‘Andries must make his mark’
14 Aug 2012
Springbok forwards coach Johann van Graan says the time has come for Andries Bekker to establish himself as the world-class lock he has the potential to be.
Bekker debuted for the Springboks in 2008 and was soon being touted as the natural successor to the mercurial Victor Matfield. Indeed he pushed Matfield hard in 2009 and 2010, but was never able to consistently dominate him, the veteran schooling his student in their most high-profile encounters.
Matfield would always speak of Bekker’s technical ability in glowing terms, but privately he always felt he had an advantage over him mentally. Matfield would seldom be found wanting under the sternest examination. Bekker, it is felt within Springbok coaching circles, lacks the mental toughness to match his appreciable technical skill.
Certainly a now chronic back injury and an all too public breakdown of his marriage have contributed to his stuttering ascent, but his capacity to deal with the highest pressure situations remains the biggest stumbling block to him moving out of the shadow the retired Matfield still casts.
Van Graan worked closely with Matfield at the Bulls for nearly a decade and was his right-hand man in many of the late nights spent dissecting the opposition’s lineouts and formulating plans to engineer their demise in this facet of play. He is among those best placed to make the comparison between the two. He intimated that Bekker still has some way to travel in his journey to Matfield’s standard and suggested that this is a defining period in his Test career.
‘Victor was a once in a lifetime player. He brought new things to the lineout and his record speaks for itself,’ Van Graan told keo.co.za. ‘I think the 2010 Super Rugby final in Orlando at that stage pitted the two best lineout jumpers in the game against each other. Andries has had some injuries since. Now it’s time for him to make his mark.’
He did, however, make no secret of his admiration for Bekker, who is likely to start against Argentina at Newlands on Saturday and, fitness permitting, retain the jersey for the remainder of the tournament.
‘Andries brings experience and stability. Credit must got to Juandré Kruger who ran the lineout well against England in a short time. Andries in 2010 and 2011 showed his potential to become one of the great locks of all time. I haven’t worked with him a lot but I’ve been very impressed. He is extremely tall which is a self-evident benefit, he understands the workings of lineouts and as a technical decision maker he has come to the fore. There’s good competition between him and Juandré which is a good thing, as is the fact that they’ve both been under Victor’s wing at different stages of their careers.’
Bekker alone can shape his Test career. Keo.co.za understands that he continues to be hampered by his back ailment and is far from confident in his ability to stay injury-free for an extended period. This has seen him consider cashing in on the limited time he may have left before the injury worsens to the point of forcing his retirement, by taking up one of a number of lucrative offers available to him to play abroad.
The Stormers and Springboks’ medical staff have tailored a programme that seeks to circumvent the triggers for his breakdowns. This, they hope, will give him longevity. They’ve panelbeated his body and I suspect the success or failure thereof will have a telling effect on his mental strength.
As a starting point he needs an extended run of games without suffering a recurrence of the injury. From there he will be better placed to make the mark Van Graan hopes he will.
By Ryan Vrede, in Cape Town
88 Comments
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14 Aug 2012, 11:37 am
Doesn’t sound good for long-term Bok prospects.
Bring back Mostert and start grooming Steph Du Toit.
14 Aug 2012, 11:40 am
Bekker’s fragility makes Jake White’s hunting for a young lock to take back to Aus even more displeasing.
We need the likes of Willemse, Elstadt, Steph Du Toit and Botha to stay in SA and challenge for higher honours.
14 Aug 2012, 11:41 am
The only person who fears bekker at the lineout is his own hooker.
It brings a smile to my face when i remember the look on poor liebenbergs face after being chastized by bekker at a lineout buggerup.
Alas, that will not work at the boks….bismaark willmgive him a snotklap.
14 Aug 2012, 11:41 am
Soon the Boks may need lock depth as much as the Cheetahs do!
14 Aug 2012, 11:42 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-3:
And then Ysterbeth will toss Bismark away like a discloth.
14 Aug 2012, 11:42 am
I would hypothesize that bekker may well be ahead of kruger technically but kruger is lightyears ahead mentally.
14 Aug 2012, 11:42 am
dishcloth.
14 Aug 2012, 11:45 am
Although it has to be said that collision and its result surely has to have been a once-off anomaly.
Not doubting Ysterbeth’s strength, but can’t see that happening to the Battleship again.
14 Aug 2012, 11:46 am
Will be watched over and over though, just like Burger’s hammering of Fourie Du Preez or Chabal monstering Chris Masoe.
