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, 11:59 am
#240 grant10: It is a curse at the moment those ******** even have us supporting the Bulls now
I found myself cheering Habana’s try like a true bulls man, it’s ridiculous
12 May 2009, 11:59 am
Cheers all lunch time
12 May 2009, 12:00 pm
#242 Corndog: haha, ja thats true.. not often u get abit of support for the bulls from the rest of SA.
Ive been to bokbar before to watch some rugby, its not the greatest place, but atleast they are showing the game live.. sky sports is cr#p.. nothing compares to supersport!
12 May 2009, 12:00 pm
#248 Corndog: good on you
12 May 2009, 12:02 pm
#237 Corndog: yes…we all luv the game…thats the litmus test for me…i know jake through my girlfriend who was at varsity at wits with him…met him 3 weeks after we won the W Cup…good chat…admits to many mistakes…i suppose 1 has to take a stance…i personally love the fetcher…gets there 1 st …slows opposition ball down…turns over, etc….mc c aw one of a kind because he is also bloody effective in lineout…i see steggmann used a couple of times as well…brussouw has been classic all super 14…shining in an often beaten pack…immense talent…certainly on form deserves the 6 jersey….but it wont happen…
12 May 2009, 12:06 pm
I read what Tighthead said about Guthro’s FAULTY scrumming technique a couple of weeks ago (head right on the side of the opposing tight head)…
Then I had the pleasure to talk to a recent LooseHead Springbok prop, yesterday…. I asked him about that…
He said that you can be bloody sure Guthro’s right shoulder is doing serious damage on the opposing Tight Head’s chest… he said, watch, after each scrum, the opposing tight head is slow to join a next movement, and gives due attention to a sore chest…
Interesting… indeed…
So, I guess, whilst being a bit unorthodox, Guthro hurts an opposing Tight Head….
There are soooo many intricacies in the front row, it’s scary.
He also said, unless scrumming right in towards the hookers, a tight head prop will battle to let a scrum fall (downwards)
The Refs should learn about scumming from the best of the best, the players who played there….
12 May 2009, 12:11 pm
#247 Corndog: when habana went over for the bonus point try i dropped my Casle Milk stout!!
12 May 2009, 12:13 pm
#253 grant10: You should have seen me go bonkers with Habanana’s try…… total jubilation does not come near to decribing it !
12 May 2009, 12:13 pm
#252 grootblousmile: hi GBS…that front row a bloody scary place if you ask me…
12 May 2009, 12:15 pm
#246 Bul-a-Bhloo:
I think the bulls and Sharks have different strenghs.
If i could pic a team out of these two sides, it would be as follow.
1 – Beast
2 – Bissie
3 – Smit
4 – Bakkies
5 – Matfield
6 – Stegman
7 – Deyzel
8 – Spies
9 – FDP
10 – Ruan
11 – JP
12 – Olivier
13 – Jacobs
14 – Habana
15 – Stefan
7 – Sharks
8 – Bulls
Very even i think.
12 May 2009, 12:15 pm
#254 grootblousmile: crucial try…i said 3 weeks ago bulls gonna win this thing…9 wins in a row at loftus…they top the log saturday its goodnite nurse…all over rover…i wouldnt want to try and beat those okes at loftus…
12 May 2009, 12:16 pm
#256 Snoek: Very nice team for sure.
12 May 2009, 12:17 pm
#256 Snoek: i am not sure if bissy deserves a spot there…so upright in the tackle…poor hands…Kuun has actually been bloody awesome at 2 last 3 weeks…
12 May 2009, 12:18 pm
#252 grootblousmile:
Howzit GBS.
Yes it is true that his right shoulder can hurt the tight head, but that is at the expense of breaking up his own scrum so that there is no tight bind between him and his hooker and therefore no tight bind between him and his lock.
So in order to hurt the tight head he has destroyed his own scrum!!
Secondly it is in the natural mechanics of a scrum that a tight head exerts downward pressure.
That is part of his job.
It is the loose heads job to try and hold him up.
Further, good tight heads will split the opposing loose head and hooker while applying downward pressure.
In the case of Guthro they don’t have to worry about splitting the loose head from his hooker as Guthro does that for them!!
12 May 2009, 12:19 pm
#256 Snoek: dewald potgieter been brilliant at 7 as well…my find of the season!!
