Lancaster not fazed by mysterious Boks
5 Jun 2012
Stuart Lancaster says in the absence of footage of a Heyneke Meyer-coached Springbok side they have been forced to review Bulls matches and garner information from within his own squad.
The Springboks have only four days to prepare for the first Test against England in Durban on Saturday, which is clearly a significant obstacle. However, their advantage stems from England’s limited analysis material, whilst Meyer and technical analyst Rassie Erasmus have a wealth of information from England’s Six Nations campaign on which to build their challenge.
Lancaster acknowledged that it was a disadvantage but explained that there are avenues they have explored in order to fill in the gaps in their knowledge.
‘You go back through previous teams that he coached, he has a long association with the Bulls, and he also spent seven months at Leicester. We have six or seven players who’ve worked under him and given us insight into him as a person as coach,’ Lancaster said. ‘The beauty of this tour is that we play each other three times in three weeks so we are going to know each other inside out at the end. It’s more about who learns quickly during the game and who adapts to the match situation.
‘South Africa would have had a good chance to have a look at us during the Six Nations, while their last game was the World Cup quarter-final in 2011. So that’s a clear advantage. But again it’s about adapting quickly, especially in the first Test because come Sunday both sides will have a clearer idea of the other’s strengths and limitations.’
Click here to read Stuart Barnes’ take on Stuart Lancaster
Lancaster also explained that the experience and familiarity of the Springboks’ senior players will soften the impact of an inadequate build up.
‘The Springboks have had limited preparation for this series, but they have a core of players who played not only in the World Cup but prior to that as well. There will be a common understanding and philosophy. South Africa are a difficult side at home, irrespective of their preparation time.’
England last won in South Africa 12 years ago. It signalled the start of a golden era which culminated in them winning the World Cup in 2003. Asked whether this was their best opportunity since that last victory to return with the Bok scalp, Lancaster offered: ‘I tend not to look back, but rather forward to where we want to go.
‘This is undoubtedly a huge opportunity to test ourselves against high quality opposition in their own back yard. A tour doesn’t get any tougher than facing South Africa in South Africa, as the British & Irish Lions found out in 2009.’
By Ryan Vrede, in Durban
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635 Comments
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5 Jun 2012, 13:22 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-429: Noddy badge only…
And no, I dont “feel bad”… Why should I? No Bambi slaughtered yet, yes?…
And realise this before your “real” ego really gets the better of you: Your “honesty” is truly “appreciated” like water off a duck’s back because I don’t know “you” beyond your Keo moniker despite all protests that “Moniker” = “Real” you…
PS. No effort required… A bit of an absent minded post really
5 Jun 2012, 13:22 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-449:
Test Rugby.
I don’t know who thought they’re so smart to organise 2 Tests in 1 week in Australia.
9 – 6 to Scotland.
5 Jun 2012, 13:22 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-430: Look at Nama 405. Stormers supporters only really have problems with Aplon and de Jongh not being there. It’s the inclusion of all the other nobodies like J. Potgieter that’s got me hot under the collar.
5 Jun 2012, 13:23 pm
@Stormers supporters: Cry me a river!(Horings)-412:
Not bigger chokers than some of the players in the squad.
Frans
Lambie
Alberts
Beast
Bissie
Jannie
Think Super 14 final 2009.
Any other reason/s that you can think off.
5 Jun 2012, 13:24 pm
@Stormers supporters: Cry me a river!(Horings)-444: Nor could our behemoths in similar weather the last time the Boks played them.
5 Jun 2012, 13:25 pm
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-453:
Meyer wants to donner the English into submission at the collission points.
That’s why we have Jacques Potgieter, Willem Alberts, this Coetzee chap in the team.
And that’s why Duane Vermeulen and Burger would apparently also have been there.
You must remember that the era of Dewald Potgieter and Deon Stegmann only came about after Meyer had left the Bulls.
In his days, the loose trio were:
Anton Leonard
Pedrie Wannenburg
Danie Rossouw
Jacques Cronje
Spot the midget in that line up.
5 Jun 2012, 13:26 pm
@nama1(nama1)-454: 2007? Only Jannie, Bissie, and Frans was in that team but they did win a final in 2008 and 2010.
5 Jun 2012, 13:27 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-409:
I won’t be shouting for the Poms. But I will sure as hell critisise HM if he continue to select teams like this. My big issue is that Bull/Shark supporters call people who dare to critisize Meyer traitors and in the process conveniently forgetting how they critisized P d V (Remember Ricky January, Adi Jacobs.. etc)
Some people here reckons HM is a god or something very close to one.
