Macqueen in demand for consultancy

By WYNNE GRAY in Cape Town

The Springboks are looking to piggyback on the golden glow in Australian rugby by using retiring coach Rod Macqueen as a consultant for some of their planning towards the next World Cup.

New Bok coach Harry Viljoen talked to Macqueen after the Wallabies' series win over the Lions.

The conversation was more about congratulating Macqueen and asking for a little advice for the embattled Boks, as Viljoen intends putting in his consultancy request a little further down the line.

However, Viljoen has since May been using the defensive ideas of former Kangaroo Les Kiss, chosen because of Australia's global superiority in rugby league.

In that sport, Viljoen said, the defence was sophisticated and structured against lines of players, and those systems could be translated to rugby where defence had become so important.

This part of the game, in particular subduing All Black wing Jonah Lomu, was key to the Springboks' prospects in Sunday's opening to the Tri-Nations in Cape Town.

Lomu has never scored a test try against South Africa because he has been heavily marked. However, Viljoen pointed out that many other All Blacks had scored as a result of his play.

In analysing the Wallabies' continued success, Viljoen lauded their composure and their systems, which were the result of four years of hard work.

"It is a fine balance between putting new systems in place and winning," he said.

Macqueen confirmed that he met those difficulties when he started with the Wallabies, but had encouraged Viljoen to keep doing what he felt was correct.

Viljoen said: "Some players get used to the pressure and the impatience in South African rugby when it does not look like we are going forward.

"I have my vision and will go down with it. At least I will know that I have tried."

That may have sounded like an open invitation to his detractors, but Viljoen is confident, even with the mounting pressure, about selection consistency and results.

Defence was a huge part of his process and Kiss was the orchestrator. Viljoen was using video analysis to look at the way teams such as the All Blacks attacked and had come up with systems that could be applied to rugby's defensive screens.

The work would take at least a year to show its value.

Viljoen pleaded for some understanding from the public and media, while accepting that his coaching contract demanded victories.

He was less sure what to expect from the All Blacks until he saw the side they had picked.

Their style, he said, would depend on who played first five-eighths, but he thought that job would go to Andrew Mehrtens.

"We can compete if we close down their space. You never get an All Black pack which is soft, but dominance up front will be important," he said.

Yesterday, the Springboks concentrated on their set plays.

They had a heavy session on the scrum machine, with the burly Lucas van Biljon as hooker most of the time between Robbie Kempson and Cobus Visagie, who will be recalled to prop the scrum.

The only injury concern was about flanker Corne Krige, who missed training because of a bruised thigh.

Meanwhile, back in Sydney, the Australian Rugby Union, fearing the prospect of losing another of its top-level coaches to South Africa, yesterday talked to Macqueen about advising on the establishment of the nation's fourth Super 12 team, due to join the competition in 2003.

ARU boss John O'Neill said he would be disappointed if Macqueen signed on to help one of Australia's rivals.

Macqueen stepped down as national coach last Saturday after Australia beat the Lions 29-23 in the third test.

He has returned to his business consultancy firm, but has said he wants to remain involved in rugby coaching, possibly as a consultant.

Macqueen was upset when his 1999 World Cup assistant Tim Lane switched camps last year to help the Springboks, and O'Neill doubted he would be tempted to do the same.

"Rod publicly has said that he will not be involved in coaching another national team," O'Neill said.

"I would expect he would extend that to exclude being a consultant to another national team.

"He's got a lot to offer and clearly we're keen to make sure that his contribution to Australian rugby continues."