Bok ambition won’t transform Brüssow
27 Jun 2012
Heinrich Brüssow says he is determined to get back into the Springboks fold but stressed he won’t change his style of play to achieve that.
Brüssow was a surprise exclusion from the squad for the England series for some, but those privy to coach Heyneke Meyer’s selection criteria understood that he was concerned about the Cheetahs opensider’s limitations, particularly in terms of ball-carrying. Meyer was also wary of the high ratio of penalties to steal attempts Brüssow conceded, feeling he could be a liability in Test matches.
Meyer opted for Marcell Coetzee in Schalk Burger’s injury-enforced absence. The Sharks youngster impressed, looking at home on the Test stage and seemingly fitting the bill of the all-rounder Meyer wants in the No 6 shirt.
Coetzee, Burger and the Stormers’ Siya Kolisi, whom Meyer rates highly, are ahead of Brüssow in the pecking order at this point. And while the 25-year-old is desperate to play Test rugby once more, he said he won’t compromise his strengths in pursuit of that goal.
‘Not making the squad for the England series hurt, especially since I’ve been there before and know what the environment is like. There’s nothing like playing Test rugby and to miss out on that was disappointing,’ he told keo.co.za.
‘How I respond now is crucial. I didn’t see it as a negative thing entirely though. It is a challenge for me to play well enough to get back there. But I won’t change my style of play. I’m not the ball carrier they are looking for, that’s not my strength. I could bulk up but then I’ll compromise my strength – my ability to get to the breakdown quickly and contest the ball. It’s the way I’ve played my entire professional career and I can’t change now.’
Brüssow said he was aware that this stance would make it more difficult to break into the squad again, but explained that he would build his case for inclusion by attempting to excel at his craft.
‘They did really well playing with the type of openside the coach prefers, so I’m in no position to complain,’ he said. ‘But the key for me is to become so efficient at what I do that it makes it very difficult for the selectors to ignore me. That means I’ve worked very hard on my speed, so that I get around the park quicker, which in turn would potentially give me that half second more to get to the breakdown first and turnover or slow possession.
‘Speed, timing, anticipation and sharp decision-making is crucial for any opensider. If I can get those areas of my game to where I want them to, I hope it will force a rethink for the Springboks.’
Brüssow, however, added that he wasn’t approaching the Cheetahs’ remaining Super Rugby matches as an opportunity to make a statement. ‘No, that’s not the case at all. If I have anything to prove it is to myself. I want to get to the goals I have set for myself and in the process help the Cheetahs to finish the season strongly. If the by-product of that is Springbok selection then great.’
By Ryan Vrede
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245 Comments
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28 Jun 2012, 11:23 am
@Atreides(Atreides)-199:
It’s called gravitas.
Poor Kobus.
I expect his farm workers have eaten him by now.
28 Jun 2012, 11:24 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-196: you have buddies?
28 Jun 2012, 11:38 am
Good article – honestly SA will revert to a fetcher after the first game against NZ or Aus , cant see this trend continuing
28 Jun 2012, 11:40 am
this is going to be a fun 4nations.
28 Jun 2012, 11:45 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-196:
hehehe…
stating a fact is now an accusation…?
all jostling for your attention…
walter mitty ring a bell…?
and once again you totally miss the point… but that’s no surprise…
i was responding to your post about “so many stormers supporters” calling for stormers to replace bulls with stormers… if you’re gonna have a go… be specific about who you having a go at… but it’s easier to make your snide comments without addressing them those who’ve actually done what you allege… safer that way…
when stormersboy calls you on it you cop-out and say it’s Tank’s fault… hahaha…
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-198:
gotta jump on these things otherwise other lazy bloggers read and believe such generalizations…
some bloggers could be tempted to read tacs posts and generalize that all bulls supporters are humorless, dour, one-eyed worshipers in the house of heyneke…
but would that be fair on you, Galileo, staal and many others…?
the response buttons are there just so that posters don’t have to endlessly write the name of the person and the post they’re responding to…
guess tac just has too much gravitas to use them… what with his telepathetic tendencies everyone should just know who he’s talking to…
except his buddies of course…
28 Jun 2012, 11:45 am
@stew(stew)-203:
If we don’t have the players to execute the current gameplan, then yes, we should fall back on one that we do have the required players for.
But the verdict is still out on that.
28 Jun 2012, 11:51 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-196: why am i listed under stormers supporters? i take seriaaas umbrage!
28 Jun 2012, 11:57 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-207:
you are a bladdy agent.
you can take as much umbrella as you want.
where is my herb?
28 Jun 2012, 12:01 pm
@trupisero(trupisero)-202: he refers to them as “buddies” to prevent them from mocking him, whenever they do he disappears for a day or so.
28 Jun 2012, 12:02 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-184: “They just don’t reflect that in their play. Which must be a coaching thing.” absolutely, the reason why, while I will not be wearing a pink,l purple or blue jersey, I will be hoping that the Bulls put us out of our misery and start for us a full clean up of our coaching (and with some luck, management) structures
Otherwise the status quo will remain 
28 Jun 2012, 12:09 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-208: after a post like that, i’m sommer going to call jr and tell him to smoke it with grant!
28 Jun 2012, 12:14 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-206: How exactly does Heyneke’s gameplan differ from PDVs?
28 Jun 2012, 12:20 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-211:
joh.
they’ve probably fired up the hot tup already and invited a few of the boys along.
28 Jun 2012, 12:26 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-211: Nooo… Stone cold sober, gwantie exhibited an unhealthy dose of paranoid persecution complex. Give that man a reefer of reasonable quality and BANG, we’re talking those goofed Us soldiers who blew up their buddies here.
