Boks must play brain game
15 Jul 2009
South Africa will not win the 2009 Tri-Nations if they adopt the high-risk approach that saw them self-destruct in 2008, writes Gavin Rich in SA Rugby magazine.
The standing of the Tri-Nations as the world’s premier international rugby competition, and the challenges faced by the competing teams, was neatly summed up in an interview that former British & Irish Lions great Gareth Edwards did with a London newspaper.
Edwards, rated the greatest rugby player of last century, travelled to Cape Town for a Tri-Nations game in 2005 – and the brutality of it left him feeling quite stunned.
‘After the bashing the Lions received in 2005 I travelled together with the Cardiff chief executive Bob Norster to watch the All Blacks take on the Springboks,’ recalled Edwards. ‘We had left New Zealand after the Lions tour thinking that the All Blacks were the greatest team on Earth and we wondered who was ever going to beat them. Well, in Cape Town that day the Springboks knocked lumps off them. To say the Boks lacked skill would be an injustice, but the Boks really walloped them. Tana Umaga was knocked off his feet, Dan Carter did not know what day it was. To be there in the flesh was almost frightening. I can’t see a British team doing that too often.’
In relating his experience of that Newlands match, Edwards was also pointing to the one element of Springbok rugby that has remained such a key to their challenge throughout the 88 years of fierce rivalry between these powerful rugby nations. In a word: physicality.
To say it was missing from the games between the Boks and the All Blacks in last year’s Tri-Nations would not be accurate. At stages of the tournament the Boks were as physical as ever, and they scored a historic win in Dunedin playing a structured, aggressive game that could have been right out of Jake White’s playbook.
However, those were the days when new coach Peter de Villiers was giving a lot of air to his love of the expansive game. The net result was that, as they did many times during the course of the year, the Boks flitted between playing styles – and they didn’t play to their core strength. Yes, they were physical in all their games against the All Blacks, but they weren’t nearly as direct as they needed to be when the two sides clashed in Cape Town.
For reasons only known to themselves, or to their coach, the Boks took onto the field that day a strategy that could only be described as suicide. Instead of setting play up through the forwards and creating a platform by hitting the advantage line, the Boks ran the ball down the back – and their run-from-everywhere approach copped them an embarrassing 19-0 defeat.
That was the lowlight of the season, but the malaise had set in during the previous match in Perth. Just a week after their epic win in Dunedin, the Boks started as favourites against a Wallabies team playing for the first time in a Tri-Nations match under new coach Robbie Deans.
Instead of taking the good from Dunedin into this game, the Boks abandoned the template. De Villiers telegraphed his intentions to run more by bringing back Conrad Jantjes for Percy Montgomery, who had been steadiness personified at Carisbrook.
Instead of playing the structured rugby that had earned them their first win over the All Blacks on New Zealand soil since 1998, the Boks embarked on the policy that ran them into a blind corner at Newlands. The Wallabies had started tentatively, but the Boks allowed them off the hook by playing away from the South African traditional strengths.
‘To me the big disappointment of last year was not so much that we finished last on the Tri-Nations log, but that we finished the New Zealand leg with one win each, and yet we did not build on that platform,’ admits Bok assistant coach Gary Gold.
One former Bok who watched the world champions getting handed a rugby lesson during their penultimate Tri-Nations match in Durban was Mark Andrews. That was the day when the Boks were booed from the field afterwards, and were booed again by patrons in the King’s Park parking area as their bus left the stadium.
‘When I spoke to some of the people involved, such as [assistant coach] Dick Muir, it was stressed that it wasn’t supposed to be as disorganised as it appeared, the players did go onto the field with structure in mind,’ says Andrews. ‘But it was evident to me that if there was a structure, the players didn’t understand that structure and were battling to get to grips with it. You could make that out when someone like [lock] Andries Bekker ended up taking three balls at flyhalf. The players simply didn’t appear to know where the play was going.’
This makes sense, for De Villiers used to talk the heads-up approach, with the Bok mantra being ‘we’ll play what‘s in front of us’. There have been some high-ranking coaches down the years who have believed in this policy, but can you tally those who have been consistently successful, and more particularly, won trophies? I thought not.
