the ‘soul destroying’ experience of Kamp Staaldraad, and his desire to force his way back into Bok contention

– England’s shambolic World Cup campaign left Martin Johnson with no choice but to resign

– Victor Matfield speaks to SA Rugby magazine about his post-retirement plans, why players should be treated like adults, and his second-row partnership with Bakkies Botha

– Your ultimate guide to the 2012 Super Rugby season: Everything you need to know about the 15 teams

The Bulls’ dynasty is over. For now.

An era of unprecedented success – a nine-year period where they won six Currie Cup titles in eight attempts (one shared) and three Super Rugby crowns – now gives way to a time of rebuilding.

This is primarily (although not exclusively) due to the crippling effect of departures, mostly of senior players. In a mass exodus, one that includes the loss of eight Springboks and a handful of extremely competent squad players who ensured strength in depth, the Bulls were significantly compromised. It is the experience of the departed they will miss the most. With Victor Matfield, Gary Botha, Fourie du Preez, Danie Rossouw, Gurthrö Steenkamp and Bakkies Botha retiring or seeking fresh challenges in Europe and Japan, they have lost 581 Super Rugby caps in addition to a wealth of Test experience (the sextet are all World Cup winners). Their absence will be felt most deeply in high-pressure situations.

In the likes of Matfield and Botha, 34 and 32 years old respectively, they had a second-row duo whose powers were patently waning. Still, even in the twilight of their careers they were among the best in their positions in world rugby.

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Then there are those who still had much to offer, like Fourie du Preez (29), Steenkamp (30) and Rossouw, who despite being 32 has in recent years been a consistently good performer. Furthermore his positional versatility (he is able to cover lock, flank and No 8 with similarly high degrees of competence) is a rare and invaluable asset in a squad.

Following shoulder surgery in mid-2011, Du Preez struggled to impose his will on the opposition as readily as he had when at his best. Yet it is likely that he would have rediscovered the skill and tactical sharpness that for years marked him as the pre-eminent scrumhalf on the planet. But sushi will take precedence over prime steak at supper time, Du Preez opting to continue his career with the Suntory Sungoliath in Japan. He, above all others, is the loss the Bulls will lament most deeply, even though they have a prodigiously gifted successor in Francois Hougaard. In addition, from a leadership and tactical perspective, his and Matfield’s exit compounds their pain, as the twosome were heavily involved in the formulation and effective implementation of game plans. It is imperative that the players quickly progress beyond the psychological comfort Matfield and Du Preez elicited.

Certainly the Bulls’ position cannot be likened to the one they found themselves in in 2002, when the union was in turmoil and their ambition was being undermined by mediocrity on and off the field of play. Rectifying those flaws and steering the Bulls towards the success they subsequently achieved required a dramatic overhaul, primarily with regard to the playing structures, recruitment processes and culture. It is an area the Bulls’ director of rugby Heyneke Meyer, who is tasked with spearheading their drive into a new era of success, has put an intense focus on.

‘When I took over [as Bulls coach] in 2002 I was criticised for cutting 12 Springboks from our squad because I felt they didn’t fit into the team culture I wanted to foster,’ Meyer says. ‘This happened again recently, where some players had to go and be replaced by youngsters willing to embrace the culture I envisage – one of an unmatched work ethic and team above the individual. I felt that had gone away since I was last involved at the Bulls [Meyer was appointed to his current role after last coaching the Bulls to the Super 14 title in 2007]. That is something I’m ruthless about. Some of the players who were not granted contract extensions had gotten bigger than the union and I wouldn’t have that.’

Their recruiting has been purposeful and designed to ensure that there are successors of a high calibre when senior players succumb to the lure of foreign leagues, retire or endure torrid form. Hougaard is a prime example. It is a quality that will ensure they aren’t blown away in the holding years that lie before them, and the one that should make them title contenders in due course.

Recently some positional holes have been filled this way, the most notable being through the acquisition of the highly-rated midfielder Johann Sadie from Western Province. How Sadie responds in a new environment will be telling to the Bulls’ cause and his aptitude for Super Rugby will be tested in a way it never was as a bit-part player for the Cape union. It is certain that he will grow technically under the tutelage of the coaching staff, but the measure of the man will be how he negotiates the mental challenges that will mark his journey.

The famed Bulls’ junior structures will further supplement losses. The likes of centre Francois Venter and loose forward Arno Botha are treasured at the union and are seen as future Springboks. They will be blooded slowly but purposefully, with the intention of not compromising their ability to realise their immense potential.

Luck, science, timing and instinct combined in equal measure in uncovering Matfield, Du Preez, Botha and Bryan Habana and to a lesser degree Morné Steyn, Wynand Olivier and Pierre Spies. The plan is to have those characteristics conspire again to unveil an equally potent generation and in so doing lay the foundation for another era of dominance. That said, Meyer has little time for talk of hope in this regard.

‘We can’t hope that the players we have brought in and will bring in will succeed. We have to have some degree of certainty. I’ve been trying to improve our ability to achieve this by travelling to the USA to meet with top gridiron scouts and see what methods they have of identifying players who’ll make the cut. Obviously technical ability still ranks highest as a criterion, but there is also a huge emphasis on mental toughness. There are tests designed to measure that trait in a young player that I want to adapt for our purposes.

‘I also visited the US Military Academy at West Point [the world’s leading military university] where I interviewed soldiers and leaders who have been on the frontline in Iraq and Afghanistan to see how they deal with the huge mental pressure associated with being in battle situations. It’s mental toughness that will win you the close games and that’s what I want to define my players.’

Bulls high-performance manager Ian Schwartz has worked closely with Meyer and the coaching staff on the recruitment of players for the bulk of his 11 years at the union, brokering the deals that have brought some of the country’s best talents (established and schoolboy) to Pretoria and indeed negotiated the retention of the region’s best young talent. He is optimistic about the future.

‘Firstly, when we recruit players for our Super Rugby squad from other unions we do so only if we believe they have the capacity to become Springboks,’ he says. ‘Johann Sadie and [former WP wing] JJ Engelbrecht are prime examples of that criteria. It has worked for us in the past if you look at Zane Kirchner, Bjorn Basson, Flip van der Merwe and others. It is important that players who come here have Test potential because that ensures we compete at a high level and don’t fall away like we would have in a situation like we just went through with so many senior players leaving.

‘We also believe we sign the best schoolboy talent every year. We look for four primary criteria when signing a schoolboy – he must have exceptional talent, that is, an ability that surpasses his piers in his position, and be big, strong and quick. The fifth criteria can only be established once the player is with us – mental toughness.

‘Some of those types of signings are coming through now. They may not be ready for Super Rugby just yet, but the fact that our U19 and U21 sides made the finals of their domestic competitions [the U21s won] indicates there is a wealth of talent at our disposal. Not all of those players will contest for Super Rugby places, but we only need three or four outstanding ones and we’re in a position of strength. Arno Botha and Francois Venter are the first of those to come through of the new crop. There will be others in the near future.’

Meyer adds that they have to resist the temptation to speak longingly of the past.

‘People said there would never be another Joost [van der Westhuizen] and then Fourie came along. I hear people saying similar things about Victor now. I don’t believe that.

‘It is our goal to continue to deliver players of that calibre consistently. With all due respect to the greats who have moved on, I’ve already seen things in some of our young players here that surpass what they had at a similar age. I’m excited by players like Francois, Arno and [flank] Jean Cook. There are others with the ability to go all the way.’

One of the challenges will be to ensure that the core group of players identified to take the team back to the summit of the southern hemisphere and recapture national dominance are retained in the rebuilding phase.

Meyer sold Matfield, Du Preez and co on his vision in the early 2000s and that vision was enticing enough for those players to resist the advances of local rivals and big-spending foreign outfits. Meyer has again cast that vision and he and Schwartz will endeavour to secure the short-term futures of the likes of Hougaard, Sadie, Venter, Botha, Morné Steyn and Pierre Spies in the face of what is sure to be stern competition for their services in the coming years.

‘The players, coaches and management are fully aware of what we’re looking to achieve here. We want to be the best domestic team in world rugby again. We don’t want to be reflecting on the success of past teams. We aim to create new memories across all our sides, not just the Super Rugby and Currie Cup ones. That is the vision, but the outworking will be difficult as we need to evolve. The leading franchises are all on a similar level in terms of their professionalism, so you aren’t going to gain an edge by having a better game plan, for example. That edge will come in the players knowing exactly why they’re doing what they’re doing, the culture I spoke about already and improving our structures by first identifying the best people for those structures, then improving the people within those structures.’

So what are realistic expectations and acceptable standards, given where they stand at present?

‘Look, not qualifying for the Currie Cup semi-finals wasn’t acceptable, even though we fielded a young side with a view to getting  some of them ready for Super Rugby,’ Meyer says. ‘We will never tolerate mediocrity and there’s enough talent in our group to ensure that we are very competitive. But even though I have a clear idea in my mind about the time frame I expect to see results in, I never share that with players and coaches. That limits their thinking. For example, when I first started coaching the senior side, I expected to win the Currie Cup in year three of my plan. We won it in year two. I guarantee you that if I’d told my players and coaches that plan they wouldn’t have been as urgent as they were. That said, in a results-driven game you don’t have a lot of breathing space. We have to get it right as quickly as possible and I believe it won’t be long before we start achieving our goals.’

– This article first appeared in the December issue of SA Rugby magazine.

Solly Tyibilika’s career died long before his life ended. Indeed, a strong argument can be made that his life ended because his career died.

The why and how are important in equal measure when reflecting on his career and life. Why Tyibilika, who, by all accounts, had become mixed up with elicitors of trouble, was murdered in a hail of bullets in a Gugelethu shebeen on a Sunday afternoon, was still under investigation at the time of writing. How the 32-year-old went from crossing the tryline on debut for the Springboks in 2004 to lying in police chalk lines seven years later, is compelling. It is the rugby tragedy of our time.

I was lunching with a Springbok and former team-mate of Tyibilika’s at the time the news of his death broke. As details of its nature emerged – a calculated, gang-style hit that saw his body pumped with what an eye witness deemed ‘countless shots’ – his reaction struck me as strange. Tyibilika’s violent end was not unexpected. Through at least 20 text messages the player showed me it became apparent that this sentiment was shared by even those players who were closest to him. Certainly his death was lamented in these messages, but it was telling that most senders were not particularly surprised by its nature.

‘When Solly felt cared for he was invested in his career and determined to succeed,’ the player said. ‘When he felt hard done by he could be pretty self-destructive.’

There were to be increasing instances when his emotional immaturity manifested in this manner as his career progressed. But this wasn’t always so. Tyibilika caught the Sharks’ eye in 2003 off the back of impressive performances for Griquas. He would establish himself as a regular member of their Super Rugby squad – his pace, upper-body strength, work rate and robust approach placing him among the top openside flankers in the country at the time. He lacked the finesse, guile, vision and tactical appreciation that separated the good scavengers from the great ones, but attained a level of consistency that appealed to Springbok coach Jake White in late 2004.

There were muted grumbles of a political agenda when Tyibilika was named in White’s end-of-year tour squad. However, the overriding feeling was that Tyibilika had the potential to develop into a more than competent Test player.

He acquitted himself well on debut against Scotland at Murrayfield, becoming the first black African to score a try for the Springboks. He started against Argentina in Buenos Aires a week later and maintained a high enough standard domestically in 2005 to be a part of White’s squad for the Test season. There had been little evidence to support rhetoric about the wealth of world-class black talent in Tyibilika’s home province, the Eastern Cape. Tyibilika, it appeared, would be a groundbreaker in this regard, particularly since he was a forward, a rare commodity in a region renowned for producing backline players.

