Luke Watson believes his comments about puking on the Springbok jersey were ‘twisted’ by the media.
In his first interview since the incident, Watson spoke frankly to Cape Town radio station Heart 104.9 about being booed, the Stormers Super 14 season, his comments about the Springbok jersey and being overlooked for the Springbok training squad.
Here are some of the key points covered in the interview –
Whether the initial booing in the earlier part of the campaign helped him perform better this season.
‘It was something that we had to get around as a team, not only as an individual. But ultimately it helped me, it encouraged me, it pushed me and motivated me. It was something that within a game or two had just become a complete nonentity and we just carried on with our duties and the job at hand.’
What he believed helped the Stormers find form at the end of the season.
‘One of the more encouraging things was that we had a lot of our youngsters coming through and youthful ignorance can sometimes be a good thing. They came in with a very fresh outlook and mindset and all of a sudden there was running rugby, the tries were coming and there was a completely different atmosphere and vibe within the side.’
Whether there was any truth to the rumours of unrest within the Stormers change room.
‘There were always accusations and rumours floating around, but within the Stormers camp we’re a very tight bunch of guys and we have some incredible friendships that have been forged over the years. So to say that anything really changed within the side would be a lie and I think that at one stage when things weren’t going well people started to look for any excuse or reason for why things aren’t going well. Having said that, a lot of the senior guys did get injured and when they got injured it changed the dynamics within the side completely and in most sides that would have a negative impact but on our side it had quite a positive impact.’
Whether his comments surrounding the Springbok jersey polarised South Africa.
‘Before you look at the way the comments were perceived, I think you have to look at the way they were portrayed and that was even more of a sad situation for me. And that is part of the reason I just don’t do media anymore because unfortunately 99% of the things I’ve said in the media have been twisted or portrayed in a negative way.’
Whether he would like to clarify what was said.
‘Basically I just let the thing be because it became such a whirlwind, where I was being attacked from all sides and things are changed and twisted in so many ways that you just don’t know where to begin. The whole situation was actually a very positive one before it was twisted. It was illegally taped, they held certain text out of it, they kept certain transcripts out of it so by the time I read what I supposedly said in the papers it was a completely different story and different context. I was disillusioned, and I still am, with many aspects in South Africa as many people are. My industry of choice is rugby and there are certain aspects within rugby – transformation being one of those – that I was disillusioned with. Being someone who is heavily involved, I am fully aware that transformation hasn’t been approached the way it should.’
Whether he said he felt like puking on the Springbok jersey or not.
‘I said there were aspects of South African that made me feel nauseous at times. The fact of the matter was that it was a whole bunch of mates of mine my age and younger than me, and if I had have stood up there and given them some sort of dialect or vocabulary that they never heard that would fly over their heads. Whatever words I did use, the principle behind it remains the same and I still believe that many aspects of South African rugby have not adopted and embraced transformation. Even in South African society there is a long way to go. We’ve done an incredible job and I’m very positive about this country, but I was voicing my opinions and some of my concerns about the industry I am in.’
If he would ever consider moving to another franchise.
‘Not at the moment. I have had this conversation with the CEO of Western Province Rugby Rob Wagner and I’ve said I am just absolutely passionate and dedicated to the Stormers and Western Province. My number one loyalty and allegiance at the moment would be to Western Province and the Stormers and I have just recently entered into negotiations to extend my contract for another two years.’
His thoughts on Chris Jack joining Western Province.
‘I think that it’s awesome. He is a fantastic player and arguably one of the best locks of his era. He’ll bring a lot of experience and he’s also been performing really well at the moment so it is really going to strengthen and bolster our forward pack.’
What he felt about missing out on the Springbok training squad and his view on Peter de Villiers only rating him as third in the list of No 8s in the country.
‘If Peter rates me third, fourth, fifth or sixth or even the best, then that is his opinion and he has every right to have it and even voice it. From my side, I’ve been pretty happy with my performances so far this season, but there is a lot of room for improvement. It’s always wonderful to be acknowledged as one of the best players in the country and in your particular position and if that acknowledgment had to come it would be a great pat on the back.’
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
SA Schools Rugby Update: Grey PE walking wounded
An injury-plagued Grey High will have to dig deep against Paul Roos in Port Elizabeth this weekend.
Grey suffered a huge setback when four key players picked up injuries in the Eastern Province Craven Week trials. Charismatic centre and goal kicker Nic Holten has torn a hamstring which will keep him on the sidelines for a number of weeks, while SA Schools flanker Siya Kolisa and SA Acadamy winger Paphya Hoya, who have been at the forefront of Grey’s victories this season, are also out of action.
‘It’s been a living nightmare this week,’ Grey coach Dean Carelse told keo.co.za. ‘We have key players out and have had to rethink our approach for Saturday’s game. The Craven Week trials, along with the Meyer Sauerman festival, have had a huge impact on our side in terms of injuries. At this stage, the demands on our players are unrealistic. However, we can’t make any excuses – we have to concentrate on the job at hand and make sure we are technically efficient on the weekend.’
In stark contrast, Paul Roos will arrive in PE with a full-strength side. After last week’s fixture cancellation in the Cape due to poor weather, the Stellenbosch boys may be a bit rusty in the opening half.
Enterprising captain and scrumhalf Rick Schroeder will be looking to ignite the dazzling Paul Roos backs. Fullback Craig Barry, who has had a splendid season for the visitors, will once again be looking for his forwards to provide him with a surplus of possession, while speedster Tshotsho Mbovana is also a player to watch with his effective running and devastating pace.
Grey, meanwhile, will rely heavily on dynamic front ranker Michael van Vuuren to make a physical impact.
In other schoolboy derby clashes this weekend, DHS host a rampant Glenwood and Bishops face a tricky encounter at rivals Wynberg.
NK, here's a derby that we can go watch at Reggies'
Grey suffered a huge setback when four key players picked up injuries in the Eastern Province Craven Week trials. Charismatic centre and goal kicker Nic Holten has torn a hamstring which will keep him on the sidelines for a number of weeks, while SA Schools flanker Siya Kolisa and SA Acadamy winger Paphya Hoya, who have been at the forefront of Grey’s victories this season, are also out of action.
‘It’s been a living nightmare this week,’ Grey coach Dean Carelse told keo.co.za. ‘We have key players out and have had to rethink our approach for Saturday’s game. The Craven Week trials, along with the Meyer Sauerman festival, have had a huge impact on our side in terms of injuries. At this stage, the demands on our players are unrealistic. However, we can’t make any excuses – we have to concentrate on the job at hand and make sure we are technically efficient on the weekend.’
In stark contrast, Paul Roos will arrive in PE with a full-strength side. After last week’s fixture cancellation in the Cape due to poor weather, the Stellenbosch boys may be a bit rusty in the opening half.
Enterprising captain and scrumhalf Rick Schroeder will be looking to ignite the dazzling Paul Roos backs. Fullback Craig Barry, who has had a splendid season for the visitors, will once again be looking for his forwards to provide him with a surplus of possession, while speedster Tshotsho Mbovana is also a player to watch with his effective running and devastating pace.
Grey, meanwhile, will rely heavily on dynamic front ranker Michael van Vuuren to make a physical impact.
In other schoolboy derby clashes this weekend, DHS host a rampant Glenwood and Bishops face a tricky encounter at rivals Wynberg.
NK, here's a derby that we can go watch at Reggies'
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Baby Boks Squad for 2009 IRB Junior World Cup
A total of 11 Blue Bulls players have been named in South Africa’s 26-man squad for next month’s IRB Junior World Champs in Japan.
Springbok Sevens star and Free State centre Robert Ebersohn will lead a squad which includes three players - Francois Brummer, Cornel Hess and Ebersohn himself, who represented the country at last year’s tournament in Wales.
Nick Koster, who was part of the squad last year, and would have been a likely candidate for the captaincy, missed out on selection due to injury.
‘We have selected a very strong squad with the intentions of winning the World Cup,’ said coach Eric Sauls.
‘This will be one of the most gruelling tournaments especially considering the fact that a team like Australia have nine Super 14 players in their squad. But we have selected a squad that includes the best Under-20 players in the country.
‘Our skipper Robert Ebersohn has been one of the stand-out players for the Springbok Sevens teams while Gerhard van den Heever has also played Super 14 rugby with the Bulls this year.
‘From this squad, we can select a side that can play an exciting brand of rugby and also be defensively strong as well. We also have on the management team, Nico Serfontein who coached the Blue Bulls to Vodacom Cup success last year, as well as Deon Davids, who coaches the Boland Absa Currie Cup side.’
The team will play a training match against Boland on Wednesday as part of their final preparations for the tournament, before departing for Japan on 31 May.
SA Junior World Champs Squad – Clayton Blommetjies (Blue Bulls), Zane Botha (Blue Bulls), Francois Brummer (Blue Bulls), David Bulbring (Golden Lions), Tendayi Chikukwa (Blue Bulls), Kyle Cooper (Natal), Lionel Cronje (Free State), Ross Cronje (Natal), Sias Ebersohn (Free State), Robert Ebersohn (Free State), Nicolaas Hanekom (Western Province), Yaasir Hartzenberg (Western Province), Cornel Hess (Blue Bulls), Morne Mellet (Blue Bulls), Jan Andre Marais (Natal), Sampie Mastriet (Blue Bulls), Kenechukwu Okafor (Natal), Caylib Oosthuizen (Golden Lions), Coenrad Oosthuizen (Free State), Rudy Paige (Golden Lions), Julian Redelinghuys (Natal), Johann Sadie (Western Province), Marnus Schoeman (Blue Bulls), Omphile Seabela (Blue Bulls), Christiaan Stander (Blue Bulls), Gerhard van den Heever (Blue Bulls).
Springbok Sevens star and Free State centre Robert Ebersohn will lead a squad which includes three players - Francois Brummer, Cornel Hess and Ebersohn himself, who represented the country at last year’s tournament in Wales.
Nick Koster, who was part of the squad last year, and would have been a likely candidate for the captaincy, missed out on selection due to injury.
‘We have selected a very strong squad with the intentions of winning the World Cup,’ said coach Eric Sauls.
‘This will be one of the most gruelling tournaments especially considering the fact that a team like Australia have nine Super 14 players in their squad. But we have selected a squad that includes the best Under-20 players in the country.
‘Our skipper Robert Ebersohn has been one of the stand-out players for the Springbok Sevens teams while Gerhard van den Heever has also played Super 14 rugby with the Bulls this year.
‘From this squad, we can select a side that can play an exciting brand of rugby and also be defensively strong as well. We also have on the management team, Nico Serfontein who coached the Blue Bulls to Vodacom Cup success last year, as well as Deon Davids, who coaches the Boland Absa Currie Cup side.’
The team will play a training match against Boland on Wednesday as part of their final preparations for the tournament, before departing for Japan on 31 May.
SA Junior World Champs Squad – Clayton Blommetjies (Blue Bulls), Zane Botha (Blue Bulls), Francois Brummer (Blue Bulls), David Bulbring (Golden Lions), Tendayi Chikukwa (Blue Bulls), Kyle Cooper (Natal), Lionel Cronje (Free State), Ross Cronje (Natal), Sias Ebersohn (Free State), Robert Ebersohn (Free State), Nicolaas Hanekom (Western Province), Yaasir Hartzenberg (Western Province), Cornel Hess (Blue Bulls), Morne Mellet (Blue Bulls), Jan Andre Marais (Natal), Sampie Mastriet (Blue Bulls), Kenechukwu Okafor (Natal), Caylib Oosthuizen (Golden Lions), Coenrad Oosthuizen (Free State), Rudy Paige (Golden Lions), Julian Redelinghuys (Natal), Johann Sadie (Western Province), Marnus Schoeman (Blue Bulls), Omphile Seabela (Blue Bulls), Christiaan Stander (Blue Bulls), Gerhard van den Heever (Blue Bulls).
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
SA Rugby Future is Still Bright
SA U20 Team 2008 at the IRB Junior World Cup
15 Wilton Pietersen (Sevens hero and Cheetahs player....sadly he's injured, might not be able to walk again)
14 Stephan Dippenaar (Played S14 for the Bulls this year)
13 Stefan Watermeyer (Played S14 for the Bulls this year)
12 Robert Ebersohn (Sevens Phenominon)
11 Omphile Seabela (Regular Vocaom player)
10 Francois Brummer (in the S14 squad and regular Vodacom Blue Bulls player)
9 Dewaldt Duvenage (Incumbent Stormers scrummie)
8 Gerrit Jan van Velze (c) (captain Bulls Vodacom Cup.....in charge of Mametsa, Tiger and Wayne Julies...hahahahhaha)
7 Nick Koster (Stormers)
6 Thiliphaut Marole (lions S14 squad)
5 Cornell Hess
4 Martin Muller (played for Stormers against Chiefs this past weekend)
3 Frederick Kirsten
2 Pieter Janse Van Vuuren
1 Corne Fourie (Bulls Vodacom)
Replacements: 16 Henri Bantjes, 17 Jean-Jacques Rossouw, 18 Sobelo Nhlapo, 19 Lusaseni Luvuyiso, 20 Josias Ebersohn (vodacom Cup Cheetahs) , 21 Vainon Willis, 22 Cecil Afrika (CC Hero)
South Africa is always blessed to have an abundance of young players that are good enough to compete at senior level. When i looked at this U20 squad from last, i begin to appreciate the wealth of talent that we have for the future. However, it pains me to note that a player of Wilton's calibre may never be able to rugby again. He has been in ICU for the past two months after being involved in a car accident. Had he been available, i'm sure our fullback concerns could have been laid to rest.
More so, a briliiant player in the form of Ebersohn has decided to commit himself to the shorter version of the game. Man, this guy is MASTER, as Jean De Villiers would say.
15 Wilton Pietersen (Sevens hero and Cheetahs player....sadly he's injured, might not be able to walk again)
14 Stephan Dippenaar (Played S14 for the Bulls this year)
13 Stefan Watermeyer (Played S14 for the Bulls this year)
12 Robert Ebersohn (Sevens Phenominon)
11 Omphile Seabela (Regular Vocaom player)
10 Francois Brummer (in the S14 squad and regular Vodacom Blue Bulls player)
9 Dewaldt Duvenage (Incumbent Stormers scrummie)
8 Gerrit Jan van Velze (c) (captain Bulls Vodacom Cup.....in charge of Mametsa, Tiger and Wayne Julies...hahahahhaha)
7 Nick Koster (Stormers)
6 Thiliphaut Marole (lions S14 squad)
5 Cornell Hess
4 Martin Muller (played for Stormers against Chiefs this past weekend)
3 Frederick Kirsten
2 Pieter Janse Van Vuuren
1 Corne Fourie (Bulls Vodacom)
Replacements: 16 Henri Bantjes, 17 Jean-Jacques Rossouw, 18 Sobelo Nhlapo, 19 Lusaseni Luvuyiso, 20 Josias Ebersohn (vodacom Cup Cheetahs) , 21 Vainon Willis, 22 Cecil Afrika (CC Hero)
South Africa is always blessed to have an abundance of young players that are good enough to compete at senior level. When i looked at this U20 squad from last, i begin to appreciate the wealth of talent that we have for the future. However, it pains me to note that a player of Wilton's calibre may never be able to rugby again. He has been in ICU for the past two months after being involved in a car accident. Had he been available, i'm sure our fullback concerns could have been laid to rest.
More so, a briliiant player in the form of Ebersohn has decided to commit himself to the shorter version of the game. Man, this guy is MASTER, as Jean De Villiers would say.
Monday, May 4, 2009
CoachTaru - Bok coach (Part 1)
With the Lions Test series a month away from commensing, CoachTaru has started to assemble his Springbok squad for the upcoming Lions tour. I have decided to do my thorough selection per position and therefore my first phase of selection will strat from the back and concentrate on the back three division. At the momentum, i must admit that it is still to early to start looking into my team that i will assemble for the Lions tests as injuries and form may play a leading role. Plus, i dont really know what is going on in my mate, DiV (he's responsible for selecting the the extended training squad of probably 30) with regards to whom he will invite in his initial training squad. As the chief selctor on the final cut, once the training squad has been announced, i will surely be able to take up my job of naming the match 22 that will run onto the park at the Shark Tank on the 20th of June.
For now, we shall look at the Part 1 selection criteria, the back three.
WINGS
The current contendors
1 JP Peterson (Sharks)
2 Bryan Habana (Bulls)
3 Jongi Nokwe (CHeetahs)
4 Odwa Ndungane (Sharks)
5 Akhona NDungane (Bulls)
6 Henno Mentz (Lions)
7 Tonderai Chavanga (Stormers)
JP is currently the form wing and would be a fans favourite to be on the starting side. I will play him any given saturday! Nokwe (Val's gym partner) is probably the quickest winger in world rugby at the moment , but it could be risky to unleash him as a starter against a Lions team set to kick to the corners with the likes of Jones and O'Gara and he could struggle. he has improved his game and his confidence or rather lack of it, that Val used to pin-point as his weakness is slowly maturing and would most likely use him in the near future. The Ndungane brothers are just off the chain, both offensevely and on attack and i would not leave them on war. But i suppose they fall-short of outright pace. (I can see NK already smiling and ready to pounce on me, especially with my next comment). Yes NK, Habana is still one of the best attacking weapons in the world and arguably the best finisher in world rugby. He may have been burnt by the Saders wing, or whoever (i doubt if he got burnt by Giteau as you claim), but he's form is slowly picking and should be ready by the 20 of June, if injury free.