‘You don’t want to be too rigid in your structure, but in my years as a Bok we always seemed to struggle when we had coaches who took on board a philosophy that moved away from structure. I am thinking parts of the Harry Viljoen era, and Carel du Plessis,’ recalls Andrews. ‘In the successful years, such as in 1995 when we won the World Cup and in 1998 when we won the Tri-Nations, we built our success around the physicality and dominance of our forwards. We took on strategies that would ensure that our bigger forwards would always be on the front foot, and we would set up our play through the pack.
‘Last year, in those early Tri-Nations games, we looked like we were trying to set up play through our backs, from behind the advantage line, something that has never worked for the Boks. When we feed the backs we need to be at the gainline or across it. We need to have the opposing defences back on their heels, and bring the forwards in behind, with the ball in front of them.’
For Andrews, as well as another former Bok in Brendan Venter, the selection of the squad will be the key to the chances of South African success in this year’s Tri-Nations.
‘You have to have the players that will suit the game, and vice versa,’ says Andrews.
Venter explains what is needed by holding out one hand and then letting his second fall into place on top of it, all the fingers interlinking.
‘You can’t go out and play a certain type of game if you don’t have the players to do it, or the skill levels required, or if the players are just not used to it,’ says Venter. ‘Everything has to fit together. The combinations have to fit one another, the game plan has to suit the combinations you have and the individual players you have. There are reasons why South African teams tend to be more successful when they adopt a more direct approach, but we keep making the mistake of moving away from this.’
Last year there were some oddities in selection. And even when the right selection was made, there were times when the game plan didn’t appear to suit the player selected.
An excellent example of this was the aforementioned Newlands match. When Fourie du Preez was recalled ahead of Ricky Januarie at scrumhalf it was assumed that the Boks would use his gifted kicking boot to play the territory game. As one official said on the eve of that game, ‘When you pick a guy who can kick from his team’s own 22 to the opposition 22 and he is a scrumhalf, it would be idiotic not to use him to do that.’
Yet the Boks hardly kicked in that game. They ran from everywhere, were repeatedly caught in their own half, and although the player could hardly be blamed, as by then the Boks were forced into playing catch-up, the try that the New Zealanders scored when Jean de Villiers passed to one of them near the Bok line summed up the match.
Du Preez did not look comfortable playing that game, and the Boks, particularly Butch James, were far more effective when they returned to traditional strengths against the Wallabies in the final match. Unfortunately, by then all the pretty birds had flown, and the Boks were playing only for pride.
‘I was encouraged by the fact that after the Durban game against Australia we did seem to return to proper Test rugby, so maybe the penny dropped. I certainly hope so,’ says Andrews. ‘The three matches on the end-of-year tour were encouraging, so hopefully we will stick to that. If we don’t, we could be in as much trouble in this Tri-Nations as we were last year. The one big potential problem that is easy to pinpoint is goal kicking. Like it or not, Test rugby is about kicking your goals, and we don’t have an 80% kicker like we did when we had Percy [Montgomery] playing.
‘I would also like to see the Boks make greater use of the drop goal as a source of keeping the scoreboard ticking. On our home grounds the firm surfaces encourage drop kicking. For a forward who has been throwing everything into defending, there is nothing more demoralising than the opposition sticking over a drop. I have a good recollection of the England faces when Jannie de Beer did it to them in the 1999 World Cup.’
Even if the Boks do bring the structure and levelness to their game that was missing last season, they may find themselves up against better opposition than they encountered in 2008. The Wallabies have lost lock Dan Vickerman, flank Rocky Elsom and Mark Gerrard since last year’s Tri-Nations, but this will be their second year with Deans as coach.
The big question mark over the All Blacks centres on Dan Carter. The ace flyhalf – such a key player in that Cape Town victory last year and the crucial element in New Zealand’s switch to more pragmatic rugby halfway through last season – is unlikely to play.
While the bulk of last year’s players will be back, and there hasn’t been quite the same loss of personnel to the north as there was immediately after the World Cup, Carter was, with skipper Richie McCaw, one of the few really special players in the All Blacks’ line-up. Without him they might lose a bit more of the aura that they appeared to be missing before the Boks and Wallabies let them off the hook at the start of the last Tri-Nations.
