Bench Warfare
There has been much unhappiness amongst the top Western Province schools at the way the bench has been used, especially by Paul Roos.
The problem comes from the use of replacements/substitutes.
In the beginning they were replacements caused by injuries and, in the case of schools matches, the replacing players would have played a match already, in the case of the 1st XV a match for the 2nd XV. For most schools this is still the way replacements are used.
But rugby's laws have changed from the replacement of injured players to the tactical substitution of healthy players – to 'bring on fresh legs'.
And some schools have followed the senior teams and have a bench of fresh players, used as tactical substitutes. There have been serious arguments against this with Paul Roos standing surrounded by a ring of ire.
Just before Paarl Gim were to play Paul Roos in an Premier Interschools clash, they threatened to withdraw – just before. The match was due to be televised, and Richard Visagie, for many years the coach of Paarl Boys' High and now the vice-chairman of Western Province Schools executive (Danny Jones is the chairman), was asked to mediate.
A hasty compromise was reached – that on the bench would be four affected players – two who of whom had played half a match for the 2nd XV. This was an emergency measure.
The Premier A and Premier B schools got together and agreed that there would not be a bench made up of players who had not played.
When Paul Roos were due to go to SACS, they again had a large bench available to come on fresh. SACS said that in that case they would not play and Paul Roos adapted their stance.
Paul Roos justify their use of wht is called the squad system as being educationally sound if correctly used, and to the good of the players so that they are not over played – instead of 15 players playing 20 matches, under this system 20 players play 15 matches.
There may well be other ways of not 'overplaying' the players.
The fact remains that there are opposing schools who believe that Paul Roos is trying to steal a march on them, that they do not have the number of boys that Paul Roos has to choose from and in any case who believe that a team consists of 15 players. If a player's health is at stake, then he is replaced.
They would rather that every boy who wanted to play rugby played rugby for his school. Paul Roos would like to have a bench of eight players. That could mean that 16 players do not have a full game on a Saturday – and they are 16 exceptionally good players.
This week Paul Roos play Paarl Boys' High. Paarl Boys' High will have a team of 15 players with the whole of the 2nd XV, which has just played, ready to act as replacements for injuries.
There was a time in the past when the schools stood firm against Bishops's use of postmatrics by refusing to play Bishops who then conceded. The same could happen to Paul Roos. Heaven forbid.
What a sad situation, but perhaps an indication of the distrust that exists between schools when it comes to rugby – only rugby, because nothing brandishes the pride of the school higher than rugby does.
