Pride restored
6 Jan 2012
CLINTON VAN DER BERG, writing in SA Rugby magazine, reveals how the Lions went from Super Rugby chumps in 2010 to Currie Cup champs in 2011.
Ahead of the Currie Cup semi-final against Western Province, Golden Lions president Kevin de Klerk sat down to pen a letter to each member of the squad of 22.
To Doppies la Grange, he wrote, ‘You are one of those rare players who can turn a game … but we haven’t seen the Doppies factor for a while. We need it.’ To Elton Jantjies, he wrote that he believed he could become the best flyhalf in the world and that he needed to continue working hard on the basics.
And so he went.
Such was his painstaking attention to saying the right things, it took him five hours.
For De Klerk, the original lion king, it was a matter of honour to be associated with the Lions of 2011. Indeed, when they followed up a week later with their rousing Currie Cup title triumph against the Sharks, he was beaming.
They had come through tortured times and he had inherited a mess, but here was growth at its most resplendent.
Exactly 40 years before, he had made his first start for Transvaal, the Rooibonte. In the ensuing years he had watched despairingly as the grand empire built by Louis Luyt in the 1980s slowly crumbled.
De Klerk, who earns his money in the demolition business, is central to the Lions narrative because he is such a core part of their revival. He wasn’t motivated by the gravy train, the free tickets or the headlines. What motivated him was history.
‘I grew up in Rosettenville, the son of a miner,’ he recalls. ‘I was always guaranteed a fight on the way home – and that was usually with the strongest girl.
‘I played rugby because I loved it. My first game for Transvaal in ’71, I locked alongside my hero, Piet Botha. I always appreciated what administrators and coaches did for me.’
That same year he was in the side that drew with Northern Transvaal in the Currie Cup final. He would go on to play many more games for Transvaal and later shared in a Springbok series triumph against the All Blacks. Lions blood courses through his veins.
Many factors contributed to the Lions’ ascendancy this year, but arguably one of the most important was the very first issue De Klerk tackled when he assumed the presidency in 2009.
‘I needed to get the team ethos back. We were very fragmented – practising in Randburg, gyming in Bryanston and then playing at Ellis Park.’
The point was that the team was literally and figuratively all over the place. And it showed as they became a laughing stock.
De Klerk’s philosophy was that the Super Rugby and Currie Cup sides were the shop window to the union. But the window was muddy, tatty, embarrassing.
‘We didn’t have the money … we had to farm with what we had. There was talk of unloading Derick Minnie and Michael Killian and I said no. They needed encouragement and belief.’
The next thing he did was work on morale, among the team and the administrative staff.
‘The first thing I did was pull the dynamics together – coaching, training, motivation – and helped elevate the spirit among the staff, the executive committee, the board and the trust. I involved equity partners too, but that backfired.’
De Klerk still hosts a bi-weekly session with his staff over tea and biscuits.
‘The improvement in morale has been phenomenal,’ he says, stressing that any success achieved has been the result of a collective effort.
‘Among the team, I wanted to bring back the culture of old, how we used to sing songs and tell rugby stories.’
In De Klerk’s first few months, Jake White’s ‘Winning Way’ was brought in, as was Dick Muir. The results were mixed, but one happy spinoff was that Muir recommended coach John Mitchell to the union.
De Klerk liked the New Zealander the instant he met him.
‘His demeanour, attitude and philosophy were just right. Take my word for it: there isn’t a better technical coach in world rugby and there is no way I would allow him to be poached by the Springboks. He is with me until 2013, at least.’
Mitchell arrived with the reputation of being a straight shooter. His direct style had won him few friends in Perth, where he was the founding coach of the Western Force, and he was known for wielding the big stick.
By all accounts, Mitchell’s players aren’t his biggest fans, but De Klerk likens that to his days in the army. ‘I hated my corporal, but I was never fitter in my life.’
The Mitchell method isn’t for everyone. The Force team ultimately rebelled, but the Lions were different, responding to his strong sense of order and discipline.
‘I think it’s because South Africans grow up with a deep respect for their elders and leaders,’ says De Klerk.‘John talks to the cause. Hy dra nie doekies om [he doesn’t beat around the bush]. There are lots of teams where it’s a case of the tail wagging the dog. You can’t become friends with your coach. John has no problem saying, “Listen pal, you’re not cutting it.”’