Then something happened that hinted at a delinquent demon that would surface with greater and lesser degrees of intensity as his career progressed. The Springboks staged a Test in East London against Uruguay. Tyibilika scored twice in the 134-3 rout and later invited friends who had travelled from his hometown, New Brighton, up to his hotel room to share a celebratory drink. He left three days later, having missed the team’s flight to Durban and depleting most of his not inconsiderable match fee.

Still, there were glimpses of brilliance that inspired. A month later Tyibilika would outplay Australian George Smith in a Tri-Nations Test at Ellis Park, before being injured and substituted at half-time by Schalk Burger.

The Springboks won 33-20 but Tyibilika only featured in the southern hemisphere showpiece again a year later, playing in losing sides in three Tests,  although not looking an impostor in elevated company. This was particularly pertinent, given that in a post-match press conference a week before, White had intimated that Tyibilika was included because of the colour of his skin. There was a clamour for the in-form Luke Watson’s inclusion after the Springboks suffered a 49-0 defeat to Australia in Brisbane, but White explained his decision to go with Tyibilika, in light of Danie Rossouw’s tour-ending injury, saying: ‘We need to be honest about sensitivities of the make-up of the team and show that transformation is happening in our country. We have got a guy like Solly on tour. There is a relationship in a team structure and we need to be considerate to that dynamic between the players.’

In Burger’s injury-enforced absence White later called Tyibilika the best openside flank in the country prior to the Loftus Test against New Zealand. The 47 minutes Tyibilika played in that heavy defeat would be his last for the Springboks.

This had much to do with a move to the Lions in 2007, one, he said, necessitated by the lack of game time he was getting in Durban. Breaking into the World Cup squad was his top priority and White had offered assurances that he was in the planning for the tournament. Eager to make a good impression on his new employers, Tyibilika trained relentlessly in the off-season and was unrivalled in the conditioning stakes when tests were conducted in camps in preparation for the Super Rugby campaign. However, his contribution amounted to little more than hit-outs in a couple of pre-season friendlies. Deemed surplus to requirements, Tyibilika was relegated to the Vodacom Cup side, where, he claimed, the coach wasn’t aware of his demotion and not prepared to integrate him into his plans. Thus began Tyibilika’s descent, marked by regular absenteeism and an ever-declining appetite for the game and its demands. His hunger for hedonism grew in direct proportion. He was relegated to club rugby. This a year after playing the All Blacks. The Lions released him from his R700 000-a-year contract. His ambition of breaking into the World Cup squad lay in tatters. He would end up watching the final in an East London shebeen.

The South African Rugby Union (Saru) made weak attempts at rehabilitating a man it once claimed to have great faith in. The Lions are even more culpable. Certainly Tyibilika must not be mitigated for his self-destructive behaviour, but he was failed by those who professed to have his interests at heart.

He is not alone in this regard. There have been varying levels of incompetence and irresponsibility in Saru’s dealings with black players specifically. Top South African coach Heyneke Meyer relayed the story of Chiliboy Ralepelle and Hilton Lobberts’ selection to tour Europe with the Springboks in 2006 to me. Ralepelle and Lobberts were among the best in their positions in the world at U19 level. Prior to their announcement in the squad Meyer pleaded with Saru not to take them, citing their emotional and physical immaturity and stressing that they would be better equipped two years from then.

Lobberts is said to have blown the R400 000 he made on two Volkswagen GTIs, supporting Meyer’s former assertion. He hasn’t played for South Africa in five years and hasn’t looked close to doing so. Ralepelle struggled with recurring injuries thereafter, lending support to the latter offering. He also suffered at the hands of national coaches who told the world he was rugby royalty, but treated him like a leper.

There are others who exhibited a capacity to overcome setbacks, former Springbok wing Ashwin Willemse being the prime example. Despite being plagued by injuries, Willemse  refused to allow his spirit to be killed. He regained fitness and was included in the 2007 World Cup squad. He now has a burgeoning career as an analyst on SuperSport that is far removed from the path his life could have followed had he opted to surrender to Hope’s assassin and return to the drug and gang culture that was a feature of his childhood. Tyibilika didn’t possess Willemse’s immense resolve. His tendency for self-sabotage demanded that he had a strong mentor, even a team of them, who could constantly reinforce his value, celebrate his talent and be prepared to talk hard when needed. In addition, he also needed brutal honesty and a clearly defined goal from his coaches. Instead he found the validation and emotional investment he sought from men who fuelled the beast within.

There is no question that Tyibilika was a fundamentally good man whose life course diverted from a route that promised a rich legacy to one that led to a premature and deeply saddening end. But that alone doesn’t warrant bringing his story into the national consciousness.

There are lessons in Tyibilika’s life and his violent death that must be heeded by the game’s administrators. History reflects that professional black athletes, specifically those from low socio-economic backgrounds, are more prone to delinquency than their white counterparts. A range of explanations has been offered for this, the primary one being the former’s generally underdeveloped emotional intelligence and life skills which compromises their capacity to adequately deal with their ascent from paupers to princes. This rings true for South African rugby players, where that division between privileged and poor is even more pronounced.

This is the stark education that Tyibilika’s story must provide. It is utterly unacceptable that 16 years into the professional era the game’s administrators still haven’t established a world-class programme that focuses on equipping young black players with the skills needed to negotiate challenges they will encounter in their careers. This must be an issue that commands immediate attention.

Tyibilika possessed some measure of fight even in the last moments, dragging his bullet-riddled body across the ground for a couple of metres in search of help. His physical wounds ultimately proved to be mortal, but the mental wounds he incurred in the latter part of his professional career had long since killed his spirit. How different it could all have been had someone cared for him enough to make his mind bulletproof.

– This article appears in the January issue of Business Day Sport Monthly, on sale now at selected outlets

Had it not been for Alan Zondagh, Sharks fans might have been spared the frustration inflicted on them by Strauss in the Currie Cup final, and he might instead have been attending to our furry friends in their hours of need. Before he was spotted playing club rugby by the former Western Province coach, the Strauss life plan was directed towards saving animal lives as a vet.

In the latest SA Rugby magazine, on sale this week, we reveal how Zondagh helped Strauss to play for Boland, and how his impressive performances for Maties in the Varsity Cup resulted in a trial at the Lions.

Strauss also reflects on the Lions’ triumphant Currie Cup campaign and looks ahead to next year’s Super Rugby tournament.

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Also in the new issue:

– SA Rugby magazine reveals how the Lions went from Super Rugby chumps in 2010 to Currie Cup champs in 2011

– John Mitchell on transforming the Lions, living in South Africa, preparing for Super Rugby, and the Springbok coaching job

– The Sharks started to develop a new team dynamic during the 2011 Currie Cup

– Heyneke Meyer’s wants the Bulls to become the world’s best domestic side again. We reveal his master plan

– Boland Kavaliers coach Eugene Eloff on winning the Currie Cup First Division, losing half of his side afterwards, and Saru’s decision to have six teams in the Premier Division

– SA Rugby magazine assesses the candidates who will be vying for the Springbok flyhalf jersey next year

– In an extract from his new autobiography, Butch James reveals how he was promised the Springbok No 10 jersey at the World Cup only to fall behind Morne Steyn in the pecking order

– Graham Henry finally has his inner peace – and his World Cup. Now he can get on with the rest of his life

– From zero to hero, jeers to cheers, agony to ecstasy, no one has a better handle on the fickle world of international rugby than World Cup winner Stephen Donald

– Thierry Dusautoir is an inspirational leader and officially the best rugby player on the planet

– The inaugural Rugby Championship will kick off on 18 August next year, two weeks after the Super Rugby final

– Francois Louw speaks to SA Rugby magazine about his new life in Bath, the recent World Cup campaign and why he hasn’t given up on playing for the Boks

– The Springbok Sevens went into the 2011-12 World Series with a settled squad

Burger, who first played for the Boks in a 2003 World Cup match against Georgia, enjoyed an outstanding tournament in New Zealand, exhibiting the same abrasive energy that marked him as a 20-year-old debutant. He also made use of the experience he’s accumulated over 60-plus Tests, as well as some recently acquired skills, to leave a lasting impression.

The next Bok coach will face the challenge of building a new team and a new leadership group. Burger is certain to be one of the pillars, if not a strong candidate for the captaincy itself. Some tough decisions will need to be made by the coach, and the ageing veterans may need to make way for the promising youngsters, but a clever man-manager will realise that Burger is the kind of player he can build his new team around.

Also in the new issue of SA Rugby magazine, on sale this week:

– We analyse the Springboks’ World Cup campaign and rate all the players

– Why the Springboks must adapt their game plan in order to achieve consistent success

– Richie McCaw has a phenomenal playing record, but McCaw the player is even more impressive

– All Blacks coach Graham Henry has found peace at last

– We review all 48 matches of the 2011 World Cup

– The minnows made progress at the recent World Cup despite an unfair playing field

– Jon Cardinelli chronicles some of the World Cup adventures enjoyed by the SA Rugby magazine team during a seven-week sojourn to New Zealand’s rugby-mad North Island

– The SA U18 Sevens’ success at the Commonwealth Youth Games bodes well for the 2016 Olympic Games

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Du Plessis made an immediate impact for the Boks when he came off the bench in their World Cup opener against Wales, helping to turn a 16-10 deficit into a 17-16 victory.

‘To have a replacement hooker like Du Plessis coming off your bench is something no team in world rugby can match and is a massive weapon,’ Wales coach Warren Gatland said after the game. ‘He really put himself about in the time he was on. I’d say he was probably their most influential sub. I’m glad we didn’t have to play against him for longer.’

In the latest SA Rugby magazine – a 172-page bumper edition – we analyse Du Plessis’ season and lament the fact that he’s been relegated to the Bok bench to accommodate captain John Smit.

Also in the new issue:

– Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu are totally different players but together they form a potent midfield combination

– Wallabies coach Robbie Deans took a big gamble when he made James Horwill his new captain, just three weeks before the World Cup

– Heinrich Brüssow used the home leg of the Tri-Nations to fight his way into the Springboks’ World Cup squad

– How Bryan Habana rediscovered his form ahead of the World Cup

– Manu Tuilagi has brought muscle to England’s midfield

– Thirteen years after making his England debut, Jonny Wilkinson is still setting the example for his team-mates

– Having been left out of Ireland’s squad for the 2007 World Cup, Tommy Bowe made sure the selectors couldn’t ignore him in 2011

– Outgoing France coach Marc Lievremont will be remembered for his conservative approach to the game, odd selections and public outbursts

– Western Province flank Siya Kolisi has made the most of his opportunities in this year’s Currie Cup

– Sharks wing Sibusiso Sithole wants to refine his game

– Jaco Taute has all the attributes required to play at the highest level

– There’s something special about Johann Sadie

– Clint Newland and Ross Kennedy are playing an important part in EP’s rugby renaissance

– A host of players are representing their adopted countries at this year’s World Cup

– The Webb Ellis Cup is closely guarded when it travels around the world, but that wasn’t always the case

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To Didier Retière, coach of the French forwards, he’s the ‘cornerstone’; to Bernard Goutta, coach of the Perpignan forwards, he’s the ‘shepherd’; and to his mates he’s just plain ‘Nico’. But whatever you call Nicolas Mas, there’s no escaping the fact that the 31-year-old Frenchman is one of the world’s best tightheads. For sure, he’s big and strong but Mas is also sharp and smart, a prop who plays with his brain as much as his brawn. We’d call it ‘streetwise’; the French prefer ‘savoir-faire’.

