The second portion of a look at the current state of affairs within the Springbok squad. Note: This article was intended to be published prior to the announcement of the Springbok Squad to face the B&I Lions (unlike the very successful and accurate ‘Part 1’ which was posted quite some time ago). Since it is only seeing the light of day now, the content below has been adapted somewhat to incorporate Pieter De Villiers’ squad selections. We obviously already knew who that squad would consist of, naturally. The feature below therefore serves mostly as a confirmation of that fact.
The forward pack will be a double edged sword for Pieter De Villiers this season. Remember that in South Africa, as shown in Part 1, the dominant aspect of a player’s skill set when being considered for Springbok selection is his skin colour. We are however blessed in this country with some of the most outstanding forwards in world rugby, revered by the public, media and fellow players. If you are a loose-forward, for example, you have to be outstanding just to get a look in at one of our provincial teams due to the abundance of quality in that position. The double-edged sword remark comes into play because all the good forwards in South Africa are white. We have the potential to pick the best pack in world rugby, I don’t entertain arguments concerning this matter, but the problem is that this pack will be exclusively white – hence – De Villiers picks his strongest pack to dominate and hurt the opposition but loses his job, or he picks the government’s idea of a Springbok pack and he loses all his international matches.
The above is an example of why I cannot understand how anyone would want the Springbok coaching job – there is not only a performance clause built into the contract, but also a quota clause, effectively making the coach jump around and dance to the government’s tune like a sick and twisted version of a court-jester. The quota clause, of course, is the more aggressively supported and reported aspect within government and most of the media. I still firmly believe you cannot have both – development of the game within the non-white townships has not yet provided enough international (some may even say provincial) class black players to be forcing them into the Springbok side and still expect a winning season. But black player development in this country is an issue that deserves its very own epic novel.
The forward pack is where it all comes to a head. The best we can do is a few Zimbabwean imports which is a slap in the face of black South African rugby players who have more of a right to be forced into the Springbok setup before the Zimbabweans are forced into the Springbok setup. Again, we will look at the current crop of players who should be in the Springbok side and then the other side of the universe, the quota side. This is not going to be easy. We need a magnifying glass.
The fun already begins at eighthman. A bonus for South Africa is that the best Nr 8 in the world is currently in form and above Affirmative Action. Pierre Spies seems to have (fortunately) shaken off the serious disease, or whatever the hell it was, that denied him a much deserved World Cup winning medal in 2007. It was a tedious road back but in the beginning of the Super 14 season he most certainly was back. With a bang. He is really fast, really big, really strong. If you can find a pictorial rugby dictionary, the description of eighthman will have a picture of Pierre Spies. His early season successes have ensured that he was almost marked out of the game during the latter stages of the Bulls’ oversees trip during the Super14. This usually involved at least three defenders to soak him up. Regardless of being negated, if ever really possible in a game, the affect he has is immense on defensive patterns. Not many countries can boast having an u/21 World Cup winning wing playing Nr. 8 while being bigger than most natural eighthmen in the world.
The pretender to the throne is the lanky Ryan Kankowski. He is the English-speaking, more tender equivalent of the destroyer that is Spies, although he doesn’t get involved in the rucks and mauls as much as he should. Some might even say he never gets involved in the rucks and mauls which I find a critical failing. He is a forward. It pays off though since he picks up enough good ball on the fringes or, more often than not, on the wing to catch enough shine and score enough tries. I suppose he needs to bulk up more before he becomes a complete Nr 8, he is utilizing his impressive pace to full effect at the moment and that appears to be good enough to be regarded as the second best Nr. 8 in the country.
Call me traditional, narrow minded, old fashioned or even bigoted – but I feel a forward is a forward. Would Jannie Breedt be caught between the wing and the centre every 5 minutes? I think not. Nevertheless, it is exciting to see a Nr. 8 run through some backlines and set up forward ball, it must be part and parcel of the attempts by the powers that be to liven up and make the game of Rugby Union more “attractive”. Whatever.
The government will probably not be swayed by the fact that the two players mentioned above have size, pace, ball skills, acceleration and all round great field presence. No. They will make a case for vomit boy and his new found career boosting positional switch to Nr. 8 being the reason for him to wear the green and gold again this season. When it comes to quotas, it pains me to say but he is probably the best black player we have that can play in a loose-forward role. He is a flank, albeit a very short flank, but a flank nonetheless – the fact that he is a quota player boosts him past almost everybody else. It is therefore refreshing to see that Pieter De Villiers and his advisors were, like his predecessor, not swayed by the government and didn’t include Watson in the squad to face the Lions. I hope he has the courage of his convictions and keeps it that way if, heaven forbid, an injury occurs to one of the primary Nr. 8’s and he finds himself having to call up some reinforcements.
Moving to flankers we see the reasons for why Jake White rightfully refused to buckle (up to the last moment) and select Luke “I am quite pale for a black man” Watson to wear his despised and hated Springbok jersey a few seasons ago. The list of better flankers than puke guy was long back then, it is much longer now. Schalk Burger is famous. Everyone knows him so no need to elaborate on his game or achievements within the game. Jake White summed it up best one post-match interview when he quipped “I wish I could have 15 Schalk Burgers”. Injury, as ever in the demanding schedule of the modern day rugby player has halted Burger’s usual demolition of opposition in the ruck, maul, open play, structured play, line-outs, scrums… everywhere actually. His track record at international level is undisputed and he is probably the easiest pick out of all the players.
It almost seemed as if Juan Smith was running on empty for the biggest part of this year’s Super 14. It culminated in his departure from his side’s Australasian tour after a dismal game where he was diagnosed with heat exhaustion. It makes sense when you have the class and ability of Smith in a depleted, weak side where the general work-rate is lower than what he would be used to. His support play probably lacked, he seemed a tad slower to the channels than what he normally would be, hence his defensive work suffered. Never having been a player that stands out or is as noticeable as the other big names, his seemingly tired efforts made him seem even more absent. Make no mistake, his contribution to any rugby game is enormous – especially at international level where he has the measure of any opposing loose-forward. I just cannot help but feel that his continued allegiance to the lowly Cheetah franchise is hampering his overall game, and career. Imagine the value he would bring to a very young Sharks back row, or in combination with Spies at the Bulls, for example.
He is under threat though, as good as he is. The young and enthusiastic terrier Heinrich Brussouw is standing out when considering loose forwards. He is fearless. The Sharks loose-forwards, as I have mentioned already, are young and showing incredible potential. Daniel, Botes and Deysel. The latter probably being the most exciting young loose forward to arrive on the Super 14 scene. He is a machine. If he can stay injury free he will be a Springbok in no time. His driving runs and powerful displays have shown that he doesn’t have long to go before he reaches the upper echelons of the game. The Stormer import Duane Vermeulen (what the hell kind of name is Duane for a guy based in Bloemfontein) from the Free State by Rassie Erasmus have shown that he is willing along with Franscois Louw in a below par squad. Experience is counting against them though but the fundamental requirements are there – size, speed and skill. The rest will come with time, and that time will be shorter if Rassie can find some sort of formula for improving the general level of the franchise’s game. Winning sides breed ‘Bok players.
Apart from Watson being selected as a utility back row replacement-after-an-injury, there are no logical affirmative action selections that can be made by the government for these positions. Even I doubt they would go as far as selecting Watson’s dad, but you never know. The pickings are slim. Despite all the raving and ranting from the government, Kabamba Floors was exposed at international level when Jake White also finally relented and gave him a run in the ‘Bok jersey – he just is too small. I quite like his enthusiastic attitude, he is a willing ball carrier and looks for work but that is where his abilities end. Hilton Lobberts has somehow managed to still stay in and around the provincial game set up. He is a walking penalty, a liability that brings nothing to the game that can be traded for the amount of 3- and 5-pointers he gives away. He has been used as a lock by Rassie but that can only be ascribed to his slackness in keeping his weight down off-season, Lobberts and January obviously train at the same gym, I suspect it is called McDonalds.
