‘We have a long way to go’
6 Oct 2012
While the Springboks have progressed to No 2 in the world rankings, Heyneke Meyer has conceded that it will be some time before they catch the trend-setting All Blacks.
The Boks got close in Dunedin if you remember that 21 points went begging due to wayward goal-kicking. They were in Saturday’s match at Soccer City at half-time, and even enjoyed a 16-12 lead, until the All Blacks scored 20 unanswered points.
Meyer lamented the ‘soft moments’ that contributed to the Boks’ defeat, but was also quick to point out that this is a special All Blacks side. In Meyer’s opinion, the gap between the sides ranked No 1 and 2 in the world is bigger than most believe.
‘They were excellent tonight, they took their opportunities and once they got ahead, they began to control the game,’ said Meyer. ‘They were the much better team.
‘I thought Dan Carter was superb. He showed his experience by kicking in behind us and forcing us to counter-attack. And that led to errors, which they punished.
‘I think that’s the big difference between them and any other side in the world. If you give them half a chance, they take it.’
The Boks have finished the Rugby Championship with a record of two wins, one draw, and three losses. Nevertheless, Meyer has lifted the team from No 4 to No 2 in the world.
Meyer also feels that the team has progressed in spite of the spate of injuries and absence of many first-choice players.
‘We will never be happy with a loss, we have high standards, but we have to be realistic. There are six guys in the team who are 20 or 21 years old. We had two No 10s who haven’t played a lot of Tests, and they were up against Carter today. I believe they will be better for that experience.
‘We have a long way to go. I’m happy that we’ve gone from No 4 in the world to No 2, but there is a big difference between No 1 and No 2. If you look at where the All Blacks are, there is so much experience that even if they play badly, one or two guys can still pull them through.
‘It’s going to take a special team to beat them. Someone will need to catch them on an off-day. We thought we did in Dunedin, but then we didn’t capitalise on our opportunities.
‘Today wasn’t good enough, but I really believe there are some future greats in this team. The group believes in me and where we are going as a team.’
As dire as the injury situation is, Meyer may have even fewer players at his disposal for the end-of-year tour.
The Boks will return to their provinces for the Currie Cup next week, and the Bok coach is worried that even more of his charges will succumb to injury.
‘I can’t say that I will blood youngsters on the end-of-year tour, because there really aren’t any more youngsters left to blood,’ he said. ‘The players will go back to the Currie Cup now and that makes it difficult to plan because I don’t know who is going to be available for that tour.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Johannesburg
41 Comments
6 Oct 2012, 20:17 pm
The truth of the matter here is that Heyneke Meyer has at his disposal some potentially world class superstars (Etzebeth, Vermeulen, Flo, Goosen, maybe even Jantjies).
There is no reason why they can’t become multi-dimensional and creative. Meyer has riches at his dispoal which previous coaches would have licked their lips at.
It just seems that these special players are getting indoctrinated with one-dimensional propaganda at the moment.
I truly hope I am just being short-sighted and Meyer will introduce more weapons to his tactical artillery with time, but part of me also recognises that he has made many mistakes already and has had to correct himself along the way…. The Springboks is not the place for on-the-job-training.
Lastly, how in the world, have we let Ricardo Laubscher, John McFarland and Louis Koen into this team??
6 Oct 2012, 20:29 pm
We need to give. HM time. Our back line play is turgid. Taute is a fullback and Lambie a centre. Rest the Boks from the currie cup.
6 Oct 2012, 20:45 pm
Bullshit bully rugby Heineken. What is your win ratio.
6 Oct 2012, 20:47 pm
Wow, the Boks just looked like the second best team after the AB’s first try. I wonder, as a collective, if they really thought they would beat the Blacks. Not before the match, but say with 30 mins left.
6 Oct 2012, 20:57 pm
Two wins out of six? Worthy of a cellar-dweller.
Six wins out of six? Worthy of a champion.