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-413:
Just some thoughts- as you know everybody have their own ideas and thoughts on players, so it’s not science:
De Jongh- for Olivier who has showed on numerous occations that he is not of international standards
Aplon – arguably the best impact- back in SA
Elstadt- ahead of the bloke from Despatch with the dislocated knee
Kolisi- MOM in three super rugby games this year – why must he wait another 2 years while other 20 year olds are “old ” enough
Joe P- what has Kitchner done to deserve a place ahead of him
and Kitshoff and Malherbe of course.
Too busy at work, so i apologise for the “shorthand”
5 Jun 2012, 13:37 pm
Heyneke Meyer is so skeel, as hy huil loop sy trane op sy rug..
5 Jun 2012, 13:38 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-456: Yeah it’s true, but J. Potgieter is just another ducktail mercenary who has’nt proven anything except that he can deliver some well timed high and/or late tackles and he is injured
- Olivier is a has been walking shampoo ad
- Kankowski was good, but not this year and he is not at all the kind of player you say HM likes
- Kirchner is certainly not better than Joe P
- JJ Engelbrecht still has too prove himself
- Kruger (prop) is a cry-baby who folds when really under pressure
- Marcell Coetzee, Alberts and Jano Vermaak good choices – no problem with that
5 Jun 2012, 13:38 pm
@nama1(nama1)-454:
How the ******* is are those players (besides F Steyn S14 2007) chokers or am i reading you wrong ????
5 Jun 2012, 13:43 pm
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-453: Got the likes of you “hot under the collar” but actually really enthused the likes of me…
I have really enjoyed his play this year… Reminds me a lot of a young Schalk before his pretensions of being a “link” man, just getting in the way of the 10, and fcking up the backline.
I wouldnt half mind seeing a mad young guns loose trio made up of Coetzee, Kolisi and Potgieter being let loose some time….I know its an unbalanced combo and will not see the light of day, but jeez I could only imagine the chaos in opposing backlines…
A real Wolf Pack.
5 Jun 2012, 13:44 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-458: I agree, but not on Elstadt. He is a tough player, but to me he doesn’t look fit enough for flank and he has too work on his discipline. I don’t think he is by nature a dirty player, but he may suffer from a case of misplaced aggression.
5 Jun 2012, 13:47 pm
The Test referee is Steve Walsh, bad news for the Poms
An eccentric guy in the fast lane, makes him vulnerable because the need to sustain his new life in Sydney.
5 Jun 2012, 13:48 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-464: wut?
5 Jun 2012, 13:52 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-464:
on top of which
he’s not really very good at reffing
5 Jun 2012, 13:55 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-379:
How many trophies have the current crop of Bulls players won?
How many of them was in the team that won the S14 title in 2010? Can anybody who start to play for the Bulls from now an claim to be a cup winner?
@Stormers supporters: Cry me a river!(Horings)-457:
My bad.
JPP? Wasn’t he there also?
@FFF(FFF)-461:
Some of them were also in the team that lost in the final seconds.
Hence…CHOKERS!!!
See Horings’ response (412) to my original question (405) and then take it from there.
5 Jun 2012, 13:55 pm
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-463:
Agree re the discipline – he is a bit of a loose cannon and was already sent off when he played for the junior Boks 2 years ago.
As a player he is however more than a handful -he is the only bloke who I have seen manhandling Alberts with ease – and he is getting better and better as he is regaining full match fitness after his long injury.
Perhaps his best position will eventually be at no 4 lock though.
5 Jun 2012, 13:58 pm
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-466:
the guy is a clown, remember the 16 Poms on the field’s scandal in 2003?
That’s a pre-requisit for the appointment
I thought the IRB would appoint Chris Pollok, a far better referee than Walsh, considered Wayne Barens and Kaplan are both ruled out due to their affiliation
5 Jun 2012, 13:59 pm
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-466:
My wife is the only person I know who likes him.
She says he is better looking than about 90% of all the players.
Not better conditioned, just better looking.
5 Jun 2012, 14:01 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-464:
I see on the other thread that you claim I was comparing Kirchener’s and Lambie’s playing abilities.
That was not what I was doing.
I was merely pointing out that if it is true that Meyer prefer SIZE, than Kirchener should be his 1st choice at FB ahead of little Lambie.
According to some people who was at the practise, it looks as if Kirchener WILL start ahead of Lambie on Saturday. Skills has nothing to do with being selected in the Meyer era, or very little at least.
Size is everything.
