Round 3 of Super Rugby of 2013 certainly delivered it’s share of surprises, frustration, disapointment, elation and joy.
Here’s having a disection of a number of the games:
Blues / Crusaders
Making my Superbru picks, I thought the Crusaders might be a bit rusty after having had a BYE in the previous round.
It panned out to be the case but let’s not take anything away from the Blues. It fascinates me how everything Graham Henry touches turns to gold – relatively speaking. Henry was of course the last coach able to gel this disjointed bunch into a cohesive unit, years ago. The Blues were a class above everyone else when they won the Super12 competition in 1996 and 1997 with Henry as coach.
It is hard to pinpoint what exactly the Blues are doing differently this year – in comparison to the last few years. It is mostly the same players with a few inexperienced but freakishly talented new ones. The Henry success recipe, if I were to make a call, is threefold. Firstly, and probably most importantly he has an innate ability to gel players into a unit. There is clearly a lot more commitment amongst the Blues and Ali Williams said after both the first two matches the players are playing for each other. John Kirwan is the coach but I believe it is the contributions and presence of Graham Henry which fostered this heightened sense of group unity and application. The approach – to create unity – Henry seems to favour is to make influential personalities leaders in the group. Henry’s philosophy is that players will handle the challenge if it is their challenge. The power of player leadership and the importance of player leadership is the main message of Henry’s autobiography, ‘The final word’. Ali Williams and Rene Ranger were made leaders in the Blues this year and they both were not only outstanding in terms of doing their position specific tasks but were instrumental in stopping the Crusaders getting momentum with beyond normal contributions. These two players are traditionally very much individualistic personalities, poor followers and consequently potentially destructive influences due to the fact that they are also so freakishly talented. If they commit, the team plays well, if they don’t fully commit then the whole team lacks special commitment. Henry’s approach is to make players like those two leaders in the group.
The second part of Henry’s success is to have playmakers with cool heads in the pivotal positions of No 9 and No 10 and on the wings players who are strong and fast with x-factor. In short, players in the pivot positions who can create space for x- factor players out wide who need half a yard to make something out of nothing.
The third component is hard work and his attention to detail in setting up structures and cohesiveness at the set pieces and breakdowns. He plans well and prepares well.
These Blues will get increasingly tougher to beat as the season progresses because Henry’s leaders will be getting better at their jobs, his playmakers are gaining in confidence and the commitment to structures at the set piece and breakdowns are bound to be enhanced by winning early matches. (Let me repeat I know John Kirwan is the head coach but believe much of this early success is a result of Graham Henry’s contributions to get the players to commit and gel as a unit).
This match, for me, demostrated the importance of the coach in the modern game.
Waratahs / Rebels
The Waratahs, in short, lacked energy. There is no zip in that team, while the Rebels is all flap-flap with no real penetration. The Rebels had 70 % of the ball when I stopped watching but was unable to do anything with that against a lacklustre Waratahs outfit. The fact that the Waratahs scrambled a win is no compliment to either side.
Reds / Hurricanes
This was a scrappy affair. The Reds were very good slowing the ball down at the breakdowns and to dominate the possession stats (keeping their hands on the ball). This kept the Hurricanes playmakers out of the match. The Hurricanes on the other hand just wanted to Razzle-dazzle without doing the hard yards up front. Like last year they are slow to develop forward cohesiveness / structures and are starting the season playing well below their ability. One has to wonder about coach Mark Hammett’s attention to detail when it comes to developing and refining unity at the tackle area. Last year it took them almost the whole season to get that in place but once they did they toppled the log leaders, but at a stage when they were too far behind to work themselves into the play-off’s.
The Sharks / DHL Stormers
“It was a ripper of a match”, said Bobby Skinstad after the match. “SA rugby is glowingly healthy”, was Andy Capistagnio’s remark after the match. Well they are either marketing bunnies for their broadcasting corporation or I must have watched a different match.
