Leading SA’s rugby revolution
26 Dec 2011
What do Francois Hougaard, Bismarck du Plessis, Gio Aplon, Johann Sadie, Andries Bekker, Pat Lambie and Juan de Jongh all have in common?
They all have the X factor, something that sets them apart from the rest.
If the Springboks are to achieve consistent success against the world champion All Blacks over the next four years, they will have to change their conservative mindset and play an expansive game when the situation demands it.
These seven players can lead South Africa’s rugby revolution and take our game to the next level.
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Also in the new issue:
– Many junior players have failed to make the transition to senior rugby over the years because of flaws in the Baby Boks set-up, but the situation seems to be improving
– Why rugby is ripe for a global rebel league
– SA Rugby magazine reveals how Solly Tyibilika wasn’t the only black player to be mismanaged over the past four years and how South Africa has regressed with regard to transformation at the highest levels
– Saracens flyhalf Derick Hougaard on suffering from depression, the ‘soul destroying’ experience of Kamp Staaldraad, and his desire to force his way back into Bok contention
– England’s shambolic World Cup campaign left Martin Johnson with no choice but to resign
– Victor Matfield speaks to SA Rugby magazine about his post-retirement plans, why players should be treated like adults, and his second-row partnership with Bakkies Botha
– Your ultimate guide to the 2012 Super Rugby season: Everything you need to know about the 15 teams
770 Comments
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3 Jan 2012, 12:55 pm
@Dawn-450:
nothing will ever come between me and bakkies.
3 Jan 2012, 13:05 pm
man, if only he played in that game…
3 Jan 2012, 13:15 pm
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-451: not even jimmy-hats or French letters …. if you know what I mean.
3 Jan 2012, 13:25 pm
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-451:
Bakkies is to Rugby …………………..
What Adolf was to a United Europe.
What Richard Nixon was for Democracy.
What Pol Pot was to freedom of expression.
What Heavens Game is to Keo,
And what Diego Maradona is for Weight Watches
3 Jan 2012, 13:26 pm
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011-453:
Scary stuff…………………………………….
8)
3 Jan 2012, 13:28 pm
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011-453:
no, nothing like that.
our love is pure.
this is not new. the spartans could tell you all about it. its a thing…
3 Jan 2012, 13:32 pm
@mshiniwami-432:
I dont know hey Mshini, you cant look at a Kingsmead test in isolation and say that SA always play like that.
Tests there have been a heap of **** for a few years now.
Consistency is the biggest issue now. Improve the consistency of performances and this team will be great.
Kirsten and Donald have actually made a few very telling changes that have improved the side in my opinion.
1. Dropping Lopsy for Vernon. (huge results straight away.)
2. Experimenting with Marchant De Langa. (great prospect)
3. Getting rid of Prince(too late admittedly) for Peterson. (might have to look elsewhere if Rudolph fails again. JP maybe?
One or 2 more tweaks and this side will be very very good.
As I said, consistency is key. We should have beaten the Ausies 2-0, no doubt and should beat this SL side without a few of their frontline bowlers present.
3 Jan 2012, 13:34 pm
@Bad Santa cane-373: Did you watch the whole movie, I forced myself to watch the first 15 minutes and then just couldnt any more.
3 Jan 2012, 13:34 pm
@cane-454:
Guys I love:
Chris Gayle
Josh Hartnett
That Mentalist guy
and others too numerous to mention
Guys I hate:
This Haai person
mvk
extraball
and others too numerous to mention
3 Jan 2012, 13:35 pm
This Kallies is a big brekgat
Full of attitude
Strutting up and down here with his fake hair
3 Jan 2012, 13:37 pm
Feckit Cape Town is stunning today
3 Jan 2012, 13:37 pm
@cane-454:
mon dieu!
such blasphemy
watch it… watch it…
3 Jan 2012, 13:38 pm
@Dawn-459: at this moment … are you lying under a oke at Newlands?