My first choice
JP and Habana starting with Nokwe and Odwa as back up.
FULLBACK
The current contendors
1 Zane Kirchner (Bulls)
2 Louis Ludik (Lions)
3 Stephan Terblanche (Sharks)
4 Hennie Danniler (Cheetahs)
5 Conrad Janties (Stormers)
Div like Jake White are serious believers of loyalty and consistency in selection. Had Conrad not been injured, he would have been an automatic chioce for DiV, but then he hasnt really shone this year. Some critics see his injury as a blessing in disguise (well i feel sorry for him) and now we are faced with a daunting task of picking between the on form and expereinced Terblanche as well as the evergreen Zane and Louis Ludik. Terblanché seems to be everyone's favourite and it is hard to argue, given how well he knows his game and the role he fills for the Sharks with his superb positional sense, his strong kicking game and bravery under the high ball.
However, i have always voiced my opinion about choosing younger players in that position and also looking beyond the Lions tour. Therefore my selections may not be highly favoured by most people, but as the self-designated coach of the Boks, i will stand by my choices and will live by my decisions.
We have plenty of talent in the backline and one has to look beyond the incumbent players in the positions. Jaque Fourie and Frans can also settle well at fullback and should not be written off seeing they are likely to be second choice in their preferred positions. So they should also be considered for selection. You cannot simply leave someone like Fourie on the sidelines, so it makes sense to try and accommodate him somewhere. He is the best defensive back in the world (NK, im not fetching for records or stas, although it may be arguable), he is a natural runner and, of course, he started out playing for the Lions in the No.15 jersey - it would not be a new position to him
My first choice
Jaque Fourie is my first choice, with Frans (Stop laughing NK) and Zane as second and third choice respectively
In closing, i say unto you ladies and gentleman, this is my back three for the Lions test, Jp, Fourie and Habana, if you are not happy with, its fine. However, you are welcome to comment on it and make suggestions. If ever there are any other "better" suggestions, they have to be convincing and good enough to make me eat my words but this is IT!!!!! We'll talk tomorrow when i post my Midfield combinations.
For now, we shall look at the Part 1 selection criteria, the back three.
WINGS
The current contendors
1 JP Peterson (Sharks)
2 Bryan Habana (Bulls)
3 Jongi Nokwe (CHeetahs)
4 Odwa Ndungane (Sharks)
5 Akhona NDungane (Bulls)
6 Henno Mentz (Lions)
7 Tonderai Chavanga (Stormers)
JP is currently the form wing and would be a fans favourite to be on the starting side. I will play him any given saturday! Nokwe (Val's gym partner) is probably the quickest winger in world rugby at the moment , but it could be risky to unleash him as a starter against a Lions team set to kick to the corners with the likes of Jones and O'Gara and he could struggle. he has improved his game and his confidence or rather lack of it, that Val used to pin-point as his weakness is slowly maturing and would most likely use him in the near future. The Ndungane brothers are just off the chain, both offensevely and on attack and i would not leave them on war. But i suppose they fall-short of outright pace. (I can see NK already smiling and ready to pounce on me, especially with my next comment). Yes NK, Habana is still one of the best attacking weapons in the world and arguably the best finisher in world rugby. He may have been burnt by the Saders wing, or whoever (i doubt if he got burnt by Giteau as you claim), but he's form is slowly picking and should be ready by the 20 of June, if injury free.
My first choice
JP and Habana starting with Nokwe and Odwa as back up.
FULLBACK
The current contendors
1 Zane Kirchner (Bulls)
2 Louis Ludik (Lions)
3 Stephan Terblanche (Sharks)
4 Hennie Danniler (Cheetahs)
5 Conrad Janties (Stormers)
Div like Jake White are serious believers of loyalty and consistency in selection. Had Conrad not been injured, he would have been an automatic chioce for DiV, but then he hasnt really shone this year. Some critics see his injury as a blessing in disguise (well i feel sorry for him) and now we are faced with a daunting task of picking between the on form and expereinced Terblanche as well as the evergreen Zane and Louis Ludik. Terblanché seems to be everyone's favourite and it is hard to argue, given how well he knows his game and the role he fills for the Sharks with his superb positional sense, his strong kicking game and bravery under the high ball.
However, i have always voiced my opinion about choosing younger players in that position and also looking beyond the Lions tour. Therefore my selections may not be highly favoured by most people, but as the self-designated coach of the Boks, i will stand by my choices and will live by my decisions.
We have plenty of talent in the backline and one has to look beyond the incumbent players in the positions. Jaque Fourie and Frans can also settle well at fullback and should not be written off seeing they are likely to be second choice in their preferred positions. So they should also be considered for selection. You cannot simply leave someone like Fourie on the sidelines, so it makes sense to try and accommodate him somewhere. He is the best defensive back in the world (NK, im not fetching for records or stas, although it may be arguable), he is a natural runner and, of course, he started out playing for the Lions in the No.15 jersey - it would not be a new position to him
My first choice
Jaque Fourie is my first choice, with Frans (Stop laughing NK) and Zane as second and third choice respectively
In closing, i say unto you ladies and gentleman, this is my back three for the Lions test, Jp, Fourie and Habana, if you are not happy with, its fine. However, you are welcome to comment on it and make suggestions. If ever there are any other "better" suggestions, they have to be convincing and good enough to make me eat my words but this is IT!!!!! We'll talk tomorrow when i post my Midfield combinations.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
White rate Rose
World Cup-winning coach Jake White would pick Earl Rose in the Springbok squad for the British and Irish Lions series.
White told Keo.co.za Rose had the skills of Australian utility back Matt Giteau and that an emphasis should be placed on adding a few kilograms to his sleight frame. White said Bok coach Peter de Villiers was right to take Rose on tour last year and that the next step would be continued exposure against the Lions.
‘Earl has his detractors, but I think he is a very good player, who is blessed with natural skill, speed and a very good line and goal kicking game. But I would play him exclusively as a flyhalf. I believe it is his best position, and if you had a player like Fourie du Preez on his inside and Jean de Villiers on his outside, he would get even better.’
White said Butch James would have been his option to start against the Lions, but with James injured, the obvious choice was Sharks utility back Ruan Pienaar. Next is line, in White’s world, would be Rose.
‘I don’t know if Peter sees him as a fullback or flyhalf, but I think his future is at No 10 and that he was done no favours with the Lions selections in the Super 14 this season. He is the 10 they should have invested in as he is the best in the province,’ said White. ‘Andre Pretorius has been there but never kicked on and I believe Rose offers more in terms of his attack. I also think he is a very courageous player, but to realise his potential in international rugby he will have to add three to five kilograms, which would give him a physicality similar to Giteau, who is one of the finest players in the game.
‘If there was the right investment in Rose and he was put through an effective conditioning programme then he could be a big star for the Springboks.’
White said he had seen a lot in Rose’s individual play in the last two seasons that would justify his inclusion in the Bok squad.
‘I want to emphasise that what I have seen is when he plays flyhalf. What has to improve is his decision-making, but he is young and like Frans Steyn he tries things instinctively. If he had the experience of Du Preez and De Villiers guiding him, it would add a maturity to that natural talent.’
White, in response to whispers De Villiers would start with Jaque Fourie at fullback, said Fourie’s best position was outside centre and that playing him at fullback would nullify the Boks’ attacking potential because of his limited line-kicking game.
‘I have been vocal about why I would play Steyn at fullback. He has the biggest line kicking and drop kicking game in the world and any kick on him is an advantage to the Springboks. With players not allowed to kick the ball directly into touch, any kick on Steyn gives him the option of having a drop goal, and I’d encourage him to have a crack most times. It is an all-win situation because if he gets it over, it is three points and if he misses, the Boks get the ball back from the restart. If you play a fullback without a kicking game against the likes of Ronan O’Gara and Stephen Jones, you are giving them a decided advantage before kick-off because those two know how to play percentage rugby and they will turn Jaque all day, knowing they will outkick him and knowing that his strength is running it back, which adds a risk element that shouldn’t be a part of the Boks’ strategy.’
White said he would also definitely include the experience of CJ van der Linde to give the front row solidity and he would start with John Smit as a hooker and Bismarck du Plessis as his back-up.
‘You want continuity and familiarity against these guys. They only visit once every 12 years and it is a series to be viewed in isolation. I’d pick players in positions I know they are strong and not in ones where they have the potential to be strong.’
De Villiers is expected to name his squad once South Africa’s participation in the Super 14 is complete, and while he has hinted at a few shocks, White said the inclusion of Jano Vermaak (at scrumhalf) and Rose (at flyhalf) would be justified and not a shock.
‘I’d also include Vermaak ahead of (Rory) Kockott, and Rose edges Morne Steyn, although Steyn wouldn’t be out of place in a national set-up. By all accounts Peter will be in a position to pick a very balanced and settled team. The key, like with any match, is never to underestimate the opposition and to be well prepared, and based on the experience of the players I can’t see them falling into this trap.’
White, who has started his own company ‘Jake White’s Winning Way’, will launch the first of his his satellite academies for schools, club and professional coaches in June, with the three day courses in Bloemfontein, Stellenbosch, Durban and Johannesburg.
White will identify the 10 leading coaches, who will receive R125 000 prize money, and develop their coaching skills over the remainder of the year.
‘We focus on the players, but never the coaches. That hopefully will change once the courses gain momentum and we have a data base to work from. First prize is going to be that a future Bok coach comes from the coaches, whose skills we will improve.’
Eddie Jones, a partner in Jake White’s Winning Way, will join White in South Africa for the June courses.
[taken from Keo]
White told Keo.co.za Rose had the skills of Australian utility back Matt Giteau and that an emphasis should be placed on adding a few kilograms to his sleight frame. White said Bok coach Peter de Villiers was right to take Rose on tour last year and that the next step would be continued exposure against the Lions.
‘Earl has his detractors, but I think he is a very good player, who is blessed with natural skill, speed and a very good line and goal kicking game. But I would play him exclusively as a flyhalf. I believe it is his best position, and if you had a player like Fourie du Preez on his inside and Jean de Villiers on his outside, he would get even better.’
White said Butch James would have been his option to start against the Lions, but with James injured, the obvious choice was Sharks utility back Ruan Pienaar. Next is line, in White’s world, would be Rose.
‘I don’t know if Peter sees him as a fullback or flyhalf, but I think his future is at No 10 and that he was done no favours with the Lions selections in the Super 14 this season. He is the 10 they should have invested in as he is the best in the province,’ said White. ‘Andre Pretorius has been there but never kicked on and I believe Rose offers more in terms of his attack. I also think he is a very courageous player, but to realise his potential in international rugby he will have to add three to five kilograms, which would give him a physicality similar to Giteau, who is one of the finest players in the game.
‘If there was the right investment in Rose and he was put through an effective conditioning programme then he could be a big star for the Springboks.’
White said he had seen a lot in Rose’s individual play in the last two seasons that would justify his inclusion in the Bok squad.
‘I want to emphasise that what I have seen is when he plays flyhalf. What has to improve is his decision-making, but he is young and like Frans Steyn he tries things instinctively. If he had the experience of Du Preez and De Villiers guiding him, it would add a maturity to that natural talent.’
White, in response to whispers De Villiers would start with Jaque Fourie at fullback, said Fourie’s best position was outside centre and that playing him at fullback would nullify the Boks’ attacking potential because of his limited line-kicking game.
‘I have been vocal about why I would play Steyn at fullback. He has the biggest line kicking and drop kicking game in the world and any kick on him is an advantage to the Springboks. With players not allowed to kick the ball directly into touch, any kick on Steyn gives him the option of having a drop goal, and I’d encourage him to have a crack most times. It is an all-win situation because if he gets it over, it is three points and if he misses, the Boks get the ball back from the restart. If you play a fullback without a kicking game against the likes of Ronan O’Gara and Stephen Jones, you are giving them a decided advantage before kick-off because those two know how to play percentage rugby and they will turn Jaque all day, knowing they will outkick him and knowing that his strength is running it back, which adds a risk element that shouldn’t be a part of the Boks’ strategy.’
White said he would also definitely include the experience of CJ van der Linde to give the front row solidity and he would start with John Smit as a hooker and Bismarck du Plessis as his back-up.
‘You want continuity and familiarity against these guys. They only visit once every 12 years and it is a series to be viewed in isolation. I’d pick players in positions I know they are strong and not in ones where they have the potential to be strong.’
De Villiers is expected to name his squad once South Africa’s participation in the Super 14 is complete, and while he has hinted at a few shocks, White said the inclusion of Jano Vermaak (at scrumhalf) and Rose (at flyhalf) would be justified and not a shock.
‘I’d also include Vermaak ahead of (Rory) Kockott, and Rose edges Morne Steyn, although Steyn wouldn’t be out of place in a national set-up. By all accounts Peter will be in a position to pick a very balanced and settled team. The key, like with any match, is never to underestimate the opposition and to be well prepared, and based on the experience of the players I can’t see them falling into this trap.’
White, who has started his own company ‘Jake White’s Winning Way’, will launch the first of his his satellite academies for schools, club and professional coaches in June, with the three day courses in Bloemfontein, Stellenbosch, Durban and Johannesburg.
White will identify the 10 leading coaches, who will receive R125 000 prize money, and develop their coaching skills over the remainder of the year.
‘We focus on the players, but never the coaches. That hopefully will change once the courses gain momentum and we have a data base to work from. First prize is going to be that a future Bok coach comes from the coaches, whose skills we will improve.’
Eddie Jones, a partner in Jake White’s Winning Way, will join White in South Africa for the June courses.
[taken from Keo]
RUGBY FOCUS... ( VARSITY Paper article)
Coach Taru gives an update on the latest rugby affairs
Firstly I would like to apologize to the regular rugby enthusiasts for not posting an article in the previous edition. I have been bedridden lately suffering from the notorious so called Stormers syndrome alias “lack of commitment”. Hopefully the medication that I have been taking in recent times will help me get over this pathetic bug.
Speaking of the Stormers, they seem to be having some serious issues proceeding in their camp and one wonders what may have happened to the good old winning rugby that was once a tradition in the Cape in the 90’s. From being the pre-tournament favourites, especially with their quality squad filled with over twelve Springboks, the Rassie’s Stormers side looked like they were going to rule the S14. The team really looked good on paper during the start of the season, but it has now become a pale shadow of itself on grass.
They have really looked out-of-sorts in their games lately and one wonders if they are really sticking to their game plan. This reminds me of eminent statement by Geoff Cook in 1995 after England had been beaten by New Zealand in the Semi-finals of the world cup, "I don't know about us not having a Plan B when things went wrong, we looked like we didn't even have a Plan A."
Who should take the blame? Are the players not performing or is the coach not guiding his charges, or is it the Western Province management and leadership not doing things right, or maybe the Luke Watson “ effect” in the side is contributing to all this mess? As much as I may have my own opinions, I’ll leave them to the rest of your imagination. However one still wonders why the game’s antiques in the light of guys like AJ Venter, Wylie Human, Willem de Waal to mention are still being considered for selection ahead of the exciting young players in the Cape. I think we should learn to admit when players have reached their sell-by-date and let the fresh legs take over. Even the legendary Pieter De Villiers knew when it was right to call it quits, “When you’re down on the ground and you start thinking about your wife and children it means it’s time to stop.” — said De Villiers (South African-born French prop Pieter) announcing his retirement.
The Super 14 season is now getting to an attention-grabbing closing stage with all teams in the top 8 after week 12 having a mathematical chance of making it into the play-offs with two more game to go. Currently the Bulls and the Sharks are leading the SA legion, with the former being sure contenders for the home semi final. The lowly fancied Cheetahs have lived up to their famous tag of being “predictably unpredictable” after beating two giants in the S14 this season, the Sharks and the Crusaders. We expect them to do top SA teams aiming to reach the semis a favour by beating the top Australasian teams.
Looking at the bigger picture, the British Lions head coach Ian McGeechan has announced his 37 men squad to tour SA during the three test series in June. The Paul O’Connell led team boasts itself of a physically powerful forward pack that will surely to give the Springboks a good run on the park. However, the notable omission of Welsh captain Ryan Jones, English captain Steve Borthwick and exciting Scottish scrum-half and captain, Mike Blair (2008 IRB World Player of the Year finalist) seems to have raised questions with some rugby analysts, but as we all know, team selections will always not satisfy everyone.
The onus is now on Springbok coach Peter De Villiers to strategically select his generals for the Lions clashes. A couple of players have done so well in this years S14 season who may deserve a bok call, notably the Sharks duo of scrum-half, Rory Kockott and the bulldozing blind-side flank, Jean Deysel (2008 Currie Cup Player of the Year), the mercurial cheetahs open side flank, Heinrich Brussow as well as Bulls duo of Wynard Olivier and Deon Stegmann who also deserve a call up by DiV. With that in mind, a couple of seasoned Boks, mostly from the Cape franchise have not performed well this season and therefore the people await to see if coach De Villiers selection will be based on current form or experience.
