Meyer seeks quartet of qualities
6 Nov 2012
RYAN VREDE, in Dublin, reports that Heyneke Meyer has outlined four key foundations on which he believes the success of his touring squad can be built.
Meyer has an arduous task ahead of him in the next three weeks, with a number of world-class players injured or unavailable due to contractual commitments to their respective clubs. However, he refused to discuss that as a potential obstacle to success and also rejected the suggestion that fatigue would undermine his cause. He said he was very clear in his directive to the players prior to the tour.
‘This has been physically the toughest season in history for South African players. But I really want guys who want to play for South Africa. Schalk Brits is a great example. When I phoned him [to inform him of his selection], he said he’d hold bags for three weeks just to be part of the set up. That is the type of mentality and character I want in this team. There’s no excuses. I understand player welfare is important, but when you put on that jersey everything must be geared towards winning,’ Meyer said.
‘Secondly, I also believe the guys must enjoy it. I love touring and as a young team there is an opportunity for them to bond and make memories. Thirdly, I want them to commit to excellence and have a massive work ethic. Its been a long season but they have to be thoroughly prepared. There are no excuses.
‘Finally I want to see which guys have what it takes to play away from home and in testing conditions. I don’t want to chop and change going forward. From the outset I wanted to use this season to establish who are the players I can rely on and this is the final hurdle for those who want to be involved.’
Two hands is insufficient to count the number of casualties Meyer has had to contend with in his bid to make the Springboks the dominant team he envisions, but he did point to advantages of the otherwise dire situation.
‘I don’t want to lose Test matches then point to rebuilding. I want to win every Test, but certainly I have benefited from the injuries in so much as we’ve built some depth by being forced to use youngsters. It’s a win-win situation going forward,’ he said.
‘A lot of the youngsters have taken their chance and they’ll be even better when more experienced players come back and we integrate them properly [i.e surround a select few with those experienced players]. [The injury situation] also forced me to look at some of the overseas-based players and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by what they’ve added.’
Meyer still feels short on quality in depth in certain positions, while on others, most notably in the backline, is desperate for more players with game-breaking ability and who meet his requirements as far as size, skill, speed and power are concerned.
Particularly vexing to him is the shortage of No 5 locks, this worry trumped only by the absence of high quality tightheads to share Jannie du Plessis’ workload.
‘Jannie has been awesome, but I’m worried about who is next in line. A tighthead only gets to his best at 29 or 30, and most of the guys in that category are overseas,’ Meyer said before answering questions relating to speculation about Northampton’s Brian Mujati, whose call-up was blocked as a result of passport issues.
‘Brian is probably playing the best rugby of his career. He is well respected in the Premiership and when I’ve watched his games he has been unbelievable in the scrums. In the northern hemisphere every single scrum is a battle and they scrum for penalties, not just as a restart point. So you don’t just need an impact player to come on at prop for you, you need a guy who can put the opposition under pressure later in the game at scrum time. He has really impressed me in this department.’
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76 Comments
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6 Nov 2012, 14:20 pm
@RedMan-23:
the people who resent and despise all things bulls will throw their expected hissy fits and make it that much harder on heyneke.
simple really.
6 Nov 2012, 14:22 pm
Bakkies @ 43
You love a bit of Danie
6 Nov 2012, 14:23 pm
So then get Mujati a Green Mamba passport! They go for about R300 at Home Affairs dont they?
6 Nov 2012, 14:27 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-43: That is awesome! That a player of his calibre conducts himself like that!
@RedMan-52: Danie was AWESOME, altho many of us (including me) did not appreciate him until he was not there. It was amazing to have a player of his quality as a backup and he could play lock or loosie. Burger, Smith, Danie, Bakkie, Matfield, even Spies (back then) – what a pack.
Although a Flouw/Alberts/Duane could be just as good; as could one like Kolisi/Coetzee/Arno…?
6 Nov 2012, 14:34 pm
I hope all the Heyneke-haters on this site (and others) will shut up for a bit now and give the coach some dues. His comments above, the qualities he seeks and his plans for the Boks show he is a great coach, a man of character and deserves our support
6 Nov 2012, 14:42 pm
@bokfan1-55:
Please point out which of his comments you’re referring to, that lead you to that conclusion.
6 Nov 2012, 14:52 pm
@RedMan-52:
i respect danie rossouw immensely.
immensely.
@bokfan1-54:
yip
agreed.
6 Nov 2012, 14:54 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-38: how is Taute’s pass – both ways – and how is his his step – both ways?
