THELITTLE BIGTOUR TROUBLEAHEAD AMERICANTRAGEDY Most uiew the Proteas'trip to Kaizer Chiefsate on the slide. The tale of Albert'Buddy' Zimbabwe as low key.But it Theynow needto addrcss Miley who askedhis brother meansthe world to the hosts tllings as a matter of w'gency to '-ssisthim in lxissLticide Pg14 byTomEaton Pg40 by MarkGleeson Pg66 by Marl(Kram Jnr - BusinessDay zF o PPED AND t1., EADY I Timefor Etzebeth to stripfor action- theBoks needhim Page26 by Markl(eohane SpringbokRugby I spoke to Meyer about t}le value of the sessionsald he couldnt emphasise the importarce enough.He said itbroke down so many preconceived ideas ald THEMEYER allowed him accessto a player without having to rcly on the view ofsomeone else.The players were given a brief introduction to Meyef to the intended apprcach against England arld to the BLUEPRINTmaragement, but mosdy Meyer was given valuable time listening to playe$ he had never before engaged. 'You Thenew Bok coach is looking for physical and coachagainst players and mentaltoughness ina player.He's identified Goosen, obviouslyyou krow them fiom rhem Etzebeth,Vermeulen being Springboks and you have a view andStrauss as the ideal types on the way they play, but it makes such a difference when you get that chance to speakwith them, to askthem questions WORDS:MARK KEOHANE MAIN PHOTO:ANDREAS EISELEN and to hear what they have to say about the game,the oppositionand the Springboks. It was a b lliant exercise but it cant be a one-offevent.It hasto elneke Meyer has never Individuals will sparkle but as a unit be part of the national calendar.You spokenofa new agein South therewill be nothing on showas Meyer carrt only think of the Springboks ftom Africar rugby. He hasnt merges severaldifferent regional ald lune onwards.The planningis all year waxed ly'rical about the club cultures into a cr ture he is familiar round ald the channelsfor interactiol romance of the game, about with ... one basedon simplicity in with players and regional and provincial playing rugby the people want to see approach, integrity among the players, coacheshas to be there all year round.' and he certainly hasrft made a promise management and respect for tie game. Meyer coached the Bulls to Vodacom 'Players that this Sp ngbok team will be one that must know why they play the Cup, Currie Cup ard Super Rugby dazzleswith tdes and loses in style. game,'Meyer told me.'Theymust know successand is very aware that there will His onlyconstanthasbeenthat the why they want to play lor South Africa. always be those who view any selection onlygood team is a winning team;that They mustbe committed to leavinga he makes with provincial prejudice or peoplesupport awinning team and legacy.I dont want players whose dream bias. He knows he cant win, whichever that the only agepeople remember it is to be a Spdngbok. I want those who wayhe goes.Ifhe picks a Bullsplayer it is is a winning one. havealways dreamed olbeing good ... becauseofhis associationwith the Bulls. Meyer is the first Bok coach who on his great... Spdngboks.I want playerswho Ifhe doesnt include a playerit is because appointmenthasn t lookedfor the escape want it; notbecausea coach,their moms he is trying too hard to find favour with of a four-year plan and already made the and dads,the media or the public want the other provinces. It is a bit like a dad excusethat any hiccup in the fust year it for them . , but becausethey want it. who finds his son in the wider training will be part of the master plan to win the Great players dont have to be told to go goup. Some will always find fault, World Cup in Englandin 2015. the extra m ile.They aregrear because whichever way the dad goes. The Bok coachhas asked us to they go the extra mile.' Meyer knows he has to trust his readnodling inro rhe first lesragains- Meyer in the months preceding instinctsbecause too many Bok coaches Englandbecause his conftibution will the series against Englard, showed his havecompromised in the beliefthat be negligible.The first Test,should it be tenacity in getting a.llthe regions to agree this will give them ar easierdde with successfirlfor the Boks,will be because to a two-day rclease of their players for the rugby administration, media and ofthe natuml ability ofthe playersard a nationalinhoduction session. supporter It doesnt.I know from becauseof home advantage. I klow what an achievement tlfs is experienceand haveseen Bok coaches Meyer will have a week to work with becausea decadeago I tded to co-ordinate give up what they know to be the only players, many ofwhom he has never a similar national sessionwhen working way becausethe public or media insist worked with before. There can be no with Sp ngbok coach HarryViljoen. it is the r,lrong way assessmentmade of Meyer's Boks before The regions don t give