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.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
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
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Mighty Ikeys do it for Monte in style
Taru gives the latest updates around the rugby circles
The late charismatic Ikeys player, Monty Taljaard
A heartfelt and spirited performance by the 14-men Ikeys Tigers earned them a resounding 36-17 victory over the strong-willed NMMU outfit to claim the Monte Taljaard Trophy in Port Elizabeth on the 2nd of February. This was a fitting tribute to the late Monte Taljaard (former U20A1 Captain and member of the 2008 Varsity Cup side), the likeable and charismatic Ikeys player who passed on tragically in a road accident last September. This five-try victory earned the Ikeys an important bonus point to allow them to leap into second place on the log, only two points behind leaders and perennial rivals, Maties.
Coach Dobbo made a couple of rotational changes in his run-on side, giving Goose, Ashely Wells, the hard-hitting Kuselo Moyake, the resurgent Sean Van Tonder and the eventual Man of the Match, JP Roberts who was a constant menace to the NMMU defence. This decision paid dividends to the coach as all them put up a sterling performance to give and attested how much depth the coach has in his side ahead of the crunch play-offs which the Ikeys look set to be involved in. Once again, the UCT backline proved to be troublesome for the NMMU side as they relentlessly broke through their defence, with the evergreen Sean Van Tonder and the powerful Pieter Engelbrecht being the chief perpetrators. That fine showcase by the new look side (it’s not a B-side by the way) has actually given Dobbo a selection head-ache, the one any coach would love to have ahead of the play offs.
Week six saw the Ikeys take on the Shimlas at the Green Mile. This match was billed to be a thriller, with the Shimlas (UFS) having dented Tukkies’ play-off hopes with a booming 39-22 victory in week five. UCT looked dangerous on attack and they defended very well. However a series of handling errors from both sides robbed us from witnessing a high try scoring game. UCT ultimately won the game 23-20 having scored excellent tries through hooker Dayne “Danger” Jans who made a frenzied run on the right touchline that was reminiscent of Stormers’ reserve hooker Deon Fourie’s bravura try against the Bulls. Flyhalf Matthew Rosslee scored the team’s second as he broke the Shimlas defence in their 22m before Therlow Petierson capped off with a late try after a neat exchange of passes with Marcello Simpson to increased his lead on the Varsity Cup try-scoring chart to five, thanks to a Kuselo Moyake’s crucial turn-over that instigated the move. The Ikeys play their last game away to Pukke in week seven.
Meanwhile, the Stormers seem to be finding the going a bit tough in the Super 14 after they were once again flattened by the Bulls 14-10 at Loftus. They now have lost 3 of their opening 4 matches, further blowing their very slim hopes of making the Super 14 play-offs. Once again, Luke Watson proved that the abysmal booing behaviour of the Loftus horde actually fuelled him to play better with a virtuoso performance for the Stormers at Loftus, thereby subjecting those verbal bullies to further embarrassment. Maybe it’s high time those booing imbeciles and nincompoops stop this disheartening behaviour and get on with their lives.
The Sharks and Bulls maintain their unbeaten run in competition and they look set to make the play-offs, or may I shouldn’t be counting the eggs before they hatch because a lot can happen in the next nine games. The Stormers face the defiant Lions in their next game and it’s a must-win game for them it they still want to be ion contention for the semis.
In other rugby circles, the star-studded Western Province Vodacom cup team kicked off their 2009 campaign with a 36-3 victory over the EP Mighty Elephants at the empty Newlands stadium. The Ikeys flag was kept rising, with Ikeys Jody Burch and Martin Miller turning out for the local side. Meanwhile, poor defence cost the led Bok 7s side’s chances of lifting the World Cup in Dubai over the weekend. The Mpho Mbiyozo’s men led 12-0 at half time but a couple of missed tackles and loss of concentration allowed the Argentines to get back into the game and eventually steal the game 14-12. Wales eventually went to win the Cup with a close19-12 victory over Argentina.