The Boks will have to hit the tournament running this year, as the home leg comes first. They will require a minimum of two wins from their matches in Bloemfontein, Durban and Cape Town if they are to be competitive when the show moves to Australasia, where Perth, Brisbane and Hamilton are their ports of call.
– This article first appeared in the July issue of SA Rugby magazine.
596 Comments
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15 Jul 2009, 07:44 am
cmon boys….need this one!!
15 Jul 2009, 07:56 am
Not even PDV will be spared the rod if we flop in this Tri-nations!
Carter may not be at top form should he play. Richie seems to get injured more than Big Joe these days (although Joe hasn’t been injured in France). The AB’s don’t know who their best 15 is. We only have question marks at fullback and on the bench. How PDV played Conrad as our no.1 last year, who knows!
I think Australia may be the largest threat this year, although the comp is so close a refereeing decision could decide the Champions!
15 Jul 2009, 07:56 am
The ABs can “out-physical” the Boks in a head-to-head contest of sheer physicality. The smarter team will prevail. Especially the one who can be physical without copping any cards for overstepping the mark. To do so you can’t be in denial about where those limits are and forever be weeping long tears about being “picked on” or “unfairly singled out” by “crooked refs” who “hate” you. Get real.
15 Jul 2009, 07:58 am
It saddens me when I read about the consistently inconsistent game plans we’ve had over the years. It’s been a travesty to the inherent strength of Springbok rugby.
15 Jul 2009, 08:01 am
Unfortunately this is unlikely to change. There’s been little consistency and good sense in our game plans this year.
15 Jul 2009, 08:04 am
We lost 19-0 against NZ in CT by running everything?? I remember FDP kicking over the dead ball line twice. I remember jantjes putting one out on the full off go forward ball. We didnt run everything, we played bad.
15 Jul 2009, 08:07 am
#2 Lions_Soutie: The AB’s know that Muliaina is their best 15. He has played most of his 71 tests at fullback.
15 Jul 2009, 08:14 am
#3 TheTackler: Get real yourself , the ABS may have the upper hand a few times but when it matters most they were outmuscled every time – SA 2005 , France 99 , Australia 2003 , France 2007 , SA 2011……………….
15 Jul 2009, 08:26 am
#3TheTackler. Get some therapy sunshine. You are not doing yourself any favours sprouting the same old frustrated, chip on the shoulder routine. You sound like Dreyfuss from the Inspector Clousseau movies. Do you have the nervous twitch?
15 Jul 2009, 08:28 am
#6 jamisz:
Hey don’t argue with Gavin Rich.
He is close to the team. Closer than we will ever be! He get’s the minutes of the meetings where the Boks plan their strategies, in fact, he takes those minutes!
He is the video operator for the technical analysts and the waterboy and towel boy when they hit the showers after training!
15 Jul 2009, 08:33 am
#10 PissAnt:
i think he’s more than the fly … not the one on the wall,
but
the one in the soup!
keo on the other hand,
is meer soos ñ drolstoter
hy’s so ver in jw se g@t op
partykeer wonder ek of jake nog kan “klas verlaat”
15 Jul 2009, 08:34 am
#11 ashley:
more like the fly … sorry
15 Jul 2009, 08:35 am
#10 PissAnt: Sorry. I bow before him.
15 Jul 2009, 08:37 am
#3 TheTackler:
no more rucking
no more cleaning out
..
o happy days, one of these days even a wimp like you can play the game
…
or will it still be too tough for you even without those?
15 Jul 2009, 08:39 am
#13 jamisz:
please make sure you bow towards him
..
you never know, you might just be in a spot of bother in you bow in the wrong direction
15 Jul 2009, 08:46 am
#15 ashley:
Hosh little brother.
I was talking to Jinx yesterday, about ertswhile WP players.
Somehow I remember a ‘cullert’ oke Xavier Rylands, he did play center for WP, didn’t he, a Breytie look alike?
Can you remember when, late 80′s I think?
15 Jul 2009, 08:46 am
#7 jamisz:
I think Lions_Soutie meant who is their best 1-15.
Last year we all said the Boks should win the tri nations. This year most said we should win the Lions series 3-0. I am reserving my comments about who will win this years 3N.
