ABs: The myth and legend
8 Oct 2012
JON CARDINELLI says the All Blacks’ perfect balance between kicking and running, as well as their high level of execution, has allowed them to become the undisputed champs of world rugby.
As if the World Cup, Bledisloe Cup, Freedom Cup, and Rugby Championship title were not enough. The All Blacks didn’t just win that Rugby Championship trophy, they didn’t just win six out of six, they once again made a statement about how the game should be played.
It’s seems an obvious thing to say about the All Blacks, but then there is more to this side than what is perceived at a first glance.
They have some of the most gifted attacking players on the planet, but many forget that a team cannot win championships without a balanced approach. If attack was all you needed to be a success, the Lions would be reigning Super Rugby champions.
Before you celebrate the All Blacks as outstanding innovators and finishers, consider how they get themselves into those scoring positions. It is through a great mix of power, intelligence, and a fair bit of trickery that they win the forward battles. It is through sharp decision making that they can switch between kicking for territory and counter-attacking. And don’t underestimate the role experience has played in the All Blacks’ 16-Test winning run.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer said earlier this year that experience helped the All Blacks win that 2011 World Cup, and went on to explain that it is experience that boosts a team in areas like defence, kicking, discipline and game management. You can have all the attacking talent in the world, but if you can’t succeed in these other aspects, you aren’t going to win championships.
Take the Rugby Championship finale at Soccer City as an example. The Boks were in fine attacking form early on, and that try from Bryan Habana will go down as one of the best of their season. But as flat as the All Blacks were during the initial stages, they stuck to their defensive task. They absorbed the pressure and then struck back before half-time, and then again after the break.
Meyer praised the world champions afterwards for the way they went about closing out the game. Meyer said Dan Carter was the key man for the visitors, as his decision making and execution during this period allowed the All Blacks to play the game down in opposition territory.
The stats substantiate the statement. According to ruckingoodstats.com, the New Zealanders kicked the ball from hand on 30 occasions (the Boks kicked 23), keeping 11 of those kicks in play. It was the tactics of Carter and company to put the ball behind the Boks and ask them to counter-attack. And when the Boks made mistakes or bad decisions, the All Blacks were quick to pounce.
It was another thing Meyer pointed to: this All Blacks side has made a habit out of punishing opposition errors. Again, the stats suggest that the All Blacks were better off in this department, making just four handling errors to the Boks’ 11. What those stats don’t say is how the All Blacks turned Bok mistakes into point-scoring opportunities.
Defence was an issue for the hosts last Saturday, with the Boks missing 12 tackles. The All Blacks missed 10, but that number needs to be put in perspective, as the visitors spent more time on defence (they had just 43% possession). While the Boks missed one in four tackle attempts, the All Blacks missed one in six.
The goal-kicking has been poor throughout the tournament, and again the Boks missed four of their eight attempts.
All in all, the Boks were guilty of spurning their own chances, and also guilty of providing the opposition with scoring chances. It was like two teams were playing against the Boks last Saturday: that is the All Blacks and the Boks themselves.
The All Blacks were good enough to first claw their way back into the lead, and then punish the South Africans to the tune of 16 points. That’s a hiding.
Meyer says his team has a long way to go, a statement that was later followed by Steve Hansen’s assertion that this All Blacks side can get better. The New Zealanders have won 16 in a row, and having brushed the Boks aside you’d have to expect them to breeze through Europe and overtake Lithuania for the most consecutive Test victories.
The Boks were No 2 in the world on Saturday night, but were overtaken when the Wallabies beat the Pumas in Argentina later on. Nevertheless, the Boks and the Wallabies are in the same boat in that they are nowhere near the All Blacks in terms of balance and experience.
The Boks are playing the right game, but their execution is not where it should be. I agree with Meyer that the forced introduction (because of injuries) of a number of youngsters has left this Bok side light on experience in key positions. That in turn has compromised their consistency as well as their ability to close out tight Tests.
A 16-point defeat at home is never going to be excused or be anything but embarrassing. At the same time, there has to be some perspective about where this young Bok team is in relation to what is (or at least will become after breaking that world record) the best All Blacks side in history.