The late charismatic Ikeys player, Monty Taljaard
A heartfelt and spirited performance by the 14-men Ikeys Tigers earned them a resounding 36-17 victory over the strong-willed NMMU outfit to claim the Monte Taljaard Trophy in Port Elizabeth on the 2nd of February. This was a fitting tribute to the late Monte Taljaard (former U20A1 Captain and member of the 2008 Varsity Cup side), the likeable and charismatic Ikeys player who passed on tragically in a road accident last September. This five-try victory earned the Ikeys an important bonus point to allow them to leap into second place on the log, only two points behind leaders and perennial rivals, Maties.
Coach Dobbo made a couple of rotational changes in his run-on side, giving Goose, Ashely Wells, the hard-hitting Kuselo Moyake, the resurgent Sean Van Tonder and the eventual Man of the Match, JP Roberts who was a constant menace to the NMMU defence. This decision paid dividends to the coach as all them put up a sterling performance to give and attested how much depth the coach has in his side ahead of the crunch play-offs which the Ikeys look set to be involved in. Once again, the UCT backline proved to be troublesome for the NMMU side as they relentlessly broke through their defence, with the evergreen Sean Van Tonder and the powerful Pieter Engelbrecht being the chief perpetrators. That fine showcase by the new look side (it’s not a B-side by the way) has actually given Dobbo a selection head-ache, the one any coach would love to have ahead of the play offs.
Week six saw the Ikeys take on the Shimlas at the Green Mile. This match was billed to be a thriller, with the Shimlas (UFS) having dented Tukkies’ play-off hopes with a booming 39-22 victory in week five. UCT looked dangerous on attack and they defended very well. However a series of handling errors from both sides robbed us from witnessing a high try scoring game. UCT ultimately won the game 23-20 having scored excellent tries through hooker Dayne “Danger” Jans who made a frenzied run on the right touchline that was reminiscent of Stormers’ reserve hooker Deon Fourie’s bravura try against the Bulls. Flyhalf Matthew Rosslee scored the team’s second as he broke the Shimlas defence in their 22m before Therlow Petierson capped off with a late try after a neat exchange of passes with Marcello Simpson to increased his lead on the Varsity Cup try-scoring chart to five, thanks to a Kuselo Moyake’s crucial turn-over that instigated the move. The Ikeys play their last game away to Pukke in week seven.
Meanwhile, the Stormers seem to be finding the going a bit tough in the Super 14 after they were once again flattened by the Bulls 14-10 at Loftus. They now have lost 3 of their opening 4 matches, further blowing their very slim hopes of making the Super 14 play-offs. Once again, Luke Watson proved that the abysmal booing behaviour of the Loftus horde actually fuelled him to play better with a virtuoso performance for the Stormers at Loftus, thereby subjecting those verbal bullies to further embarrassment. Maybe it’s high time those booing imbeciles and nincompoops stop this disheartening behaviour and get on with their lives.
The Sharks and Bulls maintain their unbeaten run in competition and they look set to make the play-offs, or may I shouldn’t be counting the eggs before they hatch because a lot can happen in the next nine games. The Stormers face the defiant Lions in their next game and it’s a must-win game for them it they still want to be ion contention for the semis.
In other rugby circles, the star-studded Western Province Vodacom cup team kicked off their 2009 campaign with a 36-3 victory over the EP Mighty Elephants at the empty Newlands stadium. The Ikeys flag was kept rising, with Ikeys Jody Burch and Martin Miller turning out for the local side. Meanwhile, poor defence cost the led Bok 7s side’s chances of lifting the World Cup in Dubai over the weekend. The Mpho Mbiyozo’s men led 12-0 at half time but a couple of missed tackles and loss of concentration allowed the Argentines to get back into the game and eventually steal the game 14-12. Wales eventually went to win the Cup with a close19-12 victory over Argentina.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Weekend Update
Can Rassie quench the Stormers' fans thirst for a trophy in the cabinet?
