Peter de Villiers has confirmed that John Smit will captain the Springboks at the World Cup. Rassie Erasmus was appointed as technical adviser.
At a press conference on Monday, Peter de Villiers confirmed the appointments of his captain and management staff. Smit will continue as captain with Victor Matfield named as vice-captain. Erasmus has been brought in as a technical adviser and conditioning coach Derik Coetzee is the other new appointment.
It comes as no surprise that Smit and Matfield will continue in their leadership roles.
Victor Matfield was named as Smit’s vice-captain and will probably end up leading the side onto the field in several of the games as De Villiers remains insistent that he will consider Smit only as a hooker, thus making it a straight choice between the captain and the impressive Bismarck du Plessis for a place in the starting line-up.
“I went for John and Victor because of their massive wealth of experience and the leadership ability that both have shown over a long time,” said De Villiers.
As expected, Stormers director of rugby Rassie Erasmus was named as a member of the management team for the World Cup, but the coach stopped short of naming him as his technical adviser, preferring to say that Erasmus would help with “coaching stuff”.
Nonetheless, Erasmus’ secondment onto the management on a temporary basis is a major step forward in the Bok World Cup challenge, as acknowledged by the skipper.
“Rassie did a good job when he was with us as technical adviser in the build-up to the 2007 World Cup before he had to quit to take up his job with Western Province,” said Smit.
“He was a great player, a sublime talent, and he has a shrewd tactical and technical brain that will come in handy for us in the build-up to the World Cup.”
De Villiers also confirmed that Derick Coetzee, Jake White’s fitness adviser at the last World Cup, will also join the management for the World Cup.
“I am not sure that I am so happy about that appointment because Derick will make us work damn hard,” quipped Smit before adding that it was a good appointment because Coetzee would be able to identify the areas that needed working on ahead of the tournament.
All i can say is , “Come lets Unite” let us for once believe that what Peter did is for SA’s good. He surely is not a kamikaze pilot, he also want success and his dream is also to hold the WC aloft.
Captain changes came to bite us before, so if this one does not work it will be 1/1.
@ superBul:
I think its the correct choice anyway….but think Victor should be rested now and Smit played to full fitness.
@ 4man:
Victor is a problem to me, he will feel this week off is adequate and would not stand back. Sometimes fate might help a player , a small injury now to keep him out for 4 weeks , it sounds so wrong to wish him that, but that might be a blessing in disguise.
Andries Bekker is moving into that overplayed zone too. Wel it is 130 days to go so a lot can change, lets hold thumbs that some sensible decisions are made. No one can play through the Super Rugby season and stay tops. NO one.
Matfield, the most capped Springbok with 105 Tests, was instead named vice-captain, a position he has regularly occupied under current Springbok coach Peter de Villiers.
Matfield has also captained South Africa on 15 occasions in Smit’s absence.
“John and Victor have so much experience and we’re lucky to be able to name them as captain and vice captain,” De Villiers told reporters at the team’s hotel on Monday.””History has shown that those teams who do well at World Cups have experience and outstanding leadership and we’ve learnt that you throw away that experience at your peril.”
Smit said in a statement: “The responsibility comes with a great deal of pressure and expectation but it never loses the thrill or the sense of privilege that comes with it.”
Sensible stuff. Now lets go and win the thing!
The way i see it
Everyone wants their own man their as Captain
Everyone wants his own Team(form is great amo they use)
We want a new game plan
The reality is WE WON only 3 Times in NZ since 1995, Did we really bet our houses on a realistic chance to win there or are we just hoping the AB’s choke again. The record says Played 17, Lost 14, Won 3.
We have one thing we can take there that they dont have. We have the experience OF WINNING A WORLD CUP. We have a no choke tag on these experienced players. That to me is the one place were we have the EDGE.
We can not play their game better than them.
We are not a team who can all of a sudden run with the ball from every corner for 85 minutes.
We play the kicking game badly now, maybe in those slippery conditions the perfect game will be to just kick and chase like mad.
