South Africa Rugby

Dear Mr. and Mrs. de Villiers,

Please find attached a report card card for Peter for the period June 2009.

We have found Peter to be a very diligent, hard-working member o the Springboks, but regret to inform you that he has not built on the efforts of last year. In fact, he has regressed and areas of concern have not improved at all. In fact, we are concerned he is not the man for the job and would be better off looking for employment else where.

Please find his marks as follows (graded from A-F):

Team selection: D
Coaching: D
Tactical appreciation: E
Media communication: F

Overall: E

His team selection was graded a D, because as he missed some blindingly easy selections such as Zane Kirchner for fullback, or any specialist fullback for that matter, by and large he picked a squad that represented South Africa's best players.

The lack of a specialist fetcher was also a glaring omission, but Peter fixed that up just before the first test against the British and Irish Lions. Meanwhile there were some questionable selections such as Ricky Januarie and Odwa Ndungane.

As far as physical activity goes, Peter's coaching can only be described as erratic at best. He has taken a world champion side that has been strengthened with some new players and they have exhibited nothing but fluctuating performances.

A great win in Dunedin last year, was then followed up with a poor performance in Dunedin. A great win at Ellis park, and then an average tour with a bad game against Scotland, but the sublime against England.

There appears to be no plan, no structure and no consistency. Where is this "total rugby" that Peter keeps mentioning?

He has had long enough to stamp his mark on the Springboks, but all we are getting is an underperforming side that struggles to maintain its standards from one week to the next. Heyneke Meyer may be conservative, but at least we would get something we can build on one week to the next with him.

Tactical appreciation gets an E. He almost cost us the game in the first test match with the Lions. Peter must learn never to take your captain of the field until the game is certain of being won, and taking off the world's best scrumhalf and your dominant fetcher flank is very silly.

The mass substitutions certainly changed the game and Peter should take full responsibility.

In the second test he also made some blunders but got there in the end. He almost left it too late to bring on Morne Steyn, Jacque Fourie and Heinrich Brussow, but they manage to make a difference in the short time they were allowed on. Could use some help in this area, and we recommend some extra tutoring with a mentor such as Jake White.

Media communication is a disaster. Peter is now known as the village idiot. He should think about what he says before he speaks. The Springbok coach should be respected and humble. Peter is neither.

I am not sure what he reads at home, but his metaphors are confusing and the laughing stock of the world. He cannot answer a question simply and plainly, preferring to give us indirect responses that don't make sense.

Peter shows great loyalty but is often blinded by this and refuses to accept the facts. His defending of Schalk Burger was a disgrace to South Africa and an insult to the British. Whilst he has obviously had some bad experiences with mechanics and should refrain from making racist remarks in public!

One can only imagine how he communicates with the team, and what they think of him!

Lastly, Peter mixes with the wrong crowd too. He is usually found with Dick Muir who is a bad influence (he ha not won any major titles, and his rugby philosophy has not proven to be successful) and Gary Gold who has also not proven his ability at the top level. A better mix of friends would be a better influence on Pieter.

I fear for Peter's sustainability as Springbok coach. If he doesn't buck his ideas up fast and produce some decent results I am afraid we will have no option but to let him go permanently...

Yours sincerely
Sanjay Deva
(on behalf of South African rugby)

At half time James Hook gave an interview to Sky Sports. Today was his birthday. He wasn't even named in the matchday 22. Ronan 'O' Gara was. What we're they thinking?

I've already pointed out O'Garas unforgivable deficiencies here, but to even put O'Gara on the bench is something verging on a deathwish against such an accomplished physical side like the World Champions.

With 20 minutes left in the game O'Gara, the Newbridge Cutlery model, comes on and within minutes is found out as usual as a headless 2 dimensional chicken who predictably kicked everything he got.

For South Africa's 3rd try, O'Gara once again put in a hopless tackle letting his opponent gain the valuable yardage that ultimately proved so crucial to the TV officials decision to eventually award the try after numerous screenings.

Fast-forward towards the last moments of the game as O'Gara, predictably, kicks the ball into high heaven and gives away a penalty. Much like Ireland's last grand slam match against Wales where O'Gara's ridiculous decision to cede possession was nearly punished with the last kick.

This time we were punished for his stupidity.

O'Gara is on the verge of being dropped in the Ireland team for young Jonathan Sexton. O'Gara was dropped for Stephen Jones in the Lions team. How long will Munster tolerate such a glaringly obtuse player who depends on the valour of those around him to shine?

Ronan O'Gara is quickly becoming rugby's answer to David Beckham. Nobody can provide a convincing argument why he's constantly thrown into the limelight, especially at people like Hook's expense.

I can't put into words my horror at finding out O'Gara was on the bench and the decision was punished, cruelly. The Lions must now wait 12 years as the South Africans had done to avenge themselves. Chances are, thankfully, O'Gara won't be in that squad.

We have witnessed five very interesting games, in which the British and Irish Lions have played and beaten:

1. The Royal XV—25-37
2. The Lions—10-74
3. The Cheetahs—24-26
4. The Sharks—3-39
5. Western Province—23-26

Next up on the Lions' menu are the Southern Kings on the 16th of June.

I have studied the form of the Lions, on and off the field, as well as their philanthropic forrays into very challenged and economically depressed communities. I have also looked at their organization, preparation, and planning, all of which have been meticulous, professional, and, above all, focused on developing a team spirit amongst each other. This team spirit works towards helping the individuals play as a unit. What we are witnessing—the Lions team and management infusing themselves into South African culture, sport, and rugby, that was scripted over 12 months ago and is being executed with aplomb now.

