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january-february 2013 issue 186super rugby preVieW
springbok Tour reVieW francois louW
schalk briTs kieran read naThan sharpe VarsiTy cup comm
uniTy cup saracens
PLUS: SPRINGBOKS FRANCOIS LOUW SCHALK BRITS VARSITY CUP SARACENS
www.sardigimag.co.za9 771024 321037
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january-february 2013 issue 186
r28.00 (incl VaT) other countries r24.80 (excl TaX)
SA'S Super rugby
ASSAultStArtS here
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Proud Supporters every step of the wayDiscovery. Peak performance partner of the Springboks
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Contents
81braced for battle
YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE 2013 SUPER RUGBY SEASON by CLINTON VAN DER bERG, GARETH DUNCAN, GAVIN RICH,
JON CARDINELLI, MARC HINTON & ALEX bROUN
46 52 58
issue 186
winning uglyThe Springboks claimed three victories on their end-of-year tour, but didn’t evolve as a squadby MARK KEOHANE
ongoing educationFrancois Louw has become one of the world’s best openside flanks, and he can get even betterby RyAN VREDE
rekindling the flameSaracens hooker Schalk Brits returned to the Springbok squad in November after a four-year absence by jON cARDiNElli
6-7_ContentsJAN.indd 4 2012/12/05 8:52 AM
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© Highbury Safika Media (Pty) Ltd2004 03/1056/03, Highbury Safika Media, 21st floor, Metlife Centre, 7 Coen Steytler Ave, Foreshore, 8001, Cape Town, South Africa
SUBSCRIPTION RATE 12 issues: R220 (incl VAT) Neighbouring states: R520 International: R720 Digital edition: R69.95
SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIESTel: (021) 416-0141 Fax: 086-567-1350 e-mail: [email protected]
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ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Tel: (021) 416-0141 Fax: (021) 418-0132e-mail: [email protected]
ISSN 1024-3216. All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without permission is forbidden. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of this magazine but we assume no responsibility in the effect arising therefrom. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.
Acting Publishing Director Jill KaytonEditorial Director Gary LemkeEditor Simon BorchardtSenior Staff Writers Jon Cardinelli, Ryan VredeJunior Staff Writer Gareth DuncanChief Copy Editor Philippa ByronCopy Editors Nick van Rensburg, Nick PawsonJunior Copy Editor Dan Gillespie
Art Director Wayne JordaanDesigners Stuart Apsey, Justin Evans, Craig McLeodRepro Manager Karin LivniSenior Repro Artists Donnevan van der Watt, Adri van der Watt, Tammy-Anne ClarkeRepro Artists Naomi e’Camara, Heidi Louw, Deon Groenewald, Claire Stockenström, Stefan Roodt
Contributors Alex Broun, Adam Burnett, Howard Kahn, Mark Keohane, Duane Heath, Marc Hinton, Ewen McKenzie, Clinton van der Berg
Deputy Production Manager Kim ShellarAd Traffic Assistant Megan VirginAd Designers Janine Smith, Hennelie Visser, Tasneem Karriem, Teneal Redman
Group Sales Director Ryan NicolleSales Director Carlos CaldeiraSales Manager Stuart ForsythAdvertising Sales Oliver Carter, Max Cherry, James Gunn, Evan Hill, Clive Kotze, Francois Malan, Lionel Naudé, Amilcare Palagi, Jarryd Parker, Jason Rogers, Mark Tango
Chief Executive Officer Kevin Ferguson Managing Director Tony WalkerCommercial Director Shane KeohaneProduction Director Bilqees Allie
Financial Director Lindsey AllenHR Director Rizqah JakoetCredit Manager Zainab AbrahamsDebtors Manager Janice StrachanCEO’s PA Kovi Naidoo
Photography HSM Images, Gallo Images, Getty Images (unless otherwise credited) Cover Photos Sandy Coffee, Lucille Geldenhuys, Chris Laurenz, Kendall-Leigh Nash, Gerhard Uys
Marketing Executive Kim Schonfeldt Circulations & Subscriptions Administrator Nasreen Abrahams
Distributed by
66 PRIME ASSET
148 FAMILY TIES
REGULARS
9EXPENDABLE COMMODITIESMark Keohane says the IRB does not care about the well-being of professional players
65WINNING BLUEPRINTEngland beat the All Blacks at their own game, writes Marc Hinton
78UNIQUE APPROACHESEwen McKenzie looks at the different brands of rugby played by the best Test teams
154ALL FOR ONESimon Borchardt says the Pacific Islanders should play in the Rugby Championship
11 YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK14 LINEBREAKS44 SUBSCRIBE TO SA RUGBY MAGAZINE126 TV GUIDE131 FUTURE STAR132 CLUB STAR
COLUMNS
Contents
Prime aSSet66 Kieran Read was the best player in
a star-studded All Blacks team in 2012by MARc HiNTON
final flouriSh72 Nathan Sharpe was Australia’s Player of the
Year in his last season of professional rugbyby ADAM bURNETT
one more roar124 Jonny Wilkinson’s form for Toulon could see
him tour Australia with the British & Irish Lionsby MARK KEOHANE
uP for graBS135 The 2013 Varsity Cup will be the most
open in the tournament’s six-year historyby GARETH DUNcAN
game changer140 The Community Cup is expected to breathe
new life into South African club rugbyby GARETH DUNcAN
family tieS148 Saracens care about their players, who
in turn give their all for the English clubby jON cARDiNElli
Printed by
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IT’S WHAT YOU PUT IN
35262/SAR
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THEMARK
KEOHANECOLUMN
9
KEOHANE IS A FORMER BOK COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AND THE FOUNDER OF KEO.CO.ZA.
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EXPENDABLE COMMODITIES PROFESSIONAL RUGBY PLAYERS ARE POORLY TREATED
The best are played into the ground but expected to perform at their peak each match
EVERY PLAYER TELLS YOU THE PROFESSIONAL game of rugby union has to be streamlined internationally. Players fear for their longevity at the peak of their game. Careers that could stretch to a decade are now deemed exceptional if they last five years.
The demands on the body and mind of the professional players are excessive; the seasons get longer every year and the commercial demands of the game rise.
Those who administer the game professionally defend increased scheduling
as a must for the game to survive commercially and do so with a smugness that has scant regard for the player. The player, the asset of the game, is deemed dispensable because of the conveyor belt that continues to produce the next crop.
The game, they tell you, has always been around and will always be around. Players come and go. Those suits in denial and those only concerned with profit margins
don’t have a care for the player. It they did, players would not be forced to take a sabbatical or to give up playing for their country for the less demanding life of a professional provincial or club player. If the custodians did, they’d find a solution to a global season and not keep on insisting it is rugby’s lot.
The rules of the game have changed. Interpretations are tweaked each year to force-manufacture greater flow, more continuity and a more enjoyable spectator experience. Rugby union, as it once was, is no more, but the denials are as emphatic as they have always been.
The best are played into the ground but expected to perform at their peak each match. The players, not for a lack of passion or desire, can’t physically and mentally front Saturday after Saturday, for club, province, and country.
The IRB insists on amateur ethos and traditions as the mainstay of the game, but negotiates with broadcasters and investors on the basis of commercially operating a professional industry.
Take the IRB Awards, which are supposed to be the annual Oscars of rugby.
They were devalued when supposed administrator morality could not allow for expenditure on a night that should have been rewarding the game’s best players, coaches, officials and teams. Category winners were announced throughout
the year to spare the expense of nominees, again with no explanation.
Only winners were flown to the gala event and the IRB Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and Team of the Year were the only awards that would be announced on Oscar night when the financial investment in the evening was more appropriate to a pub night.
This is how warped the mentality is of those still controlling the game. No wonder the players see so little value in the awards.
Richie McCaw – having led the All Blacks to a first World Cup title in 24 years, having become the first player to win 100 Tests (in just 112 matches), having been brilliant in New Zealand retaining the Bledisloe Cup for a ninth successive year, having been influential in the All Blacks’ 3-0 series win against Ireland and in a Rugby Championship campaign that saw them win all six matches, home and away, against Argentina, South Africa and Australia – was a nominee.
So too was England’s young flyhalf Owen Farrell, who started in one of England’s last six internationals, but played two very good games in the early part of the 2012 Six Nations. No explanation was given. None ever is.
The pretence of what constitutes professional rugby is farcical, but there is nothing laughable about how the players continue to be treated.
It won’t change until there is a player revolution in the game and with that not likely to happen soon, get ready for the fit in one hemisphere playing the fatigued of another, inane post-match platitudes, national coaches in conflict with provincial coaches and IRB reports that boast of global growth at grassroots level, commercial reality and the justification of all decisions on rugby no longer being a sport but a competitor in the global consumer market of entertainment.
DAN CARTER WAS SUBSTITUTED AT TWICKENHAM DURING THE ALL BLACKS’ 14th TEST OF 2012
9_Keo column.indd 9 2012/12/04 1:59 PM
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SEND YOUR E-MAILS TO [email protected]. POST YOURCOMMENTS ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND KEO.CO.ZA
www.springboklodge.co.za
In November Western Province tweeted a photo of their trophy cabinet, which contained the Currie Cup, SA Super Rugby conference trophy, Vodacom Cup and U19 trophy. You can’t blame WP for gloating. After all, they had been the butt of countless jokes regarding the cobwebs in that cabinet, for 11 years.
However, there is still a piece of silverware missing from their collection and it’s the one that matters most – the Super Rugby trophy for winning the competition. The Stormers may well have lifted it in 2012 had they not suffered so many injuries and if they can keep their best players on the park in 2013, they could go all the way.
So could the Sharks, who reached the Super Rugby final in 2012 where a crazy travel schedule took its toll. They can avoid a repeat of that situation in 2013 by winning the South African conference.
And don’t write off the Bulls, who overachieved in 2012 by reaching the play-offs in a rebuilding year. They’ll be stronger this time around.
The new season, as always, starts here, in SA Rugby magazine, and our traditional guide to Super Rugby will tell you everything you need to know about the 15 teams.
SIMON [email protected]
THAT WINNING FEELINGCongratulations to Highbury Safika Media sports editorial director Gary Lemke, who was named SAB Sports Print Journalist of the Year and SAB Sports Print Feature Writer of the Year. Senior staff writer Jon Cardinelli was given a special merit award in the print category.
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EDITOR’S LETTER
PS. Please go to Facebook and like my page, ‘Boots, Mauls & Rugby Balls’.
Having said before the end-of-year tour that Jaco Taute’s long-term Test future is at fullback, it was surprising when Heyneke Meyer stuck with Zane Kirchner in the No 15 jersey after giving Juan de Jongh the No 13 jersey for the Scotland and England Tests.
From: Percy Oliver Subject: Jaco Taute
WINNERI think Jaco Taute should be playing fullback for the Springboks.
Lots of coaches and fans think you can take a big 15 and turn him into an outside centre. An outside centre needs to be able to take the ball over the gainline and constantly be giving you 2-5m. Taute has been solid at 13 but has not yet done anything inspiring in the position. He is a very talented and exciting player and I am not by any means saying that he can’t play 13, he can, but he then needs to play in that position consistently at provincial, regional and international levels.
Fullback is a much more expansive and attacking position that can involve running and attacking kicks. It gives you a lot more time and space to make decisions and that is what Taute thrives on. He is a good player but will play better if coaches show confidence in him by playing him consistently in one position and coaching him specially in that position.
Taute has a great tactical kicking game, he can run, he’s big and his defence is solid. He can develop into a great Bok but needs to be managed and played in the right position.
The writer of the best e-mail in SA Rugby magazine wins a case of Ernie Els wine (six bottles). The writer of the best e-mail of 2012 will win a luxury stay for two at the Springbok Lodge in KZN.
DIGITAL EDITION EXCLUSIVEWherever you see this icon, SA Rugby magazine’s digital edition hasextra content for you to access.
The digital editionis available atwww.sardigimag.co.za.
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Last month on Last month onBOK REJECT RALEPELLE SHOULD GO OVERSEASChili my man, take a European sabbatical for two or four years. Cash in. The Bok dream does not have to be over. Just ask Brits.– PissAnt
Feel for Chili. Behind Smit and Bissie certainly, and then injured whenever he was due to get his shot. Good, honest, hard working player. Just unlucky, I guess.– John GAlt
Never really rated Chili. He wouldn’t even be fourth choice in my books. We have the world’s two best hookers in Bismarck and Brits. When he learns to throw straight, I’ll alter my opinion.– KAizAn
Chiliboy has not been messed around as so many people like to think. He has been injured a lot and to be honest he is quite average in comparison to Smit, Bismarck, Brits, Strauss, etc. It’s time to accept that Chili just isn’t good enough to be first choice.– DADDy
BUTCH RETURNS TO SHARKSGood signing as back-up to Lambie. He has been playing some of his best, most mature rugby recently for the Lions.– John GAlt
The Sharks are building a quality squad. If Bissie and Frans Steyn get over their injuries I reckon the Sharks will be the team to beat in 2013.– GrAnt10
SUSPENDED LIONS COACH JOHN MITCHELL FOUND NOT GUILTYWTF Lions? Now Mitchell’s gonna ride you dumbasses for all you’re worth. Pay him and bankrupt yourselves, then take a step back and give yourselves a p**sklap.– slAPPes
Well done John Mitchell and shame on you Lions. John must surely sport one of the two most beautiful sets of cauliflower ears in world rugby. Toss up between him and Graham Rowntree’s set.– Pietie
SARU HOPES FOR NEW TRANSFORMATION DAWNCome on guys, really? After 20-odd years the SA think tank had their eureka moment? This is all about corporate jargon.– cuntlyn
So in layman’s terms they have to plan to make a plan to implement a plan that quantifies the plan that they have yet to plan?– te rAnGAtirA
SA Rugby magazine Victor Matfield has been appointed Bulls forwards and attack coach and will be relinquishing his position at SuperSport.
André Colling Good career move.
Johan le Roux Finally!
Donetto Moos Just shows how desperate the Bulls are.
Bazukile Bantubathi Thank goodness I don’t have to listen to him any more on SuperSport.
SA Rugby magazine Former Bok prop Robbie Kempson has been arrested after an off-the-ball incident at the Bermuda World Rugby Classic left a USA player in a neck brace.
Mike Jansen You must be joking?
Willie Koch You don’t take Robbie’s cheeseburger. Ever.
Warren Low Kum This is not good. Wishing the player a speedy recovery. If you want hooliganism go play soccer.
Shaun Wootton If it was intentional, Kempson is in the wrong. If you have an issue with someone, deal with it face to face, not with a cheap shot.
SA Rugby magazine ‘This week [against Scotland] I have a chance to prove something to people who think I am too small [to play Test rugby]’ – Juan de Jongh
Zandré Vergotine It’s not all about size. We must move away from kragrugby and players who weigh more than others and start looking at players with more skill. Go De Jongh!
Rayno Mapoe What shit is this about De Jongh being too small? Heyneke Meyer just wants to play kick and bash rugby.
Hannes Vermaak If you’re good enough, you’re big enough. Show them, De Jongh.
SA Rugby magazine ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe says Heyneke Meyer is ‘not keen’ to pick black players for the Boks.
Liberty Khutso Mkhabela The ANC should keep its nose out of sport and let pros deal with it.
Siphe Joyi Zondwa Can’t believe this is coming from an ANC secretary. Rugby is rugby – the best are selected whether they’re yellow, violet or pink.
Thabiso Chickzo Mokoena Why do we always divide ourselves? Who cares how many blacks represent our country? We need to select the best players.
Cherry Botha The ANC has got much bigger problems to worry about than how many black people are in our rugby team.
SA Rugby magazine Beast Mtawarira, who had mild heart palpitations that forced him out of the Ireland Test, will return to South Africa.
Martin Willemse Good decision, no need to risk him. Get well, Beast.
Robert Sheasby Huge loss! Great player. Recover soon, Beast!
Dean Koortzen That’s bad news but CJ is a worthy replacement for Beast. Go Boks go!
11-12_Letters.indd 12 2012/11/26 2:43 PM
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In 2015, the Springboks will play Samoa in a World Cup pool match for the fourth successive tournament. While history tells us that the Samoans have never beaten the Boks, recent contests indicate that the Pacific Islanders have the capacity to push the South Africans to their physical limits. It should also be remembered that they beat Wales as recently as November, and also knocked over the Wallabies in Australia in 2011.
Heyneke Meyer’s men will not be able to take the Samoans, or Scotland for that matter, lightly. The Boks have been drawn in what looks to be the least competitive of the four World Cup pools, and yet they will be made to physically fight for their results. This should ensure that they build gradually yet purposefully towards an all-important knockout game, where a more high-profile opponent will be lying in wait.
South Africa can count themselves lucky that they weren’t drawn in Pool A, or the Pool of Death, as it has since been dubbed. Wales’ poor form last November resulted in a slide down the world rankings, and this in turn saw them drop into a category where they faced the very likely danger of encountering two other big teams during the pool stage of the 2015 tournament. That danger was realised when Wales were drawn with hosts England, as well as Australia.
How will this affect South Africa? Well, while the Boks will enjoy a physical if not seriously competitive round of matches against the Samoans and Scots during the pool stage, they will eventually have to play one of Australia, England, or Wales in the quarter-finals. They currently hold the mental edge over England, having won 10 of the last 11 encounters (with the other being drawn). Presently, they haven’t lost in England (or Wales) in six years, nor at Twickenham in their last four visits.
Between now and 2015, they will be looking to maintain that impressive record. Australia dumped the Boks out of the 2011 World Cup at the quarter-final stage, so the South Africans will also want to improve on their poor record against the Aussies between now and 2015. And don’t forget about the Samoans, who will tour South Africa this coming June. This clash will provide a taste of what’s to come during the pool stage of 2015. – Jon Cardinelliph
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conquering the globe 24 poll position 27
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tweet 33 rewind 39 off the rAdAr 40 fAceoff 42
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RAGS TO RUGBY RICHESITHEMBELIHLE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL COACH THEO PIETERSE ON WINNING THE SA SCHOOL TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD
What is your background as a player and coach?I played for the University of Port Elizabeth [now NMMU] 1st XV in the 1970s, Olympics RFC, the South African Police, and then provincial rugby for the South African Rugby Association. I started at Ithembelihle in 1979, focusing on coaching after an injury ended my playing career. It was only at the end of the ’90s that there was suddenly an explosion of talent at the school, thanks to development competitions in the region. I have [former Springbok centre] Danie Gerber as my assistant coach, and get help and advice from local players like Mzwandile Stick, and Solly [Tyibilika] when he was still with us. Naka Drotské, the Sharks, Ian McIntosh and Jake White have also helped me. I like to be a skelm and watch our opposition perform before we play them and then formulate a game plan to counter them!
How did Ithembelihle manage to win the SA School Team of the Year award?We’ve won a number of development and regional competitions over the years, and more than once, including the Coke/ Powerade Development and Peter Mkata
tournaments. We’ve won the Saru-endorsed Dennis Botha tournament three times and won the Mayoral Cup in 2012. Sevens-wise, we’ve claimed the past few Plate and Shield titles at the @tlantic Sevens and have won the Muir Super Sevens. More importantly, we’ve done very well against traditional rugby schools over the past couple of years. In 2009 we went down 29-20 to Grey High’s 1st XV, while we’ve beaten sides like Brandwag, Daniel Pienaar and Framesby. In 2011 we lost 24-20 to England’s No 1 schoolboy team, Sedbergh College, after they had just beaten Paarl Boys’ High.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face? It’s tough. I stop at the local supermarket in the mornings and buy buns for the boys – that’s their main meal for the day. Players have joined us from areas in the Transkei and places like King William’s Town, but there’s no boarding facility, so sponsors have helped us buy an old house and provide food for them. Our rugby field is not lined or cut, and has rocks imbedded in it, so we cannot play home games. Transport is the next challenge.
Transporting eight teams would cost me R1 500 every Saturday! Fortunately, the Crusader Rugby Club in PE has now adopted us and thanks to sponsorship from Caltex, we can bus more than two teams. They will also help with providing kit and maintaining our field. We get no assistance from the EPRFU.
Do your star players have an assisted path to the Kings? After school they’ll hopefully play U21 rugby at the Crusaders – we’ll try push them for 1sts and higher honours. We’ve identified that these guys need to get the right supplements from the age of 12. We have a business plan that’s going to cost over R1 million, so we need a sponsor that’s going to buy into that. I’ve watched some Super Rugby training sessions and learned a lot from coaches like John Mitchell. From 2013, when Super Rugby sides start coming to PE, we’re going to watch them train and play, and learn even more. The talent is here. I’ve just met with the schools in the area [New Brighton] and urged them all to play rugby. That’s how I identify talent. I go into the townships to find these guys and develop them. – Nick Pawson
PE’S PRIDE – THE ITHEMBELIHLE 1st XV
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SA RUGBY MAGAZINE KEEPS AN EYE ON SOUTH AFRICANS PLAYING ABROAD
PRO12 Springbok scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar was in great form for Ulster before the November Tests. He delivered two impressive performances at flyhalf as the Northern Irish club downed wing Tonderai Chavhanga’s Newport Gwent Dragons 46-19 and tighthead prop WP Nel and lock Izak van der Westhuizen’s Edinburgh 45-20. Pienaar scored a try and kicked all seven of his goal attempts (five conversions and two penalties). A week later, the 28-year-old scored a try and knocked over six conversions for an individual tally of 17 points against Edinburgh. Pienaar also created a try for wing Craig Gilroy with a clever chip over the opposition’s defensive line. Former Stormers and WP wing Danie Poolman made his starting debut for Connacht at outside centre and scored a try in their 18-3 win over tighthead prop Bees Roux and lock Corniel van Zyl’s Treviso. Poolman is one of three youngsters who were recruited by Irish clubs during the off-season, along with lock Quinn Roux (Leinster) and loose forward CJ Stander (Munster). They will be eligible to play Test rugby for Ireland in 2015.
ENGLISH PREMIERSHIPAshley Johnson has been in great form for London Wasps. The loose forward’s physicality has suited the forward-orientated game up north, with his most impressive performance coming in the 14-12 win over the Leicester Tigers. Johnson and lock Marco Wentzel, who also captains the side, have helped Wasps to
UlStER flYhAlf RUAN PIENAAR cONtINUES tO IMPRESS
AShlEY JOhNSON GEtS PhYSIcAl fOR WASPS
move away from the relegation zone. Saffa-laden Saracens were second in the standings at the end of November. Props Matt Stevens and Petrus du Plessis, hookers Schalk Brits and John Smit, lock Alistair Hargreaves, No 8 Ernst Joubert and scrumhalf Neil de Kock all played important roles in the club’s pursuit of a home semi-final.
FRENCH TOP 14Castres scrumhalf Rory Kockott played another match-winning effort for his club as they shocked Perpignan 38-36 at the Stade Pierre-Antoine in November. He scored a try in the 79th minute that snatched the win, and kicked two conversions and six penalties. A week later, Kockott came off the bench and slotted a penalty to help his team beat scrumhalf Heini Adams’ Bordeaux 16-13. Kockott’s outstanding form this season saw Castres offer him a two-year contract extension, but he stalled negotiations after there was reported interest from the Sharks for the 2013 Super Rugby season. Meanwhile, captain Joe van Niekerk and lock Bakkies Botha’s Toulon topped the standings after winning nine of their 11 fixtures. The veterans form part of an intimidating pack, which is considered to be one of the strongest in Europe. – Gareth Duncan
RORY KOcKOtt hAS BEEN A MAtch-WINNER fOR cAStRES
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POLL POSITION HOW YOU VOTED ON SA RUGBY MAGAZINE’S FACEBOOK PAGE AND KEO.CO.ZA
61%YES
NO39%
SHOULD JEAN DE VILLIERS CAPTAIN THE BOKSIN 2013?
WHO SHOULD PLAY FLYHALF AGAINST SCOTLAND?
SHOULD RAYMOND RHULE HAVE MADE HIS TEST DEBUT AGAINST
SCOTLAND?
18%YES 22%
14%
2%
77%23%YES
IF YOU’RE GOOD ENOUGH, YOU’RE OLD ENOUGH
NOHE’S TOO
YOUNG AND INEXPERIENCED
WHO SHOULD PLAY FLYHALFAGAINST SCOTLAND?
81%LAMBIE
JANTJIES
STEYN
16%
3%
39% 31%
15% 6% 5% 4%
SPRINGBOKS BY 1-7 SPRINGBOKS
BY 8-14
ENGLAND BY 1-7 SPRINGBOKS
BY 15+ ENGLAND BY 8-14 ENGLAND
BY 15+
WHO WILL WIN AT TWICKENHAM?
27_LB Poll Position.indd 27 2012/12/04 1:54 PM
pOKing fun at rugby’s crazy and colourful underbellyLate tackLe
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BOXING NOT SO CLEVERRoll up, roll up, rugby’s problem child Quade Cooper is set to follow code-crossers Sonny Bill Williams and former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff into boxing. In the aftermath of an all-too-public spat with the Australian Rugby Union, Cooper revealed that he had used a lengthy rehabilitation period to sharpen his pugilistic skills. Williams will fight ageing South African heavyweight Francois Botha on 8 February. Cooper is on the cruiserweight undercard with Olympic athlete John Steffensen, another Aussie who is no stranger to controversy, having accused the Australian Olympic Committee of racism in the past. Apart from being a three-time Olympian, Steffensen is a former golden gloves champion. Having witnessed Cooper’s tackling technique, we suspect his defence in the ring may not be any better.
Chris Ashton And MAnu tuilAgi
PURPLE Pain England were universally panned after they wore a purple change strip against Australia last November. In response, the marketing wizards responsible attempted to justify the decision. ‘The inspiration for the colour and design came from the original purple tracksuit England players used to wear and is in line with the value we place upon our heritage,’ one hopeful statement read. It later emerged that England coach Stuart Lancaster had approved the once-off strip, while captain Chris Robshaw had gushed: ‘The colour schemes are quite similar [to the Arsenal redcurrant strip of 2005-06] and being an Arsenal fan, I think it’s brilliant!’ To top it all, these garish garments retailed for £90.99 (R1 300), and have ‘accounted for 35% of RFU shirt sales to date this season’. Either somebody is telling porky pies, or England fans have too much money and absolutely no taste.
PAROCHIAL PUNDITSA week after ‘jersey-gate’, it was the turn of a Sky studio anchor to turn purple with embarrassment. With England trailing the Springboks 9-6, Alex Payne blurted: ‘We are still … er … England are still right in this at half-time.’ He later apologised to South African viewers. An English pundit who’s ashamed of his bias? Now that truly is a first.
