The Media Frenzy

There is no way in the world that the coach - who got fired because he buggered up badly - both when coaching the Springboks and the Italians -  and the backline lock player - start talking about selections.   I like the comments of Mallett particularly when he said that Mattfield had the ball thrown elsewhere in the line out when he feels that it may be taken by an opposing line jumper.   How brilliant of him - that makes him th outstanding lock in the world.   

Then you get the same player - who have not done anything for years in a maul situation - but disrupt back line play by standing around amongst the centers, shouting that Du Preez will make a good captain for the Springboks.   

Both these are actually rugby dinosaurs from an era in SA Rugby that should be ignored.    Mallett was probably the worst coach SA had since 1994 and he allowed a team to deteriorate to a level where they could not beat any team but Italy.     He then went to Italy to coach them and they managed in the whole time to beat Scotland once and some minor teams a couple of times.    For this one to tell somebody that the back line player Mattfield is the best line out player ever,  because he shouted not to throw the ball to him - is like listening to a village idiot of centuries ago.

Then Mattfield - who would like to get back to his center position - but got barred through a rule preventing a return of a player who retired within six months from such retirement, started off by punting Du Preez - whose last captaincy was when he was captain of a school team - being bandied about as captain of the Springboks.  This is funny since Du Preez  after he left for Japan to play in the retirees league there - is really not the way towards the future and it is really leaving a bad taste in the mouth of everyone.

Du Preez - who built up his own reputation by destroying back line play - would be a major flop as captain and the return of Mattfield would bring back an era - when we have eight back line players and seven forwards in the Springbok team.    

Is moving backwards towards the future really what we need in SA?    Is Meyer going to become so obsessed with his Blue Bulls antics that it is going to undermine the Springok team performance and then really going to succeed as coach?   Lets wait and see about his selections and then see what happens subsequently.    Maybe a string of losses would make Meyer see the light and stop him being the Bulls coach and become the Springbok coach.   

I had such a good laugh at this, seeing as you are so lost I'll help you out...

Mallett's reign can be broken into four distinct time periods of drastic changes and advances to the game. So much so were these changes vast that the All Blacks even lost pace in 1998, being whitewashed in that TNs after being practically invincible for the two previous years! Mallett's only failure was to keep pace with advancements in attacking play to counter the rampantly improving defences of that time. He resorted to a frantic quick recycle approach to immitate the Brumbies under Eddie Jones. He is a good coach, far superior to Kitch, and far superior to all those in between.

Mallet drastically improved the Italians. You do not consider performances or tacticality so I'll assume you never watched a single game under his tenure. He even had their attack sharpened.

Du Preez is a tremendous generator of attacking play. If you want to look at a stifling influence, then Jean has been the CHIEF culprit for the last six years! That's when our backplay went down the drain. I have no idea where you get this idea that Du Preez has been a liability. He constantly sparks game changing moments and has been easily the most influential player in South African rugby in the modern era. We are talking about a player with a passing game that spans the entire width of the field, with tremendous speed and accuracy, a tremendous kicking game and with great sniping ability. When Du Preez runs, he makes something happen and, to date, has a far greater percentage of successful runs than Hougaard. You seem to be intensely anti-Bull, maybe I am wrong, but that's how you come across to me. This attack on Du Preez is making you look incredibly stupid. So many wild claims, yet very empty on the evidence to back these claims up.

I would like you to consider that the Bulls have been the MOST well-rounded side for all of the last five and a half years. They are doing something very right, and most of that is to do with Meyer. Let him choose the personnel he needs. If you hate him for picking Bulls players, then you are just as biased as you think he is, which makes you a hipocrite. Maybe your beloved players are not as good as you believe them to be. Perhaps it is you who has fallen for media hype! Hark!
 

Please - one explanation.  If Mallett was the best coach SA had - then can you explain a number of problems that ultimately let to his being fired.   He nvever ever communicated anything to Teichmann - the 1998 captain of the very successful side against the All Blacks and everyone else.  Teichmann disliked tremendously his foul-mouth cursing on the practice field and so did most of the players at the time.  

When he could not get around the player loyalty to Teichmann - he fired him without even talking to him over the phone - Teichmann read about it in the papers.   He then went on to the WC with a huge loss to the Aussies and afterwards the Springbok team went further backwards and Mallett was fired - a real champion coach that one  if facts and not fiction is borne in mind.  And don't tell me hewas fired because of the ticket prices issue - the fact was he was so near to firing that he used that issue as an excuse to quit.

