Keep the faith
27 Aug 2012
RYAN VREDE writes that the Springboks’ performance in Mendoza was woeful but it is premature to make absolute judgements about Heyneke Meyer’s aptitude.
A draw, and the manner thereof, against Argentina was inexcusable. Meyer said as much in his post-match assessment.
It would be remiss not to credit Argentina for their industry, intensity and tactical appreciation. They were outstanding when viewed in the context of their opponents and the infancy of their Rugby Championship involvement. But this was one the Springboks botched as opposed to one they were completely overwhelmed in. They were awful, with their attacking game in particular failing to inspire.
However, the emotion-fuelled predictions of peril that soared after the final whistle and that persist are premature and unfounded. It is understandable in some ways. The level of disappointment is influenced by the level of expectation. The result, which Meyer agreed felt like a defeat, wasn’t inconceivable, but the widely held expectation was for a comfortable Springboks win. Still, it is absurd to see that result and the quality of the performance as indicative of a doomed road ahead under Meyer.
The coach has never explicitly asked for time to settle into his role, for his charges to grasp his philosophies and methods or for him to address physical, technical and mental shortcomings of individuals. But to expect him to have immediate success is unreasonable, particularly given the limited preparation time he has had with the squad, the youthfulness of his group and injuries to key and experienced players (and the unavailability of talented rookies).
With regards to the latter, the perspective here is that the absence of JP Pietersen, Bismarck du Plessis and Schalk Burger is significant. The trio are among the best in their positions in world rugby and have over 150 Test caps between them. I’ve lamented Pierre Spies’ inability to impose himself consistently on the Test stage, but he is a player I believed would thrive with his mentor at the helm, and one with a half century of caps.
Coenie Oosthuizen was an integral part of Meyer’s plan before he was injured, as was Ryan Kankowski before he opted to continue his career in Japan. Both are seasoned players and possess the ability to make telling impacts off the wood. Furthermore, Johan Goosen and Duane Vermuelen’s injuries denied Meyer their services (both would have had substantial game time) and strike one as having the technical and mental constitution to have made the transition to Test rugby relatively comfortably.
Meyer’s preferred scrumhalf, Fourie du Preez, was committed to Sungoliath in Japan. Du Preez is likely to return for the year-end tour (should a renegotiation of his contract work out as planned), but for now Meyer has a void not yet adequately filled in his absence.
I’m not an apologist for Meyer, but there needs to be perspective on the Springboks’ future under him. It is not bleak. He is different from Peter de Villiers, who was technically and tactically inept and largely squandered the player riches at his disposal during his tenure.
But how long is long enough before we can make more legitimate conclusions about him and his methods? I would say by the end of the 2013 Rugby Championship, when he would have had more than enough time to work with the players he wants, not those he was forced to turn to through circumstance.
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252 Comments
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27 Aug 2012, 09:01 am
your spelling standards are dropping, tac.
did the game shake you that much.
27 Aug 2012, 09:02 am
@patch-50: ABs and Aussues arent that flash either.
Agreed that on current form they’d both beat us but I cant see the Wallabies especially running away with it.
27 Aug 2012, 09:03 am
@Mr Black-44: Agree with you 100% The man has incredible self belief (borderline arrogance) in terms of the Meyer ‘brand’ and his ‘successes’. Comments like: I will coach him back into form etc actually give one a pretty good idea of just how much he rates himself as a coach – which in the grander scheme of things isn’t a problem. However: when you talk a huge mental talk, that is based on rather arrogant statements, it’s fuckingscary watching the man implode in spectacular fashion in the coaches box.
The talk and actions don’t match up (and haven’t from the day he was appointed).
Journalists telling fans to keep the faith, when all we get to see is the supposedly calm, collected, mentally tough, psychological genius Meyer, falling apart: spectacularly.
Not very comforting is it?
27 Aug 2012, 09:04 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-49:
No, I mean effect.
As in, we are not achieving the effects (like gainline dominance, quick ruck ball or forward momentum) that this gameplan is designed to achieve.
27 Aug 2012, 09:04 am
The yellow bellies have waved the white flag and surrended, now for the Bokke and to break the needles 17 straight test run later this year.
27 Aug 2012, 09:06 am
@puff. exactly, i really think we need some experience in the pack. i think bizzy is a huge loss that will prove very teling if someone does not step up. I have no idea what options meyer has regarding overseas players. I am not advocating bringing in old dogs to salvage some respect in the short term. However one seasoned warrior like Dannie may be a good confidence booster for the young. i was disappointed with Jannie not stepping up against the argies. infact the pack looked competely directionless.
