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, 14:07 pm
@Transformation-275:
“Skop and pray”. Ndiyaziqikaqika yintsini.
8 Oct 2012, 14:12 pm
@ryecatcher-346: Schalk is finished IMHO. I don’t think he is ever going to be the same player again – not this time round. He was younger and fitter after that neck injury, which allowed him to make a comeback something awesome.
This time round, I’m not sure he is going to be as lucky.
Ditto for Juan Smith I reckon. I will be shocked if either of them return the same players.
8 Oct 2012, 14:14 pm
Let us just admit the Backs are very good and have been for a long time. That will not make you less South African
8 Oct 2012, 14:19 pm
@Slartibartfast-12: True, as you say about the movement, unfortunately that’s clearly not the case in Habana’s try. JDV passed the ball while being a good meter outside 22 m line and Habana catched it more than meter inside with just a few meters between both players.
The same goes to the attack leading to Daggs yellow, although to be fair, it was not JDV who threw that pass, it was No 13 to JDV.
Don’t get me wrong, I am no way complaining as Blacks have thrown enough forwardies and got away with it themselves during the Tests as all other nations has done. It happens every day.
And contrary what okes like Skop try to imply, none of the five passes leading to Whitelock try were forward, just go and check again, Even Gear’s.
8 Oct 2012, 14:22 pm
@Golden Boy-337:
watch the game again
prove me wrong
i dare you…..
@viewer-348:
this is real life, sonny
you want hand holding smarmy arsed false niceties go join a farking drum circle
ok…
@Nils-349:
keep telling yourself that
it clearly makes you people feel better about your behaviour and character for you to project.
8 Oct 2012, 14:25 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-355: Yup, it’s somehow resembles watching circus clowns. Makes feel better.
8 Oct 2012, 14:34 pm
Bokkie folded like a cheap pack of cards.
8 Oct 2012, 16:34 pm
Cape Town – The Springboks have dropped one position back to third spot in the IRB rankings after the completion of the Rugby Championship.
South Africa finished their campaign with a 32-16 loss to the All Blacks in Soweto, while Australia’s 25-19 win over Argentina in Rosario helped the Wallabies edge past the Boks on the world rankings. They have 85.92 IRB ranking points, still well behind leaders New Zealand (93.35), with South Africa third on 84.69.
England (83.09) and France (83.03) are fourth and fifth respectively.
********************************************************
So, when Meyer started to work with the Boks, they were ranked 3rd.
9 test matches later, they are still 3rd.
Progress anyone???
8 Oct 2012, 16:40 pm
Top 12 rugby nation as of today:
Last week’s position in brackets.
1(1) NEW ZEALAND 93.35
2(3) AUSTRALIA 85.92
3(2) SOUTH AFRICA 84.69
4(4) ENGLAND 83.09
5(5) FRANCE 83.03
6(6) WALES 82.26
7(7) IRELAND 79.85
8(8) ARGENTINA 78.63
9(9) SCOTLAND 77.97
10(10) SAMOA 76.23
11(11) ITALY 76.03
12(12) TONGA
8 Oct 2012, 16:41 pm
@nama1-358: so what has heyneke meyer done?
sweet nothing, we were third before RC, we’re 3rd now…
8 Oct 2012, 16:54 pm
The @Transformation-360: The IRB points
now show us to be as far behind AB,s as we are ahead of Italy.(Approx)
The chasing pack are starting to threaten.
8 Oct 2012, 16:59 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-132:
Strange, the last four years you asked that PdV rest the Boks for the EOYT in order for them to be ready for the next year.
Now, you asked of the CC coaches to rest the Boks for the remainder of the CC in order for them to be ready for the EOYT.
Mmmmmmm…
8 Oct 2012, 17:09 pm
@Transformation-360: @ryecatcher-361:
Don’t be surprised if England, France and Wales jump ahead of us after the EOYT.
8 Oct 2012, 17:10 pm
@nama1-363: huh?
no way
8 Oct 2012, 17:23 pm
People saying that Vermeulen is too slow for a fast pace running game (which is true) but they still prefer Alberts in a starting loose trio. How is his pace when the game is open and fast?
Alberts best position is on the bench, coming on with 25-30 minutes left on the clock, playing against the tired legs of the opposition. The fact that he goes MIA after about 30 minutes every time he starts a test, prove this.
8 Oct 2012, 17:24 pm
@nama1-363: Ohdearfuckboots no. I will collapse in a heap and never get up.
8 Oct 2012, 17:28 pm
@nama1-365: dude, between read and MESSAM they make our loosie look like carthorses, especially messam! the boy can motor!
