Gold deserves praise
rugby365.com columnist Grant Ball writes that the lack of praise for forwards coach Gary Gold in the aftermath of the Boks’ win has been deafening.
Bok captain Victor Matfield has rightfully been lauded for his role in the Irish triumph. From a leadership, playing and line-out perspective, Matfield inspired the Boks on the field as they won in Dublin for the first time in 10 years.
Headlines in all the papers from the north and in South Africa labelled this as ‘Victor’s victory’ and while the Test centurion deserves much credit, the silence from within the Bok camp regarding Gold’s off-field contribution has been deafening.
Matfield mentioned how he and Juan Smith had an extra two weeks to prepare and study Ireland’s game due to the Bulls and Cheetahs’ exits from the Currie Cup at the semifinal stage, and Matfield said that additional time had helped in reversing the embarrassment of last year’s Croke Park showing.
The line-out was again the main talking point in the build-up due to Gert Smal’s role in Ireland’s triumph last year, but the Bok scrum also deserved credit for its role in setting up the win. The overall dominance of the pack can’t be over-emphasised, and here Gold should have been recognised. However, he hasn’t received any of the plaudits.
It’s not news that Peter de Villiers didn’t want Gold in his coaching staff prior to the tour, but Gold’s work in ensuring the Bok pack dominated Ireland would have eased the pressure on him. Gold has had a tumultuous time after the completion of the Tri-Nations, not knowing whether he would even have a job in November. Despite the uncertainty over his future, he remained professional and maintained his integrity and got on with the job, with this Saturday’s performance a due reward for him personally.
He’s also had to take this back-handed compliment from Peter de Villiers during the Tri-Nations: “I believe WP and the Blue Bulls’ defence coaches are world-class and Gary Gold [Bok defence coach] is not far behind.”
Gold has always been open in his support of De Villiers, but the lack of reciprocity from De Villiers tells you there are still problems within the camp.
What’s also clear from this weekend’s internationals is that Gold and the Bok pack will face stronger challenges from Wales, England and Scotland, and from Gold’s perspective he’ll have to keep on producing to keep his detractors at bay.
After the All Blacks’ win over the Boks in Auckland this year, one of the most telling moments of the competition came when Graham Henry hugged Steve Hansen after the final whistle. Hansen had taken much criticism for New Zealand’s forward showings last year, and that act from Henry after Hansen’s pack dominated the South Africans symbolised how close a unit the trio of Henry, Hansen and Wayne Smith are.
In any coaching set-up, having all the assistants and head coaches on the same page knowing that they have the team’s interests at heart is imperative to ensuring the right calls are made. In the current Bok situation where most of the coaches are fighting for their jobs on a personal level, there isn’t the ‘All for one, One for all’ motto that the best coaching units – such as the All Blacks – possess.
Grant Ball writes for rugbyxv.co.za
