George Fanning

P.S Is there a place on the bench for Keith Oxlee?

Dear George

Thanks very much for your comments regarding my XV, which I had a lot of fun (occasionally of the agonising variety) in selecting.

You raise a number of issues that every amateur selector has to mull over, invariably over a few frosties with his mates down at the local tavern. Probably the most testing one is how to do justice to players like, say, oom Boy Louw, who towered over his contemporaries in the 1930’s, but whose massive frame (in those days) would be crunched by a run-of-the-mill Vodacom Cup frontranker today, or Hennie Muller, whose ripped, wiry physique was perfect for the rugby played 50 years ago, but would similarly be cannon-fodder for many of today's brutes.

My own approach in picking my side was to ignore all the players' physical dimensions and to rely solely on my respectful assessment of their "legacy" (for wont of a better word) to Bok rugby. Having been a real rabbit of a player in my time, I don't feel qualified to offer strong views on an old Bok hero's ability. And, hell, how do I compare the deeds and talents of, say, an Osler with an Oxlee – both of whom I have never even seen play? Here I tried to rely on my history books and the views of such respected commentators as Doc Craven and Chris Greyvenstein for guidance.

One of my ground rules was that my XV players had to have all been retired from the game for at least 10 years. Trying to compare a Joost van der Westhuizen to a Craven, or an Os du Randt to a Chris Koch, would otherwise have been a minefield!

Some of my players were easy to select. Doc Craven spoke only in hushed and reverent tones of Bennie Osler, whom he regarded as the greatest of captains and a true genius as a player. Gerry Brand also displaced my initial choice, HO de Villiers, if only because the good Doc also described him as a "genius" and because of my strong bias towards the 1937 Boks. This bias is also shown by my selection of the Greytown farmer, Phil Nel, at no 4. Of course, another consideration may have been the fact that I had a crush on his grand-daughter when I was a wee lad, but then that's another story altogether.

Muller, whose genius was apparent to all and sundry (especially his coach, Craven) after his almost one-man demolition of the 1949 All Blacks, selected himself, as did Chris Koch at prop. Craven and Roos were sentimental selections, granted, but ones that no bluff old traditionalists could ever really quibble about.

I selected Pelser simply because the great Pine Tree spoke so highly of him in his biography "Colin Meads All Black". I could only but defer to the views of the grizzled All Black who respectfully described the one-eyed flanker as a "bloody pain in the neck". Good enough testimony for me.

And as for the rest, well, who would you have gone for? Mordt for Engelbrecht? Or perhaps Moolman for Nel, and Stofberg for Ellis? Perhaps you would have paired up Ryk van Schoor with his old partner-in-crime, Tjol Lategan? Mulling over such selections is the much-cherished past-time of the true armchair fan!

And as for the late, great Keith Oxlee, that "Ferrari of Flyhalves", he would be an asset to any Greatest XV. I'm sorry I never saw him play, whether on the lush turf of Kings Park or Twickenham, or the parched earth of Goldstones.

Regards
Tom Marcellus

tom@rugbyforum.co.za

After last weekend’s Australian and New Zealand Super 12 matches, we are again poised for a weekend of Northern and Southern Hemisphere rugby. The fact that the Six Nations comes down to the last weekend is a true testament to the competitiveness of this year’s championship. 

The last round produced the expected results and highlighted the widening gap between the top three teams and the collective wooden spoon candidates. It will require a small miracle for Italy to hand the piece of wood to either Scotland or Wales; considering their form to date. This season should not be viewed as a success for either Scotland or Wales; rather it should be seen as the repetition of the predictability of their performances on the field. 

To sum it up, Wales have failed to produce the miracle season that had been anticipated by the arrival of Graham Henry several years ago. Scotland on the other hand has not scaled the next step of the Six Nations ladder. Perhaps both sides can take a leaf out of the Irish book on how to re-build an under performing team. Stephen Jones, writing for Planet Rugby, stated that the real problem with Welsh rugby is that the bureaucrats are determined to prevent the game from being run professionally at all levels from Schools to National level. His words may sound harsh but the reality is there for all to see. Wales has the hallmarks of a successful rugby nation and should be doing far better than the results show. Ireland seem to have found the right balance of developing players through European club competitions before they step onto the field for a Six Nations encounter.

