In contention for 10
5 Jan 2012
JON CARDINELLI, writing in SA Rugby magazine, assesses the candidates who will be vying for the Springbok flyhalf jersey this year.
You’d read about it in a comic book or in a sport-meets-sci-fi short story. The powers that be respond to a World Cup failure by ordering their coaches and sport scientists to build the perfect player. Deep in the catacombs of the Newlands headquarters, the eggheads utilise advanced bio-technology to extract the strengths of each South African flyhalf and assemble a composite capable of spearheading a new breed of Springboks.
This hybrid possesses the boot of Morné Steyn, the vision of Ruan Pienaar, the cool composure of Pat Lambie and the innovation of Elton Jantjies. He has Butch James’s defensive belligerence, as well as Johan Goosen’s rare ability to nail long-range penalties. Rejoice all ye faithful South African supporters, for at long last we have manufactured the perfect 10.
It’s a fantastical scenario, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s going to take a laboratory experiment or even a radioactive spider bite to initiate South Africa’s flyhalf evolution. This country is blessed with an abundance of talent and yet the coaches continue to back limited players in the all-important position, or indeed fail to back those who have the potential to develop into something resembling the complete package.
In early 2008, Peter de Villiers expressed his desire to mould the Boks into a more threatening attacking unit. Ruan Pienaar was hailed as The Chosen One as the Boks embarked on a tour of the United Kingdom, and by the end of that three-match sojourn Pienaar had proved it was possible to strike a balance between running the ball and playing a more conservative, territory-oriented game.
In 2009, however, De Villiers lost faith in Pienaar as well as his own ambitious strive for duality. His selections, once made with the future good of the game in mind, became purely results driven. Pienaar was replaced by Steyn and while the selection brought the Boks short-term success, it proved to be a long-term decision that set South African rugby back four years. Predictably, the Boks stagnated in 2010 and 2011 and their subsequent World Cup quarter-final exit only underlined a pre-existing problem.
Most South African rugby supporters will want to forget about that disastrous campaign. They will want to read about the next Bok coach and the next group of players tasked with taking this nation forward. They have every right to feel enthused given that the well of talent in South Africa runs deep, but it would be foolish to ignore the failures of the past. The next Springbok coach has to take these harsh lessons into consideration when selecting his preferred flyhalf and formulating his game plan ahead of the 2012 season. What De Villiers’s tenure has provided is a blueprint of what not to do when it comes to managing key players and constructing playing patterns designed to win matches between and at big tournaments.
Steyn may have provided the Boks with goal-kicking security and a formidable tactical kicking game, but his weaknesses were mercilessly exposed by some of the better World Cup teams. Wales targeted his channel in South Africa’s opening game, while Samoa and Australia also enjoyed terrific momentum whenever they focused their attack on the limited No 10. With ball-in-hand, he played so deep in the pocket that he allowed opposition defences to negate South Africa’s attacking space. To paraphrase Eddie Jones, you just can’t afford to pick a flyhalf who plays in a dinner suit.
While the past few seasons have highlighted what is wrong with our rugby, they haven’t given us a definitive answer to the flyhalf question. If Steyn is unable to rectify his shortcomings, which after three international seasons looks to be the case, then the next Bok coach has to back someone new whether the goal is short-term success in 2012 or even long-term success in 2015.
Pat Lambie is a prime candidate. He was handed the flyhalf responsibility as a 20-year-old in the 2010 Currie Cup, and proved to be the difference in the final against Western Province. He was given limited opportunities on the Boks’ tour of the home nations, but honed his game in the 2011 Super Rugby tournament, particularly in the departments of tactical kicking and shooting for goal.
Lambie did an admirable job at fullback during the recent World Cup, but has the skill set to excel in a greater game-shaping role. After four seasons, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has now decided that it’s time to move the supremely talented James O’Connor to inside centre or flyhalf. After a two-season apprenticeship, perhaps it’s time that Lambie made a similar shift to the playmaking axis.
