Meyer laments obstacle to dominance
31 Oct 2012
Heyneke Meyer has reiterated his call for a central contracting system as a means of making the Springboks the strongest force in the game.
The success of Meyer’s first season in charge has been compromised by a string of first-choice players going down injured, while there have also been a host of withdrawals of impact and fringe players. He will undertake the year-end tour without the services of Bismarck du Plessis, Bryan Habana, Frans Steyn and Andries Bekker, who are widely considered to be among the best in their positions in the game. They are all sidelined because of what Meyer has attributed to the destructive and cumulative effect of the longest season in their careers.
Meyer has voiced serious concerns about the well-being of the elite players in the recent past and has again suggested that something needs to change or risk their careers being cut by many years, in the process undermining any potential for the Springboks to become the world’s pre-eminent side.
‘My strength has always been to change flawed systems which I hope I can still do while in charge. New Zealand get it right from a player management point of view. We have to look at that as a way forward otherwise we will never be the top team in the world,’ Meyer told keo.co.za. ‘Our top players simply cannot play Currie Cup, Super Rugby and Test matches. Also their social and family life suffers because they are never at home. We are going to lose more players to overseas teams if this doesn’t change. If we want to win consistently, not just one or two here and there, we have to look at the systems going forward.
‘We’re not in an ideal situation and I’m worried about all the injuries, particularly since there are some world-class players unavailable,’ he continued. ‘This tour was already a tough one and with the injuries it will be tougher. It is frustrating because I wanted to try new things and build on what we’ve done so far. But when you have new players coming into the group you have to go back to basics. If you consider that Fourie du Preez and Jaque Fourie weren’t available, and Frans Steyn and Bryan Habana were injured recently, if I had all those players fit suddenly the backline is helluva experienced. Hopefully one day I can pick that backline.’
Team doctor Craig Roberts, however, eased some fears around the availability of players in the squad who are carrying knocks. Francois Louw’s neck injury has responded well to treatment and he is expected to play for Bath on Sunday. Adriaan Strauss will participate fully in training this week after a knee injury, while captain Jean de Villiers (hamstring) has already started running and will be available for selection for the Ireland Test.
Meyer confirmed that he had settled on the 32nd player to tour but could not say who because details were still being discussed with his club. Locks Bakkies Botha (Toulon) and Marco Wentzel (London Wasps) are on standby. Meyer extolled Wentzel’s lineout value (he has been the Premiership’s most successful lineout receiver), while adding that he still held Botha in high regard. ‘I’d love to have Bakkies involved because I think he has two or three years left in him at Test level,’ he said. ‘But he isn’t going to start ahead of Eben and he isn’t a bench player.’
By Ryan Vrede, in Cape Town
190 Comments
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31 Oct 2012, 15:51 pm
Yes Heyneke, Im sure you were all for a central contracting system when you were coach of the Bulls…yeah right.
Now you lament its non existence.
31 Oct 2012, 15:57 pm
Really do need a total restructure…..the player burn out and injury situation is over the top chronic…..
without a doubt the SA physche is still geared at the Province / Franchise first and Boks second.
Go for it Heyneke…..sort the structure out….all strength to you….
31 Oct 2012, 15:59 pm
@John Galt-1: Its just the heat that comes with the job, he forgets he wouldn’t the Bok coach today if the central contracting system was implemented 6 years ago, taking out Habana, FDP, Steyn, Spies, Wannenburg, Rossouw, Matfield and Botha.
Heyneke must play the cards he is dealt, just like all previous bok coaches
31 Oct 2012, 16:01 pm
@XhosaKid-3:
aha.
so we shouldn’t have a central contract system then?
31 Oct 2012, 16:04 pm
Deal with your player loss Heyneken.Getting your excuses in won’t be accepted by all decent SA’s beyond the boereworscurtain.If the job is to big for you just say so.
31 Oct 2012, 16:06 pm
The system is farked.
The Kiwis are dominating because of their systems and commitment to tthe national team.
Heyneke is doing the right thing to try and begin a change process.
All Bok coaches spoke about this problem endlessly through the last decade or so…..
