White and Wikus’s little secret
7 Apr 2006
Jake White told Wikus van Heerden at the end of last year that he was the Bok captain successor to John Smit, but the Cats captain did not take it too seriously. Now he does.
Van Heerden, delighted that Bok coach Jake White had gone public with the news that Van Heerden was the next in line should Smit be unavailable to lead the Boks this season, told Keo.co.za that White had discussed the national captaincy with him on last year’s end of season tour.
It was the first time Van Heerden had toured with White’s Bok squad but he did not feature in any of the three matches.
White spoke to him about the captaincy at the conclusion of the tour and a day ago confirmed to the media that Van Heerden would be the chosen one in the absence of Smit.
When keo.co.za contacted Van Heerden he had not yet heard the news that broke on Thursday morning, but revealed that White had pulled him aside on the end of year tour and “chatted about things, among them the captaincy.”
“That’s amazing that he has come out and said that though. It certainly gives me extra motivation. It’s a huge compliment!” van Heerden exclaimed. “We had words on the end of year tour and we discussed a little about the captaincy, but I just thought it would be left there. I was flattered, but didn’t think much of it.”
Van Heerden said that White told him he was impresed by the hard-working flanker’s leadership on tour. “I was just contributing in my normal way. As I didn’t get game time, I spent most of the time carrying tackle bags, but I always gave input when I could. I also learned a new respect for those guys in the squad that don’t get to play on the Saturday. It’s not easy, but you live in hope.”
Van Heerden, whose father Moaner played 17 Tests for the Boks between 1974 and 1980, has been a stand-out performer for the Cats for several seasons and was picked by then Bok coach Rudolf Straeuli in 2003, earning his first cap against Scotland at Absa Stadium in Durban. It is difficult to recollect when Wikus last had a poor match for either the Lions or Cats.
Asked if he was now secretly hoping for Smit to pick up a debilitating injury, Van Heerden laughed it off: “No way would I think like that. John is a great captain and it’s a priviledge to be considered as his possible successor by Jake. I’ve always had a positive attitude, but this news certain helps to pick up the spirits after recent times. But I must focus on the Cats game against the Reds because that’s alll that counts right now. We have worked really hard this past week.”
All eyes will be even more fiercely on the tireless flanker throughout the 80 minutes at Ellis Park on Saturday as he aims to justify the huge faith put in him by the national coach – and the enormous pressure that comes with that expectation.
Van Heerden has played five Tests for the Boks, all in 2003, twice against Scotland, twice against Australia and once versus New Zealand and says that the match against the Aussies was his favourite. “The opening match of that year’s Tri-Nations against Australia at Newlands was the most memorable. It was a great win. I really hope I can get to experience more moments like those.”
By Andrew Hollely
64 Comments
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7 Apr 2006, 10:30 am
All of you have forgotten that JW is reserving the 8 th man for Joe Schmo.
Who says you have to be the best in your position to get selected in JW’s Boks ?
No place for Wickus.
Well maybe against Namibia in the world cup!
7 Apr 2006, 10:32 am
Munkiboi .. fair comment … but then I would tag John Smit with the same lable.
7 Apr 2006, 10:33 am
Anvil – do you reckon Joe van iekerk is not good enough to play for the boks?
Let me guess, you’d pick DR, Cronje, and P3 ahead of him right?
Thankfully Jake picks the squad, and lacks the provincial bias so prevalent in the rest of us.
7 Apr 2006, 10:37 am
munkboi, Did I imply that ? No bias at all chum.
Good enough.But not the best.Yes I ‘d pick those 3.Nice guess.JW has picked ‘em too.
7 Apr 2006, 10:48 am
I hope this revelation does not come back to snag JW. My gut tells me that coming out in the open with this revelation was a mistake.
Time will tell. For me, Wickus is a great mid-week Bok captain.
Having said that, I do uderstand the qualities required to captain the Springboks these days. Not many possess these qualities, JS and WvH are probably two who do.
Matfield, FdP, Juan, AJ would be an embarassment I’m afraid.
7 Apr 2006, 10:48 am
yip, JW is correct, van Heerden is the obcious successor, none of the others possess the allround leadership qualities of wickus, just not sure he should be given a starting birth at present since he is competing for AJ and Juan smith’s spot, best he shifts to 8.
7 Apr 2006, 10:57 am
Still a pretty close game.Tahs are only a score or two away.
7 Apr 2006, 11:23 am
The only real leaders on the field in SA:
Wikus, Smit & Leonard (retired)! Fair enough for Jake to have seen this, but make Wikus vice-captain & give him some game time for the Boks! Would be nothing worse for Smit to fall out & Wikus having to take over without any time on the field with his players.
7 Apr 2006, 12:08 pm
Joe v Niekerk should be an impact player when the games become loose. Aj, WvH, Schalk, Juan & Watson should all be given game time in these many internationals we have this year, as a sort of trials. Then theres also Sowerby and Jake Boer to consider, yeesh.
7 Apr 2006, 12:59 pm
ja, like I said yesterday – we can debate the merits of our looseforward options till we’re blue in the face. fact is we have plenty of depth, and so it is up to the coach to pick the players he believes most suited to his game plan. everyone will have an opinion, but the differences are negligible – if any one player was clearly best, we’d have consensus. it is as simple as that.
its tightforward depth, halfback, R-Wing and Fullback cover we really need to figure out.
at the end of the day, only 15 can play. of which about 10 players are absolute certainties if fit, and on form.
Jake doesn’t suffer from the confusion which marred deStroyli’s reign, and afflicts most fans. He identifies who he thinks is best, and sticks with them.
7 Apr 2006, 13:55 pm
I really hope this never has to happen
8 Apr 2006, 00:55 am
Anton Leonard brought his Currie Cup winning Blue Bulls to Carisbrook in 2005 and captained his side to an embarrassing snotting of 0-23 in which his supposedly powerful Bulls tight five got shunted all over the park by Anton Oliver and the lads.
Anton Leonard is a JOKE as a captain. Same as Wikus Vaporub.
8 Apr 2006, 01:28 am
Yeah and Oliver to sit on the bench.
13 Apr 2006, 09:00 am
Wikus was tog ‘n Klofie.
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