Meyer: 2012 a qualified success
27 Nov 2012
Heyneke Meyer says that the season was a success given that the injury-hit Springboks conceded just three losses.
The Boks returned to South Africa on Monday having won all three of their Tests in Europe. This ensured that they finished the 2012 season on a high, and allowed them to obtain an overall record that reads seven wins, two draws, and three losses.
Meyer feels that it is a good return considering the challenges a new coaching staff and team faced at the beginning of the year.
‘Our coaching team was only able to start working with the players relatively late as most of them were still part of Super Rugby,’ the Bok coach said, referring to the fact that he and his lieutenants had less than a week to prepare the new squad for the first Test against England on 9 June.
‘We always knew it was going to be a tough year with all the players we’ve lost. The All Blacks are still ahead of us, but we started fourth on the IRB rankings list and finished second. Now we have to close that gap and grow as a team.’
Despite their problems with injuries ahead of those three June Tests against England, they won the series convincingly. Meyer also took a side missing several experienced players to Europe this November, and while the side did not excel in terms of performance, they were deserved winners in all three Tests.
Where the Boks were less than convincing was in the Rugby Championship, where they finished third behind New Zealand and Australia. They scrapped to a disappointing draw with Argentina in Mendoza, and may have won the Test against the All Blacks in Dunedin had they converted more goal-kicking chances. However, they were soundly beaten by the Wallabies in Perth, and hammered by the All Blacks in their final game of the tournament in Soweto.
Meyer feels that while the year has been a testing one, the injuries have allowed several players an opportunity to stake their claim. Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Adriaan Strauss, and Pat Lambie have certainly shone in the absence of regular or favoured starters like Pierre Spies, Schalk Burger, Bismarck du Plessis, and Johan Goosen.
The Boks will also be stronger when the latter group, as well as the likes of Andries Bekker, Beast Mtawarira, Frans Steyn, Heinrich Brussow, and Bryan Habana return from injury in 2013.
‘It will be wonderful for South African rugby when all the injured players are back,’ said Meyer. ‘The competition [for places] will be immense.’
274 Comments
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27 Nov 2012, 10:04 am
I think Heyneke is a Dragon who definately thinks inside the square.
27 Nov 2012, 10:07 am
@cane-1: I think a lot of people would agree with you.
27 Nov 2012, 10:08 am
If we retain this year’s loss rate, but just convert the two draws into wins, we will already be at a 75% win ratio next year.
Year 3 and beyond we can aim for 80%.
Steady does it. I would prefer that to Jake White’s model of beating the world in 1 year and then racking up losses at a rate of knotts in the next.
Steady improvement until we reach our potential is the way to do it.
27 Nov 2012, 10:09 am
Maybe he should demote his ” luitenants” to Corporals.
27 Nov 2012, 10:10 am
@nortierd-4:
I agree that his support staff needs to change. I mean, he had better backline coaches at the Bulls – Tod Louden and Pieter Rossouw – than he currently has at the Boks in Ricardo Loubser.
And Van Graan is also not the right guy for the forwards coaching job. But Heyeneke didn’t really have a lot of choice. Maybe we’ll see some changes over the next few months.
27 Nov 2012, 10:14 am
@Tacitus-5:
I’m quite positive that we will get much better.
Yes, the BB didn’t want to release Slappes, so he to Ricardo, big mistake IMO, but that’s who he selected.
27 Nov 2012, 10:14 am
@nortierd-6:
Not to but took Ricardo
27 Nov 2012, 10:15 am
I suppose it could have been worse, he got through an unbeaten EOYT, something the Boks hardly ever do. But there is little flair or creativity and I doubt this approach will inspire the Boks on to much.
27 Nov 2012, 10:17 am
@Tacitus-3: Jake White’s second year was better than his first. It was his third year where everything went pear shaped.
Heyneke Meyer had a shaky start when he included all those bulls and he made lots of mistakes along the way. What I like is that he is learning from his mistakes and actually admitting he was wrong about some players.
2013 will be much better. He will be more settled and the team as a whole will be more settled with just a few experienced Boks returning to the squad.
27 Nov 2012, 10:17 am
NZ are destroying Sri Lanka in the cricket. We ROCK!!
27 Nov 2012, 10:21 am
@Sasuke-9:
Agreed.
The comfort choices of Morne Steyn, Jacques Potgieter, Dean Greyling and Werner Kruger came back to bite him in the ***.
We would have beaten NZ in NZ if not for Morne’s bad kicking. That alone would have changed the entire dynamic of the first year, with 8 wins out of 12 and an away victory against NZ in the mix.