I am not going to single out any one player in the Lions squad, but what we have been looking at is a revered hands-on, skilled coaching unit like no other overseeing very thorough offensive and defensive plays amongst the backs and forwards, in various combinations, against four teams. They rounded off their preparation in advance of the first test on the 20th of June, with Western Province yesterday and the Southern Kings on Tuesday.

I am no rugby prophet, but I predict that the Southern Kings, on Tuesday, will be vanquished and pillaged by the Lions, by an ignominious margin of over half a century in points. This, quite simply, is the order of playing professional rugby and establishing an international rugby playing unit like the Lions have become. What is so sad is that in 1955, another half century ago, Eastern Province beat the Lions at home in Port Elizabeth; and we will witness, this week, how Lions rugby has progressed and Eastern Cape rugby has regressed. See the Lions Legends of the 1950s here.

These six games out of the way,  leaves the Lions and the Springboks clash for the 20th of June. Again, expect the Lions to have tasted first blood with their preparation with these past six games and they will be ready to deliver an incisive blow in the first quarter of the game against the Springboks. The Springboks and their media machine might well believe the press that has been written up by the South African media, but there are 70 international press following the British & Irish Lions Tour that seem to know otherwise; and it is an ominous sign when not one of them turned up today for a Western Province media function.

On Friday, the Southern Kings unveiled their jersey and sponsors and rather than a noble and bold statement of the direction and strategic positioning of a team filled with Eastern Cape players, intended to be a stimulus to rugby in the region. A bald mannequin with a rag bag, pot pourri of sponsors' names on the player's jersey, was revealed to the media.

This is like Dead Man Walking and I cannot begin to tell you how much it pains me to watch this fatal and terminal train wreck in slow motion, when it could so easily have been avoided and the dignity of South African rugby and Eastern Cape rugby preserved, with a coherent organized strategy.

It distresses me to no end to witness the reckless and negligent manner in which rugby in South Africa, and especially the Eastern Cape, is being mismanaged.

If South African Rugby were a parent and the Eastern Cape a child, Child Welfare and Social Services would have been called in a long time ago.

It seems that the Springboks and their set up could be fair game and an endangered species on this Tour if they are unable to gel as a unit. There is much parochial and partisanship sentiment that runs like deep fissures through the Springbok camp that could find them caught completely unawares on Saturday the 20th. These fissures could mean that they suffer a defeat from a potent cohesive and spirited Lions unit.

A mauling of sorts, if you will, as it will be ugly and many preconceived notions of superiority and strength will be fractured. What's this you say? Pause for a moment and think how nature is totally unforgiving of a wounded and incapacitated springbok, be it with a sore foot, sore leg, age, sickness, or any other ailment.

These injuries, invariably put the springbok at the back of the herd and the predatory Lion, invariably with a skilled eye in sussing out the weak and infirm, zeroes in on these animals for a quick kill. So too then, if we, or our opposition, are something of a strategist, we would surely consider the weak and infirm of the opposing side we are due to play in seven days.

Well if you are plotting the demise of the Springboks, how could one overlook, the torn calf muscle of Schalk Burger, or the torn groin muscles of Jean de Villiers and Ruan Pienaar. Fourie du Preez and Jaque Fourie also come off injuries and these all have to be aggravated in the field of play on Saturday.

But therein lies the danger, as if anything could mobilize and marshal the Springboks, is a mauling by the Lions that would see a ding dong battle on the 27th of June in which the hunter becomes the hunted.

Francois Steyn has confirmed that he will be leaving South Africa to play his rugby for French club Racing Metro at the end of the British and Irish Lions series.

The announcement has been brewing for some months now, but just how big a loss is it for South African rugby?

I would suggest that the loss of Steyn is not that large. I think he is a highly overrated player, and his departure opens the way for the next youngster to step up; however, it does concern me that someone so young has left South Africa to chase the dollars they can earn overseas. It sets a dangerous precedent for young players.

Steyn has a Currie Cup title and a Rugby World Cup winners medal and is still only 22. Many have argued he doesn't have a lot left to achieve in the game. If that were the case, then people like Roger Federer and Tiger Woods should just retire.

He has yet to win a Super rugby title and moving to France must surely be a detrimental move for his rugby. But one feels that he wants to get away from the pressure and limelight he experiences in South Africa.

He has has produced some great things on the rugby field, generally in the Springbok jersey, but those are far and few between. He singlehandedly changed the game against Australia at Newlands in 2007 with his two superb long range drop goals.

He stepped in and covered more than adequately in Rugby World Cup 2007. His performances there were more solid than spectacular and his long range penalty in the final certainly helped the Boks out, but it wasn't a match-defining play. The solo try against Italy whilst playing flyhalf was also one of the great individual tries I've ever seen.

But these moments of brilliance have simply been too far and few between to warrant me viewing Steyn as an automatic choice in any team. His performances are often erratic, mixing the woeful with the sublime.

He is too slow in his decision making and handling to be a flyhalf and his best position is inside centre or fullback.

Many forget that he missed the vital conversion that would have won the Super 14 in 2007 for the Sharks, and then he failed to put the ball out to allow the Bulls to construct the match winning try. Whilst there were other factors that caused the Sharks to lose that day, Steyn must shoulder the responsibility for not closing out the game.

At the moment South Africa is blessed with some great players who have the fullback position covered, and at inside centre we have De Villiers and Olivier. Steyn would not be in my Springbok 22 and, from a national perspective, I don't see his absence as being a big deal. The Sharks may miss his presence, but he offered little more than most non-international players in the Super 14 this year.

