Habana’s main mission
6 Jun 2012
RYAN VREDE writes that while many in a youthful Springboks’ squad want to prove they have the aptitude for Test rugby, Bryan Habana wants to prove to himself that he still has it.
Habana doesn’t shy away from the issue of his poor form prior to the start of the current Super Rugby campaign – a nightmarish passage that began around 2010 and gradually descended. At the time he certainly had a sense that he was playing below the standard he sets (in Tests in particular), but couldn’t comprehend the intense criticism. Time has given him perspective.
He understands he raised the bar of expectation with his showings between 2004 and 2007, a period in which he scored 30 tries in 36 Tests and became the IRB’s Player of the Year off the back of irresistible form at the World Cup. But this expectation felt unrealistic for him at times, and on the evidence of his performances, the harder he tried (and he never lacked for effort) the greater his struggle became.
Just before the 2011 Tri-Nations, Heyneke Meyer, then in his capacity as Bulls director of rugby, told keo.co.za: ‘It’s like being stuck in quicksand. The more you fight, the deeper you sink. I’ve seen it happen to many players.
‘It’s not my place to comment on Bryan because I don’t know the full picture – what’s happening in his personal life and so on – but generally the players I’ve seen recover from those situations have done so when they’ve rediscovered a natural enjoyment of the game again. How he gets to that point is for him and his coaches to determine.’
That enjoyment seems to have returned with greater on-field success, and the more he enjoys it the better he plays. A vicious cycle has given way to a positive one.
‘Having achieved what I have, the pressure was always going to be on me to perform [at a consistently high standard]. I’ve been a player that has been able to make a differences in matches. The most disappointing thing to come out of the last 12-month period was the amount of individual errors I continually made,’ Habana says.
‘It was something that wasn’t in my game before. I had to go away and look at the reasons for this and rectify them [Habana has since worked with world-renowned visual skills coach Sherylle Calder]. I was fortunate to have a coaching team and team-mates that backed me. No matter whether I believed in myself or not, I constantly had that support structure. Coming off 2011 I had to go back and see where I was as a player and establish what I wanted to achieve.’
However, Habana, who turns 29 in a fortnight, stressed that his Super Rugby form was merely a glimpse of the standard he expects of himself.
‘I wouldn’t call what I’m producing now good form because I’m not where I want to be. There’s a lot more that I want to achieve. It’s been a good start but there’s a lot more for me,’ he offered.
A winger will always be measured primarily by the number of tries he scores and with what regularity he scores them. There are widely held concerns that with the Springboks’ pragmatic game plan Habana won’t see much of the ball. Habana doesn’t share that pessimism.
‘I see our game plan the same way I saw it nine years ago. Everyone told me going from the Lions to the Bulls was going to make me a worse players because of the perceived 10-man style. Then I became part if the most successful South African franchise in Super Rugby. As players we understand what we’re trying to achieve and believe in the structures.’
This Test season will be one of the defining ones in Habana’s career. If his torrid form endures, his mentor Meyer is unlikely to be as charitable with the No 11 shirt as his predecessor Peter de Villiers was. But I sense it won’t. I sense Habana is set for a statement season. Here’s hoping that sense isn’t misplaced. Here’s hoping that statement is: ‘I’m back’.
By Ryan Vrede, in Durban
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368 Comments
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6 Jun 2012, 11:08 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-246:
Does Hi Q stock Continentals?
6 Jun 2012, 11:09 am
@Michael(mikeybrass)-231: You still haven’t answered the question, Micky. Why do you specifically want a black coach? If your wife goes into labour, would you also wish for a black obstetrician? That would be great for the private health care’s transformation image, wouldn’t it?
Or would you simply want a doctor who can deliver a baby regardless of his skin colour or nose shape or music taste?
6 Jun 2012, 11:09 am
@Michael(mikeybrass)-241:
No I would not find it boring. I’m an amateur enthusiast in pretty much every field imaginable – archeology, history, physics, biology, geography, you name it.
I like to know things.
In any case. I was referring to the colour of the skeletons now. Not whatever their race might have been 4000 years ago when they died in that sandstorm or Hittite ambush or whatever.
6 Jun 2012, 11:09 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-246:
did dobbo know he had a near death experience…?
6 Jun 2012, 11:10 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-240:
Jammer I thought you were a R&B kind of cat.
like Sherrif.
an easy listener if you will.
6 Jun 2012, 11:11 am
@mad eye(mad eye)-238:
Woods’ game is on the up. He just won the Memorial and Habana had a great game on Saturday.
In my book you only as good as your last game/tournament.
