Being the coach of a national team such as the Springboks must be an UNBELIEVABLY difficult task! You have to do well with tactics, selection, player management and dealing with egos, press relations, public expectations, to name but a few things. So I have great sympathy with Heyneke Meyer and the task in front of him. The rugby public expects him to win all matches emphatically while playing a brand of attractive rugby. But it seems he has neglected a very important part of being a national coach in South Africa: Transformation.
Now as a black rugby fan myself, I am as sick and tired of hearing the word quota as the next guy. I totally believe that nobody should be selected solely on the basis of their skin colour. But, the harsh reality is that the history of South Africa is a unique one and in order for the whole country to support the Springboks, there must be at least an effort made for representation of all the people of the country. If its all white, then it aint all right!
Fortunately in 2012, we seem to have hit a gold mine of black talent that has the potential to be truly world-class. And they're not just wings! Players that have absolutely legitimate claims to wearing the Bok jersey and representing our country with pride. Chiliboy Ralepelle, Siya Kolisi, Elton Jantjies, Juan de Jongh, Lwazi Mvovo, Bjorn Basson, Gio Aplon and Zane Kirchner can join the heady heights reached by Bryan Habana, JP Pietersen and Beast Mtawaria. We can even call on Brian Mujati, Guthrรถ Steenkamp and Ashley Johnson (at a HUGE push) from overseas!
The problem I have with Meyer is this: When having to pick between a black player and a white player of equal ability, Meyer seems to back white most times.
Think about it: Ralepelle vs Adriaan Strauss, Kolisi vs Jacques Potgieter or Marcell Coetzee, Juan de Jongh vs JJ Engelbrecht and then Jaco Taute, Lwazi Mvovo vs Francois Hougaard and Meyer's treatment/clear reluctance to play Elton Jantjies when compared to Johan Goosen. Most of these match-ups are pretty equal in terms of experience and form, and could go one way or another indeed. Some seem like no-brainers to me. And yet, Meyer has picked the white player on all of these occassions.
Ralepelle and Strauss were both on hot form for their respective sides in the Super Rugby competition, and one could argue that Chiliboy is the more mobile and better on the ground - which would have made him the better pick on the bench vs England. Kolisi had form and was not coming back from injury like Potgieter was before the England tests, and only Marcell Coetzee was beating him in terms of South African loose forwards when you look at numbers. So as the 2nd best loose forward at the time, how is Potgieter picked ahead of him? Mvovo plays two games vs Argentina, does relatively well with little ball and gets kicked out of the team and then the match 22 for an out-of-form scrumhalf, who has absolutely no impact in that position and is found out in terms of positioning in defence. Elton Jantjies warms the bench for 240 minutes vs England and does not get even a single second as Morne Steyn starts self-destructing. Not even a nanosecond in Port Elizabeth when a kicker with more confidence could have won us the game vs England. He gets dropped for a Goosen just coming back from injury, then comes back into the team when Meyer comes to his senses and finally drops Steyn, but Meyer still seems reluctant to play him, as he showed in both recent home tests, as he makes Jantjies warm up for ages, which was a factor in the Boks conceding a try vs New Zealand. Where Goosen is clearly struggling with his knee, Meyer doesn't use the two stops in play he had to put Elton on, which means that the Boks defended with 14 men vs New Zealand for the 2nd try. But the worst must be Juan de Jongh, who is our best 13 in SA, fact! JJ didn't even get an opportunity in the team, but when Taute played, his inexperience (in general and in 13 against quality opposition) showed vs New Zealand and the Bok fan is left scratching his head as to why de Jongh is picking out splinters out of his arse.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Meyer is racist. His record for transformation was relatively good, if not the best for the Bulls in 2007 (with the likes of Habana, Akhona Ndungane, Heini Adams, Wayne Julies, Tiger Mangweni and Steenkamp having leading roles in the Bulls winning the Super 14). And I am not saying that the black player is the best option in all those situations, I am sure that if I had a beer with Meyer, he would be able to convince me as to why he selected some of those players. But the fact that they are bigger players is not enough for many Bok fans, and personally would show to me that you do not have the chops for the job. Surely you cannot sacrifice talent and skill for size to such a large extent as with de Jongh and Taute. Surely you pick the specialist winger in Mvovo instead of a scrumhalf in Hougaard. Surely Kolisi deserves a Bok cap for his heroic performances for the Stormers when he as carried their forward pack on his back at times, if you are willing to pick Coetzee.
