Following the Springboks victory of England this weekend, I read with interest how the English press announced that South Africa showed they will be a force in the World Cup.
The performance of the Springboks have been described as dogged, ruthless and any other physical adjective you can think of. More to the fact, it has been described as ‘traditional’.
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers eluded to the fact when he mentioned in a post-match interview that they tried to play a game that does not suit the Springboks (referring to the Scotland shocker I would imagine) and that the England game would be the blueprint for what they take to the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand next year.
The English press suggested in their assessment of the match that the way to beat the Springboks is to match them physically, specifically upfront, and that if you manage that, you will easily outmanoeuvre their ‘boring’ one-dimensional backs.
It is true, throughout 2010 the Springbok backline looked lethargic, one-dimensional and at times pathetic, not able to use the platform their forwards provided for them and not converting opportunities into points.
Conversely, the All Blacks looked slick, strong and full of running.
The general consensus surround this issue was apparently that the game has ‘evolved’ and the All Blacks ‘evolved’ with it.
I am not so sure I buy into that.
The main argument used in this regard is that the new interpretations to the laws favours the teams that keep the ball in hand. Well two things springs to mind here.
Firstly, in rugby union you can only score if you have, or win the ball – so nothing really evolutionary for me there.
Secondly, if this is the case, why has the All Blacks and specifically Dan Carter been the team and individual who has kicked the ball more out of hand than any other team or player?
I watched some highlights packages of the All Blacks and Springboks to try and find the answer and two things jumped out at me.
Firstly, the All Blacks have really upped their game in the tackled area. It has been discussed ad-nausea this year and although they seem to get away with a bit, their approach is brilliant because thanks to the new interpretations (focus is on the defending team and tackler releasing) the odd obstruction and cleaning way beyond the ball largely goes unnoticed.
Secondly, through their dominance in this area, they have become more lethal than ever as a team who wins turn-over ball – and this to me is the biggest difference between the two teams.
The speed and execution from turn-over ball the All Blacks win is phenomenal, and in my view largely thanks to the genius of one Dan Carter who directs everything in that team.
Of course, the All Blacks ability to support the ball carrier plays a massive part in this but this is also hardly evolutionary, they have always been good at this.
I read a statistic recently which said the All Blacks averaged almost 4 tries per match in 2010, which is phenomenal at test level, but then I could hardly remember tries scored from set plays or first phase ball.
In comparison, a situation in the test against England summed up the Springboks performance of 2010 for me. They were 10 meters out from the English try-line hot on attack, ball came out from a ruck and somehow Victor Matfield and Frans Steyn got in the way of each other, bumbled the ball and they ended up 20 meters back.
It is not that we are unfamiliar with Matfield or any other forward standing at first receiver, he and others have done this very successfully at the Bulls with their infamous and very effective pod-system method of attack where two or even three pods are spread out next to rucks gaining meters upon meters on attack and also sucking in defenses and creating tries.
The difference was the execution of these plays (ball in hand) and of course, our tactical kicking which has come under the cosh quite a bit throughout 2010.
I know, one swallow does not make a summer (or any other cliché you want to throw in here), but rugby genius can also simply not be replaced – just ask New Zealand after the Hong Kong test when they substituted Carter and his deputy almost single-handedly losing them the game.
No matter what is written or said about this Springbok team in the local media, I tend to agree with the English press (for the first time in my life no-less) in believing that come Rugby World Cup 2011, and having players like Jaque Fourie, Heinrich Brussow and of course the genius Fourie du Preez back in the mix to direct play with the same authority as Carter does for New Zealand, the Springboks will be a massive force to be reckoned with.
Good article Morne.
Lets be honest, if you add Gurthro, John Smit, Danie, Brussouw, Deysel, Bekker, BJ, Potgieter and Burger to the forwards. Drop Chilliboy and Stegman. You will have one hell of a pack.
Like you say add FDP, Mossie an in form Habana and the backs will perform totally differently.
Interesting times lies ahead…
morné
amen broer
soe ñ bek ve’dien ñ dop!! 😀
So are there only the Trai Nations tests before the World Cup next year?