FOUR TIMES THE SPIRITWhile we enjoy taking the mickey out of rugby’s misfits, we do occasionally admire individuals who have risen above some unusual circumstances and conditions. Lindsay Hilton may have been born without arms, or legs below the knee, but that hasn’t stopped her from playing for her club with a skill that matches her passion. In recognition of the Canadian’s feats on and off the pitch, the IRB recently honoured Hilton with the Spirit of Rugby award. Action
footage of the 27-year-old scrumhalf confirms that while she isn’t the quickest over the turf, her pass is deadly accurate. And don’t think for one second that she fears contact. ‘I like the fact that it’s a physical sport, and having two practices a week and a game at the end of it helps keep me in shape,’ said Hilton, who is also a vice-president at her club, Halifax Tars. Off the field, Hilton manages the senior women’s provincial programme on a voluntary basis, while her day job as a community sport development officer has allowed her to develop the sport even further. ‘I’ve always tried to achieve what I want to even though some might think those goals are unrealistic. Hopefully just by being in the team I can encourage other people to come and play.’ – Jon Cardinelli
our digitAl Edition hAs VidEo FootAgE oF lindsAY hilton plAYing rugBY And BEing intErViEWEd
our digitAl Edition hAs
VidEo FootAgE FroM QuAdE
CoopEr’s BoXing prEss
ConFErEnCE
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S A R _ B r o n x _ f i n a l . p d f P a g e 3 1 2 / 5 / 1 2 , 9 : 2 6 A M
WHAT GOES ON TOUR ...
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With former Springbok coach Nick Mallett
‘Before my first tour as Bok coach in 1997, i made it very clear to the players that i would not stand for any behaviour that let the team or country down. after our flight from London to italy, which landed at about 2pm, we booked into our hotel. i then asked the players to get back on to the bus as i wanted them to go to gym for a light sweat to reduce the effects of all the travel. We carried out our usual roll-call procedure, which saw management call out “nommer asseblief [number please]” and the players responding with their squad number. We eventually found that no 29 was missing. his room-mate said he had travel sickness. after a medical
examination, the team doctor reported that “29” was too drunk to train. i called in captain Gary teichmann and said this was clearly an offence that required me to send the player home. Gary argued that as no one had seen “29” in a drunken state, no one had been let down and he and the players would sort the culprit out themselves. i eventually agreed to this. i heard later that “29” got drunk after a silly bet. During the flight, he had approached rassie erasmus, Werner “smiley” swanepoel and os du randt and made an extraordinary comment that alcohol had nothing to do with getting drunk. he argued that getting drunk was a state of mind that he could
talk himself out of by simply looking in the mirror and telling himself “jy is nie dronk nie [you are not drunk]”. after rassie, smiley and os ordered him 14 double gins, vodkas and rums he was blind drunk and clearly proved wrong. i thought the most impressive aspect of the whole incident was the superb teamwork that managed to get “29” off the plane, through customs, on to the team bus with his luggage and into his room without anyone from management or the press, who were travelling with us on the plane and bus, noticing his drunken state. i knew then that we had a very special team and the results would look after themselves.’
31_LB Tour tale.indd 31 2012/11/21 9:31 AM
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SHORT ’n TWEETWHAT RUGBY PLAYERS, PAST AND PRESENT, HAVE BEEN SAYING ON TWITTER
JOOST VAN DER WESTHUIZEN
To everyone asking - It’s going well thank you, to early to give feedback on the meds. Every week is different, but I make it awesome!!! Thank you for caring!! 19 Nov
If u wanna watch attractive rugby go and watch school rugby. Test rugby is about a team that will do anything to win for their country. Don’t let YOUR expectation ruin a victory. We bleed and brake bones for our country. Your expectation let YOU down, don’t take it out on our team. 17 Nov
CORNÉ KRIGE
Well done to Zambia my country of berth for beating Bafana Bafana. Chipolopolo are champions of Africa so no disgrace to lose 1-0. 15 Nov
10 million rand damage on a friend of mines farm in Ceres. Absolute disgrace that people are allowed to damage property without consequences 14 Nov
JOE PIETERSEN
Bieber is coming... I need tickets!! #now!! 23 Nov
R100 mil damage in St Francis.. good luck to all involved!! hope everyone is safe!!! 12 Nov
VICTOR MATFIELD
Back in the Bulls camp. Attack and forwards coach. Now for the hard work before the season starts. Luckily I don’t need to run around 20 Nov
Ek het 1time terug geboek van Kaap af maandag. Is hul vlugte nou verseker gestop. What airline to fly back?? 3 Nov
Going for my first serious ride on my new Merida road bike.Getting ready for 94.7 with the Hunger and Thirst Foundation 29 Oct
DEWALD POTGIETER
Some humans are angry all the time. I saw someone yesterday with a shirt that read : E-toll can suck my toll-E.. She barely looked 14. 11 Nov
I just used my first Mandela note to buy a tray of writable CDs. I promise there’s no piracy involved Tata, you’re the man. 7 Nov
DANNY CIPRIANI
Saw Twilight last night - it’s a must see! 19 Nov
These people have been there since 2pm and going to watch the latest edition of’ Twilight’ at 00:01 16 Nov
@CorneKrige6
@VictorMatfield
@joepietersen
@DewaldPotgieter
@9Joost
@DannyCipriani87
33-36_LB Twitter.indd 33 2012/12/03 8:10 AM
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WHAT RUGBY PLAYERS, PAST AND PRESENT, HAVE BEEN SAYING ON TWITTERSHORT ’n TWEET
DERICK HOUGAARD
Alles begin omdat jy goed reg kry, met STAAK!!! Dis sommer kak. ANC se eie skuld. En wanneer sal logika seevier. Niemand beter af met ANC!!! 14 Nov
Hulle verander eerder name van plekke vir miljoene rande. As om te kyk dat hul land se mense beter af is.!!! Se dit nie alles nie!!!? 14 Nov
Is dit nie belaglik wat in die wes kaap aangaan nie? En ons president nog niks gese. Hoe kan jy vertroue he in ons regering.Ek sou skaam kry 14 Nov
DAVID POCOCK
Really sad to see journos attacked based on their gender. Or a grown woman referred to as a ‘girl’ #destroyingthejoint 28 Nov
Big protest going past the hotel. Apparently Nationalists protesting gay marriage + Halal food + more.. 10 Nov
RORY LAMONT
You have to wonder what conditions motivate a population to fight against a hopelessly better equipped and resourced opposition. #Gaza 19 Nov
This BBC hoo-ha has deflected attention from the organised paedophilia that was on the verge of being exposed.Some people must be relieved! 12 Nov
BRIAN MOORE
Re Benitez - my main objection is the incredibly long list of failed signings at Liverpool. If you’ve seen the entire list it is astonishing 21 Nov
I have some sympathy for RDM. What he did last year was astonishing. Torres issue is undermining the whole team- but Dear God not Benitez. 21 Nov
Adam Thompson 1 week ban- another All Black given a ludicrously lenient sentence. No damage caused but intent & outcome irrelevant anyway 14 Nov
KEEGAN DANIEL
550+ Rhino have been killed in 2012, all for this. This needs to drastically change. #savetherhino 23 Nov
The horn being removed. A quick an painless process. Like clipping a finger nail. Good team work. 23 Nov
Going to be posting pics from my Rhino de horning experience here at Nambiti. Great what they doing to protect the Rhino. 23 Nov
@brianmoore666
@derickhougaard
@KeeganDaniel
@pocockdavid
@Rorylamont
33-36_LB Twitter.indd 34 2012/12/04 1:39 PM
36
WHAT THE SA RUGBY MAGAZINE TEAM HAS BEEN SAYING ON TWITTERSHORT ’N TWEET
MARK KEOHANE
Amazing how Poms hailing fantastic effort from their side & calling Boks average, among them former capt Moody. Yet Boks won! Hilarious 24 Nov
HM was my choice 4 Bok coach, but Boks ito ambition on tour an insult 2 supporters. Regression is most applicable description. Shocking.17 Nov
Those first 2 Tests v Eng in July offered so much ito of our attack. Last 2 Saturdays painful in lack of evolution. 17 Nov
NZ is developing talent on this tour. Every 1 plays. Not so Boks. Why select a player & not give game time?15 Nov
SIMON BORCHARDT
I would have nominated Read, McCaw, Fernandez Lobbe and Habana for the IRB Player of the Year award, with Read the winner. 29 Nov
Imagine how strong the Pacific Island nations would be if they retained all their talent and were part of the Rugby Championship. 24 Nov
Sky commentators saying that England have a youngside that is learning. The Wallabies have been decimated by injuries. No excuses.17 Nov
How much better are the All Blacks? 7.41 ranking pointsseparate them from the Boks (No 2). 6.45 points separate Boks from Ireland (No 8).12 Nov
JON CARDINELLI
According to IRB POY citation, you need to be ‘vying’ for No 10 position with 2 others, be 21+have former Eng player as a dad to be eligible 29 Nov
British press corps love a good conspiracy theory: Refs always to blame in NH vs SH Tests. Superior skills, structures+mettle mean nothing?24 Nov
RYAN VREDE
England coaches talking up a brave performance. If they couldnt beat this Boks side their problems are deep and concerning.24 Nov
The prize for predicting the score at Murrayfield. SA journo lads are in for a long night finishing this baby17 Nov
Nice moment Bok presser. Meyer sarcastically: ‘Again opposition kicked more than us. This despite me telling the guys to kick everything’12 Nov
GARETH DUNCAN
I hope the Boks can get in someone who can coach them how to attack effectively. I fail to see how Ricardo Loubscher has added any value24 Nov
@theGarethDuncan
@mark_keohane @jon_cardinelli
@Ryan_Vrede
@SimonBorchardt
33-36_LB Twitter.indd 36 2012/12/04 1:40 PM
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Untitled-2 1 2012/11/30 9:30 AM
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CRUSADERS 96 WARATAHS 19LANCASTER PARK, CHRISTCHURCH, 11 MAY 2002rewind
SourceS: YouTube, SarugbY.com.
THE VIBEThe Crusaders and Waratahs entered the final round of the Super 12 league stage in 2002 knowing they would finish first and second on the log respectively no matter what the result of their Christchurch encounter. The Crusaders had won all 10 of their matches and stuck with their best side for this ‘dead rubber’, while the Waratahs, who had won eight and lost two, opted to rest seven players ahead of the semi-finals.
THE TEAMSCrusaders – 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Marika Vunibaka (Ben Blair, 54), 13 Nathan Mauger, 12 Aaron Mauger (Daryl Gibson, 44), 11 Caleb Ralph, 10 Andrew Mehrtens, 9 Justin Marshall (Ben Hurst, 60), 8 Scott Robertson, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Reuben Thorne (c) (Johnny Leo’o, 50), 5 Norm Maxwell (Brad Mika, 50), 4 Chris Jack, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Mark Hammett (Corey Flynn, 44), 1 Greg Feek (Dave Hewett, 44). Coach: Robbie Deans.Waratahs – 15 Mat Rogers (Duncan McRae, 16, Van Humphries, 74), 14 Scott Staniforth, 13 Matt Burke (c), 12 Sam Harris, 11 Francis
Cullimore, 10 Manny Edmonds (Marc Stcherbina, 40), 9 Chris Whitaker (Tim Clarke, 56), 8 David Lyons, 7 Des Tuiavii, 6 Jone Tawake (Steve Talbot, 60), 5 Tom Bowman (Van Humphries, 46-56), 4 Jono West, 3 Patricio Noriega, 2 Huia Edmonds (Brendan Cannon, 52), 1 Matt Dunning (Matt Bowman, 52). Coach: Bob Dwyer.
THE GAMEThe Crusaders ripped up the Super 12 record book, scoring the most points in a match (96), achieving the biggest winning margin (77) and running in the most tries (14). The rout began in the fourth minute when Vunibaka scored in the right-hand corner. Feek went
over from a driving maul three minutes later and tries to Marshall and Ralph made it 28-0 at the end of the first quarter. Ralph’s second score was followed by a pushover try to Robertson, and three more touchdowns, to Aaron Mauger, Robertson and MacDonald, gave the Crusaders a 63-0 lead at half-time. The Waratahs were given a loud cheer when they finally got on the scoreboard in the 43rd minute thanks to a Cullimore five-pointer, but normal activity resumed when Ralph chipped over the defence and regathered to claim his hat-trick. Vunibaka then got his second before Gibson went over to make it 84-5 with 20 minutes to go. The Waratahs crossed the line twice in the final quarter, through Stcherbina and Tuiavii, but so did the Crusaders, with Ralph getting his fourth and MacDonald his second. Surprisingly, though, the hosts could not bring up the three-figure mark in the last eight minutes of the match.
THE AFTERMATHThe Crusaders became the first team to go through the league stage of the Super 12 unbeaten. The loss was the Waratahs’ worst in 120 years and the mental damage it inflicted was evident in Sydney a week later when they were thrashed 51-10 by the Brumbies. The Crusaders went on to beat the Highlanders 34-23 and then saw off the Brumbies 31-13 to claim their fourth Super 12 title in five years. – Simon Borchardt
SHELL-SHoCKEd WARATAHS dISCUSS WHAT WENT WRoNg
CALEb RALPH SCoREd foUR of HIS SIdE’S 14 TRIES
oUR dIgITAL EdITIoN HAS HIgHLIgHTS of THIS gAME
39_Rewind.indd 39 2012/12/04 1:36 PM
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Where is Kennedy Tsimba?
It was a bIttersweet moment for ‘the King of bloemfontein’, Kennedy tsimba, when he and brother richard were inducted into the Irb hall of fame in october for their contributions to the game.
It was richard, the older of the two siblings, who first took up the sport. he passed the bug on to Kennedy and both would go on to excel in the oval ball game – richard at centre and Kennedy in the no 10 shirt.
richard went on to become the first black player to represent Zimbabwe, making his debut against romania in the 1987 world Cup. tragically, he died in a car accident at the age of 34.
‘It was very sad not having my brother [at the Irb induction], but also joyful at the same time,’ Kennedy admits. ‘one of my dreams was to play with him. he was such a folk hero in Zimbabwe; being inducted with him almost feels like we’ve been put together.’
Ironically, it was richard’s reputation that led to Kennedy making the best decision of his rugby career.
‘back in Zimbabwe they rated him and I was always seen as his younger brother, so it was difficult for me to excel. I decided the best way to overcome the challenge was to come to south africa, although there was a feeling that no Zimbabwean would make it here.’
at the age of 24, and after having enjoyed his first professional spell at bath in england,
Kennedy took a trip into the unknown, making the journey down to bloemfontein to attend a trial with the free state Cheetahs.
he had found his rugby home and enjoyed a successful six-year stay at the union. not only was he named the Vodacom Cup Player of the Year in 2000, and the Currie Cup Player of the Year in 2002, but in 2003 he also became the fastest player to reach
1 000 points in first-class rugby in south africa (in 60 games).
‘I was attracted to the union by the brand of rugby the Cheetahs play. I didn’t even know where bloemfontein was before I went there for a trial. from the moment I got there, though, they gave me a chance. their pure brand of rugby suited me to a tee.’
tsimba left the union in 2005 to join the blue bulls and after a two-year spell there, he played out the remainder of his career with the Griffons in the Currie Cup, while also making a handful of appearances for the Cheetahs in super rugby.
he eventually hung up his boots in 2011, taking up an offer to serve as a rugby consultant and 1st XV coach at the Impala sports academy. not content to sit back, tsimba was inspired to launch rugby without borders – a non-profit organisation
that ‘endeavours to empower challenged communities through the usage of games and awareness with rugby themes’.
‘I looked around at some of the other rugby development programmes and a lot of these projects weren’t sustainable,’ says tsimba. ‘to be successful it takes a lot of investment, resources and human capital.
ian Mcintosh and regan hoskins at tsiMba’s irb hall of faMe induction
tsiMba spent six years at the cheetahs
‘i was attracted to the union by the brand of rugby the
cheetahs play’
‘I saw a gap I could fill in the community. the kids don’t get enough information in terms of child abuse, pregnancy, drugs, alcohol and these sorts of things. I decided to use my background in rugby to get children involved in activities and while there they can meet with specialists who do child counselling and development.’
If that wasn’t enough, tsimba also combines his passion for rugby with a love of music, and has performed at a number of festivals and corporate events over the years.
‘I’ve always been into music from a young age. In 2003 after I picked up
a serious knee injury, I started putting down some tracks. I developed my musical style and picked up some instruments like the guitar; I also taught myself how to play flute and percussion.
‘I’d call my style african pop. I had a song that was no 1 on the Kaya fm african chart for three or four weeks. I haven’t officially released an album yet but one is due out in January or february.’ – Nick van Rensburg
40_Off the radar.indd 40 2012/12/04 3:22 PM
5178_marshalls_275x210.indd 1 2012/11/07 9:53 AMUntitled-10 1 2012/11/07 12:14 PM
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WE ASKED TWO OF OUR WRITERS:SHOULD THE BOKS CHANGE THEIRGAME PLAN IN 2013?
NOTHING SHOULD BE PERMANENT WHEN IT COMES TO HOW THE Springboks play. There should be enough quality in the squad to adapt to conditions, the opposition and referee interpretation.
Sean Fitzpatrick, legendary All Blacks hooker and captain, told me rugby was a simple game in which the basics never change.
‘Do the basics well,’ he said, ‘and you can play any way you want.’My gripe with the Boks is they haven’t always played the situation.
There seems to be a fear of failure and hence a fear of making a mistake and taking a risk.
I have never agreed with the view that there is one traditional and specific Springbok style of rugby, just like there is no pre-set All Blacks style of play. The best All Blacks and Springbok teams have played complete rugby, in which the need to play percentages has been as much a focus as the willingness to counter-attack from within their own 22. I believe the Boks need a mindset change, which will allow for a game plan change when required.
The best teams have to be able to play a more percentage-based game in difficult conditions. Playing for field position is not unique and most teams strive for dominance with their forwards, to create momentum with the backs or a mismatch of numbers on attack. There is no great science to this. Neither is it radical thinking.
The Boks showed a capacity for attack in beating Australia in Pretoria. A lot had to do with the selection of Johan Goosen at flyhalf because he naturally takes the ball flatter and ensures his centres have the crucial half-metre go-forward when receiving the ball.Goosen is the one flyhalf in the country comfortable when attacking the defence with ball in hand or when kicking for field position.
Too much is made of who kicks the most. It comes down to who kicks the most effectively, accurately and intelligently.
The Boks, in 2013, need to play smarter, which means they need to play the situation more than any premeditated conservative kick-and-chase game.
THE CURRENT LAWS PRESCRIBE AN EMPHASIS ON DEFENCE AND tactical kicking. It makes for boring viewing, but as long as the laws remain in place, boring rugby will continue to be seen by coaches as the avenue to success.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has been slammed for the Cape side’s ‘boring style’. Even after the Stormers won the 2012 South African conference and topped the overall Super Rugby log, fans expressed their disgust with the brand of rugby that they played. Several media outlets yearned for the ‘glory days’ of the 1980s where running rugby and tries were synonymous with Western Cape rugby.
These fans and journalists refuse to accept that rugby has moved on. Coaches like Coetzee and Bok mentor Heyneke Meyer are only formulating game plans that are in accordance with the prescribed laws. If there is a bad guy in this equation, it is the IRB, which is responsible for setting down these laws. We will continue to watch ‘boring rugby’ for as long as these rules prescribe a more tactical approach, where field position is everything.
In 2012, it was the teams that prized defence and tactical kicking that prevailed at every level of professional rugby. The stats confirm that even the teams that are perceived to be exciting, attacking units have held the best defensive records. Here I am talking about the Chiefs, who won the Super Rugby title, as well as the current world champions, the All Blacks, who also happen to kick more than their Test rivals.
Meyer is not to blame for favouring a conservative game plan. There is room for improvement if we talk about the level of execution, but to call for a drastic change to that game plan in 2013 is to display one’s ignorance of the current state of the game. If you can accept why the best teams in the world play ‘boring rugby’, then you can understand why it is not a matter of hating the coach, but hating the game in its current guise.
42_Face Off.indd 42 2012/12/04 2:04 PM
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Mogo.indd 1 2012/12/06 12:11 PM
Winni ngThe SpringbokS failed To express Themselves on The end-of-year Tour because of self-inflicTed resTricTions
46-50.indd 46 2012/12/03 7:58 AM
Winni ng Words: Mark keohane main phoTo: Mike hewitt/getty iMageS
46-50.indd 47 2012/12/03 7:58 AM
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Meyer, in his first season, was his harshest critic but he was also his Most lenient
because there Was too much single-minded
nationalism about his responsibility
to the country as a coach of
the springboks
suggested he was off form. Others said fatherhood had changed his focus and there were others with all sorts of theories as to why the game’s most accurate marksman was more miss than hit.
I’d venture that he was simply exhausted; simply bloody tired of the weekly grind of having to perform every weekend, in every competition.
Steyn really should have been home resting instead of playing the last six minutes against Scotland. Meyer referred to Steyn as his insurance policy when he included the Bulls player in the Bok match 23 for the tour opener against Ireland. That showed desperation that was self-inflicted. It is one thing to live the job; it is quite another to forget the joys of living the job.
Meyer told colleague Ryan Vrede in London after beating England that every Test in 2012 felt like a World Cup final. That’s the kind of talk that can only lead to trouble, because that’s the kind of talk that makes me fear for Meyer’s health more than it does any confrontation with the All Blacks.
Meyer, in his first season, was his harshest critic but he was also his most lenient because there was too much single-minded nationalism about his responsibility to the country as a coach of the Springboks.
No one should doubt Meyer’s commitment or his work ethic. He does not have to convince anyone of his passion for the game, the Boks or the country. If there’s a doubt it should be how Meyer restricts himself in his thinking, his selection or his view of how his thinking will be perceived.
Meyer admitted after the England win that Francois Louw was the Boks’ player of the season. He admitted that Louw had changed his thinking when it comes to the value of a specialist openside flank at Test level and that Louw had transformed the Bok season. Louw, in the home series against England, was not even in the squad.
Some would commend Meyer for being able to change his thinking, but in singling out how Louw had shown him another way came the message that a player like Heinrich Brüssow would have to add a dimension to his game to be considered a Bok candidate.
Why the restriction?Another statement that could
be lauded is the change of view on Pat Lambie, whom Meyer considered only a fullback but over the season warmed to as a Test flyhalf capable of kicking pressure goal kicks.
Again, why the initial restriction?
There had not yet been time to reflect on an unbeaten Bok November tour overseas and Meyer was being quoted as saying it would be difficult for any new player to break into his Bok squad over the next three years. Bloody hell, that’s a big statement, and it’s an incredibly restrictive statement.
beat ireland 16-12 dublinbeat Scotland 21-10 edinburghbeat england 16-15 london
BOK TOUR RESULTS
The Springboks, statistically, were a point away from disappointment at Twickenham. Realistically, they were always a point closer to the euphoria that comes with winning.
This was a tour in which the opposition was not good enough to beat the Springboks. It was a tour in which individuals grew as international players and the squad improved as an international unit. It was also a tour in which no risks were taken and too few players were exposed to Test rugby.
It was a good tour without being very good. It was pleasing. It was nothing out of the ordinary, unless of course you want to make it something more than what it was because of the disappointment of finishing third in the Rugby Championship.
The Boks played only three Tests, which helps at the end of a demanding tour, but they did so relying too much on a certain element within the squad, which doesn’t help in the long run.
Bok coach Heyneke Meyer bemoaned the management of the Springboks in Super Rugby. Too many were played too much. He then did the same to the same players.
What was Morné Steyn even doing on tour? The Bulls flyhalf’s game time in the past three years has been excessive and in 2012 his mind, more than his body, revolted.
Steyn’s goal-kicking accuracy was less than 60% and he missed kicks he’d ordinarily knock over with his eyes closed. Some
heyneke meyer finished 2012 with seven wins from 12 Tests
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I know that Meyer intended to reward those who have succeeded and who have ensured a more comfortable summer break, but nothing in international coaching is permanent and the player who is right to front England is not necessarily the player good enough to beat New Zealand.
There is no restriction on Meyer. He has the option to choose any player, regardless of where he is based. The only restriction is self-inflicted. That’s my issue with Meyer’s first year. It’s not the seven wins, two draws and three defeats in 12. It’s not the manner in which the Boks lost to New Zealand at Soccer City or beat England at Twickenham. It’s the nature of comments that seem to limit the potential expressiveness of the Boks.
It is natural that Meyer, in 2013, wants to consolidate what has been built in 2012, but taking stock of a situation should not mean refusing to indulge in the possibility of something new.
Meyer told reporters at the end of the tour that Test rugby was not Super Rugby. The message was relayed as if this had been some sort of revelation to the national coach.
Reading that left me feeling a bit uneasy.
I expected more of Meyer in his first season and again I am not talking in terms of results. I, perhaps incorrectly, assumed there was a greater appreciation of the nuances of Test rugby and of the type of player required to build a successful Test team. I considered it a given that there would be an understanding that Test rugby is not Super Rugby or the Currie Cup. I thought there would be more teaching from Meyer and less learning in his first year as national coach. I knew he was an intense man but I assumed there was a greater confidence than was evident in his first year.
He will be more settled in 2013 and wiser given the experiences of 2012, but that is no guarantee that he will be less tense or more at ease with the job.
I have referred to this intensity as stifling the growth of the Boks because it unintentionally has an adverse effect on players, who fear failure as much as the coach and in turn fear making mistakes. In short, the culture produced
This is what I hope can change in 2013, and that’s going to come down to Meyer not believing every Test is a World Cup final. It is going to require him being comfortable with taking risks in selection and with his players being rewarded for trying to unlock a defence and not being punished for making a mistake in any attempt to attack.
Individuals who prospered on tour were lock Eben Etzebeth, Louw and No 8 Duane Vermeulen, who was the Man of the Match against England and along with Louw, the standout among the forwards on tour.
Hooker Adriaan Strauss also showed good form, although a fit Bismarck du Plessis gives the Boks a dimension the envy of every international coach.
The pack was strong, but again the triumph has to be measured in context of whom the team played. Scotland, by way of example, took 50 points against the All Blacks a week before the Boks won 21-10 in Edinburgh, and lost 21-15 to Tonga a week after the Boks’ visit.
I expected the Boks to win all three Tests and I expected them to show greater dominance on the scoreboard. I knew the defence would be imposing but I also thought the attack would have an edge. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much on attack for a tour highlights package.
Meyer, captain Jean de Villiers and the individuals when interviewed celebrated the quality in defence in conceding only one try in three Tests, but the Boks also scored just four tries, among them an intercept against Scotland and Willem Alberts’ freakish try against England. Ruan Pienaar benefited from forward momentum against Ireland but there was little constructed on attack in all three Tests.
The Boks did enough to win all three Tests, but they did nothing more than was on display in a Rugby Championship that placed them third in a four- team competition.
is one that is more comfortable without the ball. It is defence-orientated and risk free.
It focuses on not wanting the opposition to score as opposed to wanting to score. There is a difference. It is not just semantics.
I don’t share the popular view of those who travelled with the squad that there was any great evolution of the squad. From a distance the Boks seemed as strong in defence as they were on occasion in the Rugby Championship and as impotent on attack.
The Test against England demanded a game based on playing field position, on percentage rugby dominated by tactical kicking and on aggressive defence.
The Boks’ defence, as it had been all tour, was sufficient to deny England but the out-of-hand kicking of Ruan Pienaar was ordinary and Pat Lambie, despite everyone willing him to be the conductor at No 10, did enough to warrant his selection but he never did enough to justify all the hype about why he had to be selected as the Test flyhalf.
Zane Kirchner was outstanding under the high ball and at fullback rarely made amistake because his gameis built on not taking anyrisks. Kirchner asks no questions on attack and because of this the back three is not an attacking collective. The wings, because of the lack of attacking intent, play as individuals.
