When the prodigal son returns it is customary to slaughter your prized lamb, deck the dinner table with the shiny porcelain dinnerware and bring out the best bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from the cellar.
At the dinner table the conversation will inevitably turn to ‘so what have you been up to, how’s the health, are you making money’.
At least that is what I suspect when Heyneke Meyer receives his overseas Springboks prior to an international series or tournament. The only difference is he would be less concerned about their financial windfall overseas, but rather their physical and mental health.
Over the current season South Africa have been hard hit with injuries and, suffice to say the list is rather extended, there are 30 players unavailable for selection.
This has led to a number of new caps over the June series and this obviously has provided him with a look into what he would have considered bench or impact players previously.
After witnessing the Test series during the month of June, I began to wonder whether Meyer really needed these overseas players and if so, which of them were irreplaceable at this stage, considering there are roughly 18 Tests remaining before the Rugby World Cup next year.
Our esteemed Guru Harry Jones recently suggested in his article that Meyer might be the first coach to get an extension on his contract with SARU. I question the validity of that statement purely because if Meyer were aware of this, he would have used his time during this term more wisely.
There is one glaring weakness in Meyer’s development plan when you look at halfbacks.
Since 2012, the only debutants for South Africa at halfback was Piet van Zyl and Jano Vermaak. Van Zyl has a total exposure to international rugby of 12 and 15 minutes respectively as a sub in 2013.
In the case of Vermaak, he had one starter and two matches as a sub for a little less than 100 minutes of international exposure.
The regular starters were Ruan Pienaar (20 Tests), who is living in the shadow of Fourie du Preez (8 Tests), Meyer’s first choice halfback but rarely available due to club commitments, and Francois Hougaard (6 Tests).
So it is safe to say Meyer has little or no doubt which halfbacks are going to the World Cup. Problem is each of his three regular starters have issues.
Du Preez is truly the prodigal son, there’s much promise of coming home, but rather unreliable in availability, Ruan Pienaar is more keen to return, but rather limited in his approach to the modern quick game the Springboks are employing. And sadly for him, he’s not the favourite son. Then Hougaard, while the son at home, is limited in other areas and often goes on the walk about during periods when calm and control are required.
Morne Steyn is likely the most talked about player in South Africa, but I am afraid, for all the wrong reasons.
Many would think of him as the prodigal son, as he is clearly a favourite of Heyneke Meyer. The manner in which Meyer lauds the abilities of Steyn is dumbfounding to many, to such an extent that I am wondering whether compromising photos of Meyer aren’t stashed away somewhere in a safety deposit box in Paris.
The unfortunate situation for South Africa is that even if Steyn did not have those compromising photos, his selection has been made so much easier due to consistent injuries to Johan Goosen and Patrick Lambie.
The fortunate thing though, is that Handre Pollard, earmarked by Meyer since the age of 16, showed last weekend that there is more to fly half play than just looking at the gap, but rather hitting it at full pace.
Not everything about Steyn is negative though. He has a metronome boot, he plays error free rugby and isn’t a turnstile in defence. He reminds me of a Toyota Corolla 1.6 base model.
As reliable as you want any vehicle to be, it may hardly ever let you down but can be devoid of any moment of sheer driving pleasure.
Even the most sedate driver among us would admit to those moments of an undeniable need to drop down, release the clutch, put the foot down and overtake the 1.3 Corolla ahead of him.
The reality is with Steyn controlling play, the Springboks have not managed to regain the top spot in world rugby since 2009, and continuing with this folly would extend the period of dominance by the All Blacks over South Africa.
The blame does not lie with one player only, but when your pivot loses his form with the boot as he did in 2012, what benefit is that reliable Toyota then?
Francois Louw is highly regarded by many, and I have no real issues with his work rate or ability to work the breakdown, but when you have players like Bismarck du Plessis and Duane Vermeulen, who are as adept to control the breakdown and slow opposition ball, and you then look at the improvement of Marcell Coetzee, do we really need Louw?
Is there not a case to be made for Heinrich Bruessow, the one Springboks player who has never tasted defeat against Richie McCaw’s men?
