Resting players a mistake for DeVilliers
Roar Pro By stash, 25 May 2010 stash is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- All Blacks, Graham Henry, Jean de Villiers, Peter DeVilliers, Rugby Union, South Africa, Springboks
Peter DeVilliers, the Springbok coach, is focusing on resting players as part of his player management for the Springbok internationals, a tactic which resembles All Blacks Graham Henry’s conditioning program of 2007.
Henry’s conditioning program seemed good in theory, but was found lacking in execution with rested players finding it tough to remove the rust.
Henry rested the cream of his talent and while they demonstrated good physicality, they were prone to errors, dropped ball and had bad timing.
In retrospect, the conditioning experiment was universally deemed a failure, with Henry purportedly agreeing not to run such a program again as a stipulation of retaining his coaching position after 2007.
While this should give Springbok fans a moment of paused concern, it is the selection of six offshore players that is cause for alarm.
The Boks will be playing Wales, France and Italy in South Africa for their June tour and opening stanza for their 2010 campaign. DeVilliers’ selection of international players is a mistake, although, the players he has chosen as his run-on team are gifted, the European game is not the southern hemisphere game.
There is no way you can expect players to adapt that quickly and work in harmony.
DeVilliers is obviously looking for depth, which Henry attempted in his 2007 campaign to the point of fielding two entirely different All Black teams. The lesson from that was you can only field one team at a time in the big games.
Henry has begun working closer with coaches and players during the domestic seasons so that they can incubate and deepen the coaches understanding of the player. This can’t be done when your players are in France.
The Springboks had an excellent Tri Nations last year.
However, they squandered their reputation and world ranking by dropping games. DeVilliers is following this pattern again and it may well spell defeat in June.
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May 25th 2010 @ 6:03am
Hoy said | May 25th 2010 @ 6:03am | Report comment
In the other thread about poor touring teams, this one deserves to be up there. Whilst I have been saying NH teams touring South in the past were lacklustre, I feel this is a poor show from the Boks. Whilst the players selected might be good, they are not first string, and that, I do not appreciate as a rugby fan. It cheapens the national jersey, and again, I find it a bit of an insult to the teams they are playing against.
If there is any argument, ask yourself this, would Y player be picked to tour if X was not being rested. X could be substituted for a fair few names staying home for this tour. The super second rowers from the republic aren’t touring, so they take their back ups, they are looking overseas for their centre pairing, will they really be the centres for the TN? The back row is experienced, but shunned Joe Van Niekerk, with two rookies, the list goes on.
I can understand that ‘crazy’ De Villiers is trying to get depth, but I am not sure this is the way to do it, or that this squad of players that will be there when the whips are cracking anyway. It all seems quite odd to me. Happy to hear any South African’s take on this tour.
I also think that SA touring North in June is very odd. I have not heard of a SH team doing that. Has that happened much previously? I can’t recall any teams touring North prior to the TN.
May 25th 2010 @ 6:23am
Lee said | May 25th 2010 @ 6:23am | Report comment
“The Boks will be playing Wales, France and Italy in South Africa for their June tour ”
I pointed this out to you in another article, but you obviously didn’t read it/ignored it.
The Boks are playing Wales in WALES! That is why the overseas players have been selected, because they are already over there. They will play in this test against Wales and then, from what has been said by Div, will not be part of the France/Italy games.
The reason is to see whether they are up to international level still, and if they are keen to play for the Boks in the WC(in which case they will probably be asked to return to SA).
Claiming this as being similar to the ABs conditioning program is pre-mature to say the least, if this continues into next years Tri Nations,or even the 2011 WC then yes, I will join you in bagging it but at the moment, the Boks have a number of older players, who may/may not be able to make it to the WC and the current thought is to try and find suitable cover/replacements.
The Wales test is a one-off, that the Boks didn’t want initially but OKed it because it is to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the Millenium stadium – hence why a June international is being played in WALES.
Sorry for the rant but there are a few factors not being taken into account as well as ignoring what Div has said himself. He is also on record as saying the end of year tour will be treated like a WC dry run, where they wil treat the 1st game as a pool game, the 2nd as a QTR-final, the 3rd as a Semi and the 4th as the final – and will attempt to win all 4. And, has said how important it is that the Boks win in Auckland and Welly this year as to him that is perfect prep for the WC because that is where their pool games will be played.
