The Springboks were tactically pathetic and physically overwhelmed in what can only be described as an embarrassing performance.
Article by Quintin van Jaarsveld
The Springboks took their most significant slump of a disastrous 2010 season when their Grand Slam aspirations were dashed by a tactically superior Scottish side at Murrayfield on Saturday with the road to their World Cup title defence in New Zealand less than a year away looking more ominous than ever.
The 21-17 loss, only the Boks’ fifth ever defeat to Scotland in 104 years, was the worst display by the men in Green and Gold since the 49-0 shutout against the Wallabies in Brisbane in 2006.
They were tactically pathetic and physically overwhelmed in what can only be described as an embarrassing performance.
Serious question marks hang over the team’s management, their often-clueless game plan and depth in specialist positions with calls for coach Peter de Villiers’ axing flaring up and spreading across South Africa like wildfire. The blame for the defeat, however, should dually fall on De Villiers and the players.
The Boks’ renowned kick-and-chase game plan is flawed without the pinpoint precision of the injured Fourie du Preez and De Villiers’ stubbornness to persist with the strategy is perplexing.
This is after all the same De Villiers that, upon landing the Springbok coach position, promised to transform the world champions into an attacking side.
On the players’ side, Ruan Pienaar and Francois Hougaard have failed miserably in their attempts to emulate Du Preez while there is no definite second-choice flyhalf to take over from incumbent Morne Steyn when he is off his game in the current game plan.
The Boks are also desperately missing injured ace scavenger Heinrich Brussow. Deon Stegmann has failed to take the step-up to Test rugby, Keegan Daniel hasn’t had a real opportunity to show his worth, while only De Villiers knows why he omitted Francois Louw from the squad.
The much-praised character that carried the Boks to narrow victories over Ireland and Wales was also conspicuously absent against the Scots. They will need character, heart and passion in abundance to score an unlikely win over an ever-improving England on Saturday, but with the Grand Slam dream shattered, those qualities will be hard to come by.
England, in contrast, recently gave the mighty All Blacks a run for their money and are coming off their first back-to-back November victories in six years. Their destruction of the Wallabies, in which they demonstrated newfound attacking prowess in a commanding 35-18 victory, was especially worrying from a Bok point of view.
They have a great record against the Boks at Twickenham in recent years and will be licking their chops in anticipation of welcoming the wounded Boks into their fortress.
Disturbing flashbacks of the record 52-3 defeat to England at the same venue in 2002 pester the mind, but I doubt the Boks, despite their dire state, will stoop that low on Saturday.
A defeat to England, though, irrespective of the margin, would be the final nail in the Bok coffin on a Grand Slam tour in which the world champions suffered lasting damage and fell way behind arch-rivals the All Blacks, who are coasting to their fourth Grand Slam title.
Whilst no immediate solution to halting the Boks’ rapid fall from grace seems imminent as it is unlikely that De Villiers will receive a pink slip this close to the World Cup, definite and long overdue changes need to be made in the next few days whether it be in selection, strategy or both.
The ignorance and stubbornness of the camp can simply no longer be tolerated.
P de Villiers last 25 results before the start of the World Cup
2011
All Blacks
Australia
All Blacks
Australia
2010
England
1 17-21 Scotland(L)
2 29-25 Wales(W)
3 23-21 Ireland(W)
4 39-41 Australia(L)
5 44-31 Australia(W)
6 22-29 New Zealand(L)
7 13-30 Australia(L)
8 17-31 New Zealand(L)
9 12-32 New Zealand(L)
10 55-11 Italy(W)
11 29-13 Italy(W)
12 42-17 France(W)
13 34-31 Wales(W)
14 10-15 Ireland(L)
15 32-10 Italy(W)
16 13-20 France(L)
17 32-29 New Zealand(W)
18 6-21 Australia(L)
19 32-25 Australia(W)
20 29-17 Australia(W)
Jake Whites last 25 results before the World Cup
2007
1 105-13 Namibia(W)
2 6-33 New Zealand(L)
3 17-25 Australia(L)
4 21-26 New Zealand(L)
5 22-19 Australia(W)
6 35-8 Samoa(W)
7 55-22 England(W)
8 58-10 England(W)
9 25-14 England(W)
2008
10 21-23 England(L)
11 15-32 Ireland(L)
12 24-16 Australia(W)
13 21-20 New Zealand(W)
14 26-45 New Zealand(L)
15 18-20 Australia(L)
16 17-35 New Zealand(L)
17 0-49 Australia(L)
18 26-36 France(L)
19 26-36 France(L)
20 29-15 Scotland(W)
21 36-16 Scotland(W)
22 20-26 France(L)
23 33-16 Wales(W)
24 34-23 Argentina(W)
25 27-31 New Zealand(L)
Extract from McLooks article on News24″
Our physicality was superb. They were tough conditions to play in… Scottish conditions.”The whole side played their part”, said Andy Robinson the Scotland coach.
