PdV’s misplaced loyalty could cost Boks
7 Oct 2011
JON CARDINELLI writes that Peter de Villiers has failed the Springboks by favouring John Smit over Bismarck du Plessis.
‘Don’t be surprised if Bismarck starts the big games,’ a source close to the team told me last week. By that point, Smit had started the Boks’ first three World Cup matches, but there was still a strong belief that Du Plessis would wear the No 2 jersey in the play-offs.
Before Thursday, Du Plessis had pledged his support to his mentor and captain, although privately he may have expected to start the big games. When the team to play against Namibia was named, Du Plessis told an Irish journalist that he’d accepted his role as Smit’s understudy, but following the announcement of the Boks’ quarter-final line-up, he cut a dejected figure at the team hotel.
When he was interviewed, there was none of the good humour that had characterised his media offerings earlier in the tournament. There was also a rumour that he’d reacted badly to the news that he would be riding the bench, and that the head coach was unimpressed with this reaction.
De Villiers calls it a bad attitude, I call it a bad decision. Not for the first time in the last four years, the Bok coach has favoured Smit over Du Plessis even though it’s become increasingly evident that Smit can no longer meet the standards of an international hooker, let alone match the trend-setting Du Plessis.
Smit is also no longer the indispensable leader he was during De Villiers’s early years. On the 2010 tour to the Home Nations, Victor Matfield proved himself to be a capable leader in Smit’s absence. When he was handed the responsibility at this World Cup, Matfield admitted that the captaincy wasn’t as demanding when you had leaders like Bryan Habana (73 caps), Jean de Villiers (71), Jaque Fourie (68), Schalk Burger (67), Danie Rossouw (62) and Fourie du Preez (61) in the side.
There can be a case made for Habana’s exclusion, but the rest of these players deserve their places regardless of their age. The same cannot be said of Smit, and you have to wonder if the reasons around his selection are truly rugby related.
There will never be another John Smit. He’s already the most decorated Bok captain of all time, and his achievements are all the more remarkable given what he’s had to endure from an off-the-field perspective.
It was during the turbulent times of 2008 and 2009, when De Villiers was at his controversy-inciting worst, that Smit needed all of his experience and diplomacy, and behind the scenes, Smit worked to ensure the right calls were made in terms of selection and tactics. While he had already achieved so much prior to 2008, his value and contributions during the first two seasons of De Villiers’ tenure should never be underestimated.
When I interviewed Smit in April 2010, he told me that he would continue to put the team first. He said that the time may come where he would need to step aside, either to warm the bench or support the team as a non-playing squad member. He said this with conviction, and his past deeds both on and off the field gave me no reason to doubt that he would make good on his promise.
I couldn’t help but think about that conversation when Smit was announced as the starting hooker for this Sunday’s quarter-final against the Wallabies. The senior players have a big say in selection and strategy, and so I felt Smit’s selection didn’t align with his commitment to put the team first. By marching on as the starting No 2, he is doing the Boks no favours. By standing in the way of Du Plessis, he is, ironically, doing his country a disservice.
De Villiers will also need to accept responsibility for this situation. He may feel that he owes Smit something but the reality is that a Bok coach should always place the needs of the team above the needs of individuals.
Du Plessis is right to feel aggrieved. The best player won’t start in the No 2 jersey this Sunday, and this decision could cost the Boks’ in the decisive battle up front. It could cost the team everything they’ve worked for over the past four years and lead to an embarrassing quarter-final exit on par with that of Rudolph Straeuli’s side of 2003.
Through the weak management of De Villiers and Smit’s refusal to face the fact that he’s a spent force, the rugby world has been denied the privilege of seeing Du Plessis in his prime on the greatest stage of all. From a South African perspective, the decision to favour Smit has robbed the Boks of the stronger, more dynamic starting option, and it’s likely to be a decision the entire nation will come to lament.
717 Comments
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7 Oct 2011, 22:46 pm
@I am a stormer moffie(I am a stormer moffie)-578:
Really? Like giving you the answer to your one of many questions of ” who is the ..?” or are you claiming to be drunk on that occassion of “who is the ..”?
The answer to your “Who is the racist?” is as stated in 537, and that is YOU, for the reasons stated in that posted. Lest you forget, sitting in the racist white enclosure at the Boet on those cement slabs with nary a black anywhere near you. Well protected you were from all those blacks then. True of False?
In brotherly fashion why did you not invite Transfornication.
You do know that Cheeky at that time invited his Kwaru friends to train at the Crusader Grounds. Takes guts but it can be done but not by a stormer ‘moffie’ like you.