Patience is a virtue...................but one can only be patience for so long.
"Rassie Erasmus believes the Stormers can still make the play-offs despite a devastating 14-10 loss to the Bulls"
Yes, Rassie, the Stormers can still make the semis, provided you quit and move as far away from CT as is humanly possible. I really do not understand the tactic he deployed this past weekend, especially by him starting with Willem de F*&^%.......honestly.
a positive from this game is that after last week Rassie said he would quit if the players stopped believing in his plan, bla bla bla. I think it was a bit of a ploy to take attention of the players, but whatever. This week he comes out with a statement that we could still make the semi’s. Much more positive stuff. BUT WE as the fans want to see RESULTS, no use playing attractive rugby when you don't score points (reminds me of my premiership team Arsenal).The tour wont be easy......
Stormers tour:
Highlanders- At the House of Pain, after beating the Saders, they've suddenly gotten a morale booster
Crusaders-really not looking all that good at the moment. But beating them in Christchurch would be a mountain climb
Brumbies- Playing well lately and hard to bat at home
Hurricanes-depending on which Cane team pitches up. But they are playing very consistent these days, so prob another loss.
Tahs- a definite contender this year, so prob. another loss.
So yah, Rassie shouldn't get carried away by last year's tour where all those teams were complacent (considering our bad start).
That Naqalavuki guy is lazy and relies solely on his bulk to break tackles which he sometimes does, but unless he gets his mind and work-rate up I wouldn’t play him.Missed 4 tackles....honestly...... Chavanga has hardly had a decent ball to run with in 320 minutes of rugby yet. With his first start in the S14, Koster was the most active wing on the park (save one unfortunate moment in the last minutes when he had a brain-fart in his own 5m) and he made a couple of runs and defended well.
As for Luke Watson, he is always more than good value for his contributions, he was by far the best loose forward on the field yesterday without any doubt, those still undermining him for reacting and egging the crowd on, good for him, the egg is on the other boo boo faces for now, he has more guts and spunk than all of the Anti-Luke throng put together.
Heneike Meyer gave a good account of the match analysis and I'm starting to understand why the multitude considered him amongst the BEST coaches in world rugby. This man has WON the S14 title (the only local coach to do so) and he KNOWS what it takes to win trophies (especially if u consider his CC record). I feel the Stormers have been lacking on playing a structured game and they totally black-out and run out of sorts under pressure.It may call for a coach who believes in STRUCTURE and not taking chances, coz that has failed them in the past season.Under Robbie Deans, the Saders where very structured in their play and the Cleaned the S14 titles, however, his departure left them out of sorts.The Bulls won the S14 under the structured guidance of MASTER Henieke Meyer.Maybe its high time the Stormers sought the help of the free-agent coach.
Big up to the Bulls for be cool-headed and the Sharks for showing what mettle is all about.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Ikeys show their mettle……………Is it déjà vu?
Coach gives an update of the Varsity Cup and Super 14
In the 2008 varsity cup competition, the Ikeys lost their first of their group matches but eventually went on to win the remaining six matches, grabbing a bonus point in every subsequent match. In one of their matches leading to the final, a last second penalty by flyhalf Matthew Rosslee secured a close win for them.
The 2009 season has started with almost a similar pattern, losing their first game against the Maties and then turning the tables to win their next three games (2 away, 1 home) and earning a FULLHOUSE in all of them. Perhaps their most recent match against Tukkies was the most nail-biting one as once again, flyhalf Matthew Rosslee (the eventual Man of the Match) landed a last second penalty to bag a 24-22 victory in Pretoria.
