Flo’s fantastic opportunity
3 Sep 2012
JON CARDINELLI writes the under-utilised and often unappreciated phenom that is Francois Louw will have a chance to prove a point in the coming weeks.
Two weeks ago, I sat face to face with South African rugby’s forgotten man. Francois Louw was in a typically laid back mood on a bright morning in Bath, and we chatted about everything from rare Nicaraguan coffee to David Pocock’s fetching technique.
The flanker talked at length about a rugby-mad town that would be demanding more of Bath in the 2012-13 season. He spoke about being a leader, about playing the best rugby of his life, and how he planned to change the collective mindset of the Springbok selectors.
‘If you play well enough, they can’t ignore you,’ he said at the time. ‘I want to play so well that they will have to say, “We can’t ignore this guy, we need him, we want him to come back”. If I ever got the call, I would pack that bag pretty quickly. That would be fantastic.’
They were hopeful words, but there was substance in Louw’s assertion that he was in the form of his life.
I subsequently bumped into Gary Gold, former Springbok forward coach and now Bath’s director of rugby, and he grew exceedingly animated in stating a case for Louw as a Bok starter. And as Gold said at the time, Louw wouldn’t be lacking for match sharpness if Heyneke Meyer revised his foreign policy and began a phone call with ‘+44′.
I decided to check things out for myself. Bath had enjoyed an unbeaten run in the pre-season, and their final warm-up fixture against the Cardiff Blues at The Rec promised to be entertaining. There was always going to be value in gauging Louw’s form in such a contest, as he would be competing against one of the premier openside flankers on the planet, namely Wales’ Sam Warburton.
It was a wet night in Bath and it didn’t surprise me to see the halfback pairing of Michael Claassens and Olly Barkley kicking for territory. What did surprise me was the brutal efficiency of Bath’s pack, and the manner in which Louw flourished as a result.
Warburton on the other hand, was a non-factor. Louw outplayed the Welsh openside for steals on the floor, and contributed powerfully around the park. When he eventually left the field the soaked but never silenced Bath faithful stomped on the wooden floorboards to show their appreciation.
It was meant to be a performance that would build confidence ahead of an important Premiership campaign. It was mission accomplished as far as the pre-season was concerned, although Louw would have felt that his mission to convince Meyer of his value was just about to begin.
At the start of his tenure, Meyer stated that he would not pick overseas-based players unless they were better than those based in South Africa. It was easy to ignore Louw at that stage, as Meyer was still hopeful of Schalk Burger and Duane Vermeulen recovering from their respective injuries. There were also youngsters like Marcell Coetzee and Siya Kolisi to consider, not to mention Heinrich Brüssow and Keegan Daniel.
Injuries have thwarted Meyers plans, and he has been forced to recall Louw. It would be false to say that the Bath openside has convinced Meyer of his value through a strong performance in the English pre-season. It would be more accurate to say that Meyer selected Louw for lack of another experienced openside option.
However, that doesn’t suggest that Louw cannot change Meyer’s mind with an influential showing in what remains of the Rugby Championship.
A year ago, he left for Bath knowing that he had jeopardised his position at the Springboks. Two weeks ago, he spoke as if Bath were his primary focus and as if he wasn’t expecting a Test recall.
But the 27 year old has always believed that he would wear the Bok jersey again. He was adamant that the Boks’ World Cup quarter-final loss to Australia would not be his final international act.
‘I do still think about that game, but to be honest with you, I’ve never watched it again,’ Louw said.
‘It felt like we were doing everything right but we weren’t getting paid dividends for it. We weren’t getting points on the board. It was very disappointing.
‘Having said that, it’s always going to go down as one of the greatest times in my life. To be involved with the Springboks at a World Cup, even with a disappointing exit like that, was amazing. Was that the last Test for me? I hope not. I’m 27 years old, and I don’t feel like I’ve reached a watershed. I believe that I’m playing the best rugby of my career.
‘I definitely don’t want to see that as my last go at it all. Like I’ve said to you, I want to keep improving, I want to reach a level where they can’t ignore me, where they want me to come back. No, I refuse to see that as my last act. I’m going to try and get back into the side. That’s not really in my hands, what is in my hands is playing the best rugby that I can.’
Nobody could have predicted the season-ending injury to Kolisi that would eventually force Meyer to contact Louw. That bag was packed very quickly, and as you read this, Louw should be preparing to play against Australia in Perth this Saturday.
