567 Comments

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• 1.gerhard:
  13 Oct 2011, 05:15 am

  Good advise, but will anyone take note?

• 2.hendrikp:
  13 Oct 2011, 05:26 am

  Most sense you’ve made since landing in New Zealand Mark.

• 3.hendrikp:
  13 Oct 2011, 05:26 am

  Eddie Jones sees a promising future ahead for South African rugby if the next coach makes the correct calls in game plan and selection.

  The Boks maintained a core group of players since 2004, which included John Smit, Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez and Danie Rossouw. Peter de Villiers relied too heavily on these players throughout his tenure, while he also took 17 members of the 2007-winning squad to New Zealand.

  The next Bok coach, whoever he may be, will not be able to rely on the above players, while Gurthro Steenkamp is also departing overseas, although age-wise he could still play. Schalk Burger, Jaque Fourie and Jean de Villiers have another couple of years in them and Bismarck du Plessis should be around for that period at least, while youngsters such as Francois Hougaard and Pat Lambie have crucial roles to play.

  All in all however, the new coach will have to re-start with virtually a whole new squad. It must also be remembered that many of the youngsters trialled by Peter de Villiers have only suffered losses in the Saracens, Leicester and Barbarians matches and this year’s away leg of the Tri-Nations, so confidence will be a problem.

  Jones is optimistic about the next generation, and along with a large group of new players, he feels an adaptation of the current game plan is needed.

  ‘The big thing for the next coach is to get the selection right,’ Jones told rugbyxv.co.za. ‘He has to identify a group of players who can take the Boks forward, and stick with the majority of them. They will no longer have that experience, but they have to get on with it.

  ‘There will always be talent in South Africa, it’s about picking the right guys.

  ‘In terms of the type of game they play, they must retain the traditional strengths of Bok rugby, which is physicality and power. But they have to incorportate that with improved skill. They have to get the style right to play under the current laws, which favours attacking teams.’

  Many have blamed Bryce Lawrence’s refereeing performance for the Bok exit from the tournament, but looking back at the quarter-final, Jones feels the Boks are equally culpable.

  ‘Like everyone else, I thought the refereeing was disappointing. There was a different set of laws enforced from the previous games. But that was the same for both sides, and unfortunately for the Boks, that suited the Australians as the side without the ball.

  ‘You can place some blame on the ref, but the Bok attack was ineffective. They had all that ball but couldn’t score a try. They weren’t sharp enough to finish, in terms of their passing and support lines. They had no motion on the ball, no linkage between 9 & 10, and had too many one-off runners. Morne Steyn tried to be flatter, but not enough was happening.

  ‘You also have to give credit to Australia for their defence.’

• 4.I am a stormer:
  13 Oct 2011, 06:31 am

  It all comes down to the fact that every single test for the Boks is important. This fixation over the World Cup has got to stop. A 100% success rate is what you aim for.
  If you’re prepared to aim for a 60-70% success rate in away games for the Boks, all I can say is be prepared to fall short. Chasing down that #1 ranking of the All Blacks is where it all begins.

• 5.WOLFMAN21:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:09 am

  If people have moved past blaming the ref, perhaps they can now make a proper assessment of the last couple of years.

  We sacrificed three games during the Tri-Nations this year with a focus on the World Cup. We were also told that losing games during last year’s Tri-Nations was acceptable as that is what had happened during the Tri-Nations in 2006, and a mediocre grand-slam tour at the end of 2010 was also acceptable, for the same reasons.

  Our build up planning for the World Cup appeared to be – lose games like we did in 2006 and 2007, as that worked then.

  By my estimation, it was suggested that losing 9 test matches in two years (Wallabies x4, All Blacks x4 and Scotland) is acceptable, as it was part of planning for the World Cup.

  We have also let Australia win 6 out of the last 7 games, and NZ win 4 out the last 5 – and all of this for a quarter final exit.

• 6.hendrikp:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:09 am

  @I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-4:

  Can’t set your goals too high. They need to be high, but not impossible. Boks aren’t going to go unbeaten for the next 4 years. They should aim to win every game, you’re right… but what I’d be looking for is an improvement.