6 Oct 2012, 20:58 pm
richie looked like he had a bout with manny pacquiao…
6 Oct 2012, 21:09 pm
This is a special All Blacks team? Is it? Personally i think the quality of the opposition overall is worse than its been in years giving the illusion of them being unstoppable, i certainly dont rank them better than the 2005/7 NZ team, Australia are piss poor and Argentinas force was at its previous highest in 2007 but then retirements weakened them.
6 Oct 2012, 21:16 pm
Can someone please tell HM, to be the No1 team in the world you MUST learn how to score try’s. From a kiwi perspective, the most obvious failing in the lack of cohesive synergy between the forwards and the backs. To be in the right mental state to react at any given point during the match is the difference between the sides. Players acquire this skill from a very early age playing backyard footy with your brothers, cousins, sisters or anyone else for that matter. Habana’s attempted intercept was impeccably read by Carter who simply spun at the POC thereby creating a four on two overlap for smith to score. This is an instinctive trait that every player can call upon at any given point during the match. For some mind boggling perplexing reason SA sides don’t do this nearly enough. The old might is right seems to be the way to go. It will only work against lesser teams, but not the All Blacks. All in all, the Beast match in the series by far. To score a four try bonus point win after securing the trophy last week speaks volumes for the preparation that has gone into winning this match. Ritchie’s personal achievement a moment to be recognised by friends and foe alike.
6 Oct 2012, 21:18 pm
“Nevertheless, Meyer has lifted the team from No 4 to No 2 in the world.”
Now that’s a bulldust.
While indeed South Africa were 4th, when Meyer took over, Boks first game was half a year leter being solid 3rd, when France already have completed their disasterous 6N campaign thus tumbling down the ratings.
Meyer had fokol about it.
6 Oct 2012, 21:18 pm
Sorry…best match, the beast plays for your team.
6 Oct 2012, 21:25 pm
“Nevertheless, Meyer has lifted the team from No 4 to No 2 in the world.”
And hold on, if Australia win in Pumaland, Boks will be back to square one, therefore Meyer’s actual input rankingswise will be worth of round zero.
6 Oct 2012, 21:47 pm
“The group believes in me”
where do we queue for communion ?
6 Oct 2012, 21:52 pm
Meyer is trading on the wrong principles.. if he were brown or black he would be scorned to hell right now.
I don’t know which ‘group’ believes in him but I reckon the heilige ‘belief’ is waxing kinda thin
He better summon some inner resolve from somewhere because I reckon he gonna need it bad pretty soon. Ambulance case is on the cards here.. Mallet to the rescue.
6 Oct 2012, 21:54 pm
May we please get a backline coach!!!!!!!
6 Oct 2012, 22:46 pm
HM is not the right man for this job. Been saying it for years. He is out of his depth. I wonder where the 80% win ratio went. Lets face it the Boks are not being coached in any department. No gameplan. Wrong selections. This will be the longest four years of my life.
6 Oct 2012, 23:03 pm
Perhaps we’re just not as good as we like to think we are. I mean how many times can a team try and smash it through the forwards from 5m out when they have a man adv in the backs. I’ve never really bought into the whole theory out coaching the skill out of players but that certainly seemed that way when the Boks butchered a chance the kiwis would have taken 100% of the time had they been in that position.
6 Oct 2012, 23:31 pm
I’ve realised that Meyer impedes the team’s progress because a lot of GUESSWORK goes into his decision making. 3 examples today – 1. An in-form Eben prematurely off for Flip (false rationale: The game still needs to be kept as tight as possible even though momentum has swung against the Boks); 2. Selection of J Taute (false rationale: He’s bigger & will better counter Ma’a Nonu & the inside channel ball carriers); 3. Experimentally Playing Coenie at tighthead vs Tony Woodcock (false rationale: he’ll be on later in the game when scrum exchanges will be less decisive)
We know what these errors cost in the end
6 Oct 2012, 23:44 pm
@The Donkeys Egg-12: Be sure the rabbit stays alive.
7 Oct 2012, 02:27 am
“While the Springboks have progressed to No 2 in the world rankings…”
Isn’t it more a case of the Wallabies losing their way than the Boks progressing?
