Brutal & brainy Boks will triumph
5 Oct 2012
MARK KEOHANE says the Boks can beat the All Blacks if they are not suckered into turning Saturday’s Rugby Championship finale into a free-flowing spectacle.
Heyneke Meyer’s Boks showed the capacity to use the ball against the Wallabies, just as they did at times against England earlier in the season. There is no need to try and match the All Blacks to appease neutrals who like to see all out attack.
To beat the All Blacks will take greater discipline and won’t be as easy on the eye for those who believe that the game should only be played one way.
The appeal of rugby union is that every team has a different style. Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones once joked to the Bok players (when he worked with them during the 2007 World Cup) that if Australia had South Africa’s forwards and Fourie du Preez at scrumhalf the flyhalf would be lucky to get the ball.
South Africa’s strength has always been when the forwards, collectively, produce a pressured 80-minute display that suffocates the opposition attack. The opposition always talks up South Africa’s physicality and often it has only undermined the Bok performance on the day as individuals have erred with brutish ill-discipline.
The All Blacks traditionally have always had to fight hardest against the Boks and England for victories – and it is because both England and South Africa more often than not have had the advantage up front in size and muscle.
New Zealand, over a century, have always countered this disadvantage with the most incredible attitude in the collisions and in the tackle. Great All Black teams have always shown dominance in defence and it has been as potent weapon as their natural ability to counter attack or score the most spectacular tries.
The All Blacks, in Port Elizabeth a year ago and again in Dunedin, have tried to up the tempo of the game from the outset and played high risk rugby regardless of field position. It has suited the Boks because South Africa, especially at home and in the first quarter of a Test, are most comfortable when asked to make tackles than to use the ball on attack.
Those who seek a playing style similar to the All Blacks won’t like it but playing the percentages is the most intelligent approach South Africa can adopt.
The All Blacks rely on quick phase ball and on quality ball from lineouts and when the Boks have enjoyed success against New Zealand is when there has been enough disruption to ensure a lack of fluency.
The All Blacks battled with the Pumas’ physicality in the 21-5 win in Wellington. The weather contributed to the struggle, but the Pumas got it wrong in trying to play an expansive style against the All Blacks a week ago. The Boks will get similarly punished if they are lured into a match in which the All Blacks are allowed to settle early.
The Boks can win at home and whatever the Kiwis may say the desperation for victory will be greater for the home team. The All Blacks have already won the Rugby Championship, they are mentally exhausted from the strain of having to win the World Cup at home and their tight five is the most vulnerable unit in what is a very good outfit.
The locks are young, the front row has looked tired and laboured and Jerome Kaino, as an imposing blindside flank, has not been replaced. Liam Messan is a good player but he does not possess the Test qualities of Kaino.
The All Blacks are the best team in the world and consistently have been since the game turned professional. But like any team they can be beaten and they usually lose one match a season. They won’t lose on the end-of-year northern hemisphere tour, so the customary defeat (which gives the rest of the world hope) must come in Soweto.
Richie McCaw, in his 112th Test, will be aiming for an unprecedented 100th Test victory. The statistic is incredible, given he has played the Boks and Wallabies 45 times home and away. McCaw is colossal to the All Blacks and he was the difference between the sides in Dunedin.
But the Bok pack must believe they are stronger and equipped to negate their All Black opponents. They also have to be disciplined.
Meyer has made no secret about his approach as coach. It will be Bulls-like rugby at home against the Crusaders, and it is a recipe that has mostly been successful.
This does not mean it has to be one-dimensional or boring. There is skill in mauling, there is skill in controlling the ball with the forwards and their is skill in a kicking game that is accurate and in which the chasers turn even average kicks into good ones.
The global game needs the Boks to win on Saturday, just to keep it interesting for a bit.
My heart says Boks by six or seven points. And my mind says the same. The only proviso is they maintain their discipline, retain 15 on the field and dominate the All Blacks tight five.
