Forgotten man’s fight
9 Mar 2011
JON CARDINELLI writes that Francois Louw refuses to believe that his World Cup dream is over, in SA Rugby magazine.
The relaxed body language is part of the boy-next-door veneer, but Francois Louw’s eyes can’t lie. They convey his disappointment. Upon provocation, they glow; two tiny infernos signifying the blaze within.
Louw was the Springboks’ fall guy after consecutive defeats in New Zealand last July. As the team’s rotten run continued, he dropped out of the Tri-Nations squad completely. He was then snubbed not once, but twice, in the lead up to the Boks’ end-of-year tour.
Louw has every right to be disappointed. While there’s been ample time for reflection, he’s no closer to understanding why he was cast aside so quickly. There are no regrets of unfulfilled potential nor lament for missed opportunities. It’s for these reasons that Louw finds his current status as South African rugby’s forgotten man particularly hard to accept.
After emerging as one of the standout players in the 2010 Super 14, Louw successfully made the step up to international level. He scooped an official Man of the Match accolade and two players’ Man of the Match awards for his game-swinging displays during the incoming tours. However, two Tests later, he had been unceremoniously dumped from the squad.
‘I’m not sure if the selectors felt I’d lost form, or if they came to the conclusion that I wasn’t good enough to be a Springbok,’ Louw says. ‘Playing against New Zealand was easily the biggest challenge of my Test career, but I felt I’d played to the best of my ability.
‘As a player that’s all you can do; then it’s up to the selectors to decide whether you’re good enough to stay there. I suppose they’re the ones who need to understand whether you fit into their plans or not.’
Those two losses to the All Blacks deserve closer analysis. The South African pack was overpowered in Auckland, with the hosts bossing the set phases and breakdowns. And the statistics will confirm that Louw wasn’t the only forward to underperform.
The Boks were better in Wellington, but not good enough to prevent another defeat. Louw’s breakdown performance was criticised without taking into account referee Alain Rolland’s limited understanding of the new laws, or the fact that opposite number Richie McCaw was just as severely penalised. The selectors viewed Louw as a liability to the team, and decided to revise their back-row dynamic.
They got it horribly wrong in Brisbane when they selected Ryan Kankowski in Louw’s place, as the visitors missed a player in the team capable of countering the Wallabies’ David Pocock at the breakdown. The old firm of Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Pierre Spies provided more stability than dominance in Soweto, which wasn’t enough to snap the losing streak.
It was around this time that Peter de Villiers began to concede that his team was struggling with the new law interpretations, even though the Bulls and Stormers had proved so innovative in the preceding Super 14. The make-up of De Villiers’s back row became a sore point with the man himself, as when asked to explain the continual omission of Louw or any other player who specialised in playing to the ball, De Villiers snapped, telling one journalist to pick the side for him.
Meanwhile, Louw was released to Western Province. He’d always judged himself harshly, and searched for the reasons for failure. Unfortunately, this inner conflict affected his performances in the Currie Cup, and the ordinary domestic displays seemed to justify De Villiers’s decision to drop him. The reality was Louw was hurting.
‘I was absolutely gutted,’ he remembers. ‘When I returned to Province, it wasn’t as simple as putting my head down and getting on with it. I was my own player and didn’t help the team as well as I could have during the first couple of games. I’m not proud of it, but it took me a while to get over the disappointment of being axed.
‘I felt I was back to my best by the play-offs. I really had to pick myself up and carry on, trying to get back to where I was before. Then it was another shock not to get the call for the end-of-year tour. Again, I wasn’t sure what I’d done wrong.’
And did the Boks miss Louw on their November tour? The selection of Deon Stegmann was inexplicable, especially given his lack of game time in the Currie Cup and the fact that he was yet to represent the Boks. Burger’s injury in the Currie Cup final offered Louw hope, but when Stegmann and Sharks flanker Keegan Daniel were preferred, his dream of a recall was shattered.
The rise of the titanic Willem Alberts also encouraged the Boks’ brains trust, although they only had the nerve to start him against the Barbarians. Jean Deysel and Heinrich Brüssow were due back in 2011, while Dewald Potgieter had proved solid if not inspirational during the few outings he’d been granted.
The Boks returned with a favourable tour scorecard, but there were still more questions than answers, particularly in the back row. The selectors had failed to pick a balanced combination or implement a game plan conducive to the new laws.
It was unforgivable considering the aforementioned success of South Africa’s two premier Super Rugby teams, the Bulls and Stormers. The latter had proved especially proficient at the collisions, and the Bok coaches would have done well to play Louw, Burger and Stormers No 8 Duane Vermeulen as a combination. They’d enjoyed breakdown dominance in all five of the Stormers’ victories over New Zealand opposition.