When England manager Martin Johnson was asked about Mas on the eve of their Six Nations clash last season, his grudging respect for the Frenchman shone through.

‘We have to be pretty strong on the loosehead side of the scrum,’ said Johnson. ‘That Nicolas Mas … he likes to come into the gap and make it hard for opposition hookers. We need to stop him doing that, and we need to stop him all game.’

Johnson’s words were echoed by Andrew Sheridan, England’s gargantuan prop who knows a thing or two about scrummaging.

‘I’ve faced Mas maybe three times, and he works extremely well with William Servat, the hooker, in disrupting the opposition set piece,’ said Sheridan.

Add an extra ‘s’ on to the 112kg Mas and that just about sums him up, but off the pitch you’d be hard pressed to find a more affable man.

June was a month of R and R for the 32 players selected for France’s preliminary World Cup squad, a time to chill with family between the end of the Top 14 and the start of the World Cup training camp. But when SA Rugby magazine contacted Mas he was only too happy to chat, sharing his thoughts on everything from Catalan culture to those dastardly English.

Like many of the Perpignan squad, Mas is an out-and-out Catalan, coming from that ruggedly beautiful region that straddles the French-Spanish border. It’s a proud province and the roots are deep for Mas, which is why he’s been at Perpignan since 1999.

‘Loyalty is very important to me,’ explains Mas, who won the first of his 44 Test caps in 2003. ‘I’ve been at Perpignan all my career and it would be very difficult to leave the club because this is my region. My family and my friends live here and I’m very proud of it. And also, Perpignan is a great team to play for with a strong spirit.’

That’s not to say the people of Perpignan are parochial. Percy Montgomery may not have been a hit in 2007-08, scoring just 95 points for the French club in 14 appearances before fleeing back home, but the likes of Scotland lock Nathan Hines and the former Stormers centre Gavin Hume have left their mark on the club during their stay. And former England prop Perry Freshwater is about to start his ninth season at Perpignan, irrefutable proof that the club welcomes those who are prepared to embrace the proud rugby culture.

‘Perry is more Catalan than English now!’ says Mas with a laugh. ‘He’s a great example of a player who’s come here and become one of the family. He’s played in New Zealand and Leicester but he’s most at home here, and we’re proud to have him.’

Mas ensured himself a place in Perpignan folklore two years ago when he captained them to their first Top 14 title in 55 years, a 22-13 defeat of Clermont at the Stade de France.

‘That was without a doubt the best moment of my rugby career,’ reflects Mas. ‘To be the one who lifted the shield was an unforgettable moment and to be able to share it with a generation of players who had all come up through the club together – players like David Marty and Jean-Pierre Pérez – made it extra special. It’s not often your dreams become reality.’

Not that Mas had much time to savour the triumph; the very next day he and the rest of the French Test players who’d played in the final were on a plane bound for New Zealand. Five days after touching down on Kiwi soil, Mas lined up for France against the All Blacks in Dunedin. The pundits predicted a walk in the park for New Zealand but France stunned them 27-22, and a week later almost pinched the two-Test series before going down 14-10 in Wellington.

‘I enjoyed 2009, it was a good year,’ says Mas with a smile. ‘To follow the Top 14 victory with a defeat of the All Blacks in New Zealand was fantastic. And then we beat South Africa in Toulouse [in November].’

The year that followed wasn’t too bad either, as France won their first Grand Slam in six years. Best of all, the decisive match was in Paris against England, who in recent years have been France’s bête noire, beating them in two World Cup semi-finals and in three consecutive Six Nations encounters. In Paris in 2010 France won 12-10, and though the English scored the only try of the match it was in the set piece that the game was won. Such was the French dominance in the scrum that Mas was named Man of the Match, a satisfying reward for a player who more often than not ends up on the losing side   against England. Worryingly for France, if pool results go according to form in New Zealand – with the French finishing second to the All Blacks in Pool A and England winning Pool B – the sides will meet in the quarters.

‘We know there’s a chance we might face England,’ says Mas, ‘and if we do we’re going to have to make sure we’re well prepared. They’re a big, strong side, well organised, and it’s always a huge confrontation when you play against England. Above all, we need to be mentally strong against them; in recent games we’ve almost had a blockage against the English, as if we didn’t believe we could win.’

England gained revenge for that 2010 defeat by beating France in this year’s Six Nations, but that wasn’t the result that made front page headlines in the French papers; rather it was the astonishing 22-21 loss to Italy in Rome, the first time France had lost to the Italians in the tournament.

‘What can I say?’ says Mas with a rueful chuckle. ‘It was a bad day at the office. It was actually a disaster. Italy are getting better every season but that’s no excuse. We didn’t play well, but we didn’t play well throughout the Six Nations.’

After that Italy defeat Marc Lièvremont pété les plombs, as the French would say. In other words the French coach blew a fuse, accusing his players of ‘cowardice’ during the match. Lièvremont added that some of the squad had kissed goodbye their chances of going to New Zealand and when he named his preliminary World Cup squad he was true to his word, axing Sébastian Chabal and Yannick Jauzion. Asked months later what he thinks of Lièvremont’s comments, Mas thinks carefully about his response.

‘He was very upset at the time and used some strong words. Perhaps they were too strong. They were certainly hard to take, but then we didn’t play well.’

Mas promises he’ll be raring to go in New Zealand after a month of rest followed by a meticulously planned training regime at various camps across France, and no doubt he will have been fine-tuning his scrummaging technique to ensure he’s ready to face the All Blacks at Eden Park on 24 September.

The memory of the last time France met the All Blacks in the World Cup still makes Mas smile – that heart-thumping 20-18 quarter-final victory in Cardiff. With France having also ended New Zealand’s World Cup dreams in spectacular style in 1999, they’re becoming something of a bogey team for the Blacks. So does Mas think they can make it a hat-trick of wins?

‘Why not? We’ve put the Six Nations behind us and by the time we play New Zealand we’ll have been training together for weeks. We’re confident, and we know we have the talent. And who knows what the pressure of being the host country will do to New Zealand? Having the tournament in your own country has advantages and disadvantages as France discovered four years ago.’

Mas is disarmingly modest about his standing in the game. He might be a cult hero in Perpignan but he’s at his happiest when he’s at home with his wife and two boys. Being separated from them will be far harder for him than facing the All Blacks.

It’s left to others to underline Mas’s importance, with Didier Retière describing him as the ‘cornerstone’ of the French pack and the ‘father’ of the team. Bernard Goutta of Perpignan says he’s the ‘shepherd’ of his team, with the players flocking to him whenever he has something to say.

But the last word on Mas comes from that legendary prop forward Jean-Pierre Garuet, himself the cornerstone of the French scrum throughout the 1980s and who played in the 1987 World Cup final against New Zealand. In Mas he sees a player at the pinnacle of his profession.

‘The average scrum lasts between six and eight seconds,’ says Garuet, ‘so those first couple of seconds are crucial. Nicolas hits the scrum like an arrow hits the target. He’s an archer and he knows exactly where to make the greatest impact on his opponent.’

And against the All Blacks Mas will be aiming for the bullseye.

– This article first appeared in the September issue of SA Rugby magazine.

‘The best thing since sliced bread’ is a term that has often been used to describe the rise of Sam Warburton, what with his surname also emblazoning a popular brand of loaf in the UK. And over the past year he has certainly been living up to his billing.

Warburton started the 2010-11 season in the northern hemisphere as Martyn Williams’s understudy with the Cardiff Blues and Wales. He ended it as Wales captain. Warburton has been linked with the national captaincy almost as long as he’s been tipped as Williams’s successor in the No 7 jersey, but few would have predicted he’d be leading his country at the age of just 22, against the Barbarians in Cardiff at the start of June. Then again, few have had as big an impact on Welsh rugby over the past 12 months than the Welsh Rugby Writers’ Association Player of the Year. So much so, in fact, that he will be the key man in Warren Gatland’s World Cup squad.

Warburton, you see, has the ideal combination of style and substance for a modern-day openside flanker. He has the requisite skills at the breakdown – at least slowing the ball down if not snaffling it – and is solid in defence too, but he is also a strong ball-carrier, has decent hands and knows how to pick a good line, as he showed when supporting James Hook to score under the posts against Italy during this year’s Six Nations.

To fully appreciate Warburton’s talents, perhaps it’s best to ask those who play alongside him. Williams has been something of a mentor as well as a rival throughout Warburton’s career and he is fulsome in his praise.

‘He’s a great athlete and such a strong, physical bloke,’ says Williams. ‘But it’s the top two inches with Sam too. On and off the field he’s a model professional and he works harder than anybody. He analyses the game really well and always wants to improve. He keeps his feet on the ground and he’s going to be a huge star – a Lion a number of times.

‘Defensively he’s an animal, he can carry and there are no real weaknesses to his game. It’s quite frightening to think he’s just learning the game and how good he is.’

During the Six Nations, Warburton and Dan Lydiate formed a potent partnership as Wales’ two flanks, developing a strong understanding of each other’s game so that they could work in tandem in defence and attack – troubling opponents in both facets. Lydiate, of the Newport Gwent Dragons, is in no doubt about his team-mate’s greatest strength, saying:

‘Sam’s nickname is Count Jackula for his jackling ability [where the tackler gets back to his feet and wins the ball]. He’s good in the contact area. That’s every No 7’s thing – the breakdown. If we come up against him at regional level, he’s a man to target as he slows down a lot of ball and I expect international teams do the same.’

Warburton’s ambition and determination is illustrated when he says: ‘I’ve wanted to play for the Lions since I was 10 and that’s what I intend to do.’ To achieve that goal he recognises the importance of having several strings to his bow and is constantly looking for ways to improve. He is an avid viewer of analysis tapes, both of himself and others in his position, to see what he can learn. As he says: ‘I have a lot of belief in myself, but I’ve still got a lot of work to do. You usually don’t reach your peak until 26.

‘I like to think I’m quite dynamic. I love defending and jackling, but I don’t want to just be good at one thing. There’s more to the game at seven; it requires a lot of things, like being a jackler, a ball-carrier, a support player and so on. I want to develop my game and to cover all the bases.’

It’s this desire to improve that has allowed Warburton to progress from regional replacement to Test regular, though in his mid-teens rugby was not his first sport of choice. He competed in athletics, particularly pentathlons, and also played in the same school football team as Gareth Bale, the Tottenham midfielder, even earning a trial at Cardiff City as a 14-year-old. Now he says: ‘I was way out of my league to be honest. I was nowhere near the standard and it brought me down to earth.’

As his football career hit the buffers, Warburton decided to focus on rugby and immediately reaped the rewards. Whitchurch High School put him forward for a Cardiff Blues U16s training day and he soon signed for the region’s academy. He went on to represent Wales at age-group level, leading his country at the U19 and U20 World Championships in 2007 and 2008 respectively. As for his club career, he signed his first professional contract with the Blues in 2009 – rebuffing offers from several English clubs because, ‘I’m a big Blues supporter and I wanted to have a good crack here before going anywhere else’ – and at the same time won his first cap, against the USA in Chicago.

It was not the most orthodox of Test debuts. He came off the bench after just 20 minutes when Ryan Jones took a blow to the head, then another back-rower, Robin Sowden-Taylor, had to leave the pitch before half-time with a hamstring injury, meaning Neath Swansea Ospreys hooker Richard Hibbard had to play out of position at blindside.