5 Jun 2012, 14:01 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-465:
Just implying, can’t say it openly
A guy with a chekered past is vulnerable to offers of gold rolexes
5 Jun 2012, 14:07 pm
Did anyone watch the JongBokkies get beaten last night. I only saw the last 20 mins, and it was obvious to me that the scrumhalf that came on as a replacement, was instructed to play the same kind of kicking game as is being forced upon Hougaard at the Bulls. It backfired on them, because it was not his natural game. My prediction is that it will soon backfire on the Bulls and unfortunately the Boks also.
Can the coaches not see this? It even obvious to me, and I used to be a prop!
5 Jun 2012, 14:11 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-469:
fark, was he a touch judge in that game? i think kaplan was the ref ? i do remember him being suspended or something for an altercation with the english staff in that tourny.
@Robzim(Robzim)-470:
better looking..?..
in a ‘kieren read come hither and pk me’ kinda way.
5 Jun 2012, 14:11 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-419:
excellent post…
could not have said it better myself…
5 Jun 2012, 14:11 pm
@nama1(nama1)-471:
I was surprised when you mentuioned him, couldn’t recall you rated Kirchner before?
The guy is a mockery, drops high balls, gets isolated often and turns it over at will, never seen as the last tackler on a cover defence either.
I wrote on Sunday that Aplon and JdJ are miles ahead of Kirchner and Basson and nothing happened since for me to think otherwise.
Taute would be my choice though.
5 Jun 2012, 14:13 pm
BTW. Did anyone notice HMs contradiction in explaining why Brussow wasn’t picked? He stated that the role of fetcher was negated by the new rules which constantly penalised them, he then went on to say that hookers were getting the turnovers now. I’m still trying to work out why hookers don’t get blown whilst fetchers do.
5 Jun 2012, 14:15 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-469:
yes, that right.
it was the same game and he was the fourth official. he suspended for swearing at one of the english for having told the 16th player to go on.
5 Jun 2012, 14:17 pm
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-473: You bloody lucky you didn’t see the run on scrummie then. A little Bulls dude named Abrie Griesel – the most woeful performance I have seen from a player, at any level, in any country – ever. He box kicked like it was 1999, and spent the rest of the time, well I’m actually not sure what he did the rest of the time, and I was there. Biggest cheer of the night was when he was replaced, and that happiness was short lived – a true display of all that is wrong with our rugby in general. I guess the little guy to instruction – and when it bombed he had no clue what to do next (when for starters he could have focused on his dreadfully slow service)
5 Jun 2012, 14:21 pm
@David(David)-477: The irony is if you look at the stats, Bismarck who is supposed to fulfil the fetcher role now conceded more penalties thus far in the Super15 than Brussouw.
5 Jun 2012, 14:25 pm
@David(David)-477:
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-480:
Good posts and really that sums up this squad selection for me.
Contradictions, cover ups & lies.
5 Jun 2012, 14:25 pm
@David(David)-477: Meyer doesn’t seem to care if those that actually understand the whole rugby thing can see he is talking out of his pipe. (The very thing you mention is being questioned all over the rugby playing world) Meyer only seems to care that his very large and very ignorant at times ‘fan base’ believe what he says. He makes a statement like the Brussow one – and his flock in unison say, “ahhhhhhhhh, we knew there was a legitimate reason, great call coach”. Case closed. Brussow was left out because Meyer wants a wrecking crew (how the Sugar Plum fairy fits into this hell knows), not a loose trio. Brussow is too small for the Meyer blueprint, and playing Brussow would mean Spies can’t be played at 8, as there would then only be one physical monster on the field – the poor sod selected at 7. Meyer is a comedy of inconsistency at this stage – what he preaches and what he does don’t seem to add up just yet. The most glaring example is even having Spies close to the change room when Meyer believes in dominating the collisions.
5 Jun 2012, 14:26 pm
@David(David)-477: Actually the top 10 for “Breakdown won possession” per Verusco is dominated by loose forwards = Coenie and Bismarck being the only exceptions.
5 Jun 2012, 14:27 pm
@David(David)-477:
Bissie does get called by the refs
5 Jun 2012, 14:28 pm
@ryecatcher(ryecatcher)-420:
What a lovely question. I mean it.
Mate I actually don’t have anything against Afrikaans speaking white (or is that pinkish) people. Afrikaans or Cape Dutch is my mother tongue, its the language I grew up with and understand best.
Moreover, its the language that I can express myself best in.
Afrikanerdom is a fairly recent initiative to create a economic, religious and cultural system as a means to exclude others and exalt the self. That is what nationalism was really all about. Now there’s a lot more that I can say but would prefer not to in keeping with the purpose of this forum.