I think that the problem is a little more complex than the level of professionalism of the administrators. The results that are produced by England are an example of how a large rugby playing nation with a complex club and national set-up can gel to the benefit of the game as a whole. Australia has also shown us that you can take a small group of core players and develop them into a competitive unit. The difference with the Australians is the manner in which they provide opportunities for players to develop from school boy level. There is a well documented and publicised professional sports sciences institute guiding and developing the game of rugby in Australia. Ireland have benefited from the European club championship because the core of their national team are represented in the competition, much like the core of the Brumbies team is represented in the Australian national team.

There is always going to be conflict of interests between administrators, clubs and national bodies, this should not be a surprise to the supporters of the game, especially those with any business acumen. Perhaps Mr. Jones is right in this regard in his analysis of the Welsh situation; it does seem as if the whole concept of managing a business competently is foreign to the committee members of Welsh rugby.

Scotland has to be suffering from some incurable disease because week after week they show glimpses of brilliance, only to disappoint in the end. The fact that they have so many problems advancing over the advantage line amongst the backs is disturbing. However this appears to be a global disease if we look at the performances of Wales against England and that of the majority of the South African Super 12 teams. The simple reason for this is the lack of effective decision making at number 10 or 12. If this is coupled with a slow service from the scrumhalf then you have absolutely no chance of getting over the advantage line.

A good friend of mine summed up the last Scottish performance: “The problem with Scotland is that the forwards keep on going forward and the backs keep on going backwards.”
The time may have come for the Scottish to look for another national coach. There is clearly a problem with decision making amongst the players and the individual brilliance of several will not suffice. 

France appears to have found the cure for having so many gifted players. The coach deserves credit for defeating all but one of the top countries in the space of a calendar year. I am sure that the tour to New Zealand will be a classic. I have been amazed by the level of professionalism of the players and the French appear to have found a cure for their famous tempers on the field.

The pick of the games this weekend will be France versus Ireland. I would look for the French to maintain the playing pattern that has proved so successful this year. They will grind it out in the forwards and then set their electric backs upon the Irish. If the Irish come to the party, this could be a festival of running rugby. I think that the French scrum will prove too much for the Irish and they will be hard pressed to keep up with the French. The return of Peter De Villiers at tight head will bolster the pack even further. 

We all welcome the return of Keith Wood, but he and Brian O'Driscoll will have to be at their best. I would also closely watch the manner in which the French close down Humphreys. They were able to do it to Wilkinson and that destroyed England’s chances. I do not need to remind anybody what happened to Ireland when England shut him down. The Irish would be wise to give O'Gara an extended period of time on the field.

Wales and Scotland could well turn out to be a classic game of forward rugby, but the fact that there backs are about as bad as each other could result in a low scoring game which will flatter the winner without really doing much for the quality of play. Scotland must use their faster forwards to wear down the Welsh and to counter attack at every opportunity. If they can spread the ball wide and turn the Welsh pack around, they could well end up ahead of Wales at the bottom of the ladder.

The Six Nations organizers must have been hoping for a Grand Slam weekend when they scheduled the fixture with Italy. If France wins on Saturday this will the anti climax of the weekend. Loyal English supporters will be the only people parting with money in locations where you have to pay to watch the game. It should be a tough physical encounter, which England will win without raising a sweat.

For what it is worth, here are my predictions for Saturday.

Wales vs. Scotland
Either team by 5 to 10 points

France vs. Ireland
France by at least 10 to 15 points

England vs. Italy
Ireland by at least 35 points

des@rugbyforum.co.za

Join the SARUGBY news and discussion group for the fastest sarugby news and the most intense debates around the South African game. Send a blank email to sarugby-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The Super 12 has reached the halfway stage after 32 matches and six weeks of exhilarating rugby. Unfortunately the Australians and New Zealanders produced most of the good stuff but then the average South African supporter needs no further reminding of their team’s woes in this competition.