28 Jun 2012, 12:27 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-213: not possible, they think it’s jars of prickly pear jam!
28 Jun 2012, 12:29 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-214:
poor just buggery probably took some friendly fire.
j’accuzzi.
28 Jun 2012, 12:33 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-216:
they empty their loads on him? how many rounds?
he should be ok though… mostly small calibre
28 Jun 2012, 12:34 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-215:
dont’ say that!
just now they’ll feed it to their gerbil.
28 Jun 2012, 12:41 pm
@galileo rates the roundness of a certain unions backline coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-217:
lovin the nic…!!
28 Jun 2012, 12:43 pm
@galileo rates the roundness of a certain unions backline coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-217: Was it not you who complained about long nics a few weeks back?
28 Jun 2012, 12:44 pm
@galileo rates the roundness of a certain unions backline coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-217:
JR is a trooper.
I’m sure he took it on the chin.
28 Jun 2012, 12:45 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-196: Bugger! That hurt.
28 Jun 2012, 12:49 pm
@willievz(willievz)-212:
Don’t you mean the senior Bulls players and Smits ,in PdVs Bok squad, game plan?
28 Jun 2012, 12:53 pm
@ufo(ufo)-219:
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-220:
you’re right, will change
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-221:
would not want to be the medic who’s gotta clean that mess up.
28 Jun 2012, 13:05 pm
@galileo, roundness, union, coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-224:
28 Jun 2012, 13:12 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-160: Then he also spoke about continuity…., that’s exactly why so many people were questioning him. Its insulting people’s intelligence really, you pick an undeserving player, he gets to be part of winning team and viola!!!, you tell us about continuity…
28 Jun 2012, 13:21 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-173: “That’s the same Bulls team who but for Morne’s woeful kicking this season, would have won at least two more games, and would be topping the SA log”.
The above statement really makes a mug of you, you have clearly forgotten that if, but, maybe, the hand in the ruck agaisnt the Sharks Bulls wouldn’t have won that Super rugby, if, but , maybe for Naqalevuki( whatever his name was) didn’t make that stupid foul, WP would have won that game, there are so many if, but , maybe in sport that its insane for an adult to even mention them.
Grow the ***** up!!!
28 Jun 2012, 13:48 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-227:
you sound like you have some things to say today…
28 Jun 2012, 14:00 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-227:
now now.
he’s not making excuses.
the point is that steyn has cost the bulls 3 games and last weekend he cost the boks one.
something must be done.
fire louis poen.
I see Tokyo got the beat down.
28 Jun 2012, 14:05 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-229:
agreed.
what was wrong with percy?
28 Jun 2012, 14:21 pm
@galileo, roundness, union, coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-230:
where should I start?
28 Jun 2012, 14:24 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-231:
snaaks
28 Jun 2012, 19:19 pm
As much as I detest M steyn- we just don’t have a solid-enough replacement is who is match fit. I would play Grant but then a shi*storm of hate would rain down on me
28 Jun 2012, 19:22 pm
Think they are considering making Kolisi our Bok no 8……….if he switches over ok……. and don’t see why not…..will be interesting to see if he can do it and how long before Spies is replaced.
28 Jun 2012, 19:26 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-234: Vermeulen needs to play at 8 for the Boks. There is no argument there.
28 Jun 2012, 19:27 pm
@233…the province boys and girls would not hate you…!…and even though I am a bulls man myself I want to win tests which forces me to wonder if playing Grant would not be a better plan…
28 Jun 2012, 19:31 pm
@RDOT(RDOT)-236: I don’t know what more the bloke has to do in order to get a Bok call up. I guess he just doesn’t fit the mould
28 Jun 2012, 19:31 pm
@236…agreed.
28 Jun 2012, 19:34 pm
@235……think I might prefer Vermeulen to Spies, actually think I mIght prefer anyone to him……but seriously, I really think if Kolisi does well at 8 he might be groomed for the Bok position.
28 Jun 2012, 19:36 pm
@237…I get your point bang, Grant is a tough customer and we might lose a bit on the kicking side but surely we would not lose anything else…
28 Jun 2012, 19:44 pm
I don’t care which province fills which position in the Springbok team…I just want it to be the best possible choice for that position at the time of running onto the field…that’s all…
29 Jun 2012, 03:57 am
it is more than teh penalies issue. the boks clearly tackle by holding the player up on his feet, and slowing the ball down that way. in such a game plan, a fetcher on teh ground woul;d not be useful, and a little guy could not hold up an attacker. Mind you, Brussouw is bloody strong in his own right.
If the Bok game plan changed to be quick off the line in defence (they are not), to tackle round the ankles, and to compete for the ball once the tackler has gone to ground, then Brussouw would be a shoo-in. But its not. BUT: Perhaps there NEEDS to be such an alternative game plan, and there should be players in camp to make it work?
30 Jun 2012, 10:17 am
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-239: Vermuelen, Burger, Johnson. Any of those three will do an infinitely better job. Let’s see how Kolisi goes at 8.
30 Jun 2012, 12:40 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-234:
Just seen BJ Botha at Tops in Kloof buying a heap of 2 litre cooldrinks?
Dayum but the oke is small!! I felt like an Olympic bodybuilder next to him. Probably explains why he gave me a double take
5 Jul 2012, 01:02 am
Now there’s a man with his hat on! If you can rob Richie and his next of kin, then he is worth a couple penalties.
if HM things bulk is all that he needs in players then we have another typical SA coach.
The ABs and Wobblies use brains, when are the Bokke ever going to try that formula. Hell, its not hard… or is it?????
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