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'I played for my schools second-team': The humble beginnings of rookie Springboks boss
Rookie Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber has insisted he won’t fall prey to the trap of getting too worked up and disillusioned about any negatives that affect his squad in the lead-up to next month’s keenly anticipated Test series versus the Lions.
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The former defence coach was promoted to the head coach role following South Africa’s triumph at the 2019 World Cup. However, Nienaber has yet to take charge of a Springboks Test match as the pandemic kept them on the sidelines throughout 2020 and they will only make their return to action when they host Georgia on the first weekend of July in preparation for facing the Lions.
It was last weekend when the 46-strong Springboks squad was announced for those matches but that announcement has since been clouded by setbacks to key personnel. Duane Vermeulen, the 2019 World Cup final man of the match, had to have an ankle operation on Wednesday following an injury sustained playing for the Bulls while Damian de Allende and RG Snyman are being treated for burns they received for a fire pit accident in Ireland.
As a boss new to his role, it would be understandable if Nienaber spent his squad training week in Bloemfontein cursing his luck and feeling pessimistic, but he insisted he is not wired that way and won’t be overwhelmed by the setbacks that go hand-in-hand with the job of being Springboks boss.
Asked by RugbyPass how he handles bad news, Nienaber said: “Coaches’ pathways have different things. As a coach, I never played rugby at an international standard, not even at the school first-team standard, but I loved rugby and I participated, I played for my schools second-team.
"They explained it to me and it makes perfect sense"
– Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber absolves his burned players of blame#Springboks #LionsRugby
https://t.co/BHnKF4lEki— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 9, 2021
“I’m not a great rugby player but my pathway, being a physio, is you handle what you have to handle. It doesn’t help that you sulk over things. You must make the next plan. If you take the treatment on a player that I do today and I reassess him tomorrow and it didn’t work, you can sulk and say I didn’t do the right treatment or you can go at least now I know what doesn’t work and then you can take another route.
“They call it clinical reasoning in physiotherapy or in medicine. That’s how you sometimes abide by trialling a certain treatment, you make an assessment and you think it is that. You start treating it and then you see how it goes. I don’t want to give a long-winded answer but I’m pretty much the type of guy, because of that background, that it is what it is.
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“Can I change it? No, I can’t. What I can do is I can talk to Duane and say, ‘Be positive. Listen, I have heard things. I have consulted with Jesse (Kriel). He was sat in front of me on the plane when he started talking and said Jacques, I’ve had that similar injury’. He almost cheered me up.
“That is the nice thing with the Boks in terms of how we do things. To jump on a call with Duane and say I have just had a chat with Jesse and he had the same injury in 2019 just before the World Cup. I am that type of guy. Bad news, we can’t change destiny, it is what it is. You must find a way, accept it, move on and make new plans.”
Wednesday is D-Day for Vermeulen and his Lions tour chances #Springboks #LionsRugbyhttps://t.co/f6GTTei9Dp
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 9, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Think you might have written this just before the Brumbies got thrashed last weekend
5 Go to commentsI really do believe that Billy Proctor should be selected at least in the larger squad but also it would be my choice at 13, much more a center than Ioane who can still play at wing. Roigard if fit should play, otherwise it should be Perenara or Christie. Also, Iose could deserve a spot at blindside. Of course, being a Canes supporter I’m biased but I really believe that at least Billy P is deserving a chance and being Holland one of the Selectors, I’m having a little hope he could grab it.
12 Go to commentsI would not play Swinton I’d pick Wright or Hanigan. The rest are decent starters, but can’t agree on any subs except Tupou. My take on the subs: Gibbon, Ueslese, Tupou, LSL, Wilson, White, Will Harrison, and Petaia.
5 Go to commentsSBW the biggest moron to pull on a black jersey a park footy player at best
7 Go to commentsSBW is fast becoming a laughing stock, his misplaced comments & lack of insight Is actually pretty sad.
7 Go to commentsJust well you guys are couch 🛋 potatoes selector's, picking a team of greenhorns to play England! “What are you people smoking?” The halfbacks will be Christie, Fakatava, Perenara Props; Newell, Bower, Lomax, Tunga'fasi, Hookers; Asosa Amua when fit, Taylor, Samisoni,
12 Go to commentsQuite frankly, all this is a bit pathetic. The first time Wales get the Wooden Spoon in 21 years and everyone is on the bandwagon for a ‘play-off’ game. Wales have no obligation to Georgia and no obligation to the rest of the Six Nations to play such a game. If they want Georgia in so badly then they need to include South Africa into a Northern Hemisphere competition with 2 leagues of 4 teams with the top 2 competing for the Championship. Sadly, this will end Triple Crowns and Grand Slams forever. Is this really what you want?
4 Go to commentsI think Finau to start Blackadder to come on. Poss Prokter instead of Ioane, haven't seen much from Reiko so far this year.
12 Go to commentsJoe will have had a good chat with Dave Rennie, a smart move to begin with while it’s doubtful Fast Eddie will be consulted? Plenty of Aus players hitting top form so they should go OK.
5 Go to commentsMmm. Not sure I like this article or see it as necessary.
7 Go to commentsBlackadder but no Finau! 😀 It’s Razor so you are probably right, plus Taylor at 2…
12 Go to commentsThe strongest possible AB side would actually include Aaron Smith, Bodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Shannon Frizzel.. don’t get me started on the rest of the injury hit brigade that got flung on the heap so left. Many a whole not getting filled as of yet.
12 Go to commentsI don’t think anyone knows what Schmidt will do, one thing is certain it ain’t gonna be all the picks we on the keyboard will think. My impression of him is that he will be looking at who can step up and what is the best combination. He will ignore individuals as he looks for guys who can build a powerful team and not just guys who can make a flashy run or ignore the winger as they want to score themselves.
5 Go to commentsSome dumb selections there. Not Porecki Not Donaldson Not Gordon Not Lonegran - both Not Nic White - Fines instead Not Liam Wright Not Paisami Definitely not Vunivalu Other than that not bad.
5 Go to commentsI've never been convinced that Patty T is a test match all black. Otherwise I probably agree it's the best side available to beat the poms. Caveat that Codie Taylor is yet to be seen and could very likely warrant selection by June. I hope that Razor brings the young loosies, half backs and locks into the training squad and develops/ selects the best
12 Go to commentsYou doing the same thing I disliked about the example of Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nick. He’s great the way he is, you’re trying to do what modern-day coaches frustrate me doing, turning everyone into the perfect athlete. Next thing you’ll be telling me you’ll bench him until he’s hit that arbitrary marker, and can’t overtake the current guy who’s doing all his workons. He’s a young Kieran Read, through and through, plays wide and has threat, mainly (and evident in your clips) through his two hand carry and speed. Just let him work on that, or whatever he wants, and determine his own future. Play God and you risk the players going sideways, like Read did, instead of being a Toutai Kefu. I mean I was in the same camp for a while, wanting our tight five to have the size, and carry ability, as the teams they were getting beat by. Now I’m starting to believe those teams just have better skilled and practiced individuals, bigger by upwards of 5kg sometimes, sure, but more influentially they have those intrinsic skills of trust and awareness. Basically our guys just didn’t know wtf they were doing. Don’t think I’m trying to prove a point here but hasn’t Caleb Clarke been in much better form this year, or does he just ‘look’ better now that he’s not always trying to use his size?
44 Go to commentsThe pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
12 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
12 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
12 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to comments