‘It was an unusual debut,’ admits Warburton. ‘You expect it to be at the Millennium Stadium, not an eight-hour journey away to America. It was a hell of an experience and something I’ll never forget. I didn’t expect to get on that soon and it was a pressure situation to be in when Robin went off, but it went well and I had a lot of time to express myself.’

He has had a chance to express himself further in the past few months, starting Wales’ last seven matches and trialling his leadership skills for the Barbarians game. Llanelli Scarlets hooker Matthew Rees is sure to captain Wales at this year’s World Cup, but Gatland clearly wants leaders throughout the side and sees Warburton as one of those. It’s a role that doesn’t necessarily sit comfortably with Warburton – he describes himself as  ‘naturally quite quiet’ – and he wasn’t too keen when asked to be skipper at age-group level, but he has embraced the challenge.

‘The first time I was picked as captain was against England for the U19s and I was very close to ringing up the coach and saying, “Hand it to someone else”,’ says Warburton. ‘I was worrying too much about it. I don’t like having responsibility for players and I just didn’t like not being able to relax. The day before a game I just want to sit down and focus on the game, but I’d be going to press conferences and doing off-field stuff. Having said all that, the extra pressure can bring out the best in you.’

The next type of pressure Warburton will experience is that of a World Cup; more specifically a World Cup in the rugby-mad country of New Zealand. He missed out on the chance to go to the Land of the Long White Cloud last year after fracturing his jaw in the June Test against the Springboks and now he can’t wait to experience the culture out there.

‘I was really disappointed in the hospital when I found out I was going to miss the tour. It was all doom and gloom, but then I thought I’d have the chance to go to New Zealand for the World Cup. I’ve always wanted to go there.’

As for the tournament itself, Wales will be looking to make amends for what was a dismal showing at France 2007, where they failed to even make the quarter-finals. That 38-34 defeat by Fiji in their final pool match will sit long in the memory of many a Welshman and a large proportion of the team beaten that day remains in the Wales squad, desperate to give a better account of themselves on the world stage.

A teenage Warburton watched that game on TV; now he will be part of the action – and in a quirk of the draw Wales will play Fiji in their last pool match again, this time in Hamilton rather than Nantes. He knows about the challenges that lie ahead – their pool is surely the most physical in the tournament given that it also includes reigning world champions South Africa, Samoa and Namibia, but, after the team fell short against England and France in the Six Nations, he believes that Wales can deliver.

‘The quarter-finals are our minimum target. We’re probably the second favourites in the group behind South Africa, but if we play to our potential, we can beat them. The squad is maturing and getting better, so we’ve got a good chance of getting to the latter stages.

‘My best memory of the World Cup is of 2003 when Jonny Wilkinson dropped his goal to win it. I never thought I’d be able to take part in a World Cup. If someone had told me that at the time, I wouldn’t have believed them. Now it’s within my grasp I’m so excited.’

Warburton has enjoyed quite a journey over the past year – and it’s not over yet. Next on the agenda is a 19 000km trip to New Zealand, where he will be hoping his career path continues its upward trajectory on the biggest stage of all.

– This article first appeared in the September issue of SA Rugby magazine

While this is the biggest issue in the magazine’s 16-year history, the price – R25.95 – has stayed the same, giving you exceptional value for money.

In the World Cup edition:

– We analyse all 20 teams: the ‘state of the nation’ going into the World Cup, their big strength and big weakness, the captain, the key player, the coach, the team’s World Cup record etc. It’s all here.

– The fascinating history of the World Cup and the crucial role South Africa played in the creation of the tournament

– A proud Kiwi recommends a few things you might want to try if you are in New Zealand sampling the best the rugby world has to offer

– In Hooked on Rugby, a new show on SuperSport, Bob Skinstad chats to legends of the game about the 2011 World Cup. We reveal some of what they had to say

– Key figures from the 1987 All Blacks side that lifted the first World Cup have some sage advice for Graham Henry’s class of 2011

– Keo on what the Springboks need to do to retain their World Cup title

– Defence coach Jacques Nienaber on what his job entails, how defence systems have changed, and working with the Springboks

– John Smit believes the Boks can become the first team to defend their World Cup crown

– Victor Matfield has ensured his place among the greats of the game

– Why Fourie du Preez is the most important member of the Bok backline

– Gio Aplon could play an important role off the bench for the Boks in New Zealand

– It took a while, but rugby league convert Chris Ashton has fallen in love with the 15-man game

– Pumas lock Patricio Albacete will shoulder more responsibility at his third World Cup

– Brian O’Driscoll wants Ireland to do their talking on the field

– France tighthead prop Nicolas Mas has earned the respect of his opponents

– Wales openside flank Sam Warburton is the complete package

– Scotland lock Richie Gray has shed his ‘Bambi’ tag

– All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has won just about everything worth winning in rugby. Except the one thing he really cares about

– Wallabies fullback Kurtley Beale got his rugby career back on track after finding balance in his life

– Martin Castrogiovanni’s scrumming prowess and passion for the game has endeared him to fans

– Everything you need to know about the 12 stadiums that will host World Cup matches this year

– All the World Cup records that matter

– In an extract from his new book, The Springboks and the Holy Grail, Dan Retief relives the 1995 World Cup semi-final between South Africa and France that was played in monsoon conditions

– What happened to 1995 World Cup-winning Bok hooker Chris Rossouw?

Click here to subscribe to print edition

Click here to subscribe to digital edition

PLUS: Get your giant World Cup wall chart inside this month’s issue and follow the Boks’ progress from the pool stage to the play-offs

‘My timing sucks,’ Schalk Burger says, referring to his swollen thumb and an invisible metal pin that’s keeping the previously dislocated metacarpal in place. He looks at the immobilised hand again as he alludes to a Tri-Nations campaign that will proceed without him.

It’s been 11 months since Burger last played for the Springboks. He missed four Tests last November after sustaining a broken rib in the Currie Cup final. He’ll miss four more as he recovers from a thumb injury incurred in the Super Rugby semi-final defeat to the Crusaders on 2 July.

‘I did a few sums after that game and realised that I’d be cutting it pretty close in terms of getting ready for the World Cup,’ he says. ‘It’s also the type of injury that forces you to adapt completely. I now have to do everything with my left hand, from brushing my teeth to wiping my arse. I also can’t play any golf or go surfing, so that just adds to the frustration.’

While there’s no danger of Burger missing the World Cup, he will arrive at the tournament having not worn the iconic No 6 jersey in more than a year. Critics will question his right to start given that so many impressive loose forwards are pushing for inclusion, but in the end Peter de Villiers may favour reputation rather than form.

That’s not to say that Burger, when fit, has been anything short of outstanding. If anything, his performances in the 2011 Super Rugby competition have served to highlight attributes that will be needed by the Boks when they go to New Zealand with the aim of outmuscling opposition packs.

Burger embodied the Stormers’ challenge in the recent tournament, and his masochistic attitude was particularly prominent in the matches against South African opposition. According to former Bok captain Corné Krige, who was himself renowned for a robust and uncompromising style, Burger can make a similar impact at the World Cup.

‘I’m not sure if there are too many similarities between Schalk and I, he’s a much better player than I ever was,’ Krige says. ‘He’s a great all-round player; he can play to the ball, he’s a powerful ball-carrier and a phenomenal defender. When it comes to work rate, I don’t think anybody else in South Africa comes close.

‘He’s surpassed my greatest expectations. I remember sending his father a text after Schalk scored a try on debut against Georgia at the 2003 World Cup. I wrote, “This guy is going to be one of the big ones.” He’s achieved more than I ever dreamt he would, and the great thing for South African rugby is that he has more to give.’

The metal pin in Burger’s thumb will be removed after three weeks, and he will resume training thereafter. It’s unlikely that he will make his return to the Test arena before 11 September, although he admits that he’d love to have a run before the squad departs for the World Cup.

‘My body will get a chance to rest after a demanding Super Rugby season, and I will also have a chance to condition myself before the tournament in New Zealand. But I really wanted to play for the Boks in the Tri-Nations and take some match fitness into the World Cup.

‘It seems that I’m always getting my timing wrong,’ he says with a light chuckle that suggests he’s not completely concerned about missing the Tri-Nations. ‘I’ve been in this position before and have managed to come back. My first goal is to win a place in the squad, and thereafter I will use those group games to gather some momentum.’

The Boks won’t be playing any warm-up matches prior to the global showpiece, so it will be important for Burger to get some form of game time before the opening clash against Wales. Even if it means playing 40 minutes of rugby for Western Province in the Currie Cup, he will need the match practice.

‘I’m usually pretty focused on the task at hand, and when a Super Rugby campaign comes to an end, I shift my focus to the Tri-Nations. But because of this injury, I’m now already thinking about the World Cup,’ he says. ‘The big difference between this campaign and that of 2007 is that the schedule is far more congested and there’s hardly any time to prepare. In 2007, the training camp was longer and we played three warm-up matches against Namibia, Scotland and Connacht before we even got to France. This year we will go straight from the Tri-Nations into the World Cup, so our preparation and attention to detail needs to be spot on.

‘This will be my third World Cup, and the build-up to each campaign has been different. The 2003 campaign was a failure as we bombed out in the quarter-finals, but to be honest we didn’t really believe we were in with a shot of winning the tournament. It was quite the opposite in 2007 as we went into that competition ranked No 2 in the world, so we were confident. This year we have a lot of experienced players, and there’s the extra motivation for some who will view the tournament as their swansong.’

The Boks beat Ireland and Wales on last year’s tour of the home nations, and thus managed to garner valuable psychological currency ahead of the 2011 World Cup pool match against Wales and a possible quarter-final meeting with Ireland. Burger admits that while every victory helps to instil a sense of confidence, the Boks won’t be taking the Celtics for granted.

‘A year is a long time in rugby. You can strengthen your mental hold over a particular team by beating them regularly, but every match at the World Cup is a one-off and past results don’t count for much. It sounds clichéd, but you have to go into the tournament with a week-by-week strategy.

‘The pressure intensifies when you reach the play-offs. What we will need to do before we get to that stage is play a good brand of rugby and ensure that everything is in place. When you’re under pressure in a knockout game, you tend to revert to what you know, so we will be striving for perfection at an early stage.’

Experience and leadership are precious commodities in a do-or-die situation, and this is where Burger, as a veteran of 63 Tests and a member of the 2007 World Cup-winning group, will come to the fore.

He has led the Stormers and WP to three play-offs in the space of two seasons, and the fact that the Cape-based team hasn’t won  a championship trophy is no indictment on his leadership ability. Burger is quick to challenge those who would call the Stormers’ recent season a failure just because they were hammered by the Crusaders in their semi-final. He also doesn’t agree with the view that the Stormers have developed the same choking problem that afflicts South Africa’s national cricket team in major tournaments.

‘I can see why some people would say that,’ he says. ‘The bottom line is that we still haven’t won a championship trophy. It can become an issue if you get so close to winning and then fall at the last hurdle; it will always be in the back of your mind. But what people need to remember is that there are also a lot of senior Bok players in this Stormers team who know what it takes to win big tournaments having enjoyed success with the Boks in a World Cup, Tri-Nations or British & Irish Lions series. We were thumped by the Crusaders in that particular semi-final, but I don’t think you could go so far as to suggest it was part of a bigger mental problem.’

Krige was disappointed with the Stormers’ limp showing, but agrees with Burger in declaring the season a relative success. A former Stormers captain himself, he also believes that Burger is the right man to take the franchise forward, and that his burgeoning leadership skills will be a boon to the Boks.