Back to the local rugby scenes, the UCT Ikeys seem to have started their Western Province Super A League season on a high following their 29- 8 away victory over Durbell. So far the Ikeys have played three games, winning two and losing one to the Victorians. They have started on a much improved show this season as compared to last year and they are amongst the favourites to top the log. After their disappointing semi-finals exist in the 2009 FNB Varsity cup, they have been bolstered by the return of seasoned stalwarts like Vakai “Fish” Hove, Herbie Mayosi, Bodo ‘The Door” Sieber, Tim Whitehead, Dave Clayton, Craig Klue, amongst others who were not eligible to play due to injury or age restrictions.
On a more celebratory note, it is good to see the fruits of Dobbo blossoming as two exciting Ikeys, the superlative back Tiger Bax and the hard-driving lock Martin Muller have been included in the Stormers squad for the game against the Chiefs on the 2nd of May at Newlands stadium. Hopefully the boys will get some game time and produce an awesome welcome to Super Rugby. Viva Ikeys Viva…All the Way!!!!
Taking a closer look at school boy rugby, Bishops and Paarl Gym have shown their mettle amongst the elite of SA schools rugby. At the recently held Wyneburg Festival, Bishops closely beat the highly fancied Grey PE 24-19 in tightly contested game. Paarl Gym beat another top rugby schools in the country, Pretoria’s Affies by 22 points to 16 at the home of Paarl during the Paarl Gym Wildeklawer Festival.
[Coach-Taru is the external contributer for the famous UCT's Varsity Paper's sports section]
Firstly I would like to apologize to the regular rugby enthusiasts for not posting an article in the previous edition. I have been bedridden lately suffering from the notorious so called Stormers syndrome alias “lack of commitment”. Hopefully the medication that I have been taking in recent times will help me get over this pathetic bug.
Speaking of the Stormers, they seem to be having some serious issues proceeding in their camp and one wonders what may have happened to the good old winning rugby that was once a tradition in the Cape in the 90’s. From being the pre-tournament favourites, especially with their quality squad filled with over twelve Springboks, the Rassie’s Stormers side looked like they were going to rule the S14. The team really looked good on paper during the start of the season, but it has now become a pale shadow of itself on grass.
They have really looked out-of-sorts in their games lately and one wonders if they are really sticking to their game plan. This reminds me of eminent statement by Geoff Cook in 1995 after England had been beaten by New Zealand in the Semi-finals of the world cup, "I don't know about us not having a Plan B when things went wrong, we looked like we didn't even have a Plan A."
Who should take the blame? Are the players not performing or is the coach not guiding his charges, or is it the Western Province management and leadership not doing things right, or maybe the Luke Watson “ effect” in the side is contributing to all this mess? As much as I may have my own opinions, I’ll leave them to the rest of your imagination. However one still wonders why the game’s antiques in the light of guys like AJ Venter, Wylie Human, Willem de Waal to mention are still being considered for selection ahead of the exciting young players in the Cape. I think we should learn to admit when players have reached their sell-by-date and let the fresh legs take over. Even the legendary Pieter De Villiers knew when it was right to call it quits, “When you’re down on the ground and you start thinking about your wife and children it means it’s time to stop.” — said De Villiers (South African-born French prop Pieter) announcing his retirement.
The Super 14 season is now getting to an attention-grabbing closing stage with all teams in the top 8 after week 12 having a mathematical chance of making it into the play-offs with two more game to go. Currently the Bulls and the Sharks are leading the SA legion, with the former being sure contenders for the home semi final. The lowly fancied Cheetahs have lived up to their famous tag of being “predictably unpredictable” after beating two giants in the S14 this season, the Sharks and the Crusaders. We expect them to do top SA teams aiming to reach the semis a favour by beating the top Australasian teams.
Looking at the bigger picture, the British Lions head coach Ian McGeechan has announced his 37 men squad to tour SA during the three test series in June. The Paul O’Connell led team boasts itself of a physically powerful forward pack that will surely to give the Springboks a good run on the park. However, the notable omission of Welsh captain Ryan Jones, English captain Steve Borthwick and exciting Scottish scrum-half and captain, Mike Blair (2008 IRB World Player of the Year finalist) seems to have raised questions with some rugby analysts, but as we all know, team selections will always not satisfy everyone.
The onus is now on Springbok coach Peter De Villiers to strategically select his generals for the Lions clashes. A couple of players have done so well in this years S14 season who may deserve a bok call, notably the Sharks duo of scrum-half, Rory Kockott and the bulldozing blind-side flank, Jean Deysel (2008 Currie Cup Player of the Year), the mercurial cheetahs open side flank, Heinrich Brussow as well as Bulls duo of Wynard Olivier and Deon Stegmann who also deserve a call up by DiV. With that in mind, a couple of seasoned Boks, mostly from the Cape franchise have not performed well this season and therefore the people await to see if coach De Villiers selection will be based on current form or experience.
Back to the local rugby scenes, the UCT Ikeys seem to have started their Western Province Super A League season on a high following their 29- 8 away victory over Durbell. So far the Ikeys have played three games, winning two and losing one to the Victorians. They have started on a much improved show this season as compared to last year and they are amongst the favourites to top the log. After their disappointing semi-finals exist in the 2009 FNB Varsity cup, they have been bolstered by the return of seasoned stalwarts like Vakai “Fish” Hove, Herbie Mayosi, Bodo ‘The Door” Sieber, Tim Whitehead, Dave Clayton, Craig Klue, amongst others who were not eligible to play due to injury or age restrictions.
On a more celebratory note, it is good to see the fruits of Dobbo blossoming as two exciting Ikeys, the superlative back Tiger Bax and the hard-driving lock Martin Muller have been included in the Stormers squad for the game against the Chiefs on the 2nd of May at Newlands stadium. Hopefully the boys will get some game time and produce an awesome welcome to Super Rugby. Viva Ikeys Viva…All the Way!!!!
Taking a closer look at school boy rugby, Bishops and Paarl Gym have shown their mettle amongst the elite of SA schools rugby. At the recently held Wyneburg Festival, Bishops closely beat the highly fancied Grey PE 24-19 in tightly contested game. Paarl Gym beat another top rugby schools in the country, Pretoria’s Affies by 22 points to 16 at the home of Paarl during the Paarl Gym Wildeklawer Festival.
[Coach-Taru is the external contributer for the famous UCT's Varsity Paper's sports section]
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tondie Returns for Stormers
Tonderai Chavhanga will start in place of the injured Gcobani Bobo while Andries Bekker will also miss the Chiefs clash.
Bobo went into last week’s game against the Highlanders with an ankle injury and the Stormers’ management have opted to give him a break this Saturday.
Chavhanga was always expected to be back on the wing, but Bobo’s injury means Peter Grant and Dylan des Fountain will remain in midfield, while Willem de Waal will keep his place at flyhalf. Ricky Januarie is confined to the bench with Dewaldt Duvenhage playing some great rugby at No 9.
Captain Jean de Villiers will be out with a groin injury until the Cheetahs match in round 14. Schalk Burger will continue to lead the Stormers in De Villiers’s absence.
Bekker, who picked up a rib injury against the Highlanders, won’t play against the Chiefs but should be back to face the Force next week. Hilton Lobberts will start alongside AJ Venter in the second row with young UCT lock Martin Muller playing from the bench. Prop Brian Mujati will miss out because of concussion.
‘AJ’s had a lot of rugby and is just battling a knee injury at the moment, so he didn’t train [on Wednesday],’ Rassie Erasmus told keo.co.za. ‘It’s a bit of a problem that we have so many locks out injured. Adriaan Fondse won’t be back this season and George Earle is also injured. That’s why we’ve called up Martin Muller.
‘We’re hoping AJ recovers fully before the weekend. It was never my intention to play AJ and Hilton together, but because of injuries we’ve had to.
‘I think Hilton has improved a great deal since he’s switched from flank to lock. It’s always been our plan to phase him in slowly.’
Both Erasmus and Burger agreed that helping the Sharks and Bulls qualify for the play-offs is one of their goals, but not a priority. They’d do the two teams a favour by beating the Chiefs this Saturday and by beating the Force next week.
‘If we help them it’s really just a spin off,’ said Erasmus. ‘Our primary aim is to win and keep progressing. If we can help the Sharks and Bulls, that’s great, but we really want to win well in the remaining matches.’
Stormers – 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Dylan des Fountain, 12 Peter Grant, 11 Sireli Naqelevuki, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Dewaldt Duvenhage, 8 Luke Watson, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Schalk Burger (c), 5 AJ Venter, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 JD Moller.
Subs: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Wicus Blaauw, 18 Martin Muller, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Morgan Newman, 22 Tiger Bax.
Bobo went into last week’s game against the Highlanders with an ankle injury and the Stormers’ management have opted to give him a break this Saturday.
Chavhanga was always expected to be back on the wing, but Bobo’s injury means Peter Grant and Dylan des Fountain will remain in midfield, while Willem de Waal will keep his place at flyhalf. Ricky Januarie is confined to the bench with Dewaldt Duvenhage playing some great rugby at No 9.
Captain Jean de Villiers will be out with a groin injury until the Cheetahs match in round 14. Schalk Burger will continue to lead the Stormers in De Villiers’s absence.
Bekker, who picked up a rib injury against the Highlanders, won’t play against the Chiefs but should be back to face the Force next week. Hilton Lobberts will start alongside AJ Venter in the second row with young UCT lock Martin Muller playing from the bench. Prop Brian Mujati will miss out because of concussion.
‘AJ’s had a lot of rugby and is just battling a knee injury at the moment, so he didn’t train [on Wednesday],’ Rassie Erasmus told keo.co.za. ‘It’s a bit of a problem that we have so many locks out injured. Adriaan Fondse won’t be back this season and George Earle is also injured. That’s why we’ve called up Martin Muller.
‘We’re hoping AJ recovers fully before the weekend. It was never my intention to play AJ and Hilton together, but because of injuries we’ve had to.
‘I think Hilton has improved a great deal since he’s switched from flank to lock. It’s always been our plan to phase him in slowly.’
Both Erasmus and Burger agreed that helping the Sharks and Bulls qualify for the play-offs is one of their goals, but not a priority. They’d do the two teams a favour by beating the Chiefs this Saturday and by beating the Force next week.
‘If we help them it’s really just a spin off,’ said Erasmus. ‘Our primary aim is to win and keep progressing. If we can help the Sharks and Bulls, that’s great, but we really want to win well in the remaining matches.’
Stormers – 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Dylan des Fountain, 12 Peter Grant, 11 Sireli Naqelevuki, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Dewaldt Duvenhage, 8 Luke Watson, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Schalk Burger (c), 5 AJ Venter, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 JD Moller.
Subs: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Wicus Blaauw, 18 Martin Muller, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Morgan Newman, 22 Tiger Bax.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Schoolboy Rugby Update
Paarl Gym host the inaugural Super 14 festival, sponsored by Wildeklawer, which involves some of the country’s top schools.
Paarl Boys’ take on Waterkloof in the main curtain-raiser on Saturday. Waterkloof are unbeaten this season and recently defeated Paarl Gym 17-12 at the Waterkloof Easter festival. Likewise, Paarl Boys’ have had a strong start to the season losing only once, to Affies (30-15) at the St John’s Easter festival.
Paarl flyhalf Gavin Haupfleisch has been in sublime form this season and could play a major role in igniting the Boishaai side.
Paarl Boys’ coaches Richard Visagie and Elmo Wolfaard will have instructed the team to move the ball into space, opting for a tactical rather than physical approach, seeing as they are up against a physically dominant pack.
The main game of the afternoon sees hosts Paarl Gym playing against Monument. Monument have already lost to two Cape schools this season (23-15 to Paarl Boys’ and 8-6 to Paul Roos), before beating Rondebosch (13-6). Gym have also suffered a plethora of injuries in recent weeks.
Monnas will be determined to improve on their performances at the St John’s festival, with coach Oupa van der Merwe expecting more patience from his team. (That Monnas side is very good. Bradley Moolman their blonde centre is a future Bok. He reminds me of Olivier when he burst into the scene. Hard running and good line cutting)
Wynberg Boys’ are also hosting a festival this weekend, with the main attraction involving Bishops and Grey PE. Im going to watch this game, and if anyone is keen, let me know so we can hook up.
Bishops have been affected by numerous injuries to key players, like flyhalf Sam Lane and dynamic No 8 Nizaam Carr.(NK, this Nizaam youngster is guite a gem, he's good a bright future) Both have been outstanding for Bishops this season and coach Dave Mallett will struggle to fill the void.
Grey will look to unsettle Bishops at the breakdown especially with their openside flankers Siya Kolisa and Renier Erasmus who have been outstanding this season. This is going to be a cracker of a game.
Since losing to Marlow Agricultural (16-15), Grey have beaten Michaelhouse (33-5), Hilton (39-25) and Graeme College (67-5).
Bishops have also made a good start to the year winning all three of their fixtures at the St Stithians Easter festival.
Like i said, if any of the local guys are keen to go join me for some exciting schoolboy rugby, give me a holla. Its worthy more than watching any Stomers hgame anyway.
Paarl Boys’ take on Waterkloof in the main curtain-raiser on Saturday. Waterkloof are unbeaten this season and recently defeated Paarl Gym 17-12 at the Waterkloof Easter festival. Likewise, Paarl Boys’ have had a strong start to the season losing only once, to Affies (30-15) at the St John’s Easter festival.
Paarl flyhalf Gavin Haupfleisch has been in sublime form this season and could play a major role in igniting the Boishaai side.
Paarl Boys’ coaches Richard Visagie and Elmo Wolfaard will have instructed the team to move the ball into space, opting for a tactical rather than physical approach, seeing as they are up against a physically dominant pack.
The main game of the afternoon sees hosts Paarl Gym playing against Monument. Monument have already lost to two Cape schools this season (23-15 to Paarl Boys’ and 8-6 to Paul Roos), before beating Rondebosch (13-6). Gym have also suffered a plethora of injuries in recent weeks.
Monnas will be determined to improve on their performances at the St John’s festival, with coach Oupa van der Merwe expecting more patience from his team. (That Monnas side is very good. Bradley Moolman their blonde centre is a future Bok. He reminds me of Olivier when he burst into the scene. Hard running and good line cutting)
Wynberg Boys’ are also hosting a festival this weekend, with the main attraction involving Bishops and Grey PE. Im going to watch this game, and if anyone is keen, let me know so we can hook up.
Bishops have been affected by numerous injuries to key players, like flyhalf Sam Lane and dynamic No 8 Nizaam Carr.(NK, this Nizaam youngster is guite a gem, he's good a bright future) Both have been outstanding for Bishops this season and coach Dave Mallett will struggle to fill the void.
Grey will look to unsettle Bishops at the breakdown especially with their openside flankers Siya Kolisa and Renier Erasmus who have been outstanding this season. This is going to be a cracker of a game.
Since losing to Marlow Agricultural (16-15), Grey have beaten Michaelhouse (33-5), Hilton (39-25) and Graeme College (67-5).
Bishops have also made a good start to the year winning all three of their fixtures at the St Stithians Easter festival.
Like i said, if any of the local guys are keen to go join me for some exciting schoolboy rugby, give me a holla. Its worthy more than watching any Stomers hgame anyway.
Boks lose Butch, Frans
Butch James will miss the British & Irish Lions tour while Frans Steyn will get his wish to play flyhalf - but not in South Africa.
French media confirm that Steyn has signed for Paris-based second division side Racing Metro, who have virtually secured their place in the Top 14. The year-long deal is reported to be the most lucrative ever for a South African player. Steyn will make the move to Paris after the Springboks’ end of year tour.
His negotiations with Racing was the worst kept secret in South African rugby and in recent months it became increasingly likely that Steyn would agree a deal.
A month ago Sharks coach John Plumtree told keo.co.za they were desperate to hold onto Steyn, but he was resigned to the fact that they would never be able to match what Racing was offering.
Steyn will play primarily in his preferred position of flyhalf for Racing. With Ruan Pienaar injured, Steyn has had an extended run at pivot for the Sharks, but has failed to shatter the widely held perception that he is better suited to inside centre - where the Sharks and Springboks see his future. He appears to be hellbent on proving that he has the aptitude to play in the position, but this seems like an extreme way to make his point.
James limped off in Bath’s Premiership match at the weekend and scans has subsequently confirmed that he has torn ligaments in his knee. He will be sidelined for an extended period.
This has created an unforeseen problem for Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, who keo.co.za understands would have included James in his squad for the British & Irish Lions series as back-up to Pienaar. James’s experience, gained over 36 Tests, as well as his goalkicking ability would have given De Villiers a solid insurance policy should Pienaar have lost form or sustained an injury.
De Villiers is known to be reluctant to invest in Steyn at flyhalf, and is likely to look to Peter Grant to fill the void left by James, while his admiration for Earl Rose, who has had limited game time for the Lions, will see him in the squad as the third flyhalf.