We have the most deadly test kicker in our hands. And WC’s are won by them.
So let us hope the Puzzle falls in place before the 11th of September on Ground Hog day when we play Wales.
@ superBul:
May i add i expect up to 21 players who played in the previous World Cup to be picked again by Peter de Villiers.
1.J Smit
2.V Matfield
3.B Botha
4.D Rousouw
5.F du Preez
6.M Steyn
7.W Olivier
8.G Steenkamp
9.B Habana
10.J Fourie
11.J de Villiers
12.S Burger
13.J Smith
14.F Steyn
15.R Pienaar
16.B du Plessis
17.JP Pieterson
18.BJ Botha
19.J du Plessis
20.CJ vd Linde
21.E Januarie (haha i cant find no 21 so maybe it will be only 20)
The Following players might also make it
CJ vd Linde
B James (if the youngsters dont come with a good 2nd half of the season)
De Villiers came across reasonably convincingly, initially, as he defended his decision to stick with his leadership “old guard” of Smit and deputy Victor Matfield.
“I don’t have a lot of mood swings and I’m not sentimental,” he said. “I try to make the right decisions.
“Not once in my mind did I have doubts about (reappointing Smit and Matfield). They’re not young anymore; they’re in the evening (sic) of their rugby careers and we’re going to be so much poorer if we don’t (work on nurturing) successors for these two.
“But with them around me (for 2011) there’s no doubt I feel comfortable and safe … we can take on the world with them.”
@ superBul:
Super, ek dink nie Ruan en BJ gaan die pal haal nie. Ook het ons ‘n probleem met wie gaan en wie bly. Ek neem aan Div gaan 16 voorspelers en 14 agterspelers saamvat, bestaande uit 4 voorrye, 3 hakkers, 4 slotte en 5 losvoorspelers. Dan het ons vir Beast, Guthro, Jannie en CJ. Barney, Bismark en Chili. Victor, Bakkies, Andries en een van Flip of Danie. Scalla, Juan, Alberts en 2 uit Danie, Kanko, Brussow, Spies, Flo, Potgieter.
Gelukkig is die WC nog ‘n paar maande weg, en gelukkig hoed ek nie span te kies nie
Why Rassie is there-
There were some ironic sniggers among the journalists present, though, when he suggested part of his reasoning for involving Rassie Erasmus as a technical advisor during the next few months involved the WP senior professional coach handling media aspects.
Erasmus, after all, is known to be reasonably media-shy and sometimes suspicious of the press, even if he is also capable of insightful interviews on rare occasions he is available for them.
“It took me three years to realise how exhausting you guys can become,” said De Villiers, admittedly laughing. “I needed someone at the back just to help us with that kind of things (sic).
“Also these guys, Victor 105 and John 102 (it may have sounded uncannily like Biblical terminology, but De Villiers was referring to their respective number of Bok caps), get used to a coach like me so I need to get something else to make things a bit different for them as well.”
Divvie is back, now the TEAM will be happy again, the opponents confused and the show goes on. I wish we can can listen to him and take his words for what he means, not how the enemy Press wants interpret it.
Delightful images suddenly flickered of the not always pristinely-conditioned press corps making up the Bok XV for the defence of the World Cup in New Zealand, but De Villiers hadn’t finished … and he was rapidly turning loose cannon all over again.
“We do understand going to the world (sic) that people don’t keep South Africans in high regard. They look down on us and think we’re a bunch of hooligans and that there are elephants running in the street.
“You can see it when referees make decisions … it’s always a kind of biased thing.”
That statement, particularly, will have caused some tremors among other senior Springbok personnel, because the coach has occasionally done the cause no favours before with his statements about whistle-men.
“We must stand together … show people we’re actually more sophisticated than people outside think,” said De Villiers, warming ever more to his stint on the soap box.
“You guys can be the (catalyst – he used the Afrikaans word for it) for us in taking us to the World Cup, spreading the right messages so when we get to New Zealand the international media don’t have any ammunition to derail us when we get there.
