Balance key in back row composition
3 Nov 2010
RYAN VREDE writes that Pierre Spies and Juan Smith’s selection in the loose trio necessitates the inclusion of Deon Stegmann.
Spies, consistently good in the Super 14, failed to replicate that form at Test level in 2010. However, coach Peter de Villiers remained unfailingly loyal to him and is fully expected to name him as his starting No 8 for their tour opening Test against Ireland on Saturday.
Spies, in five Tests in the northern hemisphere, has never recovered from his first – a nightmare display against Ireland in 2006. The Heathrow international arrivals hall seems to sap his power, rendering him a relative passenger. That he arrived this time with a fractured confidence after an indifferent Test season doesn’t aid his cause.
Spies is at his most potent when part of the game plan is geared towards engineering attacking opportunities in space for him. Admittedly, part of his failings can be attributed to the team’s inability to do this consistently. But Spies must (and would have given the high standard he expects of himself) take the bulk of the responsibility for his relative attacking impotency.
Equally he needs to assert himself more defensively. It continues to a personal point of frustration that none of his coaches have adequately taught him good tackle technique because a player with his upper body strength has the potential to be deployed as a defensive weapon, dominating tackle situations and whereby creating opportunities for turnovers. At present he is no more an a bulky obstruction.
Smith’s value cannot be overstated and was in full evidence upon his return to the Springboks’ back row for the home leg of the Tri-Nations. He is a banker at the gain line and defends with brutality that makes you cringe. His performance in those facets of play will be decisive to how the Springboks fare on tour.
However, balance is key in the back row, and with Spies and Smith tasked with making metres and blunting Ireland at the collisions (as well as the secondary roles as lineout jumpers), it is essential that the Springboks start with a specialist openside flank. Stegmann has the qualities that complement the aforementioned duo.
Certainly there is the legitimate concern that Stegmann is not match fit, having missed the bulk of the Currie Cup through injury. However, injuries and the perplexing omission of Francois Louw (he would have been my pick to start at No 6) means Stegmann is the only choice.
It would be a grave tactical error to deploy any of the other options – Ryan Kankowski, Keegan Daniel or Willem Alberts – there. While all three are undoubtedly gifted, none are as skilled at slowing the recycle or stealing the ball as Stegmann is. A player of this ilk has been at the heart of most defensively sound sides, allowing the line to set by ensuring that the ball emerges from the ruck slowly. In addition, teams often profit from turnovers created by these men.
Stegmann won’t offer the Springboks an additional potential metre maker with ball in hand, but they have an enough of those for him not to be a liability in this regard. Neither is he going to reverse anyone in contact, but again, there are those equipped to do so.
He has allowed Spies to play a looser role at the Bulls, South Africa’s most successful franchise, who’ve consistently deployed a specialist openside flank in the last four years (Wikus van Heerden preceded Stegmann in the role). He would now provide the same opportunities for him with the Springboks, and given that the forecast is for clear skies over the revamped Lansdowne Road, Spies could be a factor.
Balance is essential when constructing the back row, and it is an area where the Springboks’ coaching staff have consistently failed this season, following the premature axing of Louw. They cannot make that mistake again. Stegmann’s time is now.
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*Check out my lighthearted take on the Springbok squad selection and their chances against Ireland on the Telegraph’s (UK) blog – http://my.telegraph.co.uk/rugby/ryanvrede/478/peter-de-villiers-must-pick-patrick-lambie-as-springboks-full-back-but-he-wont/
291 Comments
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3 Nov 2010, 13:39 pm
@gunther(gunther) : Gunther thats now a real ignorant statement – Vermeulen was in the losing team in both finals, so he was never going to look his best in a pack going backwards! Who “owned” him in the CC final? Definitely NOT Kanko. Watch the game again – Vermeulen is often the guy stopping Alberts.
Watch Vermeulen over the CC – catching wingers (sometimes in his socks!), often making the last cover tackle to save a try, being in the right place at the right tiome.
