The difference between good and great has got very little to do with skill and talent at test level.
Last week someone asked me whether I agree with the common sentiment in the media of late of whether this current Springbok side was the greatest one in history.
Well firstly I believe it is silly to compare this team with teams in the 1950’s, 30’s or 70’s as the game has changed so much, but perhaps there was a case of comparing them to Springbok teams since 1992 when we came back from isolation…
It was a tough question, because I want this team to be the best of all time or the last 20 years, and in recent times they make it difficult for you not to think they just might be, but I was also very aware of the fact that as time goes by, memories fade and if we have to go and study the winning World Cup team of 1995, or Mallet’s charges of 1997/98 one would realize that they were very special teams, with some very special players and moments in their own right and time.
But I was still stuck with the question, was this team the best we had?
Before the Tri-Nations started I said this team is on the brink of greatness, and era very seldom seen in rugby and one that comes around once or twice in a fan’s lifetime.
A couple of things would determine whether this team is truly great, or just very good.
Greatness is also a matter of subjective perception. For instance is a team that wins trophy after trophy great? Even thought they lose the odd match in-between?
Is a team great when they win World Cup’s?
Or is a team great when they are recognized as the number 1 team in the world, by consistently beating the best or top 5 teams on the ranking list?
Personally I would go for the last option, which was also my point when we won the World Cup and became the number 1 team in world rugby following that victory and I said it is not a true reflection of the standings in power in world rugby at the time.
Today we are the number 1 ranked team in the world (and still world champions by the way) because we beat the top two sides in world rugby twice. I also have little doubt we will remain the top team in world rugby following our traditional end of year tour and it would be a deserving title and honour, unlike 2007.
But does that make this team great, or the greatest?
I could not avoid the question, but I also could not pin it down on any one thing why I thought this team was exceptionally good, but not great. Yesterday’s loss also did not give me any answers really, because we have all known and discussed possible weak areas in this team so it was or is not the definitive reason why I believed this team was good but not (yet) great.
I then read this week how Springbok legend Tiaan Strauss handed over the jersey’s to the team for their match in Brisbane, and Tiaan hit the nail on the head and pinpointed the elusive ingredient which I could not come up with why I believe this team is good, but not great.
Tiaan in a speech to the players mentioned that great teams were defined by the character in that team. A character which saw the All Blacks dominate world rugby in the last 20 years where no matter what the touring schedule, no matter what the injuries, no matter who the coach or game plan, losing is simply not an option for them. It was ingrained in that team’s character, and that is what is missing from our Springbok team still in my view.
We are sitting as some suggest in a golden age in Springbok rugby, many factors prove this. We have immensely experienced, skillful and talented players, that much is clear. But over and above having the talent and the skill, this team needs the character to show and prove, they are indeed the greatest Springbok team in history.
Good article PissJan.
A great team will nevr me man shamed by the Aussie scrum after scrum.
Uhm, that should read: never be …..
It is time for Smit to go back to playing at hooker, and for South Africa to find a tighthead prop. Jannie DuP has gone backwards [ 😆 ] in the last season or 2. Beast, well he hasn’t exatly lit up the world either.
What are the chances of Snor picking Heike VDM, Smit and…………..as a front row?
Hello friends, muppits, moepels & mopkoppe.
I will be very scarse on the blog today, forgive my absense…
We have a total power blackout here in the “Panne”, the whole day, till about 19:00…. planned maintenance on some or other power-sub-station, feeding the town.
Luckily this was not without warning, it was published in our local newspaper..
So, today I’m going to the mall with Handbriekie & co….. eishhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Oh, a very heppy, heppy BIFFFDAY to SA Barbarians, our good friend here on the blog !
Goooooooooooi Mieliessssssss, my vrind !
Exactly PA, the All Blacks have had an aura.
It is arguably not there any longer, but your point is correct.
Thi mentality is set in the team and by the coach and management.
Of course you cannot achieve this mentality before you have perfected the basic skills and decision making that are necessary to make you a good team in the first place.
So as a scrumming man let me say we are going to battle to achieve this mentality until we sort out the scrumming of John Smit, or his move back to hooker.
I am concerned about the effect of his fragile scrumming performances on his mentality and therefore on that of the team as well.
@tight head – If he is worried about seeing his arse at every scrum, it must be bad for his general play.
@tight head –
Call me ignorant but I believed most of our scrumming woes was on Beast’s side?
Nevertheless, I have always maintained Smit needs to play hooker. If he is the problem, it is quite easy to address this.
Greatness is achieved by winning titles. Gary Player was for sure not the most talented golfer, put he achieved greatness by winning. His 9 majors is still the third or fourth most in the history of the game. He won more than 100 tournaments in his career.
The current Boks are a good team, a very good team but not a great team, yet. A pattern has emerged this season which pinpoints a weakness, namely conditioning. The Boks have tended to fade in the last 20-30 minutes of most matches. This should not happen in the professional era but it seems to the case here. Some might say that it is character or lack of it, but I say its simpler than that, i.e. conditioning. I don’t understand or accept why some players have to be replaced after only 60 minutes of playing time. Address this weakness & the team may move on to be a great team.
