Taking charge
26 Oct 2010
Jean de Villiers believes that an increase in responsibility on the Springboks’ end-of-year tour will bring out the best in him.
Given that a number of youngsters will tour with the Boks this November, the onus will fall on veterans like De Villiers to extract the best from them. His experience of playing in northern hemisphere conditions will be a boon, as will his knowledge of the local talent.
Speaking to SA Rugby magazine, WP backs coach Robbie Fleck says the experience of playing for Munster and living in Ireland has allowed De Villiers to evolve.
‘I’ve noticed the difference in his maturity as a player and as a person,’ says Fleck. ‘This happens when South Africans go overseas and experience a different culture and environment. They change. The way they train and interact with the coaches over there is very different.’
Also in the new issue:
– Peter de Villiers is under tremendous pressure to revive the battered Bok brand
– Chiliboy Ralepelle has been manipulated to suit various agendas and appease politicians
– SA Rugby magazine investigates the lack of black forwards at the highest levels and whether black forwards are genetically smaller than their white counterparts
– All you need to know about the four home unions ahead of the Boks’ end-of-year tour
– Former Free State flank Hendré Fourie toured with England earlier this year. Now he wants to prove a point against the Boks.
– Scotland have become a competitive unit under English coach Andy Robinson
– Ireland No 8 Jamie Heaslip wants to attract attention for all the right reasons
– Gert Smal on Ireland’s return to Lansdowne Road, taking on the Bok lineout again, and the new law interpretations
– Wales had a disappointing tour to New Zealand this year, but scrumhalf Mike Phillips believes they can still be World Cup contenders
– Duane Vermeulen lets his rugby do the talking
– Elton Jantjies‘ rugby career has been shaped by his father
– Peter Grant on learning Japanese, eating whale and toppling the Bulls
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71 Comments
25 Oct 2010, 07:55 am
I got a Province feeling. It’s staunch, right on and straight down the line. Go you WeePee go!
25 Oct 2010, 08:16 am
“SA Rugby magazine investigates the lack of black forwards at the highest levels and whether black forwards are genetically smaller than their white counterparts”
Darwinian Rubbish!
The lack of black forwards are due to incompetent white managers and their preconceived nazi ideas!
25 Oct 2010, 08:28 am
Simon
Bjorn Basson’s try scoring feat?
25 Oct 2010, 08:40 am
Got my issue delivered to my desk this morning.
But I am seriously considering renewing my subscription given the last 3 or so issues.
At most, there is 3 or 4 pieces well worth reading – the rest, average.
25 Oct 2010, 08:41 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-2: You full of Karate water or what?
25 Oct 2010, 08:44 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-2: Mitchell and Plumtree are not local white “Nazis” as you vocal them
Allistair Coetzee is also not white, so 3 from six CC coaches and how many black forwards are in their teams, what exactly is your point? Seem that always blame the white man is the the easy way out for you
25 Oct 2010, 09:12 am
I hope P Grant never ate the whale knowingly.
25 Oct 2010, 09:26 am
“SA Rugby magazine investigates the lack of black forwards at the highest levels and whether black forwards are genetically smaller than their white counterparts”
I can’t believe they need to investigate this. This is the excuse some coaches use, Qha.
I’m surprised thy (SA Mag) still don’t have an article on Basson. Maybe they should investigate that!
25 Oct 2010, 09:31 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-2: What are you talking about, dude?
25 Oct 2010, 09:49 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-2: Why don’t you read the story and then comment?
25 Oct 2010, 09:50 am
@The_Zulu(The_Zulu)-8: We have a tribute to Basson (try scoring record) in this issue.
25 Oct 2010, 09:59 am
Looks good, still my favourite mag
25 Oct 2010, 10:03 am
@The_Zulu(The_Zulu)-8: I’ve commented on this issue on this site a long time ago. @Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-2: I spoke to Gert Smal in January 2008. He made a proposal to SA Rugby for the development of rugby in the Eastern Cape, seeing that he coached at Border for a couple of seasons. According to him at the time there was (and still is ) an abundance of talent in the Eastern Cape. SA Rugby was not interested and therefore he eventually took up the coaching job in Ireland (that was later during 2008 ). Gert Smal surely had no preconceived nazi ideas !!! SA Rugby did nothing then !!
25 Oct 2010, 10:21 am
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-13: We ask Smal about that plan in our interview with him in this issue.
25 Oct 2010, 10:22 am
Some interesting reads in this month’s mag.
I’m just wondering why the digital and print versions sell at the same price (for SA readers anyway)?
Surely the print version costs much more to produce and is more convenient to read than the digital version.
