Heyneke Meyer: Completing the blanks.

After his first year one might argue that Heyeneke Meyer has successfully completed one of his major tasks. The forward pack. After using more than 20 different players during the 2012 calendar year Meyer can feel pretty confident that he has filled most of the spaces in his forward pack. Of course some fine tuning is still required and the one area of cocern is the balance of his backrow which needs a little bit more pace in the back.

Looking at the progress of the forward pack, the frontrow is mostly settled, Beast Mtwarira, Adriaan Strauss, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis and Coenie Oosthuizen provide a solid combination of agility, mobility, strength and ball carrying ability.

The locks (apart from Juandre Kruger leaving) is mostly settled with Andries Bekker, Eben Etzebeth and Flip v d Merwe coming through 2012 more or less succesfully. I would still like to see Anton Bresler get an opportunity though.

Backrow with Johan Louw, Willem Alberts, Duane Vermeulen eventually did well, albeit some pace would be good, but with Schalk Burger and spies back in the fold, things look good there.

Backline.

For Meyer his biggest challenge and goal should be to find a settled backline capable of doing more than just crashball running and rush defences.

It will all start with the half back combinations.

There ae potentially three flyhalves that has an opportunity to make the 10 juersey their own, however consistent performance is key. Johan Goosen, Patrick Lambie and elton Jantjies will be closely scrutinised by Heyeneke Meyer and his cohorts.

As we all know Meyer will not go with a flyhalf that doesn't kick 80% of his goals, therefor before any of these three could even consider the 10 jersey they will have to ensure their kicking is accurate enough to sustain the 80% mark.

I am hoping Meyer is looking at a 10 who is also a playmaker and has that ability to attack flatter, use his kicking boots for moe than defensive kicks and has the necessary eye and pace to hit the gap and break the line.

So, how will these guys be evaluated. Truth be told, South Africa's major problem over the past few years has not only been the 10, but the combination of 9 and 10. And therefor I expect Meyer will be looking at the halfback combination with the hope of finding an established pair who plays together regularly enough.

Patrick Lambie has Mcleod and Reinach as halfback partners for this year, Mcleod has had a dab at the international level, but it was short lived and more of a stop gap whilst Pieter de Villiers was setting up a training cam in rustenburg, Reinach is a youngster and has had a promising run last year. Considering that the sharks should be one of the leading franchises for the SA conference this year, Lambie and co has an opportunity to impress.

Johan Goosen had an injury riddled year in 2012 and really hasn't had an opportunity to settle in Super XV or international rugby, he does however have in my view the two most exciting half backs at his disposal this year in Piet v Zyl and Sarel Pretorius. Although they will play for a mostly depleted Cheetah side this year, Juan Smith will make his long awaited return to Super XV.

I am really rooting for Goosen and his cohorts.

The stormers has Elton Jantjies on loan from the Lions, and with Dewald Duvenhage and Broome a youngster could be the surprise package for Heyneke Meyer. Schalk burger is back as captain of the stormers franchise and I am hoping he can inspire these youngsters to great things.

It is very important that the coaches Plumtree, Drotske and Coetzee afford these youngsters the opportunity to play and settle as combinations very quickly. Heyneke Meyer is in dire need of two half back combinations to take the Springboks forward. They are all young, and still has youthfull exuberance on their side, whomever make it, will be able to be part of the Bok setup for many years to come.

You may ask where does this leave Francois Hougaard, well Morne Steyn has not yet totally been discarded, and between him and Hougaard are the dark horses. Hougaard will have to play his own game, Morne Steyn, well I don't really know what to say about him anymore.

But one thing is clear, if Heyneke Meyer wants to succeed this year, his half back combinations are vital to that success, fail this task, and he will fail with the springboks.

What about a Goosen & van Zyl combination at halfbacks?

That for me ticks all the box.

van zyl - pace, good pass, decent tackler and has an eye for the break.

Goosen - the full package. Needs a bit of defensive work but he's no coward so it will come with time.

I think that one has a lot of potential yes. I just want everyone to use this season as an opportunity to show what they are capable of so that Meyer can once and for all know which is his best combo.

