Selections at the heart of the Springboks' woes

Captaincy on the rugby field is a revered responsibility. Yet, for all its importance it is an intangible concept, what is leadership?

Is leadership the ability to motivate, or the willingness to set a standard and elevate those around you to adhere to it? Although opinions might differ on the attributes of a captain, there is consensus on the importance of this character on the rugby field and within a team.

As Harry Jones shared a few weeks ago in a vividly descriptive recollection of bygone days, he viewed his own election as captain surprising and polarising in the traditional Afrikaans community of Stellenbosch, given his long hair and English background.

Importantly, though, his coach supported him in his role and this allowed him to act capably in leading his team.

In Test rugby, the responsibility of the captain extend beyond the rugby field. Captains are ambassadors for their sides and address the media in conferences and interviews. A successful captaincy finds this steward inextricably linked to the image and aura of the team.

Who could think of the All Blacks without imagining their inspirational leader Richie McCaw, or the ’95 Boks without seeing Francios Pienaar shaking hands with Madiba?

In contrast, when teams struggle with consistency in captaincy it can be a tempestuous time with numerous ramifications. Before Mike Hooper took over captaincy of the Wallabies this year they had seen Will Genia, James Horwill, David Pocock, Ben Mowen and Stephen Moore assume the responsibility in a span of three years.

Certainly the lack of consistency was an area of concern for the Wallabies and although Hooper has his critics I believe at this point continuity in that role is more beneficial than the person in question.

The All Blacks need only a cursory mention in this regard as their captain McCaw has been a granitic foundation and a talisman of inspiration for them. In his 131 Tests he has only lost 13 times.

People struggle to get similar results on math Tests let alone professional sport. Statues will be erected of this man I have no doubt, and the All Blacks certainly consider him a national treasure.

What about the Springboks? Hampered by injuries to key players, overseas unavailability (Jaque Fourie) and Frans Steyn’s contractual dispute, this year has been shaky to say the least for the Boks.

Narrow victories over Wales and Argentina raised concern and their recent losses in Australasia have caused division among supporters, with some advocating positivity and others (*cough* Biltongbek) lamenting the Bok gameplan.

Jean de Villiers returned from injury at the start of this year’s Rugby Championship and resumed captaincy since. Heyneke Meyer trialled Jean at the start of his coaching tenure in 2012 and then in 2013 made a firm commitment to him as his preferred captain.

I can understand Meyer’s initial choice to choose De Villiers as captain in his debut season as coach. At the time he was a veteran player and respected senior member of the squad and Meyer needed someone trustworthy and reliable as a captain.

However, valid questions were raised at the choice of captaincy since Francois Steyn was perceived as the incumbent 12 for South Africa. Indeed, the availability of more qualified players at inside centre has actually seen de Villiers shift to 13.

Although I have great respect for Jean de Villiers and his abilities as a player and captain, I did have reservations about his initial selection as captain and I question his role in the context of next year’s World Cup.

In 2008 Pieter de Villiers assumed coaching responsibility from World Cup winning coach Jake White who was inexplicably ousted by SARU. Many advocated the selection of Heyneke Meyer at the time but eventually de Villiers, as he became known, was selected as the man for the job.

I could write another article about his inadequate credentials and controversial statements but I would rather limit my personal reflection of trauma. de Villiers convinced John Smit to return to Test rugby as captain even though he had left to play in France, making way for the physically superior and younger Bismarck du Plessis. You might have heard of him.

Upon Smit’s return concessions were made to include Du Plessis, culminating in the farcical move of Smit to the position of prop in 2009. Baffling decisions aside, in 2009 the Springboks experienced one of their most successful seasons ever with a series win over the Lions, three consecutive wins over the All Blacks (including their last home defeat) and a Tri Nations title.

However, not everyone was convinced that Pieter de Villiers was steering the ship. Speculation arose that senior Springbok players Fourie du Preez, John Smit and Victor Matfield were assuming the coaching responsibilities and largely dictating game plans. Eventually Smit moved back to his preferred position of hooker and de Villiers was a lame duck with an ageing captain whose selection relegated the world’s best hooker to the bench.

The Springbok spin doctors were hard at work keeping up appearances. Gary Gold wrote a statistically laden defence of Smit’s selection at prop, which I perceived as a desperate justification of a poor selection choice.

In 2011, against the All Blacks, Bizzie was replaced by Smit in the 60th minute after a blistering game and he was seeing leaving the field incensed, muttering expletives. No need to worry kids, mommy and daddy aren’t fighting.

The Springboks had backed themselves into a corner. They hedged their bets on an ageing captain whose leadership ability ultimately couldn’t justify the exclusion of a more superior player in his position.

Simply put, the Springboks were forced to travel to the 2011 World Cup with one of their best players on the bench because their captain needed to be on the field. During this time there was constant mention of Smit’s mystical abilities as a captain and the need for his inclusion (some pointing to the calming effect of his return to the field in the first Test against the Lions in 2009), but I was unconvinced.

I find myself in a similar state of apprehension and doubt as we approach the 2015 World Cup. Jean de Villiers is 33 and has played a 100 Tests for the Springboks. He is a good player, but in current form he is failing to make the impact he once did a few years ago.

Although a solid defender he is utterly without imagination on attack – if you saw him offload in a tackle you‘d want to check that hell hadn’t frozen over. He rarely sidesteps and as his years advance his speed is diminishing.

Enter Jan Serfontein, a young man who is fearless in defence is an exceptionally strong ball carrier. I see in him a special talent and ultimately the future of the inside centre position for the Springboks. And don’t tell me that the solution is to move Jean to outside centre.

Sure, he might be capable in that position but he is not our best player in that position. I have been utterly perplexed this year that we went on tour without a specialist outside centre and the continued omission of Juan de Jong in the context of this cavernous vacancy is nothing short of negligent.

The reason for my concern as we approach the World Cup is that I believe the Springboks are at a similar crossroads to 2011. We see a slow, ageing player who is selected not for his ability but instead because the coach persisted for too long in his selection as captain and sees no alternative so close to the looming tournament.

As I mentioned initially captaincy is an abstract entity, ill defined and not easily deconstructed. Its importance is paramount, and neglecting this can be disastrous. Many considered Nick Mallet’s omission of Gary Tiechmann in favour of a young Bobby Skinstad in the 1999 Springbok World Cup squad to be a grave error.

I believe the Springboks have other capable candidates for the position of captaincy, among them Adrian Strauss. I believe Jan Serfontein deserves to start at inside centre and that maximal game time is required in order to cultivate him prior to next year’s World Cup.

Some of you might suggest that De Villiers is still finding his form following injury, but I’m unconvinced. At some point there needs to be a changing of the guard and this necessity can’t be clouded by sentiment. Select the best players based on merit, not because you made the mistake of backing a losing horse.