Jean to lead Boks?
3 May 2012
Heyneke Meyer will only name his Springbok captain on 4 June but admits that Jean de Villiers’s leadership in the Super Rugby competition has impressed him greatly.
With a number of senior Test players sidelined or unavailable, Meyer is running short on prospective captaincy options.
It’s been rumoured that one of Fourie du Preez or Victor Matfield will come out of retirement to lead the Boks against England, but it’s not yet clear whether these players will make themselves available.
Schalk Burger (knee injury) won’t be back until July, and two other senior players, Jaque Fourie and Juan Smith, have ruled themselves out. Smith is recovering from a long-term Achilles injury while Fourie has signed a club deal in Japan that precludes him from Test rugby.
De Villiers (wrist) is recovering from an injury of his own, but could be back on the field for the Stormers by as early as next week. The veteran Bok centre is expected to form part of the squad selected for the England series, and given the dearth of experienced leaders, he may well be handed the captaincy.
Meyer stressed that he has made no final decision on the post, but intimated that De Villiers is a strong candidate.
‘I’ve been impressed with all of the franchise captains, there are a lot of great leaders in this country,’ the Bok coach said. ‘I will have to pick somebody who shares my philosophy and is an extension of myself on the playing field. Because there is not a lot of time before the England Tests it will be a short-term appointment, but I still want someone with the right character and the necessary rugby intelligence.
‘I don’t want this to be taken out of context, because I will only make the decision in the build-up to that first Test, but Jean has impressed me with the way he has led the Stormers and organised the backline.’
While De Villiers has done a fine job with the Stormers, he wouldn’t necessarily be guaranteed the No 12 position at the Boks. Frans Steyn had an outstanding 2011 World Cup in the centres, and is expected to start in that midfield position when the Boks front England.
Steyn formed a great partnership with Fourie at the 2007 World Cup and again at the 2011 global tournament. With Fourie no longer available, however, Meyer will have to pick somebody else to play No 13.
And given that the Bok coach wants to field an experienced side and there are not too many veterans available, it could be that De Villiers comes in at outside centre.
‘It is something I will need to think about,’ Meyer said. ‘I’ve spoken to Jean’s conditioning coach at the Stormers and he tells me that Jean is as quick as he’s ever been. I know that he runs great lines and he’s impressed me with his organisational ability. So it’s definitely a possibility.’
De Villiers has made it clear in every media offering this season that he still has the desire to represent the Boks. The 31-year-old doesn’t believe that his best years as an international centre are behind him.
‘As you get older there’s a perception that you get slower, but that isn’t the case,’ De Villiers said, alluding to Meyer’s comment on his training times. ‘When your speed is still up there and you can still contribute on the field, then it is clear that age doesn’t matter.
‘Perhaps getting kicked out of the World Cup earlier [the Boks lost to the Wallabies in the quarter-final] has had some benefits. It was good to have a long off-season and then a full pre-season with the Stormers. It was good to have that mental break, and I can tell you I’m still very motivated to wear the Bok jersey.’
Meyer and De Villiers were scheduled to sit down for a one-on-one interview on Thursday afternoon. Meyer has sat with each and every one of the 103 players selected across the three Bok training camps. It is in this interview that the Bok mentor and the centre may learn what the one wants from the other.
‘I haven’t worked with Heyneke before, so I have a lot of questions and uncertainties,’ said De Villiers. ‘I want to find out what he wants from me as a player, and what are the positives and negatives in my game. I also want to get an idea of how he does things as a coach.
‘It would be a massive honour to captain the Boks, but I first have to make the team,’ he said.
By Jon Cardinelli
299 Comments
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3 May 2012, 20:49 pm
Andries Strauss lost a lot of weight, looks too skinny for inside centre.
3 May 2012, 20:51 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-249:
She looks about the same size as me!
3 May 2012, 20:53 pm
It was interesting to observe the action. Jean would be a good choice.
3 May 2012, 20:54 pm
@carol(carol)-252:
34 B?
3 May 2012, 20:55 pm
@Nikita(Nikita)-253:
Have you finnished this weeks filming?
Did you get the chair this time?
3 May 2012, 20:55 pm
@Nikita(Nikita)-254:
SNAP !!
Uncanny!
3 May 2012, 20:56 pm
@carol(carol)-255:
3 May 2012, 20:57 pm
@carol(carol)-256:
Wise minds think alike.
3 May 2012, 20:59 pm
@Nikita(Nikita)-257:
Don’t let the boys down! Dawn, Treehugger and I will enjoy the lads euphoria!
3 May 2012, 21:00 pm
I have to make a plan to watch that video
34B (•)(•) Just enough for the guru 
3 May 2012, 21:01 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-243: @carol(carol)-248:
Ideas on attracting the fairer *** audience!
3 May 2012, 21:02 pm
@carol(carol)-259:
Can only get better!
3 May 2012, 21:02 pm
@Nikita(Nikita)-258:
Now you and Percy are colleagues do tell me if the rumours are true that he is going to play rugby in Japan?
