Believing in Bryan

Believing in Bryan

14 Oct 2008

Bryan Habana will rediscover his form for the Springboks.

Habana is a genius. A flawed one, as 2008 has revealed, but a genius nonetheless. That assertion is not hyperbole nor baseless rhetoric. Thirty-one tries in 43 Tests bears testimony to this. But even geniuses have periods where their mortality is exposed and it is at this point where even the most prudent observers start to question their haste in ascribing greatness to the player in question. For Habana, that time is now.

In the latest issue of SA Rugby magazine, on sale Wednesday, former Bok wing Pieter Rossouw, WP coach Allister Coetzee and ex-Bok mental coach Henning Gericke analyse Habana’s slump in form and explain why he will bounce back.

Also in the new mag:

– In theory, the Boks should be too strong for Wales, Scotland and England on the end-of-year tour but there are some variables that could cause a shock trip-up along the way. We examine what needs to be done to win three out of three

– A South African XV chosen from Europe’s top clubs would give most Test nations a run for their money. We select a side already familiar with northern-hemisphere conditions that perhaps should tour the United Kingdom in place of the Bok incumbents this November

– Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis talks about competing with John Smit for the No 2 jersey, the pack’s performance in the Tri-Nations, the impact of the ELVs on his game and his relationship with his brother Jannie

– Preparing to poach: When the Australian Rugby Union announced in early September that the ruling related to foreign players in its Super 14 teams was to change, it was taken as an ominous warning to South African rugby

– Former SA U21 captain and Wallabies winger Clyde Rathbone is edging dangerously close to the ‘whatever happened to?’ category. Repeated injury troubles have restricted him to just a handful of games over the past three seasons. But he’s gearing up for a big 2009 and doesn’t regret his move Down Under one bit

– The Absa Currie Cup has again witnessed the blooding of new talent across the competition. We look at the players who have stood out in their debut season

– Ross Skeate hopes his time at Toulon will lead to a Test cap but if the Boks continue to snub him, he may well opt to play for England at the 2011 World Cup

– Heyneke Meyer has picked himself up off the canvas after being snubbed for the Springbok job and decided to challenge himself afresh. Sadly, no South African team will benefit from his vast knowledge and the experience gained over a 20-year career. Instead, it’s Premiership big hitters, the Leicester Tigers, who are profiting. In this exclusive interview with SA Rugby magazine, Meyer speaks about the decision to ditch a career in the business world to get back to his first love, his meetings with ‘quality guy’ Martin Johnson and the poor coaching structures in South Africa. He also launches an almighty attack on the ‘rubbish’ ELVs and gives Bok coach Peter de Villiers some free advice

– Plus: Jake White on coaching the Barbarians


79 Comments

Pages: [1] 2 » Show All

  • 1.Bulls CC Champions 2008: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 07:03 am

    He better

  • 2.Loosehead: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 07:03 am

    Bryan the Shark slaying DRAGON.

  • 3.Staal: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 07:05 am

    # Bulls CC Champions 2008: :lol:

  • 4.Kerneels: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 07:10 am

    Simon – I bought the mag last month, and I hate to say it but I was impressed. The articles were all well written (despite the liberal use of word like ‘patent’ of which we get more than enough on the website) and all seemed to be well researched.

    All-in-all a very good read and I will definitely buy it again this month. Credit where it is due, well done.

    Now if only you can get the website articles on the same standard… :lol:

  • 5.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 07:28 am

    #3 Staal: more boet , ek het vir jou a groot box snot doekies gekoop :mrgreen:

  • 6.Staal: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 07:31 am

    #5 sharks_lover: eina!……..

    eish smaak my ek gaat dit norig kry! Sal maar my geyser verf en wegbly vannie TV. Sal my maar verbeel ek is in n parralelle universe en die Bulls het daar gewen! :lol:

  • 7.Darquan: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 07:32 am

    #5 sharks_lover: Dink jy sal dit maar moet hou. Jy gaan dit self nodig kry!! :)

  • 8.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 07:33 am

    #6 Staal: lol boet ^5

    ek het my kaartjies en kannie wag nie

  • 9.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 07:34 am

    #7 Darquan: :lol:
    nee my maat jy sien die sharks is nou a nuwe span

    wys net wat a goeie afrugter kan doen

  • 10.BlueBlood: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 07:39 am

    If the Meyer of Pretoria bags those 2 NH trophies there is going to be a lot of um’ing and aah’ing in S.A.