The Ikeys are living up to their exciting brand of expansive rugby, similar to the style that bok coach Peter De Villiers has been trying to inculcate amongst him men . The mere fact that of the total twelve tries that they have scored, eleven have been scored by their backline (back three) shows their capability to run the ball. Former Maties player, now UCT fullback Therlow Pietersen is the current joint top scorer in the tournament with four tries and with fellow new recruits Tiger Bax (fullback/centre) and Dane Johnson (wing) having two tries apiece.
The Ikeys’ next game is against NMMU on the 2nd of March in Port Elizabeth. This should be an easy full-house for the Ikeys, but should not be complacent after the heavily-packed NMMU outfit registered their first victory of their varsity cup campaign against TUT last week. However, this should be one of the matches that Dobbo should give a chance to his fringe players to gain game time. You would expect guys like Kuselo, JP Robert, Ashley Wells and the ‘Goose’ to start. But we’ll have to wait and see. By the time this publication comes out, the match would have been played and a report on it would be provided in the next edition.
On a different note, it still remains unknown, but most likely so that Luke Watson may have silenced the booing with his five-star performance against the Reds on the 21st of February. On the build up to the match, most Luke-critics had been wondering if he would be able to cement a starting place in the Stormers’ loose-trio, with most favouring the combination of Schalk Burger, Francois Louw and Duane Vermeulen. However, a change of game plan by coach Rassie led to Luke surprisingly starting at no8 against the Reds ahead of Louw as he put on a blistering performance in an otherwise scrappy 27-24 win for the Stormers.
The Stormers have had a fragmentary start to their Super 14 season with a loss to the Sharks and a unconvincing 27-24 win over the resilient Reds. Their failure to accumulate a bonus point in that match may yet come back to haunt them at the later stages of the season when deciding the play-offs. On the other hand, the bulls seem to have resurrected from their forgettable 2008 season with victories over the Reds and the Blues. The match against the latter was one of their best matches in a while and Pierre Spies put on a perfect display to cap two tries in leading his to a 59-26 demolition of the Blues. The Sharks have maintained their clean start to the season with victories over the Stormers and Lions. Their fate however would be decided in the five away games down under where, with their first against the Chiefs on the 28th of February.
At the end of week two of the Super 14, the has been some local players who have really stood out, namely Duanne, Deysel, Luke, Kankowski, Pierre and Rory Kockott just to name a few. given that Bok coach De Villiers announced that there is still room for anyone in the Bok team for Lions tour, it would not be surprising to see guys like Deysel or Kockott getting a springbok call. On a gloomy side, bok heroes such as star Bryan Habana and JP Peterson have had a slow start to the season. Let’s just hope they’ll pick up soon in time for the Lions Tour matches.
In the 2008 varsity cup competition, the Ikeys lost their first of their group matches but eventually went on to win the remaining six matches, grabbing a bonus point in every subsequent match. In one of their matches leading to the final, a last second penalty by flyhalf Matthew Rosslee secured a close win for them.
The 2009 season has started with almost a similar pattern, losing their first game against the Maties and then turning the tables to win their next three games (2 away, 1 home) and earning a FULLHOUSE in all of them. Perhaps their most recent match against Tukkies was the most nail-biting one as once again, flyhalf Matthew Rosslee (the eventual Man of the Match) landed a last second penalty to bag a 24-22 victory in Pretoria.
The Ikeys are living up to their exciting brand of expansive rugby, similar to the style that bok coach Peter De Villiers has been trying to inculcate amongst him men . The mere fact that of the total twelve tries that they have scored, eleven have been scored by their backline (back three) shows their capability to run the ball. Former Maties player, now UCT fullback Therlow Pietersen is the current joint top scorer in the tournament with four tries and with fellow new recruits Tiger Bax (fullback/centre) and Dane Johnson (wing) having two tries apiece.
