Braced for battle
21 Jun 2011
Watch out Sonny Bill Williams, the best is yet to come from Jean de Villiers.
After Williams and De Villiers’s first meeting, in the Super Rugby match at Newlands in May, Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder declared the midfield spoils shared. However, that didn’t prevent an avalanche of post-match analyses and comments on what the perceived outcome of this particular battle portended for the World Cup.
‘I didn’t pay attention to what was being said in the media,’ says De Villiers, in the new issue of SA Rugby magazine, on sale Wednesday. ‘For me it was just another big game. Sonny Bill is a good player, but you can’t get hung up on personal battles because you don’t go up against your opposite number in every single situation. There are so many other things to worry about. You have to trust in the guy next to you and work together to beat the opposition.’
In the same article, Stormers backline coach Robbie Fleck talks about the little changes that De Villiers has made to his game since returning from Ireland that have made a big difference, while former Wales centre Scott Gibbs explains why De Villiers is not being used properly by the Stormers or Boks.
Also in the new issue:
– Rassie Erasmus will give the Springboks a technical edge. SA Rugby magazine finds out exactly what his role entails
– Nothing much changes for the All Blacks when it comes to the Tri-Nations, even when the bigger prize hovers just beyond its conclusion
– Sonny Bill Williams on his trademark offload, facing Jean de Villiers, and his love for boxing
– Robbie Deans believes Australia’s improved playing depth will allow the Wallabies to adopt a squad system in this year’s Tri-Nations
– Matt Giteau on why teams will take the Tri-Nations seriously, Jake White’s appointment as Brumbies coach, and signing for Toulon
– Os du Randt speaks out: ‘They used that late-night incident as an excuse to get rid of me … Peter [de Villiers] and Saru don’t deserve to be a part of any World Cup success’
– The Springbok Sevens were full value for their World Series tournament wins in London and Edinburgh
– New Sharks signing Marius Joubert has become a thinking midfielder
– The Pampas XV overcame unique obstacles to win the Vodacom Cup
– Robert and Sias Ebersohn on life, loyalty and the Springboks
– Six years ago, Ryand Hattingh had his neck broken in a schools match after his opponent used an illegal scrumming manoeuvre. SA Rugby magazine reveals how, in a landmark court ruling, the latter was made liable for damages
– Schalk Brits was the best hooker in the 2010-11 English Premiership and should go to the World Cup with the Springboks
– Leinster hooker Richardt Strauss on winning the European Cup and why he wants to play for Ireland
– What happened to McNeil Hendricks?
– FREE: Double-sided poster of Jean de Villiers and Sonny Bill Willams
– SMS COMPETITION: Win Samsung products worth R60 000, including a 40-inch LCD TV, camcorder, double-door fridge and notebook
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272 Comments
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21 Jun 2011, 11:56 am
@youknowwho(youknowwho)-140: not at all sherlock … given that index worth trillions
21 Jun 2011, 11:59 am
@keo(keo)-150:
Well, just get him a Woolworths card or something and ban him from going to Pep all the time.
21 Jun 2011, 12:00 pm
@cane(cane)-149: Welshbok still trying to come to terms with the fact he has no balls … to quote robert de niro in Cape Fear … ‘come out come out wherever you are’
21 Jun 2011, 12:01 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-152: Woolworths? Really?
21 Jun 2011, 12:03 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-152: he is what i call a community shopper … a man who despite his wealth and fame has never forgotten his roots and is knows that a PEP label still carries weight
21 Jun 2011, 12:05 pm
@keo(keo)-155:
Does he really remember his roots?
How often does he have gatsbies in the office?
21 Jun 2011, 12:06 pm
Keo, before you dissapear to your next big meeting, what was the late night incident with Os? And no I cannot purchase the mag I am overseas.
21 Jun 2011, 12:06 pm
I always miss all the good ****.
21 Jun 2011, 12:07 pm
@keo(keo)-151: So tell us about your method of valuation… I hear your writers look a bit shabby.. so the wealth does not seem to be trickling down.. Cheap labour?? but based on their kak opinions and analyses, i will not be paying them a dime more… I bring more value to this site than those bozos..and yourself of course
21 Jun 2011, 12:07 pm
@keo(keo)-153:
Good to see you mixing it up with the peasants Keo.
Challenging them to bare knuckles at dawn!!!!!
I thought you would be a pistol man myself.
8)
21 Jun 2011, 12:09 pm
Vrede strikes me as a polony gatsby and Stoney ginger ale kind of guys.
Whereas Cardinelli is more quinoa salad and chai latte.
21 Jun 2011, 12:11 pm
Places wasted:
John Smit (captain) – I don’t need to anything that has not been said.
Bjorn Basson – Does not have the all round game for international rugby at this point. Needs another season to work on defense.