Pat Lambie, desPite
everyone wiLLing him
to be the conductor
at no 10, did enough to
warrant his seLection
but he never did enough to
justify all the hype about why
he had to be selected as the
test flyhalf
Left: Pat Lambie wore the Springbok No 10 jersey in all three Tests in NovemberBeLow: The Boks scored just four tries on tour, including this freakish one by Willem Alberts
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education
Words: Ryan VRedeMain photo: BaRRy aldwoRth/
Backpagepix
FRancois louw Wants to add to his
iMpressive résuMé
have come to see him as central to any success.
‘When I look around and see Flo, it lifts me,’ Duane Vermeulen says. ‘I make a tackle, he’s there. I tackle, he’s there. Again and again. It’s hard to believe the player he has become. He was incredible when we played together at the Stormers, but now, man, he looks like a different player. He is a different player. People wonder what’s in the meat in South Africa. I wonder what’s in the hot springs in Bath.’
The city that sits at the bottom of the Avon Valley, one dating back to the British Iron Age, is breathtaking in architecture and landscape. Its Roman influence is seen in the former, with
FFrancois Louw has graduated. Valedictorian. He is busy doing his Masters in Openside Science. He is in David Pocock’s class. Richie McCaw is the professor, untouchable as yet. But Flo’s flying. Where will this go?
Louw is holding court in the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, London, during the week of the Springboks’ Test against England at Twickenham in November. He is completely drenched from training in torrential rain, but remains thoughtful, funny, warm and accommodating.
Off the field he is universally popular among his team-mates because of these qualities, as well as his endearing adventurous and mischievous streak. On it they
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Vermeulen chirps: ‘Jislaaik, he is bloody hard.’ I got a sense of this at close quarters while watching Louw run through phase-play drills at Blackrock RFC in Dublin on the eve of the Test against Ireland in November. The Springboks were all in, and Louw held nothing back. Granted, it was a training session, but it gave me a sense of the heart and technique that tackling the 1.90m, 112kg flank demands.
Those dimensions and a fearlessness also mean he is formidable on defence.
‘I look at every player’s defensive performance very closely in my analysis,’ Springbok defence coach John McFarland says, ‘and I’ve seldom seen Flo make a simple stop-tackle. He dominates you in contact – he drives you back, sometimes by as much as 4 or 5m. And I’m not only referring to hits on backs. His technique is so good that it allows him to do the same to players his size or bigger.
‘Then the transition between releasing the tackled player, getting on his feet and
Louw hasevoLved
intoa pLayer
who
with springbokforwards coach
Johann vangraan describing
his gainLineefficiency as’exceptionaL’
above: The Bath flanker is often the first man at the breakdown
below: Louw gets over the advantage line against England at Twickenham
made me the man I am now.’But Louw has become
more than just an expert operator at ground zero. Test rugby’s best opensides are all multi-skilled, with Pocock and McCaw set apart because they are exceptional in all disciplines.
Louw has evolved into a player who carries powerfully, with Springbok forwards coach Johann van Graan describing his gainline efficiency as ‘exceptional’ (he has also added a swerve and tactical intelligence to his pre-
and in-contact play).
the baths Vermeulen refers to the most popular and interesting feature of the city. I’ve been fortunate to take high tea at The Grand Pump Room, a neoclassical restaurant situated in the Great Bath. I marvelled at the detail in the architecture, forged over 300 years. Roman invasion has its benefits. Yet thousands of years later, who would have thought that the invasion of a single South African could have an equally beautiful outcome.
Indeed, Bath has been as good for Louw as Louw has been for Bath. And boy has he been good. He has become the pre-eminent openside in Europe. Nobody is even close. He is an overachiever by conventional standards. He didn’t make the Western Province Craven Week team, didn’t play any junior international rugby, played in Stellenbosch University’s U19B team in his first season there and only made his Test debut at 25. But those who consider him an overachiever don’t make allowance for late developers whose resolve and determination is deepened by years of unrequited effort.
Pieter Louw and Leon Karemaker and someone Louw cannot recall kept Louw out of the Craven Week side. None have had particularly notable careers. Louw has outlasted them all. It is often mental strength that separates players of similar technical ability. Louw has bucketloads of the stuff.
‘I knew about his game from watching him and coaching against him,’ Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer begins, ‘but it wasn’t until I actually coached him, studied him closely and heard his team-mates talk about him that I realised how strong he is mentally. I’ve coached some mentally tough players, guys who don’t disappear when the pressure is on. In fact, guys who get better the more pressure you apply. Flo is right up there.’
‘Different players have different paths,’ Louw reflects on his unconventional rise. ‘Marcell Coetzee and Eben Etzebeth are 21 and playing Test rugby, and deservedly so. I took the harder road, but I wouldn’t change anything. The lessons I learned along the way made me the player I am now. In fact, it
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contesting is lightning quick. You don’t stand a chance if your cleaners aren’t there. Once he’s over the ball, he’s got you.
‘It’s no coincidence that we were as good defensively as we were recently. Flo’s work at the breakdown in slowing down the recycle allows our defensive line to set. In Test rugby, where creating mismatches or having a numbers advantage on attack are two of the few routes to the tryline, I can’t tell you how valuable that is.’
Louw has developed an omnipresence that was the hallmark of McCaw in his prime. You simply couldn’t keep the master out of the game and, even at 32 years old, some still struggle to do so. Some attributed that to a near-supernatural work rate. But I’ve always felt that to be too simplistic an explanation. There had to be more to it. Louw fills in the gaps in my knowledge, citing his own experience.
‘I’ve lost count of how many times the laws have changed, and to complicate it more, different referees place a different emphasis on varying aspects of the breakdown. Some are strict on daylight, others on tacklers rolling away and so on. So I’ve learned to “feel” referees better, which is the first thing that’s been part of my success. Secondly, I had a problem with giving away penalties, which in Test rugby can cost you games. I’ve upped my discipline levels but still try to play on the edge. Timing and anticipation – almost predicting where the play will break down and then the right decision about whether to go in or not – is crucial. That’s where McCaw and Pocock are so, so good.’
Louw previously tasted the sweetness of affirmation for exhibiting his Test aptitude in his early games, winning the Man of the Match award in three of his first four. Then the fallout. He was made the scapegoat for successive defeats to the All Blacks in 2010 and never regained the confidence of the selectors, who failed to show any appreciation
for the (temporary) struggles of a promising rookie. Louw isn’t bitter and looks back at that period with gratitude because of what it gifted him.
‘Consistency is the most important thing. I started well but then in the Tri-Nations I struggled; we all did. I got pushed out of the system, and at the time I couldn’t understand why. But it gave me a refusal to settle for anything other than excellence in every game. Of course that isn’t possible, but it’s something I strive for.
‘I left for Bath knowing there was a likelihood I wouldn’t play for the Boks again. When Heyneke called me back to play in the Rugby Championship, I saw it as my last chance to have a Test career. Some players don’t get that second chance, especially those guys who move overseas. I knew I had to make an impression because there wouldn’t be a third. I was mentally ready for it and physically probably at the best I’ve ever been.’
Louw’s technical attributes are of primary importance, but it would be remiss not to note his contribution to challenging Meyer’s reservations about picking players based in the northern hemisphere.
‘Flo hasn’t transformed my thinking on that issue, that
would be an exaggeration, but he has shown me
the value of what playing abroad can
do for a player of his ability,’ Meyer says.
‘My understanding from speaking to people who
know him is that he is a more rounded human being, and that for me is more important than being a better player. That said, if you’re happy in your private life and on an adventure you’re enjoying, it reflects in your play. That’s the case with Francois.’
Louw’s journey rolls on, and the education continues. He has grown into a player as valuable to the Springboks as Pocock is to the Wallabies. McCaw stands apart in his influence and galvanising effect on the Blacks as a leader and presence. Any comparisons there would be misplaced, but certainly technical ones would not, and Louw matches up favourably, though not yet possessing the battle-hardened McCaw’s guile and belief.
But while comparisons have their place, let us not allow them to prevent us from celebrating the rise to prominence of one of our own. Furthermore, there’s the promise of further improvement.
Class is in session.
Vrede is a senior staff writer at HigHbury safika Media and coVered tHe boks’ end-of-year tour for keo.co.za.
CAPTAINING BATH‘It’s a club dominated by English players and with an ethos that is different to what I was used to. I had to educate myself and balance that with my unique flavour. I think I did well, judging by the response of the team. They really backed me and I was happy to lead in those circumstances.’
FORMER BATH DIRECTOR OF RUGBY IAN McGEECHAN‘He is a man with massive personality and aura. He had a lot of confidence in me, reflected in the fact that he gave me the captaincy. A year with him was special. I learned a lot from him as a person and player.’
THE DEMANDS OF A WORLD-CLASS TEST OPENSIDE‘You can’t just play towards the ball in Test rugby, there isn’t room for that luxury. You have to be able to do that, carry, dominate in defence, link with the backs, perhaps take lineout ball and be an anchor in the maul. Richie McCaw and David Pocock have it all, but McCaw, even now, is a class apart.’
LOUW ON ...
‘I’ve seldomseen Flomake asImplestop-
tackle.
you Incontact –
he drIves youback’ – JohnMcFarland
Louw tackles Scotland prop Ryan Grant at Murrayfield
doM
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A BRIEF STINT WITH THE BOKS IN 2012 HAS
GIVEN SCHALK BRITS A REASON TO BELIEVE
HIS TEST CAREER IS FAR FROM OVER
WORDS: JON CARDINELLIMAIN PHOTO: ANDREW
BOYERS/ACTION IMAGES
the
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‘I WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE FOR THE BOKS,
AND I’M HOPING THAT THEY WILL PICK ON FORM
IN THE YEARS TO COME’
‘Congratulations,’ the text message reads. ‘You’ve been selected for the Springboks’ touring squad. Chat soon, regards, HM.’
Schalk Brits doesn’t bother to read the message again. He doesn’t react, he doesn’t call his family and friends to share the good news. He slides the phone back into his pocket, and tries to forget about the message and what it signifies.
‘Just another joke,’ he thinks, recalling the self-same pranks played by his mates a dozen times over the past four years. Just another reminder that he’s not good enough, that his Bok dream is well and truly over.
When I visited Brits in England last August, it seemed as if he had made peace with the fact. At 31, he was starting to show signs of getting on. Pronounced crow’s feet and several grey hairs around the temples were only part of it. He had just returned to rugby after a shoulder reconstruction, and while he would continue to play for several seasons, he was already starting to think about life after rugby. There were still dreams and ambitions, but these were limited to what he could achieve in Saracens colours.
One of the strongest clubs in England, Saracens is home to a number of England internationals. Two of those are South African-born and reared, Brad Barritt and Mouritz Botha, who are regular members of the Test squad. Brits, who is celebrated by many in Europe as one of the best players on the planet, has had to be content with his lot at the lower level.
His talent wasn’t acknowledged by former Springbok coach Jake White, and while he did play three Tests under Peter de Villiers, it was this short spell with South Africa that sent him into a cruel sort of limbo. He moved to England knowing that as an overseas-based player, he would not be considered for the Boks and, unlike Barritt and Botha, he would not be available to play for England as he had already represented South Africa. It smacked of injustice that
somebody so talented would be confined to Premiership and European Cup rugby. Would he become the greatest player to play the fewest Tests?
Last August, Brits laughed off the question, and attempted to convince me that he had no regrets. And yet, underneath the layers of maturity and acceptance was something that seemed like hope.
‘Things haven’t worked out, but I can only do my best,’ he said. ‘If that’s not good enough for the Bok selectors, that’s OK, I’ve made peace with that. I wouldn’t sacrifice my three Tests just for a chance to be a regular [England] Test player anyway, and I would still give my right nut to play a few more games for the Boks. That’s my country of birth. I’m a proud South African and always will be.’
Three months later, Brits received a text message that changed everything. Contrary
Bismarck du Plessis would be the Boks’ No 1 hooker when he returned from injury in 2013, and for the 2012 tour to Europe, Adriaan Strauss would be Meyer’s first-choice hooker.
‘I told myself from the start that I would be happy to hold tackle bags for three weeks; it wouldn’t matter if I played for just two seconds,’ he says. ‘No matter what happened, I was going to enjoy that experience. There were some trying moments during training – the weather was freezing and the wind and rain made it really miserable – but I was probably the only oke who couldn’t stop smiling.’
Brits was selected as a reserve in all three Tests, and played just nine minutes in total. He has no gripes about the amount of game time, and is grateful for the opportunity.
Whether he plays again for the Boks in the build-up to the 2015 World Cup remains to be seen. What is significant about his recent selection is that Meyer is prepared to pick overseas players, and he is evidently a fan of Brits.
‘If that was to be my last experience with the Boks, I’d have to describe it as a nice way to say goodbye,’ Brits says. ‘I will always be available for the Boks, and I’m hoping that they will pick on form in the years to come. That way, if I keep playing well over here in England, I will give myself a shot. I understand that playing abroad does put you at a disadvantage, and that if it’s a 50/50 choice between a local player and one based overseas, the local player will get picked. But now I know that there is still a chance.’
People in South Africa may be surprised to hear it, but Brits holds a god-like status in European rugby circles. Over the past four years, he has become one of the better set-piece exponents, and has also managed to maintain a game-breaking quality that has sparked many a try for Saracens.
Brits always had a smile on his face when the Springboks trained on their end-of-year tour
to what he believed, it was not a cruel joke. Saracens CEO Eddie Griffiths called Brits later that day to confirm that Heyneke Meyer had indeed been in contact with the club, and that the star player would be joining the Springboks for their end-of-year Tests against Ireland, Scotland, and England. Brits was still sceptical, and it was only after he called Meyer himself that he realised the four-year wait was over. The flame of a dream had been rekindled.
While he was ecstatic when he learned that Meyer’s text was genuine, he was also realistic.
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‘EXPERIENCE COMES WITH AGE;
IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT BRUTE
FORCE, IT’S ABOUT READING
THE GAME, ABOUT GETTING INTO THE RIGHT
POSITION’
Speak to his Saracens team-mates as well as the coaches and management, and they will tell you that much of the game plan is built around the multi-talented Brits. Although he is not the type of person to abuse such adoration, there is a sense that the club does allow Brits a few liberties. Walk into the Saracens clubhouse, and you will see a typed-up chart with each player’s name corresponding to their specific dietary requirements. At the bottom, in a handwritten scrawl, is: ‘Schalk Brits: Chocolate Milk!’ ‘He’s pretty much allowed to do what he wants here,’ says one member of management. ‘He’s that important to the club.’
It could be that Brits’s short stint with the Boks benefits Saracens in the coming months. He was by no means weak and resigned when I first caught up with him last August, but he did give the impression that his career was winding down. After the Bok tour in November, however, Brits gave the impression that age is really just a number.
‘I think the experience with the Boks has made me a lot hungrier as a rugby player,’ he says. ‘It’s still an ambition to win the Premiership and the European Cup, and of course I would love to play for the Boks again. My
When former Springbok captain John Smit (above) decided to move to England after the 2011 World Cup, Schalk Brits was the first Saracens player to send him a welcoming text.
‘It was quite touching, especially since I didn’t know him that well,’ remembers Smit. ‘I had been with him in a Bok squad once or twice, but we had never been close mates. That’s all changed now; we get on like a house on fire, and our wives are good friends too.’
When Smit arrived at the club, some wondered if he would replace Brits as the first-choice hooker.
‘That was never going to be the case. I arrived at a time when Schalk had played 60-odd games in a row, so I was there to relieve the pressure.’
Having played a fair amount of his rugby at prop, there was a chance Smit would be utilised in all three front-row positions for Saracens. Some even suggested that Brits and Smit could be accommodated in the same starting front row.
‘I squashed that idea pretty quick,’ Brits reveals with only a hint of a laugh. ‘I said to Smitty, “Listen here, there will be no prop playing, we need to rotate!”’
Brits did, however, put forward an idea of his own, but this time it was Smit’s turn to shoot it down.
‘John didn’t like my idea of me playing only during the summer months, where the good weather allows you to run with the ball a lot more, and him playing only in winter when the weather is bad so the game is a lot tighter. I don’t really blame him for saying no to that one.’
THE BRITS-SMIT DYNAMIC
AT SARACENS
body may eventually have the final say in the next few years, but for now, all three goals are still possible.
‘I have learned so much over the past four years. Experience comes with age; it’s not all about brute force, it’s about reading the game, about getting into the right position. What’s nice is that Saracens give me the freedom to play the game as I see it. Of course, when it’s pissing down with rain, you have to play a lot tighter.’
Brits and his young family have settled in St Albans, and there are plans for this brilliant rugby player to make the transition into the world
of finance. Through a work experience programme organised by Saracens, Brits has already done some insurance work for a company in London, and eventually he hopes to put his degree in accountancy to use, possibly as an investment banker.
But for now, that dream will have to wait, as another is still in the making. The experience with the Boks this past November has opened a door that Brits believed was long shut. There’s much to play for at Saracens, and he is nothing if not a committed and loyal team man. Indeed, by excelling in the European competitions, Brits will ensure that the Test door remains open. And as Meyer has shown with his recent selection, he will pick overseas-based players who are a cut above those competing in South Africa.
‘Heyneke is a special guy, and I really believe he is building something amazing at the Boks,’ says Brits. ‘They are going somewhere special as a team, and I know I’ve said it before, but I’d give my right nut for another chance to be part of that.’
CARDINELLI IS A SENIOR STAFF WRITER AT HIGHBURY SAFIKA MEDIA AND WAS GIVEN A SPECIAL MERIT AWARD AT THE 2012 SAB SPORTS JOURNALIST AWARDS.
OUR DIGITAL EDITION HAS VIDEO FOOTAGE OF BRITS IN ACTION FOR SARACENS
Brits breaks away against London Irish
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Untitled-7 1 2012/12/06 12:45 PM
Untitled-2 1 2012/11/08 9:39 AM
65
Hinton is a senior rugby writer for fairfax Media in new Zealand.
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Winning blueprintEngland showed the rest of the world how to beat the all blacks
on that cool autumnal day at twickenham england did a funny thing. they chanced their arm. they went for it
Glory be. We have seen ruGby’s future and it is wearing england shirts and dancing to the tune of Jerusalem. as unlikely as it seemed, possibly the stodgiest team in test footy delivered the most groundbreaking performance of 2012.
Who would have thunk it? a lesson in creativity, risk and reward and breathtaking boldness from a team that thought X factor was just a bad singing contest. It’s to be hoped those who needed to were paying close attention.
I am talking, of course, about england’s shock, and record-breaking, 38-21 victory over the all blacks at twickenham to bring the curtain down on rugby’s calendar year. being a Kiwi, it was decidedly unpalatable, but then I got to thinking, as we’re often encouraged to do in this trade. and it occurred to me that this might just have been a result that rugby needed. not all blacks rugby, but the greater community of world rugby.
It was 80 minutes of purposeful, exhilarating and at times exemplary footy that should be compulsory viewing for every international coach with designs on unseating the world’s no 1 team. this was, in many ways, the blueprint for how to beat the all blacks at their own game.
It’s long been presumed that the best way to knock over the all blacks when they’re anywhere near their best has been to play the opposite of the way they do. attack
them up front, play the percentages, kick a lot and chase, force errors and rush up and tackle in one demented, determined defensive line.
the theory went that to take them on at their own expansive game was akin to dancing with the devil. It’s been the way your very own springboks have battled the dominant new Zealanders, with intermittent success over the years.
others have followed suit – notably france in the 2011 World Cup final – but with nowhere near the same frequency of success. england and their muscular forward-obsessed, kick- for-territory, no-frills style had delivered around about a win every decade – not exactly a success rate to encourage even the most ardent optimist.
but on that cool autumnal day at twickenham england did a funny thing. they chanced their arm. they went for it. they tore into the all blacks up front, and attacked them at the set piece. they took the ball forward, and over the advantage line, like men possessed. their defensive line was both furious and gapless. they played at the same pace as the all blacks and when possession came they moved it through the hands and attacked with the same width.
for an all blacks side playing on fumes in their 14th international of a long year it all
got decidedly uncomfortable. It was as though someone had said to them, ‘here, play yourselves, and see how you go!’
Well, all credit to england. they took their chances and reaped a glorious reward. they thrilled their fabulous fans and sent their desperate media into a frenzy of
hyperbole and overreaction. More importantly, they left the world champions, hitherto undefeated for the calendar year, unable to live with them on this day.
In one glorious spectacle of a test, the rugby world was shown how to beat the all blacks at their own game. from england, of all teams.
yes, you can play with pace, with width and with an element of risk, and still beat them. teams have tried it before – notably australia and Wales – but with scant success in recent times. but england showed if you do it well, with intent, with precision and with a bit of a smile on your face, you can indeed fight Kiwi fire with fire.
that has to be good for an international game that was in serious need of a result like this. It had all got just a bit predictable in 2012, and a little lacking in the razzle-dazzle factor.
england turned their ordinary form in successive defeats to the Wallabies and boks into the year’s biggest upset. they out-muscled the all blacks and had a defensive plan that was executed extremely well. they scored three quick tries to leave the Kiwis in their dust.
the all blacks had been undefeated over 13 previous tests in 2012, indeed over their last 20 when you go back to the start of the World Cup. but england have shown that they can be knocked over, and that you can do it with style.
World rugby needed this game desperately. and it now needs more of them. It needs other teams to embrace the principles of the english. It needs england to keep the faith and continue to play with courage and conviction.
Who would have thought it? the team we thought had lost its way is now blazing a trail.
on ya, england. Manu tuilagi evades richie Mccaw and dan carter
65_Hinton column.indd 65 2012/12/04 11:35 AM
In a very, very good team
– maybe a great one –
Kieran read has rIsen above
all others
Words: Marc HintonmaIn photo: HannaH
JoHnston/Getty iMaGes
n Rome’s fabulous Stadio Olimpico – a venue no stranger to glorious New Zealand deeds – on a sunny autumnal afternoon in November, the future of the All Blacks came smash-bang into contact with its present. It was there where the hard-running, big-tackling,
seemingly indefatigable No 8 Kieran Read got to lead the best team in world rugby on to the park for the very first time.
It will assuredly not be the last time either.Read, the 27-year-old who hails from south
of Auckland but resides in Christchurch, has emerged over an impressive past few seasons as the heir apparent to the great Richie McCaw. In more ways than one.
McCaw remains a mighty competitor in this hugely impressive All Blacks outfit which, in the wake of their long overdue World Cup triumph, followed up with a mostly impressive 2012 campaign where they consolidated their world No 1 ranking. The strangely uncharacteristic, eye-off-the-ball 18-18 draw with the Wallabies in Brisbane and the humbling Twickenham defeat to England in the year’s final outing were the
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took a season or two to warm to his move from the blindside flank to the more free-ranging No 8 position, but now he’s a joy to watch as he goes about his business.
That’s why, as good as McCaw still is, Read is arguably better. No slight on old Quick Draw, but Read has a similar sized engine, a similar work rate and a similar physical presence; only he’s younger, quicker and just a bit slicker. He’s McCaw five years ago.
He’s also about to be the new All Blacks captain. On a caretaker basis initially – while McCaw’s sabbatical stretches at least through the French series – and eventually he’ll succeed the man who’s inspired him to be as good as he is.
Read is nigh on the ideal specimen for the modern No 8 role. He stands an imposing 1.93m and weighs in at a granite-like
110kg. When his body is playing ball – he has had to shake off back, ankle and rib problems over the past few seasons – he unleashes something quite astounding on the rugby field.
His defence is resolute. He misses tackles like Cory Jane drops high balls. Very, very infrequently. But he doesn’t just make hits, he unleashes them, driving opponents back with a venom and menace that turns defence into offence.
That’s not all. He’s an excellent lineout forward and has grasped the requirements of a No 8 at scrum time – not always a forte – with a precision that suggests he’s worked incredibly hard at it. He’s a fabulous ball-carrier, his work rate is off the charts, and he is a thinking footballer. He has also become a high-quality distributor when he pops up in those positions requiring him to be a link man rather than the main man.
In short, he has the ideal make-up: power and finesse; speed and strength; savvy and smarts. The All Blacks’ 32-16 victory over the Springboks at Soccer City showcased the Read repertoire in all its glory. In the first 40 minutes, much of it spent under the pump, the Cantab was glorious in his defiance. Not quite a lone ranger, but certainly the leading figure in the most testing period of the match.
Then, as the All Blacks finally found their rhythm, Read strutted his stuff. He crashed the ball forward, hit rucks, made tackles and ranged wide to pop up and make key passes in the lead-up to two of the four tries.
It was just Read being Read. Stepping up when it mattered. Leading in the way he likes to lead. Being damn good in his typically no fuss, no worries style. Not dissimilar to the guy he plays alongside and calls skipper.
It’s part of the reason McCaw has felt comfortable deciding to take six months out of the game in 2013. It’s something the veteran openside needs to do if he is to last one more four-year cycle. But it’s also something he might have struggled to embrace had it not been for the reassuring presence of Read to assume the leadership mantle.
McCaw, ahead of Read’s first Test as skipper at that Roman
HE HAS THE IDEAL MAKE-UP:POWER AND FINESSE;SPEED ANDSTRENGTH;SAVVY ANDSMARTS
ABOVE: Read breaks away against the Boks at Soccer City
BELOW: Smashing into Duane Vermeulen in Dunedin
only blots on their copybook. They have lost just once in their last 21 Tests, and will look to continue that outstanding record when hostilities resume in 2013 with three internationals against the French in June, followed by the Rugby Championship.
The ageless McCaw, for all his commitment, ferocity and continued excellence, has now been surpassed by Read as the supreme All Black. And that’s with due respect to the reinvigorated Dan Carter, who remains as influential as he has ever been.
But arguably – and these things can always be debated over a few cold brews – the mantle of the mightiest All Black now rests on the broad shoulders of Read, who may well be the most influential figure, not just in the world champions, but the entire game.
Not that the thought of occupying such a lofty plane would ever cross his mind. Read, very much like McCaw, is a humble, everyman type of bloke who would no more toot his own horn than he would shirk his share of the work. This friendly but private individual is a devoted family man – he and wife Bridget have two daughters after the recent arrival of Eden to join two-year-old Ellie – who likes to keep his dual lives as separate as he can.
But that is getting increasingly difficult given his inexorable rise. Read is at the peak of his powers physically, and is also playing some tremendous rugby. He
OUR DIGITAL EDITION HAS VIDEO FOOTAGE
OF READ’S BIG HIT ON DUANE VERMEULEN
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70
When Kieran Read captains the Crusaders and All Blacks in Richie McCaw’s absence in 2013, he will call upon leadership qualities honed not so much on the rugby fields as a youngster, but the cricket ones.
Cricket was Read’s other love as a kid growing up in the Counties Manukau region and he was good enough as a batsman to represent Northern Districts through the age-grade ranks and play premier club cricket as a 15-year-old.
‘The teams I always did captain were my cricket teams,’ reflects Read. ‘All through school I was the captain of Counties and Northern Districts age-group teams, so that was probably my only brush with leadership. I enjoyed doing it from the technical side, but I didn’t really feel like I was a leader.’
But ask his Karaka Cricket Club premier grade captain about Read’s potential and he will paint a picture of a young man who could easily have forged an international career in the summer game.
‘I don’t think it’s going too far to say he would have made the Black Caps,’ Todd McDonald, Karaka premier club captain when Read came into the side as a tyro top-order batsman, told the New Zealand Herald. ‘Of all the kids who came through when I was playing there, he was the one who settled into the senior environment the best. Even though he was so much younger than everyone else his maturity and temperament made him slot in so easily. And by the time he was 16 he was the best batsman we had at the club.’
