Meyer: Why I'm gambling on Brüssow; Rugby 365

Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has, by his own admission, taken one of his biggest gambles to go for two openside flanks.

Speaking at a media briefing in Johannesburg, after naming Heinrich Brüssow alongside Francois Louw on the flank, said he has opted to change tactics for the Rugby Championship encounter with New Zealand on Saturday.

With none of South Africa's frontline, burly ball-carriers left standing - as injuries continue to wreak havoc - Meyer felt the best way to counter the threat posed by the All Blacks is to sacrifice some line-out skills for an all-out attack on the breakdown.

"I am very excited to see what he can do alongside Francois Louw," Meyer said of Brüssow - who is available for the first time this international season, after sitting out a large chunk of the Super Rugby season with a fractured arm.

"The battle on the ground is going to be fierce and the game will probably be won and lost there," the Bok coach told the large media gathering at the team's hotel.

Meyer, who again dismissed the notion that there was bad blood between him and the player, admitted it is a gamble - especially against the All Blacks, who have the best line-out in the world.

"We are losing something in the line-outs, especially with Victor Matfield also out.

"However, I still believe the two of them [Brüssow and Louw] can cause havoc, because the game can be won or lost at the breakdown.

"What you lose in the line-outs, you will gain at the breakdown."

The other big risk is throwing a player into a Test against the All Blacks, after not having played for several months.

But the Bok coach, who admitted Brüssow's lack of game time is a concern, was adamant this is the right game to re-introduce him to the Test arena.

"With all the injuries - Duane Vermeulen, Willem Alberts and Marcell Coetzee all out - I felt this was the right game to give him a go.

"He worked hard on his conditioning, but that is not the same as match fitness. However, there are no other games where he can play," Meyer said of Brüssow.

While the coach would have liked the flank to play some domestic game, like captain Jean de Villiers is doing with Western Province, Brüssow is not currently contracted to the Free State Cheetahs.

"This is the only opportunity and I want to see what he can do against the best. He deserves his chance and whenever he has played against the All Blacks he has done really well," the coach said of Brüssow's four previous encounters with the Kiwis  - which the Boks all won.

"He hasn't played for some time, so it will be a tough challenge for him, but he is motivated."

Meyer admitted that South Africa pride themselves on big ball carriers, but with none of them left standing he opted for a radical change in tactics.

"I felt we need to change the gameplan and look at a different way to win the game - with two openside flanks.

"If the All Blacks get quick ball they are very difficult to stop. I feel it is the right choice for this game."

Asked what Brüssow needed to work on to regain his place in the team - after a four-year absence - Meyer pointed out that in the early stages of his tenure with the Boks the player had two very bad injuries.

"He lost some pace and probably bulked up too much.

"He has now slimmed down and got his speed back, especially in Japan - where the game is much quicker.

"This year in Super Rugby he showed that he got his pace back, he lost some weight and worked on his strength - which is playing to the ball."

Meyer felt that armchair critics often tend to see an openside flank as somebody who just steals balls.

"Another important aspect for an openside flank is to secure the ball once you have possession and that is something he has worked on."

Meyer added that Brüssow knew exactly where he stood during the past four years - with his last Springbok appearance having been in the World Cup quarterfinal loss to Australia.

"What I respect about him is that he didn't run to the media or fought his battles in the media," the Bok coach said.

"We had a lot of honest conversations and I told him exactly what he needed to work on to be back in the fold. This year he has played some great rugby, [after] coming [back] from Japan.

"He worked on his speed and he was awesome in Super Rugby.

"Unfortunately he was injured, otherwise he would have played earlier. He is playing against one of the best openside flanks in the world in Richie McCaw.

"He has a very good record against the All Blacks [having never lost against them] - so hopefully he'll bring some luck [to the Boks]."

 Meyer must be testing all options to bring in Brussow given what is said in this article. He doesn't have match fitness & hasn't played with the Boks for a while. I could understand it if he was on the bench. Is Meyer brilliant or a boob, we will see on Saturday.

New Zealand do not have the best lineout in the world. New Zealand do not select their locks primarily for lineout prowess but work around the field. Particularly as genuine ball carriers and link work adding second wave options. You'd think these journos would at least attempt to learn something about the game they follow! 
As per Brussow, he is better than McCaw at the breakdown. He has never been outplayed by McCaw. Not at Super rugby or test level. Especially not at test level. 

Brussouw has been out of it for a while, so we'll have to see. That said, I am a big fan and I hope he comes good. 

He's really being thrown in at the deep end, hope he comes good, last time I watched him play he made an early exit in that fateful Wellington quaterfinal. 

Desert Fox, mate, you sound ignorant even for a Yarpie. So New Zealand have never had any decent locks? Interesting because the current World Player of the Year is a New Zealand lock and the greatest player of all time was a New Zealand lock. In between Brodie Retallick and Pinetree Meads we've had locks like Frank Oliver, Gary Whetton, Andy Haden, Ian Jones, Chris Jack and Sam Whitelock - all better locks than any dirty Springbok thug who ever played the game!

I think what you meant to say is that the All Blacks are marginally less dominant in the lineouts than in the scrums or the loose. They still boss the Springboks in the lineouts but maybe not to the same extent they smash in the scrums and everywhere else.

I believe in him. He is too good, too talented, to just write off. The things I have seen Brussow do I have never seen from another player. He can dominate the breakdown with a pack that is getting bullied around and on the retreat. You don't throw that kind of player aside . If we can give Lambie six failed years of doing absolutely nothing, and still praise him to heights of heaven, we can certainly believe in Brussow.

You bleat with your heart, not your head. Where did I say New Zealand don't have good locks? Reading comprehension makes all the difference. 

 Meyer is a good enough coach, but he feeds the same BS to the media as Snorre did,  he only presents it way better. Every week a different story. He looks like a man out of options and ideas. Hard job,  but that's life. I hope he gets some vindication,  but at this stage his results doesn't warrent much optimism for the fans.  Hope yes,  but that's it. 

Meyers results have not been that bad considering what he ha to work with. A coach that gets greater output than the level of his players should be giving is a good coach. Meyer is keeping a poor group punching well above tier weight.