That he has the composure to perform in a high-pressure environment is not in question, and his value on defence and attack has been evident in previous Tests against the home nations as well as in this year’s Tri-Nations Test in Wellington. That latter display was especially significant as Lambie showed that he could impose himself on attack despite the lack of momentum up front.
Elton Jantjies’s match-winning efforts in this year’s Currie Cup final capped an incredible comeback for a player who had struggled in the preceding Super Rugby competition. That he had the goal-kicking ability and tactical-kicking prowess to be a success was never in doubt, but what marked his recent rise was a new confidence on attack and a willingness to take on the defence. Next year’s Super Rugby instalment will show just how far he’s come in this respect, and will also serve as an indicator of his defensive progress. If he can build on his Currie Cup form, he should be groomed for the ultimate responsibility at Test level.
There are more established options that the incoming Bok coach may want to consider. Steyn is a safe bet as long as the Boks aren’t playing a team that can outmuscle them in the forwards. If he wants to be viewed as more than goal-kicking insurance or a one-trick pony in general play, he will need to prove that he’s capable of a more balanced game in the coming Super Rugby tournament.
It’s a tough ask given the Bulls are at the beginning of a rebuilding process and the bulk of their forward veterans, namely Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw, Gary Botha and Gurthrö Steenkamp, have left the franchise. Unlike Lambie, Steyn has shown himself to be particularly susceptible when his pack is under pressure, and it would be a stretch to believe that he can develop while his forwards are losing the battle up front.
De Villiers abandoned the Pienaar experiment in 2009, and his successor is unlikely to reinstate the versatile player given all that has transpired over the past two seasons. Once open to the possibility of playing 10, Pienaar has declared himself a specialist scrumhalf since moving to Irish club Ulster in late 2010. His confidence has also been dented through the mismanagement of previous Bok coaches, and while it will remain one of the great tragedies that he wasn’t given a fair go at flyhalf, it’s a mistake the next coach won’t be able to rectify.
Peter Grant is another who has hurt his chances of a Bok recall by deciding to play at least half of each season abroad. After his first stint with the Kobe Steelers in Japan, he returned to the Stormers undercooked, and struggled to recapture his form as the 2011 Super Rugby competition progressed. While Grant’s general game has regressed since 2010, his line-kicking has been consistently underwhelming.
The Boks need more than a kicking flyhalf to be successful in 2012, but they also need a pivot who can play a territorial game when the situation demands it. Steyn doesn’t meet the requirement of a modern-day 10 because his attacking game and defence are substandard, and Pop-gun Pete is at the other end of the scale of flyhalves who lack a balanced game.
Apart from Lambie and Jantjies, there are several other youngsters who the Bok coach should be monitoring closely over the next year or so. Sias Ebersohn has flourished in the attack-minded Cheetahs set-up, while Lionel Cronjé has shown at times why Rassie Erasmus once touted him as the next Frans Steyn. Johan Goosen, a schoolboy prodigy who became a YouTube sensation thanks to his outrageous long-range penalty attempts, shouldn’t be spoken about in the national context just yet. What is clear at this point is that all three of these players have the raw potential to be something special.
Of the young prospects, Lambie has had the most opportunities with his franchise and the Boks, but needs to be managed carefully if he is going to be a driving force. Sharks incumbent Freddie Michalak enjoyed a good Currie Cup this year, but if the next Bok coach intends to use Lambie at flyhalf, the 21-year-old needs to be starting in that position for his franchise. That Michalak plans to return to France should also influence the Sharks coaches’ decision to start Lambie at No 10 sooner rather than later.
Lions coach John Mitchell publicly criticised Jantjies at the beginning of Super Rugby this year, but recognised the need to back the youngster towards the end of the tournament. Mitchell also stuck with Jantjies throughout the Currie Cup and preferred him ahead of Butch James when the Bok veteran returned from a failed World Cup campaign in late October. Mitchell should continue to play Jantjies in this key position in 2012. Jantjies’s performances in the 2011 Super Rugby tournament suggested he needed another season to develop, and the 2012 edition will show whether he’s made the necessary improvements to be considered a realistic candidate for Bok playmaker.