I mean, the Boks are winning less than 50% of their matches at this stage. The average win ratio by the Boks is around 64%. Surely, anything less than that can’t be called progression!!!
@motomouse-16:
“Perhaps we’re just not as good as we like to think we are.”
That, my friend, is where we should start if we want to become no. 1 and stay there… we have to acknowledge that we are just not as good as we think we are and then we need to put programs in place to bring us where we want to be. To beat the AB once every three games is just not good enough.
7 Oct 2012, 03:26 am
No team can compete against the best with a sub-standard forward’s coach and worse a Vodacom Cup standard backline coach… reminiscent of the Allister Coetzee debacle when Jake brought in Eddie Jones…
7 Oct 2012, 05:08 am
‘While the Springboks have progressed to No 2 in the world rankings….’
huh ?
couldn’t wait the extra hour ?!
Maybe someone should talk to the coach. What did he say before the match ?
“Somebody told me today that we are now ranked No 2 in the world. I don’t like to talk about myself, but when I started we were ranked No 4. So we are doing something right.”
Thank goodness “the team believe in (him)”.
P.de Villiers suddenly looks modest.
7 Oct 2012, 05:54 am
HM must farkoff as far as possible from the boks. Most useless coach sice Strauli. The onlynpeople who believe in him must be Tswane tools. Cant we have a promo-relegation for coach too?
Nothing would give me greater pleasure than seeing him get the boot.
And the bulls lose a promo against the queens
7 Oct 2012, 07:49 am
Im so sick of Meyers pathetic excuses and contradictions. After 6 months we’ve gone backwards. We were doing better when the players were coaching themselves forfucksakes
7 Oct 2012, 07:59 am
There is no doubt that we are light years behind the Kiwis…
Our forwards were immense – problems in the backline…
Game plan not up to standard and HM does not instill any confidence in his team with his strange behaviour during a game. I can’t see him being with the team for much longer. Time for the rightful person to take over…
Welcome home Nic Mallet welcome home…
7 Oct 2012, 08:01 am
Our defensive coach and backline coach need to pack their bags immediately as well… Never seen such shoddy defense either…
7 Oct 2012, 09:06 am
After a good nights sleep you Yarpies must be keen to watch the highlights of the test match, click on link below
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/our-experts/7780405/Untouchable-All-Blacks-take-game-to-next-level
7 Oct 2012, 10:22 am
Any bets on how soon we’ll hear HM utter those immortal words: “Judge us at the World Cup”?
7 Oct 2012, 10:27 am
@Black Power-26:
7 Oct 2012, 13:04 pm
People over there in SA, check the rankings tomorrow your back to 3, and you came 3rd in the Tournement due to the team that wins more games has a higher ranking if the Tots are equal.
Doesn’t matter we,re all gotta beat the AB’s there the benchmark.
7 Oct 2012, 14:14 pm
We really missed Bismark, JP and Frans Steyn. Those two would’ve made a big difference! Taute out of his depth in a position he’s only played in a few times at Currie Cup level?
Some overseas based players with loads of experience would surely help? Bakkies,Guthro,Big Joe, Jacque Fourie, Foure Du Preez.
Surely its the end of the road for Kirshner. Also, Hougaard on the wing is not working!
7 Oct 2012, 14:15 pm
@Gumboots-25: What about the kicking coach?
7 Oct 2012, 19:57 pm
taking a cursory glance at the first half without giving any real, determined observation i have picked up just a few of the new zealanders infringements. of course the second half was / is far, far more littered with filthy play than the first (how else would they win):
1. driving off players without the ball.
2. hands.
3. macaw falling onto the wrong side of the ruck.
4. different players going onto the wrong side of the ruck.
5. hands.
6. offsides.
7. going off feet / to ground at ruck.
8. hands.
9. taking up position ahead of the ruck.
10. ab prop drops bind *should be an immediate penalty*.
11. disengaging early from scrum.
12. lineout distance infringement.
13. macaw blocking at scrum.
