Test rugby’s a different beast
15 May 2012
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day column, says Super Rugby is not the measure of a Test player.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has got the mix right with his first national training squad of 35. And I know Bok coach Heyneke Meyer will look to a similar balancing act of youth and experience.
Super Rugby form is an indicator but is not the definitive measure of a Test player, and there are those who thrive in the claustrophobic cauldron of Test rugby but never respond to the more forgiving platform that encourages flamboyance and excuses mistakes.
So many players look sensational in Super Rugby and quite the opposite in Test rugby. It is why the good Test coaches and selectors understand what makes a good Test player, but not necessarily what makes a player good.
Jake White always used to say the 15 best players are not necessarily the best 15. As an example, the best 6, 7 and 8 when assessed individually may not necessarily be the best 6, 7 and 8 combination.
Test rugby is more about combinations than individuals, but it is definitely about experience more than youth.
Hansen has rewarded six of the New Zealand U20s from the victorious 2011 Junior World Championship campaign and he has included 21 Test veterans from the World Cup-winning squad, many of whom have been poor in Super Rugby.
Among the poorest performers has been Blues lock Ali Williams. Hansen described the player as an enigma, reminding the critics that while Williams had often been poor in Super Rugby, he had seldom played a poor Test match in 73 internationals.
Super Rugby is a fantastic medium for players to showcase attacking skills. The majority of the matches are played at a frantic pace, tries are scored and taking a risk is applauded.
Attack generally rules the mind over defence (unless you find yourself in the Stormers change room) and the emotional demands can’t be compared with those of a Test match.
The point that there is a difference in mentality when playing Super Rugby and Currie Cup to Test rugby can never be emphasised enough. Some players live only for Test rugby, while others can’t live with the emotional stress that one mistake can often determine a Test result.
There will always be exceptions — players who can adapt their game with ease and prosper in any environment, and the exceptional players dominate Test rugby as 20-year-olds. Think Dan Carter, Frans Steyn and James O’Connor.
Generally players need time to settle into Test rugby and they need the comfort of turning to experience.
White, post 2007’s World Cup success, singled out Os du Randt and Percy Montgomery’s experience as among the most powerful aspects of the Boks.
Experience should also not be confused with a player’s age. Experience at Test level is about a player having regular exposure to mental stress and positively overcoming this stress.
Chiefs loose forward Liam Messam is a very good player. If all one had to assess him on was his provincial and Super Rugby history, he could even be described as an exceptional player. However, he has never been imposing or inspiring in a Test jumper.
The All Blacks midfield pairing of Frank Bunce and Walter Little played for a limited Chiefs team and, because of the quality of their side and the hapless environment, often looked no more than a half-decent centre partnership. Yet for a decade they were considered among the best the world had seen when playing for the All Blacks. They were an example of players whose qualities as Test players were always more seductive than their Super Rugby form.
In this year’s Super Rugby, Hurricanes fullback Andre Taylor and Crusaders centre Robbie Freuen have on occasion looked magnificent, but it was no surprise they weren’t included in the initial All Blacks squad. Both are damn good players, but both have limitations and flaws to their games. These limitations can be excused in Super Rugby, but Taylor’s poor line-kicking game is more significant than his ability to revel on attack in expansive, 40 plays 30 Super Rugby matches.
Meyer, in selecting his first Bok squad, will be accused of Bulls bias, of having a prejudice against attacking mindsets and of not introducing a new generation and a new era.
Those bashing him will use Super Rugby form, league positions and even a Currie Cup performance (team or individual) in justification of their stance. But for the debate to be relevant and insightful there has to be an understanding that it isn’t as simple as the 15-best start and Super Rugby form.
It also isn’t as simple as taking kids in 2012 to build a team that challenges for the 2015 World Cup.
The revolution in Bok rugby will be when the support base recognises the revolution is actually an evolution.
123 Comments
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15 May 2012, 22:09 pm
@Loftus(Loftus)-99:
Smit and FdP ran the strategy and directed the game plan.. which was the tried and tested JW kick chase program that they could not and would not deviate from
I remember clearly we first got taken apart by a physical French outfit in Toulouse in 2009 which was our first loss in 2009.. and then against ireland we scored first and were leading only for Du Preez and Steyn to start kicking every goddamn ball into Irish awaiting arms like they were getting manna from out of Heaven.. abnd we lost.. FdP and M. Steyn were the chieve architects of that loss absolutely..
Between Smit and FdP you could be almost absolutely certain Boks were going to lose.. whether Habana was gifting the opposition tries by stepping out of line.. or whether our forwards weren’t dominating the breakdown…
The ENTIRE game plan as orchestrated and devised between Smit and FdP was doomed to failure.. which it absolutely did.. since 2009 Smit and FdP with Spies, M. Steyn, Burger, and the rest in tow LOST nearly EVERY single meaningful test we participated in..
the ONLY tests we won against strong opposition in that entire period between Eoyt 2009 till WC 2011 were on Eoyt 2010 when Matfield led a Bok team WITHOUT FdP and Smit and we WON against Ireland, Wales and England
and that was because we played a DIFFERENT game pattern that tour without Smit and FdP ruining the show with their one dimensional dead beat tactics of JW up and under dreary rubbish they learned at the WC 2007.
