Heyneke’s massive miss
12 Sep 2012
RYAN VREDE writes that Heyneke Meyer’s faithfulness to Morné Steyn was largely predictable but still utterly disappointing.
Steyn is not so good that he is indispensable to the Springboks. There is not an absence of alternatives. Yet such has been the faith his Springbok coaches have shown in him – despite form that has veered between mediocre and poor in the last three years – that one would think Steyn’s absence would be terminal. It won’t.
A long professional association with Meyer means I had a sense that he wouldn’t thrust rookie Johan Goosen into a Test against the world champions on their home soil as a starter. He would have had concerns about the damage a poor performance would have on the kid’s confidence. He remains the flyhalf Meyer sees as the future. He should have been the present. Yet Meyer’s fear of failure determined Steyn’s stay of execution.
Meyer will argue against this assertion. He’ll speak of the importance of continuity in selection, of believing in the much-maligned game plan. These things are important, but Goosen could have been accommodated within the existing structures. His kicking game is good, while his ball-in-hand play would have given the Springboks a new dimension in field positions where they ‘play’. Meyer would also put forward Goosen’s untested temperament under pressure. Yet he has said to me on countless occasions that temperament is only forged when players are put in pressure situations. I’m also certain most in the South African rugby fraternity could tolerate defeat if there was a clear understanding of what Meyer was trying to achieve by running a rookie 10 in his first year as coach.
Still, Meyer could build a case for not starting Goosen based on the aforementioned reservations. Not so for continuing to ignore the claims of Pat Lambie, who possesses every technical skill Steyn does and then some. Lambie is viewed primarily as a fullback but has played extensively at flyhalf in Super Rugby. He is 21 years old, but is well advanced of that in terms of his capacity to negotiate the technical, physical and mental demands of the game at its elite level.
Goosen starting would have been first prize, Lambie’s run-on a close second. Yet we’ll have to endure another week of Steyn’s mediocrity. There is a perplexing desperation that accompanies his selection. Without wanting to come across as defeatist or naive regarding the results-driven nature of the game, the Springboks are never expected to win in New Zealand. This rings even truer with a clutch of key senior players missing. The team isn’t in a position where it has to settle on a No 10 for an impending World Cup. There was room and reason to explore alternatives to Steyn.
Steyn has another lifeline for his Test career, as he did when Peter de Villiers selected him against a B-grade All Blacks side in Port Elizabeth in 2011. Butch James had the inside lane up to that point, but Steyn’s goal-kicking was put forward (by his influential Bulls team-mates within the squad) as motivation for his reinstatement at flyhalf. I doubt Steyn – the ultimate survivor – will manage to keep his flame burning in Dunedin. Meyer’s response then will be even more telling.
I had hoped Meyer would shatter the widely-held perception that he is conservative. I still do. But Steyn’s continued selection does his cause in this regard no good.
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52 Comments
12 Sep 2012, 08:57 am
alliterative dragons can do better
up your game ryan
i believe in you
‘meyer’s massive miss’ (i mean that one was just sitting there?)
‘massively misplaced morne will be meyer’s misfortune’
12 Sep 2012, 08:57 am
Meyer learnin g quick and fast that the life of bok coach isnt a charmed one. he sat and criticised PDV from his comfortable armchair for 4 yrs crying that the job was his. not so fun is it now? no time for 6 yr club structures to set up, international rugby a different beast altogether
12 Sep 2012, 09:01 am
Emotional rugby “journalist” dragons. Quite fickle really
Poor performances can’t be blamed on Steyn alone. It’s premature to call for his axing especially against NZ who he has a better record.
12 Sep 2012, 09:07 am
I would love to see Goosen at 10, Lambie at 12 and Frans at 13…
12 Sep 2012, 09:14 am
@flanka-2: That’s strange. I cannot recall Heyneke complaining once. He is a good man, it’s a all too easy for you to criticise him after 6 games in charge.
12 Sep 2012, 09:26 am
Ryan your one line sums it up the best.
‘Steyn is not so good that he is indispensable to the Springboks’
Because that is exactly how HM is seeing Steyn. As being such and integral part of the Boks that he cant possibly be dropped.