One moment during the Super Rugby season perfectly demonstrated his attitude. After losing 34-30 to the Chiefs in a classic game, there was a feeling that the Lions had done well. Mitchell wouldn’t hear of it.
‘We let this one slip. I’m not interested in people praising one another because they came close to winning.’
It’s an attitude recognised by Josh Strauss, the piratical figure who became a lightning rod for the team’s fortunes.
‘The talent was always there; the coach just managed it better. He instilled discipline and he made us choose core values. The guys he finished with are the guys who can handle it, who can take the criticism.’
Strauss and La Grange addressed the team during the captain’s run on the eve of the final. Their message was that they had taken so many pot shots from the media and supporters that nothing the Sharks did could blow them off course. When the players were handed their match jerseys, the number ‘9912’ was embroidered on, to represent 1999, the last time they had won the Currie Cup, and the dozen years since.
Part of what made Mitchell so successful was the training team he assembled. Wayne Taylor of New Zealand, his conditioning coach, is a stickler for fitness. He got stuck in. Even now, he says they are three years off where they ought to be physically.
Backline coach Carlos Spencer’s reputation precedes him, suffice to say that he hates losing. Despite his quiet presence, he lets the team know exactly how he feels. It was Jantjies who earned the plaudits after scoring 24 points in the final, but less dwelled upon was the bag of tricks Spencer endowed him with. The jinks, the subtle touches and the clever kicks are straight from the Spencer manual.
Then there was the quiet, brooding presence of Johan Ackermann, who fired up a pack of forwards that could by no measure be called outstanding. But JC Janse van Rensburg, Bandise Maku, Franco van der Merwe and others were like a band of brothers who stuck together and fought together.
Elsewhere, you only had to look at the form of players like La Grange, Strauss, Michael Bondesio, Minnie and Jaco Taute, a group of renegades, aspirants and nearly men, to realise that Mitchell’s great gift was his ability to draw the very best out of them.
But the Lions’ journey to Currie Cup success wasn’t without potholes. The fallout with their equity partners was damaging and there was also the messy departure of Jano Vermaak, one of De Klerk’s great regrets.
‘To lose him was a helluva blow, but then Bondesio came in and injected a tempo we never had. Watching every player develop was a thrill, but a particular highlight was JC Janse van Rensburg. He has the heart of a lion despite not being physically imposing. It’s hard to dwell on individuals, there were so many. Michael Rhodes, Elton, Josh Strauss, Franco … I saw Franco walking down the tunnel the other day and told him, “Now you’re starting to look like a lock, my mate.”’
Notwithstanding the difficulty in signing new players – ‘You don’t just pull them off shop shelves,’ says De Klerk – he believes they are well set to approach the new Super Rugby season with greater confidence. There is no hubris surrounding their Currie Cup win, just the certainty that they need to build on it.
‘I must reiterate that the victory belongs to the players,’ says De Klerk. ‘We were behind the scenes. All glory to them.’
The success in the Currie Cup will doubtless help attract players, as it did in early November when a number of new signings were announced, including the Cronjé brothers (Guy and Ross), Stephen Greeff, Callie Visagie and Hendrik Roodt. Mitchell will doubtless be shopping for more.
There’s no outlandish claim to cracking the Super Rugby play-offs, but De Klerk says he would be disappointed if they didn’t finish in the top half. The last year was pock-marked by what-could-have-beens, but with many young players now entering their third season of Super Rugby, the expectations are rooted in realism. ‘We’ve helped stabilise the rocky ship and they feel it.’
Happily De Klerk is in it for the long haul. He may be hobbling around thanks to recent knee replacement surgery, but the to-do list remains long and he remains determined.
Right at the top is preserving the status of the Lions as Saru ponders how to make six go into five for the 2013 Super Rugby season. De Klerk won’t tolerate talk of the Lions being removed or merging with the Cheetahs.
‘It’s been tough, but I’m going damn nowhere. I won’t allow these doors to close.’
– This article first appeared in the December issue of SA Rugby magazine. The January-February issue is on sale now.
108 Comments
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8 Jan 2012, 10:36 am
What is wrong with these bundu bashing scorekeepers.
Gayle has 2 wickets not one!!