27 Nov 2012, 10:22 am
@Tacitus-3: Would’ve could’ve should’ve. Didn’t you say HM will have an 80% win rate after his first year? And yet you persist with making ludicrous predictions. There is nothing to suggest that the Boks will improve next year. Not a single aspect of their play.
27 Nov 2012, 10:22 am
Meyer: 2012 a qualified success – not so sure about this, but we did move from 4th to 2nd thanks to Oz imploding.
I just hope next year we start to do the other basics well and give the ball some width. It is sad to see quality backline players tackle all day.
Agreed that the assistants need to be reviewed, with some form of goal to promote one of them to Bok coach when Meyer is done, and I don’t see that being any of the current crop.
27 Nov 2012, 10:22 am
@Tacitus-11:
Not to mention the England draw in PE, where Morne was also woeful.
It could have been 9 wins out of 12 if not for his bad form, and Meyer’s loyalty to him.
27 Nov 2012, 10:23 am
@pompies2-12:
I said 75% for year 1. I was out by 2 draws.
27 Nov 2012, 10:27 am
@Tacitus-11: Yes all in all Meyer didnt do to badly. There was only a huge outcry on the tactics because we were losing and drawing, if we win i dont mind what style we play as long as we win.
Home games are non-negotiable. We need to turn our stadiums into fortresses again.
27 Nov 2012, 10:29 am
@Tacitus-14:
Morne will be back.
I just don’t understand why HM insisted on taking him with on this tour.
He could have been much better off with an extra month break away from the game, but I have no doubt he will ram some humble pie down some throats next year.
As long as he doesn’t peak against the Stormers I’m all for it
27 Nov 2012, 10:32 am
We suddenly have a 2013 squad that is strong across the park, in every position except maybe fullback. Especially if Du Preez comes back at scrumhalf.
We have good depth and a lot of great players competing for a place in the matchday squad, let alone for a place in the starting 15.
Suddenly our rugby is looking healthy, where at the end of the World Cup we were staring down the barrel to try and put a strong starting 15 together.
27 Nov 2012, 10:33 am
@nortierd-17: You think so? Lambie is set to spearhead the Sharks attack and we know how highly HM rates Goosen. Morne must battle it out with Jantjies for 3rd choice. Jantjies is coming into a winning team and he will learn a thing or two about defence with the Stormers.
It will be tough for Morne to get back into the Bok imo
27 Nov 2012, 10:36 am
If we had won the 2 games we had drawn we would have had a better record.
Even better, if we had won the 3 we lost things would look fantastic.
Although if we had lost the few that we won by 3 points or less……
Do you see how stupid this type of reasoning sounds??
There is winning, and there is the rest. We won 7 out of 12. That’s it.
We could have won less far easier than winning more.
It’s not a success. The same people who were touting “winning each game is important” while expecting their messiah to do just that are now trying to qualify his failure to do exactly that.
I’m not advocating his leaving his position, but the year was woeful, not just in results but also in the number of players used/discarded. He is going through caps like Rudolf Straeuli did. And we know how that turned out.
No Heyneke, a good dose of reality is required. This year was not even close to good enough, but we hope you have learned enough to turn it around next year.
We still support the Boks, unreservedly. But that doesn’t mean we are blindly accepting,
27 Nov 2012, 10:36 am
@Tacitus-18: Funny what a year can do. Who would be your starting 23 for next year?
27 Nov 2012, 10:38 am
@Sasuke-19:
Yes, but I if he has a great S15 firstly, then who knows?
A confident Steyn is a different player all together.
Nothing wrong with Goosen, Lambie or Jantjies.
I don’t think HM has really made up his mind either way on who he wants as his FH, so the door is still open
27 Nov 2012, 10:44 am
Steyn linked to Stade France move?
Latest news on Rugby 15
Anyone know if this is true?
27 Nov 2012, 10:45 am
@Sasuke-21:
Beast
Bismark
Jannie
Juandre
Etsebeth
Francois Louw
Willem Alberts
Duane Vermeulen
Fourie du Preez
Johan Goosen
Frans Steyn
Jean de Villiers
Bryan Habana
JP Pietersen
Jaco Taute – if he reaches his potential at fullback in the Super 15.
Bench:
Gurthro Steenkamp
Coenie Oosthuizen
Adriaan Strauss
Andries Bekker
Marcel Coetzee
Francois Hougaard
Patrick Lambie
That leaves a greater rotational squad of the following players, depending on their fitness and form:
Pat Cilliers
Heinke vd Merwe
Chilliboy
Schalk Brits
Flip vd Merwe
Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Pierre Spies (our entire World Cup back row, by the way!)
