It is way too early to start hitting the panic buttons after the Springboks narrow win over Wales on Sunday.
Let’s start with something I have not seen a lot of on the web and social media, and that is giving Wales credit for their performance on Sunday. It has arguably been the best game I have seen the Welsh play in 10 years, and I am sure Gatland and his troops must be dumbfounded as to how they lost a game in which they controlled 60% of possession and territory.
It also says something about this Bok team… Not many teams in world rugby would have walked away with a win in the same situation, they did, and it’s the Boks who has a tick under the ‘W’ column in Pool D, not Wales.
Of course we cannot be oblivious to lessons we must learn from this match if we have any hope of winning the World Cup, but there is also no reason to start pushing the panic buttons and make major changes.
If we are to state the obvious, most of us would agree this was hardly one of the better performances we saw from the Springboks. Apart from the opening 10 minutes, uncharacteristic errors and poor decision making characterized this Bok performance. It’s worrying especially given the experience of this team and it is something the senior Boks and coaches will need to address as a matter of urgency.
Apart from Schalk Burger, Heinrich Brüssow and Jaque Fourie, the senior Boks in this team produced a game that could be best described as a shocker. One or two errors can be forgiven, but some of the decision making and lack of commitment from these players are simply not acceptable – and it is in the commitment department where we should be most concerned.
If these guys are serious in their commitment they made to each other to achieve something no other team has achieved before in defending the Rugby World Cup, they had better catch a wake up. 50/50 passes, putting the guy next to you under pressure through poor decision making, no urgency on defence are just a couple of things you wouldn’t expect from test veterans (and Rugby World Cup winners).
If they want an example of what I am talking about, they can easily look at the hunger, urgency and commitment players like Francois Hougaard, Bismarck du Plessis and Willem Alberts showed when they took the field from the bench compared to their own. That is the commitment need to win the Rugby World Cup, not the rubbish we saw from our veterans.
This also brings me to the hottest topic of the day – what to do with Bismarck…???
Calls for the dynamic hooker to start in place of a ageing and seemingly ‘tired’ Springbok captain John Smit has generated more column inches in Monday morning papers and online views than Julius Malema managed in the last year!
The arguments for the inclusion of Bismarck are sound, more than that, they are backed up by the performances this guy puts in on the park.
It is difficult if not impossible to counter these arguments, because if you measure the one against the other, there is simply no contest.
Following the match on Sunday and some debate with friends, we did come across an important point however.
John hardly had a bad game on Sunday, and even though it might not have been a 7 out of 10 performance, the captain worked extremely hard on the field, putting in some good tackles and carrying the ball strongly on a few occasions. He was solid, without being spectacular, and what Bismarck brings (and brought) was ‘spectacular’.
Given that any match-day 22 will always include 2 hookers, the only question should be how the Springbok manage this situation?
Do we start with John, solid, leader, but unspectacular? Or do we start with Mr. Spectacular and have John covering from the bench?
In our debate yesterday, this is more or less where we ended up, and to answer that question, you have to ask what you want from your bench? Modern rugby is after-all, a 22-man game today where the selection and use of your bench is as important as the selection of your run-on XV.
Do you want solid, dependable coming off the bench in the last 20 or 30 minutes against tired opposition legs (especially in the tight 5), or do you want explosive, spectacular, impact coming onto the park?
In Smit and Bismarck you have those options, and it is an option not many teams (even the top ones) have in their arsenal. The fact that we have both is a massive positive for the team, one which gives us options, options when managed effectively to get the best out of both would give us the edge.
Yesterday we did reach a conclusion (albeit after a couple of beers), one I am happy to share with you, but I am more interested in what you think first.
I would describe John Smit as OK, dependable… a good hooker in normal situations.
The World Cup is not normal though, it is an extremely difficult tournament, with even the minnows putting their best foot forward.
You forgot that Chiliboy is also in the mix, with a great season behind him.
I would undoubtably start with Mr Explosion, Bismarck…. and bring Chiliboy on for impact, with 20 minutes to go.
No place in my selections for mediocricy, for slackers, for has-beens!
I do not share your view or that of SuperBul or Lions4eva, that John was strong and good. He never got over the advantage line, brings NO contribution at ground ball situations… and his captaincy role is not important anymore, with seniors all around in the squad.
Regarding committment by senior Bokke, you are spot-on!
@ grootblousmile:
I will elaborate more tomorrow, but as you know I always find comments from players more informative than those of rugby scribes, and I am reminded of what Kevin Mealamu said about John Smit recently.
When asked about Smit and the Bismarck issue, Kevin (diplomatically it must be said) answered:
“Mate, the one thing I can tell you is that when you pack down against John in a game, you know it on Sunday morning when you wake up.”
Morne I disagree with you on our defence, we made 178 tackles and missed something like 12, we defensively pushed Wales back at stages that during 7 phases plus they were going back wards. Admittedly in the second halh our defensive structure fell away some, but still we only allowed one try through.
A much better defensive organisation than last match vs NZ.
On the John Smit front, he made two mistakes with line out throws, one overthrow which put us immediately under pressure, and one skew throw in.
On attack he only once gained meters, the rest of the time he was stopped dead in his tracks or tackled back.
Now don’t get me wrong, I respect the man immensly, but his error rate is climbing and those mistakes can cost us.
Looking at him in defence, it is clear that his lack of speed has cost tries against us, in specific against australia, where Genia went around him with far too much ease.
I will choose bismarck as run on, and only if Bismarck can’t last the 80 minutes will I put John on.
Another player I want to put under the microscope has been Pierre spies, he is a great asset in an open game where he has space to build momentum, but in close quarters he loses ground, he still has not learnt about low center of gravity and low body angle to drive into defenders.
