Straeuli, Lane back beleaguered Bob
National coach Rudolf Straeuli and his assistant, Tim Lane, on Tuesday sprung to the defence of the beleaguered former Springbok captain Bob Skinstad.
The Cats captain has been widely criticised for his lack of leadership in a team that has displayed very little discipline in recent weeks.
His own form has also been questioned.
"It is very easy to get emotional and have a go at Bob Skinstad every week, but look at the side he is leading in terms of experience and you start to
appreciate the magnitude of the task," Straeuli said in his weekly media briefing on Tuesday.
Although Lane, who is also the Cats coach, shares some of the question marks over Skinstad's form, he is unmoved in his belief that he had selected the former Bok captain in the position that was in the team's best interest.
Many observers had queried Lane's decision to start Skinstad at No 8 ahead of Joe van Niekerk, who was selected on the side of the scrum.
"During games they changed around anyway, so I don't think it makes that big a difference," Lane said from Sydney where his team are preparing for their final tour match against the Blues on Friday.
While many of Skinstad's critics acknowledge that he is a hugely gifted player, they gleefully point to the fact that he does not possess the physical attributes to consistently break the advantage from set phases.
Eighthmen with sufficient bulk and speed are able to break the first line of defence and set up play in favourable attacking positions.
But Skinstad's forté has never been his ability to kick down the front door. He's picked many locks.
"Bob has shown good form this year, but his game has gone off in the last two or three matches," Lane explained.
"I think he's taken a lot of responsibility on and off the pitch and he's probably taken too much," Lane said.
Injury has, however, had a crippling hand in Van Niekerk's Super 12 campaign and he will miss the last two matches because of a troublesome knee.
"It's frustrating really," Lane sighed. "He's always been 100 percent when he's played for us. Our medical staff won't send someone out if he's not fit," the coach assured.
Lock Jannes Labuschagne and scrumhalf Enrico Januarie have also been ruled out of this week's match, leaving the coach with just 22 players to choose from.
Straeuli was as sympathetic towards the Cats collectively as he was towards their captain.
"If I look at the Cats' season, it looks very similar to our Springbok end-of-season tour. However, the reality is that Test rugby and Super 12 require experience as much as youth. You only get experience by playing, and I still believe the Cats will become a very good side in the next two years.
"Eight of the squad members are 21 years old or younger, 70 percent of the squad are playing in their first Super 12 and only five of the squad have more than 10 Super 12 caps to their credit.
"Of these five players, Jannes Labuschagne and Delarey du Preez missed the first four matches because of suspension and injury - and Kleinjan Tromp has been struggling with injury in the last month."