The size issue brings me to Brussouw. He has been touted as the next big name in South African rugby. That may very well be the case but against a powerful Lions pack there can be no place for him in the current Springbok setup. He is small. He has no major contributing factors that could see him being selected over the powerful duo of Schalk and Juan. He had a superb season but that is only enough to get the Springbok fans shouting about his selection, it doesn’t automatically make him an international class flanker. He also flourished under the Super14 version of the ELV’s. Whether Brussouw was suited to that version of the ELV’s or whether he would’ve shined anyways, is a matter for debate. I fail to see how he will be effective though against a large and skillful Lions pack. It is not a good idea to use a tour that occurs once every 10 or 12 years to be experimenting on the introduction of a Watson-esque ‘fetcher’ into the established forward dominating style of the Springboks. Select him for the Tri Nations by all means, but against the Lions we need power, pace and forward dominance.
At lock we have a mixed bag. The once labeled ‘best lock pairing in the world’ is now maybe the ‘2nd best lock pairing in the world’. Victor Matfield doesn’t seem to relish his role as a lineout specialist anymore, neither does he seem to be able to join rucks and mauls lately. I can only guess that the reason is he needs time to run from his unaccustomed lock position to his more accustomed wing position. One can’t be catching lineout balls or join rucks when you have a job to do on the wing. And the job he is doing is not creating tries or breaking the line, unfortunately, despite what Matfield believes. A lock is a lock for a reason. Locks cannot run, sidestep, distribute, tackle opposing centers and wings nor improvise as good as a backline player can. A lock should only find himself in the backline in broken play because he is too lazy to run to the loose-maul, or he is setting up crash-ball which should be the first channel around the fringes – NOT on the wing.
Matfield’s failed backline play has been the cause of many missed opportunities for the Bulls, and unfortunately, Springboks due to his inability to do what a normal backline player would be able to do. He is still a lineout powerhouse even though he is less active than two seasons ago. He is still an adequate captain despite not being able to position himself where he is supposed to be. He will not lose his position in the Springbok setup for two major reasons: his partnership with Bakkies Botha is a good one, there hasn’t been anyone to properly challenge his position and the second one is there are no black locks.
Bakkies Botha is a lock. He is an abrasive, aggressive, powerful lock who does not stand for this new-age era of forwards running around like headless chickens. He enjoys conflict, and ensures that he is close to where the action is or if there isn’t any action, he will do his best to start some. Every Springbok squad needs a hard man or two – Bakkies plays this role to perfection. Seeing a Springbok lock clearing out the ruck with… energy… is as enjoyable as seeing a Springbok centre sidestepping his opponent – maybe even more so.
Andries Bekker, a talented forward and very tall lock is unfortunately a scholar in the Victor Matfield school of “Run around like an idiot and pretend to be a wing”. Maybe this is a pre-set plan instigated by Peter De Villiers? Maybe he requires, for his own psychotic needs, a lock pairing where only one commits to normal forward play and the other is a very tall centre? Johan Muller is, albeit very nondescript, a more traditional lock that sticks to the basics and does them well. It is these very basics that form the foundation of a good solid possession dominated game. You need locks that thrive on contact and physicality. Not sheep in wolf’s clothing. Muller, although not a standout lock, is a perfect back-up to the better known lock pairing – he is consistent and has even lead the ‘Boks a few times, this is another added bonus that he brings to the table but may not be enough to give him some Springbok game time.
Danie Rossouw is a surprisingly versatile forward. He has somehow gone from lumbering donkey to a super-effective utility Lock/Flanker/Eighthman. I was highly critical of his continued selection prior to the 2007 RWC, seeing him as a slow and tedious lock prone to giving away unnecessary penalties. He obviously then went on to have a storming RWC and prove his worth in the Northern Hemisphere. A fact that cannot be overlooked when the Springboks face similar opposition to the English team they defeated twice during that campaign. He will relish a forward dominated game against the B&I Lions and should comfortably slot into a Flanking or Locking role. Reviewing my initial assessment of him – his value to the Springbok Squad as it stands currently is great.
Unlike many Springbok fans I am more convinced now than before of who should wear the Nr. 2 jersey during this upcoming British & Irish Lions test series. Bismarck Du Plessis simply is one of the most powerful hookers in world rugby, an incredibly exciting prospect considering his age. His scrummaging and ball carrying fits perfectly into the Springbok style of forward play. Some may say that he had a relatively mediocre Super14, I disagree and insist that his season this year not be compared to the previous two or three when he exploded onto the scene. Du Plessis probably suffered under John Plumtree’s rotational policy. Between the national captain and Du Plessis the position of hooker was never established and it ended up merely looking like John Plumtree not being able to decide what he wanted the front row to look like, more than a well thought out rotation of players.