It spoke volumes for the Boks’ structures; the Stormers recorded a clean sweep of the Kiwi franchises whereas the Boks couldn’t manage one win against the All Blacks just two months later. Perhaps there was a refusal to realise that the roles of loose forwards have changed significantly under the new law interpretations.
Springbok assistant coach Gary Gold singles out Louw as one of the few players to tick all the boxes of a modern-day loose forward, and feels he could still be an asset to the Bok side.
‘I don’t think there’s room for a classic opensider anymore, you have to be more of an all-rounder,’ says Gold. ‘Flo has that complete skill set: he can play to the ball, he’s a good lineout jumper, he carries the ball strongly, and is a tough defender. He consistently makes 60-odd positive contributions per game, a fantastic achievement if you think that 70 contributions is a special feat.
‘While the call for specialist fetchers is less demanding, it still helps to have somebody with those strengths. Flo’s anticipation is excellent, right up there with McCaw. He knows which rucks to hit and when to hang back in defence.
‘A feature of the best players is that they pick their moment. Flo conserves his energy without compromising his work-rate. He also has the speed to complement that decision-making, so when he gets to the ruck first he can make the call. It’s a quality all modern flankers need, and an area where McCaw is hugely underrated. Flo’s right up there when it comes to ruck arrivals, and that allows him to compete for the ball, whether he’s trying to win it, or slow it down.’
Gold’s description of the modern-day loose forward suggests Brüssow and Stegmann will need to adapt if they’re going to survive as Test options. Stegmann failed to impress on the recent tour of the home unions, while a serious knee injury sidelined Brüssow for the majority of 2010.
The big question in the build up to the 2011 World Cup is whether Brüssow can develop his skill set beyond that of an out-and-out ball stealer. His diminutive size means he’ll never be a lineout option, and despite his deceptive strength, he’s unlikely to make as many ball-carrying metres as the larger loosies.
The 2011 Super Rugby competition will reveal whether Brüssow can adapt and indeed whether Louw can take his 2010 form a step further. Louw forced his way into the Bok team by weight of performance in the 2010 Super 14, and he’ll need to do so once again if he’s going to book a World Cup place.
He’ll need to convince the skeptics in the Bok set-up that he’s an indispensable ingredient to a potent Bok back-row cocktail, and hopefully those same skeptics will have realised just what kind of player is required under the current laws. There are already a few overseas clubs that appreciate the fact, with English Premiership side Bath courting the 25-year-old flanker, hoping to sign him as a replacement for Port Elizabeth-bound Luke Watson.
‘I’ve still got some things I want to achieve in South Africa, and I’m not going to run away from that,’ he says. ‘If I go to Europe, it will be for very different reasons. There’s plenty to play for in terms of World Cup selection, but there’s a lot to play for in Super Rugby itself. And if the Stormers can get close to the goal of winning the trophy, then Springbok selection may well take care of itself.’
An England sojourn may be in Louw’s future, but not before he claws his way back into the Bok side. While he began 2011 a forgotten man, he will be determined to finish Super Rugby as a player the selectors cannot ignore.
– This article first appeared in the March issue of SA Rugby magazine. The April issue will be on sale from 16 March.
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101 Comments
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9 Mar 2011, 06:17 am
This guy is a cut above the rest when provided a good platform. Unfortunately the hard working unsung hero’s need to provide that platform and often are ignored. You need the Liebenbergs, Andre Venter’s, Hannes Streidoms of this world before guys like this can shine. He’s no show pony but needs a few tight forwards doing the hard graft before he comes into his own. If we had a Bok hooker and locks that got stuck in I’d go with Louw…unfortunately for him competition is tough. I’d forget Keegan, Kanko and Spies. My list would include Alberts, Juan (if not injured), Louw and even Vermulen if we finds last years form. We need players that will perform in the wet (NZ).
Why has SA always had loads of flanks and no centers….
9 Mar 2011, 07:11 am
The relaxed body language is part of the boy-next-door veneer, but Francois Louw’s eyes can’t lie. They convey his disappointment. Upon provocation, they glow; two tiny infernos signifying the blaze within.
Yawn. Who gives a flying **** whether his eyes lie or not.
Pieter Louw is better than this guy.
9 Mar 2011, 07:24 am
The guy is played out of position. He is a fetcher and should 6. This all because Schalk wants to also play out of position, he had 1 good season at 6. Swap the two around and they will both shine. Koster at would be my first choice at 8 with Vermeulen on the bench or rotating between 7 and 8. Koster can cover 6.
9 Mar 2011, 07:53 am
Brussow is still the only flank in SA who has kept up with McCaw ….. Reality is that he is SA best option
9 Mar 2011, 08:02 am
So many excuses for an average player who couldn’t step it up when it counted. He’s a 6.5 player. Big man that thinks he can play openside flanker. His size makes him slow and he’ll always be beaten to the breakdown. This nullifies whatever pilfering skills he may have.