Before this attempt at an article becomes a thesis more inclined to bore the reader to death I would like to make one last comment.
If Meyer were to reconsider his overseas selections, the one player who without any doubt is still the best winger South Africa has ever produced, then it would be Bryan Gary Habana.
He is the prodigal son I would bring out my best bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon for.
Perhaps you should focus dingbat. My previous article was about why I believe we shouldn't use overseas players and the pitfalls that come with it, this article is about which players do we really need from overseas. There is a distinct difference.
Daniel Manning
Guest
Didn't you just write an article like this a couple weeks ago? Let it go, you clown. You want the Springboks to select the best or not? It is bad enough that they have to select quotas, you now want an age quota too? Rugby is not won by how young your team is. I know you may find the younger players more attractive, but buddy, give it a rest.
Johnno
Guest
Im haveing roast lamb tonight everyone delicious.
Rainbow Nation
Guest
I agree that in your opinion some of the decisions have been 50/50 but that does not mean they are 50/50 as far as Meyer is concerned. I also have my own opinions but readily admit that I am not qualified as Bokke coach (despite being a long-serving armchair critic lol). Eg, I would have gone with Zane Kirchner as backup too due to his experience and as he is reliable. He's not exciting but as a coach I would know exactly what I had. I probably would have gone with Wynand Olivier too as he has clearly shown some form in France and June was abt experimentation...Mallet seemed to agree on him too...Sithole would have offered little different, same lack of size issue without the experience of a Wynand so why go there? To offer a single cap? The JP experiment is slowly paying off, and Damien De Allende will return so 13 is looking pretty good. And so we could go on on every selection...
That may be true, however Meyer has said if it is a 50/50 call between an overseas player and a home grown player, then he would select the home grown player. I am illustrating that some of those positions are 50/50, yet Meyer has stuck with his overseas players.
Rainbow Nation
Guest
Given the manner with which the player exodus is picking up speed, we definitely need and will increasingly need overseas based players. in SA simply denying Bok jerseys to those that leave would not prevent them from doing so. The main reasons for the Exodus are a failing currency, lack of player management and to some extent (especially in the younger ranks) the effect of quotas. So denying a BOK jersey wont help when the player has to choose between his family's wellbeing and that jersey or if he knows he wont get a chance to prove his worth due to racial engineerin.
SPies is still out with an injury, have always been overated in my view
Akocir12
Guest
Why no mention of Jean Deysel for 6?
Chivas
Guest
One season and a couple of comments you heard... you don't seem to need too much to have a strong opinion. I suggest you actually do some research of your own and watch a bit of rugby maybe prior to 2011. You comment that Cooper has more X factor than someone like Carlos is beyond ridiculous. But more than that a little sad as I realise how sheltered you have been from some of the truly great players and era's. For a start, have a look at the successes of Mitch over 40 odd years as captain and coach. Watch at what Carlos invented and how in one case they changed the rugby laws as he was trying things like kneeing the ball over the heads of opposition players, instead of kicking it. The game is interesting and is far deeper than your comments suggest. Anyway. You are entitled to your opinion but you are missing out on so much, by assuming things based on so little. I don't know how Mitch is travelling in SA, but I wouldn't be telling Biltong that I wouldn't include him in my list of best coaches in the Province when I don't know. Instead I might ask why he holds him in such high regard. I am sure in my close to 50 years, not everyone thinks I am great or have shown them respect. I have had jobs I have left where things haven't gone so well. But one thing for sure, I could care less about the opinion of someone who knows nothing of what I have done, but has an opinion based on a couple of things he heard. Did you hear both sides of the story or understand what lack of respect entails. As I say. Way too low on details to give your comments any real credibility. And that is just my opinion.
