The lord Meyer's show

Khanyiso Tshwaku sat down with Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer and found out how he plans to avoid the 'third-year curse' and what the state of his side is ahead of a crucial year

Your time with the Boks has been about incremental improvements over the years. The first year was the scrum, last year was the breakdown. What are you targeting this year?

I was very happy that we scored a lot of tries last year because, in the first year, it was about getting the structures in place.

Last year we started to improve the game plan and the way we wanted to play, and I hope we can build from that. We want to start hammering on the breakdown and, scrum-wise, we were the best team last year.

When you look back on your short stint with the Leicester Tigers, how beneficial was the information garnered then for your preparation now leading into the World Cup?

One of the reasons we are improving in the scrum is because the mind-set in the northern hemisphere is about scrumming well on your ball.

I also learnt a lot in terms of how to deal with the referees, because there seems to be a different mind-set in terms of the breakdown.

That was one of the reasons why I brought in Richie Gray.

At the conclusion of the game against the All Blacks at Ellis Park last year you said conditioning was an area you wanted to improve. Are you happy with the squad's conditioning currently?

The All Blacks have an excellent central contracting system and they really manage their players very well.

I am very happy with where we stand with certain aspects of our conditioning, but there is a gulf between test match and Super Rugby.

We are not 100% there yet, but I think we have closed the gap.

How far are the Boks from having players centrally contracted?

That is a question you need to ask Saru [the SA Rugby Union] because I am not involved.

They know how I feel about that. Everybody has to work together to manage our players better because a lot of the guys have played in most of the games.

They don't want to sit out Bok games, but there are always one or two guys who will ask why one or two players are not rested.

Frans Steyn's withdrawal from the team has given you new problems at centre. What are your thoughts with regards to solving that?

Jean was our captain and, I think, the best inside centre in the world. It's a pity he is not here now, but it could be a blessing in disguise. Jan Serfontein may be a youngster, but I think he will go far. Then you have a player like Damian de Allende, who will be back.

It was really unfortunate that he was injured because he played some unbelievable rugby. Jaque Fourie will also be back - their injuries are not career-ending.

Are you happier with the flyhalf situation now that someone like Handre Pollard is showing promise at the IRB Junior World Championships?

Pollard is an exceptional player and what makes world-class players stand out is when and how they perform under pressure. They did the right thing in blooding him slowly [at the Bulls] and now he is ready to start. He would have been in the squad if it wasn't for the Junior World Cup.

Are you confident that with so many strong leaders in the side, they will pull together instead of creating rifts?

There are a number of players who were very young when I picked them, but there were injuries and there wasn't the depth that I believed there should have been. I had to bring back guys [who] had been there. We have a great amount of experience and the youngsters have been enthusiastic. If you look at teams that have won the World Cup, they have done so with experienced teams and experienced leaders.

You have yet to beat the All Blacks as a coach. How urgent is the need to beat them before the World Cup?

You can't just focus on one team because you go backwards. You have to run your own race and focus on where you want to go. They are the world champions and they have been together for eight years as a group, with a solid coaching team. We have a good record against all the teams, but they are one side we need to step up against.

Heinrich Brüssow's inclusion in the training group, and exclusion for the final squad, would have been confusing for many. On what basis was he roped in, and what are your thoughts on him?

He is a great player and a quality open-sider. He was very close to the squad. If you look at the guys he is competing with, Francois Louw has been highly talked about as the best open-sider in the world. Brüssow will definitely come into the squad should Francois and Marcell [Coetzee] get injured.

People think it is personal, but I have a good relationship with him.

How much awareness have you put into the third-year curse that has afflicted Bok coaches?

I have an experienced coaching team and experienced players. One thing we have learnt is that we can only manage what we can control and focus on what we have to do. There is no reason why this can't be our best year [yet], and that is how we approach it.

• sports@timesmedia.co.za