He takes the ball up HARD and bashes through defenders or takes 3 with him. Not like Spies and Kanko who fall over before the tackle.
Like Two Eyed said @Two Eyed(Two Eyed) Spies arrives late or is not in position, he is not reading the game well (like he used to) and he is definitely scared of contact – unlike Vermeulen.
I think the Bok squad is a GREAT one – except for the inclusion of Spies and Kanko. It shouldve been Vemeulen and Alberts at 8.
3 Nov 2010, 13:41 pm
@Mutant(Mutant) : I would pick Alberts at 7 and Smith at 8.
1. Alberts doesn’t need the extra pressure of 8 starting his 1st test.
2. Alberts and Daniel are already a gelled combination.
3 Nov 2010, 13:42 pm
You know, i don’t understand this whole wet and heavy underfoot theory. The heavier you are as a player, the more difficult it will be to keep up with the game. If you speed it up surely the opposite heavier side should struggle?
3 Nov 2010, 13:43 pm
I think most of us believe whole problem with Spies is him being picked purely on his potential. Which he obviously has.
The amount of people slagging him off as useless have very short memories. I personally don’t like the guy, one because he’s a Bull and being a teenager have only ever watched my beloved WP taking up the behind from the boys from Tshwane. He also seems emotionally pathetic when I read his interviews, typical lame stuff.
That said I’d like to think I ignore provincialism when it comes to the Boks and an in form Spies is the best 8 in the World barring maybe Parrisse who is just in a league of his own.
The point I want to make is that Spies should be dropped. Told that he will be monitered closely and that good form will see him back in the side. Until he is forced to get his form back I don’t see how it’ll happen. It also has a detremental effect on other 8s in the country who will think there’s nothing they can do to oust him. Competition is very healthy and with the largest and IMO most talented pool of Rugby players in the World we can utilise competition to get the best results.
Much like Evolution does in speciation (That one is for you Taccy my Intellectual/Conservative/Isreal/Tea Party supporting friend).
3 Nov 2010, 13:44 pm
If Stegman does get the nod it will be a great occasion for Greys – two of the XV flanks from the same side being awarded the green and gold ( Brussow the other one)- must of been a fantastic high school side.
3 Nov 2010, 13:44 pm
@THEBokFan(bokfan1) : I agree, although I would take Kanko along as a game-breaker off the wood.
Personally my loosies would have been:
Smith/Alberts
Daniel/Stegman
Vermuelen/Kanko
Leave Spies at home – He’s a show pony like Kanko, only Kanko is on form.
My starting line-up would have remained the same though:
Daniel
Alberts
Smith
3 Nov 2010, 13:46 pm
Anyone read Ryan’s “lighthearted take on the Springbok squad selection and their chances against Ireland?”
Anyone else not find it light-hearted? WTF?
3 Nov 2010, 13:47 pm
Have a bad feeling about this game, hope we can pull it off, we definitely the underdogs for this one. Interested to see how our lineout goes, last time out we struggled at landsdowne road with Gert Smal’s influence
3 Nov 2010, 13:47 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck(logie_Jumpbuck) : Go Play a social club game in England, in the pissing rain. How easy do you think it is to pass the ball down the line to the wing? Therefore contact is taken closer to tackle point. Therefore forwards don’t need to move much, therefore suites bigger, slower players.
Of course this doesn’t mean there isn’t place for another type of player.
3 Nov 2010, 13:48 pm
The KIWIS have been playing fast rugby on their EOYT for the last couple of years and they never come up short. Why can’t the boks do the same?
3 Nov 2010, 13:49 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck(logie_Jumpbuck) 153: Everything is slowed down on heavy fields, so the quicker players primary strength is negated. Less speed and agility makes it easier for the big men to catch them.
3 Nov 2010, 13:50 pm
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated) : I play touchies every week with a group of friends. We play rain or shine. When we do play in the rain the only thing that becomes more difficult to maintain is handling…..but we shorten the passes.
Just a thought.
3 Nov 2010, 13:50 pm
@Mutant(Mutant) : No I haven’t.
