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
8 Sep 2012, 14:31 pm
AWOL Dragons
8 Sep 2012, 14:34 pm
South Africa just really suck at rugby these days.
8 Sep 2012, 14:36 pm
2 Players which shold be replaced URGENTLY:
1. Morne Steyn – Anyone… Even my grandma will do better at the moment. Sorry Morras, you’re having a aweful season. Go back to CC and come back in a years time. (Im a blue bull supporter)
2. Jean De Villiers – Can’t tackle, can’t run.. (I would even have Olivier back)
8 Sep 2012, 14:37 pm
Here is the problem. You have Lambie and Goosen on the bench and you only use them for 10 minutes in the end. As soon as they came on there was some creativity and attacking impetus. What does Meyer have to lose to start with them. Surely they cannot be worse than Steyn on 10 and Moegoe on 15. Surely they can kick as well as they can if the dumbstubborn Heyneke cannot get out of the kick the ball away game plan. But at least you have the attacking option. Watching the Boks these days just don’t generate any excitment anymore. To lose is one thing, to lose with this game plan every week is just awful.
8 Sep 2012, 14:38 pm
“This sort of
pressure play is what Meyer
hopes the bedrock of his success will be built on.”
i thought DEFENCE was supposed to be the “bedrock” of meyer’s plan, ryan.
8 Sep 2012, 14:39 pm
Well when you have kak defenders like Steyn and the kakker Mvovo who also cannot field high balls then you know what is going to happen.
8 Sep 2012, 14:40 pm
Don’t know whats going on in Heynekes mind. Yes, the kick and chase thing worked for the bulls 10 years back when nobody figured it out, but wait, they figured it out. It doesn’t work aymore. Listen to the supporters Heyneke, this is kak boring rugby to watch Steyn kick the ball away. We have some of the most talented runners!
8 Sep 2012, 14:41 pm
Is anyone actually coaching the backline? If so then I would expect the backline to be shouting at the forwards to secure ball and then let then run some plays.
However it just looks as though they are sitting back on their heels and only running / attempting something when the ball comes to them. I have a strong suspicion that it is due to the coaching coaching out creativity from the team…
8 Sep 2012, 14:41 pm
4 things:
1) I think we need Ralapele, Straus just isn’t making any impact. Ralapele plays a role similar to Bismark and adds an option for stealing the ball.
2) I defensive line-out is nothing like Victor/Bakkies. Before I knew we would steal some crucial ball but no longer.
3) I like the team we put out today. I thought Kirshner had a good game and his kicking game has come on leaps and bounds.
Otherwise I liked the team. They will get better and better.
4) Our attack is terrible, absolutely no creativity!!!!!
8 Sep 2012, 14:41 pm
Lol Ryan
And just before the England series you supported the decision to start Coetzee?
And believed the days of the “specialist” fetcher is gone?
It is easy to criticise selections ex post, but not that easy to challenge selections ex ante.
8 Sep 2012, 14:41 pm
Oh yes 5) REPLACE STEYN with GOOSEN or LAMBIE!!!
8 Sep 2012, 14:43 pm
More Straueli excuses.
“Inexperience”… “we have a plan”… blah blah blah.
Easy way to solve this.
1. Sack Meyer.
2. Hire a real coach.
3. Select players that are up to it.
8 Sep 2012, 14:45 pm
i dont think tis all doom and gloom i thought we did so well
we lost away from home by 7 points . and ja we r going to get a carrot from the abs next week but we r looking alot better under meyer than we did with snor
8 Sep 2012, 14:45 pm
If Australia had a half decent line kicker, SA would have been hammered!!!
Completely inadequate performance by the Boks. They are slow and 1 dimensional! Its frustrating to watch when you know there is better players sitting at home and on the bench!
8 Sep 2012, 14:47 pm
I puked on my Bok jersey watching that…couldn’t resist the gag reflex
8 Sep 2012, 14:47 pm
the black winger had a nightmare game
8 Sep 2012, 14:48 pm
i will never understand why jacque botes was never a bok and what bout those high tackles the wallabies threw no penaltys and i think our player will be in trouble for that head butt
8 Sep 2012, 14:48 pm
@willievz-10:
Ryan isn’t worth listening to.
Him and
Ben10Grant10 have been talking up Francois Louw for longer then I can remember. The guy runs from ruck to ruck making a nuisance of himself but rarely making any difference. Never gets his hands on the ball. Never makes turnovers. Concedes stupid penalties.Bring back Heinrich asap.
8 Sep 2012, 14:49 pm
@klippies-16: He’s got a name. dont be a ****.
8 Sep 2012, 14:49 pm
@Test-15:
Luke… Is that why you weren’t playing last night? Was feeling a bit nauseous?
8 Sep 2012, 14:50 pm
i wasnt
8 Sep 2012, 14:51 pm
people say the boks lack imagination in atttack but the wallabies wernt that flash either
8 Sep 2012, 14:52 pm
As a kiwi I offer this comfort. Graham Henry had a miserable first year in the trinations. Bad selection, bad game plans + over trained the players. We went on to have an amazing period of success (even including the wc 2007 debacle). HM deserves time. It was never the NZ way but we learnt.
8 Sep 2012, 14:52 pm
I very rarely comment on this forum as I find the comments are based a lot on hysteria … But Ryan, please explain how including a fetcher will make a considerable difference in bolstering the defence? Explain that statement? Ridiculous. It’s like saying Jp du plesis should be a springbok because he played well in a third tier competition against the bulls. Just laughable. Or like keo crying like a little girl a couple of years ago to have Luke Watson in the team. No sense and all hysteria
8 Sep 2012, 14:53 pm
Jean De V. missed another game-costing tackle. This time Shipperley turned his defence into candy floss. The lack of creativity in the backline can only be subscribed to mediocre captaincy. Time to remove the Bok captain as well as Morné Steyn.
8 Sep 2012, 14:54 pm
Fire this dinasaur tactics man. At the end of the Castle Rugby Championship Heyneke Meyer would have this record: Played 9 – Won 3 Lost 4 Drawn 2.
8 Sep 2012, 14:54 pm
Vrede, on the contrary the genesis of this defeat is the introduction of Lwazi Mv ovo. His error off a kick-off led to an infringement by his colleague, & Aus scored 3 pts from the penalty. Then take a look at how he defends fresh air & doesn’t attempt a tackle, leaving it to his team-mates. That resulted in a converted try. My view is he gave away 10 pts, & that before he came on the team was comfortably headed for victory
8 Sep 2012, 14:55 pm
Hey guys I’m new to this site and a Kiwi to boot (don’t hold that against me). Is it just me or are the All Blacks being made to look a lot better than they are at the moment. I just saw the Boks get beaten by a team full of players who would struggle to make a decent NPC or Currie Cup team of yesteryear. Dingo Deans gets a lot of flak but the Wallaby coach does a pretty good job with what he’s got to pick from.
8 Sep 2012, 14:55 pm
Bad tactics, bad payer choices. Coaching staff is useless.
8 Sep 2012, 14:56 pm
Lwazi Mv ovo was kak but might have just been nerves
8 Sep 2012, 14:57 pm
I’m curious to see if HM changes his plan against the AB’s. Their back 3 are very safe under the high ball and dangerous on the counter. It will also be a lot harder for the boks to control them territorially through kicking. It would seem to me as if a different approach would be better suited.
8 Sep 2012, 14:57 pm
We are just the dumbest international team around….
8 Sep 2012, 14:57 pm
@ngapuhi-28: No mate, our Boks have a coach who is living la vidafuckingloca in 1997…He has not moved on, and refuses to.
Our sh y te just got real…..
8 Sep 2012, 14:58 pm
@ngapuhi-28:
I’ve been thinking the same thing. The Ab’s execution has been terrible over the last 3 games. I’m not sure why they’re so hyped right now. I find their current games quite hard to watch quite honestly, they’re so stop start.
8 Sep 2012, 14:58 pm
@viewer-27: I saw exactly the same thing – Mvovo is not up to test match standard. Willie Le Roux at 15 and Coetzee on the wing will solve two problems at once.
8 Sep 2012, 14:59 pm
@klippies-13: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
8 Sep 2012, 14:59 pm
The only good thing that happened in Perth was Genia making a complete fool of himself in the post-game interview, thinking that Rod Kafer was criticising his play when in reality he was talking about Genia’s injury.
8 Sep 2012, 15:00 pm
I’m not watching these poofs play another second before some serious changes are made. Griquas would beat them and I’m not exaggerating. Each and everyone, on the pitch and off it, is an embarrassment.
8 Sep 2012, 15:02 pm
Mr Meyer, ignore the extreme posts as it is indeed easier to sit back and criticise than to do. Having said that, I for one am not too unhappy about the loss. I think expecting to win when playing Australia or New Zealand away from home is unrealistic.
What does upset me though is the manner of the loss. The Aussies generously gave us 4 chances to score the try we eventually scored. My issue is why do we need four chances to score a single try. We play as if we are more scared to make a mistake than to win. For a long time I always felt rugby was about winning only and it didn’t matter how. Now I realise that other countries enjoy the playing game of rugby and we just seem to enjoy winning. We don’t seem to enjoy playing the game.
8 Sep 2012, 15:02 pm
@klippies-13: Dude, jy is nie ernstig nie…
8 Sep 2012, 15:03 pm
@RoodepoortBul-19:
well said, he was being a doos.
he was bad though. needs some serious coaching on fear of contact before he can play for the boks again.
8 Sep 2012, 15:03 pm
My player ratings. 5 means average, nothign good, nothing bad.
1. Beast – 3, had a shocker! Both of our props were nowhere in the scrums, Beast who is normally good in the loose, was terrible and got carded.
2. Strauss – 6, is no Bissy, but had a solid game and threw very well.
3. Jannie – 3, see Beast above. Also gave away penalties in crucial positions.
4. Eben – 6, had a few strong runs.
5. Kruger – 6, strong in the lineouts. Got pushed back in a tackle that led to a try, but Mvovo had already allowed momentum to make the prop unstoppable. Bekker may have made a difference, but I don’t think so.
6. Marcel – 5, did what was expected.
7. Alberts – 4, did nothing to suggest that he is not an impact player.
8. Duane – 6, good to have a specialist. Won us a penalty by competing for the ball.
9. Pienaar – 6, made a few mistakes, but got good, clean ball to the backline. Slowed it down when needed, quick ball other times.
10. Steyn – 3, did nothing for us in general play, missed a kick and two drop goals. How is he still in the team?
11. Hougaard – 7, does anyone still doubt that wing is his strongest position? Looks dangerous every time he had the ball.
12. Frans – 5, kicked two good penalties but his general play looked slow. Seems to need some serious work on his conditioning.
13. JDV – 3, missed crucial tackles, made no impact on attack. His position would be under threat if there was an alternative.
14. Habana – 8, made some great runs, scored a try and won us a turnover – something the forwards couldn’t manage.
15. Zane – 7, pains me to say it, but he had a great game. He chases his own high balls very well, has a huge boot on him for line kicks.
16. Tian – was on for to little some, but his throwins were bad.
17. Pat, 4 – only slightly better then our starting props because he didn’t give away penalties.
18. Flip, not on long enough.
19. Louw – needs to start!
20. Goosen – only on for a bit but did more then Morne did during the rest of the game.
21. Lambie – I’m not sure where to play this guy, but he needs more time on the field.
22. Mvovo – Lets just hope Habana is not seriously injured, this bloke had a mare!
8 Sep 2012, 15:04 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-41:
oops, i mean
mvovo was bad
8 Sep 2012, 15:05 pm
Please EVERYBODY…go and see HM post match interview……………………………………….IF that doesn’t PROVE he travels abandoned by REALITY nothing ever will. We are DOOMED, The SPRINGBOK emblem must be removed from the jersey. It has been MURDERED.
8 Sep 2012, 15:05 pm
Midfield is slow and they cannot create space for those outside of them. Both Frans and Jean are terrible with this.
The least said about the revolving door masquerading as a flyhalf, the better. Hopefully this is his last international.
8 Sep 2012, 15:08 pm
@pencil-34
I just think the whole game at the international level is at a low. Given a choice I would rather watch the semi-amateur stuff a la Currie Cup & NPC. It’s meant to be a simple game IMHO.
8 Sep 2012, 15:08 pm
@ngapuhi-28:
We have been doing just enough to win i think.
I am yet to see the ABs of last year. Mind you how we took apart Ireland in that thrashing was something no one had seen before.
