What I don’t get though is why our coaches don’t get this facet of play where defenders are kept guessing. Most teams playing SA in Superrugby and tests are adopting a specific tackling style against our runners. Either they literally lie on the deck and our runner (in trying to flatten the defender) just trips over them (ie. Potgieters ridiculous kamikaze style) or they aim higher to dislodge the ball from runners with body positions too upright (also prevents the offload). After the Bulls loss against the Saders Dan Carter mentioned this as a tactic. With the opposition freely giving their tactics out to us, we still don’t adapt? I thought an supposedly astute coach like Heyneke could work on these things but I have seen nothing yet which suggests he has evolved this facet of play. Seems he just wants guys to hit the gainline harder, win more collisions…well guess what…we not winning as many collisions as we used to as opposition have figured out exactly where to apply their defensive hit!

The dissapointing part is that running lines are not something that cannot be learnt or devised before the game. Its a timing issue of a couple of runners being able to arrive at slightly different times on the gainline ready for the pass. Creating doubt every we get good ball at 9. Whats happening now is the opposition (and I mean almost every other rugby playing nation) know exactly where our ball is going and our good ball is being negated by fierce defenders who have no fear of SA physicality any more. So good ball then becomes bad ball when our runners are picked and iced. The Stormers defence also pick runners and make opposition ball bad (gang tackling) but they came undone when the Sharks loosies started offloading in the tackle, getting more ball to players like JPP at crucial times (who can create doubt in any defender) and using the kick chase method effectively when the time was right. These variations kept the Stormers guessing and their defence could not keep up in the semi final. We need these game variations in the Bok team like yesterday.

The socks down thing with him irritated our boys no end.

Skinner in particular hated it!

Only started playing when 18.

And you right, its not rocket science…which is a really bad statement on our current tactics from the coaches.

Its really weird the way the Boks try and attack (run over opposition) because I cannot understand why they seemingly do not enjoy outwitting defenders as a team. Whats the thrill for our professional coaches and players when they step out onto that pitch these days? The attackers standing around the 9 for the Boks are not arranged to create doubt in defenders. They are battering rams with other forwards pushing them into the contact often. What the coaches are doing with Alberts and Coetzee is gonna make them have frequent injuries and also a bit dom through habit. There has to be a better way and I think the coaches have not thought through playing the spaces next to number 9 at all aside from running in at pace and ramming.

but this is not rocket science, the argies defence was solid and resolute against the all blacks too (even though they were mostly infringing)

in the 65th minute of last year’s quarter final the score was All Blacks 18 – Argies 10 (all the all blacks points coming from Piri Weepu’s boot), point is, let’s not under estimate the Pumas but yeah our attack is predictable.

Of particular note is in the comments section where he responds after other users discussed the merits of Morne Steyn standing deep or shallow.

“…I wanted to say it is hard to attack off 9 if the backs are not coming forward across the field. You can’t force defenders to make decisions if it is obvious who the ball carriers are. By bringing the whole attack line forward, you force defenders to mark up, come forward and you can generate an element of fatigue in the defence. It also avoids gang tackles on ball runners as there is more than one threat attacking the line.”

Why do we persist with this game plan when a former All Black assistant coach knows exactly what we are going to do…and is telling the whole world? Why are our Bok coaches so blind to this when most of us can see it and we also have a World Cup winning coach saying similar things. Its actually unacceptable…full stop! The Argies looked good defending because they knew what we were going to do.

james o’connor with his socks down is a talented player period.