Back Bismarck, axe Morne
12 Sep 2011
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day column, says the Springboks have to change who starts and how they play if they want to defend their World Cup title.
Forget the old cliché that this was a character builder for the Boks. This team of champions has enough character and they’ve been through enough scraps in the last eight years to never want to endure another 80 minutes like Sunday’s in Wellington.
The Springboks don’t need more exposure to character-building situations in this World Cup and the head-coaching trio, out of their depth for the last four years, surely don’t need another match to know that the best XV has to start every game in this tournament and that includes Bismarck du Plessis at hooker and excludes Morne Steyn at flyhalf.
The Welsh goal-kicking implosion in the last few minutes means there can be calm in the Bok camp and not the hysteria that would have followed defeat.
There can be perspective and not national persecution. There can be reflection and not condemnation.
Wales flyhalf Rhys Priestland missed a drop goal from smack bang in front with five minutes to play and fullback James Hook fluffed the chance to win the match with an angled 35m penalty three minutes from the end. Had either of those two kicks gone over the mood in the Bok camp and the emotion among the South African rugby public would have been a lot different than it is this morning.
I keep on writing about the honesty needed within our rugby and within the Bok squad. It has never been more appropriate than this morning. Forget patriotism for a moment and focus on pragmatism. The patriotism at this tournament belongs to New Zealand. The Boks need something more tangible to defend the title won four years ago.
The Boks remain one of three teams who can win this tournament. Australia put down the biggest marker in the first weekend and New Zealand’s home ground advantage remains their biggest asset because they are limited as a team and the great among them merely balance out the many mediocre All Blacks playing for a first World Cup win in 24 years.
But for the Boks to move on from the Houdini escape in Wellington there has to be an acknowledgement of what works and what doesn’t. There has to be criticism from within that is not interpreted as a negative but rather is applauded as a positive. To win here the Boks have to change who starts and how they play. Wales gave every South African the most timely reminder that what worked in 2007 won’t be good enough to beat one of Australia or New Zealand in a play-off.
The Boks next nervous 80 minutes will be a probable quarter-final against Ireland and the examination will be as demanding as those questions asked by the Welsh.
Samoa, in the pool match-up, won’t challenge the Boks because they don’t have the game or the composure to win ugly against a side as experienced or powerful as South Africa.
Wales were outstanding. Let’s start there. Welsh coach Warren Gatland tactically got everything right against the Boks. They kept the ball, kept it close, used the powerful Jamie Roberts to run at Morne Steyn all match and played the field percentages almost to perfection.
Welsh captain and specialist fetcher Sam Warburton was colossal. He played with the precision and irritation of a young Richie McCaw and starved the Boks of ball. He deserved to lead a historic triumph in Wellington.
Wales had 60% of territory and possession, conceded just five penalties – only one of them kickable – and poached three South African lineouts.
Yet they still lost because it is not in their DNA to beat the Springboks, and when the biggest moments of the game came their players did not have the nerve, the conviction and the courage in decision making to win it. Wales were in unfamiliar territory against the Boks and the match they talked of all week they couldn’t quite play out according to script.
Aside from Australia – and possibly New Zealand – this Welsh effort would have beaten every team at this tournament, but that will be small comfort to Gatland and Warburton.
The Boks, beaten on the ground, in the air, in the tackle and in the collision, were never beaten in their minds – and the belief that they could conjure up seven points, almost at will, never deserted them.
The opening try to the impressive Frans Steyn was vintage Boks, but what proved to be the match winner from Francois Hougaard in the 65th minute showed the qualities of a champion who has been there before and delivered.
South Africa always had the one punch to strike from anywhere that was more threatening than the collective build-up of so many impressive Welsh attacks.
Bismarck du Plessis was monumental in the final quarter, Hougaard was inspirational and Willem Alberts was destructive. Not so those they replaced.