Ruan Pienaar
Elton Jantjies
Morne Steyn
Juan de Jongh
Bjorn Basson
Lwazi Mvovo
Zane Kirchner
And I”m sure I’ve left out a few players.
Suddenly, our squad is looking VERY settled, and the change all came about in 1 year.
27 Nov 2012, 10:49 am
@stormersboy-20:
Ag take a chillpill, granpa.
27 Nov 2012, 10:50 am
@nortierd-23: That will be a good move for him. Goal kicking is the first skill French coaches look for, almost everyone can kick in France and if you look at the percentages I am sure it will be high for every kicker. Morne will fit right in.
27 Nov 2012, 10:52 am
@Tacitus-24: Nice team.
You left out one position on the bench. We are allowed 23 in the Southern Hemisphere too right?
27 Nov 2012, 10:54 am
Not too many good sides in international rugby at the moment. AB’s head and shoulders above anyone else. Number 10 will continue to be a problem, even Steyn at his best has a relatively small skill set and Lambie for all his talent is a bit slow. Would like to see him at 12. We need to show faith in Goosen and stick with him through his learning curve. He could be player of the tournament in WC 2104. Hougaard need to get his basics right and move back to 9, he was very poor on tour.
27 Nov 2012, 10:56 am
@Tacitus-24:
Good squad.
Maybe start with Bekker instead of Kruger if he’s 100% fit. (wishful thinking I know)
Also Kanko may be in the mix there somewhere. HM does seem to like him.
27 Nov 2012, 10:58 am
Regular starters? (Johann Goosen?) Where do you oaks drag this kak up?
27 Nov 2012, 11:00 am
If 58% is a good yardstick then so be it… 7 wins out of 12 is not good at all. In anyone’s book that is…
27 Nov 2012, 11:00 am
don’t delude yourselves guys…
the boks win record for the year is 58%… yes, that is a pass mark… but it is not good enough or even fair… it is simply a pass… a scrape through…
heyneke himself said there are only two types of rugby: winning rugby and losing rugby… he did not make exception for ‘drawing’ rugby to be included in the wins column…
so i will say… you done okay heyneke… only okay
but the time for excuses is not really over… i don’t want to hear about experience or injuries or form or this or that… next year…
the biggest single reason for a low win ratio is selection… after saying he would reward super rugby form he simply did not follow through on his promise and made emotional selections based on favouritsm which bit him and the boks badly…
don’t say one player is too young and then select another the same age… don’t say one is too small but then select another the same size… don’t say one player is too inexperienced but then select another with even less experience… don’t say one player gives away too many penalties but then select another who gives away even more… don’t say one player needs time to develop but then pick another who is at the same developmental stage of their career… don’t say one player is out of form and then stick with another who is out of form…
in short… say what you mean and mean what you say and then DO what you mean and say… and you’ll find a lot more people being a whole lot more supportive of you…
but having said all that…
all the best for next year… let’s take it up a level or five…!!
27 Nov 2012, 11:01 am
@Tacitus-15: “Only out by two draw”, on both occasions we deserved to have lost, but the way you phrase it it’s as if we were unlucky. No man, don’t spin this, it’s a shite win percentage and you know it. You wouldn’t afford any other coach such leniency. In fact if it were PDV you’d probably say we didn’t deserve to beat England (which is not far off!)
In my honest assessment of Heyneke who I’m still not sure of…
2012
Heyneke can pat himself on the pack for basically creating a pack from scratch that had parity with the All Blacks for 60minutes (some more fitness please) and can dominate most other packs (although it took him awhile to get it right). He clearly knows what he’s doing with the forwards although some breakdown accuracy would be appreciated.
Also our defense has been great bar when we played the All Blacks at home.
On the other hand, he is beyond useless with the backline and people can blame the Ricardo as much as they want, but we all know it’s Meyer who selects Taute at 13, Hougaard on the wing and instructs Pienaar (Who is so ****) and whichever 10 he picks to hoof the ball up in the air wherever the Boks are on the park, and it is this that needs to change. We cannot just sit back at let the opposition run at us all day without scoring any points. How is Ricardo meant to coach a backline that never gets the ball beyond 12? That is not his fault, I don’t give a damn what anyone says.
Some serious reflection is needed on our attacking play, that’s for damn sure. Meyer needs to suck it up, admit (to himself) that he’s got it wrong and build a great attacking gameplan with players playing in their natural positions who are not instructed to constantly throw away possession. Select players who score tries and make their tackles, not because he’s this “tall” or this “heavy”. If he does this on the on the fantastic forward platform he’s built, we’ll be world beaters.
27 Nov 2012, 11:02 am
@ufo-32:
Exactly mate! You good?
