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, 09:18 am
@Hop Hop Spinnekop(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-44: Bekker has bulked up enough to take over from either Matfield or Bakkies.
9 Mar 2011, 09:19 am
@Hop Hop Spinnekop(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-44: Sorry this was directed at @poppa69(poppa69)-40:
9 Mar 2011, 09:19 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-45:
Has been rotating between 8 and 6 and a few games at 7, agree he has bulked up , the conditions and game plan in the NH I think necessitated this !!
9 Mar 2011, 09:19 am
@Hop Hop Spinnekop(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-49: seasons just started, you want them to be in top form now?
9 Mar 2011, 09:20 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-48: In my opinion Flo, Stegmann, Plo, Botes, Schalk, Minnie don’t cut the mustard for internationals at 6. At this stage its Brussow. Other options include Daniels, who is not really a specialist but is great at securing own ball at breakdown and adds a huge amount of speed or Kabamba. Basically if Luke weren’t such a collosal nob he would be our back-up fetcher.
9 Mar 2011, 09:22 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-54: Decent form will do for now, because it’s piss poor atm.
@garth(garth)-51: Then why is he camping on the wing?
9 Mar 2011, 09:22 am
@grant10(grant10)-50: Sorry this was directed at @poppa69(poppa69)-40:
9 Mar 2011, 09:22 am
@justrugby(justrugby)-53: Ya, so he’s probably not a great choice at 6 these days. After Brussow we have hardly anyone. I would like to see Daniels get an extended run at 6 for the Sharks.
9 Mar 2011, 09:26 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-55: I totally agree with you there. The only specialist 6 at the moment worth wearing the jumper is Heinrich, but only based on form from 18 months ago. I really hope he can get back up to speed, but that’s not a guarantee.
If we don’t have him then we have to start considering the whole “hybrid” option as we don’t have any other choice.
Then it becomes much harder, and the balance of the loose trio becomes vital as the players need to be able to complement each other, not simply be the best in their positions, if you know what I mean?
9 Mar 2011, 09:27 am
@Hop Hop Spinnekop(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-52: havent seen the stormers play this year yet… so cant judge bekkers pace
9 Mar 2011, 09:28 am
WC Boks vs their current on form replacements:
Guthro vs Beast
Smit vs Bissie
Jannie vs nobody
Bakkies vs nobody
Victor vs Bekker
Schalk vs nobody (wait for the ratel)
Smith vs Alberts
Spies vs Alberts
FdP vs Charl
Morne vs Lambie
Habanna vs Mvovo
JdV vs JdJ or Doppies
Fourie vs nobody
JPP vs Ndungane
Steyn vs nobody
As much as we say the oldies are fading, there are a number of important positions which are currently unfillable.
9 Mar 2011, 09:28 am
I am not a fan of Stegman, but we may be judging unfairly. I’d also be a bit nervous with a poof like Spies playing behind me. The guy tries too hard, because his number 8 is useless. He has done some wonderful steals, but made some stupid calls too.
9 Mar 2011, 09:29 am
bissy at 2 a must….
he is almost like hacving a hybrid fetcher….does huge work at the breakdowns
We go with plod at 2 we farked …
9 Mar 2011, 09:30 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-61: so you have smit before bissy?
9 Mar 2011, 09:30 am
In the Springbok banner at the top of the page. What is the white ****-like stuff splattered of the picture. Is it birdsh1t?
9 Mar 2011, 09:31 am
@garth(garth)-62: steggies a huge talent….huge.
9 Mar 2011, 09:32 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-61: and u have schalk as an opensider?
9 Mar 2011, 09:32 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-58: I think the “fetcher” role has a lot more to do with anticipation and understanding where and how the rucks will form, rather than the physique of a player to fulfill the role and effectively steal or slow down opposition ball.
Look at how many balls Bismarck/Pocock stole last year, and they’re not as small/mobile as Brussouw by any means.
9 Mar 2011, 09:36 am
assuming all fit…my 30…1 st choices first
15 F Steyn….Kirchner
14 jpp…aplon
13 j fourie…w murray
12 jdjongh….j d villiers
10 b james….lambie
9 fdp…jano vermaak
8 W Alberts….kankowski
7 j smith….vermeulen
6 brussow…steggmann
5 matfirls…bekker
4 bakkies…flippie
3 jannie dup….cj
2 bissy…chilli
1 beast…guthro
9 Mar 2011, 09:37 am
sorry…11 habana…mvovo
9 Mar 2011, 09:46 am
@garth(garth)-65: I don’t know what the substance is, but Bissy also got a load on the side of his head
9 Mar 2011, 10:02 am
There is a load to the back of PDV’s head.
9 Mar 2011, 10:23 am
@garth(garth)-72:
yep.
somebody brought their milkshake to his yard.
9 Mar 2011, 10:28 am
@grant10(grant10)-66: i think he’s good at S15 level, can be competent at international level, but being a world class player might be just a step too far. I think Brussouw too might struggle to adapt to the level of play on his return. The reason for this is that the okay has sped up so much that rucks are being paid more attention to and the window of opportunity has narrowed quite significantly for defending players. Add the fact that refs are severe on ruck infringements and classic openside flank play has evolved somewhat.
