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, 14:45 pm
@BULLET(BULLET)-498:
Who is GH? Games Heaven???
5 Jun 2012, 14:45 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-482: I agree Spies and Kirchner should be nowhere near the bok side but surely you have some confidence that HM has a plan here?
5 Jun 2012, 14:45 pm
OMG, HG is here. There goes all changes of having a logical conversation about rugby!
5 Jun 2012, 14:47 pm
all the posters who keep pointing fingers saying that violence at the breakdown is archaic and complaining about the stormers being left out of the team and how the “violence at the collisions” will not win games and then point out that the stormers are top of the SA log, you need to take a good hard look at how the stormers got to the log.
Its been nothing but violence at the collision points. that is the backbone of the stormers defence that has nor propped them up as much as its kept other teams down.
how dynamic has the stormers been on attack this season? puhlease.
they have been playing boring HM bulls rugby and have been good at it.
why?
it works.
care to deny it?
5 Jun 2012, 14:48 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-472: What you talking’ about, Willis? You accuse refs of cheating every week. What is so different about this one?
5 Jun 2012, 14:49 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-504:
Did you see Kolisi sneak past JJ and WO? Go look and see how good the attack was…
5 Jun 2012, 14:49 pm
@BULLET(BULLET)-498: It actually not Saffa’s doing the “chastising”… Its Cape Tonians… And there is really beginning to be a glaring distinction between the 2.
Almost like 2 different nationalities here.
I actually wouldnt be surprised if these okes reckon their side is actually better than the Boks…
5 Jun 2012, 14:49 pm
I mean if we are going to regress why don’t we just bring Louis Luiheid ® back as the President of SA Rugby
5 Jun 2012, 14:50 pm
@David(David)-495:
Same error of judgement as JW’s infamouse beer fetching comment prior to the 0:49 drubbing
5 Jun 2012, 14:52 pm
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-503: Come give some “logical” rugby conversation then… I haven’t seen any yet from the majority of the patently whiny, hysterical bunch of squealers here…
Show that rational rugby reason… The stage is yours.
5 Jun 2012, 14:52 pm
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-499: Waarvan praat jy?
5 Jun 2012, 14:55 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-511:
Gaan kyk mooi na hoe daai sin geskryf is
5 Jun 2012, 14:56 pm
@BULLET(BULLET)-498:
Sir Graham Henry:
- IRB International Coach of the Year, 2005,2006,2008,2010,2011.
- New Zealand’s Coach of the Year, 2006, 2011.
- His success with Wales resulted in him being given the nickname “the Great Redeemer”
- AB winning percentage of 85% .
- Several Super 12 titles with the Blues.
Somehow I think Ted will get by in Argentina.
Anyway he is only an Advisor.
So he can’t lose.
5 Jun 2012, 14:57 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-506: are you seriously going to point out that fluke and on the basis of that accuse the stormers of being an attaking side?
srsly?
5 Jun 2012, 14:57 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-510: Ok – what are your thoughts on Zane Kirchner and Morne Steyn starting ahead of Pat Lambie, the best 10 and 15 in South Africa?
5 Jun 2012, 14:57 pm
@BULLET(BULLET)-491: Spot on Bullet.
5 Jun 2012, 15:00 pm
@cane(cane)-513:
Arguably the best coach in the modern era
No one can touch his record
Why is JK now Sir JK? Is it because he scored a try in Auckland in 1987?
5 Jun 2012, 15:00 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-514:
Are you seriously going to say the Lions are the best attacking side because they ran holes in the worst defensive side? No! If the Bulls are such an attacking side why so little tries against the Stormers then… Oh of course because they know how to defend. Sorry defense has no place in modern rugby…
5 Jun 2012, 15:00 pm
Keo is actually becoming a fascinating window into the evolving psyche of the Western Cape Rugby supporter specimen…
Some characteristics:
Self righteous
An undoubted attitude of superiority over the Rest of SA
An incredible sense of entitlement related to a feeling of privilege
No stranger to hypocrisy
Irrational hate of all things Blue
A feeling of being “special”
Funny thing is the WC rugby fan might actually be a microcosm of the WC inhabitant…
Who seems to carry more and more an attitude of “us and them” to the rest of the Country…
5 Jun 2012, 15:01 pm
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-512: Ek dink nie so nie. Jy’s ‘n kakprater, en ek het te min tyd.
5 Jun 2012, 15:07 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-520:
Ek het al vergeet met wie ek praat; gaan kyk watter letters het ek in hoofletters gespel en kyk watter woord vorm dit
Jy lyk my het ‘n permanente probleem met tydsbestuur en swak van begrip – en swak gemanierd
5 Jun 2012, 15:10 pm
You know one thing I will say about the Kanko selection, is not only does he have Bok experience, but unlike most people on the team sheet, he’s fresh. He hasn’t played much rugby in this S15 where others have been played almost into the ground. I’m not his biggest fan but we may come to see the benefits of that.
