As far as the Super 14 goes, it seems if we may as well wander off to wait to find our kicks on the swings of the Tri-Nations or, even better, the nice safe roundabout of the SA-only Currie Cup, writes ANDY COLQUHOUN.
Even the Sharks – the one South African side to have consistently shown the full range of skills – are in that awkward place where any defeat when they come off the bye from next weekend will have the potential to end their hopes of making a last gasp run up the rails.
This is a grimly familiar prospect and I can produce dozens of statistics demonstrating why it should be so – for instance highveld sides perform poorly at sea level and any team comprised of South African-born players is diminished every time it gets in an aeroplane that is to travel over water.
Next year we might not notice so much because we’ll all be consumed by galloping World Cup fever and nations will be doing fancy things (hopefully) to preserve their most prized assets for the tournament.
By 2008 we’ll be three years into Super 14 and no doubt we’ll be re-learning the depressing truth of Super rugby all over again while all three SANZAR countries come to terms with the post-World Cup exodus of their most seasoned players.
Then it’s year four and 2009 and if the last few seasons are anything to go by then the prospect of a South African title will have receded even further.
It’s already seven seasons since the Stormers earned a home semi-final which, to my mind, was the last time any South African side actually looked capable of winning it (and I haven’t forgotten the Sharks’ appearance in the 2001 title).
The Sharks may be the
one exception
Call me picky, but I reckon this is unacceptable and I’m not seeing much being done individually or collectively to lift us out of this rut of history.
The exception may be the Sharks where the evidence is that their investment in the recruitment of young players is paying dividends – and it has been done in conjunction with their local clubs.
Maybe the Sharks simply have a better PR machine but I couldn’t name one Western Province player who has been through their Academy and although they have added another layer of professional coaching with the appointment of a director of rugby, their training facilities remain ‘amateur’.
Do the Lions have a
secret academy?
If the Lions have an Academy it is a secret they clearly wish to keep from the rest of the country – and redundant anyway when the best tool for player development appears to be a cheque-book (a mistake the Sharks came to rue).
The Bulls recruit and coach but I wonder if it is to be rugby players or something rather narrower and more robotic; whether there is a glass ceiling through which instincts are not allowed to float.
Meanwhile in conditioning and strategy and skills development we look overseas for leadership and by the time we catch up, they’ve moved on – how else can one interpret a Super 14 log that shows South African sides conceding more tries and scoring fewer than Australian and New Zealand sides.
Is the gap too wide to
bridge for coaches?
Or maybe it’s that the raw material is inadequate and that the professional coaches have too wide a gap to bridge.
Whichever is correct it seems to me that the answer lies in coaching and that is a function of the game over which SA Rugby can exercise some influence.
Sooner or later there will be national intervention because this is too proud a rugby nation to compete in a tournament that it can never win. Better to start now with a scheme to raise the coaching bar from schoolboy level up – our good things will eventually flow.
Andy Colquhoun is editor of Rugby World South Africa and this column appears in the Cape Argus and The Star.
April 10th, 2006 at 2:46 pm
“Meanwhile in conditioning and strategy and skills development we look overseas for leadership and by the time we catch up, they’ve moved on”
Why is it that we are so externally referenced (thanks TG for that term). Some of the beter sports people emerge from SA from those working with Tim Noakes to the late Mel Siff, recognised around the world, but ignored here in SA? But where ever the coaches comes from get them, focus on development in all communities and lets get ourselves educated.
The lions accademy is Johannesburg University (formerly RAU) just as Maties is for WP, but that’s not official it just seems to be the case.
April 10th, 2006 at 2:46 pm
agreed.
coaching is a problem but the unions and even the coaches are too narrow-minded and arrogant to admit it.
April 10th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
PA
In a sentence you sum it up
April 10th, 2006 at 2:50 pm
and i also agree with you nick, we have the people in SA, but the powers that be is too thickheaded to realise this.
they rely on outdated methods of coaching and are to piss-scared or stupid to realise they need to approach it differently.
you need experts and people with a more revolutionary method of coaching to improve in an arena which ahs become extremely scientific.
April 10th, 2006 at 3:06 pm
On this list, PhilipDC, TG, you and I for example. (not wanting to blow my own trumpet)or exclude others, just a non exhaustive list if those who spring to mind).
Maybe we’re to radical or to unrefined, or challenge the status quo and people feel threatened, where as we could make them appear so much better and add to what they do.
