Breakdown turnaround root of success
10 Jun 2012
Heyneke Meyer identified the Springboks’ improvement at the gainline and breakdown as the reason for their better second half performance against England at Kings Park.
The Springboks struggled to find an attacking groove in the first half, with their primary strike runners regularly repelled by accurate and physical defence from the tourists. They looked rudderless at times on attack as a result, but improved markedly in this facet of play in the second half and were able to ask far more probing questions of England.
Asked what his directive to his charges had been at half-time, Meyer said: ‘I’m very emotional, sometimes I lose it. Jean [de Villiers, captain] was brilliant at half-time and I said to the forwards they have to get stuck in better because I wanted to up the tempo. They responded and we got better cleans and our ball carriers got into the game. When that happened I felt there were times we played some brilliant rugby.’
Speaking about the officiating at the breakdown De Villiers explained he felt referee Steve Walsh was ‘quick on the call’ [to penalise the Springboks], but stressed the responsibility rests with them to improve.
Central to their second half showing was the ball-carrying potency of blindside flank Willem Alberts, who earned the Man of the Match award off the back of an outstanding performance. Meyer was lavish in his praise of Alberts, and noted his back row partners’ contribution as well.
‘I was very happy with the loose forwards, I think they were important in us winning the game,’ he said. ‘Willem was brilliant. I spoke to him during Super Rugby and told him he was going to start and I wanted him to be at his best. He was awesome. Marcell Coetzee, starting his first Test, was unbelievable. People criticised that selection but he showed his class. Pierre [Spies] had one of his better Test matches as well. They’ll get better as a combination the more they play together.’
He also spoke highly of Bryan Habana’s showing. The winger has struggled in Tests in the last four years but looked sharp and dangerous throughout the match.
‘Bryan has probably played his best rugby for me. We’ve had long chats and I told him he needs to enjoy the game again, and be that vibrant player he had been at his best. He got to the point where he was just too conservative. He doesn’t have the X factor when he is like that, so I encouraged him to take risks. He was brilliant at times tonight, and he’ll grow from here.’
Meyer was absolutely clear when asked about possible changes for the Johannesburg Test next week.
‘I don’t believe in giving jerseys away, you earn the chance so I’ll stick to the same team. We don’t have a lot of time, two more Tests and then they go back to Super Rugby. They have to get game time together,’ he said.
233 Comments
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10 Jun 2012, 15:16 pm
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-98:
I just like a no.8 with both pace and power. Vermeulen would have the power, but he would be our slowest no.8 since, I don’t know, forever.
Wannenburg, Danie Rossouw, Van Niekerk, Jacques Cronje, all of them were much quicker than Duane Vermeulen.
10 Jun 2012, 15:17 pm
@ Tacticus
Spies is k@k – horse manure – popo. Take your pick!
10 Jun 2012, 15:20 pm
It will be a mistake to start Pienaar and bench Hougaard
Hougaard apart from the rush of brain to the head with the tap kick under the England poles actually had a very good ten – fifteen minutes in the second half before Pienaar came on. Hougaard was very instrumental in the M. Steyn try and his service was far better than it was in the first half. The entire Hougaard dilemma comes from him trying too hard to become FdP the II. He should simply chuck that stupid nonsensical ideal out the window and play his own physical dynamic game.
If HM starts Pienaar in next test it could go exactly opposite to what he wants to see. I said before kick off he should have started Vd Merwe and play Etsebeth off bench.. in this respect i was correct. Etsebeth sumply needs to grow into his capacity as the enforcer type No.4 lock, which he isn’t yet. Etsebeth and Kruger play a similar type game they both cover for the athletic No.5 lock spot, if its a hard liner No.4 thye looking for Etsebeth isn’t that player yet and by pushing him into that role too early they could actually undermine his long term career because its too much expectation of a player who has only just evolved into his senior portfolio in the team.
Coetsee is different in that respect because his role is Not to enforce but to play the to the ball harassing role which he does well. So its far easier to step up to a dynamic loose forward role than to become an enforcer at the tender age of 21.
