Benefiting the Boks

rugby365.com columnist Ebrahim Moerat believes keeping core players fresh during the Super 14 is crucial as the Springboks look to muffle the Lions' roar.

South Africa's 'big five' coaches met with the various franchise CEOs as well as Springbok coach Pieter de Villiers recently to discuss matters pertaining the Super 14 as well as the management of key players ahead of a significant international season.

New Zealand’s main franchises only introduced their All Blacks at the end of January, with many of them sitting out during the pre-season friendlies, but this is not the case among all South African Super 14 franchises.

Springbok players have been training with their respective franchises since the beginning of the year, some even since December 2008.

While the Sharks and Bulls have made an effort to gradually introduce their Boks, Stormers boss Rassie Erasmus used the bulk of last year’s team (which included many Boks) for their friendly against Saracens last Sunday.

And with captain Jean de Villiers in particular having played a lot of rugby in 2008, it would benefit the Boks to manage players like him in the pre-season and even the early part of the tournament.

Yes, the franchises and the fans want the best players on display during the Super 14 but apart from the Rugby World Cup, the British & Irish Lions is right up there in terms of importance.

Therefore it needs to be prioritised.

The amount of activity core Springbok players are exposed to during the build up and the Super 14 itself is worrying ahead of such an important international season.

While the five South African franchise coaches propagated a successful meeting with the Bok management, the reality is that it will be very tough to find the midway in managing the Boks during the business-end of the Super 14.

This could have a negative effect come June and may well give the Lions a much-needed edge to compete, and even beat the Boks. Not to mention the Boks’ physical and mental state in the Tri-Nations once the best of the UK and Ireland has gone.

SA Rugby therefore needs to carefully manage the country's most important rugby assets by prioritising the Lions series, just as Jake White did two years ago, which helped to bring the World Cup back to South Africa.

By Ebrahim Moerat

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