12 May 2009, 12:19 pm
#255 grant10: I played all 3 positions in the front row in Primary School…. skinny as a rake, but my Dad, who played Freestate Hooker in his time taught me a few tricks of the trade…. and boy it worked.
In High School, I switched to Flank…. my preferred position on the Openside, but in High School days we still played left and right flank, not Openside and Blindside… never amounted to much in School because I was small until Matrick when I started growing seriously.
At Club Level, I always played Openside Flank.
12 May 2009, 12:20 pm
#257 Snoek: very good team..
12 May 2009, 12:20 pm
#260 tight head: hi TH…soda joe mentioned sepakha as a possible 3 for boks…your view??
12 May 2009, 12:21 pm
#259 grant10:
Agree, but he is bound to come right. Such a monster in the loose.
This is exactly where i think the bulls will battle this weekend.
12 May 2009, 12:21 pm
#262 grootblousmile: so you a fan of the fetcher??
12 May 2009, 12:22 pm
#265 grant10: excuse me for answering your question, but how can anyone even still consider sephaka..? i would even pick eddie andrews before i pick sephaka.. de villiers shouldnt be so ignorant, and just pick bj.. i feel jannie du plessis is good cover, but he tends to give alot of penalties away imo..
12 May 2009, 12:23 pm
#247 Corndog: You only need to start worrying when you catch yourself humming Steve Hofmeyer.
This is one of the symptoms of conversion to the “True Blue”.
12 May 2009, 12:23 pm
#265 Snoek: yes…he needs a run or 3 to get back into the flow of things…a great prospect…a natural successor to Juan Smith….as i said…dewald will keep him honest…what a class act that guy is!!
12 May 2009, 12:24 pm
#260 tight head: Man, I accept your explanation without a doubt….
Front row is not my speciality… it’s for you fatties.
Do you think maybe a more solid hooker in place of Kuun might assist Guthro in keeping a tight bind with no space in between?
I’ve always maintained that I would like to see the mobile Jaco Engels convert to Hooker…. he might just have it at the highest levels…
12 May 2009, 12:25 pm
#266 grant10: Fetcher is essential for balance in a Loosie Combo…. I have no doubt!
12 May 2009, 12:25 pm
This is getting so annoying. Once again Sky bloody Sports will not be broadcasting the Sharks game.
Once again we will only be shown an NZ affair, with a Lions game tossed in. It is so frustrating!
12 May 2009, 12:25 pm
#267 ray-bulls_fan: i am with you on BJ….my favorite player for 3 ….sepakha has been in good scrumming form this year…not sure about his form around the park…Jannie Dup is okay…better than J Smit imo…
12 May 2009, 12:27 pm
#256 Snoek:
Why play our strongest scrummaging hooker out of position?
John Smit MUST play at 2 against the Lions.
Our strongest front row would be:
1. Beast Mtawarira
2. John Smit
3. BJ Botha
12 May 2009, 12:27 pm
#261 grant10:
I think your point could be that even those i didn’t choose is very close to the chosen one.
Yes, it’s the big derby in SA terms lately. Just hope that FDP will be there, as without him the sharks will have a field day imo.
But i have to mention that as a die hard supporter i still think that if both teams play according to their abbility, and home ground advantage, the Sharks will win.
They (Sharks) need to start performing now.
12 May 2009, 12:27 pm
#269 Bul-a-Bhloo: hahahahaha
#271 grootblousmile: yeah me too.. jaco engels is massive,i actually use to speak to him alot and i think he would do well at hooker. he is very mobile and quick..
12 May 2009, 12:28 pm
#271 grootblousmile: i think you punting brussow,juan and spies if memory serves me correctly
12 May 2009, 12:29 pm
#274 grant10: ja im totally against the whole smit playing at 3. he must stay at 2 till the world cup, we need him there..
#275 WP Till I Die: definitely our strongest front row..
12 May 2009, 12:29 pm
#260 tight head:
Who do you think is our best tight head currently playing in South Africa?
I think a lot of people do not understand the mental focus and concentration required to be a top-notch tighthead.
12 May 2009, 12:31 pm
#277 grant10: Yip, great combo… one “Low-to-the-ground” Fetcher / slower down of oppo ball, One Grinder and besotted Tackler, one strong ball carrier who is fast and can get you over the advantage line time and again.
