‘Inexperience’ no excuse for Lions
16 Mar 2010
Dick Muir must look at his team’s own failings and not blame their results and poor performances on inexperience.
Muir has offered the same rhetoric after all the Lions’ five losses this season – that improvement is eminent at the Lions.
‘I thought the guys created a lot of opportunities, but we just didn’t round off those chances and we slipped some tackles at some crucial stages,’ has been Muir’s general cliche after every defeat. Sounds very much like Loffie Eloff over the last three years, doesn’t it?
Muir blamed the missed chances on the group being ‘inexperienced’, and believes the more time they play together the results will change.
But how inexperienced are they really? The Lions’ best performance of last year’s Currie Cup came in the final league match when they beat Western Province 27-25, which is now the first-choice Stormers team barring five players.
Looking at the Lions team that suffered the 73-12 embarrassment against the Waratahs, on that day against WP last year, nine players were different. Excluding the loss of Willem Alberts, the other eight changes actually make the Lions a stronger team and all these players were chosen by Muir himself as he deems them the better options.
Heinke van der Merwe replaced JC Janse van Rensburg – who started at loosehead against WP – Hannes Franklin in for Hans van Dyk, Willem Stoltz ahead of Nico Luus, JP Joubert ahead of Chris Jonck, Carlos Spencer in Herkie Kruger’s place, Walter Venter for Jannie Boshoff, Wandile Mjekevu for Johan Jackson, and Springbok Tonderai Chavhanga for Dusty Noble.
Van Dyk, Luus, Jonck, Kruger, Boshoff, and Jackson are all currently playing in the Vodacom Cup and that Muir has chosen other players ahead of them clearly shows that his argument that he has an inexperienced team is false.
In the current squad, Spencer has 100 Super Rugby games and over 30 Tests, while Chavhanga and Heinke van der Merwe have played Tests for the Springboks. Earl Rose, Franco van der Merwe and Jano Vermaak played for the Emerging Boks against the British & Irish Lions last year, while the former went on the Boks’ year-end tour in 2008 and 2009. Todd Clever is also an international.
JP Joubert has played for the Stormers, Blue Bulls and Cheetahs, while centres Walter Venter and Doppies la Grange have been playing Super Rugby for three and seven years respectively. Captain Baywatch Grobbelaar is also an experienced Super 14 campaigner. Muir has one or two truly inexperienced players, but this is no different to what any other coach has to deal with.
If the Lions could defeat Super 14-quality opposition on 10 October last year with poorer players, but not five months later, it must be the fault of the coaches.
The only reason the side have failed to gel has been due to a lack of structure instilled from the coaching staff. The poor preparation is also down to Muir’s lack of planning, where he rotated his side throughout the Super 14 warm-ups and in the competition-proper. With little quality available, the best side should have been selected from the start – it was never going to be difficult to decide who they were – and stuck with.
The fact is Muir’s over-loaded schedule has hampered his role at the Lions since he was appointed from 1 November. Muir was the only coach out of 14 in the competition who was not with his side from that date, as he left the squad to be run by Johan Ackermann and Hans Coetzee as he was on a disastrous Springbok tour as he looked after the midweek Boks.
In early December, Muir was also in Riebeek West to host the International Rugby Academy, as he is MD.
If the suits at the Lions, such as CEO Manie Reyneke and president Kevin de Klerk, thought the Super 14 would produce results with that lax build-up, they are also in a dream world and must take a portion of the blame. Every South African side uses the Currie Cup as preparation for Super 14. Not so the Lions, and thus their results shouldn’t be surprising.
By Grant Ball
36 Comments
16 Mar 2010, 05:32 am
Useless Dragons!
16 Mar 2010, 07:08 am
Maybe it it time Muir realised that his style of coaching might be too complicated for the hairybacks up north.
Muir go back to Durban and coach at club level again.
16 Mar 2010, 07:20 am
Muir was in charge of the Springbok 15 (or whatever they were called) who kick-started the Boks’ end of year tour and look how that turned out.