It now remains to be seen whether De Villiers continues to select Steyn given his strong stance on overseas based players, which has seen the likes of BJ Botha, CJ van der Linde and Joe van Niekerk (amongst a host of others) overlooked for Springbok selection.
French media confirm that Steyn has signed for Paris-based second division side Racing Metro, who have virtually secured their place in the Top 14. The year-long deal is reported to be the most lucrative ever for a South African player. Steyn will make the move to Paris after the Springboks’ end of year tour.
His negotiations with Racing was the worst kept secret in South African rugby and in recent months it became increasingly likely that Steyn would agree a deal.
A month ago Sharks coach John Plumtree told keo.co.za they were desperate to hold onto Steyn, but he was resigned to the fact that they would never be able to match what Racing was offering.
Steyn will play primarily in his preferred position of flyhalf for Racing. With Ruan Pienaar injured, Steyn has had an extended run at pivot for the Sharks, but has failed to shatter the widely held perception that he is better suited to inside centre - where the Sharks and Springboks see his future. He appears to be hellbent on proving that he has the aptitude to play in the position, but this seems like an extreme way to make his point.
James limped off in Bath’s Premiership match at the weekend and scans has subsequently confirmed that he has torn ligaments in his knee. He will be sidelined for an extended period.
This has created an unforeseen problem for Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, who keo.co.za understands would have included James in his squad for the British & Irish Lions series as back-up to Pienaar. James’s experience, gained over 36 Tests, as well as his goalkicking ability would have given De Villiers a solid insurance policy should Pienaar have lost form or sustained an injury.
De Villiers is known to be reluctant to invest in Steyn at flyhalf, and is likely to look to Peter Grant to fill the void left by James, while his admiration for Earl Rose, who has had limited game time for the Lions, will see him in the squad as the third flyhalf.
It now remains to be seen whether De Villiers continues to select Steyn given his strong stance on overseas based players, which has seen the likes of BJ Botha, CJ van der Linde and Joe van Niekerk (amongst a host of others) overlooked for Springbok selection.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Cheetahs secure the services of Kolisi
One of the brightest stars in South African rugby, Siyamthanda Kolisi, is on his way to the Vodacom Cheetahs.
The coach of the Vodacom Free State, Pine Pienaar, confirmed Monday the grade 11 pupil of Grey PE, has accepted a contract from the Cheetahs. Kolisi is one of Grey PE's star performers and also excelled for Eastern Province at number eight during last year's Coca-Cola Cravenweek.
Due to his good performance during the Cravenweek, Kolisi was included as a reserve for the SA Schools side.
Pienaar also confirmed to the school website, Play On, that local school stars such as Stephan Kotze, Marcel van der Merwe, Baksteen van Heerden, Jean Cook, Pieter Rademan and Riaan Britz will further their careers at the Cheetahs.
Grey College stars, Francois Venter and Piet Lindeque are, however, high on the shopping lists of the Blue Bulls and Sharks.
p/s - I have been following the Festival and this Kolisi youngster looks promising. He is in the mould of a Kanko+Schalla if you have to consider his work rate. I'm glad they have done so before the Bulls could snatch him.
The coach of the Vodacom Free State, Pine Pienaar, confirmed Monday the grade 11 pupil of Grey PE, has accepted a contract from the Cheetahs. Kolisi is one of Grey PE's star performers and also excelled for Eastern Province at number eight during last year's Coca-Cola Cravenweek.
Due to his good performance during the Cravenweek, Kolisi was included as a reserve for the SA Schools side.
Pienaar also confirmed to the school website, Play On, that local school stars such as Stephan Kotze, Marcel van der Merwe, Baksteen van Heerden, Jean Cook, Pieter Rademan and Riaan Britz will further their careers at the Cheetahs.
Grey College stars, Francois Venter and Piet Lindeque are, however, high on the shopping lists of the Blue Bulls and Sharks.
p/s - I have been following the Festival and this Kolisi youngster looks promising. He is in the mould of a Kanko+Schalla if you have to consider his work rate. I'm glad they have done so before the Bulls could snatch him.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Sanzar alliance weakens further
Australia and New Zealand are making plans to ditch South Africa in the Super Rugby expansion.
The squabbles between Sanzar have been widely publicised as the three nations can’t find common ground. The Sydney Morning Herald says although officials won’t comment on the matter, it is ‘known high-level work on the proposal has begun’.
If the Australasians had to break away, the competition would have five teams from each country as well as several based in Japan.
The proposed Super 15 expansion is set for 2011, but details regarding the re-modeling of the competition have not been agreed on as the 30 June deadline with the broadcasters looms.
Andy Marinos and Oregan Hoskins have both said Saru will not bow to the demands of the Australasians as they refuse to devalue the Currie Cup and are not keen to start the competition in March.
Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O’Neill yesterday admitted Sanzar was ‘confronting some major issues, because all three of us aren’t on the same page’.
O’Neill wants a 15-team competition with three conferences as all the sides play each other once. Then conferences would play local derbies ending in six team finals in a competition lasting 22 weeks.
However, Saru put forward the ‘Sandton option’, that would see a 16-week tournament as all the teams don’t meet as they play cross-conference.
This would also include a break in June for Tests, but O’Neill says this isn’t an option as they hope to have Tests held midweek.
‘The clock is ticking, said O’Neill. ‘Australia and New Zealand were willing to accept the Sandton option as a form of middle ground, even though it is far from ideal.
‘We didn’t want to start early February, don’t want to break in June, and the Currie Cup provinces just have to accept there has to be an overlap,’ he said.
‘Everyone has been willing to compromise, but there comes a point where any further compromise just undermines the integrity of the competition. We have shifted ground to agree on the Sandton option, but the options attached to it are not acceptable.
‘A competition where everyone doesn’t play each other is in itself a bit of a worry.
‘But if that’s a way of getting us across the line, we could do it for a couple of years, as South Africa have been saying that by 2013 they could move to our option.’
Hoskins told SA Rugby Magazine last month Saru are not willing to be bullied and that they couldn’t count out a move to northern hemisphere competitions.
‘We have never truly explored heading north, because we’re faithful to the Sanzar alliance,’ said Hoskins. ‘But we mustn’t be naive and think we can’t go to Europe and we must explore the options that would suit our best interests.’
[Keo]
The squabbles between Sanzar have been widely publicised as the three nations can’t find common ground. The Sydney Morning Herald says although officials won’t comment on the matter, it is ‘known high-level work on the proposal has begun’.
If the Australasians had to break away, the competition would have five teams from each country as well as several based in Japan.
The proposed Super 15 expansion is set for 2011, but details regarding the re-modeling of the competition have not been agreed on as the 30 June deadline with the broadcasters looms.
Andy Marinos and Oregan Hoskins have both said Saru will not bow to the demands of the Australasians as they refuse to devalue the Currie Cup and are not keen to start the competition in March.
Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O’Neill yesterday admitted Sanzar was ‘confronting some major issues, because all three of us aren’t on the same page’.
O’Neill wants a 15-team competition with three conferences as all the sides play each other once. Then conferences would play local derbies ending in six team finals in a competition lasting 22 weeks.
However, Saru put forward the ‘Sandton option’, that would see a 16-week tournament as all the teams don’t meet as they play cross-conference.
This would also include a break in June for Tests, but O’Neill says this isn’t an option as they hope to have Tests held midweek.
‘The clock is ticking, said O’Neill. ‘Australia and New Zealand were willing to accept the Sandton option as a form of middle ground, even though it is far from ideal.
‘We didn’t want to start early February, don’t want to break in June, and the Currie Cup provinces just have to accept there has to be an overlap,’ he said.
‘Everyone has been willing to compromise, but there comes a point where any further compromise just undermines the integrity of the competition. We have shifted ground to agree on the Sandton option, but the options attached to it are not acceptable.
‘A competition where everyone doesn’t play each other is in itself a bit of a worry.
‘But if that’s a way of getting us across the line, we could do it for a couple of years, as South Africa have been saying that by 2013 they could move to our option.’
Hoskins told SA Rugby Magazine last month Saru are not willing to be bullied and that they couldn’t count out a move to northern hemisphere competitions.
‘We have never truly explored heading north, because we’re faithful to the Sanzar alliance,’ said Hoskins. ‘But we mustn’t be naive and think we can’t go to Europe and we must explore the options that would suit our best interests.’
[Keo]
Rassie's 'vital mistakes' to be addressed
Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus has made "some vital mistakes" during this year's Super 14 campaign and these will be addressed in the next two weeks.
That was the assurance given by Stormers chairman Pat Kuhn as he and Western Province Rugby Union president Tobie Titus left Cape Town yesterday to join the Stormers squad on tour in New Zealand. The Stormers face the Hurricanes at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Saturday.
The Stormers are in the bottom four of the Super 14 log in 11th position, having lost six out of their eight matches so far. Kuhn told the Cape Times that while he and Titus are not going to New Zealand "with a whip", they hope to find out what the problems are and to improve the situation.
"It is difficult. This trip has been planned for some time now, so we are not going there because of the dismal performances at the moment. We planned that, win or lose, we are going," he said.
"It is bad to go and face these young men over there now. You can't go there with a whip now. Obviously we need to show that we are still supporting them at the moment. That is the main thing. We are going there and the team are losing, so it is bad the way it is.
"It is easier to be there and discover what the actual problem is. We have all watched the games on TV and we all know the disappointment. But once you get inside, you really get the feeling of the players and management and coach as well.
"We can boast the best defensive record in the Super 14. But in the end, that doesn't help your result."
Kuhn was reluctant to say outright that Erasmus's job was under threat, but he did admit that pressure was mounting on the Stormers coach and that the Stormers bosses needed to play a greater role in making decisions.
Erasmus has a contract until the end of next year. "It is difficult to talk about Rassie being under pressure for his job. It is easy for everybody to say 'Yes, you must put Rassie under pressure'. But we've got to face the situation," he said.
"We've got to think back to what we've actually planned. We had this aim three years ago about what we want to achieve. Now all of a sudden, the team is not performing again, then now we must put Rassie's job on the line.
"Yes, (we can play a greater role in making decisions). But we obviously couldn't do that now when all these things happened and the team started losing all these games, because they are on tour now.
"Going forward, you've got to bear in mind that, when these boys come back, we need to unpack everything and see what went wrong.
"Rassie made some vital mistakes, but it is like anybody else in life. We all make mistakes sometimes. And we must be man enough to address the mistakes that we've made."
Erasmus is a big name in coaching circles, but WP discovered that a big name is not always the best solution after the troubles they had with Nick Mallett previously. Kuhn acknowledges this point.
"Just using that example that you are making about Nick Mallett, that is exactly the same that is happening here," he said. "The expectation when Rassie took over was that it was going to be magic. Okay, it didn't work in the first year, but we are still battling in the second year as well.
"It is going to be difficult, but we must face the situation and that is what I am going to explain to the team and the players." Titus did not want to comment.
Meanwhile, the Stormers could be boosted with the return of star lock Andries Bekker from a toe injury for the Hurricanes match. Bekker joined the team at the weekend and he told the Cape Times from Wellington yesterday that he is "50-50" for the game.
"My toe is feeling much better," he said. "I am 50-50 for Saturday, so we'll see. If I can't start, I could play off the bench."
Prop Brian Mujati's concussion is still being monitored by the Stormers management and a decision on his fitness is expected later in the week. Lock Adriaan Fondse also has a hand injury, but should be able to play.
[www.iol.co.za]
That was the assurance given by Stormers chairman Pat Kuhn as he and Western Province Rugby Union president Tobie Titus left Cape Town yesterday to join the Stormers squad on tour in New Zealand. The Stormers face the Hurricanes at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Saturday.
The Stormers are in the bottom four of the Super 14 log in 11th position, having lost six out of their eight matches so far. Kuhn told the Cape Times that while he and Titus are not going to New Zealand "with a whip", they hope to find out what the problems are and to improve the situation.
"It is difficult. This trip has been planned for some time now, so we are not going there because of the dismal performances at the moment. We planned that, win or lose, we are going," he said.
"It is bad to go and face these young men over there now. You can't go there with a whip now. Obviously we need to show that we are still supporting them at the moment. That is the main thing. We are going there and the team are losing, so it is bad the way it is.
"It is easier to be there and discover what the actual problem is. We have all watched the games on TV and we all know the disappointment. But once you get inside, you really get the feeling of the players and management and coach as well.
"We can boast the best defensive record in the Super 14. But in the end, that doesn't help your result."
Kuhn was reluctant to say outright that Erasmus's job was under threat, but he did admit that pressure was mounting on the Stormers coach and that the Stormers bosses needed to play a greater role in making decisions.
Erasmus has a contract until the end of next year. "It is difficult to talk about Rassie being under pressure for his job. It is easy for everybody to say 'Yes, you must put Rassie under pressure'. But we've got to face the situation," he said.
"We've got to think back to what we've actually planned. We had this aim three years ago about what we want to achieve. Now all of a sudden, the team is not performing again, then now we must put Rassie's job on the line.
"Yes, (we can play a greater role in making decisions). But we obviously couldn't do that now when all these things happened and the team started losing all these games, because they are on tour now.
"Going forward, you've got to bear in mind that, when these boys come back, we need to unpack everything and see what went wrong.
"Rassie made some vital mistakes, but it is like anybody else in life. We all make mistakes sometimes. And we must be man enough to address the mistakes that we've made."
Erasmus is a big name in coaching circles, but WP discovered that a big name is not always the best solution after the troubles they had with Nick Mallett previously. Kuhn acknowledges this point.
"Just using that example that you are making about Nick Mallett, that is exactly the same that is happening here," he said. "The expectation when Rassie took over was that it was going to be magic. Okay, it didn't work in the first year, but we are still battling in the second year as well.
"It is going to be difficult, but we must face the situation and that is what I am going to explain to the team and the players." Titus did not want to comment.
Meanwhile, the Stormers could be boosted with the return of star lock Andries Bekker from a toe injury for the Hurricanes match. Bekker joined the team at the weekend and he told the Cape Times from Wellington yesterday that he is "50-50" for the game.
"My toe is feeling much better," he said. "I am 50-50 for Saturday, so we'll see. If I can't start, I could play off the bench."
Prop Brian Mujati's concussion is still being monitored by the Stormers management and a decision on his fitness is expected later in the week. Lock Adriaan Fondse also has a hand injury, but should be able to play.
[www.iol.co.za]
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
On The Lions Tour.......
Keo, in his weekly Business Day column, says leadership will be more important than goalkicking in the Lions series.
In a season that has produced no South African wonder boy in the Super 14, what has emerged is the continued maturity of the established Springboks.
But before I get to that and one player in particular, Sharks scrumhalf Rory Kockott is doing a Mexican wave of his own that is becoming increasingly hard for the national selectors to ignore.
As well as Kockott is playing, is there place in the Boks for him just yet? Or should he be introduced in the Tri-Nations against opponents he has dominated in the Super 14?
There should be no experiment in the Lions series and the rational thinking is to play the established national scrumhalf duo of Fourie du Preez and Ricky Januarie. They’ve been there often and done it against the best.
I get the feeling though that Kockott’s shares are being improved significantly because of a fear that goalkicking will cost the Boks against the Lions as it did 12 years ago. I believe those fears are unfounded. Kockott is a good goal-kicker, but so are Ruan Pienaar and Butch James, if national coach Peter de Villiers still believes the Bath-based World Cup winner can make a contribution. I for one would not play the Lions without James in the match 22, given his experience, his knowledge of the opposition and his temperament to deliver in the biggest matches.
James kicked at 80% for the Boks last season, while Pienaar’s goalkicking was not an issue against Wales, Scotland and England. Kockott has the all-round scrumhalf game to play for SA, but he should not be the goalkicking insurance policy in his introduction to international rugby. It was done to Percy Montgomery against the Lions in 1997 and it was wrong.
Back then Bok coach Carel du Plessis picked Henry Honiball and Andre Joubert for the Durban second Test, and both had won many matches for the Sharks with their goalkicking. The notion has to be rubbished that the Boks played that game without a recognised kicker. In Honiball, Joubert and Montgomery they had three blokes who could kick. The mistake of the coaches was that they never settled on one of the three to start and finish.
The Boks have a core of players settled enough not to repeat the mistakes of their predecessors in 1997. If De Villiers is more measured than maverick then the quality of the hosts will triumph and he will ensure his contract is extended to include the defence of the World Cup in 2011. De Villiers last year entrusted the majority of the 2007 World Cup winners, but a player who lost favour was Sharks captain Johann Muller. De Villiers introduced Stormers lock Andries Bekker to complement Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha, but Muller’s growth as a leader with the Sharks and his consistency has to have made an impression on De Villiers.
Muller, if he was playing in any other country, would be the first choice lock and probably the captain as well. In many respects he reminds me of Proteas cricketer Johan Botha. Both have calmness. Both are massively underrated and both have an understanding of the game that gives them an edge as leaders. If the national selectors are thinking of Kockott as a goalkicking insurance policy I’d say think twice before including a third scrumhalf.
