Three times a failure
7 Feb 2011
JON CARDINELLI can’t understand why the pointless Tri-Series is packaged as an entertaining contest.
The Tri-Series has concluded, and I find myself reaching for superlatives that simply don’t apply. Underwhelming is the best word to describe the three-game sham masquerading as a contest, and I’m underwhelmed because, like many other people, I made the mistake of thinking this most recent tournament meant something.
Did these results matter? No say the coaches of the Lions, Sharks and Stormers. Is there a trophy? Asked last week, one coach wasn’t even sure, but dismissed the question by reinforcing point number one: performance is the priority.
There’s no need to paint a set of pre-season games as a tournament, no need to lie to the public by telling them that warm-up games are contests. There’s no need to charge them to watch these games, nor televise them, because all it does is fuel the expectation of paying customers.
I’m disappointed as a rugby fan, but I would be livid if I’d had to pay to watch the Tri-Series. It’s like paying to watch training sessions be it on a rugby field or in the cricket nets. The players are sharpening their game for the tournament that matters, and while there’s value in watching pre-season matches so as to gauge performances and sneak a peak at potential combinations, there shouldn’t be the drama and illusion that results matter.
I attended all three Tri-Series games, and from what I heard from the public and press, there was a massive sense of anticlimax. But should we have got our hopes up in the first place, or should we have treated these practice sessions for what they were? And the question is directed not only to the fans and media, but to the authorities that green light ‘competitions’ like the Tri-Series.
Pre-season games are scrappy affairs, with coaches experimenting with different combinations. It’s also a time where coaches are reluctant to show their hand. As you can imagine, a pre-season tournament like the Tri-Series that’s watched on national television, and written about by journalists from all over South Africa, is unlikely to give much away in terms of tactical strengths and innovative ploys.
The authorities need to move away from this failed marketing exercise and embrace the kind of marketing that matters. Before 2009, a team like the Stormers would travel to Paarl or Wellington to tackle Boland in a set of pre-season friendlies. The fixtures were a hit in the local communities, and the coaches and players were able to experiment without fear of mass scrutiny or the risk of giving too much away.
There was usually one fixture against another Super Rugby opponent, but the fixture was never hyped to the extent that it is today. There also wasn’t a whole tournament reserved for the pre-season, as the right people realised that too much exposure can be a bad thing. Injuries are also a realistic concern, so you don’t want to be playing too many games at Super Rugby intensity before the tournament has even started. In this sense, the Bulls and Cheetahs have got it right with their pre-season programmes.
The three recent games at Newlands revealed little in terms of how the Lions, Sharks and Stormers will play this year. It may have shown which individuals are out of form, who still lacks conditioning, and who’d rather be at home, but that the Sharks lost two and the Stormers won two matters as little as the Tri-Series title itself.
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74 Comments
7 Feb 2011, 06:13 am
Neo African dragons!
7 Feb 2011, 06:36 am
What a load of hogwash… trophy or not… title or not… scoreboard or not… these are warm-up games and have their ‘obvious’ (to most) importance just like they do across the Indian Ocean and across the Tasman for the NZAR sides…
Punters don’t have to go and watch and nor should they expect to see scintillating rugby nor take anything from the scoreboards… always the WP mob eh?
7 Feb 2011, 06:40 am
The Sharks need to go back to playing a once off against Harlequins at The Stoop. They played just hard enough to avoid and embarrassing defeat to a club side and just entertaining enough to thrill the hundreds of Saffer expats that made the train journey to see them.
7 Feb 2011, 07:10 am
Hey, don’t disparage the Velveglo trophy JC.
7 Feb 2011, 07:16 am
It may be a “worthless” tournament with no real standing, but anyone who was there on Saturday will agree that it was no “friendly”…
The guys were going flat out at each other….
7 Feb 2011, 07:45 am
One couple of questions answered in the last game:
1) Elgar Watts should start for the Stormers. Had a big impact on the running game….
2) Ricky January should be shot.