Steyn has said he would like to remain playing for the Springboks and wants to go to Rugby World Cup 2011. If I was coach or selector, I wouldn't pick him as an overseas player because I think we should only select players from overseas if they are world class superstars that we really can't do without—players such as Pierre Spies, Bryan Habana, and Percy Montgomery.

So it's au revoir to Francois. I just hope the French with all their style can finally manage to get Francois a decent haircut!

Prior to readmission, South African rugby could clearly lay claim to being the best in the world.

We had the best record of all international teams, having beaten every other international team more than they had defeated us. We were the only country to have achieved this over the All Blacks.

Over the last 17 years, however, our wonderful record has become very average and we are no longer feared as we once were.

Where have we gone wrong??

Where to begin?? There are so many factors to consider.

*First, it starts with our administration.*

Nothing is done for the greater good of the game. We really need to change the structure of our administration.

Get rugby people, who want to develop, promote, and work for the good of the game. At the moment, it is all a political game. Provincial presidents control the game, and work for the good of their unions and not the country.

The fact that a great man like Morne Du Plessis could not handle the politics and resigned from the board of SA rugby was a tragedy. We need great men like Morne.

He's extremely wise, a fantastic role model, and loves the game. More men like Morne would be a great start, as opposed to the provincial presidents who only want what is best for themselves.

The fact they are willing to put their individual agendas and unions ahead of the greater good of the country has to stop.

It has to be Springboks first, Super 14 second, Provincial third. And national coaches should be able to work with and have a greater say over the provincial coaches.

I'd like to see a system like New Zealand where the players are centrally contracted, rather than in SA where they are contracted by the individual unions.

Whilst I can't see this issue changing, it would be a step in the right direction and make rugby decisions much easier.

*SECOND, Implement a decent coaching structure.*

We need a national director of coaching.

We need it desperately! We have some great men who could do it: Jake White, Heyneke Meyer, Nick Mallet.

It's a tragedy none of them are currently working to better SA rugby. I believe we have some of the best natural talent in the world, where we suffer is the quality of our coaches.

They need a coaching structure to work with. Too often, we have a coach who has one good season, one good tournament and we believe he should get higher honours.

There needs to be a system and natural order of progression: Schools/Varsity/Vodacom cup, Currie cup, Super 14, National teams, Springboks. And time!

One season does not make a man. Prove you are worthy. As much as I respect Heyneke Meyer and all he has achieved, one Super 14 title does not mean he has achieved everything.

Do it again. Build on it. Create a dynasty like Robbie Deans did at the Crusaders. Like the Bulls did during the 80's, Transvaal in the mid 90's, etc.

Paul Treu is a great example of a man who has stuck to his vision, has fantastic integrity, is loved by his players and has started to reap exceptional rewards, especially given the structures he has to work within.

He has worked with his squad for some time but shown that injuries, non-availability and changing personnel don't have to be excuses for performances.

He has created a winning environment and culture to the point where it now doesn't matter who is in the squad, the opposition know it is going to take some doing to beat South Africa.

An important factor in his success is that players know where they stand, what they have to do to get into his squad, and have standards to maintain and aspire to.

Conversely after one good season Rassie Erasmus was touted as a future Springbok coach.

Well, the last two seasons have shown he is far away from it.

This is valuable for him, I believe he'll be learning immensely. But then show me 3-4 consistent years at Super 14 level and then go on to higher honours.

Meyer went through this in the early 2000's. Frans Ludeke is showing he has learnt from the past and may grow into a decent coach.

Ultimately, these coaches need training and guidance; this is where the director of rugby comes in. I'm sure Rassie, and Naka and Loffie Eloff could use some guidance as they struggle from one loss to another.

*Show some confidence and develop a playing style we believe can consistently win us games.*

I would like to emphatically say, 10 man rugby is dead. Over. Gone.
It may win some Currie cup games when the opposition has its own brainless Boers who try to prove their manhood to the world and beat each other into submission. But it won't consistently hold up in the international arena.

We have players with great skill. We simply need to back them and allow them to express themselves. I know many Springboks, coaches and critics say that South Africans love structure and need to play with structure. Structure is fine, but robots aren't!

Too often I feel we don't read the situation well (e.g., an overlap in our own half), and need to read what is happening on the field better. Pieter De Villiers message of "playing the situation" springs to mind here.

And like De Villiers, I also believe we have to change. And until we do and get used to it, it will always be difficult.

We've proved over time we can play expansively.

Mallet's Boks in 1998/99 scored heaps of great tries. Straueli's Bok in 2002 scored the most tries in the tri-nations, Jake White's Boks in 2004 had no problem scoring tries, and Peter De Villiers Boksat times last year looked unstoppable.

It shows we know how to achieve running rugby. We don't have to play like the Aussies or Kiwis or anyone else. We can use our own strengths and play a South African way, but simply use all 15 of our players. It gives us more strings to our bow!

*Mindset is another important factor.*

Whether we like it or not, we will play almost half our games outside South Africa.
At the moment, tours are a nightmare. We should simply stop making excuses.

We have to tour. Deal with it.

Embrace the challenge so we can feel the exhilaration of victory. We target games and a certain number of points.

Aim to win every game and get every point available on tour. When opposition teams come to South Africa, they don't think of losing. They aim to win every game no matter how daunting.

It is obvious that most of our teams can't wait to get back to places like Loftus, Kings Park etc where they want to play.

Whilst that is understandable, the measure of a great team is being able to win anywhere. Every game is played on the same size field. You just have to adapt to conditions. It's all in the mind.

