ABs reaping benefits of Kiwi system
4 Oct 2012
JON CARDINELLI writes the All Blacks avoid mass injuries and burnout because the NZRU manages the country’s top players accordingly. Why can’t Saru do the same?
A good question was asked of All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster this week. Why is it that the All Blacks seem to sustain fewer injuries than their Australian and South African counterparts?
Why is it that we are now into month 10 of the 2012 rugby season and the All Blacks aren’t missing key players because of injury and fatigue?
‘We do it differently,’ was Foster’s curt reply. ‘And I’m not going to tell you exactly what that entails.’
Foster doesn’t have to, it’s no big secret. The New Zealand Rugby Union has long looked after its most prized assets, that is its players.
Through a central-contracting system, it ensure that the cream of the crop don’t play too much rugby during the Super Rugby competition. The national team is viewed as the priority, and to compromise the success of that national team wouldn’t make much sense. Right?
Unfortunately, there is a different outlook in South Africa.
Every union and franchise looks after its own interests. Top players are contracted to a union as well as to Saru.
What this means is that a franchise has the option to start a Bok player in every Super Rugby game. Ultimately it is the franchise’s success that matters most to the franchise, not the success of the Boks.
It’s for this reason that we have players who arrive for Bok duty overplayed and fatigued. For example, Andries Bekker has long been considered indispensable to the Stormers’ Super Rugby cause, and has started the majority of the matches over the past three seasons. That workload has taken its toll on his body, and injuries have prevented him from playing more games for his country.
There are other examples across all of the South African franchises, and the point is that if South Africa employed the same system as New Zealand, the Boks may have more fit players available for the most important period of the season, that is the Rugby Championship.
The current system has been a handicap to every Springbok coach in the professional era. The system rewards the franchises when it should be geared towards propelling the Boks to that No 1 ranking. It is something that incumbent coach Heyneke Meyer has also made note of on several occasions.
On Wednesday, Meyer pointed to the example of Richie McCaw, the All Blacks captain and veteran who will enjoy a six-month sabbatical next season. This course of action will prolong McCaw’s career, and possibly allow him to play at the 2015 World Cup.
The NZRU keeps tabs on all of the All Blacks throughout the Super Rugby season, and ensures that nobody is overplayed before they join the national set-up for the June Tests or the Rugby Championship.
It’s been an intense season, the most congested in history, and still the All Blacks were able to produce their best performance of the year in Argentina. They are now in South Africa preparing for a physically taxing clash against the Boks on the Highveld, and still there is a sense that they are favourites. Why?
‘New Zealand manages their players very well,’ Meyer said on Wednesday when probed on the subject. ‘You can see what’s been done with Richie McCaw, and there are overall not as many injuries. Everybody seems to be working towards a common goal.’
Keeping players fresh allows for continuity in selection, and as Meyer suggests the All Blacks were able to win the 2011 World Cup because of that continuity. There aren’t as many injury disruptions because the NZRU is doing everything it can to prevent burnout and fatigue-related injuries.
Every South African franchise is chasing results and trophies, and every team is inclined to believe that the more they play their best players, the better their chances of achieving those lofty objectives.
And in that unfortunately all too real scenario, the national team is the biggest loser.
By Jon Cardinelli, in Johannesburg
425 Comments
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4 Oct 2012, 10:00 am
@goodstuff-44:
I don’t live in twilight land where wins in the historical past influence the next game being played.
Where I live says that in the professional era South Africa have lost at home to New Zealand 12 out of 21 times.
New Zealand may well lose on Saturday, but it will have f.uck all to do with what went on in the past.
4 Oct 2012, 10:00 am
@goodstuff-44:
McCaw is always owned when he plays SA very amusing
4 Oct 2012, 10:01 am
The international rugby model needs to change.
The sanzar buisness model needs to change.
At the moment it suits the kiwis and ozzies…we all know this. The Ozzies just have significantly fewer players to call on. Also, in a country where rugby comes 3-4th in popularity, Franchises are under pressure to grow their brands and market their players.