3 May 2012, 21:03 pm
Guru on TV should do the trick
3 May 2012, 21:05 pm
@carol(carol)-263:
Rumours! What does the word tell you?
3 May 2012, 21:06 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-260:
Please so not make yourself sound too desperate!
It is not cool!!
3 May 2012, 21:12 pm
@Nikita(Nikita)-261:
Victoria Secrets TV instead of Keo and Vrede?
3 May 2012, 21:12 pm
Percy not going to be playing in Japan, he is out of work now so might be coaching.
3 May 2012, 21:16 pm
Did someone have the gall to tell ME to shut it??????????????????
3 May 2012, 21:17 pm
Former sharks captain Wayne Favie believes Sharks have no weaknesses.
So the defense and captain is good then?
How many players to the sharks have in top 20 for missed tackles? More than any other team.
Sharks will lose this weekend.
3 May 2012, 21:18 pm
woo I am being moderated!
3 May 2012, 21:20 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-267:
So if he is out of work why can’t he accept the invitation to play in Japan?
Times are hard!!
Percy is fit!
3 May 2012, 21:21 pm
@ carol,
They double checking those 34B’s
3 May 2012, 21:22 pm
@carol(carol)-270:
Don’t ask too many questions.
3 May 2012, 21:22 pm
Sorry guys and girls I have been ordered to leave. Speak tomorrow.
3 May 2012, 21:24 pm
Oh well.
If he’d rather converse with wanger lice ridden Fern then so be it.
3 May 2012, 21:26 pm
@ carol,
Having muscles doesn’t necessary make you fit to play rugby.
I reckon he’s time is up, if he goes now then its being greedy and knowing he can’t add value as player.
He’s last season at Stormers was not good at all.
I’m off ladies, cheers
3 May 2012, 21:26 pm
@Nikita(Nikita)-273:
I have watched Percy play rugby all over the place, but I will not go to The Land of the Rising Sun to watch him.
He did not meet me for beer after the Argus, I am still a bit miffed!
3 May 2012, 21:29 pm
@Nikita(Nikita)-275:
Sorry, was I geting a bit too close for comfort!!
See you Nikita and remember for the good of equality in your ‘young country’ please do not let Keo manipulate you into being the site ‘Bimbo’.
Stand up for your rights!!
But don’t burn your bra!!
You will need it!
3 May 2012, 21:31 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-276:
Hey Dawn, strange that……being ‘ordered’ to leave!!
No one tells Dawn that!! lol
3 May 2012, 21:36 pm
He is a fool.
Talking to that dirtbag and telling me to shut it.
3 May 2012, 21:51 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-281:
He is not worth wasting words on…..
Sit back, relax and choose a new drill bit….
3 May 2012, 22:05 pm
Nobody puts baby in the corner.
3 May 2012, 22:18 pm
I thought this was pretty funny in the light of Eben Etsebeth playing so well. Found it on LitNet of all places.
“In die ’70s speel Polisie teen UCT. Cliffie en Skattie Etsebeth is Polisie se voorry en slot. Polisie se lynstaantekens is die normale 7, 12, 5, 9 ens maar UCT gebruik woorde soos Pithagoras, Kwadraat, Hippokrates ens. Daar was weer ’n lynstaan en dit is UCT se bal. Terwyl die manne oplyn en wag, roep UCT se haker weer die tekens. Cliffiie staan skynbaar voor en draai om en kyk na sy broer met die volgende woorde.
‘Skattie, vergeet al daai snaakse nommers… hulle gooi heeltyd op daai **** met die rooi baard.’”
3 May 2012, 22:18 pm
Have chosen a chainsaw
3 May 2012, 22:18 pm
**** = peos, obviously.
3 May 2012, 22:38 pm
@ufo(ufo)-169: that was absolutely brilliant boet. One of the best spontaneous responses I’ve witnessed on this site. Made today’s visit worthwhile.
3 May 2012, 23:38 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-19: both
4 May 2012, 00:07 am
In his recent article entitled “SARU must end Lions’ misery” (30 Apr 2012) – Mark Keohane is at pains to describe to any willing reader (and I can’t imagine there’s many left) that the Lions team is a misfit collective of rugby outcasts who aren’t fit to participate in the Southern Hemisphere’s premier competition as they are, in his words “playing like second-rate rugby citizens”.
I’ve held my tongue throughout the Luke Watson debate, I have not said a word throughout the outrage surrounding the purported link between you and your HSM company and their links to the Kings, Luke Watson and other stake holders who will all benefit from the Kings’ participation in Super Rugby next season.
Well Mark, here goes mate:
In the article you boldly state that the Lions surely have “no right to a Super Rugby hand out in 2013” – fair point Mark, I agree with you 100%. In fact, I agree with you whole heartedly. No team should be given a hand out to play in Super Rugby, not the Bulls, not the Cheetahs, Stormers nor Lions. But yet somehow you have been advocating for the team who has received the worst hand out of all: The Kings.
Hypocrisy, thy name is you.