3) Bryan Habana should retire.
4) Gary van Aswegen in out of his depth
5) JLP should start at 10 for the Sharks, as Lambie is in the same league as Gary van Aswegen. – Light-weight
6) Lwazi Mvovo will be the next Sprinbok winger, with Bjorn Basson.
7) Stormers seems to be fit in the pre-season. This should be telling come the end of the tournament.
This really was not a good game to watch. Only a few positives coming from it. Like I said on another thread… Lions and Cheetahs can be quietly confident….
7 Feb 2011, 07:49 am
SA sides in the past have been under cooked at the beginning of the season – fact – this tournament has at least got the players going for the start …………. And besides it has been 2 months since we have seen any decent rugby ( not that **** Heineken cup) so we are ready to start !!!
7 Feb 2011, 07:51 am
@Tegejo(Tegejo)-6: I love Habana but gosh did he have a **** game on Saturday …. think he needs to shave his hair.
7 Feb 2011, 08:01 am
@stew(stew)-8: I was amazed at the fact the he could not get away from JLP.
But how brilliant was Watts? This kid made a HUGE impact on the game. His kicking from hand was great, and he just seemed to calm down the entire backline. I see great things in his future.
7 Feb 2011, 08:02 am
Of course it something.
It’s the only thing that stops western province from selling its trophy cabinet on eBay.
7 Feb 2011, 08:30 am
@gunther(gunther)-10:
7 Feb 2011, 08:40 am
@Tegejo(Tegejo)-9:
Watts came on at a time when the scrums were uncontested, the sharks have brought on all their reserves and the game has lost all its structures. One cannot judge him under such circumstances.
@gunther(gunther)-10:
There is another trophy up for grabs during the Stormer/Boland match. You should try and attend the match – the co-owner of Boland rugby Kurt Darren is doing a gig just before kickoff, not to be missed
7 Feb 2011, 09:00 am
Jon you tool.
Of course it means nothing in the bigger scheme of things, but f sakes it still it awesome to watch some top rugby players playing.
Would you honestly rather they played Boland or maties? (no offence mean there). Mmm wonder how much pre-season support the teams could build up from playing shimlas pre-season. Idiot.
7 Feb 2011, 09:02 am
jeepers JC I pity you for thinking these games meant anything in the first place. it is january. the stupid 15 kicks off in under 3 weeks, and quite frankly i think its all ridiculous.
in my opinion all rugby is laregley meaningless until after the domestic rounds are done. the competition has a stupid format, and its crazy our players are going to be committed from this early when the only thing that matters in 2011 starts in around 8 months time.
i am hoping all our boks take a slow start to the season, and dont worry about hitting form until july.
7 Feb 2011, 09:07 am
@Tegejo(Tegejo)-9: he is slow off the mark though…
7 Feb 2011, 09:09 am
Well there is not much to be said for the article, it is not like there was really any questions asked and if there were, it seems JC answered them himself.
But I will again beat the old drum of live sports, scrap that, pro-sports being presented as such.
All nations with the exception of SA and possibly England are complaining about waining numbers in the stands, and for the life of me I cannot understand when authorities will realise that when people go to a stadium, they want to be entertained.
And that does not mean some dude on a hi-fi hooked up to the PA system ‘entertaining’ the crowds with his personal CD collection or some aerobics bunnies prancing around on the field to music that is out of sinc to the moves for a guy on the stand 100 meters away.
And that is why I refuse, and have not ever paid more than R100 for any ticket to any sporting event in this country, and never will.
7 Feb 2011, 09:20 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-16: Dont like the Stormer girls huh?
7 Feb 2011, 09:25 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-17:
They’re girls?
7 Feb 2011, 09:25 am
Lwazi Mvovo is a beast, he BOUNCED l.cronje like a ping pong ball!
if wacko jaco was watching he must’ve had flashbacks of when it happened to him 
Mthatha Express kwedini!
7 Feb 2011, 09:25 am
Sis, nasty, scrap that comment.