Now lets get to the Italian team performances under Mallett - the wins were few and far between even when he sharpened up their attacking play.   I am a rugby fanatic who watched their play in virtually all Six Nations games - but cannot say that they were really a good attacking side.  Much of their play was amongst the forwards and not in attacking play - so that is one issue I must have missed completely in watching their games.

Yes I have little respect for the wonderful Du Preez.   Have been watching this guy for years.   That flop he made at Twickenham was unbelievable and let to a try - and loss of the game.   I saw Du Preez play many, many matches - both here and overseas and one thing was constantly in evidence and that is that on those occassions when he was replaced as a scrummie - eg at Murrayfield when Fourie scored his famous two tries - the back line of the Springboks started to function properly.    Maybe he was coached to play as he did - but I always got the impression that he was like a player going through a set number of moves without any variation and he was utterly predictable.

Du Preez had a particularly bad year in 2011 and afterwards and that was when he moved to play in Japan after the WC loss.   That is where a lot of retirees go after leaving international play.   After a season in Japan he now aspires to captaincy of the Springboks but prior to the latest jokre mention was never made of any leadership qualities - which only was in evidence when he captained his school team - he captained nothing else ever.     That is an excellent preparation for him to captain the Springboks.

It is easy to make genarlized statements about wondrful play by players - but these should be substantiated by their performances and I am sure that some people are looking at issues with blinkers - and bad ones at that - it actually obscures facts completely.

No I do not hate the Bulls or Meyer.  There will be at least 12 Bulls in the squad of 22 to play the POMS.   How that can be justified in view of the Super 15 performances is really going to be difficult to understand - and that is my worry about the team.   With a Bulls team repersenting SA one would accept that they are really top of the Super 15 log with miles between them and the next team.   I have seen this type of thing before and can remember a time when Western Province dominated in Springbok selection.  Coming from a game after a particularly bad loss - one not too sober a fan was pissing against the wall - and made the classic comment - "We Pee against the wall".

Teams should be elected on merit - not on provincial preferences.   In a way I admire Meyer.   He came from the SWD and took over the coaching of the Bulls when they were the perpetual last on the Super 12 and 14 logs.   He built them up slowly into the dominating team in the competititon - but the decline is really noticeable since he left there.    Sentiment should not be a roll player in this case - all I believe is wanted by all fans is that Meyer select the best players available and field the best team possible.   The question is - is that going to happen?  We'll seee on Saturday.

without weighing into debate too much... as really dont care too much - frankly... I'd prefer to see a weaker bok team when playing Wallabies 

why du preez and not hougaard @ 9 ? both bulls players - if thats what its about...

Is du preez's running game better than hougaards? surely not, never was, or, will be.

So really that leaves 'leadership'... I tell you that same 'leadership' quality is what caused John Smit to stay too long in bok side when there was Bismark - who IMO is best hooker in the game at present. And possibly could have been the difference (other than BL) @ RWC 2012 quarter final...

Anyway just calling it from afar - no doubt wallaby selectors / coach are going to give us enough worries with their selections only good thing is that Tri-nations or whatever its called now is still long enough away to finalise best team.... and maybe this is what it is all about...

Redman - I agree with you whole-heartedly.  We all want to see the best possible team selection on international level.  It is unfortunately not always the case and leave us an opening to debate the issue.  

Talking about Du Preez - he always was a carbon copy of Joost van der Westhuizen.  A lady friend of mine said once about Joost:  " I painted my nails and dried them between the time the ball was lieing before one foot in a maul situation and the time Joost actually picked up the ball and passed it".

Despite the comments of the aristo about his wonderful play and that De Villiers is blamed for disfunctionality of the Springbok back line - the question is how is that possible?   De Villiers rarely got a ball with a little bit of space to play - and was forced into a crash ball play situation 99% of the time.  The delay was due to poor scrumhalf and flyhalf play - and for that one has to blame the half back combination.   Du Preez in the team  in 2012 - i cannot really think of a bigger disaster than that

sapster I do trust you have noted that another poster is agreeing with me re pap victoria. Bwahahahaha

Mallet was poor when he coached the Boks. The great side Carel put together disintegrated. But Mallet has since then learned agreat deal.