Louw outplayed Warburton on that soggy night in Bath, and he should be expected to give the Boks an edge in what many will view as a World Cup rematch. The significant difference on this occasion is that Pocock, who is out for the rest of the Rugby Championship with an injury, won’t be playing.
Louw would have expected to watch this match on TV, but now he will be in the thick of it. It was interesting to get his take on the Pocock injury prior to his own Test recall.
‘Besides the breakdown, Pocock has a helluva work rate. It will be a substantial loss for Australia. I think that is something that New Zealand have already capitalised on a little bit.
‘He did very well against us in that World Cup quarter-final. His absence is something that South Africa should look to exploit [in Perth]. They have to be efficient in that area, but I’m sure whoever they put in there is going to be hungry to prove themselves.’
As fate would have it, Louw now has the chance to put these words into action.
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202 Comments
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3 Sep 2012, 11:34 am
3 Sep 2012, 11:39 am
@Hurricane-81: Try to pick a NZ pack out of recently retired and injured that can beat this one:
8. Smith/ Spies
7. Burger
6. Brussow
5. Matfield
4. Bakkies/Rossouw
3. I know you will pick Carl Haymann or someone better than we’ve got.
2. Bismark du Plessis/ John Smit
1. Guthro Steenkamp
3 Sep 2012, 11:46 am
Not a particularly huge fan of Flouw albeit he definately would fit my current player pro-file withregards to our current selection needs. Basically, a wikus vanheerden fetcher sort but still very physically intimidating and a lineout option.
so go Flo, a really good opportunity for you here.
I’d go
Flo
Potgieter
alberts
Marcel from the bench.
3 Sep 2012, 11:47 am
@ horings…
I will always have a
8-spies
7-alberts
6-burger
Loose forward combo to take on any team with
19-brussow/vermeulen/coetzee coming off the bench as impact player
3 Sep 2012, 11:52 am
@Horings-94: in fact louw didn’t have a kak game, he was made the scapegoat imo…richie mccaw got away with all sort of s.hit in those games..remember him being given a “warning” then a “team warning” then a “final warning” after conceding 5 penalties!
in both games against new zealand that year the Bok pack was demolished, not just Flo…
remember Spies, Burger & Kirchner being made to look stupid by Israel Dagg?
it’s easy to be selective with our memories
3 Sep 2012, 12:00 pm
@Transformation-105:
the reffing in nz by those irish plonkers in 2010 was nothing short of biased.
3 Sep 2012, 12:00 pm
@Horings-94: “Firstly, to play Burger openside and Louw blindside was the wrong move then.”
this was the flank duo that took the stormers to the final in orlando…what is the basis of saying it was the wrong move considering brussow was injured, juan was injured and you had stegmann, dewalt, deysel, botes, raubenheimer, johnson, PLouw to choose from as alternatives?…
3 Sep 2012, 12:13 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-99:
NcCaw and Carter between them have 200+.
Not too much difference then is it.
3 Sep 2012, 12:14 pm
@Horings-86: “There is a total and philosophical misunderstanding about game plans. I’ve studied every single game plan from every single team in the world, and 80 per cent of the gameplans are the same. If you look at most game plans”
“The difference is that New Zealand have a Sonny Bill who breaks the line, and players who do little offloads among the forwards. But that takes time, we’re still trying to get the lineouts right.”
isn’t this just GREAT! so Meyer is apparently the only man that can teach south african Springbok players to “play the situation”?
the same “situational awareness” other coaches were criticised for DEMANDING from Bok stalwarts like Matfield, Spies, Burger Heyneke wants time for his players to get right. Playing the situation does not EQUAL “Execution over Innovation”
Less talk Meyer and more action!
3 Sep 2012, 12:15 pm
@Transformation-105:
What??? We were penalised?
I thought we got away with everything….. just goes to show that we dont. Thanks for pointing that out Trans
3 Sep 2012, 12:22 pm
@Hurricane-110: copping 5 penalties for the same infringement – 2 times in your 22 – and NOT being sent off is getting away with s.hit. Bakkies (i know wrong choice of player to make this point) slowed the ball ONCE in our 22 and he was shown the sin bin…
http://www.verusco.com/verusco_stats_portal_g.php?compid=4&yearid=6&weekid=0&gameid=2&team=1
new zealand were pinged 10 times and 5 of those times it was richie and he stayed on the field, give me a break
3 Sep 2012, 12:24 pm
I see the refs are the reason SA lost again..
ho hum
will be the same when the Aussies win in Perth this weekend..
