Troubles of a white wing
21 Apr 2010
Gerhard van den Heever faces immense obstacles in his quest to earn Springbok selection.
The Bulls wing wants to go to the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand. And in an ideal world, one uncomplicated by Bryan Habana’s legacy and accepted but flawed selection norms, he’d have a realistic hope too.
This, after all, is the kid who ended his rookie season in 2009 having scored 11 tries in 19 provincial matches, and at the time of writing had bagged four in seven Super 14 starts. Rich in promise and with all the technical and physical attributes a modern wing needs to be successful, his Springbok ambition isn’t misplaced.
But his is a unique battle – one that no other elite South African wing has to fight.
It’s one, firstly, for acceptance and appreciation among the Loftus disciples, who are still in mourning after the passing – figuratively speaking – of their messiah, Habana. Van den Heever is yet to prove he is worthy of lacing Habana’s boots, let alone filling them.
Those in the know at the Bulls tell me he’s quicker than Habana (a South African champion hurdler at school, he once ran 13.7sec over 110m and boasts a 200m best of 20.9). He’s quicker than that now, but speed alone will never see him escape Habana’s haunting shadow.
Habana’s legend was built on feats of brilliance, the most memorable of which came at Kings Park in 2007. That last-gasp try against the Sharks captured the Bulls’ first Super 14 title. Appreciation for Habana became reverence. Whoever succeeded him would be judged by the standard he had set.
Habana was the Bulls’ adrenalin-charged central nervous system, renowned for his ability to spark the team into life with impossibly brilliant feats. Viewed in this context, Van den Heever’s lot is not an enviable one.
He addresses the subject of being compared to Habana with the naivety of the man-child that he is.
‘People shouldn’t compare me to Bryan,’ he says. ‘Of course they shouldn’t,’ I counter, ‘but the reality is they do and are, and will continue to for some time.’
‘I can’t control that. I can’t control what people think. I just know I’m my own man. Bryan is the best wing in the world. Nobody can fill his boots,’ is his rebuttal.
‘Sure,’ I probe further, ‘but as unrealistic as the expectation is, the nature of people is to measure the replacement of an exceptional player by the standards that player has set. Let me ask you this, where do you think you stand in the Bulls supporters’ estimation?
‘I don’t know. I haven’t thought about that.’
Of course he hasn’t. The question was a foolish one to pose to a 20-year-old who was probably oblivious to the issue until I raised it. Such complexities didn’t register with him. Keeping his starting place through consistent performance is his primary, all-consuming, objective. But his ignorant bliss will soon be disturbed by the realisation of the magnitude of the task ahead. The Bulls’ faithful are looking for a new demi-god to worship. Van den Heever’s mortality will only be tolerated for so long. Supernatural is what is demanded.
‘That’s unfair pressure to put on a youngster,’ Bulls coach Frans Ludeke says. ‘We see a bright future for Gerhard, but we’re realistic about his development and understand that we need to have patience with him.
‘Bryan was a special player who will forever be remembered as a legend at Loftus. But I think it’s testament to Gerhard’s talent that people compare him to Bryan. Even Bryan said he [Van den Heever] is a better player at 20 than he was at the same age. That’s a massive compliment and he will only improve.
‘We’re giving him time and space to progress naturally. I hope others will do the same.’
Van den Heever could have done without Habana weighing in on the issue of his successor in a post-match interview after their Currie Cup triumph in 2009.
It was a throwaway line: ‘I think Gerhard has the potential to be a Bulls and Springbok great.’ The implications of which Habana didn’t consider at the time. He was paying a massive compliment to his heir apparent, but inadvertently dumped a jersey that weighed 100kg on the kid and slipped lead boots on to his feet.
Van den Heever remains unfazed.
‘That comment never made me feel burdened. Why would it? I grew up idolising Bryan and for me to feel down about him saying kind things like that about me to the media would be foolish.’
But there is an uncertainty detectable in Van den Heever’s voice. Earlier he told me ‘I back my ability’ when asked if he ever felt inhibited by a fear of failure, then later admits that he ‘sometimes’ thinks he is out of his depth.
