Wayward Boks must kick on
1 Oct 2012
JON CARDINELLI writes of all the opportunities the Springboks have spurned in 2012, the missed goal-kicks have proved most costly. It bodes badly for a close contest with the All Blacks.
There is good reason to feel encouraged and inspired following Saturday’s performance at Loftus. The Springboks were at their fearsome best as far as uncompromising physicality and defence was concerned, and they also added another element to their game. With the introduction of Johan Goosen, they now pose a realistic attacking threat.
I’m not sure what point Heyneke Meyer was trying to make after Saturday’s match when he lamented the missed try-scoring opportunities. The Boks converted five of eight try-scoring chances, and that is a good return in Test rugby, especially in a competition as defensively-oriented as the Rugby Championship.
It was also the first time the Boks had managed to put five tries past top-ranked opposition since they thumped the Wallabies in September 2010. Mission accomplished. Right?
I understand that Meyer wants people to realise that these tries are the product of a game plan that has been in place since the first Test of 2012. What’s changed is that the Boks are starting to execute efficiently.
Meyer is right to say it will be tougher to score tries against the All Blacks, but I cannot understand his lack of concern regarding the goal-kicking.
He has always placed an emphasis on goal-kicking, and that hasn’t changed since he became the Bok coach. It was the reason Morné Steyn was backed for as long as we was, as Meyer believed Steyn had the ability to win matches. If Steyn could come through a bad patch of form, he would be an asset to South Africa once more.
But Steyn has struggled consistently this season, and has left Meyer with no choice but to pick someone else. That someone has proved a revelation, unlocking attacking strengths that most South Africans believed non-existent. But as good as Goosen has been for the Bok attack, the problems in front of goal have continued.
Goosen went into the Pretoria Test with an ankle injury, and this affected his goal-kicking. The responsibility was then passed to Ruan Pienaar, who succeeded with three from seven attempts. In total, the Boks were successful with three from nine attempts. It’s just not good enough.
The Boks aren’t going to score five tries against the world champions. The South Africans are capable of beating the All Blacks, and recently showed in Dunedin that they have the forwards and the defensive structures to match the New Zealanders. With Goosen at 10, they will have a flyhalf who can ask attacking questions, but they won’t run riot as they did in Pretoria.
The simple truth is that these clashes are always close contests. One kick can win the game. The Boks didn’t take their chances in Dunedin, leaving 21 points on the park through wayward goal-kicking. They can’t afford to make the same mistake when they host the All Blacks in Soweto this week. They can’t afford to miss one kick, let alone seven.
The All Blacks arrive in South Africa having already won the Rugby Championship. Will that detract from their motivation, will it make them easier to beat?
They arrived in 2010 for the final game of the then Tri-Nations, and still managed to edge the Boks in front of nearly 100 000 fans at Soccer City. The Boks must take nothing for granted. They must take every opportunity.
Their recent goal-kicking form doesn’t inspire confidence, and Meyer must treat this as a matter of urgency.
Frans Steyn injured the same troublesome ankle in training last week and was forced to miss the Pretoria Test. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was ruled out of the Soweto finale, or at least excused from any kicking duties.
Goosen’s own ankle problem stopped him from kicking last Saturday. Will it be that Pienaar is asked to continue this week? If so, he will need to be far more accurate.
Meyer claims that Pienaar ‘stepped up’ at Loftus Versfeld, but the reality is that Pienaar missed four kicks (10 points), while Goosen missed two (six points). That’s a total of 16 points that went begging. That’s more than the total of the three tries that Meyer lamented.
The Boks have been poor in this department over the course of the competition, converting just 19 of their 37 shots on goal (a record of 51.3%). It’s unsurprising that wayward goal-kicking prevented them from edging Argentina in Mendoza, as well as winning the Test in Dunedin.
Morné Steyn has goaled 13 out of 20 (65%), which is a poor return for a first-rate international kicker. Some of the individual penalties that he’s missed have also been crucial ones.
