Only the best for Heyneke
4 Sep 2008
Heyneke Meyer wants to make the Leicester Tigers the best club team in the world.
Meyer and Leicester’s competitive season begins on Sunday against Gloucester. After his predecessor, Marcelo Loffreda, lasted less than a year, there is pressure on Meyer to deliver in his first season at the helm. Moreover, Meyer wants the Tigers to set the standard in the Premiership and across Europe throughout his next three years in charge.
“My long-term goal is to make Leicester the best club side in the world,” Meyer told The Guardian.
“We should be able to achieve that in my time here. When I left the Bulls after winning the Super 14 last year and failed to get the job of South Africa coach, I thought my time in rugby was over. I turned down a number of offers from international and club sides. Then Leicester came in, a club which shares my vision and values, and here I am.”
Meyer’s vision and values include success via hard work. This is epitomised by the coach’s current injury, where he ruptured his Achilles tendon during training last week. “It was a sort of race. Put it down to team-building. I will be in plaster for six weeks and then see how it goes,” he said.
With these core values in mind, Meyer will only sign players who are willing to put the collective before the individual. “We need a wing because of all the injuries we have: we will take our time because as well as being a world-class player, the guy must fit into the values of the club. Individualism must not come before the team. Every aspect of Leicester and everything we do must be totally professional,” said Meyer.
“It [the English season] will be a new experience for me, but I have watched a lot of Premiership rugby in recent years. It is different to the Currie Cup because it has 12 good teams in it. The English season is tough because three competitions overlap and you have international calls, but we have drawn up plans and we have a very strong squad,” he said.
Much has been talked about the new attacking inclinations of teams under the ELVs, but a pragmatic Meyer noted how sides have to play to their traditional strengths. “We will change tactically, improving when it comes to intensity, skill levels and try scoring, but you always have to play to your strengths.”
Meyer left South Africa having nurtured the best provincial side in the world. You wouldn’t bet against him revitalising a tiring Leicester outfit into the flagship team of Europe.
356 Comments
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4 Sep 2008, 09:37 am
Striped Dragon-Tiger!
4 Sep 2008, 09:39 am
and he will probably achieve it….
4 Sep 2008, 09:41 am
pity he wasn’t retained in South Africa as Bok coach to keep the boks at #1.
Noooooo, we are fortunate enough to have Snor with his one eyed approach…
Gosh we can all see which team is better off…
4 Sep 2008, 09:41 am
This will be great experience for Heyneke. After a succesful stint at Leicester, he will be able to pick and choose where he wants to go.
4 Sep 2008, 09:43 am
Best provincial side in the world??
What?
4 Sep 2008, 09:48 am
“Meyer left South Africa having nurtured the best provincial side in the world. You wouldn’t bet against him revitalising a tiring Leicester outfit into the flagship team of Europe.”
I cannot handle it when “journos” spout their own opinions as fact.
4 Sep 2008, 09:48 am
#5 black_marc: please focus….
“My long-term goal is to make Leicester the best club side in the world,” Meyer told The Guardian.
4 Sep 2008, 09:52 am
#5 black_marc: Leicester is a UK side, they dont have provices therefore dont have provincial teams. Only club sides.
4 Sep 2008, 09:52 am
#6 black_marc:
Super 14 is the best provincial competition in the world.
Therefore, S14 champions can be declared to be the best provincial side in the world at that time.
Simple logic.
4 Sep 2008, 09:53 am
Well, let’s all sit back and see what HM can achieve without a bunch of clowns cart wheeling over his head.
I have my reservations about the ‘best team in the world’ thing (I believe the Crusaders have earned that title – not WP as many would lead you to believe
) but I would love to see where the Tigers are three years from now. My bet will be top of the pile.
4 Sep 2008, 09:56 am
#7 EEE:
You focus!!!
read the last sentence of the article.
4 Sep 2008, 09:59 am
#9 Tacitus:
One swallow does not a summer make, and one S14 title does not make the bulls the best provincial side in the world.