14 Aug 2012, 11:46 am
Did vrede study journalism
14 Aug 2012, 11:49 am
@puff-7: po*slap?
14 Aug 2012, 11:53 am
@8 puff. The fact that Bis got up & didn’t leave the field was incredible by itself. Two words though – “cumulative concussion”. Its a tough sport.
14 Aug 2012, 11:53 am
Doubt etzebeth would back up bekker for too long, in fact,like most of us he,s already wondering what this sicknote flakey is doing there
14 Aug 2012, 11:55 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-6: mallett would disagree as he has commented before on how technically bereft bekker is in terms of lineout manouvres.
14 Aug 2012, 12:03 pm
14….well,there you go then
14 Aug 2012, 12:03 pm
@RWC’11 was fixed-11:
bingo.
14 Aug 2012, 12:03 pm
Bekker, fit, is a massive boost for the Boks. Drop the blinkers guys.
He is however a 60 min player. His body can’t handle a full 80.
He needs to be managed (something the Stormers haven’t done).
14 Aug 2012, 12:08 pm
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark)-17: Actually agree about Bekker, he is a quality player who has been halted by injury.
Have you seen how well he manages the driving maul? He is also good at offloading in the tackle getting his hands over the defender. Probably the best lineout fwd in the country too.
You’re right, he just needs to be managed correctly. Bring Kruger on with 20 min to go.
14 Aug 2012, 12:10 pm
@puff-8: Interesting that after the colision , Bismark went of to play the final , and Eben flew to JHB to see a doctor on a hip injury.
14 Aug 2012, 12:11 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-3:
I think Bismark is still battling with night terrors after young Etzebeth delivered him!!
14 Aug 2012, 12:11 pm
@RWC’11 was fixed-18: I have my reservations on Bekker , lets see.
14 Aug 2012, 12:12 pm
@RWC’11 was fixed-18:
Yep, he’s a class player when fit, but these days (thanks to AC), that’s not often.
He’s a smart, powerfu lockl, a freak of an athlete who needs to be managed very carefully. The only time I would play him the full 80 would be in a final of sorts. Otherwise, he’s off at 60min (or even less).
14 Aug 2012, 12:12 pm
@Transformation-14: Victor was just joking with Bankie
14 Aug 2012, 12:14 pm
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark)-22:
His lower back taking strain on that big frame
14 Aug 2012, 12:15 pm
Here’s my favourite Andries Bekker moment.
http://www.rugbydump.com/2007/11/271/andries-bekker-tells-the-little-ones-to-settle-down#allcomments
14 Aug 2012, 12:19 pm
17…well,again i have an issue withthat statement.
We have a lock in bekker who can only last 60 minutes and a backrower in alberts who is the same.
The bulls and boks were always fortunate to carry bakkies like that but only because we had danie roussow who covered 3 positions to testmatch calibe.
Personally, i wouldn,t even consider a backrower if i was unsure that i could get a full 80 minutes out of him if required.
14 Aug 2012, 12:20 pm
@Transformation-14:
Coming through The Grades,
a player like Bekker probably didn’t need nous or technique.
When you are 7 inches bigger than everyone else, those litttle fucckers got to leap pretty high to beat you.
He is a talented player, but lacks the street smarts of Victor and that other thug.
14 Aug 2012, 12:23 pm
pity about his injuries because andries is one helluva talented and skillful athlete…
think back to 2010 (or was it 2009)… when stormers ripped the blues apart in auckland… bekker was sublime… running like a back passing one-handed offloads between him and schalk way before anyone had heard of sonny bill… and was lethal and hard in the tackle as well… knocking players about all over the place…
let’s hope he can stay fit… he may not be another victor… but he certainly is one of the best line-out locks in the world at the moment… and offers amazing ability in the loose and tight loose too…
if only he can stay fit for long enough to get back to that form…
and the signs are there…!!
go andries… show them all…!!
14 Aug 2012, 12:30 pm
15. Kurtley Beale (Melbourne Rebels)
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs)
13. Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs)
12. Anthony Fainga’a (Queensland Reds)
11. Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds)
10. Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs)
9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds, vice-captain)
8. Scott Higginbotham (Queensland Reds)
7. David Pocock (Western Force, captain)
6. Dave Dennis (NSW Waratahs)
5. Nathan Sharpe (Western Force)
4. Sitaleki Timani (NSW Waratahs)
3. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs)
2. Tatafu Polota Nau (NSW Waratahs)
1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)
14 Aug 2012, 12:30 pm
Oops wrong thread.
