Make us believe in a bold Bok era, Heyneke
17 Sep 2012
MARK KEOHANE, in his Business Day newspaper column, writes denial is the devil that has to be avoided for the Boks to be winners and the best team in the world.
Once again South Africans will take comfort that the All Blacks are not quite as good and the Boks are not quite as bad. Once again we can reflect on a heroic defeat. Once again we would be deluded.
If the aim is to consistently be the best rugby team in the world then brave 10-point defeats against the old foe can’t be viewed as victories. If the aim is to be the best then the Boks have to set standards that include not playing well and beating the All Blacks by 10 points; not exceeding expectation and still losing by 10 points.
Come on.
There has to be a change of mindset, from within the current management. And there has to be a demand from the rugby public that quality of performance is never secondary.
There has to be some honesty about where it went wrong. Only then can it be corrected.
Meyer, as coach and head strategist, promised more than we saw in Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, and the public rightly expected more of the Springboks.
I don’t get why there is an absolute fear of failure within the management. If ever there was a time where the public would have been accommodating it was in the year post a World Cup when most teams tend to be in transition and when coaches can embrace variation in selection, strategy and approach.
I am not talking about experimentation but variation.
All of the successful Bok teams of the professional era have played good rugby without having to be like the All Blacks and Wallabies and without having to give up the fundamentals associated with the South African game.
Meyer’s Boks are capable of so much more, but it starts with the coach and his support staff.
Passion should be a given and not the exception that gets the Boks close to beating the All Blacks in New Zealand or inspires the one-off win against the Kiwis in South Africa.
The Boks have players capable of producing a game that embraces moving the ball through hands and winning with skill and not relying exclusively on forward dominance and physical superiority.
Every good Bok team has employed an effective kicking game, and there is no crime in Meyer believing in the merits of playing for field position and minimising risk. But it has to be balanced with a trust that those selected are good enough to want to maintain possession and effectively use this possession.
Selections have to offer hope of victory and not limit the margin of the defeat.
I am not dispirited. If Meyer had done everything right and the Boks were three from seven, then we could talk about a catastrophe.
He hasn’t and acknowledging this would signal strength in character.
There is hope for the Boks and there will always be because the quality of player is good enough to beat any team once, but the measure of great Bok teams is that they beat all opponents more than once, home and away.
Meyer’s conservatism in selection cost him a famous win in Dunedin. I championed Meyer’s national appointment, but he’s struggled more than I ever anticipated in getting his selections right. He surely can’t get them wrong for the two home remaining Rugby Championship matches against Australia and New Zealand.
There can no longer be a case made for Morne Steyn’s retention. There can also no longer be the nonsense of Johan Goosen not being good enough, experienced enough or old enough to start. There can’t be an argument to ignore the claims of Elton Jantjies as his understudy and if Meyer does not rate Pat Lambie then he owes it to the player to send him back to Durban and allow him to actually play some rugby.
I never considered Meyer would struggle to break his association with the Bulls, but I underestimated the bond that exists. His loyalty to Morne Steyn was misguided and no newcomer picked at flyhalf would have been afforded seven Test matches in which to get it right. No newcomer would have been excused a goal-kicking success rate in the mid-50s.
Defeat will force change but there would have been greater comfort had innovation determined selection.
The Boks always produce inspired performances at home in the latter stages of what was the Tri Nations and now is the Rugby Championship. What we are seeing in 2012 is no different to what we saw a decade ago.
I refuse to believe Meyer will not get it right. He is a student of the game, a man who instills confidence when talking rugby and a man who appreciates the nuances of the game.
Which makes the last month that much harder to fathom. How the hell did he get it so wrong, in selection and in inspiration?
I can’t recall a coach being more unanimously embraced as a national appointment and Meyer needs to know the public wants him to succeed.
He needs to lose the fear of failure and trust his ability to win as much as the public did when lauding his appointment. If he does that, not only will there be hope for the Boks, there will also be conviction in the belief they can be the best.
778 Comments
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17 Sep 2012, 14:44 pm
@Transformation-343: ag nonsense transie.
brussow has been injured and flo had to fly out to aus from england.
did you think he would start a few days after joining the squad for the first time since the wc?
no buddy, as soon as biz was injured meyer sent out the sos for flo.
i havent been all that impressed so far but i am willing to give credit where it is due.
wake up.
17 Sep 2012, 14:44 pm
@rangerman-341:
pops is like one of those remedially challenged kids in a feel good hollywood movie about a good hearted teacher in the inner city trying to reach hopeless kids and make a difference.
there must be way for us to reach this kid
17 Sep 2012, 14:45 pm
@poppa69-347: I have to say that geezer McCaw took that forearm like a champ.
17 Sep 2012, 14:45 pm
Ranger we’ve won 14 straight tests and will soon be the RC champions, what else do we need to do?
17 Sep 2012, 14:45 pm
@Skeppie-311: Jeez man.
