Peter de Villiers: The Boks need to be managed better
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Springbok coach Peter de Villiers says a strategy needs to be adopted urgently to ensure that South Africa's top rugby players are carefully managed over the next two seasons and leading into the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
De Villiers was commenting after the end of the Springboks' Northern hemisphere tour that concluded with 10-15 loss to Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.
"It is fatigue. Our players are cooked," said Bok coach Pieter de Villiers afterwards.
"We have no excuses. The Irish took their chances and kicked their penalties. We did not. However, there is a spark that is lacking in the team and it is due to exhaustion after a long season," said De Villiers.
Some of the squad members returned from Europe on Monday but a host of players have remained in London for the Barbarians match against the All Blacks next weekend.
"It is imperative that we monitor the players training and playing load with their longer term well being in mind," said De Villiers.
"This (2009) has been a very long season and it is evident that many players are mentally and physically fatigued.
"The biggest concern, however, is the cumulative effect of the amount of rugby that Springbok players have played over the past three years, as we know that this puts them at risk to injury in the following year.
"In order to get best out of our players for 2011 we will have to manage their training and playing times during 2010."
De Villiers said that SA Rugby would soon hold a workshop with the medical and conditioning staff at the Provincial Unions to discuss how the country can get the best out of the players whilst also ensuring their longer term well being.
"A number of players have played over 2000 minutes of rugby this year encompassing the Super 14, Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series, Tri-Nations and Currie Cup.
"We need a unified approach to address this and a host of other matters relevant to the welfare of our top players."
On the 2009 tour, De Villiers said that whilst results had not gone South Africa's way it had provided a valuable insight into the challenges faced in the next two years as well as into the quality of young players coming through the ranks.
"It is never nice to lose but we have learnt a lot from this tour. Regardless of the disappointing end to the year you cannot take away the successes that made this team the best in the world in 2009.
"We have been able to identify our key focus areas for next year and we have been able to identify some of the players who will take the Springboks forward after 2011," said De Villiers.
Comments
beninuk says...
What Unclesam21 - all Africans are mentally weak? That is a bit racist is it not?
It is okay to use excuses when the Springboks beat the All Blacks three times in one year??
Posted 11:02 01st December 2009
TheRoof says...
I agree the boks and South African rugby have had an excellent year up to what - September?? All the silverware proves that. S14, 3N, Lions, 7's (have I missed anything out??) - can't fault that.
Still - losing 4 out of 5 games on a northern tour is not that flash. Can't see the All Blacks being allowed back into NZ if they lost to Ireland and France, let alone Leicester and Saracens . If PDV - or Dick Muir or the other coaches (who probably do most of the hard yards) - can't get the Boks up for midweek games against Leicester and Saracens on pride in the Bok jersey alone - then someone needs to be held accountable. Letting the players and management moan about fatigue as an excuse just doesn't cut it with me.
Posted 10:50 01st December 2009
rugbyrabbit says...
unclesam21 belongs in the same nut house as Pdivvy!! What drivel!
Posted 03:53 01st December 2009
rugbyphile says...
unclesam should take his racist vituperation to a website for serial abusers-he will find plenty of them---this hopefully will stay a website for those interested in rugby
Posted 02:07 01st December 2009
tribeg says...
Unclesam21 ... shut it mate. The Springboks have won 50% of the world cups they have played in ... that's how mentally weak they are. As for the ABs they have never won a "world" cup where South Africa have played. Just say "France" to the ABs at the world cup and then see how mentally strong they are! South Africa have had a very good year (to remind you they beat the ABs 3x this year). All true rugby supporters will agree they deserve to be the team of the year as the IRB has announced.
Posted 01:46 01st December 2009
abrad says...
PdV...it is time to consult Jake white and Eddie Jones.
Posted 21:06 30th November 2009
ardugpc says...
The lack of player management is the Springboks biggest opponent.
Posted 12:09 30th November 2009
unclesam21 says...
EXCUSES!!!!!!!! Africans are mentally weak. Don't see the Blacks bitching about fatiugue - oh well they won so I guess they wouldnt.
Africasn one dimensional rugby was found out. End of story. This "amazzzzzzzzing side" has nothing on the great sides of the last 6 years (or should I say sinde-allblacks).
Oh oh oh but the season was a rsounding success, right. I mean rugby team of the year. Measuring success on beaitng an injury ravaged, low par all black side hightlights why the great all balcks are the best. AS the french have said the ABs are the best by far- got their mojo back.
It is redicuolous the boks call this a great season. Its been a flop. No Kiwi would be arrogant enough to call some wins over the boks as all the evidence required to claim your the best. I mean beating the Boks has become a formality thus the motivation to win has dropped a little but for god sake, the kiwis woulod consider such a northern tour a complete disgrace and failure.
congrats ABs, Devilliers your a nutcase.
Posted 11:50 30th November 2009