If brussow is fit i would use him with alberts staying at 7(his only position) And keegan moving to 8. i would have Vermulen on the bench and bring him on at 8 with daniels moving to 6 for the last 20 or so. I rate coetzee a lot and would like him to eventually take the bench seat with daniels dropping out and duan starting. I also think someone like josh strauss would be good if vermulen and brussow need more time. He is a leader and captaining the loosing lions make s you one hard nut to rattle. i think he would thrive at test level and fills the big ball carrier that meyer seeks but also adds some intellect and skill. Lambie needs to start with morne on the bench, also while our forwards are failing to generate quick ball piennar should start with hougart either starting on the wing or coming off the wood. However i have never met any of these guys nor do i have any experience in coaching. So its just my guess of how things could improve.
27 Aug 2012, 09:07 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-53:
he is human, i cant blame him.
it was a case of a mentally strong man seeing other men he expected were metally strong too, folding in the field.
he got angry and irritated and showed it clearly. this bok team needs metal strength.
lke the way bakkies of victor conducted themselves on the field, we need to see more of that.
27 Aug 2012, 09:07 am
@Tacitus-46: Well for starters: How about tweaking the fuckinggameplan to suit the strengths of the players he DOES have available?
I don’t want an advocate doing a root canal, for that one uses a dentist.
See?
27 Aug 2012, 09:07 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-53:
How do the team keep calm when the coach falls apart?
And who is the poor bugger on the other side of the walkie talkie?
27 Aug 2012, 09:08 am
I would bring back Kanko, Brussouw, Gurthro, Fourie du Preez, Danie Rossouw, Bakkies Botha and try and beef up this sorry *** lot of players known as a Bok squad at the moment.
27 Aug 2012, 09:08 am
Rugby is funny game, if T5 does not play , all the rest fails
Our T5 yes , Eben and Bekker included was useless.
Carter will look average behind such a pack
We did not steal a single line out. Locks stand more in backline /Wing, Buurman v Zyl use to say you must be able to cover the T5 with a blanket. HM would need a huge one to cover these guys than
Best is, there’s no Spies to blame, Alberts , Marcell and Pottie are the same you need varietry
27 Aug 2012, 09:09 am
Jake White,even though I dont like him much,hit the ground running and won the Tri-Nations after taking over from Rudolph,Div in his first year lost the Tri-Nations and got hammered by almost everyone without anyone asking for him to be given a chance,Why must Heyneke be treated differently from previous coaches?there is nothing special about him or his tactics that suggest we should be patient with him.The last time he ran away from Leicester Tigers,this time around,there is nowhere to run.
Meyer is a stubborn idiot,why insist on playing a loose trio of Potgieter,Alberts and Coetzee?None of them play towards the ball.The Aussies on Saturday ended up playing two opensiders to combat the All Blacks quick ball and ferocity at the breakdown,Argentina aint no All Blacks but you have to be stupid to aaproach any Test without a fetcher.
27 Aug 2012, 09:09 am
@Tacitus-54:
oh ok.
perhaps ‘any degree of effectiveness’ then.
27 Aug 2012, 09:10 am
@Mr Black-59:
he shot his bolt early and told the whole world his side had shamed the nation, bad bad move
27 Aug 2012, 09:11 am
@capebull-61:
Gurthro
Strauss (cause there’s no one else)
Jannie
Bakkies
Juandre Kruger
Coetsee
Alberts
Kankowski
Du Preez
Bench forwards to pick from:
Beast
Etsebeth
Danie Rossouw
Brussouw
I think we just need a hard edge in the pack, which is currently clearly lacking.
If it’s exectution over innovation, what’s clear is that the execution is currently k*k. Let’s get the men in that can fix what the boys stuffed up.
27 Aug 2012, 09:12 am
Poor Garf
“you clearly bare an idiot”
Has the education system failed you that badly?
27 Aug 2012, 09:12 am
@Mr Black-59:
the argentine coach.
27 Aug 2012, 09:13 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-47: Damn ‘b’
27 Aug 2012, 09:13 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-58: Bekker and Eben should do their Job and leave the wing position for Habana,
Eben did play a lot better second halve. Still not a single line out stolen, I think Bekker ‘s career is over
27 Aug 2012, 09:13 am
Good question
Who is he shouting at?
27 Aug 2012, 09:14 am
@rvanaardt-56:
I am worried about including the likes of Vermeulen and Goosen in the squad for Australasia.
They have both only just returned and still need more game time.
Plus they have no experience at test level and need to be surrounded by some vets.
Otherwise, they are not going to perform at optimim level.
Just look at Adriaan Strauss.
A fine player and definitely Bok material.
But he looked the shadow of the player he is during Saturday’s game.
This cannot be allowed to happen with Vermeulen and Goosen.
Goosen needs Du Preez on his inside.
Vermeulen needs a Burger alongside him.