Too often, we don't believe we can win in New Zealand. We give the Kiwis way too much respect. They are beatable.

*Develop consistency. It's one of the biggest problems in our rugby.*

We have a great performance and then we suck.

In the World Cup, we demolished England 33-0 and played fantastic rugby. Then for the remainder of the tournament, we got defensive and simply did enough to win. We need to be more confident in our ability and play to it each week.

The Sharks had two great wins on tour this year. And then we played some of the worst rugby I've seen against the rubble Reds.

The Bulls were great on tour against the Horrorcanes and played with awesome intensity, then the next two weeks they looked like a team of amateurs; making basic errors, giving away penalties and appearing lethargic.

As professional players, I sometimes wonder how you can train for a week and then get things so wrong!

The Lions had the beating of the Chiefs and threw it away. Then the next week they look like a bunch of pansies against the Blues. Then they were awesome against the Reds. And then disgraceful against the Farce. Where is the consistency?

How often do we see one of our teams score, building up pressure until we get the try. And then at the restart we knock the ball on or kick it out on the full allowing the opposition to capitalise and score.

How often do we see one of our teams playing at home, race out to a 20-point lead, and we think the game is won. And then next thing we let in a couple of soft tries and struggle to win the game, actually often we lose, e.g. Sharks v Crusaders last week.

It proves we have the skill, we lack application, patience and the mindset to produce consistent performances, and put teams away when we have the chance to.

The Stormers prove this. Year after year. They have great players. Yet they can't make it work. I believe it's mostly a coaching problem.

It doesn't help when the coach makes Grant his flyhalf and after 2 games discards him for De Waal. Suddenly the whole blueprint for the season's success is changed. Two further weeks later, he drops De Waal and brings back Grant.

Later he brings back De Waal again. No wonder the players have no confidence in the game plan.

Compare this to the Bulls (SA's most successful team) who play Steyn 100 percent of the time at flyhalf. And in positions where there are 2 decent players, they know they are being rotated, e.g., Chilliboy and Derrick Kuun. That is much better handling of the players.

*Believe in coloured and black players and give them opportunities. And smaller white players too.*

We use to have an advantage in the amateur era because many of our players possessed great bulk and strength developed from years in the veld and on farms. (It's why NZ had an advantage too). Opposition teams feared our big forward packs. We intimidated them.

However with professionalism and greater gym work, other countries are able to train as much as our players do and use methods that make them more competitive. They've caught up and in many cases overtaken us.

We now encounter packs that outweigh ours. If we stick to our subdue and dominate theory we are finding that we often come off second best. It's embarrassing to see the Stormers scrum disintegrate, or the Bulls scrum struggle to hold their own. It's time we use some brain with our brawn.

We need to utilise the skillful players we have.

Give everyone an opportunity. Whether we like it or not, big strong Afrikaans guys still get more opportunities than coloureds, blacks, or small white guys.

The fact we could make Boks out of big, lumbering backs like De Wet Barry, Braam Van Straaten, Trevor Halstead, Gus Theron, etc., is shocking. None of these players are able to run and pass and create space for our outside backs.

Meanwhile, we chase away some of our best players like Brent Russell. The guy was a magician. He had pace, a great step, and speed to burn. Rather than what he does not possess, look at what he does bring to the table.

A Van Straaten or Barry may be solid defensively but they didn't allow us to score many tries. However, a Russell may let in three but score six. At the end of the day we have to score more than the opposition!

Bryan Habana could be our country's greatest centre.

We'll never know because we won't test him there (even though he started his provincial rugby there!).

One bad game (and I thought he did nothing wrong in his one test as centre against Ireland), and it's labelled never to play him there again.

But meanwhile any other centre, or lock or flyhalf can have a bad game and we don't write them off. Be fair. Apply the same rules to every player.

I heard some of the biggest load of crock last week when I heard Rassie say Hilton Lobberts was one of his best players against the Horrorcanes. He then proceeds to bench him for the next game saying he'll need him off the bench.

With the season gone, the focus should be building for the future. Instead he puts AJ Venter into the starting lineup. A player he has been reluctant to use for most of the season. What's the deal with that??

I hate to ask, but is it because he is black that Lobberts isn't given a chance? It does seem to happen to many of our black and coloured guys who aren't wingers, e.g., Hanyani Shimange, Tim Dlulane, Solly Tybilika, Lawrence Sephaka, etc.

*We need to use our talent out wide more.*

I said four years ago that Nokwe should be a Bok. He's the fastest winger we have with the best step. Yet nobody knows about him because he's never given a chance.

He had to move from Bolandto the Cheaters because he couldn't make the Stormers?? Give me a break. Wylie Human and Naquelevuki are better instead? Please!!!

If we could get our players to use their brains more and become more accountable we wouldn't see some of the crap that our teams constantly dish up.

For a start, NZ and Aussie wingers get the ball in space and score tries. How often do we see Habana and Nokwe one-on-one in space? The fact that they have been able to score as many tries as they have is remarkable.

When Nokwe scored four against Australia last year he was put into space. It helped him having Adi Jacobs as his centre. Jacobs created space and Nokwe's blistering pace did the rest. It's a simple formula! I don't understand why we try to complicate it.

What I usually see is our teams consistently just shovelling the ball sideways.
The Sharks, Lions and Stormers are the greatest culprits here.

Going from one side of the field to the other does not constitute expansive rugby. Nor does it give opportunities to the wingers.

And unfortunately it leads to our teams consistently either going out into touch, or putting through some sort of hallelujah kick praying for a miracle. We simply give the ball back to the opposition.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        What we need are players to run straight, hard, at pace, and into gaps. Then allow Nokwe, Habana, Jacobs to show us their fancy sidesteps.

