NO player likes to be labelled a super sub. They argue, quite convincingly in most cases, that if someone deserves to be called ‘super’ he should be in the starting line-up.
But, as Willem Alberts knows all too well, being on the bench is better than not being in the squad at all. Earlier this week the Springboks flanker was close to being sent home because of a calf injury, according to some South African sources, yet instead, in an indication of his value to the team, has been given a place among the substitutes in the squad for the Pool B game against Scotland on Saturday.
In normal circumstances, the plan would be to leave Alberts on the bench unless absolutely necessary, and trust to his team-mates to beat Scotland without him. On this occasion, however, head coach Heyneke Meyer appears willing to test him to destruction, reasoning that if he cannot prove his match fitness, he should be declared unfit and dropped from the squad.
“As a coach I usually take calculated risks,” Meyer explained. “They don’t always work. Willem has a lot of niggles because of the way he plays, but we need to test him now, because if he’s not quite right we would have to bring another loose forward over. He has to go out there and prove that he’s ready to play. We can’t carry guys now.”
In other words, it seems that even if the Boks are beating Scotland by 30 points, Alberts will be told to go out and prove he is worth retaining for the games to come. It is a brutally honest attitude, understandable after the player’s last-minute withdrawal from the team to play Japan, and one which Alberts himself welcomes. He would rather be fit enough to start, of course, but given his participation in the Rugby World Cup was in doubt just days ago, he is relieved to be involved in any capacity.
“I have a part to play as a Springbok and in the team, whether it’s on the bench, in a supporting role; starting or not playing, I would do it with a smile in any case,” the 31-year-old said. “I don't think there’s any extra pressure on me to be fit for this game, but I’m glad that I’m fit.
“Whatever the coach wants from me, I’ll try my best to do. I’ll just slot into the team structures, get the ball in my hands and try to do some ball carries, and in defence try to stop the momentum.
“My aim is to play every single rugby game, but it’s a contact sport and if you’re honest with yourself you probably won't play every game. I’m focusing on the next one: it’s the Scotland game coming up, and luckily I’m getting a chance and I just want to do my best for the team.”
When he is at his best, Alberts is a vital component of Meyer’s plans. Having also missed out against Samoa, he is clearly short of match practice, but his intelligent reading of the game should help him make an impact even if he is only on the field for 20 minutes or so. And if he comes through this game more or less unscathed, he will then be a contender to start in the Springboks’ last pool match, against the US next midweek. Which should, all being well, bring him back to full match fitness in time for the business end of the competition. It is, as Meyer said, a calculated risk, but if it pays off, it could become one of the most inspired gambles of his coaching career.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here