14 Aug 2012, 12:38 pm
Etzebeth and Bekker it should be ,with Bresler the lock option on the bench ;The Sharks have used him well this year and he has proved his versatility and grit.
Young prodigies in the wings ;Du Toit ,Ruan Botha.
Lets not forget Flip VDM, the forgotten man of SA rugby.
I would not have Elstadt anywhere near my team ,will he even make a fully fit Stormers side?No.
14 Aug 2012, 12:40 pm
@wpallday-31: Oh and Juandre Kruger imo is not good enough .
14 Aug 2012, 12:47 pm
Where is Gerhard Moster playing exactly ?
14 Aug 2012, 12:47 pm
@wpallday-31:
yeah… must say bressler has surprised recently… upped his game significantly and is a serious contender on his current form…
never been my favorite player but has made me sit up and take notice…
well done to the guy…
14 Aug 2012, 12:50 pm
Flip vdM is not a long term back up for Esebeth either… Du Toit perhaps, but its time to drop Flip….
14 Aug 2012, 12:51 pm
@ufo-34:
I agree he’s quite underrated. Certainly much better than Flip…
14 Aug 2012, 12:54 pm
Bring back bakkies
14 Aug 2012, 12:55 pm
@cane-27: exactly, which is why he is sometimes found wanting against guys that think…as tall as bekker is cunning lineout technicians get the better of him…
14 Aug 2012, 13:07 pm
@ufo-34:
Yeah, I hated Bressler pre-season. He looked like a mullet bearing skinny wimp.
But stuff me, he proved me wrong big time. He bulked up a bit and puts his body on the line 110%!
Def’s a Bok backup player of the future.
14 Aug 2012, 13:08 pm
@Jeez-36:
Agree. Flip is very average. He’s a big guy, but that’s it.
He’s a walking yellow card too.
14 Aug 2012, 13:14 pm
I just noticed,
There seems to be no more…………………………………”Slow down you Kiwi prick, you are posting too fast”.
Have I lost my Superpowers?
14 Aug 2012, 13:18 pm
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark)-40: Yep, Flip is pretty average. Pity Mostert went to France, because he looked a good player, really hit the rucks hard. The young DuToit looks good, mobile and explosive. Not the biggest guy in the world though. Will he be a 4 or 5 lock?
14 Aug 2012, 13:20 pm
@Jeez-36:
yip… i think so too…
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark)-39:
hehehe…
yeah… always happy to eat some humble pie and give credit where due… so pleased to say he proved me wrong too…
i always admire guys you can see have put in the effort and upped their game…
the hunger to play… and put in the hard yards in training… and lay your body on the line on the field counts big-time for me…
14 Aug 2012, 13:38 pm
@RWC’11 was fixed-42:
Yeah, Stef looks sharp. He’s only 19/20, but he looks more like a hybrid 4 & 5 leaning towards a Matfield type player.
He’s a big boy though…..
14 Aug 2012, 13:45 pm
Bok team for first test have toe be:
15- krichner
14-mvovo
13-devilliers
12-steyn
11-habana
10-msteyn
9-pienaar
8-spies
7-alberts
6-coetsee
5-bekker
4-etzebeth
3-jdu plessis
2-bdu plessis
1-mtawarira
16-rallepele
17-cilliers
18-kruger
19-kolisi
20-hougaard
21-lambie
22-engelbrecht
And I I’m well aware of spies en msteyn….
14 Aug 2012, 13:58 pm
Outstanding player, but is he an 80 minute player?
14 Aug 2012, 13:59 pm
@xtremebull-45: Pienaar will only join squad after first test.
14 Aug 2012, 13:59 pm
@xtremebull-45: Very objective for a Bulls supporter (I presume)
Except for Kirchner (he does’nt belong there)
14 Aug 2012, 14:08 pm
I know… But aplon isn’t there and so is my obvious choice for fullback-jaco taute… And lambie need 2 b benchbased cause he himself don’t know if he is a fullback or flyhalf so let him be the option on the bench hench injuries do appear… Please don’t tell me vermaak wil get a spot in the matchday 22… Why not groom van zyl?
14 Aug 2012, 14:11 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-26:
You are right.
It is risky to include 2 60min players in the starting lineup.
But Alberts needs to become a 80min player. That, or one of them must start from the bench.
You could even sub Alberts for Bekker (he’s a pretty handy lock).
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