Go for it Heyneke. things must change.
31 Oct 2012, 16:15 pm
As Guntie points out you guys, through your disliking of Meyer are missing the point he’s making which a very valid one. It needs to change and if he’s the first coach to get it done 2 kudoes and a half to him!
31 Oct 2012, 16:15 pm
Really Ryan? He laments the obstacle to dominance? You sound like a lyric writer for a Scandinavian doom metal band.
31 Oct 2012, 16:15 pm
@grant10-6: How some people can say Meyer is making excuses by pointing out the bleeding obvious is beyond me. Why should things stay the same. What utter small-minded idiocy.
Agreed 1000%.
31 Oct 2012, 16:16 pm
@katman-8: Forgive him, for he knows not what he does
31 Oct 2012, 16:17 pm
jake complained, he was told to shufthefuck up and coach, div complained he was told to pipedown and coach if he can, now heyneke is whingeing and the murmurs of “ek stem saam” are growing larger
remember, as Tacitus always says. you centralise the players contracts, SARU can take Eben from WP to EP, Paul Jordaan to the Bulls at their whim…
look at john kirwan crying that nonu promised he would come back but nonu is a highlander now hehehe.
31 Oct 2012, 16:18 pm
All coaches had to play with the same deck of cards.Heyneke shouldn’t now that he has been shown up as the false messiah,come with this lamentable rubbish.Meyer has weak mentality as proven with his stint at Leicester.He blames everybody else for his shortcomings as a top coach,except himself.We don’t have central contracts HM,so get on your horse and go out there and win every test as you promised us.Oops,I see that you already have broken that promise.Lose your first two games ,Meyer,on this tour and I hope you will be recalled back to SA to explain yourself.
31 Oct 2012, 16:20 pm
Ya Transie but I honestly think its purely down to how much worse it’s gotten with the schedule.
So long as they leave Eben out of it I’m ok
31 Oct 2012, 16:22 pm
@grant10-2:
I personally think they need to explore this ‘burn out’ vs ‘injury’ scenario and which player is actually suffering from what.
There is no doubt that the likes of Bekker was overplayed by Province and need to be managed better.
Bissies injury? Could have happened if he was playing for anyone, regardless of cantractual structure. It was a freak injury where he was the dummy runner and some guy tackled him. Simple.
There was no ‘player fatigue’ involved, no tired and overplayed stress related injury.
Burger? Same as above. His injury happened in the first few weeks of the S15 FFS. No way was it a fatigue related injury.
The only extra rugby our boys play is in the CC. Outside of that domestic competition, the ABs play exaclty the same amount of Rugby during the year.
Depth needs to be built by each franchise and utilised properly during the S15.
31 Oct 2012, 16:22 pm
@Transformation-11:
should we have the system or not?
31 Oct 2012, 16:25 pm
@John Galt-14: Player management and timings are handled a helluva lot smarter by the Kiwis.
@wnbb-12: Your whinging about Meyer correctly wanting to change the status quo doesn’t alter reality.
31 Oct 2012, 16:26 pm
@gunther-15: Yes. We are being completely and utterly farking stupid.
31 Oct 2012, 16:28 pm
Someone in SARU needs to grow a pair of balls and enforce a contracting system similar to the Kiwis.
“Someone in SARU” – whoosh. Good luck Meyer. You’re going to need it to make the necessary a reality.
31 Oct 2012, 16:29 pm
Unless there is data available that link the injuries by players to the minutes or matches played per player per season we cannot really make a comparative analysis between SA, NZ and Aus. To me it seems as if the Australians play less often the rest but still have relatively the most injuries.
31 Oct 2012, 16:31 pm
For a central contracting system to work you need all the unions to buy into the idea…..which i guarantee you they will not. SA has always shown loyalty to Provinces first and the National team comes second. Its a mentality thing. Nzlanders were programmed from a young age already that the Black jersey comes first and this is reflected in the system that they use. We on the udder hand grew up with provincial rivalry and it reflects the system we use. Nothing will change as long as that mentality is there of provinces before country.
31 Oct 2012, 16:32 pm
Mallet has been outspoken about this issue as well…..
