Patrick Lambie missed his opportunity to stake a claim for the Springbok No.10 jersey at Murrayfield at the weekend.
This was Lambie’s chance to shine. The wet European conditions had stayed away for the Springboks’ Edinburgh encounter against an ordinary Scottish outfit fresh off a 51-22 hiding from New Zealand.
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Their status as Six Nations wooden spoonists is a fair reflection of the quality of the current Scotland crop. Yet, despite their lowly ninth place on the IRB World Rankings (dropping to 10th after the weekend) and a six-day turn-around for the meeting with the Springboks, talk of another upset continued throughout the lead up to the match.
The conditions and the level of the opposition made for the ideal opportunity for the route one Boks to finally break the shackles and play a more enterprising brand of rugby.
They certainly attempted to play a more attacking game, in the first 50 minutes at least, as they adopted a ball-in-hand approach.
However, the offence hardly involved the outside backs with fleet-footed outside centre Juan de Jongh given just a solitary opportunity to showcase his elusive running in 80 minutes of Test rugby in dry conditions.
Instead, the focus remained on the forwards bashing over the gainline duly followed by Jean de Villiers continuing the go-forward with predictable straight running from No.12.
It was another ugly performance lacking creativity and consistency that left the Springboks still striving for an 80-minute performance as they head into the 12th and final Test of the year against England at Twickenham on Saturday.
Lambie’s lackadaisical showing at No.10 topped the lengthy list of Murrayfield disappointments. For all his natural ability and flair, the 22-year-old exhibited none of those qualities against the Scots.
Dan Carter had bamboozled Greg Laidlaw to no end less than a week prior. Lambie, in turn, attacked the line on just two occasions.
How much of a license he had been given or how restricted he was by Heyneke Meyer’s instructions is uncertain, but the fact remains that Lambie’s showing was eerily Morne Steyn-like.
It wasn’t the worst of flyhalf displays, but in terms of Lambie’s prodigious talents, it was a major let down and could jeopardise his place in the starting line-up for the big clash against England.
It’s no secret that Meyer rates Steyn and after another stuttering attacking effort at the weekend, the Bok mentor might fall back on the Bulls flyhalf to steer the ship against the old enemy.
Doing so would be a great injustice to Lambie and would strengthen the case of provincialism against Meyer considering the faith he showed in a dreadfully out-of-sorts Steyn before he finally axed the Bulls veteran.
Dropping Lambie for the key clash of the end-of-year tour would undermine one of the primary goals of the European excursion – establishing whether or not Lambie’s Test future lies at flyhalf.
If retained, Lambie would have to deliver the goods against England, either by proving he can play a tactical kicking game or by slicing the English defence to shreds.
Given Meyer’s mentality, Lambie’s mission will be the former; to play according to a no-frills, territory-based strategy to give the Boks field position from where they’ll look to inflict damage with their driving maul and grinding pick-and-go style.
If he fails the Twickenham acid test, Lambie stands to lose his position in the pivot pecking order if not fall out of the flyhalf race completely. Given the opportunity, Lambie has to run with it. His role in the Bok composition depends on it.
Pat failed twice… full stop!
@ grootblousmile:Agree, he has failed twice, and in my mind should not play again. However, I also feel that that with Ostrich’s game plan, both Ostrich and Lambie are doing themselves a disservice. Ostrich needs to play Steyn at f/h again as he is best suited to the style of play being mooted. By not doing so, will turn more people against him, and as the article above has done, and turn more against Lambie, which is slightly unfair, as his style will never work, and trying so hard to change to a different style is like Kallis having to bat left handed.
Unfortunately Lambie is just the wrong player in the wrong era for SA rugby (as is Jantjies, in my book). Under the current regime, they are always going to look poor.
If Ostrich can groom and mould Goosen into what he wants, I think he will eventually be the right choice, but for the mean time, it simply has to be Steyn.
i think pattie might be better if they had n better scrummie as well
@ smallies:
I mean really in the whole of sa there is no better than traffic cop pienaar
Dink Steyn pas beter in HM se gameplan, maar as hy nog ‘n kans vir Lambie wil gee is dit ook goed. Altwee is gemiddeld, Jantjes kan ook probeer word.
Solank ons net wen ! 😉
Oh hell we all knew Lambie would take the fall for HM’s misguided 1910 style of play.
I agree drop him, and when Jantjes and Morne does not make it drop them, And when
Goosen doesnot make it or again is out injured?? what then??
How many of you have actually bothered watching the game again?? and have with “Open Eyes,no blinkers” looked at our backline? and lack of movements??
How many have seen Lambie being turned into a MINI ME of Morne?? Have any of you even bothered noticeing a change in kicking style from him? Have you noticed he now suddenly stand deep in the pocket? I can carry on and on, but i know it’s on deaf ears, as i know the mighty Bulls coach surely cannot be wrong??