  • 11.Sniper: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 07:40 am

    #9 sharks_lover: All the Sharks players were looking for was consistency in selection. Muir messed this up by playing them in different positions every other week. Plumtree has brought consistency into the team and that is why they are now serious CC contenders. I think their time has come.

  • 12.Darquan: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 07:42 am

    #9 sharks_lover:
    Afrigter = Kiwi – Check
    Kleure = Swart – Check
    Choke Band vir groot games? Double Check!!

  • 13.Supa Die Bloubul: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:15 am

    #12 Darquan:

    LMAO! Good one. :lol:

  • 14.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:23 am

    #12 Darquan: ya boet now CHECK the kak comming from your mouth :lol:

  • 15.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:23 am

    rotflmfao

  • 16.Xkreni-WP: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:27 am

    Habs will be hitting his best form in the 82nd minute of the final on the 25th to score the winning try once again. This will be after another one of FS brainfarts.

    Sorry Guppies, I will always put my money on the Bulls in a final against you. No BMT daar in Deben!

  • 17.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:27 am

    #11 Sniper: this is true mate
    the other thing is plumtree bringing back structure

    and then is he believes in the team and not the individual

    when i met the team and himself of course after the falcons game this was very evident , they were like brothers together , and will play with and foir each other

    infact i read an article about tony watson recently and he mentioned that he nothinced the same thing in that they are a unit

    this howevery isnt gonna guarentee them the cup
    i believe these 2 teams are of equal strength , and both are on form

    so yeah its gonna be a huge final oh AND ILL BE THERE

  • 18.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:29 am

    #16 Xkreni-WP: or habana will be as **** as he was 3 weeks ago and morne steyn has his version of brain farts

    wees maar groot bek lol ons sal sien wie lag laaste :wink:

  • 19.Darquan: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:35 am

    18 sharks_lover: Seriously, ek dink die beste kans vir ons Bulle is as die Sharks choke :( Dis hoekom ek so daarop hamer – ek WENS HARDOP!! :)

  • 20.Xkreni-WP: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:36 am

    #18 sharks_lover:

    Kannie wag nie Tjomma

  • 21.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:41 am

    #20 Xkreni-WP: ek ook nie
    #19 Darquan: :lol: its cool mate just know the sharks wont lose because they choked but because they lost to a better team on the day

    plumtree is not messing players around and like steyn has stayed inside center throughout
    plumtree has changed the sharks mentall and they also have more structure in their play

    so yes this is gonna be a huge final

  • 22.greatest13gerber: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:47 am

    Meyer is least making more money then PDV ..

    disgraceful his treatment by politics

  • 23.EEE: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:52 am

    Last night my wife and I were sitting in the living room,

    talking about life. In-between, we talked about the
    idea of living or dying.

    I said to her:

    ‘Dear, never let me live in a vegetative state, totally
    dependent on machines and liquids from a bottle.
    If you see me in that state I want you to disconnect
    all the contraptions that are keeping me alive,
    I’d much rather die’.

    Then my wife got up from the sofa with this real look of
    admiration towards me and proceeded to disconnect
    the TV, the Cable, the Dish, the DVD, the Computer,
    the Cell Phone, the iPod, and the Xbox, and then went
    to the fridge and threw away all my beer!!