12 Sep 2012, 09:26 am
Okay Ryan just so I understand the message in your column here;
The Boks are going to lose regardless so let’s pick Goosen and lose with him rather than with Morne Steyn because at least the loss will be somewhat justified?
12 Sep 2012, 09:35 am
@PissAnt-7:
I have to agree with Ryan here. If we are in for a hiding, lets at least get something out of the game. We could gain experience for some youngsters that are being kept out of the game at the expense of out of form or below par skilled players. Those youngsters are the future of our rugby, while the incumbents are soon to be forgotten hasbeens.
Our guys aren’t so fragile that a beating will forever condemn them to the mindset of losers. The experience gained in a game like this will mean that they are better equipped next time. HM is definitely wasting opportunity’s as well as some of our young player’s prime time.
12 Sep 2012, 09:37 am
@PissAnt-7: Urgh. I hate Ryan, but that part does make sense. Losing with Morné (and I’ll even include JdV in there) is pointless because they have all the ‘experience’ in the world. Giving JdJ, Lambie and Goosen a chance to see what they should strive for… have merits.
12 Sep 2012, 09:37 am
@mako-8:
What do you learn from a 40 point hiding?
12 Sep 2012, 09:40 am
That bloody idiot HM! I do not like watching a rugby team that I support play unintelligent losing rugby.
Do we all have to hope that Morne Steyn gets injured just like Pierre Spies?
12 Sep 2012, 09:41 am
Both JdV and Steyn’s ‘experience’ is nothing more than a lazy comfort zone at this moment. Have them fight to regain their form by showing that they’re better than the young guys. Have them earn their positions back.
Yes. Habana had the same problem for 2-3 years, and he did fight back to regain his form, but why should this ‘fight’ be at the expense of the boks. Let them restart from the CC.
12 Sep 2012, 09:43 am
@PissAnt-10: You learn to deliver a gracious loser’s speech?
12 Sep 2012, 09:43 am
@PissAnt-10: Don’t know. After the 49-0 the boks went on to win the World Cup. You tell us?
12 Sep 2012, 09:52 am
@katman-13:
Seems like it.
@Bouts-14:
Okay I will tell you;
Only 11 players (50%) from the match day 22 in 2006 was selected for the RWC final 22.
12 Sep 2012, 09:55 am
Any event.
Seems all you folks want some senior players booted.
Look at it this way, if the Boks get a snotting on Saturday Meyer will be left with little choice but to drop them for the home leg.
However, if we lose with the youngsters the excuse will be ‘they are not quite ready yet’ and you will have to wait another couple of months…
12 Sep 2012, 09:55 am
That was a poor team pick..Kruger was missing last week one of his poorer performances
should have gone with
15 Lambie 14 De Villiers 13 De Jongh 12 Steyn 11 Habana 10 Goosen 9 Hougaard 8 Vermeulen 7 Coetzee 6 Louw 5 Bekker 4 Alberts 3 Du Plessis 2 Liebenberg 1 Mtawarira
16 Burden 17 Malherbe 18 Kruger 19 Potgieter 20 Pienaar 21 Kirchner 22 Mvovo
12 Sep 2012, 09:58 am
@PissAnt-10: You learn a lot more on the field than you do on the bench mate. Experience comes from playing the game. Next time these players would be better equipped. Why waste opportunities playing the same side that isn’ good enough to beat England, Argentina or Australia? Tell me what we gain from that?
12 Sep 2012, 09:58 am
“I know people want you to get the ball at the back and run through the defence, but that will usually work in the movies. It doesn’t work at this level anymore,” he barked.”
Sounds a bit pdiivy’ish lol
Anyways , at least its fun !
12 Sep 2012, 10:00 am
In years to come when Johan Goosen wins his 50th Bok cap and has been the Pioneer of many famous bok victories we will look back at this moment and just laugh !
12 Sep 2012, 10:03 am
@sparticus-19: I think the movies he is talking about is watching replays of the AB games… I watched the last 20 min again last night of the AB Argentina game. There was some of that in it.
