Common sense must prevail
9 Oct 2012
JON CARDINELLI writes that the decision to include or exclude Springboks in the Currie Cup should be made in the national team’s best interests.
Welcome to South Africa, where the provincial tail wags the Test dog.
For too long Super Rugby franchises have been permitted to run their Test players into the ground before the Test season has even commenced. And for too long, those players have been forced to play in the final rounds of the Currie Cup.
Last week, Heyneke Meyer admitted that New Zealand has got it right in terms of player management. He didn’t go so far as to say South Africa is getting it wrong, as a statement like that may have been constituted as a slur against his employers.
But then he didn’t have to. Those of us with eyes and ears will know that the current system is geared towards ensuring the success of the provinces rather than that of the national team.
Right now we should be talking about which Springboks should play in the Currie Cup, and which players should rest ahead of the European tour. It should never be a case of the provinces forcing every one of their Test stars to compete at this stage of the season.
It’s true that the provinces have ambitions to win titles, but those ambitions should be considered secondary to the sustained success of the Springboks.
I’m not talking about dealing in absolutes. It does nobody any good to say that every Bok must play Currie Cup rugby, or that every Bok player must be excused.
There are players returning from injury who desperately need the game time, as well as the bit-part players who haven’t featured much in the Rugby Championship who could use the opportunity to sharpen their game.
Jaco Taute started the last two Tests, but would still benefit from an extended run at outside centre for the Lions. Taute’s inexperience in this channel has been clear over the last two matches, and he needs to come to terms with his defensive responsibilities if he is going to feature there for the Boks in November.
Some say that the returning Boks should have to prove themselves before replacing an existing Currie Cup player. What nonsense.
The Currie Cup is the lower tier, it’s an opportunity for younger and less experienced players to prove themselves ahead of the Super Rugby season. It should also provide top players returning from injury with a chance to regain their fitness or sharpen their game ahead of the Boks’ end-of-year-tour.
JP Pietersen is sure to benefit from an extended run with the Sharks. The Bok wing injured his thumb ahead of the Rugby Championship, but has since returned to action in the Currie Cup. Come the Tests in November, he won’t be wanting for game time.
Tiaan Liebenberg, Coenie Oosthuizen, Juandre Kruger, Juan de Jongh, and Pat Lambie have been used sparingly in the recent Sanzar tournament. They too will gain much from a run in the Currie Cup.
Of course, there are those that will be forced to play for overseas clubs in the coming weeks, and that is something that Saru cannot change. Francois Louw and Ruan Pienaar have made some valuable contributions to the Boks this year, and Meyer will be hoping like hell that the pair avoids injury before the Test window reopens in November.
But there are Boks currently in South Africa who shouldn’t be pushed to play. It was reported on Monday Jean de Villiers was nursing two injuries, and that Western Province were still confident that he would feature in their last league match. Why, oh why, should he even be considered?
De Villiers has enjoyed a relatively injury-free 2012, and this has led to him playing the majority of the Super Rugby matches and in all of the Boks’ nine Tests. Why should he be risked in a Currie Cup game when he still has an important role to play on the end-of-year tour? With all the injuries that have plagued the Boks this season, they could ill afford to lose their captain before a tour that is important in terms of results.
I’m not suggesting that WP are to blame. It is the system that is it fault, as when you have a system that allows for the overuse of players at provincial level, then which province is not going to take advantage? ‘Everybody’s doing it, so why shouldn’t we?’ is the mentality. Indeed, why should WP rest De Villiers when, for example, the Sharks are pushing Willem Alberts to play?
The provinces have a title to win, and that is their mandate. It’s the wrong way to look at things, but then they are only operating within the framework that Saru has provided.
And until Saru gets its priorities right and implements a central contracting system that will prioritise players over provinces, Bok coaches like Meyer will always be operating with depleted national teams.
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75 Comments
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9 Oct 2012, 09:09 am
coenie is penalty masjien sos mcguyver greyling & he is proving not to be tighthead’s arse.
9 Oct 2012, 09:13 am
I wonder if Poop’s pilot has found the landing strip yet?
Seems not.
9 Oct 2012, 09:17 am
@Transformation-51:
after less than half a game against arguably the best loosehead in the world? i didn’t think he did too badly
9 Oct 2012, 09:20 am
Poor SARU, they cant get anything right. They agreed to the extended and ridiculously long super rugby seasons for years now (without central contracts) and it started to backfire. There has been no leadership and concern for all SAs players then, why should there be for the boks now?
Central contacts would not be necessary if they had put the players first. There is just too much rugby! Super Rugby is such a boring spectacle and imo most supporters would have been happy if the season ended before the mid year international window or even earlier. Why not just play each super team once and have extended playoffs? It can all be over in 5 months!
The duration of super rugby is the biggest culprit… but greed prevailed and SARU agreed to the extended season and had no regard for the currie cup.
Now even the SAs media and supporters want the boks not to play currie cup! Its suppose to be the best sa players vs the best, otherwise whats the point ? But playing the boks now is even more ridiculous after the missed most of the tournament anyway!
Super rugby can be shortened considerably. But that wont happen. So just give the boks central contracts…But currie cup wont be the same, but who cares if you can support your super rugby team with their boks for the whole year!
Somehow at some point SARU or the rugby public will have to ask for a shortened super rugby season… This will solve a lot of problems… Never again should a bok team only have a week to prepare for a test!