BJ Botha – Most overrated prop. Where is Mujati?
Dean Greyling – Has not done enough to warrant a call up.
Bryan Habana – We have seen how **** he is, one average game in a season should not get you picked.
Adi Jacobs – If you can’t start for your province then you can’t play for the Boks. Elton Jantjies – Still needs to settle at CC level.
Ricky Januarie – If you can’t start for your province then you can’t play for the Boks.
Ryan Kankowski – He has had his chance and come up short at test level.
Zane Kirchner – Not sure why he has been added, just plain k@k.
Johann Muller – Where are Mostert, Kruger, Eldstadt?
Odwa Ndungane – A simple currie cup player that can step up to Superrugby, but no further.
Wynand Olivier – A simple currie cup player that can step up to Superrugby, but no further.
Pierre Spies – Moffie!
Deon Stegmann – I am not sure how any of the Bulls loose forwards can be selected after the season they have just been through which they are directly to blame for. Stegman needs to have a training session with Andre Watson so he can explain the rules.
Morne Steyn – Sure he can kick… But this guy is not in the same class as Carter, Lambie, James, Grant, Cooper and Matt G.
21 Jun 2011, 12:15 pm
Keo I think you are on the money (no pun intended) with Smit, Butch and Habs – he will select them regardless of form.
His team will look like this, with my team’s changes in brackets:
15 – F Steyn
14 – JPP
13 – J Fourie
12 – JDV
11 – Habana
10 – Butch
9 – FDP
8 – Spies (Burger)
7 – J Smith
6 – Burger (Brussow)
5 – Matfield
4 – Botha (Rossouw)
3 – Mujati (Jannie duP)
2 – Smit (Bismarck)
1 – Beast
21 Jun 2011, 12:17 pm
The media business in London is quite phenomenal… A free issue mag can raise about £60 – 100K per edition in advertising revenue.
21 Jun 2011, 12:18 pm
@willievz(willievz)-163: I agree, but I think he will go for Morne at 10.
21 Jun 2011, 12:19 pm
@garth(garth)-165:
Peter de Villiers told us a few months ago that he would start with Butch James at flyhalf.
21 Jun 2011, 12:20 pm
I happen to agree, I think SBW is great for union, its whether our coaches will pick up on this and learn from it that remains to be seen.
21 Jun 2011, 12:21 pm
I heard someone scream fiiight fiiight and here I am, too late…………Damn
21 Jun 2011, 12:22 pm
@garth(garth)-165:
I have no problem with Morne at 10, but then I would give serious consideration playing JDJ ahead of JDV.
21 Jun 2011, 12:22 pm
@McGyver(IssiJan)-168:
Let me guess, you brought a knife?
21 Jun 2011, 12:24 pm
@garth(garth)-162:
If the Moffie Spies didn’t run sideways he could be good.
8)
Would I call him a moffie to his face.
Yeah right.
21 Jun 2011, 12:25 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-170:
Class PA.
Class.
8)
21 Jun 2011, 12:25 pm
@willievz(willievz)-169:
I agree with your team.
I still don’t think it’s a done deal that Smit will start. De Villiers’s words to us were that he had promised John Smit that he would be the captain at the World Cup, but that does not necessarily mean that he’ll start.
I’m thinking Smit will be used more as a squad captain, and will play from the bench.
21 Jun 2011, 12:28 pm
@cane(cane)-171: He did look very impressive going sideways… I can understand how the less intelligent commentators can value in that kind of foolishness
21 Jun 2011, 12:29 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-170: PA are you in the know about this late nght incident with Os? I’m a sucker for the gossip…
21 Jun 2011, 12:30 pm
@McGyver(IssiJan)-168: I was teeing him up and then he left… damn, I am so disappointed
21 Jun 2011, 12:30 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-167:
A lot of players are already duplicating Sonny Bills offloads.
The ball carrier goes into the tackle with the left shoulder,
which allows his right arm to deliver the pass behind the tackler into the arms of the designated runner.
i.e. Arron Crunden.
21 Jun 2011, 12:32 pm
@youknowwho(youknowwho)-164: I sadly watched that episode of the apprentice too…
21 Jun 2011, 12:33 pm
@Yetirat(Yetirat)-175:
We all are Yeti, we all are.
21 Jun 2011, 12:34 pm
Plumtree saw fit not to play Smit, why would PDV do it?, as I said a couple of months ago, in a tight game, every inch gained counts and Smit gives the inches away. I was at Soccer City against the All Blacks last year, I witnessed an end of a career.