9 Mar 2011, 08:04 am
gary Gold s comments about no need for a classic opensider scares the s hit out of me….big time!
Mark my words….we go with schalk as opensider at this wc we home after quarters….
Pocock and mc caw will eat us for breakfast without a Brussow / steggman at openside.
As for F Louw….I would far rather have F Louw at openside than Schalk, any day of the week….but he has to ragain the zest and appetite as he did in the last super 14….he seems to be 30 % off his best….much like the rest of the Stormers.
9 Mar 2011, 08:18 am
” Upon provocation, they glow; two tiny infernos signifying the blaze within….”
is this rugga or mills and boon
9 Mar 2011, 08:21 am
boks brain trust going to fark this up 6 love….i see it coming!
9 Mar 2011, 08:24 am
FLO the only way you can prove your point is by performing on the field.
Stop the sulking and start playing like you can and the rest will take care of itself.
9 Mar 2011, 08:25 am
@foreverrugga(foreverrugga)-7:
Listen
JC obviously gazed into Flouw’s eyes with abject admiration.
9 Mar 2011, 08:28 am
@justrugby(justrugby)-9: ja….
agree
this is a kak attitude to publically display, especially as he has been downright average the last few months
9 Mar 2011, 08:29 am
dont worry
the main man will be back in June
Opensider or 8 man problem solved
sommer chop chop
9 Mar 2011, 08:30 am
please PDV
Luister my vriend
Net nie fok ken
Schalk
J Smith
Spies
My hemel man!
9 Mar 2011, 08:31 am
@grant10(grant10)-11:
Putting selectors/management in a bad light via the press is not a clever way of getting yourself back into the fold !! (however valid the reason)
9 Mar 2011, 08:32 am
Grantie?
Sommer chop chop?
We are importing a chinaman?
9 Mar 2011, 08:34 am
Where are the articles about the Lions and the Sharks loose forwards? They have been stars and should get the attention.
9 Mar 2011, 08:35 am
@justrugby(justrugby)-14: ja…look what it did for Luke!
@The X-factor is staying at home.(gunther)-15: Ja…CHOP CHOP, QUICK STICKS…
The savior will be here soon
No need to stress
9 Mar 2011, 08:36 am
Couldn’t agree more JR.
Takes my mind back to the time Luke bagged Jake White in the press calling him a disgrace to Springbok Rugby.
9 Mar 2011, 08:42 am
@The X-factor is staying at home.(gunther)-18: of course Luke was playing at a 100 miles an hour at the time…by far the best opensider in superrugby at the time and miles ahead of any other saffa
and was responding to some kak comments from Jake the snake
so get your facts right you spin artist clown you
9 Mar 2011, 08:43 am
Ja.
Luke will be watching the world cup on tv like the rest of us.
Clutching a fanta and a packet of fair trade ecobiltong.
9 Mar 2011, 08:43 am
butch and luke to fly in like Knights in Armour to rescue this sorry bunch of Bok 3 stooges that dont know there arse from there elbow
9 Mar 2011, 08:44 am
@The X-factor is staying at home.(gunther)-20: ja
and thats why we will be home while the other 4 teams compete for the title.
thats if we make it out our pool
9 Mar 2011, 08:46 am
Grantie
Facts straight?
That’s very rich coming from you who doesn’t read anything outside of the argus and sports 24.
What did Jake say about Luke?
That he didn’t believe in fetchers?
You screaming old queen.
9 Mar 2011, 08:49 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-10: ha ha…it seems to be the case
9 Mar 2011, 08:52 am
It was only a matter of time before JC came back to his favourite topic again…
9 Mar 2011, 08:54 am
@grant10(grant10)-21: puke should never don the Bok jersey again…he only plays well enough to be in a vodacom cup side. he would fk up the moral of the Bok team and also play his substandard rugga, no puke please.
9 Mar 2011, 08:54 am
@The X-factor is staying at home.(gunther)-23: I am not even going to start to debate the issue with you….
You Abba ,disco ,raving pom pom, half clown you.
9 Mar 2011, 08:55 am
brussow or steggmann at openside …or we in our moer.
9 Mar 2011, 08:57 am
Tell me Francois “air signature” Louw. In you mind when was the last time you had a decent game of rugby? Overrated imo and not ready for the international game… yet. How about an article on Brussow and his road to recovery or should we go but the Huisgenoot for non-WP related stories?
9 Mar 2011, 08:58 am
@grant10(grant10)-28:
Agreed. While the Bulls pack in its entirety was p*ss poor on Saturday, Stegman fought a lone battle at the rucks against the Highlanders. And while he was eventually carded, he won a number of crucial turnovers all on his own.