Robinson is exactly right the Springboks did not show-up physically and the major reason for that is that we still play an arm wrestle style instead of a blow-over style with structure and precision at the breakdowns like most of the other teams are currently doing. We had two tough arm wrestle matches against Ireland and Wales and physically we just couldn’t man-up yet again with that energy sapping and bodily fatiguing style we use to estabish domination at the breakdowns.
Do we really smash into the player when we tackle. Legally i mean. Heynecke Meyer used to say rugby is a collision sport, but lately the Boks seldom smash a guy backwards. I get the feeling we have a totally wrong tackle technique. We try and pull the guy down and in fact taking him towards our tryline. Their support then just rolls on towards our line. Smashing into the ball carrier , stopping him dead in his tracks would mean that our support will take them back. But by pulling the player in a effort to stop him from placing it accurately is helping their momentum.
I get this feeling that since Bakkies clean out against the BIL last year that we are scared to blow them away. We just arrive and stand over the ball owner. Maybe someone with better English will see my point here. Come on Morne where are you? 😆
I see this headline just now, aaaagh fark, if you want a trump card Mr De Villiers get Derrick Hougaart there, then you have a player that will get your forwards moving forward all the time. Lineouts will be deep in their territory at least.
Lambie could be trump card
Stephen Nell
Edinburgh – Patrick Lambie at flyhalf may be a last desperate throw of the dice by Springbok coach Peter de Villiers for Saturday’s test against England at Twickenham.
What a load of bollock we got dished up over the week-end!! I’m afraid that PDV and his fellow clowns called coaches are so tactically behind the fourball it’s scary. The on field captaincy also leaves alot to be desired……. Boks get a penalty with a few minutes on the clock and behind on the scoreboard……..we need to keep the ball in hand, surely? What does Pienaar do? He kicks posession back to the Scots……unbelievable!
Big Vic also had a very poor day wrt the lineouts…..lost quite a few by my count.
England will be rubbing their hands at the thought of this mob arriving at Twickers.
superBul, I’m not sure Lambie is the ans either. BMT seems to be missing when it comes to kicks I’m afraid……..
Anyway, maybe we get lucky next week-end cause it sure as hell won’t be due to tactical nous 🙂
@ whatever:
We are in BIG sheeeet. No time to change game plan, a running game plan wont work on short notice. Reason.
We will panic when they run in 4 tries, instead of running in 5 tries ourself. If you look at the Bulls start in the S14 this year we were able to do just that , we started off winning with scores around 50(the first 4 games i think) but got worried because we also conceded about 40 per game.
With this unknown factor do we have the guts in the Springbok team to run, run , run. Maybe but we have few players who can run in consistently with tries. Our bacline moves are few if any. Our individual slick running is way short of the South sea Islanders flair.
What one must remember is the game we play now might be called Bulls rugby , but the best exponents of that game plan was not there this weekend.
Think, Steenkamp his driving runs, WO his decisive runs, Danie Roussouw bull dozing …., Fourie du Preez snipping reaks and pinpoint chips and Pierre Spies. Those with Bakkies and Werner are the ones you need for the Bulls type game. And where the hell is Dewald Potgieter, ag no come on bring me the Super rugby competition, lets see who will cry…
I know where i will put my money.
May i add that Schalk Burger would have been perfect too in the Bulls game plan.
We are fast arriving at the point that some of us predicted a while ago, where as a result of a coach with zero rugby intellect we are very far behind the modern game and our traditional rivals are laughing at us.
It will take time to fix this and many people who were considering travelling to the WC 2011 will change their minds now.
We are much further behind than we even realize.
One small example is that we are not even doing the basics right such as our body positions in contact.
PDV has destroyed Bok rugby.
I am looking forward to John Smit returning as captain. Pity that Bismark will have to be benched.
goodmorning everyone
uhm, excuse me if i sound stupid … somehow how tactics on saturday seemed wrong … in the ireland game and the 2nd half of the wales game we kept ball in hand and from there won both games … on saturday, after that initial 10 minutes or so, we started kicking possession away …
1. why did we do that? did it perhaps have something to do with the way the breakdown was officiated?
and no!! i’m not trying to blame the ref here!! this was scotland for crying out loud!! we shouldve won despite the ref, but dont you guys find it strange that this is the 5th (i think) straight loss under dickenson?
2. anyone who DIDNT miss jsmit on saturday? hands anyone? no-one? hmmm, i thought so!!
3. why o why o why aint frans steyn made the kicker when morné leave the field? it will take the pressure off lambie and allow him to concentrate on one part of the game!!
‘n Trop buffels beweeg net so vinnig soos die stadigste buffel.
Wanneer die trop gejag word is dit die stadigste en swakste
agter wat gevang word.
Die natuurlike seleksie is goed vir die trop as ‘n geheel, want
die spoed en toestand van die trop verbeter deur die gereelde eliminasie van
die swakste troplid.
Op dieselfde manier funksioneer die menslike brein net so goed
soos die swakste breinsel.