Luckily for rugby, Read chose his other sporting love.
CRICKET’S LOSSscene of New Zealand’s famous 1960 Olympic ‘Golden Hour’, recalled Read’s first experience as a skipper way back in 2006 with the Crusaders.
‘He picked things up pretty quick, which is always a good sign,’ McCaw mused. ‘He was always on the ball and because of that he earned the trust and respect of the guys who had been around. It was [partly] because he played well but he also had a very good rugby brain on him and knew the right time to do things.
‘Those are the people you will ask, “What do you think?” And right from early on if you wanted to hear about something you respected his opinion.’
Read, as he does, is taking everything in his stride. He’s a no-fuss kind of bloke and adopts a no-fuss attitude to what he does for a living.
‘Being an All Black dictates a few things. You grow a lot, you have to deal with external pressures, which dictate the way you are, but I don’t want that to define me,’ he says. ‘I enjoy the pressure. That’s why you want to play here because you have those little extra things to push you;
I think in this group it would overwhelm you if you continued in the vein of just walking away from it [the pressure].’
Read has learned from the best in terms of leadership.
‘I think the great leaders are the ones who don’t work on it too hard, they just let it come,’ he adds. ‘I’ve definitely got my own style of how I lead. I like the team to know where they’re going and all be on the same page. There are ways you can improve.
‘Richie says the easiest way to lead is if you’re the best player on the pitch. He does that every week. It’s essentially how I do things too. I’ve got to get my performance right and the guys will follow. You can lead with your words after that.’
Read has also absorbed a great deal from his Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder.
‘I’ve had a lot to do with him. He captained the All Blacks and Crusaders for many years. He’s someone I’ve looked up to. He’s been strong and enabled me to have more confidence in my leadership style and take it to another level.’
And there was no greater pride for him than to be handed the captaincy in relief of his close friend McCaw.
‘I’m very honoured. It means a hell of a lot. I’m following the man who, in my opinion, is the greatest All Blacks captain, so there are huge boots to fill.’
The thing that earmarks Read for greatness is his desire to be better than good. Better even than very good. He wants to be great, even if he’s too modest to say so.
‘I’ve got more to my game,’ he says in a reflective moment. ‘I feel like I’m adding more every week. It’s coming on but I can still improve.’
The fact of the matter is the All Blacks’ high-pace, high-intensity expansive style is tailor-made for a man with Read’s engine.
‘I love the pace we’re playing at,’ he adds. ‘It suits my game in terms of being able to get out and run at edges [of defences] and use my skills differently, rather than just crashing up the middle.’
That’s the thing with Read. He’s not only the present, but he’s the future. He’s the reason Richie McCaw can take six months off to recharge his batteries, and he’s the reason the captain will eventually return with a skip in his step, ready to assume his place alongside the new standard-setter for New Zealand rugby.
‘RICHIE SAYSTHE EASIESTWAY TO LEADIS IF YOU’RE
THE BESTPLAYER ONTHE PITCH.
HE DOESTHAT EVERY
WEEK. IT’SESSENTIALLY
HOW I DOTHINGS TOO’
ABOVE: Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder has had a big influence on Read’s rugby career
LEFT: Read is tipped to succeed Richie McCaw
as All Blacks captain
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St Sithians.indd 1 2012/12/06 10:04 AM
nathan sharpe started just two matches at the 2011 world cup, but fought his way back to be named australia’s player of the year in 2012
words: adam Burnettmain photo: Cameron spenCer/Getty ImaGes
72-76_Sharpe.indd 72 2012/11/23 11:38 AM
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OUR DIGITAL EDITION HAS A VIDEO TRIBUTE
TO SHARPE
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Never say never.Nathan Sharpe only needs
three words (well, two words – one of them twice) to sum up what’s been a remarkable final 15 months or so of his rugby career. They’re a bit of a theme with the now former Wallabies captain, these little adages. They shaped the foundation of the legacy he wanted to leave on the national side.
‘I think one of the most important things for the team, that I hope the guys get, is that character is vital,’ says Sharpe. ‘You don’t always get the results, but if you keep going at it and you keep consistent in the things you do, eventually you’ll get there. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but how you go about it is the important thing, I think.’
Sharpe thinks and speaks like the 34-year-old veteran he is. A man with the wisdom and perspective gained from confronting the sort of off-field adversity he’s dealt with recently, including the end of his marriage as well as his father Tony’s battle with leukaemia.
‘His personal life was unravelling around him but on the field, it was almost like it was a place where he found peace – somewhere his purpose was without question,’ says former Reds, Force and Wallabies team-mate and close friend Brendan Cannon. ‘You’ve seen the best of Sharpey over the past two years, at a time when he could’ve easily fallen off the rails and lost his mojo.’
Simultaneously, Sharpe has experienced the pitfalls that professional sport can unexpectedly provide. Take his axing from the Wallabies squad before a trip to South Africa in August 2008.
‘That was a really defining moment in my career,’ he says. ‘I’d never been left out of a squad and it gave me a real shake-up, for the better. I went away and I worked harder, and that probably kicked me along to getting back in some teams along the way.’
He was also dropped at the end of the 2011 Tri-Nations and started just two matches at the World Cup, against the USA and Russia. Cannon recalls Sharpe’s disappointment at the time as being virtually tangible.
‘It was obvious to all of us close to him how he was feeling,’ Cannon says. ‘We could feel the pain and disappointment. But the thing about Sharpey is that, in the face of adversity, he never wavers. So while I knew he was absolutely livid, he never once made any public comments or suggested outwardly that he was losing faith in what he was told to do.’
Sharpe also believes his non-selection benefited him away from rugby.
‘It put things into perspective for me,’ he says. ‘I’ve got two young kids [Cooper, 6, and Franklin, 4], and all my friends and family support me through everything; they really pulled through for me during that period. The important people stepped forward and helped me through what, realistically, isn’t that hard a time in your life when you compare it to what a lot of other people go through.’
Through 2012, Cooper and Franklin couldn’t quite work out why Dad kept playing –
and playing – when he’d said he was almost finished. They loved the rugby but they also loved spending time with their old man. In the end, though, what was good enough for Sharpe was good enough for them.
‘They had a bit of a distorted perspective on rugby,’ he says with a laugh. ‘They thought every time they went to a game they were entitled to run on to the ground because I’ve had that many retirements. They loved the fact that I played sport, but they didn’t really understand it, I don’t think. But the one thing the job did mean is that when I was home, I could spend plenty of time with them. I’m glad they’re at the age they are, though, because this way they’ll at least have a bit of a recollection of going to games and things.’
Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.
Sharpe was offered these words of wisdom by an old school friend and spent much of 2011-12 proving the theory behind it.
‘That was a quote one of my mates gave me that’s really stuck with me,’ he says. ‘Getting dropped [in 2008] was a good lesson for me. I think it hardened me up a lot. You go through things in life that you learn from and that’s what it was for me.’
Sharpe insists his drive to return to the peak of the game came through the support of family and friends – not from any desperation to prove himself to Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.
‘Robbie had just come in and he was looking to change the dynamics of the team a little
‘YOU’VE SEEN THE BEST OF
SHARPEY OVERTHE PAST TWO
YEARS, AT A TIME WHEN HE
COULD’VE EASILYFALLEN OFF
THE RAILS ANDLOST HIS MOJO’
– BRENDANCANNON
ABOVE: Thanking the crowd after his final Test in Australia, against the All Blacks in Brisbane
RIGHT: Sharpe takes the ball up against Wales
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bit,’ he recalls. ‘You probably get somewhat comfortable with the way things are. I was never going to chuck it in but family and friends offered their advice. It didn’t take me long to realise what I had to do, and that was suck it up and get on with it. So I did just that. I knew I had to work hard and there’d be an opportunity down the road, and it just so happened that it was a couple of games later anyway.’
The return to action was typical of a man who has spent his playing days exceeding expectations. After his initial attempts to steer the side in a new direction, Deans was forced to reconsider the importance of Sharpe to the playing group, swallow his pride and ask the former skipper to continue playing for the Wallabies.
‘You only have to look at what he achieved with the Wallabies after taking over as captain,’ Deans says. ‘His influence was immense, and
he arguably played the best rugby of his career in 2012. Sharpey’s presence and leadership was a constant throughout the year – one of the few aspects of continuity we had.’
Cannon agrees, echoing the sentiments of many in suggesting that the reappointment had been long overdue.
‘I’ve heard so many people say, “Why wasn’t he the captain from the start?” and it was strange that he wasn’t, but it was indicative of how Deans and the like didn’t really value or appreciate not just how much he was respected in that group, but how much he had been the unofficial leader of the Wallabies for some time,’ he says.
‘The guys all wanted to get in behind him, and they all acknowledged how good he was in challenging situations. In a crisis, you need men like him, and with an inexperienced Wallabies group in 2012, almost by default the right man ended up with the job. It’s obvious as to why he didn’t
have it before – he wasn’t valued by those above the team – but those within the team have always held him in the highest regard.’
Did Deans get it horribly wrong? Were the Sharpe axings premature and short-sighted? Sharpe himself won’t buy into the politics, yet he is prepared to admit that his strong leadership style was something the Wallabies were in need of when he retained the captaincy.
‘I think every team needs that,’ he says. ‘And you only get that with experience – realising every problem has a solution, you just have to find it. There’s no point carrying on about it, you just have to get to the stage where you deal with it. I liked the way the group handled the injury situation leading into that All Blacks Test [in Auckland] as well as the Test in South Africa after we had suffered even more injuries. We gutsed it out in Argentina, where we lost a couple more blokes, but no one batted an eyelid going into the final All Blacks Test [in Brisbane], and that was a great sign.’
Train harder when nobody’s watching.
‘That’s probably the one thing I learned from some of the older guys, who I started playing with, just through observing them,’ Sharpe says. ‘So when I’ve been on my own, I’ve always made sure I trained harder than the next bloke. I’ve always worked hard, and there’s been a bit of luck along the way too.’
Hard work and luck has always been a pretty formidable combination. In Sharpe’s case, it was enough in 2012 to rival Lazarus for comebacks: going from Test discard to claiming a second John Eales medal as Australia’s Player of the Year (he also won in 2007), as well as the inaugural Spirit of Rugby award and the People’s Choice award. It’s a turnaround that ensured the powerhouse lock left the game at the peak of his powers.
‘I’ve always made sureI traIned harder thanthe next bloke. I’ve alwaysworked hard, and there’sbeen a bIt of luck alongthe way too’
A couple of years ago, Victor Matfield played his 100th Test. In a speech at a post-match function, the legendary Bok mentioned just one opponent: Nathan Sharpe. It underlines the esteem with which the great Wallaby is held among his international rivals.
‘I was always excited when I played against the best players,’ Matfield told Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph. ‘That’s why we play this game. So it was always a really big game when I faced any team where the opposition’s No 5 was Mr Nathan Sharpe.
‘My team-mates always found it pretty funny when we took him on. I’m someone who believes in keeping the lineouts very simple, but whenever I was playing against Sharpey, I would come up with some funny ploy or new trick just to get the ball in a different way. They would say, “We can see who Mattie is playing against this week.” That just shows in how high regard I held Nathan.
‘Even more important is that although he competed with 100% intensity on the pitch, he was a real gentleman off the field and was the first to come over and have a chat after a game. It was a great honour playing against a great player, but also against a real gentleman.’
HIGH PRAISE
‘When I made the decision at the start of the year to hang the boots up, it was going to be irrelevant how I was playing,’ Sharpe says. ‘There are other things in life I want to get into – I like the resource industry and I want to learn as much about it as I can – but I can’t keep doing both of them in a half-hearted way, because one of them is going to suffer. I found that difficult in 2012, but it was worthwhile – it’s not often you’re asked to play for your country.’
And it’s rarer still that someone like Sharpe comes along.
Burnett is a writer for australia’s InsIde Rugby magazine.
Working on a weights machine in 2007
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S e p c _ S a v e r s _ F i n a l . p d f P a g e 1 7 / 1 9 / 1 2 , 8 : 4 3 A M
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UniqUe approachesThe world’s Top TesT Teams have varying game plans
The year 2012 produced a fascinaTing battle between the north and south but i am not sure much has changed in terms of the overall pecking order, outside the pacific island teams proving they can’t be taken lightly.
When you combine samoa’s victory against Wales and Tonga’s against scotland with england’s big win over the all Blacks, you could argue that the game is currently at its most competitive.
Those at the irB would be pleased in the sense that it would seem that just about anyone inside the top 10 can beat the other, with the exception of the all Blacks, who in reality continue to dominate.
But while there appears to be a level of equality within the top tier, there continues to be varying approaches to the style and brand of rugby produced by each team. Let’s look at a few examples.
The all Blacks averaged 3.7 tries per game by embracing their attacking ability and using it consistently. england also impressed by scoring three tries against the Kiwis in racking up a record 38 points. These figures suggest there is something positive going on and it’s not surprising that when two attack-
orientated teams get together there is plenty of edge-of-your-seat stuff.
you often see this in new Zealand’s national provincial championship because the Kiwis enjoy the idea of out-skilling and out-attacking each other. it’s a mindset and it’s their culture.
so, the all Blacks and england were impressive, but i also couldn’t help but admire the attacking display of Wales against the Wallabies. They clearly thought out their game plan and their simple options often showed prior thought.
in addition to this, they were able to execute under pressure. This was none
more evident than when they continually took the option of running the ball from inside their 22, a decision not taken often these days because of both the risk involved and the way the game is being officiated.
The fact that Wales ran from their own half showed clear evidence of tactics and the confidence to back their skill in high- pressure moments.
The great irony of Wales’ performance, though, was that many questioned their method and mindset as they did not actually win.
The reality is that the detail matters and being 40 seconds from victory is not enough.
you have to perform under pressure for the entire 80 minutes. We saw another example of this a week before when a missed shot at goal in front of the posts from the italians cost them a drawn game against the Wallabies at the death.
however, irrespective of the final scoreline, for me the mindset of Wales was commendable and their execution of skill under pressure was pretty damn good, minus the final minute of play.
They weren’t perfect, however, and i believe they would be disappointed in their options when inside the Wallabies 22. some of this was a result of their decision-making and some of it was to do with the structure of the game itself.
i felt that each time Wales worked their way into good attacking territory they chose the option to kick rather than retain possession. They created opportunities but pressure was released by allowing the opposition to touch the ball.
i feel the kicking option in the opposition 22 needs to have a strategic purpose and too often it seemed to be their first choice, relieving pressure on their opponents rather than building it.
if they had their time over again i think they would do things differently, but it’s also important to note that attacking in your opponent’s 22 is never as easy as it seems because there is far greater risk taken by the defensive team in this area – and at the moment they are being rewarded for their desperation and technical interference.
The perfect example is the additional risks teams are taking to stop a lineout and the rolling maul tries. statistically, defending sides are getting away with their indiscretions here and it is proving not to be a great option for the attacking team in terms of getting an outcome. right now the quick tap is producing better results as the defence remains disjointed and it’s harder for them to cheat.
That’s food for thought.despite the loss i hope Wales don’t shut up
shop on their game plan as it’s extremely good to watch and the game should reward those teams that do invest in skill.
This is what keeps the game watchable.
The fact that wales ran from their own half showed clear evidence of tactics and the confidence to back their skill in high-pressure moments
wales cenTre JonaThan davies on The aTTack againsT The wallabies
McKenzie is the reds director of rugby and a forMer wallabies prop.
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BULLS 82 CHEETAHS 87 KINGS 92 SHARKS 97
STORMERS 102 BLUES 107 CHIEFS 108
CRUSADERS 111 HIGHLANDERS 112
HURRICANES 114 BRUMBIES 116 FORCE 117
REBELS 119 REDS 120 WARATAHS 121
YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE
2013 SUPER RUGBY SEASON
81.indd 81 2012/12/05 9:55 AM
Lessons Learned
Expectations that the Bulls would fall apart in 2012 were a little wide of the mark.
Despite losing a trio of all-time greats in Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha and Fourie du Preez, plus a batch of others, the beast of old rumbled along just fine.
They made it all the way to the qualifiers, a fifth-place finish underscoring their strength in depth.
Publicly, the Bulls said that wasn’t the result they were after, but given that the changing of the guard was so severe, it was highly promising.
Indeed, one of the strongest legacies of former director of rugby Heyneke Meyer’s role at Loftus Versfeld was his planning. Recruitment has been highly strategic, but so too has the union’s system of building from within. The talent that abounds at Loftus on any given afternoon
is staggering, drawn as it is from every corner of South Africa.
Many of these youngsters are banging on the door of Super Rugby and Frans Ludeke, the coach, has an ample player base from which to draw his best talent.
If the Bulls weren’t overly raided in the off-season – precocious CJ Stander being the biggest casualty – they have scouted wisely. Lionel Mapoe and Callie Visagie, two players of rich promise, made the trek up the highway from Johannesburg. So too Paul Willemse, the young giant, also from south of the Jukskei.
If constant player movement is a natural corollary of professional rugby, and thus accommodated, the Bulls DNA has doubtless changed for other reasons in the past few months.
The giant shadow cast by Meyer is now gone, his services required for national interests.
words: Clinton van der Berg
InPLayers
The Bulls, having first resisted, then graciously gave way to HQ. They had no option.
They subsequently said all the right things, but you can be sure that Meyer’s massive influence will be felt for years to come. He was a benign presence around Ludeke, quite happy to consciously take the back seat, but his sway ever-present.
Paul Willemse
lions
15-16 February BYE*
22 February Stormers (h)
2 March Force (h)
10 March Blues (a)
16 March Crusaders (a)
23 March Reds (a)
30 March Brumbies (a)
5-6 April BYE
13 April Cheetahs (h)
20 April Kings (a)
27 April Waratahs (h)
4 May Hurricanes (h)
10-11 May BYE
18 May Highlanders (h)
25 May Sharks (a)
1 June Cheetahs (a)
7-9 June BYE*
BREAK FOR JUNE TESTS
29 June Kings (h)
6 July Sharks (h)
13 July Stormers (a)
*Only Australian teams play
2013 sCHedULe
The Bulls aim To pace Themselves in 2013, having
faded badly in 2012
lionel maPoelions
Grant HattinGHlions
Callie VisaGie lions
Willie WePener ClermontmarCell Van der merWe
CHeetaHs
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BULLS
83
SUPer 121996 3rd (semi-finalists)
1997 8th
1998 11th
1999 12th
2000 11th
2001 12th
2002 12th
2003 6th
2004 6th
2005 3rd (semi-finalists)
SUPer 142006 4th (semi-finalists)
2007 2nd (champions)
2008 10th
2009 1st (champions)
2010 1st (champions)
SUPer rUgBY2011 7th*
2012 5th*
*Combined log finish
Note: Played as Northern Transvaal in 1996 and 1997
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The players adored him and the veterans of the current team were all nurtured and moulded under his hand.
More than that, however, Ludeke then lost his entire management team en masse. Manager Ian Schwartz, forwards coach Johann van Graan, conditioning coach Basil Carzis, backline coach Ricardo Loubscher and defensive guru John McFarland all latched on to the Meyer train when it steamed out of Loftus. It was a staggering blow to the three-time Super 14 champions, who could never have imagined in their worst nightmare to be facing such a collective blow. To lose such intellectual capital in one foul sweep would cripple most teams, but the Bulls have put on a brave face. Ludeke is his own man and self-confidence has never been a problem.
rigHt: Chiliboy ralepelle will be desperate for game time in 2013BeloW leFt: springbok wing Francois Hougaard played scrumhalf for the Bulls last season
oUTPLayers
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arno Botha shot to prominence last october when he was included in the Bok squad for the home leg of the rugby Championship against Australia and New Zealand. He then toured the UK with the Boks at the end of 2012. He never got a sniff of a chance, but it was a generous nod in his direction; acknowledgement that he is on his way as a precocious back-row talent. His saru profile lists his favourite movie as Never Back down, which could equally be his mantra.‘He’s big and strong and works hard,’ says Heyneke Meyer. ‘He has all the attributes we’re looking for.’ A product of Nylstroom – he played Craven week for Limpopo in 2009 – Botha will have his work cut out in Bulls country.
Loose forwards abound, but his ability to play flank and No 8 ought to count
for much. He made a promising super rugby debut in 2012, and 2013
could be his breakout year given the confidence of coaches like Meyer and Frans Ludeke. At 1.90m and 103kg, he’s chunky, but not
extraordinarily big. what sets him apart is his relish for hard
work. And that’s a virtue the Bulls happen to love.
‘He has great instincts and trains well,’ says Bulls
coach Frans Ludeke, ‘and is therefore
a key player for us.’
PLayer To WaTCH
raYno GerBer
roViGo
JoHann sadie
CHeetaHs
Gerrit-Jan Van VelZe
nortHamPton
CJ stander
munster
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FRANS LUDEKE ON ...
Among the replacements are Victor Matfield, who will be the forwards and attack coach, and Currie Cup coach Pine Pienaar, in charge of defence.
Ludeke claims to have learned from the 2012 campaign. One of the lessons is in pacing and player management.
They started like a house on fire last season, racing to eight wins in their first 10 fixtures. The highlight was a sensational 61-8 defeat of the Reds that blended power and precision. It demonstrated both the ambition and ability of the Bulls, who for so long have played under the yolk of being ‘one-dimensional’ and ‘conservative’. Point-scoring was never an issue last season – in eight of their 18 matches they scored at least 30 points.
LAST SEASON‘It definitely wasn’t the result we had in mind, especially after a very convincing start to the season. In one of the most competitive Super Rugby competitions in a long time the big positive was that the next generation of players accepted the challenge and accountability to keep building on the proud record and legacy we have.’ MANAGING THE TRANSITION OF LOSING SO MANY GREAT PLAYERS‘At the start we never gave [the losses] any energy. We lost a total of 782 caps of experience and seven international players, but chose to focus on having our best pre-season and preparation. The aim was to create an environment for the team to have a perfect start to the season.’ CJ STANDER’S SHOCK DEPARTURE ‘CJ is an exceptional player and one who was scouted at a very early age. We recognised his leadership and playing abilities and were keen to help him develop to his full potential. He played Vodacom Cup rugby in his first year out of school, he played Currie Cup the next and he captained our U19 and U21 teams when he was available. In 2012 he also played Super Rugby and made a good fist of it. We were very sad to lose him to Ireland. Players make choices for various reasons and it is not for me to say why CJ took the decision to leave. I do know, however, that from a financial perspective, it would have been very difficult for him not to accept the offer.’ THE MINOR SCRUM LAW CHANGES‘The effect will be negligible: all teams will have a more credible engagement action at scrum time.’ AREAS AND POSITIONS OF CONCERN‘We definitely have a better understanding for the challenge to perform consistently at our best for 24 weeks, because that is what it takes to be competitive and successful. Like all other teams, we had a long, hard look at ourselves.’
GO FIGUREThe number of tries
scored by Bjorn Basson in 2012,
a Bulls record
The shoe size of Paul Willemse, who has joined
the Bulls from the Lions
11
15500
The number of penalties Morné Steyn kicked in the 2010 Super 14 season51
The most points the Bulls have scored in a single season (2010)
Trouble was that after racing out of the blocks, the wheels came off in spectacular fashion in the second half of the Super Rugby race. After five wins on the trot, they stumbled badly, losing five of their next six.
Fatigue had set in and the team was often gassed by the 60-minute mark, only to be reeled in. They stumbled towards the play-offs, only knocking off the local easybeats (Lions and Cheetahs) before running into a relentless Crusaders team in the qualifier. Even with 14 Boks in the starting line-up, they had no chance.
Old habits die hard and the predictable tactic of kick-chase and one-off runners charging off was no match for the altogether slicker game of the Crusaders.
There are questions around the class of 2013. Is Morné Steyn the man to build an attacking backline around? Steyn has his fans (and his virtues), but you suspect with a pack as ugly and as effective as the Bulls’, so much more could be conjured among the backs.
The Bulls midfield also needs to step up. It’s not enough to be competent at this level; star quality is what separates the haves from the have-nots.
Assuming the Bulls can somehow absorb the panelbeating of their management team, they have every chance of having another hard run at the play-offs. They, more than any other South African franchise, know precisely what it takes to win this lung-busting marathon.
ABOVE: Morné Steyn scored 228 points for the Bulls in 2012
LEFT: Bjorn Basson scores against the Lions at Loftus
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CHEETAHS
15-16 February BYE*
23 February Sharks (h)
2 March Chiefs (a)
9 March Highlanders (a)
15 March Waratahs (a)
23 March Force (a)
30 March Rebels (h)
6 April Stormers (h)
13 April Bulls (a)
20 April Sharks (a)
27 April Kings (h)
3-5 May BYE
10 May Hurricanes (h)
18 May Reds (h)
25 May Kings (a)
1 June Bulls (h)
7-9 June BYE*
BREAK FOR JUNE TESTS
29 June Stormers (a)
6 July Blues (h)
13 July BYE
*Only Australian teams play
2013 SCHEDULE
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TALK IS CHEAPWORDS: GARETH DUNCAN
IT’S TIME FOR THE CHEETAHS TO MEET THEIR OWN EXPECTATIONS
87
Johan Goosen was Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer’s first-choice flyhalf during the latter stage of the Rugby Championship. However, after
a season curtailed by serious shoulder and knee injuries, there’s a general feeling within the South African rugby fraternity that he still needs to prove himself at the highest levels. The upcoming Super
Rugby campaign is his opportunity to do just this. There’s no doubt that the young pivot, who turns 21 in July, has the all-round attributes to excel. He has the ability to spearhead an expansive game at 10 and holds his own on defence. His biggest strength is goal and tactical kicking as he possesses a big boot. He was the most accurate goal-kicker in Super Rugby last season before being sidelined midway through the campaign and was central to the Cheetahs’ most successful Super Rugby overseas tour. But he’ll need to work on his conditioning and stay injury-free.
The Cheetahs have gone into every Super Rugby campaign with the stated, and
somewhat optimistic, goal of reaching the play-offs. And while the Bloemfontein-based franchise enjoyed their most successful run in 2012, the reality is they finished 10th
on the combined log. Their Super Rugby record since 2006 (when
they split from the Cats) is a dismal 26 wins from 97 games (a win percentage of just 27%).
So is there any reason for Naka Drotské and his team to feel confident, once again, ahead of 2013? In some ways, yes.
The squad will boast its greatest depth since 2006. Key players like Johan Goosen, Coenie Oosthuizen and Heinrich Brüssow are set to return from injury, while franchise partners Griquas will add value after a respectable Currie Cup display in 2012.
PLAYER TO WATCH
PLAYERSWP NEL EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
GEORGE EARLE
LLANELLI SCARLETS, WALES
SIAS EBERSOHN
FORCE, AUSTRALIA
IZAK VAN DER WESTHUIZEN
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
MARCEL VAN DER MERWE
BULLSPHILLIP SNYMAN
SPRINGBOKSEVENS
OUT
ASHLEY JOHNSON
LONDON WASPS,
ENGLAND
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The Cheetahs backline will pose the biggest threat. They have been one of the top attacking teams in Super Rugby in recent seasons, mainly because of their ability to score tries from all positions on the field. The likes of Goosen, Piet van Zyl, Sarel Pretorius (who is back from the Waratahs), Willie le Roux, Raymond Rhule and Robert Ebersohn are all exciting prospects.