Time to re evaluate….or just contininue to lag further and further behind imo…
31 Oct 2012, 16:35 pm
Brendan Venter as well…..
But we dont farken listen…..bulle this and Haaie that…weeepeeeee…..
And our Boks get on there moer every second weekend.
31 Oct 2012, 16:38 pm
@gunther-15: let’s have it, we can move ALL the players cheeky wants to PE
31 Oct 2012, 16:40 pm
@John Galt-14: Burger was injured in the FIRST game against the canes, two players mowed him down, one went for the legs, the other for his upper body!
31 Oct 2012, 16:44 pm
I am totally against a system like that.No national union should own a player at the expense of a provincial union who invested time and truck load of money on such a player.This is typical Bulls propaganda.They have been trying to establish a total monopoly on signing all available young talent in this country.Giving Meyer total control of WP talent like Etzebeth,Kolisi etc etc will only benefit one party.
31 Oct 2012, 16:45 pm
@Transformation-23:
yes
or
no
31 Oct 2012, 16:46 pm
@Transformation-23:
Edfarkingzakery.
Can you imagine the squealing if suddenly some politically connected coach miraculously starts signing all the good players.
Which is a real possibility here.
We all assume that SARU will be completely independant and act at arms length in all cases. Which cant be gauranteed.
31 Oct 2012, 16:49 pm
Lessons to be learned is having more faith in a squad system…..Brendan Venter explained how Saracens plan there season so that players know they got 3 games then a 2 week conditioning type program…..obviously things vary as things happen out of control…..but there is total faith in the playing schedules per player.
Look how WP fared by embracing the younger squad……I think we are so scared of losing we are not prepared to change.
But we have too…..
31 Oct 2012, 16:56 pm
@grant10-28: I am so glad to see you have come out of hiding. Took a miracle last weekend, but you’re back !
Little boy got his sweety ?
31 Oct 2012, 16:58 pm
burgers was an intentionally targeted injury.
text book stuff.
like the one on o’driscoll.
31 Oct 2012, 16:58 pm
Central player contracting may solve part of the problem but I also suspect there are other factors which lead to the kind of player attrition we see. Namely our bish bash, moer en donner playing style which really is about pulverizing your opponents rather than subduing them with superior technique, speed and skills.HM’s love of players like Jacque Potgieter (who is really the kind of player who is a danger to his own players as well) and other “big strong boys” does not help the player attrition level in my view. Our technique and skills are poor compared to alot of rugby playing nations. So HM, no use crying player contracting when you do not use what you have correctly as we will still lose even with a full strength team. What good will that experienced backline be if nobody is showing them new things they can do? Just take a leaf out of Allistair Coetzee’s book and change your philosophy on the game a bit (Mallet advised him and Fleckie to not rely on Neinabers defensive playing philosophy too much). Allistar (and Jake in his 1st year) showed that any professional player new or old can learn quickly and adapt to a playing philosohpy and team culture that has an edge over what other coaches are doing. Be a better coach and things can happen for you…an d maybe SARU will listen too! Fair deal?
31 Oct 2012, 17:00 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-30: Schalk Burger is done. Do you really think he is head and shoulders better than the talent we have coming through right now ?
31 Oct 2012, 17:02 pm
Kak kak kak.
The problem is this bloated, joke of a Super Rugby Comp. Not the Currie Cup.
And I like ‘hating’ the Bulls and WP. It’s what makes SA Rugby great.
We can and should have the best of both worlds, we just sold our souls to the Aussies and the Kiwis, that’s all.
There is no reason why the Boks can’t be the best, and we can still have our Boks in the Currie Cup.
I repeat, this 4-5 month Super Rugby comp is the problem.
31 Oct 2012, 17:03 pm
Who’s gonna tell Schalk, Siya, Eben, Duane and the ginger that they have to move to Pretoria? SARU personnel will have to draw straws for that….as it’s one mightfuckingscary task, which might meet with some resistance…
31 Oct 2012, 17:04 pm
@Dusky-32: Schalk will be back,have no fear,he will be back bigger and better and larger than life than before,of that I have no doubt.