Now his Lions team look equally dismal.
Is he doing any work? I get the impression he merely rocks up and expects the players to do all the work for him?
If not, then whatever he is doing is amounting to pissing in the wind.
It has to be said that for the last six months Muir has failed outright as a coach.
16 Mar 2010, 07:29 am
Can hardly blame Muir ??? Absurd , how much time did he have with the team ? Then teams dont just come right , they had player losses and new guys coming in , how long did it take for the bulls under Meyer to look anything decent ? We all know the team they are today , please man , why do we always blame the coaches ? The biggest problem at the Lions are their mindset , their mental strength !
Sort that out and have 22 committed players that will defend like demons and you will stop the rot , only then can they start looking at attacking.
16 Mar 2010, 07:32 am
The Lions are KAK, and need to cull have that squad of nobodies and get in some fresh blood.
End of.
Just like Naas said we always hear of coaches being fired but isnt it about time that some players got fired?
16 Mar 2010, 07:34 am
Mindset is a problem many South African teams have. The Balls are the only team that has that winning belief. The Stormers mental strength will be tested in Australasia.
16 Mar 2010, 07:55 am
I believe, you can only coach a player so much, the rest is up to the individual player. If a player still does not know how to tackle, catch or pass at this level then they do not deserve to be there!
As to some of the selections and game plan, then **** has got to take full responsibility.
The Lion are not playing the game plan that suits them, they should take a leaf out of the Bulls game plan and adapt it to suit their players and team.
They have some very good players in their ranks but are doing themselves no service.
Heike van der Merwe, Kevin Buys, Franco van der Merwe, Cobus Grobbelaar, Derick Minnie, Doppies la Grange and Carlos Spencer are all top quality players who if they were playing for the Stormers or the Bulls would look totally different players.
I believe, the time has come for the players and the coach to exept that they have made mistakes, take responsibility and do everything from now on to correct them.
I would also bring in some outside influence and advice from perhaps someone like Francois Pienaar to motive and help inspire some new vigure into the team.
16 Mar 2010, 08:11 am
@puff:
**** Muir did not select those average dirt trackers on the EOYT.
He has proved that he is a decent coach and it is surely not his fault the Lions have been so dismal this season.
When last have the Lions been competitive at Super rugby level???
2001???
16 Mar 2010, 08:14 am
Which of the current Lions players would walk into one of the other SA teams’ run on sides??
Maybe Heinke VD Merwe (I still think he is overrated)
Jano Vermaak??
That’s about it I’m afraid.
The Lions don’t have quality and never have!! End of story!!
16 Mar 2010, 08:17 am
@wpw: Good point. I doubt even Jano would currently walk into any of the other teams run on sides. Perhaps the Stormers, but that isn’t guareented.
16 Mar 2010, 08:25 am
@WOLFMAN21:
Duvenage is playing really well at the moment and I must say he has proved me wrong.
Ricki was rather average when he came on in the 2nd half!!!
I think Vermaak is a much better scrumhalf than Ruan Pienaar and he will walk into the Sharks run on side as well as the Cheetahs!!!
16 Mar 2010, 08:28 am
@wpw: I think Pienaar, for some reason, has an aura around him, making it impossible for him to be dropped. Vermaak on form is a better player, but politics plays a role in that selection.
I am not sure if Vermaak would play ahead of Sarel Pretorius (is that the correct name?), even although Naka continues to start with Tewis.
But, I agree with your point that in the larger scheme of things, the Lions do not have quality players, and combine this with a coach who is not willing to play within his teams limitations, you end up get 70 points getting scored against your team more often than not.
16 Mar 2010, 08:55 am
Two problems with you article Grant.
From the game the Lions beat Province, the Lions gained:
Spencer
Francis
Delport
Mokuena
Lombaard
Earle
JP Joubert
Jacques Coetzee
Hannes Franklin
Charles Emslie
Chavanga
That’s 11 players gained. When did Muir have the opportunity to watch these guys play in the Lions environment. And don’t mention the warm-ups. Please. When else will he have the opportunity to identify his best side, but by doing it in Super 14? Or should he just have continued with the CC side and not give these guys an opportunity to play after signing with the Lions?