That the Boks need to start embracing all facets of the game and maximising their attacking potential is not up for debate, but as to who is worthy of that hallowed No 10 jersey will only be decided after several months of Super Rugby action. Providing the candidates receive sufficient opportunities to prove their worth, it promises to be an absorbing contest that will give the Bok coach something that his predecessors may have lacked: a number of balanced options.
– This article appeared in the December issue of SA Rugby magazine. The January-February issue is on sale now.
362 Comments
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6 Jan 2012, 17:07 pm
@Transformation-298:
i dont think you can reserve admission on the grounds of race though, even if a private establishment.
can you?
6 Jan 2012, 17:08 pm
i have to go
will check back later
cheers
6 Jan 2012, 17:14 pm
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-301: legally no but then we arer talking about that doomed province the eastern cape here.the white are simply just following the shining example set by their black brothers and sisters.in any case if these super blacks can have exclusive organisations like the black management forum and others why can’t whites not socialise with their own kind?
6 Jan 2012, 17:48 pm
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-292:
The Cheetahs. Every year they promise so much but deliver fokkol.
6 Jan 2012, 19:08 pm
@mvk-303:
look, i’m pretty sure the establishment is going to get into a some trouble now and that in itself is a sign of how far we’ve come as a nation.
stop living in the past.
@Groot Wit Baas-304:
eish,
thats a little hard hard on the cheetahs, man.
they cant be that bad.
7 Jan 2012, 03:44 am
@Groot Wit Baas-304:
The Cheetahs have done well with the lack of depth and injuries
Remember Juan and Brussow were injured for long periods
Super 15 team to watch
LIONS
7 Jan 2012, 04:02 am
How about this backline?
15. Taute
14 JPP
13 JF (If still able to be selected)
12 F Steyn
11 Sadie
10 Jantjies/Lambie and maybe Goosen (depends on super 15 showing)
9. Hougaard
Except for the 2 10s all big strong and fast
7 Jan 2012, 10:45 am
EISH !!!!!!!!! We have just had the race card thrown at us for trying to stop the KZN tosser that paid nearly a million bucks to shoot an endangered white rhino, the guy said we were doing it to stop a poor black community from getting the money…….I mean realllllllllllllllyyyyyyy
7 Jan 2012, 11:19 am
@Treehugger-308: You whiteys obviously don’t understand the dynamic
7 Jan 2012, 11:23 am
@stormersboy-309: lol, my friend that handles the press and such reckons the guy most probably suffers from some sort of pen!s malfunction and wants to try the Chinese cure
7 Jan 2012, 13:24 pm
@Treehugger-310: I think he suffers from some brain malfunction more like.
7 Jan 2012, 16:04 pm
@stormersboy-311:
7 Jan 2012, 19:08 pm
This place is like a morgue in January!
8 Jan 2012, 07:19 am
Ratings for the REAL contenders at 10 (Rating followed by possible improvement):
Steyn
Offense: 6 (1)
Defence: 5 (1)
Open play: 6 (1)
Goal Kicking: 10 (0)
Total: 27 (Potential: 30)
Jantjes:
Offense: 7 (1)
Defence: 6 (2)
Open play: 7 (1)
Goal Kicking: 8 (2)
Total: 28 (Potential: 34)
Lambie:
Offense: 8 (1)
Defence: 8 (0)
Open play: 7 (1)
Goal Kicking: 7 (2)
Total: 30 (Potential: 34)
8 Jan 2012, 10:07 am
@Heavens Game-314:
wow!
dont hold back in your making up stats.
on what do you base these values?
is it aggregated on actual numbers of tackles, linebreaks and kicks made /taken by the players and has it been recorded by a reputable stats entity?
8 Jan 2012, 10:14 am
Lambie still has a lot of improving to do in 2012. He’s already playing quite good rugby so hoping he hits better form this year.
The Sharks need more stability in the midfield if they hope to remain competitive in the Super 15. Teams like the mangy Lions will overtake them if there has been zero focus on glaring weaknesses which were so obvious last year.