Let me ask this question? If Lambie ignores the coach and plays his natural game do you think he will be selected again?? I think not and yet some of you are so wanting to blame the player that is in all honesty being ruined as a player, by none other that the nation al coach.
That same player just a short few weeks ago kicked brilliantly, and that against the self same Morne, but he also tackled better, distributed the ball better etc etc etc. Now suddenly he is useless and is being castagated by a nation becaause the national coach is trying to reinvent the game off rugby?? players are being taught to play it the HM way or no other way.
And this does not only go for Lambie. Maybe some of you need to take a long hard look at urselves and ask yourself the simple question?? am i so blinded by a coaches success 5 years ago where he had a different coaching staff assisting him? and had many other players that from young in their careers played that style of rugby which is common to the NTVL?
I for one BEG of HM to drop Lambie, BECAUSE I HAVE NO DOUBT, HAS EITHER UNKNOWINGLY OR KNOWINGLY STUFFED UP THIS YOUNG MANS CAREER, That is a fact whether you want to admit it or not.
How is it that Goosen and Lambie have gone from very good for their home teams to very average for the Boks?
Either they are only CC / S15 level players or the style of flyhalf play that they are being instructed to play does not suite them.
Personally, I rate both as excellent players, who are test level quality.
@ bdb:
Bidi, for me Lambie should be dropped and in total, I went an d sat and watched both matches Lambie played these past 2 weeks, and am shocked to see the total frustartion in Lambie, he suddenly kicks differently, plays differently?? nee man, julle is welkom om die hele bok span bulle te maak.
As a bok supporter i will always support them, no fucking way though will i agree with this inept domkop HM style of rugby where he tries to change professional players into robotic skop and jag artists.
6 @ Sharks_forever:
Oh, step off your high horse… for goodness sakes!
Lambie was average… nobody told him to kick kakly!
@ Loosehead: 100% LOskop, I personally feel not a single player should be blamed here, the Coaching staff are resposibly for this mess,
I ask this question?? Should CJ VD linde be blamed ? or should the coaches be blamed?? how long haas the whole of this country known CJ is a very poor scrummager??? did he select himself??
@ grootblousmile:
It is no HIgh horse, its a fact, go look at the kids game. then go watch the final again? its 2 very different players playing, come now my friend, HM’s dictator style of coaching is very evident, fact
Look Rudi I am all for Lambie being dropped, trust me play Morne, and i am really praying hard he does, and when he fails?? who is to blame??
will it be MOrne or HM??
lets wait and see
10 @ Sharks_forever: CJ isn’t first choice at the Lions, yet he made it into the Bok squad.
Look, HM has made some very strange choices:
CJ
Potgieter
Dean Greyling
JJ Engelbrecht
Brits
Vermaak
11 @ Sharks_forever:
Johan Goosen in his first run there in New Zealand, under the same coach, showed attacking prowess and tactical astuteness… pity he was playing with that heel injury, and pity he aggravated his injury at Soccer City… and is now out.
Arghh, forget it… I’m not in a mood to argue about Sharks heros with clay feet….
I will Ak this question?? Ruan came on as a sub against Englang when HOugaard was struggling, his service was snappy accurate, and option taking very good, A month or 2 later?? and he is useless??
Or am i lying?? did Pienaar not for 2 matches come on for the so called speedy Hougaard and out play him?? with the basics of scrum half play being good???
Now tell me?? the coaching staff not responsible for this??
@ Loosehead:
exactly,it comes back to the coach, CJ is not a good LH never mind TH, yet the astute coach puts him at TH?? he got slaughtered
@ grootblousmile:
JG started against australia in Pretoria,
Boet i have made my point, lets talk as time goes on and more players careers are stuffed up,
Oh and i know Goosens career will get stuffed by HM as he too will become a skop and jag artist, then we like i said we will talk again.
17 @ Sharks_forever:
Bokke scored 5 tries to 1 against Aussie at Loftus…. with Goosen still playing with that bruised heel…
The heading should have been different, it should be: “Sharks hero fails at pivot, coach cops the blame!”
I’m in 2 minds about this.
One the one hand (Darren :)) we kicked less than normal, and certainly less than in the first half against Ireland, which was a disaster. Our forwards kept the ball and took it up most times, and when the ball went wide (read: as wide as JDV) he took it up well. A solid, Springbok – style of game plan. And it was working fine, with guys like Flo, Alberts and Strauss really stepping up well. Eben too but that’s becoming a given these days.
On the other hand when we did try to kick for field position it was often when the wasn’t any go forward ball and we were almost playing backwards, which meant that we had to kick with less time and almost just to get rid of the ball, which as we know worked out very badly.
My personal opinion is that we will be selling our no 10′(whoever that will be) down the river if we keep playing Pienaar. He’s a good player but in this setup he is chiefly responsible for slowing the game down and giving the defenses time to set and also come up at us. When he does kick it is total cr@p and when he passes it is often after stuffing around behind the scrum so much that the recycled ball effectively becomes 1st phase again, which means we have to start building all over again.
