Springboks
Every week readers of BOKzine (SA Rugby’s Electronic Magazine) are given the opportunity to ask questions of South African rugby personalities. This time was Heyneke Meyer’s turn.
Bulls scrumhalf Francois Hougaard has signed a new three year contract with the Bulls keeping him in Pretoria for another three years.
Former Springbok lock Victor Matfield has confirmed that Bok coach Heyneke Meyer approached him about a possible return to rugby but nothing is decided yet.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer says he regrets Jaque Fourie’s decision not to make himself available for the Springboks while he plays in Japan, but he respects it.
Heyneke Meyer may only be in the first real testing week of his tenure but he is already setting up structures that are far more advanced than the national team has ever had before.
Along with Saru’s new General Manager: High Performance Rassie Erasmus, Meyer has already set the wheels in motion to see that players are up to speed with what he wants from them ahead of the England test series, including game plans, individual skills and a number of small intricacies that could make the world of difference when the international season rolls around.
England will play 2 mid week games and 3 Tests in a return to more conventional tours.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) on Sunday announced the appointment of former Springbok loose forward Rassie Erasmus into a senior management position at the organisation.
At 16.00 today (Sunday 15 April), Heyneke Meyer is set to release the names of his support team, but there may be a surprise in store……
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has named a group of players that will be attending the first planning camp in Pretoria next week.
Coenraad Victor Oosthuizen is so much more than just your average prop. Coenie, or Shrek, as he is affectionately known by his teammates, has the ability to excel in whatever sport he competes in.
South Africa 36 / 16 Wanganui-King Country (8 August 1956 – Spriggenspark, Wanganui)
Terry Mclean wrote an entertaining piece about this game in his book ‘Battle for the rugby crown’. His pivotal story line is the fact that the Springboks for the first time on tour had some fun and approached the match in a more than usual relaxed manner. Craven actually took two days ‘holiday’ going with his wife to Mount Edmont –he only re-joined the players only the day before the Wanganui match– which might explain the relaxed and abundant behaviour of the players. Almost like kids who have at last escaped the scrutiny of their parents. Continue reading
This weekend that was I went to a coaching course with a group of players. The course was generally speaking very informative. We rotated through different stations doing basic handling, rucking, tackling and kicking drills with lots of feedback to players and coaches.
At the end we played a game (10 players on each side) called touch and ruck. It is a really nice way to enforce some basic skills at the young age groups. Players learn about maintaining the offside line, to go up in a line on defence and on attack, to touch with both hands (essential to learn that you need to punch through with the arms when you tackle), to rip and place and to clean-out at the rucks.
Rassie Erasmus is set to be named as a high performance manager by the South African Rugby Union (SARU).
Former Springbok winger Ricardo Loubscher is the new favourite to become Springbok backline coach for the forthcoming season.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) has extended its contract with Gilbert Rugby South Africa as the Official Ball and Equipment Supplier to the Springboks.
Heyneke Meyer was appointed four weeks ago as Springbok coach and still there is no clarity as to who will be on his management team in 2012.
Stormers and Western Province head coach Allister Coetzee has signed a new contract to stay in Cape Town until 2015 and has turned down the opportunity to join Heyneke Meyer’s new Springbok coaching staff
2 August 1956, Solway Ground, Masterton: South Arica 19 / Wairarapa-Bush 8
It was another disappointing Springbok performance and although they won by 11 points all the tries came from individual effort rather than from smooth team work as one would expect after 7 weeks and 15 matches on tour (excluding the 3 weeks and 6 matches in Australia).
New Zealand Herald recently published their list of 20 All Black greats.
The List referred to above are the players that made All Black rugby what it is or who changed the direction or perception on how the game should be played in New Zealand.
Who are the Springbok legends that formed SA rugby; who made Springbok rugby what it is? Continue reading
For better or worse, the Pieter de Villiers era has come to an end. Many felt at the time of his appointment that Heyneke Meyer was the best candidate, and now four years later he will get his opportunity to prove them wrong.
And as expected some of what he says make no sense whatsoever.
Canberra – Brumbies coach Jake White wants to use a new alliance with the University of Canberra as the extra bait to lure South Africa’s most talented juniors to the capital.
I have had a look at the Article dealing with whether Heyneke Meyer’s proposed ‘Unified SA Style’ is realistic or not.