The digital version should come in at a lower premium, IM(NSH)O.
25 Oct 2010, 10:25 am
Mighty matric horua stikes again…
a self opening can of whoopass.
25 Oct 2010, 10:28 am
@Simon(Simon)-14:
One are I always loved of the mag was the columnists. This has gone down imo.
Where are the good old days of hearing the views from Naas, and Schalk senior, and the likes?
25 Oct 2010, 10:38 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-17: Totally agree w/ PissAnt on this.
25 Oct 2010, 10:41 am
@bewer(bewer)-18:
Yeah maybe next time I can construct a sentence that makes sense…
25 Oct 2010, 10:47 am
@Simon(Simon)-11: tribute? give the boy the F*CKING cover!! Lambie was on the cover for nothing, on potential alone…this boy delivered the goods!
25 Oct 2010, 10:56 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-17: and please vary the opinion pieces, ask the likes of Zola Yeye and other former rugby legends and not only the mainstream Afrikaner ones!
25 Oct 2010, 11:07 am
LMAO @ Yeye = rugby legend!!
25 Oct 2010, 11:30 am
“SA Rugby magazine investigates the lack of black forwards at the highest levels and whether black forwards are genetically smaller than their white counterparts”
wow, it’s The Bell Curve all over again. what nonsense.
25 Oct 2010, 11:57 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-2: so the fact that east africans make the best long distance runners and black americans dominate their basketball and football leagues is also “darwinian rubbish”?
25 Oct 2010, 12:47 pm
@fantasticbarnsmell(fantasticbarnsmell)-23:
How so? They are generally smaller. I too have noticed that the natives in South Africa are fairly small compared to the rest of Africa.
Tip for anyone looking for big black forwards: Go further north, check the Beast’s size out and compare him to his South African cousins… he monsters them.
25 Oct 2010, 12:55 pm
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-25: is the average zimbabwean the size of Beast? hehehe is bigger than what lawrence siphaka is?
25 Oct 2010, 13:06 pm
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-25: because there is negligable correlation between race and genetics. it’s like saying someone unrelated but of the same race has the same sort of genetic likeness as that of a direct relative, it makes no sense.
25 Oct 2010, 13:11 pm
Yeah Robbie Fleck I agree with you about the way coaches interact and its why when you went overseas at the end of your career that you first learned to offload in the tackle. Imagine how having that skill taught to you early on would have benefitted the Bokke.Another reason why I don’t understand the reluctance to include overseas Bokke (just my opinion).
I’ve always said that the problem in SA rugby is that we don’t have enough of a club structure at the lower levels (junior) and rely on teachers to coach our kids. They then tend to get taught techniques and game plans that don’t evolve quickly enough. Its either develop a club culture or get the professional players to go back into the school structures and coach the kids.
25 Oct 2010, 13:11 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-26:
Lawrence, although heavy, was not a natural athlete like the Beast. You can see he had a small frame even with all the fat piled on top. Beast on the other hand doesn’t have fat, it’s muscle, that’s how he has the ability to still be so mobile even with the weight he is carrying around.
Obviously not all Zimbs are the size of the Beast, but I believe the higher you go in Africa the better your chances are of finding a stud that you can groom into a world class athlete. Chiliboy for example, is a large South African black yet he appears relatively small on the field.
25 Oct 2010, 13:18 pm
The problem is that not enough Zulus play rugby. If SARU did a bit of a personnel inventory tour in Zululand they will find individuals who will make Os Du Randt and Bakkies seem a dime a dozen physically…
Instead of fiddling about with these little Pedi, Sotho or Xhosa dwarfs they need to go find the ancestors of Shaka and his impis…
25 Oct 2010, 13:41 pm
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-29: there you go talking kak now, is wp nel a natural athlete? Is wickus blaauw a natural athlete?
25 Oct 2010, 13:44 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-30: hahaha these Xhosa dwarfs know their rugby
25 Oct 2010, 13:47 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-32: They might know it but aint as genetically disposed to the game as proper warriors like the Zulu could be…
25 Oct 2010, 14:07 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-30:
25 Oct 2010, 14:09 pm
@The_Zulu(The_Zulu)-34: phakathewayo!
25 Oct 2010, 14:58 pm
Actually, since there is this premium on finding black forwards who are big enough, surely it would then make better sense for Saru to invest in Zululand rather than continually pissingit against the wall in terms of throwing money away in the Eastern Cape. Yes, you might find some skilful players there amongst Bok hasbeens, Samoan crims, and Italian American 2nd raters, but those Xhosa’s just aint big enough it seems…
Better to get the physically bigger Zulus involved. As descendents of Shaka, they would also have more of a warrior mentality generally suited to the gladiatorial aspects of Rugby…
There are probably 10 more Beasts to be found in the surrounds of Gingingdhlovu whereas there would be more than a couple of black Bakkies’ around Mvutshini…
25 Oct 2010, 15:05 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-31:
Did I say they were?