12 Sep 2012, 10:03 am
Why does he keep playing hougi and habana put of position… All game last week you could see hougi naturally going into scrum half but pienaar was in the way and he remembered he was on the wing
12 Sep 2012, 10:09 am
Same story different thread
12 Sep 2012, 10:10 am
@sparticus-19: Funny because the AB’s seem to manage it! And Goosen almost did exactly that with his first touch of the ball!! Maybe put some faith in the players, they might surprise him!
How many times do SBW, Nonu and Smith bust the advantage line ?
12 Sep 2012, 10:18 am
Im done hoping HM will get things right and now im starting to worry if he is going to f@ck up and waste the young talent we have at the moment.
The youngsters we have at the moment are great players and can form a world class squad that CAN compete against the ABs for the number one spot for the next 4-6 years.
This game plan is not playing to our ‘strengths’. Our future strength lies with the players and what they are capable of. For example:
Goosen is an allround 10 who can attack and kick. Why make him play with a one dimensional game plan? Thank goodness he’s a cheetah and not a Stormer or a Bull. Although AC is starting to change his own boring game plan even if he denies this.
Jordaan and DeJong are great attacking players.
Rhule looks to be the business.
Lambie.
Jantjies.
Taute.
Where is Mostert?
CJ Stander wants to go play for Ireland because HM wants to make him a hooker ffs and Ludeke wont drop Spies!?
The list goes on and on.
SA has more flair than it has had in decades! So why shouldnt this become SAs new strength?
12 Sep 2012, 10:58 am
The early expectancy of HM is leading to some anxious supporters.
The man’s gotta do what he’s gotta do.
12 Sep 2012, 11:13 am
At what point do you say: Morne isn’t working out, perhaps it’s time to give someone else a go? Hell, it shouldn’t even come to that – the question should be: Who is the best flyhalf available? It seems Meyer may never reach the point where he realizes Morne and kick, kick, kick is not the answer. The fact is, Meyer’s game plan is to avoid playing rugby whenever possible – in the hope of avoiding defeat. Well, guess what Meyer: you lost with that game plan last week. So perhaps it’s time to do something crazy and try playing rugby!
12 Sep 2012, 11:24 am
@kaksioek-27:
HM is going to start getting more mail (hate mail that is) than Santa if he doesnt start being a bok coach this country needs.
12 Sep 2012, 11:42 am
HM must have realised by now it doesn’t stands for His Majesty’s. The poor guy is an ex-teacher who got lucky. His biggest claim to fame is that he coached Joost.
He is way out of his league and ready to take over the title as the worst SA rugby coach of all time from Straeuli. This is no mean feat with candidates like Nelie Smith and Johan Claasen lurking in history.
12 Sep 2012, 11:45 am
At least JDP is playing. That’s 6 free points for NZ.
12 Sep 2012, 12:09 pm
@Jeez-28: I was in a football team once that won a game by playing for territory and kicking the ball out. We weren’t proud of it, but we were limited and it worked. We lost badly in the final though. This is the same way Meyer approaches rugby at the highest level – with the world’s third-best (at least) team! It really is unacceptable.
12 Sep 2012, 12:26 pm
9. Pienaar/Hougaard (the gameplan just doesnt suit him)/FDP/Claasen
10. Goosen/Lambie/Jantjies
Wing. Mvovo/Aplon/Hougaard/JJP/Rhule/ Le Roux/Ludik
12. Steyn (bit light at 12)…/ JDV/Lambie/ Whitehead …..???
13. JDJ/ Jordaan/ Fourie/ JJ
15. Lambie/Steyn/Taute/Le Roux/ Ludik
There is no reason not to omit MSteyn, Kirchner and Habana.
12 Sep 2012, 12:29 pm
@PissAnt-10: I seem to recall a young and Inexperienced English side with a young Jonny Wilkinson at flyhalf get thumped in Australia. They learned how to win a world cup
12 Sep 2012, 12:42 pm
@Drewster-33:
would woodward have been allowed the time to build (6 years) if he was playing kiwis and ozzies home and away every year. After that 76-0 snotting he didn’t take his side to oz or nz for 5 seasons.
