Buffel Steenkamp

The role of the loosehead prop from initially only having to be a solid scrummager and sturdy lineout lifter has evolved dramatically over the years. The modern day No.1 now needs to be able to run with the ball, make pop passes, score tries and even take the odd gap!

Os du Randt for many years was the rock in the Springbok tight five. He was a great scrummager, fantastic lineout support and carried the ball up strongly. Although Os had age against him near the end of his career, he still maintained good fitness and got around the park to hit rucks with good effect.

When Os retired many looked to a young Gurthro Steenkamp as the perfect replacement. Young Gurthro was big, scrummed well and was handy with ball in hand too. Unfortunately, a series of injuries and lack of form saw him fall out of the Bok fold while Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira took the opportunity with both hands.

One man’s loss is another one’s gain and when the South African government decided to turn the tables and not allow the Beast to be selected for the Springboks on grounds that he was not a South African National, the door opened once again for Steenkamp.

After a stellar Super 14 for the Bulls, the massive front ranker had some people wondering if he could transfer those same performances onto the Test arena. He did. Steenkamp is by far this season’s Springbok player of the year. This year he proved to the world that he is an outstanding scrummager, defends extremely well for a man his size and runs like a buffalo with ball in hand.

This season saw Steenkamp establish himself as a World Class loosehead. With the Beast also a top class No.1, one sometimes wishes that one of them was a tighthead.

The maturity shown by Steenkamp this season is one shining light in all the gloom produced by the Springbok performances this year.

Keep up the good work Gurthro!

de Villiers - Shape up or Ship out!

As Springbok supporters, we find ourselves at the end of a frustrating 2010 Tri Nations and the Springboks are seriously in need of a major overhaul.

I do not for a minute believe that we need to make wholesale changes to the squad of players we currently have. We have the players who possess the skill, talent and passion to beat any team in the world and everyone knows that. It is how we manage these players and design our tactical play that is the fundamental disparity between the current management team and their predecessors.

Since the present Bok management took over in 2008, we have not seen any significant changes in the Springbok game play. Tactics remained largely the same and when we did try to alter our game and it didn’t work, we resorted back to what we knew under Jake White.

The All Blacks and Wallabies are the most astute rugby nations in the world and it is no secret that to beat the best you need to study the best. They did and our attacking strategy based on our kicking game was measured and found wanting. Our rush defensive system was measured and was found wanting. All this points to our management incumbent being found wanting.

Jake White took Springbok rugby to new heights in terms of management. Looking from the outside in and from feedback from players quoted in the media, he created an atmosphere that oozed World Class. His professionalism towards studying of opposition and tactical play was a welcome new found characteristic of Springbok rugby and by the 2007 World Cup he and his management had worked out specific tactics for every team and player.

Unfortunately, three years after Whites departure it seems that this is no longer a facet we can be proud of as Springbok supporters. Our management team seems like they lack the ability, creativity and vision for the job.

Our world class players were given sand to build a house with when the old foundations were found to be unstable. If de Villiers is to resurrect Springbok dominance in time for the World Cup he needs to change his approach be it by shifting his views, bringing in someone else or letting go because he has run out of ideas.

To create a talking point, Springbok coaches have been fired for less and I’m sure a guy like Alistair Coetzee would fulfil the quota desire and the coaching role to everyone’s satisfaction.