'Captain must buy into my philosophy'
New Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer’s captain will remain a closely guarded secret till just days before the opening Test against England on June 9.
However, Meyer knows exactly what type of player he wants, to lead South Africa’s national team.
Several players have been linked to the captaincy – with names like Schalk Burger, Jean de Villiers and Andries Bekker repeatedly aired in media dispatches. It has even been rumoured that Fourie du Preez could return from Japan, or that Victor Matfield will come out of retirement to lead the Boks.
Other franchise captains like Pierre Spies, Adriaan Strauss, Keegan Daniels and Josh Strauss have received a lot less air time – although they have certainly not been discounted.
Burger’s chances took a serious knock with the knee injury that looks set to rule him out till July, meaning he will miss the England series. It was also revealed that Bekker is again carrying an injury, which puts a question mark over his captaincy prospects.
Other candidates like Jaque Fourie and Juan Smith have ruled themselves out. Smith is recovering from a long-term Achilles injury and may never return to the playing field again, while Fourie has retired from Test rugby.
Which suddenly leaves De Villiers, himself recovering from a hand injury, as a front-runner in the race.
Speaking at the conclusion of his third and final Bok planning camp in Cape Town on Thursday, Meyer said he was impressed with all the captains of the five franchises that attended the gatherings.
“One or two guys here [in Cape Town] have impressed me as well,” the Bok mentor told a media scrum at Newlands.
“I said I was going to name the captain only the week before [the opening match of the three-Test series against England next month].
“At first I thought that is maybe a stupid idea, because I didn’t know the guys. However, looking back, it is maybe the right idea because so few of them are standing at the moment and would probably have changed the captain three times before the first Test.
“I must say I am much more at ease, because there are a lot of great leaders out there.
“The difficulty is to get a guy to get my [way of] thinking onto the playing field and that is going to be difficult, because you don’t have time with them. That is why I said I would go for a short-term captain, see how they go, get to know them.
“I don’t want this to be taken out of context, but I have really been impressed with Jean [de Villiers, the Stormers’ stand-in captain] as well. I have been really impressed with how he organises the backline and he is one of the senior players that will be back sooner.
“However, as I said, I have been impressed with the other captains of the other franchises.”
Meyer dismissed the notion that he favours a forward as captain, given that in his time at the Bulls Anton Leonard and then Matfield were the first-choice skippers.
He also used Du Preez, especially in the later years when Matfield was unavailable.
“It doesn’t really matter [whether it is a forward or a back],” the Bok coach said, adding: “What is important for me is that I need someone with rugby intelligence and somebody who can almost read my mind … what I want on the field.
“Also, somebody who has a good relationship with the media and portrays the type of character I want as well – but it is more important that he knows what is happening on the field.
“What is very important is that it is somebody who buys into my philosophy.
“If you have a captain who plays a different style, there will be a clash there and you will never work together. It is important for the captain and coach to work closely together and he must almost know my thinking before he goes onto the field.”
Asked about the rumours that he has approached Matfield to come out of retirement, Meyer again played his cards very close to his chest.
“As for Victor [Matfield], I have never made a statement about Victor,” he said, adding: “I know there has been a lot in the media, but I have said that I will look at every single player that is available to me.”
He also said it is becoming less likely that he will bring in a host of players currently playing abroad – men like Du Preez (Japan), Danie Rossouw (Japan), Bakkies Botha ()France), Gurthrö Steenkamp (France), Francois Steyn (France), Johann Muller (Ireland) and Ruan Pienaar (Ireland).
Although some of them will almost certainly feature against England, the number will be much smaller than initially reported.
“I have said, there are a lot of great players playing overseas. The difficulty at this stage is that those guys were not able to train [take part in these planning camps], because of the IRB ruling they will only come in on the Monday [ahead of the first England Test on June 9] and that makes it very difficult.
“Where I thought I was going to start with more overseas players, suddenly if it is a 50-50 call I think I might go for the local guys because they have trained with us.”
Meyer said he has not settled on a starting team or matchday 22 yet, as that combination changes on a weekly basis.
“I think the [Bok] team is going to change a lot in the next four weeks as well … hopefully not through injuries.
“I will only make a decision in the last week, once I see who is available and who is not available.”
He again expressed his concern about the injury crisis at lock.
“Andries [Bekker] is carrying a slight injury and there are not many No.5 locks left [in South Africa]. I must look at all the resources [available to me], I will be stupid if I don’t do that.
“The guys playing at Ulster [Ruan Pienaar, Johann Muller (as Ulster captain)] are going well, so I will make my final decision as close to the first Test against England as possible.”
The prospects are good that Francois Steyn could feature against England, now that he has declared his intention to return to South African at the end of the current French season in June.
“There is a very good possibility that he will be back and definitely someone I would look at,” the Bok coach said when quizzed about the burly utility back and 2007 World Cup winner.
“Again, not having worked with him makes it difficult, but if he comes back it will be great as he is a good player.
“It will probably be a long-term decision there because he is only 24 years old and can play another two World Cups.
“The great thing is there are a lot of inside centres putting up their hands.
“It is a pity Jean [de Villiers] is injured, but he could be back in time and that will give us a few fresh players as well.
“Wynand [Olivier] is playing good rugby at inside centre, so suddenly at centre we are not bad.
“It is a pity that Jaque [Fourie] retired, because I thought he could add a lot of value. However, there are a lot of youngsters putting up their hands and you need to pick guys on form and guys who want to and are focussed to play for South Africa.”
He said he will speak to De Villiers about the possibility of playing at outside centre.
“I have been thinking about that,” he said, adding: “I have spoken top his fitness and conditioning coach and he said to me Jean is actually the quickest he has been. I have been impressed with his [De Villiers’s] organisation of the backs and you need an experienced head there, so that is definitely a possibility.
“He runs great lines, he has the speed and as I said I have been impressed with the way he organises the players on defence around him.”
Another player who could come into the Bok frame if he returns from abroad is Bath-based Bok flank Francois Louw.
Media reports this week suggested the Stormers are trying to arrange for an early release for Louw to return to Cape Town, as they are having a loose forward crisis – with players like Schalk Burger, Duane Vermeulen and Nick Koster all currently sidelined with injuries.
Louw could be the ideal replacement, as he has both the experience at international level and understanding of the Stormers’ structures.
That will; certainly also give Meyer an additional option as an openside flank in the Bok team.
“I have always rated Francois Louw,” the Bok coach said, adding: “With the way the [breakdown] laws are applied and the way openside flanks play he can fit that role of an openside very well, because he is big, strong, he can steal and carry.
“However, I have only seen what’s in the media, so I don’t know if he is coming back in of so, is it just for a month or two months.
“I must say there has been a few great openside flanks that have impressed me in Super Rugby. As I said, if it is a 50-50 call, I would probably go for the guys in South Africa who have been in these camps.”
By Jan de Koning, at Newlands