None of this to me sounds like a man who is willing to drop any of the Tri Nations or November games, so why not use these June games for some experimentation….
May 25th 2010 @ 6:51am
Brett McKay said | May 25th 2010 @ 6:51am | Report comment
and further on that Lee, with two South African teams in the S14 Final the week before the Wales Test, it’s not as if these first-choice players are resting anyway. Unfortunately, SA are somewhat victims of their schedule….
May 25th 2010 @ 6:54am
Lee said | May 25th 2010 @ 6:54am | Report comment
Exactly…way too much rugby for the players(not for me personally) and something has to give.
May 25th 2010 @ 12:39pm
stash said | May 25th 2010 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
Lee,
I did read your last comment – This article was submitted before that conversation. And it was my mistake in saying that all the games would be at home.
PDV obviously feels he’s got depth – but are there benefits to making your players dig deep when they feel pressured by jet lag and traveling? Or having games in quick succession.
The Boks had a good 3N last year – that’s undisputed. But THAT aside – how do the Boks normally travel? Terribly, there away record is a major concern.
Isn’t it better to change that mindset and look to resolve this glaring defiency.
What can be learnt from fielding a B team – or looking for one off test players so your guys can have nice, little rests without….heaven forbid… any pressure.
May 25th 2010 @ 1:14pm
Lee said | May 25th 2010 @ 1:14pm | Report comment
There are benefits in what you say, but there are also benefits in making sure your players are rested – just watch the Bulls – Crusaders game for evidence.
The thought could be, less than a week with the Boks is never enough time to prepare for a test in Wales, so why not send a B team to test players, and give the core of the team a week to get over what will be a tough final, then bring the starting team together for the France game.
A one off game in Wales is not going to change the Boks ‘poor’ results in Europe, and they would be more concerned with how they travel to NZ than Europe at the moment – given that on last years performances and results they are with France as being the best non-NZ team that play in NZ.
Your problem seems to be with not playing a full strength side every game, and are then calling it conditioning. I think this is far removed from having almost 2 completely different teams and alternating them like the ABs did. If PDV rotates his squad every test then I will join you in complaining but this, as mentioned before, is being viewed as a one off. You are judging an entire yet to be played test season on one game.
There is pressure on at every international game, as well as that the rugby calender is already full to the maximum. I would much rather rest some players in the odd game and extend their careers than have them play 11 months a year for 3 years and then retire from injury.
May 25th 2010 @ 8:28am
ohtani's jacket said | May 25th 2010 @ 8:28am | Report comment
Sorry Stash but this strikes me as a bit of wishful thinking.
The Boks have proven that they can rest players and still perform at major tournaments. Whatever rules apply for the All Blacks do not necessarily apply to the Springboks. Besides, If the Springboks lose to Wales, they will quickly move on. If NZ lose to Wales or Ireland this June, the All Blacks will be under the pump again. For the third season in a row.
Perhaps if we didn’t flog our players with 15 Tests a year we wouldn’t have so many injury concerns.
May 25th 2010 @ 12:53pm
stash said | May 25th 2010 @ 12:53pm | Report comment
OJ,
Well, nothing wrong with a bit of wishful thinking (I like to put that in my coffee every morning).
You may very well be right – I can simply not understand how a team of high regard will not move mountains to win a game – or feel little concern for a loss when it could have been averted (It was a travesty when the ABs didn’t field their first team against the Ba Bas last year after that dominant win against the French).
It would be better for the Springboks in general if they can 1) change that mindset and resolve to win all matches placed in front of them, and 2) learn the dark art of winning away.
May 26th 2010 @ 10:12am
Jerry said | May 26th 2010 @ 10:12am | Report comment
This doesn’t look anything like the reconditioning program. And I don’t actually think that program was doomed to failure – the mistake Henry really made was not abandoning the rotation policy. If he’d stopped rotating the team for the 07 TN and had played his first XV in most of the AB pool matches, they’d have stood a much better chance of getting into form.
May 29th 2010 @ 8:35pm
adam said | May 29th 2010 @ 8:35pm | Report comment
and if we do rest players its only for a short time not half the super 14 as the all blacks did