One thing I will say though is that if PDV do NOT win the 3N in 2009, he will be herd pressed into taking that golden hand shake end of the year… and rightly so. He has inherited one of the best generations in Springbok rugby, if he cannot come close to winning the 3N once in 2 years, he shouldn’t stick around.
15 Jul 2009, 08:48 am
#10 PissAnt:
Exactly how close is Gavin Rich to the Bok camp. By the sound of things he basically shares an bed with PDV.
15 Jul 2009, 08:50 am
#16 Pietman:
Pietman, Zahier played for WP only a few years back. About, 2005-6 I think. He was supposed to be very talented and a big prospect on wing, but I think he was ousted by Chavanga and Sereli and we never heard about him again.
15 Jul 2009, 08:53 am
#19 Greenpoint-Gunner: You are talking about Zahier Ryland
15 Jul 2009, 08:55 am
IM SO DAMN TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT JAKES PLAYBOOK.
Jake was an excellent coach who was ridiculed for 3 years before winning the RWC in the 4th year. he hasnt done anything remotely close with any other team that he has consulted with since. but that doesnt make him a bad coach overnight. please stop comparing the current coaching team with that of jake ,alistair and gert.
Every body needs to rally behind our team and start been patriotic (the only thing that the Yanks do well)
15 Jul 2009, 08:57 am
#18 Greenpoint-Gunner:
Well he told us (supporters) in no uncertain terms in an article last week if we do not believe there is;
* Problems in the Bok camp
* John and the senior players are coaching the team
* Some other open secrets
that we are simply not close enough to the team as he is.
15 Jul 2009, 09:02 am
#19 Greenpoint-Gunner:
Are you guys talking about Kokkerot? His problem was he was just not big enough…very fast, fleet-footed though. Performed excellent at age group level and Vodacom Cup, a bit of Currie Cup – but just not large enough to make it, unfortunately.
15 Jul 2009, 09:03 am
#22 PissAnt:
But you see thats the thing. I have heard all these things before as well, but how close is he and what does he ground these claims on… I’m sure he is right, but still. I would love to know how he knows all these things.
15 Jul 2009, 09:04 am
#24 Greenpoint-Gunner:
He is a journalist, nothing more.
15 Jul 2009, 09:06 am
#25 PissAnt:
I forgot to add, he is a journalist who said PDV is the biggest embarrassment to Springbok rugby.
Funnily enough, he is also the journalist (one of quite a few) that said he will judge PDV on rugby matters and results…
15 Jul 2009, 09:19 am
#26 PissAnt:
hehehehe, gotcha.
15 Jul 2009, 09:20 am
#10 PissAnt:
So, can you clarify?
Are you pissed at Gavin Rich because he is putting a poor spin on DeVilliers?
Do you deny that,apart from a win in Dunedin last year.We looked shite all the way through with no coherent pattern of play.
15 Jul 2009, 09:21 am
#26 PissAnt: Gavin Rich and Keo are clearly working hard on the same campaigne to get PDV fired.
Rich has been disgraceful in his lies about being close to the Bok camp and what the players are thinking, only to have John Smit, blow his bullshit theories wide open. What an idiot. He is definetly an example of scum journalism we have been subjected to lately here on Keo. Is anyone really surprized that he got a prime spot in SA Rugby Magazine to spew his rubbish.
I am praying that I get a chance to meet this fool one day just to give him a solid kick in the nuts and let him wonder why.
15 Jul 2009, 09:22 am
#10 PissAnt:you pipped me to that one, i was about to say gavin rich has it on good authority that the players led by “coach” john smit, played the dunedin game “straight out of jake white’s handbook”! I don’t know if jake has monopoly on the “structured” game handbook. Is the “direct approach” gameplan a jake white invention? How would mark andrews know about it if it’s a jake white patent?
#6 jamisz:i seem to remember percy missing two penalties & kicking k@k the whole game! I don’t even want to start with FdP, he moaned about the ELVs from the get go & was playing poorly even before his hand injury!
How the hell is gavin rich going to ask mark andrews & venter to objectively critique the “expansive approach”? The dudes don’t know **** about it & don’t have the cognitive ability to appreciate it’s positives (if it has any), it’s like asking julius malema to analyse the afriforum or boeremag’s positive contributions to the not-so-new south africa! Ridiculous.