598 Comments
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12 Sep 2011, 23:46 pm
@Bod(bod)-538:
*burp*
I just swallowed a nanny-goat.
12 Sep 2011, 23:46 pm
@JL1(JL1)-549: In fact, bench Spies
Play F Steyn at fullback
Muller actually impressed me, I take back what I said about him, only for now though
13 Sep 2011, 00:00 am
Transie: have you noticed that Ted and smithy have moved away from out and out wings to ball players. Rococoko, sivivatu, gear and the young cantabrian, against tonga SBW in broken play appeared on the wing a few times. The wisemen are up to some tricks, what do you think their motivation is?
13 Sep 2011, 00:02 am
Just watched the last quarter of that game again where we came back from the dead.. That was gutsy rugby if ever there was such a commodity of everyone pulling for the cause it was there, from every single Bok on the park.. and it weren’t the Boks who choked at the death it was Wales who’s tales had been up the previous half hour prior to Bismark, Alberts and Hougaard putting them to the sword.
White can go fly his kite in Canberra… his ship has long sailed and he got fck’all to do with this team.. its long gone out his grasp even though his big fat dandy ego don’t wanna know the reality of the score…
And whats more this team IS better than when he left… whether he or anyone else are still unable to accept or realize it..
Boks 2004-07 played NZ 9 lost 6 – some record margins
Played Aus and lost by 49 points to zero
Played Ireland twice away ; lost both times
Played France home and away lost 3 from 4
ONLY redeeming feature is they won a WC without playing ANY team rank higher than Argentina at IRB rank 6, almost losing to 14th rank Tonga and 13th rank Fiji
Wales of yesterday would have whacked White out the ground for a home run.
13 Sep 2011, 00:02 am
@SpringbokSarah(SpringbokSarah)-518:
we’re not uptight, Sarah. Its just ‘banter’, see ?
What the locals dont seem to realise is that Im here for the rivalry. I like the passion Safas bring to their rugby. They are extremely knowledgeable about rugby. Therefore you can discuss things toe-to-toe, almost like a match itself. If everyone agreed on things 100% then noone would learn anything. Why dont I “fark off to silver fern” (Kiwi-Keo equiv) like Im told here so regularly ? Well Id be farken bored with agreeing with everyone all the time. Sheee-ite, Im a lawyer (well, used to be), bl**dy argumentative types we are ! Im not on an Aussie site because, despite Kiwis having an even bigger sporting-rivalry with them, well they just dont rrrrreally KNOW rugby like Safas do. Do they ?!
But Im here to ‘argue’ about rugby. Only rugby. I dont turn up here telling Safas about SA politics. I would never say “your women are ugly…..loose”. I would never say “your wife fked a Kiwi in the toilets” and then repeat it daily for effect. Nor would i stand by and condone it thru my silence. I wouldnt say to someone that I dont know, “you are council scum and live under a bridge” either, because i hate classist BS. And if someone ‘hits’ me, well as an ex-tight fwd, I tend to hit back, but twice as hard. If bloggers here call my players “a cheat” whilst ignoring their own wee team of angels, well OF COURSE Im going to call them hypocrites. If your coach ALWAYS blames the ref in defeat but suddenly supports him in victory, well OF COURSE Im going to call him a hypocrite.
After all, theyre just meaningless words on a meaningless blog and, all said and done, every single one of us here is a saddo rugby-obsessive. Noone can rrrreally point the finger at anyone else and take the ‘Moral High Ground’. Can they ?
13 Sep 2011, 00:05 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-531:
still boxing shadows at midnight, con Trapp ?
13 Sep 2011, 00:06 am
@TASSIES(TASSIES)-524:
where were you at Gingers then ?
