What is ther that any coach can do at present - being it White or whomsoever else. After the 2007 WV and the removbal of White as coach - which I believed was very wrong - there was no team renewal in the Soringboks of any consequentce. There was no hope for any renewal for players at all - so some potential players lost interest - others signed overseas contracts and we were left with virtually nothing to do as to a reasonable pool to select replacement players from.
The veterans as you call them went two years past there sell-by date and consequently we lost badly in 2011 WC. WE all blamed the coach - but what about the rugby geriatrics that represented us in 2011. In fact after 2009 our performances in tests got worse and worse. There was no way that we could go on with the has beens and never has beens that constitutted the team in 2011.
The successor of De Villiers inherited no players of any consequence from his predecessor. What he could still use - he retained. He kept on Habana, Pietersen, De Villiers, the Steyns, Hougaard, and most of the forwards that was still playing rugby. Some of the retained players turned out to be duds in 2011. In particular we talk here about the Steyns and Hougaard - which we criticised relentlessly on this site and in the media. Francois Steyn - after a number of atrocious performances - got injured and is out of contention. Hougaard was recognised as a player that was a total misfit as a scrummie. Morne Steyn - regarded worls wide as a flyhalf that neutralize backline play completely with only one postitive - and that is his goalkicking - Meyer kept on till his goalkicking dipped to a 20% success rate. His other attribute was his constant handing over possession to the opposition by poor and aimless kicking away of possession. Wr always complained about the amount of ball possession in tests - but for that Morne Steyn's role was never really identified.
Anybody who said he should be retained as Springbok flyhalf should have his head read. As far as I am concerned his atrcious displays in tests this year made us look like the fools of world rugby. He had to go - and there was nobody really knocking on the door - bar a 20 year-old. He played well and for the first time in years there were signs of real life revival in the Springbok backline in the test against the Wallabies. Come along the All Black test and the floodgates of criticism open. Back to Morne who failed in 7 tests this year is the call. When I look at what is written it scares the hell out of me. If we fo back to Morne Steyn - it is back to 10 man rugby and back to bigger and bigger losses. If Morne played on Sarurday he would have kicked away 70% of our possession and allowed the All Blacks to run riot - you all saw what they did with that Taute kick - there could have been 4 or 5 Morne kicks that went the same way.
Meyer tried to neutralize the atrocious backline performances of the Springboks by bringing in Pienaar at scrummie - in other words he ried to ger experienced players back. But in the center position there was nothing to fall back on when Francois Steyn got injured. There was only one previous Springbok in Super 15 as a center - and that was De Jongh. In 2012 Super 15 he was a complete dud - absolutely useless in attacking play. The only center that showed any signs of life in that competition was Jordaan - a 20 year old as well.
Amongst the forwards Meyer did make some inspired changes like bringing back Louw from bathm as well as otner choices like Vermeulen. At least we reached a parity in possession and there was no Morn Steyn to kick away possession. In the renewal programme Meyer also made some wicked choices - as far as I am concerned the main one being Jantjies. He had very little if any scope with centers and was also hit by an injury that kept Pietersen out.
My real question to you is - bring back White and what would he have done under the circumstances? Please be logical and instead of criticism make some alternative suggestions as to what should have been done as to player selections.