15 Jul 2009, 09:22 am
#26 PissAnt:
Have you forgotten that under DeVilliers….the Boks lost to Australia at home? That is an unheard of result!
That’s 3 home losses now in under 2 seasons.
not particularly good is it.
15 Jul 2009, 09:23 am
#28 St.Petersburgbok: Gavin is a liar. Already proven by past articles so whatever he has to say now is taken with a large 50kg bag of cerebos salt.
15 Jul 2009, 09:27 am
Even Strauli led the Boks to home wins against Australia.
15 Jul 2009, 09:28 am
#31 St.Petersburgbok: If your purpose is simply to slam de Villiers the way Rich and Keo does, then he is barking right up your tree. Go get you Gavin Rich pompoms and start your cheer. But do not be surprized when you discover your “Hero” is a scum sucking liar with an agenda and nothing more.
15 Jul 2009, 09:28 am
#28 St.Petersburgbok:
No STP, I am tired of the old tiresome bullshit from journalists who makes statements that can never be verified or share secrets which is apparently open.
All this when he should, as he said, judge him on results which is up there at 69% at the moment but when he could not do that, he resorts to ‘We will not understand because we are not close to the team’…
I quote Fourie du Preez for you on the ‘pattern of play’
‘We are given freedom to play what is in front of us, but that freedom can only be expressed when we operate within a structure’
So this opinion from Rich and Co that there is no pattern or game plan with the Boks is absolute bullshit.
The Jake White playbook got us to a level where we were once again competitive against the Aussies and NZ, but we still lost more than we won but hey, we were at least competitive. To make the step up the White playbook had to be refined and aspects added to it, like actually playing with the ball (remember the Jake White quote during the World Cup?) too.
It was not our game plan that was the problem, and I said this all year last year, it was our execution and the mistakes made trying to execute the game plan.
And at times, when we executed correctly we scored some memorable victories.
I am pissed at people like Rich who tries and finds a story where there is none.
And when we question his sources or motivation we are told “sources close to the team”, or it is “an open secret” or we do not understand because we are not “close to the team”.
Please man, spin me another one.
15 Jul 2009, 09:29 am
#26 PissAnt:
I dont care either way, but you do seem to be defending PDV at every opportunity.
Did you agree with his game plans, subs and team selections so far?
Of course every coach before has also made mistakes, but each and every one of them were taken apart in the press and by Joe Public – I just wonder why PDV is exempt to this criticism that has plagued SA coaches since day 1.
WRT Gavin Rich
Again I dont care either way, but surely you are not taking his word any more seriously than any other scribe-hack? I’ve heard you often mention how words are twisted between the boardroom and the actually press release.
15 Jul 2009, 09:31 am
I think when it comes to Keo and Gavin Rich, we must conclude that they have known and spoken to all involved first hand.
Something none on this blog have done.
that initself has “weight” to the argument.
Anyway, we might find that having a flyhalf selected who is on form could solve all these structureless issues. Never underestimate the direction a good flyhalf gives to the game. Morne must however become very assertive very quickly….and tell the Bekkers to get the fck out the way and into the rucks.
15 Jul 2009, 09:31 am
#34 Optimus Prime:
Where are your facts to back up your accusations? How are your words any truer than Rich’s?
You cant simply just spout out accusations like you have and expect everyone now to believe you, thats what skopkop does.
15 Jul 2009, 09:31 am
#31 St.Petersburgbok:
Did you forget we won in Dunedin STP?
How f#%*#$ unheard of is that!!! Now wait let me tell you – IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY!
Did you forget we smacked the Aussies in JHB?
Did you forget we scored a clean sweep NH win?
Did you forget we won a Lions series?
But hey dont even bother to answer because I have heard it before:
The win in Dunedin came down to one unlucky bounce of the ball for the AB’s and it was Jake White’s game plan…
The win in JHB was a dead rubber…
We only just beat Scotland on the EOYT and also almost lost to Wales…
Thanks to John coaching the team we won the Lions series…
15 Jul 2009, 09:33 am
#34 Optimus Prime:
ja, sure….i bet he get’s a bigger bonus if the bok coach is fired right?
15 Jul 2009, 09:36 am
#19 Greenpoint-Gunner:
Thx.
