So after the losses down under Mr Meyer, the knives are out. And it was coming long before the kick off in Perth, it came on the day Heyneke picked his first squad against England.
A necessarily short sighted need to win at all cost. One of the reasons why the squad was named the Blou Bokke was a preference by the coach to pick size ahead of skill, tactical predictability ahead of spontaneous invention, what he knew ahead of what he did not know. He picked a team of out of fear of losing.
I understand he’s need to get off to a good start, but therein lies the problem. He did not need to get off to a good start, the Springboks needed to. Pick the best and play a game plan to their strengths. “You do not build with a national team,” he said. The best team will be picked to win now. Fair enough.
His predecessor Jake White, had to build from scratch. De Villiers inherited a World Cup winning team, then changed the “vision” before his first Tri-Nations was completed – to go back to the best game plan for the players who were the best in the country. Two years later, after the success in 2009, the Boks got smashed in the Tri-Nations mainly because the core of the 2009 team was dismantled due to players changing positions, injuries and players who were unavailable, but mainly because the team’s dynamics had changed and the tactics stayed the same. We became predictable and the opposition learned how to counter the Bok’s strengths.
Now on the back of large personnel changes, Heyneke Meyer is the most qualified of any Springbok coach in the professional era. He has picked his tactics and has largely picked the best available team. But the two, do not mix. Yes, Pierre Spies, Guthro Steenkamp, Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Bismark Du Plessis, Jaque Fourie and Fourie Du Preez are huge gaps and they are largely irreplaceable. Let alone the likes of John Smit, Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw, Bakkies Botha and Butch James, that have all either retired or have decided to take lucrative paths when past their best. So why has he chosen to play a game plan that used to be built around Fourie du Preez, when there is no Fourie Du Preez? Let’s have a look at what he has available to him.
The forwards largely pick themselves especially in the tight-five. The class of a Guthro Steenkamp, Juan Smith and Schalk Burger is clearly evident in their absence. The locks are young and have stood up well so far, but a fit and in form Andries Bekker could have made all the difference. We look clueless on the opposition’s ball at line-out time and one would assume the knowledge of the likes of Rassie Erasmus and Victor Matfield would be passed on, but you know what they say about assumptions. Bekker did look the part when on the pitch against the All Blacks. He needs to take the responsibility of leadership in the pack, especially with the list of notable absentees. The scrum is stable mainly because the front-row has largely been unchanged for the past four seasons, the gap between the starters and the replacements at prop are thin though. Greyling was poor against the All Blacks and Cilliers needs game time. Coenie Oosthuizen’s injury has also not come at a good time.
The back-row is where Meyer’s “size” argument has been largely evident. Jacques Potgieter, a young and talent ball carrier has been pushed too early and not been given proper detail on his role in the team. Against England and Argentina he has looked reckless and seems like he was told just to put himself about. This is when Kolisi (injured at present), Brussouw and Daniels have all been waiting in the wings for a chance. Daniels gets dropped, when he is the one loose forward, which can link up play with the backline. But those skills do not seem to be valued by Meyer.
Willem Alberts has shown his value when we actually attempt to put him in space on front foot ball, but he was largely anonymous against the All Blacks after a few big hits in the opening exchanges. Francois Louw skipped Brussouw in the fetcher’s pecking order and has done well, but still does not match an in form Brussouw. Vermeulen has slipped in seamlessly and as he gets more game time will become more of a factor. Marcell Coetzee has also done well, but needs a little bit more finesse around him while he develops his game, someone like Daniels for example.
Now to the backline, Francois Hougaard on form is the best scrum-half in the country, but then you must allow him to play like Hougie, not Fourie Du Preez. As much as I am happy for Pienaar to get some starts at scrum-half, it means Meyer is not changing the game plan. Hougaard has failed in the set-up, so let me replace him with Ruan and let’s see how we go. With Pienaar at scrum-half and we have two losses. And we did not lose because Pienaar was poor, his instructions were poor.