6 Nov 2012, 15:01 pm
@stormersboy-41: I saw him threw a beaut of a pass in the CC semi against the Lions, and regathering the ball later as a support player, only to be stopped in front of the tryline. Can’t remember all the details – do you remember?
@goodstuff-44: The passing 13, at current, is a myth to some degree. 13s are not picked for their passing / distribution skills.
PDV tried to change this by playing a passing 13 in Adi Jacobs.
6 Nov 2012, 15:52 pm
@willievz-59:
BOD is the exception there.
6 Nov 2012, 15:53 pm
@David-60:
But he did start off at 12 before moving to accomodate D’Arcy.
6 Nov 2012, 15:55 pm
@David-60: Also, only to some extent.
You would rather back BOD to go for the linebreak than to distribute.
You want your 13 to be very good at the former, rather than the latter. If he can do the latter good too, then fine – but it is not as important.
6 Nov 2012, 15:56 pm
@David-61: There are different ways for a 12 to create opportunities.
Passing is only one of them.
6 Nov 2012, 15:56 pm
@willievz-59: I think they have a passing 13 at the Bulls
oh s.herbet no they don’t jj engelbrecht also does NOT pass, it must be a myth indeed…
i must check conrad smith’s passing stats…
6 Nov 2012, 15:58 pm
@willievz-63:
That’s why I rate BOD so highly. He creates space for others, he distributes and can take the gap.
6 Nov 2012, 16:19 pm
@Transformation-58: Rate him as a players but from what I’ve seen I cannot rate him as a centre although he has had limited time there. Talented for sure but lets see what he does on this tour. As far as skills are concerned that you specifically asked for. He ran around plenty of players the last two seasons but being at fullback its more difficult to see how good or kak his distrbution skills are.
6 Nov 2012, 16:32 pm
@David-65: I am very much against pigeonholing or advocating a certain skillset for the midfielders.
Too often we hear that, or example, a 12 must be able to pass, kick or crashball, or that a 13 must be able to break a line or have blistering pace.
But what I certainly advocate, is the following:
A 12 must create opportunities
A 13 must use those created opportunities
JDJ is not the best passer or kicker, but he can still be a superb creating 12, by stepping off either foot with pace and attacking the weaker shoulder of the defender in front of him. This sets up quick ruck ball for the 13 or outside channel players to utilise.
This is an example of the type of strategic thinking that I would like to see in our rugby.
We are too quick to point out to a player’s supposed weaknesses without embracing the good points, and we do not see the full picture with our brandy and coke / laager glasses.
6 Nov 2012, 16:47 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-66: are you comfortable with him “learning” centre play at the Springboks while other players have to prove themselves in Currie Cup and Super Rugby?
6 Nov 2012, 16:48 pm
@willievz-67:
That’s the whole point, isn’t it. To utilise the players skills rather than trying to change them to fit your own pattern. Or as in HMs case, trying to find a player who fits his physical requirements.
6 Nov 2012, 16:50 pm
@willievz-67: in the 2 Tests that Taute was learning to play centre, did you see him making any linebreaks of utilising the opportunities set-up by his 12?
6 Nov 2012, 17:00 pm
@Transformation-70: No, but neither did I see our 12 create enough opportunities.
Despite the forwards dominating the first half.
6 Nov 2012, 18:59 pm
@willievz-67:
I agree with what you say. And the playmaker has to be as close to the play possible. Juan de Jong right now is a playmaker. Jean de Villiers used to be but I don’t see him in that role right now.
Two years ago, the Stormeres were decent with JDJ at 12 and Jaque Fourie at 13.
With the Boks and at the Stormers they will go with JDV at 12 and JDJ at 13.
When clearly, it should be the other way around.
I think the Stormers might make that shift next year. But Heyneke won’t do it. He is too conservative.
6 Nov 2012, 19:10 pm
@I am a stormer-72:
HMs blindness towards JdJ is reminiscent of Jakes towards Etienne Botha, and for similar reasons.
6 Nov 2012, 19:27 pm
@David-73:
Both relatively small guys able to get over the advantage line.
But isn’t that what he wants?
I hope it is JDJ at 12 and JDV at 13.
But they can swop at certain plays in the opposition half so no sweat there.
6 Nov 2012, 20:10 pm
@David-73:
That’s the most surprising bit… since Botha was the star of HM’s CC winning sides of 2003 and 04. Therefore, you’d think he has some sort of appreciation for what a player like that can do for his team.
I can understand him not trusting smaller loose forwards as they have never featured in any of his Bulls teams. After all, Wikus van Heerden played as an openside flanker in his 2007 super 14 winning side.
6 Nov 2012, 23:28 pm
JdJ farked up the Sharks. Game breaking as far as I’m concerned.
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