April 10th, 2006 at 3:08 pm
GLRU TRUST
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
GIVE ME THE TEAM MANAGER JOB AND FREEDOM TO APPOINT A NEW COACHING STAFF AND MANAGE THE PLAYERS.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.
Now if someone like I can see that, how come nobody else here in Jozi can see that? Is there something wrong with the people in charge?
In Australia and New Zealand coaches do NOT get plucked from the obscurity of coaching Hoerskool Linden.
They have to trek through the gamut of academies and diplomas and clubs and a variety of experience before they are finally considered for international positions.
In SA it seems we take the net approach. We throw the net out and hope something good comes back.
And once we pull it in, whatever is in the net becomes coach. No further searching required.
If players perform badly in basic skills then the coaching must take the blame. If players cannot last the full 80 minutes then coaches must take the blame. If players are not properly conditioned then coaches must take the blame. If players can’t tackle properly then coaches must take the blame. If players cannot pass a ball left and right then coaches must take the blame.
Is there no coaching academy within South Africa. One that teaches young people how to coach and keeps them in a system that constantly updates their skills. I know before S14 there was supposed to be a coaching conference where all five S14 coaches were to lecture each other on different aspects of the game. Frans Ludeke apparently lectured “attack”. Need I say more…?
In the meantime players get subjected to ‘koppestamp’ because their coaches are too thick to impart basic skills their opponents have played with for years.
Time for the axe.
The Cats started the trend against BVR. Let them now also start the trend of appointing professional player managers, coaches and administrators.
April 10th, 2006 at 3:12 pm
DavidS
Why do you steal my thoughts??
“Is there no coaching academy within South Africa. One that teaches young people how to coach and keeps them in a system that constantly updates their skills.”
April 10th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
Is it not a case where the advancement towards professionalism passed by the coaches, or rather the employers of the coaches?
If we take the examples of NickTat of available?? coaches, why are they not taken up into the system?
Can you elaborate, Nick?
April 10th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
ps. New Zealand and Australia in particular have this academy.
This is why often times the coach is not a former player but a specialist coach over several years.
ps. The coach has, by the time he reaches S14 level been through several academies and courses to teach him how to coach (train the trainer) that he is fully prepared for the rigours of international coaching.
April 10th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
PA
Why dont we start an article 21 co- get the Ruggaworld Board to direct the Co and have a fund raising amongst supporters
The objective should be to run a club at a Union with a good coaching structure- for argument Sharks- or it can play a larger developmental role if it is relocated to George :smile:- guess who will really be smiling- Point is it should not have a provincial connection- barring the geographical location.
Appoint all the right skills coaches as per knowledge on Ruggaworld-
Get 1 headcoach and make use of local people to fill in the gaps
Get Tony Mckeever to be the president of this Club- there must be no chance for lazy administrators to “skiet wortel”
The HR part can be done from Jozi by DavidS
Donner can handle the finances
Point is anything is possible
Nick Tat ? Philip dc to oversee- via the internet the Physical conditioning
TG to work on the mental side
One piepiemier to do the analysis etc
get youngsters- pink purple whatever to join the club and start playing in that local competion.
This will be a long term approach but at least it will keep the supporters who participate something to be proud of.
The clubgames can be podcasted- club can have merchandise- it will re-connect the supporters who bought into the club with a dream
I now it is a crazy idea- but the only way for the supporters to gain credibility is to do something better than the games administrators with less money, again anything is possible.
BTW my e-mail oranje_orakel@hotmail.com- to answer an earlier request.
April 10th, 2006 at 3:23 pm
Because BGG
Often time your appointment as a coach or administrator is dependent not on your abilities but rather on who know.
Witness Andy Turner who mysteriously shot to command of the Cats with a qualification in teaching and a few years experience as a junior player agent.
Witness Frans Ludeke who came from nowhere to suddenly become Cats Lions coach ahead of luminaries (successful ones I may add) like Hugo Van As and Ian MacDonald and Dick Muir and of course not to forget coaches overseas like Pieter Muller.
April 10th, 2006 at 3:26 pm
Davids, if you get the management possition, can I be the new coach? I’ve got a clear view of where I want the Cats to end up!
April 10th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
If we had the cash OO I’d jump on that bandwagon with no proiblems.
ps. I also wouldn’t mind moving to George for that matter!!!!
April 10th, 2006 at 3:37 pm
Aldo
The only position you’ll get at the Cats will be a Coke seller – in the Doornfontein station after evening matches!
