Meyer the man to repair Bok brand
24 Jan 2012
JON CARDINELLI writes that Heyneke Meyer will bring a working rugby knowledge, a trophy cabinet of experience and some much needed integrity to the Springbok coaching position.
In a two-horse race where Meyer and Gert Smal were the competitors, South African rugby was always going to be the winner. Both are decorated coaches who have enjoyed title-winning success with their respective teams, and both are renowned for their cerebral approach to the game.
For four years, South Africa has been devoid of a leader who possesses such experience and qualities, and predictably those four years have witnessed South Africa finishing stone last in three out of four Tri-Nations tournaments and exiting the 2011 World Cup at the quarter-final stage.
It would appear that the dark days are over. Until a few days ago, Smal was touted as the favourite for the Bok coaching job, an appointment that should have been welcomed and celebrated as the dawn of a new era. Aside from his stint with the 2007 World Cup-winning side, he has also featured prominently for Ireland as a forwards coach and was rightly lauded following their Grand Slam win in 2009. His views on transformation are well-documented, and had he got the top job, he would have worked hard to influence a greater representation across all levels of South African rugby.
Unfortunately, Saru and Smal could not come to an agreement regarding his salary. There were other reasons that contributed to his decision to remain in Ireland, such as the fact that he has committed to the side until 2013 and his family have built a life in Dublin since settling there in 2008. Just as was the case four years ago, South Africa’s loss is Ireland’s gain.
In Meyer, however, the Boks have another outstanding and potentially game-changing candidate, and so the dawn of a new era should still come to pass. His career at the Bulls remains the stuff of legend, having arrived at the turn of the century and implemented changes and systems that formed the bedrock for a dynasty. If ever there was a man that could take a team that has failed in the past and restore them as champions, Meyer is that man.
The Bulls’ mentor has been offered the job by Saru and is likely to take it. Many felt he was ready for the responsibility in 2008, and only a late change by Saru saw Peter de Villiers walking into the Bok coach’s first official press conference. De Villiers walked into that presser wearing a Bulls blazer, a union synonymous with Meyer, and that should have triggered an alarm. De Villiers never fit that blazer just as he never fit the role. He also failed to grow into it as time progressed.
It could be speculated that Meyer would have avoided the mistakes and built on the success of Jake White’s tenure. It could be said that Meyer would have ensured that some of the best players ever to emerge from this country recorded more than a 62% winning ratio over the course of those four years. If Meyer was instated, future generations may have reflected on a golden age instead of one golden year (2009).
But that time has gone, and SA rugby has to move forward. While Meyer won’t have the benefit of working with a team stacked with grizzled title winners, he is the right man to nurture and develop the young talent that’s set to replace Victor Matfield and company. As his record at the Bulls will confirm, he has an exceptional eye for talent and his man-management is of the highest order.
The appointment will be confirmed this Friday, and all South Africans should mark this as a significant day for Bok rugby. Meyer has the means to restore some pride to a side that exited the 2011 World Cup in humiliating fashion. He will have a plan to bring the Boks immediate and long-term success, as a World Cup should never be the only tournament on which a top nation is judged. The Boks should win 80% of their matches, and with Meyer in charge that goal is certainly attainable.
A challenging yet exciting road lies ahead. Fortunately for South Africa, the right man will be driving the bus.
939 Comments
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23 Jan 2012, 12:55 pm
The job of national coach is never an easy one.
Also I heard that Rassie, Nienaber and Paul True will be his assistants.
23 Jan 2012, 12:58 pm
80% win ratio? Yes, that is realistic, with Meyer in charge. Once he has built the squad he wants.
23 Jan 2012, 13:02 pm
Still think Meyer is insane to accept this job.
23 Jan 2012, 13:02 pm
why dont you compliment john on the article, tac..?..
23 Jan 2012, 13:04 pm
Yep
23 Jan 2012, 13:05 pm
Didn’t Meyer have an initial bad record at Bulls? Wasn’t Rudy Joubert’s first year in charge the year the Bulls turned it around in the Super 12?