Thought Rylands was MUCH earlier than that, you sure he only played 2005 onwards?
15 Jul 2009, 09:36 am
#36 Stawm:
I will debate with anyone for days when it comes to rugby, but the **** dished up by the media in the last couple of months was anything but.
For some reason I come over as defending PDV, it was the same with Jake White also – whereas I have no problem critting when I see something that is lacking, I have done so with White and have done so more to PDV than I actually praised him.
No he is not getting everything right, in fact he is getting a lot wrong, but I do see our Boks adding dimensions to themselves as individuals and to the team which was not present before.
I have said many times PDV might well prove not to be the guy to push the guys over the brink of greatness they now stand on, but he seems to be pushing in the right direction at least.
#37 St.Petersburgbok:
A lot of guys speak to players and coaches STP, hell even I have many times. Sat in pressers and heard information first hand.
We can all form opinions over that as we wish, and Gavin has decided to do this, but that will not exempt him from criticism over his opinion if I or anyone else do not agree with it, same as I or you should be willing to accept criticisum for opinions.
15 Jul 2009, 09:36 am
#16 Pietman:
sorry ouboeta
gou-gou weg gewees van die rekenaar af
kan ongelukkig nie help met daai vraag nie
zaahir rylands (kakkerlakkie) se naam steek ongelukkig nou vas in my brein … kan ongelukkig nie xavier onthou nie … of sukkel om hom te recall agv daai 2 name wat so eenders klink!
15 Jul 2009, 09:37 am
#39 PissAnt: How unheard of to lose 19-0 at Newlands against the ABs, first time in 100 years…. or to lose against the Aussies at home – first time in 7 years
Keep some perspective
15 Jul 2009, 09:40 am
#37 St.Petersburgbok:
“I think when it comes to Keo and Gavin Rich, we must conclude that they have known and spoken to all involved first hand.”
bru, what planet are you from?
15 Jul 2009, 09:40 am
What a load of kak!!!!, what game did this idiot watch??
“An excellent example of this was the aforementioned Newlands match. When Fourie du Preez was recalled ahead of Ricky Januarie at scrumhalf it was assumed that the Boks would use his gifted kicking boot to play the territory game. As one official said on the eve of that game, ‘When you pick a guy who can kick from his team’s own 22 to the opposition 22 and he is a scrumhalf, it would be idiotic not to use him to do that.’
FFS!!, in the openning 8 minutes FDP made 4 kicking errors and the other two were made by Butch, that is 6 kicking mistakes in 8 minutes!!! WTF
15 Jul 2009, 09:43 am
#38 Stawm: Don’t you blog everyday? Rich told us that if we the public think for one second that Pdv is actually coaching this team, than we are stupid, because he, Mr Rich is intimatly close to the team and they are soooo unhappy and John, Victor and Fourie, are going to need help and a real coach because they are exhausted keeping this team together. Further said he had sources close to the team who confirm all this.
Next thing, John comes out saying it’s all ****, and any journo must come and give one quote from the team, but they cannot.
So who is closer to the team do you think. John Smit, or our Hero ******* here, Gavin “the prick” Rich.
What came accross is this sack of **** along with keo are working their dirty little agenda to smear Pdv, and will LIE, FLAT OUT LIE, to sell their bullshit. Pdv is NOT perfect, and had made errors, but then again, you lot do not even think he is the coach, so why must he get the flack.
Bottom line. You are clearly buying this **** from Keo and Rich, so their tricks must be working.
15 Jul 2009, 09:43 am
#44 JL1:
Precisely, keep some perspective.
Some matches were lost, some were won. Does it mean that we are suddenly so much more **** than before or are we simply following the same old routine.
You forget, the majority of people wanted to fire a coach with a 73% winning record just after clinching the Lions series at Loftus…
Perspective indeed.
15 Jul 2009, 09:45 am
#44 JL1:
yes, first time in a long time (at home at least) we didnt score a single point
question: on how many occasions (in our o-so-proud-history) have we managed to score only once
and
does that mean that on those occasions we were better than when we didnt manage to score?
15 Jul 2009, 09:47 am
#43 ashley:
Dis reg – Kakkerlak, nie kokkerot! Ek was mos skoon deurmekaar.
Zahier Ryland, van die Bo-Kaap!
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