8 Jan 2012, 10:38 am
8 Jan 2012, 10:38 am
@Great White Shark-49: How did Shark fans celebrate it when they won it in 2010? They looked quite happy on the telly and my buds (Sharks fans) as happy as ****.
8 Jan 2012, 10:41 am
Great white shark groot wit haai groot wit baas make up your mind already.
8 Jan 2012, 10:45 am
@Dawn-54:
I’ve got my own stalker. Wish it was a pretty one.
8 Jan 2012, 10:46 am
Are you groot and wit ie overweight and muffin-top.
8 Jan 2012, 10:52 am
@Dawn-56:
You remind me of that bushman on ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy”. Are you related?
8 Jan 2012, 10:58 am
Nooooo. I’ve evolved a bit along with the rest of my tribe!
8 Jan 2012, 11:00 am
In fact, we’ve weakened the gene pool by mixing with groot wit people!
8 Jan 2012, 13:32 pm
@Great White Shark-57:
Sharks to choke again this year and win fark all?
8 Jan 2012, 14:28 pm
40 Tackler that is pretty interesting – well seems he’s def picked the form horse here.
8 Jan 2012, 15:36 pm
@cab-61:
You must be looking forward to your boys having a crack at the world champs this year?
8 Jan 2012, 19:30 pm
yip, but the current champs vs the former ones, still the Bokke were unlucky and might just take the ABs this year…
8 Jan 2012, 19:33 pm
@cab-63:
Depends on the coach.
8 Jan 2012, 19:37 pm
@Great White Shark-64:
pity the Great One had the blinkers on with 1 or 2 selections in that 1/4 final otherwise he was pretty good? what a match-up it would have been, SA v NZ in the semis, i would have put even money on that game any day of the week and not as a Bok supoprter either, the kiwis would have been bekakking themselves for that one, knew that goddamn oz would be the speedbump for the boks but get annihilated by kiwis.
8 Jan 2012, 21:37 pm
pity de Villiers was blindfolded and handcuffed by this insane idea that John Smit was to be this awe inspiring leader to lift Bill twice, that could not lead for toffee apples… when push came to shove the leader that was history past tense failed time and time and time again.. like 10 from 11 starts in 2 years running,.., and yet they all still fell for the superstitious delusion that this was the bridge to their joint immortality..
That is what did the deed and derailed the entire campaign.. the insane idea that Smit could lead the Boks to glory twice in succession.. that was the straw that broke de Villiers back… and I reckon he knows it now but was too hamstrung and powerless to pull the plug when it was needed most… to ax Smit from the starting line up was the most vital action that would have saved his entire credibility when it was required… and he could not do the easiest thing for the sake of the nation and the team… Ax Smit from starting hooker… that was all that was needed.. as simple as 1,2,3 and the task was in the bag.. easy as pie..
8 Jan 2012, 21:56 pm
@cab-65:
Hindsight is 20/20.
The Boks had to wrestle for points in that game against Oz and unfotunately the refereee won in the end. A different tactic here and there and the game could have been won. Whatever.
To think that the Boks won any games in 2010 and 2011 under a coach woefully out of his coaching depth was in itself a rugby miracle, and more a testament to the players abilities as versatile and extremely talented sportsmen. South Africa should take heart from that alone.
The right Bok coach should and will take the next class of Bok players to the next level. Exciting times ahead.
8 Jan 2012, 22:14 pm
@Great White Shark-67: hope so.
too long has SA suffered at the hands of PDV and the senior players.
hard to run a team when they’re not moving in the same direction.
good players just need to work on some winning game plans and team work
hope SA and Aus bring something different to the RugbyChampionship this year.
8 Jan 2012, 22:40 pm
weren;t so easy as 1, 2, 3 – not at all, smit’s boks still were better than ozzies and that was without Bakkies, Frans Steyn and Brussow. Smit shoulda been squad captain, vic team captain, Bismark and Alberts starting – and that would have been DiV pretty much immortalised imo, he did pretty much everything else right, but the benching of Bismark was unfknforgivable, especially after the wales game and the ozzie loss at home – as they say, fool me one shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. that bismarck thing made me crazy, that was utter madness.
@Great White Shark-67:
the first paragraph is alot of truth, but i disagree with the 2nd one, PdV was actually a pretty good coach imo, he just was hopeless with the media, but he certaintly was not the first in that regard, look at White’s 3 irishman chirp and was constantly in ****, Straulie was horrendous – do u think we concussed ourselves, erm yes.