Only thing hampering Spies is his hands at the back of the scrum but seems to have improved.
12 May 2009, 12:32 pm
#274 WP Till I Die:
Agree with bj, and then smit will play hooker. But i was refering to a team picked from the bulls and shark teams, not a bok team.
12 May 2009, 12:32 pm
#274 WP Till I Die: absolutely!!!!!!!!!
12 May 2009, 12:33 pm
#262 grootblousmile: Jy moes nooit opgehou het nie, kyk hoe ver het Luke gekom, en jy is ‘n hele 35cm langer as hy!!
12 May 2009, 12:33 pm
#274 WP Till I Die: #278 ray-bulls_fan: Guthro? Been impressive and improving all the time…
12 May 2009, 12:33 pm
Guys our best available front row against the Lions is Beast, Smit and BJ.
Sephaka is yesterday’s man and only has himself to blame.
12 May 2009, 12:33 pm
Lilith is not alone, there are many that clearly see things from her perspective.
Her opinion is as valuable as everyone else. This whole concept of majority mob rule and intolerance is what landed white south africans in the **** in the first place. hell most of the guys on here were almost certainly apartheid voters.
Now its quite correct to say lets move on, but thats far too easy. There are many that have NOT moved on at all. Those are the attitudes which are picked up on by ppl who understand them only too well, and that is what is happening. And yet ppl still want to persecute these troublemakers. Nelson mandela was branded a troublemaker by all you goody-two shoes long time ago and locked up for the best years of his life by a racist white majority. not only would i say Lilith’s views are needed, but i’d say its essential that they are retained.
Lilith is a minority on this white SA rugby website, but the white SA rugbty fraternity is a massive minority in SA and the sooner they learn to deal with this, the less hostile ppl like Stofile will be to believing that a leapord really can change his spots.
On the other hand, I feel those who do want to carry on a political argument should stick to that relevant thread….and not let it contimate other threads where a rugby discussion is taking place.
But what i cant understand is the thread with the biggest hits are the political ones, where large swathes of these so-called rugby-only posters devote considerable time and energy in saying how much they despise all these political troublemakers.
Why? Simply scroll on or go to another thread. The truth is there are very few rugby related posts. I wish there were more.
12 May 2009, 12:34 pm
#272 Loserer: It’s all on the net.
12 May 2009, 12:34 pm
#275 Snoek: i understand your hopes there…as a complete neutral i sense a sharks team low on confidence and perhaps even low on motivation if results dont go there way…on the other hand the bulls….the exact opposite…
12 May 2009, 12:34 pm
#279 WP Till I Die:
The only one to pick out of the local bunch is Jannie Dup.
12 May 2009, 12:34 pm
If only we had a modern-day David Sole, or a Carlos Nieto even – tight head problem solved!
12 May 2009, 12:37 pm
#283 PapSak: Nee, jong, selfs ‘n kleintjie soos Lulu is deesdae 1.78m…. ek is maar 1.81m… en nou VEEEELS te oud…. moes meeding met Burger Geldenhuys en daai ouens in my tyd.
Deesdae se loosies is monstertjies.
Dis hoekom Lulu klein lyk… want jy vergelyk hom met reuse…
12 May 2009, 12:38 pm
#270 grootblousmile:
Technically speaking if your front row is bound correctly then it should not be possible for the loose head to scrum against the tight head with his right shoulder.
The right way to do that is for the hooker and loose head together to scrum against the tight head.
12 May 2009, 12:39 pm
Actually, Luke Watson is 1.84 (just over six feet), just like me.
12 May 2009, 12:39 pm
#264 grant10:
sephaka could play 3 for the boks in a pie eating contest.. and as for jannie dup he has had his head shoved through his arse his breath is starting to smell and he is talking funny… go get cj who is having an epic season …
12 May 2009, 12:40 pm
#288 grant10:
You are right, but i’m hoping for that lost spark in the Sharks team.
12 May 2009, 12:40 pm
#286 cab: cab …hi my man.. …i have fought apartheid and racism my whole life…cost me plenty in my time mate…but i will do it all over again a million times ….all need to learn some manners and grace ….no one without blood on there hands here…may i suggest we all try and start …from now…a new beginning…its a new day…
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