27 Nov 2012, 11:05 am
@John Galt-29: IMO Kruger is not quite a quality international no 5 lock. The problem is that apart from Bekker, there aren’t too many locks putting up their hands. Let’s hope some of the younger ones develop during the course of next year.
The management of Etzebeth by AC & co. will also be crucial to his future. If he is played week in and out, like Bekker, he will at some stage start developing injuries as well.
27 Nov 2012, 11:06 am
@Bagel-33:
To me the Twickenham test was far more engrossing and suspense filled than a 47-44 try fest.
The challenge now is to retain the physicality and strong defense, but to gradually start adding 2-3 tries per game to the mix.
27 Nov 2012, 11:06 am
@Gumboots-34:
shot bill…
always good bud… always…!!
hoping for a much improved year next year… let’s hope heyneke doesn’t just dismiss all the supporter feedback… we have the players to smack the ABs and everyone else upside their heads… let’s just do it…!
you coming down to cape town anytime soon…?
27 Nov 2012, 11:07 am
@stormersboy-20: Completely agree
Ive never been more frustrated watching the Boks as I was this year. Gameplan and selections made me age at least 5 years
27 Nov 2012, 11:08 am
@Bagel-33:
good post bud…
27 Nov 2012, 11:08 am
@CharlesM-35:
Kruger was great at disrupting the England mauls on Saturday. Etsebeth has taken a huge step up in his line out play. Ironically, on Saturday he stole more lineouts from England than Bekker has probably done all year, despite Bekker being the no.5 lock.
27 Nov 2012, 11:09 am
@Tacitus-25: Chiilin’ like flint bro.
27 Nov 2012, 11:09 am
Boks are in desperate need of a proper forward coach.
Someone who can really get the likes of Beast, Jannie, Etsebeth etc to make absolutely sure that our scrumhalf and ball runners get clean ball.
Just that aspect would improve the backline performance immesurably.
I dont know who that person is but the Boks need him asap.
Plumtree wouldnt be pretty good i reckon but wouldnt take the position I dont think.
Gert Smal ditto.
27 Nov 2012, 11:10 am
@John Galt-42:
Plumtree ‘would’ be pretty good…
27 Nov 2012, 11:10 am
@Tacitus-36:
year tac… with you on that one…
i felt a lot happier after the twicks game than the previous two…
not nearly as happy as i’d like to be mind you…
but believe we played better rugby…
27 Nov 2012, 11:12 am
@stormersboy-20:
also good post SB… somehow missed it on my first read… must’ve gone up when i was writing my first…
27 Nov 2012, 11:14 am
@Bagel-33: Pienaar: unfortunately I have not seen any of his performances for Ulster but to all accounts he played very well there. Is his lack of (good) performances due to the difference in quality between club rugby and international rugby or is it because he is allowed to play his own game at club level but not for the Boks ?
Hougaard should be given an extended run at 9 for the Bulls but please let him play his own game. A 9 must be able to kick well, but certainly not 80% + of balls that he receives from his forwards. Therefore Hougie should spend a lot of time kicking at practice in order to use it during games when required. His speed and “agility” / “stepping” etc should however be used more frequently – he can’t simply be a link between the pack of forwards and the flyhalf
27 Nov 2012, 11:14 am
@Tacitus-40:
Yes.
He should never be used as a ball runner from first phase ball though. He’s a little light.
Leave that to Alberts, Bissie etc.
27 Nov 2012, 11:14 am
Meyer must be the slowest learner in the history of sport. Until something is so obvious that even people that dont follow rugby are pointing out the obvious, only then will Meyer make the change.
I seriously hope he speeds up the learning process next year. The backline would have been embarrassing for an under 13 D side
27 Nov 2012, 11:15 am
Don’t agree on this.
Had selections been better we could possibly have won a game in Australasia. Morne’ Steyn’s kicking and Greyling the super sub.
The way the Sharks played at the end of their Super Rugby campaign. Total rugby – a perfect mix of structure and playing the situation. That was the best rugby i saw from any SA team including the Boks throughout the year.
I’ll give Heyneke another year based on what he achieved at the Bulls , the “building a new side” excuse expires this year.
27 Nov 2012, 11:17 am
@Gumboots-31: @ufo-32: This is exactly what I am saying.
7 out of 12 is hardly a qualified anything.
But it’s not like Heyneke is going to come out and admit that it was a failure.
All is by no means lost, but the best way to start it take a good hard look and not delude ourselves. We gout out of jail on more than one occasion this year. The rugby has been uninspiring and disjointed.
We need to pull up our socks or we will end up having to settle for fighting for 2nd place with the rest of the world.
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