So long as these countries get a fair share of divedends…SA will always come 3rd.
NZ franchises are (seemingly) never under any pressure to grow their brands and support base. If they were, this would mean them playing their big names and being very reluctant to rest stars.
Our new prolonged superseason and love/reluctence to do away with the CC also does us no favors.
I propose WC every 4 years and rugby championshsip every 4 years. Basically a comp every 2 years. In the intermitent years no more than 4 tests.
Superrugby expands by 1 more team making it 16 teams and settles into a euefa champions league format.
4 Oct 2012, 10:03 am
Goodstuff was going back to 1900 before the introduction of neutral refs, I think you’ll find all teams won more in SA after they were introduced.
4 Oct 2012, 10:03 am
AB’s out this season due to injury – Ali Williams, Isaiah toeava, Richard Kahui, Anthony Boric and Jerome kaino (shoulder reconstruction, which was the reason he decided to go to Japan in order to prolong his career). Richie missed most of the super 15 season and was obviously of the pace in the first two matches against Ireland. Dan carter been out for majority of tests this season as well. Conrad missed a couple of tests,
There will also be players who could have debuted for the AB’s this year but have missed out due to injury – eg tj perana.
Not as bad as the boks, and nothing like the Aussies. But we have definitely had to do some juggling.
4 Oct 2012, 10:04 am
This will cheer up you Yarpies, Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zve1YKt_Ex4
4 Oct 2012, 10:04 am
@ryecatcher-50:
I know Richie is special, but the ability to teleport has not been endowed on him yet.
That will be next years skill enhancement.
4 Oct 2012, 10:07 am
@Brads-47: Yes, the gym over-training factor is something I can personally buy into.
I take myself as an example. Due to my own bad injury management back when I played at Varsity I have 2 bad knees (both operated on) and DDD (Lower spine weakness and injury). In order to manage that I keep up a gym program that incorporates a lot of compound exercises like squats, dead-lifts, olympic lifts etc. The whole idea is to make sure that my body is strengthened throughout it’s whole range of motion, not just in one specific area. I have found that over the years I’ve become much stronger and able to do things in everyday life that otherwise may have hurt me. What I do find however is that if I pack that extra 20 – 40kgs on the squat rack, that although I can lift it, that after 2 or 3 sessions at that weight my knees begin to ache, not in the joints where the injuries are, but around the tendons and ligaments supporting the muscle. I have to rest for a week or so after that or I risk actual injury.
My point is that if you push that extra bit, you will get stronger, but you may well get more injury prone. I think that our guys are guilty of the “gym strongman” ego trap. Take Sadie for example. He was quoted in a mag article saying about how he’d put on 20kg’s of muscle in 3 months since joining the Bulls and how they got so much more out of him. Then he got injured and he’s not been a factor at all this season.
4 Oct 2012, 10:11 am
@stormersboy-58:
yip strange…whenever I jog beyond 5km’s, my knee starts hurting.
4 Oct 2012, 10:11 am
I just can’t see the Cannibals beating us in Soweto …. Boks by 5!
4 Oct 2012, 10:12 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-53:
What c.rap.
Your suggestion is another version of throwing your toys because you didn’t win, even though your country designed the current format.
***** bells, the regular changes that have been made to the format over the years were all promoted by losers.
4 Oct 2012, 10:13 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-59: Ja. I haven’t been able to run 5kms in many years, mine are so bad unfortunately. I have to cycle and swim to get cardio, a shorter, faster 2.4km is more suited to me.
4 Oct 2012, 10:18 am
OK so based on these comments can we say that the myth of a central system is just that in this instance, a myth? yes it’s obviously helpful in other ways, the national coach is more respected at local level (wonder why??
) and his requests are given more weight.
Many AB’s have come down with significant injuries this year as we’ve seen above, so I’m not convinced.
I call BS.
4 Oct 2012, 10:20 am
@Brads-61:
I look to football for viable working and business solutions.
For no other reason as there is significantly more money involved with huge player salaries.
