Smal the frontrunner for Bok post
15 Dec 2011
Gert Smal is the favourite for the Springbok coaching position although Allister Coetzee and Heyneke Meyer are also on the shortlist.
The appointment will only be confirmed on 27 January 2012, but according to a reliable source, Smal is expected to pip Coetzee and Meyer for the job.
Smal has enjoyed success as a coach in South Africa, coaching Western Province to the Currie Cup title in 2000 and 2001, and also serving as the forwards coach during Jake White’s World Cup-winning tenure. For the past four years he has coached the Ireland forwards and was integral to the Emerald Greens’ 2009 Six Nations triumph.
While Meyer has also enjoyed great success with the Bulls, firstly as a hands-on coach and then as a director of rugby, it is Smal’s record with transformation that may reportedly secure him the post.
Smal was responsible for nurturing numerous players of colour while he was at WP, and in 2008 he drafted a transformation proposal to Saru detailing the development of black forwards in the Eastern Cape region.
Peter de Villiers, whose term as Bok coach will expire at the end of 2011, struggled to transform the Boks despite his earlier intentions. This is best illustrated by the make-up of White and De Villiers’s respective World Cup teams.
White picked just two players of colour in the match 22 for the 2007 World Cup final in France while De Villiers picked the same two players (Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen) and just two more (Gurthro Steenkamp and Gio Aplon) in the 22 that played Australia in the 2011 quarter-final in New Zealand.
260 Comments
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15 Dec 2011, 17:15 pm
@hendrikp-195: His Bully glasses are in hyper-dark mode today
15 Dec 2011, 17:15 pm
@Michael-196:
wynand olivier also has a worldcup medal by the way.
far far tougher to win a superrugby one. never mind 2 and then 3.
15 Dec 2011, 17:16 pm
@hendrikp-200: We’ll have Agies *** on our backs shortly
15 Dec 2011, 17:17 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-202: Pffttt, Olivier wasn;t in the starting lineup and one of the players of the tournament. Far tougher to be a standout international player year-in, year-out. Unless of course you are arguing Super rugby is tougher than test rugby????
15 Dec 2011, 17:17 pm
@grant10-197:
Worried about nothing. The Lions will finish dead last again.
1. Stormers
2. Bulls
3. Sharks
4. Cheetahs
5. Lions
15 Dec 2011, 17:17 pm
hell, but skalk would trade his IRB medal for just a sniff of a CC winners medal.
15 Dec 2011, 17:18 pm
Anyone thinking Steggies is better than Schalk is in serious need of a visit by the local medics.
15 Dec 2011, 17:19 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-202:
All good, I actually think Wynand Olivier is a hell of a good player.
One of our very best at SR level.
15 Dec 2011, 17:20 pm
see what Iam Mc Geehan has to say about F Louw on rugby 365
Now that would have been my stormers, and maybe even bok captain, long term
15 Dec 2011, 17:20 pm
@Michael-204:
superrugby is the toughest comp to win.Everyone knows that. due to it’s lengh and consistent calibre of players you play against.
What tougher for a player
boks vs scotland or Bulls vs Crusaders?
15 Dec 2011, 17:21 pm
well batted smith!
15 Dec 2011, 17:22 pm
@hendrikp-208:
Matfield said in his book that he thought Olivier should’ve been superplayer of the year 2010 and not bekker. granted matfield is a Bull but he did always come across as pretty introspective?
15 Dec 2011, 17:23 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-210: scotland moreded us 6 love last time we played them
15 Dec 2011, 17:23 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-210:
Must be Boks vs Scotland… because when Steggies has played against Scotland we’ve lost.
15 Dec 2011, 17:24 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-212: matfield a rekbek of note
15 Dec 2011, 17:25 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-212:
I think Bekker deserved it… but heck Olivier was very very close. He’s a hell of a player who I don’t think gets nearly enough credit – people have it in for him.
15 Dec 2011, 17:25 pm
@grant10-213:
yeah, and against leicester.
15 Dec 2011, 17:26 pm
@hendrikp-216:
definately too much competition for jean the chosen one devilliers.