Meyer said on Monday that his ultimate aim would be for all the teams in South Africa to adopt a similar style of rugby.
“In future I would like to install a national style of play and defence and all the attributes that go with it, and everybody should buy in,” Meyer said.
“I am realistic and know you can’t force people to play the same, but there should at least be a common goal and places where you can touch base.”
This brought me to the question is this possible at all and what is the typical South African style? I think what most SA teams have in common is the idea of dominating the set piece (scrum and line-out). Soften them up in the forwards before you spread it to the backs type of philosophy. Continue reading
New South Africa coach Heyneke Meyerwill make finding common ground with Super Rugby franchises and northern hemisphere clubs over conditioning of their Springbok players his priority, he said on Monday.
28 July 1956 – Rugby Park, Invercargill
South Africa 23 / Southland 12
Southland hospitality was at play when the Springboks arrived in a cold Invercargill. Lavish entertainment including flights to the beauty spots in the South Island was laid out by the Southland Rugby Union.
I suppose this issue is so important to ALL SOUTH AFRICANS, that it is only just that we handle the Matter LIVE!
Herewith the announcement as it appeared live on TV in SA.
Oregan Hoskins announced the Coach, before that Jurie Roux, SARU CEO made some remarks.
It’s official, Heyneke Meyer IS the new Springbok coach!
17 July 1971 – Sydney Oval, Sydney
South Africa 19 / Australia 11
Not much is available about this Test apart from some Gerhard Viviers commentary (see video below) and brief descriptions of the Springbok tries. There were two changes to the South African team who played against France earlier the season at home.
Morné du Plessis and Hannes Viljoen got their first caps in the places of the injured Tommy Bedford and Gert Muller. The South African team can be seen in the table below.
Former Springbok and Bulls captain Victor Matfield could come out of retirement, but only if Heyneke Meyer is unveiled as the new Springbok coach on Friday.
The Blue Bulls Company has just released an official Media Release regarding their stance on Heyneke Meyer’s possible appointment as Springbok rugby coach, by SARU.
The plot thickens…
Let’s join in the fun, Heyneke Meyer’s touted as being a sure ting now for appointment as Springbok coach!
South Africa 27 /West Coast-Buller 6
Dominating in the scrums and line-outs has so far proven to be not enough for the 1956 Springbok team. Not even halfway thought the tour yet and they’ve already lost two tour matches namely against Waikato and Canterbury as well as the first test in spite of winning the line-out and scrums contests in each of these matches.
The two main problems seem to have been; firstly, an inability to contest at the rucks/tackle ball; secondly, lack of polish in the backline. The lack of structure at the rucks and collision areas has been the main area targeted by the local team’s right from the Waikato match. The primary approach was simply to change the line-outs and scrums into rucks and then to charge through in numbers and/or to put the ball behind the Springboks with box kicks and then charge at the backs.
As we reach the magical, mystical and unfathomable date of January 27th for the announcement of our new Springbok coach, and as the excitement builds, the media hacks go into overdrive. This comes second only to the general election results in terms of hype. Who’s in, who’s out, the circus continues, SARU aren’t helping, but here’s the latest.
Canterbury 9 / South Africa 6
This match was a turning point in terms of the media and public’s (in both countries) relationship with Craven and the 1956 Springbok team.
Terry McLean writes: This was the day that Canterbury, for the second time in three encounters, defeated South Africa, this was the night that Danie Craven, after telling me that he was not a happy man, said a critical piece about refereeing in New Zealand, this was the week-end in which he made an official complaint about the quality of New Zealand refereeing and this was the succeeding week in which angry passions were stirred in the backrooms of newspaper offices, both South African and New Zealand, that the Grey River Argus felt impelled to say, “Sour grapes, Dr Craven –very sour grapes indeed!”
The 1956 team was not a particularly happy touring group and struggled to find their feet right from the start of the New Zealand leg of the tour after losing the first match against Waikato. The Springboks had a hard time adjusting to the wet playing surfaces, the rainy/muddy conditions, the flat lying and rush-up defensive style of the New Zealand teams but in particularly with the kick and charge/marauding foot rush tactics of the New Zealand teams. The rucks were a nightmare for the Springboks and they were at loss how to counter the locals’ aggression, structure and ascendency at the tackle ball.
I have put up two articles on the Rassie affair together, as both are linked
.