7 Oct 2011, 22:48 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-596:
@JockBok(JockBok)-594:
eVoid.
Still remember one of the super concerts at Ellis Park in the early 80′s. There were about 100,000 of us there. Biggest crowd eVoid ever played at.
7 Oct 2011, 22:50 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-596:
Just the two brothers at that time living off Shadows and Taxi Man among the expats, but they were actually pretty good musicians and were good to watch live. Saw them about 20 times in one place or another. Fark, come to think of it, I think they were following me
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-598:
Ah, classic school boy error. Try to catch up and end up dropping faster than ETs credibility
But England will win I reckon, but it’s going to be by the odd point or three.
7 Oct 2011, 22:53 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-587:
Burbank, Los Angeles.
7 Oct 2011, 22:54 pm
@ET.(ET.)-601:
Jeebus, but you’re like one of those annoying little dogs that keeps on trying to pomp your leg at your Great-Aunts house.
Take a hint and fuuck off ffs. No-one, and I think I can speak for everyone here, likes you. Surely you can find a group of like minded hypocritical, lying racists to chat to somewhere. The interweb is huge, go have a look.
7 Oct 2011, 22:54 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-588:
Bubble and Squeek! Enjoy.
7 Oct 2011, 22:55 pm
I will be gargling with Jack Daniels at midnight tomorrow night.
7 Oct 2011, 22:57 pm
@Jinx2(Jinx2)-604:
Ah, perhaps a bit of a schlep to get there for tomorrow night matey, but have a cold one for me please.
And say hello to Charlize if she pops in
7 Oct 2011, 22:57 pm
Screw England
7 Oct 2011, 22:57 pm
@ET.(ET.)-601:
Are you on a trip? Get out of the lab.
You are now talking about a conversation that transie and I had months ago about the old times at the Boet. Which has sweetfuckall to do with you.
And the reason why transie and I never attended a rugby game together is because we live in towns 1,500 km apart.
Anything else you need cleared up?
Has anyone else referred to you as a stalker?
7 Oct 2011, 22:58 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-579:
Is there something to be downcast about for admiring a rugby player bitchslapping a ‘boertjie’ cheat like ‘Hein Bruss’, Hollywood’s newest one time wonder.
I noted that Helen(HG in Drag) is more obedient than the banshee and did your cameo appearance for you on that ‘Boks going Home’ thread (while you conveniently hopped off to an “early lunch” strangely on the other thread (this PDIV one) engaged, however, at length by Cab and one other while she mopped up your mess?
7 Oct 2011, 23:00 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-609:
Might take a while. There’s about 60 million of the feckers.
7 Oct 2011, 23:01 pm
Poor old Ruaridh hugging Dan Parks.
Brought tears to my eyes.
7 Oct 2011, 23:02 pm
@I am a stormer moffie(I am a stormer moffie)-610:
Yes, the trip is, however, only after Thanksgiving long w-end and I will stop over in JHB just to get you well and truly sorted.
What you seek I firmly believe you should get.
Happy now? You have a month and a half before you need to knock your knees in utter fear.
7 Oct 2011, 23:02 pm
Tomorrow I’m a hoender.
7 Oct 2011, 23:02 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-603: Hell, Shadows is a blast from the past.
Yup, maybe we meet at one of those Bok bars. Haven’t been to one in years.
7 Oct 2011, 23:04 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-613:
Tell me about it. But not for any girly reasons you understand, more about Dan Parks coming on for the best part of the game…
7 Oct 2011, 23:05 pm
@I am a stormer moffie (I am a stormer moffie)-610:
Your medications are once again causing your weird hallucinations.
Seek out your GP and ask him to change from the generic ones to the genuine original medications.
7 Oct 2011, 23:05 pm
Oh FFS. Stop the fecker at OR Tambo.
IAAS go moer him in display of public violence.
7 Oct 2011, 23:06 pm
@ET.(ET.)-611: You mean you’re all over Pocock? You do realise he is a racist Rhodesian? Pocock was a well known Zimbabwe name. LOL, funny twat.
7 Oct 2011, 23:06 pm
You are a creepy stalker, ET. You keep detailed accounts of who said what to whom and on which thread. You probably have a scrap book for each of us which you masturbate to. It puts the lotion on its skin…
7 Oct 2011, 23:06 pm
@ET.(ET.)-614:
ET, up your EQ.
You’re on a slippery slope. Get help before it’s too late.
