MURRAY WILLIAMS
Staff Writer
With the Rugby World Cup kick-off in just 38 days in New Zealand, widespread dismay is mounting at Springbok coach Peter de Villiers’s state of readiness for the Boks’ defence of their title.
As southern hemisphere rivals Australia and New Zealand gather crucial momentum before the tournament opens on September 9, and as their coaches Robbie Deans and Graham Henry fine-tune their squads after four hard years of planning, the Boks are increasingly seen to be in disarray on key points.
De Villiers arrived in Cape Town on Sunday night, immediately making surprise statements that he had expected victory in either Australia or New Zealand, or both – in stark contrast to the 19-point and 33-point losses in the Tri-Nations away leg.
But while De Villiers is known to be counting on his “Rustenburg 21” for revival – senior players who have either been rested or who are recuperating from injury – key worries are being raised with increasing intensity in letters pages and in social media. Among them are:
l Whether the Boks have matured and advanced tactically since winning the Webb Ellis trophy in 2007, or whether they will rely on their traditional strengths, which have clearly been overcome by opponents.
l Whether it is possible to have a clear game plan when De Villiers continues to switch between flyhalves Morne Steyn, Patrick Lambie and, next, Butch James, who have fundamentally different styles.
l Why De Villiers might set off to the World Cup with untested combinations, such as scrumhalf Fourie du Preez and either James or Lambie.
l How Francois Steyn will link up with the rest of the South African-based players after a long absence in France.
l How De Villiers will simultaneously maximise the benefit from the country’s best hooker, Bismarck du Plessis, and captain John Smit’s leadership abilities.
These concerns, and many more, have fans and experts wondering how it can be that De Villiers appears to still be experimenting, having had four years to mount his campaign, including enough time to have “blooded” younger players before this recent tour, to ensure enough depth in Springbok rugby.
Doubts about De Villiers’s preparedness have been fuelled by his bizarre suggestion that the recent defeats were “valuable experience” for the players to start building for the next World Cup in 2015.
“An experienced group of players will retire after the World Cup, and the next coach definitely needs some time to build, and that’s why this tour was an important one,” he was quoted as saying.
Among those with doubts is former Bok captain Corne Krige, who said today: “He’s not as organised as Graham Henry and Robbie Deans. And part of it is that we have so many players injured, which caused some disruption overseas.”
But Krige questioned whether the Boks could afford to not have a top goal kicker in the team, and why Morne Steyn had toured and had been left feeling “unsure” due to the ongoing flyhalf debate.
Krige also wondered whether the “Rustenburg” team would be “match-fit” for the tournament.
“I’ve always had my doubts about Peter de Villiers as a coach, I’ve been one of his fiercest critics. But I really hope they do well. We have some fantastic players,” he said.
But a rugby expert with close links to SA Rugby’s hierarchy, played down the widespread concerns.
The expert, who asked not to be named, said: “It could also be that the coaches know precisely what their game plan is for each match and who will play in each position in each match.
“This has been a long time in the planning. What may seem from the outside as a lack of preparation, is pinpoint preparation.”
The expert said of the recent defeats: “In South Africa, defeats create hysteria. You’ve got to remember that since 1996, since the start of the Tri-Nations, we’ve played 19 times in New Zealand, and lost 16 times, by an average of 16 points, and seven times by more than 20 points.
“The players who remained at home did have genuine injuries. The end game here is arriving on September 2 with your strongest players in the best possible condition, and that remains very much on target.”
Another expert, Mark Keohane of keo.co.za, was more blunt: “He’s already picked his starting 15 and they’re all in Rustenberg, with the exception of John Smit. Of those, 11 played in the last World Cup final. Jean de Villiers and Pierre Spies would have too, had they not been injured, and Jannie du Plessis came off the bench.”
Therefore, only “Beast” Mtawarira would be “new”, he said.
“There’s no disarray. The players he’s invested in know only one way of playing.
The question is, are the winners in 2007 good enough to do it again?”