8 Jan 2012, 22:45 pm
Smit did become way too powerful tho unfortunately, even old keo here still aint taken aim, and he used to do that at the drop of a hat at everyone including the SARU hotel organiser, must be getting soft with all the success. Smit rightfully got the plaudits after 2007, but 2011 shoulda crucified him, was horrendous ego and his book was complete nonsense, all that rubbish about putting the team first, put the bladdy team first already and let the best player in the world play.
9 Jan 2012, 02:08 am
@cab-70:
Cab I know you joke around but if you really believe Bissy is the best player in the world there is the problem with Bokke rugby
9 Jan 2012, 08:19 am
Winning the CC means nothing these days – proof in the pudding is the S15 – a midtable finish would be an achievement , but to be contenders they will definately need to expand their player base
9 Jan 2012, 08:32 am
@stew-72:
Nonsense, winning the CC means alot. Just ask the Lions.
9 Jan 2012, 08:37 am
@Mr Black-73: If they win the S15 then they can roar – lol.
I am not degrading their win but in order for them to really claim they are back they have to perform in the S15 – not just playing well but win games – i do wish them luck.
9 Jan 2012, 08:41 am
@cab-69:
I’m from the school of thought that duh Villiers was lucky in 2009. He was soon showed up for the fraud he was in 2010/11. More proof of his incompetence you will not need.
The players quite simply coached themselves. duh Villiers was really just a token to look as if he were coaching in all the media photos but behind the scenes he was sitting back and being baased around. A coach with half a percent of pride and self confidence would never have put up with this. What was his excuse…don’t blame the players, blame the lazy useless coach.
He was not a man that had an instinct for good judgement and the Smit debacle was proof of this. I think that his ego got in the way of his better judgement and he wanted to prove to the media that he was right about his choice of Smit ahead of Bismarck. A good coach can ill afford to place his ego ahead of common sense. White’s blunder in Ireland was a hard lesson to learn as he too let his ego get in the way…but lets play our cards on the table here…I was at the game in Dublin, and I can tell you that the ref made a very serious error when he asked Smit to go and talk to his players when just at that moment the Irish tapped and ran over for the try. It was a harsh one and cost the Boks the game. White almost got away with that comment. The big difference however, is that White has a RWC medal and duh Villiers has the whole “the players coached the team” thing hanging over his head. I sincerely believe that had White done another four years he’d have taken the Boks to new heights. SARU do not have a proud record of man management and it has cost us several coaches over the years.
This has cost South Africa dearly.
9 Jan 2012, 08:58 am
@Great White Shark-75:
Why do you think White would have done that his record outside of a 5 week period in 07′ was very very average?
9 Jan 2012, 09:20 am
@cab-61: The form trifecta. NZ bred and raised.
9 Jan 2012, 10:35 am
@NZINCHINA-76:
Simply that as with all South African coaches he was not allowed to work with his group of players past the 2007 RWC. Only in South Africa would this happen.
White took a group of players that had gone through the trauma of working with Strooli and he had the arduous task of retraining them from scratch.
duh Villiers took over that team and simply ran with what he had.
9 Jan 2012, 13:54 pm
@NZINCHINA-71:
A person named Sean Fitzpatrick is also on record as saying that in his World XV he would pick Bismarck first and then the rest of the team. I fully agree with Cab and others. Fitzpatrick also repeatedly criticized the policy of leaving him on the bench in favour of the way-past-his-prime-professional-loser captain Smit.
But then so what if he did play – Paddy’s refs would still have ensured that the home team would not have to worry about the Boks. There will never be peace in world rugby so long as that crook (O’Brien) is running the show.
9 Jan 2012, 15:00 pm
@J.B. Cowper-79:
Happy New Year JB, he hasn’t done enough for me over a long enough period at the very top to be considered the best player in the world, big call for a guy with a hand full of tests, lets also not forget Cab has been saying since 09, that the Bokke are better than Aus and NZ the records books say otherwise. Bismark is certainly a world class player but the number 1 on the planet that might be pushing it, Cab also said a while back that he thought Steyn was as good as Carter.