8 Jan 2012, 10:48 am
Lambie is so young and is not the finished product…..all the potential is there for him to be great. He has the right temperament and that cannot be trained into a person, for that reason i would put him ahead of anyone else.
8 Jan 2012, 10:53 am
@Treehugger-317:
Spot on.
8 Jan 2012, 11:11 am
@Great White Shark-318: Happy New year GWS…..hope you have had a relaxing time with your family and friends.
8 Jan 2012, 11:44 am
@Treehugger-317: Good post Hugs,
Also has great leadership qualities. See he also captained the SA Schools cricket side. In matric Lambie captained the rugby and cricket side at Michael house and was the Head Prefect there. That speaks volumes of his leadership qualities. I have no doubt he will captain the Sharks in a few years time.
8 Jan 2012, 11:44 am
@Treehugger-317: Happy New Year to you Hugs. All the best for 2012.
8 Jan 2012, 11:47 am
@Great White Shark-316: I just hope that Plum don’t select Bosman and Joubert. Remember we have Whitehead now. With Jordaan and Mjekevu also training with the Sharks. Think we will be a lot better in our midfield this year if Plum selects the right players there.
Where we may struggle is at 4. Pity we let Mostert go.
8 Jan 2012, 11:53 am
@Treehugger-319:
Thanks Treehugger. Had an awesome time. Took the kids on their first little holiday down to Southbroom for a week.
When little one turns four we’re going to Disneyland. Should be a good one.
8 Jan 2012, 11:54 am
@Puma-322:
Puma I am quite excited to see what those youngsters can ignite in the midfield.
8 Jan 2012, 11:57 am
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-315: “Wow!”, cleverdick. Where does it say “stats” in my post?
1st Key word is “Rating”…
Which means it is subjective, of course.
But instead of me saying X is a “well rounded” 10 or Y is a “kicking” 10, I have attempted to deviate from normal Saffa dull orthodoxy and plumb for something different.
i.e. Numbers that demonstrate my relative opinion of the three 10s in different categories.
Get that?
8 Jan 2012, 12:02 pm
@Great White Shark-324: I am excited to see those youngsters play as well.
Would like to see Jordaan at 12 with Mjekevu at 13. Don’t even mind Whitehead starting. Think we gonna be okay at midfield with those players. We still have to sign Mjekevu so hope we do.
Not so sure about Deysel at 4. Wish we never let Mostert go.
Have you ever been to Disneyland bud? Heck it is awesome. I went in my 40′s and felt like a great big kid……..hahahaha.
All the best to you too buddy for 2012.
Cheers out of here now, we off to lunch.
8 Jan 2012, 12:02 pm
@Heavens Game-314: Now expanding on my earlier post, the benchmark current Flyhalves for each category are:
Offense: Carter
Defence: Wilkinson
Open play: Cooper
Goal Kicking: Steyn
And Voila… Orthodox “imaginations” run riot….
8 Jan 2012, 12:03 pm
Great White Shark,
Before I go. Would like to see Lambie at 10 with those other youngsters starting. We will have a good backline this year.
Like I said a bit worried at lock.
8 Jan 2012, 12:04 pm
@Heavens Game-327: Before I log off. All the best to you buddy for 2012.
8 Jan 2012, 12:06 pm
@Puma-329: You too Puma. May 2012 surpass 2011.
8 Jan 2012, 12:46 pm
Guppy bum-chums in a round circle of lambie punting
8 Jan 2012, 13:25 pm
Lambie is about 4th in line as best option for Bok 10
Most promising all round potential for complete No.10 is Johan Goosen hands down
Then comes
Jantjies
Ebersohn
Van Aswegen
Lambie
Fouche
Cronje
Watts
Katrakillis
Francis
and this list does not include
Steyn, Grant, James, Potgieter
8 Jan 2012, 14:03 pm
Lambie is a 15, not a 10. As much as he was wants to play 10. Besides, he peformed well there during the WC and there is less competition in the position. Situation resolved.