Yes, it was tight, the defence was outstanding and the field wet and greasy, but these are the conditions they will encounter in New Zealand were the kiwi sides play far more entertaining rugby.
So, before I get told that comparing South African rugby with New Zealand rugby does not make sense, let me explain why I disagree with the above mentioned ‘Marketing Agents’.
Rugby is a game of building pressure. Part of building pressure is to dominate set piece and the breakdowns and playing the game in the opponents half. So as a consequence I have no problem with tactical kicking and the occasional box kick but you can’t build pressure if you keep on kicking the ball away and if you can’t string phases together because you can’t hang onto the ball. Never in all my years as a Western Province and Stormers supporter have I seen Cape rugby so poor at setting up phase ball and so inept in the backline. Add to that the poor scrummaging and you have to ask what are the coaching staff thinking and doing? The Stormers scrum showed no improvement from last week and the backline play was as sterile and clumsy as last week. The ball never moved beyond Jean de Villiers and counter attacks lacked structure, support and runners coming on at angles.
The Stormers have made absolutely no progress from last year, in fact they have regressed. They are totally predictable, having made no adjustments to their stoid game plan. They’ve now played two matches and have lost both. How many more do they need to lose with a defensive game plan, obsessive kicking and forwards pods – as their only attacking strategy – before Allister Coetzee tries something completely different. They were the worst attacking side in the competition in 2012 and still are in exactly the same mould. Elton Jantjies kicked more than 70 % of the possession away and they seemed pathologically unable to build pressure. How do you build pressure if you can’t string phases together and if you keep on needlessly kicking possession away or if you never move the ball beyond your inside centre or those pods sitting in channel 2?
The Bulls have rejected the forward pods because the opposition had worked out how to defend against them, hence the reason why these Stormers kept on losing the ball when the forward pods hit contact. If this is the best the Stormers can do, then Cape rugby is in serious trouble.
The Sharks got dragged into the Stormers kicking and defensive oriented game and played a game lacking their normal imagination, flair and fluency. The reason why The Sharks won, was because Patrick Lambie’s tactical kicking was marginally better, their scrum was more dominant and their structures and commitment at the tackle ball better. They were able to string phases together and build pressure occasionally, specifically in the second half when they needed points.
My expectation is not that South African sides should razzle=dazzle like the New Zealand sides. More variation on attack, specially in the backline, better ball control at the tackle ball, some starter moves off set piece and the back triangle functioning as combinations with structure, support and angled runners on the counter – would be a darn good start.
Vodacom Bulls / Western Force
Credit to the Bulls as they entered the game clearly determined not to get pulled into an arm wrestle with the Force. They tried something different which culminated in a few very good tries. They moved the ball well down the backline, there was speed onto the ball and good variation when they took the ball wide. Their lineout and scrum was solid and they mixed backline attacks with some forward drives and midfield punches. They looked clinical – in the part that I saw – and they will get better as the season progresses. I didn’t see the whole game but the bit that I did see showed a team willing to move beyond the arm wrestle. One thing they can probably improve is more use of soft and quick hands in the backline like the Basson try which was disallowed due to a prior forward pass. They were spreading the ball but still tried to run through and over the defenders. If they mix that with putting people into space – with quick passes – they will be harder to defend against and more unpredictable. The loose trio combination is also a bit too similar and not really linking with the backs. It was not a sterling performance but an improvement on the previous week and I liked the fact that they seem willing to evolve and are trying to play more heads-up rugby.
Hello McLook thanks for the insight into the games this weekend especially as I’ve not watched any of it just followed some online here. Its always good to get opinions from different parts of the world and your starting part of analysis of the Blues/Crusaders gives us an idea of topical info that you have as someone in New Zealand. Just a question on the Graham Henry – what is his role at the Blues this year with as you mention John Kirwan being the head coach? A Kiwi mate of mine is a Blues fan so he will be chuffed if they cary on in this vein. Another question what is the general feeling in New Zealand about how Crusaders will get on without captain McCaw?