They are just earning a living.
7 Feb 2011, 09:32 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-20: Can’t understand why they were wearing green though….
7 Feb 2011, 09:32 am
Can anyone explain the one two three steps Ricky takes before being bulldozed by the opposition? My the guy has become so slow and it definitely has a negative affect on the backline! He is being tackled every second ball he gets! Is that really the best Stormers have? If so there are huge problems ahead.
7 Feb 2011, 09:33 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-19: he looked very good on Saturday. Pick of the wings for sure.
7 Feb 2011, 09:33 am
What the hell? Everyone who has half a brain knows that these games will not be spectacles, so why this little rant?
Moreover, the first rounds of the Silly 15 will be filled with handling errors and poor tactical kicking. It is the nature of the beast.
7 Feb 2011, 09:34 am
well….for 2 x R40 and 1 x R30 i got to see 240 minutes of practice rugby sitting on a grandstand on the halfway line.
Maybe I am easy to please, but I certainly enjoyed the games…..of course the intensity and quality was not there….but that is too be expected…
7 Feb 2011, 09:34 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-22: Yes he looks very slow. That Louis Schreeder looked good again. Very energetic.
7 Feb 2011, 09:35 am
mvovo and basson may just be the 2 bok wings come wc….
7 Feb 2011, 09:35 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-22: Oh ****, do you mean to tell me that we are stuck with the old Ricky?
You have just gone and spoiled my day…oh for some common sense in our rugby – is that too much to ask?
7 Feb 2011, 09:36 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-21:
I missed them, but I suppose that would be because Neo-Africa (sponsors) primary colours are green.
7 Feb 2011, 09:36 am
johan sadie also looking sharp….our youngsters showing the ou manne how to do it..
7 Feb 2011, 09:42 am
@grant10(grant10)-27: pdv will never drop the FatBoys Club!
speaking of which, why wasn’t Habana at Butch’s wedding?
7 Feb 2011, 09:43 am
Stormers have problems at 9 and 10.
They are not creating any width or space on attack. Unimaginative angles with ball in hand which leads to predictable, and easily defendable plays.
No-where is pace created on the ball, and as much as Duvenhage and Januarie is to blame for this, so are the 10′s although Elgar did provide some spark it must be said.
7 Feb 2011, 09:43 am
@Couchcoach(GI POT)-28: and he is more dikgat this year than last!
7 Feb 2011, 09:44 am
Speaking of quality of rugby, England looked bloody good against Wales on Saturday and it was all down to Toby Flood. He was brilliant in the way he altered his running lines, his tactics and his distribution.
Their backline showed the world how to make use of an overlap; not with long passes, but with an inside centre who drifts into the space and takes a flat pass on the outside of his opponent. Hape was just as impressive – then he played flat and then he played wide. All in all, their backline played at pace from deep and attacked the spaces.
Wales were not bad themselves. Just a pity that they stick with pig neck Jones at 10. He could not get his backline away with a bulldozer. On the whole, on current performance, they are going to beat the **** out of us in the WC and England are fast becoming real contenders.
7 Feb 2011, 09:45 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-31:
Speaking of Habs…
I would’ve walked off the park if I was him.
When your wing has to create his own space from the base of a ruck you get some sort of idea of the quality of ball they receive.
7 Feb 2011, 09:45 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-33: Eish, kunzima
7 Feb 2011, 09:45 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-19: Was it Lionel Cronje that bounced off the Mthatha express, or was it Bryan Habana ?
Ja – shame, old Jaco Vd Westhuisen must have run to the bathroom in tears when he saw that and had his flashback.
You cant take Mvovo from the front when he is in full stride – I know he doesnt quite have the same physicality, but he reminds me a bit of Jonah Lomu. He has no problem with just going straight over the top.
7 Feb 2011, 09:46 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-31: which is why I am looking forward to the 2015 WC!
7 Feb 2011, 09:47 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-35: I thought Habana was poor. He again, constantly waits around for the intercept but in general play he is poor. His handling was bad, and his defense was hardly spectacular.