Spies performed well at the duty that was expected of him which was play it safe off the back and take some line out responsibility at the back which he did well.. His ball carries into the fray of the opposition is still rather tentative, if you compare his forages into the trenches compared to say Alberts or Vermeulen he doesnt bust through tackles like they are able to do, but his line out takes and his recycle off the base of the scrum were OK.
The most telling aspect of the entire exercise was actually how well JdV captains the team.. this, like I said before is really what has cemented Boks into a dynamic go forward effectual outfit. His captaincy and leadership is what drives the whole.. same as he does at Stormers except here it is so much better pronounced.. HM is especially lucky that his initial calls for Matfield and FdP were rejected because only by default has he settled on the CORRECT captaincy for this team.. and if he’s thinking that when Burger becomes fit enough to start that he should automatically take Coetsee’s place at open side or take captaincy away from JdV it will be the biggest mistake Meyer could possibly ever make, and will be an outright failure.
10 Jun 2012, 15:22 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-100: No havent heard anything official
We have suffered alot of injuries up front but guys like James haskell, George Robson, Carl Fearns, Graham kitchener could come in and beef the pack up
Alex Cobisiero could come back at loosehead althought thought Joe Marler played well
Our media in the UK dont care about rugby not heard a word about our defeat to SA in the British press
Everyone here is talking about the Euros
10 Jun 2012, 15:29 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-103:
JDV has said that a move to 13 could lengthen his career a bit. And maybe even extend his captaincy of the Boks. For another year or two. HM won’t at this stage appoint a long term captain. Can’t see it happening.
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-101:
Vermeulen is not as slow as most make him out to be. Having said that, HM is spoilt for options at 8. The way I read HM – when all are fit and ready – it will be 1) Vermeulen 2) Alberts 3) Spies.
10 Jun 2012, 15:29 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-103: Skop if you see the way FH played yesterday , there was no sniping etc. Only the occasional kick from the base but the rest of his duties revolved around linking play and as you quite rightly point out he was the scrummie that got the ball going out for the Alberts break, however he nearly botched it close to the line when Jannie ran into him. Pienaar offed the same and was perhaps better at it, we had incribly quick recycling in the second half. I do however like FH because he has enormous self belief.
Think you might also be right about JDV asskipper but then he learnt from the best didn’t he
10 Jun 2012, 15:31 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-101: Duane is very powerful runner and creates go forward,also tackles the player back in the tackle,will make a huge impact compared to Spies.Spies has speed,what does it help him?
10 Jun 2012, 15:31 pm
England should consider the following
Drop Barrit, perhaps play Goode at back, play Flood 10, Farrell / Tuilagi 12 / Joseph 13, Foden / Brown wings. Care / Young at 9 both similar type players.
And England missing a tough tight head Corbisiero and a tough second rower Lawes and a speedy back rower Croft.. otherwise they could be a handful.
10 Jun 2012, 15:32 pm
Willem Alberts is a beast we really did struggle to deal with him. Hopefully Haskell or Fearns come in they can deal with him
Ben Morgan was nursing a hamstring injury thus only played 60mins but when hes on form he will cause SA problems with his sheer power/pace talk about Pierre Spies being this destructive ball carrier well Ben Morgan was destructive in the six nations hes been a real surprise hes come out of nowhere really
10 Jun 2012, 15:41 pm
I liked how JDV was knocked on his *** a few times, but always stood up to the tackle.
10 Jun 2012, 15:42 pm
@john123(john123)-109: Spies and destructive don’t belong in the same sentence.
10 Jun 2012, 15:44 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-110: Yeah,he needs to go low on Tuilagi,was made to look foolish being handed off like that.
