Blending brains and brawn
12 May 2009
Heyneke Meyer believes a hybrid of tactical precision and mental strength will determine the victor when the Sharks meet the Bulls at King’s Park on Saturday.
Meyer coached the Bulls to the Super 14 championship in 2007 before narrowly missing selection for the Springboks coaching role in 2008. He then coached Premiership club Leicester Tigers before returning to South Africa to be with ailing family members. He is currently the CEO of Sports Max, a company that looks at the holistic development of elite athletes.
Meyer said he expected the game to be relatively conservative in nature and that it would be characterised by an emphasis on forward play and tactical kicking. He noted the Sharks’ prowess from broken field and stressed that the Bulls must starve their supply in this regard, or risk exposing themselves to dangerous counter-attacks.
‘I watched the Bulls play the Cheetahs [last Saturday] and knew that if they opened it up the Cheetahs would feed off their mistakes. That’s exactly what happened. They can’t afford to make the same errors against a very good side like the Sharks,’ Meyer told keo.co.za.
‘What they’ve done so far has made them successful. I’ve heard criticism of their percentage approach but they’re top of the log with a chance of hosting a semi-final. They must have been doing something right.
‘The Sharks are an accomplished unit who are very difficult to beat in Durban. In the 2007 final they pinned us in our half through the boots of Percy Montgomery, Ruan Pienaar and Frans Steyn. The Bulls can’t allow them to dictate the field position like that because once they get on a roll they’re very hard to stop.’
Meyer said the return from suspension of Rory Kockott would add a skilled tactical kicker to their arsenal and added that the Bulls’ capacity to match them in this facet of play would hinge heavily on the availability of Fourie du Preez. The incumbent Springbok No 9 injured his calf muscle a fortnight ago and is uncertain of being fit for the match.
‘Not taking anything away from Heini Adams and Francois Hougaard, who are good scrumhalves in their own right, it’ll be a massive boast if Fourie was available, especially considering the [tactical] pattern the game is likely to follow,’ Meyer said.
‘He is the best tactical kicking scrumhalf in world rugby, and if you review the Bulls’ season you’ll note that many of their tries have come from box kicks Fourie has put up. He can put the ball on a dime and weights it so perfectly that he gives his wingers enough time to contest the ball. This puts a massive amount of pressure on the opposition. He’ll be a key player if he is fit.’
Meyer did, however, explain that given how closely the teams are matched, technical and tactical superiority would not be the sole determinant of the winners. He said the ability to manage the pressure of the occasion and focus on the task at hand without being influenced by outside distractions – like qualification permutations – will be central to the success of either side.
In recent years the Bulls have often scrapped for a semi-final spot in the final stages of the tournament, the most notable of which came against the Reds in 2007, when they achieved the goal of having to beat the Queenslanders by a 72-point margin.
‘I won’t say it gives the Bulls an edge to have been in high pressure situations over the last couple of seasons, but they will know how to prepare and also have the benefit of knowing that they have beaten the Sharks at King’s Park in a high pressure match [the final in 2007],’ Meyer said.
‘But ultimately what happened before is fairly inconsequential. The Sharks will be determined to beat their great rivals irrespective of whether they are knocked out of the tournament by kick-off or not. You have to remember there is plenty of pride at stake, but more than that, the players will be wanting to make an impression on the Springbok selectors. That’s a huge motivating factor in itself.’
Meyer continued, saying it was imperative that the coaches of both sides have a clear idea of how they want to play and that they communicate that effectively to the players.
‘You have to control the controllables,’ he said. ‘Neither team can afford to wait until Saturday afternoon to decide how they should approach the match because of whatever scenarios the preceding games would have throw up.
‘They coaches should have a clear idea of how they want to play and that should have been drilled into the players from the Monday morning practice already. Players need clear messages so that they can prepare adequately. It’s crucial that both coaches detail exactly how they intend to play from the outset.
‘The Bulls must set themselves to win first and foremost, then focus on getting the bonus point,’ he added.
‘The Sharks will know what’s required by the time the match begins and they’ll probably need five points to book a place in the semis if other results go their way.