@ Winston:
My information is Wales, Fiji, Samoa and Namibia and playing Oz and NZ twice.
But this is not confirmed.
@ Morné:
So if your info is right then 8 test matches then a world cup of 7 matches which will be 15 matches if we make the World Cup final, I just hope that players dont start breaking down left, right and centre like this year..
Very good points made indeed. Carter and Reeeechie are integral clogs in the black machine, escpecially DC. If he gets injured, then I think it will be tickets for NZ.
As much as I admire the ABs, I don’t fancy their chances in becoming WC winners next year. Peaking too early now and the added pressure being at home AND being favourites.
The Boks can easily surprise despite Div with all the big oaks back.
We all know that Fra can beat anyone anyday anywhere. But the same goes for them losing! That’s why they will never win a WC.
I still think Aus will come right next year, and people forget they are basically also playing at home.
But again, it depends on how well you can handle the injuries, luck and off course your player’s BMT.
In a nutshell, I think either Aus or SA will take it…
I’ve said this before, having previously looked at the Pools…. come on, do the excercise… who will win each Pool and who will end 2nd…
Then the Pool Winners play the 2nd team in another Pool… where we should meet Ireland.
Then there are basically only 2 important games for the Bokke to follow, provided they make the 1st one.
The first of the 2 is the semi, where the Springboks and All Blacks will most probably meet in the semi’s…. I’ll put a wager on it. So, now the question is…. do we win a semi in the All Blacks backyard against them, I think not!
So, the Final will be between the All Blacks and Wallabies… well, that’s my guess.
Can the Wallabies beat the All Blacks in New Zealand?
Going by the last 10 year’s results…. not likely… was’nt it 10 in a row for games in New Zealand AND Australia for the All Blacks before the Hong Kong loss to the Wallabies??
The All Blacks have it paved this time round….
I am available to take McCaw out.
9@ 4man:
Hehehe…. jy was TE lank soldaat…. hehe
@ grootblousmile:
Jy het my mening gekry 😉
GBS…they will choke at the final hurdle…I think u owe me a beer or two now, so we can bet for another one.
My team from day one if you will recall…is to watch Aussie…so stilletjies is hulle besig om reg te maak.
If the Boks make it to the semi’s then the players attitude will get them to the cup…but we have great propensity to cock it up in the prelims.
11@ 4man:
Hey, the beer betting is rather even I think, maybe I owe you one sixpack or something…
You guys are hoping and banking on an All Black choke… I’m looking at that and saying that it is severly hopeful of you guys to bank on an if and maybe basis. I only judge according to what I see in the here and now and that tells me that there is balance in this All Blacks squad, there is no panic, there is a calmness… all combined into the right bloody game strategies as well.
The Wallabies are light in the tight 5, specially front row… and that you do not easily fix in half a year. To produce 2 monster props, one a loosehead, the other a tight head, does not happen in 6 months, I’m afraid.
Then, their hookers are still a problem… specially that little Faingaa twerp, he’s a liability, that fella.
What they can fix easily enough is to instruct their loosies to keep heads in and on the scrum and bloody push, because I think that is half their problems in the scrum, they scrum with only 5 men… PLUS 3 hangers-on who look up like meercats in stead of pushing.
As far as the Wallabies backline is concerned, they are lethal and run even better lines than their much vaunted All Black counterparts. Without Giteau they look good…
One negative which counts heavily against their Title aspirations is the lack of a dead-eye-dick kicker to posts. Even O’Connor is still haphazard in this department.
grootblousmile wrote:
Die een span wat die All Blacks daar kan wen is ons , Peter en sy span het dit twee uit die 3 jaar wat hy afrig REG daar in NZ reg gekry.
Stem heelhartig saam dat die All Blacks die oorweldigende gunstelinge is en dat dit n bykans onmoontlike taak is vir ons om te wen , maar dan onthou ek weer ons KAN , ons HET al.
superBul wrote:
en net hierom gaan ek positief bly en my span deur dik en dun ondersteun en ook die heat op die coaching staff verminder. Ek glo hulle het nou al die boodskap gekry. Ek glo hulle gaan dinge op die regte oomblik swaai.