‘I had my doubts initially about Schalk as a captain because I thought he didn’t want it enough, but he’s proved me wrong with some passionate and determined performances,’ says Krige. ‘He leads by example which is exactly what a captain needs to do. It’s a pity he never got the chance to carry that form through to the Tri-Nations because he would have added value to the Boks’ leadership core.

‘A good captain will always look to surround himself with strong leaders. It’s something I never had the luxury of as captain of the Boks back in 2003, as while I had the likes of Schalk, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Juan Smith, Jaque Fourie and Jean de Villiers in my team, they were all at the start of their respective careers. I would have loved to have played alongside them once they had amassed more than 50, and in some cases 100, caps because the more experience you’re able to draw on, the easier your job becomes as a captain. Schalk has shown that he can be as valuable a leader as a player in Super Rugby, and he will surely bring that through to the Boks in their World Cup campaign.’

There are those who have criticised Burger’s leadership style and accused him of being too laid-back to be entrusted with the ultimate responsibility. And yet, the 2011 season has witnessed a few moments where he has shown exactly what the team and its success means to him. Burger celebrated wildly after the Stormers’ come-from-behind win against the Blues in late May, an uncharacteristic show of elation that may have surprised local and foreign fans alike.

‘You’re always going to get emotionally involved as the leader of a team,’ he says. ‘That Auckland game was massive in the context of the season, as if we had lost that match, we would have been on a three-game losing streak and staring at the prospect of missing a qualifying place. So when the final whistle went I just let rip. It was a massive achievement in the context of the game and in the context of our season, and I just let the emotions come pouring out.

‘As you get older, you take on more responsibility, and I’ve discovered that I enjoy the responsibility of being captain. I haven’t let it detract from my individual performances because I believe that a captain and indeed every senior player needs to lead from the front.’

While the major decisions will fall to Smit and vice-captain Victor Matfield, Burger will be at the forefront of the Boks’ charge for an unprecedented third world title. Fate may have dealt him a poor hand on the eve of the 2011 Tri-Nations, but it’s at the global tournament itself where South Africa’s quintessential hardman will be looking to get his timing exactly right.

– This article first appeared in the August issue of SA Rugby magazine. The September issue – a 260-page World Cup special – will be on sale from 24 August.

It was in Paris in the World Cup final where a 20-year-old Frans Steyn confirmed his standing as one of the pre-eminent young players on the planet, exhibiting skill and temperament that belied his age. In seven weeks the city had captured his heart, and this would later make it easier for its iconic club, Racing Métro, to capture his signature.

The news of his departure was met with widespread dismay in South Africa. There was a distinct sense in the rugby fraternity that a favourite son had been lost. His advocates slammed the Sharks’ and Springboks’ administrators for meekly conceding defeat in the matter. His detractors pounced, adding mercenary to their list of charges against him.

Neither camp considered the potential benefits of the move. Paris’s aptitude as a foster parent was dismissed. The national discussion centred around why he wanted to leave, when it should have been around why he needed to.

Since Steyn’s emergence in 2006, he had commanded more attention than any player in South Africa. It was obvious, even in his rookie season in 2006, that he was a preternatural Test player, and he hasn’t been an impostor in elevated company since debuting in defeat to Ireland.

Soon every performance was being brutally dissected. Having applied a standard of measurement not befitting a kid whose journey had only just begun, it was somehow deemed acceptable to make an absolute judgement on him after every match.

Escaping the madness must have held a strong appeal, although it would be remiss to ignore the attraction of a reported R8 million- a-year contract, and the incentive of living in one of the world’s great cities during the most impressionable years of his life.

For the more astute, the pain of losing Steyn was somewhat soothed by the knowledge that the Springboks would benefit from the refinement process
he would undergo.

Elite players who have had a stint in Europe have always progressed from a technical perspective. However, former Springbok and Sharks flanker Shaun Sowerby, who spent three years at Paris glamour club Stade Français, says improved technical skills is not the most valuable acquisition in that refinement process.

‘I would place a higher premium on how his experience would have ensured greater emotional maturity,’ he says. ‘I arrived in Paris with a fairly limited view of the world and still plagued by insecurities. But I’m a better man now, with a greater sense of self-awareness.

‘This is due to a couple of factors. You’re in a foreign land for an extended period and you’re forced to cope. The growth that comes from that needs no elaboration. You also meet interesting people who challenge your world view and encourage you to think deeper.

‘Most importantly, you don’t feel suffocated by rugby. I can only assume Frans was feeling this way, given the intense scrutiny he was constantly under in South Africa.

‘Parisians are not obsessed with the sport, unlike every city in South Africa. So unlike back home where it is difficult to develop an identity that is divorced from what you do and the implications that come with that skewed link, you have room to establish a healthier sense of identity.

‘Becoming a better man contributes immeasurably to becoming a better rugby player, which, on the evidence of what I’ve seen when playing against him or watching him on telly, he is.’

Sowerby, however, cautions that Steyn needs to be managed astutely for the Springboks to derive the maximum from him.

‘It would be too simplistic to predict that the Springboks will benefit from this [his refinement] because you have to also consider the influence of the environment created for him at Racing and whether the Boks can replicate that. It’s one that encourages self-expression, and if they [the Springboks] do get it right, like they did in 2007, I suspect he will be hugely influential in New Zealand.’

Steyn isn’t given to moments of deep introspection, but when probed on the issue he admits to feeling like he has left the sometimes impetuous kid in his past.

‘My time in France has been challenging in the sense that I came from a comfort zone into the unknown. I never really suffered from a fear of failure, but it wouldn’t be entirely true if I said I wasn’t very aware of the magnitude of this step.

‘I knew playing in France would improve me as a player, but I probably underestimated what it would do for my personal growth.’

Steyn’s Racing team-mate, former Springbok and Bulls loose forward Jacques Cronjé, offers authoritative insight into his evolution as a player and extols his on-field value.

‘When he arrived there was a lot of expectation on him. He was a World Cup and Tri-Nations winner, but more than that, he had played big roles in those successes. Some clubs recruit players to add depth to the squad. That wasn’t the case with Frans. Everyone here expected him to make a massive difference, and he has delivered,’ Cronjé says.

‘From what I’ve seen, the key to getting the best out of Frans is constant positive reinforcement and not burdening him with too much responsibility. He is your match-winner and you want that to be his only focus on the day.

‘He kicked a 60m drop goal in a match against Clermont last season and the guys were going mad about it in the change room afterwards. He just shrugged his shoulders like that sort of thing is normal. That’s the freak talent he is and it illustrates the self-belief he has.

‘He used to be guilty of trying mad things deep in his half, but he has outgrown that. He has shown the decision-making ability of a mature player. As a coach I would be giving him a pat on the back and saying, “Back yourself to win us the match however you see fit”. Nothing more. That’s how Pierre Berbizier [the Racing coach] deals with him and so did Jake [White, former Springbok coach]. He responds to that.’

Steyn was subjected to public criticism from Springbok coach Peter de Villiers in 2010, with De Villiers arguing that Steyn’s time in France had significantly diluted his potency. That view was given more credibility when Fourie du Preez reiterated it in a recent interview with SA Rugby magazine. ‘Frans is not the player he was,’ he offered.

There was also the suggestion that he had lost his desire to play for the Springboks. Steyn rubbishes both points.

‘I love the Springboks and have never once even been close to ending my international career. I’ve read people say that winning the World Cup at 20 and the Tri-Nations two years later lowered my motivation to continue with the Boks. That’s nonsense. If anything, winning those competitions makes you hungrier to do it again.

‘On the point of playing in the northern hemisphere, yes the pace of the game is generally slower because conditions in winter don’t usually suit an expansive style. But that doesn’t mean the players and teams here don’t possess the skill to play that way. You only need to watch matches between the big sides to know the potential exists when the weather plays its part.

‘To say playing there significantly affects my game isn’t right. Since I’ve played for the Boks as a Racing player I felt like some people were waiting for me to do something wrong so that they could confirm their views.

‘I don’t feel any different, slower, or so on. If anything I feel like a more complete player. Whatever I may lack [initially] in terms of speed and sharpness, I make up for in having better anticipation and vision. I also think my composure under pressure is better than it has been at any stage of my career.’

Sowerby is in no doubt that the Springboks will take a better version of an already formidable player to the World Cup. But amid all the talk of growing up, he also hopes, in some ways, that Steyn never does.

‘Sometimes young players lose an edge when they become better equipped to process the world around them. They lose that fearlessness that made them so dangerous in the first place.

‘I don’t think it will happen with Frans. If he plays with the spirit and freedom of a boy, but the brain and temperament of a man, which is what I’ve seen him do at Racing, boy, the Springboks will have some player on their hands.’

– This article first appeared in the August issue of SA Rugby magazine. The September issue – a 260-page World Cup special – will be on sale from 24 August.

The loosehead prop paws the turf, the whistle blows and the crowd groans. The commentators take aim at the referee, the prop wears a look of disbelief and his captain shakes his head bitterly as his opposite number gestures towards the goal posts.

Moments later, the two packs set for another scrum. ‘Crouch, touch, pause …’ begins the referee before signalling a free kick for early engagement. This time the captain is livid with the official for a laboured delivery of the four-word credo, but all complaints are given short shrift. The referee is, after all, just fulfilling the IRB’s mandate.

Rugby’s governing body will claim to have the game’s best interests at heart, and that the current law set ensures scrums are safe as well as competitive. There are many coaches and players, however, who believe the laws and the application thereof are de-powering this set piece as well as spoiling the spectacle.

The ‘crouch, touch, pause, engage’ calling system has been widely criticised, while penalties against the loosehead for placing his hand on the ground have sparked an outrage in the front-row fraternity. These are the two sanctions that have generated the most confusion and frustration, and few teams have been able to adapt completely.

DROPPING THE BIND

When players are penalised for putting their hand down after the hit, they are technically guilty of dropping their bind. Former Springbok prop Ollie le Roux says it’s a pedantic penalty that doesn’t consider the physics of two 900kg packs slamming into each other at an incredible force. Le Roux argues that if a player uses a hand to steady himself after the hit and then rebinds, play should continue.

‘It’s a diabolical call,’ he seethes. ‘It’s difficult for props to bind these days because players wear thin shirts instead of jerseys, and when these shirts become saturated with sweat, it’s even tougher. It seems that lawmakers and referees just don’t appreciate the difficulty of making the hit and getting the bind when there’s not a lot to hang on to. There should be allowances for a player who’s able to recover after dropping his hand to the ground.’

A high percentage of the total number of penalties (13%) were awarded at the scrum during Super Rugby, while the statistics also confirmed that as many as 10% of all scrums ended in sanction. Some referees were stricter than others, but the numbers suggest that most officials targeted the loosehead prop.

Former Saracens director of rugby Brendan Venter believes the absence of a balanced approach to refereeing is robbing the game of a contest at the scrum.

‘The defending loosehead is getting murdered,’ Venter says. ‘I’d like to see a change to ensure there isn’t such an overwhelming focus on one side of the scrum. It seems the law is there for the benefit of the refs, they’re looking for what we call “pointers”, which are illegal things worthy of a penalty.’

Another former Bok prop, Robbie Kempson, is even less enthused with the way the game is being managed, and says the referees need to make more of an effort to understand the intricacies of the scrum.

