World Cup-winning coach Jake White would pick Earl Rose in the Springbok squad for the British and Irish Lions series.
White told Keo.co.za Rose had the skills of Australian utility back Matt Giteau and that an emphasis should be placed on adding a few kilograms to his sleight frame. White said Bok coach Peter de Villiers was right to take Rose on tour last year and that the next step would be continued exposure against the Lions.
‘Earl has his detractors, but I think he is a very good player, who is blessed with natural skill, speed and a very good line and goal kicking game. But I would play him exclusively as a flyhalf. I believe it is his best position, and if you had a player like Fourie du Preez on his inside and Jean de Villiers on his outside, he would get even better.’
White said Butch James would have been his option to start against the Lions, but with James injured, the obvious choice was Sharks utility back Ruan Pienaar. Next is line, in White’s world, would be Rose.
‘I don’t know if Peter sees him as a fullback or flyhalf, but I think his future is at No 10 and that he was done no favours with the Lions selections in the Super 14 this season. He is the 10 they should have invested in as he is the best in the province,’ said White. ‘Andre Pretorius has been there but never kicked on and I believe Rose offers more in terms of his attack. I also think he is a very courageous player, but to realise his potential in international rugby he will have to add three to five kilograms, which would give him a physicality similar to Giteau, who is one of the finest players in the game.
‘If there was the right investment in Rose and he was put through an effective conditioning programme then he could be a big star for the Springboks.’
White said he had seen a lot in Rose’s individual play in the last two seasons that would justify his inclusion in the Bok squad.
‘I want to emphasise that what I have seen is when he plays flyhalf. What has to improve is his decision-making, but he is young and like Frans Steyn he tries things instinctively. If he had the experience of Du Preez and De Villiers guiding him, it would add a maturity to that natural talent.’
White, in response to whispers De Villiers would start with Jaque Fourie at fullback, said Fourie’s best position was outside centre and that playing him at fullback would nullify the Boks’ attacking potential because of his limited line-kicking game.
‘I have been vocal about why I would play Steyn at fullback. He has the biggest line kicking and drop kicking game in the world and any kick on him is an advantage to the Springboks. With players not allowed to kick the ball directly into touch, any kick on Steyn gives him the option of having a drop goal, and I’d encourage him to have a crack most times. It is an all-win situation because if he gets it over, it is three points and if he misses, the Boks get the ball back from the restart. If you play a fullback without a kicking game against the likes of Ronan O’Gara and Stephen Jones, you are giving them a decided advantage before kick-off because those two know how to play percentage rugby and they will turn Jaque all day, knowing they will outkick him and knowing that his strength is running it back, which adds a risk element that shouldn’t be a part of the Boks’ strategy.’
White said he would also definitely include the experience of CJ van der Linde to give the front row solidity and he would start with John Smit as a hooker and Bismarck du Plessis as his back-up.
‘You want continuity and familiarity against these guys. They only visit once every 12 years and it is a series to be viewed in isolation. I’d pick players in positions I know they are strong and not in ones where they have the potential to be strong.’
De Villiers is expected to name his squad once South Africa’s participation in the Super 14 is complete, and while he has hinted at a few shocks, White said the inclusion of Jano Vermaak (at scrumhalf) and Rose (at flyhalf) would be justified and not a shock.
‘I’d also include Vermaak ahead of (Rory) Kockott, and Rose edges Morne Steyn, although Steyn wouldn’t be out of place in a national set-up. By all accounts Peter will be in a position to pick a very balanced and settled team. The key, like with any match, is never to underestimate the opposition and to be well prepared, and based on the experience of the players I can’t see them falling into this trap.’
White, who has started his own company ‘Jake White’s Winning Way’, will launch the first of his his satellite academies for schools, club and professional coaches in June, with the three day courses in Bloemfontein, Stellenbosch, Durban and Johannesburg.
White will identify the 10 leading coaches, who will receive R125 000 prize money, and develop their coaching skills over the remainder of the year.
‘We focus on the players, but never the coaches. That hopefully will change once the courses gain momentum and we have a data base to work from. First prize is going to be that a future Bok coach comes from the coaches, whose skills we will improve.’
Eddie Jones, a partner in Jake White’s Winning Way, will join White in South Africa for the June courses.
[taken from Keo]
Thursday, April 30, 2009
RUGBY FOCUS... ( VARSITY Paper article)
Coach Taru gives an update on the latest rugby affairs
Firstly I would like to apologize to the regular rugby enthusiasts for not posting an article in the previous edition. I have been bedridden lately suffering from the notorious so called Stormers syndrome alias “lack of commitment”. Hopefully the medication that I have been taking in recent times will help me get over this pathetic bug.
Speaking of the Stormers, they seem to be having some serious issues proceeding in their camp and one wonders what may have happened to the good old winning rugby that was once a tradition in the Cape in the 90’s. From being the pre-tournament favourites, especially with their quality squad filled with over twelve Springboks, the Rassie’s Stormers side looked like they were going to rule the S14. The team really looked good on paper during the start of the season, but it has now become a pale shadow of itself on grass.
They have really looked out-of-sorts in their games lately and one wonders if they are really sticking to their game plan. This reminds me of eminent statement by Geoff Cook in 1995 after England had been beaten by New Zealand in the Semi-finals of the world cup, "I don't know about us not having a Plan B when things went wrong, we looked like we didn't even have a Plan A."
Who should take the blame? Are the players not performing or is the coach not guiding his charges, or is it the Western Province management and leadership not doing things right, or maybe the Luke Watson “ effect” in the side is contributing to all this mess? As much as I may have my own opinions, I’ll leave them to the rest of your imagination. However one still wonders why the game’s antiques in the light of guys like AJ Venter, Wylie Human, Willem de Waal to mention are still being considered for selection ahead of the exciting young players in the Cape. I think we should learn to admit when players have reached their sell-by-date and let the fresh legs take over. Even the legendary Pieter De Villiers knew when it was right to call it quits, “When you’re down on the ground and you start thinking about your wife and children it means it’s time to stop.” — said De Villiers (South African-born French prop Pieter) announcing his retirement.
The Super 14 season is now getting to an attention-grabbing closing stage with all teams in the top 8 after week 12 having a mathematical chance of making it into the play-offs with two more game to go. Currently the Bulls and the Sharks are leading the SA legion, with the former being sure contenders for the home semi final. The lowly fancied Cheetahs have lived up to their famous tag of being “predictably unpredictable” after beating two giants in the S14 this season, the Sharks and the Crusaders. We expect them to do top SA teams aiming to reach the semis a favour by beating the top Australasian teams.
Looking at the bigger picture, the British Lions head coach Ian McGeechan has announced his 37 men squad to tour SA during the three test series in June. The Paul O’Connell led team boasts itself of a physically powerful forward pack that will surely to give the Springboks a good run on the park. However, the notable omission of Welsh captain Ryan Jones, English captain Steve Borthwick and exciting Scottish scrum-half and captain, Mike Blair (2008 IRB World Player of the Year finalist) seems to have raised questions with some rugby analysts, but as we all know, team selections will always not satisfy everyone.
The onus is now on Springbok coach Peter De Villiers to strategically select his generals for the Lions clashes. A couple of players have done so well in this years S14 season who may deserve a bok call, notably the Sharks duo of scrum-half, Rory Kockott and the bulldozing blind-side flank, Jean Deysel (2008 Currie Cup Player of the Year), the mercurial cheetahs open side flank, Heinrich Brussow as well as Bulls duo of Wynard Olivier and Deon Stegmann who also deserve a call up by DiV. With that in mind, a couple of seasoned Boks, mostly from the Cape franchise have not performed well this season and therefore the people await to see if coach De Villiers selection will be based on current form or experience.
Back to the local rugby scenes, the UCT Ikeys seem to have started their Western Province Super A League season on a high following their 29- 8 away victory over Durbell. So far the Ikeys have played three games, winning two and losing one to the Victorians. They have started on a much improved show this season as compared to last year and they are amongst the favourites to top the log. After their disappointing semi-finals exist in the 2009 FNB Varsity cup, they have been bolstered by the return of seasoned stalwarts like Vakai “Fish” Hove, Herbie Mayosi, Bodo ‘The Door” Sieber, Tim Whitehead, Dave Clayton, Craig Klue, amongst others who were not eligible to play due to injury or age restrictions.
On a more celebratory note, it is good to see the fruits of Dobbo blossoming as two exciting Ikeys, the superlative back Tiger Bax and the hard-driving lock Martin Muller have been included in the Stormers squad for the game against the Chiefs on the 2nd of May at Newlands stadium. Hopefully the boys will get some game time and produce an awesome welcome to Super Rugby. Viva Ikeys Viva…All the Way!!!!