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401 Comments
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8 Oct 2012, 12:46 pm
Frist Test vs England
Spies Tackles
9
Runs
101m
Rucks/Mauls
17
Turnover
1
8 Oct 2012, 12:46 pm
@corporal punishment-298:
Ohdearestfuckno. Our friends from Pretoria would love this. For some reason they honestly believe the man is world class.
Spies is however Frankenstein’s (Meyer’s) monster and I have no doubt the ‘finest athlete Meyer has ever coached’ will be back in the Bok fold to shame us for the rest of Meyer’s tenure.
(I just vomited in my mouth…..)
8 Oct 2012, 12:47 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-295:
He needs a name change…CapeBullshit sounds appropriate.
8 Oct 2012, 12:48 pm
@Golden Boy-300: When these Bulls fellows start pulling up Spies’s gym stats, you know the water is dirty
(filthyfuckingdirty)
8 Oct 2012, 12:48 pm
@capebull-285:
Point Proven!!!! This is all the Bulls can drag up. Meaninglessfuchingstats.
8 Oct 2012, 12:49 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-295: Why do you think the stats lie ? It takes your perceptions out the way , maybe thats the real problem for you to admit you are wrong.
8 Oct 2012, 12:51 pm
@capebull-306: I have asked you before…..ignore my anti-Spies crusade. Ask other people……
8 Oct 2012, 12:51 pm
@capebull-285:
I can believe that Spies hits more rucks and mauls – let me rephrase – I can believe that Spies JOINS more rucks and mauls than Vermeulen. He cannot hit a ding in a wet ****. He joins the rucks and mauls hands first while looking over the maul where to go next to avoid contact. Watch a match with a real rugby analyst who records not how many times a player joins rucks/mauls, but how many times he effectively joins them. Spies gets 0 on more than one occasion.
@corporal punishment-287: Whatever – Louw was freaking awesome against the best loosie combo. He tackled like a demon, won turnovers and carried with aplomb. He nullified McCaws incessant unpunished indescretions on the ball – removed his sneaky little mits off the ball on more than one occasion to ensure quick ball and removed him off the tackled player over and over.
@ryecatcher-286: Listen here you rogvreter – the lack of turnover ball can be laid squarely on the shoulders of the tight 5 who were all standing in the backline rather than commit to the rucks and mauls. Flo and Vermeulen were fighting a lone battle on the ground.
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-288: My apologies for flying off the handle and accusing you for being biased. Fact is that since the law alterations in ’09 Brussouw’s ilk has been placed at a huge disadvantage. There is no place for an out-and-out fetcher any more. Loose forwards have to be good ball carriers, strong defenders and able line-out jumpers. Flo and Brussouw will not be a good combo.
8 Oct 2012, 12:52 pm
@capebull-301:
101 meters in 9 runs the stats say. My question to that is where on the field was he when he made all these meters? On the WING you say?!?!?!?
Well whatthefuck was he doing there!??!?!?!? Why was he not performing his PRIMARY function?!?!?!?!
Your stats are about as useful shitstain.
8 Oct 2012, 12:52 pm
@capebull-301:
Does running across the field count as running metres?
8 Oct 2012, 12:53 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-302: Tbh, spies performances against the abs in 2009 make Ab supporters pretty nervous when facing him. So I am quite happy he is out of the side (from an all black perspective it is like habana – he ain’t the player he was in 09 but it still gives me the sh!ts every time he tries to intercept us).
My main reason for liking the idea of havi g him in the team is it drives 90% of saffers bonkers, and that makes any worry come game day worthwhile
8 Oct 2012, 12:53 pm
@Golden Boy-303: I did not create the stats , If you don’t like them ask Vermeulen to do more.
http://www.rugbystats.com.au , best is ,its not even a Bulls website
8 Oct 2012, 12:54 pm
@rangerman-299: lol
8 Oct 2012, 12:55 pm
@COUCHCOACH-310: It does not change the fact that Vermeulen ran 2m , sideways , back wards whatever 2m
8 Oct 2012, 12:55 pm
@COUCHCOACH-310:
8 Oct 2012, 12:57 pm
@COUCHCOACH-308: I would just like to see Meyer give Heinrich another shot in the Bok jersey when he is fit, that’s all. I know he hasn’t been as effective in recent times, post law changes, but I do believe he still has lots to offer (the 1st half of the Cheetahs vs Sharks game in Durban when he single handedly demolished the Sharks for 40 minutes, tells me he might just have something to offer).
