Midfield moves have merit
13 Feb 2012
RYAN VREDE writes that a positional change to midfield has the potential to rejuvenate Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen.
As wingers the duo have been impostors of the potent forces they were in their pomp. Habana has declined most markedly and Pietersen has undoubtedly benefited from the intense focus on his Springbok partner. He has been spared the scrutiny that his chronic struggles have warranted.
They enter the 2012 Super Rugby campaign hopeful of recapturing the form that placed them among the world’s elite in their position. Hope has replaced what, at their best, used to be a strong degree of certainty.
At 25, Pietersen has more of a chance of rekindling his form as a winger. Habana, 28, is in a race against time that, on the evidence of recent seasons, he is losing badly. His confidence was always rooted in his unmatched acceleration and red-line top-end speed. His body is apparently betraying him in this regard and consequently affecting other facets of his game.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee is mulling over the idea of deploying Habana at outside centre. It is an inadvertent admission that the player is no longer indispensable as a wing. Sharks coach John Plumtree has made the same veiled admission by trialing Pietersen in the No 13 jersey. Both coaches will claim that their hands were forced with the departures of incumbents and the absence of natural successors. There is legitimacy on both counts, but we cannot ignore the implicit concession that their powers have waned notably as wingers.
I had never considered a positional change as an alternative when thinking about the potential rejuvenation of Habana. I had hoped, for the health of South African rugby, that he would somehow produce a throwback season. There was little conviction in that hope but Coetzee’s plan stirs optimism and has merit.
Habana was undoubtedly a natural winger but started his career with the Lions in midfield. The position-specific skills set will return to him if Coetzee commits to an extended run. Herein lies the key to any potential success – there cannot be a tentative approach. It, however, appears that Juan de Jongh still holds the inside track for the midfield role with Jaque Fourie and Johann Sadie departing recently.
He is a gifted player with an X factor the Stormers have lacked for some time but it is a personal view that he is better suited to inside centre where his game breaking skills can be utilised more effectively in creating opportunities for his outside backs. Jean de Villiers will be the incumbent in the No 12 shirt and he should be rotated with De Jongh, with Habana installed as the premier outside centre initially and being granted the opportunity to prove his aptitude. De Villiers or De Jongh would provide cover for the position off the wood.
A transition for Pietersen would be more difficult and risky given his lack of previous experience in the position. This could be a dissuasive factor for Plumtree in an environment that is so results driven. It would be the braver of the two calls. But Pietersen needs a jolt. In conversation with him and team-mates who know him, he strikes one as the type who needs to be constantly challenged to consistently deliver his best. Peculiarly, when he feels secure his form goes south. He is not different to other notable elite players in this way – New Zealand’s Ma’a Nonu and Piri Weepu being prime examples.
The duo may well still start as wingers in 2012 but there is certainly sense in exploring further the idea of them as midfielders. For Habana more than Pietersen it offers the opportunity to prolong his career.
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72 Comments
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13 Feb 2012, 13:15 pm
@16.rangerman. Lol. He ran around beast using him as a blocker. In case you forgot Beast played for the sharks. It was his job to tackle him. Besides which he ran around more players than just Beast. Check the footage. Used him as a blocker. That sure is a good one, Bud.
13 Feb 2012, 14:25 pm
Who were those idiots that said JP would struggle at 13?
Eating your cake for the time being?
13 Feb 2012, 14:25 pm
@Tarlo-34:
I think that Frans Steyn has a decent step as well. Especially at close quarters in a packed midfield.
13 Feb 2012, 14:27 pm
@John Galt-8: Exactly. A very good player, just too lazy.
A move to 13 will certainly see him more involved, and improve his skill-set.
I still believe a backline player (except the 9) should be able to play at least 2 positions at Super level if required, if not international level.
13 Feb 2012, 15:00 pm
@willievz-54:
I like this Super level vs International level split people talk about.
The reality is that the top 8 Super Rugby teams will probably be able to end mid table in the Six Nations, with the the Super Rugby finalists having a good shot at winning the Six Nations.
So if you can’t do it at international level, you shouldn’t be doing it at Super rugby level either.
13 Feb 2012, 15:11 pm
It takes thousands of hours of practice to develop a skill set to suit a particular position at the highest level. This is true of all sports. You can’t just slot someone who can play rugby in the backline in to a new position and expect it to work out.
JPP is a fantastic wing, but I cannot ever remember seeing him with a silky offload, or other skills of the type required for a top notch centre. The same goes for Bryan Habana. The same goes for most of our wings, and sadly the same probably goes for many of our current centres too. That isn’t to say the skills can’t be developed, but it really does take thousands of hours of meaningful practice.
In South Africa I think there is a huge under appreciation for the different skills needed for these positions.
Clyde Rathbone is a great example. Used at #13 in SA (also #12?) but could not crack that position in Australia where they recognise the different skills. He made a good wing in the end anyway.
