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NZ Rugby World column, August 2006
I spent most of the month in France where there was jubilation following the terrific performance over in South Africa where Les Bleus took the much vaunted Springbok front row apart. The unlikely move of Damien Traille to first five eighth was a stunning success and gives France a very interesting option for next year's World Cup. Traille is aggressive, strong on defense, a good runner and has a tremendous boot on him. Michalak has always looked a little shaky to me and Traille could really give them some muscular consistency in the key pivot area. This win moved France to No. 2 in the world rankings behind the All Blacks. Wouldn't it be a dream come true if these two meet in the final next year and we gain revenge for Twickenham 1999. The French success in South Africa was the first indication that this Springbok squad does not have strength and depth. The 49-nil massacre in Brisbane was the second heaviest defeat South Africa has ever suffered. It came as a huge shock to them and to the entire rugby world. All the talk before the game was about South African's tight five and how "all games are won and lost in this area". Well, as an ex-fly half, I've never really believed that and I don't think it's necessarily true in today's fast moving, more lateral game. Of course, you need a strong foundation but you can win without absolute superiority at scrum time (parity is OK). Superiority counts most when the ball is on the ground in the loose and when one team has the skills to create space through pace and fast hands in broken play. The All Blacks have been perfectly conditioned, well coached, well selected and inspired to be at their best. On field leadership is also critical in today's game where decision making is constantly required on the spot in the face of rapidly changing conditions. It was great to see Richie McCaw step up and claim the All Black captaincy against the Wallabies and if he can remain injury free there's every chance he'll turn into one of New Zealand's most impressive leaders. Leadership is a key ingredient missing in the South African camp. Coach Jake White has lost his team and there are very few on field leaders in the side. The back line must be amongst the poorest in world rugby with little pace, no invention, and poor skills. Vision, imagination, and courageous risk taking are non existent. Schalk Burger is a big loss to the Springboks but the greatest loss, I believe, was Bob Skinstad. The youngest ever Springbok captain, Skinstad for a while set the world on fire with his athletic ability, his leadership, his pace, and his courage. His premature retirement from international rugby through the knee injury he suffered in a car crash was a tragedy for South African rugby. He'd already played 30 plus tests and if he had remained injury free, would by now have notched up close to a 100 and would have turned into the outstanding leader in the game today. He would also have given South Africa the expertise needed at No. 8, which their 21 year old debutante in Brisbane cannot yet offer. |
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Bob and wife, Debs, came down to our place in St. Tropez for a week early in July where we spent a great few days playing tennis, golfing and talking rugby. Bob is now a key commentator with Sky Sports, which he combines with running his own innovative sports marketing company in London, esportif, and he keeps himself fit playing First Division Rugby and for the Barbarians in the UK. During a lunch at Club 55 (alongside Tommy Hilfiger and Chris Rock - a pairing not unlike the South African soft centers in Brisbane), we were talking about the influences on Bob in his rugby career and he told me of his admiration for that terrific Springbok No. 10, Henry Honeyball. Henry was perhaps the most aggressive tackling first five eighth the game has seen and I can remember countless times when he cut up an All Black flanker who had taken the ball up expecting to find the typical Ronan O'Gara tackler at No. 10, only to have his rib cage caved in by Henry's right shoulder. When Bob first got into the Springbok team as a teenager, he was made to feel very uncomfortable by most of the squad who were 7 or 8 years older and were battle hardened, experienced old pros who did not take lightly to this young, university educated Anglo, pretty boy who was not one of the chosen few. Honeyball took Bob under his wing, which involved wake up calls at 5:00am every morning as Honeyball was a working farmer all of his life and rose no matter where in the world he was at 5:00am. He collected Bob for a 3-hour walk before depositing him back to the hotel for breakfast. Honeyball travelled in 200 miles by car every day for training in South Africa and returned the same 200 miles every night after training. And never missed a session in a decade. On one of those evenings, Mrs. Honeyball was pregnant with child and was being driven to the hospital by her gallant husband. Unfortunately, things accelerated and she started to give birth in the middle of nowhere in the car. Henry delivered the child, bit off the umbilical cord, used one of his shoe laces to tie it and drove Mrs. Honeyball and the freshly minted junior Honeyball to the hospital 100 miles away. Having deposited them safely, he proceeded on to training! All of South African rugby loved Honeyball and as a tribute to his services, a benefit year was held for him. 2 million Rand were raised. Henry had not made much money out of rugby and this was a significant sum for him. At the night of the dinner he stood up, thanked everyone for their efforts on his behalf, talked about what a great year he had in raising the money and donated the whole 2 million Rand to charity. The measure of the man indeed. Whilst in St. Tropez we managed to catch all the Soccer World Cup action and it was fantastic to see Europe in such a party mood for 4 weeks. Who would have thought that the Germans could exhibit such party spirit. The football itself lacked fire from the quarterfinals on. After some great opening rounds, most coaches withdrew into fear of losing territory, packed their teams with defensive players and shelved flair and imagination. England, once again, were a massive disappointment with the most defensive minded, non charismatic coach the world has ever seen in Sven Goran Ericksson. A team with players like Gerrard, Lampard, Cole, Beckham and Rooney should have gone much further than a pathetic surrender to Portugal in the quarterfinals. The whole tournament became marred by cheating, diving and gamesmanship. I cannot imagine why FIFA don't protect their referees from the constant showboating, yapping, and abuse from players. Soccer deserves a dose of Paul Honiss, Steve Walsh and Co, which would solve that particular problem in a couple of weeks. The French celebrations were curtailed by a boringly defensive Italian side playing for a draw and penalties, compounded by an amazing brain explosion from the tournament's best player, Zidane. He remains, however, a hero in France having gone public apologising for the impact his move had on kids but not apologising for the head butt itself. And the French have responded warmly to this. Incredible. The lack of discipline amongst these highly paid soccer players is beyond belief. So I write this in anticipation of the Springboks coming to Wellington and then the All Blacks going into the Wallabies den in Brisbane. I don't think the Springboks have the leadership, stability or raw talent to bounce back this year or in time for 2007. The Wallabies were magnificent against the Springboks and have talent to burn in the backs, particularly when Larkham and Giteau are on song. Connolly will get the front row competitive and they will be a real force in 2007. And so will we!
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