It seems the Cheetahs have also buried their travel bogey. Until 2011, when they beat the Waratahs in Sydney, they had
SUPER 121997 7th
1998 12th
1999 11th
2000 4th (semi-finalists)
2001 3rd (semi-finalists)
2002 11th
2003 12th
2004 12th
2005 11th
SUPER 142006 10th
2007 11th
2008 13th
2009 14th
2010 10th
SUPER RUGBY*2011 11th
2012 10th
*Combined log finish
Note: Played as Free State in 1997 and did not qualify in 1996. Played as part of Cats franchise from 1998-2005
PREVIOUSLOG FINISHES
RIGHT: Raymond Rhule had an excellent 2012 Currie CupBELOW: Bok hooker Adriaan Strauss will captain the Cheetahs again in 2013
recorded only one win in Australia and New Zealand. But they picked up two in 2012, against the Hurricanes and Rebels, which will make them more confident of success in Australasia in 2013.
However, they will not get near the play-offs if they do not work on their problem areas.
Their biggest downfall has been their defence. They conceded 458 points and 47 tries last season, with only the Rebels and Lions (who finished in the bottom three) faring worse. In 2011, the Cheetahs conceded more points and tries than they scored.
They also need to close out games once they get into winning positions. Their worst defeats in 2012 were against the Highlanders (who fought back from a 30-9 deficit to win
INPLAYERS
SAREL PRETORIUS
WARATAHS
JOHANN SADIE
BULLSELGAR WATTS
BOLANDJOUBERT ENGELBRECHT LEOPARDSCORNAL HENDRICKS BOLAND
JP NEL SHINING
ARCS, JAPAN
CAYLIB OOSTHUIZEN
LIONSTORSTEN VAN JAARSVELD
PUMASROSSOUW DE KLERK
BULLSLODEWYK DE JAGER
LEOPARDSTERTIUS DANILLER
WP
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HIS SQUAD‘We lost several key players after last season, but I’m happy with our reinforcements. We’ll have the best depth the squad has had since 2006. Griquas will add some quality after many of their players impressed in the Currie Cup. I’m really happy with our backline stocks, with guys like Johan Goosen, Francois Brummer, Robert Ebersohn, Johann Sadie, Willie le Roux and Raymond Rhule all available. We also have exciting loose forwards.’
PLAYER MANAGEMENT‘We will definitely have a better management plan. In previous seasons, we weren’t able to rotate players because we didn’t have depth. But in 2013, we’ll have that luxury. A player like [tighthead prop] Coenie Oosthuizen, who’s had
a bad run with neck injuries, will need to be managed more carefully.’
THEIR DEFENSIVE WOES‘Defence is definitely a department where we’ll need to step
up. We lost too many games last season during the closing stages. We could have won more of those
50-50 games if we’d defended better. We are implementing new structures to strengthen
our defence. Hopefully things will improve.’
JUAN SMITH‘He is still busy with his Achilles rehab and will have
a fitness test in January. After that, we’ll decide whether we should bring him back into the squad. He’s a quality player and boasts plenty of experience and leadership. If he can make a difference, we’ll definitely want to keep
him in Bloemfontein.’
THE THREAT OF RELEGATION‘Our poor Currie Cup campaign is no indication of how we will do
in Super Rugby. They are two different competitions and we’ll have a bigger and stronger squad in Super Rugby. We’ll bounce back. The
2012 campaign was also our best Super Rugby season ever, so there is something to build on.’
GO FIGUREThe number of matches the Cheetahs won overseas in 2012, against the Rebels in Melbourne and Hurricanes in Wellington
The number of home matches the Cheetahs won in 2012 (out of eight), against the Lions, Force and Waratahs
The biggest crowd attendance at Free State Stadium in 2012, for the match against the Bulls in round two
The number of points Johan Goosen scored despite missing the latter half of the
campaign with a shoulder injury
The number of tries scored by wing Willie le Roux, who was the Cheetahs’ top try-scorer. Prop WP Nel was next on the list with five
2
3
30 242
1457
90
NAKA DROTSKÉ ON …
Cheetahs’ expansive game plan will depend on their pack being able to set a platform up front.
Drotské says his team will work on their problem areas, but then again, he’s said that every year he’s been in charge. The difference now is that a disappointing season could cost the franchise its Super Rugby status, as the last-placed team in the South African conference will have to face off against the Lions in a promotion-relegation tie after the tournament.
The Free State Cheetahs experienced the embarrassment of finishing last in the 2012 Currie Cup and having to take part in the promotion-relegation play-offs against First Division champions the EP Kings. While they beat the Kings comfortably, the experience of finishing last in the domestic tournament will press the team to do better in Super Rugby.
WON
LOST5 112012RECORD
31%36-33) and Chiefs at home, after they had led at half-time.
While the Cheetahs boast an exciting backline, they are lacking among the forwards. They lost plenty of experience after the departures of several heavies, like WP Nel and Ashley Johnson, and their replacements are not of the same quality. Their lock ranks are also looking thin.
There will be extra pressure on skipper Adriaan Strauss (who played almost every minute of Super Rugby in 2012), Coenie Oosthuizen and Brüssow to make an impact. The success of the
Willie le Roux scores a try against the Waratahs last season
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outPLayersPaul Perez
released
louis strydom
released
Clint newland
releasedBaPtism of fire
The KINGS’ debuT Super rugby SeaSon will be deemed a SucceSS if They can
avoid The SouTh african wooden Spoon
The mission to get an Eastern Cape franchise into Super Rugby started with the Southern Spears in
2005. Eight years later, the region will finally get its opportunity in the form of the Southern Kings.
However, Saru’s poor handling of the situation has seen the Kings given just one guaranteed year in Super Rugby. EPRFU president Cheeky Watson called the decision ‘ludicrous’, but the team will have to play the hand it has been dealt.
The Kings need to avoid the wooden spoon in the South African conference, or face the Lions in a promotion-relegation tie after the tournament.
Recent Super Rugby history suggests the Kings will struggle, with the Force and Rebels finishing last when they made their debuts in 2006 and 2011 respectively.
words: Gareth Duncan
Go fiGureThe number of super 10 matches Eastern Province played in 1994. They lost all of them, against Queensland, North Harbour, otago and Transvaal
The number of players of colour the EP Kings used during their 2012 Currie Cup First division campaign. They used 27 white players
The number of super rugby caps Luke watson has (he played for the sharks and stormers)
The number of points the Fs Cheetahs scored against the EP Kings in two Currie Cup promotion-relegation matches. The Kings scored 20
4
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iNPLayers
Bandise maku
lions
niColas Vergallo toulouse, FranCedemetri Catrakilis western ProVinCe
andries strauss CheetahssteVen sykes
sharks
But the Kings have not had to start from scratch, like those two Australian sides. Director of rugby Alan Solomons has been putting structures in place since his arrival in June 2010 and boasts an 85% win record in the Currie Cup First Division over the past three years. He’s also been monitoring the talent in EP, SWD and Border, helped establish an academy and developed a competitive squad and strong management team.
New signings Demetri Catrakilis (flyhalf), Bandise Maku (hooker), Andries Strauss (centre) and Steven Sykes (lock) may not be regarded as the best in their positions in South Africa, but they’ll add the type of quality the Kings need to win. New Zealand utility back Hadleigh Parkes and Argentine scrumhalf Nicolas Vergallo bring vital international experience, considering the Kings have no current Springboks in their squad.
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15-16 February BYE*
23 February Force (h)
1-2 March BYE
9 March Sharks (h)
15 March Chiefs (h)
23 March Crusaders (a)
30 March Hurricanes (a)
5 April Brumbies (a)
13 April Rebels (a)
20 April Bulls (h)
27 April Cheetahs (a)
4 May Waratahs (h)
11 May Highlanders (h)
17-18 May BYE
25 May Cheetahs (h)
1 June Stormers (a)
7-9 June BYE*
BREAK FOR JUNE TESTS
29 June Bulls (a)
6 July Stormers (h)
13 July Sharks (a)
*Only Australian teams play
2013 sCHeDuLe
LeFt: darren Nell takes a lineout ball during the southern Kings’ pre-season match against the Bulls in 2012BeLOW: The Kings have signed Currie Cup-winning flyhalf demetri Catrakilis
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the KInGS’ SuPer ruGBY GOaLS‘I think it’s important to be realistic. Aiming for a top-four finish in the south African conference is achievable. we are not aiming to come first or second. Avoiding the promotion-relegation play-offs will be a great achievement.’
teaMS StruGGLInG In theIr FIrSt Year OF SuPer ruGBY‘The Force and rebels didn’t do well in their first seasons. But we have put structures in place to ensure we achieve success when we make our debut. we have implemented certain development plans since 2010, and as a franchise we’ve made great strides since then. Especially when you consider the state EP rugby was in three years ago and the fact that EP, Border and swd haven’t played top-flight rugby for a very long time.’
theIr SQuaD anD ManaGeMent teaM‘The players we’ve recruited should help us to be competitive. The management we’ve established over the past couple of seasons have really done a good job
too. Apart from the coaches, we have experienced personnel in our medical, conditioning and analysis departments. The players and management need to have a strong work ethic if we want to do well.’
the KInGS’ tOuGh Start‘we get our first bye week straight after our opening
game against the Force, which will make things a bit tough for us. we then face the 2012 super rugby finalists, the sharks and Chiefs, before starting our
overseas tour against seven-time champions the Crusaders. That’s going to be challenging. we will have to look at our schedule and plan our strategy for the season carefully.’
tranSFOrMatIOn‘our strategy is to transform the union from the bottom up. several players of colour, like fullback siviwe soyizwapi and prop Lizo Gqoboka [left], who played for sA schools and Grey PE, have
graduated from our academy to our super rugby squad. wing sergeal Petersen also joined our super rugby squad after completing
his matric exams.’
Utility back Hadleigh Parkes, who will play for the Kings in 2013, scores for
Auckland against wellington
Luke Watson returns to super rugby after a three-year absence. After leaving the stormers to play for English Premiership club Bath in the 2009-10 season, the flanker opted to join the EP Kings and help them prepare for their
super rugby debut. The time has come for the southern Kings to prove their worth, and
watson will play a big part in ensuring they are competitive. The 29-year-old scored 13 tries
(including two hat-tricks) in the 2012 Currie Cup First division, was strong on defence and played an important leadership role as team skipper.
His experience will be vital in 2013.
PLayer to WatCHAt the time of writing, the
Kings were set to make several more signings. They were also waiting to hear Saru’s decision on their second appeal to allow the inclusion of four foreign players in their final squad (South African franchises are limited to two).
Head coach Matt Sexton and skills and kicking coach Brad Mooar will be key figures in the management team during Super Rugby. The New Zealanders enjoyed a great start to their stint in PE, leading the EP Kings to the Currie Cup First Division title with a 16-match unbeaten streak. Solomons is confident Sexton and Mooar will have the same influence as other Kiwi coaches, like John Plumtree and John Mitchell, in South Africa.
The Kings will begin their Super Rugby campaign with a winnable fixture at home against the Force,
before much tougher games against the Sharks and Chiefs. They then depart on their four-match overseas tour.
The Kings’ season won’t necessarily be a write-off if they make a poor start. One of their main priorities will be to win their two matches against the Cheetahs, who finished fourth in the South African conference last season.
Another top priority surrounds transformation. The Eastern Cape has an abundance of black talent, and the Kings are expected to provide opportunities for those players.
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S A R _ J o c k e y _ f i n a l . p d f P a g e 1 1 1 / 2 6 / 1 2 , 2 : 5 8 P M
97
SHARKS
15-16 February BYE*
23 February Cheetahs (a)
2 March Stormers (h)
9 March Kings (a)
16 March Brumbies (h)
23 March Rebels (h)
30-31 March BYE
5 April Crusaders (h)
13 April Stormers (a)
20 April Cheetahs (h)
27 April Chiefs (a)
4 May Highlanders (a)
10 May Reds (a)
17 May Force (a)
25 May Bulls (h)
31 May – 1 June BYE
7-9 June BYE*
BREAK FOR JUNE TESTS
29 June Blues (h)
6 July Bulls (a)
13 July Kings (h)
*Only Australian teams play
2013 SCHEDULE
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COMING OUT FIRING
INPLAYERS
FRANCO VAN DER
MERWE LIONS
BUTCH JAMES
LIONS
WORDS: GAVIN RICH
THE SHARKS NEED TO MAKE A STRONG START TO THEIR 2013 SUPER RUGBY CAMPAIGN
Frans Steyn’s return to the Sharks had an immediate impact when he played in the midfield in the home derby against the Bulls last July. It wasn’t just because of Steyn’s presence that the Sharks were able to win so easily, but the composure he brought with his presence and his ability to thrust play across the gainline. When Steyn left the Sharks a few years ago he did so as a bit of a troubled youth, and while his playing abilities were missed, it didn’t seem that the Sharks were that sorry to be without the prima donna aspects of his personality. But at Springbok level Steyn has matured and is ready to be a leader. The Sharks’ midfield has at times lacked depth, but with Steyn there this shouldn’t be the case in 2013. He brings presence to the inside centre channel and his partnership with Pat Lambie in the key 10-12 decision-making axis is going to give the Sharks a crucial edge. Steyn’s field-kicking will be able to bail the Sharks out of trouble when the pressure is applied on Lambie. Indeed, it is hard not to look at Steyn as a multiple player rather than a single individual. He has the pace, the physicality and the strength to make him the equal of any other No 12 playing rugby today and yet he also brings a kicking boot capable of attaining vast distances, not to mention his ability to slot over place kicks from inside his own half.
The Sharks ended the 2012 Super Rugby tournament as the form South African team, beating
the Stormers in a tense Cape Town semi-final to advance to their first final since 2007. But while getting to the decider was an achievement, sadly the refrain for the Sharks was an all too familiar one – they left their charge too late, and left themselves with too much to do in the play-off rounds.
Or, to put it more accurately, they left themselves with too many air miles to travel, with the squad undertaking an unprecedented round-the-world journey during the knockout phase ahead of the final in Hamilton. They had to fly to Brisbane for their first play-off game, where they scored a breathtakingly impressive win over the previous year’s champions, the Reds. And then it was back to South Africa
PLAYER TO WATCH
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for the match against the table-topping Stormers, before getting back on the plane and flying east again across the time zones to New Zealand.
It was just way too much, and the memory of the time spent in the air should mean coach John Plumtree won’t have problems emphasising to his players how important it is to win the South African conference, which will be the first mission for the Sharks.
But given the consistency of their likely main rivals, the Stormers, to win the conference they are going to have to redress their big problem of the past two years, which has been their tendency to start the season slowly. They opened with away losses to the Bulls and Stormers in 2012, and were always chasing the game after that in the battle for conference supremacy.
LEFT: Ryan Kankowski will return to Durban after a stint in Japan
BELOW: The Sharks have an all-Springbok front row
SUPER 121996 4th (finalists)
1997 4th (semi-finalists)
1998 3rd (semi-finalists)
1999 7th
2000 12th
2001 2nd (finalists)
2002 10th
2003 11th
2004 7th
2005 12th
SUPER 142006 5th
2007 1st (finalists)
2008 3rd (semi-finalists)
2009 6th
2010 9th
SUPER RUGBY*2011 6th (qualifier)
2012 6th (finalists)
*Combined log finish
Note: Played as Natal in 1996 and 1997
PREVIOUSLOG FINISHES
PLAYERSSTEVEN SYKES
KINGSROSS SKEATE
AGEN, FRANCE
OUT
FRÉDÉRIC MICHALAK
TOULON, FRANCE
The slow start last season was for the most part due to injuries. Beast Mtawarira broke his leg in pre-season and missed the first half of the competition. Willem Alberts and Jean Deysel were also missing in the early rounds, as were several other top players such as Ryan Kankowski, and the injuries caused Plumtree to shift the emphasis of his team’s game and play JP Pietersen at outside centre.
So much of the Sharks game when they are on form revolves around momentum, but there were too many big men missing early in 2012, and it was no coincidence that their resurgence started when those players came back into the mix.
But the Sharks’ early-season failures were not just about injuries – too often they give the impression they need a figurative gun to their heads in order for them to bring out their top game. That old ‘Last Chance Saloon’ theme was used so often by
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100
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GO FIGUREThe number of tries the Sharks scored in
the league phase of 2012, an average of nearly three per game
The number of trips the Sharks had to make across the Indian Ocean in three weeks during the play-off section of the competition
The number of Super Rugby finals the Sharks have contested, without having won any of them
The number of points the Sharks scored during the 2012 Super Rugby league phase
The number of bonus points they accumulated, which kept them alive at times when they struggled for consistency
47
3
4
43611100
JOHN PLUMTREE ON …
the Sharks coaches in 2012 that it became boring.
And yet, for whatever reason, it appears the top Sharks players seem to enjoy flying on the seat of their pants and they do perform best when they face a must-win situation. This rather strange anomaly was most dramatically underlined in their last game before the start of the June international window, when after beating the Stormers at home and playing themselves into conference contention, they blew it against the Lions in Johannesburg.
What is undeniable is that they do have the depth. Although they lost the Currie Cup final to Western Province, the under-strength Sharks were easily the pick of the teams in the domestic competition, and several new players, such as the feisty young scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, laid down their marker. Outside lock, there isn’t an area where the Sharks don’t now have more than useful back-up players, and they look more capable than most other teams of being able to survive an injury crisis.
One area where the Sharks look to have settled now in comparison to this time a year ago is in the leadership department, with
Keegan Daniel proving an inspired and popular choice as captain and always leading the team both wisely and by example. Tim Whitehead showed during the course of the year what WP had
lost, and while Frédéric Michalak and Steven Sykes have left, and Bismarck du Plessis will start the year late, the Sharks have gained Butch James and Franco van der Merwe.
WON
LOST12 72012RECORD
63%
Pat Lambie will wear the Sharks
No 10 jersey in 2013
THE DRAW‘It’s interesting to see that we are again landed with a bye that coincides with the June break for international rugby. In 2012 we had the bye the week after the internationals; in 2013 we have it the week before. It worked for us in 2012, so I’m happy with it. Obviously it was easier for us when the bye fell after the international window as it enabled us to rest the players who had been in action for the Boks before getting back into Super Rugby.’
THE BIG CHALLENGE‘The challenge for all the top coaches will be to get their teams into a situation where they have enough depth to withstand having five or six Boks out on a particular weekend, without it ruining their chances of winning.’
MAKING A GOOD START TO THE SEASON‘I think it’s imperative to start out putting points on the board early. The past two seasons we have started poorly and that has left us playing catch-up. It creates a massive amount of pressure if you reach a situation where with half the season left, you have to win virtually every game in order to qualify for the play-offs. But it’s all about home games. You have to win your home games in Super Rugby or you are in massive trouble. We started off by travelling the past few seasons, whereas in 2013 we have more games at home. So we have to hit our straps at the outset and get wins behind us.’
WHAT HE HAS LEARNED FROM THE CONFERENCE FORMAT‘It’s imperative that you win your conference, or failing that, at least book a home qualifier. Having to travel to play knockout games like we did in 2012 is just too much of a disadvantage. Because there is now so much rugby I also feel players are starting to pace themselves, particularly those who know they will be playing regularly at international level. But it is also incumbent on the coaches to be brave enough to rotate selections. You simply cannot play with the same team all the time, and player management is going to be the key to peaking at the right time and being in with a shout at the business end.’
WHERE TO PLAY PAT LAMBIE‘Pat is going to be backed at flyhalf now that Freddie Michalak has left us. He did play flyhalf for us at the start of 2012 but injuries plagued him for most of the season. He had about three or four injuries during the course of the Super Rugby campaign. He played well for us at the end of the Currie Cup in 2012 and he is definitely our go-to guy at flyhalf. But it will also be good to have Butch James there as back-up. He is back at home and this will be the last contract of his career so I suspect Butch might play better for us than he did for the Lions.’
HAVING FRANS STEYN BACK‘He is going to be one of our huge players in 2013. He gets his team across the advantage line, he also has an incredibly long kick, be it at goal or out of hand, and he has physicality. Since his return to us after his sojourn in France he has matured a lot and he brings the leadership that maybe he didn’t before. He will have a slow start to the year after undergoing an ankle operation, but hopefully he will be ready to start proper training during the course of January.’
97-100_Sharks.indd 100 2012/12/04 5:08 PM
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Untitled-3 1 2012/11/06 4:27 PM
In 2006, Schalk Burger sustained a serious neck injury and some feared he would never play rugby again. Burger was sidelined for seven months, but returned to play an influential role in the Boks’ successful 2007 World Cup campaign. Five years later in the opening match of the 2012 Super Rugby competition, Burger went down with a crippling knee injury that would rule him out for an entire season. As the start of the 2013 season looms, the same question should be asked: Can Burger rebound
Great expectations
15-16 February BYE*
22 February Bulls (a)
2 March Sharks (a)
9 March Chiefs (h)
15-16 March BYE
23 March Brumbies (h)
30 March Crusaders (h)
6 April Cheetahs (a)
13 April Sharks (h)
19-20 April BYE
26 April Hurricanes (a)
3 May Blues (a)
11 May Waratahs (a)
17 May Rebels (a)
25 May Reds (h)
1 June Kings (h)
7-9 June BYE*
BREAK FOR JUNE TESTS
29 June Cheetahs (h)
6 July Kings (a)
13 July Bulls (h)
*Only Australian teams play
2013 scHeDULe
The StormerS could go all The way in 2013 if They find a balance beTween aTTack and defence
there are many disenchanted Stormers supporters who will view
last season’s semi-final defeat as a recurrence of what happened in 2011.
Admittedly, there were similarities, with both campaigns stalling at the penultimate knockout stage. The significant
Ruan Botha LionsPat CiLLieRs LionsMiChaeL Rhodes Lions
inpLayers
difference, however, was that the 2012 contingent was savaged by injury, with many first-, second-, and even third-choice players confined to the sideline. The fact that the Cape franchise still managed to top the league and earn a home semi-final was nothing short of a miracle. Expectations should have been tempered considering that
crippling injury count, and the
pLayer to watcH
like he did in 2007? The Stormers need Burger at his best if they are going to
claim their first Super Rugby title. There’s bound to be a back-row reshuffle now that Nick Koster has left for Bath, and
Coetzee could opt to play Siya Kolisi at 6, Burger at 7, and Duane Vermeulen at
8. There are other important cogs in the Stormers’ forward machine, but all of them
take their physical cues from Burger. Whether he’s leading the charge at the gainline or
effecting those momentum-stalling defensive hits, he will have a campaign-defining role to play.
JaCo taute Lions
eLton JantJies
Lions
WoRDS: jon cardinelli
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coaching staff and structures should have been lauded for how they stood up to such scrutiny.
Moving on, the expectations will be greater in 2013, and rightly so. Rassie Erasmus, the man behind the Cape rugby resurrection, has left the franchise, but his structures and vision remain. The Stormers have held the best defensive record for the past three seasons, and their forwards are among the most physical in the competition. Where they have failed to make sufficient progress is in the tactical kicking and attacking departments. It’s been the source of their few league defeats in recent seasons, as well as the major contributing factors to a poor play-off record.
They had an excuse in 2012 in that a number of frontline players were unavailable through injury. Those who did take the field were inexperienced and in some cases only competing in just their first season of Super Rugby. Those rookies will be better for that exposure, and again, more
will be expected of them and the collective in 2013.
Steven Kitshoff is a terrific front-row prospect, flank Siya Kolisi would have been a Springbok in 2012 if injury had not curtailed his season, and lock Eben Etzebeth emerged as the find of the year at Super Rugby and Test levels. If you add these immensely talented youngsters to those who are already established, you are looking at a squad of players that will be tough to match.
The Stormers have made some interesting off-season acquisitions, with the Lions’ quintet of Ruan Botha, Pat Cilliers, Elton Jantjies, Michael Rhodes and Jaco Taute joining the squad on loan. The three forward signings will bolster the franchise’s depth, with Bok prop Cilliers expected to make a big impact at tighthead. There is some growing uncertainty, however, over the recruitment of Jantjies and Taute. How will they will fit into the Stormers’ structures and culture?
While the Stormers have got a lot right over the past five seasons, they have made some inexplicable player management decisions. Flyhalf Peter Grant has been allowed to spend the past two off-seasons in Japan playing for the Kobe Steelers, and this commitment has resulted in him missing the Stormers’ pre-season preparation as well as a couple of Super Rugby league matches.
leFT & BeloW: Siya Kolisi and Steven Kitshoff were two
youngsters who impressed in 2012
oUtpLayers
SUPer 121996 11th
1998 9th
1999 2nd (semi-finalists)
2000 5th
2001 7th
2002 7th
2003 9th
2004 3rd (semi-finalists)
2005 9th
SUPer 142006 11th
2007 10th
2008 5th
2009 10th
2010 2nd (finalists)
SUPer rUGBY*2011 2nd (semi-finalists)
2012 1st (semi-finalists)
*Combined log finish
Note: Played as Western Province in 1996 and did not qualify in 1997
preVioUsLoG FinisHes
won
Lost14 32012recorD
deMetRi CatRaKiLis
KinGsQuinn RouX
LeinsteR, iReLand
tYRone hoLMes
us CoLoMieRs,
FRanCe
niCK KosteR
Bath, enGLand
82%
STORMERS
102-104_Stormers_New_J.indd 103 2012/12/04 4:16 PM
104
Go FiGUreThe number of tries the Stormers conceded during the 2012 league stage, nine fewer than the second-best defensive team (Chiefs)
The number of four-try bonus points the Stormers claimed in the 2012 league stage, the only team not to get one
The number of play-off matches the Stormers have won in Super Rugby history (they’ve lost the other five). Their only victory came against the Waratahs in their 2010 semi-final clash at Newlands
The number of points they conceded during the 2012 league stage, 77 points fewer than the second-stingiest
team (the Brumbies)
The number of games they won in the eight 2012 inter-conference matches played against local opposition
21
01
245
7
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Far riGHT: Peter Grant could lose his No 10 jersey to Elton Jantjies riGHT: Jean de Villiers with the South African conference trophy, which the Stormers won in 2011 and 2012
Grant has returned from Japan in terrific goal-kicking form, but has never shown any sign of improving that weak tactical kicking game. He has also taken too long to acclimatise in terms of his general play, and that in turn has impacted on the synergy of the Stormers’ backline.
That being said, Grant remains a solid if not spectacular flyhalf option. He will miss the initial rounds of the 2013 competition once again, and it is here where Jantjies will be given an opportunity to stake his claim for a more permanent starting role.
Jantjies is renowned for his attacking skills, and these should be amplified when he is playing behind a dominant Stormers pack. His kicking, both for territory and goal, is also superior to Grant’s.
Unfortunately, he has shown himself to be susceptible on defence. Uncompromising physicality and defence
are at the heart of the Stormers’ ethos, and Jantjies is neither robust nor reliable in that important defensive channel. It is likely that he will be targeted by opposition loose forwards in a manner that Grant never was.
Taute is another exciting attacking exponent, but has much to learn in terms of defence. Like Jantjies, he has traded a culture of attack at the Lions for one of defence at the Stormers. The coaches will be hoping that he provides the Stormers with more attacking penetration from the fullback position, but they will
also expect him to live up to their high defensive standards and contribute tactically with that powerful kicking boot.