9 Jan 2012, 19:06 pm
@NZINCHINA-80:
Happy new Year yourself mate – just quoting Sean … who might be biased in favour of hookers, but he knows the game better than most … Steyn could have been as good as Carter and would have been under Mitchell … complete X Factor player (tragedy he got injured when he did) …
9 Jan 2012, 21:22 pm
@Great White Shark-75:
not sure about that, 2009 they played the game the way he wanted it to play, fast and frenetic, esp in the 3N, that was with bismark at 2 and smit at 3. i think the snr players knew they couldnt sustain that sort of intensity and bent his ear a bit too much, he was loyal too a fault, he was right in keeping them all on, but not starting bismarck was a crucial error, for the rest he was good, the players like him and he engendred a good team spirit. White was good for a rescue job, but im not sure how far he wouldve moved them on, just a little too conservative, PdV werent far off the mark at all to move them on just one or two decisions where he;s loyalty let him down a bit, nearly struck the perfect balance until making the mad proclomation that smit was the best hooker in the world, then he’d lost it, was so committed by then could make a very hard but obvious decision, you got to pick your best, simple. if not, u deserve to lose, regardless of the ref.
@NZINCHINA-80:
lol, must have really been hamming it up, can’t remember saying steyn was as good as carter, but he’s kicking probably is slightly better, if you want a steady eady points machine for the RWC, probably one of the best.
9 Jan 2012, 21:25 pm
surprised u dont rate steyn, nz was after all the home of grant fox..
9 Jan 2012, 21:50 pm
De Villiers biggest fault was thinking like the rest of the brainwashed SA rugby following fraternity that John Smit carried the keys to the WC treasure chest…
Biggest dumb diabolical brainwashed superstition going.. as if this over the hill and consistent loser who could not buy a tri nations or Eoyt international win in two entire whole years solid in spite of all this hero worshiping sham scenario doing the rounds… where the rot had already started setting in in 2009 vs France and Ireland and then continued throughout 2010 and 2011 through every single test where Smit led the team.. and yet they continued to persist with the fairy tale that John Smit was the secret to their success… how far fetched deluded ignorant idiotic can anyone possibly get.??
Watch him losing game after game after game and yet still somehow believe like a dumb church going Jesuit that he is gonna produce the frankincense and myrrh at the fullness of time.. as if by some deluded miracle he will perform his magicians magic…
It was a recipe baked in fallacy… 2 entire years of consistent loss after loss after loss and the penny would not drop that Smit was a walking catastrophe waiting to happen… and so it did.. because when its screaming out at you that 2 entire years of losing under prevailing fallacies of delusional non existent leadership did not register that this was the reason for the losses… then the ultimate lesson would need to be learned when the real test met the mettle… and ultimately so it did.
9 Jan 2012, 22:21 pm
Breaking news:
NOW THIS IS INTERESTING. FROM NEWS 24 Cape Town – Rassie Erasmus has shocked the Western Province Rugby Union (WPRU) by resigning from his position as director of coaching. Erasmus’s lawyer, Frikkie Erasmus, confirmed the news to Die Burger newspaper on Monday. “Rassie is looking at other options. There are other choices, especially overseas,” said Frikkie Erasmus. Rassie Erasmus has already informed the Stormers’ management team of his decision to quit. He was last year mentioned as a possible candidate to become the next Springbok coach after he assisted them as a technical adviser at the World Cup in New Zealand. However, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) will only comment on the new Bok coaching team on January 27. Heyneke Meyer and Gert Smal are apparently the two strongest candidates for the Springbok head coaching position. Die Burger further understands that clubs in England and France are after Erasmus’s services. He started his tenure at the WPRU in late 2007. He then coached the Stormers to fifth position in the 2008 Super 14, just missing out on a semi-final spot. But he struggled to handle the constant media pressure and was appointed in his current role as director of coaching with Allister Coetzee taking over the coaching reigns.
9 Jan 2012, 22:21 pm
since readmission, i cant remember a worse decision, the gap between bismarck and smit was mammoth, if it was close then fair enough let the captaincy prevail but it was a horrendous decision, after all those losses to oz, and then the creme-de-la-fkn-creme wake-up vs wales, they deserve exactly what happened in that RWC – and im afraid to say no ways must PdV be picked again, for exactly that one decision.
9 Jan 2012, 23:05 pm
@cab-86: ok PDV didnt do a great job but shouldnt the blame also be laid at the feet of the senior players who took over the coaching and stopped listening to PDV?
