More right than wrong with Boks
26 Nov 2012
RYAN VREDE, in London, writes Heyneke Meyer emerged from his first season in charge with many issues still needing resolution but others comprehensively solved.
The season, from a results perspective, was below par. Three defeats, two of those against the All Blacks, and two draws with inferior opposition preceded an unbeaten year-end tour which, to some, redeemed the season. It did not. Seven from 12 can’t be acceptable for a team whose stated intent is to be the best in the world for a sustained period. There is a massive gulf in quality between them and their benchmark, the All Blacks. That difference must be eroded in 2013.
It would be remiss not to note the mitigating circumstances for their disappointing return. Comparisons with the Blacks are misplaced at this point, as the world champions are a settled unit and are playing with the synergy, fluidity, tactical intelligence and composure that reflects their years together. There has been little change in coaching philosophy with the installment of Steve Hansen and continuity in leadership with Richie McCaw.
The Springboks have never enjoyed the luxury of consistently picking the same side throughout the season with injuries, many sustained by world-class players, heavily undermining their ability to do so. The lack of a central contracting system meant that many of them played nearly every minute of the Super Rugby season, while an appreciable number were involved in the latter part of the Currie Cup campaign. I watched them fade in the second half of games on their European tour and sympathised with players like Jean de Villiers, Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Zane Kirchner and Adriaan Strauss. They were well past the limit sports scientists agree on as the maximum amount of game time before rugby players become susceptible to serious injuries and/or fatigue seriously adversely affects the ability to operate at an acceptably high level.
This is likely to change in 2013, with a select group of players (my understanding is around 12) set to be centrally contracted, granting Meyer greater decision-making power over their management. However, with a deeper pool of players who have proved their aptitude in Test rugby, Meyer cannot lean on this crutch again next year.
Neither must he continue to justify the ongoing involvement of Morne Steyn, unless the flyhalf’s form shows exponential improvement in Super Rugby. Steyn was a comfort selection for Meyer at the beginning of his tenure and later became an indefensible one as his goal-kicking capitulated and his general play failed to inspire. There are superior alternatives, with Pat Lambie having pushed to the front of the queue to challenge Johan Goosen for the No 10 shirt. That duo, as well as Elton Jantjies, have proven themselves to be more than competent goal-kickers and possess a greater attacking arsenal than Steyn does.
Their attacking game plan needs to be refined as well. Don’t expect them to veer from the territory-based approach they so believe in, but there must be observable and effective layering of dimensions to certain aspects of that method. Spatial awareness and decision-making must improve drastically and there has to be greater intelligence going into and at the collision point (by this I mean attacking the space either side of a defender not routinely bulldozing him, and trying to create more offload opportunities).
The return of Fourie du Preez and Jaque Fourie (both unavailable for the year-end tour due to contractual obligations to their Japanese clubs) to the back division should bring with it marked improvements. Encouragingly, Jaco Taute is seen as the future at fullback, and hopefully fitness will allow Bryan Habana, JP Pietersen and Frans Steyn (who were never in the same team this year) to surround him.
I think the addition of a proven attack specialist to the coaching staff will be an astute one. He needs to have had no involvement with Meyer or the Bulls, and would need to be a strong personality and of such standing that he commands Meyer’s respect and attention. Meyer’s philosophies and tactical approach must be challenged, and such confrontation won’t come from the men currently on the coaching staff. Johann van Graan and John McFarland (Meyer’s most trusted assistants) are fine coaches, but too close to him to identify limitations in his thinking on the game.
Meyer also needs to enjoy this journey more. He looked ragged at the post-match press conference at Twickenham, telling me: ‘Every Test felt like a final’. Meyer’s identity is too intimately entwined with the result. If the team fails, he feels like a failure. Meyer has provided strong mentorship for many of this country’s finest players. Now he needs to be looked after in a similar manner. He needs to trust his plan and not see slight deviations from it as being terminal to that plan.