    *….I ALMOST DIED!!!*

  • 24.klippies101: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:56 am

    keo we dont want to hear bout clyde rathbone why did you waste our time with writing bout him someone who doesnt regret stabbinh his country in the back ? hmmmmm

  • 25.klippies101: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:57 am

    sharks to win the super 14 for sure

  • 26.greatest13gerber: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:57 am

    #23 EEE:

    :D

  • 27.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 08:57 am

    #23 EEE: rotflmfao :lol

  • 28.EEE: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 09:00 am

    #27 sharks_lover: #26 greatest13gerber: thought you guys would enjoy

  • 29.Tisme: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 09:08 am

    #24 klippies101: How many in your “we”?
    Do you turn your back on mates that emigrated from SA?

  • 30.wooden spoon: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 09:11 am

    I personally wouldn’t believe anything Alistair Coetzee has to say about rugby.

  • 31.Ek sê my sê, ek sê: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 09:26 am

    #30 wooden spoon: What a huge dissapointment AC is to WP supporters, i feel for your guys.

    Maybe you can get Rassie to work a full year and manage the CC aswell.

  • 32.NZINCHINA: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 09:27 am

    SA needs to pick their top side otherwise they will get beaten again up north.

  • 33.wooden spoon: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 09:28 am

    #31 Ek sê my sê, ek sê: I agree with your sentiment but please, please I beg you, never confuse me with a WP supporter again!

    My team will be winning the CC next weekend…at home…

  • 34.Ek sê my sê, ek sê: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 09:53 am

    #33 wooden spoon:

    Sorry man. This was probably the worst insult someone ever gave you, insinuating you support WP.

    Trully sorry.

  • 35.futurebillionaire: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 09:56 am

    Wat se kuk voorblad foto is dit?
    Dit lyk soos ‘n foto uit Sport Rapport
    Hoekom het julle hom nie ook laat “pose” soos met die ander onlangse voorblaaie nie?
    Sies!

  • 36.futurebillionaire: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 10:00 am

    Btw what slump in form?
    Apart from dropping that one ball over the tryline against NZ (i think) he hasn’t done anything to suggest he lost form
    He hardly got the ball in space when the Boks played this year…thats the problem

  • 37.shooter: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 10:52 am

    There is no spoon…

  • 38.shooter: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 11:00 am

    Habana makes time stand still. Wonder if the Sharks have thoughts on how to counter measure this. This year. When the CC final and season finishes, when the final whistle blows.

  • 39.Wezwp: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 11:04 am

    Can you guy’s name me a few jew’s that played for the boks besides stransky.

  • 40.shooter: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 11:10 am

    #39 Wezwp: Julius?

  • 41.shooter: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 11:10 am

    Ag I mean, Wayne Julies

  • 42.klippies101: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 11:11 am

    tis nit that he left sa tis his attitude the way he fights with sa players on the field and doesnt fight with any other teams

  • 43.shooter: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 11:13 am

    #42 klippies101: weer klippies en rice crispies vanoggend? :)

  • 44.Tbozknows: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 11:16 am

    #38 shooter: I am a Habana fan but restrict him getting ball on a overlap. If you stand in front him he will find it difficult. Although he producued some magic against england last year his side step is weak. He is no Shane Williams.

    That said Shane is no Brian on defence. Defencively Brian is the best in the business.

  • 45.klippies101: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 11:17 am

    mmm klippies en cornflakes

  • 46.Tbozknows: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 11:18 am

    Show Brian the inside. Come on Sharks..

  • 47.shooter: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 11:21 am

    #46 Tbozknows: The try last week was just what Brian needed. He needs to get the ball on pace a little bit more. Something Williams does well, stepping at pace is much more effective, than creating space with 3m to the defensive line. Which we all know of course.

  • 48.shooter: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 11:23 am

    #44 Tbozknows: more recently at the WC too.

  • 49.Tbozknows: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 11:24 am

    #47 shooter: You are probably right. The Boks dont get the ball to him at pace enough.. Anyway against the Sharks he needs to get little ball. This is revenge for last years S14 final. We need to win(Sharks).

  • 50.World Cup: Reply to this comment
    14 Oct 2008, 12:08 pm

    Ross Skeate opting to play for England? This guy won’t make the Bulls’s 5th team if they had one.

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Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

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