14. entering maul from side and continuing to play.
15. hands in ruck playing ball.
16. tackling support player without the ball intentionally – nonu.
17. *spear tackle* – retalick (is this even a debate…?..but i’ll bet you the citing commisioner if a saffa let it go).
18. offsides.
19. macaw slowing ball in ruck blatantly.
20. forward pass read – try.
21. sealing off at ruck.
22. obstructive running.
23. offsides again.
——————————————————–
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
this is just the first half and is by no means a full and final assesment of their filth.
7 Oct 2012, 21:27 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-32:
So the ref missed 23 penalties?
lol
You had all the penalties in the first half, he was giving you guys a huge break.
Ref had a good game, even though you guys got away with a bit as well seemed to be a fair contest. You think sitting on your couch watching the game and stopping and rewinding back that the ref at the time should have seen what you saw….. shows how dumb you really are.
7 Oct 2012, 22:34 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-32: you must be the saddest, most miserable & confused person posting on this web site.
You are the optimal myopic bok supporter, so much so, that you have provided an insight as to the psyche of your culture (if you can call it that) that restricts your growth. Your continual envy and accusations towards NZ rugby conveniently hides your problems on dealing with how to play better rugby – youre too worried about us!
Haha, please, .. your tiresome rhetoric on filth/cheating is brutally ironic considering SA are the biggest thugs in world rugby
7 Oct 2012, 22:44 pm
The Boks backline has been an endemic problem. They never sorted it out even when we had some of the best forwards in the world. The reason we’re “rebuilding” is because there was no foresight to begin with.
Has there ever been a “weak” AB team? No. Even when they’re rebuilding, they remain immensely competitive because they’re continuously drafting in new players and managing them well. Graham Henry traveled to the US to learn from the NFL. Even though the ABs were already excellent, he was still looking at other ideas to solidify them and improve them further.
In SA we keep talking about our “traditional” strengths – which, without innovation are fast turning into our weakness, because it’s all we know. There is no sense of development, no one appearing to take a really hard look at our game and asking “what’s missing?”
And “what’s missing” is abundantly clear. We are one-dimensional, our selections are off, we have no coherent backline nor backline play. We doggedly insist on doing things our way when an injection of techincal nous from someone like Plumtree or Mitchell might really help. Is it a surprise that the Sharks played so well in the Super 15? They have a Kiwi coach and we have players who can offload and play exciting incisive rugby…except when they show up in the Bok team.
As has been pointed out recently, the Kiwis manage their players better. We have far too many key players injured for it to be merely due to chance.
Until we rectify these things and add what’s missing, we will continue to stagnate. It’s amazing that we go through the same soul-searching year after year and never really see progress in our game or our approach to it. Everyone is so worried about our inability to play like the ABs, so they default to this nonsense about our “traditional” strengths.
The definition of a delusion is adhering to the same beliefs against all evidence to the contrary. Our focus on these so-called Traditional Strengths is preventing us from developing new strengths and new traditions.
7 Oct 2012, 23:29 pm
Well said Rex, and I guess the annoying thing is, many of you SA supporters can see this, but those in charge can not.
In the bad old days, when we toured in 70, 76 etc, the boks game was all about players 1-10, and for the part it worked, when the game was to merely win by 3 pointers, and the home town refs could always find an excuse to blow the whistle to help achieve this. It disguised the need way back then to play better rugby, more expansive rugby, that appreciated all 15 players. the boks were winning series, albeit narrowly, but a win was a win and thats all that mattered.
Move forward 30 plus years, and those in charge who are now in their 40′s/50′s etc, hang on to that romantic mindset of bullying their way to victory – because it worked back in the 70′s.
Things have changed.
Rugby is far more dynamic, its professional, players are fitter, and most importantly we now have neutral refs. We play each other more – which suggests 2 key things – that the Boks refuse to embrace the changing nature of the game, and are introspective about seeing where other teams are improving.