3 Sep 2012, 12:28 pm
@poppa69-112: if you are talking to me, be courteous enough to click on the reply post…
ho hum indeed
3 Sep 2012, 12:29 pm
@Horings-86: I heard this philosophy before. I think it was termed “playing the situation” or “heads-up” rugby. Can’t recall who spoke about this……
3 Sep 2012, 12:30 pm
@Transformation-113: it was for post 106 Trans, but he fails to mention the reffing in 2009
)
(easy to play this blame game
3 Sep 2012, 12:34 pm
@Transformation-111:
Using Bakkies did make me laugh, sorry couldnt take your post seriously after that. Your point went down the tubes then.
3 Sep 2012, 12:39 pm
@Hurricane-116: well, suit yourself…
same type of attitude – infringe first apologise later – from both players mentioned in the post, one copped a bad rep, the other praised for “managing refs”
3 Sep 2012, 12:58 pm
@Transformation-117:
lol, you are not trying to put McCaw and headbutter gouger Bakkies in the same class??
Bakkies own fault for his rep, not the refs.
Refs fault for letting McCaw get away with what he has…not McCaw.
Play the ball not the man.
3 Sep 2012, 13:03 pm
@Hurricane-108:
no, its still 160+ more than we have and besides, our two most capped players are a wing and outside centre probably with about 150 caps between them so minus those from the team and we’re back to square.
cannot compare.@Transformation-111:
thank you transie, i do appreciate it
but you are wasting your time with the knuckleheads of course.
its on their nature to be deceitful.
3 Sep 2012, 13:05 pm
@Hurricane-118:
you mean kneecap reechee?
3 Sep 2012, 13:12 pm
@pompies2-114:
the difference is that meyer (by sacrificing his last 16 sunday church services) will actually have written a 50 page treatise titled ‘on playing the situation’ and personally handed out a copy of each to the wider bok squad members for them to familiarise with its concepts.
this is a far cry from saying to the guys in the change rooms in the month before your first test that you want them to just ‘go out and play whats in front of you’ manne…
3 Sep 2012, 13:14 pm
if a month at that…
3 Sep 2012, 13:22 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-121: That’s the problem right there. Treatises and hypothesis. Your rugby ability, more than anything else is a feeling. If you don’t have the feel for international rugby, no amount of reading and studying will help. That’s what separates players.
3 Sep 2012, 13:24 pm
@Transformation-117: Thing is Transie, Bakkies put himself in the spotlight by being the enforcer ie) pushing players, playing the overtly agressive role, headbutting Jimmy Cowan etc. Now while this was his job and I have no issue with how he was, the fact is Macaw might infringe in terms of the laws but he is seen by and large as a clean player and hence will get away with more than someone branded a dirty player. It’s not always fair but it’s the way it is. Ron Cribb or Troy Flavell were in the same boat
3 Sep 2012, 13:26 pm
@poppa69-112: Seriously….are you still banging on about this? Geez, give it a rest
3 Sep 2012, 13:28 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-121: You’d be foolish to suggest that a coach would just walk into a change room and tell players to play the situation, without due consideration being given to the fundamental principles of the game. No amount of flair will overcome a serious deficiency in your basics.
HM has rationalized lots of IP from different coaches into something he understands as a playing philosophy. The danger is that he now limits himself to that, because his execution over innovation mantra will see his sides do what other sides do, only better.
3 Sep 2012, 13:30 pm
@Transformation-105: Some people, especially those up North, will do anything to discredit PDV, and point to his so-called incompetence
3 Sep 2012, 13:32 pm
@Skeppie-124: Troy Flavell – one of my Kiwi faves. Then they made him captain of the Blues to try and ‘calm him down’ and focus on the discipline thing. Hard as fuckingnails. Wish the Blues still had his sort around…..
3 Sep 2012, 13:35 pm
@willievz-127: Yeah, but only when it suits them. Just look how enthusiastically they have taken P Divvy’s “the refs cheat on NZ’s behalf” war cry to heart. Hell, Bakkies is still using it when he goes into battle on here daily.
3 Sep 2012, 13:35 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-119:
We have 9 players under 15 caps that played last game.
Now do you understand that we too have new players. Thats all i was getting at.
3 Sep 2012, 13:38 pm
@Skeppie-124:
lol Troy Flavell….oh boy, he didnt care how you were, if you played in the other team, thats fair game, anything goes.
