Steve
07-18-2009, 01:15 AM
Div’s plan a 'masterstroke'
2009-07-17 10:02
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Masterstroke (File)
Hendrik Cronjé
Bloemfontein – Heinrich Brüssow says it was a masterstroke of Peter de Villiers to only pick 23 players in his Springbok squad for the Tri-Nations match against the All Blacks.
Brüssow started preparations on Friday morning with his fellow Bok team-mates ahead of the July 25 Test at Vodacom Park.
“Firstly, it means a lot for each player’s self-confidence (that the Bok coach picked a smaller team and everyone knows what their role is in the first Test). But the pressure is also now on every player to shine and to justify Peter’s choices against the All Blacks,” said the Bok flank.
Brüssow doesn’t believe he and his team-mates will become too comfortable due to the Springbok coach picking a smaller team.
“We realise other players are only a phone call away, seeing that our first couple of Tri-Nations Tests are at home.”
Statistics show that a huge task awaits the Boks if they want to justify De Villiers’s choices and want to take the Tri-Nations crown for only a third time after taking top spot in 1998 and 2004.
The All Blacks have been crowned champions on nine occasions while the Wallabies have won it twice.
The Boks have been victorious in only 21 Tests out of 56 in the series while the Wallabies have won 23 and the All Blacks an incredible 39 times.
The Boks have conceded 1 408 points compared to the Wallabies' 1 314. Thanks to their supremacy over the years, coupled with a magnificent defence and impeccable discipline, the All Blacks have had only 1 089 points scored against them.
But if one considers that the core of the Bok team has been playing together since 2004, that South Africa won the World Cup in 2007, that the Bulls are the reigning Super 14 champions and Brüssow and his team-mates beat the British and Irish Lions 2-1 in their series, the momentum is on the side of De Villiers and his squad to win the series for a third time.
Brüssow’s flank partner, Juan Smith, says the current Bok squad knows after 2004 what it takes to top the standings in the Tri-Nations.
“And the fact that we were able to beat the All Blacks last year in Dunedin will mean a lot for our self-confidence in our away matches,” added Smith.
2009-07-17 10:02
Email (javascript:void(0);) | Print (javascript:window.print())
http://cdn.24.com/files/Cms/General/d/199/d98052e5ae5c4c51be10c7fe3c69fd4a.jpg
Masterstroke (File)
Hendrik Cronjé
Bloemfontein – Heinrich Brüssow says it was a masterstroke of Peter de Villiers to only pick 23 players in his Springbok squad for the Tri-Nations match against the All Blacks.
Brüssow started preparations on Friday morning with his fellow Bok team-mates ahead of the July 25 Test at Vodacom Park.
“Firstly, it means a lot for each player’s self-confidence (that the Bok coach picked a smaller team and everyone knows what their role is in the first Test). But the pressure is also now on every player to shine and to justify Peter’s choices against the All Blacks,” said the Bok flank.
Brüssow doesn’t believe he and his team-mates will become too comfortable due to the Springbok coach picking a smaller team.
“We realise other players are only a phone call away, seeing that our first couple of Tri-Nations Tests are at home.”
Statistics show that a huge task awaits the Boks if they want to justify De Villiers’s choices and want to take the Tri-Nations crown for only a third time after taking top spot in 1998 and 2004.
The All Blacks have been crowned champions on nine occasions while the Wallabies have won it twice.
The Boks have been victorious in only 21 Tests out of 56 in the series while the Wallabies have won 23 and the All Blacks an incredible 39 times.
The Boks have conceded 1 408 points compared to the Wallabies' 1 314. Thanks to their supremacy over the years, coupled with a magnificent defence and impeccable discipline, the All Blacks have had only 1 089 points scored against them.
But if one considers that the core of the Bok team has been playing together since 2004, that South Africa won the World Cup in 2007, that the Bulls are the reigning Super 14 champions and Brüssow and his team-mates beat the British and Irish Lions 2-1 in their series, the momentum is on the side of De Villiers and his squad to win the series for a third time.
Brüssow’s flank partner, Juan Smith, says the current Bok squad knows after 2004 what it takes to top the standings in the Tri-Nations.
“And the fact that we were able to beat the All Blacks last year in Dunedin will mean a lot for our self-confidence in our away matches,” added Smith.