Can’t you google those things yourself?
17 Sep 2012, 14:46 pm
@goodstuff-348: We agreed to disagree!
17 Sep 2012, 14:47 pm
@poppa69-347:
do you think flying knees to the back of an unsuspecting irish does either?
or how bout a generous knee to the face?
larf
17 Sep 2012, 14:47 pm
It’ll be a dead rubber, we win away from home nearly as much as at home.
17 Sep 2012, 14:48 pm
or how but breaking a players shoulder blade?
17 Sep 2012, 14:48 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-352:
@NZINCHINA-354: so you are happy?
great.
but imo the abs looked eminently beatable at home against both the argies and us.
credit to them on the win but i am actually very encouraged by the boks progress and believe one or two tweaks will make the boks hard to beat.
p.s. transie, meyer also started vermeulen as soon as he could (possibly too soon) and vermeulen has proved to be no slouch at effecting turnovers.
17 Sep 2012, 14:48 pm
@rangerman-341: really, how could the ABs front row be utter kuk if they havent lost a game in the rugby championship?
I didnt realise how much my opinion has damaged your psyche ranger..
good to see, have you got an answer to my question much earlier in this thread about how those two players went against Aussie in perth?
17 Sep 2012, 14:49 pm
or dropping someone onto his back in a failed spear attempt
putting the person out for six months
17 Sep 2012, 14:49 pm
@NZINCHINA-358: its almost amusing how arrogant you are.
and you talk about chest beating?
17 Sep 2012, 14:50 pm
@goodstuff-348: Ok clearly I am in the Brussow fan club here….read the previous posts, I have a lot of good things to say about Brussow. If you guys think he carries and tackles as well as Flo then fine, I just disagree.
17 Sep 2012, 14:50 pm
does any of that warrant a yellow card..?
mmmm?
17 Sep 2012, 14:50 pm
Bakkies you’d be a little unhappy with Greyling that he didn’t break McCaw’s jaw?
17 Sep 2012, 14:51 pm
larf
17 Sep 2012, 14:51 pm
@NZINCHINA-358: Ek lag my in my peos as julle verloor! You are going to hang around if you lose in Mendoza or wherever? Don’t go MIA ok
17 Sep 2012, 14:51 pm
@poppa69-361: ho ho ho.
the abs didnt win that game because of their front row (who battled against the superior jannie and beast, we all saw it).
they won because the boks didnt take their chances and morne couldnt hit a barn door from 5m out.
but its always enjoyable to see a fool stick to his bs opinions in the face of adversity
17 Sep 2012, 14:51 pm
or throwing in the odd coconut tackle in a super final
17 Sep 2012, 14:51 pm
does that warrant a yellow?
17 Sep 2012, 14:52 pm
@willievz-355: It’s quicker to ask the question here than to google (do you know how to do a smiley face? I wanted to put one at the end here)
17 Sep 2012, 14:52 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-365: how about Matfields head high tackle of kelleher?
or his subsequent head high attack of Carter?
any number of Butch james attacks on Careters head?
Bismarcks eye gouge on Thompson?
Burgers eye gouge in the Lions series?
do these even remotely constitute cheating in your books bakkies? do they?
17 Sep 2012, 14:52 pm
@grant10-308: Played for Tuks and the Bulls.
Definitely a bit too small for our size-obsessed coaches, though:
1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
96 kg (15 st 2 lb)
17 Sep 2012, 14:52 pm
@UptheGuts-368: noodle wont dissapear.
he wouldnt have anyone to talk to
17 Sep 2012, 14:53 pm
@rangerman-369: still no answer on the Aussie situation ranger?
I do love the fact that after one good game suddenly they are better then anyone else…
they are over rated in my opinion…
deal with it..
17 Sep 2012, 14:54 pm
@goodstuff-353: Ok hold on! We can agree here! Ritchie is one tough bugger, he has been smashed all his career and he just keeps going. For me he must be the greatest AB of all time…..and that’s saying something!
17 Sep 2012, 14:54 pm
@Skeppie-372: : lol:
remove the spaces.
its a pleasure for a northwood comrade.
17 Sep 2012, 14:54 pm
@poppa69-361: Poppa, the RC this year has been very poor in terms of each teams standards of play, the ABs have obviously been the best of the bunch but they also have the most caps in their, most of them WC winners. The boks have been rebuilding and building really slow, the Ozzies are complete rubbish and the Argies are really the only team that has improved since the WC!
Overall the RC is not really living up to 2009/ 2010′s (2011 was a dead rudder because of SA pulling top players) quality.
17 Sep 2012, 14:54 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-370: nah, your racist insinuation does warrant a yellow though..
17 Sep 2012, 14:55 pm
@Skeppie-335: hi, the whole “the boks have never lost to the all blacks with heinrich there” doesn’t wash at all…in 2010 in auckland and hamilton we would’ve been bliksemed with heinrich there too…our pack was monstered on both occassions with schalk and flo playing in tandem…not sure if smit or bissie was there too but we got owned.
