The Tragic Tale of Brussow

Here we are, playing what is widely regarded as the best fetcher in the game, lamenting our lack of options. It didn't have to be this way. Nearly ten years ago we had a breakdown menace of our own, one who was rightfully the player of that year. He outplayed McCaw easily, so too Pocock. He contributed significantly to our comebacks against the British Lions. Yet, in spite of consistent excellence, he was largely an outcast. He didn't play test rugby in 2010, through injury. He would play in 2011 and have to wait another four years before he would don the green and gold again. He battled bravely, again out playing his Kiwi and Wallaby foes, but again cast aside as he missed out on the World Cup. 

We wonder why we struggle to be successful at test level. How can it be otherwise when we fail to pick our bet players? Who would you rather have today, Brussow or Kolisi? As good as Louw has been for the Boks, particularly during 2013 to 2015, he was never better than Brussow. Brussow is one of the best performing Boks I have ever seen, yet he has a meagre total of 23 caps to his name. That while failed projects such as Lambie (56), Coetzee (28), Kolisi (35), Damian (32), Olivier (38), Mvovo (17), Jacobs (34) have persistently found their way into the team, delivering virtually nothing. It lowers the value of the jersey and has done nothing to better the Bok standing in world rugby.

Brussow is only 32 years of age, and no doubt still has something to offer the Boks. He possessed an unmatched ability to round out our game and amplify our traditional strengths. Would New Zealand have ever done such a thing with their players? Could one imagine McCaw, Read, Carter, Nonu, Smith or Retallick being outcasts? I can barely think of a time where New Zealand has been without its best players, injuries aside. Our coaches clearly don't understand the value of the players we have, and are consistently unable to identify talent as well as they should, particularly given their standing and influence in South African rugby.

Imagine that, Frans Steyn and Lambie, standing at a total of 56 caps. Another Bok tragedy. We make the game far more difficult than it needs to be. 

I doubt he would stand up to the demands of test rugby. He was very injury prone, and by this stage must be celetaped together

AO  

Brussow in his prime was very good and a sure real loosie when it comes to making breakdown turnovers.    However, by 2013 already he became less effective and became  a player giving away too many penalties in trying to make turnovers.   Fact is that with die regard to turnovers made and penalties conceded already in Super Rugby in 2013 Labuschagne was more effective in that aspect of the game and also in other aspects of performance.

In his last test the penalty problem got really problematic - but the other problem was that he was not physically strong enough to really compete on the ground.   

The problem was also that Meyer in his ignorance never really realized two things - namely that players who are really to be competitive on the ground also need pace and ball sense.  He then decided on two players he regarded as good enough on the ground and that was Louw and Vermeulen.   There was only a major problem that did not help them in being really competitive - namely lack of pace.   Although these two players were competitive in the slower NH conditions -   Louw especially was not in the SH conditions.   Alberts still have to learn the meaning of the words ball protection and recovery and in this respect he was utterly useless.   

Now back to Brussow - he had another problem that hamstrung him namely a very serious injury problem - making him a problem in the modern game on test level.   That I believe was why he himself in 2015 decided that he would not be available for test level selection in future.   Much as I think Brussow was an asset I think his body really could not take the punishment anymore resulting in his own decision to keep on playing soft rugby in Japan and discontinue his test career so as  to lengthen his playing career.   There is another issue and that is that Brussow also decided not to make himself available for the Sunwolves to play Super Rugby moving himself out of international competition even on that level.  

Your allegation that he was maltreated by SA Rugby cannot be substantiated.   I would say that any suggestion to bring him back by SARU would be rejected by the player himself.

He was the best performing loose forward in 2015's Rugby Championship, torturing New Zealand and Australia at the breakdown, but was denied a place in the World Cup squad. Is that not unfair? This would be your opportunity to attack Louw were you mo re cognizant of the moment.

I'll tell you this much, I'd rather give him the benefit of the doubt today that have Notshe or Kolisi in the starting XV. 

What you would do is so far removed from reality it is unbelievable,  I do not think Kolisi or Notshe are proper choices in any event - but to think that Louw (who failed miserably this year) and Brussow who have no interest in selection would do better is really a JOKE  in capital letters.   Have you seen any performances by Brussow since 2015 on which you can base such a choice?    I could think of a number of more suitable players who did compete on Super Rugby level which would be more valuable.  

By the way dream on about Brussow having been the best performing loosie in the 2015 RC  - he was not playing against Australia and was bog ordinary against NZ and poor against Argentina,   I am always amazed how you rate players - failures and very average players become top performers and top performers become failures.   Amazing - but one has to remember Mozart has described you as together with him and Pakie as the top rugby analysts in the world.  So why should sane people ever question your dreams?

Of course Brussow would do better. What does Kolisis actually do. Standout outside a lineout, occasionally pop up for carry, occasionally tackle, very occasionally make one good run. Where is his work at the breakdown? To suggest that Brussow can't better that at all is insanity.

You're right, it was against Argentina, who physically manhandled the rest of the team. Brussow was the dominant breakdown threat in both of those games. Hence why South Africa ended the tournament with the most breakdowns won in the RC, New Zealand finished third. Always wrong. Here's some numbers for you. Against New Zealand he finished 14/1 tackles, the most of any Bok. In fact, only Burger came close at 13. Nobody else was within 6 of them. He ended with two turnovers. Successfully stifled possession as the Boks dominated the breakdown. 

Oh, and average would be Mr. Fluffy de Allende, fluffing every tackle against Australia and being wide open for four tries. Where was he against New Zealand? Nowhere, which I covered extensively in July. If we ever play the USA again, at least we know he can cut them open. His only proven positive contribution at test level.

Listen  14/1 is zip average against the AB's as proven in the latest test against the AB's. And where you get the turnover info from is really weird, especially since you give that as a reason for promoting Brussow.   Even if their were turnovers - how many was made by Brussow?   I remember from that two critical breakdown turnovers by De Allende - cannot remember a single one by Brussow. 

Where you gone bananas again is to claim that Brussow is being better than Kolisi.   My point was  that I have not seen any game in which Brussow played and asked you if you had seen anyone.   Since Brussow refused to play for the Sunwolves, any such statement is purely guessing.   I also said clearly that there are other alternatives who has played and proved that they are better than Kolisi - I never support selection based on reputation, that I leave entirely to Mozart, you and co.   You have yet to learn that such selections normally fail badly- I can give you a very long list of such Meyer selection failures.