13 Sep 2011, 00:12 am
For Fiji
Play JPP at 15
Aplon 14
Fourie 13
JdJ 12
Habana 11
Butch 10
Hougaard 9
Spies 8
Louw 7
Brussow 6
Muller (c) 5
Alberts 4
Jannie 3
Bismark 2
Gurthro 1
Beast, Chili, CJ, Roussow, Burger, Pienaar, Frans
If Spies don’t show against Fiji. then send him home, same with Habana and JPP
rest Smit, FdP, Morne
13 Sep 2011, 00:16 am
mpundulu @ 550: bwhahaahahahhahahahahaha
13 Sep 2011, 00:24 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-555: Hahaha, seems you are playing stupid, from the looks of it, you are winning
Oh, and I never said you are scum, maybe pond life, never scum
13 Sep 2011, 00:24 am
nah Broekies, just telling fellow saffas to be courteous to a deluded kiwi
13 Sep 2011, 00:26 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-559: A
13 Sep 2011, 00:26 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-558: FDP needs the game time
I don’t believe playing Louw and Brussow in the same team helps- no lineout option
CJ also needs game time
13 Sep 2011, 00:31 am
@JL1(JL1)-560:
What makes you think I was talking about you ? Perhaps “hypocrite” was the clue.
You dont fool anyone here, other than the fools.
13 Sep 2011, 00:33 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-564: Trust me, I know
Not seen anyone else divulge your address, except me
13 Sep 2011, 00:34 am
Transie: uyayi bona le-way ndithetha ngayo? uTed no Smith ikhona lento bayicingayo. I suspect that they believe having from 10-15 players who can create and exploit space ensures more attacking opportunities across the park. Remember Ted said at the beginning of the trinations they will be showing a new brand of rugby not seen before but they’ll introduce it through the trinations and the WC.
13 Sep 2011, 00:36 am
Transie: when I put in 10-15, I meant flyhalf to full back.
13 Sep 2011, 00:51 am
Fark me but Panty is a sad case in continual self-justification. Simply put, just a kn.obber.
13 Sep 2011, 00:51 am
@554 mpundulu: who knows what’s cooking in those guys’ minds? Certainly if you lived anywhere else i the world this would not be an issue as versatility is celebrated and not frowned upon.
Francois Hougaard is a ‘ball player’, Aplon, Sadie are too…Ashley-Cooper, o’Bieber etc…
13 Sep 2011, 00:58 am
@JL1(JL1)-563: If FdP plays against Fiji he might just get crocked worse than Matfield and JdV are, and he won’t be tackling so rather don’t play him against those bruisers.
I got CJ on Bench as well as Burger and Roussouw with Spies starting… plenty of line out option especially against Fiji who are not line out compliant
I think my team for Fiji is quite right with Alberts at 4 and Spies to run in a game which suits his style and offering the line out option at back, and JdJ to shore up midfield otherwise if Morne plays we might just lose from all the tries we give away if FdP and Morne had to contest 9/10.
Louw is a better flank than Burger from both a fetching and a carrying perspective and i think a better close man on man tackler also except in open play where Burger excels but not in close play where Louw is superior to Burger.
Pienaar / Frans to manage bench with Hougaard / Butch starting 9/10 and Aplon / JPP / Habana managing back 3.
If the cannot cut it against Fiji then we in trouble because none of the others like Lambie or Morne or Ndungane would either.
13 Sep 2011, 01:07 am
the only difference is that in SA people want a player to NAIL his spot @ his province so they can have bragging rights that their province has the premier 13 or 10. Haven’t you seen the consternation when Plum shifts lambie to 12?
‘oh no, they’re messing with him this is what they did to fransie, now he will be overtook by the likes of jantjies, ebersohn for the bok jersey’
you think most kiwis care whether kahui starts @ wing?
If pdv had tried jaque @ wing, it’d be a week long debate in SA as to why a jake white built combo ‘touted to be the best in the world’ is being broken apart etc…
Conservative mindsets.
I hope heyneke meyer doesn’t indoctrinate sadie to think like a mule!