That inconsistency isn’t unexpected from one so young. It does, however, remind us that Van den Heever’s is as much a battle to emerge from Habana’s shadow, as it is one for emotional and cognitive equilibrium.
Then there’s the issue of Springbok selection and the World Cup, which poses an altogether new challenge.
Not since Nick Mallett routinely penned Pieter Rossouw’s name on the team sheet has a Springbok coach consistently selected a white wing.
This has become the domain of the dark-skinned player, and the prospects of the perception that white is whack changing are slim, unless Van den Heever plays so exceptionally that he makes himself invaluable to the Springboks.
And even if he should master levitation, acquire a jet pack and blow his opposition away in the coming year, he would still be competing for just one position, given that Springbok coach Peter de Villiers is highly unlikely to look beyond Habana as his starting left wing.
That leaves Van den Heever competing with eight wingers (at the time of writing, all of whom were black, and one of who, JP Pietersen, is a World Cup winner) for the right wing berth.
‘If I suggested those were insurmountable odds, what would your response be?’
‘I don’t think like that,’ he says, ‘I don’t think about the issues you’ve raised, or all the wingers I have to get past to make the Springbok squad. Maybe it’s naive, but I’d like to think that if I’m the best of the bunch I’ll get picked.’
‘But that hasn’t been the reality of Springbok rugby recently,’ I interject. ‘The best players sometimes don’t get picked for various reasons.’
‘The Springbok coach has said on a number of occasions that he will reward those who perform consistently. I can only trust that he stays true to his word,’ he says.
Only time will tell whether Van den Heever will die in the darkness cast by Habana’s shadow, or whether he’ll stay the execution and build a legacy of his own. This year’s rugby season will be decisive in answering that question.
Time is not an ally. Conclusions about his aptitude for Super Rugby will be drawn at the end of their 2010 campaign, or perhaps sooner, without due consideration of his age. Even exceptional performances will still not guarantee that he even gets a passing glance from the Springbok selectors.
Welcome to the world of Gerhard van den Heever. It isn’t a place for the faint-hearted.
By Ryan Vrede
– This article first appeared in the April issue of SA Rugby magazine. The May issue is on sale now.
566 Comments
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21 Apr 2010, 13:15 pm
@poppa69:
See that Ranger is benched !!!
What’s up with that ?
21 Apr 2010, 13:19 pm
Well i don’t know why Van Den Heever should be included in the Bok Squad of 30!! I thought PDV is trying to build a sqaud of 30 players?
Typical SA mentallity, everytime there is a new promising player everyone goes on about who he will replace! Whatever happened of bringing in the new players like Van Den Heever into the Bok setup as backups to the top players!!
Plus Wales and the 2 Italian test are ideal to blood some new talent etc.
However his biggest problem/threat is Nokwe. Nokwe lookeds to be next inline after Habana/JPP & Ndingane!
21 Apr 2010, 13:20 pm
@Blouste: your joking… I see Pat buys into the whole Luke McAllister sham… now Im not sure who to tip, much prefer the Stanley/Ranger combo… as I said on the Blues thread, think Lam is guilty of playing “mates” within the team environment…
not good, probably the form centre of the comp and hes not starting in such a crucial match?
and so the life of a blue’s supporter takes another farkin 270 degree turn..
21 Apr 2010, 13:23 pm
@poppa69:
Well I saw it on stuff dot nz if memory serves…
Anyway, they shared you’re sentiment regarding Ranger being the form centre of the tournie, so hell I don’t know either..
Thought you might have some answers
21 Apr 2010, 13:27 pm
Heini Adams will make a rare start when the Vodacom Bulls take on the Lions at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. It wil be his first start in the competition this year.
Adams replaces Fourie du Preez, who is rested and will make a contribution from the bench if needed.
Jaco Pretorius is also back to combine with Wynand Olivier in the midfield. He replaces Stephan Dippenaar, who played against the Reds.