8 Oct 2012, 17:38 pm
@Transformation-364: @The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-366:
Wales and England both play Aussies as well as Boks. If they can beat both teams and we only beat the Scots, there’s a great chance they’ll jump ahead of us, being less than 2 points behind us at present.
France also play Aussies and must have a good chance to beat them.
@Transformation-367:
That’s true.
Did you see the run by Hooper against the Argies? looked like a wing instead of a flanker.
8 Oct 2012, 17:42 pm
@nama1-368: eish, i just wish stegmann was fit…agile said he ran 100m is less than 11s…
8 Oct 2012, 17:45 pm
I’m sure there will be other tests against the 2nd tier nations like Samoa, Fidji etc for the European teams to score some extra points.
They can then use the 6N next year to consolidate their lead on the Boks.
8 Oct 2012, 17:50 pm
@Transformation-369:
Agile/Steggies has gone quiet. He probably also hurt from this lack of performance by Meyer.
I see Meyer is already preparing the public for the reintroduction of Morne on the EOYT. Poor Jantjies will again have to carry tackle bags until Goosen is ready.
8 Oct 2012, 17:55 pm
Australia ending ahead of us despite playing their C-team for nearly the whole championship, tells us exactly how “strong” our rugby is. And to think some people called this Australian team the weakest Aus team ever.
What does it say about the Boks then, I ask you?
8 Oct 2012, 18:00 pm
@Transformation-369: Not sure if you will agree, but i think young PSDT could be looked at as a future bok 7, strong fast and has very good skills, of course needs a bit of rounding off on his game. and of course will also strengthen the lineouts
8 Oct 2012, 18:00 pm
@nama1-372:
And yet South Africa had three franchises in the Super 15 playoffs, more than New Zealand (2) and Australia (1).
You would think that would equate to a better result in the Rugby Championship for the Springboks…
8 Oct 2012, 18:00 pm
Meyer’s record away from home thus far:
Play: 3
Win: 0
Draw: 1
Lose: 2
Win percentage: 00000000000000000000000000000%
What will his record be after the EOYT. I predict he’ll lost two matches bringing his record to:
Play: 6
Win: 0
Draw: 2
Lose: 4
Win percentage: 0000000000000000000000000000000%
Save this post.
8 Oct 2012, 18:07 pm
@WP-Forever-374:
It has been proven time and again that performances by franchises in Super rugby does not have much bearing on results in the 3N in the past, and as proven now, will not have much influence on results in the RC going forward.
Every country can come up with 25-30 international quality players to compete in the RC no matter where the franchises ended up in the S15 in the cases of SA, Aus and NZ.
8 Oct 2012, 18:14 pm
“Re Boks being in top 4 so 2 b seeded best thing may be to b unseeded & grouped with Nz – get a crack at them & only get them again in Final” (Keo on twitter)
Looking at the bright side of Boks not being in the top four already, are we?
8 Oct 2012, 18:36 pm
A player the Boks really miss is Juan Smith. Alberts is not an 80 min player. I would play him off the bench. Can Pieter Steph du Toit develop into a quality blindside flank?
8 Oct 2012, 18:59 pm
@nama1-375:
LOL Nama, you are rubbing it in!!!
8 Oct 2012, 20:12 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-302: the spies obsession in pretoria is scary…how can a sane person quote a performance from 2009 as back up to their argument at the end of 2012??? hahahahaha *embraboer*
@Golden Boy-303: lol @ CapeBullshit
8 Oct 2012, 20:13 pm
@Peter Mkata-351: lol… eish mhlekazi lomqeqeshi ufundela phezulu kwalo elohashe ukulikhwela…
8 Oct 2012, 20:20 pm
where are these goddamn blind as bat Meyer disciples.. where the hell are they hiding out now
Keohane you top of the list.. show your undying allegiance to this dunce that is leading this country’s rugby heritage into the arse end of nowhere fast.
8 Oct 2012, 20:37 pm
The toads are hibernating under a log somewhere waiting for the end of year tour wins against a bunch of K a K teams.Then they’ll be back spewing their s h it out of their *** holes once again
8 Oct 2012, 21:00 pm
Some myths and misconceptions before and during the RC:
1. The All Blacks are average.
2. The Aussies are kak.
3. Heyneke works on a plan.
4. The Boks are improving.
5. Goosen will be the savior of Bok rugby.
6. Bigger is always better.
7. Traveling from west to east leads to teams not performing well.
8. The Boks will win all their home games.
9. The Boks will win at least two away games.
10. All the referees are against the Boks.
Well, these myths and misconceptions were proved wrong in the space of 8 weeks. What are we going to do about the real issues that we are faced with?
8 Oct 2012, 21:16 pm
@nama1-384: I still think Goosen is the sh*t.