21 Jun 2011, 12:35 pm
@willievz(willievz)-163:
Lets analyse Willievz team. only new blood is Mujati and Beast from PdV era, and perhaps you can say Spies though he was already blooded by White in 2006
The rest are either in the majority Streauli Boks, with a handful blooded by White, = Pietersen, Steyn, Habana, Fourie, Spies
15 – F Steyn – switched with JdV in 2007 per E. Jones insistence, blooded 2007
14 – JPP – blooded by White 2006-7
13 – J Fourie – blooded White 2005-6
12 – JDV – Harry Viljoen inclusion 2001
11 – Habana – blooded White – 2005
10 – Butch – 2003 Streauli era
9 – FDP – blooded by Streauli 2003
8 – Spies (Burger) – blooded White – 2006 (played juniors for PdV)
7 – J Smith – Streauli era
6 – Burger (Brussow) – Streauli era
5 – Matfield – Streauli era
4 – Botha (Rossouw) – Streauli era
3 – Mujati (Jannie duP) – PdV
2 – Smit (Bismarck) – Streauli era
1 – Beast – PdV
21 Jun 2011, 12:36 pm
@Yetirat(Yetirat)-175:
Rumour was that it was a late night incident, past team curfew, and a bit of drink involved, apparently some scene in the hotel following all this too, but have not read the incident as explained in the magazine.
@cane(cane)-177:
I wrote something about the SBW phenomenon about a month back, will try and find it…
21 Jun 2011, 12:36 pm
@NicG(NicG)-178: It was quite educational I think.. I am a sucker for free newspapers and mags in London.. but have decided to skip the Metro.. I buy the i – independent rather.. I always wonederd how the fk they made money
21 Jun 2011, 12:36 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-170: Smit non-selection against the Bulls, Do you honestly think there was a reason other than competence why he wasn’t played.
21 Jun 2011, 12:37 pm
@Yetirat(Yetirat)-175:
Apparently him, Percy Montgomery, **** Muir and Elton Jantjes got a bit too tipsy in a pub in Cardiff on last year’s end of year tour before the game between the Boks and the Welsh.
21 Jun 2011, 12:37 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-173:
How can anyone make a promise to someone in 2009! He should be disciplined… In business you get fired for less…
21 Jun 2011, 12:42 pm
@cane(cane)-177:
I wrote this in early May, it has a SA angle on it specifically on our coaches but it sums up my take on SBW more or less too.
21 Jun 2011, 12:42 pm
Okay let me paste the damn link, hope this site allows it…
http://www.ruggaworld.com/2011/05/10/24205/
21 Jun 2011, 12:43 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-185: And nobody learns. This will happen time and time again.
21 Jun 2011, 12:45 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-184:
Absolutely no idea, and you can bet your *** we will not get a straight-forward answer from Plum either.
21 Jun 2011, 12:50 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-173: I hope you are right, I would certainly start with Bismarck and let John captain from the bench. I don’t see why this should be a problem.
John is still an important commodity as he can cover loosehead, he would certainly feature on my bench along with a specialist tighthead such as Mujati.
The key omission from my 22 is Bakkies – I simply cannot find a spot for him anymore. We would be far better off starting with Rossouw (who would otherwise be on the bench; this also opens another bench spot for an impact player such as Alberts in a 5-2 split, or another backline player like Aplon or JDJ in a 4-3 split).
21 Jun 2011, 12:51 pm
Smit is not the best hooker in the country and the Boks have big weapons at 1 and 2. He needs to take a back seat for the team. If not, and the Boks get knocked out, he will be widely despised regardless of lifting the trophy in 07. He’s won it one, he will be very useful but in a backup supportive role. He came accross as a team player in his book and that is what is now required of him. But there is no ways he should be starting ahead of Bismark – it simply is unfair.
21 Jun 2011, 12:54 pm
5.3 magnitude earthquake struck 30km South-East of Christchurch at 10:34pm NZ time
21 Jun 2011, 12:55 pm
Smit is not the second best hooker in the country – not by a mile.
However, he is the best hooking option for the bench as he also covers loosehead.
This will allow us to pick another impact player on the bench.
21 Jun 2011, 12:58 pm
@willievz(willievz)-191:
that sounds right, but i am not convinced about jannie. i saw bismarck crapping all over beast on sat when it was his brother that was getting worked over by greyling and kept dropping his bind.
21 Jun 2011, 12:59 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-193: Jeeperz Creeperz. Not another one.
The end is nigh!
21 Jun 2011, 13:00 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-182: @WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-185: Thanks guys.
21 Jun 2011, 13:02 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-196:
I’m afraid so.
21 Jun 2011, 13:03 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-188:
Great read PA. (or should I say Morne).
Just great.
I advise others to take the time also.
http://www.ruggaworld.com/2011/05/10/24205/
21 Jun 2011, 13:05 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-193: Heck that is terrible.
Safer for Saders to come to Kings Park to play……hahaha. Just joking, but the quakes around that area must be a concern for the people there.
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