PDV in his defense tried to introduce an expansive attacking game but was rail roaded by the senior players who went back to the kick and pressure game.
I remember an article on Keo where matfield said that no one could tell him or FDP what to do then admitting that he and the senior players took over the steering of that titanic. article was funny in that they were singing PDV’s praises and then going on about how they took over and ignored him.
9 Jan 2012, 23:23 pm
@man1a-87:
I think PdV did do a great job generally, it was right at the end that he fkd up royally and yes the snr players are equally to blame cos of the power they had. Ppl will bang on about PdV not being strong enough with the players, but i dont think that was it, he’d engendred a good atmosphere and imo it was correct to keep them on, he’s one big mistake was in his starting selection for the RWC, which was not picked on form (ironically what he landed his ticket on) and got the balance wrong. He had to make a big decision, he made it, it was the wrong one, and those are the consequences.
10 Jan 2012, 00:16 am
@cab-88: yeah smit never should’ve started and the decision never should’ve been his. talk about conflict of interest.
hougart should’ve started and maybe that would’ve put a fire under FdP to get his sh it correct
habana i’m unsure about. hasnt fired for a few years but was that because he never got ball from his back line or was he well past it? can u tell me why boks didnt have more moves that involved habana?
spies, honestly i dont understand why he makes the side. he’s missing for the majority of the games and only ever turns up in the easy wins.
i’d never want to see pdv coach the boks side ever again, but u gotta wonder how it would’ve turned out if he had a bit more balls and ran the boks like he’d wanted too instead listening to the players who instead of being inovative and expansive just went back to the same old sh it.
boks had the forwards to get a lot of quality front foot ball and the backline for attacking rugby but just could never get it to flow for more than a few phases.
10 Jan 2012, 00:29 am
@man1a-89:
yeah alot of these guys were probably a little out of it form-wise. It was a tough one though cos reckon the coaches know often the top players can come back, but FdP was out too long, Habana’s form had been shocking for a while and some of the S15 sides had even been targetting his wing. yeah agree with alot of that, personally, I wouldve started Bismarck, Spies and Hougaard over their more senior counterparts who shouldve have played the backup role in the event the form players went down with injury – it was a match made in heaven to an extent – the perfect setup but they got it arse about face, they ver nearly had it right, but not enough form players in their balance, went for experience, too much. The Boks probably peaked in 2009 when they correctly filtered in new blood like Beast and Bismark, as the years went on they should have slotted Hougaard and Alberts into the mix who were the form players of the 2011 S15. This would’ve been adapting to change while still keeping the class, instead they went all the way back to pre-2009 and saw their arses. They actually shouldve lost v Wales, no doubt about it, it was a miraculous turnaround with bismark, alberts and hougaard coming on. Instead of learning the lesson, they took from it that the superbench would bail them out, crazy, and no ways going to happen vs winners like oz.
10 Jan 2012, 01:07 am
like Hougaard and Alberts and they should’ve started more games
fully agree with the arse about face when it came to knock outs.
2009 boks definately ruled world rugby, and though it was a winning game plan it was only one. once the AB’s dropped roko and sivivatu and replaced them with wingers that could defuse bombs it put much more counter attack ability back in the oppostion game. boks didnt have a back up plan and persisted with the kicking for territory game. boks basically handed the AB’s the winning formula for stopping aus in the quarters.
definately needs to be a balance of the wisdom from experience and the exuberance of youth. aus lacked their experience and boks had too much without any new ideas or skills being brought into the mix.
imho boks should’ve also lost to samoa
10 Jan 2012, 02:03 am
@J.B. Cowper-81:
you talking Morne or Frans?
@cab-83:
lol thats a pretty accurate comparison actually, Foxy had better overall control on the paddock than Morne though
10 Jan 2012, 03:19 am
@cab-90: why spies?one the the most over rated players ever imho.
fast and strong but his work ethic is terrible. doesnt seem to have a rugby brain. avoids clearing out a ruck like it was the plague and spends way too much time waiting for the ball instead going in and getting it.
10 Jan 2012, 15:09 pm
@man1a-89: @****-up was Smit playing the Tests ahead of Bismarck - until then it wasn't too late, with all that brilliant talent he could have recovered but after that he must go for good).