12 Sep 2012, 13:00 pm
HAHAHAHA – Ryan trying to throw name here and hint that he knows Heyneke SOOOO well – “A long professional association with Meyer means I had a sense…”
Lame
12 Sep 2012, 13:00 pm
Are we gonna hear this kuk for the next 4 years Ryan? How connected you are, and how you understand Heyneke?
12 Sep 2012, 13:25 pm
@bokfan1-36: Second time in a row that I’ve noticed – there have probably been more. I can’t wait for the “my long professional association with Meyer means that I know he won’t change, and that means he needs to go” article.
12 Sep 2012, 13:26 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-1: HAHAHAHAHA Brilliant!
12 Sep 2012, 13:28 pm
Kick and chase to hell and back.. I hope AB’s destroy any last vestige of Noah’s Ark game plan.. I hope 49-0 becomes 56-0 or 75-0.. the bigger the hiding the better.
12 Sep 2012, 13:35 pm
Nzl please teach these ignorant bok coaches a lesson and destroy the boks sat.
12 Sep 2012, 13:39 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-34: It’s not a question of what if, Woodward won a world cup with youngsters who were on the receiving end of a thrashing
12 Sep 2012, 15:07 pm
If the All Black coach has got one tactical hair on his head, he would throw this one. A Bok victory will secure the Blacks an easy ride for the next 4 years.
12 Sep 2012, 15:22 pm
@Lang Giel-42:
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha good one!
12 Sep 2012, 15:51 pm
@Lang Giel-42:
hehehe
chop
12 Sep 2012, 15:52 pm
Etzebeth, Koalisie, Kitshoff, Coenie, Marcel vd Merwe, M Coetzee, Koalisie, Hougaard, Lambie, Elton, P Jordaan, JdJ, Taute, Rhule, Goosen, Piet van Zyl, Serfontein, F Steyn…add Bismarck, Schalk, Habana, JP, Beast, Alberts and Bekker.
12 Sep 2012, 16:45 pm
@fitz1ella-39: I knew it! You’ve been a Cape Crusader all along – føggof and go support the Keewees then you doorknob.
12 Sep 2012, 16:57 pm
Come on Ryan, does no-one remember Meyer Bosman? The mercurial flyhalf? Jake white played him against france where we took a pasting and he was never the same again. Do you guys seriously want the same for Goosen?
12 Sep 2012, 17:58 pm
@Jeez-25: Agreed. It’s enough to make me weep, just imagining the tragedy of wasting this new exciting generation just as the Springboks are ripe for a paradigm shift.
F.Hougaard, Goosen, F.Steyn, Jordaan, A.Coetzee, Le Roux, Rhule, Lambie, Stander, Mostert. If Meyer persists with kick and pray these guys will be WASTED and ruined and we’ll remain the laughing stock of the Rugby World with our repuration for playing the most boring, brainless rugby and our hard earned 60 % win-ratio.
12 Sep 2012, 18:01 pm
@Gazelle-40: Thats what I said earlier. A narrow win or a close game isn’t going to help anyone it’s just going to convince Heineken to stick to this atrocious catastrophic kick and pray game-plan and the best players to execute it.
12 Sep 2012, 18:12 pm
@Spiesisworthless1-49:
Yep, my heart wants the Boks to win but my head tells me a massive defeat against the all blacks will be the best thing to happen for the springboks in the long term.
12 Sep 2012, 21:38 pm
@mako-18: I’m with Mako on this one. I’ve said this before. Steyn is not a flyhalf’s backside. Foremost a flyhalf has to have vision. He dictates play. Steyn doesn’t do that. He can kick the hell out of a rugby ball for sure but he does not dictate a game. Period. For as long as he is picked to play, do not expect the Boks to exhibit penetrating and attacking backline play on a consistent basis. The occasional touch of brilliance certainly but reliable tactical instinct expected of a player at this level is not what you are going to get. Goosen, Lambie and Jantjies can and will dictate play because they are natural flyhalf material. In my humble opinion. It does bother me, this persistence with this chosen player.
12 Sep 2012, 22:03 pm
Quota parnell… 32 in a over…. Crickets answer to PDV
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