Du Preez is slow in clearing the ball and seldom breaks. Morne seldom runs either. All the pressure was transferred to Jean. Jean has been outstanding although 12 was not his best position.While Jean was on the wing he was keeping pace with habana try wise. Great pace and skills. He should have been moved to outside center if at all.

Where is Saffex today? You had a go at myself and Beans for being "the only Idiots that think Matfield is not the best ever" apparently clevermike shares our view..amongst others. As for Du Preez, he can't be all bad, after all, in 2009 he was rightly nominated at WORLD player of the year, and he should've won it, I think we all agreed on that at the time. Anyway, he is a very good player, and has a brilliant rugby brain. I do think he has probably not been playing his best rugby in the last couple of years, but he is also not that old, so he is surely not over the hill. Look guys, this is just a short term thing for the England series. When our injured players are back it will no doubt be Schalk that becomes a more longterm captain, and most folks would be happy with that. As for the Hougard vs Du Preez thing, well, hougard is the future, no doubt, but again, for the immediate future, they are going with experience in the pivitol no.9 position because of the limited time to prepare for the England tests. After that, it'll be the standard planning for the Springboks future and all this silliness will be a thing of the past. Thats my 2 cents anyway.

Mike that was a complete and utter garbled mess. I said Mallett was better than all coachs before him, not after, though only Jake pips him to the prize. Read more carefully.

And please do explain how Du Preez was replaced as a hooker? I really have to hear this.

In terms of attacking sability, you do realise that Du Preez sparked more attacking play and tries than ANY other Bok over the last seven years? Added to that, you say he had a bad 2010 campaign for the Boks. Well, he never played ONE test in 2010, but was part of a rampant attacking Bulls side that won the Super 14; a star player.

Each and every one of your points is carelessly thoughtout and put together with no evidence to back it up. You harp on about that kick that supposedly led to a try. Well, that too is incorrect. England scored two tries that day.

Try 1: Henry Paul spotted Cueto being untended so chipped the ball to him. It landed perfectly in his arms and he scored a try sliding in the corner.

Try 2: A lineout by England, Hodgson stepped his way over and scored near the posts.

Anything else you would like to add?


 

"Added to that, you say he had a bad 2010 campaign for the Boks. Well, he never played ONE test in 2010, but was part of a rampant attacking Bulls side that won the Super 14; a star player."

Kapowwwww. Lights out. LOL

windpomp as you usual you miss the real isue and crow like a loony on a lessor point,

The fact is windpomp, Du Preez has been poor in the last couple of years. His service has always been slow. Now he has been playing in the sofy Japanese league but must come into the bok side as we need a captain. Only a complete loony would not admit this is a gamble.

also lets remember windpomp refs handed two of the bulle super comp wins to you. Sharks and Stormers should each have a win bar refs. Realising this would help you get a realistic appreciation of the bulle"legends""

Beeno, since February I have watched the entire 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Tri Nations. Two of those I have gone in depth on. Du Preez's pass has never been slow, in fact, what strikes me about his service is how fast and long it is. The height of his pass is perfectly at hand length to receive in the vast majority of instances. During the 2008 TNs I noted a few particular passes where he launch a bullet pass nearly two thirds of the width of the field and perfectly into the hands of the recipient who had to make little effort to receive the ball. I haven't seen ANY other player pass like that. Not even close. The only time he is slow is when our breakdown is slowed or the ball isn't protected. Sometimes a forward or a stray back gets in between him and his target. That's it. He is the most technically accomplished 9 we have ever produced, the world has ever seen. Hougaard is a fine player, but he has been exposed more than a few times for his lack of ability to control a game tactically. And his cover defence is much less reliable than Du Preez's. This nonsense has to end.

Card you are getting it all wrong.

Firstly its not the pass itself its the time it takes for DUP to pass. by the time he gets all the ducks in a row the opposition have reset. So Mike is completely right on that score.

Next he has been poor over the last few years that is a fact.

Secondly he seldom broke in recent years -ditto -morne - so that also causes a big problem as the half backs pose  no attacking threat. Compare his running of th ball to Genia.

Finally,  I repeat, form in the Japanese league means zip.  We dont have a clue how DUP is performing.

All these are facts that cannot be denied.

So please  Card no more about DUP being the greatest!  It has to be a gamble playing him.

Maybe if our backs could get into position quicker like the Kiwis he wouldn't have to stall at times. Either way, Du Preez's decision making and execution are without equal. any arguments against that must now produce some form of evidence.