Heyneke looking for the right Bok mix
New Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer was a satisfied man after the completion of three successful planning camps over a three-week period.
However, with the first Test against England just over a month away, the job is far form complete.
Having worked with 100-odd players in three short bursts in Pretoria and Cape Town, the most difficult part of his job starts now: To select the right players.
Speaking at the completion of the third camp in Cape Town Meyer revealed that he would name his first Bok team only after the Bulls-Stormers Super Rugby derby in Pretoria on June 2.
“You don’t want to name players, then there are injuries and you have to go back and get a few other players and they feel they haven’t been first choices,” the Bok coach explained.
“If I pick the guys they need to know that I back them 100 percent and I don’t want them to hold back in that game [at Loftus].”
According to Meyer, he “definitely” got out of the three camps what he wanted, saying: “I was surprised with the knowledge the players have. I thought it would take much longer to put our structures in place.
“I must give a lot of credit to the franchises’ coach, because you could see the rugby intelligence is there.”
While having only a few days to work with each of the franchises’ players is not ideal, and Meyer would have loved to have spent two or three weeks with the players, he regards it as “a great start”.
He added: “The one thing that impressed me was the attitude of the players.
“I haven’t had a chance to work hands-on with the players and you can see they all really want to play for South Africa and I am really happy with the camps.”
The Bok coach said he hoped the 100-odd players can take one or two ideas back to their franchises.
“[I had] 103 one-on-ones [with the players], so it has been hectic, but you have to know the players and know them at different levels.
“I am not going to be able to pick everyone, but at least there is respect and it is what is the best for South African rugby.”
Injuries remain a major headache, with a large chunk of the country’s senior playing corps currently being sidelined due to a variety of niggles.
Meyer, because he does not have enough time to prepare for England, initially wanted to use a more experienced squad and blend in the youngsters.
“At this stage there is not a lot of senior players standing,” Meyer said, adding: “So I would probably have to go with a few more youngsters.
“It is also great for them, because they have to put up their hands. I must say, a lot of them have done that in Super Rugby and that is great.
“What is also great is that every single player out there knows they have a chance and it is up to them now to prove [in the next four rounds of Super Rugby] they want to play for South Africa.”
Asked about the quality of the players he worked with, Meyer described it as a huge honour to work with so much talent.
“Out of my various backgrounds [as Super Rugby and Currie Cup coach] I have worked with about only 30 players at one stage,” he said, adding: “But here I have all the best players in South Africa and I have been very impressed… especially with the skill levels and the rugby intelligence.
“There are a lot of great players out there.
“Now the difficult task is to select the right ones.”
He said the team he had in his mind has changed a number of times, especially with the injuries to a number of the senior guys.
He said there is some concern that the two most powerful and physical South African franchises, the Bulls and Stormers, will go head-to-head the week before the first Test.
“That is a difficult scenario, because the last thing I want to do is ask the guys to hold back.
“I want them to win Super Rugby and I was a Super Rugby coach as well. I won’t expect things from coaches that I didn’t do. I won’t speak to the players beforehand, but I am worried.
“Knowing the South African players they are very competitive and I want to see that same competitiveness against England.
“If you look at the camps, on a Monday after the derbies probably 50 percent of the players couldn’t train – that is a huge concern.
“Now I see there are more guys injured with the Stormers than three weeks back – so it is not just that one game, it is the accumulative affect of all the games.
“I know there will be a lot of guys sore after those games, but it will also be unfair of me to ask the guys not to go flat out, because that is the competitive spirit I expect at the Boks as well.
“We also need the guys to go to another level for England.
“I am worried, but that’s the hand I have been dealt and I must get on with it.”
By Jan de Koning