What is with this poll, are most bloggers on this site complete idiots? Pienaar and Jantjies have more votes than Lambie????
That is just ridiculous. I hate these ignorant
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3 Nov 2010, 13:52 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck(logie_Jumpbuck) : Exactly, shorter passes = less space = closer distance between tackle points (or in your case touches).
3 Nov 2010, 13:53 pm
Id go with this line up for Saturday.
1 beast
2 bismark
3 Jannie
4 bakkies
5 Victor
6 stegmann
7 smith
8 spies
9 hougaard
10 m.steyn
11 habana
12 lambie
13 de villiers
14 basson
15 aplon
16 chillie
17 cj v linde
18 flip v merwe
19 alberts
20 pienaar
21 jantjies
22 jacobs
Then next week F.Steyn slots in at 12 or 15. If at 12 the lambie moves to 15 with aplon in the wing and basson to the bench and adi drops out. If Steyn goes to 15 them aplon to the wing and basson benched.
3 Nov 2010, 13:56 pm
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated) : U angry that nobody votes for your lover?
3 Nov 2010, 13:56 pm
@Bagel(Bagel) : I have to disagree
Before he can be mentioned amongst the best 8′s in the world, he has to overcome some deficiencies:
1. Positional play, especially covering work on defense
2. Catching and passing
3. Lack of effectiveness on defense
4. He needs to harden the fuckup
Parisse, Harinordquy, Fernandez Lobbe, Reid, Palu are light-years ahead of him
3 Nov 2010, 13:57 pm
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated) 163 : Ja saw that poll…what? Who are these muppets on this site?
I think I’d still go for Morne in this game. He was on the conditioning program so should be relatively fresh, has a psychological edge over some of the Lions Irishmen, should fare better in a close Test match. Save Lambie’s first start for Wales and Scotland.
3 Nov 2010, 13:57 pm
Time will tell how good Lambie and Elton really is.
3 Nov 2010, 13:58 pm
@Mustard(Mustard) : I like the look of that team, but would play Lambie at 15, and fly in Doppies for one game. Replace Jacobs on the bench with Aplon.
3 Nov 2010, 14:01 pm
Does anyone know what happened to Supersport’s blog?
3 Nov 2010, 14:01 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck(logie_Jumpbuck) : We shouldn’t expect much given its their first tour but they young and they will learn from this experience….thing is to invest on your young players and put as little as possible pressure on them and let them play their games…look at O’Connor from Aus…hes coming into his own now but they persisted with him..same with Quade
3 Nov 2010, 14:03 pm
So what are these rumors of the starting trio being:
Kankowski Smith Spies ???
3 Nov 2010, 14:03 pm
Folks, just wanted to put some thoughts around where I think the game is going and get your opinions.
With the new tackle law interpretations both the Ozzies and AB’s it seems are planning to have the ball in circulation a lot longer on the field and are hence looking at big, fast skillful players who can offload in the tackle, can break down opposition defences with support runners and angled running. They will only kick to get defences out of alignment i.e. forcing players to drop back in anticipation of kicks and thereby create space to attack.
Whereas it seems the Boks and the NH teams are looking to use their big skillful players to dominate through forcing the defenders to commit more than one or two players to the tackle and ruck and thereby try and create space after the 3rd or 4th tackle. This means we are looking at more skillful runners and not necessarily big tacklers in the back line. If the AB’s and Ozzies can therefore hold onto the own ball it means our forwards are going to be tackling their a..ses off all day, leaving their big centres and wings eventually to run at our smaller backline players.
The one way we can get around this is to hold up their players in the tackle and create a maul situation, thereby slowing down the recycle or having strong tacklers who can also get back onto their feet immediately and contest , fetcher style. The other thing we will need to do is think about how we can force more set-pieces in order to dominate either through the kick and chase or the deep kick out negates a quick lineout and then disrupting their ball.
All in all its quite clear we don’t have the personnel at this point in time to play it the way the Ozzies and AB’s do.