Victory certainly must not add to the illusion that the Boks are better than the All Blacks. They aren’t because they haven’t had the consistency or success on the road of the men in black.
See Saturday for what it is – a match the Boks must win and one the All Blacks would like to win.
Meyer, in victory, will have a foundation to take into the end-of-year tour and next year’s Rugby Championship.
The All Blacks were brilliant in victory at the same venue two yeas ago. They silenced 94 000 with a stunning last five minutes.
The quality of the All Blacks is to be admired and applauded but if there is one team that can make them look ordinary for 80 minutes a year it is an imposing Bok team.
It has happened way too little since 1992. The Boks, on Saturday, need a new story against the All Blacks, but they don’t need a new style of play.
Victory won’t make the Boks the best team in the world but it takes them a bit closer to the goal of being the best team in the world.
271 Comments
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5 Oct 2012, 10:51 am
Yeah right
5 Oct 2012, 10:56 am
@Brads-1:
5 Oct 2012, 10:56 am
Incredible, the no name author of this piece advocates sticking to the tried and true as the only way forward.
That means if the Bokke win on Saturday, shelve any idea you will see the team play any other style until the current coach is sacked.
5 Oct 2012, 10:59 am
Watsup Keohane
What crystal ball you using.
5 Oct 2012, 11:00 am
“Meyer has made no secret about his approach as coach. It will be Bulls-like rugby at home against the Crusaders, and it is a recipe that has mostly been successful.”
I read up to and including that littlefuckingpearler, no further.
5 Oct 2012, 11:01 am
ABs by 15 — because they will dictate the kind of game played thanks to an abundant supply of incoming kicked ball.
5 Oct 2012, 11:03 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-5:
Bulls new home ground is Soweto????
5 Oct 2012, 11:06 am
BBB………will triumph ! Holy makkers, what next ?
5 Oct 2012, 11:14 am
@Brads-3: No not the way forward, but the way to win on Saturday. They just need 2 play to their strengths and be clever about their approach.
5 Oct 2012, 11:17 am
Boks by 10 +
If we lose this one, given the advantage we had last time then Ill personally go and slap Pienaar silly, because it will be as a result of his badly aimed box kicks.
5 Oct 2012, 11:19 am
@stormersboy-10:
It’s all down to Cory’s fend
5 Oct 2012, 11:19 am
KEO, scramble defence from habana & jaque fourie saved out gatte in PE – ja & meuwessen (can’t forget him, p.issed of paddy o’brien big time)
all blacks made something like 20 linebreaks and didn’t cash in as they had toeava, gear & guilford…dagg & jane = different kettle of fish.
bok defence not as solid in our 22, as soon as a team gets in the strike zone we lose shape.
5 Oct 2012, 11:22 am
can someone shut down aaron smith, PLEASE!
kill it @ the source!
5 Oct 2012, 11:25 am
@Transformation-13:
No problem
Just leave Cory out of it
And mail me that pic
5 Oct 2012, 11:34 am
Dominating up front and playing for position isn’t the answer by itself. Our play in the first half of the second England test proved that. The whole point of that domination was to provide quick ball to the backs, who failed to exploit it properly.
5 Oct 2012, 11:39 am
We keep losing because they know what is coming. To hell with Bulls rugby. Mix it up and then at least there will be a chance. If they lose this one then it is not because of indiscipline it will be because of a crappy game plan. Mix it up gents and things will turn out well – it couldn’t turn out worse than what happened in Argentina or the last test against an average at best England side. This is why i had no problem with Snorman taking over from Jake – knew that Heynecke would play a stereotypical type of rugby… perhaps all shall be forgiven Mallet.
5 Oct 2012, 11:40 am
@Transformation-12: Jaque Fourie as defensive general and organiser in the Bok and Stormers backlines was never given the credit he deserved for this specific role.
Besides his sometimes miraculous try saving efforts, his all round organisation of the backline on ‘D’ was quite brilliant at times.