On a bit of a petty note I see you have made the same error that I did just yesterday when speaking about Super rugby here, I also refferred to it as Super 15, when its now actually the Super 16 🙂
2 @ Bullscot:
When I said speaking about Super rugby here meant here to people in the UK, not here as in on rugby-talk, phheww its too early in the morning
Imo the ref killed the game between the Bulls and Force. He was way to lenient with players falling over the ball and playing the ball on the ground at the breakdown. No team could get any momentum because of this. The skew throw in at the scrums by the force was also ridicules. Must the ball still go straight into a scrum?
Another thing that bothers me a bit is the number of phases a tv ref goes back to review a try. In the Bulls game the ref clearly asked the tv ref to review the last pass. The tv crew showed the last 2 passes and the tv ref judged that the 2nd last pass was forward. Although the correct decision was made, the ref must be in control of how many phases will be reviewed. If the tv crew wants to show the last 10 phases, will the tv ref review all 10 phases?
@ Bullscot@1:
Kirwin and Henry got a close frienship/relationship. Henry is involved as a advisor. You see him at practices on the field and in the coaching box during matches. I tink his involvement will taper off once the team is playing well. He will probably then only be involved with the big games and/or if the team start to struggle. Players has big respect for him and value his involvement.
The country as a whole is not really worried about the Crusaders as they are reknowned to be relatively slow starters. Not that slow start means losing but more that the know when and how to peak. They were a bit rusty on the weekend but be better next week. The general feel is that the team will miss McCaw but that there are enough talent and leadership in the group to manage without him. I think we’ll see him introduced during the business end of the tournament.
@ Bullscot@2:
@ Bullscot@2:
THere is 16 teams in the competition?
THere is 16 teams in the competition?
Oops really sorry McLook my mistake, and the preson who ‘corrected’ me yesterday, you are right it is indeed the SUPER 15 as the Kings are not an extra team but came in for the Lions feel really embarrassed now sorry man what a plonker I am
6 @ McLook:
hehe you just beat me to it McLook sorry see my post 7, what was I thinking…
@ leon@4:
Not sure if it was the ref or the bulls that needs so work on their tackle ball skills. The Force won the battle at the breakdowns and always seems to challenge the bulls in that department. The bulls with their tendency to try and break tackles (run over opponents) to tend to get isolated. Attacking space and more use of quick hands (constantly shifting the point of contact) will make it harder for defenders to gang up against the ball carrier.
It was a pitty the Basson try was not allowed. It was great run. You are right the level o influence (how far back the TMO can go) need to be clarified.
This is NOT the Super 15 competition… it is officially known as the Super Rugby competition!
Take note Authors!!!!!!
I said last night… This was a bad game with a great outcome for the Bulls.
Before the game I was worried about the Bulls Loosie Combination… the balance was not right and a fetcher was always going to be missed.
This was very evident on the night as the Force flooded the breakdowns and very sucessfully stole a lot of Bulls ball.
When Jean Cook came on as replacement though, this changed considerably with him playing a vital role in making the Bulls loosies better as a combination. The big positive of the night was the composure the Bulls showed when they were behind to rally and step up a few gears.
By the end of the match the running mauls of the Bulls was working like a well-oiled machine and both myself and the Journo’s in the Press Box were equally stunned that the Force did not cop a Yellow card or 2.
Tough tour awaiting the Bulls, with the Blues, Crusaders, Reds and Brumbies as the next 4 games.
Gooooooooooo Bulls!
Am surprised to see the ‘news’ of Morne Steyn possibly signing up for Racing Metro for after this Super rugby season, is there any truth to this or is this rumour? Especially puzzling as it has been reporetd that Racing have confirmed this siging, as far as my understanding goes as reported elsewhere the LNR – Ligue Nationale de Rugby (French body) has a regulation in place that stipulates clubs are not allowed to publicly confirm player movement until April 15 in the preceding season. Also it was mentioned in the last few weeks that Jonathan Sexton was on his way to Racing, again where that came from am not sure, but why would a club sign both of these top flyhalves?