Most of us do not have anything against Morne Steyn, but he is not kicking his goals and he does not get the backline going, he is dramatically off form and needs to be replaced. Especially when, there are so many options available to Meyer. Morne is also evident of a long standing problem in our rugby, it is that his game has not developed in the last five years. It is funny how he replaced Derick Hougaard at the Bulls because, he was better at getting the ball out wide. Goosen is a great talent and he clearly is going to be a top player. But what has he done, that Elton Jantjies has not? Goosen has had one good half of a Super Rugby match, while Elton Janjties has shown in a losing side that he has the complete fly-half package and can be a match winner when he gets quality ball. Carlos Spencer and John Mitchell have developed him well. For the sake of South African rugby, he needs to play in Cape Town or Durban next year. Lambie has shown he can hold his own at fly-half, but I think he is a better full-back. I also would not burden Lambie with the place kicking duties just yet and that will happen if he is picked at fly-half.
The rest of the backline is quality, but when your coaching and direction is non-existent nothing is going to happen. Yes, Frans Steyn does look for contact a bit too often and Jean holds onto the ball a bit too much. But when you do not get quality ball, flat on the gainline, you are going to look one dimensional. Habana has again shown his class and has been a shining light, although it seems he has to do it all on his own. JP Pietersen, who was probably the best South African in Super Rugby this year, has also been injured at exactly the wrong time. Mvovo being dropped for Hougaard is not going to work if Hougaard is not given any space and when he is not given the responsibility to play as the second scrum-half. Kirchner has been fairly solid but brings no X-factor.
On the back of an utterly frustrating two losses against Australia and New Zealand we are left frustrated by a loss of opportunities. We could have easily won these two games. But we lost, because we did not play rugby. Australia played all the rugby in first 30 minutes of the second half, coming from behind and taking a seven point lead. Meyer is then forced to change things and Goosen and Lambie look like we actually can use our outside backs. The All Blacks were there for the taking, but Steyn missed his kicks and we were then unable to turn our pressure into points. The most devastating part of our performance in Dunedin, was when we were deep in the All Blacks half, we had no plan and no direction with ball in-hand. We looked like a team that was not coached. It is clear that Pienaar is instructed to wait for his forwards and knock it up through channel one and two. But when the ball goes out wide, generally off bad ball, deep behind the gainline, there is no support for the isolated backs and when they get tackled, the ball is usually turned over, because they are isolated. That is why Jean De Villiers will hold onto the ball because if its goes wider, there is no support for the wing.
Meyer’s support staff is also worrying me. McFarland, the defence coach clearly has not gotten anything across if one looks at the defence against Australia. They got over the gainline so easily. He also seems to rate himself very highly. And what concerns me even more is an article by Gavin Rich on Supersport’s website, where he mentions that the reason why the Stormers’ Nienaber was not approached for the defence coach position is because “his genius might intimidate those who do not know him.” Ricardo Laubscher has also leap-frogged Pieter Rossouw as the top back-line coach in the country, with a fairly modest CV. Basically, Meyer chose those who would not question him, Jean De Villiers included – and I hate to say it since Jean is my favourite player. Are we looking at a Dictator’s approach?
I do not expect a talented Springbok team to not back themselves with ball in hand and I do not believe in playing a pragmatic game plan because the team and especially the pack of forwards are young. Surely the simplest solution is to play towards their strengths because that is what they are best at, what they know best and the reasons why they got into contention for national selection in the first place. I do not accept that there cannot be a balance between a good kicking game and a good running game. Surely at international level, a very talented Springbok rugby team should be able to execute both reasonably well. I also do not accept that we cannot counter-attack in this country, which looks non-existent at present. Meyer picked a game plan out of fear and has lost with the same game plan. So now he has to get over it, be brave and move outside his comfort zone. This same game plan has been dated for two years now. I believe Meyer is an excellent man manager and has a technically gifted eye. But he seems stubborn and self righteous. And all the good work he has done in his career so far will go up in smoke if he does not learn some perspective.
It is funny how people thought Pieter De Villiers was a clown and now he does not seem too bad at what he does. At the end of the day, the boys need our support and we will continue to provide it. But Heyneke, please stop making it so unnecessarily hard for us to do.
You are making it hard for us to back you, Mr Meyer
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