South Africa’s pre-tournament mauling at the hands of Pumas in Durban damaged the pride of a nation and Heyneke Meyer will be keen to put that ghost well and truly to bed.
The second option is to cut the entire Springbok coaching staff loose after the 2015 World Cup and embark on a fearless new direction.
South Africa lock Victor Matfield will captain his side against Argentina on Friday in what will be his final Springboks appearance.
“A lot of these guys will be the Carters of tomorrow and world-beaters”, said Meyer whose own future could be in doubt.
“It’s easy to criticise and I’ve probably made a lot of mistakes, but I’m a positive person, I want to be part of the solution”.
“I just love rugby, what it stands for”.
The Springboks boss said: “Victor has been an awesome, awesome player and you look at the influence he had in France [2007]”.
“I think you should applaud him for coming back and being captain in his last match”.
“I’m totally insane, I’m a total nutter”, Meyer declared. It would greatly benefit the national team to have assistants who are strong-willed individuals, independent thinkers and men who would fight for what they believe in. I only wanted to make the country proud – not of me but the team. “Pity we couldn’t win it for our country, but I think the team is going to get better”. You only had to see the disappointment on their faces to see they gave everything.
“I’ll keep on coaching, and just keep on loving it and being insane as hell”.
Meyer refused to be drawn on the subject as he prepared for the unenviable assignment of getting his players up for Friday night’s bronze medal match against Argentina at London’s Olympic Stadium.
As with Argentina aiming to beat Australia for only the third time in the professional era and then either New Zealand for the first time ever or South Africa for the second time in 23 meetings, doing so on three successive weekends was beyond the wildest dream or anyone with a proper strategic grasp of what was achievable.
The learning curve grew considerably steeper after South Africa were beaten in their opening pool game by underdogs Japan, a result that shook the sporting world and rocked Springbok rugby to the core.
The ANA failed with a legal challenge to ban the Springboks from travelling to England, claiming there should be more black players in the squad. “He always captivates you with one or two stories that he tells; and that’s not stories out of a book, it’s life experience”. “It does not mean anything to me”.
“I’m nearly speaking like it’s my last game”.
“This week before the game a little girl with cancer phoned us”.
Ayerza, arguably the world’s best loosehead, hoped the rule will change one day, because by the next Rugby World Cup in Japan he will be 36, “which is not an unusual age for a prop”.
You are increasing your individual exposure to risk, but at least you won’t go out with regrets about hiding or shirking your responsibilities.
