Player management and the threat of burn-out ahead of the 2011 World Cup has been big news in South Africa recently, but the Bulls don’t believe there is a problem.
South African sports science professor Tim Noakes lit the fuse that caused the furore when he claimed last month that the Springboks won’t be at their best for the 2011 World Cup – with many of the top players having been “over-played” in 2009.
According to Noakes, who played a significant part in the Boks’ 2007 World Cup triumph after he advised former coach Jake White to implement a strict player-management programme, feels it may already be too late for current Bok coach Peter de Villiers to follow a similar route.
Apart from suggesting that the core of the national team – which helped the Bulls win the Super 14 in 2009, beat the B&I Lions and won the Tri-Nations – were over-exposed to top-flight rugby last year, Noakes even predicted a series of crippling injuries will follow this year and quite possibly in the World Cup year.
However, Bulls coach Frans Ludeke moved swiftly to allay fears that his team – which provide 15 members of the year-end tour squad – will become victims over ‘over exposure’.
“We have a very good relationship with the players,” Ludeke told iafrica.com in an interview, as the defending Super 14 champions resumed their pre-season preparations in Pretoria this week.
Ludeke said they have a very solid and proven strategy of player management at the Bulls, with their Boks leading the way at training.
“When we chat to them, there is honesty and clarity about when we feel a player is struggling,” Ludeke said.
“I feel we managed them well last year, especially in the Currie Cup and Super 14, when we really needed them.
“There is certainly no problem,” he told iafrica.com, when asked about the criticism levelled against the amount of rugby played by the leading players – which include frontline Boks such as Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw, Pierre Spies, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Fourie du Preez, Zane Kirchner, Wynand Olivier and Morné Steyn.
We are ‘hands-on’ in this regard [player management] and that is very important – to ensure we make small adjustments, be that in terms of game time or adjust training sessions.
“We know those are the players that are in high demand with SARU [for internationals] and ourselves, in terms of Super 14 and Currie Cup.
“We have a sound strategy on the table with those players, to ensure we manage them in a very responsible manner.”
Ludeke said every person is entitled to his own opinion on the matter of player management, but at the Bulls they have had very good discussions with each player.
“We can just work with what is in front of us – the feedback we get and how players react.
“I can tell you, our Boks are running in the front [at training] and they set a very high standard.
“I don’t want to mention names, but they are all there at the forefront – there’s a great urgency and you can see the hunger.
“Normally you can see the mental fatigue and in December you could see they had been through a long season with plenty of rugby.
“That is why we managed the players the way we did [at the pre-season camp in George] and I feel we did very well.
“It was just the fact that we had them available to assist with some of the off-field planning, that was very important to us.
“They were not really required to do much in terms of physical conditioning.
“I can see that the two-week [festive season] break, along with a week [in George] and the two weeks they had [after the year-end tour] gave most of them a five-week break. I can see a big difference in the players, the attitude is great and they look fresh.”
Ludeke has been supported in this view by Bulls captain and Bok vice-captain Victor Matfield, who also suggested that with proper management there is no need to panic and that the Boks will be at their best.
Na die 5 weke af en goed beplande aftyd in die S 14 behoort dit met die manne goed te gaan. Die Bulle se grootste hekkie gaan wees om hul ingesteldheid reg te kry na so ‘n goeie 2009.
As mens na Frans luister klink dit of hulle op die regte pad is.
GO BULLS !!!
If the Bulls can sort their scrum out, they should be there come the semi finals.
Frans Ludeke well said. Bulls play as a team, that takes a lot off the stress of the individuals.
Juan Martin Hernandez’s brief stint at the Sharks appears to be over after it was revealed on Thursday that a serious back injury has ruled the Argentine fly-half out of the Super 14.
With reports in the French press claiming that Hernandez has reached an agreement with Top 14 club Racing Métro that will see him return to Paris in May, it seems that ‘el Mago has pulled on a black and white jersey for the last time.
The news also leaves the Sharks with a mini crisis at fly-half since Springbok half-back Ruan Pienaar is still recovering from recent knee surgery and is likely to be absent for the opening rounds of the tournament.
With young Guy Cronje is also recovering from surgery on his foot, Head Coach John Plumtree has been forced to recall Monty Dumond from the Cheetahs, where he was on loan.
According the Natal newspaper The Mercury, Plumtree has recruited former Sharks scrum-half and head coach Hugh Reece-Edwards to be the franchise’s new back-line coach.
Reece-Edwards was sacked ten years ago after an unsuccessfully trying to lead his former team-mates in the Super 14.
Interesting, we sit with 2 guests online here… one from the vicinity of Philly in the USA and one from the Cape Town region or to be more specific, near the Bellville area…..
Carol, you’re not to far from the Guildford area.
GBS I am miles from Guildford….well about 80 I suppose, who is in Guildford that I should know about?
7@Carol – Your IP Address (electronic address) seems to originate from there… so that must be your ISP’s nearest hub to you…..
Guildford appears to be near Waterloo in London? Near the Crimean War Memorial and Wesminister Bridge?
Really!! 🙄 Can you see what I am wearing? 😀
What is the difference between member, guest and bot…
Are you playing on Google Earth again?
Oh yes what is a visitor too?
10@ Carol – Plenty of clothes… hehehe
Member = Registered User
Visitor = Unregisteed Guest
Bot = Internet Search Engine… something like google ect
…and no, I’m not on Google Earth…. I see it straight from my control Panel on R-T
I thought Guildford was in Surrey when I last looked.
14@ Carol – Oh…. my sights need a slight adjustment, it seems….
My hands are so cold I have to keep sitting on them!!
Did you like my pic’s btw?
Slim jan jy maak die ouens bang, big brother smile.
You could just try putting your glasses on again!! 😉
superBul – I nearly said it was like ‘Big Brother’ was watching me!!
But GBS is not exactly ‘Big’!! 😆
17@ SuperBul – Hehehehe…. hulle lys jou TelkomISP hub as Polokwane…. dis seker waar die naaste mooooooosa groot Telkom Hub gesetel is van julle af….
goodness Carol the South Africans in your team teached you quickly how to fight. Really England must feel on top of the world. @ days back i was hoping for a Pakistan win and things looked rosy for us. Well you know what happened.
16@ Carol – Your pics are awesome, you want me to place them on here?
superBul – Yes I am delighted to say we only got where we are because of the amazing tenacity of the imported Saffas in our team!!
(Hell, that nearly choked me)!! 😐
22 GBS – Sure but only if you don’t think anyone will be bored by them!!
There is not a ball in sight!!
In the old site ,voldys, my nick was a link to a website where i had some photos, is it called a hyperlink? Do we have that here too?
24@ Carol – The snow is awesome though…
25@ SuperBul – Yip, check myne….
superBul – I think especially we ‘overseas bloggers’ love to see your wildlife shots.
Because the whole picture is so different not only the animal but the vegetation and surroundings.
Am I being thick, what actually is a hyperlink and how do I find it?
GBS if i click on your name it brings my to RT , is that right?
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