The expectations will be great in 2013, and there is a chance that Jantjies and Taute will bring more balance to the side. The challenge for Allister Coetzee and his lieutenants, however, will be to ensure that the introduction of these players doesn’t compromise the existing structures. The side that has struck the best balance between attack and defence has won the title in recent seasons – 2013 will be no different.
WP’S cUrrie cUP SUcceSS‘I still believe that the Currie Cup is a very tough competition if you consider that all the Springboks are back in the final rounds. At long last we have won a major tournament, and the significance of that achievement should not be underestimated. The ice has been broken. Some people haven’t given us credit for winning the Super Rugby conference trophy, but everybody still recognises the Currie Cup as a major competition. Winning a big final like that will have given everybody in our group a big boost in confidence.’
THeir neW recrUiTS‘They’re certainly going to provide our group with a lot more depth. We fell
short in 2012 because we were wanting for quality in certain positions in the play-offs. Injuries play their part, but you have to ensure that you have the quality in reserve. I’m happy that we’ve contracted some new players who
have the right character and skills to fit into our systems.’
THe FlYHalF SiTUaTion‘In Peter Grant we have a right-foot option, and in Elton Jantjies we have an excellent left-foot option. They are players with different skills, and they will give you different options in terms of how you want
to play the game. Elton has a lot of pace, a good head on his shoulders and a great kicking boot. He’s also
been involved with the Springboks so he understands what it means to play under pressure. We are well
stocked in the goal-kicking department if you think that we have Elton, Peter and Joe Pietersen at our disposal.
Jaco Taute is another option when it comes to the long-range attempts.’
dealinG WiTH injUrieS‘The situation reached dramatic proportions last season. Touch wood, that won’t be the case in 2013. You really don’t
have any control over it. You have to get the mix right in terms of experience and quality throughout the season, and most importantly, you need to have all your top players available for those play-off matches. So again,
depth is very important.’
STORMERS
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S A R _ S c o t s ma n _ f i n a l . p d f P a g e 7 6 1 1 / 7 / 1 2 , 9 : 2 8 A M
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WON
LOST4 122012RECORD
25%
SUPER 121996 2nd (champions)
1997 1st (champions)
1998 1st (finalists)
1999 9th
2000 6th
2001 11th
2002 6th
2003 1st (champions)
2004 5th
2005 7th
SUPER 142006 8th
2007 4th (semi-finalists)
2008 6th
2009 9th
2010 7th
SUPER RUGBY*2011 4th (semi-finalists)
2012 12th
*Combined log finish
PREVIOUSLOG FINISHES
I f John Kirwan is looking for a blueprint with which to make his youthful Blues squad relevant and competitive in 2013,
he need look no further than the Hurricanes.
Like Mark Hammett a year ago, Kirwan has lost a raft of senior players – Tony Woodcock, Ma’a Nonu and Alby Mathewson, to name but three – and has elected to rebuild with youth, promise and enthusiasm. The rookie Blues coach has 16 new players in his squad for 2013, 11 of whom will be experiencing their first taste of Super Rugby. They’re greener than Kermit the Frog.
No one in their right mind believes Kirwan has the stock to make the Blues suddenly relevant again. Not that they’ve been genuine contenders for quite some time. They won just four matches in 2012, before dumping coach Pat Lam. The former All Blacks great may be challenged to match that total in year one of what is rightly being regarded as a rebuilding programme.
‘We are going to be young and exciting,’ says Kirwan. ‘I think we have enough experience in the front five and the rest of the side is exciting. What we don’t have is a lot of experience, and the challenge for the coaching group is how quickly we can get the players up to speed. We think some will come through in 2013 but others might take a bit longer.
‘We have several young and promising players joining our mix. Pairing them up with our senior players and those who have a few Super Rugby campaigns under their belts, makes for a thrilling combination.’
Kirwan also admits that the Hurricanes of 2012 are
FRESH STARTTHE BLUES HAVE A NEW COACHAND A YOUNG, INEXPERIENCED SQUAD
sides, scored a lot of tries and played exciting rugby. So we need to be heading in the right
direction emotionally and, if we can do that, I don’t think
results will be quite so important. We need to make sure people look
forward to coming to the park to watch us.’Still, Kirwan may need some
luck to rattle a few cages with this young Blues squad. And
certainly a better run with injuries than Lam had in 2012, when his squad was decimated pretty much from the word go.
Kirwan will need to keep his experienced core of Keven Mealamu, Charlie Faumuina, Ali Williams, Anthony Boric, Luke Braid, Piri Weepu and Rene Ranger on the field, and hope that young comers such as Charlie Piutau – a standout of New Zealand’s national provincial championship – Brendon O’Connor, Steve Luatua, Marty McKenzie and Frank Halai can make a smooth transition to the higher level. There will also be a lot on the shoulders of young Counties flyhalf Baden Kerr.
But Kirwan will have some pretty heavyweight support in his coaching set-up. Graham Henry has been enticed out of the easy chair to lend his hand, and good things tend to happen when the former All Blacks coach is involved with the Blues. National team skills specialist Mick Byrne also gets the chance to broaden his horizons in an assistant’s role.
The one advantage the Blues will have in 2013 is the same one the Canes possessed last season. No one expects anything special from this group. And sometimes good things happen when you least expect it. – Marc Hinton
RIGHT: The Blues need to keep their few experienced players, like hooker
Keven Mealamu, on the fieldBELOW: New coach John Kirwan
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an inspiration. No one fancied them after a senior player clearout. And Hammett was not afraid to rebuild with youth and potential, and back his coaching to bring it through.
‘I think people got the Hurricanes,’ says Kirwan. ‘They didn’t make the play-offs but they knocked over a few good
107_Blues.indd 107 2012/12/05 10:08 AM
CHIEFS
WON
LOST14 42012RECORD
78%
THE HUNTEDTHE CHIEFS WILL BE THE TEAM EVERYONE WANTS TO BEAT IN 2013
A lmost all the ingredients are back. That holy trinity of coaches who helped create the perfect
symmetry in Hamilton, netting the franchise’s first-ever Super Rugby title. Those hard-working forwards who laid on such a quality possession platform, and those dazzling backs who made the most of everything they were dished up.
Almost all. One triple-barrelled name
is missing. Sonny Bill Williams. Maybe the biggest name in the sport. In a couple of sports, for that matter. SBW. The long-limbed, offloading, line-busting force of nature will be missing from the Chiefs midfield in 2013, and the big question for the competition’s defending champions is just how much of a difference that will make?
Dave Rennie, who presided over the championship in a dream first year as head coach, is adamant that Williams’ departure (to the NRL) can be taken in their stride. That standard can be maintained. Improved even. That the team which took the competition by storm in 2012 can be just as vibrant, just as relevant, as they shoot for two in a row in 2013.
‘I think, all round, [this squad] has got the potential to be
They hope a fit Richard Kahui will help fill the
breach left by Williams’ departure, while Counties Manukau midfielder
Bundee Aki and the adaptable Andrew Horrell are the other likely midfield options.
‘Sonny is a very special player and how we attack around the channels may vary slightly, but the way we’re trying to play won’t change dramatically,’ says Rennie.
The coach backs himself, and his trusty lieutenants Wayne Smith and Tom Coventry, to get the best out of their youngsters once again. In 2012 rookies like Brodie Retallick and Ben Tameifuna emerged as Super Rugby standouts. Rennie hopes to ease one or two more tyros into the fray in 2013.
‘We picked a lot of young kids in 2012 who came through pretty quickly,’ notes Rennie.
The big change for the Chiefs is that in 2013 they will sneak up on no one. They are no longer flying under the radar. They are no longer the hunter. They are the hunted. The champions’ tag does that to you.
But with those special coaches, that work ethic that was the foundation of their game, and the willingness to give it a go that made them such a joy to watch in 2012, who knows, maybe they can repeat the dose. Even without old you-know-who! – Marc Hinton
SUPER 121996 6th
1997 11th
1998 7th
1999 6th
2000 10th
2001 6th
2002 8th
2003 10th
2004 4th (semi-finalists)
2005 6th
SUPER 142006 7th
2007 6th
2008 7th
2009 2nd (finalists)
2010 11th
SUPER RUGBY*2011 10th
2012 2nd (champions)
*Combined log finish
PREVIOUS LOG FINISHES
stronger,’ Rennie says. ‘We are very happy with our squad. We know a lot about these players, their work ethic and character; therefore we have picked the new guys coming in on these attributes too.’
The ‘new guys’ comprise fresh signings Nick Crosswell (Highlanders), Gareth Anscombe (Blues) and Charlie Ngatai (Hurricanes), as well as draft pick-ups Ross Filipo (the veteran ex-Crusader and Hurricane) and youngsters Solomona Sakalia, Rhys Marshall and Patrick Osborne. None are likely to be front-liners, but all will add to the depth that Rennie understands is crucial for a long campaign like this.
Nothing much will change with the Chiefs in 2013. Their pack will again mix hard work, commitment and skill to gain their fair share of ball, and a backline with plenty of firepower will look to razzle and dazzle whenever it can.
TOP: Centre Richard Kahui MIDDLE: Coach Dave Rennie
BELOW: The Chiefs celebrate their maiden Super Rugby title in 2012
108
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108_Chiefs.indd 108 2012/11/22 4:08 PM
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Nu_Skin_Ad_3.indd 1 12/3/2012 5:56:03 PMUntitled-1 1 2012/12/04 9:58 AM
Untitled-8 1 2012/11/06 2:27 PM
111
CRUSADERS
RELAXED ATTITUDE
THE CRUSADERS AIM TOENJOY THE JOURNEY IN 2013
SUPER 121996 12th
1997 6th
1998 2nd (champions)
1999 4th (champions)
2000 2nd (champions)
2001 10th
2002 1st (champions)
2003 2nd (finalists)
2004 2nd (finalists)
2005 1st (champions)
SUPER 142006 1st (champions)
2007 3rd (semi-finalists)
2008 1st (champions)
2009 4th (semi-finalists)
2010 4th (semi-finalists)
SUPER RUGBY*2011 3rd (finalists)
2012 4th (semi-finalists)
*Combined log finish
WON
LOST12 62012RECORD
67%
PREVIOUSLOG FINISHES
ABOVE: The Crusaders backs will rely heavily on Dan Carter and Israel Dagg BELOW RIGHT: Todd Blackadder is looking for his first Super Rugby title as head coach
Here’s the legend: since 1998, the Crusaders have played in 10 Super Rugby finals,
won seven and missed the play-offs just once. They are to the business end of this competition what Santa Claus is to Christmas.
Here’s the reality: the Crusaders have not won a Super Rugby championship since 2008. In the Big Shake, aka Title Town, aka Christchurch, that’s the equivalent of a drought, and it’s fair to say the natives are getting restless.
But has Todd Blackadder assembled a squad capable of returning some silverware to the trophy cabinet?
It has to be said the jury’s out on that, with the likeable coach even going as far as to suggest he’s making a conscious effort to enjoy the 2013 season, rather than get too pent up by the pressures of meeting the expectations of the most exacting public in the game.
The Crusaders faithful don’t just expect success, they demand it. Possibly alone throughout the three nations that make up this competition, there is only one result that is acceptable. Success doesn’t so much breed success in Christchurch, as alter the perception of its red-and-black-clad denizens.
And here’s the thing: it’s difficult to make the case that the Crusaders have got any better, or even maintained a status quo, for 2012.
They have lost Ben Franks (to the Hurricanes) and Sean Maitland (to Scotland), and will not have the services of a certain Richard Hugh McCaw for most, or maybe even, the entire campaign.
McCaw is taking a sabbatical to ease the workload on his over-burdened body. He is due back around June, which could see him return to play in the last few rounds after the international window, followed by any play-off matches that may result.
But, then again, he may not. No one knows for sure just how McCaw’s year will pan out, other than to pretty much accept that possibly the greatest All Black
of all time has earned the right to indulge in a little R ’n R.
The Crusaders still have more than their fair share of quality. All Blacks, past and present, abound in their pack, led by the brilliant Kieran Read, and are also scattered through a backline that will lean heavily on the class of Dan Carter and Israel Dagg.
They have the frontliners to deliver victories on a consistent basis and they have plunged deep, for backup, into a Canterbury squad that recently delivered a record fifth consecutive national provincial championship crown. The key will be whether Blackadder is able to promote some new faces to fill the depth required to succeed.
One things seems certain: after four straight years coming up
agonisingly short of their ultimate goal, the grey-bearded coach is determined to adopt as relaxed an attitude as he possibly can.
‘You are under pressure, but you have to enjoy it, otherwise it affects your decision-making, the players and the people who work with you,’ notes Blackadder. ‘It can’t all be about the one outcome – winning a title.’
You can sense a bit of reverse psychology in play by the former All Blacks captain. Take a bit of the onus off and hopefully the success will return.
The Crusaders have still been damn good the past four years. Just not quite good enough. – Marc Hinton
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112
HIGHLANDERS
SUPER 121996 8th
1997 12th
1998 4th (semi-finalists)
1999 3rd (finalists)
2000 3rd (semi-finalists)
2001 5th
2002 4th (semi-finalists)
2003 7th
2004 9th
2005 8th
SUPER 142006 9th
2007 9th
2008 11th
2009 11th
2010 12th
SUPER RUGBY*2011 8th
2012 9th
*Combined log finish
PREVIOUS LOG FINISHES
STAR RECRUITS
THE HIGHLANDERS HAVE MADE SOME ASTUTE OFF-SEASON SIGNINGS
LEFT: All Blacks hooker Andrew Hore will captain the Highlanders
BELOW: Coach Jamie Joseph believes his side is good enough to win Super Rugby BOTTOM: Ma’a Nonu announces that
he will be staying in New Zealand and playing for the Highlanders in 2013
J amie Joseph is all out of excuses in year three of his Highlanders project. Which, as it turns
out, is not a problem, as he’s not looking for any.
‘This season the Highlanders are about going out there and winning the competition,’ Joseph said when his 2013 squad was officially unveiled. It’s a group that includes 11 – yes, 11 – past or present All Blacks and is packed with the sort of talent not seen around Dunedin since Jeff Wilson, Josh Kronfeld, Kees Meeuws, Anton Oliver and Taine Randell were in their prime.
It’s a line-up that looks capable, with a little bit of luck, of taking New Zealand’s southernmost franchise back to play-off football for the first time in over a decade.
And Joseph knows it.He has had, to put it mildly,
a dream recruiting off-season, adding incumbent All Blacks Ma’a Nonu and Tony Woodcock (both from the Blues) and luring double-international legend Brad Thorn back from Japan to add his considerable experience and presence to a group that already includes such luminaries as Andrew Hore, Aaron Smith, Tamati Ellison, Ben Smith and Hosea Gear.
Throw in the likes of Jamie Mackintosh, Jarrad Hoeata and Colin Slade, who have all pulled on the black jersey in the recent past, and a group of young comers headed by sevens whiz Declan O’Donnell, blockbusting No 8 Nasi Manu, midfielder Jason Emery and flyhalf Lima Sopoaga and you have a nice blend of hardened campaigners, elite performers and rising stars.
In fact, the only negative aspect of the between seasons period has been the loss of outstanding loose forward Adam Thomson, who has finally bailed out of the Highlanders right when they seem to have got their, er, stuff together. Never mind.
‘The most exciting thing about the Highlanders is where we have come from and where we are now,’ adds Joseph. ‘We are only halfway along our journey. We have not done so much on the scoreboard in the past few years and that is the goal. We need to start
WON
LOST72012
RECORD
56%
9
performing better at the right end of the season.’
Joseph, of course, is referring to the near identical manner in which the past two seasons have played out. The swagger, then the stagger. Buoyant, promising, successful starts. Injuries. Hopes getting raised. Play-offs being talked about. Then a wall being hit and the team getting stuck in a freefall over the closing stages.
He’s hoping the added depth in the squad this season will help. And that he’ll have some better luck with injuries. He’s also banking on a bit of growth in a team that’s hinted at its potential but not quite delivered.
He’s also anticipating the presence of a proven winner like Thorn will rub off on team-mates sure to hang on his every word and action.
‘Another reason we have dropped off towards the end is that we got there and
thought, “Do we really believe we are contenders for that championship?” This guy [Thorn] has won nine championships in different codes.’
Over the previous two years, winning has been a bit of a pipe dream at a rejuvenated Highlanders. In 2013, with the help of some very senior All Blacks, the coach is banking on it becoming a habit. – Marc Hinton PH
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114
HURRICANES
SUPER 121996 9th
1997 3rd (semi-finalists)
1998 8th
1999 10th
2000 8th
2001 9th
2002 9th
2003 3rd (semi-finalists)
2004 11th
2005 4th (semi-finalists)
SUPER 142006 2nd (finalists)
2007 8th
2008 4th (semi-finalists)
2009 3rd (semi-finalists)
2010 8th
SUPER RUGBY*2011 9th
2012 8th
*Combined log finish
S tability is the name of the game in Hurricanes territory now.
And doesn’t that make a nice change after the events of a little over a year ago when the Wellington-based franchise all but came apart at the seams.
Coach Mark Hammett brings back 24 players who were involved in some form or another in 2012, and fills the remaining eight places largely from within the ranks of the region’s multitude of emerging talent.
The main exception is All Blacks utility prop Ben Franks, who has shifted north from the Crusaders in search of a regular starting spot – something that his old coach simply could not guarantee him. He adds a much-needed harder edge to the front-row stock.
At the other end of the scale, the most notable new addition is 19-year-old loose forward Ardie Savea, who was the standout individual of New Zealand’s national provincial championship and looks on the verge of a serious breakthrough in the professional ranks. The younger brother of All Blacks wing Julian, he has already had a Sevens World WON
LOST10 62012RECORD
63%
RESULT FOCUSED
PREVIOUSLOG FINISHES
Series campaign and been a national age-grade star. Seasoned observers say, even at a lightweight 97kg, he’s ready to make a splash at Super Rugby level.
We may soon see, with Savea a leading contender to wear the No 7 jersey for Hammett’s Canes.
Otherwise the bulk of the front-line squad will comprise returnees
from the group that restored some much-needed pride to
the Canes in 2012. They only finished eighth, but it was a gloriously competitive (their 10 wins were the same as the fifth-placed Bulls), decidedly unlucky eighth. They won some big games and, with the bounce of the ball, could easily have ended up among the big six.
Which was amazing after Hammett waved goodbye to a raft of senior figures, including internationals Ma’a Nonu, Piri Weepu, Andrew
Hore, Hosea Gear and Aaron Cruden at the end
of the dysfunctional 2011 season. It was Hammer’s way or the highway, and the bulk of the heavy-hitters chose the fork
in the road that led away from the capital.
After the previous year and the personality
conflicts that created a vicious undercurrent that
threatened to pull the team under, the 2012 season was a delight. The plucky Canes played hard, they maximised their abilities and in the process they confounded a large group of critics who had given them no chance.
But in 2013, a season older and wiser, with a fresh wave of young talent in place, Hammett has different expectations. While 2012, he says, was all about winning respect, 2013 will be purely and simply about winning rugby games.
‘We want to do better than we did in 2012. It will be an interesting year. We could play a heck of a lot better and maybe not finish as well as we did last season. That is our challenge.’
Franks brings some much-needed experience and mental toughness, but it will be the inspirational Conrad Smith, the peerless Cory Jane and the multi-talented Victor Vito who will form the backbone of this squad. Throw in young comers like halfback TJ Perenara, flyhalf Beauden Barrett, utility back Andre Taylor and the blockbusting Savea Snr, as well as Dane Coles, James Broadhurst and Brad Shields up front, and Hammett has a squad ready to take the next step.
A squad focused purely and simply on winning. – Marc Hinton
ABOVE: Hurricanes wing Cory Jane brushes off Willie le Roux’s tackle
RIGHT: Mark Hammett has different expectations going into the new season
THE 2013 SEASON WILL BE ALL ABOUT WINNING FOR THE HURRICANES
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BRUMBIES
WON
LOST10 62012RECORD
63%
TOP: Christian Lealiifano was in top form in 2012 before injury cut his season short
MIDDLE: Brumbies coach Jake WhiteRIGHT: Wallabies flank David Pocock
has swapped Perth for Canberra
Showing just how volatile the state of Australian rugby is, former Springbok coach Jake White is
now the second-longest serving Super Rugby coach of the five Australian teams.
White and his no-name team overachieved in 2012, coming from absolutely nowhere to notch up a 10-6 win record. Only a timid 30-16 home loss to the Blues in the final round prevented them from reaching the play-offs.
It was an astonishing achievement, considering the players at White’s disposal, his recent arrival in Australia and the major injury toll the Brumbies suffered, losing among others, both flyhalves Christian Lealiifano and Matt To’omua. Lealiifano especially had been in exceptional form and had marked himself down as the Wallabies flyhalf-elect before he broke his ankle in the final moment of the win over the Waratahs in May.
Lealiifano and To’omua are back in 2013 along with the bulk of the
player. This means Oosthuizen will be eligible for the Wallabies once he has served out his residential qualifying period as he hasn’t represented any other country at senior level. There are other South African connections in young Johannesburg-born scrumhalf Mark Swanepoel, who joins the Brumbies from the Crusaders, and Vryburg-born prop Ruan Smith.
The challenge for White and his team is they have lost the element of surprise, and teams will know what to expect from them in 2013. But the Brumbies will still start as favourites to win the Australian conference along with the Reds. – Alex Broun
SUPER 121996 5th
1997 2nd (finalists)
1998 10th
1999 5th
2000 1st (finalists)
2001 1st (champions)
2002 3rd (finalists)
2003 4th (semi-finalists)
2004 1st (champions)
2005 5th
SUPER 142006 6th
2007 5th
2008 9th
2009 7th
2010 6th
SUPER RUGBY*2011 13th
2012 7th
*Combined log finish
PREVIOUS LOG FINISHES
FEELING POSITIVETHE BRUMBIES HOPE TO BUILD ON THEIR
SURPRISINGLY GOOD 2012 SEASON
But there is perhaps no more remarkable comeback than Clyde Rathbone to the playing ranks at the Brumbies for 2013. The 31-year-old played 49 times for the Brumbies and earned 26 caps for the Wallabies before retiring in 2009, primarily due to long-running injury concerns. But after overcoming the injuries, and a battle with depression, he’s been lured back by White, who mentored him at U21 level. Rathbone is adamant he is not there to make up the numbers and is keen to battle with the Brumbies young guns for a starting spot. He brings much-needed experience, having been a member of the last Brumbies Super Rugby-winning side in 2004.
White has also done some smart recruiting, bringing in young Lions lock Etienne Oosthuizen, a former SA Schools representative, as the Brumbies’ foreign development
squad, with the only notable loss being young-gun flanker Michael Hooper to his home state of New South Wales. But arriving to take Hooper’s spot is one David Pocock from the Force, which was a major coup for White, showing he isn’t just a master of on-field tactics.
Pocock’s arrival completes an impressive roster that includes established Wallabies Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander and Pat McCabe, and fringe Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White, wing Joe Tomane, fullback Jesse Mogg, prop Dan Palmer and flyer Henry Speight, who is also now eligible for the Wallabies.
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116_Brumbies.indd 116 2012/11/21 9:42 AM
117
FORCE
SUPER 142006 14th
2007 7th
2008 8th
2009 8th
2010 13th
SUPER RUGBY*2011 12th
2012 14th
*Combined log finish
Note: The Force only entered Super Rugby in 2006
About the only thing remaining the same at the Force in 2013 will be the jersey. The coach is gone,
a staggering 17 players have departed, including both captains – Nathan Sharpe (retired) and David Pocock (Brumbies) – the CEO Vern Reid has left and even their home ground is being rebuilt.
The Force hope it will get the team moving in the right direction as despite seven years in the competition, the Perth-based team has never looked like making the play-offs. The closest they have come was seventh place way back in 2007 and the past three years have been the worst in their history. Indeed they were even shaded in 2012 by the Rebels, who finished a place above them in just their second year. This was greeted with some satisfaction down Melbourne way as Rebels fans firmly believe that Melbourne, and not Perth, should have been admitted to Super Rugby back in 2006.
Of the 17 players to depart (or be shown the door), 11 of them were backs, showing that facet of play is clearly regarded as the Force’s weak spot. The backline exodus included Gene Fairbanks (Liners, Japan), David Harvey (released), Joshua Holmes (not re-signed), Napolioni Nalaga (Clermont, France), Jordan Rapana (released), Ben Seymour (not re-signed), Cameron Shepherd (Sale, England), Rory Sidey (released, Rebels), James Stannard (Shokki Shuttles, Japan), Justin Turner (injured) and Samu Wara (not re-signed). In the forwards, apart from Pocock and Sharpe, young Vryburg-born prop Ruan Smith has gone to the Brumbies, hooker Elvis Taione was released,
WON
LOST3 132012RECORD
19%
PERTH PURGElock Oliver Atkins went to the Tahs and flanker Anare Koliavu has been released.
So who have they brought in to replace over half their squad? There are some big names in giant former Wallabies back rower Hugh McMeniman from Japan, who at just 28 is a good signing, and Tahs flanker Chris Alcock, who impressed in 2012. There are also some strong signings in the backs with former All Blacks scrumhalf Alby Mathewson arriving from the Blues and playmaker Jayden Hayward moving from the Hurricanes. Cheetahs fans will also be desperately disappointed to lose flyhalf Sias Ebersohn, who
has been signed as a foreign development player,
meaning he is being groomed as a possible future Wallaby. There is also the (some would say baffling) signing
of former Waratahs and Brumbies utility Sam
Norton-Knight from Japan. In the musical chairs that
is Australian coaching former Waratahs coach Michael Foley
has arrived to take the reins, with former Force coach Richard Graham moving to the Reds.
Foley’s record at the Tahs was far from successful, but 2012 was only his first season as head coach after over a decade as an assistant coach with Bath, the Waratahs and the Wallabies, so the Force is his chance to show if he can really make it as a top dog.
Not much will be expected from the Force in 2013 but at least their long-suffering fans will have new seats to sit in to watch their team lose, when the Force return to the upgraded NIB Stadium in March. – Alex Broun
ABOVE: The Force spent a lot of time behind their posts in 2012RIGHT: Former Cheetahs flyhalf Sias Ebersohn has moved to PerthBELOW RIGHT: Michael Foley will coach the Force after being sacked by the Waratahs
THE FORCE HAVE HAD A MASSCLEANOUT OF PERSONNEL
PREVIOUSLOG FINISHES
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119
REBELS
WON
LOST4 122012RECORD
25%T he Rebels had some magical nights in their second season – the sort that will swell the already impressive
attendance figures at their purpose-built AAMI Park.
The one-point win over the Force in round five, to snap a 12-match losing streak, brought great rejoicing in the Victorian capital but nothing like that in round seven when they defeated the Blues 34-23, with new local hero James O’Connor racking up 24 points. And in round 12 you could almost hear the ‘Rebel yell’ over the ditch in New Zealand, when Melbourne defeated the mighty Crusaders 28-19, with Wallabies scrumhalf Nick Phipps grabbing a double. They then completed their second one-point victory of the year over the Force, 32-31 in Perth, the Rebels’ first away victory of the season. That result briefly pushed the Rebels in to play-off contention but five consecutive losses saw them end 13th, one place above bitter rivals, the Force.