Soos ons weet, vernietig oormatige gebruik van alkohol
breinselle. Maar natuurlik val die alkohol die stadigste en swakste breinsel
eerste aan. Op hierdie manier, deur gereelde gebruik van alkohol, word die
swakste en stadigste breinselle vernietig, wat dan die brein vinniger en
meer effektief laat funksioneer
… en dit is hoekom jy altyd slimmer voel na ‘n paar doppe!
@ superBul:
HEE HEE HEE Super!!
The more we drink the smarter we become!!
super @ 9
soooooo
ek neem aan jy dink ek drink te min? 😀
Is it “Time for Boks to go for broke” like Gavin Rich suggests on Supersport?
@ Ashley:
Natuurlik ek soek n sponser , volunteer jy?
Ashley wrote:
Eish in hierdie moeilike tye is hierdie translater n wonderlike kuur vir ons depresie as Bok ondersteuners.
Tranlate nou die in ingels, ek kan net dink dit gaan jou lagspiere tokkel.
Bye vir eers werk roep, sien ons het darem n paaltjie gekry in die krieket.
super @ 14
lmao
ive just tried it!!
superBul wrote:
Super Hougaard was in good form last year alternating flyhalf at Saracens, but this year he is injured, not sure when he will be back so is not an option for Saturday. But yeah man I can feel and appreciate your frustration at things
As Snorre die jong redder op losskakel wil speel, kies ten minste vir MS op binnesenter, met JDV op buitesenter, want ons benodig ‘n betroubare skopper op die veld vir 85 minute. Punt.
FS kan heelagter speel, maar hy is so ‘n onbetroubare malkoppie, weet ook nie of dit ‘n goeie skuif sal wees nie.
Beste heelagter sit in SA: Danhiller.
Ek sit met ‘n groot probleem: wil altyd hê die Bokke moet wen, ook Saterdag, maar dan beteken dit ons sit vir nog ‘n jaar met die 3 sirkusnarre wat ons bokspan in die grond afrig. Ek dink enige van die Bulle en Sharks S15 spanne (met hul bokke) sal die Bokke maklik klop as Snorre en kie hul afrig.
Nou weet ek nie wat die ergste is nie: ‘n verloor teen die Engelse of nog verder verloor volgende jaar onder Snorre se afrigting ?
@ superBul:
That’s why Snor is so F-ing clever. A 5 litre papsak an hour before every game. Tricky Dicky holds the tin cup for him.
al wat ons bok fans nou kan doen is om te wag vir die onvermeidelike nederlaag teen die poms..as die bokke speel soos saterdag kan ons maar gereed maak n n helse nederlaag. as snor eendag n biography skryf soos white moet die title wees the incompetence.the useless edition.
#20 hahahaha kyk wat se die translater:
all we buck fans can do now is to wait for onvermeidelike loss to the poms .. and the goats play on Saturday as we can but prepare nn excruciating defeat. whisker as a biography someday write as white must be the title incompetence.the useless edition.
piet @ 20
ek neem aan omdat dit “edition” van die titel is dat ander alreeds voor pdv dieselfde boek geskryf het?
kan ek aanneem dat strauli die 1ste boek geskryf het
jw die opvolg (voordat hy gelukkig dit inni snippermandjie kon gooi)
en
dat pdv nou aan syne werk?
#22
o, ennie translation daarvan is
..
pat @ 20
I assume that this “edition” of the title is already in that other PDE same book written?
I can assume that strauli 1st book written
jw follow-up (before he was happy it could throw trash inni)
and
PDE now that his job? 😆
Ek het pas gekyk, sedert Junie 2007 toe PdeV sy eerste toets as afrigter teen Wallis ‘gespeel’ het, het ons tot hede toe 37 toetse gespeel. Daarvan het ons 13 verloor,so Div het n wen-ratio van 65% as afrigter.
Daar is ander wedstryde (Barbarians, Saracens en ek dink Leiceshire Tigers) wat die Bokke verloor het buiten toetse, onder sy afrigtingskap.
So hy en Jake trek omtren gelyk met wenrekords tans……of praat ek nou nonsens?
@ superBul:
Check bietjie, jy is mos goed met ‘stats’, is ek reg?
@ Tripples:
21
BHAHAHAHA 😆
Ashley.snor gaan seker n boek skrywe,met hulp van muir en gold,en die title clueless noem.dalk skok die inhoud ons erger as gibbs se boek..of moet n afrigter eers suksesvol wees voor hy n boek mag skryf?as dit so is kan snor maar vergeet.
@ Pietman:
Pietman PdeV
Gespeel 38
gewen 24
Verloor 14
% 63.2
Jake White
% 66
@ superBul:
Thx ou Bul, nog kukker as wat ek gedink het, en daar is nog twee verloorwedstryde oor voor Krismis…..eisssshhh! 🙁
@ superBul:
En verder, PdeV het n wereldbeker kampioenspan geerf….Jake moes n nuwe een bou onder moosa politieke druk met Stofile en die Watsons & Kie op sy nek.
na die 2 vernedering games wat wag gaan snor op so 60 persent staan,wat was strauli se win rate?en viljoen?
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