One of the best players i've seen at doing this was New Zealand's Christian Cullen.

I saw Montgomery training in 1998, and in my opinion he had more pace and acceleration than Cullen. But we never saw him confident enough to express himself other than the 1998 tour to Europe.

Cullen however backed himself every time, and whilst he ran the ball quite often, he still kicked and varied his play nicely meaning you were never sure what he was going to do.

The secret to Cullen's success (even though his positional play was nowhere near as good as Monty's) was his ability  to always run straight, aim for the gap, use a step and get over the advantage line.

By not taking a totally direct route into the opposition he gained the valuable few seconds to ensure his support always made it to him to retain possession if he was tackled.

Compare this to Jantjies, who will kick the ball nine times out of 10, and simply run straight into the opposition when he does run it. It often leads to turnover ball when he runs, so his option is to go back to kicking it.

I've seen many of our fullbacks (and wings and centres) with skills the equal of the world's best, that have not delivered consistently on the world stage: Tinus Delport, Andre Snyman, Danie Van Schalkwyk, Russell Bennett, Robbie Fleck, James Small, Stefan Terblanche to name a few. Much of that comes down to the players around them and the coaching they have received.

Schoolboy rugby, Craven week and other tournaments, show we have the ability to play direct, running rugby.

What happens between there and provincial/international rugby is coaching, and fear of failure. Too often we play not to lose, rather than playing to win.

The coaches play it safe, rather than backing their ability to dominate. One could see it quite evidently with the Boks under Jake White, especially at the World Cup.

Try to dominate upfront first, and once dominance and a lead has been established, then throw the ball around a bit more.

As we've found out often, if forward dominance doesn't happen, or we go behind, we revert to conservative rugby that doesn't get us any points. It turns into a vicious cycle.

New Zealand especially never have that problem. They always believe they will win, and always believe they have the skills to outscore the opposition.

Whilst their approach at times causes them trouble and we don't want to replicate that, but we do need their belief to back our players and our ability.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
*Back our players and the skills they possess.*

Many overseas coaches have criticised the lack of basic skills of our players, eg handling skills, being able to pass in both directions, etc.

I believe much of this comes from the style of rugby we adopt, and we essentially cause our players to go backwards.

The best example of this for me is JP Pietersen. When JP came on the scene he delighted crowds with his try scoring ability. He didn't know any different so he did what came naturally, ran and chip-kicked, and simply aimed to score tries.

As he became a regular member of the Sharks, he has been coached to play for safety, doesn't get any ball in hand opportunities with any space, and subsequently his basic skills have become very average at times.

Culminating with a dramatic loss of form last year. If I was coach I'd simply let him express himself with ball in hand. My advice would be, just go out and score tries!

I liken it to telling someone like Virender Sehwag or Adam Gilchrist to play defensively and wait till they are dominating before playing any shots. (we have a similar problem with our cricketers, too!)

How do you dominate with a defensive mindset? Would they be as successful trying to curb their natural instincts and natural game? I think we all know what the outcome would be.

*Make sure our conditioning is up to scratch.*

All I hear is how much fitter and faster we are compared to before. How our speed tests are better than they've ever been.

Watching our teams over the years I can state that I don't care what the tests say, it still isn't good enough.

We should aim to be the fittest, strongest team at all times. When teams come to the highveld, we should have a 15 point advantage and be able to run them off the field.

Australasian teams still believe that they can run South Africans off the park by playing with width.

Largely they are correct. How often do we see the ball taken through 6 or 7 phases and then we just open up a massive gap or don’t even lay a hand on someone.

Or if the game starts to get quite open we can't compete. We then start making basic errors, dropping passes, etc.

*In summary.*

There are a few different areas I have identified that I believe we need massive work on. It starts with getting the right structure.

A director of coaching is needed! ASAP.

Then we need some decent coaches that can follow a vision and not succumb to pressure.

If we go in with the right mindset, we can embrace the challenges we face.
We can then play direct, hard running rugby and utilise our strengths to perform with more consistent results.

I believe in SA rugby players. I love our teams, players, culture and history. But I can't stand the fact we under perform. We have the talent to be the dominant team and country in world rugby and forge a record like we did in our glory days.

We just need to be proactive, rather than reactive. Attacking rather than defensive. And believe it rather than hope for it. Go, South Africa!!!

After punching above their weight in reaching the semi-final of the IRB World Sevens at Twickers last week, the Scotland Sevens squad move on to Murrayfield this week hoping for a repeat of the good performance on home turf.

Having watched Scotland throw away a winnable match against Kenya, I went out thinking “oh well, same old same old” only to return and find they had beaten Fiji and humped the USA setting up a quarter against Portugal.

They won through that (just) to face a semi with Auld Enemies England. The game was probably there for the winning at points, had Thom Evans not been ruled out, but in the end England were too strong—they went on to win the competition.

So with Thom Evans out with a foot problem for this weekend’s squad coach Stephen Gemmell has called in new Scarlets man Sean Lamont, who represents a different sort of winger but who will hopefully be more than up to the challenge.

Ally “played every game this season and still volunteering for Sevens” Hogg and Roddy “Ginger Warrior” Grant give them a good shout at the breakdown (such as it is in Sevens) so hopefully we can see some good results at Murrayfield.

First group game up is a chance for revenge against England. Tickets for both days still available, naturally. And for those of you outwith spitting distance of Edinburgh, full coverage is on Sky apart from when the Lions are on.