Obviously he couldn’t stem the tide when the rest of his team was on walkabout, but after an in-form Brussouw I would still prefer a deck player like Stegman at 6 for the Boks.
9 Mar 2011, 08:58 am
Grantie
Say it ain’t so.
Lightweight.
You speedo wearing testosterone defficient geriatric Viagra popping armchair revolutionary you.
9 Mar 2011, 09:01 am
Anyway Speedo bin Laden is right about one thing.
We desperately need the Sprout from Brussels to be firing for the world cup.
Big deals to do.
Outtahere
9 Mar 2011, 09:04 am
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-30: without doubt! Pocock and Mc Caw are watching and waiting….we better get it right….but with the 3 stooges who knows?
@The X-factor is staying at home.(gunther)-31: eina…that hurt!
9 Mar 2011, 09:04 am
If all are fit, my loose trio for the World Cup would be:
6. Brussouw
7. J. Smith
8. Alberts (that’s where he played before he moved to the coast)
9 Mar 2011, 09:06 am
@Frankly speaking(Frankly speaking)-34:
At the moment, I can’t argue with you. If Spies doesn’t regain form fast, he is no longer the best choice at no.8.
9 Mar 2011, 09:06 am
He’s hardly forgotten… simply behind Juan Smith and Alberts…
9 Mar 2011, 09:07 am
Luke will have to also produce on the field, he has been very good playing at Bath , his leadership has been fantastic and is acknowledged as such by his team mates. He needs to reproduce this once back in SA
On a serious note ,let’s be realistic for a moment, Vic, Schalk, Fdup, Smit, Juan Smith (injury dependant) , Bakkies will all go to the WC, Percy on management team, realistically can anybody see these guys relaxing their stance on their attitude towards Luke ?? (again it should never have come to this)
Luke I think is on another crusade anyway and that’s to assist in the rebuliding of rugby in the Eastern Cape, this I believe will be the legacy Luke will leave, perfect guy for the job and I whish him all the success.
I don’t think Luke himself is even remotely thinking that he could crack a nod at the WC side.
9 Mar 2011, 09:07 am
@Frankly speaking(Frankly speaking)-34: agree
9 Mar 2011, 09:07 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-36:
Typical WP ‘over-dramatisation’ in the heading…
9 Mar 2011, 09:09 am
Spies was NEVER the best choice at 8… put him back on the wing where he belongs…
9 Mar 2011, 09:09 am
@justrugby(justrugby)-37: agreed….sad but true….that wc squad done and dusted
plod to lead us to an inglorious quater final exit
roll on 2015
9 Mar 2011, 09:11 am
@Frankly speaking(Frankly speaking)-34: That could be an excellent loose trio but we need to see if Brussow regains his form. Spies has been pretty ordinary this season but its early days. Smith is a fn excellent, he definitely deserves a spot.
9 Mar 2011, 09:11 am
players like habana, Jean de villiers, M Steyn, Spies, plod, schalk [ at openside ] had better wake up and start playing….ffs my nerves are klaar and its still 6 months to wc!
9 Mar 2011, 09:12 am
@grant10(grant10)-41: Can’t, Bekker is already occupying that position.
9 Mar 2011, 09:12 am
@justrugby(justrugby)-37: @grant10(grant10)-38: What position is Luke playing these days?
He’s simply not good enough to be anywhere near the squad at 7 or 8. Would be at 6, behind Brussow in my rating. My concern is he has diversified and bulked up and is no longer as quick to the ball as he used to be? Not a specialist fetcher anymore? But to be honest I haven’t watched enough of him recently.
9 Mar 2011, 09:12 am
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-35: That train has left thye station long ago. Spies is kak and has been for ages.
9 Mar 2011, 09:12 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-40: or at 12 (thinking outside the box)
9 Mar 2011, 09:13 am
Let’s all just wait at least until the knockout stages of the Super 15 before we start screaming our favourites, shall we?
Fact is, FLO was the form fetcher in last year’s competition.
But it’s a new year.
And I don’t entirely buy the form is temporary, class is permanent argument.
We have enough classy players in South Africa to pick the ones actually in form.
But form in February does not equal form in August, or October.
And I just don’t get the Stegman thing. If anything, he’s in worse form now than last year, and I was unconvinced the even.
But I’m prepared to wait and see,
I’ve always been more of a Pieter Louw fan than a Francois Louw one anyway.
9 Mar 2011, 09:14 am
@grant10(grant10)-43: I said it last week already. The form of our “front line” Boks are worrying.
9 Mar 2011, 09:18 am
@Hop Hop Spinnekop(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-44: dont understand bud?@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-45: have nt seen enough to be honest
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