He was badly managed by Heineken but he’s the future as long as he stays relatively injury free.
First order of business is to clean out Meyer’s coaching buddies and install some fresh proven rugby brains to help Meyer out and to optimize our back-line. Would also be great if we could manage our Bok squad effectively away from the national setup like the Kiwis do with their centrally contracted AB’s.
Saru will do nothing of course so we’ll just dream of better days instead.
8 Oct 2012, 21:17 pm
@ryecatcher-350:
Apology accepted
8 Oct 2012, 21:18 pm
@nama1-384: robert marawa had pdv on his show today and i found it funny when robert asked him to comment on saturday’s performance pdv declined& said in SA only some people are allowed – by the media – to criticise meyer and he us not one of them, everytime he opines on the boks the next day an article is pened about him being bitter or what not…
when pressed by robert he referred to a “we”
‘we are not defending as unit’ ‘we lack intensity etc.
8 Oct 2012, 21:28 pm
@Spiesisworthless1-385: how do we expect SARU to do anything when EVERY decision has to be ratified by the same union presidents who are monopolising the players?
people forget that even at the Bulls meyer was at odds with the clubs when he wanted exclusive use of the contracted players until he threatened to QUIT!
look at the Kings decision, Jurie Roux was like a mute as he could not be seen to be leading in any direction but only holding the reins until it came to the famous vote!
8 Oct 2012, 21:34 pm
@mxhosa-254: That is a very good back line and that back line would not have been humiliated by AB’s on Saturday
I would also chuck in W. Le Roux as 15 / 10 / 11 cover.
8 Oct 2012, 21:43 pm
@Spiesisworthless1-385:
Meyer supporters will have you know that Mc Farland and van Graan was there when the Bulls won their CC and Super rugby titles and that they have the pedigree.
That’s why you only here complaints about Ricardo. Somebody even blamed him for the poor defense by the Boks even though Mc Farland is the defensive coach. Who do we blame for the lack of attacking play by the Boks? Yes, you’re right…… Ricardo, even though van Graan is officially the attacking coach.
I asked the question early today and nobody responded: If Ricardo is the back line coach and van Graan is the attacking coach, who should we blame for our lack of attacking play?
The way I look at it, this coaching business is a HM show. That is why he sits alone in the coaches box. The others are just there for the ride.
@Transformation-387:
Brilliant!!!
8 Oct 2012, 21:51 pm
@Transformation-388: It’s a sad state of affairs. This farcical Bok coaching team is a direct result of our ridiculously inept administration.
8 Oct 2012, 22:10 pm
@nama1-390: It is funny isnt it? No mention of Van Graan’s interesting family connections nor his aptitude for the role of “attack coach. Or the difference the likes of Koen has made to the kickers.
Agreed. Meyer doesnt want anyone sitting with him in the box qualified to ask any uncomfortable questions.
8 Oct 2012, 22:13 pm
I would take Morne and Elton & Lambie
to EOYT:
15 Pat Lambie
14 JP Pietersen
13 Juan De Jongh
12 Jean de Villiers
11 Bryan Habana
10 Elton Jantjes
9 Francois Hougaard
8 Duane Vermeulen
7 Siya Kolisi
6 Francois Louw
5 Andries Bekker
4 Eben Etzebeth
3 Jannie Du Plessis
2 Tiaan Liebenberg
1 Tendai Mtawarira
16 Adriaan Strauss
17 Pat Cilliers
18 Willem Alberts
19 Marcell Coetzee
20 Ruan Pienaar
21 Jaco Taute
22 Gio Aplon
23 Chilliboy Ralepelle
24 Coenie Oosthuzyen
25 Juandre Kruger
26 Dewald Potgietere
27 Jano Vermaak
28 Morne Steyn
29 JJ Engelbrecht
30 Lwazi Mvovo
Injured: Brussouw, F Steyn, Schalk Burger, Spies,
Unavailble: J Fourie & Fourie Du Preez
8 Oct 2012, 23:30 pm
@Spiesisworthless1-391: but why is this?
is your admin similar to some of your fans, where no matter what the rest of the world sees, some of your fans are blind to the obvious, this unrelenting catch cry of “yes we are gonna win on Saturday” “yes we can do it” etc etc
And then when the result is posted – and you lose – some of you still harp on with “if this had happened and if that happened, then we would have won”
Its bloody stupid man – I am not saying this you – youre one of the more level headed posters in here, but hell, there have some shockers on this board lately, posting their preferred team, their idea of utopia, their panacea for the boks.
Its really simple guys, read Ritchie McCaws book – it was released today.
