To refresh or retain?
27 Sep 2010
RYAN VREDE asks if eight Tests is enough time to prepare the Springboks for a World Cup title defence should the coaches be bulleted?
The likelihood is that the head coach Peter de Villiers and his assistants, Gary Gold and Dick Muir, will get a stay of execution when they face a review panel in Cape Town on Monday. This despite their diabolical record since November 2009 (they’ve lost eight of 13 matches, with three of those victories against lowly Italy). However, to predict a definite course of action for an organisation as unpredictable and inconsistent as the South African Rugby Union would be foolish, and the trio would be foolish to assume their jobs are safe.
Rapport reported on Sunday that Gold and Muir were in the firing line. Certainly Muir must be accountable for the side’s attacking impotence in the Tri-Nations. Thirteen tries in six Tests under laws that promote attacking play is unacceptable. Likewise, Gold’s forwards were largely diabolical, while the Springboks leaked tries (22) with infuriating and alarming ease.
However, to exonerate De Villiers, the key decision maker and chief selector, would be ludicrous. Neither Muir nor Gold selected the team’s best defensive organiser, Jean de Villiers, at wing. Neither advocated the omission of a specialist openside flank after Francois Louw was jettisoned, a selection decision that meant the opposition were consistently able to recycle quickly at the breakdown, and in so doing pressure the Springboks’ defensive line. De Villiers was the one who consistently picked severely fatigued players. And it certainly wasn’t his wingmen heaping pressure on the side with questionable, absurd and oft illogical offerings in the media.
If one goes, all should, and vice-versa. Loyalty is one of De Villiers’ strongest traits, and that quality will be tested should one or both of his assistants feel the cold sting of the axe.
The cost involved in that course of action will be a major deterrent for the governing body (they are contracted until after the World Cup). But the question of time, not money, must be the starting point of any decision to alter the coaching staff.
At this point any new regime would effectively have eight Tests (less if they opt to rest players at any stage) to prepare the team for their title defence. It will be a testing hospital job, and one that will demand a tactically astute coach with a clear plan and vision (among other attributes), as well as one willing to risk his reputation and credibility should he fail – defined by the vast majority of the country’s rugby fraternity as the inability to retain the World Cup.
Jake White has already stated his willingness to accept that challenge should it present itself, but whether other potential candidates, the likes of Bulls director of rugby Heyneke Meyer or Western Province head coach Allister Coetzee, would be as enthusiastic is debatable. Meyer has built a reputation for casting and achieving long-term goals, and it is doubtful that he would be taken by the prospect of a quick fix.
The question of would they or others should be coupled with can they? Can a new coach/coaching staff with a different playing philosophy mould the unit into one formidable enough to guard the gold? Would they have enough time to build depth in troublesome positions – fullback and flyhalf the most urgent of those? Can they earn the respect of the senior players, so crucial to the mood and potency of the collective?
These and other questions must be carefully considered by the review panel, if indeed they decide that a change of regime is needed after the embattled incumbent coaching staff plead their cases. With under a year to go until the showpiece tournament, it would be a bold move, and one that they will have to be equally accountable for should they retain the troubled triumvirate.
Of course, if the relative insignificance of a four-yearly tournament was appreciated, it would be a simple call.
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86 Comments
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27 Sep 2010, 06:26 am
ROAR
27 Sep 2010, 06:45 am
Keep the current coaching staff with this squad to defend the William Webb Ellis trophy……..
15. Francois Steyn / Zane Kirschner.
14. J.P. Pieterson / Francois Hougaard.
13. Jacque Fourie / Marius Joubert.
12. Jean DeVilliers / Wynand Olivier.
11. Bryan Habana / Lwazi Mvovo.
10. Morne Steyn / Butch James.
9. Fourie DuPreez / Ruan Pienaar.
8. Pierre Spies / Ryan Kankowski.
7. Juan Smith / Jean Deysel.
6. Schalk Burger / Heinrich Brussow.
5. Victor Matfield (vc) / Andries Bekker.
4. Bakkies Botha / Danie Rossouw.
3. C.J. VanDerLinde / Jannie DuPlessis.
2. John Smit (c) / Bismark DuPlessis.
1. Gurthro Steenkamp / Beast Mtawarira.
27 Sep 2010, 07:04 am
I see that Keo is now batting for Meyer, he had to back another horse after that bitter divorce with Jake left without a way in. Yes Keohane went to WO’s beauty salon to doll himself up before putting on his best dress for his date with Heyneke. The promises made I will not speak of but know this, any deal that Heyneke made with the spin doctor will end in tears.