6 Jun 2012, 11:11 am
OK, Roy or Ig or Nikita or whoever is the moderator now.
You can have my comment “awaiting moderation” and stick it up your *rse.
I’m not repeating it.
Plonkers.
6 Jun 2012, 11:12 am
@Jeraldjay(Jeraldjay)-255: Did you watch the final round? How good was that chip on the par 3 16th? That shot alone deserved the win.
6 Jun 2012, 11:15 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-252: For pete’s sake, read what I actually wrote. Don’t liek what I wrote in answer to Tac or yourself? Tough.
6 Jun 2012, 11:15 am
@ufo(ufo)-253:
its the bald head that did it.
Thelo was picturing it slathered with Mrs Balls chutney and lashings of Aromat.
6 Jun 2012, 11:16 am
@Jeraldjay(Jeraldjay)-255:
Retreads?
Wash your mouth out with soap.
6 Jun 2012, 11:17 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-259:
Does Hi Q have Continentals?
6 Jun 2012, 11:17 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-257:
Yes, I watched it. Phenominal shot.
I’ve naturally been a Ernie/Goose fan but I hope that someday Tiger can get to Nicklaus’ record of major wins.
6 Jun 2012, 11:18 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-243:
Lol… i heard they decided to cut the food budget after mathew proudfoot cleaned the kitchen last time.
6 Jun 2012, 11:18 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-256: chill bro ^5
6 Jun 2012, 11:20 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-265:
Hehe. I was replying to Michael, and used the word “Hit-tite”, and that seems to have set off some alarm bell at Keo towers.
No idea why.
6 Jun 2012, 11:21 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-174:
‘subtitles’
6 Jun 2012, 11:22 am
@Michael(mikeybrass)-258: You mean this?
“Did I say requirement? No. I expressed a desire, one which recognises the demographic and social realities of our country”
Because that is such a steaming heap of poo. Why, for the love of George Benson, should a rugby coach have to “recognise the demographic and social realities of our country”? You’ve been brainwashed into believing this. Wake up.
6 Jun 2012, 11:24 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-268:
Indeed.
6 Jun 2012, 11:26 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-267: It just means we had to have PdV so that we could see what HM would do about all those things. In a way PdV was important to show that there are “quota players” who really are not.
6 Jun 2012, 11:28 am
For the record I thought PdV was not a bad coach but he compromised himself along the line. I also don’t have a huge issue with the current squad apart from no show for Aplon, although I understand the reasoning.
6 Jun 2012, 11:28 am
Dawn what car do you drive?
6 Jun 2012, 11:28 am
@LightZone(LightZone)-270:
PdV was an example of all that is wrong with the Transformation agenda.
He was the epitome of someone being appointed for reasons other than competency.
And sadly, Heyneke’s achievements will be juxtaposed to his to make it even more obvious.
6 Jun 2012, 11:30 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-251: Dawn for conti’s (yes you need to learn the lingo) you need to go to Parker’s Pitstop.
I used to take my Audi Quattro there for her Conti’s.
6 Jun 2012, 11:31 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-272: You misunderstand. Don’t worry I know your thoughts on the issue. In order to appreciate the sunshine we need the clouds to break. Let’s hope this era makes it so.
6 Jun 2012, 11:32 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-200: not sure if he knows best, (probably does, as he certainly is the most qualified) but his arrs is on the line, not ours.
thats the big difference
6 Jun 2012, 11:32 am
@Jeraldjay(Jeraldjay)-263: I’m an Ernie/Goose fan too. Also enjoy Schwartzel and Oosthuizen. But Rory Sabattini is a **** of note, so I wasn’t displeased at all when Tiger ruined his round in such spectacular fashion.
6 Jun 2012, 11:32 am
@LightZone(LightZone)-275:
OK, I admit you’ve lost me. Anyway, let’s all appreciate the sunshine, then, I guess.
6 Jun 2012, 11:33 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-267:
Don’t mean to chip in but what I think he meant was that for this country to further reconcile we need black people to excel at the highest level which would inspire more black people to be successful.
Former Bok coach is still a popular face among coloured communities for events and believe it or not but he’s inspired a lot of coloured people for simply achieving what many thought was impossible in a country where coloureds feel marginalised and excluded.
If that doesn’t sit well with you I understand.
6 Jun 2012, 11:33 am
I would like to see a coach who can select a team well with the available resources and still get the best out of the team to win a match.
6 Jun 2012, 11:34 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-277:
I still don’t get why so many of these golfers look like porkers. You’d think that however good you are while a porker, you’d be even better if you had 8% body fat.