The front row never settled and the much hyped Sharks pack suffered for it. Bismarck seemed unsettled at times and I hope this does not carry over to the Springbok side where the uncertainty over his starting position may very well also be present. I doubt very much Pieter De Villiers is sure who he wants to play in what position. I do know that Bismarck Du Plessis was so highly regarded by Jake White that it prompted a change in career of one of South Africa’s most successful captains purely because he would’ve had to have been benched for the better player.
It is clear that De Villiers intends for John Smit to be his first choice tight head and it is almost a necessary compromise, for John and for Bismarck. John would never be comfortable being the run-on hooker knowing that the young Bismarck is the better equipped, not only at Super14 level but most definitely at international level as well. What is nice though is that Bismarck can be the wrecking ball he always wanted to be for 60 minutes and then go have a shower with John filling in as hooker for the last 20 minutes – a nice backup to have on the field. Whoever finds himself benched for that specific game can then come on to add some freshness and proper tighthead scrumming power.
Gurthro Steenkamp and Deon Carstens seem to be the favoured backup props for this tour. We can’t find too much fault in those two, especially since Peter De Villiers has finally gotten rid of the stupid idea that Brian Mujati should be in the front row. The guy cannot scrum, he cannot pass, tackle or run – granted, the last three skills are not as critical for a prop, but compared to what else is available, it would be criminal to continue with Mujati, just as it always was with Lawrence Sephaka. Even the most staunch Affirmative Action supporters within government themselves couldn’t bring themselves to condone the inclusion of Sephaka in any team of importance whatsoever. Mujati is very fast getting indefensible as well, thank goodness for the Zimbabwean fan-favourite Beast Mtawarira then. It provides that much needed quota option in the once Afrikaner dominated zone of the front row.
This is the reason, we suppose, for the exclusion of scrumming powerhouse BJ Botha as was Cobus Visagie a few seasons ago by Jake White. CJ Van Der Linde has also fallen out of favour with the current establishment. His generally loose play apparently surplus to requirements.
The ELV’s as played in this year’s Super14 made it tough for the once peaceful prop fraternity. It seems as though most are caught between two opposing mindsets – being as mobile as possible, flinging weight around like a loose-forward (or 2nd/3rd hooker) and the other being a ruck & maul specialist. Older generations of props were happy to be used in the set-pieces and then jog around behind the maul conserving energy until the next hit. Making the odd tackle and falling on the odd loose-ball completed the average game.
15-man rugby these days require mobile forwards with high work rates yet still maintain the dominance required in the set-pieces. A strong scrum adds defensive pressure and secures attacking ball. You need a power front row for that which starts with good props – specialist scrummagers who can handle the pressure and put the squeeze on when required. It is a pity therefore that Heinki Van Der Merwe was injured towards the end of the season as he is probably the most exciting young prop since Os. His tackling around the fringes and clear dominance in the scrum will be invaluable to the ‘Bok cause when he is eventually fully fit again. Beast is of the mobile variety, enjoying the loose style which the props of today are allowed to play. John Smit was never a very mobile hooker having always had prop-like dimensions, his scrumming will be tested intensely this Lions tour and is one of the most talked about issues regarding the tests.
If his scrumming is exposed then Bismarck will be the affected party as the backup specialists will be required faster than the 60 minute mark. A game which should see the ‘Boks dominate upfront will be thrown on its head if the battle in the front row is lost in the first 20 minutes. Lack of adequate game time may very well see the Springboks playing catch-up rugby for the rest of the first test, the questions may then be – can the Springboks re-establish forward superiority and can that be done with the captain in a relatively unfamiliar yet important position? Can the ‘Boks afford losing the barging runs of Bismarck earlier than they wanted to since the alternative – an early John Smit substitution – is not an option.
The move of John Smit is a gamble no doubt but as I stated before, it is a necessary one to ensure the best leader and the best hooker are on the same pitch at the same time. I just hope it is not an exploitable gamble, the Lions are not in the same class as the Springboks on paper, they do have a superior coach and the history of the 1997 Lions that count for them. Hopefully it is not enough to get an unlikely series win.
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