There is, however, a promising future. The Springboks’ defence has largely been very impressive in 2012 and this characteristic is the bedrock upon which the game’s greatest sides have built their periods of dominance. Defence coach McFarland deserves much praise here. He works tirelessly to fine-tune this discipline and is constantly searching for the one percent that will give his team an edge. The emergence of Francois Louw as a world-class openside flank has helped McFarland, but so has the sheer bulk and mongrel they’ve boasted in Willem Alberts, Eben Etzebeth, Marcell Coetzee and Duane Vermeulen.
Vermeulen has undoubtedly filled the void I believed Pierre Spies would at No 8. Vermuelen is half the athlete but double the player. His second season will be a sterner examination of his aptitude, but the signs are encouraging.
The pack as a whole have defied expectations in general and set play. Pieter de Villiers has honed them into a scrum that holds its own against the best in the game and the lineout is their potent attacking and defensive weapon.
There’s a strong base to work from in 2013. Be optimistic.
58 Comments
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26 Nov 2012, 05:38 am
At least we were consistent. The Argies klapped Wales and lost to Ireland.
How about we rather just be our own team instead of always try compare our play to the All Blacks.
26 Nov 2012, 05:39 am
The pack is well settled, no doubt about that.
Our approach on attack is pathetic at the moment – too rigid and way too slow. We have to learn to off-load and not take the ball into a static situation. We need more speed in attack and quicker distribution (Ruan Pienaar has been a failure at scrum half, so where actually does he fit in?). Unless someone sorts out Hougaard’s kicking technique, we need new scrumhalves altogether. Pienaar is killing our backline through slow distribution and kicking away the best ball delivered by the pack. All the bad ball goes either to Alberts or Lambie.
Lambie needs to be given more of the ball to dictate terms. All to often he is the second choice receiver – compare this with the amount of ball Dan Carter is given to play with.
If we can sort this problem out, we have the talent to play good attacking rugby. And one last thing: Jean – please call it a day. You have done your bit for Bok rugby – its time to move on and allow someone who can distribute the ball and go beyond the crash and bash style of play!
26 Nov 2012, 06:25 am
eben’s lineout game has come on in leaps & bounds…he is chief destroyer at the front of that lineout as evidenced when he destroyed the sharks in the currie cup final & on saturday vs the poms…
26 Nov 2012, 06:45 am
@Transformation-3: I agree with your analysis of Eben. Eben is a genuine threat at the line out. The amount of ball he intercepts is quite remarkable. He has Matfiled-like skills at the Line out but Bakkies aggression at the breakdown.
26 Nov 2012, 06:47 am
@Lions_Soutie-1: where i have to agree with Meyer, (which is something i rarely do) is that the AB’s have to be the bench mark. We are miles behind the AB’s but we need to believe that, that’s where we aspire to be.
26 Nov 2012, 06:53 am
@Tbozknows-5: Yes, benchmark in terms of results (i.e. consistently winning). Achieving that we need to focus on the elements of our game that are lacking, namely capitalising on try scoring opportunities.
26 Nov 2012, 08:16 am
@Esoteric-6: I agree, but we need to learn to take the game to the opposition. We can’t just defend and defend and capitalize on mistakes, which is Bok rugby.
26 Nov 2012, 08:19 am
Anyway I’ve been reading the British media on the Saturday’s match. You’d think we cheated and robbed England. They are always whinging coz they were not great, and neither were the Boks. The only fair result would have been a draw.
26 Nov 2012, 08:20 am
Another forced ‘His Masters’ Voice’ article?
Makes me wonder, HM got a 3 out of 3 on an away tour with 3-4 tokens in his line up and that’s not good enough?
Must have upset few ?
26 Nov 2012, 08:45 am
We have loads of talent in SA and must develop them, falling back to the Fouries are not gonna help us in the long term.
Kirchner is a solid FB and great in the air, but will always be a defensive pick, he slows down attack and is always looking to kick as he cannot beat defenders in any other way.
Pienaar needs to trust his FH more and allow the momentum to be used. Why break left and attack down the sideline only to kick the ball away the next ruck with the Poms on the back foot?
I believe Hougard must round out his game and be the future scrummie or the fire brand to unleash in the 2nd half.
The backline looks uncoached, they seem like they don not practice anything else besides kicking and crash balls at twelve.