ABs have not been finishing lately. Cant put my finger on it. Even tonight our attcak was not straight enough, always run out of room and forced crappy passes.
8 Sep 2012, 15:09 pm
Get the Tories out and get Goosen and Lambie on as fast as possible. We don’t want to watch ogre rugby, we want to see nice competitive running rugby,
8 Sep 2012, 15:09 pm
@Boertjie-44:
lol
surely not that bad
8 Sep 2012, 15:09 pm
Already during the week bloggers here questioned the wisdom of selecting a specialist (left) wing on the bench (who ended up playing 14). Must be the reason he fluffed the kick off.
I might be alone on this but IMHO that was Meyer’s sole (NEW) selection error for this match.
8 Sep 2012, 15:10 pm
@Hurricane-47: You were a little bit lateral on offence, bud.
8 Sep 2012, 15:10 pm
Zane – did nothing wrong
Habana – why was he subbed?
Jean – nothing there
Frans – a few good tackles, OK one
Hougaard- tried but then zzzz
Morne -nothing
Ruaan – just a link (intelligent link)
Duan – one steal
Juandre – good game
Etsie – good game and learning all the time
Marcell -zzzzz
Willem – just not an international loosie
Front row – solid
HM – zzz???zzz
8 Sep 2012, 15:12 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food Says:
I agree your coach seems to be besotted by the old subjugate & batter approach of old Bok teams. It worked well when all the other teams weren’t as physically robust. These guys are all pros now. Any chance of getting White back or is he gone for good you think?
8 Sep 2012, 15:15 pm
@willievz-51:
I think the bigger problem was how impatient they are. They try to force so much that eventually the handling errors mount up and they lose all of their momentum. NZ needs to be a lot more calculated in the way they play, right now it’s dire.
8 Sep 2012, 15:17 pm
The concerns many of us have had surrounding Heineke Meyer’s one dimensional game plan have finally become a reality. We have lost a game we should have won and the Wallabies recent record over us continues. This is unacceptable. Meyer’s record currently stands at Played 6, won 3.
The discerning fans on this site have been saying for months now that a one dimensional game plan can not possibly be the answer for a team striving to be the best in the world. Still, there have been saying the Meyer needs to be given a chance. Well he’s had his chance now and I am afraid this level of permance simply isn’t good enough.
Here are the following areas we need to improve drastically if we want to have a chance of winning next weekend:
- Urgency and aggression at the breakdown – We need more menace at the breakdown on opposition ball and we need more aggression at the breakdown on our ball. Much, much more aggression.
- Aggressive defense – This is the first aspect of our game that needs to be addressed and if we do so, we will look like a new team. When the opposition has the ball, we need to put the pressure right back on them. I want to see our players all over the opposition, making life difficult and forcing them into mistakes. I want our players to look like rabid animals, frothing from the mouth on defense. More urgency, more aggression. We need to use the rush defense more often (not all the time – only when its on)… Drift defense. Huge tackles. Keep the opposition honest and timid. You can turn defense into attack if you do it with the right attitude. We need to get the right attitude.
- Competing at the lineouts more – why not?
- More variety in our game plan – we are the most predictable team in world rugby and it makes us easy to prepare for. If we use additional tactics apart from just the kick and chase, we will keep the opposition guessing and make ourselves more difficult to prepare for. Bloody simple stuff I would have expected the coach to know about.
- More variety from our flyhalf – As above, we need to keep the opposition guessing. Goosen looks better than Morné Steyn. Lambie is also an option.
- Offloading in the tackle – As a world class team, we should be good enough to do this. I want our team to do this in training week in and week out until we can offload with confidence and then we will know when to offload and when to hold onto the ball. It just takes practice.
- Knowing your opposition – It is mind-numingly frustrating to watch your team play a “one-size-fits-all” approach against every team,. Different teams have different weaknesses you can exploit. We need to be smart enough to use tactics that work.
- Opposition offloaders – following on from above, we know that guys like Sonny Bill Williams and Quade Cooper are going to throw offloads in the tackle. How about we have a player waiting nearby when the tackle on them is made, ready to look for the intercept??…. If they don’t throw the offload, then Bingo, we have found a way to stop them offloading.
