Meyer must avoid mass changes
12 Nov 2012
JON CARDINELLI says Heyneke Meyer must approach the next Test in Edinburgh as an opportunity to build momentum rather than a chance to experiment with new combinations.
So often a tour fixture against Scotland is viewed as an opportunity to experiment, to blood youngsters and hand fringe players rare starting chances. In reality, it can be a potential banana skin, as the Boks found out on their 2010 tour of the home nations.
The Boks were surprised by a plucky Scotland on that occasion, the hosts thriving in the poor conditions and manhandling the Boks at the collisions and breakdowns. The visitors went into that Murrayfield Test with the wrong attitude, and were duly punished by a more determined Scotland side.
The current crop of Boks shouldn’t fall into the same trap. They may have recorded a fine comeback win in Dublin last Saturday, but the inconsistency of that performance will mean that they travel to Edinburgh with a point to prove.
Player burnout is an issue that’s been spoken about at length over the past few months, but I agree with Meyer and Bok captain Jean de Villiers when they say that Tests are the priority, and that the workload of each individual should be restricted at the lower levels.
With regards to experimentation and handing fringe players opportunities, Meyer has been forced to do so from the outset. The Boks have travelled to Europe this November with a depleted side. These three Tests will afford certain individuals rare starting chances that they may not have enjoyed if first- and second-choice players were still available.
I am of the belief that the Boks should always include an openside flanker who excels at the ground, and yet Francois Louw needs this tour to prove to Meyer why he should be backed when several Bok loose forwards return from injuries in 2013.
Louw has been one of the standouts since returning to the Test set-up, and two further starts on this tour will be good for the individual and the collective in terms of building confidence, momentum and depth ahead of the 2013 season.
The forward pack showed its strength in the second half against Ireland, and should be handed a further opportunity to settle against Scotland. Scotland are the weakest of the Boks’ November opponents, but this should be viewed as a dress rehearsal for the final tour match against England.
Give this combination time to improve their scrum and lineout work. The set pieces improved dramatically in the second half, as did the discipline at the breakdown. The more this combination plays together, the stronger it will become. And with a view to 2013, that will provide Meyer with more depth.
With regards to the backline, Ruan Pienaar and Pat Lambie should be handed an extended opportunity to strengthen their halfback partnership. Supporters of Elton Jantjies may argue that he needs to be given a chance, but there is more to be gained at this stage by retaining Lambie.
The Sharks pivot had no possession to work with in the first half against Ireland, but did well in the second stanza. He should be given a chance to build on that if the Boks are going to take momentum into the England Test. A three-Test assessment will also give Meyer the definitive answer he needs regarding Lambie’s aptitude as a Test flyhalf.
Captain De Villiers will retain the No 12 position, but I’m not sure what Meyer is trying to achieve by persisting with Jaco Taute at outside centre.
Meyer has made it clear that he views Taute as a fullback, and it is here where he should start against Scotland. In the absence of players like Frans Steyn and Jaque Fourie, I would move Juan de Jongh into the No 13 position.
There will be opportunities to score tries this Saturday, but I doubt the Boks will go the route of the All Blacks by playing a high-risk game. The Boks simply don’t boast the synergy and skills of the All Blacks, not in the backline or forwards, to excel in a high-tempo approach.
As was evident last Sunday, it is a game plan that also made the All Blacks defence more vulnerable (they conceded three tries). If this less experienced and settled Bok side was to attempt to replicate that style, it would backfire badly.
No, the Bok forwards will hold the key to success this Saturday. A win in Edinburgh will be built on forward ascendancy, no nonsense defence and territorial dominance.
If correctly implemented, this game plan should yield several tries as well as the all-important victory. It will put this Bok combination into a strong position right before a testing and tour-defining match at Twickenham.
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40 Comments
12 Nov 2012, 09:40 am
Wholesale Dragons!!