I also wonder if his wife expected him to grow that Belgotex carpet on his head when they got married. Looks terrible !
7 Feb 2011, 09:51 am
@grant10(grant10)-38: I would not get my hopes up about that year’s WC – the pattern in our sport shows alarming tendencies towards self destruction and a blatant disregard for the basics of the game; both on and off the field.
7 Feb 2011, 09:51 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-37: i think it was l.cronje trying to cover, habana is on the other wing…
7 Feb 2011, 09:51 am
I liked Odwa at 15, saw a few hand-offs there. How the Sharks did not win the game is beyond comprehension.
7 Feb 2011, 09:51 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-39:
His hands let him down once.
He got one intercept.
His defense nothing wrong.
If you consider that 90% of the ball which went out wide was received on the wing standing still, I don’t know what you expect wings to do.
The handling by the inside backs was shocking.
Considering how many balls went wide, and how often Habana handled the ball, you should get an idea of this guys’ workrate.
Off-hand, I cannot even remember who the other wing was, I never saw him.
7 Feb 2011, 09:52 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-39: I believe the Habana bedroom has velcro attached to the ceiling so that Habs can swing from the ceiling in his superman outfit
7 Feb 2011, 09:54 am
@coma(coma)-42: 2 or 3 very poor finishing errors – thats how they did not win. They could have been 27 points ahead with 10 minutes left.
They will have to sort that out – quickly ! This is an old issue for the Sharks. It looked like it was coming right toward the conclusion of the Currie Cup, but on Saturday it was the same old thing.
Too much white line fever…
7 Feb 2011, 09:56 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-43: I will agree with you that the ball that came to him wasnt great quality, but I can also tell you that as a world class wing – and probably at one time the best in the game – in my opinion Habana did not perform to expectations.
He must remember, its his talent and not his name that makes him valuable. Personally, I think Habana has a bit of a big head. A big, carpet covered head.
7 Feb 2011, 09:58 am
The big prooblem is not always the inside backs, it is this need to have forwards standing in the backline causing moves to breakdown all the time, it drives me crazy !!!
Look at the New Zealanders and Aussies , it’s the backs who do the majority of running and passing !!!! yes at times the need to have forwards taking it up and sucking defenders in is definitely there, but time and time again I see the forwards standing in the backline retarding moves !!!
This happens with the Boks as well !!
7 Feb 2011, 09:58 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-46:
Well I don’t know him personally, so can’t comment on that.
7 Feb 2011, 09:58 am
@Couchcoach(GI POT)-44: His Superman outfit, or his Bulls jersey ?
7 Feb 2011, 10:00 am
@justrugby(justrugby)-47:
Said it to some guys after the game.
When you go back and watch it on TV, compare how many first time passes went to Van Aswegen, and how many to Lambie.
It has grated me for years in SA rugby how good quality front-foot ball gets passed to a bloody tight-5 forward from the base instead of the play-maker, which is the flyhalf…
7 Feb 2011, 10:00 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-48: Neither do I – but I feel that some players become progressively less effective the more of a fuss is made about them.
Habana must be having a lot of fuss made about him at WP.
Let me ask you a question, and feel free to respond honestly. Do you think WP/Stormers feel they have gotten the return they expected from Habana for the millions they have spent on him ? I mean, just a brutal, honest yes or no ?
7 Feb 2011, 10:03 am
how is that chris ashton with his pointing celebration?
7 Feb 2011, 10:06 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-51:
I cannot answer that, no fan can. And I will tell you why.
The value of a player in the context you are asking me to judge him on is the 80 minutes he spends on the field every Saturday.
That is probably about 10% of what he does as a squad member.
From all accounts, and what players and the coaching team have said about Bryan in the past is that as a senior player, and an experienced player, his value cannot be measured.
An outside back cannot be judged on his finishing in a game alone. A massive part of his game is his work rate off the ball, and there television will not show you how good he is because television only follows the ball.