  For 2012 I would accept:
  Home – 100%. We should not lose at home to anybody.
  Away – 66.6% or 71.4% – 2 losses maximum. Anything more is unacceptable.

  For an overall record of 83.3 or 84.6%.

  Really depends how many games we play on EOYT for away record. 3 or 4.

• 7.hendrikp:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:14 am

  @WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-5:

  No one is happy about it. That record against Australia is embarrassing.

  But you don’t just sweep the referees performance under the carpet.

  I don’t see how the referees performance, which favored Australia because we had the ball for the majority of the game, has anything to do with our record against them.

  The game, and how people are seeing it is not a reflection on the last 4 years.

  We need to improve. Simple as that. Nobody is denying it so I’m not sure why you keep saying we need to get over the referee.

• 8.grant10:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:16 am

  1 chance gents

  Head Coach will be a massive factor…..

  No more snakes

  no more stooges

  Mitchell a massive loss……I would try and change his mind

  Otherwise Mallet or B Venter….

  Crucial decisions await

  Once more we stand in front of the Rubicon……

• 9.Tacitus:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:24 am

  Grant

  I feel that you aren’t dramatic enough with your statements.

• 10.Gunther:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:26 am

  @Tacitus(Deucalion)-9:

  Snort.

• 11.WOLFMAN21:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:29 am

  @grant10(grant10)-8: Like we do every four years, and a couple of times between World Cups also.

  @hendrikp(hendrikp)-7: The press has tended to focus so much on the referee, that a lot of the problems with the Boks over the last 2 years, and in the World Cup campaign have not been looked at.

  If we would have won the World Cup, the last 2 years would definitely not have been looked, even though they were terrible. It was the same with Jake White after 2007. We won the World Cup and forgot about the mediocrity of the Springboks prior to that.

  My worry is that all the focus on the ref will hide the realities of the Springboks’ failure. Matfield has already said that if they had another shot at the quarter final, they wouldn’t do anything different. For me, that is a shocking statement from a man with so many caps.

  I would love to see an honest inquest into the Springbok World Cup campaign and lead up to the World Cup, like New Zealand did in 2007. An honest look at what we could have done differently during the QF, and also in team selection, talent development, resting players, captaincy, handling of refs etc. so that we can learn from the last four years, rather than lurching from one mess to another.

  Jake White’s tenure was similarly a mess, but all of this was forgotten because he won the World Cup.

• 12.TheTackler:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:33 am

  Every test counts. If a coach ever says “Judge me at the World Cup”, fire him on the spot.

• 13.victoriabok:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:37 am

  The problem is no good coach would want to deal with Hoskins and the rest of the backstabbing snakes, they tried to do it to Jake, they did it to Mallet and Heyneke Meyer and they’ll do it again.

  They’re the only constant in the mess that’s SA rugby and are more resilient that anything you could think of, until we’re rid of them the madness will continue

• 14.once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more...:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:37 am

  no keo, we certainly don’t need a 4 year focus.
  wrong.

• 15.hendrikp:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:40 am

  @WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-11:

  Fair call. I don’t think that’s what anyone here is doing though. All I’m saying is I’m not going to ignore the incompetence of Lawrence.

  But we need a lot of improvement.

• 16.once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more...:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:43 am

  well, i didn’t watch the video so am just assuming he means 4 years to get the team right.
  if thats the case i say no again, but if not then maybe i should watch the video.

• 17.hendrikp:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:44 am

  @once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-16:

  He meant performing over the entire 4 years, I presume.

• 18.victoriabok:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:47 am

  Hoskins and friends should be honest upfront and tell the applicants what they want, a wdressing coach like Snor, or one to actually win and take our rugby forward

• 19.Black Panther:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:50 am

  what ?

  huh ?!

  are you saying that Tests ‘between RWC’s’ are now equally important ?

  oh ?

  OH ?!?

  ……..