It covers these things
fitness
decision making
team unity
very few SA fans dissect these areas
Many folk have claimed how SA dominated the first 20 – and to the novice they did.
But we expected that. We expected to have the full blast of 20 minutes of eagerness and hunger thrust at the AB’s – we knew we had to defend like mad dogs, and give away penalties to stop the assault. Boks were up to 10 zip – could have been more – we were stretched
And then we scored, and it was like a pin popping a balloon, the life was drawn from the faces of the boks. Another try to the AB’s – too easy too – and how they fell. 2 more penalties, and in a way, they felt they were back to square, despite the scoreboard showing them in front by 4 minutes
Coaches will always say – ya gotta be the first to score in the first 10 minutes after half time – the AB’s wasted no time, and lurched back into the lead under 40 seconds.
Fitness – had the boks been fitter – they would have hit back hard, they would have made better decisions, they would have fought for each other
The first 20 mins saw a truly committed bok team, the forwards in particular, they were into everything, they were the business – but they couldnt sustain it, and therein lies the heart of the Bok issues.
God forbid they become as fit as the All Blacks – watch out world
9 Oct 2012, 02:34 am
@KiaKahaNZ-394: Amen.
9 Oct 2012, 04:42 am
@Golden Boy-292:
Hehehe Bambie got a cold?
9 Oct 2012, 04:56 am
@Nils-354:
It was meant as a general comment and to illustrate that the majority of passes the arm chair critics call as forward are in fact not forward acording to the laws of the game.
Besides, unless you are 100% in line with the pass it is all but impossible to correctly judge the angle of a pass, of course this has never stopped anyone doing just that.
10 Oct 2012, 03:50 am
It has been interesting reading all comments from within SA and outside about what happened in SOWETO. Kia Kaha had some good points to make, others have also, I do not expect SA/Boks to NOT improve, they will, but here is the thing. It doesnt matter who gets taken away or who should go and who is nominated for the EOYT, what matters is how to integrate the skills of the individuals into what HM and the Bok management hope to develop in the Team Bokke. Individually you have some outstanding players, yeah ok but then what, when plan A is not happening, I am not sure what plan B is, again there was inept and mindless kicking from RP et al to the AB’s back three, and what happens, they run it back and score. The AB’s are always happy to kick (intelligently) to the Boks – empty spaces, sidelines for territorial gain or to get out of the 22, and then let the Boks make a decision as to what they are going to do – KiaKaha alluded to this in Richies recently released book – decision making – something the Boks havent quite come to grips with – I am sure in the fullness of time they will, but that mechanism starts with the coaching staff, HM etc etc. If you ask the true blue NZ rugby supporter, they want a strong SA Team, they want a strong AUS team, it helps keep southern hemisphere rugby up where it belongs. All the constant bagging and carry on by SA supporters is counter-productive. And to those who still say “NZ cheats, the Ref is on their side”….fact: in the 1st half NZ didnt get one penalty in favour of them, so how can people say the REF got it or gets it wrong. We got whistled out of the first 40minutes, SA had all the territory and all the possession, STATS prove that, but all SA did was 1 try and x3 penalties for 16 points. Come the 2nd half, WOW BANG what a dramatic change and the AB’s kicked into another gear that the Boks just couldnt handle. But they will learn, and here’s the rub, when SA do learn and improve, the AB’s will be even further ahead with new ideas, strategies, players, game plan, skills etc etc etc. Anyway, I will be watching with keen interest the Boks on their EOYT, I will expect dramatic improvement and an unbeaten tour just like the AB’s.
11 Oct 2012, 02:10 am
For decades now the Boks have brought a 70 minute fitness level to an 80 minute game. And they have always lapsed into zombie sleepwalk glide mode for the last ten minutes of the first half and the first ten minutes of the second half, both of which fall inside their 70 minute fitness quota.
So they’re firing on all cylinders only from kickoff up to the 30 minute mark and in the second half from the 50th to the 70th minute. For a full half an hour in every match they’re all AWOL either mentally or physically or both.
11 Oct 2012, 16:51 pm
@KiaKahaNZ-394: Excellent post KKNZ!
I totally agree that SA fans do not think of the more realistic issues at times and those factors need to be addressed in the team.
I thought the same about the 10 mins before and after half-time. It is the most important time to score (or not allow a score) I remember Jake White often saying that, and the ABs scored in both. Testament to a excellent, experienced, Test team.
However, you can never stop a South African fan (and I would imagine fans like Argies, Welsh, Scots) from believing “yes we are gonna win on Saturday” or “yes we can do it”.
That always be believed and your team should be supported. While I agree you have to be realistic (eg. Boks were given zero chance in Dunedin and then actually played really well), I also believe that your country should always be supported and believed in.
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