For now Springbok coach Peter de Villiers is safe and so, it seems, are his deputies, Gary Gold and Dick Muir. The South African Rugby Union’s (Saru’s) much-anticipated performance review on Monday was something of a damp squib from a media perspective. No heads rolled and De Villiers was not even publicly reprimanded for his incautious comments about the murder trial of Bulls prop Bees Roux.
It seems that, as with the 21-day suspension of the public servants’ strike, time is a great healer.
Critics who sought a scapegoat in the aftermath of a dismal Tri-Nations campaign will have to wait a while longer. Saru has announced that it intends to review its structures and there is a possibility that De Villiers will be given a new boss to report to, but the status quo will remain for the end-of-year tour.
There was obviously much rigorous debate in the corridors of power and, ultimately, two issues held sway. First, De Villiers’ predecessor, Jake White, served a four-year term that included a number of troughs, but ended with victory at the 2007 World Cup. Second, with so many personnel contracted until after the 2011 World Cup, the bill to pay them all off early is daunting, to say the least.
Bear in mind that the coaching personnel represents only the tip of the iceberg. A new coach would take a look around, conclude that there are a number of senior players not pulling their weight and send them packing. Every coach since readmission has done just that and there is no reason to believe that a new man would act differently now.
So the focus turns now to the end-of-season Grand Slam tour, with the first Test of four taking place against Ireland in Dublin just over a month from now. With conditioning programmes soon to be concluded, most of the touring Springboks will have two or three matches to regain their edge in the final stages of the Currie Cup.
Body on the line
One player who is returning this weekend is Bulls prop Gurthro Steenkamp, one of the few Boks whose standards did not slip in the Tri-Nations. He said: “It is not a nice feeling to be on the sidelines while your teammates are doing the hard yards on the field. The Blue Bulls are keen to defend the Currie Cup and I want to put my body on the line with them.”
The Bulls have much to play for against Western Province at Loftus. A win would put them in the hunt for a home semifinal, with more rested Boks available from next week onwards.
Said coach Frans Ludeke: “Our defences will be tested by this very good WP team, but the trick for us will be to dominate the contact area. This will be a huge game for us, as all these traditional north-south clashes are. A win could move us into second, but a defeat could threaten our play-off chances, so we need a Âpositive result.”
We have reached the time of the season in which team dynamics count more than reputation and, inevitably, several returning Boks will be found wanting. In their absence the tournament has thrown up a host of contenders for international honours. Uncapped players such as Elton Jantjies, Pat Lambie and Lwazi Mvovo have all shown an ability to play at the higher level, whereas already capped players such as Bjorn Basson remind selectors that there is no room in the first team for dead wood.
A generation ago all the above-mentioned names would have been included in the touring side to play midweek games and gain experience. Until the much-anticipated return of the proper tour following next year’s World Cup, they may have to bide their time.
Several will be on view in Jo’burg on Saturday when the Lions play the Cheetahs in what has become an effective quarterfinal. The Cheetahs are currently fourth, the Lions fifth, and the loser can probably say “bye-bye” to the play-offs. Not definitely, though, as a win at Loftus for Province would send the Bulls to the notorious banana skin of Kimberley, searching for points on the final weekend of log play.
With the Cheetahs finishing their campaign against the Leopards and the Lions entertaining the Pumas on the final weekend, if the Bulls lose to Griquas a number of new scenarios would open up. But right now a betting person would lay short odds on the Sharks topping the log and the Bulls pipping Province for second spot.
That scenario would send Province back to Loftus for one semifinal and either the Lions or the Cheetahs to Durban for the other. Both the Lions and the Cheetahs have won semifinals against the Sharks in Durban in the past three seasons, so a classic finish to the competition seems assured.