‘It’s set up to be one of the best South African derbies in years.’
By Ryan Vrede
791 Comments
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12 May 2009, 11:27 am
#190 lilith: I am very edgy about the game, we need to see what the standings are right before the match.
BTW I never said that to you, confirm your facts please.
12 May 2009, 11:27 am
#189 green_and_gold: i agree…luke is a 6 imo….a quality,intelligent ,100% player. However, at 8 spies would be my choice. Brussow and steggmann a real handfull at 6…for the 1 st time we have our own Waugh,macaw, g smith types…we did have that in 2006 with luke but jake never embraced that….i feel at home we must play our game….not choose a team to negate the B Lions but a team to perform to our game plan…on the hard fields rossouw not the answer as a loosie…lets take the battle to them…not the other way around…
12 May 2009, 11:28 am
this is very random, but what ever happened to dean hall??
12 May 2009, 11:31 am
I suggest that everyone change there nic to what they want to stay with…. you will not be able to change this soon!!
12 May 2009, 11:31 am
#171 grant10:
Martyn Williams a quick flanker, if he is quick what is McCaw?
12 May 2009, 11:34 am
#199 grant10:
for sure….
Still very difficult with the depth we have at loose forward.
Any of the following would not disappoint.
It is about the combination and game plan
6. Brussouw / Watson / burger
7. smith / Vermeulen / Burger
8. spies / Kankowski
We need to utilise the pace and speed of spies in open play, and it is for this reason, amongst others (captaincy and positional experience) that I would play john smit at 2.
We play a “real” tight 5, allowing the loose forwards more freedom.
12 May 2009, 11:35 am
#203 NZINCHINA: freak of nature…
12 May 2009, 11:35 am
From now on if its not about Rugby/Cricket and yes a bit of fun chat, then I wont answer anyones posts or rather not post here then.
We can all make this a great blog. Its is, so let all the racist stuff go. Shake hands and lets get on with talking about the Lions tour coming. Also the IPL here its really awesome.
Cheers all. Enjoy the rest of your day.
12 May 2009, 11:35 am
#202 NZINCHINA: greased bloody lightning!!!
12 May 2009, 11:36 am
#171 grant10: G10 Martyn is there for the tackle situation when SA goes wide. Don’t think the Lions will sperad it at all. They are going to play it tight and attack our ball. You will see a lot of kicking for territory from them and dont be surprised about drop goals. They have picked their flyhalves exactly for that. We have to keep their forwards going backwards therefore we need players who can play around the fringes of the rucks. I would go with Juan, Deysel/Luke and Danie to be honest. I like Heinrich but think he will be exposed against the Lions.
12 May 2009, 11:37 am
#201 Roy: Thats good news.
12 May 2009, 11:37 am
#200 ray-bulls_fan: The big wing? Didn’t his knees pack up?
12 May 2009, 11:38 am
#204 green_and_gold: yeah i totally agree with the last line in ur comment, we need to play a real tight 5! it needs to be beast,smit,bj,matfield and botha.. then either one of those loosies combinations will work. i would go for the tried and tested still, of burger, smith and spies
12 May 2009, 11:39 am
#204 ray-bulls_fan: #206 grant10:
Ha ha, your boys will beat the Lions no problem the Bokke are very very hard to beat at home and at Ellis nearly impossible so can’t see these guys winning twice in 3 test matches.
12 May 2009, 11:39 am
#210 Dantalion: ja he was a big boy, i thought he would be our version of jonah lomu, but he just faded away.. oh ja he mustve had a serious injury or something..
12 May 2009, 11:40 am
#203 green_and_gold: yes…i agree …a powerful tight 5 with an out and out fetcher…a money man at back of lineout in juan smith…and he has all the grunt …as well as a spies that hopefully can roam to do what he does best….need a brute at 3…that is key…not sure we have the answer in sa….soda joe mentioned sepakha….he has scrummed well….i would call bj or cj personally…
12 May 2009, 11:40 am
#199 grant10: I agree 100% with you on this point. There seems to be too much respect for the Lions. They def deserve respect but not this much. In 90% of the positions having all our players fit we are beeter than them. Why select players to combat theirs if ours are better anyway.