‘They are reverting to the laws instead of doing their homework. The laws are up for revision at the end of the year, and whoever rewrites them should do so with the aid of a prop. At the moment, they are designed to absolve referees of responsibility, and the net result is that we’re not seeing a contest. The way the game is going the IRB may as well get rid of the scrum altogether and complete the move from rugby union to rugby league.

‘We didn’t see many scrum contests in Super Rugby and the referees and laws were to blame. Cheetahs loosehead Coenie Oosthuizen was blown to pieces in the first part of the competition because he wasn’t getting his bind up. These are the penalties that can cost teams momentum, and if the penalty is within kicking range, it can cost them points and possibly matches.’

Balie Swart was at the scrumming coalface when the Boks won the 1995 World Cup, and is employed by Saru as a scrum consultant. His job entails training referees and in some cases travelling to the five South African Super Rugby franchises when there is a major scrum issue that needs to be addressed.

After Oosthuizen was nailed by officials at the beginning of the season, Swart flew to Bloemfontein to work with the player and ensure that his coaches at the Cheetahs understood the law.

‘If a loosehead is putting his hand on the ground, it’s because the tighthead is winning the hit and the loosehead is not strong enough to stay up,’ says Swart. ‘If you can’t take the pressure, you usually take a step back, but because every player wants to dominate, they don’t want to take a step back to relieve the pressure. They want to put their hand down to steady themselves before having another crack at the tighthead.

‘There was an issue earlier in the season when Coenie was penalised repeatedly. I never get involved from a technical perspective, but I do help players understand what the law requires. I discussed the problem with Coenie and his coaches, and they obviously made the necessary adjustments because, as we saw, Coenie improved as the season progressed.

‘Players have to get it right or they are going to cost their teams points and games. It’s the responsibility of the coaches to coach their teams to the letter of the law, and the responsibility of the players to ensure they don’t transgress. There is no place for bad habits or tactics in today’s game.’

Swart also challenges Kempson’s assertion that referees don’t appreciate the machinations of scrummaging.

‘It’s easy to assume that refs are ignorant. Most people think that because referees haven’t played in the front row, they don’t understand what’s happening, but I know for a fact that they do understand because I’m the one who’s trained the South African officials. I’ve made them pack down against each other and explained the different pressures that are applied and how teams will sometimes use illegal tactics to get the upper hand.

‘Having said that, it’s not the job of referees to coach players during a game. Referees need to blow according to the law.’

‘CROUCH, TOUCH, PAUSE, ENGAGE’

Venter believes the better teams are adapting to the four-part call, but Le Roux and Kempson are for a simpler and quicker engage. Again Le Roux suggests that referees underestimate what it takes to hold back nearly a ton of weight for a period of five laboured seconds.

‘Most of the problems stem from the fact that there is too much emphasis on the hit, and players are still too far away,’ says Le Roux. ‘The front rows must get closer and the emphasis should be on the scrumming after the engage. That’s when the better scrummagers got the upper hand in the old days. These days it’s too technical and complicated.

‘The players have done well to adapt in spite of this ridiculous law, but that doesn’t mean it should continue. It’s a cop out to automatically free-kick a team when they engage early. We see a lot of false starts before a 100m sprint, but imagine when a group of eight big men is trying to get it right. The margin for error is higher, and while I’m not saying that you can’t penalise players for repeatedly jumping the gun, there has to be an appreciation for the fact that it’s extremely difficult to get that engagement right.’

Swart says that professional players shouldn’t hide behind this excuse. He also believes that if a referee takes control of the situation, the timing won’t be an issue and fewer infringements will occur.

‘There are very few problems when the referees make it clear that they won’t stand for any nonsense. Craig Joubert handled the Super Rugby game between the Waratahs and Brumbies, and when he stated that they wouldn’t get away with illegal tactics, there were no hands on the floor. There were also very few resets because players knew that they had to get their timing of the engage right. The Australians aren’t the strongest scrummagers, so if a referee can manage them to the point where there are minimal resets and infringements, it shows the system can work.’

SOLUTIONS

An IRB study has revealed that the average time taken to complete a scrum in a tier-one international has increased from 43 seconds in 2009 to 53 seconds in 2010. The study also confirmed that 60% of all scrums collapsed while 40% needed to be reset.

A full-scale investigation incorporating scrum clinics in England and South Africa will be conducted after the 2011 World Cup, but until then the current laws will remain in place. Whether the laws are altered or the referees and players are held more accountable, the reality is that something’s got to give.

‘I really hope the IRB sorts this out, because scrumming is one of the purest forms of the game,’ says Kempson. ‘We don’t want it to disappear.’

Le Roux agrees wholeheartedly. ‘The northern hemisphere players and fans still enjoy a scrum, and unfortunately it’s the people down south who are obsessed with the spectacle. While we all want to see running rugby, it mustn’t come at the cost of the forward contests. You can’t have rugby without the scrum.

‘The lawmakers need to keep it simple when formulating the actual laws, and perhaps there also needs to be an experiment with two referees. Most front rowers tire towards the end of a game, and that’s when mistakes occur. It could be the same for referees, and perhaps the game nowadays is just too fast and intense for one referee to maintain the expected high standards.’

Venter is all for the experiment of two officials, but would like to see two referees working in tandem at the scrum.

‘The ref can only stand on one side, and often it’s the props on the opposite side who resort to illegal tactics. Some refs will ask for a touch judge’s assistance, but in most cases the touch judge is too far away to make an informed call. Many arguments have been made for a second referee, and I believe it would help to have an extra official at the scrum. It would cut down the illegal play.’

Swart concedes that the system could do with a tweak, and believes the four-part call prior to engagement should be reduced with the word ‘pause’ falling away. He also says the punishment for an early engagement should be more severe, as this would force teams to perfect their timing. This would also result in a decrease in the number of resets as well as the time spent at this scrum in a game situation.

‘A free kick is not a harsh enough punishment, because the worst-case scenario is that you concede 10m. For teams that are stronger on defence and at the breakdown than they are at the scrum, they won’t be too worried about conceding a free kick.

‘If there was a full-arm penalty for this transgression, you would see more teams getting the timing right. Teams would work harder, because they wouldn’t be willing to risk conceding the three points.’

– This article first appeared in the August issue of SA Rugby magazine. The September issue – a 260-page World Cup special – will be on sale from 24 August.

There was something quintessentially French about Frédéric Michalak’s exit from the rugby club he had played for since he was seven and his arrival in KwaZulu-Natal towards the end of Super Rugby.

‘It is the end of a love affair, the heart breaks, but a new affair begins,’ he said of his departure from his beloved Toulouse. ‘Durban was kind to me when I moved there in 2008 [for a sabbatical from Toulouse] and I did a lot of growing up, so when the phone call came from the Sharks it felt right to return and make a home there.’

He has signed for the Sharks for 15 months but says he could well stay longer.

The 28-year-old was at the end of his contract with Toulouse in June and the Sharks had injury concerns at scrumhalf, with Conrad Hoffmann ruled out with a serious elbow injury. Michalak has started at No 9 in some of his 55 Tests and is equally at home at flyhalf, so his recall to Durban made a whole lot of sense, not just for the final weeks of Super Rugby but mostly for the Currie Cup given that Pat Lambie will be with the Springboks.

After the over-the-top hype that cloaked the French icon’s arrival in Durban in 2008, his return has been almost comically subdued. Three years ago Michalak engendered an entourage that would normally be associated with a pop star. Two French TV crews and three newspapers were in his wake; he was accompanied for the first fortnight by his agent, who he described as his ‘sister’ but was no blood relation, and he conducted interviews with local media through a translator (it was handy indeed that one of the secretaries at the Sharks is a French-speaking Swiss).

Leading French sports paper L’Equipe assigned a reporter and photographer to cover the then 25-year-old’s entire three-month Super 14 visit, including the Sharks’ overseas tour, and the embarrassed Michalak was endlessly ribbed by his team-mates about his ‘double shadow’.

Three years later he is blissfully unencumbered, the defences against the media he had constructed are down and he proves to be a humble soul – disarming, ingenuous, unfailingly polite. And his dramatically improved English resonates with that melodic French accent that English-speakers find so charming.

Much of that is due to a delightful, romantic legacy of his 2008 visit. One of his better friends at the time was team-mate Waylon Murray, who introduced him to the cousin of a girl he was dating at the time.

Her name was Cindy and she was visiting relatives in Durban (her family had emigrated to Australia when she was eight months old).

‘Later that season the Sharks went to Sydney and we spent time together …’ he says. ‘She came to stay with me when I returned to Toulouse. She has obviously helped me with English and she is speaking good French.’

They were married in December. Cindy is finishing a contract at a bank in London and was set to join her husband at the end of July.

‘She is really getting excited about living in the place of her birth. We have been “gypsies” for a while [Toulouse, London and now Durban], so we are looking forward to settling down in Durban.’

The dimming media attention for Michalak in France has as much to do with the flyhalf currently being out of favour with the French selectors as it does with his lifestyle assuming more sedate proportions.

After making his debut for France as a debonair 19-year-old he quickly became a phenomenon off the field. He posed nude for Citizen K (a luxury fashion magazine) and Dieux du Stade (The Stadium Gods, a highly popular annual calendar produced by French club Stade Français).

In Europe, a poll undertaken by leading women’s magazines had him as the second most desirable sportsman after David Beckham. He also became a gay icon.

By his mid-20s, he was earning a fortune advertising everything from luxury watches to condoms, but the unrelenting media glare took its toll.

‘A lot happened quickly for me and some of the decisions I made should be taken in the context of my age at the time,’ he says.  ‘All the calendars, the advertisements,  the posters … you try things, you make mistakes but I regret none of it because they were experiences and part of growing up,’ he reflects. ‘When you are 20, 21 you do things once for the experiment – it is just much harder to get away from certain things when you do your growing up in the spotlight.

‘What happens is that you do something once and the media seizes on it and they say that is who you are. For instance, you go to a nightclub once and suddenly that is all you do.’

There was one episode in particular that the media dined out on and it remains a great rugby story. Michalak and his childhood friend Clément Poitrenaud were youthful newcomers in the French national squad and at one lunch session in camp they were teasing the captain, Fabian Pelous, by tossing bits of bread at him. He was not impressed and when they continued after he asked them to stop, Michalak suddenly found a fork embedded in his hand.

‘It’s a true story. We were being childish. I can laugh about it now, but it hurt. He was not playing. The fork just stayed there stuck in my hand, quivering!’

Michalak was portrayed as something of an enfant terrible in the French media, despite it being clear to anybody who has spent time with him that there is not a pretentious bone in his body. In fact, he is shy.

‘An important thing I have realised as I have grown up is that the only time you are truly innocent is when you are a child. It is why I love children. They are the purest humans. They don’t have any agendas, they don’t want something from you,’ he says. ‘When the time is right I want as many
kids as possible.’

He didn’t have the easiest childhood, himself. He grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in the industrial side of Toulouse. One of four children, his parents had an acrimonious divorce and he lived with his bricklayer dad, with ‘no rules’ in the house, so he pretty much did as he pleased. Rugby, though, gave him some direction and discipline.

Michalak clearly is an emotional and passionate person. His body is covered with tattoos, each with a special significance.

‘My friend JP Pietersen tells me that I look like a newspaper! But these are reminders to me of special things in my life.’

For instance, an Arabic script down his left shoulder is in remembrance of a friend who died in 2003. Another symbolises his friendship with the same group of mates he grew up with.

Michalak says his colourful rugby career parallels his life.