  …………………..

  b b BWAAAAAAAAAHAHHHHHHHHHHHH

  …………………~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

• 20.once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more...:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:54 am

  @grant10(grant10)-8:

  why the rubicon?

  why not the rubik’s cube?..

  think about it….

  a series of complicated steps in a puzzle consisting of a cube of six colours, each face of which is made up of nine squares, eight of which are individually rotatable. The aim being to swivel the squares until each face of the cube shows one colour only….

  yeah….thats me….blowing your mind….

• 21.Helen:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:55 am

  Can’t argue with you on this article keo.

  Pehaps just stating the obvious in an attempt to win back some lost respect from the bloggers here?

• 22.husky:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:58 am

  How funny. Honesty and SA rugby. No stooges from the gwanty clown that wanted Bwoc Hawwis for the Boks and luvved PDivvy. Are you for real? Praising the keow that gave you PDivvy along with that low to the ground Oberholzer. Supposedly knowledgable plonkers like Tacitus saying “the strrrongest 15 must always start”. Try telling Alex Ferguson that – it’s just not possible. That sentiment cost SA its chance in this RWC by eliminating F Steyn. I say Butch should have played against Samoa.

  SA rugby reflects SA. in every way, AA incompetents, stubborn and self interested Afrikaners who just cannot see a big picture and the the weaselly English like Mallett, White, Solomons etc (oh, and the little keo) who always have an agenda. What we do have is bloody talented, hard players. What we need is good, honest, competent, hard working management, administrators and coaching staff. Min chance; sadly.

• 23.Helen:
  13 Oct 2011, 07:58 am

  With the likes of Bismarck, Bekker, Burger, Hougaard, de Jongh and Alberts, we have some of the most promising game breakers.

  The only time I would plan for the world cup is making sure we don’t pick players who will be too old for 2015. I would therefore, not select anyone over 30 and try to maintain an average age of 24-ish now, so that we are averaging 28 at 2015.

• 24.Helen:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:00 am

  With the senior plpayers gone, we need a hard-ar$ed coach now. Someone who will take charge, manage the detail strongly and enforce serious discipline around game plan and conditioning.
  Mallet is the only (available) coach who fits this bill. Not sure about B Venter.

• 25.justrugby:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:08 am

  Surely the Springbok coaching job must be one the most sought after coaching jobs in world rugby?

  Yes there is the obvious political interference, a demanding public, harsh press scrutiny etc but what comes with it is huge and exciting challenges and with that the chance to be very successful, the chance to make a difference to SA rugby and South Africa as a whole. You will be in charge of one of the biggest brands in world rugby and you have the luxury of working with many talented players from a very large talent pool. You as a coach would have the ability to earn legendary status.

  So why are the so called top coaches not putting their hands up and making themselves available?? Are they protecting their egos, thinking that if they apply and don’t get the job they might be embarrassed?? Do they know via the inner circles that someone else is a certainty?? Is it that they just don’t want the pressure??

  The Bok coaching job with all its flaws should still be an exciting and juicy prospect for any coach in the world who has a desire to make a difference to a team and a country via his unique skills.

  JM, HM, NM, JW, EJ are a few that have indicated that they are not available for the job, why?? I don’t have answers except perhaps that there are contractual issues (which I believe can be sorted via negotiation) talk is cheap and these guys all voice their opinions via the media but are not willing to put their hands up ??

  It is crucial that we appoint the right coach; if I were SARU I would be putting feelers out everywhere testing the waters locally and abroad.

  It would also help if SARU told the public what their criteria for appointing a coach is, i.e. must it come from within SA, or is it the best person for the job, regardless of color or nationality, this would help us the public and reduce the speculating!!

• 26.Black Panther:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:08 am

  Can I make 1, honest, genuine, plea to SARU

  Select a Safa as your Head coach.

  All very well for these tier-2 nations to hire some quality, top-shelf Kiwis.

  But come ON

  NOT in SA tho

  The Aussies sold their soul.

  Not the French.

  Not the Poms.

  Dont go down the Aussie route. Choose 1 of your own.

  SA for SA.