Taking a closer look at school boy rugby, Bishops and Paarl Gym have shown their mettle amongst the elite of SA schools rugby. At the recently held Wyneburg Festival, Bishops closely beat the highly fancied Grey PE 24-19 in tightly contested game. Paarl Gym beat another top rugby schools in the country, Pretoria’s Affies by 22 points to 16 at the home of Paarl during the Paarl Gym Wildeklawer Festival.
[Coach-Taru is the external contributer for the famous UCT's Varsity Paper's sports section]
Firstly I would like to apologize to the regular rugby enthusiasts for not posting an article in the previous edition. I have been bedridden lately suffering from the notorious so called Stormers syndrome alias “lack of commitment”. Hopefully the medication that I have been taking in recent times will help me get over this pathetic bug.
Speaking of the Stormers, they seem to be having some serious issues proceeding in their camp and one wonders what may have happened to the good old winning rugby that was once a tradition in the Cape in the 90’s. From being the pre-tournament favourites, especially with their quality squad filled with over twelve Springboks, the Rassie’s Stormers side looked like they were going to rule the S14. The team really looked good on paper during the start of the season, but it has now become a pale shadow of itself on grass.
They have really looked out-of-sorts in their games lately and one wonders if they are really sticking to their game plan. This reminds me of eminent statement by Geoff Cook in 1995 after England had been beaten by New Zealand in the Semi-finals of the world cup, "I don't know about us not having a Plan B when things went wrong, we looked like we didn't even have a Plan A."
Who should take the blame? Are the players not performing or is the coach not guiding his charges, or is it the Western Province management and leadership not doing things right, or maybe the Luke Watson “ effect” in the side is contributing to all this mess? As much as I may have my own opinions, I’ll leave them to the rest of your imagination. However one still wonders why the game’s antiques in the light of guys like AJ Venter, Wylie Human, Willem de Waal to mention are still being considered for selection ahead of the exciting young players in the Cape. I think we should learn to admit when players have reached their sell-by-date and let the fresh legs take over. Even the legendary Pieter De Villiers knew when it was right to call it quits, “When you’re down on the ground and you start thinking about your wife and children it means it’s time to stop.” — said De Villiers (South African-born French prop Pieter) announcing his retirement.
The Super 14 season is now getting to an attention-grabbing closing stage with all teams in the top 8 after week 12 having a mathematical chance of making it into the play-offs with two more game to go. Currently the Bulls and the Sharks are leading the SA legion, with the former being sure contenders for the home semi final. The lowly fancied Cheetahs have lived up to their famous tag of being “predictably unpredictable” after beating two giants in the S14 this season, the Sharks and the Crusaders. We expect them to do top SA teams aiming to reach the semis a favour by beating the top Australasian teams.
Looking at the bigger picture, the British Lions head coach Ian McGeechan has announced his 37 men squad to tour SA during the three test series in June. The Paul O’Connell led team boasts itself of a physically powerful forward pack that will surely to give the Springboks a good run on the park. However, the notable omission of Welsh captain Ryan Jones, English captain Steve Borthwick and exciting Scottish scrum-half and captain, Mike Blair (2008 IRB World Player of the Year finalist) seems to have raised questions with some rugby analysts, but as we all know, team selections will always not satisfy everyone.
The onus is now on Springbok coach Peter De Villiers to strategically select his generals for the Lions clashes. A couple of players have done so well in this years S14 season who may deserve a bok call, notably the Sharks duo of scrum-half, Rory Kockott and the bulldozing blind-side flank, Jean Deysel (2008 Currie Cup Player of the Year), the mercurial cheetahs open side flank, Heinrich Brussow as well as Bulls duo of Wynard Olivier and Deon Stegmann who also deserve a call up by DiV. With that in mind, a couple of seasoned Boks, mostly from the Cape franchise have not performed well this season and therefore the people await to see if coach De Villiers selection will be based on current form or experience.
Back to the local rugby scenes, the UCT Ikeys seem to have started their Western Province Super A League season on a high following their 29- 8 away victory over Durbell. So far the Ikeys have played three games, winning two and losing one to the Victorians. They have started on a much improved show this season as compared to last year and they are amongst the favourites to top the log. After their disappointing semi-finals exist in the 2009 FNB Varsity cup, they have been bolstered by the return of seasoned stalwarts like Vakai “Fish” Hove, Herbie Mayosi, Bodo ‘The Door” Sieber, Tim Whitehead, Dave Clayton, Craig Klue, amongst others who were not eligible to play due to injury or age restrictions.
On a more celebratory note, it is good to see the fruits of Dobbo blossoming as two exciting Ikeys, the superlative back Tiger Bax and the hard-driving lock Martin Muller have been included in the Stormers squad for the game against the Chiefs on the 2nd of May at Newlands stadium. Hopefully the boys will get some game time and produce an awesome welcome to Super Rugby. Viva Ikeys Viva…All the Way!!!!
Taking a closer look at school boy rugby, Bishops and Paarl Gym have shown their mettle amongst the elite of SA schools rugby. At the recently held Wyneburg Festival, Bishops closely beat the highly fancied Grey PE 24-19 in tightly contested game. Paarl Gym beat another top rugby schools in the country, Pretoria’s Affies by 22 points to 16 at the home of Paarl during the Paarl Gym Wildeklawer Festival.
[Coach-Taru is the external contributer for the famous UCT's Varsity Paper's sports section]
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tondie Returns for Stormers
Tonderai Chavhanga will start in place of the injured Gcobani Bobo while Andries Bekker will also miss the Chiefs clash.
Bobo went into last week’s game against the Highlanders with an ankle injury and the Stormers’ management have opted to give him a break this Saturday.
Chavhanga was always expected to be back on the wing, but Bobo’s injury means Peter Grant and Dylan des Fountain will remain in midfield, while Willem de Waal will keep his place at flyhalf. Ricky Januarie is confined to the bench with Dewaldt Duvenhage playing some great rugby at No 9.
Captain Jean de Villiers will be out with a groin injury until the Cheetahs match in round 14. Schalk Burger will continue to lead the Stormers in De Villiers’s absence.
Bekker, who picked up a rib injury against the Highlanders, won’t play against the Chiefs but should be back to face the Force next week. Hilton Lobberts will start alongside AJ Venter in the second row with young UCT lock Martin Muller playing from the bench. Prop Brian Mujati will miss out because of concussion.
‘AJ’s had a lot of rugby and is just battling a knee injury at the moment, so he didn’t train [on Wednesday],’ Rassie Erasmus told keo.co.za. ‘It’s a bit of a problem that we have so many locks out injured. Adriaan Fondse won’t be back this season and George Earle is also injured. That’s why we’ve called up Martin Muller.
‘We’re hoping AJ recovers fully before the weekend. It was never my intention to play AJ and Hilton together, but because of injuries we’ve had to.
‘I think Hilton has improved a great deal since he’s switched from flank to lock. It’s always been our plan to phase him in slowly.’
Both Erasmus and Burger agreed that helping the Sharks and Bulls qualify for the play-offs is one of their goals, but not a priority. They’d do the two teams a favour by beating the Chiefs this Saturday and by beating the Force next week.
‘If we help them it’s really just a spin off,’ said Erasmus. ‘Our primary aim is to win and keep progressing. If we can help the Sharks and Bulls, that’s great, but we really want to win well in the remaining matches.’
Stormers – 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Dylan des Fountain, 12 Peter Grant, 11 Sireli Naqelevuki, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Dewaldt Duvenhage, 8 Luke Watson, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Schalk Burger (c), 5 AJ Venter, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 JD Moller.
Subs: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Wicus Blaauw, 18 Martin Muller, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Morgan Newman, 22 Tiger Bax.
Bobo went into last week’s game against the Highlanders with an ankle injury and the Stormers’ management have opted to give him a break this Saturday.
Chavhanga was always expected to be back on the wing, but Bobo’s injury means Peter Grant and Dylan des Fountain will remain in midfield, while Willem de Waal will keep his place at flyhalf. Ricky Januarie is confined to the bench with Dewaldt Duvenhage playing some great rugby at No 9.
Captain Jean de Villiers will be out with a groin injury until the Cheetahs match in round 14. Schalk Burger will continue to lead the Stormers in De Villiers’s absence.
Bekker, who picked up a rib injury against the Highlanders, won’t play against the Chiefs but should be back to face the Force next week. Hilton Lobberts will start alongside AJ Venter in the second row with young UCT lock Martin Muller playing from the bench. Prop Brian Mujati will miss out because of concussion.
‘AJ’s had a lot of rugby and is just battling a knee injury at the moment, so he didn’t train [on Wednesday],’ Rassie Erasmus told keo.co.za. ‘It’s a bit of a problem that we have so many locks out injured. Adriaan Fondse won’t be back this season and George Earle is also injured. That’s why we’ve called up Martin Muller.
‘We’re hoping AJ recovers fully before the weekend. It was never my intention to play AJ and Hilton together, but because of injuries we’ve had to.