5 Oct 2012, 11:54 am
#17 – Yes Fourie was and probably still is the man!! Which is probably why HM has chosen Jaco Taute another big bruiser at 13, but not as good as JF, to stem the flow of attack!
This has been HMs mentality of stemming the attacking teams flow instead of thinking how can we attack?
I know you have to always do both but i feel HM is more worried about defense than attacke!
Mind you the Boks have one 2 RWCs with a defense of steel!
5 Oct 2012, 11:54 am
Agree with writer’s prognosis – we must play to our strengths; but conversions are critical – if we keep missing Dan Carter won’t and they will win.
5 Oct 2012, 11:57 am
Boks by 15
5 Oct 2012, 11:58 am
@Transformation-13: Very overrated player, should not be a problem.
In fact, most NZ scrummies are the main weakness in their respective sides.
Justin Marshall was the last top-class 9 they’ve had.
5 Oct 2012, 12:00 pm
Our beloved Springboks can never be number 1 without changing our mindset.
I appreciate the pragmatic approach of the journalists who write articles and try to manage the expectations of the rugby public, but too often what comes through in the editorial is that we should accept second place and that we should continue to do more of the same. Am I missing something here? Since when did it become okay to be number 2 and accept that the All Blacks are just too good?
Here is a thought, if the All Blacks have consistently been the best team in the world since 1992, why are we in 2012 and still wondering why/how they can be so successful and the rest of the world can’t. If we have twice as much talent in South Africa and we know all of the reasons why the All Blacks are so successful, do we not owe it to ourselves to try and mimic some of the structures and style of play that has worked so well for the All Blacks, without losing what makes the Boks special?
I know I’m dramatically over simplifying it and understand that there are huge differences in the way rugby is structured in SA vs NZ, but my point remains the same, why not be brave and start to change those structures to a more successful one and in 5 years from now, we could be the team that everyone aspires to beat.
5 Oct 2012, 12:01 pm
“Their tight five is the most vulnerable unit in what is a very good outfit”
Disagree. Brodie’s just inexperienced & that’s about it.
I posted elsewhere that Jaco Taute had better have his wits about him or he’ll be put through school
5 Oct 2012, 12:03 pm
@keo-9:
That is one opinion Keo, but I disagree.
These two teams are evenly matched in terms of playing to their strengths, it is just a question of which strengths are more important on the day and which team is better at shutting down the other teams advantage.
5 Oct 2012, 12:06 pm
A good article, Keo. Let us hope your predictions come true. Go Bokke!
5 Oct 2012, 12:06 pm
saffabickers #22 – Good point. The ozzies did it in the early/mid eighties as they got tired of loosing to the ABs. And look at the rewards they reaped? Apparantly they changed alot of structures etc etc and embraced change!!
Change is something Saffas donnot like in general and is what the Boks donnot like either!!
I believe the best way forward for the Boks to get the top Boks regular rest periods during the year so they are rested for internationals!!
5 Oct 2012, 12:09 pm
@willievz-21: you are misguided…
5 Oct 2012, 12:12 pm
@viewer-23: retallick vs etzebeth!
they didn’t meet in super rugby. it’s ON just outside soweto, when elephants clash, the grass suffers…
stand back fellas it’s going to be a bruiser!
5 Oct 2012, 12:19 pm
Mark Keohan:Any comment on Graeme Joffe’s following statement-
I don’t begrudge Luke but what I do find pathetic is how “journalist”, Mark Keohane (an unaccredited SARU agent) represents Luke Watson and has no scruples when pushing the Kings agenda in the media.
5 Oct 2012, 12:19 pm
If he chooses to tangle with an Etzebeth, poor Brodie will end up with his head shoved way up his Retallick. This much I know.
5 Oct 2012, 12:22 pm
@Transformation-27: Care to elaborate?
Would you agree that pressurising a NZ 9 is key to disrupt their supply of quality ruck ball?
5 Oct 2012, 12:23 pm
@wnbb-29:
Ou nuus
5 Oct 2012, 12:25 pm
@Dawn-32: Probably,but we still need answers from the cocaine-sniffing hound.