23 Jan 2012, 13:06 pm
@dWeePer-1: I think Rassie and Nienaber you got right but I think PissAnt said it on the other thread that Paul T won’t be there.
I wonder though if Paul is out who can be options for backline coach, any ideas?
23 Jan 2012, 13:08 pm
@Tacitus-2: when will that be, 5 years time?
23 Jan 2012, 13:11 pm
This site really is slow today. Takes me 5 min to reload the page to see if my comment went through.
23 Jan 2012, 13:12 pm
@Transformation-8: lol. Yes if he fails to deliver then it will be because he’s “rebuilding” in Tac’s book. If he succeeds it will be because of the core Bulls players in the team.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
23 Jan 2012, 13:15 pm
Slaptjips backline coach?
23 Jan 2012, 13:20 pm
Damned if he does and dmaned if he doesn’t.
Heyneke should tell Saru to fukkoff and concentrate on the Bulls.
Seems like nobody outside the Bulls rate him anyway.
Let the boks have another 4 years of divvie and the bulls can build a dynasty.
23 Jan 2012, 13:21 pm
@Tacitus-9: Slower than Pierre into a ruck.
23 Jan 2012, 13:21 pm
@Tacitus-9: It’s ridiculous. My work server keeps on timing out and giving up. I think keo has taken advantage of a fantastic web hosting offer in Mali.
23 Jan 2012, 13:23 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-12: By the look of things you are going to get 4 years of Divvie.
Just not us.
23 Jan 2012, 13:27 pm
I now cant wait for the Internationals to start, yes please!
23 Jan 2012, 13:32 pm
O and good article except for saying that the Boks excited the WC in humiliating fashion. I know we should have gone for a drop goal after O Connors penalty but it was a very impressive performance against a top team. Maybe 2003 was humiliating but not 2011
23 Jan 2012, 13:32 pm
@stormersboy-15:
holihah
Divvie is a western cape lad born and bred.
The DOR slot at Province is tailor-made for him,
Then he can sit in the box behind AC every saturday telling him over the walkie talkie what a god given talent he is.
23 Jan 2012, 13:32 pm
Tacitus. Betja you reload your firearm quicker.
23 Jan 2012, 13:32 pm
@>^..^< katman-14: I dunno. I think Keo have been abusing the whole “free blog” thing from WordPress so they have put him on go slow,
23 Jan 2012, 13:36 pm
@stormersboy-20:
oh dear.
keo is going to have to put a second mortgage on Gnome Towers.
23 Jan 2012, 13:41 pm
I think Cardenelli’s chair is resting on top of the HSM Interweb pipe. Someone please tell the revered scribe to move.
23 Jan 2012, 13:51 pm
OK, I managed to reload the page – finally.
I don’t get these sudden high standards that he transformation crowd so frantically want to impose on Meyer. 80% win ratio? From day 1?
Now, I won’t be suprised if he reaches that target, but surely logic would dictate that he be treated with the same leniency these guys showed towards P Divvy?
And the derision with which they refer to Meyer taking a number of years to achieve an 80% win ratio, or win the S14, is quite puzzling.
The fact that no one else was able to achieve this AT ALL seems to escape their grasp. If Meyer has a 70% win ratio in year 1, a 75% ratio in year 2 and an 80% ratio from year 3 onwards, surely this will be lightyears ahead of anything else achieved by any coach since readmisison who had to play away games to Aus or NZ.
But this seems not to be good enough for them in Meyer’s case.
In Divvy’s case, however, a 60% win ratio was just fine though.
The irony is worth noting.
23 Jan 2012, 13:54 pm
@PissAnt-3: i have to agree with you there, after what they did to him in 2008, but i reckon the prospect of building up the Boks with a bunch of young talented blokes is way too inciting.
23 Jan 2012, 13:57 pm
Heyneke would be a good choice as Bok Coach.
Exciting 4 years ahead, or is that 2?
23 Jan 2012, 13:57 pm
@Tacitus-23:
Luckily HM is a coach guy who really believes that SA has the quality players to win each game and that will surely be his aim, without using rebuilding as an excuse…Rebuilding a national team is about getting the players to gel and settled adapt to structures etc, not necessarily to get players up to international standard. But yeah 80 % in the first year is a bit far fetched!