25 Oct 2010, 15:06 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-36: How about this then: The Xhosa’s can be the scrumhalfs and wings, and the Zulu’s can be the Locks and Props?
PS I stand corrected on the peal jam thingy…..
25 Oct 2010, 15:16 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-38: Thats it – Zulu forwards and Xhosa wings… Xhosa’s have built up the ability to run away fast from any advancing Zulu impi…
25 Oct 2010, 15:19 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-39:
25 Oct 2010, 15:21 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-38:
you had pearl jam on your provita this morning?
not ideal.
stick to marmite pal.
25 Oct 2010, 15:33 pm
@gunther(gunther)-41: Mooooosli…
25 Oct 2010, 15:36 pm
@gunther(gunther)-41:
I’m sure it was
25 Oct 2010, 15:38 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-38:I saw… Pearl Jam is avoidable, but be extra careful of any unsolicited Pearl Necklaces…
Because Pearl Jam always comes after Mother Love Bone (the original band pre Vedder) and can end up as Pearl Necklace (CT tribute band to be?)…
25 Oct 2010, 15:46 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-44: LOL yes that’s true. Besides, I’m a generous fella, far prefer to give than receive…
As for the approporiate neame for a CT band, wouldn’t something like “The Fudgepackers” be more appropriate?
25 Oct 2010, 15:47 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-33: as if being “genetically disposed” means one will be a great player.
how does one measure how less genetically disposed russians for instance are to rugby?
25 Oct 2010, 15:51 pm
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-37: you like shifting the posts when it suits you! i asked you if Beast is bigger than sephaka, next thing you’re telling me about “natural athletes” as for one to be “genetically disposed” to playing rugby they need to be “natural athletes” – BULLSHIT!!
i know a whole number of xhosa boys tougher & fitter than tendai!
25 Oct 2010, 15:53 pm
“In an early promotional interview, Vedder said that the name “Pearl Jam” was a reference to his great-grandmother Pearl, who was married to a Native American and had a special recipe for peyote-laced jam.[13] In a 2006 Rolling Stone cover story however, Vedder admitted that this story was “total bullshit” (even though he indeed had a great-grandma named Pearl). Ament and McCready explained that Ament came up with “pearl”, and that the band later settled on “Pearl Jam” after attending a concert by Neil Young, in which he extended his songs as improvisations of 15–20 minutes in length, a practice known as jamming.[1] .”
25 Oct 2010, 15:53 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-39: talking kak again, is that why makana & his men stood up to the 1820 british pillagers here in the Frontier wars?
25 Oct 2010, 15:58 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-46: The genetic equation (simplified):
P (Phenotype) = G + E + G x E
Phenotype simplified for the likes of you is appearance.
Now to summarise the equation above, the phenotype of an organism is a function of its genetic heritabilty, its environment and the interaction between its genotype and the environment…
Xhosa’s running away very fast from advancing impi (environement) would result in a successful phenotype. The slower guys would be caught and they don’t exist anymore to pass on their genes. So only the faster ones survived.
The Russians, well, those who survived Stalingrad must be the toughestbastards in the world… Woe betide they start taking up Rugby on a seious state supported level….
Understand?
25 Oct 2010, 16:02 pm
48. STORMERSBOY(STORMERSBOY):
There is many a story about PJ’s name origination but think about it – Mother Love Bone —> PJ, can only make sense whether you are a CT Fudgepacker or not…
25 Oct 2010, 16:04 pm
hey what happened to the ‘reply arrows’?
so the Xhosas that stood up to Shaka aren’t toughbastards?
25 Oct 2010, 16:05 pm
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-29: @Transformation(Transformation)-31:
I does make a lot of sense though. I don’t want to generalize but it looks like the guys from West Africa are significantly bigger than their Southern African counterparts.
Look at all the African American basketball and gridiron players. These guys are huge, some of them over 2,20 m tall! A lot of them are descendants of slaves from North-West Africa.
If you compare the Bafana Bafana players to those of the Ivory Coast and Ghana there is quite a significant difference in size.
Last year Bafana played agains Angola (a South West African country!), and it looked like boys agains men.