31 Oct 2012, 17:06 pm
@londonshark-33: Yep,pure greed as always…
31 Oct 2012, 17:09 pm
“My strength has always been to change flawed systems…”
I thought your strebgth was to coach out of form players back into form.
“If we want to win consistently, not just one or two here and there, we have to look at the systems going forward.”
While you’re working on getting the system fixed, maybe you should also work on your selection of the team in order for us to win consistently. At least that is something that YOU have control over right now.
“If you consider that Fourie du Preez and Jaque Fourie weren’t available, and Frans Steyn and Bryan Habana were injured recently, if I had all those players fit…”
They are not available. Get over it. Work with w hat you have. What kind of message are you sending to your incumbent SH and out side centers with comments like that?
“I’d love to have Bakkies involved because I think he has two or three years left in him at Test level,”
Two or three years of Bakkies and then bring in a new lock in the year of the RWC. Is that what you are saying? Why did you not select him for this tour then? It is the IRB international window period and there would’ve been nothing standing in his way to join the Boks.
This coach is just a joke.
31 Oct 2012, 17:10 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-34:
. Schalkie will moer them.
31 Oct 2012, 17:13 pm
Maybe Heyneke should concern him more with rectifying his kuk blue bull coaching methods than worrying about central contracts.I see Rudie on RT is also in agreement regarding this skop en jaag kuk.
31 Oct 2012, 17:14 pm
@grant10-28:
How will this central contracting work exactly?
Who will identify the players to be contracted? The coach or a selection comittee?
Do you only contract your core national players centrally or your fringe national players as well?
How many would be contracted?
31 Oct 2012, 17:14 pm
@nama1-37: Good points all,it seems to be the coach may be losing the plot already grasping at straws and making up excuses before the time.I’ve never seen anyone as tightly wound as this coach in an interview,all he can talk about is letting the country down wether he’s winning or losing,and he looks as if he is about to have a massive brain ****.
31 Oct 2012, 17:16 pm
@Dusky-32:
i’m just clarifying the point around burger’s injury.
no type of contracting system in the world can prrotect against dirty minded kiwis.
31 Oct 2012, 17:18 pm
personally i agree that we need to reevaluate and change the structures we operate under as and where necessary. time and things change, this is the nature of the world.
31 Oct 2012, 17:18 pm
out for now
later
31 Oct 2012, 17:21 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-43: Yeah well,how’s that hope and change working out for Obama?
31 Oct 2012, 17:29 pm
@wnbb-38: I can already see the little central contracting questionaire SARU sends out to the country’s top 150 players.
First question:
1. Please list (in order of preference) which franchise/s you would like to be considered for
There will be 146 wannabe Stormers.
(Greyling, Styen and Spies will remain true to the Bulls. And Keegan Daniel will want to be close to his adoring fans, so he’ll want to stick it out in Durban)
31 Oct 2012, 17:33 pm
HM please understand that you are the national coach! That means you can pick any player that holds a South African passport… Whether they’re in Africa, Europe or Asia.
Jake White and PDV both managed to be number one in the world, without a central contracting system. By all accounts, they didn’t have any of your “strength”.
Now deal with it and get on with your job! Or get out!
31 Oct 2012, 17:38 pm
And this old excuse that we “actually” don’t kick as much as other teams like NZ and Aus is so brain dead. Does he still not get that we kick away good ball when in attacking positions? The good teams don’t kick the ball when there is an overlap FFS – http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springboks/Heyneke-Meyer-I-take-errors-on-chin-20121031
Really, you just cannot look at stats in this way (they kicked more than us) and make deductions as a proffessional coach. When did they kick. Why did they kick..why and when do we kick. Should we still be doing so when in certain situations?C’mon HM please man..c’mon!
31 Oct 2012, 17:52 pm
**** me.
The level of absolute ******* stupidity of the average SA rugby supporter never seizes to amaze me.
I have said this for 5 years now and nothing has changed – SA supporters are getting exactly what they deserve because of their short-sighted ignorance.
31 Oct 2012, 18:06 pm
Stoopid is as stoopid does!
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