Just don’t get it. Professional sportsmen and all.
6 Jun 2012, 11:35 am
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-279:
Yeah. See, I’m not really into this “Grand Unifying Cause” thing.
The Boks need to win and that’s all I care about.
Maybe that’s just me.
6 Jun 2012, 11:35 am
@Jeraldjay(Jeraldjay)-189:
i told you, he is iffy and should not be played.
but thats the thing with you wp people isn’t it.
like coach, like supporter.
6 Jun 2012, 11:36 am
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-279: He’s not there to inspire kids or make communities feel good or make SARU look all rainbow-ish. He’s there to get 22 blokes to kick the sht out of England and Australia and New Zealand week in and week out. That’s all he should be judged on. It really is that simple. All this other rubbish is just political spin and PR.
6 Jun 2012, 11:38 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-281: The best ones aren’t. The best ones have very strict daily fitness programmes and very low body fat. They are very flexible and have seriously strong core muscles. These days the few remaining fatties always fade on day three or four.
6 Jun 2012, 11:40 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-285:
True.
6 Jun 2012, 11:40 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-278: LOL. That’s quite an admission Tac. When PdV started he wanted to play a hybrid game and compromised himself by changing his gameplan. We now see a coach who wants to continue on the same gameplan but who possibly has more skill at implementing such gameplan. I sincerely hope that this is the seven fat years (metaphorically speaking).
6 Jun 2012, 11:41 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-282:
@>^..^< katman(katman)-284:
Nowhere did we’d be happy just because he’s black/coloured.
Success is top priority as I don’t think too many people have been inspired by a loser.
Without wanting to go into our checkered history but Sport has the power to rattle a beast like A partheid, and the same power to unify like World Cup success and Football victory in 96, 1st World Cup qualification in 98 and hosting the even in 2010.
6 Jun 2012, 11:42 am
@viewer(viewer)-272:
A purple Getz. She likes to getz to Firemans after work and getz dagiwe.
6 Jun 2012, 11:44 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-284: Through winning he will inspire kids. The only thing is that the coach has to look at a squad as a non-racial entity. When one day the team and its supporters views it as non-racial then we will have evolved.
6 Jun 2012, 11:44 am
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-288: It’s not the top priority of the coach. It’s the only priority.
SARU has plenty of other opportunities (and obligations) to transform, inspire and unite. Choosing a Bok coach is not one.
6 Jun 2012, 11:46 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-277:
Ja, Sabatini is in the same mould as Kevin Pietersen they “South African” but they don’t know what the difference between confidence and arrogance is.
6 Jun 2012, 11:46 am
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-288: Agreed. We’ve got the “first black coach” story out of the way now we can get on with real business of best merit in a non-racial way.
6 Jun 2012, 11:48 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-274:
I know the lingo
Was spelling it out for Gunther
6 Jun 2012, 11:49 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-291:
What was implied is that there was a desire for the coach to be black, not a demand.
If indeed a black talent emerges and reaches the top it would inspire others to work harder.
EG.
The latest comrade winner had to take 3 months unpaid leave to prepare for the race.
If you know the struggle of most black & coloureds and not the elite few then you’ll know how much courage it takes to succeed given the odds stacked against you.
6 Jun 2012, 11:50 am
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-283:
I don’t know whether you watched the last few Stormers games carefully. Etsebeth did appear to hold back in the contact situations especially against the Sharks.
Lets se what happens on Saturday.
6 Jun 2012, 11:51 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-262: Dawn the best place is ContiPartner in Maitland. Better than Tiger for service and price.
6 Jun 2012, 11:55 am
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-295:
Yeah. See, all I care about is how much we dominate the collissions on Saturday, whether we destroy the English line outs, and whether our midfield gets us over the advantage line after first phase.
All that other stuff. That’s maybe a good topic for Carte Blanche, or Third Degree or Special Assignment, but it’s got no place in a rugby training manual.
6 Jun 2012, 11:55 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-260:
hehe…
thinking…”he’ll taste like shiggen…”
@Michael(mikeybrass)-259:
@>^..^< katman(katman)-268:
Turn your love around…!!
6 Jun 2012, 11:55 am
Another first hand example is Heini Adams.
We’re from the same town and I know his aunt well.
His extender family members had to pull together to get him where he is today.
Dewie Swartbooi is another example. After all the experience he’s picked up he’s here in town coaching a local club.
He wasn’t the greatest Bulls player ever, but for those working with him now it’s an absolute privilege and proof then you can get there no matter how bad your situation is.
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