In other Murrayfield news, Edinburgh have signed Scotland A, ex Borders and Newcastle full back and sometime fly-half Steve Jones to swell their ranks with the departure of Hugo to France.

Meanwhile, reports of team spirit being forged in South Africa seem positive, with Donnacha O’C saying it already feels like a club side. Let’s hope they don’t play like one.

Big Nathan has been put in charge of rooming arrangements—good move putting Ross Ford with Paul O Connell. When is Nathan going to be roomed with O’Gara? And Warren Gatland has announced his intention not to publically slag anyone off (the Irish?) this time out.

First game up on Saturday against the Royal XV, team announcement on Thursday around 2:00.

Anyone getting excited yet?

PS If there are any Scottish fans going out to SA on tour, please get in touch (details on About Us page)—we’d love for you to do some reporting either out there or when you get back.

Last week Thursday SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australian Rugby Unions) met in a watershed meeting in Dublin, to discuss the expansion of Super Rugby from 2011-2015, in the Southern Hemisphere and especially the broadcast agreement that needs to be tabled to the broadcasters (Newscorp and SuperSport) on or before the 30th June.

Each was represented by Andy Marinos—Acting Managing Director SA Rugby Pty Ltd,, Steve Tew-CEO NZRU and John O'Neill—CEO the ARU. 

Here is an overview of what was and still exists in terms of the broadcast agreement, signed with SANZAR in 2004, that believe it or not, was chiefly brokered by Brian van Rooyen then President of SA Rugby.

Brian van Rooyen is an accountant and clearly understood that as South Africa contributed over 50 percent of the revenues to the partnership of SANZAR, they should rightfully be entitled to a 38 percent share of the broadcast sponsorship revenues.

Proportionately NZRU and the ARU each received 32 percent and 29 percent respectively of the revenues. This was the precedent set in 2004. 

The revenues in this instance were $323,000,000-00 and this would remain the base from which to negotiate north of this number, for the 2011-2015 Super Rugby window, especially with an additional rugby inventory in each of the three SANZAR markets for the broadcasters to on sell to advertisers, plus factoring a CPIX increase of 10 percent per annum for the next five years. 

Somehow or another and it is hardly surprising, Marinos, the Acting Managing Director of SA Rugby Pty Ltd, not only has been out witted, out smarted and out negotiated in the expansion of Super Rugby, by failing to secure a position for the sixth South African rugby franchise, the Southern Kings, for the next six years.

As well as agreed to concede SA Rugby's share of the broadcast revenues from 38 percent to 33 percent, by five percent, to make it a tidy third each, for the SANZAR partners. 

The thunderclap of this five percent concession, in Rands and Cents, is that Marinos has surrendered R150,000,000-00 in revenues that should have been coming to SA Rugby from 2011-2015 and it is reverberating around the 14 SA Rugby Unions, his employers, for the moment. 

Put the size of the respective rugby markets in perspective to evaluate just how important South Africa is to the SANZAR alliance: 

1. South Africa:1010 Clubs and 512,000 registered rugby players 

2. New Zealand: 595 Clubs and 140,000 registered rugby players 

3. Australia: 848 Clubs and 83,000 registered rugby players 

In any other language, this is tantamount to an Acting Executive officer of SA Rugby Pty Ltd, giving away the family silver, as they have no assets, none, other than the broadcast agreements and the goodwill of their trademarks. 

This is without doubt SA Rugby's greatest philanthropic gesture ever, to New Zealand and Australia and one so culpable, that it defies belief.

SA Rugby's Audit & Risk Committee meeting on the 12th next month and the following Manco Meeting on the 19th June, should be interesting meetings, as it is known that at least four Rugby Union Presidents are fuming at the gross recklessness and negligence of Marinos in financially exposing SA Rugby Pty Ltd and the 14 Unions for the next six years and how this situation can be salvaged in the next 10 weeks, as it appears further that this naïveté of Marinos is further impacting on SA Rugby's Rugby World Cup bid for either 2015 or 2019. 

SA Rugby is now horrendously caught between those promises made to the South African Governments Sports Ministry vis. a vis. the Eastern Cape franchise to play in 2010 and the government financial guarantee for the RWC in 2015 and 2019 and the opposing bidders of England, Japan and Italy and their respective supporters drawn from the powerful lobby of the Top Eight rugby nations.

They are already flagging the fact that if SA Rugby are unable to look after their own—read the sixth Super Rugby franchise—in a Super Rugby tournament but a scant two years away, how are they going to run a Rugby World Cup in 2015 or 2019? 

The answer is either that SA Rugby can table a R3bn RWC bid, but are unable to put together a Super Rugby tournament for their own unions, or it is that this is a deliberate oversight by SA Rugby. Both answers are fatally flawed for SA Rugby and undermines its future. 

Worse still for the 14 SA Rugby Unions is that the Currie Cup will have to be re-jigged into a six-team Premier Division format in 2010, in which the six teams are the six South African franchises, with the top five of these six franchises to make up the five South African teams, which will advance to the Super 15 in 2011.

This will be a hard horse pill to swallow for the two Unions relegated, so the stage is set for some bruising ultimate fighting amongst the SA Rugby Unions Presidents, Finance Committee, Audit & Risk Committee, Competitions Committee and Manco, all just as the British & Irish Lions Tour is underway and with an international media contingent in attendance for the next eight weeks. 

The New Zealand and Australian media are trumpeting that O'Neill "Has Done It Again" and vanquished the South Africans.

In yesterdays Sunday Star Times they declare Australian rugby boss John O'Neill has emerged as the big winner after the SANZAR alliance came to agreement this week. New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew confirmed the alliance will split its future revenue three equal ways. 

