Habana: Boks will pose attacking threat
6 Oct 2011
Bryan Habana says the Springboks won’t limit themselves to a kick-chase approach when they face the Wallabies on Sunday.
The Boks have favoured a conservative game plan at this tournament. Halfbacks Fourie du Preez and Morne Steyn have sought to pressure the opposition by launching the ball skywards rather than swinging it wide, a tactic that has brought the Boks success in 2009 but only mixed success in the last two seasons.
On Thursday, Habana admitted that the Boks’ recent failures in the Tri-Nations and underwhelming showings at this World Cup were down to poor application of these tactics. The Bok winger is confident that when Du Preez and Steyn deploy the box kick or garryowen this Sunday the South Africans will deliver a more accurate showing, and ultimately pressure the Wallabies into errors.
‘We’ve spoken a lot about execution and accuracy over the course of this tournament,’ said Habana. ‘It hasn’t been where it should be: We are not getting up in the air when the kicks go up and our chase lines haven’t been great.
‘It’s also not easy when you have to make something like 200 tackles per game, but then you have to look at why we are spending so much time on defence. We have conceded too many knockons and turnovers, so we have to work harder to keep possession.’
Habana said the Boks would be foolish to overdo the kick-chase ploy, and suggested that the talented South African backs could be used for something other than defence. Much will depend on the conditions at the Wellington Regional Stadium, but Habana feels there will always be an opportunity to attack.
‘We enjoyed throwing it around against Namibia and Samoa. The Aussie backs can be lethal when the weather is dry, but we would also prefer it to be dry. However, we can’t control the weather. We will wake up on Sunday and decide how to play, we will have to be able to adapt.
‘That also doesn’t mean we won’t look to play in the right areas. It will come down to decision making this weekend, and individuals will need to make the right calls of when to counter-attack or when to kick.’
If the Boks do manage to win the territorial battle, they may also vary their approach inside the Wallabies’ 22. The Boks have won some big Tests by kicking a series of drop goals, the most famous of which was the 1999 World Cup quarter-final where Jannie de Beer potted five.
Habana did not rule out the possibility of a repeat, but stressed that there was no set plan to win the match in this manner.
‘If the opportunities are there, you would be stupid not to take them. Against such a good Aussie defence and in a quarter-final game, you have to take your chances, and I’m sure Morne has been given licence within our structures to do so [kick drop goals]. But we are not going out with the sole aim to kick drop goals. We’re going out to play positively.’
While Habana and back three partner JP Pietersen have won a World Cup, they have struggled to recapture the attacking form that made them such devastating runners at the 2007 tournament. They will also be without Frans Steyn at the back, but Habana expects the precocious Pat Lambie to hold his own at No 15.
‘I’ve seen him grow into a fine player over the past two years. He almost single-handedly won the Currie Cup for the Sharks last year. He is also very composed, he has an old head on young shoulders.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Wellington
20 Comments
6 Oct 2011, 04:26 am
Hah… good luck with JdV there. He is playing like an old broken down Olivier. LEARN TO PASS.
6 Oct 2011, 04:28 am
And stop this up and under/box kick rubbish. You have the worlds best lineout. If you must kick, kick for the corners.
6 Oct 2011, 04:37 am
Every time this game plan fails we here the same old thing – “The tactics were fine it’s the execution that was poor”. I think eventually you have to take a long hard look at your decisions and accept that regardless of the tactic or the execution, if it’s continually not working then it needs to be adapted into something that will offer a higher success rate.
6 Oct 2011, 04:38 am
@Yetirat(Yetirat)-3: 1st line *here* = hear
6 Oct 2011, 05:01 am
“The Boks have favoured a conservative game plan at this tournament. Halfbacks Fourie du Preez and Morne Steyn have sought to pressure the opposition by launching the ball skywards rather than swinging it wide”
“The Boks have favoured the conservative game plan??”.
Is there really another game plan?.
“Rather than swinging it wide???”
hahaha, ask habana when he was last passed the ball besides practice
6 Oct 2011, 05:04 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-5:
Last week when he scored in the corner against the thug Moans…………
6 Oct 2011, 05:39 am
Comon JC call a spade a spade you tool. “Mixed success” – what a load of cra_ p – that fools play has been an unmitigated disaster for a long time now. What is wrong with you and our coaching staff?
6 Oct 2011, 06:04 am
HELL NO! i don’t want to see the boks swinging anything wide unless they have a 18 point cushion on the board. Play the way you know how to.
avoid the aimless kicks! there’s nothing wrong with a well directed up and under with the chasers following up otherwise keep it tight in the forwards and play in their half!
I hope rugby players know its ok the answer ” i don’t know” rather than give diplomatic PC answers all the time.
6 Oct 2011, 06:30 am
Throwing it around against Samoa ended up with only one try. Fat lot of good that did.
6 Oct 2011, 06:44 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-9:
They only did that for 20 minutes of the first half.
6 Oct 2011, 06:53 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-9:
What was the score please? Who won?
D ickhead comment, so you have to win by 50 before you “really” win?
Stop being a troll dropkick!
6 Oct 2011, 07:07 am
righto Bryan pull the other one, the Bokke will attack now i’ve heard it all
6 Oct 2011, 07:36 am
“‘It’s also not easy when you have to make something like 200 tackles per game, but then you have to look at why we are spending so much time on defence. We have conceded too many knockons and turnovers, so we have to work harder to keep possession.’”
- You’re spending so much time on defence because you’re 9 and 10 keep kicking the ****** ball away, bru! Keep the ball through a few phases and you won’t have to make so many tackles!
6 Oct 2011, 07:38 am
you’re > your
6 Oct 2011, 07:50 am
Well-said 13.
Kick and chase with the Boks has another meaning. Keep kicking and they’ll be chased out of the RWC. On the few occasions where they have played phases, they’ve looked a lot better. They usually do this once the game is already out of reach and it makes no sense to hoof away possession and you’re left wondering why they didn’t run the ball the whole game.
Well if they do get thumped because of these lame tactics,hopefully, it’ll bring in a new era of less infuriating rugby.
6 Oct 2011, 08:14 am
just score like you used to bryan.
its simple really.
6 Oct 2011, 08:34 am
@rex(rex)-15: Not if Pdivvy is your coach till the next WC …………. Just curious but would the SA supporters want Pdivvy to carry on as coach if they win the WC , after all he will probably be honoured with the position if they win ?????
6 Oct 2011, 09:42 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-5: Cane u just have to think to 2009 when the Aussies made that same remark before we played them. That day we scored from loose play , first phase ball , kick and chase , multiple phase , FDP evens took a tap and scored a cheeky try. That was only 4 Trination games ago if you think of it
6 Oct 2011, 09:56 am
Go for it Habs. Your are looking more like your oldself, all the best sir!!!
6 Oct 2011, 12:54 pm
Um…. those 5 DK by Jannie were in a quater-final dooooos.
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