27 Aug 2012, 09:17 am
@Tacitus-65: I would like to play fetcher like Brussouw, but he is out , Marcell and Alberts play the same game.
I did not see anything from Vermeulen that was exciting. CJ had great game. We have serious problem at 3 , with Jannie , he is “moeg” Werner is off, maybe look at Mujati, they rave about him in NH.
27 Aug 2012, 09:17 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-67:
I wonder if heyneke texted the argentine coach about SA player weaknesses during the game.
It happens…………
27 Aug 2012, 09:18 am
@NZINCHINA-64:
Its hard with the world in your face
Trying to hold on, trying to hold on
Faith: you know you’re gonna live thru the rain
Lord you got to keep the faith
Faith: don’t let your love turn to hate
Right now we got to keep the faith
Faith: now it’s not too late
Try to hold on, trying to hold on
Keep the faith
they are currently at 60%win ratio, a ratio that SA have managed/maintained throughout their entire rugby history..
cant understand all the fuss myself, Meyer is right up there as one of the best bokke coaches ever with that win ratio
27 Aug 2012, 09:19 am
@Mr Black-73: Play us up front, our locks stands at Wing.
27 Aug 2012, 09:20 am
@Tacitus-65:
Agreed.
But also I think there was a bit of complacency and arrogance because Boks have never lost to Argentina.
Would Boks have started with such an untried loose trio against anyone else?
Not sure why these overseas players aren’t being included, but I reckon they’d be in the mix by now if it was possible.
Expect the likes of Van Der Linde, Brussow and Deysel to take the trip to Oz n NZ.
27 Aug 2012, 09:21 am
Amazing. All focus on HM absent/retired/injured stars and total amnesia that Argentina, ffs, by far inferior side in terms of player pool and inferior in class had their own retired leaders and injured stars and still they were better side for most of the game.
No excuses whatsoever for HM and his orks.
27 Aug 2012, 09:21 am
@poppa69-74:
you would have thought he’d have been a bit more composed and kept the scolding in house to build confidence/trust with his new charges but what does he do broadcast to the whole world that they let the entire nation down, is that how they motivate in Pretoria?
27 Aug 2012, 09:22 am
@Tacitus-46: Tac Although i am one that still believes HM is a good coach? to say thaat this present squad of Boks are KAK is BS though, they have all been performing brilliantly for their respective provinces.
Also As much as i dont agree with the mass hysteria hitting every blog right now, i have to aadmit i understand whete it’s coming from though.
YOu say thee Game plan is the best?? are you serious? If so you might as well leave every Sharks out of that team as they for one have and are playihg a very different style of rugby, Ditto Cheetahs and Lions.
My point here is surely the Bok coach should be thinking National not Bulls? surely he must realise he is now coach players with different views etc? some of the teams these players come from allow the players to think on the field and express themselves on the field of play?
Again what showed was players were having to play like robots, it’s the HM or no other way, I mean lets take this last match as an example! First 40 it was Clear the Puma’s had done their homework, it was clear that they knew exactly what to expect from the Boks.
If under HM we only have this oordonder kick and chase game?? THEN THESE NAY SAYERS ARE RIGHT AND WE IN DEEP ****.
Surely early in the 2nd 40 when it was so evident we were in K@K, the coach should have used other options to him? Lambie has say on the bench for 2 weeks now with logs in his *** never mind splinters, and i am not saying Lambie should have started, but hell Lambie offers you another style of playing and that being ” keep ball in hand, running attacking rugby, running off a flat lying back line”
So fact is we had other options and the fact is the coach whwo is responsible to just keep Steyn there and kick even more, and despite what some fools have to say, it was Francois Steyns pressure and defense that earned us the charge down and the try he got to draw that match.
It is the coaches job to unify the players, it is his job to gel them as a unit, they of course all talented, but if the coach demands they all play one style and no other way and it does not work?? we wont see many wins in that way against the top teer nations.
People keep harping on how we miss Bakkies, Victor, FDup, JSmith etc?? we need to get over that, we dont have those players anymore and we need to play Styles of rugby that the players can all understand and particpate in,
OUR COACH NEEDS TO BE MORE OPEN MINDED, AT THE MOMENT HE IS COMING ACROSS AS BEING VERY NAIVE
27 Aug 2012, 09:22 am
@gunther-66: Thanks for the spelling lesson Cunther. By the way, do you know how to spell anal retentive ?
27 Aug 2012, 09:23 am
@Nils-77: you should know by now Nis, it was the ref’s fault
27 Aug 2012, 09:23 am
Where is khakibollocks he’s a big fan of the Prince if New Jersey?
27 Aug 2012, 09:24 am
Another 1000 posts of the same stuff.
Bye bye Boks!
SIYA LATER!!!!
27 Aug 2012, 09:25 am
@poppa69-81: Damn Kiwi refs again!
