White doing wonders for Brumbies
23 Apr 2012
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day column, says Jake White deserves credit for the Brumbies’ dramatic turnaround in fortunes.
In many respects it was the perfect rugby result. At least it was for me: the Bulls beat the Brumbies and 2007 World Cup-winning Springbok coach Jake White, now coach of the Brumbies, claimed the moral victory as his beaten team outscored the winners five tries to two.
At no stage did the Bulls ever look like losing a match in which the Brumbies scored 21 points in the last 10 minutes, 14 of which came in the last three minutes. So don’t get too carried away with the analysis. The home team performance has to be condemned for how disjointed it was, but the Bulls also resembled a side in desperate need of a week off.
I don’t subscribe to scorelines flattering any team because the game is played over 80 minutes and what counts is the reading at the end of that 80.
No team was flattered by the final result. I’d suggest both got a reward for the 80 minutes, even if the Bulls were gifted five points through referee Marius Jonker’s peculiar (read diabolical) interpretation of when a ball is knocked backwards and not forwards.
The match highlighted that the Bulls, after eight successive weekends of action, were playing on instinct in the last 20 minutes, and confirmed White’s standing as a fine rugby coach with the ability to make the ordinary glow.
White’s coaching has never been complicated — and that has been the primary reason for his success. Fitness, conditioning, physicality, discipline and a good goal-kicker are elements White searches for in any squad. The physicality, fitness and match conditioning of the Brumbies were not debatable, but the lack of discipline at the breakdown and the inaccurate Brumbies’ goal-kicking would have disappointed White, who couldn’t convert the goal-kicks or determine the action of his players in contact from the coach’s box.
White would have believed the Brumbies could win, but currently they are not good enough to beat a side of the Bulls’ quality, even on a night when the Bulls always seemed to do only enough to stay two scores ahead.
The improvement in the Brumbies from a year ago has been colossal and it is down to White. Even those who don’t enjoy White can’t deny the obvious. The two late Brumbies tries were reward for a team that scramble on defence, are not afraid to have a go on attack, and are clearly among the fittest in the competition.
But they are a limited bunch and I see no reason why the Lions won’t beat them at Ellis Park. Yep, I am tipping the Lions to finally give their loyalists reason to cheer.
Of the South African teams, the Bulls produced the worst performance. Yes, I thought they were poorer in victory than in defeat against the Blues.
The Sharks were brave and honest but in the end not good enough to beat the improving Chiefs, and the Stormers’ win in Brisbane was among their best of the year.
To win in Brisbane without Schalk Burger, Jean de Villiers and Andries Bekker is an achievement, but what impressed me most was the manner of victory and the leadership in the team. Duane Vermeulen, a world-class loose-forward, is effectively the fourth-choice captain but he showed the maturity of a bloke who leads a team every weekend.
The Stormers’ composure was the stand-out feature and the defence remains the strongest characteristic of a side that relies on discipline, physicality and little risk for results. It has worked for them in the first half of the tournament but, as we have witnessed in the past two seasons, there is no guarantee that it will translate into them winning the competition.
I dislike the structure of the tournament because it won’t necessarily reward the best teams. Take the Crusaders as an example. They are starting to build to a peak but just when they should be in the play-off stage, most of their players will be involved in a three-Test All Blacks series against the Irish. Ditto the stars of the Stormers and Bulls when England play three Tests in SA in June.
All the momentum that is being built now will be halted with the introduction of the month-long Test season, after which the players have to return to their franchises and attempt to build another peak in July.
It is unrealistic to expect players to peak for the Test season and be at a similar level in Super Rugby six weeks later.
No coach could be bothered to make it an issue because it is the reality of this season’s competition, but in its current guise, the tournament will never be a true reflection of who is the best, especially when the best don’t always play the best in the league stages.
224 Comments
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23 Apr 2012, 14:24 pm
@cane(cane)-145:
so… do you have it..?…..
or did you drink it…?….
8)
23 Apr 2012, 14:25 pm
“Other than Bakkie Botha who is a sub culture animal” ………………
Hondo have you lost your mind.
23 Apr 2012, 14:28 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-152:
yeah did he just say that in front of the kiwis?
23 Apr 2012, 14:32 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-153:
23 Apr 2012, 14:34 pm
Auckland – Rugby World Cup-winning All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has been honoured at Lincoln University with a doctorate of natural recourses
Now Dr Jannie is not all alone
23 Apr 2012, 14:35 pm
Woo, hoo wait til Skotskiet alias Sham poo sees this! Gwant10.5 already twistng his Speedo it seems.
As for coocnut tackles it wasn’t the true NZ / PI hybrid where it has to be off the ball, late, head high, no arms and never penalised or sanctioned. Some are even done after the whistle.
Part of the game mate the sheep shunters say but squeal like girls when executed by someone other than a PI playing in NZ.
