Rugby
10 Reasons Why the Boks Can Win RWC 2015
We were set out a challenge to give 10 reasons why we think the Springboks could win the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and after thinking about it long and hard, which we must say was a tough task. Here is what we came up with as to what we thought are the 10 best reasons:
- Nation
South Africa is a proud nation and always gets behind the Boks no matter what. When things will get difficult for the men in Green & Gold in England, they will know that there are 52 million people back home all rooting for them to make the impossible, POSSIBLE.
- Coach
Heyneke Meyer has been through a tough 4 years since taking over the reins from Peter de Villiers, but he has stuck to his guns all along. Having been criticized almost since day one for his team selections and game plans, Heyneke has gone from strength to strength and has formed a team that in his eyes will be the first to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a third time come Saturday 31 October 2015.
http://springbokmagazine.com/issues/2015-07/#page13
His motivational and people skills have been the cornerstones of his coaching career and will be put to the ultimate test during RWC 2015.
Statistics don’t lie and in Meyer we have the third most successful coach after Kitch Kristie and Nick Mallett. His biggest job at hand will be to balance youth with experience as well as ensuring his key players maintain their discipline throughout the extended build-up and during the World Cup.
- Jean de Villiers
“Captain FANtastic” is just one of the many names Jean de Villiers has picked up since being named Meyer’s main man almost 4 years back and Jean just keeps on delivering in ways many could not imagine.
Jean has become the media’s dream captain and inspiration to many both on and off the field with his honesty, integrity and even quirkiness.
His biggest test to date has surely been his road to recovery since his “career-ending” injury he picked up against Wales in the last match of the Springboks’ 2014 End of Year Tour. After being ruled out of this year’s RWC, de Villiers has come full circle and after just 8 months on the sidelines, will be returning to his beloved Newlands to don the Green & Gold once more to prove his fitness and readiness for the global showpiece in September.
Jean’s ability to deal with the media will be critical during a World Cup that always throws up controversy and debate, his ease with the media will free others to focus on their game. His absolutely believable persona will win more friends than enemies from local and international media.
Without Jean this campaign will surely be a dismal failure in many ways.
- Experience
The current Bok side boasts plenty of experience across the board with at least 7 World Cup winners in its repertoire, including a whole bunch of seasoned campaigners that have many other accolades to their names.
The likes of Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez, Schalk Burger, Bismarck du Plessis, Bryan Habana, Morné Steyn to name a few are all leaders in their own right and have all the experience to take this team to the finish line and beyond.
- Youngsters
With all the experience this side has to its disposal comes a lot of youth as well, which brings a great balance to the overall setup.
Guys like Eben Etzebeth, Duane Vermeulen, Patrick Lambie and Willie le Roux have been around for a few years now and already demand respect from around the world in their respective roles in the team.
Many of them including the likes of Cobus Reinach, Jan Serfontein, Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende are game breakers on any given day and will be sure to leave their mark on this year’s showpiece in England.
- Desire
As in any goal in life the desire to achieve has to be part of the cause or else there is nothing to play for.
During Rugby World Cup 2011 one could see the desire to win in the youngsters’ eyes and body language, however there was not that same desire in the senior statesmen’s eyes and this time round it needs to change.
We have seen the desire in Meyer to win whenever the Boks score and it will be key for the rest of the team to have that same passion and drive to get over the line come 19 September 2015 when their World Cup campaign gets underway.
At the end of the day tournaments of this magnitude are won by the side that wants it most.
- 20 Year Legacy
2015 celebrates the 20 year anniversary of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was held in South Africa for the first time and was also won by the hosts for the first time ever.
If ever there was a motivation to reclaim the Webb Ellis Cup it would be just that. What makes it even better is the fact that the whole ’95 team will be there in the stands come Semi-Final and Final time to support the class of 2015.
- Doubters
As always there are the doubters.
Yes, we won’t always all agree on Meyer’s team selections and game plans, which in a way is not that bad as it only shows our passion and desire for the team to win.
The question we as true supporters need to ask ourselves before we start judging the coaching staff and players is: Do we really know what the thinking and strategies are within the team?
The answer has to be a resounding NO, unless you have some connection with the team in some way or another that the majority of supporters don’t have.
So in that regard, let’s trust the men who have been chosen to do the job and let’s support them as best we can right to the very end as that is all they ask from us…nothing more.
- Gameplan
As any coach has their own ideas of how they would get their team to the ultimate goal in sport, just so has Meyer got his…or does he?
When he was appointed 4 years ago by SARU, he already knew how he would want the Boks to win the Rugby World Cup.
He has had to alter a few things over the past four years to accommodate the players he has had to his disposal and some ideas have worked and some not. The great thing about all of this is that he has been willing to move away from some of his “old” ideas and try out new ones, including new players that once were never part of the plan.
With only 2 months away from his final goal, there is no more time left to make big changes. He has to go with what he believes in and what has worked for him to this point.
Maybe 1 or 2 gambles will come in to play, but as we have come to know Heyneke, it will be highly unlikely.
Let’s just trust the man as he is trusted by his employers.
- Defence
Over the years the Springboks have been renowned for the defensive abilities and this year won’t be any different. In 2007 Jake White believed that the team with the best defensive record would claim the Webb Ellis Cup and the Boks proved him right.
Nobody would ever forget the heroics of Danie Rossouw in the World Cup Final that year when he made a telling tackle on England flyer, Mark Cueto. Let’s also not forget JP Pietersen’s try saver against Fiji in the Quarter-Finals. How about Joost van der Westhuizen’s efforts during the 1995 showpiece against Jonah Lomu during that year’s Final at Ellis Park.
South Africa’s defensive records have been key to all their campaigns and major victories over the years and will sure be put to the test during Rugby World Cup 2015 again.
Truth be told there are probably an equal number of reasons why we won’t win the World Cup but all things being equal in an 80 minute match between the Boks and anyone, I would gladly support a team with a Protea on the chest, a Springbok on the arm and the Nations flag on their shorts, because I know without a doubt each player that takes to the field, be it for 1 second or the full 80 minutes will leave everything on that field to achieve the ultimate prize and claim the Webb Ellis Cup. GO BOKKE!!!