Regarding the loose trio I think Div will stick with Burger, Smith and Spies. Luke’s stats are very good this season especially if you consider that this “small” No. 8 played behind a losing pack, he has been brilliant.
12 May 2009, 11:40 am
#212 NZINCHINA: Not a chance they will win.. i hope its 3-0 whitewash.. just to really show them how far behind they are from the southern hemisphere teams..
12 May 2009, 11:41 am
#205 Puma: cheers puma..
12 May 2009, 11:41 am
#157 green_and_gold:
it would also be interesting to se how many tackles were attempted and made in total…
12 May 2009, 11:41 am
#208 Puma:
Howzit Puma
How disapointing was this weekends rugby from a shark perspective? I still think the Sharks is the best team in SA, but they have been underperforming of late.
The sharks will out play the bulls this weekend, which would be a shame from a bulls perspective. But i’m sure the bulls and their fans are not looking for handouts.
I will be there offcourse.
12 May 2009, 11:42 am
#207 bananaboy: heinr5ich in a wrestle is so powerful…watch him closely….he is as strong as a little bull…
12 May 2009, 11:42 am
#218 Snoek:
That would be fantastic what are you talking about?
12 May 2009, 11:43 am
#211 NZINCHINA: from your lips boet!!
12 May 2009, 11:43 am
#210 ray-bulls_fan: I like your tight 5, but don’t think they will select BJ or CJ for the Lions. I think Jannie dup has had a good season for the Sharks and should stand up to anything the Lions dish out.
12 May 2009, 11:44 am
#211 NZINCHINA: Howzit mate, Before I go out. You are right Ellis Park and Loftus going to be really tough for the Lions to beat us there. Think we better get play smart and win that first Test in Durban. Thats the one I think they could win.
Also just hope our coach is not going to take the Boks to Cape Town to train. Heard the Lions will be based in Pretoria for Altitude training. We need to be based up at teh highveld for altitude training too. Two tests being played up there.
12 May 2009, 11:44 am
#215 ray-bulls_fan:
Never take anything for granted. We will have to play well to win the series 3-0.
12 May 2009, 11:44 am
#212 ray-bulls_fan: last i heard he was playing in italy
12 May 2009, 11:45 am
score predictions for saturday anyone?
12 May 2009, 11:45 am
#219 grant10: A little bull with an ugly moustache
12 May 2009, 11:48 am
#226 ray-bulls_fan: If it rains Bulls by 4 in a low scoring 16 – 12 win.
If its perfect conditions i see the Bulls winning by a similar margin but a higher score like: 32 – 28.
As a stormers supporter I am being biased in SA’s interests, also the Bulls have done what has been required in the final rounds many years in a row (e.g. against the Reds, Stormers and the final vs the Sharks).
12 May 2009, 11:48 am
#214 Corndog: yes…i also believe PDV will go with schalk…juan smith and spies…i am deeply dissapointed with schalk this year…he has been a shadow of his former self…personally i believe he is not a fetcher but this is all opinion….and how a blog should be…we can debate, slice and dice without ever hating each other or getting personal…i hope others take note.
12 May 2009, 11:49 am
#220 NZINCHINA:
Yes!
12 May 2009, 11:49 am
#223 Corndog: ye i know they probably wont pick bj, but they should. cj is injured.
#225 Snoek: i know, its going to be tough.. i always expect the worst to happen and then be happy when we do well.. if we keep our experienced/tried and tested team and combinations there is no reason why we shouldn’t beat them 3-0. but it will be tough, im not denying it..
#226 grant10: italy?? jeez i wonder who for..i must check up and see.. i always rated him very highly..
12 May 2009, 11:51 am
#226 ray-bulls_fan:
Depends if FDP plays.
If he plays – Sharks by 1-5
If not – Sharks by 5-10.