Or maybe I’m just missing a trick or two.
3 Nov 2010, 14:03 pm
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated) : Jantjies is a better flyhalf than Lambie. Lambie is more versatile but when you looking at 10′s Jantjies performances for the Lions this season were sensational.
I’m sorry but as good as Lambie is he is nowhere near as creative a Jantjies and his goal kicking pales in comparison. I’ve seem Lambie get palmed on many occasion too. What I like about Lambie is his temprement even though it doesn’t help his goal kicking. Very cool customer with a great pass and a nice instep. Maybe a 12?
If you watched the Lions at all this year you would’ve seen why Jantjies has so many votes. The kid is a class act, I’ve never seen a SA flyhalf put his backline into space like that, not to mention his superb goal-kicking.
I’d like to mention that I do rate Lambie, just not as highly. Both can go on their own and not get slammed back which is nice.
3 Nov 2010, 14:03 pm
@Tegejo(Tegejo) : I’m angry that the average blogger on this sight is a complete moron and I, by association have to endure the same branding.
3 Nov 2010, 14:04 pm
@Tegejo(Tegejo) : WTF? Your mother isn’t on the poll list.
3 Nov 2010, 14:06 pm
@Tegejo(Tegejo) : i think we covered at center for the WC with JDV, JDJ, Fourie and Jacobs…Aslo FSteyn also covers 12 and Lambie the future 10/12 hes been given the opportunity to tour…so where does this leave Doppies?? think there’s no long term plans for him therefore its pointless making him a bok for one game…but i do like him, hes a good player with good work rate.
3 Nov 2010, 14:09 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis) : hope they just rumors and nothing more
3 Nov 2010, 14:09 pm
@Bagel(Bagel) : Case in point? How many S14 games has Jantfies started? How many pressure situations has he been in? Now people want to dump him starting against Ireland. Moronic. Jantjies may prove to be the better 10 (I doubt it, but he is talented), but right now Lambie is at least 12 months ahead of Jantjies in his development.
To pick Ruan at 10, who has been playing 9 in Ireland is equally moronic.
3 Nov 2010, 14:11 pm
@THEBokFan(bokfan1) :
alberts is in the boks squad.
secondly surely such a legendary number 8 can look good in a beaten pack.
think of parisse of Italy.
how many times did vermullet stop Alberts on saturday?
he often crashes through defenders or it takes 3 to tackle him.
tackles wingers in his socks.
sounds like you have bought into the hype nicely.
looking pretty ignorant from where I stand pel.
3 Nov 2010, 14:12 pm
when is team announcement?
3 Nov 2010, 14:12 pm
More than half the people who took part in that poll (over 1000) are complete
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retards.
3 Nov 2010, 14:14 pm
Picking Jantjies and Ruan over Morne or Lambie is about equal as voting for a loose trio of
Potgieter
Kanko
Spies
3 Nov 2010, 14:16 pm
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated) : And if you can’t see whats wrong with the loose trio, well then, I rest my case.
3 Nov 2010, 14:19 pm
Ratel, what’s your best side for Sat?
3 Nov 2010, 14:20 pm
If you reading this, there’s a 50% chance you are a complete ******. 50% chance you have the rugby brain of a 2 year-old girl. 50% chance I don’t give a
F
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about your opinion, because it is
C
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A
P
Of course if you the other 50%, I apologise.
3 Nov 2010, 14:23 pm
@Mutant(Mutant) : Tough one, I am still undecided on 10, but I would maybe take a risk:
Beast
Bissie
Jannie
Bakkies
Victor (c)
Daniel
Alberts
Smith
Hougaard
Lambie
Basson
JdV
Jacobs (who else?)
Aplon
Frans
CJ
Strauss
Danie
Kanko
Ruan
Morne
Habanna
3 Nov 2010, 14:23 pm
@Mutant(Mutant) : You?
3 Nov 2010, 14:23 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck(logie_Jumpbuck) : 153
The conventional wisdom goes something like this: On heavier and wetter fields, you move more difficult per se. Therefore it is advisable to keep the ball closer to the original contact point and to rely more on offensive strategies such mauling from set pieces or staying upright in the tackle more often.
