Ex Suerpsort by Dr Brendon Venter (Ace rugby brain and so often on the same page as Beeno!)
Having scooped the IRB junior player of the tournament award (Junior World Championship) and enjoyed a confident debut for the senior Springbok side, Handré Pollard’s stock has risen exponentially over a short period of time.
Were we to conduct a poll as to which player should fulfill the Bok flyhalf starting berth with the impending Rugby Championship in mind, I believe Pollard would garner close to 100 per cent of the rugby public’s vote.
Having worked closely with Pollard at under-20 level, I can attest to the fact that the 20 year-old is a special talent. While I concur that he has the makings of a future Springbok great, he needs to be carefully managed.
For a player like Pollard to reach his full potential, I genuinely believe a measured process must be followed.
Just as Heyneke Meyer is what I would describe as a long-term coaching appointment (As I have explained Meyer is a builder he gets things right over time), in turn, Pollard is a long-term talent and investment. It’s therefore imperative that the player is not hurried in his development process.(Hoor Hoor)
I’m not saying that the former Paarl Gymnasium pupil should be omitted from the Springbok squad, but for now, I believe it would be in the player’s best interests to start from the bench and serve an apprenticeship. (Agreed)
While Pollard possesses an exceptional skill-set – a bullet pass, quick feet and the capacity to kick the ball a country mile - I would argue that his primary weakness, at present, is rooted in his game-management ability.(To be expected at his age but I cant think its that weak)
The definition of a good game-manager is a player that controls the energy of a match and is proactive in terms of positioning. Young flyhalves such as Pollard, still acquiring the skill of game-management, can be caught in no-man’s land. Tactically, at times, they are too shallow when they want to kick and too deep when they want to run and visa versa.
A number ten has to manage a game and dictate terms, thus work-rate and talent are simply not enough.
Moreover, flyhalf is a particularly unforgiving position – a number of tens have come through the system and are what one could term “one-test wonders”. While young and talented, one poor match effectively consigns said player to the ash heap. I do not wish the same fate to befall Pollard.
While it’s part of the learning process to make mistakes, my deepest concern is that a high-profile error against the All Blacks, for example, which subsequently loses the Springboks a test match, could prove highly detrimental to a young player’s development. Cue Gaffie du Toit’s performance against New Zealand in the 1999 Dunedin test, as a case in point.
For the time being, I believe it would be most beneficial to start Morné Steyn at ten with Pollard doing his Bok apprenticeship off the bench. In the process, the latter would come to learn the team culture and ethos. (PLEASE NOTE MIKE - YOUR TAKE ON MORNE IS UNBALANCED)
To draw a point of reference for Pollard, it’s useful to cite the Alex Goode case study. The England and Saracens fullback was 20 years of age when I joined the Watford-based side. Like all young players, he was naturally desperate to play for his country.
I said to him, “Goodie, let me offer you some advice. Take your time to develop your skill-set and game understanding by completing an apprenticeship in the Aviva Premiership. By doing so, you will be 100 per cent ready when an opportunity at international level presents itself.”
I’ve watched as Goode has matured beautifully and today, at the age of 26, he is a polished performer for both club and country.
When you’re young, you are physical, committed and motivated but, by and large, you don’t have a great feel for and understanding of the game. For example, at the age of 20, I did not boast the best game-management.
While I’m in no way comparing my skill-set to that of Pollard’s, the reality is that the chances of success are even smaller when one fulfills the flyhalf berth, owing to the very nature of a position which requires authority. (PLEASE NOTE DR MOZ AND HAVE PATIENCE RE GOOSEN AND LAMBIE AS THEY DEVELOP INTO FINE TEST PLAYERS - IT CRACKS ME UP HOW THESE KIDS ARE DISMISSED WHEN THEY HAVENT REALLY STARTED AND HOW SOME OLDER PLAYERS ARE WRITTEN OFF WHEN STILL PLAYING GREAT RUGBY - JEAN AND HABANA)
A 20-year-old Pollard simply cannot manage the flow of a high-pressure international test as well as a 30-year-old Naas Botha could, for instance, purely because the former hasn’t experienced enough match situations.
And If Pollard is picked as the Springboks’ main goal kicker and he misses a few attempts at goal, for example, having not previously experienced the above scenario, how will he react?
Ultimately, if we throw Pollard into the deep end and something goes array, where does he go from there?
Johan Goosen was hailed as the previous “big star” and where is he now in terms of his development?
Young players want to play at once and as much as possible at international level because their fear is that the opportunity may never arise again. However, the truth of the matter is that Pollard, for argument’s sake, will be much better prepared for the challenge when he has two or three Super Rugby seasons under his belt.
Oh that we had appointed DR Venter as Stormers coach instaed of ou Allistair.
Brendon all I can say is great minds think alike.