‘I think Hilton has improved a great deal since he’s switched from flank to lock. It’s always been our plan to phase him in slowly.’
Both Erasmus and Burger agreed that helping the Sharks and Bulls qualify for the play-offs is one of their goals, but not a priority. They’d do the two teams a favour by beating the Chiefs this Saturday and by beating the Force next week.
‘If we help them it’s really just a spin off,’ said Erasmus. ‘Our primary aim is to win and keep progressing. If we can help the Sharks and Bulls, that’s great, but we really want to win well in the remaining matches.’
Stormers – 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Dylan des Fountain, 12 Peter Grant, 11 Sireli Naqelevuki, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Dewaldt Duvenhage, 8 Luke Watson, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Schalk Burger (c), 5 AJ Venter, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 JD Moller.
Subs: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Wicus Blaauw, 18 Martin Muller, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Morgan Newman, 22 Tiger Bax.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Schoolboy Rugby Update
Paarl Gym host the inaugural Super 14 festival, sponsored by Wildeklawer, which involves some of the country’s top schools.
Paarl Boys’ take on Waterkloof in the main curtain-raiser on Saturday. Waterkloof are unbeaten this season and recently defeated Paarl Gym 17-12 at the Waterkloof Easter festival. Likewise, Paarl Boys’ have had a strong start to the season losing only once, to Affies (30-15) at the St John’s Easter festival.
Paarl flyhalf Gavin Haupfleisch has been in sublime form this season and could play a major role in igniting the Boishaai side.
Paarl Boys’ coaches Richard Visagie and Elmo Wolfaard will have instructed the team to move the ball into space, opting for a tactical rather than physical approach, seeing as they are up against a physically dominant pack.
The main game of the afternoon sees hosts Paarl Gym playing against Monument. Monument have already lost to two Cape schools this season (23-15 to Paarl Boys’ and 8-6 to Paul Roos), before beating Rondebosch (13-6). Gym have also suffered a plethora of injuries in recent weeks.
Monnas will be determined to improve on their performances at the St John’s festival, with coach Oupa van der Merwe expecting more patience from his team. (That Monnas side is very good. Bradley Moolman their blonde centre is a future Bok. He reminds me of Olivier when he burst into the scene. Hard running and good line cutting)
Wynberg Boys’ are also hosting a festival this weekend, with the main attraction involving Bishops and Grey PE. Im going to watch this game, and if anyone is keen, let me know so we can hook up.
Bishops have been affected by numerous injuries to key players, like flyhalf Sam Lane and dynamic No 8 Nizaam Carr.(NK, this Nizaam youngster is guite a gem, he's good a bright future) Both have been outstanding for Bishops this season and coach Dave Mallett will struggle to fill the void.
Grey will look to unsettle Bishops at the breakdown especially with their openside flankers Siya Kolisa and Renier Erasmus who have been outstanding this season. This is going to be a cracker of a game.
Since losing to Marlow Agricultural (16-15), Grey have beaten Michaelhouse (33-5), Hilton (39-25) and Graeme College (67-5).
Bishops have also made a good start to the year winning all three of their fixtures at the St Stithians Easter festival.
Like i said, if any of the local guys are keen to go join me for some exciting schoolboy rugby, give me a holla. Its worthy more than watching any Stomers hgame anyway.
Paarl Boys’ take on Waterkloof in the main curtain-raiser on Saturday. Waterkloof are unbeaten this season and recently defeated Paarl Gym 17-12 at the Waterkloof Easter festival. Likewise, Paarl Boys’ have had a strong start to the season losing only once, to Affies (30-15) at the St John’s Easter festival.
Paarl flyhalf Gavin Haupfleisch has been in sublime form this season and could play a major role in igniting the Boishaai side.
Paarl Boys’ coaches Richard Visagie and Elmo Wolfaard will have instructed the team to move the ball into space, opting for a tactical rather than physical approach, seeing as they are up against a physically dominant pack.
The main game of the afternoon sees hosts Paarl Gym playing against Monument. Monument have already lost to two Cape schools this season (23-15 to Paarl Boys’ and 8-6 to Paul Roos), before beating Rondebosch (13-6). Gym have also suffered a plethora of injuries in recent weeks.
Monnas will be determined to improve on their performances at the St John’s festival, with coach Oupa van der Merwe expecting more patience from his team. (That Monnas side is very good. Bradley Moolman their blonde centre is a future Bok. He reminds me of Olivier when he burst into the scene. Hard running and good line cutting)
Wynberg Boys’ are also hosting a festival this weekend, with the main attraction involving Bishops and Grey PE. Im going to watch this game, and if anyone is keen, let me know so we can hook up.
Bishops have been affected by numerous injuries to key players, like flyhalf Sam Lane and dynamic No 8 Nizaam Carr.(NK, this Nizaam youngster is guite a gem, he's good a bright future) Both have been outstanding for Bishops this season and coach Dave Mallett will struggle to fill the void.
Grey will look to unsettle Bishops at the breakdown especially with their openside flankers Siya Kolisa and Renier Erasmus who have been outstanding this season. This is going to be a cracker of a game.
Since losing to Marlow Agricultural (16-15), Grey have beaten Michaelhouse (33-5), Hilton (39-25) and Graeme College (67-5).
Bishops have also made a good start to the year winning all three of their fixtures at the St Stithians Easter festival.
Like i said, if any of the local guys are keen to go join me for some exciting schoolboy rugby, give me a holla. Its worthy more than watching any Stomers hgame anyway.
Boks lose Butch, Frans
Butch James will miss the British & Irish Lions tour while Frans Steyn will get his wish to play flyhalf - but not in South Africa.
French media confirm that Steyn has signed for Paris-based second division side Racing Metro, who have virtually secured their place in the Top 14. The year-long deal is reported to be the most lucrative ever for a South African player. Steyn will make the move to Paris after the Springboks’ end of year tour.
His negotiations with Racing was the worst kept secret in South African rugby and in recent months it became increasingly likely that Steyn would agree a deal.
A month ago Sharks coach John Plumtree told keo.co.za they were desperate to hold onto Steyn, but he was resigned to the fact that they would never be able to match what Racing was offering.
Steyn will play primarily in his preferred position of flyhalf for Racing. With Ruan Pienaar injured, Steyn has had an extended run at pivot for the Sharks, but has failed to shatter the widely held perception that he is better suited to inside centre - where the Sharks and Springboks see his future. He appears to be hellbent on proving that he has the aptitude to play in the position, but this seems like an extreme way to make his point.
James limped off in Bath’s Premiership match at the weekend and scans has subsequently confirmed that he has torn ligaments in his knee. He will be sidelined for an extended period.
This has created an unforeseen problem for Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, who keo.co.za understands would have included James in his squad for the British & Irish Lions series as back-up to Pienaar. James’s experience, gained over 36 Tests, as well as his goalkicking ability would have given De Villiers a solid insurance policy should Pienaar have lost form or sustained an injury.
De Villiers is known to be reluctant to invest in Steyn at flyhalf, and is likely to look to Peter Grant to fill the void left by James, while his admiration for Earl Rose, who has had limited game time for the Lions, will see him in the squad as the third flyhalf.
It now remains to be seen whether De Villiers continues to select Steyn given his strong stance on overseas based players, which has seen the likes of BJ Botha, CJ van der Linde and Joe van Niekerk (amongst a host of others) overlooked for Springbok selection.
French media confirm that Steyn has signed for Paris-based second division side Racing Metro, who have virtually secured their place in the Top 14. The year-long deal is reported to be the most lucrative ever for a South African player. Steyn will make the move to Paris after the Springboks’ end of year tour.
His negotiations with Racing was the worst kept secret in South African rugby and in recent months it became increasingly likely that Steyn would agree a deal.
A month ago Sharks coach John Plumtree told keo.co.za they were desperate to hold onto Steyn, but he was resigned to the fact that they would never be able to match what Racing was offering.
Steyn will play primarily in his preferred position of flyhalf for Racing. With Ruan Pienaar injured, Steyn has had an extended run at pivot for the Sharks, but has failed to shatter the widely held perception that he is better suited to inside centre - where the Sharks and Springboks see his future. He appears to be hellbent on proving that he has the aptitude to play in the position, but this seems like an extreme way to make his point.
James limped off in Bath’s Premiership match at the weekend and scans has subsequently confirmed that he has torn ligaments in his knee. He will be sidelined for an extended period.
This has created an unforeseen problem for Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, who keo.co.za understands would have included James in his squad for the British & Irish Lions series as back-up to Pienaar. James’s experience, gained over 36 Tests, as well as his goalkicking ability would have given De Villiers a solid insurance policy should Pienaar have lost form or sustained an injury.
De Villiers is known to be reluctant to invest in Steyn at flyhalf, and is likely to look to Peter Grant to fill the void left by James, while his admiration for Earl Rose, who has had limited game time for the Lions, will see him in the squad as the third flyhalf.