10 Jun 2012, 15:45 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-106:
Pienaar came on after we had already softened their resistance and we were already on the rampage through the advantage line.. Boks had already started punching holes through them at will and Hougaard was part of that and he simply got ahead of himself when he saw the try line 8 mts out and decided to try a tap kick and do a solo effort glory stint try… That why Meyer pulled him because he was afraid that his tendency to be too adventurous would cost us and hence he decided to throw Pienaar on to infuse a little more experience into the attack. Pienaar distributed OK but he is nowhere near as physical or corageous or defensively sound as Hougaard.. so to start Pienaar think will work against the momentum rather than enhance it for next week.
Hougaard started very slowly and tentatively advertising his intentions with his box kicking because that is what had been drummed into him as part of the FdP based game plan. His contribution in second half was far better and before Pienaar came on he was already speeding up his game and distribution substantially.
I’d start next week as this week perhaps with only considering a switch at lock. No.8 is still a concern though.. Spies did OK in the tentative game we saw from both sides yesterday.. If it breaks out into a massive physical confrontation I fear he may go awol and Boks might need a more physically demanding contributor in the loose.
Alberts is great as a breaking raging bull on the charge and in the tackle area, but in the down and dirty trenches only Coetsee is fronting up with Bismark there, and another hard liner to the ball proponent might be necessary.. ala Brussow.
10 Jun 2012, 15:46 pm
My team for next weekend,
15 Lambie
14 JPP
13 Jean Cpt
12 Frans
11 Habs
10 Morne
09 Hougaard
08 Spies
07 Alberts
06 MArcel
05 Jandre
04 VD Merwe
03 Jannie
02 Bismark
01 Beast
16 Strauss
17 Coenie
18 Etsebeth
19 Daniel
20 Pienaar
21 Mvovo
22 Olivier
10 Jun 2012, 15:47 pm
Gotta disagree with Heneke Meyer over Spies he was poor didnt really do anything
Pierre Spies is a bit like James Haskell but all muscle and brawn but when it comes to matches they disappear you hardly see them.
10 Jun 2012, 15:48 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-113: Trouble is if you play Brussouw with Coetzee you dont have the wrecking ball option and Brussouw with Alberts wont work as Brussouw wont create the space for Alberts.
10 Jun 2012, 15:52 pm
our loosies have balance now, and HM will get the best out of Spies.
(or will eventually drop him)
10 Jun 2012, 15:53 pm
If de Villiers is a donkey what is Ashton?
10 Jun 2012, 15:54 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-116: Hiyas PIesangs boet , ltnc
It will work if you played Alberts at 8 and Marcel at 7 with Brussow at 6
10 Jun 2012, 15:54 pm
Tuilagi is listed as 6′ 1″ at 242 lbs
Frans Steyn as 6′ 3″ at 220 lbs
Jean de Villiers as 6′ 3″ at 222 lbs
If anything Steyn is heavier than De Villiers in current conditioning .. but both give away 20 lbs at least 10 kgs to Tuilagi who is like a runaway mobile freight train, akin to Alberts with more gas to burn at outside center channel.
10 Jun 2012, 15:57 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-71: Habana contributed very little? Even with your blind prejudice you must be able to see what a stupid comment that is.
10 Jun 2012, 15:59 pm
The media in the Uk are obsessed with Chris Ashton. I just dont see it with Ashton
Pundits keep going on about his support running and ability to sniff out tries sorry but for me I would like to see a winger recieve the ball and try to run over or around the opposite player
We have Christian Wade who can do that plus with ball in hand create and cause havoc in the opposition he always makes line breaks and because hes so small he can go throught the smalles of gaps
10 Jun 2012, 16:05 pm
what HM brings is excellent man management, what you’ll get is the best out of the individual players, and as a team that will be very hard to beat.
Habana is playing better rugby than in ages. Spies will improve, and Flip played well when he came on.
Very few silly penalties from the usual suspects, and with a few more weeks of playing together, along with Rassie’s technical nous, i’m very excited.