The team is: Zane Kirchner, Gerhard van den Heever, Jaco Pretorius, Wynand Olivier, Francois Hougaard, Morné Steyn, Heini Adams, Pierre Spies, Dewald Potgieter, Derick Kuün, Victor Matfield (c), Danie Rossouw, Werner Kruger, Gary Botha, Gurthrö Steenkamp. Replacements: Bandise Maku, Bees Roux, Flip vd Merwe, Deon Stegmann, Fourie du Preez, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Pedrie Wannenburg
21 Apr 2010, 13:28 pm
@Blouste: he was on the bench for the force game, apparently because of his “defence”…
got a coin, Blues heads, Sharks tails
or reverse
may be the only way to go..
still say you should tip the sharks mate
21 Apr 2010, 13:31 pm
@poppa69:
Might be what I’ve read then.
They should start him no doubt !!!
Why? You wanna catch up
21 Apr 2010, 14:30 pm
“Not since Pieter Russouw has a coach routinely penned in a white player’s name.” Could that possibly be because the best players haven’t been white? You people accuse Malema of turning everything into a race issue then come up with this tripe.
21 Apr 2010, 14:32 pm
Just thought i would put my selectors cap on for once and pick my teams for the3N this year as well as the RWC next year,
3N 2010
15 – Kirschner/Lambie
14 – JPP/Mapoe
13 – Fourie/Newman
12 – Wynand/De Jongh
11 – Habana/Nokwe
10 – Steyn/Grant
9 – FdP/Pienaar
8 – Spies/Vermeulen
7 – Smith/Louw
6 – Burger/Stegman
5 – Matfield/Bekker
4 – Botha/Russouw
3 – Harris/WP
2 – Smit/Botha
1 – Steenkamp/Beast
RWC 2011
15 – Frans/Kirschner (Lambie)
14 – JPP/Mapoe
13 – Fourie/De Jongh
12 – JDV/Wynand
11 – Habana/Nokwe
10 – Steyn/Grant
9 – FdP/Pienaar
8 – Spies/Vermeulen
7 – Smith/Louw
6 – Burger/Brussouw
5 – Matfield/Bekker
4 – Botha/Russouw
3 – CJ/Harris
2 – Smit/Botha
1 – BJ/Steenkamp
21 Apr 2010, 14:35 pm
@MacToogie:
Aplon or Pietersen in place of Kirschner for sure.
21 Apr 2010, 14:38 pm
@Bill Reyts: Nah its cool thanks, PDivvy already gave the nod for my 2 lists =P
21 Apr 2010, 14:38 pm
@Bill Reyts: But i’ll consider putting in a good word for Joe, will he be ready for 3N?
21 Apr 2010, 14:40 pm
How long is Mapoe out for? I thought it was four months from the end of March.
It would be good to get Schalk Brits back, he’s light years ahead of any other SA hooker right now. If this is out of the question, Strauss is still better than the rabble we currently have.
Full back an inside centre however are the biggest problems. I would probably go with Hennie Daniller at FB. At least he can kick the ball.
It’s going to be a tough 3N for us although at least the ABs will be rubbish. I fully expect the Aussies to win this year and then go on to win the World Cup.
21 Apr 2010, 14:40 pm
@MacToogie:
I hear he has started training – heard not hearsay.
21 Apr 2010, 14:42 pm
@Soda: Are you an aussie?
21 Apr 2010, 14:43 pm
@Bill Reyts: Without real world class palyers in key positions there is no hope of beating two of top three teams in the world. Kirchener and Aplon are nowhere near world class full backs. Sure, Aplon can be exciting in loose play and best suited to the non existent defence in S14 but in a test match? It would be embarrassing to watch.
21 Apr 2010, 14:43 pm
@Bill Reyts: ok, thats good, then they can get aplon back on the bench where he belongs
21 Apr 2010, 14:46 pm
@MacToogie: can you read? the reason i ask is in both posts i’ve used ‘we’ and ‘us’ when referring to the Boks. besides, do you really think there are any aussies who actually care to read your fantasy selections?
21 Apr 2010, 14:47 pm
Hey Mac
I must say i enjoy your 2 teams that you laid out.
I feel for Pdivvy. The oke is gonna have a hard time picking a team because the sleeping giant that is WP Rugby has awakened and if he pisses them of their is gonna be hell to pay.