MMaaxx
Guest
Biltong, good one as always. Cases can be made for FduP, Habana, Louw and J Fourie, possibly B Botha too. I feel for Ruan as he has been messed around by SA. I am not surprised that he revels with the stability Ulster brings. He had class written all over him when he started and if given one position to mater I think he could have gone down as one of our best. Although now ironically I do like the wide cover he gives off the wood but in general I prefer players to specialise. However I agree we can do well without him. Happy to see Lambie and F Steyn are being kept at 10 and 12 respectively and would like to see a decision being taken on Coenie soon. Our depth at prop does not impress me as the alternatives are super inexperienced so I would like to see Steenkamp being forgotten to force younger guys to earn some caps. I get why HM is selecting the older overseas guys due to the way the time before his tenure was managed as there was no clear back up developed and now ironically he is repeating the mistake. He was the perfect man for the job 4 years ago but missed out, the situation is what it is unfortunately.... The news that HM might get a 4 year extension is positive, clearly a man with a plan who is managing the delicate balance of planning for the RWC while simultaneously getting interim results and maintaining a high winning percentage. I hate sacrificing results for the sake of a RWC. The input of the older and overseas guys helps him achieve this and the value they add in terms of sharing experience and skills cannot be under estimated. The young guys will play better and learn faster with the older guys around. Perhaps a limit on overseas players should be set at 3?
Chivas
Guest
And Nek, that is not to say your comment about whether the game supports and promotes players who play outside the square, which I guess is what you are really saying. In that extent, Austtalian rugby has often been a little fast and loose, possibly because it isn't as traditional amongst cultural and the impact of other sports. It is what makes these teams so diverse. So I wasn't meaning to totally trash your general comment or premise, but rather the details :-)
Yogi
Guest
Chivas you must have missed the 2011 super rugby season. Say what you like about Cooper, he is not always dependable, but he has more x factor than any of the players you listed from NZ.
Yogi
Guest
Well its not a very good sign is it Chivas, when players you once coached say that they felt they were treated with disrespect.
Chivas
Guest
Cooper... produced from Australia is debatable. Hardly an X factor player in the class of Cruden, Carlos, Barrett, Carter. Secondly how far are you spreading the net... back to Ella. And you can only come up with Goosen and Lambie, but they don't count. Seriously Nek. Your research is about as deep as Yogi's below.
Chivas
Guest
From what you have heard about a bloke in one situation, without knowing any of the dynamics or why he is succeeding In SA, Yogi.... classic. Good so much real knowledge about a guy goes into how you judge someone. FFS.
Yogi
Guest
I would not be including Mitchell in that list. From what I heard of his time in Perth he doesn't treat his players with respect.
Nek Minnut
Guest
SA dont create playmakers like le Roux often. NZ, France and Australia seem to produce a lot of guys like Cooper, Cruden, Larkham, Spencer, Dagg, Ella, Barrett, Foley, Beale, A.Smith but SA have really lacked in this area. Willie le Roux is the first SA player of high class and brilliant creativity to come from SA for a long time. Sure Lambie and Goosen are potentialy up there and du Preez is brilliant but le Roux is arguably the premier x factor playmaker in world rugby and if they manage to balance his brilliance with what SA have traditionaly done then they can become a great team and I am making the call that Willie le Roux is the most important player in SA right now.
Matthew Skellett
Guest
Whatabout Spies BB ? Whatever happened to him ?
Chivas
Guest
Yeah I think they are your best coaches too. I have always liked Mallet and think Mitch is an excellent coach. You know NZ coaches love coaching in the province. But who wouldn't. SA continues to produce really big smart players along with talented speedsters and playmakers. The problem most coaches struggle with is the politics. I thought Mains was pretty useful as a coach over there too. But the politics strangles these guys until they move on. What is the public support like for these coaches? How do you see them getting the respect they deserve? There must be obstacles, else it would have happened already. As I say teams would love to have a Bismark. If I was Australia I'd trade Anyone most of their forward pack for one Bismark. I'd swap McCaw for him in a heartbeat right now. So it is not a lack of talent in the playing pool.
The best coaches currently in SA in my opinion are sitting on the sidelines or are serving their time at smaller unions Nick Mallet, John Mitchell, Jimmy Stonehouse. Yet we perservere with Frans Ludeke, ALlistair Coetzee etc.