I would be saying the same if the sharks or even the blues had won the S14.
4 Sep 2008, 09:59 am
What I like about Meyer is that he looks at the ELV’s and says ” We will change tactically, improving when it comes to intensity, skill levels and try scoring, but you always have to play to your strengths.” Now that makes sense. I only we also just done all that but played to our strengths we would ahve won the 3N. Just look what we done last Sat just that. Played to our strength but improved with the expansive game too. Never ever forget about our strengths. I just wonder how far we would have been already under Meyer?????? it just makes us think.
4 Sep 2008, 10:01 am
#10 Kerneels:
The journalist was referring to a specific point in time. As in the Champions of any particular year can rightly be considered to be the best side at that particular time.
No one’s talking about the best team over the course of Super rugby history here. That would be a toss up between the Crusaders and Auckland Blues, with the Brumbies probably coming in a distant third.
4 Sep 2008, 10:01 am
#11 black_marc: Meyer left South Africa having nurtured the best provincial side in the world. You wouldn’t bet against him revitalising a tiring Leicester outfit into the flagship team of Europe.
Referring to the bulls there!!!!! never said for one minute that Leicester were a provincial team?
4 Sep 2008, 10:02 am
#12 black_marc:
Read my reply to Kerneels.
4 Sep 2008, 10:03 am
#12 black_marc: please refer to #14 Tacitus:
4 Sep 2008, 10:06 am
Must be a pleasant change for Heynecke to coach minus the usual South Aafrican politics
4 Sep 2008, 10:08 am
#17 EEE: please just cross reference with #16 Tacitus
4 Sep 2008, 10:10 am
#18 Richie_7:
For sure, although at the bulls, and with the structure he had implemented, i think he kept the wolves at bay and had a fairly smooth ride politically.
4 Sep 2008, 10:11 am
“Meyer left South Africa having nurtured the best provincial side in the world. You wouldn’t bet against him revitalising a tiring Leicester outfit into the flagship team of Europe.”
You kidding me right???? He won the super14 once..ONCE!!! The crusaders are the best provincial side in the world…period.
4 Sep 2008, 10:12 am
Wonder how many players from South Africa is going to join up with him. Alot of players anjoyed playing under him. Very good coach indeed and a gentleman. Good Luck and all the best for you !
4 Sep 2008, 10:14 am
What will be interesting is to see how many Bulls players Heyneke can turn into Tigers.
4 Sep 2008, 10:14 am
#19 shooter: use#17 EEE: to cross reference with #16 Tacitus: which is in response to #12 black_marc: which was answered by #14 Tacitus: which also referred to #10 Kerneels: which related to#5 black_marc: which had already been responded to by #9 Tacitus: …
4 Sep 2008, 10:16 am
#18 Richie_7: Yes I bet coaching there is by far less stressful than here. Just watch how he will make his the the best team. Full of South Africans I bet. He will be over here picking the ones that just ge left behind. We have enough talent here and no space for them all. No doubt be putting a lot of SA into that side.
4 Sep 2008, 10:17 am
#25 Puma:
Glad to hear that overseas teams share South African visions and values too. Makes SA rugby a global brand
4 Sep 2008, 10:18 am
#21 Storm Voort: In you opinion who was the best National rugby team in 2007?
4 Sep 2008, 10:18 am
#25 Puma:
Yip, but lets not forget the British media can be extremely hard.
Meyer had a lot of the local media behind him, even in the bad times.
Rapport , Beeld etc.
4 Sep 2008, 10:18 am
Hope the referencing system on this thread has been sorted out now. Any confusion, just refer to#24 black_marc:
4 Sep 2008, 10:19 am
#21 Storm Voort:
you’re wasting your time with the “blinker brigade”
4 Sep 2008, 10:19 am
#24 black_marc: yes, the interrelatedness of these post have been sublimely pointed out there. very nice
4 Sep 2008, 10:21 am
#27 Tisme: Sharks. They topped the S14 log.
4 Sep 2008, 10:21 am
#26 Richie_7: Yes agree with that.