23 Apr 2012, 14:35 pm
thats larfable.
it trully is.
bakkies has got nothing on some of these kiwis and pi’s.
23 Apr 2012, 14:38 pm
Typical of the bias written in this column.
Brumbies lauded for their loosing performance, South African referee castigated and rightly so,but the last time I looked Brumbies and Sharks had both won the same amount of games.Only difference Sharks ahead on bonus points.
Now look at the article below,Sharks lambasted for a similar result,no mention of a shocking referee display from another crooked New Zealander.
23 Apr 2012, 14:38 pm
@stew(stew)-155: natural resources? wtf is that, coal mining?
23 Apr 2012, 14:42 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-159:
natural resources…
coming away with the goods at the coal face… ??
23 Apr 2012, 14:46 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-150:
I thought we were talking about the relevance of the term Bob used in.
You heard anybody calling Bakkies’ headbutt on Aplon a few years back by that term? Since it is such an old and common term.
23 Apr 2012, 14:47 pm
@stew(stew)-155:
Natural resources?
That includes coconuts if I’m not mistaken?
23 Apr 2012, 14:47 pm
@mad eye(mad eye)-158: the sharks have about 8 BOKS the brumbies totally have no-name brands except for mccabe, leali’ifano, moore, alexander, in their first game they fielded 6 rookies.
there’s NO COMPARISON! Sharks are underperforming BADLY, now you can whinge about the reporting as much you’ve been doing in the past weeks but your team is letting you down!
23 Apr 2012, 14:47 pm
@stew(stew)-155:
Is this a joke?
23 Apr 2012, 14:49 pm
Natural Recourses.
Not resources!
Should we google?
23 Apr 2012, 14:50 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-165: Ahhh yes!! Thanks Dawn, only saw that now.
This must still be a joke, though.
23 Apr 2012, 14:50 pm
What’s a natural recourse?
23 Apr 2012, 14:51 pm
So is it Dr Richie now?
Feck Stew just made my day.
23 Apr 2012, 14:54 pm
oh…
i thought it was for pilfering at the breakdown…
23 Apr 2012, 14:55 pm
Dr McCaw has recourses in spades.
23 Apr 2012, 14:58 pm
Ag stew man dont run away now.
You have to explain this.
23 Apr 2012, 15:00 pm
Yes, Dr/Sir Ritchie it is.
Larf Larf Larf.
It’s like giving Joseph Kony the Nobel Peace Prize.
23 Apr 2012, 15:00 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-168: He has been made an honoury doctor of agriculture at Lincoln University
23 Apr 2012, 15:01 pm
It is now Sir Dr the amazing ultimate warrior Richard McCaw
23 Apr 2012, 15:04 pm
i’ve got a doctorate for reechee right here….
23 Apr 2012, 15:06 pm
@stew(stew)-173: wtf maccaw know about farming?
they should give that piece of paper to Loey!
23 Apr 2012, 15:07 pm
Which one are you TRANSFORMATION
,Keohane or Cardenelli,can’t be Vrede you write to well.
For your imformation the season is only half done ,Sharks have not let me down,they haven’t clicked yet.
When they do watch out,Beast and Kanko back for the next game.
Stormers already staring to look depleted a mere 3 games on the road and you have lost your 3rd captain,imagine the shape you’d be in with another 3 games away from home
23 Apr 2012, 15:10 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-176: Dont laugh now – sheep farming !
23 Apr 2012, 15:11 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-176:
You know more than you should Transie.
23 Apr 2012, 15:11 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-176: Loey would probably still outscrum most packs with a sheep under each arm
23 Apr 2012, 15:13 pm
Must give the stormers congrats – should be 3 from 4 on the road !
23 Apr 2012, 15:14 pm
@stew(stew)-178:
No man.
You not serious.
23 Apr 2012, 15:16 pm
Where’s Lincoln University?
23 Apr 2012, 15:17 pm
@mad eye(mad eye)-177:
Mal oog.
Trans is a Kings man.
23 Apr 2012, 15:17 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-183:
fark knows… they make this shitt up half the time…
23 Apr 2012, 15:18 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-183:
in the back of stew’s car…
23 Apr 2012, 15:18 pm
@mad eye(mad eye)-177:
Moenie worry nie.
Sharks on the comeback trail.
I wanna know about Ritchie.
23 Apr 2012, 15:19 pm
@cane(cane)-179:
Where’s Lincoln?
23 Apr 2012, 15:26 pm
McCaw is back for the Tahs game – yipee the prince of cheating is back just wanted you all the saffas to know
23 Apr 2012, 15:28 pm
@stew(stew)-143:
You are right about them starting badly and having to catch up later…but that is in certain years.