Meyer's "transformation record" (how I hate making this a numbers game, but okay) is no better or worse than Jake White's or PDivvy's of 3 or 4 in every match 22. But with the riches that we have in multiple positions, Meyer should be doing better at least in that aspect. If Dean Greyling is allowed to crash and burn so spectacularly, then surely Kolisi is allowed to as well. Heyneke, do not alienate more supporters and players and make your job even harder for yourself. You don't want the Minister of Sports Portfolio Committee on your back, as they try to make a point before Mangaung. Supporters talk, and they're far from satisfied with the "regulars" and Zane Kirchner in the team, when you can pick a few more (on that point, do not tell me that Zane is the "quota" when his direct competition Lambie has been flyhalf for most of the season).
Heyneke should be given time, like any other coach - and I like your willingness to use young players and how you learn from your mistakes (such as Steyn, Greyling, no fetcher, etc.). Lets hope that the Bok coach learns from this one, before it gets ugly.
RICHIE McCAW= MICHAEL SCHUMACHER?
Say what you want about him. Richie McCaw is a living legend of rugby union, no doubt about it, but for me he is a world sporting icon as well. He is now also the first player to play a part in 100 test wins in 112 test matches. That is an 89,29% winning record! How many other athletes can claim that sort of record at the highest level for a span of 11 years?? I know a man that comes closer than you think to Richie.
Michael Schumacher is a driver that dominated Formula 1 racing from 2000-2004 winning 5 successive titles for Ferrari (a team with a history of success). He delivered on his early promise of winning another two titles in 1994 and 1995, like McCaw delivered on that promise shown as a 21-year-old rookie thrown into test rugby after a season in the Super 12. Schumacher was the driver that rival fans loved to hate though, not only for his over-the-top success, but for his ruthless streak and, shall we say, bending of the rules, at all costs in order to win. Incidents with Damon Hill, David Coulthard and Fernando Alonso. He has also adapted even though the FIA have tried to stop his monopoly on F1 with tons of rule changes. Other drivers on the paddock envied him for his success and sometimes getting away with murder, but nobody can take away his talent, achievements and his legendary status. Sounds eerily familiar?
McCaw infuriates opposition fans for how he manages referees and how he seems to be breaking multiple rules at the breakdown at once. It almost seems as if he can do as he pleases at ruck time. But people forget that McCaw started as a young 21-year-old with no reputation at all, and through a consistent high level of performance, showing referees and the opposition respect and a thorough knowledge of the ever-changing rules, McCaw is able to stand head and shoulders above all opensiders. Not his fault that he knows what the referees want and knows what the rules expect from him. He is able to take calculated risks for the benefit of his team There was a time where Brussouw and Pocock threatened to take away his throne, but McCaw his shown his class and risen above all of these challengers. You don't win IRB Player of the Year 3 times and every trophy available for you in the game for nothing!
I hope that when they mention the names of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt and Michael Schumacher that there is space for Richard McCaw there as well.
My First Blog
From a personal side (I promise I won't be doing this often), I'd like to thank you for reading my first blog *cue tears of joy*. Finally, family and friends, I can now vent about sport on a blog instead of irritating you guys with it in conversation or in the twittersphere. Tackling transformation is certainly a big way in starting off my blogging career, but the tone has been set: no topic is too taboo. So have a read, agree or disagree, comment below and follow me @ThalaMsutu77 for even more ramblings and pearls of wisdom. I hope you enjoyed this:)
The problem I have with Meyer is this: When having to pick between a black player and a white player of equal ability, Meyer seems to back white most times.
Think about it: Ralepelle vs Adriaan Strauss, Kolisi vs Jacques Potgieter or Marcell Coetzee, Juan de Jongh vs JJ Engelbrecht and then Jaco Taute, Lwazi Mvovo vs Francois Hougaard and Meyer's treatment/clear reluctance to play Elton Jantjies when compared to Johan Goosen. Most of these match-ups are pretty equal in terms of experience and form, and could go one way or another indeed. Some seem like no-brainers to me. And yet, Meyer has picked the white player on all of these occassions.