No issues with Louw keeping the jersey at all though.
the @Golden Boy-309: What the stats don’t say, is that 101 metres was the distance from the tunnel to the field. Then back for halftime, then out again.
Or, could be sideways running?
8 Oct 2012, 12:57 pm
@COUCHCOACH-308: riogvreter???
8 Oct 2012, 12:57 pm
@rangerman-299:
In the end no one is off limits on a rugby field, even the best get smashed and man handled.
8 Oct 2012, 12:58 pm
@wpstormerbok-318: agreed.
8 Oct 2012, 12:59 pm
@COUCHCOACH-308: Spring is here and you are in love.May you & DV have a long and happy relationship.
8 Oct 2012, 12:59 pm
@Golden Boy-309:
70 of those Meters were in the 3rd Test vs England when Spies picked the ball up at the 1 side of the field and crabbed almost completely toward the opposite part of the field.
8 Oct 2012, 13:01 pm
@corporal punishment-311: You fellows would love Spies standing off at 8 watching the game progress whilst doing absoultelyfuckingnothing.
He gets Bok fans riled up, because he has failed to deliver on ANY of his early promise. The most hyped player in Bok history…………
Flattered to deceive, but managed to get 50 caps riding the hype wave.
8 Oct 2012, 13:03 pm
@capebull-312:
My point still stands that STATS alone does not tell the whole story. Therefore pulling it up and using it as a yardstick means absolutely nothing. Surely you should be able to see that? Lets put it this way. Do you think that Spies is one of the top 8′s in world rugby? Because according to those STATS he certainly is.
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-316:
HEHEHE…could be that he was running AWAY from contact?
8 Oct 2012, 13:03 pm
@ryecatcher-264:
It is a moment in time Ryeman.
Everthing has a price, even success.
The higher you climb,
the bigger the fall.
BWTF……………………………..we may as well enjoy the moment.
8 Oct 2012, 13:08 pm
@Golden Boy-323:
Could be!!! Spies does move fastest when there is the threat of contact….
8 Oct 2012, 13:09 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-322:
I remember about 18 months ago,
reading an Article/Interview here on Keo,
where Spies, referred to himself as, “The pre-eminent #8 in World Rugby”.
8 Oct 2012, 13:10 pm
the argument for and against spies is premature.
he is not available and should play s15 after his injury before his selection is even considered and debated so i really think its just a bit of a b it ch session.
wake up people.
8 Oct 2012, 13:11 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-21: Why do you torture yourself by watching the replay? Spend two hours outside instead, play some sport, or spend some time with your family or friends. The Boks were up 9-0 on the penalty count at one point and finished the game down 4 tries to 1. Dagg was carded moments after a blatant Bok forward pass that the ref ignored. Do you really think the Boks could have won that game?
You would enjoy rugby more if you just accept that right now, the ABs are better than the Boks and no amount of referee criticism can change that. A year is a long time in rugby, better luck for the 2013 RC when our players are older and the Boks are more experienced
8 Oct 2012, 13:11 pm
@cane-324: lol
8 Oct 2012, 13:11 pm
@cane-326: no caner, he said he will be, not is (was).
i guess its on his shoulders given the fact that alternatives are emerging fast.
8 Oct 2012, 13:14 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-325:
My lasting memory from Spies versus the English was when he received the ball in our 22 and ran full pace about 10 meters and STOPPED before making contact with the defender!?!?!?!?!?!? Now how is that depicted in the STATS?!?!?!?!? Oh sorry I forgot, that is added to the other 91 meters
8 Oct 2012, 13:15 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-307: Very hard to ignore you, I agree Spies was not his his best the last 2 years , Kanko was best this year. Vermeulen is nothing special.
Flo was best loosie saturday. Alberts was ordenary.
8 Oct 2012, 13:20 pm
@rangerman-327:
No one is b!tching. Its a debate and like any good argument there are the merits and demerits. Feel free to join us. It’s certainly better than debating the prospect of the savior of Bok rugby over the next 4 years.
@cane-326: Just love it when they talk themselves up and believe all the hype. Similar to the scrummie, no wing, uhm, no, work of art, uhm, model and I fear the same could happen to the Goose if not managed properly.
They should just shutthefuckup and do their talking on the field.
8 Oct 2012, 13:20 pm
@Dawn-100: Did you see Cory’s sad face in the background when Read decided not to pass to him, in wide open space so Nonu scored instead? I guess you can’t score a hat trick every week
8 Oct 2012, 13:22 pm
@Golden Boy-323: I agree stats only tell a part. But fact is that stats normally support the reality, you can not play a blinder and then the stats tell a different story. So I still say Vermeulen was less than average, and the stats support me in that. You and others think he played brilliantly , but the stats don’t support your theory.
8 Oct 2012, 13:27 pm
@cane-326: Oh hell yes. I think the question asked of Spies was: Who is the best 8 in the world. And Spies answered: Me, I am a work in progress….
Whatafuckingfool.
8 Oct 2012, 13:28 pm
@capebull-335:
Sorry for insulting you earlier. I just get riled up sometimes. As long as we agree that Stats tell part of the story then we can move on. And as has been proven many times over, STATS can be manipulated and in rugby even be subjective.
Use Bakkies as an example. According to HIS STATS, the AB’s infringed over twenty times in the first half without being penalized. Now ask any sane person and he may have a slightly different interpretation, hence markedly different STATS.
Sorry Bakkies
8 Oct 2012, 13:29 pm
@capebull-332: It’s easy to ignore me. Just scroll past my Spies bashing
Because it isn’t going to end anytime soon. (And he isn’t even playing at the moment…I’m purely reliving his past kak, wait until she takes her place as starting 8 again….)
She’s a nice person….but a dreadful loose forward. Meyer should have left her playing wing.
8 Oct 2012, 13:32 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-338:
8 Oct 2012, 13:33 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-338: Depends which media HM reads/listens to as to
whether he will be picked.
8 Oct 2012, 13:35 pm
@corporal punishment-266: Goosen got hammered, he ended up with a bloody nose from the Whitelock tackle, a few minutes later, Read ran straight into him, then a third forward. Looks like the ABs were serious about exploiting him. The loosies should have been protecting him better
8 Oct 2012, 13:38 pm
@capebull-339: You see, it’s easy to ignore me.
@ryecatcher-340: If Spies has an AWESOME S15 next year, and shows some heart – I doubt anyone will whinge if he is picked. That is what has p#ssed most folk off over the years. The position was always his, regardless of how kak he was, how out of form he was etc etc. If the man realises, he ISN’T an automatic pick, he might actually work. But that starts with the Bulls….if he is woeful, he must be dropped, captain or not. Arno Botha doesn’t deserve to ride the wood while Captain Invisible trots around Loftus.
8 Oct 2012, 13:40 pm
@249 Uh huh. Meltdown proceeds . .
WE WERE BEATEN BY A SUPERIOR TEAM!
8 Oct 2012, 13:44 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-342: agreed
8 Oct 2012, 13:48 pm
So what will it take to make the boks the best team in the world?
a. Central contracts for better player management ?
b. Replace the coaching staff with world class coaching staff with the best credentials? (Replace the defense coach or the attack/backline/skills coach or the kicking coach or the head coach? Or all of them?)
c. Improve domestic coaching to improve skills and style of play?
d. Team selections ?
e. Better tactics/game plan ?
Or all of the above ?
8 Oct 2012, 13:51 pm
@ryecatcher-344: Perhaps the injury he sustained when he had to return from world cup more serious than he lets out.And hate to say this,but I tjhink that Schalk(My all time favourite player) as psychologically scared.
of getting injured again.Vey noticeable in his play between the 2 injuries.The constant rotation of his neck.Entering rucks backwards.Scared = wrong word.Maybe wary
8 Oct 2012, 13:58 pm
Looks like the AB’s had spies at Boks training sessions. They are now the team who is happy to play with no ball and defend all the time. But, curse on you when you make a mistake with your attacking ball, the AB runners will score a try against you.
As Hansen said “rugby is a simple game really”
8 Oct 2012, 13:58 pm
@Houston This isn’t healthy man
8 Oct 2012, 14:01 pm
@The Analyst-56: Exactly, everyone with half brain.
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-23: “we can all agree”
The whole ward?
8 Oct 2012, 14:02 pm
@COUCHCOACH-310: Post320 out of line.Sorry.
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