12 May 2009, 11:51 am
#218 Snoek: Ag, that was such a let down really. We should have won that game. A few times we should have had that game. If Bissie passed and JPP at one stage both would have been tries. Also they got a lineout that actually was ours that turned into a try for them. Then Stefan that is always solid. Trying to kick that ball on our line instead of just diving over it. We should have won. Thats how the Shark season has gone all S14.
Will still support Sharks this weekend but we wont got through even if we win. Would mean the Chiefs to beat Brumbies, Blues to beat Saders, Lions to beat Tahs. Cant see all that happen. So after Saturday will put my support behind the Bulls to win. If we beat them they will have to travel. Still will support them. Then if by any miracle we make it then of course will support the Sharks.
Only good thing is after this Saturday the players will get a rest before going into training for the Lions tour.
12 May 2009, 11:52 am
#229 Corndog: i like the way you think, hehe, yeah i would go for a very similar scoreline, its going to be close!! i cant wait!! im in london at the moment so going to watch with alot of south africans at Bokbar.. gonna be good!!
12 May 2009, 11:52 am
#226 ray-bulls_fan: only once teams announced…
12 May 2009, 11:52 am
#227 Corndog: LOL…
12 May 2009, 11:52 am
#229 grant10: He has never been a fetcher. JW made it clear that he doesn’t believe in fetchers so I don’t think Schalk was ever considered one. He does damage through his defense.
Things got heated on here for a while. Many people believe they are far more important than what they really are and no one will ever fully agree with another. People should just get over themselves and channel all their energy into something positive.
12 May 2009, 11:54 am
#233 Snoek: haha.. interesting… well if you are correct, lets hope both teams get the bonus points with it.. if bulls lose by less than 7 and score 4 tries, we will still atleast have a home semi by ending 2nd
12 May 2009, 11:54 am
#201 Roy:
Roy: The problem is not with the site, but rather a handful of jittery individuals.
I was quite looking forward to changing my nickname to The Bulls, 2009 S14 Champions, but only for a few weeks.
The whole “Jan-campaign” was also a lot of innocent fun, at least for those without a chip on their shoulder.
Why should a silly woman spoil that for me?
12 May 2009, 11:54 am
#228 Corndog: yes…i am a Stormer fan too….for my sins…depending on the other games i will choose to support based on prior results…would love bulls to finish top of log…a home semi and final at loftus…bloody difficult for other teams to win there!!
12 May 2009, 11:55 am
#234 ray-bulls_fan: I was there about a 15 months ago. That place is a bit of a dive but also the only place you can ctch an SA S14 game over there. At the Walkabouts they only showed the Aus and NZ games. Enjoy the game for the once it will be the Bulls and everyone else in SA against a team instead of the other way around.
12 May 2009, 11:55 am
#229 grant10: Your last two lines Grant agree 100% Thats the way it should always be.
I like Brussouw. Has to get selected even if he is on the bench. Also Nokwe. What awesome speed he has. Now Habs is picking up his form and that is a great thing too.
12 May 2009, 11:56 am
#231 ray-bulls_fan: agree on bj….strongest tighthead we have had …great loss…dean hall could of been the real deal…
12 May 2009, 11:56 am
#195 Roy: roy you’re supposed to be the moderator ie arbiter, referee, intermediary…you’re need to come across as impartial, you are definitely not doing that at the moment, i don’t care how highly you regard yourself, you’re failing at your job period!
seeing that you’re inclined to tell lilith to shut up, why don’t you start with the other bloggers? This is not the 1st thread to degenerate into non-rugby talk, threads are constantly put up here that have nothing to do with rugby eg ”cheeky calls pdv a ******” what the heaven are we supposed to blog about there??
Do what you think is right & will appease your handlers though roy, good lad!
12 May 2009, 11:57 am
Okay all out of here now.
12 May 2009, 11:57 am
Testing 1 2 3
Great…. GBS is still here….
12 May 2009, 11:58 am
Having said that beating the Sharks in the Tank this weekend is going to be a big ask. That front row is going to do all the damage.
As for the rest, man on man it’s about equals with the Sharks having the better No.15.
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