So when exactly is PDivvy, **** and Gold going to get the bullet?
27 Sep 2010, 07:10 am
24 months ago everyone was talking about a golden generation of Springboks. Why ruin that generation and it’s due glory through poor coaching that has ridden the coattails of structure and resulting success from the World Cup until it has become obvious to all that they add nothing new but instability through controversy? To use an analogy, this coaching staff inherited a winning F1 racing car and have won numerous races with it, claiming glory for that success. However, in the process they have neither serviced the car, nor improved it with the final result that the engine has siezed and other vehicles have surpassed them on the track. They have squandered a prized asset and have reached that pivotal point where it all falls apart and they claim they have everything under control and glory is once again just around the corner. It is a tragedy in the making.
This is not a hatchet job. You are dealing with high quality players that not only know how to win a world cup (ie they have the experience, temperament and skill set), but also Super 14′s played under the very same rules that were used, and against the very same competitors that beat them, in this years’ Tri-Nations. What undermined their campaign is distraction (a coach that does not know when to shut up and creates one controversy after another), a coach and coaching staff that have failed to add value on the pitch through selection or strategy, a coach and coaching staff that have overplayed their players so that their form and fitness have fallen, poor communication or foresight (ala Francouis Steyn and discarding quality overseas players after one game with BS reasoning) and the list goes on. Throw in a bit of luck on the part of a certain All-Black team re refereeing decisions or lack thereof (that would not have changed the results) and you have your proverbial recipe for disaster and embarrassment.
Citing insufficient time for a new coach to prepare for the World Cup as a reason to keep PdV and his coaching team is a cop out to choosing mediocrity and accepting that our chances of winning the World Cup with a golden generation of players is unattainable. Why choose that? Kitch Christie moulded a less experienced and less talented bunch of players to win the World Cup in the same amount of time. Jake White won the Tri-Nation in his first year starting from scratch. Whoever takes over has more to work with than either of them.
Come on South Africa! Come on SARU. We are not, and we don’t settle for, mediocre! Make the right choice and get rid of PdV and his coaching team.
27 Sep 2010, 07:34 am
@Karma-zaf(Karma-zaf)-2: watse spankeuse is daardie ou maat…zaine & wynand? eish gee vir my ook van daardie weed
ryan jy skryf dieselfde snert elke week
27 Sep 2010, 07:35 am
Nothing will happen to PDV the other coaches have all said that they are busy and cannot coach the Boks now
So what options do they have, I mean the technical committee includes the likes of Kevin de Klerk who is not interested in letting John Mitchell help
27 Sep 2010, 07:59 am
I say keep ****, it not his fault that a good attacking platform cannot be laid. Fire PDivvy and Gold and send them to the WP then bring in AC and Proudfeet – problem solved and everyone is happy.
27 Sep 2010, 08:02 am
****=D.ick
it is is name
27 Sep 2010, 08:05 am
@Roar for Mitch and King Carlos(RL)-7: you just kakking yourself that D Ick gets the boot and he comes back to lions and sc rews that up as well??
27 Sep 2010, 08:13 am
@grant10(grant10)-9: no really it is a win win scenario – else Fleckie can come in for D.ck I will not object to that, only thing is WP then have to look to Paulse to come in to join PDivvy and Gold at the WP.
27 Sep 2010, 08:20 am
@Roar for Mitch and King Carlos(RL)-10: you really think wp want Gold and PDV?
fARK ME …..THAT WILL BE THE BLOODY DAY!
27 Sep 2010, 08:49 am
Amputate Goldendick.
27 Sep 2010, 08:56 am
I hope the selectors are brave enough to select players like:
Taute
E Jantjies
Lambie
Vermeulen
Guys with great futures in the game!
Well done to the Lions – I’m actually hearing the roar again.
I hope the broom will sweep clean today!
27 Sep 2010, 08:56 am
pdv must go !!!!!!!
27 Sep 2010, 08:57 am
What is this fabulous game plan and set up that needs rebuilding in less than a year ? F..k off if you think these pr*cks have any idea what they are doing.
PdV, D and GG have NO prospectes after the mess they have made of the Boks, that is why they will hold on for dear life. No doubt SARU will reward them though.
WELL DONE MITCH, he has shown the Lions do have the players. What the hell was DM doing ?? Watching the Lions v Sharks, I was impressed at how little kicking there was. Somebody is learning ! But it aint the Bok coaches.
Disgrace !!