Every year the teams’ schedule alter wrt playing away from home or at home at the start of the competition. I think if you look at their performances in the competition over the years, you’ll find that they start badly the one year and sometimes leave it too late for a playoff postion (as you rightly say) but then they will start very well the next year but fail to make the play-off because they start to lose in the latter part of the competition.
What I’ve discovered with the Chiefs is that they usually start very poorly in the competition if they have to play 3 or 4 matches on tour at the start. They then struggle to catch up later in the season.
But on the other hand, they will have good starts to the competition when they play at home first. For example, this year they played 4 out of 5 games at home before they travelled. Yes, they lost their 1st game at home but more than made up for it by beating the Crusaders away and then went undefeated in three matches on tour to Aus and SA. Usually they would lose their away matches in Aus and SA (maybe win 1 out of 3 or 4) and from there on their season totally spiral downwards. This year however they’ve won their three matches on tour and that makes them real contenders this year.
23 Apr 2012, 15:34 pm
stew…
so he’s a dr, a sir, a professor, a saint, prime minister in waiting, greenpeace warrior, and bishop of christchurch after hours…
so when is he going to drop the richie rich moniker and become richard…?
surely a little more gravitas with all these fancy titles would be appropriate…?
Sir Richard.. as opposed to Sir Richie…???
#justasking
23 Apr 2012, 15:36 pm
i remember….
i remember when the chiefs looked so farken good in 2009….
blowing away all before them…
50 on the reds…
60 on the blues…
….
and then came the final….
ja…
i remember….
23 Apr 2012, 15:43 pm
Whites Brumbies benefited from 2 things vs Bulls.. Bulls are HEAVILY overrated this year.. hit them with hard running die hard counter commitment which is pretty much a JW standard blueprint strategy which is what worked for him in 2004 and 2005 when his new broom sweep clean approach breathed life into the downtrodden Streauli Boks .. and Bulls will capitulate under the strain of exhaustion and lack of leadership.. which was evident on Saturday night when Jonker almost couldn’t save them from the biggest upset they’d have faced in a long time.
and Bulls are rudderless with Spies as captain and the loss of their form front ranker Greyling.. all their grunt was nullified to hell and gone.
What is so painfully obvious is that the 2 super SA franchises who were supposed to be the top performing saffa enterprises as predicted by almost all the in the know pundits prior to kick off in 2012, namely Bulls and Sharks, have both flattered to deceive and collapse in a heap when their leadership and cohesion becomes fractured and scattered all over the place.
FdP and Matfield won’t help either. not a chance under prevailing circumstances..
Bulls have to reinvent their structured game plan because their fractured fast pace all out attack mode number is getting blown apart to smithereens.. they simply can’t maintain the pace for the full 80 minutes under the frenetic expense of the exercise.. and ultimately by last quarter they are ALL out on their feet chasing shadows across the field… even Hougard included.
Gotta slow it down and go back to basics.. Spies is no captain as been exposed so blatantly.. and beside his lack of captaincy credential he is a weak inconsistent No.8 as he’s always been..
White was spared the embarrassment of having Spies at 8 reserve in 2007 WC when the mystery blood clotting ailment reared its head, and Bismark took his place in the squad with Skinstadt as the backup No.8 reserve..
Well if Meyer goes for Spies ahead of our better options for Boks.. we gonna get stuffed to Kingdom Come.. especially against England
And that goes for Matfield and FdP and Morne Steyn and Olivier and Kirchner too.
23 Apr 2012, 16:10 pm
Hey man,sort of like everybody should just chilax man. I love NZ players man,and yeah man I totally love SA players too man,and like ,Aussie players are ok too man. Everybody should just get together and have a circle hug man. It’s just a big oval ball of love dudes
23 Apr 2012, 16:35 pm
@ufo(ufo)-191: Going to struggle fitting all these titles on the back of his shirt ! LOL
23 Apr 2012, 16:39 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-193: England imo arent going to be half the challenge compared to the Tri Nations … Meyer should try out different combos against them , think the Boks will still win
23 Apr 2012, 16:43 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-193: Spies will probably look good against England, Skop – as he did when they toured SA before the 2007 World Cup. To be fair to him, he has been playing better this year – though he regressed again against the Brumbies. NZ and Aus will be the real Tests.
23 Apr 2012, 18:17 pm
@nama1(nama1)-161:
Its origin is from the Aussie rugby league who were well ahead of the ABs in integrating the PIs into their game, my relatived in Oz been using it for ages.
When Derrick Hougaard was ‘beaned’ in 2003 by Lima the press used a more refined term, not sure what it was,
Botha did it to Johne Murphy I think of the Lions, thw wing never been the same since,,,
23 Apr 2012, 18:30 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-40: Thank you Tack for being honest. Respect.
23 Apr 2012, 18:35 pm
@WP_(WP_)-41: Doubt you ever played rugby in the humidity of Durban?
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