Springbok coach Peter de Villiers says the timing of the forthcoming Grand Slam tour of Europe at the end of 2010 “isn’t right for me” in view of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Ashfak Mohamed – The Mercury
The South African Rugby Union announced the tour last week, which will see the Boks take on Ireland on November 6 at the opening of the brand-new Aviva Stadium (old Lansdowne Road) in Dublin, then Wales in Cardiff a week later, Scotland on November 20 at Murrayfield, and England at Twickenham on November 27.
The World champions will also play a tour match against the Barbarians on December 4 at a venue still to be decided. That’s five tough matches, and with the World Cup looming in September 2011 in New Zealand, De Villiers is not impressed. His major issue is to determine when to rest players and prepare them accordingly for World Cup battle.
“The timing of this Grand Slam tour isn’t right for me. The World Cup is the next thing, you know,” De Villiers said on Monday.
“It would’ve been better if the Grand Slam tour was scheduled for just after the World Cup, because we would’ve been in New Zealand for the World Cup and played Tri-Nations before that against them and Australia. So after the World Cup would have been perfect for a Grand Slam tour.
“So, at this point in time, I need to really sit down and work out when exactly we want to do the conditioning with the guys ahead of the 2011 season. From there, we will know what we want to do and how we are going to approach the next two international seasons.”
The period before the 2011 Super 14 is the only realistic time for De Villiers to work on his players’ conditioning for the World Cup. Even if they rest after this year’s Tri-Nations and sit out the entire Currie Cup, it would probably be too far ahead of the World Cup to be of value to the Boks.
But if a full-strength squad is deemed necessary for what is usually a tour of huge importance for South African rugby, De Villiers will have to think of another plan.
“I haven’t spoken to the bosses yet – or the players – about the Grand Slam tour, so I don’t know how they see it,” he said.
“We have to determine how important the Grand Slam tour is to South African rugby. There are many stakeholders in our rugby, including the players and the supporters.
“We need to consult with everybody to see how we view the Grand Slam tour, as well as the World Cup. The sponsors also need to be consulted. There need to be quite a few consultations before we can make any decisions on the way forward for what is best for South African rugby.”
De Villiers also revealed that there had been no decision taken yet on whether the Boks would sit out the 2010 Currie Cup.
If he is unable to rest players for the Grand Slam tour, the 2011 Super 14 and Tri-Nations may take a back seat.
The last time the Boks undertook a Grand Slam tour was when Jake White’s team lost to Ireland and England and beat Wales and Scotland in 2004.
The defeat by Ireland will be best remembered for New Zealand referee Paul Honiss’s decision to award a try to Irish flyhalf Ronan O’Gara, who took a quick tap penalty in the Bok 22m area and scored.
At the time, Bok captain John Smit had his back turned and was busy speaking to his players after being told to do so by Honiss. Despite Smit’s protestations, Honiss gave the try and the Boks lost 17-12.
The Boks have not completed a Grand Slam since 1960-61, when captain Avril Malan’s side achieved the feat on a four-month tour of Europe.
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Tough decisions coming up. No faith in what support and decisions will be made in the corridors of power though.
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:32 pm
just a test…
:WTF:
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:32 pm
sheesh…
sorry…
mistake…
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:33 pm
please delete…
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Surely 9 months is a long enough period to manage the players back to peak physical condition…?
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Bokke to rest through the 1st half of 2011 S14?
Rest for the Home 3N and only play away 3N!?
Win the 2011 WC and all can bugger off to EU
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:45 pm
I believe we have to go on the EOYT with our strongest side with the goal of winning the Grand Slam… that would do more for our chances of winning the WC than sending a second string side to get klapped…
Then rest the guys in the CC, S14 and even 3N if we have to…
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Reply to UFO @ 2:42 pm:
I don’t think the issue is getting them in peak condition, it’s getting them there and keeping there without the chance of burnout until after the RWC
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Reply to UFO @ 2:45 pm:
That’s where the conundrum comes in, it’s a 5 match tour after a S14, 3N and CC witha short break before the S14, 3N etc and finally the RWC of 2011
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Ollie…
Yeah I know…
If they rest them for this year’s CC they should be able to prepare them physically for the EOYT…
then there’s 9 month’s to rest/manage them back to full and peak fitness…
surely…???
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Nah, let them play.
Try and fit in a two Test
tour in Argentina before
the Grand Slam – just as
a warm-up.
Tim Noakes is mos ‘n poephol.
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Reply to UFO @ 2:53 pm:
IF, but that is exactly where my mistrust of the decisions made by the powers that be comes into play
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 2:58 pm:
And why not throw in a match against Italy and then it will be a once in a lifetime grandslam
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Reply to JT @ 2:44 pm:
Sounds good to me.
And klap them hard on Grand Slam tour 2010
play second stringers against them in June and let them KNOW that
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Reply to JT @ 2:44 pm:
You make it sound so easy, but there is this fellow called Murphy who once wrote some law or the other. I believe he would have had SARU, Govt, S14 franchises and sponsors in mind when writing it.
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Reply to Ollie @ 3:08 pm:
Italy AND the Frogs
- nobody has done that!
(1960/61 Tour included Frogs
- drew 0-0)
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Reply to JT @ 2:44 pm:
Yep… first half of the the S14 will include all the RSA v RSA games at home… I’m down with that… as well as exclusion from this years CC…
Bit worrying this is all up in the air still…
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 3:39 pm:
Albeit I’d play all the 3N games…
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 3:35 pm:
Well we play the Frogs at Newlands this year, does that count?
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Reply to Ollie @ 3:46 pm:
Only if we win it.
I think it’s on the cards:
Group of like 24 players
will be withdrawn from the
CC.
They’ve just got to get Absa
to buy in and make it official.
Sad, but that’s the way the
game will be going.
If and when it happens, it may
lead to a proper EOYT of say
4 Tests and six other games.
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 4:00 pm:
On de udder hand this can
make the way of a more equal
CC competition, with eight
teams competing.
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 4:02 pm:
or the bigger unions will just buy all the players to cover for the bokke and we are back to square 1
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:10 pm
SA rugby will do world rugby a huge favour by sometimes screwing the local comps in favour of international ones.
This way rugby risks going soccer route where clubs become all important.
I enjoy the CC when the best 6 teams are playing. Its the boland and Leopard games that screw the competition, not a lack of boks.