15 Dec 2011, 17:27 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-210: Now I’ve heard it all – Super rugby tougher than international rugby as justification for Steggies of all players to be rated better than Schalk. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ahahahahahahaha
@hendrikp-214: OOHHHHH Nicely played! I salute you
15 Dec 2011, 17:28 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-218: Now Wynand should be the starting 12??? Dude, the loony bin wants its meds back.
15 Dec 2011, 17:28 pm
@Michael-219:
I think he’s just kidding around. Nobody who is sane truly believes that, except maybe Steggies family members.
15 Dec 2011, 17:30 pm
@Michael-220:
If I had to pick one to start in Super Rugby, heck yeah I’d go for Wynand.
Test rugby is a different story though. Jean just more effective at that level.
15 Dec 2011, 17:32 pm
@grant10-215:
matfield, probably SA’s greatest ever forward. Played too many good games.
One that sticks out for me was 2010 vs Crusaders. the controvertial one.
bulls nearly 20 points behind on the board at one stage in 1st half. no panic,no worry. And again at the death when morne had the drop charged down and the bulls just played from there. matfield huge in that game, completely inspirational as a leader. The look on mcCaws face…thought he was going to cry. He must be thrilled that he won’t come up against matfields bulls again.
15 Dec 2011, 17:34 pm
Whatsallthisrugbytalk
15 Dec 2011, 17:35 pm
Jinne brigadier is on point today.
Salute.
15 Dec 2011, 17:37 pm
@Dawn-224:
True.
See 2 guys from Lower Hutt murdered a Radio NZ journalist on Sunday morning. 5.30am.
Like I told you, beware of Lower Hutt!
15 Dec 2011, 17:38 pm
@Michael-219:
don’t be a plonker, we were talking about the calibre of the bulls back row. Which has proven to be good enough to win the entire thing.
not based on skalks test experience, where, the truth be told, we’ve performed a hell of a lot better in the past 2 years when skalk was not there.
6.brussow
7.smith
8.spies
15 Dec 2011, 17:41 pm
okay okes, got to go.
wind up tomorrow around 15:00.
good toss for the proteas to win. still pissed that they threw the 2nd test away against the ozzies, who are really average at the minute.
15 Dec 2011, 17:41 pm
@hendrikp
My kinda town.
15 Dec 2011, 17:44 pm
@Dawn-229:
It actually happened in Wellington, but the two were from Lower Hutt.
Common criminals always heading elsewhere to commit crimes, especially against the good people of Upper Hutt.
15 Dec 2011, 17:46 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-227:
Ag puh-lease.
It’s like saying the All Blacks are better without Dan Carter because they won a WC when he wasn’t there.
Schalk is a blerry good player. Deal with it
15 Dec 2011, 17:50 pm
This cricket aint lighting my fire
15 Dec 2011, 17:51 pm
@hendrikp-231: Schalk is a good rugby player, but I pity the team that has him as their captain, and I also pity the team that plays him as an openside flanker.
Schalk should be played as a blindside flanker, and told to rip in and destroy people, with the only decision that he is tasked with making is where to go out after the game.
15 Dec 2011, 18:05 pm
@hendrikp-222: I’d agree with that statement.
15 Dec 2011, 18:06 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-227: The Bulls back row has been an effective unit; they are not good individual players. Singling out Schalk means that Steggies gets singled out *shrugs*
15 Dec 2011, 18:07 pm
@WOLFMAN21-233: Yes he should be blindside. Luckily the Stormers don’t utilise him as an opensider, whatever the number is on his back.
15 Dec 2011, 18:46 pm
@Michael-236: If they don’t play an openside flanker this season, and hope to rely on Schalk, the Stormers will struggle.
The Stormers game plan is based on domination of the ruck, and turnovers or penalties are the only way they have scored points for the last couple of seasons. That along with individual talent of Jacque Fourie which they don’t have any-more.
And on Gert Smal – the guy has a mediocre record as an international coach. The Boks’ pack struggled at times with him as coach (49-0 amongst others), the scrum regularly struggled, and they were beaten up by the All Blacks and Wallabies.
A world cup medal isn’t the ultimate sign of success, especially when you have great players such as Os, Bakkies, Matfield, Schalk, Smith, Bismarck and Smit. Such a forward pack should have dominated everything, and they didn’t when Smal was the coach of the forwards.
A more nuanced look than merely stating he has a world cup winners medal is needed, otherwise Olivier should be viewed as an all-time great player, something few people are willing to accept.