23 Jan 2012, 13:59 pm
Why is Paul Treu not part of the plans anymore? Who would HM pick or who would be a good choice. I wouldnt pick a SA backline coach…
23 Jan 2012, 14:00 pm
I think Meyer is one of the best coaches in the world. But no matter what he achieves at provincial level, he will never be mentioned as a Tier 1 coach for so long doesn’t coach a test team.
So the irony is that John Mitchell, Strauli, Jake White and even Divvy belong to a select club that Meyer up to now could not join.
Matfield considers Meyer to be a far better coach than Jake White, but Jake White is an international coach, with all that comes along with it, even if you have a pathetic win ratio.
At last Meyer will achieve the stature he deserves, and I believe he will be one of only two coaches from SA – the other being Nick Mallet – that will eventually be seen in the same light as Clive Woodward, Graham Henry, John Hart, Rod Mcqueen and Robbie Deans.
23 Jan 2012, 14:01 pm
To be fair, there will be an element of rebuilding required by Meyer.
Firstly, rebuilding because of the natural attrition of experienced players. And secondly because of the unnatural attrition of the Bok brand over the last 4 years caused by one P Divvy.
I just hope upon all hope that he doesnt have a 4 year plan like his 2 predecessors. Rebuild this Bok side to start winnig every Test from the get go, not just with an eye to the next WC.
23 Jan 2012, 14:02 pm
@MacToogie-24:
I mentioned this elsewhere:
In an environment where he had access and control over his players and resources for the best part of 9 months of the year, he will now have to build a culture and team ethic into his structures a week or two out from a test. Where once he had 8 weeks to spend with his squad prior to the start of the season/competition, he will now receive a bunch of battered and bruised bodies days out from a major international test (1 week to be precise for the England test series). The days where he had a direct and big influence on administrative decisions made in the union will now be replaced fighting a blazer brigade who will put their own interests, or those of their own unions ahead of those of the national coach and the national team.
Heyneke is the best guy, but even he will struggle in this environment specifically on the last point, fighting the amateur blazer brigade and getting no co-operation from unions/franchises.
23 Jan 2012, 14:03 pm
can only get a ot better than the 3 stooges….that was a fark up of distinction….
23 Jan 2012, 14:05 pm
Meyer is far luckier this time around – he gets to select and strategize his way because far less over awed expectations carrying a bunch of lucky packet RWC winners with self seeking agendas in being the first back to back RWC winners and all that around his neck..
He can select and build and motivate with a fresh clean slate, something De Villiers could not due to his hands tied behind his back inheriting the over burdened legacy he stepped into
Would have been far more interesting to see how Meyer handled the ego laden Boks of 2008.. this team now has a far cleaner less expectant and less hyped up platform to take off from.. and a rather less complicated task of building a new Bok legacy seeing that since Streauli, White and PdV we have regressed into the conservative doldrums and fallen way behind the total rugby intention that they been promising to adopt since the heady Bok days of ’98.
23 Jan 2012, 14:05 pm
@PissAnt-30: that is the same environment most international coaches face?
23 Jan 2012, 14:08 pm
@Tacitus-28: One thing is for sure, the problems I thought we will have at lock is not going to happen. Danie Rossouw, Bakkies Botha, Guthro Steenkamp and Fourie du Preez can’t wait to get on that plane.
I also have renewed hope for the Bulls this season, but not necessarily in the long run. Stegmann and Oliver, amongst others, will play their hearts out this season. If those two play like they did in 2009 then the Bulls will do OK.
23 Jan 2012, 14:09 pm
Meyers success took a long time to build , he has not got that luxury with the Boks, his successful recipe is built on cliques and I expect the same will happen to the Boks !!
The “broederbond” element will dictate to Meyer, I can’t say I am excited by his appointment but I will give him the benefit of the doubt !!
23 Jan 2012, 14:09 pm
Does this mean Pierre Spies will be the Springbok captain, with Bismarck du Plessis his vice?
