Yellow Card… Go to Europe!!
With the Super 14 over for South African teams, we can start looking at the International year ahead. The year every team will want to beat us in order to say they beat the World Champions. All three Tri-Nations teams have been dented by loss of players through retirement and the lure of cash from the Northern Hemisphere. But let’s see who has been the heaviest blow.
South Africa
The Springboks had put a pretty youthful squad together for RWC 2007. They are yet to peak and winning the World Cup could be only the beginning. The longer this team plays together, the better. They have the experience that is required to perform at Test level now and have the ability to dominate rugby in the coming years. The squad that Jake built, boasts a lot of players with Test caps in the high 30’s and low 40’s. Still, these days, players are heading overseas earlier than previously.
Two players retired following the World Cup. Os du Randt deserves his rest and we have had enough time to find a replacement for him. Gurthro Steenkamp, Heinke van der Merwe or The Beast should step up and claim his vacant position. Bob Skinstad was the other player going on pension. This shouldn’t be a significant void to fill either as Bob wasn’t really the first choice no. 8 and there are more than enough eighthmen at the moment. The spot should be taken by Kankowski with Spies and Duane Vermeulen as back-ups.
And the best news of it all is that the four players who went overseas are all back for the Springboks this year. Although nothing has been confirmed, except the appointment of John Smit as captain, Peter de Villiers wouldn’t select Butch, Percy and Victor Matfield to fill up Energade bottles. So we can assume that we lost two players from the World Cup and those places have been filled already.
Australia
The big news for Australia is the departure of their halfback pairing of Gregan and Larkham. Larkham played 102 tests and Gregan a massive 139. They formed the halfback combination for a record 79 tests for Australia. The players and the experience they have should be a massive loss. David Lyons has quit too, leaving a gap at eighthman. Dan Vickerman, Australia’s premier lock, is leaving Australia for Europe at the end of this year. Wendell Sailor, although not part of the World Cup squad, has white line fever (not the try scoring kind) and after being banned, has opted for a career in rugby league. Julian Huxley, the star rookie for Australia last year, was diagnosed with a brain tumor and will be out for a while, if not for ever. And Sam Cordingley, the scrumhalf who was next in line for Gregan’s spot is also going overseas.
So this leaves Australia with a lack of depth in a few positions, a huge loss of experience and with a few problems in decision making positions. There is also talk of Rocky Elsom and Morgan Turinui going overseas soon. Elsom would be a big loss, Turinui not so much.
New Zealand
The All Black exodus is what New Zealand newspapers are calling it. But just how bad is it? Well, apparently there are 20 Kiwi flyhalves playing rugby for overseas clubs and are thus not allowed to be selected for the AB’s. 20 Flyhalves?? David Hill, Willie Walker, Glen Jackson, Carlos Spencer, Cameron McIntyre, Orene Ai’i, Andrew Mehrtens, Paul Steinmetz, Tony Brown and James Arlidge are only some of the names.
Jerry Collins recently became the 12th player to quit the All Black following last year’s World Cup campaign. That is almost a full team and half of the WC squad.
Chris Jack, Carl Hayman, Anton Oliver, Byron Kelleher, Aaron Mauger, Luke McAlister, Marty Holla, Sam Tuitupou, Troy Flavell and Doug Howlett all moved to Europe last year for lucrative contracts. Nick Evans (England) and Reuben Thorne (Japan) have recently added their names to players going overseas while Keith Robinson retired through injury.
Other players close to All Black selection who recently left include Paul Tito, Craig Newby, Stephen Bates, Roy Kinikinilau, Josh Blackie and Clarke Dermody. So their depth have been severely hit too. Some other players are currently in talks about moving too. These include Mils Muliaina, Joe Rokocoko, Rico Gear, Sivivatu and Nonu and of course the big fish Dan Carter. The indications are that Carter will move even though the NZRU are doing what they can, to keep him. With Evans gone already, it should be a huge blow.
What’s even worse, it’s not just their older players that are leaving. Carl Hayman was 27 and at the top of his game. Luke McAlister hadn’t even cemented his place in the side and was still on his way to becoming a recognised international player. And some of the up and coming players that have left were probably seen as successors for players that have also left. Surely New Zealand will discover new stars, but it may take a while. This year we will see if the Wallabies and Springboks can use the advantage that has been given to them to break the All Blacks’ stranglehold on the Tri-Nations.
Filed under: Rugby