- Tactical kicking – Meyer keeps talking about a kicking game plan, but we are actually putting more pressure on ourselves sometimes when we kick down the oppositions throat. How about we find touch once in a while?
- Leadership – we need more leadership in our team. Part of this is not Meyer’s fault, as we have lost some exoerienced players to injury, but we still need to be diong better. There are some experienced players who have been ignored but who would have brought leadership and direction to the team. In addition to that, a world class coach would have been able to get on the phone to experienced players who are overseas to bring them back temporarily.
- A better coach – Overall, Heineke Meyer has taken the Boks backwards. Even when we get our injured players back, we are still going to play impotent rugby because we only have one game plan. It’s the way we are playing at the moment which is most concerning and I’m afraid unless Heineke drasticall changes his approach to rugby, we will continue to be left behind by the other teams in world rugby.
8 Sep 2012, 15:18 pm
@ngapuhi-53:
My bet is that Jake White will be coaching the Aussie national team at the end of Dean’s tenure.
8 Sep 2012, 15:18 pm
we can beat the wallabies at home but i dont know bout the all blacks just yet
8 Sep 2012, 15:18 pm
First off , excellence and Zane Kirchner does not belong in the same sentence , then secondly defence is the last of our problems. We KICKED way too much again. We did not play towards our strengths and we picked unfit players, The boks would rather play an unfit bruiser like Duane than a fully fit Link player like Keegan and thats our problem. Heneke is short sited and cannot play any other team than theone that suits his way of playing , he cannot adapt and until then we will lose alot more.
8 Sep 2012, 15:18 pm
@Mike H-56:
Too many Stupid supporters in SA> They don;t know what a good coach is.
8 Sep 2012, 15:18 pm
@ngapuhi-46: We’re not playing with the new rules in the RC though. I think they’ve made the game a better spectacle. Alot quicker and more entertaining with the 5 second rule and the scrums smoother than under the old ruling. I definetly agree that the rugby in the RC has been pretty uninspiring all-round.
8 Sep 2012, 15:20 pm
@Mike H-59: you talk youeself and you call others stupid.
8 Sep 2012, 15:22 pm
@Kaizan-55:
Yip the loss of experience is massive. And exactly why I knew that this year would be a challenge. See past posts over a year ago.
People go on about picking the flashy youngsters. It’s so ridiculous.
This once again proves the value of experience.
The AB’s are so strong because their guys are experienced and still in their prime many of them. Some of these guys will be a little over the hill by the next world cup a bit like our guys were last year.
8 Sep 2012, 15:22 pm
@Kaizan-55: Meyer’s win record has slipped below Straueli’s
8 Sep 2012, 15:24 pm
@RL-61:
Never said I wasn’t stupid. Just think we should all take our opinions as just that and not get so worked up.
People hate Jake White – I can;t understand why. Basically they chased him out of SA.
Our best coach in the last 12 years and that’s what we do.
Anyway give HM a chance. These players are young and need to learn what test rugby is about.
Super 15 is for flashy kiddies. Test Rugby is for real men!!
8 Sep 2012, 15:24 pm
Alberts to lock, Etzebeth to 5, Bekker bench?
Hougaard and Habana starting wingers?
Aplon/Lambie at Fullback?
Goosen at Flyhalf?
My birthday wishlist
8 Sep 2012, 15:25 pm
@mikeH -56
It wouldn’t be a bad position to have would it? Compare coaching Australia (small pool of talent albeit) & SA. You can bet the money would be better (always a factor if people are honest) & you wouldn’t have to walk to political minefield that seems to be a corollary factor with any Bok appointment. Silly of me to think that Jake might ‘go home’.
8 Sep 2012, 15:26 pm
@pattyfries-65:
and fly up brussow to put richie in his place
8 Sep 2012, 15:28 pm
@willievz-51:
Yeah mate. And thats got me a bit worried.
We really never had that cross running styles when GH had the team. I always remember when GH had to take the back coaching the ABs lineout from Hansen cos we were cr@p.
I am not sold on hansen yet.
8 Sep 2012, 15:29 pm
@ngapuhi-66:
Ye SA supporters chased him away.
See what he did with a very young Brumbie team
the guy knows how to spot talent
8 Sep 2012, 15:30 pm
@Mike H-56:
Nope, they would not want another international coach. I think they will go and hire internal.