23 Jan 2012, 14:11 pm
@ashampoopaloo-32:
skop, divvy never got to strategise because he could not strategise, meyer will strategise because he can.
also, heyneke had no problems handling half of those ego’s touted while they were at the buls.
23 Jan 2012, 14:11 pm
@grant10-33:
Not the politics. Thats a proudly South African thing.
23 Jan 2012, 14:11 pm
@stormersboy-13: hahahahahahaha, HEY NOT COOL >=/ hahahahahahahahahaha
23 Jan 2012, 14:13 pm
@grant10-33:
The international calendar has gone from ridiculous to insane this year.
My point is really in SA Rugby and specifically the Bok coaching job every single coach fails because of the organisation and not because of his ability as a coach. The amount of support Henry enjoyed from his employers and franchises in NZ is light years apart from what happens here.
It’s for the very same reason England cannot get it right possibly, and why Mallet has a set list of demands before he considers the offer.
23 Jan 2012, 14:13 pm
@ashampoopaloo-32:
Meyer would never have allowed those, how did you put it, ‘lucky packet RWC winners with self seeking agendas’ to run all over him. No other coach would have allowed that.
Divvy was chosen for non rugby reasons and as such was too weak to instil his own strategies and selections. He tried, but was too weak a coach.
23 Jan 2012, 14:13 pm
The wording in my previous post was fully intentional, by the way.
23 Jan 2012, 14:14 pm
@WP Till I Die-36:
I dont think just becaus he was the bulls coach that Spies will make the starting lineup nevermind getting the captaincy.. Burger will probably get the captaincy and Spies will probably be more of an impact player…
23 Jan 2012, 14:14 pm
@ashampoopaloo-32: Let me ask you one thing. If it was so difficult for PdV to perform with the egos surrounding him, how did Frans Ludeke get it right to lead a team to new heights, coaching many of those same egos.
23 Jan 2012, 14:16 pm
De Villiers failed… yet his win ratio vs NZ was better than White while his ratio vs Australia was worse.
He lost by 2 points in a set up poorly officiated test at the WC to Australia where his advisory committee chose the wrong starting 15 and wrong strategy which ultimately is what set him up as a failure.. because had he beaten Australia and gone on to win the WC like White got given the good fortune to… his legacy would have read quite differently..
They were both poor coaches in comparison to what SA rugby expects of its coaches yet they both achieved way better than Streauli… Viljoen.. Markgraaf, .. Du Plessis
Now Meyer will have to show what he truly is worth.. and this means selecting the correct team of assistance and the best medium term potential to go all the way..
Point to mention .. it was Carel Du Plessis who selected Honiball, Montgomery, Roussouw, etc. etc. in ’97 who failed first up and only came good under Mallet, so selection policy is vital and even if Meyer selects potential and loses initially it is better to stick with the program because no perfect synergy and collective winning culture is built overnight.
23 Jan 2012, 14:16 pm
@justrugby-35:
Does the Broederbond element dictate to you?
If No
Why would Meyer allow it?
Or do you see yourself as a better and stronger person than Meyer.
If Yes, point taken.
23 Jan 2012, 14:16 pm
Ah, I see someone has taken the leg of their chair off the Interweb pipe. That’s better, thanks.
23 Jan 2012, 14:19 pm
@PissAnt-30: Agreed. I’ve said this many times before. No longer will he have players at his disposal for 9 months. Two weeks prep time and the challenge would be to mold different franchise playing styles into a homogenous identity. Hope he handles this better than PDV did. Hopefully he’s given the freedom to evolve the total rugby PDV was aiming for.
23 Jan 2012, 14:20 pm
@Jeez-43:
Hi Jeez
When last has Spies made impact, what justifies him being used as an impact player ? Might be if we playing the likes of Italy or Fiji, but can’t see him making an impact against any of the top tier sides, simply because he has never !!!
23 Jan 2012, 14:20 pm
@PissAnt-30: i hear you on that, what can and needs to be done by SARU to get away from the amateur arm of our rugby controlling everything?
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