27 Sep 2010, 08:58 am
@bananas(bananas)-15:
Agree – the Lions keep possession which is the way to play the new rules. Other teams are still kicking away far too much valuable possession!
27 Sep 2010, 08:58 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-13: Broom .. sweep ? No way, the first Black coach will take the team to RWC. Finished.
All we can hope for is a good consultant !
27 Sep 2010, 09:00 am
@bananas(bananas)-17:
Well if politics plays a role then rugby can’t be the winner! If it were a black, white or coloured coach who has the best players available and can’t bring in the results then sorry – you have to be shown the door.
27 Sep 2010, 09:02 am
Don’t think the coach will lose his job. It’s going to cost to much money to replace them and i believe Hoskins have a soft spot for the coach. Would be good to get some help in from outside the coaching team. Defensive coach is something we do need at the moment. We also need to make sure we take the players to the WC that deserves to be there. The break will do them good for now but next year they will have to prove them self. Leave overweight players at home , take some youngsters along. Seen this weekend Jantjies from the Lions and Lambie can’t realy perform under pressure. The moment was to big for both of them this weekend. They missed a couple of easy kicks at goal. So i will rather have Grant come in for the end of year tour. So much k^k happening with Frans Steyn it’s not funny anymore. Who do you believe now ? But with the players we have i am sure we can still come good at the end of the year. Would love to see the coaching stuff go but i don’t think that’s going to happen.
27 Sep 2010, 09:02 am
@bananas(bananas)-17: And how many kaka white coaches have taken the Boks to the World Cup? Race has F-all to do with it!
27 Sep 2010, 09:02 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-18: sorry to say but its all politics now. what other reason is there to keep this bunch of idiots in charge ?
27 Sep 2010, 09:04 am
@katman(katman)-12:
I must admit, it is nice to have the Lions becoming a factor again and increasing the number of big unions from 3 back to 4 again.
Let’s face it, the Cheetahs – for all their geniune effort and exciting talent factory – have inherent economic limitations which means that they will NEVER consistently be a force to reckon with in the S15.
And the truth is that 3 big teams aren’t really enough to keep the competition exciting. Now the wildcard Lions may just be on the way back, and this will be good for the game.
I don’t want them to win any trophies (actually I don’t want anyone except the Bulls to ever win any trophies), but I want them to be competitive again, and beat the likes of the Sharks and WP about 50% of the time.
The whole equation changes when you have 4 strong teams. So congrats on the turnaround Mitch has achieved. Our rugby scene will be better for it.
27 Sep 2010, 09:05 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-20:
Plenty but they were shown the door! Let’s get the best people in whether white, black or Ozzie!
Oh forget the last one!
27 Sep 2010, 09:05 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-20: wrong race is all to do with it. PdV is the first black coach and was chosen because of it.
I am not saying you have to be white to be a good coach but ANC need this to happen irrespective of results on the pitch.
Its political NOT racial.
27 Sep 2010, 09:09 am
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-22: But still you’ll be shouting for the no-hope cheetahs against the resurgent lions? You should rather back your own team’s abilities than hoping for favours from others. Or are you genuinely worried?
27 Sep 2010, 09:11 am
@katman(katman)-25:
Well said! Katmando
27 Sep 2010, 09:15 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-23: One of the best might just be an Ozzie
Eddie van der Jones
27 Sep 2010, 09:16 am
@katman(katman)-25:
I’m geniunely worried that a Bulls team that has played in fits and starts for the entire Currie Cup will struggle to win on Saturday.
I’m geniunely worried that a WP team that is only missing 3 Springboks by my count and which is on a bit of a roll will be too strong for a Bulls team missing it’s 10 top players, and which may be missing 3 more on top of that, pending the outcome of the injury report after this weekend.
So yes, I’m geniunely worried. The Bulls need to get to the semi’s somehow. After that, the ball game changes.
27 Sep 2010, 09:16 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-27:
You said it!
27 Sep 2010, 09:19 am
Why wasnt Heyneke Meyer selected as Bok coach before PdV?
27 Sep 2010, 09:20 am
WP missing:
Grant
Bekker
Januarie
Habanna
Burger
Liebenburg
Fourie …
Oh missing only three key players – right!
27 Sep 2010, 09:21 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-30:
I give up! Tell me!
27 Sep 2010, 09:24 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-32: Open question for any one! Given Jakey’s lack of international and provincial experience why did he become coach?
27 Sep 2010, 09:25 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-31:
Grant isn’t contracted to play for them and January is no improvement.