The false dawn was set last week against Aus, as Aus allowed the boks to move the ball a bit more creating holes for Habana to wander through. everyone got the hot sweats for Goosen, but all he was doing was flicking it on – the Aus backline was a defensive nightmare.
Your forwards are great at set piece, and spot tackles, gang tackles, but the ball is too slow in the recycle, so when your backs do get it, the pace of the game has slowed right down, the opposition have re-aligned – and your 10 reverts to kicking again. Many SA folk say their forwards are fantastic, their biggest strength etc, but are they? They’re damn good, but they could be better in their jobs by playing quicker, and allowing your backs to play with front foot ball, not static ball. We could then then see a back line playing with zest, skill, flair – as they do in practice. I am sure the desire is there by the players, but it has to start up front.
8 Oct 2012, 08:14 am
heyneke out!
8 Oct 2012, 09:03 am
We will never catch the ABs. We may achieve parity for fleeting moments as they go through change-of-the-guard periods. But as soon as their team settles, we will remain no match.
That is until there is a radical mind-set change in our own rugby philosophies. I will continue to hope, as there are signs of such change at domestic level. In the Currie Cup, more and more teams are adopting a ball in hand approach. It is the difficult route to success, but one that promises to take our rugby to a higher level of sustained excellence. For too long we have hoped and prayed for that messianic player that can win a game on his own. For too long have we gone into matches with the mindset of dominating up-front being the be-all-and-end-all. It is time to realize that at the highest level, one can never guarantee upfront dominance for 80 minutes, and even if this were possible, the result is still an uncertainty.
One difference between NZ and SA rugby philosophy is clearly visible when noting the crowd reaction to drop goals. In NZ it is met with a mixed response, while in SA, especially up north, crowds get all excited as though this were the be-all-and-end-all of the game.
Personal perception is that in SA crowds don’t really care how a win is achieved. It is great to win, but if it all depends on one or two players, anyone can see that sustained success will remain a pipe-dream as players are injured or experience loss of form.
The ball-in-hand approach demands a greater level of team cohesion, taking the game to its ultimate level. One can draw the analogy with soccer, which is dubbed by its fans “the beautiful game”. It is indeed a beautiful game, but only when the teams involved produce seamless passing moves to create scoring opportunities. It becomes something less beautiful when dominated by individuals.
So why have we never really bought into the ball-in-hand approach? Simple, it requires too much work. It requires for players to develop a psychic understanding with their team-mates. It requires for players to believe and be encouraged that creating opportunities for team-mates is as gratifying as scoring the points themselves. It requires for players to develop and master all the skills they should have gained at age-group level. To coaches, this could possibly seem a daunting task, especially when senior players still cannot do something as elementary as passing to both sides. No, the more individualistic crash-ball and kick-and-chase approaches can yield the result, be it that these are non-sustainable. It is the game at its most primitive level…
8 Oct 2012, 09:38 am
….and Tacitus had just graced us with his presence after the boks beat the wobblies.
8 Oct 2012, 10:02 am
I am just concerned that HM decides to creep into the shell and goes back to players like Spies and M Steyn!
9 Oct 2012, 06:10 am
There was panic in the ranks when we went down by a score. This ewas inexperience. We should just have maintained the pressure of the first half and kept sinking the penalties. The AB’s dont let in tries- they will give a penalty before a try every time. Eventually enough penalties result in a yellow card, and then keep the pressure on anyway. Keep it tight ALL the time. Until they have no more players left on the field due to yellow cards.
Thats the only way that you beat the AB’s. It is all a pressure game. Huge tightness in defence, massive pressure on attack, keeping it tight. Any looseness is punished.
Their set piece running even from broken play was impressive. Our team needs a month or two together for intensive practice NOW to try and play catch up a bit.
We will not cacth up their 9 years of consistent selections and coaching and systems and their familioarity with their systems ina few weeks before the RC. We need to put in extra effort at this time.
Otherwise, when will they ever gel as a TEAM? In 6 years? Perhaps SARU should set aside a long period every year for Bok team practice and conditioning exclusively. Twice the amount that the AB’s set aside.
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