5 Oct 2012, 12:25 pm
@wnbb-29: Ag jinne not this again.
Move on mate. Keo has commented plenty, you just missed the show.
5 Oct 2012, 12:25 pm
Just who does Heyneke Meyer and Mark Keohane (who wrote the above article) think they are fooling. Trying to convince the public, that the Boks were using the same old kick-chase game plan last Saturday and not a running strategy.
Maybe, and this is a big maybe, Heyneke INSTRUCTED the Boks to play the same strategy, but that’s definitely not what happened on the field with Goosen running the ball instead of kicking it away.
Instead of saying ‘we have a flyhalf capable of playing an attacking plan, and we saw a glimpse of that on Sat’, they are trying to insist that the kick-chase was being employed – it clearly wasn’t.
This is either disingenuous or disillusioned. Either way, bullshit still smells like bullshit.
Keo please put your money where your mouth is and provide some stats to back up your assertion that the boks where playing a kick chase game against the ausies.
How many up and unders were kicked in Saterday’s game and from what positions on the field were these kicks launched? Please compare this with the amount of up and unders kicked in other RC games. How many running meters were completed in the opposition 22 compared to other RC games?
I suspect we will never read those kind of stats on this site and that’s fine (since this is not the kind of site) but please think before you say **** that make no sense.
If we run the ball against the ABs we will win, if we provide them with constant possession by kicking the ball down their that’s they will beat us.
Its as simple as that.
5 Oct 2012, 12:27 pm
@Transformation-27: I was thinking that too. Aaron Smith is the dawn of a new day as far as scrummies are concerned. Ruan will be playing 9 1/2 ala World Cup Piri Weepu on Saturday with kicking duties.
5 Oct 2012, 12:28 pm
@stormersboy-34: Hold on to your knickers!!You don’t decide what can or can’t be posted on this blog.Got it.
5 Oct 2012, 12:29 pm
I’m feeling confident about the Ab chances of taking this game..as it is a must win in the greater scheme of things…to reinforce the fact that the running/passing game is fun and youngsters should embrace it.
5 Oct 2012, 12:31 pm
@Te Rangatira-38:
What about the fend?
5 Oct 2012, 12:32 pm
@wnbb-37:
Follow him on Twatter
5 Oct 2012, 12:33 pm
@Te Rangatira-38:
I wouldn’t put pressure on myself and say this is a “must win” game.
The All Blacks do less well when it is a “must win” game.
5 Oct 2012, 12:36 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-5: Do you think any of our wins against the Crusaders was boring. Maybe if you supported the Crusaders. The 10 minutes before halftime against the Crusaders in 2009 was the best rugby I have seen from any SA side ever. We absolutely destroyed them.
Many say the Bulls gameplan was boring and think the game we played on Saturday was different. The way we smashed Aus was very similar to some great victories against the Stormers. I know most on this site would not have recognised it because it is difficult if you support the team that is thrashed.
5 Oct 2012, 12:37 pm
Sorry to say, I got the AB’s. For one simple reason that I don’t think the Boks were that great or turned any sort of corner last week.
We will lose it in the rucks and tackled area.
5 Oct 2012, 12:37 pm
@Dawn…yes the fend..Don’t go high on Corey take him around the legs Dawn
5 Oct 2012, 12:37 pm
@Dawn-40:That’s a load of bollocks.Tried it once.Can’t see the sense in it.
5 Oct 2012, 12:39 pm
@willievz-31: why do you think i made my initial comment re a.smith?
smith imo has shown more aptitude at Test level than Hougaard, Pienaar in his ROOKIE year, the speed at which he shoots that ball STRAIGHT from the ruck in one motion is incredible, no two steps or toe-ing the ball kak…he is not by any means fully flegded but to say “Very overrated player” is misguided.
5 Oct 2012, 12:40 pm
@Te Rangatira-44:
Indeed
@wnbb-45:
Why. All the skinner you want is on Twatter.