Wat dink jy is die kans dat Carlos Spenser deur Dick as hulp ingebring gaan word?
14@ superBul:
Glo nie Tricky Dicky het die vermoë om iemand van kwaliteit in te bring nie.
Ek en ‘n pel van Pretoria praat gister, hy is taamlik ernstig oor rugby en diep betrokke by skole-afrigting… so hy ken van… o en hy ondersteun ook die Bulle… so hy weet REGTIG genoeg van rugby.
Ons het min agterlynafrigters, indien enige van wêreldformaat in SA… ek en hy voel beide Slapchips en Fleckie is nog nie reg nie, Alistair Coetzee is goed as hoofafrigter maar skiet tekort as agterlynafrigter, by die Sharks is ookie juis veel nie… beste ene is seker John Mitchell, maar ons glo nie hy sal betrokke wil wees nie.
… en daai 3 oud-Bok afrigters wat genoem was so dag of 2 gelede is self maar simpel.
@ grootblousmile:
Wat van Brendon Venter
Titans het nou mooi terug geveg in hul semi finaal. Dit lyk nou myle beter.
Titans 287/8 (40/40 ov)
Lions 150/5 (24.0/40 ov)
Lions require another 138 runs with 5 wickets and 16.0 overs remaining
Lions RR 6.25
Last 5 ovs 16/1 RR 3.20
Required RR 8.62
Titans RR 7.17
16@ superBul:
Neewat, hy is ook een van daai omstrede boggers wat nie sy bek kan beteuel nie. Kyk in hoeveel moeilikheid was hy al by Saracens.
Hy waai nou by Saracens, glo oor familieprobleme hier in SA, maar ek sallie verbaas wees as hulle hom gevra het om te boggeroff nie.
@ grootblousmile:
Div kan hom as media man aanstel dan skyt die refs. Nie ernstig nie hoor, k#k grappie.
20@ superBul:
Die Bokke het mos nou daai Andy Kalkoen ou as hulle media manager… hehe
@ grootblousmile:
Het jy nog goeie kontakte met TVs en se my is hierdie Laptops, Samsung R510, Samsung N230
@ grootblousmile:
Gedink as sy eie voorvegter. 😀
Maar op n ernstige noot het jy gesien die goed waarmee die AB coaches uitkom maar die pers is uiters versigtig om hulle aan te vat. Daar was al goed gese wat n “meal” sou wees as PdeV dit moes se. Almal in die wereld polish die AB’s se marble soos my ou pel altyd se.
22@ superBul:
Ja, goeie pryse op LCD TV’s en LED TV’s…
Die Samsung R510 klink effe oud… ek het al die R519’s en so paar ander verkoop, kan enige Samsung Notebooks kry… of enige ander maak. Samsung is blerrie goeie Notebooks.
Gou gekyk na die specs van die R510 teenoor die R519….. die R510 het ‘n 15.4″ screen, die R519 het ‘n 15.6″ screen en sy specs is beter en hy’s goedkoper.
@ grootblousmile:
Ek sien net die Add van my company toe wonder ek
http://www.8ta.com/plans/
Maar van TV’s wil ek graag meer weet,
Titans beter nou weer n paaltjie vat, hulle roer nou weer.
25@ superBul:
Daai R510 van hulle werk jou R 8 000.00 uit oor die 36 maande… dis moer duur vir daai ene.
Die N230 werk jou R 7 000.00 uit oor die 36 maande en ek verbeel my dis een van daai kleintjies met die Atom Processor en iets simpel soos ‘n 10.1″ screen… nie goed vir ons OUUUUUUUU oge nie.
@ grootblousmile:
Wat kos TVs ongeveer
28@ superBul:
Mater… watse groote….
32″, 40″, 42″, 50″….
Neeee, fokkit, die Titans moet nou wickets kry.
Ek sit hier in my kantoor en die 2 rondekoppies is hard besig in die huis met BonzaiHandbriekie se tesis… die ding moet more in wees… dan kwalifiseer sy….
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