Greeff soars again
12 Feb 2006
Werner Greeff, rested and fit for the first time in two seasons, was back to his brilliant best at Ellis Park on Saturday.
And among Greeff’s biggest admirers on the day was Cats coach Frans Ludeke, who described Greeff’s performance as one of the biggest differences between the two sides.
Ludeke told the Johannesburg media that Greeff was brilliant under the high ball and that he showed up the Cats players in this department. Ludeke conceded his players could not match Greeff and his fellow backs when it came to adapting to the wet conditions and that the Cats were their own worst enemies in the match.
He blamed poor finishing as a factor, but admitted his side were clueless in breaking down the Stormers defence around the fringes, where Schalk Burger once again had a huge game.
Greeff, who has been plagued by injury in the past two seasons, scored a sensational try for the Boks against the Wallabies in 2002 and then kicked the conversion for a famous 33-31 win. Ever since he has failed to reach similar heights as the curse of injury threatened to finish his career.
His performance on Saturday was as good as he has produced for the Stormers.
22 Comments
12 Feb 2006, 22:52 pm
“among Greeff’s biggest admirers on the day was Cats coach Frans Ludeke” – dont think you should mention the words “Ludeke” and “coach” in the same sentence. The Cats looked uncoached to me, they should try to borrow Strauli from the Sharks for the rest of the Super 14 – I know it sounds desperate but at least he has proven himself at this level.
Good to see Luke Watson had a good game.
12 Feb 2006, 22:53 pm
Well done Werner ….good luck for the season and hope you get to wear the green and gold again soon!
12 Feb 2006, 23:10 pm
It would be nice if Frans tried to prepare his team and not his excuses before the game. Backline play in the wet and having to deal with Schalk on the fringes – who didn’t see it coming? If Greeff was great under the high ball, why not stop kicking it down his throat…
Ludeke’s real problem wasn’t that Greeff played well, but that Snyman is a bloody loss.
12 Feb 2006, 23:30 pm
as much as i know greef is a talented rugby player, on attack he’s so one dimensional it isnt funny. if he has the ball, there is a 90% chance he will kick an up and under to try regather. people should just wait for it, and maybe then will he change his tactics. tactics we know he has in his arsenal
13 Feb 2006, 00:09 am
I agree that Ludeke and coach should not be used in the same sentence. Has he not coached them in the past? If so then he has already proven to be a failure and should not be making a fool of these players. Their confidence is going to get horribly dented on tour. I hope not, but right now its not looking good.
13 Feb 2006, 02:12 am
Well as a consolation the poor kitty fans wont have to suffer through another inept/dismal/clueless s14 season next year.
13 Feb 2006, 04:37 am
How about replace Ludeke with Laurie Mains, what do you guys think?
13 Feb 2006, 07:45 am
Mains has supposedly been assisting this season with the Cats?
13 Feb 2006, 07:51 am
boooi,
Agree with you on that point – Greeff, like MOST of our SA fullbacks (even ol “safe-under-the-high-ball Roets) are overdoing the up-and-under. The main problem is that they hardly ever kick a proper one – its always too deep or too short.
13 Feb 2006, 08:07 am
iF THE CATS GET RELEGATED IT IS A GOOD THING, what an embarresment Ellis Park is to go watch rguby and flipping hell the cats themselves were plain KAK.
They desearve to loose.
13 Feb 2006, 08:12 am
From all the games this weekend only three games stood out for me.
Blues vs Harricanes , the best game of the weekend. Harricanes coming back from behind. The Harricanes backline was in good form. Umanga still the best at what he does , running straight lines well back up by Nunu
Crushaders vs Hilanders , we all know that the Crusaders are the best team sins super 10 started many years ago. They are a very solid team over the years and it looks to me they are going to go all the way again. But it’s early in the year so lets see what happens.
Sharks vs Chiefs , this game also started very good. Sharks played as a unit and with there senior players back in the mix it’s going to be a beter year for them. Should have got a bonus point would have given them alot of self convidence this early in the tournament.
Stormers game , i was very suprised the way there forwards played. Good things to come if they keep going on like that. Must say they got alot of speed in there backline. Some poor ball handeling but that’s something they can work on.
13 Feb 2006, 08:23 am
January was terrible on Saturday, its frightening that the Circus was dished up by no less than all 4 current Springbok centers.
13 Feb 2006, 08:34 am
Yes Werner Greef kicked a LOT of up and unders. Yes some went to far. But I would say on the day that it was the right tactic. The Cats were struggling to handle the high balls so why not give them more ?
Jongi Nokwe and Ryno Benjammin is very quick. Only problem is they don’t contest the ball in the air after they follow up an Up & Under. If one of them were to contest the ball in the air and the other were waiting for the tap back it can become a good try scoring tactic for the Stormers. Benjamin and Nokwe both played the guy in the air during the game. They should work on the contesting skills.
Also let both of them chase the deep kickoffs. Look how much pressure The Cats winger (His name escapes me now) put on us form the very first kickoff.
Cheers
13 Feb 2006, 08:40 am
Greef was no more than adequate. He did not do anything else than fild a few high balls and kick tehm straight back as up and unders. No more no less. He did not join the line at pace, andhis defence was not even required against a fumbling Cats side.
The Cats actually made the dequate Stormers team look better than they were.
13 Feb 2006, 08:43 am
Hmmmm i thought Grief was pretty average – some one really needs to teach him how to kick ! And if he is gonna chip and chase he actually needs to chase and recover or flatten the catcher !
13 Feb 2006, 09:14 am
Greeff has 1 of the biggest hearts in SA rugby
13 Feb 2006, 09:41 am
Greeff aside, I was surprised at the number of up-and-unders we saw in ALL the SA games this weekend. Surely with the wet conditons and wet ball at Ellis Park, one would have expected more than a normal share of these. But some of the other games?
Re Nokwe and Benjamin, I would like to see them backing themselves more in a one on one situation (aka Brian Habana). They both have tremendous speed and acceleration. Both of them had opportunities to outrun their opponents on Saturday to score tries, but were too easily caught because they did not back themselves for speed. (Don’t know whether the wet conditions contributed) In fact, if I remember correctly even Jorrie managed to catch Nokwe in one situation where I thought he was away to the try-line.
13 Feb 2006, 09:52 am
bluestripe,
It was Fourie who caught him. Must have been the heavy field – under normal circumstances, Nokwe would have smoked him!
13 Feb 2006, 10:02 am
Bomskok,
I’m with Bluestripe, It was Jorrie that caught him. I also though Nokwe was through and then Jorrie caught up with him and tackled him. I think it was in the 1′st Half ?
Cheers
13 Feb 2006, 11:32 am
Greeff is the most predictable player in SA rugby.
He WILL kick the ball back to the opposition when he gathers it. No matter how much space or how many other options are available to him.
His option taking is pathetic and he lacks the skills to beat opponents.
This disease exists throughout our S14 teams where players are confronted with a one-on-one situation or running from deep, their FIRST option is to kick and hope for the best.
Second option is usually to try and run over the opponent. They cannot beat the man using guile and skill with the ball-in-hand.
13 Feb 2006, 12:15 pm
In fact, Greeff is like a Pavlov’s dog. Catch the ball, up-and-under, catch the ball, up-and under, catch the ball ..
He should be fitted with one of those anti-barking collars. Everytime he catches and makes to kick – ZAP!!
13 Feb 2006, 12:49 pm
Sage,
The good thing about this is that if Kobus vd Merwe manages to teach Greeff to alternate these Pavlovian rituals with attacks with ball in hand, thereby keeping the opposition guessing, he could actually become a very valuable player (I believe)
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