Sparkling duo have what it takes to give Am run for his money
Sparkling duo have what it takes to give Am a run for his money
Well-travelled former Springbok centre Gcobani Bobo wants two things from Stedman Gans and Wandisile Simelane: lower error rates and consistency.
Bobo, who’s watched the Bulls and the Lions outside centres in weekly auditions as Lukhanyo Am’s replacements, said the more consistent they are, the better they’ll become.
The sparkling duo, on opposing sides at Ellis Park last night, have a better performance platform with Am out for four weeks because of a hand injury.
“Consistency is all about error rate. If you can cut down on your error rate every day, you look really good. All of the simple things done very well are what makes Lukhanyo Am special. When you cut down on errors, you become a world-class player,” Bobo said.
Raising expectations
“There’s a tendency of raising expectations when you’re doing things well, instead of owning and embracing your work and ensuring there are no hiccups.
“Execution and understanding the game plan is important, while also letting loose when there’s a chance.”
Bobo agreed with former Springbok and Stormers teammate Marius Joubert with regards to outside centres not raising their hands in Super Rugby Unlocked.
Burger Odendaal served a physical purpose at 13 for the Lions, but he’s 12 while Dan du Plessis and Benhard Janse van Rensburg haven’t turned heads.
Bobo singled out Gans’s sevens rugby acumen that’s allowed him to have a fully developed and all-round midfield game that allows him to excel regardless of who plays on his inside.
Revelation for the Bulls
Cornal Hendricks at 12 has been a revelation for the Bulls, but Gans’s revelry on his outside has been problematic for defences.
Bobo also pointed out Simelane’s experience at 10 at junior levels has also given him the necessary midfield education that can only be polished by more game time while the 22-year-old Jeppe High School for Boys product’s pace is also difficult to contain.
The only thing missing for Bobo is the Australasian examination that marked Am out as a world-class 13.
With SA’s franchises no longer playing against their New Zealand counterparts, local competitors only have each other as gauges for excellence.
“The one thing that’s guaranteed about facing the New Zealand sides is that your man will take you on and ask consistent questions while the Australians have some abrasive runners.
“In SA rugby, we don’t really have that one-on-one match-up situation whereas in New Zealand, the midfielders there always want to know what your name and surname is,” Bobo chuckled.
Joubert, who played 30 Tests between 2001 and 2005, joked about how he wasn’t pleased with Gans’s hat-trick in the Bulls’ aborted 39-6 demolition of the Stormers last week.
Joubert though said the 23-year-old from Vredenburg was easily the best 13 in the system.
Joubert admitted to not seeing much of Simelane, but he has warmed to Gans’ physical finesse and sevens-based skills.
“He’s thriving behind a dominant pack and Am has shown that when the pack is on the front foot, it puts you as the centre in a better position to get the ball away. You’re not on the back foot and because defences are so tight these days, I sometimes feel sorry for the midfielders.
“If you look at the Stormers for example, the ball doesn’t go further than the No 10 because of rush defence,” Joubert said.
“It’s a big thing to adapt from sevens rugby to 15s, but he’s grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
“He’s looked the money and he’s scored some nice tries. Gans has a nice skill-set and things look easy for him.
“Also, the manner in which Steyn has got the moving to the outside backs has made things easy for Gans.”
World Cup winner
Joubert admitted that Am has raised the bar significantly and any player that has Springbok aspirations has to play out of their skins.
“As a World Cup winner, Am’s set the bar extremely high and he repeatedly showed why he’s the best in the country.
“At this point in time, I don’t see anyone at the Stormers, the Sharks and to some extent at the Lions putting their hands up to replace him.
“The close competition to push him is needed,” Joubert said.