13 Sep 2011, 01:07 am
They saying here that if Matfield don’t come right then Hargreaves or Mostert are on call
It better be Mostert because if its Hargreaves then kiss Bill goodbye right now before the fanny hits the wall at the quarters..
13 Sep 2011, 01:07 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-568:
Im here, Boy George.
or
“Heavens Game:
12 Sep 2011, 01:01 am @Black Panther(Black Panther)-46: Talking about cowardice, next time you want the privilege of being addressed by me then press the arrow on top of the post you have issue with…”
Sing us another one, ‘coward’ !!!
13 Sep 2011, 01:15 am
Transie: agreed there seems to be a real move to making backline players more versatile. Even if you look at Australia they still have that balance of a wing and a ball player on the other wing. The ABs are going full out ball players on both wings.
The question then becomes who’ll take from PdV after the cup, and what’ll he change in bok play. Thankfully, Heynecke is committed to the bulls, I’m not sure if Rassie and AC have escape clauses in their contracts but the boks desperately need a foreigner come in. There’s no SA coach who has the abilities to drag the boks out of 15 years of rut. There’s a need for a fresh approach to flow through provincial, club, school structures for the next 4-8 years.
13 Sep 2011, 01:16 am
Good night chaps my woman is looking at me funny!
13 Sep 2011, 01:19 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-573: Wasn’t addressing you pygmyfck
13 Sep 2011, 01:46 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-576:
I see Boy George, just another 1 of your very many double-standards. How many times have you insisted on bloggers addressing you directly, but now its not good enough for you ?!
Youre a spineless fake bake’n'shake.
13 Sep 2011, 02:33 am
Solly Keo – must have a kicker on the field. For e.g. thats the Wallabies big weakness. Carlos Cooper and Justin o Connor have lukewarm boot. Morne’s defense must be covered by the loosies.
13 Sep 2011, 03:20 am
“NZs many mediocre players. Limited as a team.” If there ever was a case iof the kettle calling the pot black, this was it.
NZ of all the teams in the world haver the ability to play an expansive game ala australia , wales and a 10 man arm wrestle ala Sa and England
SA have a very limited game as evidenced inj the Welsh game. SA simply donnot have the creativity in the backs to score many tries. This isnt conjecture its fact. SA totally rely on forward domination and then prey off the mistakes to convert their points.
Wales were only a play ground drop kick away from winning that game. Once SAs forwards couldnt get ascendancy they were in trouble. Incredibly lucky on the day. Next time they wont be so lucky.
As for the many mediore NZ players. If Henry could select SA players only The Beast, du Plessis, Matfield and du Preez would get a look in. The ABs are superior in every other position given the style NZ play.
If SA could go through the worlds best teams both NH and SH like the ABs did last year and lose only once in a dead rubber to the worlds 2nd rated team. Put up or shut up Bro
13 Sep 2011, 03:22 am
@lapoftherugbygods(lapoftherugbygods)-579: Oh and Heinrich pretty cool too but still would have McCaw.
13 Sep 2011, 03:29 am
Morne Steyn must go. Get Lambie in there at 10 and you’ve got an accurate kicker, an out-standing tackler AND a quick thinker. Morne who? Lambie is the answer.
There is a reason the NZ commentators blow their shorts in excitement whenever Lambie gets the ball – because he’s THAT good.
The only reason Morne Steyn keeps getting selected is because SA RUGBY and PdV have pumped so much money into his development and they don’t want to drop him because it will seem like a waste of money.
We can also do without Habana on the wing, Hougaad proved his worth against Wales and that takes a lot for me to say because I’ve hated his mullet-face for a long time. JPP had some good moments so he can stay (for now).
Bismarck MUST start at Hooker and Smit can replace Prop at 60 when PdV does his whole-sale changes.
As long as Habana and Morne Steyn are GONE and Bissie, Lambie, Alberts and Hougaad start; we’ll actually have a god damn chance.
