To be honest I am slightly dumbfounded after the loss against Scotland and the rather pathetic show against Wales. This year’s international rugby season was one colossal disappointment for me and I am really struggling to mount any enthusiasm about this weekend’s game. 

I am bitterly disappointed with not only the type of rugby we play but also with our inability to execute our “game plan” if one can call it a plan.

Eddie Jones came out this week and said that the Springboks might have bigger problems than they realise as players don’t believe in coach Peter de Villiers’ game plan. 

Jones told RugbyXV: “Firstly, South Africa can’t decide how they want to play. With the change of laws, most sides have committed to the way they want to play.” 

“The best sides have found a balance in kicking and how they want to use the ball, and have the right mix,” said Jones who helped Jake White’s Boks win the 2007 Rugby World Cup. 

“I don’t for one moment think the Boks believe in the way they’re playing. That’s affecting them. 

“That’s also a reason why their attack has been so one-dimensional.” said Jones. 

I think Eddie is spot on. The Springboks have started to doubt themselves and are now tentative in execution; this makes the “flawed” game plan even more ineffective. The fact of the matter is that we played a lot better in the tri nations than in most of the matches so far on tour. If we play with the same conviction and application than in the tri-nations we should beat England. 

The problem is, however, we don’t believe in what we are doing anymore. The new style of playing does not mean you cannot kick at all, it is how and when you kick that is important. 

Carter made more kicks than any 10 in the Tri-Nations, but it’s a case of when, how and why they kick, rather than kicking for the sake of it. Carter uses the kick as an attack and not as a means to escape pressure or as an attack option when the AB’s can’t get forward momentum. This in my opinion is also the primary difference between FdP and his imitators (Hougaard, Januarie, Ruan). Fourie made sure we were going forward, first and foremost, before using a box kick. He rarely uses the box kick if he gets static ball or back foot ball. 

Fourie du Preez’s other primary difference –as compared with his imitators- is his ability to vary his play; his option taking and ability to keep his forwards going forward. A kick to relieve pressure should go out -into the pavilion- not a sort of attacking kick like the one against Wales which led to their second try. 

Jones also made the following remarks: 

“Every country pretty much knows which 30 they’ll pick. But they must pick correctly. You have to question why the Boks played two lighter loosies in Deon Stegmann and Ryan Kankoswki against a big Scottish pack in wet conditions. 

“If you wanted to pick Kankowski, he should have played against Wales. 

“The Boks need to develop a belief in the way they want to play.” 

Deon Stegmann has failed to impose himself at the breakdown to date. If he couldn’t slow the ruck recycle against Scotland I can’t see him improving exponentially in a week to stifle the attacking flow of a better unit, says Keo on his website. 

I tend to agree with that so in addition to bossing the gain line war, England will also be dominant at scrum time. It all points to a long and frustrating afternoon for our halfbacks Ruan Pienaar and Morné Steyn. Under the circumstances –it being wet and cold- Ruan is the better option, I believe, and he will need to keep mixing it up at the fringes; making sure he puts the big guys like Albers, Juan, Beast and Spies into gaps and that he recycle quickly. We will need to blow-over and be precise with the ball in hand at the tackle area; low body positions with lots of explosive impact will have to be the norm. 

I would want Steyn mixing it up as well; playing either deep or flat as the situation demands. He needs to slide deep into the pocket and punt for the corners with precision when we are in our half. The wingers then need to chase with conviction so we can force lineouts in the England 22. When inside the England 22, Steyn needs to play flatter; his passes or runs will have to be decisive, aggressive and with commitment. His tentativeness has been his greatest flaw so far; it is commitment that normally works on a rugby field; trust your instincts and do what you do with total commitment. This is, so by the way, all Lambie really brings to the table; he attacks with commitment and speed. The operative word for Morné is speed and decisiveness. This is what I hope to see from Morné for a change; kick and run with conviction and not as if you wonder whether you should have done something else. 

Considering the wet I think the Ireland game plan could pay off; just believe in it and do it with total commitment and execute tactically better by playing into the corners. We can win this match by playing the match in their half of the field; by keeping the pressure up with good defensive lines -rushing up in defense might also work as long as every one does it with conviction- and thereby forcing them to make mistakes and lastly by mauling of the lineouts. 

Come on bokke get it right for once.