Boks’ failure rooted in defence
8 Sep 2012
RYAN VREDE writes the Springboks’ troubles have mounted, with poor defence now added to their list of shortcomings. A specialist fetcher will go some way to fixing this problem.
The Springboks’ defence, good to date, failed them and allowed the Wallabies a route back into the Test. They fell off tackles like schoolboys in the build up to the Wallabies’ tries. Pathetic. Absolutely inexcusable. They will lose by some distance if this is a feature of their play next weekend against the All Blacks.
However, they will ease their defensive burden significantly with the inclusion of a specialist fetcher. Heyneke Meyer has maintained that there is no room for a player of this ilk in his side, explaining that his opensider must be a competent ball carrier as well. Marcell Coetzee is a fine player, but in Francois Louw they have a far superior man on the deck and one that also meets Meyer’s ball-carrying criteria.
They made just two breakdown turnovers in this Test and consistently failed to slow the recycle. The Wallabies gradually grew in confidence and in the second half were allowed to control the flow and tempo of the play. It is imperative that Louw is included in a bid to stifle the Blacks’ attacking momentum.
Furthermore, their attack shows no sign of improvement. The lack of imagination and penetration they showed in the red zone suggests their struggles here are still some way off being solved. They nearly butchered the play in the build-up to their try, with Morne Steyn twice taking the wrong option. His kicking game was adequate. Not so his ball in hand play. For now Meyer will retain the belief that that sacrifice is worthwhile. However, Steyn has offered nothing to dispel the perception that his value transcends his kicking game. His cause wasn’t helped by the promising cameo Johan Goosen made.
Steyn, though, wasn’t helped by their strike runners’ impotency at the gainline. Meyer expects his behemoths to provide punch in this department, resisting the claims of more mobile and skillful players (particularly back rowers). They offered the team little momentum. In the context of the Springboks’ game plan and in the apparent absence of any players with the capacity to produce a moment of magic, failure to boss the tackle fight on attack is terminal to their cause.
There were some positives – their line kicking and tactical kicking game was good and pinned the Wallabies in their half in the first 40. Asked come up with an exit strategy, the Wallabies just never seemed to have one. This sort of pressure play is what Meyer hopes the bedrock of his success will be built on.
But they faded badly in the second half and now go to face the world champions with more questions than answers haunting them.
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108 Comments
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9 Sep 2012, 03:29 am
@cane-99: I am as cheery as can be.Thanks for the concern though
9 Sep 2012, 06:32 am
101 Enjoy the Sunday sports papers
9 Sep 2012, 07:23 am
@NZINCHINA-102: ALWAYS DO
9 Sep 2012, 07:33 am
Do you guys drop to 4th in the rankings now?
9 Sep 2012, 07:34 am
If not this week then definitely next week.
9 Sep 2012, 13:56 pm
@gwanty10 – how did you like that turboweverse scwum – against the Ozzies nogal and no JS to blame? Vark off back to support Namibia.
@kaizan, I agree with most of your points but I think the game plan is not crucial, provided you don’t be dof by kicking too much ball away senselessly. I would guess that Oz kicked as much, maybe even more, than the Boks. I think that what won NZ the RWC (aside from a pliant ref) was good drilling. The AB journeymen did the basics well; held their scrums and lineouts, protected that ball like demons, supported the ball carrier and had an organised defensive pattern. Then get quick ball and use turnover ball fullout and cleverly. NZ are not playing that well now but the memory of those drills and basics is still there.
The Boks haven’t really looked good on any of the above and I think may have gone backwards since their first England game. The opposition know the brekers like Alberts and watch him closely; he can’t keep doing what he did earlier. So I think Meyer, or his Bull bonehead coaching team, or both, are waaaay out of their depth. Leave Meyer, change the minions; Os/Balie Swart? for scrums, Vic M for lineouts, Rassie for the tackle ball etc and whoever WP’s defensive coach is.
Finally, leave Morne to kick but maybe move him to fullback like Percy. BUT he must understand that he needs to tackle or he’s back to Pretoria to stay. More than anything, the Boks need a reliable place kicker – should be one of the first 3 names on the sheet. Then hooker, then scrumhalf, maybe not too important after that.
10 Sep 2012, 01:02 am
Whats young Estebeth doing trying to be the designated hitman/enforcer, looks totally out of his depth for that role. Firstly you have to be accustomed to a razor for that job and you have to build a rep on and off the field to the point where your mere presence instills fear.Anyways I think the lad should be let off with a warning and told to pull his head in or a real enforcer may take it off.
10 Sep 2012, 01:29 am
Did anybody else notice how Frans Steyn butchered a three man overlap by skip passing to the last man in the line? FFS he has no clue as a distributor!! He should be playing as a fullback IMHO, joining the line at the last second at pace and with size, and breaking it. He is the problem in our backline.
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