12 Nov 2012, 09:51 am
I will just make 2 changes – Juan de Jong in @13 and Jaco Taute to replace Niknaks Kirchner @15. Maybe give Rhule a shot on the left wing for a few minutes?
12 Nov 2012, 09:55 am
Yes agreed I will make 6 changes
Beast back at 1 for CJ
JdJ in for Taute at 13
Mvovo for Hougaard at 11
Thats three for the starting team
Heinke in for CJ at 17
Jantjies in for M.Steyn at 22
Rhule in at 23
12 Nov 2012, 09:56 am
Maybe change Kirchener and Taute, I dont think Tuate is any good at 13 and dont think he is the answer either at 15, but Kirchener is not either. They should keep Lambie for the whole tour at 10. I dont understand what is up with giving people chances to prove the selfs. This is springbok rugby not some school game. Pat Lambie is the flyhalf in form and by far the best flyhalf we got at the moment. I do feel for Elton but this is test rugby and the best players should be picked.
12 Nov 2012, 10:00 am
@Sasuke-3:
its gonna be either jantjes or lambie to start with morne as backup so you need to choose.
12 Nov 2012, 10:01 am
My team would be
1. Beast
2. Strauss
3. Jannie
4. Eben
5. Kruger
6. Flo
7. Alberts
8. Vermeulen
9. Pienaar
10. Lambie
11. Mvovo
12. JDV
13. JdJ
14. JPP
15. Kirchner
16. Chiliboy
17. Heinke
18. Pat
19. Flip
20. Coetzee
21. Hougaard
22. Jantjies
23. Rhule
12 Nov 2012, 10:02 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-5: I hope that doesnt happen.
12 Nov 2012, 10:11 am
I think some people are missing the point of this article – “Meyer must AVOID mass changes” one or 2 changes is fine… but completely changing the Bench or making 4 changes to the starting lineup is in my view “MASS” changes…
The keyword the Boks are looking for is “Continuity”
12 Nov 2012, 10:12 am
@Sasuke-6: Just one change to the pack and two changes to the backline.
12 Nov 2012, 10:16 am
@williebre-8: 4 changes=mass? 7 or more changes is mass imo. Check my team just 3 changes to the starting line up and its changes that make sense like JdJ at 13 and Mvovo at 11, not whack selections like Taute at 13.
12 Nov 2012, 10:18 am
1. Beast
2. Brits
3. Jannie
4. Flip
5. Eben
6. Flo
7. Alberts
8. Arno Botha
9. Hougaard
10. Lambie
11. Rhule
12. JDV
13. JdJ
14. JPP
15. Kirchner
12 Nov 2012, 10:18 am
@williebre-8: Also just one change to the all conquering pack of the weekend.
12 Nov 2012, 10:18 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-5:
Be honest.
You’re the one who voted for M Steyn to start against the Scots in the Keo Poll, arent you?
12 Nov 2012, 10:32 am
@13:
LOL
12 Nov 2012, 10:32 am
@Sasuke-7:
well it will.
@John Galt-13:
haha
no, i voted for jantjes simply because lambie did have a bad game and also because i wanna see what jantjes has to offer.
it would help to get the guessing games out the way.
12 Nov 2012, 10:42 am
Hey, I understand why Lambie should be given consecutive games, I really do.
But Meyer did say he wants to make a choice between these 3 for the one remaining slot at 10, going forward, so he’ll have to give Jantjies this game… and then probably Steyn in the last one (urgh… I really hope not!).
And Taute needs to be given a chance at 15, with JDJ also given a chance at 13. Personally I’d like to see Rhule at 13 sooner rather than later, but JDJ deserves his chance. Rhule is sucking up a lot this season, and we don’t want to destroy his confidence with one possible mistake.