11 @ grootblousmile:
Interesting to note your observations about Cook’s ‘fetching’ abilities, my initial thoughts have been that he was going to turn out to be a strong ball carrying type loose forward so its even better then that he has that fetching ability too. Also interesting to note on the Bulls page that he is not in the Super rugby squad (profiles) so would he be allowed to stay with the Super squad once Dewald Potgieter and Stegmann return from injury, is there a cap on the numbers allowed in the squad?
Folks, lets be fair and honest, all the SA teams were dog shit this round. The Bulls and Sharks were only remotely good towards the end of their games. Despite the poor showing of the Cheetahs, the Stormers were the worst SA side. They have so much, and give so little…………………….
Pakistan 154/2 (14.0/20 ov)
South Africa
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat
Pakistan RR 11.00
Last 5 ovs 69/1 RR 13.80
Pakistan 195/7 (20.0/20 ov)
South Africa
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat
Innings break
Pakistan RR 9.75
Last 5 ovs 38/4 RR 7.60
South Africa 20/1 (2.0/20 ov)
End of over 4 (14 runs) South Africa 48/1 (148 runs required from 16 overs, RR: 12.00, RRR: 9.25)
4.2
Umar Gul to du Plessis, OUT
F du Plessis c †Kamran Akmal b Umar Gul 6 (4b 0x4 0x6) SR: 150.00
South Africa 50/3 (4.3/20 ov)
AB was hitting us into a great position
Umar Gul took 3 wicketts in the next over , SA in deep POO
51/4
AB de Villiers 33* (16b 4×4 2×6)
5.4
Mohammad Irfan to de Villiers, OUT
AB de Villiers b Mohammad Irfan 36 (22b 4×4 2×6) SR: 163.63
This is not going to be a close game anymore
SA in for a massive hiding
South Africa 53/6 (6.1/20 ov)
2 W W . 1 W | . . 2 W . . | W . 1. . .
Last 3 overs blown away
Bulls hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle has been cited for dangerous contact in Saturday’s 36-26 Super Rugby victory over Force at Loftus Versveld in Pretoria.
Ralepelle is alleged to have charged into a ruck without using his arms and striking Force winger Alfi Mafi.
On-field officials did not hand out a penalty for the offence, but after reviewing match footage the citing commissioner deemed the incident worthy of a red card.
The judicial officer for the hearing will be Jannie Lubbe and he will hear the case on Monday afternoon.
Butch James pled guilty to a similar offence playing for the Lions in last year’s Super Rugby competition and received a four-week suspension.
“The collisions were huge tonight,” coach Allister Coetzee said at the after-match media briefing. “If we are able to match that level of (commitment) and intensity next weekend, I believe we will be OK, even though the Chiefs are on fire and will give us a real test.
“I’m definitely not happy with the result, obviously, because we are a side that’s not used to losing. If you want to be a championship side that’s one thing not to be happy about.
“But the effort and attitude … a big step up from last week. Once you have that in your team, you have a lot to work with. I take heart from this performance, and there is still a long road ahead. We will be there; you don’t want to come unstuck later in the competition, when it counts.
“I’m really not too concerned how many games we may have lost at this point; to me it’s about getting the machine started and oiled and making sure processes are followed. Once we get a win under the belt, especially as we have some new players in our midst, confidence will shoot up.
Pakistan 195/7 (20/20 ov)
South Africa 74/7 (10.2/20 ov)
South Africa require another 122 runs with 3 wickets and 58 balls remaining
South Africa 98/8 (11.4/20 ov)
South Africa require another 98 runs with 2 wickets and 50 balls remaining
RK Kleinveldt c Umar Akmal b Mohammad Hafeez 22 (7b 1×4 3×6) SR: 314.28
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