But I’d encourage them to invest in Muller as a captaincy insurance policy to incumbent John Smit and lock back up to Bakkies Botha. Leadership, more than goalkicking, will prove decisive against the best of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. In Muller, South African rugby has one of the best.
We shouldn’t be too disheartened by the indifferent, awful and bizarre performances of the Lions, Cheetahs and Stormers in the Super 14. The Sharks and Bulls are enough of a presence to give SA comfort ahead of the Lions in June.
For now, enjoy the Sharks, believe in the home run of the Bulls and know that there isn’t an Australian or New Zealand team capable in this year’s tournament to travel to Durban or Pretoria to win a semi-final. Our rugby is in good shape, and the wiser heads among the players are the ones in the best shape
In a season that has produced no South African wonder boy in the Super 14, what has emerged is the continued maturity of the established Springboks.
But before I get to that and one player in particular, Sharks scrumhalf Rory Kockott is doing a Mexican wave of his own that is becoming increasingly hard for the national selectors to ignore.
As well as Kockott is playing, is there place in the Boks for him just yet? Or should he be introduced in the Tri-Nations against opponents he has dominated in the Super 14?
There should be no experiment in the Lions series and the rational thinking is to play the established national scrumhalf duo of Fourie du Preez and Ricky Januarie. They’ve been there often and done it against the best.
I get the feeling though that Kockott’s shares are being improved significantly because of a fear that goalkicking will cost the Boks against the Lions as it did 12 years ago. I believe those fears are unfounded. Kockott is a good goal-kicker, but so are Ruan Pienaar and Butch James, if national coach Peter de Villiers still believes the Bath-based World Cup winner can make a contribution. I for one would not play the Lions without James in the match 22, given his experience, his knowledge of the opposition and his temperament to deliver in the biggest matches.
James kicked at 80% for the Boks last season, while Pienaar’s goalkicking was not an issue against Wales, Scotland and England. Kockott has the all-round scrumhalf game to play for SA, but he should not be the goalkicking insurance policy in his introduction to international rugby. It was done to Percy Montgomery against the Lions in 1997 and it was wrong.
Back then Bok coach Carel du Plessis picked Henry Honiball and Andre Joubert for the Durban second Test, and both had won many matches for the Sharks with their goalkicking. The notion has to be rubbished that the Boks played that game without a recognised kicker. In Honiball, Joubert and Montgomery they had three blokes who could kick. The mistake of the coaches was that they never settled on one of the three to start and finish.
The Boks have a core of players settled enough not to repeat the mistakes of their predecessors in 1997. If De Villiers is more measured than maverick then the quality of the hosts will triumph and he will ensure his contract is extended to include the defence of the World Cup in 2011. De Villiers last year entrusted the majority of the 2007 World Cup winners, but a player who lost favour was Sharks captain Johann Muller. De Villiers introduced Stormers lock Andries Bekker to complement Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha, but Muller’s growth as a leader with the Sharks and his consistency has to have made an impression on De Villiers.
Muller, if he was playing in any other country, would be the first choice lock and probably the captain as well. In many respects he reminds me of Proteas cricketer Johan Botha. Both have calmness. Both are massively underrated and both have an understanding of the game that gives them an edge as leaders. If the national selectors are thinking of Kockott as a goalkicking insurance policy I’d say think twice before including a third scrumhalf.
But I’d encourage them to invest in Muller as a captaincy insurance policy to incumbent John Smit and lock back up to Bakkies Botha. Leadership, more than goalkicking, will prove decisive against the best of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. In Muller, South African rugby has one of the best.
We shouldn’t be too disheartened by the indifferent, awful and bizarre performances of the Lions, Cheetahs and Stormers in the Super 14. The Sharks and Bulls are enough of a presence to give SA comfort ahead of the Lions in June.
For now, enjoy the Sharks, believe in the home run of the Bulls and know that there isn’t an Australian or New Zealand team capable in this year’s tournament to travel to Durban or Pretoria to win a semi-final. Our rugby is in good shape, and the wiser heads among the players are the ones in the best shape
Monday, April 6, 2009
Bishops made to sweat....
Bishops claimed a narrow 17-11 win against St Andrew’s in Grahamstown on Saturday.
The match never lived up to all the hype and was often tedious with neither side able to make any meaningful advances on attack.
While the home side had the better of the opening exchanges, Bishops scored their first try through livewire flanker Nizaam Carr. The visitors dominated the first half, but led just 7-3 after making some elementary handling errors.
St Andrew’s began the second half as they did the first by taking on Bishops physically, especially in the set pieces.
James Price kicked his second penalty for the hosts, before Bishops scored their second try through hooker Seb Matterson. Saints fullback Grant Macdonald then went over to make it 12-11. [keo]
St Andrew’s surged forward in the last few minutes but heroic defence by Bishops kept the hosts at bay. Bishops then had the final say when they scored with a minute remaining through lock West Mackintosh.
Bishops wing Nathan Nell was the stand out player for the visitors, while Macdonald shone for the Saints.
‘St Andrew’s came out firing and physically took the game to us,’ Bishops backline coach and ex-Springbok sevens captain Kevin Foote told keo.co.za. ‘However, we soaked up the pressure and are happy with the result.’
With two wins under their belts, Bishops will enter the upcoming St Stithians Easter festival full of confidence.
Meanwhile, St Andrew’s coach Stefan Louwrens said he was ‘proud of our effort against an experienced Bishops side, especially after last year’s massive defeat. The intensity of the breakdowns was impressive. There are lots of positives to take from the game.’
St Andrew’s will also be at the Saint Stithians Easter festival and have two tough games scheduled against the hosts and Boland Landbou.
The match never lived up to all the hype and was often tedious with neither side able to make any meaningful advances on attack.
While the home side had the better of the opening exchanges, Bishops scored their first try through livewire flanker Nizaam Carr. The visitors dominated the first half, but led just 7-3 after making some elementary handling errors.
St Andrew’s began the second half as they did the first by taking on Bishops physically, especially in the set pieces.
James Price kicked his second penalty for the hosts, before Bishops scored their second try through hooker Seb Matterson. Saints fullback Grant Macdonald then went over to make it 12-11. [keo]
St Andrew’s surged forward in the last few minutes but heroic defence by Bishops kept the hosts at bay. Bishops then had the final say when they scored with a minute remaining through lock West Mackintosh.
Bishops wing Nathan Nell was the stand out player for the visitors, while Macdonald shone for the Saints.
‘St Andrew’s came out firing and physically took the game to us,’ Bishops backline coach and ex-Springbok sevens captain Kevin Foote told keo.co.za. ‘However, we soaked up the pressure and are happy with the result.’
With two wins under their belts, Bishops will enter the upcoming St Stithians Easter festival full of confidence.
Meanwhile, St Andrew’s coach Stefan Louwrens said he was ‘proud of our effort against an experienced Bishops side, especially after last year’s massive defeat. The intensity of the breakdowns was impressive. There are lots of positives to take from the game.’
St Andrew’s will also be at the Saint Stithians Easter festival and have two tough games scheduled against the hosts and Boland Landbou.
What to do with Luke Watson?
Luke Watson’s form presents a multi-layered conundrum for the Springbok selectors while his father’s fractious relationship with Peter de Villiers does his cause no good.
The first layer in that conundrum is straight forward: do they even select Watson for the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour?
Watson polarized national opinion when, speaking at the Ubumbo Rugby Festival at the University of Cape Town Rugby Football Club on Friday, 3 October, he allegedly said he felt like vomiting on the Springbok jersey when he debuted because he felt it necessary to honour the men who had overcome an oppressive regime to get him there. In a question and answer session that followed he then allegedly made racists comments relating to the administration of South African rugby, saying it was ‘run by Dutchmen’.
Watson was later cleared of charges brought against him by SA Rugby on a technicality, but never denied making the statements and even acknowledged that he knew the student who had made the recording of the speech which was leaked to the media.
He found some support in a liberal faction of the South African rugby fraternity, but the overwhelming sentiment towards Watson was one of disdain.
Speaking to keo.co.za in an anonymous capacity, a number of senior Springboks have stated their dislike for Watson, with one highly experienced member going as far as to say he hopes Watson never plays for the Springboks again. He confirmed that it was a view held by many members of the squad.
However, Watson’s form is giving the Springbok selectors a problem they must have known was a possibility, but hoped they would never have to deal with.
That Watson has shone behind a Stormers pack that gets routinely mangled, bears testament to his skill. He has arguably been the finest of the South African No 8s thus far, edging the Springbok incumbents Pierre Spies and Ryan Kankowski. Statistics released by Verusco - the New Zealand-based company that supplies video analysis systems to most of the Super 14 teams - reveal that Watson is ahead of both Spies and Kankowski in all the key performance indicators for a No 8.
Even prior to his appointment as Springbok coach, De Villiers was vocal in his belief that form must be the primary consideration when selecting a squad. If he is to stay true to that belief, Watson, on current form, must be in his match 22 and would probably have a strong case to be included in his run-on side.
In what position he will play is a quandary De Villiers will need to negotiate and one we’ll discuss in a moment.
De Villiers has been quoted as saying that Watson won’t be discriminated against when it comes to selection. They have enjoyed a good relationship in the past and their maturity will determine whether that continues in future. However, the fact that De Villiers’s relationship with Watson’s outspoken father, Cheeky, has degenerated dramatically over the last couple of weeks inadvertently places extra pressure on Luke.
Sondag reports that De Villiers has sent SA Rugby a letter via his attorney demanding that they take action against Cheeky for allegedly calling him ‘a baboon who does not know what he is doing’ in a recent meeting of the EP Legends. While De Villiers’s stance on Luke is admirable in theory, it remains to be seen whether he can ignore the impetuosity of his father and focus solely on Luke’s performances when assessing his suitability for Springbok selection.
Should Watson be included in the Springbok squad, the question of where he will be accommodated will have to be addressed.
Despite playing at No 8, Watson continues to be deployed as the Stormers’ primary fetcher. He is the leading South African player in terms of turnovers, and was third in the tournament overall prior to the last round. However, his potency hasn’t been limited to his contribution on the deck. He is among the best loose forwards in terms of metres gained with ball in hand and linebreaks.
Most would consider it folly to suggest that Watson be included at No 8 ahead of Spies or Kankowski, while to even contemplate the possibility of Watson ousting one of Juan Smith or Schalk Burger (the most capped Test combination in Test rugby history) is bound to elicit calls for a lynching of the proponent of that view.
This, combined with off-field issues that affect the perception of Watson within the team, underlines the complex task De Villiers will have if Watson continues to deliver quality performances with the mechanical regularity he has over the last seven matches.
The first layer in that conundrum is straight forward: do they even select Watson for the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour?
Watson polarized national opinion when, speaking at the Ubumbo Rugby Festival at the University of Cape Town Rugby Football Club on Friday, 3 October, he allegedly said he felt like vomiting on the Springbok jersey when he debuted because he felt it necessary to honour the men who had overcome an oppressive regime to get him there. In a question and answer session that followed he then allegedly made racists comments relating to the administration of South African rugby, saying it was ‘run by Dutchmen’.
Watson was later cleared of charges brought against him by SA Rugby on a technicality, but never denied making the statements and even acknowledged that he knew the student who had made the recording of the speech which was leaked to the media.
He found some support in a liberal faction of the South African rugby fraternity, but the overwhelming sentiment towards Watson was one of disdain.
Speaking to keo.co.za in an anonymous capacity, a number of senior Springboks have stated their dislike for Watson, with one highly experienced member going as far as to say he hopes Watson never plays for the Springboks again. He confirmed that it was a view held by many members of the squad.
However, Watson’s form is giving the Springbok selectors a problem they must have known was a possibility, but hoped they would never have to deal with.
That Watson has shone behind a Stormers pack that gets routinely mangled, bears testament to his skill. He has arguably been the finest of the South African No 8s thus far, edging the Springbok incumbents Pierre Spies and Ryan Kankowski. Statistics released by Verusco - the New Zealand-based company that supplies video analysis systems to most of the Super 14 teams - reveal that Watson is ahead of both Spies and Kankowski in all the key performance indicators for a No 8.
Even prior to his appointment as Springbok coach, De Villiers was vocal in his belief that form must be the primary consideration when selecting a squad. If he is to stay true to that belief, Watson, on current form, must be in his match 22 and would probably have a strong case to be included in his run-on side.
In what position he will play is a quandary De Villiers will need to negotiate and one we’ll discuss in a moment.
De Villiers has been quoted as saying that Watson won’t be discriminated against when it comes to selection. They have enjoyed a good relationship in the past and their maturity will determine whether that continues in future. However, the fact that De Villiers’s relationship with Watson’s outspoken father, Cheeky, has degenerated dramatically over the last couple of weeks inadvertently places extra pressure on Luke.
Sondag reports that De Villiers has sent SA Rugby a letter via his attorney demanding that they take action against Cheeky for allegedly calling him ‘a baboon who does not know what he is doing’ in a recent meeting of the EP Legends. While De Villiers’s stance on Luke is admirable in theory, it remains to be seen whether he can ignore the impetuosity of his father and focus solely on Luke’s performances when assessing his suitability for Springbok selection.
Should Watson be included in the Springbok squad, the question of where he will be accommodated will have to be addressed.
Despite playing at No 8, Watson continues to be deployed as the Stormers’ primary fetcher. He is the leading South African player in terms of turnovers, and was third in the tournament overall prior to the last round. However, his potency hasn’t been limited to his contribution on the deck. He is among the best loose forwards in terms of metres gained with ball in hand and linebreaks.
Most would consider it folly to suggest that Watson be included at No 8 ahead of Spies or Kankowski, while to even contemplate the possibility of Watson ousting one of Juan Smith or Schalk Burger (the most capped Test combination in Test rugby history) is bound to elicit calls for a lynching of the proponent of that view.
This, combined with off-field issues that affect the perception of Watson within the team, underlines the complex task De Villiers will have if Watson continues to deliver quality performances with the mechanical regularity he has over the last seven matches.
Krige on Luke Watson.....
Cape Town - Luke Watson is playing some of the best rugby of his career, but the controversial loose forward still has a mountain to climb if he hopes to be part of the Springbok squad again.
While Bok coach Peter de Villiers prefers not to comment about individual players, he did intimate that team dynamics may be a factor in assembling his squad.
“I have always said I will be honest with the players and will not stand in the way of anyone who wants to realise his dream. He (Watson) will be treated the same as the other players. There are many factors one takes into account.”
One of those is probably team dynamics and that may just be where Watson is doomed following last year’s comment that he had to keep himself from vomiting on the Springbok jersey.
Watson is commanding a lot of respect with his form in the Super14 this season, but his unpopularity among other players may be a problem.
Former Springbok captain Corne Krige told Sport24 Watson is playing “unbelievable rugby”.
“I would pick him for South Africa on form, but the question is whether Peter is prepared to take that risk because that can disrupt the team,” said Krige.
“The good thing about Luke this year is that we are not hearing him talk. Rugby is what he is good at and he is playing incredibly well at present. He can return to politics later in life,” said Krige.
“He is among the best fetchers in the Super14. Rassie Erasmus (Stormers coach) is using him well as a fetcher from the No 8 position.”
Krige would not pick Watson as a “classic No 8” before the likes of Ryan Kankowski or Pierre Spies.
“I would consider using Luke to play to the ball. The problem with a loose-trio of Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Spies is that all three are similar players. Luke gives you something different,” said Krige.
“I doubt whether he will be picked. He has a lot of talent, but it’s not that much more than other players that it will leave a gaping hole if he’s not selected.”
Krige does not believe Watson necessarily has to be a spent force at international level.
“Everybody makes mistakes. The important thing is to admit your mistake and apologise.”
To date Watson has not done that. He has made himself available to play for South Africa again following the agreement that the Protea will appear on the left of the national jersey and the Springbok will move to the right. [news24]
While Bok coach Peter de Villiers prefers not to comment about individual players, he did intimate that team dynamics may be a factor in assembling his squad.
“I have always said I will be honest with the players and will not stand in the way of anyone who wants to realise his dream. He (Watson) will be treated the same as the other players. There are many factors one takes into account.”
One of those is probably team dynamics and that may just be where Watson is doomed following last year’s comment that he had to keep himself from vomiting on the Springbok jersey.
Watson is commanding a lot of respect with his form in the Super14 this season, but his unpopularity among other players may be a problem.
Former Springbok captain Corne Krige told Sport24 Watson is playing “unbelievable rugby”.
“I would pick him for South Africa on form, but the question is whether Peter is prepared to take that risk because that can disrupt the team,” said Krige.
“The good thing about Luke this year is that we are not hearing him talk. Rugby is what he is good at and he is playing incredibly well at present. He can return to politics later in life,” said Krige.
“He is among the best fetchers in the Super14. Rassie Erasmus (Stormers coach) is using him well as a fetcher from the No 8 position.”
Krige would not pick Watson as a “classic No 8” before the likes of Ryan Kankowski or Pierre Spies.
“I would consider using Luke to play to the ball. The problem with a loose-trio of Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Spies is that all three are similar players. Luke gives you something different,” said Krige.