‘You win trophies, you lose finals – there is ecstasy and despair. Off the field it is the same …’

– This article first appeared in the August issue of SA Rugby magazine. The September issue – a 260-page World Cup special – will be on sale from 24 August.

The days of South African schoolboy rugby players taking steroids and getting away with it are numbered. Not only have top rugby schools in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal come together to prevent sports doping but government is also looking to change the law regarding drug testing at schools.

As it stands, the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) can only test schoolboy rugby players at Saru-sanctioned events like Craven Week, where players give consent to be tested when signing up. Saids cannot just arrive at a school and test players, because there are issues like access to pupils, parental consent and the lack of a code under which they can prosecute.

Saids chairman Dr Shuaib Manjra says he is happy for schools to self-regulate when it comes to drug testing as long as the testing is independent, unannounced and done according to Saids’ rules. However, he adds that tightening legislation would not only allow Saids to go into schools and do testing of its own but would also help it to target the manufacturers of sports drugs.

‘We would not encourage giving schoolboys who test positive a two-year ban like we do for professional rugby players because it would end their school sports career. We want to emphasise the educational value of what they did and attempt to prevent such behaviour through deterrence. We also want to know where they got the drugs from, so that we can target the supply chain. Steroids either come through internet purchases and pass through South African customs or are produced in South Africa, and can be obtained from almost any gym.

‘Testing at schools should not be the top priority – awareness, education and deterrence are more important [Saids launched its ‘I Play Fair – Say No! To Doping’ awareness campaign in June]. You want kids to choose not to dope.’

But Saids wants to catch those who do, and has recently significantly increased its ‘positive rate’ by changing its testing method.

‘In the past we used to develop our testing programme by creating a matrix of high-risk sports and high-risk athletes,’ Manjra explains. ‘We’d come and collect a urine sample and send it to the laboratory to test it for substances like steroids and EPO [erythropoietin]. But the problem with this method is that if you took EPO last night and I test you this morning, it’s already out of your system. The injectable steroids that the guys used to take stayed in the body for weeks, but the oral steroids available now have a shorter half life and exit the body much quicker. All this explains why the average worldwide positive rate for target testing is 1%, even though an estimated 10% of athletes use sports drugs.’

Manjra says that Saids, which spends a fortune on drug testing, had to find out what it could do differently in order to increase its positive rate. The answer was intelligent testing.

‘Firstly, we do 10 tests on the athlete and create a biological passport, which is like a fingerprint, and say this is where they physiologically reside. Any test that falls above or below that framework, using sophisticated statistical programmes, indicates they’ve been doping. In other words, we’re no longer looking for a substance in your body, we’re looking for the effect it’s had on your body.

‘Secondly, we’re using the intelligence we receive about doping. People tell us that this or that person is taking drugs, but we’ve got limited capabilities in terms of processing that information in a way that will allow us to prosecute. So we’re putting together an intelligence surveillance system that allows us to use that information to target test more effectively.

‘Thirdly, we look for where the greatest risk of doping is and at what point athletes will use certain drugs. For example, cyclists who use EPO will probably stop taking it 48 hours before an event, so drug testers need to have a calendar of these events and plan their testing around them. Rugby players will probably take drugs during pre-season to bulk up and then a couple of times during the season. We also look at sudden improvements in performance or increase in size and target those athletes.’

The results speak for themselves. In 2010, Saids did 2 000 tests using target testing and had 19 positives. In 2010, they did roughly the same number of tests using intelligent testing and had 50 positives.

Manjra says there’s no way to tell if those who test positive took the drugs intentionally or inadvertently through supplements, like Chiliboy Ralepelle and Bjorn Basson, who tested positive last November after using a contaminated USN supplement. If the player insists it’s the latter, he has to prove it to the medical tribunal.

‘That’s why we tell athletes to stay away from supplements,’ says Manjra. ‘There’s no quality control with supplements like there is with pharmaceutical products – you don’t know what’s in them.

‘I believe supplements are the gateway to steroids – when an athlete starts taking artificial substances and they don’t have the desired effect, they often cross that boundary to steroids. In fact, there’s a study that shows that athletes who take weight-gain or weight-loss supplements are more likely to end up using steroids than those who don’t.’

Riaan de Vries started his company Drug Detection International (DDI) after a personal experience with drugs. His girlfriend was addicted to crystal meth and it took him a long time to break out of denial and recover emotionally. He is still recovering financially.

‘When I moved on from that relationship, I decided to start a company that helps organisations, people and their loved ones with drug addiction,’ says De Vries. ‘At the beginning of 2011 we looked at how we could help schools test for performance-enhancing drugs. We formed a relationship with an American lab, Quest Diagnostics, and adopted the American model of testing at school level. Because of current legislation, we had to go about our work without interfering with the work being done by Saids. We did a trial with a couple of schools and found that there was a major problem.’

DDI approached schools to do testing, but also received referrals from Jon Patricios, who was the Lions’ doctor for 10 years, and Glen Hagemann, the managing director of Sharks Medical and SharkSmart.

‘A few years ago, I began noticing how much bigger the schoolboys who came to see me looked,’ says Patricios. ‘The questions that they, and in some cases, their parents asked also set off alarm bells. I can’t call a parent or a headmaster to tell them that I think their son or pupil is taking steroids, because of doctor-patient confidentiality, so I decided to write an article, published in the Sunday Times in January 2010, in which I expressed concerns about schoolboys taking steroids for performance-enhancing and image reasons. After reading that article, some schools decided to do something about it.’

On 29 May 2011, the Sunday Times ran a story on tests conducted by DDI on pupils at 18 of South Africa’s top schools in which 21 out of 130 pupils – roughly one in six – tested positive for a variety of steroids. The newspaper revealed that three of the pupils who tested positive were from King Edward VII (KES) in Joburg, two were from St Alban’s College in Pretoria and that one boy from St John’s College in Joburg had twice the testosterone levels for a teenager his age.

‘Around 60% of the 130 pupils we tested play sport, while the other 40% just want to look good,’ says De Vries. ‘I can’t say how many of those 21 [who tested positive] play rugby, because we didn’t request that information, but I can say that there is a major problem in rugby.

‘It’s also important to note that we never revealed that KES, St Alban’s and St John’s had pupils who tested positive – the Sunday Times went to those schools and they divulged that information. We’ve never said how many schools we tested, or which schools we tested. DDI is bound by confidentiality agreements with our schools not to damage their reputations by disclosing information but instead assists them in eradicating the use of steroids and helps their pupils recover from this addiction.’

St Alban’s headmaster Tom Hamilton says the two pupils from his school who tested positive were targeted for testing because of how they had bulked up in a short period.

‘Both have been given sanctions that were managed in an educational manner internally,’ he adds. ‘Although they are not serious sportsmen at all, their sanctions carry a six-month ban on any type of participation in representative inter-school sports. Their families have been supportive and proactive throughout. We will be having at least one more round of tests for performance-enhancing drugs before the end of this year.’

St Alban’s, which is part of the Gauteng Heads of Boys’ Schools Group, has an annual budget of R100 000 for performance-enhancing drug testing. With DDI charging R1 500 per test, St Alban’s will be able to do two batches of 30 pupils every year (there is a statistical rule of thumb that a batch of less than 30 tests reveals little in terms of the actual underlying trends and proportions) as well as up to 10 more tests for pupils who raise suspicion. (The parents of those who test positive at St Alban’s have to pay for any additional tests that are required to prove that rehabilitation has been achieved.)

De Vries admits that the cost of testing is too high for most South African schools.

‘Unfortunately we can’t bring the price down, as we already only have a profit margin of 10%. We test for about 40 substances and masking agents – it’s a massive panel – and there are things like shipment costs that all add up. I wish we could make it more affordable, especially for government schools. We are looking to get sponsorship from companies, players and old boys so that we can make the service available to schools that can’t afford it.’

De Vries and Patricios echo Manjra in emphasising that while drug testing at schools is important, so is drug prevention.

‘We often give talks at schools and we do them for free,’ says De Vries. ‘We want to educate people and communities. We advocate that steroids will not ensure success in life, and that you need to achieve your goals through training hard and proper nutrition.’

‘I tell kids who are thinking of taking steroids that it’s cheating and goes against the ethos of rugby,’ says Patricios. ‘It’s physically harmful – many of the effects like high blood pressure, heart problems and elevated cholesterol only occur later on in life – and psychologically harmful as steroids cause extreme aggression and depression. I also remind them that it’s a criminal offence to have a schedule-five drug without a prescription and can result in a 10-year jail sentence.

‘Hopefully once they have all that information, they do the right thing.’

SETTING AN EXAMPLE IN GAUTENG
The Gauteng Heads of Boys’ Schools Group (GHBSG) is an informal and non-binding association of state and independent schools, including Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), CBC Boksburg, Jeppe High School for Boys, King Edward VII School (KES), Parktown Boys’ High, Pretoria Boys’ High, St Alban’s College, St Benedict’s College, St David’s Marist Inanda, St John’s College and St Stithians Boys’ College. The group meets on a regular basis to discuss matters of common concern and those discussions are underpinned by common values and ethos. All GHBSG schools have amended policies, consulted or communicated with parents and other relevant bodies and are in a position to test for performance-enhancing drugs on a regular basis, which is happening. All these schools have undertaken to educate their boys on the dangers of such drugs and supplements, and have agreed on a minimum sanction of a six-month ban from all sport for boys who test positive. The gist of all such programmes is educational and preventative.

SETTING AN EXAMPLE IN KWAZULU-NATAL
The Discovery SharkSmart Schools of Excellence Programme is overseen by Sharks Medical and empowers the participating high schools in KwaZulu-Natal to meet a number of pre-determined criteria related to playing rugby safely and fairly. From 1 January 2012, one of these criteria will require their pupils to be tested for performance-enhancing drugs. The programme was launched in 2010 and nine schools – Weston Agricultural College, Hilton College, Maritzburg College, Westville Boys’ High, Kearsney College, Hillcrest High, Glenwood High, Clifton College and Crawford College (La Lucia) – were successfully accredited as SharkSmart Schools of Excellence. Additional schools participating in the programme this year include Durban High School (DHS), Treverton College, Hoërskool Voortrekker, Hoërskool Port Natal, Northwood School, Michaelhouse, Kingsway High, South City College, Ohlanga High, Umlazi Commercial and Technical School, Kloof High and St Charles College.

– This article first appeared in the August issue of SA Rugby magazine. The September issue – a 260-page World Cup special – will be on sale from 24 August.

There has been a lot of conjecture about the effect the elongated Super Rugby schedule will have on a player’s longevity. What are your thoughts?
I foresee a player’s career being cut by three to five years as a result of the physical demands of Super Rugby. Elite players are in even more danger of chronic fatigue and serious injury because they will also play in Tests, including an expanded Tri-Nations [from 2012]. It will undoubtedly dilute the quality of rugby in the southern hemisphere because players can’t deliver optimal performances consistently under those conditions.

What strategy do you predict Super Rugby teams will employ to attempt to circumvent the demands of a long tournament?
Squad depth is going to become even more crucial. However, to build depth you need a good feeder system in your juniors, as well as significant financial resources in order to contract players in positions you may be thin in. The latter poses a problem because the contracts of your elite players account for 80% of a franchise’s budget. So you have very little to work with for the remainder of your immediate squad, let alone any prospective recruits. You’ll probably see more youngsters playing Super Rugby in future. These days they tend to come out of school physically ready to compete at a senior level, but they will struggle to have long careers if they are exposed to regular Super Rugby at that age. It’s a fine balance and the teams that get it right will stand more chance of being successful.