Finishing in a game depends on the quality of ball you get, and I have to cast my mind back a really long time to remember when last the Stormers or WP back three received quality front foot attacking ball…
7 Feb 2011, 10:08 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-53: Fair enough. Same argument for John Smit I suppose.
7 Feb 2011, 10:08 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-51:
they have sold more jerseys so yes.
the stormers measure their success by jerseys sold and the takings in the bar under the railway stand.
who needs to win anythin when you have the best supporters in the world
innit?
7 Feb 2011, 10:08 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-51: Habana was already in decline when he joined WP. His last season at the Bulls was marked by his loss of pace (his only real asset). Suddenly he couldnt make those intercepts anymore, was getting beaten on the outside by players like Dusty Noble, Oupa Stefan, etc. He was/is more a marketing tool than anything else at the Stormers/WP. Think David Beckham.
7 Feb 2011, 10:14 am
Hey Cardinelli, why don’t you overreact a little? These were always billed as warm-up games, and at R30 or R40 a ticket it was cheaper than going to the movies. I’m also sure this ticket price just covered the cost of operating the stadium. I don’t know of anyone who is as disappointed as you clearly are, and you didn’t even pay for your bloody ticket. I know you feel you need a little rant to give your article meaning, but this kind of “outraged” journalism is not sustainable.
7 Feb 2011, 10:18 am
@Dusky(Dusky)-54:
That said, a player must perform on the field too, and that Habana is not doing.
7 Feb 2011, 10:19 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-52: He didn’t even have the balls to go through with the swallow dive. Dropping his knee before impact was such a lame cop-out. At least Philip Burger, c*ck that he is, invented the swallow-dive-action-roll to avoid Ashton’s wimpish finale.
7 Feb 2011, 10:19 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-57:
quite right.
its damging the planet.
does he not realise he is gambling with our children’s future?
that’s why I keep copies of all JC’s articles in the bathroom.
for recycling purposes.
7 Feb 2011, 10:21 am
@gunther(gunther)-60: Classic case of the sports hack who cried wolf. No one even notices any more.
7 Feb 2011, 10:24 am
As fast as Habana’s star is fading, Mvovo’s is getting brighter. Hopefully he will learn that he doesnt need to use his body as a battering ram and will use speed and guile more. His body will start showing a bit of wear and tear soon. He is good enough to do this. Honestly feel that Habana has lost pace, confidence and ability.
7 Feb 2011, 10:33 am
hananas confidence seems shot to pieces…
7 Feb 2011, 10:36 am
@Eish(Eish)-62:
I don’t think he has lost ability.
Three weeks with bulls should see him right, and some time with Sheryl Calder.
7 Feb 2011, 13:23 pm
What I learnt from the games:
15.) Conrad Jantjies is not close to being at his best. There isn’t a suitable replacement in sight.
14.) Maybe Gio should move to Fullback. At least he’ll get more ball.
13.) Jacque Fourie is still the best. I suggest Juan de Jongh move to right wing with Gio moving to the back.
12.) Jean de Villiers is still the best.
11.) Bryan Habana will come good.
10.) No surprise Elgar Watts showed some good touches, he played in a **** team last year and still shone. After Peter Grant though.
9.) Ricky takes 3 seconds…if you lucky 1.5 seconds to pass the ball. Unacceptable. I think Alistair must not be happy with his scrumhalf position.
The first team should look like:
15.) Gio Aplon
14.) Juan de Jongh
13.) Jacque Fourie
12.) Jean de Villiers
11.) Bryan Habana
10.) Peter Grant
9.) Dewald Duvenage ?
8.) Duane Vermeulen
7.) Francois Louw
6.) Schalk Burger
5.) Andries Bekker
4.) Adriaan Fondse
3.) CJ van der Linde
2.) Tiaan Liebenberg
1.) Wicus Blaauw
7 Feb 2011, 14:01 pm
I can’t believe what I’m hearing! The converted tri-series is the only thing the Cape franchise has won in the last decade, their cabinet would be bare without it!