I say somebody should start a boikot on facebook or a blog or something. If fans stayed away for 2-3 super rugby games that just might cause SANZAR to start looking out for the players and shorten the season… Come one Keo it could start here!
9 Oct 2012, 09:23 am
i’m off cheers
9 Oct 2012, 09:27 am
@Jeez-54: 100% agreed with you.
Less is more.
9 Oct 2012, 09:29 am
@Jeez-54:
i think most people on this site would agree with you and some have made similar posts, but sadly such common sense is drowed out by the kwan. show me the money jerry. i’m off for real this time
9 Oct 2012, 09:38 am
@mamma_lou-57:
Will most supporters be part of a boikot then?
9 Oct 2012, 09:46 am
@mamma_lou-53: he gave away a penalty straight away, since when is woodcock “arguably the best loosehead in the world”?
in super rugby coenie was giving away penalties cheaply too, no argument there!
9 Oct 2012, 09:49 am
You can’t blame SANZAR for the problems facing SA.
The management of the players is an internal problem, not the tournament itself.
Aus had how many teams in the playoffs? 1
SA had 3
NZ 2
Aus have been crippled by injuries but still managed to hold their 2nd ranking after the RC.
So if you have a problem, look in-house at SARU not SANZAR,
9 Oct 2012, 09:50 am
@Transformation-59:
Agree, Woodcock is way past his best years. Even then i dont think he was ever the best, or one of the best. He was just a good player, now he seems to be not able to get back onside and gives a few penalties away.
9 Oct 2012, 09:52 am
@hendrikp-34: Dude Brussouw and F.Steyn is injured and wont make the EOYT squad. Thats why i didnt include them. They will be in my team yes if fit.
Not convinced about Burden yet, he needs more time. Tiaan is a seasoned campaigner and has played a season or 2 in europe. Will be great experience.
If not Keegan then i will go with Deysel (if he is not injured). I havent seen much of Arno yet, so still unknown quantity i guess.
Mapoe has been great at 13 this season, I hope he gets a good run at 13 for Bulls next year
He might be in the plans next year for the boks .
9 Oct 2012, 09:55 am
@Hurricane-61:
I think he saw the writing on the wall at the Blues, and buggered off to the deep south as his retirement plan rather than the traditional offshore contract.
He might not earn the same coin there, but is likely to snare another central contract to compensate.
9 Oct 2012, 10:00 am
@Brads-60: If Aus didnt have all those injuries dont you think their international season would have gone much better? So even the Aussies can complain. SANZARs greed is deforming the quality of the international season… and SARU not doing much to stop it and is indeed part of the problem. imo
9 Oct 2012, 10:05 am
@Jeez-64:
Aus have the depth of a tide pool, there is none.
They have a different issue altogether from SA to sort out.
9 Oct 2012, 10:06 am
@Sasuke-62:
Whoops haven’t really been keeping up with the injuries
9 Oct 2012, 10:13 am
There is a great article by Tony Johnson on the Super Sport Website:
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/blogs/tony-johnson/Boks_will_be_world_beaters
He goes into a little detail around the “resting” process that we debated last week,
Worth a read.
9 Oct 2012, 11:37 am
@stormersboy-67: yep, answers flanka’s question from last week re only mccaw and carter have been rested by nzru, tj confirms that the all blacks are given time after byes to stretch back in super rugby something we don’t see in SA.
9 Oct 2012, 12:21 pm
@mxhosa-16: Who cares? J de V. is a loss leader at best.
9 Oct 2012, 12:23 pm
A player who’s never been on fire can’t suffer from burnout. Let everybody play CC.
9 Oct 2012, 13:07 pm
“And until Saru gets its priorities right and implements a central contracting system that will prioritise players over provinces, Bok coaches like Meyer will always be operating with depleted national teams.”
Well said JC, it’s been happening for a decade now and SA have to a degree, squandered some of the finest players the world has ever seen through poor player management while NZ have maximised their potential (WC ’07 aside).
9 Oct 2012, 13:38 pm
The past four year the Keo brigade was all for the Bok coach to rest the players for the EOYT in order for them to have a good rest for the following year. We read many an article where the coach was slammed for not resting certain Bok players for the EOYT.
Now they are talking about Bok players to be rested for the last part of the CC in order for them to be ready for the EOYT. We now see that they are blaming SARU for not implementing central contracts so that they can have control more over players. Nothing about the role of the Bok coach in this regard.
What changed?
Oh yeah…the Bok coach. The previous coach was not a favorite of theirs.
9 Oct 2012, 15:42 pm
Of course its brain dead to not have central contracting. SNARU prove their dofness. It’s simple – buy out the players contracts and pay them less S15/CC TV revenue to balance. To me it will have at least two positives. Boks will get much needed rest and coaching. Then the guys in CC will get a chance to shine and move up to S15 and maybe Boks.
But SA Rugby is not about SA Rugby; like the SA government is not for SA, it’s for the benefit of the individuals (very polite) in the hierarchy. Until this changes, SA Rugby (and SA) will battle.
9 Oct 2012, 15:50 pm
Everyone is going to use their Boks….for sure. Who shouldn’t use their Boks Keo ? Let me guess – everyone except WP ? LOL !
Nice try.
9 Oct 2012, 18:55 pm
#69- ???
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