The past weekend thankfully produced no humiliating defeats and was quite conspicuous in its quality culminating in one of the best matches seen for a long time between the Crusaders and Brumbies. This fascinating match had it all, awesome driving and mauling from the Crusaders pack, solid scrumming from the Brumbies, thrilling running from the Brumbies’ backline, bone-jarring defence, superb refereeing from Jonathan Kaplan and a heart-stopping finale that left spectators breathless and fulfilled. Looking at the quality it is easy to see why our South African sides are not amongst the top 4, the skills were phenomenal and the concentration levels incredible between the competition’s two heavyweights. This was Frazier vs Ali.

The rest of the weekend’s matches were not as good but still extremely enjoyable with the Chiefs springing a big upset in Invercargill over the high riding Highlanders. Inspired by the return of their captain, Deon Muir the Chiefs made excellent use of their opportunities to score good tries. In Reihana and Randle they possess two of the competition’s most lethal finishers.

The Blues won a hard fought battle against the unbeaten Waratahs and the match will probably be best remembered for Bob Dwyer’s bizarre replacement of Duncan McRae after the diminutive pivot was the most influential player on the park. That decision arguably cost them the match. The other close victory saw the Hurricanes complete a New Zealand white wash over their Australian counterparts by beating the Reds with 4 points. Ben Tune scored another magnificent trademark try and this player is a joy too behold when fit and in form.

The South African sides need to re-launch their campaigns, the Sharks sans Rudolf Straeuli will begin a long home stretch against the Blues and Kevin Putt will no doubt remember a huge defeat in the final a few years ago against the very same opposition. This time a few of the participants will be on the sidelines in different capacities, it is good to see former players involved in the game and at the teams that made them famous.

The Cats face the resurgent Chiefs who will be very confident after their good weekend, they welcome back Andre Vos and the presence of a Springbok captain might just make the difference and provide the spark to ignite their fortunes. 

The Bulls and Stormers are on the road and judging by their pathetic away record, the Bulls have very little chance of making any inroads. The Stormers are good travelers and Gert Smal holds the distinction of never having lost a game on the road all be it one match only against the Sharks! The Cape Town outfit is playing the Reds at Ballymore, a notoriously difficult hunting ground especially when the crowd gets involved in the play, ask Deon Kayser!

The weekend will provide some answers as to what the much vaunted South African pride is like, the Cats and Sharks need to produce competitive displays worthy of the semi-finalist they were last year. The Bulls only need to win a match to make it the most successful overseas tour ever but then against Mr Mehrtens and co. they have about as much a chance as beating the real bulls in the streets of Pamplona.

mark@rugbyforum.co.za

Rugby Forum Super 12 XV

2002                                                          2001

1. Bill Young (Brumbies)                           -  Robbie Kempson   (Stormers)
2. Jeremy Paul (Brumbies)                        -  Anton Oliver          (Highlanders)
3. Greg Somerville (Crusaders)              -  Greg Somerville    (Crusaders)
4. Justin Harrison (Brumbies)                     -  Johan Ackerman   (Cats)
5. Chris Jack (Crusaders)                          -  Victor Matfield        (Bulls)
6. George Smith (Brumbies)                      -  Johan Erasmus      (Cats)
7. Owen Finnegan (Brumbies)                   -   Phil Waugh           (Waratahs)
8. Deon Muir (Chiefs)                                -  Andre Vos             (Cats)
9. George Gregan (Brumbies)                -  George Gregan      (Brumbies)
10. Tony Brown (Highlanders)                    -  Stephen Larkham   (Brumbies)
11. Bruce Reihana (Chiefs)                        -  Joe Roff                (Brumbies)
12. Aaron Mauger (Crusaders)                   -  Trevor Halstead     (Sharks)
13. Stirling Mortlock (Brumbies)                 -  Tana Umaga        (Hurricanes)
14. Ben Tune (Reds)                                 -  Matt Burke          (Waratahs)
15. Matt Rogers (Waratahs)                      -  Christian Cullen   (Hurricanes)

On the siren that signals half and full time - Hooters in New Zealand Tony? Hooters are what you see on the sidelines!       Murray Mexted

In New Zealand, rugby is a game for the people, in Australia it's a corporate game.    Matt Rogers

It's not so much the money, the notoriety or the fame. I really love playing and to be honest I felt a bit stale in New Zealand. I wasn't enjoying it as much. But I still have this wicked passion for grovelling for the ball on the floor and maybe getting the occasional run.     Josh Kronfeld

PS. Would it be possible to include a log of the Super 12 each week and add more interesting statistics i.e. Tries For/Against, Penalties For/Against, Points Scored Home/Away, Wins Home/Away. The log could be an attachment for specific viewing.