15 May 2012, 22:19 pm
Dis nie rocket science nie, kies die beste 22 en pas jou spel patroon by hulle aan. Nieu Seeland doen dit en kyk na hulle toets rekord.
15 May 2012, 22:23 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-86:
Check this clip of Marcel Coetzee’s tackling and then you explain to me why you call him “wrecking ball”, or the second Reuben Kruger. Mind you, are you not thesame bloke who also called meyer Bosman the second “Lem” ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BqlQQEh0g5M
15 May 2012, 22:37 pm
lIGHTIE. yOU SEEM TO KNOW MORE ABOUT RUGBY THAN them. My conclusion though is based on the criteria that this article is written on, that is the issue of using stats in this way to determine the best by counting up the MOST of whatever is being counted.
The unwashed masses love looking at stats but really do not know what they mean.
15 May 2012, 22:38 pm
Marcell Coetzee offers a bit of a conundrum.
He is incredibly physical and always makes metres in the tackle. In that respect, he is a “wrecking ball”.
But seriously, he risks becoming a bit one dimensional – and I say this because has anyone actually seen him pass the ball? Nope. Perhaps if he could learn how to offload in the tackle, he could add a certain more “unpredictability” about his play.
@Robzim(Robzim)-103: leaving aside that one clip (I’m sure every player including your beloved Vermeulen and Kolisi has a “horror moment”) are you seriously and objectively saying that you do not rate Coetzee as a promising and excellent prospect?
Or are you ready to write him off forever on the basis of that one hand off?
15 May 2012, 22:47 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-105: he nearly broke his neck there…
15 May 2012, 22:54 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-106: yep, you could see he was clearly a bit dazed after landing on his head.
He should never have gone into the tackle so high.
15 May 2012, 22:56 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-105:
I do rate him as a very good player.
15 May 2012, 23:19 pm
that clip is awesome
16 May 2012, 00:54 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-103:
one of S15 clips of year
yes I agree Coetzee can be one dimensional. Trying too hard to bde the SA Kaino Man of steel.
should still be there in test mix. He makes the yards.
16 May 2012, 00:58 am
I can’t stop watching that clip ow
that Savea boy running at Coetzee in test I can not wait for next
16 May 2012, 01:01 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-103:
Meyer Bosman – the forgotten man of SA Rugby. Came with great protential label on him and disappeared just as quick. Should have stayed at 10..and at OVS
16 May 2012, 01:09 am
WILLEM SCHALK ALBERTS
was one of children on 7UP, 14UP series
interesting fact
16 May 2012, 07:48 am
Everybody should slow down with Kolisi. Excellent player but not a Bok yet. His time will come. I would like to see him when his forwards are not dominating. Marcel Coetzee on the other hand has excelled in a mediocre pack this season.Elstadt ,with Coetzee would be great in future. Against the Poms it will be Brussow,Elstadt and Spies.IMO
16 May 2012, 07:58 am
@optiplay(optiplay)-114: Kolisi has more skills than Coetzee but both are really good young flankers.
16 May 2012, 08:38 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-103:
Almost as good as that hand off Lambie gave Schalk to score his first of 2 tries in the CC final against WP.
How was that for some k@k tackling
16 May 2012, 09:15 am
A good article Keo. I’m a critic of yours because I believe you do a lot of sensationalist stuff to get hits on your site, with negative impact overall (have a think about it), but this is well thought out.
Someone show this to Grant10 please. Or any number of other armchair coaches who think the best Springbok team just consists of picking the “best” 15 players and making one of them captain.
16 May 2012, 09:21 am
@Number15(Number15)-117:
grant10 is not here anymore. Suspect he may have jumped off the London Bridge.
16 May 2012, 09:32 am
This is true, Test rugby and Super rugby does have a huge gap. But i strongly feel that some of the youngster that are featuring this year, will have no problem making the step up. Guys like Coetzee, Etzebeth among others. Guys like Lambie has already had a taste of Test rugby and stepped up with relative ease making the No.15 jersey his own in last years World Cup. I believe he is mature enough now to do the same in a No. 10 jumper. Hougie has proven himself and also stepped up with ease. I think the youngsters in this country is so unbelievably talented that they don’t have a problem making the switch from Super Rugby to Test rugby. Meyer is spoiled for choice and i think he has a few tough decisions ahead of him. And hopefully he makes the right ones.
16 May 2012, 09:33 am
@Mr Black(Mr Black)-116:
Yeah, i remember that flippin hand off. I nearly spat out my beer
I also remember Alberts breaking schalk’s ribs but also saw at newlands how Elstadt who at that stage was an “unknown” manhandled Alberts. Every dog has it’s day for sure.
16 May 2012, 10:04 am
I get what Keo is saying but if Meyers team is predominently Bulls players it will be bias. Mostly because all the other sides have a similar mix of experience & youth. When we look at experience we would most likely be talking about players like Spies, Meisiekind, Ndegani all of whom have never really excelled at test level. I would have no problem with Chilliboy, Hougaardt, FDP and a few others. I would also have no problem with bringing Bakkies & Guthro back but please do not tell me there’s an argument for picking predominently Bulls players.
19 May 2012, 04:17 am
I agree with you whole heartedly Keo.
Smit was a test match rugby player not a super 15 one for example.
19 May 2012, 04:19 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-103:
I’m really liking Marcel Coetzee, him and Etsebeth for me are some of the finds of the season
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