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, 11:55 am
@Jeraldjay(Jeraldjay)-296:
on saturday ? sure, but the team announcement is today. we will know for certain what his situation is this way. i.e. run on team, on the bench, not in this saturday team but still in the squad and so on.
6 Jun 2012, 11:58 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-298:
That’s where you’re wrong.
The game is much greater than that and reaches far beyond the chalk lines.
My greatest rugby memory isn’t the Boks winning the World Cup.
It was in 1996, Chester Williams came to town and did a coaching clinic and we were there, interacting with the guy who just brought glory to our nation a year ago.
6 Jun 2012, 11:58 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-294: Gotcha.
Carry on then. Check out Parkers though, they always used to be good value.
6 Jun 2012, 12:00 pm
Sabatinni has always been a cnut ever since he was a school boy throwing clubs at Royal Durban.
Woods is a most ungracious loser,and for all the game has given him he could be a little more more grateful,same thing with Habbanna.
He should look to Percy for guidance,when he was being booed in a Bok jersey at Loftus,he never ever lost his self control and let it get in the teams way.
I reckon the team is better with out sulking Brian and his maybe promise of brilliance
6 Jun 2012, 12:00 pm
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-300:
very cool post…!!
6 Jun 2012, 12:02 pm
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-302: Keep on talking mate, but don’t expect the usual suspects to understand.
6 Jun 2012, 12:03 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-262:
indeed they do.
why are you giving me horns?
6 Jun 2012, 12:03 pm
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-302:
@Bagel(Bagel)-306:
it’s impossible to wake a woman pretending to sleep…
6 Jun 2012, 12:05 pm
@ufo(ufo)-305:
And that’s why rugby is the greatest game of them all
6 Jun 2012, 12:05 pm
@ufo(ufo)-308: Haha
6 Jun 2012, 12:06 pm
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-309:
absolutely..!!
6 Jun 2012, 12:06 pm
@Bagel(Bagel)-310:
6 Jun 2012, 12:07 pm
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-302: You’re talking about making a heartstrings Spielberg movie. I’m talking about kicking the Poms’ arses. Not the same thing.
6 Jun 2012, 12:07 pm
So…
How are the Caped Poms and assorted Gaylords doing today…
Blood gone green yet… Bokgreen or still Green with Envy?
You poor farkers…
6 Jun 2012, 12:11 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-313:
no reason why both can’t be realized…
for example… making a movie about kicking the poms asses which pulls at the heart-strings of all saffas…
6 Jun 2012, 12:11 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-314: YAAAAAY! Bozo is back everyone!
How will he entertain us today? Looking forward to a good ramble!
6 Jun 2012, 12:12 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-314:
Look, I’m trying to steer away from the inflamatory stuff, but that assorted Gaylords comment has me chuckling like a madman, despite my best intentions.
Guess I’m just a lost cause.
6 Jun 2012, 12:13 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-313:
I’m down for kicking Pom Butt as well.
Some have sight but just refuse to see the bigger picture.
6 Jun 2012, 12:13 pm
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-302: In 1980 Morne du Plessis and Rob Louw were my heroes but when Errol Tobias became flyhalf for the Springboks I never saw them. He later was vilified but even in those politically-charged days we could see that we were good enough (or better) and we knew we could achieve much greater things than what we were taught. Errol Tobias was the archetypal running flyhalf who could kick well and he got there on merit even though it was said he was a window-dresser. He was always humble and never forgot his roots even under those trying times.
6 Jun 2012, 12:14 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-183: Why does SA need a “non-White” coach “after” Meyer?
Firstly “Non-White”…? What is that, porksword?
Secondly, hows your colour”blind” mind pronouncing on the required melanin concentration of a Bok coach all the way from enlightened Malta…?
6 Jun 2012, 12:15 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-314:
We’ve cooled off but you know you’re the master-baiter on here, so proceed.
6 Jun 2012, 12:15 pm
@ufo(ufo)-315: I respectfully disagree. tHe moment the sentimentality and politically correctness come into the equation, you will ALWAYS end up with some kind of compromise, even if it’s just 80/20.
Leave nation building off the CV requirements if you only want the best coach.
6 Jun 2012, 12:16 pm
@LightZone(LightZone)-319:
Caledon chap?
6 Jun 2012, 12:17 pm
@ufo(ufo)-315:
can it be a western ?
i like westerns.
6 Jun 2012, 12:18 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-313: Or maybe an Invictus movie? Kick the world’s proverbials and STILL pluck the heart strings? It’s not about colour but affording the opportunity for someone to realise the potential of those they consider inferior on whatever level.