Surprise, surprise! I'm not too worried about SA's Super 12 teams' performances this year. And, I believe, I have got at least three solid reasons for my optimism:

1. Virtually the whole Springbok team is sidelined through injury. At the Stormers we've got Toks, Kempson, Bobby, Fleck and Breyton out with injury. And that is without mentioning the likes of Chris Rossouw, Neil de Kock, Pieter Dixon and others. The Cats are without, amongst others, André Venter, Vos, Rassie and Joe Van Niekerk (a whole Springbok "quattro"). The Sharks are without stars like Butch James, Trevor Halstead and Mark Andrews. The Bulls, for what it's worth, are sans Joost. Compare that with the Australasian teams who, instead, are almost injury-free; in fact, a lot of their players who were out with injury last year (Mortlock, Burke etc.) have returned.

2. The last time SA had such a horrendous Super 12 was in 1998. We went on to clinch the Tri-Nations title that year, remember? Not only that, a fact that seems almost surrealistic today, the Springboks went through that tournament unbeaten! Yes, who can believe today that we beat both the Wallabies and All Blacks on home turf that year? Could that have been as a direct result of our poor Super 12 performances? Maybe, just maybe, the Springboks will be better rested this year than the players from the opposing teams when, hopefully, most of our injured stars return in time for that tournament.

3. The handful of Springbok stars who are not on the injury list are performing superbly. Percy Montgomery, Pieter Rossouw, Corné Krige, Victor Matfield and De Wet Barry, for instance, are showing wonderful form. Some other stalwarts, such as Hottie Louw, Cobus Visagie, AJ Venter, Craig Davidson, Lucas van Biljon, John Smit and Willie Meyer have all been performing admirably amongst a smattering of inexperienced youngsters. Exciting new talent (future superstars) has emerged in Bolla Conradie, Adrian Jacobs, André Pretorius and the like. I also like what I see in a number of other young players, whose names escape me, such as the young captain and eighthman of the Bulls, the 20-year old outside centre of the Cats and one of the Bulls' flankers. [As an aside, I also appreciated the Bulls' spirited performances in their last two outings; if they can only now keep the players and coach together for a few years in a row, I believe they can become a top-class Super 12 team.]

Yes, there are a number of concerns. The way that Lucas van Biljon has been managed by the coach-elect of the Springboks, is nothing short of scandalous. The fact that Nicky van der Walt (which I rate highly) does not make his starting lineup at the Sharks is disappointing. Most worrying of all, is the woeful performance of the Sharks' backline. But if Straeuli has any sense, he will "inherit" most of the Stormers' backline from Carel du Plessis (and add Jacobs and Pretorius) and also appoint a visionary backline coach (du Plessis or Danie Gerber) and... problem solved!

Lastly, I have to agree with your correspondent Geoff Hull in the Week 8 edition: There is no doubt that all South African Super 12 sides are getting the short end of the stick from Australian and New Zealand referees (with a few notable exceptions such as Scott Young). Just look at the way Cobus Visagie was repeatedly penalised as the streetwise Bill Young kept pushing him inwards, and the shocking manner in which Willie Meyer was yellow-carded earlier in the season. Actually, the Super 12 refereeing problem goes deeper than that... just look at the way the Hurricanes and the Chiefs get all the 50/50 decisions going against them. Sometimes I get the impression that the referee (wittingly or unwittingly) had decided beforehand which team "should be" the better one and consequently (possibly inadvertantly) does not allow the other team to "play". Plainly put, he "polices" the one team more vigourously than the other. Alas! Hopefully we shall see some (more neutral) Northern Hemisphere referees during the Tri-Nations.

Anyway, amongst all the cries of "crisis" and more, I say like Alfred E. Neumann: "What? Me worry?"!!!

COLIN VAN RENSBURG

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