So, basically, if we still want test rugby to have some significance there needs to be far fewer tests played or we just start writing everything outside of the worldcup off…as friendlies.
The best footballing calibre is championsleague, I would say a decent step up to international football. Maybe knockout worldcup, but game for game…champions league.
personally, i believe rugby needs to follow a similar model.
4 Oct 2012, 10:21 am
@stormersboy-63: here here!
4 Oct 2012, 10:25 am
@15 Transformation have to laugh at a theory some SAFFAS have that NZ is “poor”. Have you seen the GDP per capita figures for NZ compared to SA…… the average Kiwi is worth more than DOUBLE the average SAFFA.
NZ which has just 4.3 million people, has an economy which is 40% the size of the SA economy, though SA has 50 million people. The NZ dollar is worth more than 80 US cents, the Rand is worth just a few US cents.
NZ doesn’t waste money on grandiose stadiums which it doesn’t need. NZ pumps it’s money into services such as healthcare and education.
4 Oct 2012, 10:25 am
@RL-11: give your mouth a chance mate
4 Oct 2012, 10:27 am
@stormersboy-58:
Exactly.
Back in the day when players weren’t paid they got partially fit through their vocation, but generally played hard and only the unlucky few were injured.
Today, players are bigger, heavier and can cause more damage in the contact area, but are just as likely to cause an injury to themselves.
I surely don’t have an answer to the issue.
4 Oct 2012, 10:28 am
@stormersboy-58: ha ha ha 20 kgs of muscle in 3 months.
somebody take out your testing kits
4 Oct 2012, 10:29 am
@stormersboy-63:
I second that motion.
4 Oct 2012, 10:32 am
@Brads-68: more rugby,bigger,stronger,faster and greedier players and coaches,less or shortened rest periods are the reasons for injuries
4 Oct 2012, 10:33 am
@saru1983-69: it may have been longer, but the point I was making is that all that extra muscle is not exactly helping his career.
These guys are tested at this level so I’m not at all thinking anything untoward.
It’s possible for sure.
4 Oct 2012, 10:36 am
flanka – You are forgetting how Os Du Randt was managed for RWC2007, and he performed ver very well!!!
Which is how J Smit & Matfield should have been managed before the last RWC but they were both played into the ground!!
Bekker is a player that should be managed, because he offers the Boks something special, tallest O in world rugby!!!
Take M Steyn for instance, from 2009 that man had not had a break from internationals or Super rugby no wonder he has burnt out! The Bulls sold JP Potgieter and i knew after that M Steyn would be running on empty and he still hasn’t recovered!!
4 Oct 2012, 10:36 am
its because we in NZ are tough, not soft like our saffa and Aussie “brothers”..
there is no other reason.
4 Oct 2012, 10:37 am
On an aside, when I’ve been at gym and seen some of the guys training there (The boks) I’ve noticed that they often concentrate on arm exercises which don’t really help on the field but do make them look strong in their “toit” jerseys and T-shirts.
Too many arm curls and not enough explosive movements.
4 Oct 2012, 10:38 am
@race of tan-73: I agree with you on the need to manage Bekker better. On form he is head and shoulders (literally) above the other no 5 locks in SA.
4 Oct 2012, 10:38 am
@NZINCHINA-40:
hows the hangover china?
you were on fine form last night being as arrogant as ever.
@ryecatcher-50: he was playing on his pipe mesmerising the ref like a cobra whisperer in india.
he thought the bok cobras had had their fangs pulled though.
he was wrong.
4 Oct 2012, 10:39 am
@poppa69-74: ja ja
4 Oct 2012, 10:39 am
NZINCHINA #52 – McCaw is only owned when the ABs play France (tee hee). Those frgos have got the ABs no boy, come next RWC and they will eat you alive (tee hee)!!
4 Oct 2012, 10:40 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-64:
The Rugby Championship is not even over and you are suggesting changes.
Why?
Well I suspect it is because this version hasn’t proven a model that produced an instant return to normality.
Normality being where the Bokke are the storm troopers of world rugby, crushing all before them, with the occasional set back turned back on the upstart with devastating results.
4 Oct 2012, 10:41 am
stormersboy – After the last game on Saturday are the Boks straight into CC or do they get a bit of time off?
4 Oct 2012, 10:42 am
@poppa69-74: just curious what r the proffesions of most of NZ players
im not talking abt the all blacks here but rather the 2nd and 3rd tier players who still have to hold down a job
4 Oct 2012, 10:43 am
@saru1983-71:
That’s the reality of professional sport.
4 Oct 2012, 10:43 am
@poppa69-74: you are not in nz poops.
ergo you are a p us sy
4 Oct 2012, 10:46 am
here we automatically get poached by varsities u dnt really have to study if u good enough and u automatically get ur degree.There are no real tough ******** who had to struggle and work hard
hence we have a bunch of softies on the rugga field
4 Oct 2012, 10:47 am
@race of tan-81: They are released back to their respective unions who’s call it is.
4 Oct 2012, 10:47 am
@saru1983-82:
I suspect they are the same as they are in SA.
What are the vocations of the average Vodafone Cup player?
4 Oct 2012, 10:48 am
@stormersboy-58: what about the stormers getting “extra heavey dumbells” for eben
4 Oct 2012, 10:49 am
why is h a r d m en banned
4 Oct 2012, 10:50 am
I do long for the days when SA used to be able to match us on the rugby field, nowadays we are winning games at an alarming fashion..
I think we should not play SA until they prove they are good enough for our team to play against..
perhaps they should play Lithuania and those sort of teams just to help their confidence..
SA rugby is k@k
4 Oct 2012, 10:50 am
stormersboy – Well that is just player suicide!! I believe the bench warmers and Goosen should play etc but the rest should play no part in CC!!! Especialy the forwards!!!
4 Oct 2012, 10:51 am
@Brads-87: most of them have degrees bcause they firstly are poached by the elite schools then the varsities and these are vodacom cup spoilt brats
4 Oct 2012, 10:52 am
@Transformation-88: yes I thought of him when i was typing the post.
4 Oct 2012, 10:53 am
poppa69 #90 – I tell the French on you!!! They can then come down to New Zealand and whip you in your own back yard, tee hee!! The French are AB destroyers!!! Alle Le Blue
But to comment on your arrogant post, PDV racked up 2 wins in NZ during his reign!! We got the last shout at Dunedin, so your comment holds no wait!!
SA still has the best record against you!!!
4 Oct 2012, 10:54 am
@race of tan-73: Smit and Matfield got time off during the 2011 tri nations and not to forget Bulls didn’t even play finals rugby and Smit was regularly rotated with Bissy at the sharks so not sure what you’re talking about.
As for Steyn, there’s a difference bnetween being injured and being out of form. I won’t accept that just because Steyn is out of form and performing below par we should blame Bulls coaches that have “run him into the ground”. Especially when one considers he’s been quite average for 2 years now. No, don’t buy it guvnor.
4 Oct 2012, 10:54 am
@race of tan-91: between all the Super Rugby, June Tests, Tri Nations, CC (even if it’s only the tail end) and End of season tours the players are overplayed for sure.
4 Oct 2012, 10:55 am
@saru1983-92: so SA rugby players are the smarter ones in SA society?
4 Oct 2012, 10:55 am
@saru1983-92: never worked an honest day in their life
back in the day u had farmers, builders, hardworking tough ******** who didnt need the gym
4 Oct 2012, 10:57 am
@race of tan-94: these two wins PDV got in NZ, you do know the first one was the first one in more than a decade?
actually, the “last shout” at Dunedin was a few weeks back, or do you mean the old stadium? well one win in 87 years at the old stadium sure is a talking point, not sure youd want to use it as an argument for though
4 Oct 2012, 10:58 am
@poppa69-97: just bcause they r at university doesnt make them smart
arrogant and spoilt prima donnas r the words that *** to mind
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