21 Apr 2010, 14:49 pm
@Soda:
Key being:
15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 = 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16.
21 Apr 2010, 14:51 pm
@Soda: “It’s going to be a tough 3N for us although at least the ABs will be rubbish”
love it when you guys write us off, please continue doing so…
21 Apr 2010, 14:52 pm
@Bill Reyts: no. key being key positions based on the gameplan and based on the opposition. you are unlikely to have the world’s number one player in every position but if you had to choose half the team where you could have the best player in the world, i’m sure you would which they were.
21 Apr 2010, 14:54 pm
@ryan vrede: did you adapt this headline from Die Burger after ET’s demise: ‘troubles of the white right wing’?
21 Apr 2010, 14:55 pm
@Soda:
Yeah I know what you mean Soda. I agree with you. I think Oz will be one of the favourites come 2011.
21 Apr 2010, 14:55 pm
Poppa why was Ranger dropped against the force?
21 Apr 2010, 14:56 pm
@Soda: No need to get snotty dude, it was just a question, some of your answers were coming across like a thick headed aussie’s would, Daniller has nothing on any other full back at the moment, Pieterson is miles ahead of him, Strauss? he might be ok this season but will never get noticed in that orange mess, Tiaan is playing awsome rugby, so is GBotha, and you want to bring back Brits? Brits is old news and would never fit into the Bok combinations he doesnt know if he’s a hooker or loosie and imo he’s **** at both, leave him at the Sarries…. or is that Saffies =P.
21 Apr 2010, 14:56 pm
@poppa69: ok then. how do feel about it when we tell you that you won’t win the world cup and every four years we’re right?
21 Apr 2010, 14:57 pm
@Falken: for his “defence” apparently… baffling to say the least…
21 Apr 2010, 14:58 pm
@MacToogie: sorry. just that i’ve been watching some of the ‘saffies’ matches and he’s been awesome in attack and defense. then again, it is the english game to involve the hooker as a loosie which is why Gary did well and players like lee mears excel. i could agree on Tiaan though.
21 Apr 2010, 14:59 pm
@Falken: he’s a good player. there are a lot of very good NZ players out there. problem is, as good as henry and co are, it’s gotten a bit stale fo the ABs.
21 Apr 2010, 15:00 pm
@poppa69: Come now Poppa, we all know the only 2 things NZ had going for them the last 2 years were McCaw and Carter, and this year they are nowhere near what they were back then, so honestly tell me what else have you got that’s different….. cos it aint the coaching staff.
21 Apr 2010, 15:01 pm
speaking about wings (black and white ones if that’s ok with you Ryan), Mjekuvu looks like the real deal. needs to get out of the lions though.
21 Apr 2010, 15:02 pm
@Soda: the reason why i went Both and not Tiaan was the experience factor, he’s been 2 a world cup and many domestic finals, but he would still be 2nd in line to Captain Fantastic
21 Apr 2010, 15:03 pm
@poppa69: I was shocked when i saw it! The man or should i say beast has destroyed his opponents the last few weeks at 13. He must surely play against the sharks. With Grandpa Terreblanche ahead of him will make joke of them.
21 Apr 2010, 15:03 pm
@Soda: it doesnt bother me, thats the beauty of a knock out tournament..
how does it feel knowing you guys have lost to Scotland (4 times) and Ireland? two countries who have never ever beaten us…
how does it feel knowing it took you guys 10, thats right 10 years to win a game on NZ soil, now that youve won 2, have you used it up for the next ten years?
21 Apr 2010, 15:04 pm
@MacToogie: also, i say we’re in for a tough ride in the bizarre sense that i hope i found out i was wrong.
we really need de villiers and steyn back as well as steyn’s kicking form!
21 Apr 2010, 15:04 pm
@Soda: he looks good, got a good (If not weird) step, but he never looks for support and is very clumsy on defense, like GVDH he will be better come RWC 2015
21 Apr 2010, 15:05 pm
@MacToogie: a Scotsman talking about rugby, specifically NZ rugby… bwahahaha 0-25 says a lot mctugger
21 Apr 2010, 15:06 pm
@poppa69: ah, so actually you DON’T like to be told you’re rubbish. but to answer your question: i don’t really know, i mostly think about having a 50% win rate in the world cup and over half a century of never having lost a test series.