It now remains to be seen whether De Villiers continues to select Steyn given his strong stance on overseas based players, which has seen the likes of BJ Botha, CJ van der Linde and Joe van Niekerk (amongst a host of others) overlooked for Springbok selection.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Cheetahs secure the services of Kolisi
One of the brightest stars in South African rugby, Siyamthanda Kolisi, is on his way to the Vodacom Cheetahs.
The coach of the Vodacom Free State, Pine Pienaar, confirmed Monday the grade 11 pupil of Grey PE, has accepted a contract from the Cheetahs. Kolisi is one of Grey PE's star performers and also excelled for Eastern Province at number eight during last year's Coca-Cola Cravenweek.
Due to his good performance during the Cravenweek, Kolisi was included as a reserve for the SA Schools side.
Pienaar also confirmed to the school website, Play On, that local school stars such as Stephan Kotze, Marcel van der Merwe, Baksteen van Heerden, Jean Cook, Pieter Rademan and Riaan Britz will further their careers at the Cheetahs.
Grey College stars, Francois Venter and Piet Lindeque are, however, high on the shopping lists of the Blue Bulls and Sharks.
p/s - I have been following the Festival and this Kolisi youngster looks promising. He is in the mould of a Kanko+Schalla if you have to consider his work rate. I'm glad they have done so before the Bulls could snatch him.
The coach of the Vodacom Free State, Pine Pienaar, confirmed Monday the grade 11 pupil of Grey PE, has accepted a contract from the Cheetahs. Kolisi is one of Grey PE's star performers and also excelled for Eastern Province at number eight during last year's Coca-Cola Cravenweek.
Due to his good performance during the Cravenweek, Kolisi was included as a reserve for the SA Schools side.
Pienaar also confirmed to the school website, Play On, that local school stars such as Stephan Kotze, Marcel van der Merwe, Baksteen van Heerden, Jean Cook, Pieter Rademan and Riaan Britz will further their careers at the Cheetahs.
Grey College stars, Francois Venter and Piet Lindeque are, however, high on the shopping lists of the Blue Bulls and Sharks.
p/s - I have been following the Festival and this Kolisi youngster looks promising. He is in the mould of a Kanko+Schalla if you have to consider his work rate. I'm glad they have done so before the Bulls could snatch him.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Sanzar alliance weakens further
Australia and New Zealand are making plans to ditch South Africa in the Super Rugby expansion.
The squabbles between Sanzar have been widely publicised as the three nations can’t find common ground. The Sydney Morning Herald says although officials won’t comment on the matter, it is ‘known high-level work on the proposal has begun’.
If the Australasians had to break away, the competition would have five teams from each country as well as several based in Japan.
The proposed Super 15 expansion is set for 2011, but details regarding the re-modeling of the competition have not been agreed on as the 30 June deadline with the broadcasters looms.
Andy Marinos and Oregan Hoskins have both said Saru will not bow to the demands of the Australasians as they refuse to devalue the Currie Cup and are not keen to start the competition in March.
Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O’Neill yesterday admitted Sanzar was ‘confronting some major issues, because all three of us aren’t on the same page’.
O’Neill wants a 15-team competition with three conferences as all the sides play each other once. Then conferences would play local derbies ending in six team finals in a competition lasting 22 weeks.
However, Saru put forward the ‘Sandton option’, that would see a 16-week tournament as all the teams don’t meet as they play cross-conference.
This would also include a break in June for Tests, but O’Neill says this isn’t an option as they hope to have Tests held midweek.
‘The clock is ticking, said O’Neill. ‘Australia and New Zealand were willing to accept the Sandton option as a form of middle ground, even though it is far from ideal.
‘We didn’t want to start early February, don’t want to break in June, and the Currie Cup provinces just have to accept there has to be an overlap,’ he said.
‘Everyone has been willing to compromise, but there comes a point where any further compromise just undermines the integrity of the competition. We have shifted ground to agree on the Sandton option, but the options attached to it are not acceptable.
‘A competition where everyone doesn’t play each other is in itself a bit of a worry.
‘But if that’s a way of getting us across the line, we could do it for a couple of years, as South Africa have been saying that by 2013 they could move to our option.’
Hoskins told SA Rugby Magazine last month Saru are not willing to be bullied and that they couldn’t count out a move to northern hemisphere competitions.
‘We have never truly explored heading north, because we’re faithful to the Sanzar alliance,’ said Hoskins. ‘But we mustn’t be naive and think we can’t go to Europe and we must explore the options that would suit our best interests.’
[Keo]
The squabbles between Sanzar have been widely publicised as the three nations can’t find common ground. The Sydney Morning Herald says although officials won’t comment on the matter, it is ‘known high-level work on the proposal has begun’.
If the Australasians had to break away, the competition would have five teams from each country as well as several based in Japan.
The proposed Super 15 expansion is set for 2011, but details regarding the re-modeling of the competition have not been agreed on as the 30 June deadline with the broadcasters looms.
Andy Marinos and Oregan Hoskins have both said Saru will not bow to the demands of the Australasians as they refuse to devalue the Currie Cup and are not keen to start the competition in March.
Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O’Neill yesterday admitted Sanzar was ‘confronting some major issues, because all three of us aren’t on the same page’.
O’Neill wants a 15-team competition with three conferences as all the sides play each other once. Then conferences would play local derbies ending in six team finals in a competition lasting 22 weeks.
However, Saru put forward the ‘Sandton option’, that would see a 16-week tournament as all the teams don’t meet as they play cross-conference.
This would also include a break in June for Tests, but O’Neill says this isn’t an option as they hope to have Tests held midweek.
‘The clock is ticking, said O’Neill. ‘Australia and New Zealand were willing to accept the Sandton option as a form of middle ground, even though it is far from ideal.
‘We didn’t want to start early February, don’t want to break in June, and the Currie Cup provinces just have to accept there has to be an overlap,’ he said.
‘Everyone has been willing to compromise, but there comes a point where any further compromise just undermines the integrity of the competition. We have shifted ground to agree on the Sandton option, but the options attached to it are not acceptable.
‘A competition where everyone doesn’t play each other is in itself a bit of a worry.
‘But if that’s a way of getting us across the line, we could do it for a couple of years, as South Africa have been saying that by 2013 they could move to our option.’
Hoskins told SA Rugby Magazine last month Saru are not willing to be bullied and that they couldn’t count out a move to northern hemisphere competitions.
‘We have never truly explored heading north, because we’re faithful to the Sanzar alliance,’ said Hoskins. ‘But we mustn’t be naive and think we can’t go to Europe and we must explore the options that would suit our best interests.’
[Keo]
Rassie's 'vital mistakes' to be addressed
Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus has made "some vital mistakes" during this year's Super 14 campaign and these will be addressed in the next two weeks.
That was the assurance given by Stormers chairman Pat Kuhn as he and Western Province Rugby Union president Tobie Titus left Cape Town yesterday to join the Stormers squad on tour in New Zealand. The Stormers face the Hurricanes at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Saturday.
The Stormers are in the bottom four of the Super 14 log in 11th position, having lost six out of their eight matches so far. Kuhn told the Cape Times that while he and Titus are not going to New Zealand "with a whip", they hope to find out what the problems are and to improve the situation.
"It is difficult. This trip has been planned for some time now, so we are not going there because of the dismal performances at the moment. We planned that, win or lose, we are going," he said.
"It is bad to go and face these young men over there now. You can't go there with a whip now. Obviously we need to show that we are still supporting them at the moment. That is the main thing. We are going there and the team are losing, so it is bad the way it is.
"It is easier to be there and discover what the actual problem is. We have all watched the games on TV and we all know the disappointment. But once you get inside, you really get the feeling of the players and management and coach as well.
"We can boast the best defensive record in the Super 14. But in the end, that doesn't help your result."
Kuhn was reluctant to say outright that Erasmus's job was under threat, but he did admit that pressure was mounting on the Stormers coach and that the Stormers bosses needed to play a greater role in making decisions.
Erasmus has a contract until the end of next year. "It is difficult to talk about Rassie being under pressure for his job. It is easy for everybody to say 'Yes, you must put Rassie under pressure'. But we've got to face the situation," he said.
"We've got to think back to what we've actually planned. We had this aim three years ago about what we want to achieve. Now all of a sudden, the team is not performing again, then now we must put Rassie's job on the line.
"Yes, (we can play a greater role in making decisions). But we obviously couldn't do that now when all these things happened and the team started losing all these games, because they are on tour now.
"Going forward, you've got to bear in mind that, when these boys come back, we need to unpack everything and see what went wrong.
"Rassie made some vital mistakes, but it is like anybody else in life. We all make mistakes sometimes. And we must be man enough to address the mistakes that we've made."
Erasmus is a big name in coaching circles, but WP discovered that a big name is not always the best solution after the troubles they had with Nick Mallett previously. Kuhn acknowledges this point.