Lambie played badly and looked very uncomfortable with the game plan that was thrust on him, what that means for his career under HM is uncertain. Time will tell I guess.
On the scrumhalf issue: I would not play Pienaar again. He is in my opinion still a better flyhalf than a scrumhalf. He kicks better for field position at 10, he runs with the ball well, distributes well, defends well, no issues with that. Whether that means he should be playing at 10 for the Boks is another story, but I wouldn’t play him at 9. finished and klaar.
I’d be inclined to play Hougaard at 9, with instructions to not box kick. His service is sharp and he snipes really well around the edges, and gets to the rucks very quickly. His defense is very good and while he lacks the ability to kick well for field position and to do the box kick, he should leave that to the flyhalf and concentrate on getting the ball to him as quickly as possible so as to give him as much time as possible. That will solve a lot of the problems IMO.
I wouldn’t play Morne, i would either stick with Lambie or play Elton there. We know when we have in Morne and at the moment he needs less game time not more.
So there you have it. My own view.
I cannot see CJ van der Linde getting a run or a bench spot for the upcoming England Test… so 1 change there will be on the bench… what about 2 other changes and one positional change to the run-on side…. Scrumhalf, flyhalf and left wing!
Maybe this is what happens when you ask a young player with a different skill set to play like Morne Steyn.
Lambie simply does not fit into the game plan and will struggle to do so until we accept that OUR way will not beat the All Blacks or Aussie consistently.
I hold out no hope for a change of thinking.
It is sad to see how many times the fly half, Lambie in this case, is not the receiver of the ball.
Naas has asked the question in the past, ” How can the fly half be your decision maker when other players receive the ball in the critical decision making channel? “
this weekends team I hope
15 Kirchner
14 JPP ( will never see the ball)
13 Taute (WILL NOT PASS)
12 JDV( Will not pass)
11 Hougaard( was once a super star till HM got hold of him)
10 Morne,( we better hop he kicks well, Has not done so for a few months)
09 Pienaar
08 Vermeulen (Takles and thats it, no passes etc)
07 Alberts, (another career that will get stuffed)
06 Flouw
05 Jandre, (lets hope he doess not miss the tackles he missed the past 2 matches)
04 Etzebeth
03 Jannie, (being played into the ground) but we shouldnt worry CJ will be there
02 Strauss
01 Gurthro ( Heinke simply not seen as good enough)
16 Brits ( a waste as his skills like Keegans will never be utalised)
17 CJ ( Cilliers is not good enough)ya well no fine
18 Flip(dont worry mr consistant will get his yellow)
19 Marcell (WIll make more tackles then Vermeulen and actually pass and carry the ball)
20 Jantjes
21 JDJ
22 Mvovo
@ tight head:
Hey TH mate Long time no see bowt, you well??
And i agree 100%, this is why in a previous post i asked the question of how many people have actually watching it again to see the changes in Lambie? and system changes like you mentioned??
I mean LAmbie is even being blammed for errors when he was not the reciever, I wonder who will they blame this weekend??
On the subject of kicking out of hand: Zane had a pretty poor game in that department too.
Wat nie goed lyk nie, is dat as ons baldraers (JDV, Alberts, Vermeulen) die bal het, dan lyk dit nie eers of hul dink aan offload nie, dit is bloot arm onder die bal en storm, grond toe, maak die bal so stadig as moontlik, en dan begin ons storm weer van voor.
Wat van bietjie afwissel met ‘n agterlyn beweging of twee, SAAM met ‘n goeie skop plan ?
24: as ons die Engelse met 30 punte wen, dan is dit omdat die Sharks so goed is, as ons net-net wen of verloor, is dit alles die Bulle en HM se skuld ?
25: baie veilige speler onder die hoë balle, verdediging en lynskoppe is ook goed. Moet net meer werk aan sy aanvalle, maar ironies, met hierdie jaar se super 15 dink ek hy het getel onder die top 3 spelers vir meeste ‘try assists’ of ‘off loads’, een van die twee, wat wel wys daar is iets.
@ bdb:
Ja die Bulle van die laaste paar seisone het nie probleme met driee druk nie.
Their problems were their defense.
Zane is a solid player, but on Saturday his field kicking was poor. There was nothing wrong with the rest of his game though.
@ Sharks_forever:
Hi Sharks, I am good thank you.
Cilliers should have been the back up tight head on Saturday.
Heinke should have started instead of Guthro.
This is how it should be against England.
However it seems Heynecke likes Guthro for his attitude, size and ball carrying ability.
Pity he stuffs up the go forward in the scrum by scrumming upwards and outside the tight head with his right shoulder, instead of “taking on ” the tight head with his left shoulder, neck and back. He should be pressurizing the tight head into his hooker instead of neutralizing all the power coming in behind him by stepping outside the scrum.
I wonder what the coaches think about this?
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