What I think we might find is that a defensive strategy would be to attack or target the ball in contact situations. This could slow down attacking ball or force a maul turnover.
I’m interested to see how this pans out. I could be totally wrong of course, in which case, I won’t be visiting here for a long time.
9 Mar 2011, 10:30 am
Francois Louw’s eyes can’t lie. They convey his disappointment. Upon provocation, they glow; two tiny infernos signifying the blaze within.
9 Mar 2011, 10:31 am
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-75: Mills&Bab**n
9 Mar 2011, 10:37 am
@grant10(grant10)-69:
You’ve omitted Francois Hougaard. Also, Vermaak over Kockott or Mcleod?
For someone who plans on winning the RWC by scoring tries, you choose F Steyn? Interesting.
9 Mar 2011, 10:44 am
@pompies2(pompies2)-74: have to fight fire with fire….aussies and kiwis will eat us at breakdown if we omit an opensider….@pompies2(pompies2)-77: vermakk back to his best vs blues…on form he is the 2 nd best 9 imho.
With my 10 s F Steyn a must….and even with M Steyn at 10 i would still want F Steyn there
9 Mar 2011, 10:53 am
@grant10(grant10)-78: I’ll wait to see how the ‘fetcher’ role pans out in this year’s S15. Seems most of the strategy would be to negate the impact of 2 players.
I’d go with Franky or Kockott, but for different reasons.
Franky has better service and is a better openfield runner. Can also play more than 1 position. Kockott has a better feel for the game and will regain form at the Lions. Also a goalkicker. Don’t think PDV likes him though.
I’d have Steyn in the RWC squad. Where to play him is the question. he does not offer much in attack as a fullback except if you play territorial rugga, but this means you concede possession. Not really yhe best @ 10 or 12 in your squad either.
9 Mar 2011, 10:55 am
Flo will join Bath before this year is over.
9 Mar 2011, 10:56 am
@pompies2(pompies2)-79:
i would be suprised if frankie and pienaar weren’t on the bench.
9 Mar 2011, 11:15 am
@garth(garth)-65: no luke had a milkshake and then parked a kotch
9 Mar 2011, 11:15 am
@The X-factor is staying at home.(gunther)-81:
With Mcleod/Lambie combination operating so smoothly, expect Macleod to be in the squad.
9 Mar 2011, 11:15 am
hell jc are you in a relationship with flo?
9 Mar 2011, 11:22 am
@justrugby(justrugby)-83: dont get our hopes up.
9 Mar 2011, 11:22 am
Hanyani Shimange has announced his autobiography is coming out , titled “from one bench to another”
9 Mar 2011, 11:29 am
@justrugby(justrugby)-83:
perhaps.
but if you are looking at a 22 hougaard and pienaar cover the entire backline.
9 Mar 2011, 11:30 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-80: I must say, they will be getting a poor mans Luke.
9 Mar 2011, 13:12 pm
Forget about Boks,he better watch out in his home union
Koster
Louw
Elstadt
Hartzenberg
Watch out for Nizaam Car is the next couple of yrs
9 Mar 2011, 14:57 pm
Hartzenberg played junior world cup in Japan two years ago. Nothing special, Elstadt, Stander and Shoeman were the starters. May be he has future in the italian Super10.
9 Mar 2011, 15:04 pm
@wp_boytjie(wp_boytjie)-86: ha ha ..classic
9 Mar 2011, 15:27 pm
sounds like a very decent bloke but unfortunately 3 very important issues must be taken into consideration…
1. this is an article on a WP player…..so 50% of it is “hype”
2. there are better opensiders than Flo around….probably on his own unions bench. (pieter louw)
3. gary gold knows squat about forward play.
the end
9 Mar 2011, 15:29 pm
what a ****** drama queen article.
made me nauseous actually.
this oke and his two sidekicks saw their asses at kings park last year.
and vs the bulls.
what an overrated player, honestly. much like spies who has done fokkol for years.
9 Mar 2011, 15:36 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-93:
it’s true…Spies is really starting to get up my nose as is Olivier.
as a 25 year old Spies should really start hitting the best form of his life sometime this season.
9 Mar 2011, 15:40 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-94: spies is a myth man, always has been.
9 Mar 2011, 15:57 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-95:
that’s not true and you know it. 2009 he was the pre-eminant 8 on the planet. even last season he played some great stuff in patches.
more consistant performance is what is really needed from him, he drifts from sublime to **** 4 times a game at the minute.
9 Mar 2011, 16:02 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-96: no, he was never the pre eminent no 8 on the planet mate.
unless you are talking about a different blue planet.
never rated this guy as much as most, sorry.
he has feet for hands.
9 Mar 2011, 16:26 pm
JC, I think you were tricked. I think his eyes lied to you. He’s not that good.
9 Mar 2011, 22:53 pm
One of the first articles ive read here that doesnt put Elton Jantjies at blame! I rate Flo highly but needs to find his hunger (on the playing feed not John smit’s type of hunger) with Koster, Elstadt and Carr waiting in the wings.
10 Mar 2011, 00:37 am
There isn’t a great deal of room for out and out fetchers in test rugby anymore. Most test squads should probably have one in reserve if needs must but their influence is greatly reduced to the point where they’re no longer necessary.
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