Your opinion that it was the same Stormers side “barring five players” is laughable.
Schalk Burger, Jaque Fourie and Bryan Habana. Those three players make it a total different Stormers side.
Losing by 70 points, has got nothing to do with the coach my friend. Take a loot at the Lions’ defensive stat against the Waratahs. One reason and one reason only.
Some of those players just don’t have the commitment to put in huge defensive effort. Walter Venter and Derrick Minnie each put in 15 succesful tackles.
Earl Rose made 3, missing 4. In forty minutes of rugby, JP Joubert and Carlos Spencer on made 1. We have a couple of players that just doeen’t have the workrate in defence that will make us competetive. If you play 80 minutes of rugby and make less than 10 tackles…what the hell are you doing there?
Hannes Franklin averages 4 tackles per game!!!
Muir can identify these idiots that lack the guts and intensity to make more tackles.
Get players in that has an impressive workrate in defence, unfortunately, those players aren’t being selected.
Based on defence, this is the best Lions side:
Heinke
van Dyk
Swart
Lombaard
Mad Frank
Baywatch
Minnie
Clever
Jano
Ruan Boshoff
Jannie Boshoff
Walter Venter
Alwyn Hollenbach
Chavanga
Killian
Doppies is impressive with ball in hand, but he brings absolutely no cohesion to the backline. He either breaks inside or goes to ground with the ball. At inside centre he averages 8 tackles per game, missing 2. Not good enough. He finds space close to the rucks when slotting in at 9. Bench him to cover 9 and 12.
Pick the best side Muir, and we’ll start getting results. After all, defense wins you games.
16 Mar 2010, 09:04 am
we going to lose Bissy to overseas….like we lost F Steyn, Barritt, …..and we going to lose Kockitt as well…..
Bloody sharks costing Boks big time.
PDV….FFS…dont get weak my man….we can retain that WC…but you need to make the tough calls….sommer now!!!
16 Mar 2010, 09:10 am
@grant10: wrong thread…sorry
As for lions….Spencer deal made the bed….now have to run it….as the king cant do much else ….thats his game….and lions will continue to play candy floss romantic rugby, and have their hearts broken weekly.
May beat the sharks at home though…
16 Mar 2010, 09:14 am
@grant10: Maybe that’s not such a bad thing…
16 Mar 2010, 09:28 am
The Lions and the Sharks had dismal performances in their warm up games.The Stormers beat the Sharks quite comfortably and
a B-string Bulls side disposed of the Lions in a similar
fashion.
Super rugby has been played for well over a decade and the
Local teams all 4/5 of them manage to win 3 Super titles.
The bulk went to the Kiwis and Aussies.It is a simple fact
that Currie cup success does not guarantee Super 14 success
but at least it is an indication that the Franchise has a core
of players on which it will be able to build a Super 14 squad.
The Lions don’t belong in the Super 14.Instead of paying
a retirement bonus to Spencer they should have scouring
non Super 14 franchises for talent.
I am sure there are many talented players elsewhere who
would have jumped at the chance to play Super 14 rugby for
1/3 Spencer is paid.
16 Mar 2010, 09:41 am
What about the great influence of Jake White ?
16 Mar 2010, 10:11 am
May I suggest that we all ignore grant10′s ramblings??
He does after all rate Luke Watson as a future Bok captain!!!
Hell, if he had his way Luke would be the current Bok captain!!!
16 Mar 2010, 10:15 am
@wpw: Good advice mate. After all that’s all that they are, ramblings.
Ramblings of a deranged lunatic at some stages I’d say.
16 Mar 2010, 10:40 am
@sparticus:
Why then if defence is a problem do they not have a defence coach? All the top teams have one but Muir says he doesn’t require specialist defence skills.
The results prove that dicky is wrong.