8 Sep 2012, 15:45 pm
@Hurricane
I think you are right there re Jake White; it appears Ewen McKenzie is the next cab off the rank as far as Australia is concerned. Just galls me to see good coaches on the ‘sideline’. What’s Mallet up to?
8 Sep 2012, 15:50 pm
Whoops!
8 Sep 2012, 15:53 pm
well lets hope thats the end of M Steyn…
gotta try to find the silver lining somewhere
8 Sep 2012, 15:54 pm
sometimes blessings come in the srangest form of adversities
8 Sep 2012, 15:54 pm
@Mike H-56:
no.
mckenzie will coach the wallabies
8 Sep 2012, 16:28 pm
@grant10-73:
HHAHA agreed
8 Sep 2012, 16:36 pm
@Mike H-56: Jake will not come even close as long as Mackenzie is around. Firstly, Aussie public will not forgive another foreigner (despite Deans having better win-lose ratio against any team bar Kiwiland). Secondly, Mackenzie is just better.
8 Sep 2012, 16:38 pm
Poor performance Boks. Boks showing no creativity. The ball not passing Francois Steyn once in the back-line. Crash ball the hole time, very predictable. We need at least one back-line move, the ball not even being touched by Francois Hougaard in the first quarter of the game. Mvovo not on Springbok standards, but I I understand our best wing, JP Pieterson, is injured so nothing can be done there. Morne again playing one dimensional , predictable and terrible. If we want to win against the Blacks’ Goosen or Lambie starting in the number 10 jersey is our best option to be even a bit more on the level of New Zealand’s standards.
Heyneke has to change his game-plan for Springboks to be even close to regaining the top seed, even the second seed. We need one fetcher with the other loosies being good ball-carriers. Our two exciting wings, Hougaard and Habana, needs to get more ball. They have so much potential, especially Hougaard who is still young. If we can, du Preez back on scrum-half will be a large bonus. Bur for now Pienaar needs to work on he’s tactical kicking as well as getting the ball to the back-line faster.
New Zealand’s back-line practicly lives on offloads, which are 50/50 passes but yet the Blacks’ are at 75% in the offloads. We need to see more of that, which i can prove by pointing back to the DHL Western Province vs the Vodacom Blue Bulls last weekend, where the WP made three brilliant offloads giving the Province alot of more space. They dominated the game defencefly, attackingly and chance wise.
Heyneke can say ,”We have to go back to the drawing board.” as much as he likes, but has to start making a change to the drawing board if he wants to get somewhere?
8 Sep 2012, 16:51 pm
The current coaching team will see the boks slump to 5th place on irb standings, if we’re lucky!
8 Sep 2012, 16:53 pm
@Nils-77:
McKenzie it’s a good coach I agree. It’s a good option.
Maybe you are right.
8 Sep 2012, 17:07 pm
But what about this? Australia have won their last five matches against South Africa and have won seven of the last eight matches against the Springboks. So is it all HM’s fault?
8 Sep 2012, 19:20 pm
The ozzzies are an average test team and there is our first problem we cannot beat them a decent bok performance would have won them the game.The boks are actually boring to watch at the moment they have not got a clue,where are our gamebreakers,oh i forgot we do not have any.The beast is no beast any longer he is poor at the moment,strauss is just not test standard,and jannie has big ? marks over his form,the front row are the softest in the RC and it shows,our locks have no mongrel in them and our loose trio were awful today,i heard coetsee`s name mentioned a few times,but vermeulen had a nightmare( not test standard)
along with alberts.Spies playing poorly is still way ahead of vermeulen.It is now time for morne to go to the bench,goosen must start,and pienaar is to slow simple as that.I thought kirchener played well enough he is solid if not flashy at full back and hougaard played well with the limited ball he had to work with and his defence is good.The other 3 habana de villiers and F steyn must F’##k off now and go and play CC as that is all they are good for now,especially devilliers and steyn as they are truly awful.That is my assessment of today`s` game for what it is worth.HM HAS to change his gameplan this kick and chase game he wants the boks to play is absolutely BOOOORRRRIIIINNNNNGGGGGGGGG and really awful to watch.
