End of the 2013 season

With the Victory against France on Saturday the curtain was finally drawn over a very successful 2013 Rugby Season. The Springboks almost won the Rugby Championship.

The Springboks won 10 out of their 12 matches this year only going down to the All Blacks. Heyneke Meyer continues to go from strength to strength with his side as in the past Springbok Rugby Coaches normally would be on the verge of being fired in their 2nd year as coach.

It is also pleasing to see how many youngsters are coming through and looking at the Under 19 ABSA Competition SA Rugby has a bright future. Youngsters that came to the fore this year are Jan Serfontein, Pieter-Steph du Toit as well as Arno Botha. Fullback is Pat Lambie’s position it with the outstanding performance of Willie le Roux makes sense that Jake White says that he will only play Lambie at Flyhalf next season. Lambie is a footballer and thus needs to be close to the ball at all times.

What can one say about Willie le Roux? Western Province let this guy slip through their fingers as he was schooled there. He then went on to represent Boland and was subsequently contracted by Pote Human at Griquas. He will now play for the Cheetahs until the end of 2015. What a talent! What is pleasing is that Heyneke has given him free reigns when playing for the National Side. Le Roux however will have to work on his kicking game and being left footed it will be advisable to go and get The Rolls Royce of Fullbacks, Andre Joubert, to mentor him a bit.

Coenie Oosthuizen must pack at tighthead and should be coached into this position. Well on Saturday he showed his class and we all know he is a skilled player and he defends better than Jannie du Plessis and Frans Malherbe. He has shown now that he must specialize in this position.

Duanne Vermeulen, Jean De Villiers, Willie Le Roux, Eben Etzebeth and Bismarck du Plessis have been nominated as SA Rugby Player of the Year – Deservedly so!