Backing Bismarck
22 Nov 2010
Bismarck du Plessis must be the Springboks’ first-choice hooker in 2011.
Writing in the new issue of SA Rugby magazine, on sale this week, Ryan Vrede says John Smit is ‘haunted by the truth that he no longer casts a shadow that hides Du Plessis … Indeed it is Du Plessis, whose physical constitution and athletic prowess is perfectly suited to the demands of the game in its current form, who towers over his tutor.’
Vrede analyses Du Plessis’ performance in the Currie Cup final and says a good Grand Slam tour could leave the Bok selectors with no choice but to cut Smit next year.
Also in the new issue:
– Schalk Burger has refined his game to become the complete loose forward
– How the new law interpretations have reduced the impact of fetchers at the breakdown
– South African rugby is slowly but surely ridding itself of a conservative and limiting obsession with size
– Lwazi Mvovo made the most of his opportunities at the Sharks to earn a deserved Springbok call-up
– Barbarians coach Nick Mallett on keeping his players happy, the importance of the invitational side, and why the Boks have struggled
– The Sharks won the Currie Cup final by playing a quick-tempo game, dominating the collisions and putting their faith in a young flyhalf
– Rassie Erasmus did good work with the WP juniors this year, but the senior side could have used his help too
– The EP Kings have finally got their act together, on and off the field. Now they want to help change the face of South African rugby
– The Springbok Sevens side finished sixth in the last World Series and third at the Commonwealth Games, but coach Paul Treu is optimistic about the future
– Grey College insists it does not buy players from other schools or offer them bursaries
– Saracens director of rugby Brendan Venter on clashing with authority, how rugby is dying as a spectacle and why being Springbok coach isn’t worth it
– Former Stormers fullback Joe Pietersen is relishing the challenge of playing and living in France
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31 Comments
22 Nov 2010, 06:22 am
Bissie Dragon!
22 Nov 2010, 06:26 am
‘The Sharks won the Currie Cup final by playing a quick-tempo game, dominating the collisions and putting their faith in a young flyhalf..’
If Snor reads SA Rugby magazine he might pick up some useful tips..
22 Nov 2010, 06:28 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn) :
He only buys the magazine for the pictures…
22 Nov 2010, 06:30 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast) :
…or to roll a joint..
22 Nov 2010, 06:33 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn) :
Nah, he uses the free local paper for that!
22 Nov 2010, 06:35 am
That means Smit is to go off into retirement as he isn’t a test prop.
22 Nov 2010, 06:42 am
Obi-Wan Kenobi the great and wise one will use Smit in the 2011 RWC…you know..the competition the Kiwis can never win..
22 Nov 2010, 06:47 am
**** article as usual. The EOYT has proven that the Boks are even more useless without Smit.
22 Nov 2010, 07:23 am
Don’t kid yourself the scoreline would have looked even worse against Scotland if Smit played…and we would have probably lost to Ire and Wales if it were not for Bismarck. Smits as done as Div, pity the authorities are clueless
22 Nov 2010, 07:26 am
“How the new law interpretations have reduced the impact of fetchers at the breakdown”
Tell that to Richie and Pocock. Neither seem to be having any trouble.
Perhaps Flouw just isn’t as good in this regard as you think he is?
22 Nov 2010, 07:29 am
Obviously!
22 Nov 2010, 07:43 am
John Smit will go to the World Cup!
He might not start the bigger games but he will go as a back-up! We need his experience and leadership. Him coming on in last twenty or so will act as huge incentive for the younger players and will keep the players calm in tense situations.
22 Nov 2010, 08:09 am
Good article! spot on!
I was just watching the game again and I wondered about what Big Vic had said “we might have played the wrong tactical approach by running the ball too much”..Ok, now I thought we didnt keep the ball at all and we hoofed it right back at the Scots…chasers were not there and when we did have the ball in hand and ran the phases we did well..but we still kicked it away…thats where we lost it and that was the disappointment..not seeing the wings with the ball and the centres (great players) looked to just be tackling ..can you remember any line break? is it just me or is Frans Steyn not in form?
22 Nov 2010, 08:24 am
While a non-playing captain has some motivational back-room merit, there really is no viable substitute for an on-field skipper.