6 Jun 2012, 12:18 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-317: Sorry man… But levels of Heyneke Angst haven’t abated yet…
Der Kaiser Heyneke is still inducing nightmares and massive hurt in the Fayre Cape …
Schweet!
6 Jun 2012, 12:18 pm
@LightZone(LightZone)-319:
And some branded him a traitor for accepting the call-up but I also believe it took moerse heart from him as in the end all he wanted to do was showcase his talent.
Many on here say Rugby’s just a high impact collision sport.
How quickly they forget about the influence it has had on this country, both negative and positive.
6 Jun 2012, 12:19 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-323: Yeah Caledon chap. First colourful player for the Springboks.
6 Jun 2012, 12:19 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-326:
Nope.
I’ve checked it just now.
We’re over it.
Here’s hoping you’ll also be eventually.
6 Jun 2012, 12:20 pm
When does the team get announced?
6 Jun 2012, 12:20 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-191: Wouldn’t be wonderful to have a successful Coach after Meyer Full Stop… Lilly liberal dreamboat social engineering aside?
6 Jun 2012, 12:22 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-322:
i’m talking about making a movie…
sentimentality sells…
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-324:
of course…
we could get pierre to act like a rugby player…!!
6 Jun 2012, 12:22 pm
@garth(garth)-330:
12.30
Got me glued to the PC
6 Jun 2012, 12:22 pm
Bok Team
Kirchner
Basson
JdV
Steyn
Habs
Steyn
Hougie
Doc
Chili v/c
Beast
Kruger
Etsebeth
Coetzee
Alberts
Spies
Res: Bissie; Kruger; VdMerwe; Potgieter; Vermaak, Pienaar
6 Jun 2012, 12:22 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-331:
It won’t be social engineering if the black guy is there on merit.
6 Jun 2012, 12:23 pm
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-324:
Blazing Saddles?
Mornin’, ma’am. And isn’t it a lovely mornin’?
6 Jun 2012, 12:24 pm
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-327: The complexity of the game is similar to a game of chess with the different strategy applied. Strange that chess was a board game designed to teach tactical warfare. No wonder there’s so much passion in rugby. We all want to fight for our country but are not granted the same opportunity.
6 Jun 2012, 12:24 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-331: we should have a woman coaching the boks as there are more women than men in SA.
6 Jun 2012, 12:25 pm
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-329: I’m over it… Over the moon actually…
About one man:
Heyneke Meyer…. Springbok Coach
His name alone enough to breed fear into opponents…
Compare that to Stuart Lancaster or Robbie Deans or Steve Hansen…
Der Kaiser vs Drinking buddies…
Man Alone…
6 Jun 2012, 12:27 pm
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-335: It wont be social engineering if any “guy” is there on merit… actually.
See?
Melanin 101. Lesson 1
6 Jun 2012, 12:28 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-339:
Never knew you felt that strongly about the man, Tac better watch out
!
6 Jun 2012, 12:28 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-336:
Hello, handsome, is that a ten-gallon hat or are you just enjoying the show?
6 Jun 2012, 12:29 pm
@wpstormerpom(wpstormerpom)-335:
If he is there on merit then his colour is neither here nor there.
take a deep breath.
6 Jun 2012, 12:29 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-338: So any Stormers coach then…?
Come on… you have to admit hormonal levels and angst appropriate…
Either that or tyre burning Dawny then…
6 Jun 2012, 12:32 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-340:
Correct. If it’s another white oke then it’s all good I have no problem with that.
My only wish is that more people of colour advance in time who will in turn be of great service to Rugby and the people of this country who deal with challenges that’s maybe hard for those who aren’t in their shoes to fathom.
6 Jun 2012, 12:32 pm
That gaylord comment was classic. Still chuckling to myself.
6 Jun 2012, 12:33 pm
The day we look beyond the colour of the black coach is when we have evolved.
6 Jun 2012, 12:33 pm
A movie about Der Kaiser’s Boks killing the Poms involves
Etsebeth Chainsaws
Beast Sledgehammers
Steyns Sniper Rifle
Le Rocket’s Bombs
And lots of Blood….
6 Jun 2012, 12:34 pm
I have to insist that the next coach is deaf, blind, in a wheelchair and a bleck woman.
Asseblief tog SARU.
6 Jun 2012, 12:34 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-343:
OHK.
A white guy there on merit won’t serve the same purpose as a black guy there on merit to black people as for them there’s little relation other then the fact that we’re all South Africans.
A black guy will relate to a successful black guy better then he will a white guy simply because for most black people the struggle to reach the top is much different to that of a white oke.
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