7 Oct 2011, 23:06 pm
http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/content.php/1488-Three-out-of-three-in-three-days
Hey Dodge!heres that T-shirt you like boet,best of luck against the pumas,normally you should be goodthe all blacks rarely choke before the finals,annerdag Duiwel
makes the kiwis mal
7 Oct 2011, 23:07 pm
Naah jock they just had so much gees on the day and poms didn’t deserve it.
7 Oct 2011, 23:08 pm
@ET.(ET.)-614:
Oh fark, ETs latest incarnation is a keyboard warrior
Leave the country IAAS, Dr Evil is after you…
7 Oct 2011, 23:10 pm
@I am a stormer moffie(I am a stormer moffie)-610:
When you sat on the Boet’s cement slabs getting your piles you were in Transfornication’s town of P.E. and that is not 1500kms away. Change the meds. urgently soon.
I am a walker in addition to a talker.
7 Oct 2011, 23:11 pm
@ET.(ET.)-618:
You say you’re in the medical field. But you come across more and more as an ambulance driver. I suppose that’s close enough to the medical field for you.
7 Oct 2011, 23:11 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-616:
Me neither. Need to make this happen now but getting a flight out of Chad might be the problem. Onto Air France first thing in the morning. Don’t suppose you can give me a lift to Chesterfield as well can you
7 Oct 2011, 23:12 pm
Vok why must he run. He must come here I will moer him CT style.
7 Oct 2011, 23:14 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-624:
It’s easy to think like that, but no tries in 3 games is hardly enough to say the Jocks deserved to make it either. The key game was the Argies, and we blew it.
7 Oct 2011, 23:16 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-629:
Hit him with a gatsby?
7 Oct 2011, 23:16 pm
@I am a stormer moffie(I am a stormer moffie)-622:
Downhill always requires far less expenditure of energy than uphill, so I have no fear of slopes.
Prepare for your first Day of Reckoning. Do not fear now as I am just talking about Sunday.
Does a score of 6 – 30 grab your imagination? You know you need tries for that. Is that clue sufficient for your inefficiently functioning ‘brain’?
7 Oct 2011, 23:17 pm
@ET.(ET.)-626:
That was eons ago. We were reminiscing about the old times while you were evesdropping. Talk about picking up stompies. And it was long before keo.
Now go back to the lab and see what’s on the slab.
7 Oct 2011, 23:18 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-628: Sheezus christus
7 Oct 2011, 23:20 pm
@ET.(ET.)-632:
A score of 30 – 6 does grab my imagination. The Boks win.
See now, I can also twist things around to suit my purpose.
And you sure are twisted.
7 Oct 2011, 23:21 pm
I’m out. Big weekend ahead.
7 Oct 2011, 23:21 pm
@ET.(ET.)-632:
Enough now. I’m bored.
7 Oct 2011, 23:21 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-636:
Cheers now
7 Oct 2011, 23:22 pm
@J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-105: 5 victories in 6 matches is hardly “edged”, pilgrim.
7 Oct 2011, 23:23 pm
@I am a storme moffie(I am a stormer moffie)-627:
You do not require degrees for that even in corrupt S.A.
What are you on anyway? Anxiolytics or anti-depressants or is it worse than that, schedule VI controlled drugs?
7 Oct 2011, 23:24 pm
What time do I have to be up tomorrow?
7 Oct 2011, 23:26 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-634:
I waited 2 months for delivery of a specialist machine which is essential to finish the job. It went from England to Finland to Cameroon to Chad, I got it today…….loaded with the wrong software AND it’s calibrated wrongly
So now I need to get to Chesterfield for a 30 minute procedure to correct it. DHL will take two weeks apparently…
7 Oct 2011, 23:27 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-636:
Cheers dude.
7 Oct 2011, 23:27 pm
Looking for tablet tips. What can he take next.
7 Oct 2011, 23:29 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-641:
6 SA time I think. 5 here
7 Oct 2011, 23:29 pm
@I am a stormer moffie(I am a stormer moffie)-635:
They do not score more than one try when they manage to but do score many threes in drops and penalties. So as expected and predicted the inefficient ‘brain’ power did not help you.
That score is scary enough to bore you a suicide.
7 Oct 2011, 23:30 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-644:
iPad2? JL1 has got one, apparently quite a nice tablet. Fancy one myself.
7 Oct 2011, 23:32 pm
@ET.(ET.)-646:
We live in hope.
7 Oct 2011, 23:32 pm
Oh my freakin hat 6am?????
7 Oct 2011, 23:34 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-649:
Well it’s better than 5am!!!!
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