The Ikeys’ next game is against NMMU on the 2nd of March in Port Elizabeth. This should be an easy full-house for the Ikeys, but should not be complacent after the heavily-packed NMMU outfit registered their first victory of their varsity cup campaign against TUT last week. However, this should be one of the matches that Dobbo should give a chance to his fringe players to gain game time. You would expect guys like Kuselo, JP Robert, Ashley Wells and the ‘Goose’ to start. But we’ll have to wait and see. By the time this publication comes out, the match would have been played and a report on it would be provided in the next edition.
On a different note, it still remains unknown, but most likely so that Luke Watson may have silenced the booing with his five-star performance against the Reds on the 21st of February. On the build up to the match, most Luke-critics had been wondering if he would be able to cement a starting place in the Stormers’ loose-trio, with most favouring the combination of Schalk Burger, Francois Louw and Duane Vermeulen. However, a change of game plan by coach Rassie led to Luke surprisingly starting at no8 against the Reds ahead of Louw as he put on a blistering performance in an otherwise scrappy 27-24 win for the Stormers.
The Stormers have had a fragmentary start to their Super 14 season with a loss to the Sharks and a unconvincing 27-24 win over the resilient Reds. Their failure to accumulate a bonus point in that match may yet come back to haunt them at the later stages of the season when deciding the play-offs. On the other hand, the bulls seem to have resurrected from their forgettable 2008 season with victories over the Reds and the Blues. The match against the latter was one of their best matches in a while and Pierre Spies put on a perfect display to cap two tries in leading his to a 59-26 demolition of the Blues. The Sharks have maintained their clean start to the season with victories over the Stormers and Lions. Their fate however would be decided in the five away games down under where, with their first against the Chiefs on the 28th of February.
At the end of week two of the Super 14, the has been some local players who have really stood out, namely Duanne, Deysel, Luke, Kankowski, Pierre and Rory Kockott just to name a few. given that Bok coach De Villiers announced that there is still room for anyone in the Bok team for Lions tour, it would not be surprising to see guys like Deysel or Kockott getting a springbok call. On a gloomy side, bok heroes such as star Bryan Habana and JP Peterson have had a slow start to the season. Let’s just hope they’ll pick up soon in time for the Lions Tour matches.
Welcome back…….Monday Night Lights
Coach-Taru reviews the Ikeys build up to the 2009 Varsity Cup Campaign
2009………Is it the going to be the year of the Ikeys?
Welcome back mates. Here’s the first post of the 2009 Varsity rugby articles. Hope you do have a magnificent 2009 rugby season, with the popular Monday-night-lights and Super 14 back in the mix. As my fellow rugby-craze mate N.K would say, “Bring on those lights...All the Way… with the Ikey Stripes”.
After a successful 2008 Varsity Cup Tournament campaign that was blemished by a last-minute try in the final against the Maties, the UCT Ikey Tigers have vouched to put past that rather emotional defeat and concentrate on the 2009 campaign.
Bolstered by the availability of world class technical team that any rugby team in the world would die for (John Dobson, Robbie Fleck, Bob Skinstad, Selborne Boome, scrumming expert Paul Day and world cup winning coach, Jake White, the Ikeys look set to continue, if not better their previous campaign. Sheryl Calder, a renowned world pioneer in specialist in vision fitness who worked with the 2003 England Rugby World Cup winning side has also been involved with the Ikeys team during their preseason training. An interview with Ikeys skipper (now a Test player for the US Eagles), JJ Gargiano revealed just how well prepared the boys are this year. So as far as their preparations for the 2009 season are concerned, “We are more prepared than we were last year, thanks to our awesome technical and management team and the Sports Science Institute for making their pre-season training much easier. What is nice about such a management team is that they share their wealth of knowledge and learn from each other at the same time, even outside rugby…hence the mutual understanding of TEAM’S interests”, echoes the talented and charismatic Ikeys Captain Courageous.