16 Mar 2010, 10:42 am
@wpw:
So what did the Lions do with the R50bar they received to change ellis park to coca cola park for 5years? Surely they could have bought a decent team of expats willing to be mercenaries?
16 Mar 2010, 10:48 am
Willa – Why not use the Rebels model.
Get players from overseas – Wikus, Barrit, Brent Russel, Marius Joubert, Willie Wepener(Should never have let him go in the first place), Daan Human etc, etc …Sure it would have cost them a fortune, but sitting 3rd on the log after 5 games would bring the fans to the games paying for the expensive recruitments.
16 Mar 2010, 10:49 am
@onerb: They bought ‘King’ Carlos
16 Mar 2010, 11:05 am
what i would like to know is why **** is so sold on playing Earl Rose every week, if he has players like Francis and Delport from the bulls who are ten million times better…..
16 Mar 2010, 11:08 am
@onerb:
I agree with you.
Look at the stormers, they did pay over 6MIL to get Fourie and Habana, but in the last 5games they made that money back by having almost sold out stands..
16 Mar 2010, 11:09 am
@groenie: Beats me…that’s the R50 000000 question..?
16 Mar 2010, 11:17 am
The problems at the Lions start at the board. They are the clowns who after all hired a part-time coach in ****.
The next big problem is ****. He is only a part time coach because the other half of the time he is with the Boks, and then his other business interests. All other s14 franchises have full time coaches, I wonder why.
**** might be a good club coach, but that is where it ends.
He is the one who chooses the players that run onto the field, for crying out load, what is rose still doing there. More important he is the one giving them a ‘directionless’ game plan. Even more importantly, he is the one who does not believe he needs a defensive coach.
Anyone who does not see that **** is the wrong coach with the wrong plan is either very naïve, or being blind on purpose.
Is there a player problem quality wise .. yes there is to a large degree, but there are good players, enough to put a good team on the field.
**** must go, I don’t want to sit for 3 more years of his ****. Players out of position .. 8 changes a game .. touch/7’s rugby .. who needs a defensive coach, ext.
Where is Hollenbach?
16 Mar 2010, 11:21 am
@Storm outta hell:
yip
who knowes maybe Earl along with PDV have more of a hold on **** than we know…
16 Mar 2010, 11:22 am
@groenie: earl rose is a fullback
putting francis or delport there is no good
16 Mar 2010, 11:41 am
@Papoose:
Delport played fullback for SA U19 and U21 who both won the world championships.
Francis has played full back at the bulls also.
At least these players will make takles…
16 Mar 2010, 12:05 pm
@groenie:
Both those players were not good enough to make it at the Bulls.
Francis probably still has the talent to make it but Delport is just useless!!
16 Mar 2010, 12:37 pm
@Groenie, if you put no one at fullback, he will still be better than Rose.
16 Mar 2010, 12:41 pm
@Morgan: hahaha
u guys r just haters
lions need more structure
i concor that they are missing alot of tackles
Rose and Spencer dont make much tackles
seems there’s an atitude tht if you’re playmaker u dont defend
thats got to stop yeah
16 Mar 2010, 15:52 pm
This last weekend’s loss has cost the Lions 7 Die hard supporters that I know of. Last oke must please switch the lights off the in Jo’burg please….
16 Mar 2010, 21:37 pm
When Winning Ways was helping out, we saw an immediate difference in play – and definitely in defence. Under ****, it has regressed again.
Clearly the defensive suystem that **** teaches is rubbish.
The attacking play has been alright- but there ar individuals in teh team that just dont seem to follow the game plan- they instead choose to follow the glory path, and end up making a hash of things and putting their team under pressure.
I think Carlos spencer was a mistake. His attitude is to encourage the surpise decisions, and go for the glory. While it pays off occasionally, he has lost as many games for the AB’s with it as he has won.
Playing him is OK if teh rest of the team sticks to the structure. But it seems that the whole team reckons they can be a “King Carlos”. Ist just that they dont have teh thinking capacity or experience or whatever to know when its not on. And based on Carlos’s latest showings, I am wondering if he does anymore.
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