5 Jun 2012, 15:14 pm
Ok, so it is 15:11 on a Tuesday afternoon and this place is still going off it’s rocker about the Bok selections…
Jees!!! Nobody here can or will have any influence in this regard, so, arguing about it the whole time since Saturday evening is kind of pointless…
Anybody here want to talk about the game on Saturday or should I wait till Friday for normality to return???
5 Jun 2012, 15:16 pm
@Yetirat(Yetirat)-522:
Kanko is a shocker of a selection; he has been given opportunities galore and has failed to justify his almost permanent selection over the last few years.
Keegan Daniel can fulfill that role a lot better; he brings an injection of pace and high workrate, which will benefit the Boks; he has taken his level of play up this year, no doubt about it
5 Jun 2012, 15:16 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-518: you missed my point completely and (i suspect) on purpose…
defence has a fundamental place in modern rugby (and in all rugby in the past) and defence is part structure and part collision.
if other teams cannot score against you, then they cant beat you, simple.
why then are the stormers bleating about choosing a team that can dominate collisions, based on stats over 14 games, and body size?
its “modern rugby” when the stormers do it, but “archaic” when someone else does it?
the stormers have been playing “Bulls Rugby” all season and look where they are.
and its NOT been through dymanic attacking rugby. you talk about flair of Aplon and De Jong. where then are all the bucketloads of tries that they have created? Or scored?
oh right, they havent… they dont feature at all on the stats. Gio has scored 5 tries. Basson 8.
Aplon or JDJ dont feature AT ALL on the line-break stats, or running metere stats. For a defending side JDJ doesnt feature in the top 20 of the defensiev stats, they’re invisible to anyone who is not blinded by allegiance to the hoops.
Just sayin.
5 Jun 2012, 15:17 pm
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-517:
John Kirwin was Knighted for his services to Mental Health.
JK, one of our very greatest Rugby Players, suffered from depression as an AB. And most likely continues with this illness.
He became a spokes-person for mental heath.
Not one single NZer would begrudge JK the honour bestowed upon him.
5 Jun 2012, 15:17 pm
ARISE SIR JOHN
Former All Blacks great John Kirwan, who has also coached Italy and Japan at Rugby World Cups as well as being an advocate for sufferers of depression, was honoured with a knighthood on Monday.
The 47-year-old was named a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the country’s Queen’s Birthday honours list for his services to mental health and rugby union.
Kirwan, who played 63 tests for the All Blacks, has become a campaigner for mental health issues and written about his own battle with depression in the book “All Blacks Don’t Cry”.
“There were scary times because of the stigma attached to depression, but I have tried to break those down because it is an illness, not a weakness,” he told the New Zealand Herald.
He said he thought long and hard about accepting the knighthood and did so “on behalf of all those people who are suffering, to show there is hope.
“My main message is that there is always hope, there is always help, there is always a way out of the troubles.”
Kirwan has appeared at the Rugby World Cup five times, as an All Black player in 1987 and 1991, and as the coach of Italy in 2003, and Japan in 2007 and 2011.
Former assistant All Blacks coaches Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith were both made Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit for their part in the team’s World Cup victory last October.
The then head coach Graham Henry had already been knighted in the New Year’s honours list, when captain Richie McCaw turned down the offer of an immediate knighthood saying it did not seem appropriate while he was still playing.
© Sapa – AFP
5 Jun 2012, 15:18 pm
@cane(cane)-526:
hahaha
snap dragons…!!!
5 Jun 2012, 15:19 pm
Congratulations JK…!!
5 Jun 2012, 15:20 pm
@cane(cane)-526:
Fair enough cane
5 Jun 2012, 15:22 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-515: Hairdresser, I really doubt you understand this rugby thing… You know, the 15 man team game that engenders feelings of brotherhood amongst team mates who have bled together?
Nevertheless I will humour you with an answer.
Morne Steyn is a better option especially for this game on Sat for which the Boks have had minimum prep time for the following fairly rational reasons:
- Familiarity with Hougaard that Pat doesn’t have
- Proven match winner regarding taking pressure penalties and is a drop goal specialist.
- Underrated but excellent distribution
- Understands what Meyer wants from a flyhalf… Remember he had to work hard to win over Meyer who rated Hougaard more highly at first.
Lambie is a more dynamic, take it to the advantage line FH… A possession is 9/10ths of the law type flyhalf. However regarding current law interpretations, actually keeping possession of the ball and playing constructive offensive rugby can disadvantage a team – an aspect of “modern” rugby the Stormers have taken advantage of.