"Just using that example that you are making about Nick Mallett, that is exactly the same that is happening here," he said. "The expectation when Rassie took over was that it was going to be magic. Okay, it didn't work in the first year, but we are still battling in the second year as well.
"It is going to be difficult, but we must face the situation and that is what I am going to explain to the team and the players." Titus did not want to comment.
Meanwhile, the Stormers could be boosted with the return of star lock Andries Bekker from a toe injury for the Hurricanes match. Bekker joined the team at the weekend and he told the Cape Times from Wellington yesterday that he is "50-50" for the game.
"My toe is feeling much better," he said. "I am 50-50 for Saturday, so we'll see. If I can't start, I could play off the bench."
Prop Brian Mujati's concussion is still being monitored by the Stormers management and a decision on his fitness is expected later in the week. Lock Adriaan Fondse also has a hand injury, but should be able to play.
[www.iol.co.za]
That was the assurance given by Stormers chairman Pat Kuhn as he and Western Province Rugby Union president Tobie Titus left Cape Town yesterday to join the Stormers squad on tour in New Zealand. The Stormers face the Hurricanes at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Saturday.
The Stormers are in the bottom four of the Super 14 log in 11th position, having lost six out of their eight matches so far. Kuhn told the Cape Times that while he and Titus are not going to New Zealand "with a whip", they hope to find out what the problems are and to improve the situation.
"It is difficult. This trip has been planned for some time now, so we are not going there because of the dismal performances at the moment. We planned that, win or lose, we are going," he said.
"It is bad to go and face these young men over there now. You can't go there with a whip now. Obviously we need to show that we are still supporting them at the moment. That is the main thing. We are going there and the team are losing, so it is bad the way it is.
"It is easier to be there and discover what the actual problem is. We have all watched the games on TV and we all know the disappointment. But once you get inside, you really get the feeling of the players and management and coach as well.
"We can boast the best defensive record in the Super 14. But in the end, that doesn't help your result."
Kuhn was reluctant to say outright that Erasmus's job was under threat, but he did admit that pressure was mounting on the Stormers coach and that the Stormers bosses needed to play a greater role in making decisions.
Erasmus has a contract until the end of next year. "It is difficult to talk about Rassie being under pressure for his job. It is easy for everybody to say 'Yes, you must put Rassie under pressure'. But we've got to face the situation," he said.
"We've got to think back to what we've actually planned. We had this aim three years ago about what we want to achieve. Now all of a sudden, the team is not performing again, then now we must put Rassie's job on the line.
"Yes, (we can play a greater role in making decisions). But we obviously couldn't do that now when all these things happened and the team started losing all these games, because they are on tour now.
"Going forward, you've got to bear in mind that, when these boys come back, we need to unpack everything and see what went wrong.
"Rassie made some vital mistakes, but it is like anybody else in life. We all make mistakes sometimes. And we must be man enough to address the mistakes that we've made."
Erasmus is a big name in coaching circles, but WP discovered that a big name is not always the best solution after the troubles they had with Nick Mallett previously. Kuhn acknowledges this point.
"Just using that example that you are making about Nick Mallett, that is exactly the same that is happening here," he said. "The expectation when Rassie took over was that it was going to be magic. Okay, it didn't work in the first year, but we are still battling in the second year as well.
"It is going to be difficult, but we must face the situation and that is what I am going to explain to the team and the players." Titus did not want to comment.
Meanwhile, the Stormers could be boosted with the return of star lock Andries Bekker from a toe injury for the Hurricanes match. Bekker joined the team at the weekend and he told the Cape Times from Wellington yesterday that he is "50-50" for the game.
"My toe is feeling much better," he said. "I am 50-50 for Saturday, so we'll see. If I can't start, I could play off the bench."
Prop Brian Mujati's concussion is still being monitored by the Stormers management and a decision on his fitness is expected later in the week. Lock Adriaan Fondse also has a hand injury, but should be able to play.
[www.iol.co.za]
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
On The Lions Tour.......
Keo, in his weekly Business Day column, says leadership will be more important than goalkicking in the Lions series.
In a season that has produced no South African wonder boy in the Super 14, what has emerged is the continued maturity of the established Springboks.
But before I get to that and one player in particular, Sharks scrumhalf Rory Kockott is doing a Mexican wave of his own that is becoming increasingly hard for the national selectors to ignore.
As well as Kockott is playing, is there place in the Boks for him just yet? Or should he be introduced in the Tri-Nations against opponents he has dominated in the Super 14?
There should be no experiment in the Lions series and the rational thinking is to play the established national scrumhalf duo of Fourie du Preez and Ricky Januarie. They’ve been there often and done it against the best.
I get the feeling though that Kockott’s shares are being improved significantly because of a fear that goalkicking will cost the Boks against the Lions as it did 12 years ago. I believe those fears are unfounded. Kockott is a good goal-kicker, but so are Ruan Pienaar and Butch James, if national coach Peter de Villiers still believes the Bath-based World Cup winner can make a contribution. I for one would not play the Lions without James in the match 22, given his experience, his knowledge of the opposition and his temperament to deliver in the biggest matches.
James kicked at 80% for the Boks last season, while Pienaar’s goalkicking was not an issue against Wales, Scotland and England. Kockott has the all-round scrumhalf game to play for SA, but he should not be the goalkicking insurance policy in his introduction to international rugby. It was done to Percy Montgomery against the Lions in 1997 and it was wrong.
Back then Bok coach Carel du Plessis picked Henry Honiball and Andre Joubert for the Durban second Test, and both had won many matches for the Sharks with their goalkicking. The notion has to be rubbished that the Boks played that game without a recognised kicker. In Honiball, Joubert and Montgomery they had three blokes who could kick. The mistake of the coaches was that they never settled on one of the three to start and finish.
The Boks have a core of players settled enough not to repeat the mistakes of their predecessors in 1997. If De Villiers is more measured than maverick then the quality of the hosts will triumph and he will ensure his contract is extended to include the defence of the World Cup in 2011. De Villiers last year entrusted the majority of the 2007 World Cup winners, but a player who lost favour was Sharks captain Johann Muller. De Villiers introduced Stormers lock Andries Bekker to complement Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha, but Muller’s growth as a leader with the Sharks and his consistency has to have made an impression on De Villiers.
Muller, if he was playing in any other country, would be the first choice lock and probably the captain as well. In many respects he reminds me of Proteas cricketer Johan Botha. Both have calmness. Both are massively underrated and both have an understanding of the game that gives them an edge as leaders. If the national selectors are thinking of Kockott as a goalkicking insurance policy I’d say think twice before including a third scrumhalf.
But I’d encourage them to invest in Muller as a captaincy insurance policy to incumbent John Smit and lock back up to Bakkies Botha. Leadership, more than goalkicking, will prove decisive against the best of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. In Muller, South African rugby has one of the best.
We shouldn’t be too disheartened by the indifferent, awful and bizarre performances of the Lions, Cheetahs and Stormers in the Super 14. The Sharks and Bulls are enough of a presence to give SA comfort ahead of the Lions in June.
For now, enjoy the Sharks, believe in the home run of the Bulls and know that there isn’t an Australian or New Zealand team capable in this year’s tournament to travel to Durban or Pretoria to win a semi-final. Our rugby is in good shape, and the wiser heads among the players are the ones in the best shape
In a season that has produced no South African wonder boy in the Super 14, what has emerged is the continued maturity of the established Springboks.
But before I get to that and one player in particular, Sharks scrumhalf Rory Kockott is doing a Mexican wave of his own that is becoming increasingly hard for the national selectors to ignore.
As well as Kockott is playing, is there place in the Boks for him just yet? Or should he be introduced in the Tri-Nations against opponents he has dominated in the Super 14?
There should be no experiment in the Lions series and the rational thinking is to play the established national scrumhalf duo of Fourie du Preez and Ricky Januarie. They’ve been there often and done it against the best.
I get the feeling though that Kockott’s shares are being improved significantly because of a fear that goalkicking will cost the Boks against the Lions as it did 12 years ago. I believe those fears are unfounded. Kockott is a good goal-kicker, but so are Ruan Pienaar and Butch James, if national coach Peter de Villiers still believes the Bath-based World Cup winner can make a contribution. I for one would not play the Lions without James in the match 22, given his experience, his knowledge of the opposition and his temperament to deliver in the biggest matches.
James kicked at 80% for the Boks last season, while Pienaar’s goalkicking was not an issue against Wales, Scotland and England. Kockott has the all-round scrumhalf game to play for SA, but he should not be the goalkicking insurance policy in his introduction to international rugby. It was done to Percy Montgomery against the Lions in 1997 and it was wrong.