In our society we find a lot of things where the paradigms of that system manifests itself. Its what I sometimes call that ‘liewe-hiesus’ mentality which is nothing but ‘skynheiligheid’
Pretty harsh I know but if you probe me you will battle to find someone who loves Afrikaans more than me. And so we have to separate the system from the people…
5 Jun 2012, 14:29 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-482:
Another one.
For someone of Heyneke’s supposed rugby nous he’s surely left a lot of space for non-believers to poke holes in his statements.
Yet BlueBok fans are still calling a +12 victory Saturday.
5 Jun 2012, 14:30 pm
@Bokhoring(Bokhoring)-483:
Oh, so Coenie is his other fetcher. Good call HM.
5 Jun 2012, 14:33 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-482: Ja Nee. Typical Afrikaner mentality. “Ons het die Boere Oorlog gewen en ons kan almal met geweld opdonder” Die probleem is ons het nie op die ou end die Boere Oorlog gewen nie
Before somebody tells me otherwise – I’m supposed to be an Afrikaner myself.
5 Jun 2012, 14:33 pm
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-478:
I believe he is vulnerable, supporting a new start at Sidney on a rugby reff’s salary is tough,
5 Jun 2012, 14:35 pm
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-485: Jy praat alweer kak, ou pêl. Is that all you know?
5 Jun 2012, 14:36 pm
I love RSA! What a country.
HM has not even had his first game yet, and already he is a kak coach contradicting himself. LOL
He was a good coach when the Bulls & Leicester Tigers won under him, but all that is gone, and he has suddenly become a kak coach.
Love it. Its like we have the Malema fraternity blogging. Nobody is going to let logic ruin a good old fashioned whinge & complaint.
Once again – I will reserve my judgement on Meyer (I am neither pro or against him at this stage) till the end of the year when he has had a chance to demonstrate his abilities with the Boks, not before.
5 Jun 2012, 14:38 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-482:
To be fair, he did say that Brussow was still in his plans. I suppose he couldn’t say that with Spies at 8 he had to add some actual aggression.
He’s probably thinking at playing Brussow when Vermeulen (8) and Schalk (7) come back.
To be honest, he doesn’t seem to make any more sense than PdeV did when he opened his mouth. He’s just less colourful.
5 Jun 2012, 14:39 pm
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-488: And there I was thinking us Souties won all the way til the late 1940′s when the Nats took power… But then again maybe I’ve read different history books and live a different reality to the fantastical reality displayed on this site by the “southern” squealers…
5 Jun 2012, 14:41 pm
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-487: Look I am concerned about no Brussouw. However HM is the coach and he obviously has a plan and selects players to that plan.
So I for one will judge him on the results of his plan and selections. Really no point for everyone to throw their toys out the cot even before the first game.
5 Jun 2012, 14:41 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-484:
HM doesn’t seem to think so.
5 Jun 2012, 14:42 pm
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-485: Well said. Nowhere will you find a bigger “Liewe hiesus” mentality than in Pretoria and in particular the hallways of Blue Bull HQ.
5 Jun 2012, 14:42 pm
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-486: Anyone who isn’t looking at the man as though he is the 2nd coming can and will poke holes in his statements. My puppy could do it if he left his marrow bone alone long enough to ‘read’ Meyer’s comments. I want the Boks to beat England (as watching Chris Ashton celebrate anything in this country would throw me over the edge), but this absolute blind arrogance that because Meyer is now coach we will roll the English without breaking a sweat is ridiculous. That’s very much the attitude that sunk the Baby Boks last night.
5 Jun 2012, 14:42 pm
I hear that there are a few Saffers living in Argentina nowadays? If this is true, and they have a blog there about rugby, I pity old GH if he makes a few picks that the public dont like.
We all know that the out and out running game he chose had its flaws when poorly executed. Think back to when the AB’s lost to SA & AUS. He made all those dubious selections, kept playing Mils when clearly there were some youngsters who showed form.
Poor GH, he will be chastised badly in Argentina!
LOL
5 Jun 2012, 14:44 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-490:
Verlede week het die skare verskriklik ge-BOE. REaksie van my kant af was dat dit onaanvaarbaar is.
5 Jun 2012, 14:45 pm
I would scarify mobility with beasts such as Albert, Jacques Cronje, Deysel or JvN along with a high work rate No 4 like Etsbeth or Skykes in the line up specifically to ensure the inclusion of Brussow!
And I have no issue to include Stegmann if Brussow is injured!
HM squad selection on its face defies rugby thinking, implies he might know something we don’t?
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