Until that happens, we’re gonna get our asses absolutely handed to us after the group stage.
13 Sep 2011, 03:36 am
@lapoftherugbygods(lapoftherugbygods)-580: Keo does have a tendency to label players or teams mediocre without much thought. I remember before the British Lions tour in ’09 he said they would battle to win against any of SA’s super 14 sides. Turned out they were very unlucky to lose the series. The All Blacks are only weak in my opinion at scrum half which may cost them and a bit lacking in depth in certain positions. The weight of expectations is their biggest enemy.
13 Sep 2011, 03:49 am
@lapoftherugbygods(lapoftherugbygods)-579:
You simply HAVE to laugh. If the no1 team in the World has “many mediocre players” and is “limited as a team” then what does that say about everyone else ?!
Keo just drops in these soundbites to keep everyone happy (in this case, Bok fans) whilst p*ssing off others (Bok fans in previous cases, for eg the ‘Not Injured, in training camp’ saga). Its presumably all about the ‘hits’ and he cares not for journalistic integrity.
Heres an interesting article in todays NZ herald, by a previous Test referee (Kelvin Deaker). Explains alot about current tactics, for eg McCaw has clearly changed his focus away from the breakdown and more on becoming a linkman. Its been very noticeable that players are going off their feet immediately, a bugbear for Bok fans in recent times but, strangely, no problem when Burger and Roussow did it blatantly, and repeatedly, vs Wales:-
“There’s been some reasonably high penalty counts as all have been strict around the breakdown and offsides, but they have been much too lenient with the ball-carrying team.
The biggest trend we have seen develop is that the defending team are not even competing for the ball at the tackle because they have no show of winning a turnover.
The ball-carrying team are sealing it off by going off their feet. It has changed the whole structure of the game – and not for the better. We have seen some teams that don’t commit any numbers except the tackler. This then allows them to fan all their forwards out in a defensive screen.
It also means the ball-carrying team can pick-and-drive – it really should be called pick-and-dive because they fall over at the first sign of contact – knowing they can recycle the ball without fear of its being stolen.
They find it so easy to do because – apart from Nigel Owens early in the Fiji-Namibia match – no referee was willing to penalise the attacking player’s support for leaving their feet to seal off the ball.
Apart from that early burst, even Owens ignored it from then on.
Technically, some of the tackle areas don’t become rucks because the defending team has not committed anybody to it. That essentially means there is no offside line. It will be interesting to see if some coaches try to take advantage of this and leave their defenders out among the attacking team’s backs on the basis that without a ruck, it is still general play.
On Sunday night, you had two of the best ball-winners in the game in Heinrich Brussow and Sam Warburton, whose only hope of getting their hands on the ball was if a tackle was effected right at their feet.
Otherwise neither team even tried to win the ball. They just had to tackle and wait for the other team to make a mistake.
Bryce Lawrence had the toughest job of the weekend, simply because Argentina were so combative all across the field. They gained control over the breakdown and forced England to play their way.
Bryce was right with his calls but a different approach was required, where he needed to have a strong presence at the breakdown rather than positioning himself 15 metres away and then only getting closer to the action when the ball hadn’t come free.”.
13 Sep 2011, 03:53 am
@malcolm(malcolm)-582:
There was also, of course, Keos wee gem – perfectly timed just before the 2010 International season – when he stated simply
“NZ rugby is k@k”.
3 – 0.
13 Sep 2011, 04:10 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-584: Please don’t take Keo too seriously, old man. Few bloggers on here even bother reading the articles. They merely blog for the banter.
Nice informative article by Kelvin Deaker. Thanks for that one.
13 Sep 2011, 05:20 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-558:
I like your team
I would possibly keep Steyn in the to back up Butch in the kicking dept
leave Jpp on the wing with maybe Aplon that has basically 2 full back wings situation to help Steyn
I guess we have to keep Spies @ 8 Maybe Skalk at 8 Spies did nothing all game, but he needs this game to get his act together
I like Alberts at lock always have
Muller capt allows JS to sit (in the stands )
13 Sep 2011, 06:05 am
@kwas(kwas)-585:
“Thanks for that one”.