5 Oct 2012, 12:41 pm
@Jayp-35: Let me give a little insight. He picks a player to make decisions within a certain structure. If the flyhalf kicks more then it is because the flyhalf made those decisions, not because Meyer told him to do so. This is the gameplan. People think the gameplan is written on some gold paper hidden somewhere, but it is as simple as described above.
5 Oct 2012, 12:41 pm
Uncertain start for Matt Sexton
LIAM NAPIER
Last updated 05:00 05/10/2012
Matt Sexton almost lost his job before it started.
Within one week of getting his feet under the head coaching desk at Super Rugby’s newest franchise, the Southern Kings, the former Canterbury and Crusaders hooker realised his brief entailed much uncertainty.
Having up rooted his family from the home comforts of Rangiora, the last thing Sexton wanted to confront was news the Kings might not secure entry into the competition, as the Johannesburg-based Lions contested the decision to dump the worst South African team next year.
Sexton arrived in July and didn’t receive confirmation that his side would, indeed, gain promotion until August.
“It was a bit of a shock to arrive and find some question marks as to whether we would be in or not,” Sexton said. “That was something a little bit different. The landscape changed quite dramatically over the first week we were here. It wasn’t ideal, but things have worked out.”
That dog-fight typifies the unique politics facing Sexton on the Eastern Cape, the cradle of coloured rugby in South Africa.
In his first high-profile coaching gig, Sexton will take a second-tier Currie Cup side up three levels to the world’s toughest professional rugby competition.
Working under director of rugby Alan Solomons, in a set-up akin to English football, the pair are attempting to build the Kings from the ground up.
While Port Elizabeth is a breeding ground for talent, its rugby academy is only 12-months young.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in Matt as a person and a coach,”
Solomons, the former Ulster, Northampton and Springboks assistant coach, said. “He’s very strong technically, particularly at the set-piece and scrum. The fact he hasn’t got that depth of experience is countered by the fact we work together.”
For years, deprived locals were forced to fly Sharks, Stormers and Bulls flags.
Sexton has experienced a ground-swell of support but is under no illusions about the task ahead.
The early squabbles left the Kings well behind others in terms of securing players.
Former Boks flanker Luke Watson will lead a team featuring Auckland captain Hadleigh Parkes and Pumas halfback Nicolas Vergallo, but nearly half the Kings’ roster remains empty.
“The delay has left us under prepared for the coming year,” Sexton said. “Most of the rosters would have been well filled by the time we started out recruitment. It’s been challenging.”
And it won’t get any easier from here.
After two years in Super Rugby, the Melbourne Rebels have won seven, lost 25, despite recruiting Wallabies stars James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale.
“It’s a massive challenge,” the 42-year-old Sexton admitted. “If you look at history, teams that have come in take a while to get established.
“They’ve had to allow us more foreign players. I think they’re going to allow us six. The circumstances we’ve been put in have made it very difficult so they’ve given us a bit of flexibility. We’re looking at a few Argentinean players that are currently in the Rugby Championship.”
In an ideal world, Sexton would have a few years to develop players and systems, essentially be given a period of grace. But, at the end of next year’s campaign, there is talk the lowest South African team be forced to play a promotion-relegation game and fight for survival.
Sexton’s two-year contact could be again under threat.
“That makes it double difficult; you’ve got the dinner cleaver hanging over your head at the end of the season if things don’t go according to plan,” he said. “We’ve got to take a positive stance on things and say we’re not going to be the last in the conference. Hopefully it all comes together and we won’t have to worry about relegation.”
It is clear Sexton is passionate about his vision for the Kings and region, the only question now is will he be given the chance to see it through.
“Long-term it’s exciting but next year is going to be very challenging. Everyone has half written us off. I don’t mind having that underdog status.”
5 Oct 2012, 12:42 pm
Oh dear, Capo on the **** again.
Brace yourselves, we in for a idiotic, yet entertaining ride.
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