Share

Habana brings X-factor

Stephen Nell

Pretoria - It’s amazing what difference one try can make to perceptions.

Bryan Habana gave away a try on a platter by losing the ball in his own goal area and made several handling errors prior to scoring the try that helped the Stormers beat the Bulls 23-13 in their Super Rugby match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The Springbok wing was praised afterwards by coach Allister Coetzee.

“Bryan scored that try when it mattered. People accuse me of using clichés when I say that form is temporary and class is permanent, but Bryan really stepped up,” said Coetzee.

“The team’s leadership and the rest of the guys deserve credit for supporting Bryan. We know he has always given everything since coming to Cape Town. He is definitely still a player to be reckoned with.”

Prior to the match, Coetzee spoke about the x-factor that Habana can bring to the game and there was certainly some of that evident in the manner that he chased Dewaldt Duvenage’s brilliant kick, scooped the ball up from under Bjorn Basson’s nose and scored the try.

It was the same corner in which he gifted Basson a try earlier in the match, but the try put the match out of the Bulls’ reach.

When Coetzee was asked to expand on his thoughts given that an objective assessment will probably show that Habana did not play particularly well, the coach emphasises how hard Habana worked.

“His work-rate is incredible – the manner in which he chases kicks, he does not miss tackles and he is very aggressive at the breakdowns,” said the coach.

“People tend to look at him only when he scores tries. I don’t look at the issue emotionally. I look at his work-rate, how often he gets his hands on the ball and how it contributes to the team’s success.

“Bryan is also not happy with his game. He wants to work at it and get it back to the level where it should be.”

Habana certainly deserves praise for his piece of individual brilliance.

With that he also won a psychological battle because he recovered from some big mistakes to positively influence the outcome of the match.

Confidence is a major factor in sport and a moment like that can mean a lot for a player. The challenge is now to build on that.

Habana does work hard and takes responsibility - mistakes by such players will inevitably be seen. But there are still too many mistakes in his game.

However, he now has something to build from and playing in a successful team should give him the opportunity to demonstrate why he should still wear South Africa’s No 11 jersey ahead of Lwazi Mvovo or even Basson.
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE