Ruan Pienaar’s prodigious kicking highlights a flaw in the Springbok rugby mindset.
Forget what you think about this test match.
There is so much more riding on tomorrow night’s capital contest than a handful of competition points.
This is a battle between total rugby and totalitarian rugby, a stylistic skirmish between one team that enjoys the sweet freedom of expression and another which squirms in the grip of moderation’s gorilla mitt.
NZ Herald
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen calls South Africa “our greatest foe”, and statistically speaking it’s an assertion that cannot be argued against.
They have the best record of any nation against New Zealand hell it was only 18 years ago that the All Blacks managed to win a test series on South African soil and they remain the real test of All Black strength.
The Springboks have always brought the best out in the All Blacks, so the question is this: when are they going to bring the best out in themselves? That this team has one date to savour in the last nine meetings of world rugby’s current No1 and No2 says plenty.
Victory against the All Blacks has gone from regularity to rarity.
To put the importance of this test in perspective, New Zealand lines up tomorrow night looking, for just the second time in the history of this great rugby rivalry, to post a fifth consecutive win against South Africa.
Not since a remarkable three-year period at the turn of the century in which the All Blacks won nine straight matches, has one side so clearly dominated this match-up.
And it is a domination of the worst type – South Africa keeps bringing cannons to the knife fight and the All Blacks keep driving in the dagger.
After an unconvincing series sweep of Argentina and an agonising loss against Australia (and, let’s be honest, referee George Clancy was kind enough to play the scapegoat last week), South African fans aren’t just demanding a win against the All Blacks, they are obsessed with the notion.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has indicated that he wants to bring something “unconventional” to the match and holds up, as exhibits A and B in his case for innovation, his selection of 20-year-old first five-eighth Handre Pollard and 21-year-old centre Jan Serfontein.
There is no doubt Pollard is a talent, but Meyer’s implication that his selection will lead to a ball-in-hand gameplan is a smokescreen.
May I introduce Exhibits C and D: Ruan Pienaar and Willie Le Roux, who between them have unleashed 77 kicks in three matches. Not even the great Steyn can compete with those outlandish numbers.
And then there’s Serfontein, who can’t possibly have been given the nod for his offensive output.
Oh, he can play, but he is there because he’s made 18 tackles and hasn’t missed one. Meyer has chosen the 21-year-old not to fire the shots, but to take the hits.
This test presents a conundrum for the South Africans. They can persist with a power game that revolves around the lineout and seeks to win the penalty count (though as was shown last week against the Wallabies, you can’t rely on a referee blowing his whistle when you need him to) because that’s what they know best.
Or they can find a way to expand on their powers, to break the shackles of conservatism and build sustained periods of pressure on the All Blacks defence.
They have the talent for this. Duane Vermeulen is a destructive force on attack, and is allowed to be through the defensive work of the tireless Francois Louw and Marcell Coetzee, Bryan Habana is one of the great wingers, Cornall Hendricks is worth more than 11 touches in 240 minutes of match time, Willie Le Roux is better with both feet so why rely so heavily on one?
Meyer says he wants to play attractive rugby. He told reporters this week he was hoping for a dry track “so we can play some attacking rugby”. But surely this side is capable of playing attacking rugby rain, hail or shine.
I asked one former All Blacks coach this week about his approach to wet-weather rugby.
He said: “Most people call the rain a leveller, I think it’s the other way around. That’s when the team with the best skillset has the advantage.”
Or maybe the advantage lies with the team that believes it has those skills in the first place.
“There is no doubt Pollard is a talent, but Meyer’s implication that his selection will lead to a ball-in-hand gameplan is a smokescreen.
May I introduce Exhibits C and D: Ruan Pienaar and Willie Le Roux, who between them have unleashed 77 kicks in three matches.”
Sad, but true
Funnily enough Willie used to be a great running threat……………………….well done HM
2 @ Loosehead:
Yet, even earlier this year Willie was still saying that HM gives him the freedom and allows him to play his own game.
I also blame our wings for not falling back and helping him to attack. He is left on his own and is then expected to perform miracles by himself.
Listening to John Mitchell yesterday on Boots & All Owen asked him what the difference is between us and the NZ players, seeing that he coached in both countries.
His answer “NZ players look to make space for their team mates”
So, it doesn’t matter who scores the try, as long as it’s the team that scored, so there isn’t any selfishness in their play
nortierd wrote:
While players coached by HM look where they can kick every fucking ball away to.
I actually don’t like thinking about the Boks current playing style, because doing so just makes me sad and befok. We are blessed with greatly talented players, but we can’t seem to get it together. It’s really frustrating as a fan.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ll always support the Boks (except maybe when they playing against Ireland)
It’s just really frustrating at the moment.
@ nortierd:
@ Loosehead:
We can look for difference all day, but the truth of the matter is it starts with the grade 1 laaties.
When the school master looks at what he’s got at his 1st Grade 1 session, the skinny fast kids get to be wings and must just run like a scalded cat when they get the ball.
The chubby slow kids become forwards of varying degrees and are expected to just run over whoever is in front of them.
And the kid who can catch a ball and kick it becomes a flyhalf who is taught to kick, kick kick.
Until we get COMPETENT primary school coaches teaching and developing players, and worrying less about the end result, SA Rugby will continue to suffer at higher levels.
The fact that all creativity and the ability to play wht’s in front of them is also coached out of just about EVERY player as they advance through school, varsity / club and provincial Rugby also doesn’t help.
SA Rugby has been sterotyped for a VERY LONG time, and IMHO has failed to evelove and adapt.
We as SAFFAS still seem to think that brute force and a golden boot will win every game, and while it can win most games, when you come up against a side that is just superior in handling the ball, keeping it alive and at exploiting their opposition’s weaknesses, then you’re in for a long 80 minutes.
Sure 10% of the time the SA blue print may prevail, but as SA fans and supporters are we happy with a 10 – 320% win ratio against the New Zealanders?
We all know the definition of insanity, so why do we attempt to prove it incorrect so often on the Rugby field? (And It’s not only the current coach who’s trying to disprove that theory)
Scrumdown wrote:
Flip we all wish 10 -320%!!!!
Should read 10 – 20%.
4 @ Loosehead:
what a load of complete and utter toss. Did you even watch the cheetahs play these last two years, Willie le roux chip kicks in abundance.
@ nortierd:
No you can’t compare Willie and Ruan, im afraid. Yes they both kick a lot but its the nature of those kicks that count.
Ruan just fires pointless up and unders and misplaced bombs all day whereas with Willie, there is an element of deftness and even attack to his kicking…little grubbers and chips over the defence etc.
The Saders are consistently among the top 3 kickers in every Super Rugby tournament but its the nature of their kicking that seperates them from most SA teams and which makes them so unpredictable.
Hell, 2 of the ABs tries came from little grubbers in behind the Argies defence last weekend.
Kicking is fine as long as its done with at least a tiny semblance of brain power.
MacroBok wrote:
Sure he chips. He also runs, passes, sidesteps, dummies, offloads……….scores tries.
Under HM he kicks, aimlessly.
@ Loosehead:
Wrong.
Willie has ALWAYS used his kicking and chipping etc to great effect in Super Rugby. He has never been someone who just runs from everywhere.
His touches with the boot are what makes him so unpredictable.
John Galt wrote:
What an excellent post!
Certain Bulls supporters are going to hate you.
@ Loosehead:
and earlier this year under meyer he was praised for his attacking intent at FB somehing that was missing at the cheetahs.
Look I agree that he has not been effectively utilized in the RC, it it is p his kicking has been poor, but also he has had little support like Nortie mentioned and it has been a poor strategy.
But to make a sweeping statement that Willie used to be a running threat before HM came along is complete garbage, Im sorry.
9 @ John Galt:
In this case the author is not wrong.
The stats he uses is for the 3 RC tests, not what Willie has done in the past or SR.
There haven’t been much fancy footwork or chip kicks so far, but so much hoofing the ball, including kicking out on the full
12 @ Loosehead:
Why who is going to hate him? him is making a well thought out point and not shooting from the hip.
Read somewhere Ruan has a 69% win percentage as a bok in over 70 tests
Not to shabby according to SA standards
MacroBok wrote:
The point here is that Ruin kicks aimlessly, Stain kicks aimlessly, JDV crashball, Serfontein remember the aimless kick from last week, Willie kicks aimlessly.
Look at Lambie, he is quite an attacking 10 for the Sharks [when not injured] and for HM? He kicks aimlessly.
Goosen, the same
lets see what Pollard is instructed to do tomorrow……………………………
HM should have got the job instead of PDiV, rugby has evolved since then and HM hasn’t. Just look at who he selects, what he says in interviews and how his team is playing.
I really hope that he has given his players more freedom to play the game tomorrow.
I really hope that The Springboks win. [even if it by kicking every fucking ball away aimlessly]
nortierd wrote:
Nick Mallet says that the players are only following orders……………………….
I would have like over the years to see Ruan play 10. His best game for the boks was when played 10 in England against the English. We demolished them that day.
Not a big fan of playing Handre currently.
I honestly think that he has not proved anything in the big leagues as yet. Does he have potential? Yes! More than what Lambie or Jantjies had at the same stage? No.
He was great at the Under 20’s, but other than that just a decent flyhalve.
Didn’t Potgieter kept Pollard on the bench early in the Super rugby championship?
Makrobokkiebull?
Snoek wrote:
Jeez, my engels is kakkerig vanmore 🙂
Loosehead wrote: @17
I agree with this part of your post, in particular.
@ Loosehead:
I know deep down the biggest critics (half glas leeg) mense want us to and believe we can win. or else why would you even be here.
I have confidence that there is measures being taken to improve our gameplan especially the “aimless” poor kicking. It is amazing how that got into the psyche of SA rugby players in general.
@ Snoek:
Potgieter is wat die bulle nodig gehad het die jaar, was n uitstekende kopie, hy sal nooit die bulle lig tot n hoer vlak nie maar hy gee stabiliteit veral omdat Pollard en janties so gesukkel het met hulle skoppe pale toe in die 2013 CC… maar hoe goed skop pollard pale toe nou? ek dink dit is ongelooflik hoe hy verbeter het en wys watse harde werker die ou is.
A competent coach stays calm even when things don’t go his way.
HM goes crazy in the coaches box when his team play.
Some call it passion!!
I see a coach loosing his shit because he has no control over his team.
@ Snoek:
What about Cheika?
MacroBok wrote:
Yes, Heyneke number 2
And most of us go batshit crazy when the boks score lol not like some okes on sharksworld that “just look up from their good book they are reading to see what happened” haha
im sure even you would cheer a good try.
or be upset about a refereeing error
Snoek wrote:
I’m actually surprised that HM / SARU haven’t requested that the cameras be removed.
A person at HM’s level, despite everything should try to remain calm. I honestly can’t see him making rational tactical decisions regarding substitutions when he is in a state like that.
That said, substitutions just seem to be pre-planned and fukc the consequences.
Rarely these days does a coach seem to leave a player on the field when he’s having a blinder if the “game plan” says he must come off after 18 minutes and 30 seconds of the second half.
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