2056840">NZINCHINA-92:
Frans Steyn – Morne not and never will be in Carter’s league – but Frans is a special talent and in typical Bok-politics rugby has been criminally mismanaged
10 Jan 2012, 21:10 pm
@J.B. Cowper-94: why didnt PDV like Frans Steyn? its a relief when he isnt on the field because u know your given another 20 metres of field u can infringe in
morne may not be a carter but he’s still a quality 1st5. should be on the bench as backup and mentor as a new pivot is developed. imo lambie needs to be given a shot, though i recently watched footage of goosen and he seems to have a lot to offer
10 Jan 2012, 22:05 pm
PdV was given his opportunity and blew it. The Smit debate has been raging for years and only some of us got it right. And I wasn’t one of them. I supported his leadership of the side(read squad) but expected Biz to start the big daddys. Starting the big ones with JS and Fourie was a monumental blunder, given both players’ form. I wont elaborate on Spies. Its all been well outlined by others for me.
10 Jan 2012, 22:42 pm
@NZINCHINA-92:
tell you whats amazing is that nz ever produced a flyhalf like fox, maybe we not so different afterall, coulda been a splitting image of our man nasty naas botha.
@man1a-93:
yeah spies far too many ordinary performances, i dunno they just kept picking the same team, consistency is fine, but the players must be consistently performing, and spies is very much up and down, alberts should have been there, neith spies nor burger where getting over the adv line.
@TASSIES-96:
yep thats probably it summed up.
10 Jan 2012, 23:21 pm
@TASSIES-96: i was the same as u. i thought smit was a good captain. certainly did the tight 5 work and cleared out rucks and mauls and put in some pretty big hits but in retrospect it was a symptom of the bigger problem with the senior players taking over. Fourie I’m assuming FdP, Jaques is one of the best centres in the world at the mo. yeah FdP was a real let down when he eventually came back from injury. Hougaard should’ve had more game time but again it was the snr players picking themselves.
@cab-97:
easy on cab. was never a naas fan till someone here pointed me to some footage of him. never watched much rugby pre-apartheid so was surprised with the athletecism of the guy. always thought he was a kicker passer like fox but saw great footage of his scything runs.
dont understand why everyones down on burger. the guy was told what to do and he did it like any great soldier. game plan was to use him as the 1st up hitter/battering ram. may not have been a great idea but that didnt stop burger from trying over and over again. he wasnt captain it wasnt his place to change the gameplan during the game. predictable? not his place as a blindside (yeah he wears 7 but does the 6′s role) to be flashy.
ran more ball in that 1/4 finals than any other boks forward. wtf were the rest of the worldClass boks forwards doing? p!ssing around mainly or being ineffectual. cant blame the guy for doing his job
10 Jan 2012, 23:29 pm
@cab-97: and burger tackled all day like a demon. which bok contributes more defensively than burger?
spies, have never rated him. great athelete but below average rugby player. needs a rugby brain as doesnt have the instinct to do the little things that contribute over all. he never clears rucks or mauls. never see him coming up with a try saving tackle, his linking between backs and forwards is pretty non existent. to me a good measure of a player is how they play in a losing game. spies disapears in the tough matches. sorry i think the guys a waste of space.
still has potential but until he shows that he’s actively working on his craft then should remain at super level
11 Jan 2012, 00:22 am
@man1a-98:
think naas was a kicker passer like fox too, he was exceptionally fast but didnt break the line too much cos werent too keen on the contact, damn funny to watch, but he controlled the game like fox, probably better than anyone else imo, but not an allround flyhalf like carter, better rugby brain tho.
Burger still is a great player, but he’s lost his ball-carrying a bit, he’s body not as robust as it once was and not hitting it up as hard or as fast anymore, he’s still a great player in general play tho – but with hard won ball imo you need to be very selective who you use to hit up with as your ballcarrier, imo there is noone in SA like Alberts at present who always gets over and his ball protection is very good, it gives a lot of momentum, which burger is not giving at the moment, look at ozzie game alot of ball but no momentum, it was a bad move to use him in this role at the RWC. He shoulda just been told to nail everything that moves and the ballcarrying left for Alberts. Couldve been an almighty mutha of a Bok side, but we’ll never see it.
Spies is very explosive and a better ballcarrier option that Burger, but as you say he does not have the mental side – Alberts ticks all the boxes, they made a couple of fkups.
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