@JimT – 9
I feel exactly the same JimT. Been worrying me ever since the BIL tests. Is the game that much faster and hectic these days?
And why do we seem more buggered than the oppo late in the game?
@SA Barbarians –
Een ding van gister se WP game wat my opgeval het, behalwe Newmann wat af is met ‘n besering het die WP afrigtingspan nie een verandering aan die opdraf 15tal aangebring nie. En as ek eg onthou het die Bulls ook nie veel verander aan hulle span nie, net daai een moerse voorry opgebring wat vir so twee skrums baie goed gelyk het en toe ook maar soos die res sy kop in sy eie h@l moes gaan uitgrawe. Ek hoop die WP kry later weer ‘n kans om teen die Sharks te speel, sal wil sien wat doen daai drie jong manne teen die Bok voorry? Ek wil met Morne saamstem, as John Smit nie die mas opkom nie moet hulle besluit of hulle hom as kaptein wil hou en terug skuif hakker toe, of hulle moet hom drop en iemand anders kaptein maak. Beast sukkel darem self erg die laaste klompie games. Die Bokke kort ‘n spesialis voorry afrigter.
@SA Barbarians – No question the game is faster & more hectic these days. But professional teams are supposed to train for that. Are the Boks too complacent after the RWC & BIL series wins?
Could be. Also it becomes tempting to fall into a trap of over dependence upon an accurate kicker like Morne Steyn. He is not going to pull the chestnuts out of the fire every day.
@JimT – 12 evening all,
Butt you cant lose matches because you dont have a reliable kicker either. We just played the wrong game plan, why we were so cocky to try and play them at their own game heaven knows. The kick and chase would have worked again, there was a lot of inexperienced players who would have fumbled.
I read this and mostly agree with this guy.
410. BULLET :
September 6th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
All this hype about the Bok scrums and John Smit.
Here is my take. The Boks have just had their first bad test with their starting 22 in 12 months. I think that a team is allowed an odd bad game here and there. For me, the entire team did not look like they showed up.
Not 1 player in the pack had a dominant game, for those of you who have watched the game 2 or 3 times (like I have) you will see that both props were consistently pinged. Often our loose head was going down. At 1 stage, the bok front row got lifted and pushed off the ball. If you follow the RFU rules, thats technically a Bok penalty as the Aussies were indeed scrumming up.
Now lets take the scrums aside, as I do believe there is a lack of confidence in the scrums, the rest of the game was sub standard. Our defence was letting the opposition take their game to us. Rush defence was not rushed at all. With the exception of Habana, their looked like a distinct lack of urgency.
Our attack was reasonable in the first half, but 3 line breaks near the opposition 22 resulted in 0 tries. Why? This is unacceptable in professional rugby. Our back line option taking when they broke the advantage line was poor.
Before we decide to try lynch the skipper (typical SA by the way), lets accept the game for what it is:
1) We have a poor forwards coach
2) Boks never turned up at all
3) Aussies were incredibly fired up for the game
4) Aussies were desperate for the win and took their options far better than us
5) Not complaining about the reffing, but the bounce of the ball really went against the Boks all the time.
4 from 5 against the Aussies & NZ. Who would have accepted that result 2 years ago? I think we all would have jumped at that!
@superBul 13 Hi superBul, I would agree that the Boks had the wrong game plan. They only needed one point(?) to clinch the title. What were PDV & JS thinking?
OK nothing on TV….anything happening here yet?
okay, wants going on?? we need to put some serious numbers on this blog!
See thar Straylja just spanked Eng in the cricket. Looks like Johnson’s got his mojo back. the only Aussie I like, so good for him
Good evening folks, just a quick flash and dash from me 🙂
@Loserer – No electricity in Brakpan today!! So HQ a bit quiet!
Can we PLEASE not talk about John Smit and how he is not really a good option at 3!!
Lets also avoid the scrum talk as it still baffles me!! 😐
@SA Barbarians – Birthday Boy….You got lucky or something!! 😉
Oh yes have a few of these as well XXXX Mwahhh
@Loserer – I thought you had nipped off to watch the Antiques Roadshow !! Hahahaha
@carol – Don’t want to talk rugby anymore. am baffled, going to swot up on the IRB rules and regs, quite evident that me knows nuffing bout rugby anymore!
@carol – Hope GBS doesn’t have his fingers in the electric sockets when they turn the electricity back on. I would hate to see his eyes shining like spotlights 🙂
22@carol – Hahaha, you know what, we do love Kirsty and Phil and make sure be V+ if we are not going to make it! How’s the Cotsworlds today?
@carol – hehehe I don’t kiss and tell……… I did get lucky yesterday between 17h00 and around 19h00 though ……:-)
@Loserer – Just when I think I know why the whistle was blown……..it turns out to be something else all together !!
Mind you cricket was once a mystery to me!!
@SA Barbarians – You had a nice day Birthday Boy? Hope you got spoiled
@SA Barbarians – 24 and his hair would stand on end!!
Not good….
26 – 😯 Boys will be boys….. good for you!
27@carol – Diabolical I tell you, now I keep my mouth shut in case I make a fool of myself
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