So it’s 5 players. I forgot about Habana and Liebenberg. Liebenberg will be missed. Habana? Not as much as his reputation would suggest.
This JJ guy looks the business.
Bulls are missing:
Possibly their entire pack of forwards except Werner Kruger.
Plus the following back up forwards:
Danie Rossouw, Bees Roux and Juandre Kruger.
Half their backline (Du Preez, Steyn, Olivier and Jaco vdW (possibly).
So I have every reason to be concerned.
27 Sep 2010, 09:25 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-33:
Can only be his surname mate!
27 Sep 2010, 09:26 am
@grant10(grant10)-9: In light of recent depressing news I say fire Dck now – hell better him than Jorrie at the Lions.
oh it is true!
27 Sep 2010, 09:30 am
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-34:
For sure! But it doesn’t matter who plays in these games, the guys are up to it anyway! It will be close whoever plays.
27 Sep 2010, 09:31 am
Vic’s Tweet this morning:
VictorMatfield Wonder wat vandag gaan gebeur. Vandag se besluite kan groot invloed oor die toekoms hou?????
27 Sep 2010, 09:33 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-38:
WO for Bok captain and coach!!
27 Sep 2010, 09:34 am
65% say that Lions will make the play-offs!
And the Lions related polls never lies!
Wonder who will be the unlucky Union or Academy
27 Sep 2010, 09:36 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-40: Good chance it might be the Bulls.
27 Sep 2010, 09:38 am
@katman(katman)-41:
If we get 1 point out of this weekend’s game, then we’re safe.
27 Sep 2010, 09:40 am
@Slartibartfart(Slartifartfast)-39: With Jorrie as assistant
27 Sep 2010, 09:41 am
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-42: Ask Roy to put up a poll on whether the Bulls will get a point from this weekend’s game. I think it might be interesting.
27 Sep 2010, 09:43 am
@katman(katman)-44:
What interest do I have in polls? Every nincampoop has an opinion.
It will all depend on the Potgieter-Watermeyer combination – wich I think is a shaky one.
They will have to contain de Villiers.
And I don’t think Potgieter has the kicking game to match de Waal, so that’s another area of concern for me.
27 Sep 2010, 09:48 am
surely SARU need to grow a pair, admit they messed up and fire Pdivvy – whatever it costs is inconsequential versus the cost of keeping him in the job. him and his assistants must go.
27 Sep 2010, 09:57 am
@munkiboi(munkiboi)-46: Agree but it wont happen, if anything DM and GG should be sacked and replaced. PDV can stay to fulfil political requirments.
Genuine problem facing SARU is who wants to work for them ? They have shown how corrupt they are .. A bit like the Bok job after Streuli was sacked, nobody really wanted the poison chalice. We got Jake and got lucky as he brought in good assistants and really lucked out with EJ…
27 Sep 2010, 10:09 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-20: Are you seriously suggesting that race has nothing to do with how you are judged in SA or what opportunities you are given? Are you implying that PdV’s race had nothing to do with his apppointment? If so, maybe you should check into the nearest psychiatric ward.
27 Sep 2010, 10:40 am
bananas – I do wonder if PDV is serious about retaining the web ellis cup or just interested in building some sort of Bok legacy as the first black Bok coach. PDV has stated a few times that his tenure is not all about the RWC2011, but building a team for post RWC2011.
There maybe a possiblily that inside that pea brain of his, he thinks that retaining the RWC2011 is not the sole purpose of his Bok job!!!!
And as we read about his treatment of Frans Steyn one can see that he is not very serious about getting the players any Bok coach would need to retain the RWC. F Steyn has been the difference between winning & losing games on a few occassions and is vital for the RWC campaign.
Also Ruan Pienaar was always a great super sub for the Boks and now he is gone.
These are not good signs for the Boks RWC2011 campaing at all. I hope someone at SARU has the balls to make some big decisions.
27 Sep 2010, 10:57 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-33: Jake had coached the bulk of the up-and-coming young Boks as schoolboys in SA U19 and U21, with some success.
The same can be said for PDV, except that when he took over Jake’s team, he kept all of them and he has them still. He didn’t phase them out and replace them with the youngsters he’d coached. He just hitched his cart to Jake’s oxen.
But Jake’s oxen (who were never as good as they were very lucky) are now very all old, old, old…
And Divvie has run out of results. And excuses.
And RWC2011 is a year away. Those old, old oxen will be one more year even older.
It’s all looking pretty darned grim for a man with no plan.
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