Even Frans Steyn considers himself a 10 and wants to play there although his future is at 12. That is where he offers better value to the Boks.
Johan Goosen and Elton are probably the front runners for the Bok no. 10 slot right now, but we’ll have a clearer picture at the end of March, I reckon.
Morne Steyn has had his opportunties already.
8 Jan 2012, 14:04 pm
Bok squad 2012
Taute, Viljoen
Mapoe, Aplon
De Jongh, Sadie
Steyn, Lambie
Engelbrecht, Basson
Goosen, Jantjies
Hougaard, Duvenhage
Botha, Spies
Coetsee, Alberts, Kolisi
Minnie, Brussow
Bekker, Kruger
Van der Merwe, Strauss
Oosthuizen, Geldenhuys, Kruger
Du Plessis, Maku, Strauss, Ralepele
Gerber, Steenkamp, Mtwarira
8 Jan 2012, 14:30 pm
lambie will probably spend quite a bit of time at 12 in the beginning of the seaso learning from the frog.
this is awesome.
then he will move to 10 and hopefully fransie will return.
come back fransie, we need you bud, you are a sharks hero!
8 Jan 2012, 14:58 pm
@Puma-321: to you as well Puma,sending you a huge hug !!!
@Great White Shark-323: am glad to hear that, I am sure your tots witll love Disney world.
8 Jan 2012, 15:01 pm
@Transformation-331: Why do most of you always have a hard on for us Shark supporters, we are supporters (notice the word) so naturally if we think our guy has the good we will say so.
8 Jan 2012, 15:01 pm
thats goods
8 Jan 2012, 18:54 pm
@Treehugger-337: you must be missing gunther if what you have on your mind are “hard-ons”
keep your shark panties on, he should be back fron arniston this week
8 Jan 2012, 19:06 pm
@Puma-326:
I can’t say I would do it otherwise until I’ve seen the boys play some rugger in those positions.
Deysel and a few other locks STILL need to prove themselves and the loose forwards were pathetic against the mangy Lions in the CC final. There is a lot to play for in this Super 15…
Never been to the USA so looking forward to it in a few years.
8 Jan 2012, 21:02 pm
@339…seems u hv issues, maybe try growing up a little.
8 Jan 2012, 21:37 pm
@Treehugger-341: tee hee hee
don’t be mad.
8 Jan 2012, 21:59 pm
@ashampoopaloo-334: Let’s hope not. Too many players out of position and few undeserved.
8 Jan 2012, 22:03 pm
@Treehugger-341:
Same old comments by the same old bloggers. We better hope The Sharks perform so that we can brag again.
8 Jan 2012, 22:08 pm
have much respect for lambie. steyn to mentor lambie @ 10.
ruan no loss, jantje’s to be back on the reseve bench for the boks
super rugby will seperate the men from the boys and give a better idea of who the new talent is.
8 Jan 2012, 22:14 pm
@Treehugger-341:
you too would have issues if you supported the ep
8)
8 Jan 2012, 23:14 pm
@charo-346: lol…touché
8)
9 Jan 2012, 05:53 am
They’re all a bunch of proven LEMONS
9 Jan 2012, 10:39 am
In an ideal world this article is all good and dandie, but reality is a new coach will come in with wonderful ideas about talking the team to the next level, then he’ll lose a couple games and reporters like the very one who wrote the article will ridicule and tell everyone how far off the boks are forcing him to go back to our dull short sighted brand of rugby we have been playing for decades. Our brand of rugby needs to change at club, currie cup and super rugby levels before we can implement it at the highest level.
9 Jan 2012, 10:39 am
In an ideal world this article is all good and dandie, but reality is a new coach will come in with wonderful ideas about talking the team to the next level, then he’ll lose a couple games and reporters like the very one who wrote the article will ridicule and tell everyone how far off the boks are forcing him to go back to our dull short sighted brand of rugby we have been playing for decades. Our brand of rugby needs to change at club, currie cup and super rugby levels before we can implement it at the highest level.
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