Back then Bok coach Carel du Plessis picked Henry Honiball and Andre Joubert for the Durban second Test, and both had won many matches for the Sharks with their goalkicking. The notion has to be rubbished that the Boks played that game without a recognised kicker. In Honiball, Joubert and Montgomery they had three blokes who could kick. The mistake of the coaches was that they never settled on one of the three to start and finish.
The Boks have a core of players settled enough not to repeat the mistakes of their predecessors in 1997. If De Villiers is more measured than maverick then the quality of the hosts will triumph and he will ensure his contract is extended to include the defence of the World Cup in 2011. De Villiers last year entrusted the majority of the 2007 World Cup winners, but a player who lost favour was Sharks captain Johann Muller. De Villiers introduced Stormers lock Andries Bekker to complement Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha, but Muller’s growth as a leader with the Sharks and his consistency has to have made an impression on De Villiers.
Muller, if he was playing in any other country, would be the first choice lock and probably the captain as well. In many respects he reminds me of Proteas cricketer Johan Botha. Both have calmness. Both are massively underrated and both have an understanding of the game that gives them an edge as leaders. If the national selectors are thinking of Kockott as a goalkicking insurance policy I’d say think twice before including a third scrumhalf.
But I’d encourage them to invest in Muller as a captaincy insurance policy to incumbent John Smit and lock back up to Bakkies Botha. Leadership, more than goalkicking, will prove decisive against the best of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. In Muller, South African rugby has one of the best.
We shouldn’t be too disheartened by the indifferent, awful and bizarre performances of the Lions, Cheetahs and Stormers in the Super 14. The Sharks and Bulls are enough of a presence to give SA comfort ahead of the Lions in June.
For now, enjoy the Sharks, believe in the home run of the Bulls and know that there isn’t an Australian or New Zealand team capable in this year’s tournament to travel to Durban or Pretoria to win a semi-final. Our rugby is in good shape, and the wiser heads among the players are the ones in the best shape
Monday, April 6, 2009
Bishops made to sweat....
Bishops claimed a narrow 17-11 win against St Andrew’s in Grahamstown on Saturday.
The match never lived up to all the hype and was often tedious with neither side able to make any meaningful advances on attack.
While the home side had the better of the opening exchanges, Bishops scored their first try through livewire flanker Nizaam Carr. The visitors dominated the first half, but led just 7-3 after making some elementary handling errors.
St Andrew’s began the second half as they did the first by taking on Bishops physically, especially in the set pieces.
James Price kicked his second penalty for the hosts, before Bishops scored their second try through hooker Seb Matterson. Saints fullback Grant Macdonald then went over to make it 12-11. [keo]
St Andrew’s surged forward in the last few minutes but heroic defence by Bishops kept the hosts at bay. Bishops then had the final say when they scored with a minute remaining through lock West Mackintosh.
Bishops wing Nathan Nell was the stand out player for the visitors, while Macdonald shone for the Saints.
‘St Andrew’s came out firing and physically took the game to us,’ Bishops backline coach and ex-Springbok sevens captain Kevin Foote told keo.co.za. ‘However, we soaked up the pressure and are happy with the result.’
With two wins under their belts, Bishops will enter the upcoming St Stithians Easter festival full of confidence.
Meanwhile, St Andrew’s coach Stefan Louwrens said he was ‘proud of our effort against an experienced Bishops side, especially after last year’s massive defeat. The intensity of the breakdowns was impressive. There are lots of positives to take from the game.’
St Andrew’s will also be at the Saint Stithians Easter festival and have two tough games scheduled against the hosts and Boland Landbou.
The match never lived up to all the hype and was often tedious with neither side able to make any meaningful advances on attack.
While the home side had the better of the opening exchanges, Bishops scored their first try through livewire flanker Nizaam Carr. The visitors dominated the first half, but led just 7-3 after making some elementary handling errors.
St Andrew’s began the second half as they did the first by taking on Bishops physically, especially in the set pieces.
James Price kicked his second penalty for the hosts, before Bishops scored their second try through hooker Seb Matterson. Saints fullback Grant Macdonald then went over to make it 12-11. [keo]
St Andrew’s surged forward in the last few minutes but heroic defence by Bishops kept the hosts at bay. Bishops then had the final say when they scored with a minute remaining through lock West Mackintosh.
Bishops wing Nathan Nell was the stand out player for the visitors, while Macdonald shone for the Saints.
‘St Andrew’s came out firing and physically took the game to us,’ Bishops backline coach and ex-Springbok sevens captain Kevin Foote told keo.co.za. ‘However, we soaked up the pressure and are happy with the result.’
With two wins under their belts, Bishops will enter the upcoming St Stithians Easter festival full of confidence.
Meanwhile, St Andrew’s coach Stefan Louwrens said he was ‘proud of our effort against an experienced Bishops side, especially after last year’s massive defeat. The intensity of the breakdowns was impressive. There are lots of positives to take from the game.’
St Andrew’s will also be at the Saint Stithians Easter festival and have two tough games scheduled against the hosts and Boland Landbou.
What to do with Luke Watson?
Luke Watson’s form presents a multi-layered conundrum for the Springbok selectors while his father’s fractious relationship with Peter de Villiers does his cause no good.
The first layer in that conundrum is straight forward: do they even select Watson for the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour?
Watson polarized national opinion when, speaking at the Ubumbo Rugby Festival at the University of Cape Town Rugby Football Club on Friday, 3 October, he allegedly said he felt like vomiting on the Springbok jersey when he debuted because he felt it necessary to honour the men who had overcome an oppressive regime to get him there. In a question and answer session that followed he then allegedly made racists comments relating to the administration of South African rugby, saying it was ‘run by Dutchmen’.
Watson was later cleared of charges brought against him by SA Rugby on a technicality, but never denied making the statements and even acknowledged that he knew the student who had made the recording of the speech which was leaked to the media.
He found some support in a liberal faction of the South African rugby fraternity, but the overwhelming sentiment towards Watson was one of disdain.
Speaking to keo.co.za in an anonymous capacity, a number of senior Springboks have stated their dislike for Watson, with one highly experienced member going as far as to say he hopes Watson never plays for the Springboks again. He confirmed that it was a view held by many members of the squad.
However, Watson’s form is giving the Springbok selectors a problem they must have known was a possibility, but hoped they would never have to deal with.
That Watson has shone behind a Stormers pack that gets routinely mangled, bears testament to his skill. He has arguably been the finest of the South African No 8s thus far, edging the Springbok incumbents Pierre Spies and Ryan Kankowski. Statistics released by Verusco - the New Zealand-based company that supplies video analysis systems to most of the Super 14 teams - reveal that Watson is ahead of both Spies and Kankowski in all the key performance indicators for a No 8.
Even prior to his appointment as Springbok coach, De Villiers was vocal in his belief that form must be the primary consideration when selecting a squad. If he is to stay true to that belief, Watson, on current form, must be in his match 22 and would probably have a strong case to be included in his run-on side.
In what position he will play is a quandary De Villiers will need to negotiate and one we’ll discuss in a moment.
De Villiers has been quoted as saying that Watson won’t be discriminated against when it comes to selection. They have enjoyed a good relationship in the past and their maturity will determine whether that continues in future. However, the fact that De Villiers’s relationship with Watson’s outspoken father, Cheeky, has degenerated dramatically over the last couple of weeks inadvertently places extra pressure on Luke.
Sondag reports that De Villiers has sent SA Rugby a letter via his attorney demanding that they take action against Cheeky for allegedly calling him ‘a baboon who does not know what he is doing’ in a recent meeting of the EP Legends. While De Villiers’s stance on Luke is admirable in theory, it remains to be seen whether he can ignore the impetuosity of his father and focus solely on Luke’s performances when assessing his suitability for Springbok selection.
Should Watson be included in the Springbok squad, the question of where he will be accommodated will have to be addressed.
Despite playing at No 8, Watson continues to be deployed as the Stormers’ primary fetcher. He is the leading South African player in terms of turnovers, and was third in the tournament overall prior to the last round. However, his potency hasn’t been limited to his contribution on the deck. He is among the best loose forwards in terms of metres gained with ball in hand and linebreaks.
Most would consider it folly to suggest that Watson be included at No 8 ahead of Spies or Kankowski, while to even contemplate the possibility of Watson ousting one of Juan Smith or Schalk Burger (the most capped Test combination in Test rugby history) is bound to elicit calls for a lynching of the proponent of that view.
This, combined with off-field issues that affect the perception of Watson within the team, underlines the complex task De Villiers will have if Watson continues to deliver quality performances with the mechanical regularity he has over the last seven matches.
The first layer in that conundrum is straight forward: do they even select Watson for the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour?
Watson polarized national opinion when, speaking at the Ubumbo Rugby Festival at the University of Cape Town Rugby Football Club on Friday, 3 October, he allegedly said he felt like vomiting on the Springbok jersey when he debuted because he felt it necessary to honour the men who had overcome an oppressive regime to get him there. In a question and answer session that followed he then allegedly made racists comments relating to the administration of South African rugby, saying it was ‘run by Dutchmen’.
