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.
89@ SuperBul – Maar ek is bly vir hulle part, lyk tog of hulle iets aan hulle lot WIL doen en die wa WIL reguit trek.
Maar soos jy sê, the proof of the pudding lies in the eating.
90@ SuperBul – Nag, ek moet nou self gaan inkruip, laaaang dag more
goodnight all…i’ve just finished working…..on my other business.
Bulls wil have a S14 like 2008. Their players will have a bad year. This is my prediction, wonder if the Saint will agree on this.
But good luck to them.
94@ Snoek – It’s quite possible that the Bulls will have a repeat of 2008.
But then again, both myself and SuperBul were seriously sceptical about the Bulls chances for 2009 and look what happened…. winners by a mile.
The preparation games for the Bulls in 2009 were a dismal affair, yet the Bulls came out firing from the word go in the Super 14.
Only time will tell!
The Bulls have a few glaring weaknesses, amongst them the front row (scrumming) and inadequate depth at outside centre… and possibly we’re a tad light on one wing as well.
95: hoop maar net nie die Bulls wen hul opwarmingswedstryd nie, anders lê ‘n slegte jaar voor. Hulle moet maar goed verloor, wanneer dit nie saak maak nie ! 😉
#95
Ek is bly julle besef ook julle stutte is up to sh#t. Buitesenter is ‘n groter probleem as wat julle dink, vandat daai eendimensionele JP Nel by julle weg is gaan dit maar oes.
Jaco Pretorius is in my opinie nie die hype werd nie, dink julle moes maar ou Kameelperd gehou het, hy is stadig, het geen visie nie, kan nie sidestep nie, maar at least is hy groot.
Maar ek het Ludeke se coaching manual gesien, voor die 6de rondte speel Francois Hougaard buite-senter.
Wel dit spreek boekdele as jy swak stutte het en jy wen nogsteeds die S14 en CC in dieselfde jaar.
My goeie vriend van Mosselbaai is die enigste ou wat ek ken wat begin 2009 heel confident voorspel het dat die Bulls beide die S14 en CC gaan wen. Sy mede WP kollegas kou nou nog aan die humble pie.
Hy het nog nie n voorspelling gemaak vir die jaar.
Al wat ek weet is dat geen ander SA span ooit die Bulls se S14 rekord sal verbeter nie. Nooit! 😆
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100 … behalwe vir daai glippies gisteraand ! Toemaar, sal niks vir niemand sê nie.
97@ The Saint – Ons Bulle vertrou maar dat tussen Ludeke en Heyneke hulle die skrumwerk sal versterk en dat hulle oplossings vind vir ons senterprobleme.
Persoonlik sou ek Wynand Meisiekind uitskuiwe buitesenter toe en Jacques-Louis Potgieter speel op binnesenter. J-L P is sterk, verdedig goed…. kan mooi inpas op binnesenter en Meisiekind (wat bietjie suinig is) kan dalk nog meer beteken op buitesenter.
…. maar looi die Bulle kwaai in jou opsomming en voorsellings wat sal verskyn, dis heeltemal in orde so…. dit kan dalk net effe byhelp dat die Bulle planne maak om die tekortkominge aan te vul.
100@ Bananaboy
Hello 5SAI budgie, long time…and a long way way from Ladismith!
Welcome Bokkop Kaaskop!
Erfplaas, jy het ok maar lank gevat vanaf Rooigrond tot hieso, se vir Donovan oom Pietman stuur groete, en se hy en Attie Winter en MenloPark se Faan Booysen moet stadig met die mampoer…tot ek daar kom!!!
Amper daar.
Ek het gister oupa geword, hier in Calvinia, my naamgenoot nogal….n Hantam bulletjie!
HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
GUTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN
Sharky, could you translate that please?
Oh, Hi Bananaboy, you will enjoy it here once the rugby gets underway…Not as ’emotional’ as Voldy! 😉
I suppose I had better go and dig the other 20 yards of snow to get my car out!!
I am getting cabin fever here…. 😐
103
Pietman het jy oupa geword , en jy mail my nie.
Geluk met die oupaskap Pietman. Welgedaan.
Nou waars die funksie wat wys wie ingelog is? Ek voel so alleen hier op R-T.
Why is it so quiet here tonight? Something good on TV?
111 – Carol
Hi there Carol.
Nothing on the telly worth watching. Just watched “GI Joe”, cool movie.
Oh Carol, gongrats with your cricket team, they showed allot of heart.
Hi Snoek, I have resorted to Facebook although we have guests popping by at 7, that should keep me entertained!
The cricket was a nail biter at the end…..Makes such a change for us!!
Carol did you eventually get snowed in?
4man – Could only get out in 4WD. No cars on the road on Wednesday just 4×4’s. How about you, did you go in today?
@ Carol
I have been in to the office for the last two days…mission to get home last night, but better tonight. Expecting heavy falls on Sunday. I think Sunday will also effect you.
4man, I sent GBS some photos and he says he has never really experienced snow! Inca (Collie) loves it, bet yours do to!
Have you heard the new Joe Bonemassa CD. I bought it for someone and they played it for us, it was great! Know you like him.
Carol….so did u make me a copy? I’m happy to pay.
I havent heard the newest one.
Him and Walter Trout are the best blues/rock guys around at the moment. If they like rugby, they would be really decent human beings.
4man – Make you a copy…I would not know where to start!! Is that not illegal? 😉
Will talk to WRS see if he can sort it. Person I gave it to is coming here for supper, will ask!
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