4 Sep 2008, 10:22 am
#30 black_marc: Just accept that the Bulls were the best provincial team in 2007, just as the Boks were the best National team in 2007, just as the AB are currently the best National team in 2008….. rather simple really….. thats if you are not an idiot?
4 Sep 2008, 10:22 am
#30 black_marc:
The journalist is referring to the year the Bulls did win the S14. That year the Bulls were the best provincial side,a dn Meyer left after that meaning he left when the Bulls were the best. He didn’t say “consistently the best”
4 Sep 2008, 10:23 am
#32 It is just a game: and then lost the HOME GAME final…… yes
4 Sep 2008, 10:25 am
#28 black_marc: I know but he has a lot of experience now and he knows what players he wants and what game he wants to play now. I think he will be down here talking to a lot of South African players that are just not getting picked for the Boks that feel they should. He is going to have one mighty team. Then the British media will just give him all the credit. Meyer has learned over the years and is one smart guy now. Just watch him make that the best team in Europe. Of course will all the ex-SA leaving to join him.
4 Sep 2008, 10:26 am
#32 It is just a game: take leadpill surfer, helps with amnesia, i.e promotes it, they say.
4 Sep 2008, 10:27 am
#24 black_marc:
4 Sep 2008, 10:27 am
#36 Tisme:
Once again, it’s all about ho you perceive success. The Sharks were CONSISTENTLY better, just happened to fail at the final hurdle. Losing that one game they were still more consistent, just one trophy less
4 Sep 2008, 10:27 am
#21 Storm Voort: Storm vrot, it is ‘provincial side’ not ‘franchise’ which is being talked about. However, extrapolating from your viewpoint, the Bulls are regarded as the best as a complete package, i.e. structures, youth feeder systems, proffesionally etc etc.
4 Sep 2008, 10:28 am
#34 Tisme:
The boks were not the best National team in 2007.
The ABs were the best national team for the year 2007.
the boks won the world cup.
whos the idiot?
4 Sep 2008, 10:28 am
#35 Richie_7: One thing I have to admit that the Bull were lucky that day to win the S14. It should have been the Sharks. Steyn missed a easy kick at goal and both Steyn and Butch all they had to do is just kick the ball out and it would have been end of game. Then S14 to the Sharks. It should have been. Thought that because of that the Bulls were lucky to win also the game went on for much longer in minutes than it should have. Sharks should have won that one.
4 Sep 2008, 10:29 am
#40 Richie_7: consistently means you win consistently…. that includes the semi’s & final where you get another crack to prove you are the best
4 Sep 2008, 10:30 am
#43 Puma:
I’m a Sharks supporter, but I believe you make your own luck. The Bulls played until the final whistle; the Sharks unfortunately didn’t kick out and turned over ball.
Good on the Bulls. Hopefully the Sharks learn from those lessons.
4 Sep 2008, 10:31 am
#42 black_marc: We will never know will we. As Jake sent his 2nd or 3rd side over to Oz and NZ to play so cant really count that year of 2007 who was the best the only way we can do that is by looking at the World Cup we won it so we were. SA eve won best team of the year award. Got the medals so you can say what you like we were the best in 2007.
4 Sep 2008, 10:31 am
#42 black_marc: Yeah, thats why the best team lostb their No 1 world ranking to the Boks after the WC
4 Sep 2008, 10:31 am
Well I wish him best of luck!
Good exp. for him as person and coach.
4 Sep 2008, 10:32 am
#36 Tisme: I’m not gonna start the whole S14 final debate again, but to top the S14 log a team has to perform well against all the other top SH teams over a extended period of time.
4 Sep 2008, 10:33 am
#44 Tisme:
All I’m saying is some people will measure success by the the number of trophies in their cabinet, while others will look at stats and measure success.
To put in into perspective, you have one team int he final who made it there on more wins, while the other slipped in by the “bonus point for losing by less than 7 points” rule. So who is more successful? Refer to my first paragraph to find out how you determine success
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