Watson was later cleared of charges brought against him by SA Rugby on a technicality, but never denied making the statements and even acknowledged that he knew the student who had made the recording of the speech which was leaked to the media.
He found some support in a liberal faction of the South African rugby fraternity, but the overwhelming sentiment towards Watson was one of disdain.
Speaking to keo.co.za in an anonymous capacity, a number of senior Springboks have stated their dislike for Watson, with one highly experienced member going as far as to say he hopes Watson never plays for the Springboks again. He confirmed that it was a view held by many members of the squad.
However, Watson’s form is giving the Springbok selectors a problem they must have known was a possibility, but hoped they would never have to deal with.
That Watson has shone behind a Stormers pack that gets routinely mangled, bears testament to his skill. He has arguably been the finest of the South African No 8s thus far, edging the Springbok incumbents Pierre Spies and Ryan Kankowski. Statistics released by Verusco - the New Zealand-based company that supplies video analysis systems to most of the Super 14 teams - reveal that Watson is ahead of both Spies and Kankowski in all the key performance indicators for a No 8.
Even prior to his appointment as Springbok coach, De Villiers was vocal in his belief that form must be the primary consideration when selecting a squad. If he is to stay true to that belief, Watson, on current form, must be in his match 22 and would probably have a strong case to be included in his run-on side.
In what position he will play is a quandary De Villiers will need to negotiate and one we’ll discuss in a moment.
De Villiers has been quoted as saying that Watson won’t be discriminated against when it comes to selection. They have enjoyed a good relationship in the past and their maturity will determine whether that continues in future. However, the fact that De Villiers’s relationship with Watson’s outspoken father, Cheeky, has degenerated dramatically over the last couple of weeks inadvertently places extra pressure on Luke.
Sondag reports that De Villiers has sent SA Rugby a letter via his attorney demanding that they take action against Cheeky for allegedly calling him ‘a baboon who does not know what he is doing’ in a recent meeting of the EP Legends. While De Villiers’s stance on Luke is admirable in theory, it remains to be seen whether he can ignore the impetuosity of his father and focus solely on Luke’s performances when assessing his suitability for Springbok selection.
Should Watson be included in the Springbok squad, the question of where he will be accommodated will have to be addressed.
Despite playing at No 8, Watson continues to be deployed as the Stormers’ primary fetcher. He is the leading South African player in terms of turnovers, and was third in the tournament overall prior to the last round. However, his potency hasn’t been limited to his contribution on the deck. He is among the best loose forwards in terms of metres gained with ball in hand and linebreaks.
Most would consider it folly to suggest that Watson be included at No 8 ahead of Spies or Kankowski, while to even contemplate the possibility of Watson ousting one of Juan Smith or Schalk Burger (the most capped Test combination in Test rugby history) is bound to elicit calls for a lynching of the proponent of that view.
This, combined with off-field issues that affect the perception of Watson within the team, underlines the complex task De Villiers will have if Watson continues to deliver quality performances with the mechanical regularity he has over the last seven matches.
Krige on Luke Watson.....
Cape Town - Luke Watson is playing some of the best rugby of his career, but the controversial loose forward still has a mountain to climb if he hopes to be part of the Springbok squad again.
While Bok coach Peter de Villiers prefers not to comment about individual players, he did intimate that team dynamics may be a factor in assembling his squad.
“I have always said I will be honest with the players and will not stand in the way of anyone who wants to realise his dream. He (Watson) will be treated the same as the other players. There are many factors one takes into account.”
One of those is probably team dynamics and that may just be where Watson is doomed following last year’s comment that he had to keep himself from vomiting on the Springbok jersey.
Watson is commanding a lot of respect with his form in the Super14 this season, but his unpopularity among other players may be a problem.
Former Springbok captain Corne Krige told Sport24 Watson is playing “unbelievable rugby”.
“I would pick him for South Africa on form, but the question is whether Peter is prepared to take that risk because that can disrupt the team,” said Krige.
“The good thing about Luke this year is that we are not hearing him talk. Rugby is what he is good at and he is playing incredibly well at present. He can return to politics later in life,” said Krige.
“He is among the best fetchers in the Super14. Rassie Erasmus (Stormers coach) is using him well as a fetcher from the No 8 position.”
Krige would not pick Watson as a “classic No 8” before the likes of Ryan Kankowski or Pierre Spies.
“I would consider using Luke to play to the ball. The problem with a loose-trio of Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Spies is that all three are similar players. Luke gives you something different,” said Krige.
“I doubt whether he will be picked. He has a lot of talent, but it’s not that much more than other players that it will leave a gaping hole if he’s not selected.”
Krige does not believe Watson necessarily has to be a spent force at international level.
“Everybody makes mistakes. The important thing is to admit your mistake and apologise.”
To date Watson has not done that. He has made himself available to play for South Africa again following the agreement that the Protea will appear on the left of the national jersey and the Springbok will move to the right. [news24]
While Bok coach Peter de Villiers prefers not to comment about individual players, he did intimate that team dynamics may be a factor in assembling his squad.
“I have always said I will be honest with the players and will not stand in the way of anyone who wants to realise his dream. He (Watson) will be treated the same as the other players. There are many factors one takes into account.”
One of those is probably team dynamics and that may just be where Watson is doomed following last year’s comment that he had to keep himself from vomiting on the Springbok jersey.
Watson is commanding a lot of respect with his form in the Super14 this season, but his unpopularity among other players may be a problem.
Former Springbok captain Corne Krige told Sport24 Watson is playing “unbelievable rugby”.
“I would pick him for South Africa on form, but the question is whether Peter is prepared to take that risk because that can disrupt the team,” said Krige.
“The good thing about Luke this year is that we are not hearing him talk. Rugby is what he is good at and he is playing incredibly well at present. He can return to politics later in life,” said Krige.
“He is among the best fetchers in the Super14. Rassie Erasmus (Stormers coach) is using him well as a fetcher from the No 8 position.”
Krige would not pick Watson as a “classic No 8” before the likes of Ryan Kankowski or Pierre Spies.
“I would consider using Luke to play to the ball. The problem with a loose-trio of Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Spies is that all three are similar players. Luke gives you something different,” said Krige.
“I doubt whether he will be picked. He has a lot of talent, but it’s not that much more than other players that it will leave a gaping hole if he’s not selected.”
Krige does not believe Watson necessarily has to be a spent force at international level.
“Everybody makes mistakes. The important thing is to admit your mistake and apologise.”
To date Watson has not done that. He has made himself available to play for South Africa again following the agreement that the Protea will appear on the left of the national jersey and the Springbok will move to the right. [news24]
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Bishops dazzle at School’s Day
Eighth man Nizeem Carr of Bishops walked away with the Man of the Match award in the final fixture of the 2009 Canal Walk WP Rugby School’s Day between Bishops and Paarl Gymnasium at Newlands last night. A well structured Bishops side displayed great skills and slick passing, but only managed to put one try past the boys from Paarl, who put up a strong performance.
The annual School’s Day at Newlands has become a highlight on the Youth Rugby events calendar, affording 10 Primary and 10 High school’s the opportunity to play at the home of rugby, as the war cries of some of the country’s most well known rugby school’s echoed around the ground.
A host of mini rugby matches started the tournament, with four promising players selected by former WP and Springbok great Chester Williams, to attend a coaching clinic courtesy of Canal Walk. Belvue Primary, Chuma Primary, Pinedene Primary, Durbanville Prep, Ikhusi Primary, Walter Teka Primary, Methodist Squirrels and Zimasa Community School all took part in the under 9 section.
Up next Rondebosch Prep went down to a spirited performance from Fanie Theron Primary in the under 13 category, with the team from Kuilsriver outscoring the Rondebosch boys two tries to one.
In the senior team matches, Stellenberg beat Milnerton High 10 – 5, with Wynberg Boys showing that they will be a force in the Province this year, beating Bellville High 20 – 5.
Paarl Boys High, who’d packed the stands from early in the day, gave their supporters reason to cheer, when they outscored rivals SACS three tries to one, in the third under 19 match of the day. Paarl Boys also walked away with the Spirit Award – a signed and framed Vodacom Stormers jersey and a cheque for R5000 for the school, to be used for sporting equipment.
In the curtain raiser to the main match Paul Roos Gymnasium triumphed over Rondebosch Boys. The final score was 10 – 0. And whilst the main match between Bishops and Paarl Gym was a low scoring affair, the spectators could not have asked for a better end to a great day of intense rivalry and running rugby.
The annual School’s Day at Newlands has become a highlight on the Youth Rugby events calendar, affording 10 Primary and 10 High school’s the opportunity to play at the home of rugby, as the war cries of some of the country’s most well known rugby school’s echoed around the ground.