Its the same with the Irish. They have a pretty decent pack, but they haven’t dominated teams through the forwards of late (other than the Wobblies), which isn’t good. This is especially the case when you consider their current players, who are the best Irish forwards for a while.
15 Dec 2011, 18:49 pm
@hendrikp-205: Ja nee kyk… slim seun weer in die mix. Don’t you worry about the Lions, they are going to moer your Stormers next year. We will give you that freebie in the Plascon cup. Keep your eyes on the telly and park that tissue box next to your Coke Lite.
15 Dec 2011, 19:03 pm
@HHS-238: That piskriek talks way to much. Didn’t learn when that “average” Lions team schooled his Weepee “stars”.
Hendrik go spew your rubbish on Sharksworld those clowns like your ****, some of us here are not that gullible.
15 Dec 2011, 19:07 pm
@WOLFMAN21-237: The Stormers scored many tries with good running rugby in 2010 through teamwork. They became too conservative last year but still made the semis. The Stormers are more than 2 men, as shown by how easily youngsters fitted into the pattern in the 2011 season.
The thing is they will not get a Flo clone so they will have to adjust their breakdown strategy. Rassie and AC are clever enough to come up with a new plan.
I have no worries.
Re Smal. The guy can only work with what he is given by the selectors. He did great under Carl and the scrum was fine during the ’97 WC. The Ireland pack is also good (they will never be the All Blacks. Their pack has improved beyond measure since Smal took over). He has a good record, a very very good record.
The Bok scrum hasn’t dominated in well over a decade. Good forward coaching has kept them competitive.
Oliver wasn’t a starter or a coach. Very different.
Honestly, I see no reason having to defend Smal. His achievements and record speak for themselves. It’s those doubting him who have a case to answer for. Outside of Nick, he is the best choice by a country mile.
15 Dec 2011, 19:08 pm
@Tuna-239: We’ll see when the Stormers hand the Lions their arse yet again in Super rugby
15 Dec 2011, 19:25 pm
just got an all expenses paid offer to attend sharks …bulls game at loftus 24 feb…..will miss stormers game at newlands next day vs canes……
but what the fark……i am going…old friends and all that
now who the fark must i support?
15 Dec 2011, 19:39 pm
@Michael-241: Only if Jonker is the ref again
15 Dec 2011, 19:41 pm
@Michael-241: That little pricks hatred of the Lions is well documented. That’s why I loved a certain semi final.
15 Dec 2011, 19:59 pm
@grant10-242:
@grant10-242:
It will not be good for the Stormers if the Sharks win away from home- so I suggest you become a Bull fan for the day.
It is easy. All you do is dress up in 2 tone khaki, short pant, long or no socks and grasshopper shoes, take a bag of naartjies injected with brandy, a bag of biltong, and hire a 4 wheel driven toyota bakkie with a steel bull bar and at least 6 spotlights to drive to Loftus.
If you pitch up like that they might even offer you free parking
15 Dec 2011, 20:02 pm
@Tuna-243:
I think the Stormers have beaten the Lions 11 times in succession since 2002 and I cannot think of one reason why the trend will not continue next year.
15 Dec 2011, 20:05 pm
Premature brawling?
15 Dec 2011, 20:52 pm
@Robzim-246: and the Lions haven’t won the CC on home soil since 1950.
15 Dec 2011, 21:25 pm
Ya Ya more of the same mediocrity staring SA rugby in the face
Gert Smal coach with Schalk Burger captain
Big fokkop looming on the horizon…
If Meyer gets it then Spies will be captain.. and if Coetsee gets it Schalk will be captain..
SA rugby got sh’t for brains … pity PdV sold his ignoramus soul down the Swanee river when he crawled up the fat funk Smittiekins backside with no place else to hide.. he wasted an entire 4 years and SA rugby is the poorer for it.
Coulda done the deed but the Smit f’ng self styled bigger than the game ploy for immortality fell flat on its over sized arsehole… exactly as it was meant to do.. at the cost of PdV’s credibility and his legacy as a potentially good coach who sold out for the sake of the senior player caucuses
16 Dec 2011, 04:24 am
Still hammering that square peg into that round hole? It just won’t go buddy, it just won’t go.
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