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
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
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)
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