10 Jun 2012, 16:08 pm
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-105:
JdV should have been playing 13 since Fourie went to Japan.. I don’t know HOW the coaches at WP have MISSED the goddamn obvious.. De Jongh should have been at 12 LONG ago and JdV at 13.. this is exactly what has depleted Stromers attacking play… JdV is FAST.. and a brilliant ball carrier out wide, as we saw yesterday on two occasions once when he smoked Ashton around the outside and once when he scored a try breaking u=off his right and crashing through two defenders on the line. He has always needed to play to his strengths which is his top end speed and his visionary game which he CANNOT do at 12.. at 12 you need a gain line breaker, ala F. Steyn or de Jongh..
Also De Jongh would bring Tuilagi down every time because De Jongh would crunch him low and cut him down at the knees.. not attack him at his physical prowess which is his brute strength above the waist.
However JdV has proven 100 times or more what a great team motivator and sound clear thinking captain he is.. why the powers that be could not have recognised this 4 or more years ago. Boks legacy would have looked ENTIRELY different if JdV had captained Boks and Bismark had started since 2009 instead of that fatfunk clown that cost us the worst spate of losses we suffered under his NON captaincy since 2009 with Loss after Loss coming out of our ears..
Just look how more pumped and motivated this Bok team is with the CORRECT players starting and the CORRECT captain captaining the team.
HM’s making Bismark VC is also a psychological master maneuver because he has laden Bismark with responsibility and taken away any brainless explosive reaction out of his thinking, he gotta now think twice before reacting in preconditioned anger like he’s normally wired to do.
10 Jun 2012, 16:08 pm
@john123(john123)-115:
HM said that Spies had one of his better test matches. Talk about damning with faint praise.
10 Jun 2012, 16:14 pm
Tuilagi is a freak hes an animal he did the same thing to O’Driscoll in the HC its his body shape hes so hard to take down and when he runs at you he usually runs through you
Did you see his tackle on Willem Alberts in the first half the guy lifted him like he was some sort of 5 year old kid and stopped a certain try
10 Jun 2012, 16:17 pm
@john123(john123)-122: Christian Wade = Brian Habana, Wade destroyed the junior Boks last year at the JRC
Chris Ashton is a poor replica of Manu Tuilagi, and Tuilagi showed him his backside when it came down to a physical confrontation when he punched his lights out in a club induced frenzy.
Yesterday Ashton thought he was away when he got a break down the blind side, except little Hougaard reeled him in and brought him down from behind.
Ashton can produce when playing inferior physical teams.. against Boks or AB’s he won’t be given that kind of leniency. Even Habana climbed into him yesterday and drove him back in the tackle which shows that 50% of mental adrenalin can create as much destruction as 50% mass and physical endowment… similar scenario with Spies.. throw him into a physical war zone and he’ll stand back and let the others climb into the fray while picking his moments and only producing 50% of his potential, not the entire kitchen sink.
10 Jun 2012, 16:21 pm
@john123(john123)-126:
He actually used his forearm to the throat to bounce Jean off. Funnily enough, if he was the tackler he’d have been red carded for dangerous play.
10 Jun 2012, 16:21 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-124: WOW!!! Is this the same louis schropnel who was screaming like a banshee a week ago about Heneke Meyer being fired by Saturday night, and the team selections being so very bad? I think I suggested then that youd be singing a different tune a week later, and also wondered aloud if youd have the balls to apologise for last weeks invective. Do you have a drinking problem louis? Or were you on medication last week? Either way, it is good to hear the sane louis analysing what was after all a decent start to Meyer’s reign as coach. Or did you maybe have Anger Management sessions during the week? Long may this continue.
10 Jun 2012, 16:22 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-120: and there are some who are calling for JDJ to front up in midfiled – can you imagine Tuillagi running over JDJ who is 55 lbs lighter than that freight train.
10 Jun 2012, 16:24 pm
Christian Wade = Brian Habana, Wade destroyed the junior Boks last year at the JRC
The England team were brilliant last year. Remember Joe Launchbury? He was picked but got injured shame. Would have been interesting to see eben Etzebeth vs Launchbury
George Ford won the IRB player of the year and recently has been very impressive
I agree Chris Ashton is an average player but pundits/coaches seem to be obsessed with his “Support running”
Bryan Habana was immense yesterday he always seems to make breaks I wish the England wingers could do that
10 Jun 2012, 16:25 pm
injury list: Kirchner – ankle
Hougaard: facial bruising
Habana: took a heavy knock.