17 Sep 2012, 14:56 pm
@poppa69-376: well i dont really know how many scrums the boks lost vs aus, do you poops?
(see, i am allowing you your deflection to save you a little face if only in your own mind).
17 Sep 2012, 14:56 pm
@poppa69-373: Pops isnt this all a bit pointless? There has been a lot of dirty AB play in history and a lot of dirty Bok play. Greyling’s incident on Saturday deserved a red IMO. But that doesn’t make the boks ditry players in general. One tossers action doesn;t define bok rugby
17 Sep 2012, 14:57 pm
We dont fold away from home in the Tri nations thats your domain, we’ll take the Argies and lift the trophy before we set foot on the dark continent, however there will still be plenty to play for as we desperately want to win 18 straight.
17 Sep 2012, 14:57 pm
@goodstuff-379: I agree, I cant think of one test that has been a pleasure to watch..
17 Sep 2012, 14:58 pm
@rangerman-378: Thanks Ranger! You may have been a 2E1 nerd but we 2E2′s welcome you!
17 Sep 2012, 14:59 pm
@poppa69-380: coconut tackle is racist?
seriously?
what is “********, japie” and the k word you used on here?
haha, get *** ke d loooooser.
17 Sep 2012, 14:59 pm
@rangerman-331:
Exactly why he is where he is in the pecking order. Because Meyer has his own pecking order Ranger.
It was just that, at the start of his tenure, his list had the wrong names on it.
17 Sep 2012, 14:59 pm
@Transformation-381: Our pack would not have been bliksemed as hard with Heinrich there.
A good opensider helps the tight 5 to dominate games.
17 Sep 2012, 14:59 pm
@rangerman-351: “wake up”
don’t be foolish, bissy got injured in cape town, Flo was only arrived in aus the wednesday before the match!!! what SoS?
you are the one oleleyo!
17 Sep 2012, 15:00 pm
@rangerman-382: Im just proving a point that your manlove for both players didnt extend to a game where they were both very poor… I see youre the bandwagoning type..
good one..
again, does my opinion mean that much to you that my not rating these two players continues to illicit pointless responses from you?
just accept the fact that I dont rate either player, you do..
simple concept really Ranger
17 Sep 2012, 15:00 pm
@Skeppie-386:
hey man, dont down on the brains ok?
p.s. my high flying days were short lived, i am convinced it was a clerical error
17 Sep 2012, 15:01 pm
@Skeppie-364: I’ll be very suprised if you find more than 1 supporter to your theory on here tho. Have a look on youtube and come back and tell me Flo has done any of that… to that same extent.
@rangerman-375: Almost makes you want them to lose. Just to see him squirm.
17 Sep 2012, 15:01 pm
@UptheGuts-228: I am a massive fan of Brussow but think Flo with added height and weight has more of a chance with HM’s obsession with size in making the team … I want to see Biz, Coonie, Vermulen and Brussow/Flo scrapping on the deck in the run on … Habs also is great at going for T/O ..
Beware people just as we are looking likely at eradicating one shite Bull Morne … our other nemsis Britney will regain fitness and her place ..
17 Sep 2012, 15:02 pm
@rangerman-387: yep, use it next time you are enjoying a beer with a few islanders,call them that and see what their response is..
didnt a SA commentator get into trouble recently for using it?
17 Sep 2012, 15:02 pm
@poppa69-373:
matfield was cited and cleared in the judicial hearing you ******.
the tackle on carter was not head high, again, you ******.
what are you talking about carters head? at a push you mean no arm tackles?
bismarck was cited and suspended for four weeks for a ‘careless’ and non deliberate action, but suspended all the same.
burger was suspended for eight weeks.
whats your point you ******?
in every instance the saffa player has been severely punished.
can we say the same about you filthy lot?
the answer in case you’re having trouble with it is NO
17 Sep 2012, 15:03 pm
r e t a r d
r e t a r d
r e t a r d
17 Sep 2012, 15:05 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-396: but the Boks never cheat in your fantasy world, Im just highlighting glaring deficiencies in your putrid argument.
17 Sep 2012, 15:05 pm
@willievz-389: that’s conjencture.
17 Sep 2012, 15:05 pm
@nama1-388: ok this is going nowhere.
lets agree that i disagree with you?
@Transformation-390:
the squad flew out to argieland almost immediately after CT didnt they?
where, in one week was there time to get flo in and bring him up to speed, its a new coach after all?
for all you know, flo was called at halftime from CT and told to get organised as he would be playing vs aus?
seriously, logistics dont seem to be a strong point of yours transie.
go back to sleep
@poppa69-391: they are sharks poopsie, i rated them when they did the business all season after beast returned from injury.
your opinion is bs and we all saw it being proved wrong.
grow up and take it on the jaw (you dont seem to have a chin).
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