WOW
I’ll frame that….
(ps – I dont take Keo too seriously. In fact I ignored it first time around. But I understand the game, I have biz interests in media).
13 Sep 2011, 06:25 am
Ah yes, the great keow speaks – rubbish. Nothing new. Does he think Lambie would have stopped Roberts more effectively? A good big ‘un etc at 20kg weight difference. Why is their centre running at your 10? Wake up twat, the Boks don’t really have a defensive coach. Your logic suggests playing a Meyer Bosman at 10 rather to meet the “Jamie Roberts’”. But not a bad idea. Steyn or Lambie put out by a PI late high tackle (remember D Hougaard) will not be good. Certainly the PI’s will run at the Bok 10 all day if there is no better defensive alignment.
Start with Bissy? What if he gets injured against the PI’s? Another wake up for keow. For the PI’s we need well worked out disciplined set pieces (do we have a set piece coach?), plenty of 10 man game time but no loose hacks downfield – touch must be found and kicks followed up. Run around like headless chickens and these ou’s could smash us.
As for the AB’s, plenty journeymen in there like Cowan, Wee poo, Williams, even Nonu the great has been exposed. But they are super well-drilled, have Paddy O’ Brien’s support, on home ground and some world beaters, particularly Carter. Tough to beat.
13 Sep 2011, 07:05 am
Would’ve started Alberts ahead of Spies all day long, better go forward in the tight and a million times better on defense than Spies. Steyn has no place in the team, his tackles lack any pride or heart. Half-hearted attempts at best.
13 Sep 2011, 08:19 am
@husky(husky)-588:
Nonu is the Worlds Best no12, has been for 18mths.
Nonu vs J.Roberts would be a cracker tho.
Neither ‘Williams’ in the ABs is a “journeyman”.
13 Sep 2011, 08:37 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-590: always glad when they pick nonu against the boks, much like Sivi and Roco. when the going gets tough their instinctive styles are a liability
13 Sep 2011, 09:25 am
@RL(RL)-508: Yea when hell freezes over…lol in what universe will Wales beat NZ in NZ?
13 Sep 2011, 11:07 am
Makes no effing sense to axe Morne. Kicks win you games. He must work on his d…
But we wouldnt any sense to come out of Keohane’s piehole now would we
13 Sep 2011, 12:39 pm
The one positive that I can take out of the Wales game is that our bench made a better impact than theirs which contributed strongly to our victory. In the final 20 minutes of a game when an element of fatigue naturally becomes a factor, the ability to bring on players that have an ability to be influential like Bismark (in the tight and on the ground), Alberts(getting over the advantage line and providing go forward) and Hougaard(strong running), should not be underestimated.
This combination of “impact players” has the potential to be a major strength of ours as the competition progresses.
I would prefer to see continuity in this aproach than argue that these players should start. This was one aspect of our game plan that worked. We should look eleswhere in rectifying what did not work and keep this strength intact.
13 Sep 2011, 13:42 pm
Boks of 2011 remind me of the Wallabies of 1995 – too many critical personnel past their prime.Defending champs who have been left standing still and off the pace.
13 Sep 2011, 15:19 pm
@BuckT(BuckTrendy)-591:
Nonu has had a field day against the Boks in last 2 years.
Go ask your Captain, he’s still looking for Cinderella.
13 Sep 2011, 15:20 pm
@BuckT(BuckTrendy)-591:
of Nonu…..”when the going gets tough their instinctive styles are a liability’
1 word
SOWETO
13 Sep 2011, 19:44 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-536: Like a fly to a droll – me fly – you droll! (you see – you don’t need many words to get a message across)
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