8 Sep 2012, 21:19 pm
@Mike H-80: To be honest, I do not know who else but him.
9 Sep 2012, 01:00 am
@klippies-57: The Boks have lost five in a row to Aussie and six out of seven — so they pretty much have your number at home AND away, pilgrim.
The right team — and the rightful and worthiest team — became the world champions in 2011. None of this “lucky pretender” nonsense like winning RWC without squaring up to either Oz and NZ like in 2007.
9 Sep 2012, 02:33 am
@TheTackler-84: None of this “lucky pretender”nonsense like winning rwc without squaring up to either Oz and SA like in 1987.
9 Sep 2012, 02:46 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-85:
SA rugby didnt exist in 1987, well not according to IRB
How can we square up to an imaginable opponent?
9 Sep 2012, 02:55 am
@Hurricane-86: You still did not play them.Imaginable or not.In 2007 nz couldnt play SA as they were not good enough to get through.87 was always a WC that would most probably have been won by SA had we played after we spanked the rebels in 86.
9 Sep 2012, 02:59 am
@TheTackler-84: how right was it that the French were screwed out of victory in the final? how worthy were Australia as semi-finalists at the hands of a since discredited ref with a pool loss to Ireland?
You shouldn’t throw stones tackles, because NZ were probably the least worthy WC final winners there has been.
9 Sep 2012, 03:02 am
@Big Hit-88:
Makes you question 2007, or does it not?
French didnt mind it in 2007, neither did the English and Boks. We all know ABs were going to man handle those teams in 2007.
Thing is take the RWC away, NZ is still the best team in the world.
9 Sep 2012, 03:06 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-87:
haha
Cavaliers only had 7 of the 22 players in the RWC.
What makes you think the Boks not at home were going to beat the new AB team?
We all know how the Boks travel.
Waste of time anyway this. Now really whose fault is it that you guys were not in the 1987 RWC ?
Fact is RWC 1987 was the first and won by NZ.
Its funny how this sort of thing pops up after a Bok loss.
9 Sep 2012, 03:11 am
@Hurricane-89: Just like NZ were going to man handle France in the final last year or in 1999 or SA in 1995 or Oz in 1991/2003.
Of course you’d love to take the WCs away, because your team can’t win one without fixing it in your backyard.
9 Sep 2012, 03:16 am
@Big Hit-91:
Prove the fixing claim. Go on.
You have nothing. Only fixing was the ball tampering by the English. Embarrassment to world rugby.
Again, take the RWC out. We dont need it to prove we are the best.
You live on a 4 year tournament. We live game by game. You lose to Wales, we dont. Ozzie took apart Wales in 3 tests. You are second place in 6 nations. Come back to me when at least your team is worthy.
9 Sep 2012, 03:16 am
Thread Title:
“Boks’ failure rooted in defence.”
Ryan,
many unnecessary words used here.
“Boks Rooted”.
Would be sufficient.
9 Sep 2012, 03:21 am
@Hurricane-92: I don’t need to prove it because everybody saw it. It was comfortably the most biased performance in a World Cup final of all time and NZ even had the same referee for the semi – unheard of.
Enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7C6bTHyC0U
9 Sep 2012, 03:24 am
: @Hurricane-90: We know the facts,but fact is SA did not play so not a true result.And this did not pop up after a loss but after reading one of your fellow snivellers comments i thought i would reply.
9 Sep 2012, 03:24 am
@Hurricane-92:
Biggles is just fishing Hurricane.
Old Blighty manage a win against NZ every 10 years or so.
Once this Millennium I think.
So fishing is his pastime………………………………..cause his Rugby Team is crape.
9 Sep 2012, 03:25 am
@Big Hit-94:
Yep non refereeing decisions….. like 2007.
And where does it say we fixed it?? No where.
Your false claims are laughable.
Now 2007 RWC.
Barnes set it up as he knew the ABs would be playing the English if they won. He knew England had no chance and a better chance to against the French.
Cheated. Are you really that blind?
9 Sep 2012, 03:26 am
@Big Hit-94: Very true.
9 Sep 2012, 03:26 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-95:
Cheer up Sniveler,
For fooks sake.
It’s only a game.
(yeah right).
9 Sep 2012, 03:26 am
@cane-96:
Yeah, hes bit of a joke really.
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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