What trends have you seen in the game of late?
Last year, because the law interpretations at the breakdown were new, referees were policing that area far more vigilantly. The attacking team was heavily favoured and teams that could keep the ball through multiple phases thrived. Defending teams struggled to turn over possession, and only the smartest openside flankers were a factor as a result. There was so much quick ball, but that isn’t the case any longer – it’s a contest again. It’s also a key reason the Stormers performed as well as they did. They competed brilliantly at the breakdown and were able to set their defensive line, making it very, very difficult to breach them. This trend has placed an added importance on tactical kicking, and when you look at the ingredients that will improve a team’s chances of being successful at the World Cup – tactical kicking, solid defence and a strong ruck contest – the Springboks tick all the boxes. I had reservations about our ability to play the multi-phase, high-tempo game that the rules encouraged. But, having seen this trend develop, I’m more optimistic.

The issue of how players should be managed in the Tri-Nations has polarised opinion. Where do you stand?
It’s important for us to back the strategy the Springboks have adopted in this regard [to rest most of their first-choice players for the away leg of the Tri-Nations]. Peter [de Villiers] and the team deserve all our support. But my opinion on the matter is that while the resting of senior players in the 2007 Tri-Nations was hailed as a success, we didn’t have to limit our thinking in this way. There’s more than one route to success, although I fully understand the rationale behind wanting to rest players. I just see massive value in the group playing together, given how soon the Boks’ pool matches start after their Tri-Nations campaign [22 days]. I would place a huge premium on beating the All Blacks in New Zealand just a couple of weeks before the World Cup will be held there. The psychological lift that would give the players would be invaluable, particularly if they face the All Blacks in the play-off stages. Defeat wouldn’t be a tragedy because all the pressure will be on them in a play-off situation.

Some of the Bulls’ Springboks haven’t played regularly because of injuries. There are concerns about how their lack of game time will impact the Springboks at the World Cup. Do you share those concerns?
No. Bakkies Botha, Fourie du Preez and Pierre Spies started slowly because they all had operations in the off-season and were recovering. This limited their pre-season preparation and the consequences of that were seen in the early rounds of Super Rugby where they started slowly. But they’ve all improved gradually and the Boks will get the best of them at the World Cup, especially Fourie and Bakkies – who’ve played less than Pierre – if they can stay fit.

The Bulls will lose a host of senior players after the World Cup. What is a realistic outlook in the coming years for the union?
You must remember that players like Fourie, Bakkies and Victor [Matfield] are the best in their positions in the world. You rarely find two players like that in one team. We’ve been blessed with three. Then others like Gurthrö Steenkamp and Gary Botha are high-class players who will also be sorely missed. There is no question that their absence will have a telling effect. We have some talented youngsters at the union who will develop into fine players in the coming years. But that process will take time. It is important that the senior players who stay on at the Bulls step up now. We won’t tolerate a significant drop in standards because the players we have at our disposal are still of a very high calibre.

You expressed reservations about Chiliboy Ralepelle’s elevation to the Test side in 2006, believing it to be premature.He then went on to struggle with injuries and, when fit, seldom played regularly for the Springboks. But he has impressed this season. As a known supporter of his, this must be encouraging.
Absolutely. Chiliboy has been through a helluva lot for one so young and he is starting to show glimpses of the player I believe he can be. If he is managed properly, and by that I mean given sufficient game time, he has the potential to develop into a great player.

Your old student Bryan Habana has struggled for form for some time now. What do you think is the problem?
Bryan is a class player and mentally tough, so I wouldn’t write him off just yet. Also, it’s not my place to comment on him because I don’t know the full picture – what’s happening in his personal life and so on. But generally when players struggle like he is, it’s like being stuck in quicksand. The more you try to escape, the deeper you sink. I’ve seen it happen to many players. The ones I’ve seen recover from those situations have done so when they’ve rediscovered a natural enjoyment of the game again. How he gets to that point is for him and his coaches to determine.

Which players outside the established Springboks impressed you in Super Rugby this year?
I rate [Stormers centre-wing] Johann Sadie highly. He is a brilliant, brilliant young player. He is quick, strong relative to his size, runs beautiful lines and plays without any apparent fear of failure. He, for me, would add value to the World Cup squad. He could play centre or wing, and with a safety net in a squad of experienced guys, playing him isn’t a gamble. [Shortly after this interview with Meyer, Sadie signed a two-year contract with the Bulls.] Frans Steyn thrived in that environment in 2007. Sadie could do the same. I’d also find a place for Adriaan Strauss [who Meyer coached at the Bulls]. He is playing the best rugby of his career. Every week I watch him I’m always impressed with his technical ability and work rate, which is second to none in the group of South African hookers.

Some prominent coaches and analysts have derided the hype surrounding New Zealand’s Sonny Bill Williams, saying that he will be found out in due course. What are your impressions of him?
I don’t share those views. In fact, I think he is a special, special player. The suggestion that he is a one-trick pony is flawed. You only need to have watched him closely to know this. His offload ability in contact is exceptional, it’s a match-winning skill. But he also offers you a powerful ball-carrying option, and rarely doesn’t dominate the collisions when he does so. Playing in tandem with Dan Carter will elevate the All Blacks’ threat because they will just have so many attacking options. Carter is a handful on his own as it is. You just never know what he is going to do – a show-and-go, run, pass or kick – now you have to contend with the prospect of him passing to Williams, who has so many weapons in his arsenal. They have the potential to develop into the best 10-12 combination of all time.

The Bok coaching job is expected to be on offer later this year. Have you considered applying for  it once again after a failed bid in 2007?
It would be an honour, but my immediate feeling is that my time has come and gone. I would love to have coached the current group, but it wasn’t to be. I believe in establishing structures for sustained success. That is difficult to do in the results-driven environment of Test rugby. Perhaps my skill set would be better utilised in a different role? I don’t know, and I’m not dismissing the possibility of applying for the job. Time may alter my view.

– This article first appeared in the August issue of SA Rugby magazine. The September issue – a 260-page World Cup special – will be on sale from 24 August.

Tell us about your background.
I was born and bred in Bloemfontein and attended Laerskool and Höerskool Reitz. I went to the U18 Academy Week with the Griffons in 2003 and was then selected for an invitational Central Tigers side that competed at Craven Week. I made the Free State U21 team in 2005. After a televised game against the Leopards, then Valke coach John Williams signed me for the 2006 season. When he left the Valke in 2007, a clause in my contract allowed me to leave too and I made my way to Kimberley to play for Griquas. I also featured for the Royal XV against the British & Irish Lions in 2009, which was the best experience in my career so far. We were leading, but they managed to overtake us in the final 10 minutes of the match.

How do you cope with being one of the smallest players in Super Rugby [1.75m, 75kg]?
It helps that I’m a scrumhalf, so size isn’t a major thing. Over the years, I’ve learnt many tricks and shortcuts that have helped me perform well at Super Rugby level and I’ve really thrived on attack [Pretorius was joint top try-scorer in 2011 with nine tries], especially at the Cheetahs. The Cheetahs’ coaches give the players that attacking freedom, which is why we’ve managed to score so many great team tries in the past two seasons.

What aspects of your game do you want to work on and improve?
Defence is a bit of a concern [he missed the most tackles in Super Rugby this season]. I’ll be putting in a lot of work with my coaches and experts to get that part of my game up to scratch. I’ve also been working hard on my kicking game.

Why did you decide to join the Waratahs next season?
I’ve always wanted to play overseas, but I wanted to continue playing Super Rugby too because it’s the best competition in the world. So when the Waratahs made me a two-year offer, I saw it as the best step forward for me. The deal started when I came off the bench to play on the wing in the Cheetahs’ 23-3 win in Sydney; my agent got a call after that game. It was a difficult decision to leave South Africa, but I’m just spreading my wings to gain some overseas experience. I’m looking forward to playing alongside the likes of Drew Mitchell and Adam Ashley-Cooper. I will still play for the Cheetahs in the Currie Cup over the two years.

How disappointed were you not to be included in the Springbok Tri-Nations squad after you’d made the 51-man World Cup planning squad?
It’s human to be disappointed as it’s every South African player’s dream to play for the Springboks. But obviously the coach has his plan going into the World Cup and I’ve accepted that I’m not part of it. Should a Bok call-up come my way again, I’ll grab it with both hands.

What do you think of the quality of South African scrumhalves and who’s the toughest scrumhalf you’ve faced?
I think the country is blessed with a variety of top-class scrummies. You have Fourie du Preez, who’s one of the best No 9s to ever play the game and he still has a lot to offer the Springboks. He’s one of my role models, and it will be a big loss when he leaves for Japan at the end of the season. Luckily there are talented youngsters coming through and performing well, like Jano Vermaak and Francois Hougaard. Jano displays the type of attacking game I enjoy playing, while Francois is very physical. The toughest No 9 I’ve faced is Will Genia, who’s probably the top scrumhalf in Super Rugby. He has a great pass and does the basics very well. He adds an extra dimension to his team’s attack with quick pace and the ability to snipe a gap.

Should the Kings play Super Rugby in 2013 at the expense of the Cheetahs or Lions?
The Kings need to earn their place in Super Rugby by first qualifying for the Currie Cup Premier Division. At this moment, they’re still playing in the First Division, while the Cheetahs and Lions have Super Rugby experience. We saw how the Rebels fared this season, and I think the Kings will struggle just like they did.

Should the Currie Cup Premier Division be cut to six teams?
If this happens it will be difficult for the smaller unions as there’ll be four or five teams fighting desperately for that sixth spot for financial reasons. Sponsors want their teams playing in the top flight, so if teams drop down to the First Division, they’ll lose major sponsorships and income. And this shouldn’t be done on short notice. Saru needs to give all teams at least two years’ notice before an important decision like that is made. But why should there be a change? The Currie Cup is running fine the way it is.

What are Griquas’ goals for the season?
Obviously the aim of all teams is to win the Currie Cup. But Griquas really struggle with depth as injuries are a formality during the season. A realistic goal is a top-five finish, which is achievable because we had 13 guys playing for the Cheetahs in Super Rugby this season and that experience will help a lot. Last year, we only had about five players in the Cheetahs squad.

How will Griquas cope without former coach Dawie Theron?
Dawie will be a big loss. He played over 100 games for the union and spent a number of years here as a coach. He played a big part in the system that saw the team do well in recent years. But new coach Abré Minnie worked closely with Dawie over the several past campaigns and he’ll probably continue to build on to the foundation that Dawie laid. So no progress should be lost.

Does the union struggle with key players, like Zane Kirchner and Bjorn Basson, leaving each season?
This is why eight unions should be competing in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup. It provides players with the platform to get some decent exposure. There’s talk of Riaan Viljoen going to Western Province, which will be a good move in his career as he’ll improve by playing alongside Springboks. Yes, it will be difficult for Griquas losing a few key players, but they still have a core group of guys in the squad each season and there are talented youngsters who come through the system which keeps them competitive.

How will the Boks do at the World Cup?
They have the players to win the tournament. There’s no substitute for experience, and this Bok side has plenty of it.

What are your future plans?
Right now, I’m just focusing on giving my all in my last season at Griquas. I’ve played my best rugby for them. Then I want to make a success of my time with the Waratahs in Super Rugby and the Cheetahs in the Currie Cup next season. I’m keen on playing in Europe one day, but we’ll see what happens when the time comes.

– This article first appeared in the August issue of SA Rugby magazine. The September issue – a 260-page World Cup special – will be on sale from 24 August.