South African rugby players are still the envy of the world, but Andy Capostagno warns that overconfidence can be fatal
This time last year we were wringing our hands in despair. Where was Springbok coach Nick Mallett supposed to find 15 players of international standard to play the Tri- Nations, never mind a squad of 25?
Mallett’s answer was to ignore form and select the players who had done the job for him in France and Britain in 1997. So Pieter Rossouw, Percy Montgomery, Andr Snyman et al were given the chance and they rewarded the coach with an unbeaten run of 17 matches.
This year, while not having an embarrassment of riches, Mallett can at least do without a bulk order of tranquillisers. He may have temporarily lost his captain to injury, but learning to live without Gary Teichmann has to be faced sooner or later, even if this is a World Cup year.
Given the latest injury news, he may even have to learn to live without Bobby Skinstad, and who would have guessed that six months ago?
If the first Springbok test against Italy were to be played tomorrow rather than on June 12, Mallett would also have to do without Joost van der Westhuizen, Snyman, James Dalton and Adrian Garvey.
Given the variables of player availability, it goes without saying that the coach needs to have in place not just plan B, but plans C through Z and probably a couple of Greek letters too.
In February Mallett said he would select the first Springbok team of the season on the basis of form in the Super 12. It is naturally the case, therefore, that a number of Stormers players must be in the frame. The Cape boys have a bye this week, so Mallett can reflect on their fine performance against the reigning champions last week.
The Crusaders are not the team they were, but you could argue the same for the rejuvenated Stormers.
Corn Krige continues to perform to Test standard on the side of the scrum and if the Boks were to run out tomorrow, the back row would probably see Rassie Erasmus in his old position of eighth man, Krige at six and Andr Venter at seven.
Or he may even be bold and select the much improved Andr Vos as number eight and captain and give Skinstad’s bench impact role to Erasmus.
There are arguments on the streets that the entire Stormers tight five should be capped, but it is as well not to get carried away. Hottie Louw and Johnny Trytsman are not better locks than Krynauw Otto and Mark Andrews.
Indeed, if there is to be a change at lock due to the continuing under-performance of Andrews, it should be Fritz van Heerden, who has performed outstandingly for Leicester and after the Super 12 will be available to Western Province in the Currie Cup.
In the front row the emergence of a genuine tight-head hard man in Cobus Visagie has brought sighs of relief from a few old hands.
But I happened to bump into Garvey at the weekend and was reminded that the man in possession has not lost his ambition, and that the best way to keep a Springbok keen these days is to give him six months’ rest, even if it is injury related rest.
Among the backs there are a few questions to be asked. If Henry Honiball is really going to retire after the World Cup, is he the man to start the tournament at fly- half?
Braam van Straaten does most of the things Honiball has become justly famous for, and if he can improve his distribution, he could force Mallett, the number-one Honiball fan in the world, to reconsider.
In the centre, Pieter Muller is fit again and Sharks coach Ian McIntosh will be hoping that he can do to Auckland on Saturday what he did to the All Blacks last year, namely just about win the game on his own.
The Blues were fortunate to win last week against the Cats and they will not find the Sharks as one dimensional in their attacking methods this week.
At the very least the Sharks can call on the enduring genius of Andr Joubert to prise open the defence. “Juba” is no spring chicken, but Mallett should at least give him the opportunity to fail in the pre- World Cup tests to come. If Breyton Paulse regains full fitness, he should nail down Stefan Terblanche’s wing berth, but if not, like Garvey, Terblanche is the man in possession.
The Cats play the Chiefs in Pukekohe and, remarkably, with only three wins from seven games, a win with a bonus point could keep them in the hunt for a semi-final spot. Their three-quarter line will not tax Mallett’s powers of concentration too much, but the pack as a whole is the envy of the rest of the Super 12 teams.
It may not seem like it for supporters who do not live south of Kimberley, but there is much to envy in the totality of South African rugby at the moment.
Only overconfidence can cause its downfall in the months ahead.