• 27.once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more...:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:11 am

  @hendrikp(hendrikp)-6:
  well thats the schedule for next year so work it out from there:

  09 june South Africa vs England
  16 june South Africa vs England
  23 june South Africa vs England
  18 aug South Africa vs Argentina
  25 aug Argentina vs South Africa
  08 sep Australia vs South Africa
  15 sep New Zealand vs South Africa
  29 sep South Africa vs Australia
  06 oct South Africa vs New Zealand
  10 nov Ireland vs South Africa
  17 nov Scotland vs South Africa
  24 nov England vs South Africa

• 28.once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more...:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:15 am

  @husky(husky)-22:
  ja, frans was a huge loss.
  but why didn’t he communicate his injury to the the team medics earlier on?
  his shoulder was bad but he just kept playing.

• 29.Gunther:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:15 am

  Barney and Victor to carry on coaching the boks.

• 30.hendrikp:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:18 am

  @once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-27:

  Thanks.

  Home – 100%. We should not lose at home to anybody.
  Away – 66.6% – 2 losses maximum. Anything more is unacceptable. I can handle 2 losses in Australasia… but win the rest.

  For an overall record of 83.3%

• 31.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:22 am

  @Black Panther(Black Panther)-26:
  That’s rich coming from the world largest poachers of players…

• 32.JEZ:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:26 am

  Well todays has been a day of firsts. My Blackberry started working again and I agreed wholeheartedly with Keo.
  We definitely have to end this 4 year plan attitude. You can play weakened sides and build for 4 years only to be crippled by injuries at crucial times which is potentially what is happening to NZ.
  RWC is a once off and shouldn’t mean that you assume you are the best. The best test team in the world over the last 20 years is hands down New Zealand. The fact that they haven’t won a RWC in that time doesn’t take anything away from that fact.

• 33.Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:30 am

  The All Black coaching staff is pulling a “Potemkin Village” scam on the kiwis.
  Not fair.

• 34.Helen:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:38 am

  @Black Panther(Black Panther)-26:

  You make a good point.
  Why would one of the world’s most successful rugby nations not have a coach that is qualified for the to job?
  It is sad that we only have foreigners being punted.

  I think that the reason is that Saru is looking at S15 coaches only. Someone like Kevin Foote could quickly grow into the role and bring a fresh approach

• 35.Black Panther:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:41 am

  Fornicator

  did u see the stats about non-nationals in RWC teams ?

  did u note that there were more Kiwis in foreign teams (35′ish, from memory) than make up a RWC squad ?

  can you name ONE RWC-AB that didn’t have their entire school education in NZ ?

  we DO share the sentiment tho. Less hired hands please.

• 36.Helen:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:45 am

  @once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-27:

  What is sad about this schedule is that we play 10 tests against 4 x Tier 1 nations.
  Eng x 4
  Arg x 2
  NZ x 2
  Aus x 2

  How is this helping the 2nd tier nations?
  We should include tests against Canada, USA, Russia, Italy, etc.

  Sill think the TN should be played in one country with each playing the other only once. The tourney could be wrapped up in 3 weeks (4 if we have a final)

• 37.justrugby:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:46 am

  @Helen(Helen)-34:

  Foote has done well but is feeding off the good foundation work done by Dobson, if you are punting Foote then surely Dobson deserves a mention !!

• 38.zub:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:49 am

  Why f*ck around with small fry coaches like Mitchell and Meyer – go for Graham Henry!

• 39.Helen:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:50 am

  @zub(zub)-38:

  Graham Henry???

  He’s days away from being the most choked coach in world rugby. damaged goods, I’m afraid

• 40.once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more...:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:53 am

  @Helen(Helen)-36:
  well it is money that talks after all and i dont think thats gonna change anytime soon.

  a 3 or 4n in one country isn’t a bad idea as we could then rotate it between countries. this would help keep it fresh for fans and supporters in each country as the teams would only be in town every 3 or 4 years.

• 41.Tacitus:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:53 am

  The golden moment for Meyer to have been Bok coach was 4 years ago. He had a group of core players that he had developed from junior level, and who could have conquered the world with him.

