After the Springboks ended the previous decade on a spectacular note, JOHN GOLIATH lists his rugby wishes for 2020 and beyond.
SA Rugby to find solution for player exodus …
It’s frightening that South African schoolboy rugby players have started to take up contracts with overseas-based clubs, while established stars are leaving the country’s shores a lot earlier than in the past. Money is the biggest draw card, as the Rand just can’t compete with the Euro and the Pound. Most of the rugby unions are also broke, which makes it difficult to pay players big money to stop the bleeding. There is no immediate remedy for this problem, I’m afraid, as kids are also impatient and don’t want to do the hard yards to become a Springbok. But somehow we have to stop the pirates from taking our rugby treasures.
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SA Super Rugby teams to break the trophy drought …
South Africa only secured one Vodacom Super Rugby title during the last decade when the Vodacom Bulls won the last of their three titles in 2010 after they beat the Stormers at Orlando Stadium. Since then the Stormers made a few semi-finals, the Sharks featured in the 2012 final, while the Lions fell at the final hurdle three years in a row from 2016, after doing well to get to the Championship match. South African teams have traditionally struggled away from home, which has contributed greatly to their trophy drought. But in 2019 that form was slightly better and they showed that the New Zealand teams aren’t invincible. Super Rugby as a product needs strong and competitive teams from the Republic, while it will also add much-needed depth as far as the Boks’ are concerned.
For the Springboks to dominate world rugby like the All Blacks …
The Boks ended the previous decade by spectacularly winning the World Cup in Japan, but the bulk of that team will still be around for quite some time. This Bok team has the makings of a great outfit that can dominate for a number of years. Their pack is ferocious and has plenty of depth, while there are many talented backs coming through. The All Blacks seem to be on a downward spiral (it may too early to write them off, though), while the Wallabies are in disarray. The European sides have had a good time against the Boks of late, especially at home, but can’t really stay with the men in green and gold when the South Africans fire on all cylinders. If the Boks can get some sort of stability in selection and coaching personnel, they could be unstoppable this year.
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For Rassie Erasmus to sort out coaching structures to improve player flow …
There is so much raw talent in this country. We have the best schoolboys rugby players in the world, but yet they tend to develop really slowly or even go missing in the system. There are also a lot more talent available outside of the traditional rugby schools, but these kids are regularly overlooked. The pipeline to the Boks needs to be reinforced with proper coaches and structures to make sure they reach their full potential before heading into professional rugby. When kids make it into Super Rugby they must be ready to jol, by doing the basics well and understanding the plans and systems. At the moment that is not the case, while players are also too emotionally immature to compete at a high level as well.
For Peter de Villiers to find a proper coaching gig
I don’t know what beef there still exists between Peter de Villiers and SA Rugby, but it’s time to bury the hatchet. It’s still pretty bizarre that a former Springbok coach with such a distinguished record is being sidelined, while many other mediocre coaches are getting key jobs. De Villiers, for me, would be the perfect fit to be involved helping to sort out the problem with the coaching between the school level and Super Rugby level, although he could also easily work as a director of rugby at one of the big unions. De Villiers has a lot of experience and has coached at the highest level. There aren’t many coaches with his credentials coaching in this country.
Photo: Steve Haag