But I agree that environmental factors are overplayed in rugby.
Good decisionmaking on attack and defense should not be dictated by some predetermined conception about the conditions.
3 Nov 2010, 14:29 pm
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated) 188 : Frans can’t play this match though.
3 Nov 2010, 14:29 pm
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated) : I do like you team Ratel, but Frans Steyn wont be available until the following Saturday. So think Aplon will start at FB this week. Also would just leave Juan at 7 and play Alberts at 8 think that loose trio would would very well.
So if Aplon has to start at FB who plays at 14? Mvovo and Habs play normally at 11.
3 Nov 2010, 14:29 pm
@Mutant(Mutant) : Snap
3 Nov 2010, 14:31 pm
@Zinto(Zinto) : i like the balance of your forward pack. with monster ball carriers like Bismark, Beast, CJ, Alberts, Smith and Bakkies, a guy like Daniel should have space to shine. My backline for this tour would be:
9. Hougaard
10. Lambie
11. Habana
12. Steyn
13. De Villiers
14. Basson
15. Aplon.
With Steyn not available for Ireland, I reckon they should have called up Bosman and played him and JDV at 12-13. However, brace yourself for JDV and Jacobs.
3 Nov 2010, 14:33 pm
Mine:
Beast
Bissie
Jannie
Bakkies
Victor (c)
Daniel
Alberts
Smith
Hougaard
Steyn
Habana
JdV
Jacobs (who else?)
Basson
Aplon
Bench:
CJ
Strauss
Flip (Danie not on tour)
Kanko
Ruan
Lambie
Kirchner
3 Nov 2010, 14:34 pm
@dump_divvy(dump_divvy) : I like that backline. With the Forward pack you mention agree Daniel at 6 would be brilliant.
We select right think we could win this one on Saturday.
Selection will be key.
I somehow doubt PdV will select Lambie at FH think we will see Morne start. That is unfortunate.
3 Nov 2010, 14:36 pm
@Mutant(Mutant) : Think with Frans Steyn not available for this Saturday think we will see Zane at FB. Aplon on at 14.
3 Nov 2010, 14:39 pm
@Puma(Puma) 197 : Ja probably, but then I question the original squad selection. Kirchner was a late callup after Ricky was injured, so surely PDivvy should back his original squad (therefore Aplon)?
3 Nov 2010, 14:40 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy) : Very good.
I can add that the ABs have mastered the art of attacking the weaker shoulder of drift defenders in wider channels, particularly the inside shoulder of the 13. They do this by straightening the line from 13, instead of from 12.
They also take the ball wider than the 12 a lot more on first phase – if not, then Nonu stays upright and offloads to a supporting runner who will take the ball wider.
These carriers, however, always have support on both shoulders going into the collision.
I believe this is what you mean with “circulation” rugby. It is spot-on.
The trick is to effectively ensure a ruck position where the enemy is forced to enter from the side. They want to force a breakdown point at the extremes of the field, close to the touchline, because they know that their supporting angles on the shoulder of the offensive carrier will allow them to enter through the gate of the ruck, and not the side.
This is also why it appears that their players hit a lot more rucks than our players on sites like ruggastats. They are simply offering greater support to the carrier as a bundled supporting group on attack.
The next breakdown is aimed to be at the other extreme of the field, close to the other touchline, employing the same offensive method.
This is particularly effective against slower, arguably physically stronger packs. It is energy sapping galore.
However, if you play a nr8 who focuses on cornerflagging or running behind the backline on defense, this strategy will be curtailed, as you immediately then provide the defender with more readily available support.
And yes, I support the idea of our defense keeping the ball carrier on his feet for a second longer. I also recommend defending on the ball a-la rugby league.
3 Nov 2010, 14:41 pm
@Mutant(Mutant) : He should but I doubt it. Who will play 14 then? Basson,Mvovo and Habs all play 11.
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