“The senior guys spoke (at the planning camp) about how we actually have to have a partnership with the media.”
It could yet be a long, eventful winter in Springbok rugby …
@ KingPaul:
Ek sien maar net sy lojaliteit wat deurslaan, hy se mos lankal dat die man in die saal deur een wat baie beter is vervang moet word. Hy het SY man gekies omdat hy voel hy is die beste. Dit is vir my n goeie teken. Nou sal baie daaroor kla maar die man is beginselvas, en vir so man sal spelers deur n muur hardloop.
Maar soos jy se daar is nog baie tyd
@ superBul:
Ja, maar veral die slot kwessie gaan interresant wees. Wie gaan bly?
Daai jong Elstad klop die deur amper af, moet se hy is vurig.
Wat se julle nou oor jul boelie taktiek en vuilspel, het Habana nou die geheim in jul ore kom fluister. Onthou net sodra die refs julle begin slaan gaan ek dit voor jul koppe gooi. Onthou die geraas oor JP Nel en BB? Die wiel draai, kyk maar wat gebeur vorentoe.
@ KingPaul:
SA het baie goeie slotte, Matfield sal sy gat in rat moet kry of van die aanspraakmakers steek hom verby. My Top slotte is 1. VM en AB, 2. BB, 3 FvdM en Elstad, 4 DR en dan n hele klomp op dieselfde standaard. Regtig nie n probleem posisie nie.
Ek is jammer maar Bakkies hoort nie in daai groep nie … hy is nou ‘n sprekende voorbeeld van ‘n liability …
@ kwaailight:
Na jou mening, kom ons kyk maar verentoe. Elstad probeer sy bes om BB se rol oor te neem. Tyd Broer tyd , gee die hele span kies en spelers afskryf proses nog so 6-8 weke.
Great news!!! Go John, my man!!!!!!You old legend, you.
What a boykie.
@ Pietman:
Pietman ek dink ook dit is nie n fout nie.
Kan jy glo, ek wat dit gehaat het toe Jake vir John bo Gary gekies het. Onthou jy nog die gekerm onder Bulle oor hy John net op sy leierskap bo Gary Botha gekies het. Maar nou het die man status bo verdenking. Victor sou my keuse gewees het maar hy het te emosioneel begin raak met die Skeidsregters.
Om nou n totaal ander kaptein te kies kan ons ons skrale kans heeltemak koebaai soen.
Ok, picture the scene John and Victor have a nasty bout of chicken pox and are sidelined for the WC.
Can I please have your alternative top 3 Bok skippers…If you dare.
Mine are
1. Brian Habanna, becaue he needs a new challenge and seems to be a bit bored at the moment.
2. Ruan Pienaar, he looks like a leader.
3. Jean de V, well he knows the ropes!
4. Bakkies, because he would be funny at press conferences!!
@ Blue Bird:
Only your number 3 can do the job , but then rather Schalk Burger.
I can think of worse captains than JS, but unfortunately I can also think of 3 better hookers.
At the end of the day I suppose it’s about balance and getting through the 7 games, or maybe just the last 3.
21@ Blue Bird:
Difficult question because I believe in the old school idea that a Captain MUST be in the tight 5.
Only those guys really know what’s going on in the engine room, and in reality we don’t have many tight 5 leader in SA at the moment.
A good alternative if fit may be Juan Smith.
@ Scrumdown:
Planning this last 3 games will be interesting. May PdeV get a fair chance to do his bit.
There is 3 dates , or markers.
1 the 3N Tests first 23 July
2 the First Test in WC 11 Sept – Team picked and best Team play vs Wales
3 Quarter Final Team in full Flight 8 October
Schalk is too ‘unpolished’ to be a skipper….. 😉
@ Blue Bird:
27
He is doing quite well for the Stormers this year. Just dont like his over aggression coming back, do i see a string of yellow cards following him?
@ Scrumdown:
Juan is great…as you say IF fit !
@ Blue Bird:
You did not lose much ground on Superbru this weekend , congrats.
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