21 Apr 2010, 15:07 pm
@Soda: Mjekevu looks good but my problem with him is the poor oke looks scared to death.
21 Apr 2010, 15:08 pm
@poppa69: you don’t want to go there son, how does it feel to only have won the RWC once??? 75 years ago when SA weren’t there to knock you out? hmmmmmmm, how did it feel when Gregan said those epic words “FOR MORE YEARS BOYS”????? hmmmmm? and i can tell you that NZ will not win next year either……. thats without a doubt, my money would be split on France, Aus and Boks thank you very much.
21 Apr 2010, 15:09 pm
@poppa69: to be honest, the past doesn’t matter. what i’m really interested in is how many future NZ rugby players you’ll produce in the long white cloud of methamphetamine.
21 Apr 2010, 15:09 pm
“This has become the domain of the dark-skinned player,…”
And why is that? Because some provincial and national coaches thought that hiding the “dark-skinned player” out there, and conservative ten men rugby, the “dark skinned player” won’t be able to stuff up.
Just a pity people like Chester, Breyten and Habana did not allow them to be used for window dressing and went about revolutionising wing play in SA. No more just waiting on the wing for the ball to come to you but they went about looking for work on other parts of the field. Something this light skinned player, mentioned in this article, still needs to learned. Don’t mention that set move where Steyn give a short inside pass to him from first phase ball in the opposition 22.
This kind of heading is plain kak.
John Daniels holds the record for the most CC tries in the history of the competition, 80 odd. He consistently was one of the top try scorers season after season in his playing days. Yet not once was his name mentioned as a possible Bok. The reason for that was that everybody knew that he had speed to burn and that he was a great finisher. Apart from that, not much else. Of course, there was already another “dark skinned player” at wing. The requirement of one “dark skinned player” in the Bok team was fulfilled leaving a place for Slaptjips on the other wing. This kid, at this stage of his career, is exactly the same as Daniels was back then. Why is he being discussed as a possible Bok player and then to insinuate that he will be kept out of the team because of his colour?
Why don’t you guys investigate how many “dark-skinned” forward players got lost in the system and why. One of the reasons according to me is because coaches were/are not willing to give them a chance. Wayne van Heerden were regarded by most on this blog as one of the stand out players in the Cheetah pack at lock last year. Where is he now? Coaches back then, and still even now, were only willing to give a “dark-skinned” player a chance if he was a back line player, and then only after they moved him to wing. Chester and Habana were both centres before they were moved to wing, Breyten was a flyhalf/full back before he was moved to wing.
So if the wing position has become the domain of the “dark-skinned” player and a light-skinned player find it hard to crack a place in the Bok team because of it, it is because coaches in this country have created the situation.
21 Apr 2010, 15:10 pm
@poppa69: yeah im a born and raised saffa dude, wakey wakey.
21 Apr 2010, 15:11 pm
@poppa69: i liken NZ in the RWC to when Rossi said to Gibernau ‘you’ll never win another race’. the more you lose the harder it gets until it’s an impossibility.
21 Apr 2010, 15:12 pm
@Soda : you never lost a test series because all your refs used to speak in Afrikaans when officiating a test…
but please, continue to perpetuate the Arrogant Saffa stereotype, youre doing a fantastic job of it…
21 Apr 2010, 15:14 pm
@nama1: Ryan’s angered a lot of us with this drivel. i think most of us agree that none of the wings we’ve had have been there for anything other than merit. it’s a headline designed to incite and generate views. nothing more.
21 Apr 2010, 15:14 pm
Hurdles has shown way more in his short career than DeJong.
way,way more.
(and yes,i know the one is a winger and the other a poof)
21 Apr 2010, 15:16 pm
@Soda: agreed
21 Apr 2010, 15:16 pm
@poppa69: you forget that before we were yanked out of world rugby SA were the dominant force in the world son, now that we are back we are slowly but surely getting back to where we belong, and i can see how the little silver furn is starting to wilt with every year of our resurgence as a rugby nation.
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