Having a super-skipper of higher rank on the touchlines actually undermines the authority and status of the real, on-field skipper.
22 Nov 2010, 08:25 am
Sometimes you just have to move on.
22 Nov 2010, 09:01 am
@iceman(iceman) :
I dont think it will be a good idea to change a captain during the latter part of a game as it takes a while to develop a “rapport” with a referee and that momentum will just be broken if the captain is replaced.
If a player is not good enough he should not be on the field. An impact player is usually a dynamic type of player that brings something to the game once it has “loostened” up. John Smit is not that type of player as he is more suited to a slow tight game than anything else.
22 Nov 2010, 09:18 am
Every team needs it’s “Os” – that inspirational player who has seen and done it all.
Smit is that player for the Boks. He will go to WC either as starting or from the bench
We are too quick to want to throw our quality in the bin – everybody was in a state when Os and Percy came back – look how that worked out.
We need Smit / Matfield / Burger / JDV / Fourie in the 30 – not always starting mind you
@Robzim(Robzim) :
An impact player in a WC semi and final is a grinder and should be solid as a rock with throw-ins, scrums ect. Impact Loosies should be more what you describe
22 Nov 2010, 09:28 am
no place
for smit
at the
wc
same as
snor
but the idiots
in charge
probably
will take
both
22 Nov 2010, 09:54 am
@Jackal(Jackal) : Im not sure what was worse, the scrumhalves constantly kicking valuable ball away or hearing Victors response to why they last. I turned off the TV when Pienaar came on and kept up the box kick tactic. Was obvious at that point we were going to lose as the coaches are watching a different game when the boks are playing.
I thought there was hope for us in the first 40min against Ireland but since then, weve lost the plot. Hopefully we giving all the other times a false sense of security before the WC but I have my doubts
22 Nov 2010, 09:57 am
@iceman(iceman) : An in shape Smit has to be at the WC if we wont to retain the title
22 Nov 2010, 10:23 am
Whatever happened to Grant 10?
22 Nov 2010, 11:14 am
@Bok fan(Bok fan) : An in shape Smit is now a physical impossibility. Father Time has tapped on his shoulder once too often. Age takes no prisoners.
22 Nov 2010, 11:36 am
@Cyborg(Cyborg) : Someone made comments about his wife and daughter on here and he has been gone ever since. I miss him! lol
Smit will go to the World Cup and he will lead the team in the Big Games. Bismarck can play the smaller nations and come on as a sub in the bigger games.
22 Nov 2010, 12:20 pm
Another cover on Bismark? Isit the same covers every year?
Bismark was last November
Jean De Villiers and Jaque Fourie have a cover every april/may time annually as do Victor Matfield and John Smit?
Would be nice to see someone else on the front cover
Juan Smith, JP Pietersen, Ricky Januarie or Willem Alberts…..
Some interesting stories would be read from those players.
22 Nov 2010, 12:53 pm
@Rhys7(Rhys7) : Ja Agreed. Why was JDV on the last cover??
22 Nov 2010, 13:06 pm
Ryan – you are resorting to Logic and Truth – which we know doesn’t apply in SA rugby. Clearly Bismarck is the man – although he should be severely redressed for his missing his throws WHEN IT COUNTED – on Saturday; 2-3 of them I think. When we needed the ball desperately and needed momentum he gifted it back to Scotland – in this regard he was no different to Pienaar. On this score, i.e. throw-ins to the lineout when it really counts and the game hinges on accuracy, Chilliboy and John Smit are equally dire – so it is a generic problem.
Anybody playing for the Boks needs to have Big Match Temperament – BMT; it has to be a prerequisite if we are to compete.
22 Nov 2010, 13:38 pm
@J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper) :
Bismarck was probably so gatvol of playing to a non-existent game plan that he didn’t give a toss where he was throwing by then. Ditto for Matfield’s jumping. I don’t blame them.
22 Nov 2010, 13:50 pm
As long as the twat Bismark plays a good clean game. He is a dirty b@stard.
22 Nov 2010, 13:56 pm
Can you still captain a Bok team from the bench?
23 Nov 2010, 01:20 am
@willievz(willievz) : No. You can’t.
24 Nov 2010, 10:40 am
An up & under is a player’s way of saying he doesn’t know what to do!
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