27 Aug 2012, 09:25 am
@sharks_lover-79: The players should fall in with the coach , not the other way around.
Pick, locks and props that are prepared to do the hard work and the rest is easy.
27 Aug 2012, 09:25 am
Ryan – the only faith I will keep is in Messiah Yeshua…
I have been saying for a few months now that this game plan of ‘direct rugby’ is archaic.
Nick Mallett, Naas Botha and Ashwin Willemse basically echoed my sentiments after that game.
It comes back to Meyer’s Afrikaner instincts of thinking that he can dominate anything on the planet physically. The reality is: at that level you cannot. Skills become a lot more important and continuity is basically what you’re after. It is for this reason that the offload in the tackle is so vital; it is the smartest way to maintain momentum/continuity.
Also, and perhaps more worrying it seems that the psychological demands of the role is beginning to take its toll. Any coach that preaches the gospel of ‘defence’ is actually confessing that its is mostly FEAR that occupies the space between his ears.
It is quite evident that Heyneke’s psychological challenges are beginning to rub off on Jean his skipper. The balance of their talk is becoming increasingly negative as fear of failure takes up a larger part of the diet.
Meyer’s failure in inject flair and creativity will be his downfall and at this stage it will only be in hindsight that he will realize that it was the Blue Bull boertjies that cost him. Horses for courses, strong ball carriers are all just rubbish to prosper Meyer’s beloved volkie.
All Blacks 45 Boks 10 is my prediction
27 Aug 2012, 09:26 am
@poppa69-81: Why’s that? Walsh has been good for the Boks, as far as I recall, they have never lost with him in charge. 11 wins and 2 draws.
27 Aug 2012, 09:26 am
@NZINCHINA-78: yep, he should have taken the PDV approach..
“No one is born a rugby player. You are born a person who becomes a rugby player and I can enhance this with warmth and reach your soul and make you realise there is life after rugby.”
still, they only have their rugby to be embarassed about now
.
27 Aug 2012, 09:26 am
@Sheriff-86:
you’ll be lucky to get 10
27 Aug 2012, 09:26 am
@Mr Black-59: The poor bugger on the other side of the walky talky?…I am going with one of the following: God, or Tacitus.
27 Aug 2012, 09:27 am
@puff I agree, there is a tendency to rush players before they are ready, A test is not that time especially when a team is playing the best in the world, away and under pressure. Do you know if Kanko is available for Australazia?
Also anybody know the actual availability of guys like dannie, guthro, bakkies?
27 Aug 2012, 09:28 am
@capebull-69: I’m not a Bekker fan, so you are preaching to the converted. But if you think our locks are the only problem, your delusion is as far gone as Taccy’s and Heynekes.
27 Aug 2012, 09:29 am
An extract from a Cricinfo opinion piece on the change of mindset in the new Proteas sums up where the Boks are under Heyneke’s reign.
“South African sport was, and in some places still is, conducted like the army in its rigidity and focus to discipline. It was not a space to be creative. It was not a space to introduce too many outrageous ideas.
It was not a space to express. It was a space to do as you had been taught because that was the way that would breed success.
If they failed, and there were times when they did, it was never the method that was at fault, only the way they were executing it.”
27 Aug 2012, 09:30 am
The 52-16 record may be beaten this year.
27 Aug 2012, 09:30 am
@Nils-87:
default option on SA supporters “why we lost card”
27 Aug 2012, 09:32 am
@Nils-77: Mate, agree with you 100%, which is why I am rather ashamed of the way a few fellow Bok ‘fans’ are attempting to cover up the glaringly obvious weaknesses Meyer has…….(and had before he was even appointed)
There simply is NO credible excuse for what was dished up in Mendoza, the week before in CT, and a few weeks before that in PE. Simple.
27 Aug 2012, 09:33 am
@poppa69-95: Ahem, to be fair, this time they know very well it’s team that played kak, coach that made dynosaur gameplan and selections, and oppo that did their homework, therefore ref moves into deep background.
27 Aug 2012, 09:35 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-96: Plus – let’s give their dues to the Argies, they played very well considering all things.
27 Aug 2012, 09:38 am
@capebull-85: Yes they should , but remember these are not school kids but professional players etc, what player they is used to playing in teams where the ball is spread will sit back happy just to be a defender?? maybe if he is lucky get to see the ball 2 times in the match???
The rest of the time the ball is just kicked away, KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK…
TRUTH IS THE OTHER TEAMS GET USED TO YOUR 1 GAME PLAN THEN YOU ARE IN TROUBLE
27 Aug 2012, 09:38 am
A mark of a good coach is when an inexperienced team punches above their weight.
Just ask Jake White and the Brumbies.
That said, consider the 2004 Springboks.
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