Heck… thinking about it. Perhaps a choice is to move JDV into Hougies’ spot and have JDJ and Rhule do the center pairing for the Scotland game. It’s taking a massive chance, but if that combo does work out early on, it will be the scariest midfield ever! (Yeah, Rhule does start on the wing for the Cheetahs, but if you’ve watched any of those games you would have seen he played center most of the time… instinct probably. He’s a natural center.)
12 Nov 2012, 10:52 am
Everybody’s raving about Louw now. He has been this good and consistent since his very first test. He was dropped previously for what was actually Pierre Spies’ lack of physicality that had the Boks struggling for a couple of years, and that was so brutishly exposed when Bakkies went off to France.
12 Nov 2012, 11:15 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-15:
what exactly are we gonna learn from jantjies against a poor scotland team?
lambie should be given all 3 games
12 Nov 2012, 11:16 am
@Bouts-16:
HM will never give two black players a chance in key positions like 12/13
be realistic
12 Nov 2012, 11:47 am
I just wonder. What is it that the coach needs to learn from a player. Is he not suppose to have at his disposal all the statistics and observations accumulated over a long period. This is not a long stretch of chopping and changing. A few tests at a time. That’s it. Maybe some local games with his combo’s against a RSA side. Could that not tell a thing or two?
12 Nov 2012, 12:12 pm
I really feel Rhule should get a chance even if it is the last 5/10 minutes of the game. Elton Jantjies should get an opportunity maybe even a start and that Taute can show what he is worth at 15 as he is specialist fullback. Lwazi Mvovo is being incredibly hard done by the Meyer administration as Hougie is not a specialist wing and not playing particularly well.
They clearly do not trust players of color and this young black crop of players will be incredibly disheartened by their coaches lack of faith in them.
12 Nov 2012, 12:18 pm
@Bouts-16:
Rhule will never play centre whilst at the Cheetahs. Mapoe was given one game, struggled a bit on defence, was shifted back to the wing. At the Lions he got an extended run, now he’s bok tourist. If he had remained in Bloem, he would still be a winger.
Therefore, if Rhule wants to play centre, he would have to leave Bloem.
I wonder if Paul Jordaan would be playing centre or wing in a HM coached team, given his size…
12 Nov 2012, 13:01 pm
@jacoshark-18:
first of all i would hardly think this is a poor scotland team and secondly i think we stand to gain more by testing them both under pressure of starts.
this has not been lambie’s first start and to be honest he hasn’t shone in either game. this does not mean he should be dropped but i think it means we need to test the other guy because we clearly have seen what he’s got.
a compromise would be to have either lambie or janjtes start and the other on the bench against the scots and to choose one of the two to start against eng with morne on the bench as backup.
12 Nov 2012, 13:29 pm
I agree with idea of moving Taute to 15 and de Jong to 13. I would also prefer to see Coetzee replace Alberts, Elton replace Morne and bring Raymond onto the bench.
12 Nov 2012, 13:33 pm
15. Taute
14. JP
13. JdV
12. de Jong
11. Mapoe
10. Jantjies
9. Hougaard
8. Vermeelen
7. Coetsee
6. Flouw
5. Etsebeth
4. Alberts
3. Cilliers
2. Brits
1. Heinke
CJ, Chili, Steenkamp, Vd Merwe, Botha, Pienaar, Lambie, Rhule
12 Nov 2012, 13:47 pm
I think the 80/20 Rhule should apply. Of the 80 minutes Rhule should get to play 20.
12 Nov 2012, 13:54 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-23:
your boy morne steyn got 30+ test in a row at 10
lambie gets his first start at 10, now you want him out again
i think its time we settle on lambie
jantjies offers nothing more than lambie
lambie is better on defence, a BMT player and is even a more accurate place-kicker under pressure
this shouldnt even be a debate
12 Nov 2012, 14:02 pm
Beast is coming home, so Gurthro should start!
12 Nov 2012, 14:05 pm
Woody Guthro is injured.