Ralepelle and Strauss were both on hot form for their respective sides in the Super Rugby competition, and one could argue that Chiliboy is the more mobile and better on the ground - which would have made him the better pick on the bench vs England. Kolisi had form and was not coming back from injury like Potgieter was before the England tests, and only Marcell Coetzee was beating him in terms of South African loose forwards when you look at numbers. So as the 2nd best loose forward at the time, how is Potgieter picked ahead of him? Mvovo plays two games vs Argentina, does relatively well with little ball and gets kicked out of the team and then the match 22 for an out-of-form scrumhalf, who has absolutely no impact in that position and is found out in terms of positioning in defence. Elton Jantjies warms the bench for 240 minutes vs England and does not get even a single second as Morne Steyn starts self-destructing. Not even a nanosecond in Port Elizabeth when a kicker with more confidence could have won us the game vs England. He gets dropped for a Goosen just coming back from injury, then comes back into the team when Meyer comes to his senses and finally drops Steyn, but Meyer still seems reluctant to play him, as he showed in both recent home tests, as he makes Jantjies warm up for ages, which was a factor in the Boks conceding a try vs New Zealand. Where Goosen is clearly struggling with his knee, Meyer doesn't use the two stops in play he had to put Elton on, which means that the Boks defended with 14 men vs New Zealand for the 2nd try. But the worst must be Juan de Jongh, who is our best 13 in SA, fact! JJ didn't even get an opportunity in the team, but when Taute played, his inexperience (in general and in 13 against quality opposition) showed vs New Zealand and the Bok fan is left scratching his head as to why de Jongh is picking out splinters out of his arse.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Meyer is racist. His record for transformation was relatively good, if not the best for the Bulls in 2007 (with the likes of Habana, Akhona Ndungane, Heini Adams, Wayne Julies, Tiger Mangweni and Steenkamp having leading roles in the Bulls winning the Super 14). And I am not saying that the black player is the best option in all those situations, I am sure that if I had a beer with Meyer, he would be able to convince me as to why he selected some of those players. But the fact that they are bigger players is not enough for many Bok fans, and personally would show to me that you do not have the chops for the job. Surely you cannot sacrifice talent and skill for size to such a large extent as with de Jongh and Taute. Surely you pick the specialist winger in Mvovo instead of a scrumhalf in Hougaard. Surely Kolisi deserves a Bok cap for his heroic performances for the Stormers when he as carried their forward pack on his back at times, if you are willing to pick Coetzee.
Meyer's "transformation record" (how I hate making this a numbers game, but okay) is no better or worse than Jake White's or PDivvy's of 3 or 4 in every match 22. But with the riches that we have in multiple positions, Meyer should be doing better at least in that aspect. If Dean Greyling is allowed to crash and burn so spectacularly, then surely Kolisi is allowed to as well. Heyneke, do not alienate more supporters and players and make your job even harder for yourself. You don't want the Minister of Sports Portfolio Committee on your back, as they try to make a point before Mangaung. Supporters talk, and they're far from satisfied with the "regulars" and Zane Kirchner in the team, when you can pick a few more (on that point, do not tell me that Zane is the "quota" when his direct competition Lambie has been flyhalf for most of the season).
Heyneke should be given time, like any other coach - and I like your willingness to use young players and how you learn from your mistakes (such as Steyn, Greyling, no fetcher, etc.). Lets hope that the Bok coach learns from this one, before it gets ugly.
RICHIE McCAW= MICHAEL SCHUMACHER?
Say what you want about him. Richie McCaw is a living legend of rugby union, no doubt about it, but for me he is a world sporting icon as well. He is now also the first player to play a part in 100 test wins in 112 test matches. That is an 89,29% winning record! How many other athletes can claim that sort of record at the highest level for a span of 11 years?? I know a man that comes closer than you think to Richie.
Michael Schumacher is a driver that dominated Formula 1 racing from 2000-2004 winning 5 successive titles for Ferrari (a team with a history of success). He delivered on his early promise of winning another two titles in 1994 and 1995, like McCaw delivered on that promise shown as a 21-year-old rookie thrown into test rugby after a season in the Super 12. Schumacher was the driver that rival fans loved to hate though, not only for his over-the-top success, but for his ruthless streak and, shall we say, bending of the rules, at all costs in order to win. Incidents with Damon Hill, David Coulthard and Fernando Alonso. He has also adapted even though the FIA have tried to stop his monopoly on F1 with tons of rule changes. Other drivers on the paddock envied him for his success and sometimes getting away with murder, but nobody can take away his talent, achievements and his legendary status. Sounds eerily familiar?
McCaw infuriates opposition fans for how he manages referees and how he seems to be breaking multiple rules at the breakdown at once. It almost seems as if he can do as he pleases at ruck time. But people forget that McCaw started as a young 21-year-old with no reputation at all, and through a consistent high level of performance, showing referees and the opposition respect and a thorough knowledge of the ever-changing rules, McCaw is able to stand head and shoulders above all opensiders. Not his fault that he knows what the referees want and knows what the rules expect from him. He is able to take calculated risks for the benefit of his team There was a time where Brussouw and Pocock threatened to take away his throne, but McCaw his shown his class and risen above all of these challengers. You don't win IRB Player of the Year 3 times and every trophy available for you in the game for nothing!
I hope that when they mention the names of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt and Michael Schumacher that there is space for Richard McCaw there as well.
My First Blog
From a personal side (I promise I won't be doing this often), I'd like to thank you for reading my first blog *cue tears of joy*. Finally, family and friends, I can now vent about sport on a blog instead of irritating you guys with it in conversation or in the twittersphere. Tackling transformation is certainly a big way in starting off my blogging career, but the tone has been set: no topic is too taboo. So have a read, agree or disagree, comment below and follow me @ThalaMsutu77 for even more ramblings and pearls of wisdom. I hope you enjoyed this:)