Their squad is much changed in 2012, with many of the senior players who helped establish the team over the first two seasons hanging up their boots – four of them Wallabies and another an England international: hooker Adam Freier, prop Rodney Blake, lock Alister Campbell, flanker Michael Lipman (England) and centre Stirling Mortlock. Another
SUPER RUGBY*2011 15th
2012 13th
*Combined log finish
Note: The Rebels only entered Super Rugby in 2011
PREVIOUSLOG FINISHES
departure of the disruptive and inconsistent Cipriani – but the loss of someone with the experience and impact of Mortlock, leaves a hole. But in James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale the Rebels
have two of the most exciting players in Australian rugby, and
if they can stay out of trouble and avoid injury, the team will be competitive.
Looking at the Rebels squad they have a solid, if not spectacular, tight five, a formidable back row (Higginbotham,
captain Gareth Delve and the mobile Jarrod Saffy), some creative inside backs and some pace out wide. But the play-offs still look beyond them, unless they can bring in a few more big names before the season kicks off.
And question marks still remain over young second-year coach Damien Hill, whose only claim to fame is a few club titles with Sydney University. He doesn’t seem to have the stature or bearing to elevate the Rebels to the heights
they will need to attain to keep building their profile in the competitive Melbourne sporting landscape. – Alex Broun
FILLING THE GAPSTHE REBELS HAVE LOST A LOT OF PLAYERS BUT MADE SOME GOOD SIGNINGS
TOP RIGHT: Rebels coach Damien Hill ABOVE: Star back James O’Connor
LEFT: Wallabies No 8 Scott Higginbotham has moved to Melbourne from Queensland
four internationals – three Wallabies and one from England – have moved to other clubs: Julian Huxley, Mark Gerrard, Lloyd Johansson and Danny Cipriani (England). Lock Adam Byrnes has also decided to continue his career growing the game in Russia, where he qualifies for the national team by birth. In all, the Rebels have shed 17 from their squad while bringing in just nine, but there are some impressive signatures in that list: rugged Blues and Auckland prop Pauliasi Manu, Japan’s Test hooker Shota Horie, young Wellington fullback Jason Woodward and the real coup, Reds and Wallabies No 8 Scott Higginbotham.
It’s undoubted some of the changes are for the better – the arrival of Higginbotham and the
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REDS
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MONEY MATTERS
ABOVE: It cost the Reds a lot of money to keep the likes of Will Genia and Digby Ioane in QueenslandBELOW: New coach Richard Graham
THE REDS HAVE RETAINED THEIR STAR PLAYERS, BUT IT’S COME AT A COST
The Reds had a disappointing 2012 season by their own high standards. After winning the 2011
Super Rugby title, they only just sneaked into the play-offs (courtesy of the Brumbies’ shock loss to the Blues in the final round) and then lost 30-17 to the Sharks in the Brisbane qualifier.
The Reds have also made a surprising, and what could be unsettling, coaching change, with former Force mentor Richard Graham assuming the role of head coach and the highly successful Ewen McKenzie moving upstairs to the director of coaching position. This was widely seen as McKenzie making himself available to step into the Wallabies head coaching role when current Wallabies boss Robbie Deans’ contract expires at the end of 2013 (although it could be sooner depending on results against the British & Irish Lions and in the Rugby Championship).
The Reds’ playing roster is very much the same as 2012, though if anything it has been
weakened, especially with the departure of Wallabies No 8 Scott Higginbotham to the Rebels. They have also lost experience in Wallabies prop Guy Shepherdson, ever-green lock Van Humphries and the unluckiest player in Australian rugby, eternally injured wing Peter Hynes, who have all been released. Some younger talent has also departed with 21-year-old flyhalf Sam Lane, who some Western Province fans might remember from the 2011 Vodacom Cup, heading to the Tahs, and 24-year-old playmaker Dallan Murphy packing his bags for Aix-en-Provence in France.
In all, the Reds have lost 10 players and brought in just one – prop Jono Owen from the Rebels. The reason for the lopsided exit-to-entry ratio is the salary cap pressure the Reds are under
after having to fork out vast amounts to hold on to their stars like Will Genia, James Horwill, Digby Ioane and
Quade Cooper. Genia for one cost the Reds A$400 000 (R3.7 million) a season after they fought off a big money offer from the Force to keep their
prize No 9. This means the Reds look
vulnerable in some positions, such as No 8 where they only have Radike Samo, who is conservatively estimated a veteran at 36 years old.
The Reds may also have real issues when, as threatened, the ARU forces Australian Super Rugby teams to rest players during the 2013 competition, in order to try avoid a repeat of the horrendous injury toll suffered by the Wallabies in 2012. Telling the Reds they have to rest the players they paid so much to keep will go down like a lead balloon up Queensland way and will add even more ice to the already frosty relationship between the state and national governing bodies.
There is also the question of whether Cooper will play for the Reds again. The wayward star has embarked on a boxing career, with his maiden professional fight in Brisbane on 8 February.
The Reds will be formidable once more in 2013 but perhaps not as formidable as 2011. – Alex Broun
SUPER 121996 1st (semi-finalists)
1997 10th
1998 5th
1999 1st (semi-finalists)
2000 7th
2001 4th (semi-finalists)
2002 5th
2003 8th
2004 10th
2005 10th
SUPER 142006 12th
2007 14th
2008 12th
2009 13th
2010 5th
SUPER RUGBY*2011 1st (champions)
2012 3rd (qualifier)
*Combined log finish
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WARATAHS
SUPER 121996 7th
1997 9th
1998 6th
1999 8th
2000 9th
2001 8th
2002 2nd (semi-finalists)
2003 5th
2004 8th
2005 2nd (finalists)
SUPER 142006 3rd (semi-finalists)
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2008 2nd (finalists)
2009 5th
2010 3rd (semi-finalists)
SUPER RUGBY*2011 5th (qualifier)
2012 11th
*Combined log finish
TO THE RESCUETHE WARATAHS HAVE A NEW MAN IN CHARGE
AFTER A DISASTROUS 2012 SEASON
WON
LOST4 122012RECORD
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TOP: Adam Ashley-Cooper is one of several big-name backs in SydneyABOVE: New coach Michael CheikaLEFT: Dejected Waratahs players after yet another defeat last season
The underachievers in Australian rugby, the Waratahs were again a constant source of frustration for their
ever-dwindling fans in 2012, due to poor results and their ugly, grinding style of play.
The Tahs’ 11th-place finish and record of won four, lost 12, saw coach Michael Foley shown the door after just one year, and the arrival of the latest saviour of New South Wales rugby, former Padova, Randwick, Leinster and Stade Français coach Michael Cheika. With the nickname of ‘Check 1-2’, earned due to his obsessive attention to all facets of preparation, Cheika has some successes on the board, a European Cup triumph in 2008-09 with Leinster chief among them. But his time with his most recent club, Stade Français, was less successful, with mediocre results and ‘off-field turmoil’ climaxing with him being axed in early 2012.
The Tahs, though, moved heaven and earth to bring him to Sydney and he has been given carte blanche (something never offered to former coach Ewen McKenzie) to bring success back to the side. He has already dispensed with most of Foley’s coaching staff, only retaining backs guru Alan Gaffney, with whom he worked closely at Leinster (former Crusaders centre Daryl Gibson has been appointed attack coach).
There is no doubt the Tahs have the playing power to be a force in Super Rugby, especially in the
forwards. Indeed, in the Wallabies’ first Test of their northern hemisphere tour against France at the end of 2012, seven of the starting pack were from New South Wales:
the entire front row (Benn Robinson, Tatafu Polota-Nau
and Sekope Kepu), one lock (Kane Douglas) and the entire
back row (Dave Dennis, Michael Hooper – snared from the Brumbies – and Wycliff Palu). Prop Paddy Ryan was also on the bench and lock Sitaleki Timani would also have started if not for injury. They have also managed to shed some former greats (Rocky Elsom and Dan Vickerman), who drew huge salaries last season without ever taking the field.
The issues lay with the backs in 2012, but even then they have some impressive names, with Wallabies like Rob Horne, Berrick Barnes, Lachie Turner, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Drew Mitchell.
But with all those stars the Waratahs played some incredibly dumb rugby in the 2012 Super Rugby tournament, which has been the case for the past few seasons.
PREVIOUS LOG FINISHES
The Tahs’ hopes of doing better in 2013 were boosted in early December when they signed former rugby league and Aussie rules player Israel Folau. The 23-year-old cut short his multi-million dollar, four-year deal with AFL club the Greater Western Sydney Giants in November, citing a lack of passion. Folau had a successful rugby league career with the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos and played for Australia in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. He had been expected to return to the NRL with Parramatta, but after becoming frustrated by protracted negotiations opted to play a third sporting code. – Alex BrounPH
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121_Waratahs.indd 121 2012/12/04 9:29 AM
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124
one more roarbrought to you by investecinternational
rugby focus
Jonny Wilkinson wants to finish his international career with the lions in australia
wilkinson toured with the lions in 2001 and 2005
‘Jonny is still a fine player and he’s only 33. that’s not old. the slate is clean for every player who wants to be considered’ – warren Gatland
Jonny Wilkinson deserved a better exit than his departure from england after the 2011 World Cup in new Zealand.
now he is determined to make one final impression internationally, having publicly declared his desire to tour australia with the british & irish lions should coach Warren Gatland consider his form to be good enough.
the man, once regarded as the finest goal-kicker of his generation, struggled with his strike rate for the second successive World Cup in 2011 and looked nothing like the master marksman who tortured teams with a 90% success rate in the years 2000 to 2003.
Wilkinson, whose right-footed drop goal won england rugby’s biggest prize in australia in 2003, never again achieved the high of that night in sydney as his body refused to back up his desire to play the game with the
physicality that was his trademark from his international debut as an 18-year-old.
new Zealand’s dan Carter produced arguably the greatest international flyhalf performance in the professional era in 2004 as Wilkinson battled the genius of his opposite number in a patched-up body behind a patched-up lions pack.
Carter was colossal in Wellington in 2004 as Wilkinson’s battered body and strained mind succumbed to the demands of the previous five seasons. the man who had produced the greatest finish to a World Cup final in 2003 hobbled from the field a year later as Carter dazzled.
the mantle of the world’s best no 10 belonged to the young kiwi and Wilkinson, determined and defiant in his desire to find the form of 2003, has never threatened an international display of such dominance.england coaches remained faithful to Wilkinson, who through injury missed more international matches than he played between 2003 and 2007.
124_125-Investec.indd 124 2012/12/04 12:48 PM
124
one more roarbrought to you by investecinternational
rugby focus
Jonny Wilkinson wants to finish his international career with the lions in australia
wilkinson toured with the lions in 2001 and 2005
‘Jonny is still a fine player and he’s only 33. that’s not old. the slate is clean for every player who wants to be considered’ – warren Gatland
Jonny Wilkinson deserved a better exit than his departure from england after the 2011 World Cup in new Zealand.
now he is determined to make one final impression internationally, having publicly declared his desire to tour australia with the british & irish lions should coach Warren Gatland consider his form to be good enough.
the man, once regarded as the finest goal-kicker of his generation, struggled with his strike rate for the second successive World Cup in 2011 and looked nothing like the master marksman who tortured teams with a 90% success rate in the years 2000 to 2003.
Wilkinson, whose right-footed drop goal won england rugby’s biggest prize in australia in 2003, never again achieved the high of that night in sydney as his body refused to back up his desire to play the game with the
physicality that was his trademark from his international debut as an 18-year-old.
new Zealand’s dan Carter produced arguably the greatest international flyhalf performance in the professional era in 2004 as Wilkinson battled the genius of his opposite number in a patched-up body behind a patched-up lions pack.
Carter was colossal in Wellington in 2004 as Wilkinson’s battered body and strained mind succumbed to the demands of the previous five seasons. the man who had produced the greatest finish to a World Cup final in 2003 hobbled from the field a year later as Carter dazzled.
the mantle of the world’s best no 10 belonged to the young kiwi and Wilkinson, determined and defiant in his desire to find the form of 2003, has never threatened an international display of such dominance.england coaches remained faithful to Wilkinson, who through injury missed more international matches than he played between 2003 and 2007.
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‘but there is an element of realism for me. i’m a 33-year-old foreign player in France and i’m not england’s mainstay flyhalf with 40 or 50 caps and leading the team. there are a lot of good guys doing good things. all i can do is play and see if i fit into those plans.’
Gatland said anyone available and good enough would be considered, and endorsed Wilkinson’s claims to selection.
‘Jonny is still a fine player and he’s only 33,’ said the lions coach. ‘that’s not old. the slate is clean for every player who wants to be considered. they don’t have to be playing for their countries. What is important, is that they have to come from a side that is performing particularly well.’
toulon, with Wilkinson the architect, are doing just this. they are the form team in France’s top 14 and were winners in the early european Cup group stages.
Wilkinson, consistently, has made an impression with his leadership and his goal-kicking. He is winning games for toulon and scoring in excess of 60% of the team’s points.
He’s found his Midas touch and if he continues to conquer europe’s most prestigious club competition he will go to australia in an attempt to write an international ending more in keeping with sydney 2003 than auckland 2011.
Matches 97*Starts 85Points 1 246Tries 7Conversions 169Penalties 255Drop goals 36Matches won 67Matches lost 28Matches drawn 2*Includes six for the Lions
WilKinson’s
test stats
He had already spent a few months playing for toulon but 2012 and 2013 have seen a reinvention of Wilkinson the master; of Wilkinson the marksman and of Wilkinson the match-winner.
He has accepted england is no longer an option but the lure of leaving international rugby with the quality of performance that made him the biggest name in the game in 2003 is proving inviting.
He mentioned in media interviews that he felt he was capable of making a contribution to the lions tour of australia in 2013 and backed his fitness to front the intensity of test rugby.
there was nothing nostalgic about the way he spoke. it wasn’t a romantic throwaway line, but a declaration that his form at toulon was inspired by the possibility of a greater challenge and one last opportunity to win a series with the lions.
‘there’s no way i could say no [if selected],’ Wilkinson recently told the media. ‘in terms of what the lions represents, everything about it is enormous. it’s such a fabulous thing. the joy is that it doesn’t have to come with international rugby. you start, you give it everything and you finish. that’s the beauty of it. you have got six weeks – get your boots on and get on with it.
wilkinson has Been a Match-winner for toulon
lions coach warren Gatland
the english media started to find fault with his all-round game, believing he was damaged goods. His coaches refused to give up on their World Cup winner and the Wilkinson who played in the 2007 World Cup was only Wilkinson in name.
Groin injuries limited the range he found on his line kicks, the authority of his goal-kicking waned and his strike rate in 2007 was among the poorest in the tournament. the man who for so long couldn’t miss a kick, couldn’t guarantee his team more than a 60% return.
it seemed all over for Wilkinson when england lost the World Cup final 15-6 to south africa, but 2003 World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson, in his capacity as england coach, wasn’t prepared to give up on the man who only a few years earlier was his most inspirational team-mate and the go-to man whenever england needed points.
Wilkinson’s international appearances were a combination of disappointment and despair with the occasional cameo hinting of a miracle comeback. Johnson insisted Wilkinson was the man to guide england in new Zealand in 2011 and his tournament was as ordinary as that of 2007.
Wilkinson, eight years on from his biggest career night in sydney, decided to go rather than leave the decision to new england coach stuart lancaster.
His heroics of 2003 were celebrated. His commitment to england was applauded and it seemed inappropriate to even mention the disasters of 2007 and 2011. Wilkinson physically had sacrificed everything for cause and country. He now wanted a change of scenery, lifestyle and he wanted to nurse his body back to a state where it could respond to the demands of his mind.
‘there’s no way i could say no
[if selected]. in terms of what the lions represents, everything about
it is enormous. it’s such a
fabulous thing’
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TV GUIDEJANUARY-FEBRUARY
SUPER RUGBYDATE MATCH VENUE TIME CHANNEL
15 Feb Rebels vs Force Melbourne 10:40 SS1/HD1
16 Feb Brumbies vs Reds Canberra 10:40 SS1/HD1
22 Feb Highlanders vs Chiefs Dunedin 08:35 SS1/HD1
22 Feb Rebels vs Brumbies Melbourne 10:40 SS1/HD1
22 Feb Bulls vs Stormers Pretoria 19:10 SS1/HD1
23 Feb Hurricanes vs Blues Wellington 08:35 SS1/HD1
23 Feb Reds vs Waratahs Brisbane 10:40 SS1/HD1
23 Feb Cheetahs vs Sharks Bloemfontein 17:05 SS1/HD1
23 Feb Kings vs Force Port Elizabeth 19:10 SS1/HD1
SIX NATIONSDATE MATCH VENUE TIME CHANNEL
2 Feb Wales vs Ireland Cardiff 15:30 SS1
2 Feb England vs Scotland London 18:00 SS1
3 Feb Italy vs France Rome 17:00 SS1
9 Feb Scotland vs Italy Edinburgh 16:30 SS1
9 Feb France vs Wales Paris 19:00 SS1
10 Feb Ireland vs England Dublin 17:00 SS1
23 Feb Italy vs Wales Rome 16:30 SS1
23 Feb England vs France London 19:00 TBC
24 Feb Scotland vs Ireland Edinburgh 16:00 SS1
VARSITY CUPDATE MATCH VENUE TIME CHANNEL
4 Feb Maties vs UJ Stellenbosch 17:00 SS1
4 Feb Pukke vs Tuks Potchefstroom 19:00 SS1
11 Feb Tuks vs UCT Pretoria 17:00 SS1
11 Feb NMMU vs Wits Port Elizabeth 19:00 SS1
18 Feb Shimlas vs Tuks Bloemfontein 17:00 SS1
18 Feb Maties vs NMMU Stellenbosch 19:00 SS1
25 Feb Wits vs UJ Johannesburg 17:00 SS1
25 Feb Tuks vs Maties Pretoria 19:00 SS1
VARSITY SHIELDDATE MATCH VENUE TIME CHANNEL
28 Jan UKZN vs Fort Hare Pietermaritzburg 17:00 SS1
28 Jan UWC vs TUT Bellville 19:00 SS1
126_TV Guide.indd 126 2012/12/04 11:50 AM
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KEARSNEY’S DU PREEZ TWINS ARE EXPECTED to make a huge impact in 2013.
Lock Daniel (right) and flank Jean-Luc (below) will enter the season as the most experienced South African schoolboys, having played in two U18 Craven Week tournaments for KwaZulu-Natal. They were also selected for the 2012 SA Schools squad that went unbeaten in an U18 international series against France, Wales and England.
SA Schools coach Chris October was impressed with their powerful performances.
‘They are very big boys [Jean-Luc stands at 1.93m and weighs 105kg, while Daniel stands at 1.96m and weighs 101kg] and they gave the team a physical edge up front,’ he says.
‘The conditioning and size of South Africa’s schoolboys has improved a great deal in recent years, but the Du Preez brothers are setting the benchmark. It’s scary that they’re only 17 years old.’
The Du Preez twins were born and raised in Durban, where they started their schooling at Durban Preparatory High School before enrolling at Kearsney. They will play their third year of 1st XV rugby in 2013.
Provincially, both players represented KZN at U12 and U13 levels before being elevated straight into the U18 Craven Week squad in 2010.
‘The physicality and intensity at a more senior age-group level was definitely an eye-opener for us,’ says Jean-Luc. ‘But we place a big emphasis on our conditioning and training. We managed to adapt quickly and the experience we’ve gained over the past two years will help us become better players.’
An interesting switch in 2013 will see Daniel make a transition from the second row to eighthman.
‘They played Daniel in the loose trio in the SA Schools side, so I think that will be his future position,’ says Kearsney 1st XV coach Barend Steyn. ‘Daniel and Jean-Luc should complement each other well. They are big and can carry the ball strongly, but they also have the ability to compete for possession at the tackle points. Daniel will be an extra lineout option too.’
The Du Preez twins are both excited about the positional switch.
They will join older brother, flyhalf Robert, at the
Sharks Academy after school
‘I’m looking forward to playing alongside Jean-Luc in the loose trio,’ says Daniel. ‘I know I’ll have to contribute more as a loose forward, but it’s a switch I’m excited to make.’
Daniel and Jean-Luc will join older brother, flyhalf Robert, at the Sharks Academy after school. The three played rugby together at school and junior provincial levels in 2010.
‘Rob is doing well at the Sharks Academy,’ says Jean-Luc. ‘We want to be based at a union where we will all be together, so it was an easy decision to make. We also enjoy the type of game the Sharks play. We’ll settle in nicely.’ – Gareth Duncan
SELECTED BY KEO.CO.ZA’S SCHOOLBOY DERBYFUTURE
STARS
131
131_Furure star.indd 131 2012/12/04 11:58 AM
in over a decade and thereby qualified for the National Club Championship in Rustenburg.
It was there that they caused the surprise of the tournament, knocking out the heavily favoured East Rand bruisers, Brakpan, in the quarter-finals. A heavy defeat followed in the semis against eventual champions College Rovers of Durban, but for Wienand and his team it was certainly a tournament to remember.
‘Not too many people gave us a chance against Brakpan but we produced one of our best games of the season,’ he says. ‘The guys really dug deep and for me it was a confidence-booster to be able to stand up to such a physical side.’
And, thanks to Saru’s new Community Cup, which kicks off in February, a rematch against Brakpan is on the cards far sooner than anybody would have thought possible.
‘There’s such a vibe at the club now that we’ve got our own “Varsity Cup”,’ he says. ‘It’s going to be great exposure for club rugby and it’s something different. There’s definitely been a bit more excitement and motivation in pre-season training.’
Wienand, like many of his team-mates, dreams of playing provincial rugby and he sees the Community Cup as an ideal platform. But his strong work ethic has spilled over into academia, where he’s finishing off a four-year BComm degree, majoring in economics, at the University of Fort Hare’s East London campus.
‘I’ve got one semester course left in 2013, after which I’ll be like everyone else and looking for work,’ he says. ‘I’d love to go the rugby route and having spent some time in the Border Bulldogs’ training squad, I know where I need to improve if I want to take the step up.’
Former chairman Dave Cooper has no doubt about Wienand’s potential.
‘Brent is the youngest member of the team but one of the standout contributors,’ he says. ‘His dominant lineout play and explosive mobility make him a good player. But more than that it’s his commitment to the cause that’s inspirational. He really is revered by his team-mates.’ – Duane Heath ph
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BRENT WIENAND IS yoUR TypICAL East Coast sportsman: laid-back, unassuming, but possessed with natural athletic gifts that are as much a product of his sub-tropical surroundings as they are of his parents’ dynamic DNA.
By his own admission, the 22-year-old Wienand has to be ‘active all the time’. For the 1.97m, 100kg old Selbornian lock, childhood meant always being outside, be it running up and down the yellow-sand beaches of East London, where he’s lived all his life, or taking to the water as a competitive rower.
‘My dad, Andrew, used to race for the Leander Rowing Club and I just picked it up pretty quickly,’ says Wienand. ‘My speciality is the 2km sprint and I’ve competed against a lot of the guys who were at the olympics in 2012. I’m still a member of the club but rowing has had to take a back seat as my rugby’s taken off.’
STAKING A PROVINCIAL CLAIM
Brent WienandCLubSTAR
132
‘Having spent some time in the Border Bulldogs’ training squad, I know where I need to improve if I want to take the step up’
you get the sense that an outdoors upbringing on the Eastern Cape coast has equipped Wienand with the skills to be good at pretty much any sport he tries his hand at, but the combination of rowing and rugby has proven to be a perfect fit.
‘The fitness I got from rowing has really helped me as a rugby player,’ he says. ‘The guys at the rugby club all use rowing machines to get fit and having done the real thing for so long, I know all about the benefits.’
Wienand attended Selborne College from the age of six but, due to rowing, the rugby bug only really bit in his matric year. He joined old Boys, as they are more commonly known, after school and made his 1st XV debut in 2012. Wienand certainly timed his entry into first-league rugby perfectly: old Selbornians won the Border Super League for the first time
132_Club Star.indd 132 2012/12/04 11:52 AM
in over a decade and thereby qualified for the National Club Championship in Rustenburg.
It was there that they caused the surprise of the tournament, knocking out the heavily favoured East Rand bruisers, Brakpan, in the quarter-finals. A heavy defeat followed in the semis against eventual champions College Rovers of Durban, but for Wienand and his team it was certainly a tournament to remember.
‘Not too many people gave us a chance against Brakpan but we produced one of our best games of the season,’ he says. ‘The guys really dug deep and for me it was a confidence-booster to be able to stand up to such a physical side.’
And, thanks to Saru’s new Community Cup, which kicks off in February, a rematch against Brakpan is on the cards far sooner than anybody would have thought possible.
‘There’s such a vibe at the club now that we’ve got our own “Varsity Cup”,’ he says. ‘It’s going to be great exposure for club rugby and it’s something different. There’s definitely been a bit more excitement and motivation in pre-season training.’
Wienand, like many of his team-mates, dreams of playing provincial rugby and he sees the Community Cup as an ideal platform. But his strong work ethic has spilled over into academia, where he’s finishing off a four-year BComm degree, majoring in economics, at the University of Fort Hare’s East London campus.
‘I’ve got one semester course left in 2013, after which I’ll be like everyone else and looking for work,’ he says. ‘I’d love to go the rugby route and having spent some time in the Border Bulldogs’ training squad, I know where I need to improve if I want to take the step up.’
Former chairman Dave Cooper has no doubt about Wienand’s potential.
‘Brent is the youngest member of the team but one of the standout contributors,’ he says. ‘His dominant lineout play and explosive mobility make him a good player. But more than that it’s his commitment to the cause that’s inspirational. He really is revered by his team-mates.’ – Duane Heath ph
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BRENT WIENAND IS yoUR TypICAL East Coast sportsman: laid-back, unassuming, but possessed with natural athletic gifts that are as much a product of his sub-tropical surroundings as they are of his parents’ dynamic DNA.
By his own admission, the 22-year-old Wienand has to be ‘active all the time’. For the 1.97m, 100kg old Selbornian lock, childhood meant always being outside, be it running up and down the yellow-sand beaches of East London, where he’s lived all his life, or taking to the water as a competitive rower.
‘My dad, Andrew, used to race for the Leander Rowing Club and I just picked it up pretty quickly,’ says Wienand. ‘My speciality is the 2km sprint and I’ve competed against a lot of the guys who were at the olympics in 2012. I’m still a member of the club but rowing has had to take a back seat as my rugby’s taken off.’
STAKING A PROVINCIAL CLAIM
Brent WienandCLubSTAR
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‘Having spent some time in the Border Bulldogs’ training squad, I know where I need to improve if I want to take the step up’
you get the sense that an outdoors upbringing on the Eastern Cape coast has equipped Wienand with the skills to be good at pretty much any sport he tries his hand at, but the combination of rowing and rugby has proven to be a perfect fit.
‘The fitness I got from rowing has really helped me as a rugby player,’ he says. ‘The guys at the rugby club all use rowing machines to get fit and having done the real thing for so long, I know all about the benefits.’