unconditional Meyer is the one who will live ard the erld of the Rugby Championship support to the national cause.In a die by his decisionsand ifhe is to > in September Only then will we see World Cup yearconcessions are made panerns,sryles and trendswirh his Boks. but outsidethis the Springboksmay as In that fust Test it will be about well be another regional opponent ftom suwival ald about getting a result. The Ausftalia and New Zealand, rugby will be consewative, simple and Meyerin meeringwirh l03players HeynekeMeyer sats 21-year-ald whatever expression there is will be spur- during the SuperRugby season, already Stormerslock Eben Etzebeth of-the-moment stuff. hasa victory no Bok coachhas enjoyed. is'somethingspecial' e. SpringbokRugby enjoy his time as Springbok coach and Westhuizenwould becomethe best realise his potential, he must be true to Meyer'shistory with scmmialf in the world. The kid he was thosedecisions. theBulls suggests talking about was Fourie du Preez. It all starts with selection, be it the prepared Wa.llabiescoach Robbie Dears, when retentionofexpe enceorthe injection heis to coachinglhe Crusaders,told tie Ner,r ofyouth. Meyer leamed the need for makedifficult Zealand media he wasnt going to start balance when he coached the Bulls in his with All Blacls flyhalfAndrew Mehnens fust year of Super Rugby.He kicked out decisions,whichat at No 10.Deans said he waspicking all the oldies and innoduced youngsters. thetime seemed a 2o-year-old who would be the best The team didnt win a game and he got the game had seen.He was referring sacked a yea-rlater When he retumed as controversialand to Dan Carter, Bulls Super Rugby coach he married tie outftUeousbut were, \{hich brings me to Stormers lock two comDonents to build a team in which Eben Etzebeth.l,\trenever you mention the functionality - and not the age- of shownto beastute his name to Meyer the Bok coach beams. 'Geez, the player mattered. I like that kid's approach. I first So much is about player and game sawhim when he playedforWestern management and national coaches Province Schools and everything he has get very litde time to actua.llycoach, done since has been impressive. I know especially in the first Test series of the the Westem Province Rugby Institute has season.Elrrything, though, is about spent a lot of time working on the detail selection. The great coachesare always ofhis game and South African rugby will said to be great selectoF. They identii' be the bigbeneficiaryof this input, but what works, even if the public may have it is his characterthat singleshim out as a distinctly different and distorted view. somethingspecial,'said Meyer, who a Understanding the way a tearn decadeago beamed as muchwhen he defends, as one example, is not fust started coachine BakkiesBotha. 'They something too many supporters bother havesimilir characteristics. with. And why should they? It isnt their They're tough mentally and physically. iob to analysewhether a team's defensive They love the collisions. They like to shape is to push up and out and force confront the contact and dont wait to be the attacking team to drift towards the conftonted.Most of all, they hate losing. touchline, or rush up and in and hurry They hate being behind fte posts. They the decision-making of the attacking dont give up.' inside back. They are there to support, Cheetahscptain AdriaanStrauss There are similarities between but armed with accurareinformation is oneof severalfalented hookers Botha and Etzebeth but there are about the team it makes the supponing in SouthAfrica also differences. Etzebeth is no Botha > that much more enjoyable. Often a player misses a tackle and the media and public single him out as the weakness.but in his team's defensive system he is not the one to blame and the mistake is that of the nlaver on his insideor outside.The coach-knowsthis, which is why there is often so much surprise among the public at who gets retained and who gets sackedin weekly team selections. Meyer'shistory with the Bulls suggests he is prepared to make the difficult decisions,which at the time seemed contoversial and ouhageous but were shown to be astute. He took alot offlakfor overlooking Joostvan derwestiuizen. He was vota //^,. accused ofbeing intimidated by Van )\ F/ ? : derWesthuizen's persona.liry byhis b' 9 playin&pedigree and by his influence on the Bulls as a senior player. , : Meyer's response to those willing to P listenwas he had a playerhe believed was a better scrumhalf than Val der i Westhuizen, if not necessarilya better 6 atl ete. Meyer, at the time, said the guy he rated aheadofan ageingVander SpringhohRugby and maturity ofa veteran.Goosen wont play againstEngland because ofinjury but he will play for South Africa this year, be it in the RugbyChampionship or the end-of-yeartour.