10 Jun 2012, 16:29 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-124:
Got to say it. But you’re correct. Jean has a steady head on his shoulders and is able to think clearly. And question the ref’s decisions wisely. I hope Allister is watching closely.
JDV has not lost pace. And is not a donkey. Whatever HG thinks. I reckon JDV might be given the captaincy for the next year at least. Maybe 2 even. His career is coming to an end. He knows it. And HM knows it too. But they both have the passion of Bok rugby at heart.
The hunger of the Boks yesterday is what is impressed me most. Haven’t seen that committment for a while. The mistakes made can be corrected.
10 Jun 2012, 16:30 pm
The problem with Pierre Spies is that early on in his career, his coaches decided that someone with his physique and speed would make a fantastic looseforward, that he was wasted at wing. Unfortunately, they overestimated the effect that his physique would have on his looseforward skills and he turned out be not that great. He’s not as bad as people make him out to be (no team wanting to win trophies can afford a complete passenger in the loose forwards, so he must have some skill) but we expected better. We were told by the experts that he would the best flank in the world. We were told by Pierre himself that he would be the best in the world. But he isn’t. Not even close. So, we are disappointed and angry with him.
But it’s not his fault. Pierre is the sort of oke who will do what his elders tell him, and if his coach tells him to play flank, he’ll say “Ja, Oom” and he’ll play flank. If his coach had told him to play prop he would have played prop.
If Pierre Spies had stayed a wing, he’d be a legend. The cries of “Spppppiiiiiiiieeeeeessssss” from the crowds as he thundered down the touchline at full speed towards Shane Williams would have lasted for many seconds (until Shane Williams hauled him down by the ankles) instead of lasting just one second (and you haven’t even got to the- iiieeeess part) before the scrumhalf hauls him down by the ankles next to the ruck.
He’d have been our Jonah Lomu.
Spies himself would never ask to go back to wing. That would be like quitting, and the Oom before the Oom before this Oom told him that “Winners never quit and quitters never win!!” and he always remembered that advice. The coaches will never move him back to wing, because that would be admitting that you made a huge ****-up and you’ve turned what could have been a great rugby player into one who has been a big disappointment to everybody.
So I guess we’re stuck with him at 8th man.
10 Jun 2012, 16:33 pm
get rid of spies and lambie they both kaka sies.
10 Jun 2012, 16:34 pm
lol Leciester Tigers tried to convert Tom Croft into a winger he can run the 100M in 10.6 a few years ago but it didnt work
10 Jun 2012, 16:34 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-132:
Is that the only way Meyer can justify not starting with him to the political asshats?
10 Jun 2012, 16:35 pm
For me the jury’s still out on Frans. When one considers the diabolical service that Hougaard gave his backs, 10 and 12 had very little space to operate in.
What impressed me about Pienaar, wasn’t just the speed of his clearing but his selection of who to pass to. He showed an awareness and authority that Hougaard still has to learn. As for some suggestions that Hougie needs to be given time, the Boks isn’t the place for that. Keep him as an impact player and 9/wing backup on the bench and let him hone his 9 skills in the S15 and CC.
10 Jun 2012, 16:35 pm
wow, the stats on Spies from yesterdays game is pretty amazing…
10 Jun 2012, 16:35 pm
@IAAS(I am a stormer)-133: Taute is the man to replace JDV at 13 in the long run. He is the same height and weight as JDV but is blessed with way more gas than the old man – and the good thing is that Meyer rates him.
There are some good centre coming through – big monsters playing in the SA u20 right now with bright future. Players like Paul Jordaan, Whitehead, Venter, Sadie. Ebershon and JDJ are just too light to take on the monster backs that Hensen has.