The departure and loss of most senior players from last year’s team of the year has not affected the team’s spirit and they have no ill feelings about it. For instance, when asked about the loss of former Ikeys hooker, JP Koster to Maties, the skipper is quick to respond, “Rugby has become a professional sport and a business, so players are bound to move to greener pastures and so we are still cool about it”. Well, it seems the Ikeys were not so cool about it as witnessed in their opener against the Maties on the 2nd of February (Ikeys narrowly lost 10-12), with JP Koster being at the receiving end of some mean tackles.
Losing their first game of the 2009 tournament has not affected the Ikeys camp at all, considering also that they lost their first match last season and went on to win the remaining matches in the group stages. Coach Dobbo, who said he was "pleased" with the team's performance against Maties, admitted though that the final result remains a sore point. "I felt we had done enough to win, and deserved to, but it is a new team and we needed to know where we were in terms of the level of rugby that is required in the Varsity Cup," Dobson told www.varsitycup.co.za.
The Ikeys have a relatively new look side, with only a few senior players in the team, notably skipper JJ Gargiano, Enoch Panya, Dylan Rogers (D-guy), Mat Rosslee just to mention a few, otherwise the rest of the crop is from the 2008 U20 side. The most promising players to watch out for this season include JP Roberts (scrum-half), hard-hitting flank Kuselo Moyake, Donovan Armand (lock) and the funniest bloke in the side according to JJ, Dayne Jans (hooker). New recruits, wing Dane Johnson, fullback Therlow Pietersen and the evergreen former Maties fullback/centre (also part of the 2009 Vodacom Stormers extended squad), Tiger Bax have also augmented the Ikeys, known for their awe-inspiring running brand of rugby. Pietersen and Bax inspired the Ikeys in their recent 39-21 win over TUT with some scintillating tries. Tiger Bax was well deservedly rewarded with a Man of the Match R1000 cheque for his outstanding performance at outside centre were he tore the resilient TUT defence on several occasions.
With transformation being one of the main focuses of this tournament, the Ikeys Tigers seem not to be struggling at all according to Ikeys skipper, JJ Gargianno, “I think don’t have a problems with transformation at UCT, we have more players of colour than other leading varsity cup sides”…”I can’t call it transformation because these players of colour are not there to add numbers, but because they are standouts in their knowledge of the game”, says JJ. At the moment the side has about 7-8 players of colour in the 27man squad…and there is always at least 3 players of colour in every running on team and at any point on the field. It is good to see guys like Sinako “Snakes” and Sam being included in the extended squad as they had a good 2008 rugby season in the junior teams.
On a different note, the Ikeys flag seems to be flying higher in other rugby circles internationally, with three players in the history making Bok 7s team, Kyle Brown, Paul Delport and the recently appointed Bok 7s Captain, Mpho “Impi ‘ Mbiyozo (congrats Impi). Other former varsity cup players plying their trade elsewhere include Mat Turner (Bristol and England 7s sides) and mercurial scrumhalf, Danie van der Merwe (contracted to Boland). Too bad the services of last year’s forward of the tournament, the burly but artistic front ranker, Herbie Mayosi will be missed. Him and centre David Edgar are not eligible to participate in the tournament due to age restrictions.
2009………Is it the going to be the year of the Ikeys?
Welcome back mates. Here’s the first post of the 2009 Varsity rugby articles. Hope you do have a magnificent 2009 rugby season, with the popular Monday-night-lights and Super 14 back in the mix. As my fellow rugby-craze mate N.K would say, “Bring on those lights...All the Way… with the Ikey Stripes”.
After a successful 2008 Varsity Cup Tournament campaign that was blemished by a last-minute try in the final against the Maties, the UCT Ikey Tigers have vouched to put past that rather emotional defeat and concentrate on the 2009 campaign.