“I doubt whether he will be picked. He has a lot of talent, but it’s not that much more than other players that it will leave a gaping hole if he’s not selected.”
Krige does not believe Watson necessarily has to be a spent force at international level.
“Everybody makes mistakes. The important thing is to admit your mistake and apologise.”
To date Watson has not done that. He has made himself available to play for South Africa again following the agreement that the Protea will appear on the left of the national jersey and the Springbok will move to the right. [news24]
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Bishops dazzle at School’s Day
Eighth man Nizeem Carr of Bishops walked away with the Man of the Match award in the final fixture of the 2009 Canal Walk WP Rugby School’s Day between Bishops and Paarl Gymnasium at Newlands last night. A well structured Bishops side displayed great skills and slick passing, but only managed to put one try past the boys from Paarl, who put up a strong performance.
The annual School’s Day at Newlands has become a highlight on the Youth Rugby events calendar, affording 10 Primary and 10 High school’s the opportunity to play at the home of rugby, as the war cries of some of the country’s most well known rugby school’s echoed around the ground.
A host of mini rugby matches started the tournament, with four promising players selected by former WP and Springbok great Chester Williams, to attend a coaching clinic courtesy of Canal Walk. Belvue Primary, Chuma Primary, Pinedene Primary, Durbanville Prep, Ikhusi Primary, Walter Teka Primary, Methodist Squirrels and Zimasa Community School all took part in the under 9 section.
Up next Rondebosch Prep went down to a spirited performance from Fanie Theron Primary in the under 13 category, with the team from Kuilsriver outscoring the Rondebosch boys two tries to one.
In the senior team matches, Stellenberg beat Milnerton High 10 – 5, with Wynberg Boys showing that they will be a force in the Province this year, beating Bellville High 20 – 5.
Paarl Boys High, who’d packed the stands from early in the day, gave their supporters reason to cheer, when they outscored rivals SACS three tries to one, in the third under 19 match of the day. Paarl Boys also walked away with the Spirit Award – a signed and framed Vodacom Stormers jersey and a cheque for R5000 for the school, to be used for sporting equipment.
In the curtain raiser to the main match Paul Roos Gymnasium triumphed over Rondebosch Boys. The final score was 10 – 0. And whilst the main match between Bishops and Paarl Gym was a low scoring affair, the spectators could not have asked for a better end to a great day of intense rivalry and running rugby.
The annual School’s Day at Newlands has become a highlight on the Youth Rugby events calendar, affording 10 Primary and 10 High school’s the opportunity to play at the home of rugby, as the war cries of some of the country’s most well known rugby school’s echoed around the ground.
A host of mini rugby matches started the tournament, with four promising players selected by former WP and Springbok great Chester Williams, to attend a coaching clinic courtesy of Canal Walk. Belvue Primary, Chuma Primary, Pinedene Primary, Durbanville Prep, Ikhusi Primary, Walter Teka Primary, Methodist Squirrels and Zimasa Community School all took part in the under 9 section.
Up next Rondebosch Prep went down to a spirited performance from Fanie Theron Primary in the under 13 category, with the team from Kuilsriver outscoring the Rondebosch boys two tries to one.
In the senior team matches, Stellenberg beat Milnerton High 10 – 5, with Wynberg Boys showing that they will be a force in the Province this year, beating Bellville High 20 – 5.
Paarl Boys High, who’d packed the stands from early in the day, gave their supporters reason to cheer, when they outscored rivals SACS three tries to one, in the third under 19 match of the day. Paarl Boys also walked away with the Spirit Award – a signed and framed Vodacom Stormers jersey and a cheque for R5000 for the school, to be used for sporting equipment.
In the curtain raiser to the main match Paul Roos Gymnasium triumphed over Rondebosch Boys. The final score was 10 – 0. And whilst the main match between Bishops and Paarl Gym was a low scoring affair, the spectators could not have asked for a better end to a great day of intense rivalry and running rugby.
Spies speaks out...
Superb when the game is loose, anonymous when it’s tight. Pierre Spies weighs in on the debate.
The Bulls No 8, by his own admission, was ordinary in their 2008 campaign, but seems to have rekindled the the form he displayed prior to his illness-enforced eight-month lay-off just before the 2007 World Cup.
However, there continues to be debate around his effectiveness when his tight five is nullified or when the opposition opt for a rigidly structured approach.
Spies’s performance against the Highlanders at the weekend did little to shatter that widely held perception, as, to a lesser extent, did those against the Lions and Stormers.
His detractors’ case was strengthened when recently released statistics from Verusco, a New Zealand-based company who supply video analysis systems to most Super 14 teams, revealed that Spies is the worst tackler of all the South African players - missing 37 tackles in five matches (a figure that would have increased after the Highlanders match). That’s an average of 7.4 per game - a staggering number for a Test player and one who should be dominating at the tackle point given his physical superiority over most opponents.
It is of course not a recent criticism, but Spies’ improved form has inadvertently cast a light on his perceived weaknesses. The 23-year-old has been diplomatic in his response to that line of criticism in the past, but seems to have reached the point where it’s become frustrating.
‘Some people have strong opinions about this and I can’t change those, even though I disagree with them,’ Spies told keo.co.za.
‘I’m not saying I’m flawless when the game is tight and I acknowledge that I’m better when our tight five is dominating, which gives me more space and time to work with. But there are a couple of No 8s like that. Ryan Kankowski (Spies’ major competition for the Springbok No 8 berth and South Africa’s seventh worst tackler with 25 missed hits) is very similar [when he is granted space and time to work with].
‘I want to get to the point where I’m dominating all types of games. But it’s not a case of me proving critics wrong. No matter how many good performances I deliver there’ll always be those who pick holes in my game. It’s the desire to be a complete player. I’m not there yet but I will get there.’
Former Springbok coach Jake White gave Spies his Test debut in 2006 and maintained faith in him for the majority of his tenure thereafter, despite regularly fielding questions about his reduced potency in tight matches in that period. He echoes Spies’s sentiments and feels critics need to keep perspective when judging him.
‘I know the boy can tackle and that he doesn’t disappear when game’s are tight,’ White said. ‘It’s easy to find fault with any player if you look hard enough and I guess Pierre’s no different. But he’ll become better as he gets older and more experienced. We have to remember that he’s only 23 and he’s in his third season as a loose forward at Super Rugby and Test level.’
Spies’ aptitude will be tested once more on Friday against a Crusaders side who have been observably more direct without their fulcrum Dan Carter directing affairs, and with a number of key backline players injured.
And it’s not only in the general play that Spies will be under the microscope. The Bulls’ scrum was pressured by the Highlanders, significantly blunting Spies’ threat. Expect the Crusaders to have noted their struggles and attempt replicate their Kiwi counterparts’ attack.
But there can surely be no better place than Christchurch against the defending champions to attempt to dispel some notions surrounding his perceived flaws.
[keo]
The Bulls No 8, by his own admission, was ordinary in their 2008 campaign, but seems to have rekindled the the form he displayed prior to his illness-enforced eight-month lay-off just before the 2007 World Cup.
However, there continues to be debate around his effectiveness when his tight five is nullified or when the opposition opt for a rigidly structured approach.
Spies’s performance against the Highlanders at the weekend did little to shatter that widely held perception, as, to a lesser extent, did those against the Lions and Stormers.
His detractors’ case was strengthened when recently released statistics from Verusco, a New Zealand-based company who supply video analysis systems to most Super 14 teams, revealed that Spies is the worst tackler of all the South African players - missing 37 tackles in five matches (a figure that would have increased after the Highlanders match). That’s an average of 7.4 per game - a staggering number for a Test player and one who should be dominating at the tackle point given his physical superiority over most opponents.
It is of course not a recent criticism, but Spies’ improved form has inadvertently cast a light on his perceived weaknesses. The 23-year-old has been diplomatic in his response to that line of criticism in the past, but seems to have reached the point where it’s become frustrating.
‘Some people have strong opinions about this and I can’t change those, even though I disagree with them,’ Spies told keo.co.za.
‘I’m not saying I’m flawless when the game is tight and I acknowledge that I’m better when our tight five is dominating, which gives me more space and time to work with. But there are a couple of No 8s like that. Ryan Kankowski (Spies’ major competition for the Springbok No 8 berth and South Africa’s seventh worst tackler with 25 missed hits) is very similar [when he is granted space and time to work with].
‘I want to get to the point where I’m dominating all types of games. But it’s not a case of me proving critics wrong. No matter how many good performances I deliver there’ll always be those who pick holes in my game. It’s the desire to be a complete player. I’m not there yet but I will get there.’
Former Springbok coach Jake White gave Spies his Test debut in 2006 and maintained faith in him for the majority of his tenure thereafter, despite regularly fielding questions about his reduced potency in tight matches in that period. He echoes Spies’s sentiments and feels critics need to keep perspective when judging him.
‘I know the boy can tackle and that he doesn’t disappear when game’s are tight,’ White said. ‘It’s easy to find fault with any player if you look hard enough and I guess Pierre’s no different. But he’ll become better as he gets older and more experienced. We have to remember that he’s only 23 and he’s in his third season as a loose forward at Super Rugby and Test level.’
Spies’ aptitude will be tested once more on Friday against a Crusaders side who have been observably more direct without their fulcrum Dan Carter directing affairs, and with a number of key backline players injured.
And it’s not only in the general play that Spies will be under the microscope. The Bulls’ scrum was pressured by the Highlanders, significantly blunting Spies’ threat. Expect the Crusaders to have noted their struggles and attempt replicate their Kiwi counterparts’ attack.
But there can surely be no better place than Christchurch against the defending champions to attempt to dispel some notions surrounding his perceived flaws.
[keo]
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Watson focused on S14, not Boks
Luke Watson is simply focusing on the next game rather than talking about his ambitions of wearing the new politically correct Springbok jersey.
“I have never been that goal-oriented. I just approach things from one game to the next,” Watson said from the Stormers hotel in Sydney on Monday.(www.supersport.co.za)
Watson is on record that he is prepared to wear the Bok jersey again after South African rugby bosses agreed to accommodate the King Protea on it as national emblem.
That means the Protea and Springbok are being separated, with the Protea on the left of the jersey.
It’s an open question whether team dynamics will allow Springbok coach Peter de Villiers to pick Watson again.
However, there can be no doubt that Watson’s performances are commanding respect. It is believed he was congratulated by some of the Bulls’ players after his performance in the Stormers’ 10-14 defeat at Loftus Versfeld.
Watson shone in the face of adversity in front of a hostile crowd.
This year he is one of few Stormers playing well on a weekly basis.
“It’s going well on an individual level. We’ve had a bit of bad luck as a team. I don’t for a minute doubt the ability of our coaches and the players to come up with good performances,” said Watson.
The Stormers are under immense pressure after Saturday’s 7-11 defeat against the Crusaders to engineer a turnaround against the Waratahs in Sydney.
Watson warned about the challenge of facing Wallaby flank Phil Waugh.
“As loose forwards we will have to concentrate on meeting the challenge of Waugh at the breakdowns,” said Watson.
Watson was at the heart of the Stormers’ one good attacking moment against the Crusaders. He spun out of four tackles to score his try.
However, the Stormers generally looked lacklustre on attack.
“We struggled to get out of our own area. Some of our tactical kicks were poor. I include myself in that because I also launched a poor kick,” said Watson. (www.supersport.co.za)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Bulls Analysis.........for a change
Bulls - 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Danie Rossouw, 6 Dewald Potgieter, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Rayno Gerber, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Gürthro Steenkamp.
Subs: 16 Jaco Engels, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Pedrie Wannenburg, 19 Derick Kuün, 20 Heinie Adams, 21 Burton Francis, 22 JP Nel.
Well it looks like Frans was impressed by Chilliboy's display off the bench last week. I was too. It seems like Derick Kuun is the FETCHER replacement this weekend, which is why they have the two props on the bench as Jaco Engels comes into the squad.
Kuun is going to fulfill Deon Stegman’s role in this game - or at least in the 2nd half once either Rossouw or Bakkies comes off.
That is a major shift, as it may be the first indication that Kuun will eventually resume his fetcher flank role which has become more important as demonstrated by Stegman’s value this season (my appreciation for him was dented by the red card).And of coz Luke Watson at the Stormers.
So the Bulls have two props and two flanks on the bench this week, which attempts to addresses both their fetching problems and their scrumming problems experienced against the Highlanders.
This is made possible by having Danie Rossouw who can double as a lock replacement if necessary.
Will it work?
Personally, I would have started with Kuun on the flank, with Rossouw on the bench. But then again, maybe a good fetcher is more important in the 2nd half when the game loosens up a bit, and after the hard men have softened up the opposition.
I feel this will be a very important game in the bigger scheme of things for Roy's team. A win will show that the Highlanders loss was just a brief dip in concentration, whereas a loss might derail the tour altogether.
Let’s hope that the return of the big guns has the necessary effect on the Bulls, who disappointed even me greatly last weekend. Otherwise this is a pretty good looking side and they may turn the tables around to keep Roy's quotable quote in safe mode.
Subs: 16 Jaco Engels, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Pedrie Wannenburg, 19 Derick Kuün, 20 Heinie Adams, 21 Burton Francis, 22 JP Nel.
Well it looks like Frans was impressed by Chilliboy's display off the bench last week. I was too. It seems like Derick Kuun is the FETCHER replacement this weekend, which is why they have the two props on the bench as Jaco Engels comes into the squad.
Kuun is going to fulfill Deon Stegman’s role in this game - or at least in the 2nd half once either Rossouw or Bakkies comes off.
That is a major shift, as it may be the first indication that Kuun will eventually resume his fetcher flank role which has become more important as demonstrated by Stegman’s value this season (my appreciation for him was dented by the red card).And of coz Luke Watson at the Stormers.
So the Bulls have two props and two flanks on the bench this week, which attempts to addresses both their fetching problems and their scrumming problems experienced against the Highlanders.
This is made possible by having Danie Rossouw who can double as a lock replacement if necessary.
Will it work?
Personally, I would have started with Kuun on the flank, with Rossouw on the bench. But then again, maybe a good fetcher is more important in the 2nd half when the game loosens up a bit, and after the hard men have softened up the opposition.
I feel this will be a very important game in the bigger scheme of things for Roy's team. A win will show that the Highlanders loss was just a brief dip in concentration, whereas a loss might derail the tour altogether.
Let’s hope that the return of the big guns has the necessary effect on the Bulls, who disappointed even me greatly last weekend. Otherwise this is a pretty good looking side and they may turn the tables around to keep Roy's quotable quote in safe mode.
Bulls dominate SA U20 Training Squad
Twelve Blue Bulls players have been selected for the SA U20 training camp in Saldanha.Clearly it seems Mr Roy's boys are dominating junior rugby. Well all i know is that they are good at poaching youngsters from other provinces, of which there is nothing wrong with it by the way.
Coach Eric Sauls named his extended squad of 32 that will attend a training camp from 2-8 April on the West Coast. The group to attend the Junior World Championship in Japan will be finalised next month, while the global tournament begins in June.
The squad’s preparations include a warm-up match on Saturday against Boland in Wellington.
SA U20 training squad
Blue Bulls - Clayton Blommetjies, Zane Botha, Francois Brummer, Omphile Seabela, Tendayi Chikukwa, Marnus Schoeman, Cornell Hess, Mlungisi Bali, Pieter Rossouw de Klerk, Sampie Mastriet, CJ Stander, Peet Vorster,
Free State - Lionel Cronje, Trevor Ntando Nyakane, Cameron Jacobs.
Golden Lions - Riaan Arends, Rudy Paige, David Bulbring, Caylib Oosthuizen.
KwaZulu-Natal - Julian Redelinghuys, Kyle Cooper, Dale Chadwick, Wynand Pienaar, Faizel de Bruyn, Jan André Marais.
Western Province - Nicolaas Hanekom, Johann Sadie, Johannes Engelbrecht, Yaasier Hartzenberg, Louis Schreuder, Rynhardt Elstadt, Garrich Matthee.
Team Management
Eric Sauls (Head Coach, Blue Bulls)
Deon Davids (Assistant Coach, Boland)
Nico Serfontein (Assistant Coach, Blue Bulls)
Willem Oliphant (Team Manager, Eastern Province)
Tim Dlulane (Logistics Manager, Blue Bulls)
Elliot Mntunwekhaya Fana (Technical Assistant, Border)
Dr Pierre Vivers (Team Doctor, SARU)
Matime Diale (Physiotherapist, SARU)
Wayne Hector (Physiotherapist, Western Province)
Johan Pretorius (Conditioning Coach, Sport Science Institute of SA)
Coach Eric Sauls named his extended squad of 32 that will attend a training camp from 2-8 April on the West Coast. The group to attend the Junior World Championship in Japan will be finalised next month, while the global tournament begins in June.
The squad’s preparations include a warm-up match on Saturday against Boland in Wellington.