One more goal in Mendoza and the Boks may have avoided an embarrassing draw. More success in Dunedin (Steyn kicked one out of five on that occasion) and the Boks would have recorded a famous victory.
Had Steyn converted these kicks, we may have seen the Boks still competing for the Rugby Championship crown at this late stage, rather than just playing for pride. But then Steyn is not solely to blame for the Boks’ erratic and unreliable goal-kicking, as the other goal-kickers haven’t been any better.
Frans Steyn is viewed as a freak, even in Test rugby circles, due to ability to convert long-range penalty attempts. But his stats in the 2012 Rugby Championship don’t make for impressive reading (two from six) and bring the overall goal-kicking average down.
Goosen has converted one from four attempts, and Pienaar three from seven. Last Saturday was the first time Pienaar kicked in the Rugby Championship. His two from four return in the first half was enough to keep the scoreboard ticking, but in a closer contest perhaps the kicks he missed would have been scrutinised as bad misses.
What sort of form is Pienaar taking into a tight clash with the All Blacks? Meyer claims that kicking coach Louis Koen will address the problems in the build-up to Saturday’s game, but the stats over the course of this tournament, of all four kickers used, don’t inspire any more confidence in Koen than they do in the kickers themselves.
The All Blacks are the benchmark, and history will show that South Africa rarely beats New Zealand by outscoring them in terms of tries. It has so often been the case that goal-kicking edges these massive match-ups, and in that respect Pienaar, or whomever takes on the responsibility, will have a decisive role to play this coming Saturday.
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594 Comments
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1 Oct 2012, 05:11 am
This was the most enjoyable test that the Boks have played in years…yes the kicking needs to be sorted out, but I would rather us play like this than watching Morne kick up and unders all day….dragons
1 Oct 2012, 05:14 am
soccer dragons?
1 Oct 2012, 05:14 am
The “great” Dan Carter will run the show in Soweto, we can beat you with kicks or tries, Ab’s to take the Bokke with superior finishing and conditioning.
1 Oct 2012, 05:17 am
promises to be a great game, lets hope no Saffas decide to take the reffing into their own hands and come onto the field to “assist” the ref, though I suspect the offer of a gold watch has already been presented..
tight five battle will be immense, Carter to further Goosens education and the Abs to edge it in the backs..
can’t wait for this one..
1 Oct 2012, 05:24 am
@NZINCHINA-3: Are you a hairdresser?
1 Oct 2012, 05:31 am
Yeah @4 Poppa69
ONLY in SA – where else in the world would you possibly see:
- a disgraceful drunken pot bellied fan run onto the field and assault a referee?
- a top wing blatantly tripping opponents if they got away from him (James Small)
- two players caught on film BITING opponents (Johan Le Roux and Wickus van Heerden)
- A national coach sanctioning eye gouging as “part of the game” (Pieter DV)
- A boastful president of the national RU announcing at a world cup function that there were only 2 countries that mattered in world rugby (Louis Luyt), causing a mass walkout of other countries
- thugs that elbow people in the head (Dean Greyling) or viciously headbutt (Bakkies Botha etc etc etc ….many examples)
- fans that CONTINUOUSLY see themselves as victims of refereeing decisions and IRB conspiracies
SA rugby needs to SERIOUSLY move out of the dark ages.
1 Oct 2012, 05:31 am
@stormer in a teacup-5:
1 Oct 2012, 05:36 am
If Percy can get Peter Grant to get Ann 80% record, why isn’t he approached? Bulls bias, that’s why.
1 Oct 2012, 05:58 am
forget these silly stats
run and bash these Blacks
Goosen Steyn Hougard are our Big 3 that need to fire in backline.
1 Oct 2012, 05:58 am
IMO it will be close but the Boks will take it. This is a better team which will hopefully stick to the gameplan and their forwards hold the edge over NZ. Why the Argies changed their gameplan against NZ over the weekend is beyond me but it helped with that scoreline.
