boklogic
Saffex and I have known each other personally for at least 8 years and he is a nice guy. From our postings it may not seem like it - but I have a high regard of his knowledge of the talented yougsters in SA.
I like some of them very much as well - but I cannott support them on the basis of potential - for me they must prove that they are the best in their respective positions to qualify for selection. That is where I differ from a lot of members of this site. I am inclined to be extremely critical when I believe the expereienced players let down the team. Unfortunately too many players in 2012 diid not play up to their full potential and did not deliver the goods as expected.
Three of the players I am disappointed in were Morne Steyn, Francois Steyn and Hougaard.
* Morne Steyn was never my idrea of a great no 10 - he is to my mind really one-dimensional and dependded too much on his kicking game to be really effective In tests in 2012 his kicking game went from average to start with to ridiculously poor - I think in some ways it was psychological, but in the end he simply lost the plot completely.
* Franois Steyn always was one of the best backline players in SA with really full reliance on his physical strength. When I first saw him in 2007 playing for the Sharks at full back - he a very tall slimmish player at 98kgs. Like all very tall players he was deceptively fast because he was so longstriding. My assessment of him was confirmned when I flew back from Australia on the same flight as the Springbok team. Since then He has put on another 12 kgs in weight and I believe sincerely he lost some speed. He was carrying about 5 kgs more weight than he should as a muscular backline player. During the tests in 2012 I believe he lost the plot to some extent and his off-loading of balls in tackle situations became virtually non-existent and way too many times he crashnalled rather ineffectively. Part of the reason was he iwas slow off the mark and his skills level became extremely limited in scope. That was not remotely like the Francois Steyn I used to admire - he was about as effective as Marcell Coetzee would be playing at center.
* Framcois Hougaard aleways was a good scrummie and he showed it earlier as a 21 yea-old. However, he lost the plot completely in 2012. His kicking game became ridiculously poor and his passing game was nothing to write home about. I believe his problem was due to psychological issues - his reading of th game deteriorated and he became too self-centered. He tried too much and was largely unsuccessful in that regard, Basically his unsuccessful personal efforts impacted on the overall performances of the Boks and that I believe were the reasons for Meyer removing him from the scrummie position.
Now lets get back to the other two expereienced players mentioned by you. - namely Burger and Smith. Burger to my mind was for many years one of the best lossies in world rugby and there can be no doubt about that. Smith was to my mind also very good - even though his ball-handling skills at times went AWOL - it used to drive me crazy when he knocked on balls and his passing game was ineffective. Burger to my mind was one of aour best ball-sense players amogst the forwards.
However, I am not sure whether Francois Steyn, Hougaard, Burger and Smith will make the grade in 2013. I have high hopes for Steyn and Hougaard since they are young and can get over the problems (both physical and psychologic) which detrimentally affected their performances in 2012. I am not so sure about Burger and in particular Smith in the relevant regard. Smith in particular played no rugby for more than 2 years and at 32 is no spring chicken. What worries me most is whether the nature of their injuries would not affect their performances. The latter aspet is important - older players are more injury - prone and take longer to recover and in the case of both players those are worrying factors. In any event I doubt very much whether they can make the 2015 WC at all and I do believe we should build up players towards that end in more particular.
No back to the Taute issue. he has loads of potential - but whether Saffex like it or not - since 2009 he played exclusively as a full back - where his performance records were excellent. In a weakish outfit he was the real point machine and his runs from full back really was spectacular. He was moved from full back to center by the Lions only in April 2012 and played only three full games in that position and in the fourth game he was injured. After one come-back game as center on CC level - Meyer plunged for him as the choice for 13 - due to the injury to Francois Steyn and moving of De Villiers to 12. Unlike his excellent performances at full back - Taute turned out to be very average as a center - in my crticism of his performances i may be over-critical, but to my mind he showed nothing as a center. That is one of the reasons - I believe - for Taute's expressed preference for playing at full back in future - as well as the actions of both the Springbok and Stormers coaches aboiut his future career propsects.
As you so rightkly pointed out - there are vast differneces between playing at 10 and 15 - as well as playing btween 13, 14 and 15. These differences are largely ignored by Saffex - who implicitly believes that players are physically strong enough to be effective in the various positions. Basically it may be potentially possible - but specialization is the name ofthe game and in the process a lot is lost in the performance stakes. That is why positional changes are so dangerous and largely ineffective in the initial year or so. In most cases the players themselves really do not adjust effectively and Ruan Pienaar was 100% correct in his assessment of the situation.
Taute MAY develop into a top class center by 2015 - but the emphasis is on MAY and it is effectively a major gamble to go that way. It could have a detrimental effect on his career prospects and could detrimentally affect the performances of the team as a whoile. I would much rather see that Taute specialize as a full back - he is not desperately needed at 13 as Saffex made it out to be the case. We have ample younger resources than the present centers in players like Jordaan and De Allende and of the Juniors Serfontein, Howard and Small-Smith have loads of potential as centers. The best one at present is Jordaan - a better 13 on Super 15 level than Taute and another Saffex favourite (Engelbrecht)) ever showed in 2012.
However, nothing we wrote will ever change the mind of Saffex - he thinks Goosen. Lambie and Taute must at all costs be in the team and wants to force the issue artificially into implemntation. He does not believe that Taute is a better full back than center - he does not believe Lambie is a better fluhalf than full back and nothing will convince him otherwise. His reading of their performances is largely illogical and may even be illusionary - as he sees assets where there are very little or even nothing in evidence.
My pick at full back reamians Taute - he was brilliant in tht position throughout the period he played there from 2009 to 12012 for the Lions - much better than :Lambie was when he playe there in the past. I am a great admirer of Lambie at 10 and equally so of Goosen - they would remain my top picks for the latter position and I believe competition for positions are good and healthy.
In essence there are so many talented players that can make their name in Super 15 this year - |I am looking forward very much to what they can produce and will not be surprised at all if there are players coming to the fore and pushing out of the Springbok team some of the established and experienced players. In that Saffex i correct - the potential players are huge - but utlimately only PROVEN PERFORMANCES should be the norm.