A host of mini rugby matches started the tournament, with four promising players selected by former WP and Springbok great Chester Williams, to attend a coaching clinic courtesy of Canal Walk. Belvue Primary, Chuma Primary, Pinedene Primary, Durbanville Prep, Ikhusi Primary, Walter Teka Primary, Methodist Squirrels and Zimasa Community School all took part in the under 9 section.
Up next Rondebosch Prep went down to a spirited performance from Fanie Theron Primary in the under 13 category, with the team from Kuilsriver outscoring the Rondebosch boys two tries to one.
In the senior team matches, Stellenberg beat Milnerton High 10 – 5, with Wynberg Boys showing that they will be a force in the Province this year, beating Bellville High 20 – 5.
Paarl Boys High, who’d packed the stands from early in the day, gave their supporters reason to cheer, when they outscored rivals SACS three tries to one, in the third under 19 match of the day. Paarl Boys also walked away with the Spirit Award – a signed and framed Vodacom Stormers jersey and a cheque for R5000 for the school, to be used for sporting equipment.
In the curtain raiser to the main match Paul Roos Gymnasium triumphed over Rondebosch Boys. The final score was 10 – 0. And whilst the main match between Bishops and Paarl Gym was a low scoring affair, the spectators could not have asked for a better end to a great day of intense rivalry and running rugby.
Spies speaks out...
Superb when the game is loose, anonymous when it’s tight. Pierre Spies weighs in on the debate.
The Bulls No 8, by his own admission, was ordinary in their 2008 campaign, but seems to have rekindled the the form he displayed prior to his illness-enforced eight-month lay-off just before the 2007 World Cup.
However, there continues to be debate around his effectiveness when his tight five is nullified or when the opposition opt for a rigidly structured approach.
Spies’s performance against the Highlanders at the weekend did little to shatter that widely held perception, as, to a lesser extent, did those against the Lions and Stormers.
His detractors’ case was strengthened when recently released statistics from Verusco, a New Zealand-based company who supply video analysis systems to most Super 14 teams, revealed that Spies is the worst tackler of all the South African players - missing 37 tackles in five matches (a figure that would have increased after the Highlanders match). That’s an average of 7.4 per game - a staggering number for a Test player and one who should be dominating at the tackle point given his physical superiority over most opponents.
It is of course not a recent criticism, but Spies’ improved form has inadvertently cast a light on his perceived weaknesses. The 23-year-old has been diplomatic in his response to that line of criticism in the past, but seems to have reached the point where it’s become frustrating.
‘Some people have strong opinions about this and I can’t change those, even though I disagree with them,’ Spies told keo.co.za.
‘I’m not saying I’m flawless when the game is tight and I acknowledge that I’m better when our tight five is dominating, which gives me more space and time to work with. But there are a couple of No 8s like that. Ryan Kankowski (Spies’ major competition for the Springbok No 8 berth and South Africa’s seventh worst tackler with 25 missed hits) is very similar [when he is granted space and time to work with].
‘I want to get to the point where I’m dominating all types of games. But it’s not a case of me proving critics wrong. No matter how many good performances I deliver there’ll always be those who pick holes in my game. It’s the desire to be a complete player. I’m not there yet but I will get there.’
Former Springbok coach Jake White gave Spies his Test debut in 2006 and maintained faith in him for the majority of his tenure thereafter, despite regularly fielding questions about his reduced potency in tight matches in that period. He echoes Spies’s sentiments and feels critics need to keep perspective when judging him.
‘I know the boy can tackle and that he doesn’t disappear when game’s are tight,’ White said. ‘It’s easy to find fault with any player if you look hard enough and I guess Pierre’s no different. But he’ll become better as he gets older and more experienced. We have to remember that he’s only 23 and he’s in his third season as a loose forward at Super Rugby and Test level.’
Spies’ aptitude will be tested once more on Friday against a Crusaders side who have been observably more direct without their fulcrum Dan Carter directing affairs, and with a number of key backline players injured.
And it’s not only in the general play that Spies will be under the microscope. The Bulls’ scrum was pressured by the Highlanders, significantly blunting Spies’ threat. Expect the Crusaders to have noted their struggles and attempt replicate their Kiwi counterparts’ attack.
But there can surely be no better place than Christchurch against the defending champions to attempt to dispel some notions surrounding his perceived flaws.
[keo]
The Bulls No 8, by his own admission, was ordinary in their 2008 campaign, but seems to have rekindled the the form he displayed prior to his illness-enforced eight-month lay-off just before the 2007 World Cup.
However, there continues to be debate around his effectiveness when his tight five is nullified or when the opposition opt for a rigidly structured approach.
Spies’s performance against the Highlanders at the weekend did little to shatter that widely held perception, as, to a lesser extent, did those against the Lions and Stormers.
His detractors’ case was strengthened when recently released statistics from Verusco, a New Zealand-based company who supply video analysis systems to most Super 14 teams, revealed that Spies is the worst tackler of all the South African players - missing 37 tackles in five matches (a figure that would have increased after the Highlanders match). That’s an average of 7.4 per game - a staggering number for a Test player and one who should be dominating at the tackle point given his physical superiority over most opponents.
It is of course not a recent criticism, but Spies’ improved form has inadvertently cast a light on his perceived weaknesses. The 23-year-old has been diplomatic in his response to that line of criticism in the past, but seems to have reached the point where it’s become frustrating.
‘Some people have strong opinions about this and I can’t change those, even though I disagree with them,’ Spies told keo.co.za.
‘I’m not saying I’m flawless when the game is tight and I acknowledge that I’m better when our tight five is dominating, which gives me more space and time to work with. But there are a couple of No 8s like that. Ryan Kankowski (Spies’ major competition for the Springbok No 8 berth and South Africa’s seventh worst tackler with 25 missed hits) is very similar [when he is granted space and time to work with].
‘I want to get to the point where I’m dominating all types of games. But it’s not a case of me proving critics wrong. No matter how many good performances I deliver there’ll always be those who pick holes in my game. It’s the desire to be a complete player. I’m not there yet but I will get there.’
Former Springbok coach Jake White gave Spies his Test debut in 2006 and maintained faith in him for the majority of his tenure thereafter, despite regularly fielding questions about his reduced potency in tight matches in that period. He echoes Spies’s sentiments and feels critics need to keep perspective when judging him.
‘I know the boy can tackle and that he doesn’t disappear when game’s are tight,’ White said. ‘It’s easy to find fault with any player if you look hard enough and I guess Pierre’s no different. But he’ll become better as he gets older and more experienced. We have to remember that he’s only 23 and he’s in his third season as a loose forward at Super Rugby and Test level.’
Spies’ aptitude will be tested once more on Friday against a Crusaders side who have been observably more direct without their fulcrum Dan Carter directing affairs, and with a number of key backline players injured.
And it’s not only in the general play that Spies will be under the microscope. The Bulls’ scrum was pressured by the Highlanders, significantly blunting Spies’ threat. Expect the Crusaders to have noted their struggles and attempt replicate their Kiwi counterparts’ attack.
But there can surely be no better place than Christchurch against the defending champions to attempt to dispel some notions surrounding his perceived flaws.
[keo]
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Watson focused on S14, not Boks
Luke Watson is simply focusing on the next game rather than talking about his ambitions of wearing the new politically correct Springbok jersey.
“I have never been that goal-oriented. I just approach things from one game to the next,” Watson said from the Stormers hotel in Sydney on Monday.(www.supersport.co.za)
Watson is on record that he is prepared to wear the Bok jersey again after South African rugby bosses agreed to accommodate the King Protea on it as national emblem.
That means the Protea and Springbok are being separated, with the Protea on the left of the jersey.
It’s an open question whether team dynamics will allow Springbok coach Peter de Villiers to pick Watson again.
However, there can be no doubt that Watson’s performances are commanding respect. It is believed he was congratulated by some of the Bulls’ players after his performance in the Stormers’ 10-14 defeat at Loftus Versfeld.
Watson shone in the face of adversity in front of a hostile crowd.
This year he is one of few Stormers playing well on a weekly basis.
“It’s going well on an individual level. We’ve had a bit of bad luck as a team. I don’t for a minute doubt the ability of our coaches and the players to come up with good performances,” said Watson.
The Stormers are under immense pressure after Saturday’s 7-11 defeat against the Crusaders to engineer a turnaround against the Waratahs in Sydney.
Watson warned about the challenge of facing Wallaby flank Phil Waugh.
“As loose forwards we will have to concentrate on meeting the challenge of Waugh at the breakdowns,” said Watson.
Watson was at the heart of the Stormers’ one good attacking moment against the Crusaders. He spun out of four tackles to score his try.
However, the Stormers generally looked lacklustre on attack.
“We struggled to get out of our own area. Some of our tactical kicks were poor. I include myself in that because I also launched a poor kick,” said Watson. (www.supersport.co.za)
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