SA U20 training squad
Blue Bulls - Clayton Blommetjies, Zane Botha, Francois Brummer, Omphile Seabela, Tendayi Chikukwa, Marnus Schoeman, Cornell Hess, Mlungisi Bali, Pieter Rossouw de Klerk, Sampie Mastriet, CJ Stander, Peet Vorster,
Free State - Lionel Cronje, Trevor Ntando Nyakane, Cameron Jacobs.
Golden Lions - Riaan Arends, Rudy Paige, David Bulbring, Caylib Oosthuizen.
KwaZulu-Natal - Julian Redelinghuys, Kyle Cooper, Dale Chadwick, Wynand Pienaar, Faizel de Bruyn, Jan André Marais.
Western Province - Nicolaas Hanekom, Johann Sadie, Johannes Engelbrecht, Yaasier Hartzenberg, Louis Schreuder, Rynhardt Elstadt, Garrich Matthee.
Team Management
Eric Sauls (Head Coach, Blue Bulls)
Deon Davids (Assistant Coach, Boland)
Nico Serfontein (Assistant Coach, Blue Bulls)
Willem Oliphant (Team Manager, Eastern Province)
Tim Dlulane (Logistics Manager, Blue Bulls)
Elliot Mntunwekhaya Fana (Technical Assistant, Border)
Dr Pierre Vivers (Team Doctor, SARU)
Matime Diale (Physiotherapist, SARU)
Wayne Hector (Physiotherapist, Western Province)
Johan Pretorius (Conditioning Coach, Sport Science Institute of SA)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Coach Dobbo's post match interview
FNB UCT head coach John Dobson was a bitterly disappointed man after his side's 17-19semifinal loss to a fired-up Pukke team at the Green Mile on Monday afternoon. Disappointed - and naturally so, one might add - but yet also upbeat after another thrilling season of Varsity Cup rugby from the Ikey Tigers.
The result, of course, means the defending champion Maties will once again host a FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International Final - having done so last season - only this year it will not be against the Ikeys.
"Firstly, I want to congratulate Pukke who came down to these awful conditions and got a win," Dobson told uctrfc.co.za on Tuesday.
"I am full of admiration for them and their remarkable captain, Willem van der Wal. He is the engine and talisman of that team and a very impressive player and individual."
The disappointment, however, was there to see in the eyes of the UCT coach.
"Of course we are (disappointed) - having already watched the DVD twice we can blame only ourselves, and not as some have suggested the referee for that last penalty," said Dobson.
"That we get into or near their 22m four times into that gale and then turned the ball over at lineouts or knocked it on was disappointing - the turning point being the knock on when we were on the attack in their 22... and then they ran 70m to score a crucial try.
"The toss was a massive factor. We knew we were under pressure when we lost it as it takes the team with the wind a good 20 minutes to find their feet. As it was, we scored our first points in the 24th minute - 24 minutes wasted in that hurricane was too much.
"People think we know the wind at our home ground, the Green Mile, but the point is that playing with it requires one to stand closer together and kick which is against the DNA of most UCT players."
However, it was not complete doom and gloom for Dobson - and his assistant coach Robbie Fleck - and the talented Ikeys coach said: "I was much happier with our second half-effort.
"We defended mauls well and scored a super try. Leading 17-6 with 20 to go, we can look only at ourselves as to why we did not close the game out. We conceded too many penalties, which was crucial to playing into the wind and something we stressed the whole week.
"It was disappointing as we had done enough, despite our start to win the game. We would have loved to play our pattern in good conditions - but, like mud and rain, wind is also a great leveller.
"But it's over and we are sad," added Dobson with a hint of a smile on his face.
He added: "You know, we lost so many players - frontliners like James Martin (the Back of the Tournament in 2008), Herbert Mayosi (Forward of the Tournament in 2008), Dave Edgar, Danie van der Merwe, Kyle Brown, Mike Ledwidge, Martin Muller, JP Koster, Tim Whitehead, Rob Hopwood, etc - from last year, so we were always going to have to rebuild in 2009.
"So, I guess, rather than be too disappointed, I suppose we must be happy with second place and a home semifinal, which was our goal at the start of 2009," he continued.
"I think it's a massive credit to Maties who can lose so many players, but yet still produce a performance like (they did) last night. Their depth is astounding. I think we are especially gutted (about our loss) as we would have fancied a crack at them next week, given how close we came earlier in the season.
"It's good to hear that Maties are relieved that they are not playing us (in the final). But given how we so easily could have won through to the final, it's helluva disappointing. But Pukke had to wear it last year and now we must do the same."
Despite his team's loss in the semifinals - only their fourth defeat overall in two seasons of Varsity Cup rugby - Dobson was full of praise for the Varsity Cup; a tournament that once again lived up to its catchphrase of 'Rugby that Rocks!'.
"I do want to thank Francois Pienaar and Duitser Bosman, and everybody else involved, for an amazing tournament once again. It was a great ride - as it was in 2008 - and great fun to play and compete at this level given the tournament's vast professionalism," said Dobson.
"I am proud of UCT given our resources that we can compete so well, but we now have to think about the local WP league which is arguably the toughest in the country with a helluva high standard amongst some great clubs.
"In fact, I think it is a property that WP Rugby could do more with - given their struggles to win major trophies of late. Last year we battled in the local league as it started just days after the Varsity Cup Final and we never found our feet. But the slightly longer break now should stand us in good stead as we would like to do well in it.
"At the end of the day, the Varsity Cup is the sexy product and the glamour event, but we have to pay our rent in the Super League."
Hardy Dobz!!!!!!
The result, of course, means the defending champion Maties will once again host a FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International Final - having done so last season - only this year it will not be against the Ikeys.
"Firstly, I want to congratulate Pukke who came down to these awful conditions and got a win," Dobson told uctrfc.co.za on Tuesday.
"I am full of admiration for them and their remarkable captain, Willem van der Wal. He is the engine and talisman of that team and a very impressive player and individual."
The disappointment, however, was there to see in the eyes of the UCT coach.
"Of course we are (disappointed) - having already watched the DVD twice we can blame only ourselves, and not as some have suggested the referee for that last penalty," said Dobson.
"That we get into or near their 22m four times into that gale and then turned the ball over at lineouts or knocked it on was disappointing - the turning point being the knock on when we were on the attack in their 22... and then they ran 70m to score a crucial try.
"The toss was a massive factor. We knew we were under pressure when we lost it as it takes the team with the wind a good 20 minutes to find their feet. As it was, we scored our first points in the 24th minute - 24 minutes wasted in that hurricane was too much.
"People think we know the wind at our home ground, the Green Mile, but the point is that playing with it requires one to stand closer together and kick which is against the DNA of most UCT players."
However, it was not complete doom and gloom for Dobson - and his assistant coach Robbie Fleck - and the talented Ikeys coach said: "I was much happier with our second half-effort.
"We defended mauls well and scored a super try. Leading 17-6 with 20 to go, we can look only at ourselves as to why we did not close the game out. We conceded too many penalties, which was crucial to playing into the wind and something we stressed the whole week.
"It was disappointing as we had done enough, despite our start to win the game. We would have loved to play our pattern in good conditions - but, like mud and rain, wind is also a great leveller.
"But it's over and we are sad," added Dobson with a hint of a smile on his face.
He added: "You know, we lost so many players - frontliners like James Martin (the Back of the Tournament in 2008), Herbert Mayosi (Forward of the Tournament in 2008), Dave Edgar, Danie van der Merwe, Kyle Brown, Mike Ledwidge, Martin Muller, JP Koster, Tim Whitehead, Rob Hopwood, etc - from last year, so we were always going to have to rebuild in 2009.
"So, I guess, rather than be too disappointed, I suppose we must be happy with second place and a home semifinal, which was our goal at the start of 2009," he continued.
"I think it's a massive credit to Maties who can lose so many players, but yet still produce a performance like (they did) last night. Their depth is astounding. I think we are especially gutted (about our loss) as we would have fancied a crack at them next week, given how close we came earlier in the season.
"It's good to hear that Maties are relieved that they are not playing us (in the final). But given how we so easily could have won through to the final, it's helluva disappointing. But Pukke had to wear it last year and now we must do the same."
Despite his team's loss in the semifinals - only their fourth defeat overall in two seasons of Varsity Cup rugby - Dobson was full of praise for the Varsity Cup; a tournament that once again lived up to its catchphrase of 'Rugby that Rocks!'.
"I do want to thank Francois Pienaar and Duitser Bosman, and everybody else involved, for an amazing tournament once again. It was a great ride - as it was in 2008 - and great fun to play and compete at this level given the tournament's vast professionalism," said Dobson.
"I am proud of UCT given our resources that we can compete so well, but we now have to think about the local WP league which is arguably the toughest in the country with a helluva high standard amongst some great clubs.
"In fact, I think it is a property that WP Rugby could do more with - given their struggles to win major trophies of late. Last year we battled in the local league as it started just days after the Varsity Cup Final and we never found our feet. But the slightly longer break now should stand us in good stead as we would like to do well in it.
"At the end of the day, the Varsity Cup is the sexy product and the glamour event, but we have to pay our rent in the Super League."
Hardy Dobz!!!!!!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Consider overseas-based players - Os
It will be unwise not to consider overseas-based South African players in crucial positions such as flyhalf and tighthead prop for the forthcoming visit by the British and Irish Lions.
That was the message to Springbok coach Peter de Villiers from several former Springboks prior to the Lions tour, which only occurs once every 12 years.
With South Africa having lost 1-2 in the 1997 series, they should not expose themselves to any risk.
Os du Randt, who was a member of South Africa’s World Cup-winning teams of 1995 and 2007, said De Villiers should not look past CJ van der Linde and Butch James.
Together with BJ Botha, who is also playing overseas, they are still available to play for the Boks.
Jannie du Plessis is currently the only tighthead prop with test experience performing well in the Super14. John Smit is also being used in the position, but he is not as experienced as Du Plessis, Van der Linde and Botha.
James’s departure left a big void at flyhalf, where the injured Ruan Pienaar has been earmarked to play against the Lions.
Pienaar’s skills are good, but he has spent most of his career at scrumhalf. Peter Grant and Frans Steyn can also be considered at flyhalf for South Africa.
De Villiers is not a big believer in picking overseas-based players.
“I definitely think Peter should consider overseas-based players. When Percy Montgomery was picked out of Wales some years ago, it was good for the side because we were exposed to new ideas,” said Du Randt.
“Tighthead prop is a position where we don’t have a great deal of depth and I think someone like CJ has all the skills of a tight forward.”
[Supersport]
Should a coach be blamed when a team loses?
After the Stormers lost to the Blues sometime last week, a disappointed head coach, Rassie was asked by a TV interviewer about the team’s errors and were they went wrong?(Andries Bekker…yes Dries….. being the chief perpetrator, wrongfully joined the backline (I sometimes wonder if he’s a lock or outside centre)at least thrice and made knock-ons………Schalk Burger also lost a couple of balls on contact….most that lead to crucial turnovers …and Jean D Villiers missed tackle led to the Blues scoring a try……at some balls were lost from a brilliant attacking position)
With that question in mind, I’m sure Rassie was probably thinking “Can it be my fault a 30+ capped international player drops the ball?”
Of cause he diplomatically deferred to possible tactical errors and how the opposition played better bla bla bla (of coz I compliment him for that, you can’t disgrace your players in public). Some newspapers however (and me included), were quick to question his rugby coaching ability.
My perception is that rugby coaching is about coaching rugby skills. A coach shapes a team’s approach to the scrum and lineout. Each ruck and maul, attacking options will be influenced by the training sessions and feedback over weeks, months and years. As for attacking moves, it’s good to have options, but they can only be executed when the situation allows, hence its not a primary focus.
However, through some limited experience as player and Coach, it is the player who steps over the whitewash of the touchline to play the game, not the Coach.
As a coach, it is hard to watch your team play and make unforced errors. It is easy to pin the blame and quickly to look to either the players or yourself for fault. Fueling you for your next rugby practice. What happens if such unforced errors occur week in week out? As much I don’t blame the coach for these unforced errors, what he does at training or afterwards is crucial. If Andries made a lot of silly errors in one game, or two, he needs to get punished for it. Sit him on the bench in the next game, so that he doesn’t think he’s irreplaceable (LOL!..unfortunately of which he is by the way).
They say the enlightened view is not to blame anybody. Personally I find this hard to do. “Move on, don’t focus on the past, focus on the now” is the mantra that the top players use. Tiger Woods, the world’s best golfer, is a shining example of the removing the blame.
Where does this leave the coach? In the TV interview, he has to say who he blames. To his players, he has to say “let’s play the next game”?
I quite like the approach of Fergie (ManU coach). He says it all in the changing room straight after the game and that’s it. Mind you, I would not like to be on the end of his post match criticism!
What does this have to do with anything?
Well, a “who are the top coaches in the world” debate was evoked yesterday and there were mixed feelings as to “after winning the highly coveted Webb Ellis trophy and the tri-Nations, why the masses still don’t give Jake White due respect”, or “….why guys like John and Vic were regarded as influential “coaches” in the WC winning team…or the stealth in Rassie that makes him highly- (or is it overly-) rated.
So what exactly makes up a good COACH? What are the credentials? Maybe from there, that would make our understanding of good coaches easier.
I know winning is paramount, but how do I differentiate for instance between two winning coaches?Question posed to my well knowledgeable rugby enthusiasts.
Disclaimer: This article is together with any attachments that it may contain, and is intended only for the named addressee(s) of the Rugga-Bloggaz-Forum indicated in the message and may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you have NOT received this message in error, please accept my apologies and kindly inform the COACH of the error.
With that question in mind, I’m sure Rassie was probably thinking “Can it be my fault a 30+ capped international player drops the ball?”
Of cause he diplomatically deferred to possible tactical errors and how the opposition played better bla bla bla (of coz I compliment him for that, you can’t disgrace your players in public). Some newspapers however (and me included), were quick to question his rugby coaching ability.
My perception is that rugby coaching is about coaching rugby skills. A coach shapes a team’s approach to the scrum and lineout. Each ruck and maul, attacking options will be influenced by the training sessions and feedback over weeks, months and years. As for attacking moves, it’s good to have options, but they can only be executed when the situation allows, hence its not a primary focus.
However, through some limited experience as player and Coach, it is the player who steps over the whitewash of the touchline to play the game, not the Coach.
As a coach, it is hard to watch your team play and make unforced errors. It is easy to pin the blame and quickly to look to either the players or yourself for fault. Fueling you for your next rugby practice. What happens if such unforced errors occur week in week out? As much I don’t blame the coach for these unforced errors, what he does at training or afterwards is crucial. If Andries made a lot of silly errors in one game, or two, he needs to get punished for it. Sit him on the bench in the next game, so that he doesn’t think he’s irreplaceable (LOL!..unfortunately of which he is by the way).
They say the enlightened view is not to blame anybody. Personally I find this hard to do. “Move on, don’t focus on the past, focus on the now” is the mantra that the top players use. Tiger Woods, the world’s best golfer, is a shining example of the removing the blame.
Where does this leave the coach? In the TV interview, he has to say who he blames. To his players, he has to say “let’s play the next game”?
I quite like the approach of Fergie (ManU coach). He says it all in the changing room straight after the game and that’s it. Mind you, I would not like to be on the end of his post match criticism!
What does this have to do with anything?
Well, a “who are the top coaches in the world” debate was evoked yesterday and there were mixed feelings as to “after winning the highly coveted Webb Ellis trophy and the tri-Nations, why the masses still don’t give Jake White due respect”, or “….why guys like John and Vic were regarded as influential “coaches” in the WC winning team…or the stealth in Rassie that makes him highly- (or is it overly-) rated.
So what exactly makes up a good COACH? What are the credentials? Maybe from there, that would make our understanding of good coaches easier.
I know winning is paramount, but how do I differentiate for instance between two winning coaches?Question posed to my well knowledgeable rugby enthusiasts.
Disclaimer: This article is together with any attachments that it may contain, and is intended only for the named addressee(s) of the Rugga-Bloggaz-Forum indicated in the message and may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you have NOT received this message in error, please accept my apologies and kindly inform the COACH of the error.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Why Koster is the real deal
A schoolboy sensation for Bishops, Nick Koster was always destined for greatness. SA Rugby magazine expects him to live up to the hype.
The brief asked for the definitive piece on Nick Koster. Sorry, but that can’t be done. It will have to wait until he is in his mid-20s, when we’ll know for sure where his rugby career is going, what he is about as a player and just how good he really is.
But that a definitive line could even be asked for on someone who is only just one year out of school says everything that needs to be said about just what a big talking point the 19-year-old Stormers player has become. Hype there has been aplenty. How many other school players do you know of who became the subject of a double-page spread in a major newspaper, like Koster was in the Weekend Argus two years ago?
There were some who said it was over-done, but then there would be, for the Cape – until last year’s Currie Cup – seemed to be divided into two sections: There were those who had seen him play and were convinced he was something special, and hence deserving of the hype around his name, and those who hadn’t seen him play and considered it all unnecessary hubris. When the Currie Cup came along, and Koster, to his own surprise, was included on the substitutes bench for a game against the Lions in Jo’burg, the ranks of the doubters were cut significantly. And there was an even bigger dent in that faction later in the competition, when the youngster swarmed all over the Sharks, mightily impressing their coach John Plumtree.