You cite the Lions’ poor performance in Super Rugby as the basis for these claims, and there’s no doubt, even in the minds of the most ardent Lions supporters, that the Lions have underachieved in Super Rugby. There’s no getting away from that, and I’m not writing to be a Lions cheerleader either, so there’s no arguing there Mark.
The argument comes in here though. The player troubles at the Lions has been well documented, playing with no Springboks (except Butch James, which makes the situation worse as was proven this weekend) and losing players at regular intervals to other unions, the player turnaround has been extraordinary in recent times. But the fact remains that the Lions remains the entry point for many players, the place for professionals with no other real first team options, the place for the big 3’s fringe players to become starters. And yet they struggle.
The simple fact is that no team, even the struggling Lions, want any of the Kings players. And there’s a bloody good reason for that (as I’ll explain below), yet you, Mark, are of the opinion that these guys are the real deal, the saviors of South Africa’s blushes in Super Rugby, the men to finally drag an SA team out of the bottom 2. Bolloks.
The Lions compete in the Vodacom Cup as well, lest we forget. And yes Mark, so do the Kings. So while you enjoy throwing around statistics and numbers, afford me the opportunity to do the same.
The Lions, for all their woes, and even with their horrendous injury list, finished 4th in the North Section of the Vodacom Cup. And let’s get one thing clear, a Vodacom Cup side of a Super Rugby union is anything but a straight second team. While on tour Super Rugby sides have squads of 28 – 30, add say 5 injuries per squad (tad optimistic but ill humor you) and at best a Vodacom Cup side plays with numbers 36 and onwards, with their own injury problems to worry about.
Yet your beloved ‘we have a Super Rugby hand out’ Kings, with their top players – that’s from number 1 Mark – only managed to finish 3rd in the South section. Yet you want us to believe that they will do better? You want to convince the rugby public that the Kings are quality; that they have got it together, that they’ll be competitive. Surly a team that is set to compete in Super Rugby as is should be dominant against 2nd rate sides?
Next Super Rugby heroes Mark? Just who do you think you’re kidding?
The question is as obvious as your bias: Just what the bloody hell makes you think the Kings can do any better than the Lions? Their player base is subpar, and while they have money (as I’m told you are well aware of) they can’t go out and buy a team in a few months.
The premise of your entire argument for the Lions to be kicked out is that they are not competitive, that they don’t win enough matches to justify their participation in Super Rugby. And while there’s no arguing the Lions have been poor, there’s one hell of an argument to suggest that the Kings, at best, won’t do any better – and at worst will become the whipping boys of 2013, and while I’m as loyal as any red blooded South African rugby supporter, I will revel in their misery, I will take delight from their pain, and you, Mark, are the one to blame.
Time alone will prove me right or wrong, I know which side my money is on, and I know where yours is too, so to speak.
Comments
Francois04/30/2012 11:25
Well said. Mark Keohane is an absolute joke.
Reply
vanschaik5link04/30/2012 11:27
Bonty great written article!!! Will we ever see the FA deciding to let a 1st division team play in the champions legue!!!
Reply
Sportsmadwilly04/30/2012 11:42
100% on the money Pal. He forgets the fact that the Lions warm up team clubbed them 88-0.
Reply
met_uysh04/30/2012 11:44
Great post! Ja, we all know the linkages between Keohane and the Watsons, so we all know why Mark is so hardup for the Kings to be included. The real criminals are saru though, for allowing people like him to ruin (no typo there!) SA Rugby!
4 May 2012, 07:47 am
15. Frans Steyn
14. Gio Aplon
13. Juan de Jongh
12. Jean de Villiers
11. Bryan Havana
4 May 2012, 08:01 am
When is Keo T.V airing again? I need my weekly fix of comedy!
4 May 2012, 08:04 am
@Uncle Oswald(uncle oswald)-284: lol funny!
4 May 2012, 08:19 am
@carol(carol)-279: lol do you chive?
4 May 2012, 08:22 am
Well lets be greatful Spies is not the captain hey. Meyer is no fool.
4 May 2012, 08:25 am
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-270:
I was watching him on Boots n All last night. Please Wayne, never attempt the world of rugby commentating…pleeeeeezzz. He must have repeated the same sentence about ten times during the interview. Actually he was incoherent in most of the interview.
4 May 2012, 13:51 pm
Whether the heading of this article is misleading or not, I am amazed at the absolute silence from our blue/pink friends……or haven’t they recovered from the shock yet, tac ?
4 May 2012, 13:53 pm
@paalkat(paalkat)-296: Plonker
4 May 2012, 14:58 pm
…mmmm, the 1st one appears
4 May 2012, 21:29 pm
EN LAG MY GAT AF DA VERLOOR DIE EP KINGS 30-19 TEEN DIE PUMAS ,N VRAAG LOL WAT DAN VAN DIE PUMAS ?GEE HULLE N KANS ,NEE WAT KINGS GAAN JULLE NOG 5 JAAR VAT OM SUPER RUGBY TE SPEEL ,WEN EERS DIE VODACOM CUP ,DAN DIE CURIE CUP DAN KAN SARFU JULLE N GAP GEE GO PUMAS MA WP WAG
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