13 Feb 2012, 15:19 pm
@Tacitus-55: Stegmann and Olivier certainly couldn’t do it at international level regardless of hemisphere…
They’re still quality super rugby players.
13 Feb 2012, 15:22 pm
AC –
“I am very happy with how he played,” Coetzee told Supersport.
“He just made one defensive lapse, from which they scored, but it was in the last minute of the game,” he added.
Coetzee believes the Springbok flyer proved that he could do a job for the Stormers at centre this season.
“The good thing was his form on attack,” he explained.
“He was really penetrative and he ran good lines in the midfield, and is a good option to use there should we need to call on him during the Super Rugby season.”
13 Feb 2012, 15:23 pm
“He just made one defensive lapse, from which they scored, but it was in the last minute of the game,”
13 Feb 2012, 15:24 pm
@Bagel-57:
Well Olivier was better than Brad Barrit, who is now the England centre…
13 Feb 2012, 15:24 pm
Ok so there we have it from AC – if the opposition score in the last minute of the game its ok!!!
13 Feb 2012, 15:26 pm
For me only time will tell and all this talk is premature, & I do still rate JPP as a wing.
13 Feb 2012, 15:26 pm
@Tacitus-60: ja but that’s a very weak England side.
And I rated Barrit.
Always have.
I’d say that many would disagree that Wynand is better.
But it’s not surprising that you think so.
13 Feb 2012, 17:14 pm
@Ryan
Why do you think Joe Pietersen is not being considered for flyhalf? That would allow Aplon to play fullback. And honestly, the last thing the Stormers need is a rotating backline. Start with the same players and deploy a few impact or versatile players.
9 Duvenage
10 Van Aswegen
11 Van Der Heever
12 Jean de Villiers
13 Juan de Jongh
14 Aplon
15 Joe Pietersen
20 Schreuder
21 Catrikillis
22 Habana
Also, good to be back on keo.co.za and looking forward to a great 2012 rugby season. How great would it be if the Stormers finally made it to the end this time? We’ll have to wait the excruciating 25 weeks to find out.
13 Feb 2012, 20:56 pm
@Caper-64: I don’t see them running over anyone this season. The are small! I hope they learn to play to their strengths and try to outrun the other larger players.
13 Feb 2012, 20:57 pm
If anyone should be wing it should be JDJ. Let’s hope he has learnt to pass a ball during the off season.
13 Feb 2012, 22:58 pm
well I was one who said that both Habana.. (especially Habana).. and JPP will relish the move to outside center, and I been advocating it for a long time in Habana’s case.. glad I can say once again with conviction.. its nice to be proven right..
Plus I was also one who said Bulls don’t need Spies or FdP and Stormers don’t need Burger… (in fact the opposite is true… Bulls need Spies, like Stormers need Burger like both need a hole in the head..)
Both Bulls and Stormers are fare better off without Spies and without Burger.. Glad I been proved right in this instance yet again
Now somebody get the message through to this new boy coach who wanna talk like the groot kokodoer know it all, that he definitely don’t need Spies, nor Matfield, nor Botha, nor FdP and neither does he need Burger to stuff up the works..
There is far more capable and far reaching potential talent among the franchises than those dead beat dodo has been’s can offer by some far reaching distance.
13 Feb 2012, 23:12 pm
Boks potential squad selections
Taute, Viljoen, Lambie, Steyn, J. Pietersen
JPP, Aplon, Mapoe,
Fourie, Sadie, JdJ
JdJ, Venter, JdV, Steyn
Engelbrecht, Aplon, Habana
Goosen, Jantjies, Steyn, Van Aswegen
Hougaard, Duvenhage, Schreuder
Stander, A. Botha, Koster, Vermeulen
Alberts, Coetsee, Elstadt, Kolisi, Van Velse
Brussow, Minnie, Carr, Daniel, Kolisi, Stegman
Bekker, Etsebeth, J. Kruger
W. Steenkamp, Vd Merwe, Mostert, Elstadt
Oosthuizen, Kirsten, JdP, Vd Linde
Bismark, Chili, Strauss
Greyling, Beast, Steenkamp
13 Feb 2012, 23:17 pm
So who needs any prima donna past tense dodo’s to stuff up the works altogether with their warped and confused ego’s in a twist?
14 Feb 2012, 01:07 am
Tana Umaga came from a League background having played for Junior Kiwis at centre. Also saw him play in the National RL Club Finals as a 16 year old. He destroyed the best Senior RL centres playing in New Zealand. In my book he was always a centre playing out on the wing when he started with Abs.
14 Feb 2012, 02:22 am
…now if the Sharks could just move Kankowski to #12, we could really see some outside the square thinking
(……but I love the square, its so safe here)
14 Feb 2012, 04:28 am
@67. Skop. I’ll get the message through to the coach for you…….
Hey Coach!!!!!!!!! The is a constipated Leprachaun with tourettes in Fish Hoek who thinks you know folk all and he knows everything. Listen to him! All right?
There you go Skop. All done.
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