These days the debate seems to go along different lines. It is no longer about whether Koster is good enough. It is about when will be the right time to push him into the big time, about the sort of management that would be wise for such a hot young talent.
In his own way, Rassie Erasmus, the Stormers coach, has acknowledged the relevance of the argument. For when Erasmus started talking about trying Koster on the wing, he was not really saying that he had spotted a great wing in the making, but a player that was extremely young yet way too good to be left out of the team completely.
‘The people who ask me why he’s going to play wing suggest to me that maybe I should send him to sevens instead. But you tell me, what is going to benefit Nick more, exposure to Super 14 rugby, even if it is in a different position to what he is used to, or playing sevens, which really is a completely different game?’ asks Erasmus.
The coach never said it, but only because he didn’t need to – does Koster need the skills fine-tuning which is implied when a player goes to sevens? If you listen to the people who have been pivotal in Koster’s development, and who have helped with the nurturing process, he is one of those rare players who possessed sublime skills while still in the womb.
Nick Mallett, formerly director of coaching at Western Province and also an erstwhile parent supporter of the Bishops 1st XV that Koster was part of, has been aware of Koster’s talents for almost a decade.
‘Koster first came to my attention when he was U10 and he played rugby against my son for Bishops Prep,’ recalls Mallett. ‘He was initially so much bigger and stronger than the other boys his age, he was one of those really early developers. He already stood at six foot when he was 13. So, while his performances were noteworthy, you couldn’t take too much notice of him then as you knew that the other boys would catch up in terms of physique.
‘That was always going to be his big test, playing against the other guys his age on a level playing field where he wasn’t bigger than them. But I am thankful to say he quickly showed that he was just a very gifted and talented sportsman in his own right.
His skills were unbelievable, and one of the things that impressed me was how he bulked up by 20kg when he had a year away from the game, and yet just didn’t lose speed.
‘When someone that skilful has physical ability and has speed, then you know you are onto something special. He played 1st XV when he was still U16, and did not look out of place. He played Western Province Schools in his first year of 1st XV rugby, and in one of the big Craven Week games I saw, he had a really great game even though everyone knew he went into it carrying an injury.’
It was then that Mallett, realising that some of the other provincial unions would also be taking notice and would be keen to contract him, decided to act by offering Koster a senior deal with WP.
‘I didn’t want to see him go to the Bulls or the Sharks, who were quite openly recruiting young players at that time and offering to pay for their education.’
But if this gives the impression that everything always came easy to Koster, it would be wrong. There was a time, when he was U15, that he heard the jarring news that he may never be able to play rugby again.
‘I suffered a torn disc, possibly as a result of my cricket, where I was a fast bowling all-rounder. I missed most of my U15 year, and the doctor gave me a huge scare when he told me I may not play again,’ says Koster. ‘In retrospect, I think he was just laying out the possible scenarios, but for a young sports-mad kid like me, that was a really horrible thing to hear.’
Mallett helped solve the situation by bringing Koster under the care of WP’s team doctor, Ryan Kohler, who is highly regarded in his field.
‘With the help of Ryan, we devised a special training programme to work on Nick’s back problem, which we thought might have been caused by him growing too quickly,’ says Mallett.
‘We worked with him through the year, and with him not playing rugby, he was able to concentrate on his strengthening programme, visiting the Sports Science Institute every week and, as I said earlier, it paid huge dividends for him.
‘Not only was he able to play sport again, but the following year he made WP Schools athletics and excelled on the rugby field. It was then that I realised he could make it onto the big stage and was a really special talent that we needed to look after. I contacted [WP managing director] Rob Wagner and advised him to put Nick on a professional contract.
‘I also got his father involved, suggesting that Nick enrol at Stellenbosch University and remain in the Cape until at least the age of 23 so that he had the best chance of making the most of his development as a rugby player. I reckoned that we could give him the grounding that would set him up for a highly successful career.’
Apart from that year when he battled with his back, Koster – who although humble appears to possess the certainty of path that most really successful, driven people do – was always clear that a professional rugby player was what he wanted to become.
‘I enjoyed cricket when I played it in my early school years, and still love the sport, but rugby was what I was always passionate about. My uncle, Calla Scholtz, played for WP, and he has also worked with me quite a bit. My father runs a stud farm near Bonnievale, about two hours drive from Cape Town, but every weekend when there was a WP game
on, we would travel to Newlands.
‘From a young age I remember being passionate about WP rugby and the Springboks. I remember being up in the clouds with euphoria for days after they won a big game, and crying when they lost. I started playing when I was six years old, and from then on I knew I just loved the game and that it was what I really wanted to do.
‘The other day I was browsing through some of my old schoolbooks which I have kept, and I came across a Grade 2 essay in which we had been asked to say what we wanted to do when we grew up. I wrote all about how I wanted to be a professional rugby player for 10 years. It amazes me now how clear I was.’
And at Bishops he will be remembered for more than just his natural sporting ability, but for the work he put in to ensure it all came together and that he gave himself the best chance of excelling on the rugby field.
André Jacobs, his 1st XV coach for two years, had many young players go through his hands during 12 years at St Andrew’s College in Grahamstown and then a decade at Bishops, and he is convinced that Koster is the special one.
‘Nick was just a superb all-round sportsman, but one of the stand-out memories was how at one stage of his school career he decided that he needed to switch from being a middle-distance athlete to a sprinter,’ says Jacobs.
‘It was astounding how quickly he adjusted and in no time at all he was excelling at the sprints, running away from all his opposition and finding himself rated among the top schoolboy sprinters in the country.’
Koster explains that the switch was motivated entirely by rugby considerations.
‘I used to do hurdles and middle distance when I was young. When I was 14 and 15, my specialities were the 400m and the 800m. When I was 15, I came third in the SA champs. But then I decided that sprinting would help my rugby, and I started to do a lot of work geared towards making me faster.
‘I was really surprised with the results. I went quite quickly from running an 11.9 in the 100m to running an 11.3. And then I cut my time down to 11 seconds dead. It was the result of a lot of leg-power work.’
According to Jacobs, Koster was far more than just a sportsman at school – he was also an intelligent student who did well at academics, and had a rare ability to lead his peers while retaining an air of humility.
‘If you speak to him you will see he is a humble boy, a really nice guy who, despite all his success on the sports field, does not swagger or behave arrogantly. He was the school’s head boy in his matric year, and he was a popular one. But that did not mean he was different to other boys. He still did the naughty things boys do, like fighting for the line, which is a term only people who went to Bishops will understand. Overall though, he is one of the few people I would be unable to comment on if you asked me to point out a weak point or down side to him.’
Former WP League hooker Craig Wilson helped Basil Bey coach the U15 side at Bishops in the year that Koster was in that age-group, and recalls that his strong leadership ability saw him join the coaching staff when he could not play.
‘He only played one or two games for us, but what was very clear was that when he did play for us we went from being a mediocre team to an excellent team. He was one of those guys who made a big difference to the whole team,’ says Wilson. ‘Even when he was a relatively young schoolboy, the other kids seemed to look up to him, and when he couldn’t play, he was there helping us with the coaching. I watched him play Bishops 1st XV many times, but can’t say
any particular game stood out as he was always brilliant, and he always scored a lot of tries.’
On the subject of what position he should play, Jacobs is convinced that although his size came in useful off the back of the scrum at school, he is good enough to make it almost anywhere a coach picks him.
‘He has everything, from outstanding ball skills, strength, speed to great finishing ability. He made things happen around him, he provided spark.’
And for all of that, here is confirmation that Koster, in the words of a Parlotones song, is only human after all. While he was amazed at how quickly he settled into Currie Cup rugby after his unexpected selection last year, he was disappointed that he was unable to carry through his early momentum until the end of the season.
‘It all started so well, I was prepared to try things, and they came off. I really enjoyed myself. But then when the Springbok players returned to the team, I suddenly went through a dry period. I felt different, I was less inclined to give it a full go. I didn’t understand it, I felt like I became inhibited. It is something that I am going to have to work on in the new season.’
That sounds like an admission that, for all his talent, Koster experienced a time when he realised that he was just a 19-year-old kid, and that he still has to graduate to the level that some of his team-mates are on. For all the expectation, he still has it all to do, and his wisdom will hold him in good stead.
‘The expectation does create pressure, but the biggest pressure is the pressure I put on myself, the pressure to achieve what I know I can and to live up to my ability. The media hype does affect you, what people write or say about you has to have some effect as, no matter how hard you try to block it out, you can’t.
‘I must just concentrate on my game, and realise that what people say about me when I play well is often over-done and exaggerated, just as it will sometimes go the other way when I play badly.’
Article written by Gavin Rich [SA Rugby Magazine]
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
So’oialo hails SA’s attacking evolution
Rodney So’oialo says South African franchises are catching up to Australasian teams in terms of their attacking play.
So’oialo was brutally honest in his assessment of the South African’s style both past and present.
‘Australia has always been a similar style of play to New Zealand rugby, and I think Africa is catching up in that area,” he told the Dominion Post.
‘They are playing more of a New Zealand style, especially in the backs. They’ve been playing us for 100 years, so it’s about time they caught on. They’ve got a few New Zealand coaches there and with technology … they were always going to get better.’
The All Blacks No 8 said the South African’s are always physical in the forwards but intimated that they were predictable in their approach. He said that was changing and this meant South African teams were an altogether tougher proposition.
‘They’ve always been good [athletes], but I think they are only starting to recognise what they have. Like any other team, you utilise your strengths,’ he added.
‘You go back to the whole South African squad and they are a very talented team and they certainly know how to play the game … with that added size it makes them tough to beat.’
[keo]
So’oialo was brutally honest in his assessment of the South African’s style both past and present.
‘Australia has always been a similar style of play to New Zealand rugby, and I think Africa is catching up in that area,” he told the Dominion Post.
‘They are playing more of a New Zealand style, especially in the backs. They’ve been playing us for 100 years, so it’s about time they caught on. They’ve got a few New Zealand coaches there and with technology … they were always going to get better.’
The All Blacks No 8 said the South African’s are always physical in the forwards but intimated that they were predictable in their approach. He said that was changing and this meant South African teams were an altogether tougher proposition.
‘They’ve always been good [athletes], but I think they are only starting to recognise what they have. Like any other team, you utilise your strengths,’ he added.
‘You go back to the whole South African squad and they are a very talented team and they certainly know how to play the game … with that added size it makes them tough to beat.’
[keo]
Coaches in the firing line
Coaches live in the firing line. It comes with the territory, be it rugby, cricket, football, you name it, more often than not in professional sport the coach is singled out for criticism when the team fails. Even during prolonged periods of success, a sudden slump in form by the team is usually laid at the door of the coach.
In the professional rugby arena the coach occupies a critical space within the team. He is the bearer of knowledge, is required to possess special insight into the abilities of his players and opposition players alike, while possessing extensive business management and proven people management skills. Long gone are the days when you can just take a former star player and turn him into a coach to guide your team to success.
The rationale behind this erstwhile approach has always been that because the player had the experience of top flight rugby and knows what to expect, he would transfer his knowledge to the players he coaches. It is therefore not surprising that the success of these coaches depended heavily on the quality of the players they had at their disposal. Notwithstanding this, there are also good examples of former star players that indeed possessed the required coaching skills to excel as professional rugby coaches. Carel du Plessis, Hugh-Reece Edwards, Rudolph Streauli and Dawie Snyman are examples of Springboks who became professional coaches but never really made the grade.
A shining example of a top class former Springbok making his mark in the professional coaching arena is Rassie Erasmus, the Stormers head coach. According to Nick Mallett (another good example), during his playing days Erasmus was a meticulous analyst of the game spending hours on end behind his laptop studying the opposition and looking at ways to improve his game. He is a classic student of the game, seeking to understand every nuance of the game, be it technical, tactical or purely how game situations evolve within clearly defined circumstances on the field of play.
Partner these skills with good people management skills and you have a winning combination. Erasmus has been gracious in defeat these last few weeks, acknowledging the superiority of the opposition on the day, but every time emphasised the immense confidence he has in his players and the confidence they have in each other – this shows a team with very clear goals and a focused approach to the game. At the post match interview after the Stormers smashed the Lions, Erasmus gave all the credit to his players and did not once refer to his own contribution to their success.
Losing confidence
If we contrast this to the time when Kobus van der Merwe was coaching a struggling Stormers side a few years back when he criticised his players in the media, one appreciates the value of good people management skills. There’s nothing worse than players losing confidence and respect for their coach - the very moment this happens the coach and the team has but one way to go and that is down.
This is the confidence challenge Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske faces presently: with five losses in a row and with one tour match to go against the high flying Highlanders at the House of Pain he has to come up with something to inspire his chargers. Only time will tell if he still carries the respect of this beaten outfit. Similarly, Lions coach Eugene Eloff and his team also desperately need a confidence booster after having been humiliated at Newlands this past weekend. They face sterner opposition over the next few weeks which will make things even worse (Brumbies, Hurricanes, Chiefs, Blues and Reds).
At Loftus the soft spoken Frans Ludeke has found his feet after a terrible first Super 14 season with the Bulls. The return of Heyneke Meyer to Pretoria (the two are very close friends) would have given him a welcome boost ahead of the Bulls’ Australasian tour. Reports from Pretoria are that the players have accepted Ludeke completely, a process that was hugely facilitated by the return of Victor Matfield to a leadership position within the Bulls outfit. Their trip down under will not be easy facing the likes of the Hurricanes, Highlanders, Crusaders, Waratahs and Brumbies.
However, like with all teams and coaches, things are always good when the team is winning. For the South African franchises the next five weeks will be telling: the Cheetahs are down and out while the Bulls, Lions, and Stormers face character tests down under. It is under these trying circumstances that the specialised knowledge and player management skills of coaches and senior players will be needed to pull them through.
Written by Sport24 columnist Gary Boshoff
In the professional rugby arena the coach occupies a critical space within the team. He is the bearer of knowledge, is required to possess special insight into the abilities of his players and opposition players alike, while possessing extensive business management and proven people management skills. Long gone are the days when you can just take a former star player and turn him into a coach to guide your team to success.
The rationale behind this erstwhile approach has always been that because the player had the experience of top flight rugby and knows what to expect, he would transfer his knowledge to the players he coaches. It is therefore not surprising that the success of these coaches depended heavily on the quality of the players they had at their disposal. Notwithstanding this, there are also good examples of former star players that indeed possessed the required coaching skills to excel as professional rugby coaches. Carel du Plessis, Hugh-Reece Edwards, Rudolph Streauli and Dawie Snyman are examples of Springboks who became professional coaches but never really made the grade.
A shining example of a top class former Springbok making his mark in the professional coaching arena is Rassie Erasmus, the Stormers head coach. According to Nick Mallett (another good example), during his playing days Erasmus was a meticulous analyst of the game spending hours on end behind his laptop studying the opposition and looking at ways to improve his game. He is a classic student of the game, seeking to understand every nuance of the game, be it technical, tactical or purely how game situations evolve within clearly defined circumstances on the field of play.
Partner these skills with good people management skills and you have a winning combination. Erasmus has been gracious in defeat these last few weeks, acknowledging the superiority of the opposition on the day, but every time emphasised the immense confidence he has in his players and the confidence they have in each other – this shows a team with very clear goals and a focused approach to the game. At the post match interview after the Stormers smashed the Lions, Erasmus gave all the credit to his players and did not once refer to his own contribution to their success.
Losing confidence
If we contrast this to the time when Kobus van der Merwe was coaching a struggling Stormers side a few years back when he criticised his players in the media, one appreciates the value of good people management skills. There’s nothing worse than players losing confidence and respect for their coach - the very moment this happens the coach and the team has but one way to go and that is down.
This is the confidence challenge Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske faces presently: with five losses in a row and with one tour match to go against the high flying Highlanders at the House of Pain he has to come up with something to inspire his chargers. Only time will tell if he still carries the respect of this beaten outfit. Similarly, Lions coach Eugene Eloff and his team also desperately need a confidence booster after having been humiliated at Newlands this past weekend. They face sterner opposition over the next few weeks which will make things even worse (Brumbies, Hurricanes, Chiefs, Blues and Reds).
At Loftus the soft spoken Frans Ludeke has found his feet after a terrible first Super 14 season with the Bulls. The return of Heyneke Meyer to Pretoria (the two are very close friends) would have given him a welcome boost ahead of the Bulls’ Australasian tour. Reports from Pretoria are that the players have accepted Ludeke completely, a process that was hugely facilitated by the return of Victor Matfield to a leadership position within the Bulls outfit. Their trip down under will not be easy facing the likes of the Hurricanes, Highlanders, Crusaders, Waratahs and Brumbies.
However, like with all teams and coaches, things are always good when the team is winning. For the South African franchises the next five weeks will be telling: the Cheetahs are down and out while the Bulls, Lions, and Stormers face character tests down under. It is under these trying circumstances that the specialised knowledge and player management skills of coaches and senior players will be needed to pull them through.
Written by Sport24 columnist Gary Boshoff
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