In the previous broadcasting deal brokered with News Ltd in 2004, Australia received about 29 percent, New Zealand 32 percent and South Africa 38 percent.

However, with the spoils split three ways, as are costs, that should result in a big windfall for the cash-strapped ARU. The South Africans still bring in "well over 50 percent" of the SANZAR broadcasting revenue, Tew said.

"We argued last time that it should have been a third, a third, a third. We ended up conceding some percentage points to get South Africa across the line in 2004. "I think now everybody agrees the new model is fair. If we fell back to the previous model we would have lost money and we were not willing to do that." 

Assuming broadcasters are at least willing to pay what they have in the past, New Zealand should finish better off than in the past. There's every indication that will happen, according to Tew. SANZAR has hired well-regarded broker Ian Frykberg to sell the rights. 

Perhaps Marinos's comments to Fairfax Media as reported today, are more revealing in that they indicate how he has subordinated South Africa to Australia and New Zealand for the next six years. "If we are going to have any further expansion to Super Rugby we have to make sure that it is good from a rugby perspective and that it can obviously wipe its own face.

A sixth team is a reality in South Africa and it has long been on the table with SANZAR that we need to produce and put forward another team out of here. But again, we have to balance that and make sure that we have the player quality and strength to support it.

New Zealand and Australia will throw their hats in the ring in the expression of interest too. But again, that's a SANZAR decision that has to be made in the best interests of SANZAR and the best interests of rugby to make sure that we don't have a franchise that in a year's time will fall over because it can't sustain itself".

I can tell you now that Southern Kings franchise stakeholders of government, the Metro, plus the Presidents of Eastern Province, Border and SWD certainly do not share these views and if anything, by SA Rugby surrendering the 15th Super Rugby franchise and R150m, it has firmly placed the sustainability question of SA Rugby and the 14 unions, in front and centre stage, as the South African teams are now being asked to do more, with less.

I don't quite know how to put this, but South African Rugby has just received a monster shove in the derriere by Australia with regards to the Super 15 plans announced on Tuesday.

Of course, this is the release put out by SA Rugby on behalf of South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby Union (SANZAR), with the details of the Super 15 Tournament starting in 2011, and there are a number of gaping holes in this structure, that leaves it entirely incomplete and incoherent.

Most of all, it shows scant regard for the Southern Kings' future role for the next seven years and is conspicuous in its absence from drawing attention to the fine print.

To the Australian Rugby Union's John O'Neill's credit, he has been consistent in his stance to acquire a fifth Super Rugby franchise for Australia, and will succeed in accomplishing this.

His presentations have always been coherent and logical, but the feeder tournament or a Challenger's Series to the Super 15, for the surplus franchises, needs to be developed to complete a stable and logical Super Rugby series.

Some of the questions that remain unanswered are: 

1. Where is provision made for the sixth South African franchise, the Southern Kings? 
2. Where is the relegation and promotion structure to determine which five teams play on an annual basis? 
3. Who would possibly bid for a fifth Australian—based franchise, other than an Australian franchise? 

Cut through the smoke-and-mirrors press release and focus on but 14 words of this 350-word release, that puts everything into laser-beam focus:

"A 15th team playing in the Australian conference will be added to Super Rugby."

Now, you do not have to be a genius to recognize that this is not lost in translation or anything, but absolutely and unequivocally signals that no South African team, least of all the Southern Kings, is going to base themselves in the Australian Conference of five teams. 

This, quite simply, effectively nukes any notion of a sixth South African franchise playing in the Super 15. And where is there reference made to relegation and promotion? There is none.

There is no door open, and it is a flat out checkmate to the Southern Kings and the team's Super Rugby franchise aspirations in the Eastern Cape.

It stops any hope the team ever had of playing in Super Rugby, and stops the moment the final whistle is blown on the June 16, after the Southern Kings have been launched in an inaugural game against the British & Irish Lions.

However, when the new South African Rugby Presidents' Council meets post March 2010, they could still address the situation and determine in the franchise participation agreement which all six South African franchises must be signatories to, that there be a relegation and promotion series, to determine which five, of the sixth South African franchises should play in 2011. 

This was the case in June 2005 and applies in June 2009, and will apply through 2015.

The race for the 15th Super Rugby franchise is actually expected to be between the Australian cities of the Gold Coast, Melbourne and western Sydney, although South African Rugby says the Southern Kings, based in the Eastern Cape province, will also make a bid.

This is sheer lunacy, a waste of time and money, and makes a mockery of the bidding process. 

* If the new team is an Australian franchise—is the fine print at the base of the SANZAR release, but we know what this really means. i.e. THE NEW TEAM WILL BE AN AUSTRALIAN FRANCHISE.

Another six years of rugby drought in the Eastern Cape. The prospect of a run down multi-billion Rand Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and lights flickering in the three Eastern Cape Rugby union's offices. 

In short, this is absolutely shocking and appalling and reveals that South African Rugby's representatives at SANZAR have been unable to articulate themselves and acquit themselves in crafting a successful Super Rugby solution for the three SANZAR partners and its respective regional rugby unions.

This will haunt them for the duration of this competition for the next seven years. 

It is one month until the 32^nd tour for the British & Irish Lions, as the South Africans now look to compete for places as the Super 14 reaches its climax.

While many pundits believe that it will be a South African walkover, we should ask; what actually backs this up?

First, let us look at some historic parallels to their last tour. 

