If John Smit is really the patriot and team man he claims to be, he would make the hard choice that Springbok coach Peter De Villiers cannot – withdraw himself from the World Cup squad.
After Bismarck Du Plessis’ colossal performance against the All Blacks today, even the most jaundiced eye must admit that Smit has no place in the Bok starting line-up – and he is certainly not an impact player – so where does that leave him?
Surplus to the needs of the team.
People praise his leadership, but what true leader is content to be a liability on the field? Smit’s defense has been diabolical all season. He lost the Boks a crucial clash against the All Blacks in Soweto last year with a missed tackle, and has continued that form since.
The opposition now deliberately target him with runners, usually to great success. Watching him flop around, humiliating himself, is just embarrassing for Springbok fans, and should be for him too.
His work rate is pathetic – he’s usually hanging out on the wings rather than putting in the hard yards, and even his throwing has been sub-par.
If his leadership is so crucial to the Bok side, it must be from the stands as a team manager; Smit is unfit for duty on the field.
But do the Boks really even need his leadership? His 65 percent win ratio as captain is frankly pretty poor. Victor Matfield has grown into a very accomplished leader – one could argue even more so than Smit.
Matfield has captained the Boks fourteen times, with only three losses – twice against Australia and once in the disastrous Scotland game of 2010, a loss which came down to poor selection more than poor captaincy.
Matfield has captained the team twice against the All Blacks, securing the famous victory in Dunedin, and then again yesterday in Port Elizabeth. His Bulls squad has hoisted the Super 14 trophy three times – something Smit has never done – and have routinely beaten the Crusaders (the bulk of the New Zealand squad) in play-off rugby for several seasons in a row.
Matfield does not fear McCaw and his All Blacks, no matter what jersey they are wearing.
He is still pre-eminent in his position, and feared by teams around the world.
Matfield is clearly the man to lead the Boks to victory over the All Blacks, the primary obstacle to South Africa defending their World Cup title.
John Smit, the patriot and pragmatist, must step aside for a better captain in Matfield, and a better hooker in Du Plessis.
If he is really coaching the side, as many suspect, he needs to do it from the coaches box, alongside the last members of his supporters club.
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