Talk of scrapping it is terrible, especially now since the Stormers have managed to retain the title.
In fact, I expect things to go the other way. Soon the Cape press will be telling us it is the best and most prestigious of all domestic competitions!!
7 Feb 2011, 14:27 pm
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-66: I wonder if the Sharks will play in the tri-series again next year. They have come last two years running, so surely they should be ‘relegated’ ?
Warm-up games are good, but to try and make it into a formal tournament smacks of desperation to me. A few people trying to get a slice of the rugby pie.
I mean a warm-up is just that – a few stretches and jogs up and down before you walk to the starting line for the sprint. To create a tournament from it is ludicrous. But as you say – at least it is something the Stormers can win.
They should have played it at Cape Town’s fancy new stadium, that way the stadium will at least have a use once a year.
7 Feb 2011, 14:32 pm
Some people mustn’t be naive, these warm up games were of course an over hyped event. Neo Africa is squeezing everything it can out of the practice runs, squeeze it mofos squeeze it, but we must take it for what it is…warm ups. To be honest when the real deal is on all games that count will be watched. I’m not reading too much into the practice run.
7 Feb 2011, 16:55 pm
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-65:
Jantjes celebrates now his 11th season, well past his sell date.
At his best he was never more than a sub standard back who made up the quota numbers.
The reason the Stormers don’t have a better than Jantjes is because fullbacks like Little Joe realised the position is pegged for a former ‘underprivileged’, so there is no contest.
8 Feb 2011, 09:46 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-53: Come on. Anybody who ever saw Habana play can tell you he always stands around, caring less than nothing about the rest of the play, only checking now and then to see if there is an intercept opportunity. His defense couldn’t be worse, and there is no communication with the inside-backs.
This year Basson will show you what Habana could have been if Brian didn’t think himself to be a demi-god.
8 Feb 2011, 11:05 am
@Bouts(Bouts)-70:
Really?
It is amazing how his stats show something completely different…
But I guess what you ‘perceive’ presents a much stronger case than what facts show.
And its Bryan, not Brian.
8 Feb 2011, 12:00 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-71: Stats….hmmmm….
Perception can create havoc in a players career. Similar to when Butch James was cited continuously in the media and on blogs like this one as a yellow card magnet, yet, stats show that Schalk Burger, Bakkies Botha, Marius Joubert and De Wet Barry (at the time) were by far the kings of the card enforced 10 minute rest.
Same as Luke Watson. Stats suggested he was at least as good as Richie McCaw, yet his self absorbed attitude got in the way of him reaching anything close to the status of the Kiwi skipper.
Interesting things stats – completely ignore (as you mentioned previously), a players impact of just being on the field.
I could mention some other stats as well, like the fact that Adi Jacobs lead the meters gained by any South African center by a country mile while everyone was punting Jacque Fourie. Or that his defensive stats are nowhere close to as poor as many would like to believe.
Or that Derick Hougaard was by far the best defensive flyhalf in the country for some time, and for a flyhalf supporting an apparent ten man game, his attacking stats weren’t half bad either.
Or that Ettienne Botha was (by stats) the crown prince of attacking inside centers.
Perception – can ruin a player. Habs better sort himself out, or perception could ruin him as well.
8 Feb 2011, 12:04 pm
@Dusky(Dusky)-72:
Or that Ashley Johnson outplayed Duane Vermeulen by far in the CC last year yet no-one called for his inclusion (because the Bloem media is not that influential) in the Bok team…
Perceptions…
8 Feb 2011, 16:39 pm
This is another article of Blah Blah Blah.
Friendlies are there to test structures, shake off rustyness and gain match fitness and match sharpness.
The result is meaningless , just because this is a friendly competition and not a once off friendly match, shouldn’t mean that its all of a sudden a competitive competition with something to win.
It’s simply an oppurtunity for the die-hard fans to see some action ahead of the competition.
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