10 Jun 2012, 16:36 pm
when the hulk and vermeulen comes back spies will fly.
lambie is too scared to play rugby and cant drive anyone back in a tackle around the ankles.
england for the next win
10 Jun 2012, 16:37 pm
frans steyn 6 tackles – 3 missed.
http://www.rugbystats.com.au/matches/rugby/match16733.html
10 Jun 2012, 16:38 pm
spies will never be the player he was when he was on steroids end of story
10 Jun 2012, 16:39 pm
@David(David)-138: he has played about 8/9 matches at inside centre for the Boks in RWC matches – more than any other centre in SA rugby history – he is the man for the jersey.
10 Jun 2012, 16:39 pm
@RL(RL)-130:
JdJ would have brought Tuilagi down both times he went over JdV.. because JdJ would crunch him low.. Tuilagi would not get through JdJ.. how much you wanna bet.?
@greybeard(greybeard)-129:
HM was forced to resignedly accept JdV as his captain which was not his initial planned desire, and now he is very glad the decision was taken out of his hands.. HM was a bundle of nerves before kick off and it impregnated the team which is why they started so tentatively with Hougaard stuffing up he momentum first 40 minutes under pre conditioned game plan ‘orders’..
HM was explicitly relieved at game end when captaincy and traditional Bok gees broke through to inevitable triumph, and HM has even gone on record to say it was JdV’s motivation that turned the tide through his clear thinking leadership during half time in the change room.
De Jongh, Aplon and Kolisi should have been considered ahead of Olivier, Kirchener / Basson, Kankowski… those were and are still blatantly flawed decisions..
also his rushing Etsebeth into the enforcer role could go contrary to what is expected of the youngster.. he has only recently become mature enough for international rugby.. and enforcer status does not come overnight automatically.. Etsebeth is more of an athletic loose playing lock prospect similar to Kruger even perhaps a very good option at 8 in a big hard core trench war type showdown.. but if its a hard liner enforcer they looking for Vd Merwe or Elstadt or even Alberts or Sykes would be better suited at our current juncture. AB’s will not be a weak half baked setup like this England team who don’t have Lawes and Croft and a tough front row to enforce in a physical encounter. Etsebeth needs time to settle into the role HM sees him for him in the long run.
10 Jun 2012, 16:41 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-145: Really not what I asked you louis – please answer my question. And please not with asinine **** about Meyer having his hand forced re the captaincy. As I suspected last week, you do not have the balls.
10 Jun 2012, 16:44 pm
@zub(zub)-134:
The mentality of a wing is generally to avoid being tackled and looking for opportunities to receive the ball. The psychological profile of a flanker is the exact opposite.
10 Jun 2012, 16:49 pm
Spies:
Tackles: 9
Missed Tackles: 1
Offloads: 1
Runs: 16(most in team) 101metres (most in team)
Rucks/Mauls: 17 (most in team- second highest 6)
Turnovers: 1
10 Jun 2012, 16:49 pm
@louis schropnel(louis shrapnel)-145: if Tuilagi had landed an elbow to JDJ’s jaw he would have been out for the 10 count – lights out man down good night nurse!
Tackle low and all Tuilagi has to do is pop the ball off to the man running off his shoulder forcing desperate scamble defence. Tackle the All Black monster round the ankles and it is try time – that is fact no need to bet on that.
10 Jun 2012, 16:51 pm
the tuilagis have another monster who looks something like ashley johnson in the vodacom ad
Then there is the third of the brothers, the 27-year-old Olotuli. For centuries in the Pacific Islands, some of the men have been brought up to think of themselves as women and live a woman’s life. In Samoa they are known as fa’afafine. “Olotuli is fa’afafine, he doesn’t play rugby,” Freddie explains. “He wears a dress and make-up and if he walks around Leicester every one looks at him, thinking, ‘Is this a man or a woman?’ In Samoa it’s normal, there is no prejudice.” Olotuli is, says Freddie, the biggest of all the brothers – which means he is huge – and could have been another flanker like Henry.
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