Here's my response.
Morrey I will agree with you on one thing, as a nation we need to support P-div until after the World Cup, he is the incumbent and it would be suicidal to try and insert a new management team at this juncture. Aside from the fact that it would bring all the bigots out of the woodwork, which is the last thing this country needs.
However I struggle to agree with the concept that the Div is a good coach, a rugby man and proud South African he may be, but I believe he’s out of his depth at this level.
Yes he was a very successful age group coach, but he’s got no track record at the higher levels of the game.
Personally I think he was just lucky to begin with.
He inherited a winning team with a solid core that could go forward to defend their crown and you are 100% correct in that he didn’t try and change too much – eventually.
He did not insert Brussouw or Steyn for the Lions series, even though they had been two of the in form players in that seasons Super Rugby. Brussouw came in on the back of an injury and played like a champion in the first test, on the back of his performance the Boks led comfortably and then he was substituted and they did well to hang on to win!
In the second test at Loftus he left Brussouw on the bench and again started with Ruan Pienaar in the 10 jumper and it wasn’t until Brussouw came on in the second half that the Boks started to get into the game. Steyn then came off the bench to steal the match and the series at the death in front of a very quite Loftus at that point – aside from the Lions supporters. I was there, the Boks were woeful.
His luck continued when Ricky Januarie made and collected that lovely little chip to win at the House of Pain – that wasn’t good coaching, that was a piece of individualism by a player, lucky coach.
P-div is a liability, his man management skills and mixed messages can do nothing other than confuse and worry his charges, never mind Joe Public.
Last season John Smit was good enough to play international rugby as prop, this year the coach wants his Union to play him at hooker. Ruan Pienaar was deemed the best fly-half in the country at one point and then he was suddenly the back-up scrummy to Du Preez. Frans Steyn was playing rugby in a league to off the pace to play international rugby, then suddenly he’s in the starting line-up!
He started out saying his side were going to play total rugby, before reverting back to the tried and tested Springbok way.
In my opinion that’s why the Boks had such a bad year last year, the players don’t know were they stand at any given time. Yes matters were compounded by the fact that a number of key players were injured, but that simply exposed P-div as a coach, he had no plan B.
And he’s up to his old tricks again this year, announcing that he will announce his Captain in May, why wait? Surely he should know already and make his decision, not leave the entire squad, country and John Smit on tenterhooks.
The man has been lucky, and to be honest I have a feeling he’s going to come home with a Rugby World Cup medal, and quite frankly I for one truly hope he does, not that I believe he deserves one, but hell I’ll take it if it means we go defend our title in the Kiwi’s backyard.
Go Bokke!
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