3 Sep 2012, 13:42 pm
@Hurricane-131: Yup Bakkies reminds me a lot of him……players like that have a job to do and good for them….you just have to accept that they are going to get pinged more than the Ritchie Maccaws of the game even when they are “innocent”
3 Sep 2012, 13:44 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-128: Yup having him and Ron Cribb in the same team was awesome to watch
3 Sep 2012, 13:54 pm
@Skeppie-133: Another one of my filthy faves, was the Irishman, Peter Clohessy……way dirty back in his day
3 Sep 2012, 14:07 pm
@Hurricane-130:
no hurricane, its not the same.
its not the same by a long shot.
we had 8 players under 15 caps against arg and another 3 with under 20 caps
only 4 players with over 50 caps including both jean and bryan with 154 between them.
but its our combinations and positions that is far more inexperienced than yours.
@pompies2-126:
do you honestly believe pdivvy was a pen and paper man?
come now boet, i take nothing away from peter, a thoroughly likeable guy who was a great, charismatic, motivational man manager and someone who stood by his players loyally. i love the guy and will always have a soft spot for him.
but a pen and paper man he was not.
3 Sep 2012, 14:09 pm
@Hurricane-130:
again:
new midifeld combo
new lock partnership
new front row
new loose trio
new right winger
new fullback
the only more or less regular combo is morne and francois and the only regular position is bryan at wing.
3 Sep 2012, 14:20 pm
@Skeppie-125: its you guys who keep banging on about refs mate, not us…
3 Sep 2012, 14:21 pm
@Hurricane-118: see, exactly that…richie KNOWS what he is doing, you cop 5 penalties in a game for doing the same thing, that is deliberate, …call it gamesmanship, or whatever you want but basically it boils down to somethings are not in the “spirit of the game”.
this is last one from me on this issue…
my point was Flo wasn’t useless as some earlier tried to paint him, the Boks were outplayed!
3 Sep 2012, 14:24 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-128: he is actually my cousin, spent many a few days in my youth at his place…
3 Sep 2012, 14:26 pm
Always knew Pops was famous
3 Sep 2012, 14:31 pm
@willievz-127:
No difference in selection between PdV and HM, except those who retired or are permanently injured?
Both picked Kirchner, Morne Styen and Spies if available
@Hurricane-131:
He was quiet against the SA teams usually, hard men such Juan Smith, SB, Bakie made sure of that, the Aussies were a fair game, true except Vickerman who isn’t a truly Australian?
3 Sep 2012, 14:33 pm
@Dawn-140: only “famous” on keo dawn
3 Sep 2012, 14:36 pm
@poppa69-139: Damn!!! You come from fine rugby stock then my friend. Troy will go down as one of my all timers
Wish there were more of his sort around for the Blues now. Take no prisoners alive:…they will all be dragged in seriously injured or dead….
He used to get that ‘look’ and his eyes would go blacker than the ace of spades, and then twas over for whoever the poorfucker was in his vision.
I’m guessing he was rather feisty in his childhood years as well…
3 Sep 2012, 14:37 pm
Houston has already written his defeat speech.
3 Sep 2012, 14:43 pm
@Skeppie-124: hi Skeppie.
i’m not arguing the merits of “dirty players” vs “clean players”. i am saying, to my mind, richie mccaw has earned the “tag” of serial offender! clearly bakkies’ tag carried more attention from refs as they wanted to keep a lid of “dirty” stuff and rather seem to be tolerant to “clean offences” ie transgressing the rules.
you see this in the enforcement of tip-tackle offences, i can slow the opposition ball willy nilly for 80 min and be warned numerously but if i tip tackle, even unintentionally, i’m off!
it is rugby as we know it…just highlighting it
3 Sep 2012, 14:44 pm
@NZINCHINA-144:
Whitney is always prepared
3 Sep 2012, 14:46 pm
@Transformation-138:
you might as well be talking into a cold wind while the other guys farting, transie.
waste of time.
(i roll to troll
)
3 Sep 2012, 14:48 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-143: he grew up in massey, you had to be able to look after yourself…and yes, we need some of his type of mongrel in the Blues again..
with GH behind the scenes, I can already imagine I love bakkies has targeted them for his paranoia, but thankfully he wont be watching super rugby anymore..
3 Sep 2012, 14:50 pm
@Transformation-145:
clean offense like thorns ‘pick a player off his feet and clean tip/dump tackle him on his back’ type clean offense? injured the player and knocked him out for the season because of it.
3 Sep 2012, 14:59 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-149:
“injured the player and knocked him out for the season because of it.”
fabrication again huh Bakkies? Smit played on for a good 20-30 mins in that game then come off with a leg injury..
but it does add weight to your “claim”..
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