In context of this test, I believe that having a back three Sharks combination may have been a good option for reasons of familiarity. But then again the Sharks back 3 have proven vulnerable under high ball…England are going to bomb. Actually, the difference between England and the Boks in the first test regarding tactics will probably be Jersey colour. Therefore Kirchner might actually be a more solid option to start with at 15…
I will be disappointed should one of my favourite players not start on Sat at 15 or 10, however I certainly will not be throwing my toys and changing allegiance to England if Lambie only starts on the bench….
5 Jun 2012, 15:23 pm
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-517: Probably very close but I reckon some of the aussie coaches would come close…EG Eddie Jone. They had a lot less to work with than GH…although GH is clearly one of the best coaches of all time.
5 Jun 2012, 15:28 pm
I cant believe all the fuss about this squad. Meyer has said it is with the England tour in mind, and other players will get opportunities in the 4 nations. Lets see how this squad goes before complaining. But for injuries, the makeup would look different.
HG
You remain an idiot. Come down to Cape Town you hate so much, and tell us in person how you feel about it.
Until then, you are just some idiot with false behind the keyboard bravery.
Didnt your humble pie on the weekend have any affect on you?
5 Jun 2012, 15:28 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-519: Get off your high horse you sanctimonious twat. My God, you go on and on like a hysterical teenage girl. The biggest primadonna since G10 but you fill those ballet shoes to perfection. We get it. You support the Boks. Well so do we so get off your self-righteous treadmill and come back when you have something intelligent or original to offer. The rest of the cr ap we have heard as nauseum.
5 Jun 2012, 15:29 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-531: So you are going to be more than happy with Lambie warming the bench moving forward, to infinity and beyond. Fair enough. I’m just keen to see if the Sharks contingent will be as vociferous in their support of all things Meyer if things get iffy. (For some reason, most of the pro Sharks I know are horrified at the thought of Zane starting at 15 – but that’s them I suppose.)
5 Jun 2012, 15:31 pm
@cane(cane)-526:
I met JK when he was involved with Auckland Blues.
Had an interesting chat about the reasons why he refused to travel to SA with the Cavaliers.
He was young and a rising star but decided not to tour because of his non- racial beliefs.
He said the money they were offered was unheard of in those years.
5 Jun 2012, 15:31 pm
@ufo(ufo)-528:
Thanks for that UFO.
Your post explains things a lot better than mine. (as usual).
8)
5 Jun 2012, 15:33 pm
@Stawm(Stawm)-533: I will be in Cape Town quite a few times this year unfortunately… When I do go I will be sure to let you know, so that you can come and hear from me in person how I feel about it, should it be that important to you…
Then you can be as “brave” as you want you want to be… in real life outside Keo…
Dumbfck
5 Jun 2012, 15:36 pm
@stormer in a teacup(stormer in a teacup)-534: I go on “like a hysterical teenage girl”… Do you actually realise how ironic your statement is considering the constant wailing on this site since Saturday night…
Only me?
Just me?
You another dumfck hypocrite like this Stawmy character.
5 Jun 2012, 15:37 pm
@Stawm(Stawm)-533:
Go on
Invite the fecker for drinks
I’ll “organise” things
5 Jun 2012, 15:38 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-539:
You been deflecting your lionraping with this “North/South” fallacy since Sunday.
We all see through it.
5 Jun 2012, 15:38 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-539:
You dumbfck
5 Jun 2012, 15:38 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-540: And by “things” you mean utility knives and bicycle chains, of course.
5 Jun 2012, 15:39 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-535: Yeah… Well then the Sharks contingent will wait until “things get iffy” then… No sense in jumping the gun yet is there… I mean “things” haven’t really started yet…
Even Dippy was afforded a lot more grace before criticism than Meyer has…
5 Jun 2012, 15:39 pm
@Jeraldjay(Jeraldjay)-536:
Another reason I hold this man in such great esteem.
Same goes for our WC winning Captain of 87, Captain Kirk.
The Rumour is, it was NZ$100,000 per player for the Tour.
In those days, in rugby terms……………………………….mastodon money.
5 Jun 2012, 15:41 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-541: Deflecting? I was wasting time on the Lions Sharks thread on Saturday night already… “Manning” up as it were…
Now I am just telling it as I see it…
Tart.
5 Jun 2012, 15:42 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-539:
“You another dumfck hypocrite like this Stawmy character”.
And You Heaven help us are what exactly?
5 Jun 2012, 15:44 pm
@cane(cane)-545:
Yellow Pages- a business listings directory (government subsidised) was the sponsor of the tour.
But in those days it was R0,50c to the NZ dollar
5 Jun 2012, 15:47 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-546:
Would you speak to any women in person in that manner HG.
I would like to think not.
5 Jun 2012, 15:47 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-539: Not just you, I call out Skop, and your cheerleaders Fern and GWS as well but you are the loudest squealer of the lot.
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