April 10th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
DavidS
I thought you could only get that stuff in Hillbrow up the road!
April 10th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
hell OO now that is a dream i will buy into.
like you said anything is possible.
i will drop you a mail soon.
April 10th, 2006 at 3:45 pm
DavidS
I am not familiar with the training as coaches that Van As, Ian MacD or Pieter Mulder had. Is appointing ex players as coaches not dangerous as well?
Maybe NickTat PhilipDC and TG can, for guidance to our poor souls, describe the training, whether formal academical or thru coaching academies, that generated the skill levels that they currently enjoy, and possible furtherance even from thereon forward.
That can be interesting as a post.
April 10th, 2006 at 3:50 pm
DavidS
The reality is that We( the supporters) will never have the cash to do this- until we start doing something as crazy as I had suggested
Point is – you will find 10000 pissed off supporters in this country- If it was possible to convince them each to part with 500 ZAR and if they can to meaningful support this CLUB- If we have 10000 clubmembers- i am sure someone like Tony will be able to convince a financial/medical services company to add to the Sponsors Bill. The Australian Gentleman who wants to sell his training equipment- might just became an equipment sponsor etc
The Club will have to have a physical location- but the Administration can be virtual- and therefore done by experienced and compotent individuals who are passionate about the game.
It will therefore have a extremely flatline administration.
Most of the Annual money from the supporters will be to pay the coaches- who will be performenced edited by the board- and the players, who will be the Club’s assets. I can name an individual who was good enough to play for a representative SA age group side but sit now in a schack in hannover. 3K a month + lodging and a club sponsored diet will be more than enough incentive.
I am not talking about massive salaries here- It will be for 6 months only
The Gim will have to be state of art- The Australian Gentleman who wants to sell his training equipment- might just became an equipment sponsor etc- this part will have to be connected to a virtual conference room in which the external moderators can have one on ones with the players
Just an idea- but its grazy enough to work.
April 10th, 2006 at 4:02 pm
Ja postie
But if he tried selling that stuff in Doornfontein after dark we’ll be rid of him for sure!
Hmmm
OO
Okay, but HR requires F2F and I prefer F2F HR practice. It gets so many better results, believe me.
April 10th, 2006 at 4:03 pm
BGG
Good point about Van As and MacDonald.
April 10th, 2006 at 4:07 pm
Jissie maar jy is lelik DavidS! Here I thought I’d offer you the help of a highly skilled and passionate coach! A lot better than Ludeke. Don’t worry, you wont lose all your games, just some games. Against the Bulls for instance, other than that, you’ll win all your games! Even get to the finals of the S14, unless the Semi is against the Bulls. Then we go back to my first vision, of the Cats losing to the Bulls. I’ll give all of my new inexperienced players game time against the Bulls, and might even throw in some retired players for that game! Oh and play the gasman at FlyhalF!!!
April 10th, 2006 at 4:10 pm
And Aldo I’ll make sure evry supporter knows which car is yours because it will be parked outside with a huge sign on it reading ‘THIS IS ALDO’S CAR’
Heheheheheh
Wonder how far you’ll get. Jozi can be an unforgiving place at the best of times…
April 10th, 2006 at 4:12 pm
Davids, they’ll love me in josi. You guys only play the Bulls about 3 times a season. Is it really that bad to lose so little, but win everything else? At least with me at the helm, you’ll beat the Stormers, Cheetahs, etc…
April 10th, 2006 at 4:21 pm
DavidS
My post of 3:45 – I am serious about getting the experts to elaborate on their career fields, as this is a “new” career type. I know that some varsities had degrees in “Sports administration” or “Sport science”, but am ignorant on what that specifically contained.
If they can possibly give a write-up of study opportunities etc, maybe the information will contribute to some interest in that careerpath, and thus contributing to a future generation of Aussie bashers!
April 10th, 2006 at 4:52 pm
BGG
I was at RAU after the army and Sports Science was for the sports stars the varsity bought.
EG. Poor Joe Gillingham, who is not the brightest spark studied sports science. He was at school with my brother and was on laer graad as early as Std 7.
Clever players like Ian MacDonald and Francois Pienaar studied other things. Pienaar studied law with me.
April 10th, 2006 at 6:06 pm
Ian Macdonald clever? I thought he was one of those onnies at GOK?
April 10th, 2006 at 8:43 pm
It is too wide for our coaches.
Except mallet.