As the 2009 Super 14 pans out, we have two South African sides, the Bulls and Sharks, threatening the top four.  While they are legitimate title contenders, they have still lost six matches between them, and have not dominated as we have seen Crusaders and Blues teams in the past.

In the 1997 Super 12, the Natal Sharks finished fourth, and the Gauteng Lions fifth.  In both years, South Africans were/are not completely dominating their contemporary rivals in the Tri Nations.

In the preceding test season to the 1997 tour, the Springboks registered an 8-5 record.  Here they lost back to back tests away to begin the Tri Nations, and suffered a 1-3 series defeat at home to the All Blacks.  On the end of year tour they only narrowly defeated France by one point in the second test at the Parc de Princes.

Last year, much has been said of the Springboks successes, namely a 30-28 victory in Carisbrook to break a 10 match losing streak in New Zealand, and inflicting heavy defeats on the Wallabies and English, 53-8 and 42-6 respectively.

But while Robbie Deans labelled South Africa the best side in the world, during their first year reign as World Champions, they recorded a 9-4 record, losing to both the All Blacks and Wallabies away and at home—including a humiliating 19-0 loss to New Zealand at Newlands.  They also utilised narrow get out of jail victories against the Welsh and Scotland.

So what of the actual South African test teams?

The 1997 team was solid, with a backline containing Joost van Der Westhuizen, Henry Honiball, Andre Joubert, and James Small.  A typically uncompromising pack featured Gary Teichmann, Mark Andrews, Ruben Kruger, and Os du Randt.

For the 2009 team; John Smit, Victor Matfield, Juan Smith, and Pierre Spies would compete for a current World XV berth.  Equally, players such as Jean De Villiers, Bryan Habana, and Jacque Fourie are among the best backs in the world.

Indeed, many of these players—with a 12 year cycle between Lions tours for each respective nation—would have based their decision not to chase the riches of Europe for the chance to feature in the historic test series.

It is this stability in their team that would give them an edge over the side selected n 1997.

Smit, likely Springbok captain and the most capped South African forward, would go down as arguably their greatest Bok player ever if he takes his team to a World Cup and Lions series triumph in the space of three years.

The Lions are not making any great attempts to disguise how they will try and defeat the World Champions.  They have picked probably the most intimidating forwards on offer in Europe.  Not the most skilled (as evidenced by the omission of Tom Croft), but men who will stand up to the Bok menace.

With Stephen Jones and Ronan O’Gara picked as their playmakers, we might not exactly see 10 man rugby from the tourists, but it may not be far from that for their tactical stratagem.

So where will the Bok’s win this series?

Not in the scrum.  Despite a historic tendency to note the South Africans as feared scrummagers, they are not the best in the world.  Grudgingly, that honour would belong to the All Blacks. 

The likes of Gethin Jenkins, Euan Murray, and Phil Vickery will keep the Lions front row on par with a Springbok front row that is solid, but hardly world class.

In the lineout, the Lions have effectively conceded this set piece.  Led by Victor Matfield, with giants such as Bakkes Botha, Andries Bekker, and David De Villiers, the South Africans have more test quality lock forwards than any other nation—let alone an assembly of home union’s jumpers.

Equally, the South African back row is filled with lineout options, as well as a plethora of selection options.

Here though, the makeup of the Lions loose forwards tells a clear story.  Gerald Davies opened the Lions announcement press conference by saying they proposed to play smart rugby.

Often smart rugby is not “beating a side,” as much as upsetting their rhythm.

Joe Worsley, Martyn Williams, and Stephen Ferris, but most notably the Munster combination of David Wallace and Alan Quinlan, make for a tenacious, scrapping collection of defensive flankers.

These men will not fly through the air to compete with the South African ball.  But they will harass, slow down, and fly at the charging Springbok runners, and upset any thought of quality recycling. 

You can win a game of rugby without dominating the set piece, but you can’t win it without consistent, clean ball.  If the Lions can succeed on this front, the series will be half won.

Well, well, well...what a start to an unbelievable sporting year for South Africans.

With the completion of a victorious cricket tour and home series against Australia, it looks like South African fans and sports lovers will get non-stop action in the months to come.

Currently, the Indian Premier League is the main source of entertainment and excitement in this lovely country. Power sixes and mouth-watering games have caught the attention of just about everyone.

Cricket superstars seen at malls and flea markets has made dreams come true for supporters countrywide. But with less than half of the tournament complete, there's still lots of action, drama, and intrigue left.

South Africa will also host the 2009 edition of the Confederations Cup, which will see giants like Brazil, Italy, and Spain come to show off their talent in June. This event will be the curtain-raiser for the FIFA World Cup that will take place during the same period next year.

After what looks to be an amazing football feast, Manchester City are said to be visiting our country in July for their season warm-up. They will face local rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates in the annual Vodacom Challenge. Previous clubs that played the challenge were Manchester United (2008, 2009) and Tottenham Hotspurs (2007).

And that's not all! The British & Irish Lion will also be flying south to face the World Champions, South Africa. Rugby lovers will have their dose of action amongst the Super 14 fixtures to be played.

Later this year, the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy will be held in Johannesburg and Pretoria. The event was originally planned to take place in Pakistan, but due to security concerns, South Africa was chosen as an alternative venue. This tournament will host the top eight cricket-playing nations.

Apart from these major sporting events, the Comrades Marathon will be taking place early June, as well as the Annual Mr. Price Pro at the Durban Beachfront during the Beach Africa Festival.

So if you're a South African or reside in this lovely country, you have no excuse to stay at home or say you're bored. The nation will be honored with a newly elected president soon, and let's hope this amazing sporting year will be a peaceful one filled with never-to-forget moments.