1 Oct 2012, 06:24 am
Its not fair to coriticise Frans’s kicking record – he only ever hets huge long range ones, and doesn’t miss by much. Remember that long range gives you smaller angles. I predict Frans taking over goalkicking duties against the AB’s.
1 Oct 2012, 06:26 am
@W.P-10:
of course it did
1 Oct 2012, 06:26 am
@greatest13gerber-9:
Hougaard shouldn’t be there
1 Oct 2012, 06:36 am
@NZINCHINA-13:
Howzit China…….I see you feeling up for this game…..same here. Was good to see Dan showing everyone how its done and Ma’a seemed reignited with him on the inside. Abs love the Soweto and will celebrate with the locals their sweet sixteen.
1 Oct 2012, 06:48 am
@Delki-6: agrred ..but whatever..TIA
1 Oct 2012, 06:57 am
@Te Rangatira-14: My favourite matchup of all.. the allblacks are without a doubt the best allround consistent rugby team but the bokke can , do and I think this saturday will beat them . Your rugby is settled and simple( I mean everyone knows what the gameplan is) . ours is a confusing mess at the best of times. We have all the talent in the world but this gets coached out of them . We are our own worst enemy. Going to be a cracker.
1 Oct 2012, 07:06 am
@Delki-6: Some more gutter dwellers crawling into Keo’s digital pub, to bad we can’t give you a digital PK!
Why don’t you go drink a couple of six packs and enjoy the NZ national sport; wife beating.
1 Oct 2012, 07:08 am
@RugbyStudent-8: Exactly, Louis Koen is a disaster!
1 Oct 2012, 07:11 am
i do not like these kiwi’isms the keo crew love picking up.
it puts me off commenting.
as die kiwis kak op n draairoomys sit, sal julle dit ****** lek?
1 Oct 2012, 07:12 am
so glad the americans lost the ryder cup
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/golf/4563845/Fan-taunts-Euro-wag.html
1 Oct 2012, 07:13 am
@NZINCHINA-13:
Let me tell you, there are no Cape Malays who support The Crusaders. We is going to trap you Black poeste once and for all. The Cape is green, jus like Palestine
1 Oct 2012, 07:14 am
The Boks forwards rattled the ABs last time at Dunedin, it is obvious the ABs haven’t replaced Thorn and Kaino in terms of size as we all saw it two weeks ago
With Goosen at 10 not kicking it away, the ABs will have to work much harder for possession at altitude, a daunting task indeed
And then the referee, call it the ‘home field advantage’ or the ‘shining of the krugerand’, that’s about 12 points worth :_D
1 Oct 2012, 07:15 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-20:
whatever. just shut up, already, doos.
1 Oct 2012, 07:16 am
Only in New Zealand do you have fans which have zero respect for the opposition. There is no ways a kiwi crowd would applaud any team who convincingly outplays the All Blacks like the Argies did yesterday.
1 Oct 2012, 07:16 am
@16 goforthegap
Yeah mate these are the games we Ab supporters hang out for,hostile environment and excellent opposition.Abs will be up for this
1 Oct 2012, 07:17 am
goodstuff @ 17
hahaha SA actually lead that stat dumb@rse. you’d know if you did a smidgen of research
1 Oct 2012, 07:18 am
The kicking has been poor, but several of these misses were 50 + meters. More of them were right on the side line. If you take a penalty kick from anywhere on the field whenever it’s given, you’re kicking stats are going to drop. This is somewhat unfairly skewing the stats.
1 Oct 2012, 07:20 am
pattyfries
don’t delude yourself that bok fans would either
my god, are there any intelligent saffas. we need to add more chlorine to the SA gene pool I think
1 Oct 2012, 07:20 am
@Pencil-27:
Jus make sure there is lead in your pencil , because why – come Saturday we is going to rewrite the Magna Carter, bra. Genuine.
1 Oct 2012, 07:22 am
hiers klomp van julle vandag…
1 Oct 2012, 07:23 am
Motlanthle en Malema maak n baba. Wakker skrik ZA.