3 Jan 2012, 13:39 pm
@cane-454:
He loves Bakkies
You may no speak such
3 Jan 2012, 13:45 pm
Sun is shining weather is sweet
Tourists are buzzing with smelly feet
3 Jan 2012, 13:47 pm
@John Galt-457: they just need to drop the useless captain!
3 Jan 2012, 14:03 pm
@John Galt-457:
It also looks like he’s released Kallis from his anchor role. Apart from his pair, I haven’t seen him so aggressive since he first appeared on the scene.
3 Jan 2012, 14:05 pm
@David-467:
Kallis is a fool
Only pulls it out at Newlands
That ain’t the only cricket ground in the world
3 Jan 2012, 14:08 pm
@Transformation-466:
he is to me what john smit is to grant.
3 Jan 2012, 14:11 pm
@Transformation-466:
Everyone keeps saying that but in all honesty who would you replace him with?
He’s still averaging 50 in tests and by all accounts is still feared and revered by most test sides. Along with Kallis, his wicket is still probably the most prized among opposition bowlers.
@David-467:
Yeah I think youre right. He tried to do this in the second test against the Ausies I think as well. Was very aggressive and made 50 odd then threw his wicket away. Good to see actually. Proving that he can seriously disrupt opposition bowlers rythms etc which all great batsmen are able to do.
3 Jan 2012, 14:14 pm
@cane-446:
Yip just starting to tear the place to pieces as well..
3 Jan 2012, 14:22 pm
@Dawn-468:
Youre just saying that because he can afford braces to close the gap between his front teeth.
3 Jan 2012, 14:24 pm
@John Galt-472:
Hasn’t worked for him.
He still has a gap.
And eyes that look in different directions.
And fake hair.
And a Newlands hard-on
3 Jan 2012, 14:30 pm
Wow
Never knew “hard-on” was allowed!
3 Jan 2012, 14:36 pm
RSA
200/2
3 Jan 2012, 15:09 pm
jakes gets his ton, alviro on 99*
this has been an enjoyable knock.
3 Jan 2012, 15:14 pm
@Transformation-476:
its called the rollercoaster.
they build themselves up nice and steady in one test, going up, up, up high…
and then in the next test… wait for it… wait for it…
3 Jan 2012, 15:23 pm
kallis got an average of like 57 or something, virtually unheard of for that amount of tests, he;s kak in the ODI game and about as slow as blok-hom-dood keppler, but let kallis go on playing tests til his 93 ekse so long as he getting big runs – look at gooch he played until he was a toppie, cricket not like rugby, they just park off and deliver…
3 Jan 2012, 15:40 pm
Eagles tickets. Check.
3 Jan 2012, 15:44 pm
@cab-478:
I think we’ll see a different Kallis under Kirsten.
Best for the New Year, Cab.
3 Jan 2012, 15:45 pm
@cab-478:
When JK bursted on the scene in 1994, he was an allarounder in ODI & the D&N series, had no credentials at the Test Level, merely the heir apparent to Adrian Kuiper
3 Jan 2012, 15:45 pm
No new articles since boxing day?
Poor showing by keo and his merry band of so-called journalists. Having a nice holiday are we boys?
3 Jan 2012, 15:46 pm
@cab-478: he’s also one of only 4 cricketers in history to have scored over 12000 test runs. Sachin, Ponting and Dravid being the other.
Plus Kallis has 270 test wickets.
Tough to call.
If you wanted to measure bastmen by the impact they have made on their teams performance, with match winning innings’ etc I’d be inclined to lean towards Ponting as the most influential of the 4.
3 Jan 2012, 15:53 pm
200 partnership up
3 Jan 2012, 16:05 pm
@stormersboy-484: and then…
3 Jan 2012, 16:07 pm
@David-480:
happy new year too you too.
wasn’t d’oliviera nearly 40 when debuting for england, something about age was wrong?
@Hondo-481:
yeah and what an allrounder he was, but he’s bowling def suffered over the years. kuiper could also klap a ball.
