How big is the role that bonus points play in rugby these days? Are teams and specifically SA teams scared of bonus points or impotent to get them?

Has the bonus point hurdle become to high for SA teams to get over, or are SA teams just coached wrong in terms of bonus points?

South African teams makes things very difficult for themselves due to the fact that they often create a bonus point mountain for themselves, a task sometimes easily reachable. The Springboks showed this weekend against Australia that bonus points are mostly white elephants in SA rugby. The Springboks just cannot seem to push themselves enough to get 4 tries when it really matters, there was more than enough time and more than enough opportunities but they just could not push through all the way.

Western Province and the Stormers respectively have also shown in the last couple of season that they seem to get stuck on a 3-try limit per match and more often than not are not likely not score 4 tries in a match. At this stage it looks likely that it will be the case for the immediate future too. This situation has seen them suffer of late, missing out on home semi-final and final games.

Super Rugby:

South Africa had two teams in the play-off’s which was great, but lets look at the log from a bonus point perspective. Here is the log from the highest amount of bonus points to the lowest (South African teams in Bold).

1. Blues – 12 bonus points
2. Chiefs – 10 bonus points
3. Hurricanes – 9 bonus points
4. Rebels – 9 bonus points
5. Highlanders – 9 bonus points
6. Brumbies – 8 bonus points
7. Crusaders – 8 bonus points
8. Sharks – 8 bonus points
9. Bulls – 7 bonus points
10. Reds – 6 bonus points
11. Cheetahs – 6 bonus points
12. Stormers – 6 bonus points
13. Waratahs – 5 bonus points
14. Force – 5 bonus points
15. Southern Kings – 2 bonus points

Here it is clear that all South African teams basically fall in the bottom half when it comes to bonus points. The Bulls needed 3 extra log points to be level with the Chiefs and would have been top of the log due to points difference. Had the Stormers scored 4 tries in one or two matches they could have made the playoffs as well.

Currie Cup:

This is the same situation Western Province now find themselves in, once again. They are undefeated in the Currie Cup, yet they find themselves in second place due to one simple reason. Western Province cannot score more than 3 tries in  a match. The Sharks who are topping the Log are there for another simple reason. They know how to score 4 tries and more. The Golden Lions, in 3rd place, are only 4 Log points behind Western Province, yet they have only won 3 games in the Currie Cup this year.

Springboks:

The Springboks suffer the same fate. The test match over the weekend, where a 4 try bonus point was sorely needed and almost a given against the off-form Wallabies, ended with the Springboks on only 3 tries and at the end of the day the Springboks could just not do it. Now the Springboks find themselves 5 Log points behind the All Blacks, who they will be facing on Saturday in a match where the Springboks will have to score 4 tries and at the same time prevent the All Blacks from scoring 4 tries as well as prevent the All Blacks from staying within a 7 point margin.

Where does the problem lie? What can be done to get SA teams over this bonus hurdle?