1 Oct 2012, 07:24 am
sies
1 Oct 2012, 07:24 am
is
1 Oct 2012, 07:24 am
As far as I can remember Louis Koen always used to curve the ball in. Compare this to the almost toe-punt style of some kickers today then I can see why they are making a hash of it.
1 Oct 2012, 07:29 am
@30….
Kia ora Houston, Bok looked good v Aussies so going to be a massive game this weekend.Best of luck mate
1 Oct 2012, 07:29 am
@poppa69-28: hey FU..
1 Oct 2012, 07:30 am
The only reason why the missed goalkicks proved more costly was because creative, attacking backplay was virtualy non-existent. A different perspective on Dunedin could be the AB’s being that **** that even with a limited gameplan and loads of missed goalkicks, the Boks lost only thru a moment of brilliance by a number 9 and several moments of idiocy by a number 17. Trouncing ARG by 50 doesn’t make them guarenteed winners in Soweto. Nor does SA, trouncing a fairly depleted Aussie side. If the Bok pack delivers a similar performance like Dunedin with the added urgency at the breakdown v the Aussies, the AB’s will find life tough. Goosen is no Morne Steyn. He made the McCabe and Ashley-Cooper midfield hesitate more than once. The Bok backs attacking with purpose would still be somewhat novel. Not much video footage outhere. Might give us the edge
1 Oct 2012, 07:31 am
Terangi, the general returned and Ma and co fired, Dunedin was false hope for the Bokkie, we take them at Soweto as we are the better team its that simple.
1 Oct 2012, 07:31 am
@Te Rangatira-35:
Hoesit, Orangutang. Nixmaakie. Has the hookah pip e hit Waikato yet, mate. Do th girls like to gets tats too?
1 Oct 2012, 07:33 am
Bakkies sorry that you lost your bet, foolish to bet against black though.
1 Oct 2012, 07:37 am
@Te Rangatira-35:
morning tr, hope you’re well and best wishes to you too.
its either gonna be a super tight ‘anybody’s game’ humdinger or the ab’s will run with it.
hope its the former.
1 Oct 2012, 07:37 am
keurbloom plank
have you managed to start walking upright yet? are you a by product of your cousins inbreeding?
1 Oct 2012, 07:40 am
@39 Kaua e marama to korero e hoa.Engari he wahine o Aotearoa he ataahua
1 Oct 2012, 07:44 am
i’ve told you before china, i would never ever support the ab’s.
i was sceptical against oz but now i’m sure we’ll beat you.
1 Oct 2012, 07:49 am
@poppa69-42:
not yet. too much Old Brown on the boat yesterday. But i didn’t spend too much time in transvall, so i missed the in breeding part. How’s your ma?
1 Oct 2012, 07:51 am
@Te Rangatira-43:
is that morse code or does you want to get asylum?
1 Oct 2012, 07:51 am
I’m pretty confident we’ll beat the All Blacks. With our limited gameplan and personnel we still outplayed the Blacks in Dunedin and would’ve won the game but for poor kicking for goals
HM and JdV may say the game plan hasn’t changed but the personnel sure has and there’re certain things you can’t coach into a player@International level, like the ability to create space and take the ball flat with a purpose.
Goosen and Jantjies both create space when they have the ball and vary their attack by coming up flat, With a Purpose! I’ve seen MS try a few times to take the ball flat but he looks clueless!
Our forwards will lay the platform, we’ll take 62.5% of our try scoring opportunites (5 out of 8) only this time we’ll have more than in Dunedin as the personnel believes in creating opportunities and not kicking the ball away at every opportunity
1 Oct 2012, 07:53 am
Jeepers people can’t we all just get along?
1 Oct 2012, 07:53 am
Keurbloom….the hookah pipe…yeah dangerous stuff…destroying some of our communities….and yes the girls love the taa moko
1 Oct 2012, 07:55 am
@papaown-47:
You sound as bok as an EP King. I got familie in PE. You boys speak betterste English than those guppies from PMB.
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