With John smit and Pierre spies not able to gain ground and Schalk Burger going to ground at every contact point, we need Willem Alberts in place of Spies and Bismarck in place of John to address the balance.
2 @ Morné:
That is true of John Smit of old… but how much damage does he do in 18 scrums these days, when he also does nothing in 168 or so ground-ball situations, and does not get accross the advantage line in any carries.
I’m so tired of guys being overly diplomatic about John Smit’s role in team context, when he’s continiously being hyped up for something he no longer represents.
Don’t get me wrong, exactly the same applies to a Pierre Spies… and even Fourie du Preez, who will drastically have to pull up his socks, or stand aside for the hungry Hougie.
Scribes who know enough about rugby are a rare commodity, and sitting in Press Boxes, next to those same “boxes”, has only re-inforced this opinion I have about these freegin scribes.
I also trust the word of players over the scribes… any day, but have to temper that with what I see in a game, or in John’s case a couple of seasons games now.
The time for graceful exit out of the World Cup is over for John, the time to hide behind Snorrie’s apron was over the minute the whistle blew for the Bokke’s first match at the World Cup…. his performance is under scrutiny every second he is on the field and is rightly compared to his Bokke brother, Bismarck…. who has shown the right goodies, all along and on Sunday AGAIN!
Pump Pump by die dam pump…. as Bissie says in the TV advert!
At half time we led, JS was there. It is very simple , just trust the poor coach , he has it right and under controll. Play John and bring in the firepower of BduP or CR. That is when they can damage the opponent. Well worked out.
Congratulations to Morne and to Rugby Talk for not just slagging Wales off.
Their countrymen will be proud of their guts and determination on Sunday, Wales is a tiny little place and they will be down but not out after their performance against the World Champions.
What can I say about the Boks, well I find it hard to be harsh on one of my favourite teams, let’s just say they did look a bit shambolic at times!
Congratulations to Morne and to Rugby Talk for not just slagging Wales off.
Their countrymen will be proud of their guts and determination on Sunday, Wales is a tiny little place and they will be down but not out after their performance against the World Champions.
What can I say about the Boks, well I find it hard to be harsh on one of my favourite teams, let’s just say they did look a bit shambolic at times!
Flipping hec, I am having a job getting used to these smiley things GBS why does it keep repeating what I say?
5 @ superBul:
Your coachie and Johnny-boy has no or very limited control my friend…
… trust Divvie? When the man can’t even speak properly and is as thick as two short planks?
Not me, I do not trust him… I do not trust his supposed plans (which by the way is 100% based on Jake White’s plan of 4 years ago), his plans are as outdated as his snor and the Pienk das he wore 3 years ago!
The Bokke led at halftime by the skin of their teeth, whereas we should have been able to be 20 up at that juncture… against Wales, who realistically are not even in with a shout at winning this thing, a side who has lost the last 25 Tests against the Bokke!
Satisfied with mediocrity?
I am NOT!
How can I state it gently…. The Bokke can be SOOOO MUCH MORE, so different, they could be….. NO 1, with ease!
6@ Blue Bird:
After entering the smiley, you have to go EDIT what it’s duplicated, then click SUBMIT COMMENT…. or move over to a better Internet Browser, like FireFox.
6@ Blue Bird:
Wales played out of their SKINS!
If we rubish them, then it would be totally out of place!
Wales played well
One thing we must never forget, you play as well as your opposition lets you. They couldn’t cross the line more than once and that is kudo’s to the Boks for their defence. So I agree, just calm down and elts get on with it. The players will be more aware than anyone of their shortcomings and that they will need to lift themselves. Look for improvement every time, they will just get better from here. Wales I think have played their game of the tournament….I hope they continue in this vein, it would be good to see someone else in the semi’s for a change and on that form if they maintain it, they have a very good chance. Self belief will be vital and I must say Gatland doesn’t inspire me, but I may be wrong about the man.
I’m going to climb off the Johnny-boy bandwagon now with one last remark…
It’s like starting a fight with you Bee-Bee Gun and plastic pelletts, when you have a Bazooka in your backpack and some C4 Explosives with a timer switch packed away, ready for use…
@ grootblousmile:
all very unstable weapons and if not used with care can explode in your face/player with a bad temper when he gets tired and prone for a red card
Kyk jy nog bietjie Rugby programme soos Superrugby, Boots&All, MasterPlan NZ??
@ grootblousmile:
@ grootblousmile:
Gold, when interviewed by Die Burger newspaper, hinted that they might have underestimated the Dragons on Sunday.
“My emotional feeling after the match is that I’m unbelievably relieved that we managed to steal the win,” said Gold.
“The one thing that game taught me, is that we cannot dare to be overconfident against any opponent. I know I will be laughed at, but I include Namibia as well.”
Goue Gerrie is net so ‘n idioot!!!!!!!!!!
Just goes to show that the coaching staff are not on top of their game if they underestimated the welsh dragons!!!!!
Bismarck to start and Chilliboy on the bench, in my mind is the only way to go!!!!
Oh and I hope that they do not fly over Flip vd Merwe as replacement for Bakkies/Victor as he is just a walking red/yellow card and dneeds to be cut down to size. If the Bulls do not handle him soon and discipline him it will be the end of him!!!!!
I feel the kid needs to be docked of his match fee and must sit on the stands for two games, maybe then he will learn!!!!
The debate around JS vs BDP is never going to die down, until JS retires from international rugby. I still say JS would be the starting no 2 for most teams in the WC, as would BDP and CBR. We should count our blessings that we do have 3 great hookers in the squad, plus guys like Gary Botha, Bandise Maku, Tiaan Liebenberg and Adriaan Strauss playing Currie Cup right now. That means our no 2 berth is healthy, as is our no 10 stock very good.
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