Wienand attended Selborne College from the age of six but, due to rowing, the rugby bug only really bit in his matric year. He joined old Boys, as they are more commonly known, after school and made his 1st XV debut in 2012. Wienand certainly timed his entry into first-league rugby perfectly: old Selbornians won the Border Super League for the first time
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Several teamS have
a realiStic chance of
lifting the Varsity Cup
in 2013
WordS: Howard KaHnmain photo: duif du toit/gallo images
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one final before – and there are new coaches almost across the board, with long-time mentors, Maties’ Chean Roux and Shimlas boss Jaco Swanepoel, no longer part of the Varsity Cup.
Roux, the most successful coach in the history of
the Varsity Cup, will take a break from coaching at the tender age of 37, while former Grey College coach Swanepoel has
moved on to bigger things as the Free State U21 coach,
which will see him cross paths (and swords)
with former Tuks and UCT bosses, Nollis Marais and John
Dobson, respectively.Never has a Varsity Cup been
so open, and even Tuks – who looked likely to sweep all before them in 2012 – showed their
Justin wheeler (uJ)Without Sebastian de chaves and Biscuit van deventer (and with francois du toit being 50/50, according to coach hugo van as), captain Wheeler will carry a huge burden on his shoulders in 2013. not only is he an outstanding loose forward, but he will also play a huge role in terms of his game-day experience and tactical nous.
sw oosthuizen (nwu-pukke)the powerful fullback (right) tips the scales at 93kg and really caught the eye in the 2012 semi-finals when he almost single-handedly kept his side in the match against eventual winners, tuks.
Josh Katzen (uCt)the find of Wp’s U21 season, Katzen had captained the Uct U20s in the inaugural varsity Young guns competition earlier in 2012. a hard-working flanker, the former Wynberg Boys’ high pupil has had to fight for plenty in his career – the ball on the ground and recognition at provincial level.
Clearance Khumalo (maties)Khumalo (right) was a member of maties and Wp U21 teams in 2012, but the wing finished both campaigns on the bench. the rob ferreira high product will relish more opportunities in 2013.
PLAYERS TO WATCHThere are
new defendingchampions in
Up-TUks andThere are new
coaches almosT
across The board
For the first time since the start of the Varsity Cup in 2008, there is absolutely no certainty as we head into the sixth edition of this exciting tournament.
In 2008 nobody quite knew what to expect from the Varsity Cup, but that all changed pretty quickly.
In 2009 there was doubt whether UCT could maintain their form and show that they were not simply a flash in the pan.
In 2010 all eyes were on Maties to see if they could make it an incredible three from three (which they did).
In 2011 Ikeys made sure the cup would stay in the Cape as they became the first-ever away side to triumph in a final, and in 2012 the home side, UP-Tuks, made sure there would be no repeat as they beat the Men in Maroon in the final – the biggest-ever final winning margin in the Varsity Cup’s short, but already impressive, history.
So, what about 2013?Well for starters, there are new
defending champions in UP-Tuks – a side that had played in just
tuks won their first varsity cup title in 2012
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among their coaching staff, with former Lions star Cobus Grobbelaar also adding his expertise. But they could battle without star forwards, giant lock Sebastian de Chaves and provincial-quality ball-chaser Biscuit van Deventer, as well as backs Justin St Jerry and Worsie Kotze – all of whom have either moved on to bigger and better things or are now too old for Varsity Cup rugby.
‘We have a settled management team,’ says UJ coach Hugo van As. ‘It’s a massive plus for us, but we’ve lost a few of our so-called big-name players too.
‘The beauty of the Varsity Cup is that you must use what you’ve got but for me it’s not about having quality players, it’s about building a quality squad through continuity in selection. We’ve got some new promising faces in our training group and we’re excited and positive ahead of the new season.’
Another team that would no doubt like to build on its showings from 2012 would be NMMU. The Madibaz claimed two massive victories at home – over the defending champion Ikey Tigers and Shimlas, two teams that disappointed a great deal in 2012. Ikeys and Shimlas won just three matches between them in 2012 – NMMU won three on their own – but one cannot see those two quality sides having bad seasons again.
Ikeys coach Kevin Foote is too canny a campaigner to let one bad season affect him and he has been working hard to address any shortcomings in his playing group.
Meanwhile, Shimlas’ Horak, who boasts an impressive CV playing abroad, has also been involved in coaching set-ups at Grey College and will continue as the Cheetahs defensive coach.
Bronson Lange (Wits) The hard-running Wits centre is something of a late bloomer, but, mainly through the faith and guidance of coach Andrew Royle, he scored a valuable try in the 2012 Varsity Shield final to help his team into the Varsity Cup in the process.
Wiaan Liebenberg (UP-Tuks) The loose forward won three trophies in 2012: the Varsity Cup, the Junior World Championship and the provincial U21 tournament – captaining teams in the latter two competitions. However, as a Varsity Cup winner, Liebenberg played a role as a second-half substitute. He will have plenty to prove in this competition in 2013.
Howard Mnisi (NMMU) The former Sharks man was one of the reasons behind NMMU’s giant-killing 2012 season. He played a crucial role in the inside centre channel alongside his flyhalves (either Martin du Toit or Bradley Kretzmann) and coach Brent Janse van Rensburg will be relying on his influence once again in 2013.
Robbie van Schalkwyk (Shimlas) The one standout for Kovsies in an otherwise disappointing 2012 campaign, Van Schalkwyk (right) can play almost anywhere in the backline. Having trained with the SA Sevens side, and featuring for the SA Sevens Students team, the quantity surveying student will be looking to kick on in 2013.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
human side when they lost in the final of their local competition, the Carlton League, going down 27-23 to Pretoria Police. Remember, however, that Tuks, by then, had already won the Varsity Cup, the first-ever Varsity Young Guns (U20) competition and they also triumphed in the inaugural Champions’ Challenge against KZN’s champion side, College Rovers. The year 2012 will always be a memorable one for the Men from Pretoria.
Tuks will head into 2013 with a new coach in the shape of Bart Schoeman, who will be joining other first-time Varsity Cup coaches, Chris Rossouw (Maties) and Michael Horak (Shimlas), not to mention Andrew Royle of Wits, whose team will play its first-ever season of ‘senior’ Varsity Cup rugby, having progressed to the Cup competition as champions of the Shield.
Wits, of course, have two seasons of Varsity Cup rugby to prove themselves (there is no promotion-relegation at the end of 2013), but any thoughts of them being a soft touch were
dispelled last season when they finished a
very credible fourth in the 15-man Predator League, level on points with NWU-Pukke but behind them on points difference.
Pukke, after a disastrous 2011 season, bounced back in 2012 to once again claim a semi-final place, but the men from Potchefstroom will want to back that up and go one better this season.
UJ, semi-finalists two years in a row but yet
to make a final, are another team that will be eyeing an improvement.
Importantly, they have continuity
‘It’s not about havIngqualIty players, It’s about
buIldIng a qualIty squadthrough contInuIty In
selectIon’ – Hugo van as
Kahn is WP Rugby’s stRategic communications manageR.
UJ coach Hugo van As has some new faces in
his training group
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The Community Cup is seT To revive club
rugby in souTh AfricA
words: gareth dunCan MAin phoTo: duif du toit/gallo images
In 2012 I was involved in a Twitter debate with two other journalists regarding the role of open clubs in South African rugby.
They said club rugby could play a vital part in the development of the sport in the country. I argued that professional rugby players didn’t need club rugby to progress to provincial, regional and national levels. Unions develop their talent in their own youth ranks and academies, which juniors join straight from school. A club player is rarely given a provincial call-up. It’s more common for former professionals to play club rugby after falling out of favour at their unions.
The journalists argued that the provincial unions and Saru, who had depended on clubs in the amateur era, had failed to incorporate them into their development structures in the professional era.
‘With over 800 open clubs in the country, it’s absurd that provinces don’t invest in this system,’ said one.
Then in September, Saru announced its plan to launch the Community
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Cup – a televised tournament dedicated to open clubs – in 2013. Saru CEO Jurie Roux said it would be the first step in modernising South African club rugby.
‘Club rugby is one of the most important items on our agenda and we believe the Community Cup will breathe new life into it,’ says Roux. ‘It will act as a catalyst for the revival of the club game at all levels across the country.
‘Club rugby has suffered from a lack of exposure and sponsorship since the advent of professionalism. The Community Cup will give club players and coaches a competitive platform and an inspirational event through which they can reach their goals.’
The Community Cup, which replaces the National Club Championship, will kick off in February. Twenty teams will be involved – the 15 qualifiers from each province (including those from Limpopo) and five wild cards, who have been invited by Saru. There will be four pools of five teams, with home and away league fixtures played over five weeks. The top two finishers will advance to the knockout stage, which will be held in George over the Easter weekend. Only one league fixture will be televised each weekend, but most of the play-off matches will be broadcast. The inaugural title decider will be played on 1 April, with the eliminated
‘The CommuniTy Cup will aCT as a CaTalysT for The
revival of The Club game aT all
levels aCrossThe CounTry’– Jurie roux
them and open clubs,’ says Heath. ‘That’s why Hamiltons and College Rovers’ wins in the 2009 and 2010 Club Champs finals were seen as major achievements.
‘Only open clubs competed in the 2012 Club Champs and we were told that it was a bad move. But the response was special. The camaraderie and the desire to win were evident among all the teams. We didn’t have an atmosphere like that before. That’s what the Community Cup will be all about, and so much more.’
With the Varsity Cup and Community Cup running at the same time, more club players will have the opportunity to impress provincial scouts.
It’s generally expected that the younger players will be involved in the Varsity Cup, with the older players featuring in the Community Cup.
‘Varsity Cup teams have limited spots for those players who don’t study, and the age limit is 25,’ explains Heath. ‘So the Community Cup will provide more opportunities. The only restriction is that each club is allowed just three provincially contracted players in their match- day squads. This will also provide players who have fallen out of the provincial system with the chance to prove they deserve to play at higher levels.’
Considering the growth of the Varsity Cup since its inception in 2008, there’s plenty of excitement ahead of the Community Cup. There are, however, a few factors to consider.
Most open clubs struggle financially because of the lack
POOL ACollege Rovers (KZN)Despatch (EP)Villagers Worcester (Boland)Sishen (Griquas)SK Walmers* (WP)
POOL BPretoria Police (Blue Bulls)Durbanville-Bellville (WP)Bloemfontein Police (Free State)Welkom Rovers (Griffons)African Bombers* (EP)
POOL CRustenburg Impala (Leopards)Roodepoort (Golden Lions)Noordelikes (Limpopo)Bloemfontein Crusaders* (Free State)Raiders* (Golden Lions)
POOL DOld Selbornians (Border)Brakpan (Valke)White River (Mpumalanga)Evergreens (SWD)Roses United* (Boland)
*Wild card
2013 COMMUNITY
CUP POOLS
clubs competing in Plate, Shield and Bowl sections.
Tournament project manager Duane Heath, the main man behind this initiative, says the Community Cup will have a World Cup-like feel to it.
‘Several people have asked me if this will be like the Varsity Cup,’ says Heath. ‘After much thought, I realised it won’t. Both competitions will run at the same time, but the whole structure and experience will be different.
‘With a club from each union participating, the teams will travel to all parts of the country. We have arranged clubs in pools to ensure teams that don’t face each other regularly will meet up during the group phase. The Community Cup will be a club tournament no one has ever witnessed before.’
Heath believes having separate tournaments for varsity and open clubs is important if the system is to be modernised.
‘Varsity clubs have stronger financial backing and attract the better players. So it was always a mismatch between
ABOVE: Bloemfontein Police won the National Club Championship Plate final against Welkom Rovers BELOW: College Rovers celebrate their win against Pretoria Police in the Cup final
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Community Cup
‘I belIeve the CommunIty Cup wIll havea stronger followIng than the varsIty Cup. I’ve been told that the small towns wIll Come to a standstIll on matCh days as the people floCk to loCal stadIums’ – duane heath
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Chris Micklewood (College Rovers)Micklewood (right) will captain College Rovers in the 2013 Community Cup. He is a former SA Schools fullback and plays flyhalf or centre for the KZN club champions. He also has overseas experience, having played for the Newcastle Falcons in England.
Wendal Wehr (Rustenburg Impala)Wehr has represented Boland and more recently the Leopards at flank on the provincial scene. But he’s well-known for his performances for UJ in the Varsity Cup from 2010-2012.
Gareth Hemingway (Roodepoort)
Hemingway, a 1.95m and 110kg lock, failed to crack the senior team at the Lions after three seasons of Vodacom
Cup rugby. But he should prove his worth in the
Community Cup with Roodepoort.
Naas Olivier (Rustenburg Impala)The former WP, Cheetahs, Griquas and Pumas flyhalf has returned from his stint with Italian club Treviso. He’s one of the
high-profile names that will feature in the Community Cup.
Coyi Banda (African Bombers)Banda is one of the top club flyhalves in the Eastern Cape. His big break came with Fort Hare in the Varsity Shield in 2012, where he was voted the Backline Player of the Year. He’s also spent some time training with the Springbok Sevens, who are interested in his services.
Jacques Nieuwenhuis (Brakpan)The No 8 (right) represented Namibia in the 2007 and 2011 World Cups. He’s also had a stint
with Stade Aurillac in France and with the Valke in the Currie Cup First Division. The 32-year-old will offer Brakpan plenty of experience.
of sponsorships. How will teams afford all the travelling and accommodation costs?
The Varsity Cup has been successful because of its strong following from university students. Will the Community Cup generate a similar audience?
‘Saru will provide financing for all travelling and accommodation,’ explains Heath. ‘The Community Cup will be seen as a major business opportunity for clubs, mainly because of the TV rights. Canterbury will be providing the kit and local businesses will be allowed to sponsor their respective clubs and get branding on the jerseys. So we could see plumbing companies and butcheries jump on board to support their teams.
‘I believe the Community Cup will have a stronger following than the Varsity Cup. I’ve been told that the small towns will come to a standstill on match days as the people flock to local stadiums.’
There are also social issues. Clubs of different cultures and races will face each other, and there have been numerous reports of fighting, on- and off-field incidents, racism and even deaths in recent years. In 2006, a Rawsonville player was killed when a brawl broke out during a match against Delicious Rugby Club. In 2011, Soweto RFC players were beaten up and called ‘k*****s’ during the final minutes of their match against the Edenvale Panthers.
How will this be prevented?‘Each club will have to sign
a participation form and abide by the rules and regulations of the tournament,’ says Heath. ‘Saru will also send out officials to all the match venues to see whether structures have been put in place to ensure a safe environment for players and spectators.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
‘In terms of the overall organisation of the tournament, we will make mistakes. It’s the first campaign, but we’ll learn from the experience.’
After the Community Cup and Varsity Cup, the two champions will face off against each other. This best-of-the-best clash is expected to be the highlight fixture on the club calendar.
And the excitement doesn’t stop there. Saru is already having expansion talks, with platteland and U20 leagues being planned for future Community Cups.
‘Some towns’ clubs struggle to find opponents because they’re based in isolated regions,’ says Heath. ‘This would be a great way for those teams to play at a national level. The U20 leagues will also give younger players, who haven’t been able to break into the provincial ranks after school, an opportunity to achieve their dream of playing semi-professional or professional rugby.’
Open clubs from all over the country are waiting to make their mark in South African rugby. Bring on the Community Cup.
Duncan is a junior staff writer at HigHbury safika MeDia.
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SaracenS’ success is down to their collective strength and
player-orientated culture
words: Jon cardinelliMain photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty iMaGeS
ulture. It’s the mortar that runs through every rugby foundation, the bedrock of any success. Brendan Venter understood this simple truth when he arrived at Saracens in
2009. You cannot build an empire without first establishing a culture with unshakeable core values.
A few of his bolder predictions have certainly come to pass. A crowd of 46 000 watched Saracens beat the Springboks at Wembley in 2009. Afterwards, Venter promised that Saracens
would fill the iconic stadium by the end of 2012. As it transpired, a match between Saracens and Harlequins on 31 March 2012 broke the world record for attendance at a club game, with 83 761 fans cramming into Wembley.
Venter was right to talk up Saracens’ marketability, and he was right to mark that victory against the Boks as a sign of monumental things to come. Saracens made it as far as the
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‘It’s a clubthat cares
about you asan IndIvIdual.
They care abouT your
family, TheywanT you To
make The mosTof your life
and your rugby-playing career’
– Brad Barritt
listen to the laughter and banter, and perhaps spend a few hours in their company to understand that what Griffiths says is the absolute truth.
Brad Barritt has been with Saracens since before the Venter intervention, and is well placed to talk about how far this club has come.
‘It’s a club that cares about you as an individual,’ he says matter-of-factly. ‘They care about your family, they want you to make the most of your life and your rugby-playing career. It’s a more holistic approach to a rugby club.’
When Venter came to power in 2009, he set about installing several key principles. He wanted character, he wanted self-belief, and he wanted players who bought into the concept of collective strength rather than individual brilliance.
Venter weeded out the players who didn’t embody these characteristics or share these ambitions. From that point onwards, Saracens’ recruitment policy changed. If you were offered a contract, it was not only because you had the necessary experience and physical skills. The right character and attitude was seen as just as important.
‘If you’re not the right type of person, you’re not going to fit in,’ says Griffiths, before unpacking his point with an example. Wales centre Gavin Henson has a long history of indiscipline, and it surprised a lot of people when he was brought into the Saracens
set-up when the club was going through a difficult period with a lot of injuries.
‘Gavin was a different kind of personality,’ explains Griffiths. ‘He left the club after a couple of months. Some people wondered if he had tested our culture. I’d like to think that if that was truly the case, our culture won.’
As if to highlight the contrast, Griffiths goes on to talk about the recruitment of John Smit, a player he feels has the character to not only succeed within this kind of culture, but also strengthen it. It is a signing that has been beneficial for club and player, as the veteran of 17 professional rugby seasons reveals that he has never been happier in a rugby environment.
‘There are no heroes here,’ Smit says. ‘There are no airs or graces. No prima donnas. Those okes don’t last long around here. There is a lot of communication, even between the senior guys and academy players, and I’ve found that refreshing.
‘Look around you, there are still another couple of hours before our next training session, but nobody is rushing to get away. It’s always like this. That’s why it feels more like a jol than it does a job.’
Brits has been with Saracens since 2009. He confirms that the group spends a great deal of time together, even when the focus is not entirely rugby-orientated, and that the players as well as the respective wives and children have formed a tight- knit community.
‘You don’t want to leave,’ he says. ‘I had an opportunity
Premiership final that season, and went one better in the 2010-11 competition to win their first domestic title. They advanced to the play-offs for the third consecutive season in 2011-12, and at the time of writing they topped the Premiership log as well as their European Cup pool.
Ultimately, these and any future successes will be seen as byproducts of a necessary culture change in 2009. And while Venter may have passed on the director of rugby baton to Mark McCall, it’s evident that his philosophy and structures will endure and continue to underpin this club’s successes in years to come.
gruelling training session on the fields of the Old Albanians Rugby Club comes to a close, and the Saracens players filter into the clubhouse in search
of refreshments.It’s difficult to discern who
is who at the respective lunch benches. There is no table set aside for senior players, no table reserved for coaches and members of management. Bearded veterans mix with baby-faced teenagers. A group of players share a joke and the room erupts with raucous laughter. I’m told that Saracens is a club of many nationalities, of Englishmen, South Africans, Australians, Pacific Islanders, Italians and more ... but at a glance it’s impossible to identify players according to these nationalities. Nobody looks out of place. Everybody looks right at home.
‘We’ve focused on people,’ says Saracens CEO Eddie Griffiths, who at this point can be found on one of the lunch benches, deep in the melee of the midday feed. ‘Often professional sport is ruled by the tyranny of the result. Often so much hinges on whether you win or lose, whereas here, our primary goal is more about looking after our people, and in turn they will try unbelievably hard. We believe that’s the best way to run a club, and as the record will show, it can produce the desired on-field results.’
Griffiths’ comments may read like a press release, but then you have to remember what was initiated by Venter three years previously. You only need to take a look at the players’ faces, to
aBoVe: Brad Barritt evades racing Métro’s dimitri szarzewski during a european cup matchBelow: ceo edward griffiths and ex-saracens coach Brendan venter
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‘saracens careabout you
beyond yourIdentIty as
a rugby player. They
focus onbeTTering you as
an individualso ThaT you
will be more employable
afTer rugby’– Schalk BritS
on 24 July 2012, saracens signed an £8 million (r114 million) sponsorship deal with german company allianz. the deal is believed to be one of the biggest commercial partnerships in the english premiership, and will help offset the £20 million (r286 million) the club has invested in the renovation of allianz park in Barnet (this former athletics venue was previously known as the Barnet copthall stadium). saracens’ new home will include an artificial pitch and accommodate 10 000 fans. they previously shared a home ground with watford Football club at vicarage road, a venue with a mere 6 000 capacity.
‘we’ve never had a ground to call home before,’ says ceo eddie griffiths. ‘when we play our first match at allianz park on 16 February [against the exeter chiefs], all the pieces will finally be in place. the transformation of the club will be complete and we can start setting about realising our commercial potential. we have a 99-year lease, so it’s a place where we can put down roots.’
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS
to leave in 2011. The money is so much better elsewhere and England is not the best place to be with the recession, but you just don’t get this culture anywhere else. Saracens care about you beyond your identity as a rugby player. They focus on bettering you as an individual so that you will be more employable after rugby. They also care about your family. I got married at the beginning of 2011 and we had our first child soon after. Saracens has its own creche, and that can take a lot of pressure off the wives.’
Contrary to popular perception, Saracens is not an outpost for expatriate South Africans, nor does it have any ambitions of becoming an exclusively South African club. There are strong South African elements with former Springboks like Francois Pienaar and Morné du Plessis on the board of directors, and with Johann Rupert’s company Remgro owning 50% of the club.
As Griffiths clarifies, there will always be a healthy mix of players at Saracens. They will continue to recruit with the club’s ethos and culture in mind, and it will never come to the point where the club is dominated by South Africans.
‘We have a fairly clear angle of South African culture at the club where anybody who arrives here, like Jono Ross from the
Bulls or Nick-Fenton Wells from the Stormers [Sarries’ most recent South African recruits], will fit in very quickly,’ Griffiths says. ‘It’s a good blend in the boardroom, it’s a good blend in the training squad, and the Saracens-South African partnership is working extraordinarily well. But I don’t think it’s purely a South African culture imposed on an English culture. We also don’t have any more foreign players than the other clubs in England or Europe.’
Barritt, one of the club’s senior players, reiterates that it is a particular quality Saracens are interested in rather than a single nationality.
‘Whoever comes to the club must add something special. Saracens look for talented players but they also look for people who will fit into the culture. If you are all pushing towards a common goal, it becomes a way of life.’
Again, it’s worth noting that there are no discernible cliques in
the lunchroom. This is something Smit noticed when he first arrived at the club at the end of 2011.
‘That’s what I was expecting: 10 South African guys sitting around a table talking Afrikaans, sticking to their own group instead of mingling and fitting in. I’ve been pleasantly surprised. The way guys have intermixed is probably why Saracens have been so successful in recent times. If there was an SA clique, I don’t think it would go down well.’
Each player has a story to tell about what Saracens has done to improve their quality of life. They all maintain that a happy player is a dedicated player, and this has contributed to the strengthening of a culture that has underpinned some impressive results and achievements over the past three seasons.
It’s hard to believe they could enjoy such sustained success without devoting every waking minute to perfection, but every one of these players will attest that rugby is not the be-all and end-all at Saracens.
Over the past couple of years they have travelled as a group to holiday destinations in the USA, Italy, South Africa and even to the Oktoberfest in Munich in an attempt to strengthen what is already an iron-tight bond. These adventures abroad have also provided the players with an opportunity to relax, which as a veteran like Smit suggests, is something most rugby coaches and administrators
fail to recognise as a necessary prerequisite to success. Even the best rugby players need a chance to let off some steam.
‘It’s one thing I’ve really enjoyed about these guys: they work hard but they like to play incredibly hard too,’ Smit says. ‘There is a drive to get that balance right, which is quite difficult in this day and age. And wherever we go, it seems that other clubs are jealous of Saracens because we seem to be getting spoilt, but then every time Saracens takes us away, it only makes us want to train harder and play better.’
aBoVe: saracens chairman nigel wray and captain steve Borthwick hold up the artificial turf that will be used at allianz parkleFt: saracens’ unique culture has kept schalk Brits at the club
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borchardt is the editor of sa rugby magazine and keo.co.za.
All for oneThe Three Pacific island nations should join forces again
having a Pacific islanders team in the rugby championship would give players from fiji, Tonga and samoa a reason to represent their country of birth rather than an adopted nation
In 2004, the PacIfIc Islanders – a team made up of players from fiji, samoa and tonga – thrashed the reds (48-29) in Brisbane and the Waratahs (68-21) in sydney, before losing to the Wallabies (29-14) in adelaide, the all Blacks (41-26) in albany and the springboks (38-24) in Gosford. While they didn’t beat any of the southern hemisphere superpowers, they were extremely competitive, scoring two tries against the Wallabies, four against the all Blacks and four against the springboks.
sadly, the Pacific Islanders would tour on only two more occasions, in 2006 (losing 38-20 to Wales, 34-22 to scotland and 61-17 to Ireland) and 2008 (losing 39-13 to england and 42-17 to france, and beating Italy 25-17).
the team had been formed to provide an opportunity to play against tier-one opposition every two years and generate much-needed revenue for the three national unions, so when the IrB decided they would only tour every four years – which wouldn’t generate the required revenue – the samoa rugby Union withdrew from the Pacific Islands rugby alliance and the side was disbanded.
since then, the Pacific Island nations have all had some memorable moments in test rugby. fiji knocked Wales out of the 2007 World cup with a famous 38-34 win in the pool stage, before giving the Boks a big scare in their quarter-final. While fiji have regressed over the past five years, samoa and tonga have claimed some big scalps recently.
the samoans upset the Wallabies 32-23 in sydney in June 2011 and pushed Wales and the Boks close at the World cup. then in november 2012 they beat Wales 26-19 in cardiff and led france 14-10 in Paris early in the second half before going down 22-14. tonga, meanwhile, recorded one of the biggest upsets in World cup history when they beat eventual finalists france 19-14 in Wellington, and shocked scotland 21-15 in aberdeen in november 2012.
Just imagine how good the island nations could be if they retained all of their talent and competed in top-level tournaments outside the World cup.
I would love to see the winners of the Pacific nations cup (an annual tournament involving fiji, Japan, samoa and tonga) given a place in the following year’s super rugby competition at the expense of one of the australian sides.
I would also love to see the Pacific Islanders – the composite side – brought back to life and added to the rugby championship to create a ‘five nations’ tournament. each team would then play eight matches (home and away) instead of six, but room could be
made for those additional fixtures by scrapping the super rugby conference system and finishing the tournament in may, as was the case from 1996 to 2010.
having a Pacific Islanders team in the rugby championship would give players from fiji, tonga and samoa a reason to represent their country of birth rather than an adopted nation and give the game in the region a massive boost.
the three nations would still take part in the Pacific nations cup, go on end-of-year tours and compete at the World cup, so their individual identities would not be lost. But they would come together for the rugby championship and give their best players the invaluable experience of playing against the world’s best.
If that did happen, I bet it wouldn’t be long before fiji, samoa and tonga started beating six nations opposition regularly and the World cup became a lot more interesting during the pool stage than it is now.
The Pacific islanders Perform Their haka before Playing The
all blacks in albany in 2004
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