25 Oct 2010, 16:10 pm
49. TRANSFORMATION(TRANSFORMATION): Stood up to. lol. WTF is “stood up to”…
…and then you have the Moles of iSandhlewana and tacit acknowledgement from the British Empire that the Zulu’s were one of their most fearsome adversaries in history by virtue of them awarding without precedent more Victoria Crosses in one engagement than in any other battle/war in history…
And them Brits have been in quite a few wars…
Put some Zulus in the Green and Gold, send them to Twickenham and then you will see sparks fly…
Zulus + Afrikaners + coupla Souties (for the brains) + coupla fast Xhosas = World Champs…
What more do you want?
25 Oct 2010, 16:11 pm
Pypkan.
Something like only 10% of the slaves transported from West Africa to the colonies in the New World survived the trip. Necessarily the strongest physically were the majority who managed to survive.
When freed slaves were repatriated to West Africa, they tended to be larger physically than the population that had remained.
25 Oct 2010, 16:12 pm
52. TRANSFORMATION(TRANSFORMATION):
Those poorbastards don’t have no progeny… Their survival strategy was obviously deficient… The faster runners survived that environment…
25 Oct 2010, 16:14 pm
WP Till I DIE
Thanks, makes a lot of sense.
25 Oct 2010, 16:14 pm
54. Heavens Game(Heavens Game): and where do you fit the cullerts like de jongh?
25 Oct 2010, 16:15 pm
WPTID
Because of Macdonalds?
25 Oct 2010, 16:16 pm
58. TRANSFORMATION(TRANSFORMATION)
Ja, the skilful De Jongs have to be included… They are the physical manifestations of heterosis… (look it up)
25 Oct 2010, 16:18 pm
53. Pypkan(Pypkan): man, i’ve seen malawians, rwandans, somalians & ethiopians, them n*ggas aint bigger than me!
25 Oct 2010, 16:22 pm
61. TRANSFORMATION(TRANSFORMATION): of course they shouldn’t be bigger – shortage of protein food for generations… has led to a more successful phenotype where a more smaller, efficient body has a greater chance of survival to continue their progeny…
25 Oct 2010, 16:24 pm
transie
that’s because many of those are taliban n*ggas and have spent many years hiding under rocks from US spy satellites and bombers.
thus they are shorter.
and quite thin.
25 Oct 2010, 16:28 pm
Transformation
Hehe, I know I am generalising a bit.
I’ve been to New York a few years ago and am relatively tall 191cm. I felt like a midget amongst the African Americans. They are not only tall but have huge frames too.
25 Oct 2010, 16:33 pm
yet you see very few tall guys in west africa. most are small to medium in height.
25 Oct 2010, 16:34 pm
Pypkan
Now THAT is MacDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken’s fault.
25 Oct 2010, 16:46 pm
64. Pypkan(Pypkan): i know, i played basketball with a lot of them, even them cats from cameroon tower of us but i’m damn sure ain’t no mofocken somalian, eritrian, burundian n*ggas running around that are WAAYYY bigger than me!
25 Oct 2010, 22:42 pm
I will footy and not genes as Tranny might cut me down again.
There are fools on this site, no names mentioned, that believe JDV is kak and overrated. He is one of our best 3 centres in South Africa. JF, JDJ and JDV.
He might not tackle like JDJ or fecth like JDJ but he passes which can be said is better than the other two, especially JF. How many times do scream pass the ******* ball. JDV has great periferal vision and knows where is players are.
25 Oct 2010, 23:27 pm
There are substantial genetic differences between races resulting in physical differences. I import stuff from China and they generally view us as giants. It is also generally true of South African races and tribes. Xhosas seem to be smaller than Zulus. Within the Zulu nations the men up north in Maputaland tend to be bigger than the men in the Southern regions around Ixopo. IT’s not exact science, but that’s my observation. The Zulu men that know from the Northern Berg area (descendants of the Mtetwa of Dingizwayo) seems to be a little on the short side as well. The San or Boesmans also tend to be shorter and smaller. What’s all the fuss about?
25 Oct 2010, 23:29 pm
Most people on the site that doesn’t rate JdV will probably think Jauzion’s also rubbish and so was Michael du Plessis. It’s got to do about what you think 12 play is all about.
25 Oct 2010, 23:39 pm
JDV has been a pretty one-dimensional centre through the years, his line-breaks have disguised his clear inability to make the most of them, his average to poor defence, poor distribution and almost complete absence of a kicking game. It’s almost like looking at Spies’s long-distance tries and overlooking his poor work-rate, average hands and defence. However, since returning from Munster I must say JDV has been linking with those outside him much better and is a somewhat more rounded player for it.
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