Bolstered by the availability of world class technical team that any rugby team in the world would die for (John Dobson, Robbie Fleck, Bob Skinstad, Selborne Boome, scrumming expert Paul Day and world cup winning coach, Jake White, the Ikeys look set to continue, if not better their previous campaign. Sheryl Calder, a renowned world pioneer in specialist in vision fitness who worked with the 2003 England Rugby World Cup winning side has also been involved with the Ikeys team during their preseason training. An interview with Ikeys skipper (now a Test player for the US Eagles), JJ Gargiano revealed just how well prepared the boys are this year. So as far as their preparations for the 2009 season are concerned, “We are more prepared than we were last year, thanks to our awesome technical and management team and the Sports Science Institute for making their pre-season training much easier. What is nice about such a management team is that they share their wealth of knowledge and learn from each other at the same time, even outside rugby…hence the mutual understanding of TEAM’S interests”, echoes the talented and charismatic Ikeys Captain Courageous.
The departure and loss of most senior players from last year’s team of the year has not affected the team’s spirit and they have no ill feelings about it. For instance, when asked about the loss of former Ikeys hooker, JP Koster to Maties, the skipper is quick to respond, “Rugby has become a professional sport and a business, so players are bound to move to greener pastures and so we are still cool about it”. Well, it seems the Ikeys were not so cool about it as witnessed in their opener against the Maties on the 2nd of February (Ikeys narrowly lost 10-12), with JP Koster being at the receiving end of some mean tackles.
Losing their first game of the 2009 tournament has not affected the Ikeys camp at all, considering also that they lost their first match last season and went on to win the remaining matches in the group stages. Coach Dobbo, who said he was "pleased" with the team's performance against Maties, admitted though that the final result remains a sore point. "I felt we had done enough to win, and deserved to, but it is a new team and we needed to know where we were in terms of the level of rugby that is required in the Varsity Cup," Dobson told www.varsitycup.co.za.
The Ikeys have a relatively new look side, with only a few senior players in the team, notably skipper JJ Gargiano, Enoch Panya, Dylan Rogers (D-guy), Mat Rosslee just to mention a few, otherwise the rest of the crop is from the 2008 U20 side. The most promising players to watch out for this season include JP Roberts (scrum-half), hard-hitting flank Kuselo Moyake, Donovan Armand (lock) and the funniest bloke in the side according to JJ, Dayne Jans (hooker). New recruits, wing Dane Johnson, fullback Therlow Pietersen and the evergreen former Maties fullback/centre (also part of the 2009 Vodacom Stormers extended squad), Tiger Bax have also augmented the Ikeys, known for their awe-inspiring running brand of rugby. Pietersen and Bax inspired the Ikeys in their recent 39-21 win over TUT with some scintillating tries. Tiger Bax was well deservedly rewarded with a Man of the Match R1000 cheque for his outstanding performance at outside centre were he tore the resilient TUT defence on several occasions.
With transformation being one of the main focuses of this tournament, the Ikeys Tigers seem not to be struggling at all according to Ikeys skipper, JJ Gargianno, “I think don’t have a problems with transformation at UCT, we have more players of colour than other leading varsity cup sides”…”I can’t call it transformation because these players of colour are not there to add numbers, but because they are standouts in their knowledge of the game”, says JJ. At the moment the side has about 7-8 players of colour in the 27man squad…and there is always at least 3 players of colour in every running on team and at any point on the field. It is good to see guys like Sinako “Snakes” and Sam being included in the extended squad as they had a good 2008 rugby season in the junior teams.
On a different note, the Ikeys flag seems to be flying higher in other rugby circles internationally, with three players in the history making Bok 7s team, Kyle Brown, Paul Delport and the recently appointed Bok 7s Captain, Mpho “Impi ‘ Mbiyozo (congrats Impi). Other former varsity cup players plying their trade elsewhere include Mat Turner (Bristol and England 7s sides) and mercurial scrumhalf, Danie van der Merwe (contracted to Boland). Too bad the services of last year’s forward of the tournament, the burly but artistic front ranker, Herbie Mayosi will be missed. Him and centre David Edgar are not eligible to participate in the tournament due to age restrictions.
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