Meyer can look back with some concern on 2012,BUT as you say many problem areas look to be solved.
Considering the injurie situation it was a case of one match at a time,and he has blooded many new players.That means that the team is evolving SPIES?please tell me his role,a number 8 he is not.
Are we going to see a SA side try to play the counterattacking game of NZ and Oz.?
Or if results go badly go back to route one and the safety blanket of the likes of Morne Steyn?
No true Bok fan can be happy with the july series against England,where they seemed to switch of.Then let England back into the game in the Second and Third tests.
The 4N results were also poor more due to injuries than any thing too BUT the AB`s were there for the taking in the First match.
Nor though he says he was can he be happy about just scraping past England in
November.
Certainly on there demolition of the AllBlacks,England currently have there tails up BUT don`t expect that to be the norm.
Played 12,Won 7,drawn 2.lost3 must do better.
Don`t think from this post i`m rubbishing the Boks under the circumstances they did well.
IF i`m honest currently i don`t think there is very much at all between the top 3
sides at full strength.Current problem is deciding exactly what is there strongest side for each.
Certainly the 4Ns I think will be a lot closer 2013,wonder if Meyer will decide to pick from home rather than the NH just a thought.
I want to see the REAL Bok side play like they did of yore no quarter given or asked.
THEN see an AllBlack side REALLY stick it to them

Alan I think it is fair to say Australia has not been the counter attacking team of late, to suggest they belong in the same sentence as the All Blacks is factually incorrect, they have been playing rugby closer to SA in style than anything else.

Mate, I think in a way we'd be talked up if it could be thought we can play the boks way. We can't, we just do not have the physical players to play that style, or the place kickers to take the points.

True the counter attacking is not as good as has been, but I think the wallabies are still basicly a roll with the punches side, absorb with damage limitations and then counter a win if possible.

The boks style of play last season I think is coming along very well. Still a bit of an up and under charge style but when the back line has got going it has been threatening. With the big mobile back rows there now, as you have pointed out, just need the half back pairing confirmed and this season I think they will be a very very hard side to beat. I can see the boks coming out with some attacking play, but with the players to either shut up shop or revert back to route 1 when needed.

I think AUS are probably the most dangerous team going into the RWC15 cycle. Everyone rights off their pack yet they regularly compete and beat SA and NZ (more so than anyone else).

They have a pack which has grown used to being the underdogs and have found ways to combat alleged superior strength.... give them a platform however and I think they will clean up all comers.

I hope so fa0019, but I would love us to have a couple of brutes like Alberts et el... 1999 now seems such a long time ago!!

LOL

Well we Kiwis never write the criminals off because they still regularly take a game of us. Aus with most of their top team back this year will be a force to be reckoned with even if their forwards are not the toughest in town. I doubt the Lions will be giving them a serious mauling.

It has to be said to often that the Wallaby Pack is written off,also with most of there players back 2013 should be closer.Kurtley Beale going League would be a blow but not a fatal one.
Incidentally the Nz herald Rugby stats guru came up with an interesting one they
actually kicked more Penalties than the other 3 sides.Goalkicking has been a big weakness in recent years the difference between winning and losing.
IF as seems possible it has been fixed OZ could well be contenders 4Ns first RWC is to far away and not worth the bother anyway.

Yeah I think Meyer did well. His pack does look good and Alberts and Eben particularly impressed as typical Bok forwards who will never take a step backwards.

He wasted time developing backs through a combination of indecison and a lack of knowledge in good backplay.

The demise of Steyn and promotion of Goosen came purely as a result of public pressure in the end, even though Goosen was injured, he kind of just chucked him in even though he clearly wasnt ready.

I dont think weve seen the end of M Steyn. Goosen needs to show what hes made of sxv as he's bordering on the fragile side. Steyn knows all he needs to do is up his goal % and add some width and variety to his game. He just might be capable of doing both and he's still the best performed 10 at his best.

Given that, last year Meyer got a pass for his first year coinciding with the loss of the Matfields etc, whereas 2013 results will be all the more important.

Meyers come a long way in a year... SA look in their best position since 09 I reckon.

Like every year 2013 is a new one August along way away,player attrition startsagain in a couple of weeks.After 20 odd or so Super matches we couold see shadow squads again,

emack2 wrote:Like every year 2013 is a new one August along way away,player attrition startsagain in a couple of weeks.After 20 odd or so Super matches we couold see shadow squads again,

I cetainly hope not Alan, hopefully this year player management will be the focus and the coaches use astute thinking about over exposing players.