@stormersboy-483:
actually phenomenal record, yeah ponting also awesome, but cant be any bastsmen that could bowl like kallis too. he’s got a bit vet these days, but jeez i remeber a spell against the ozzies when he was lightning quick and literally bounched them all out in a ODI.
3 Jan 2012, 16:28 pm
@cab-486: Totally. he’s a 140km/h plus bowler when he puts his back into it, plus he has the reputation of bowling a “heavy” ball, i.e. one that hits the bat or gloves with a fair amount of momentum.
Wouldn’t like to be on the receiving end of one of his bouncers.
I used to train at the Sports Science Institute and used to see him training there quite a bit.
He’s a big guy up close.
3 Jan 2012, 16:35 pm
Happy new year to all the bloggers
@cab-486:
Kallis is our best test cricketer ever- nobody comes even close.
Re his “slow” batting; it must be seen against the background that he had to “carry” the SA batting for most of his career as he played during a period where SA did not really have any other world class batsmen (Smith at his best the exception). Other top players like Tendulkar, Dravid and Ponting had world class batsmen aound them (Laxman, Schewag, Waugh, Hayden etc) which means that they could play with much more freedom than Kallis.
3 Jan 2012, 16:45 pm
@Robzim-488:
Well said Rob and all the best for 2012.
I enjoyed the Bacher interview with Jacques played over the weekend. And he brought up Kallis’s record compared to Sobers. Phenomenal record. I’ve said this before that we only rate our superstars long after SA’s opponents do.
3 Jan 2012, 16:47 pm
Kallis is the John Smit of SA cricket.
Still delivers, maybe not as fast as before, yet people still call for his head.
3 Jan 2012, 17:18 pm
And Jakes gets 150 in his 150th test. How uncanny is that?
3 Jan 2012, 17:24 pm
@BULLET-490:
On the ESPN Cricinfo commentary, early in Jaques innings, one of them jokingly asked what the odds were on him making 150.
3 Jan 2012, 17:26 pm
@cab-486:
I think you’re refering to the Bloem ODI against the Windies after we were shot out for a low total. The Windies complained that all his bouncers were bad sportsmanship. That was a spell of fast bowling that ranks amongst the best I’ve seen.
3 Jan 2012, 18:12 pm
Howveryfeckingconvenient
150 in 150 tests at newlands.
3 Jan 2012, 18:30 pm
@Dawn-494: And tomorrow he gets to start all over again.
Who knows where it will end?
3 Jan 2012, 18:35 pm
@Dawn-494:
feckingmarvelous i thought.
And I saw your earlier post. We must make a plan.
3 Jan 2012, 18:38 pm
so last week he goes out for two ducks in one test stuffs his team in the eye and the rest go all fall down around him, then today gets through 3 lucky half chances and eventually settles down to a comfy slow boat to China stock standard 150 against mediocre bowling on his home turf pitch and suddenly he’s Mr glory boy can do no wrong deluxe all over again. Just like John Smit all about himself and stuff the team.
My most telling recollections of Jacques Kallis is how he cost SA not one but 3 chances at the ODI WC. If it was a game winner you wanted under those conditions Jacques Kallis was most certainly not it..
A tue test player yes, but the furthest idea of a game winning 50 overs player you could not find. Now watch it go to his head again and couple more ducks on the cards before the next heroic hero heralding innings gets everyone going goo goo gaga all over again.
Just like John Smit the worst spate of consecutive losses any Springbok captain could ever hope to boast about but in some dumb schmuck eyes the ultimate loser who brought the great Bok heritage to its knees still walks on water in spite of it..
3 Jan 2012, 18:41 pm
Only at Newlands. Nowhere else.
3 Jan 2012, 18:47 pm
@ashampoopaloo-497:
i thought you didn’t like the skittle sticks, skop?
but please, by all means please have a go at smith.
he’s a doos no doubt and pulling a john smit of note.
3 Jan 2012, 18:50 pm
@ashampoopaloo-497:
Yeah, skop. You’re into skittlesticks in a big way.
Love your work.
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