12 Nov 2012, 14:10 pm
@jacoshark-27:
yes, but in doing so morne set and still holds a number of world records for points kicked and scored against all opposition, including nz.
lambie has been in the setup for a long enough time to have made his impact, but he has not. we only have these three tests to find things out and test these players.
next year is the real deal so no excuses or experiments.
if not now, then never..?
12 Nov 2012, 14:17 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-30:
MS might have all the world records in the world but his winning percentage is poor- 16 from 31…
lambie has been the best 10 in the country and has deserved his chance since 2010 already,
hes waited long enough
12 Nov 2012, 14:18 pm
15. Jaco Taute
14. JP Petersen
13. Juan de Jongh
12. Jean de Villiers (C)
11. Francois Hougaard
10. Patrick Lambie
9. Ruan Pienaar
8. Duane Vermeleun
7. Marcel Coetzee
6. Francois Louw
5. Juandre Kruger
4. Eben Etzebeth
3. Pat Cilliers
2. Richard Strauss
1. Gurthro Steenkamp (he is not injured)
16. Schalk Brits
17. Heinke vd Merwe
18. Jannie du Plessis
19. Arno Botha – Loose trio cover
20. Willem Alberts – Loose trio/lock cover
21. Morne Steyn – 10/12 Cover
22. Zane Kirchner 15/13 Cover
23. Raymond Rhule 11/13 Cover
12 Nov 2012, 14:21 pm
@williebre-32:
richardt strauss plays for ireland?
12 Nov 2012, 14:23 pm
BWAHAHA…sorry – Adriaan.. that ugly mug of his gives me nightmares..
12 Nov 2012, 14:25 pm
Why is everyone so keen for Taute to play 15? He can’t even make that position at the Lions his own.
I simply do not see the fuss about him.
I would pick JDJ at 12, move JDV to 13 and keep Zane at 15.
Next year I would like to see A.Coetzee play 15 for the Boks.
12 Nov 2012, 14:36 pm
This is the EOYT, when else do Bok fringe players get to have a chance to prove themselves at test level, especially in the coach’s first year? This article is flawed, nothing new from Cardinelli…
Time to put Taute at 15, JDJ at 13, H vd Merwe to start at 1, Cilliers to start at 3 due to du Plessis’ injury and why not start Mvovo on the left wing with Rhule to come on in 2nd half. Hougaard to bench as reserve scrummie. Elton to bench with 20 minutes game time at least. Steyn to the stands.
12 Nov 2012, 14:38 pm
Reason being – Taute has more pace that Kirchner, so he could actually join the line and maybe break the line, and he is also secure under the high ball. I only kept JdV at 12 because he is quite an imposing & strong runner, JdJ is more of a flashy mover…. will be quite a pair to contend with…
I also rate Andries Coetzee highly, since he wasn’t picked for the touring side, and I really hope one of the Super Rugby unions decide to use him for the tournament.
12 Nov 2012, 14:38 pm
@daydreamer-36: Bok fringe players will always get a chance on EOYTs because of injuries to first-choice resources.
It’s just the way the cookie crumbles in the modern game.
A Tier 1 team will hardly ever field a first-choice unit anymore.
12 Nov 2012, 14:40 pm
@williebre-37:
I don’t think Taute is not more secure under the garryowen. Here Zane might well be the best in SA.
Taute’s kicking game is also not yet on Kirchner’s level.
However, I do agree that Kirchner is a mediocre option for the Boks, and that there are better players at home. Like Andries.
12 Nov 2012, 15:08 pm
@willievz-39: From what i’ve seen Taute is safe under the high ball and he can kick the ball a country mile. Keep in mind that he also took a few long range goals ala Francois Steyn. Admittedly Heyneke said he is more prone to selecting the bigger and stronger players – Therefore a few guys in SA will never crack the nod…unless there are some more injuries…
I don’t think Zane is even in the top 4 best fullbacks in SA.
Louis Ludick, Joe Petersen, Willie le Roux, Andries Coetzee….
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