  That generation of players has passed. The next coach will work with a bunch of youngster who don’t come mostly from one team, but are spread across all the SA franchises.

  If I was Meyer I would build a new core of world class players at the Bulls over the next 4 years and then step in as Bok coach in 4 years time, when they have reached their height and do with them what Meyer would have done with Matfield, Du Preez and co if he had been appointed in 2008, which is conquer the world of rugby.

  The timing this time around is not as absolutely perfect as it was the last time.

  The b*stards who stabbed him in the back dealt a killer blow to SA’s best player generation ever while they were at it. All in the name of Transformation.

  May they burn in hell for it.

• 42.zub:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:54 am

  @Helen(Helen)-39: Ja, but an 80%+ win percentage over 8 or so years is not to be sniffed at.

• 43.>^..^< katman:
  13 Oct 2011, 08:57 am

  @Black Panther(Black Panther)-35: Hey man, tell us about that law, please. That rugby rule you made up the other day. It was a good one. The IRB might bite.

• 44.Brads:
  13 Oct 2011, 09:02 am

  @Helen(Helen)-36:
  There is no merit in thrashing a team by 50 points. That builds the game nowhere.

  Back in 1988 or so New Zealand sent a team comprising our top players and thrashed Japan at home by +100 points in every match.

  Next time we played, with a 2nd string outfit we beat them by a still standing world record RWC margin.

  Since 1995 NZ has sent 2nd teams or the Maori AB’s to play them and they have still dominated.

• 45.once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more...:
  13 Oct 2011, 09:05 am

  @Helen(Helen)-39:
  yeah, the heartache might even kill the old guy before the year’s out.

• 46.Brads:
  13 Oct 2011, 09:05 am

  @Helen(Helen)-39:
  Or a miracle will happen and we will witness his upside down smile morph into a full blown nornal grin of satisfaction.

  I doubt the miracle part, as much as I doubt the choker part or your post, as being a happening thing.

• 47.Jeez:
  13 Oct 2011, 09:17 am

  Damn, I hoped Mitchell would have been interested.

  Let me tell you guys how it will probably play out….

  IF professional and previously successful coaches apply for the job, for example: HMeyer and Mallet. Alistair Coetzee will still get the go.

  Why it wont be good for our rugby:

  HMeyer has a Super rugby title under his belt, with 4 currie cup titles.

  Mallet has the best winning % of any bok coach AND he led Stade Français to two consecutive French domestic title wins in 2003 and 2004. He has done well with Italy, considering their limitations.

  Alitair Coetzee: No Super Rugby Title, No currie cup title. As an assistant coach with the boks, what did he do exactly? There were more talk about the influence Eddie Jones had on the boks game than Coetzee ever did.

  If he gets the job it will just showcase the fact that SARU has once again failed to appoint a truly qualified and professional coach, with proper rugby credentials.

  They made the mistake by appointing Strauli in the same way. He helped the sharks get to the Super 12 final. Did they win it… No. But hey SARU gave the guy the top rugby job in the country anyway.

  I hope it doenst pan out this way, but it probably will. Lets face it Mallet and Heyneke wont apply.

  So unless SARU really wants to make the best decisions for bok rugby, they’ll look further than Coetzee and find a coach who have had success (titles under his belt) with proper rugby credentials. But to appoint Coetzee as a consolation coach will not be the best rugby decision.

  Professional coach = successful coach, with results to prove it. AC does not have those results.

  If we want to learn out of our mistakes, SARU needs to appoint a professional coach and not a consolation coach.

• 48.Jeez:
  13 Oct 2011, 09:24 am

  BLAST: “Mallett rules out Bok job” The Times

• 49.wooden spoon:
  13 Oct 2011, 09:33 am

  Mallet OUT
  Venter OUT
  Mitchell OUT
  Meyer OUT

  Looks like “No Cups Coetzee” is a foregone conclusion… Bok fans better get used to 65% win ratio and defence…

• 50.Tacitus:
  13 Oct 2011, 09:35 am

  50

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