I have no doubt that F Du Preez at 9 and J FOurie at 13 will turn the bok backline into a monster again, but what about when their gone? Same problem again.
26 Nov 2012, 08:51 am
Sorry for the astute observation Ryan, but it would be remiss not to lament the fact that your vocabulary needs some major fine tuning.
26 Nov 2012, 08:58 am
@goodstuff-10: Backline? monster? When was this?
26 Nov 2012, 09:13 am
@garth-12: 1986
26 Nov 2012, 09:17 am
Well done HM and Bokke , its like watching the Stormers play not nice to watch, but its winning games.
Vermeulen played his best game for bokke , he fits in very well with the defence type Rugga, so does Chikko.
Game of weekend for me was Welsh vs AB’s not for AB’s play but the way the Welsh played.
26 Nov 2012, 09:19 am
Didn’t Jaques state that he’ll only be available in 2 years?
26 Nov 2012, 09:43 am
@garth-12: I think in 2009 and some good patches in between 2004-2007 we were very good on attack, I believe Marius Joubert scored a hatrick and JDV scored two tries all in one game against the AB’s?
It might not look it, but the boks have had good backlines in the past, but with HM there we will wait a long time for the same potency to return.
26 Nov 2012, 09:58 am
@goodstuff-16: Ellis Park was a once off test.
26 Nov 2012, 10:09 am
Bok rugby has regressed, no so much in the quality of players available but more so the STRUCTURE of play/gameplan. The decision making and execution is downright pathetic. In Pienaar,Steyn,De Villiers for most of the season at 10/12/13 had a very experienced combination with all 3 players with more than 50 caps to their names.Kirchner at 15 is an exoerienced campaigner as well as Habana.The back division barring 10 is one of the most capped/experienced.
The issue of injuries is a moot one as a team like Australia with their leaner pool had MORE injuries than South Africa.
Mark my words, the All Blacks will have their retirements in 1-18 months as well but THEIR PLAY will not go to the pathetic levels Boks have dwelled in this year and their pattern will not change,their younger players will transition a lot quicker as well to the higher levels,THEY ALWAYS DO.
The pattern SA plays Meyer and co might as well not pick players like: Hougaard,Jantjies,Goosen,Lambie,De Jongh,Aplon,JP,Mapoe,Willie le Roux,Kankowski,Rhule etc OR ANY dynamic player for that matter because their explosive skillsets will not be utilised ANYWAY.
Pienaar and the likes are the way of the future for current Bok mindset,philosophy… Dean Greyling too
26 Nov 2012, 12:33 pm
As long as the bounce of the oval ball drops a gift try in your lap every game you should be just fine.
26 Nov 2012, 14:17 pm
defunkt – Good point. If that lucky bounce hadn’t of happened i think the Boks will be licking their wounds today at losing to the Poms!!
26 Nov 2012, 14:24 pm
Boks before HM, 3rd, are now 2nd.
First year in charge, new philosophy in coaching, takes players time to adjust, and the coach hardly has any time with the players due to S15 and CC obligations.
Just think we are all a bit harsh on the guy, or retarded….
26 Nov 2012, 14:26 pm
@Maljan-2:
How quickly we forget.
In years gone by JdV was the premium distributor of the ball in the Bok backline. The fact that he is not doing it now is clearly an issue of following the coaches instruction.
Frans Steyn is a great player in his own right, but does not nearly possess the distributing qualities that JdV has, and neither does JdJ, who hardly ever passes the ball.
26 Nov 2012, 14:28 pm
@WP-Stormers-SA-21:
We are not 2nd because we improved, but more likely because Aus has gone backwards a step.
26 Nov 2012, 14:40 pm
Longest season of Rugby in SA rugby history
New coachs
New 2nd row
New Back row
New Half Back pairing
No succession plan at decision making positions (9, 10)
Injuries in world class players (Bismark, Burger)
Unions playing a frenchman at 10 instead of Lambie
Regional loyalty
Coaches not being available to join the Bok coaching panel
Still managed to finish the year 2nd versus 3rd….who cares how kak the Ozzies play. Come December we are ranked 2nd.
Almost every comment above the AB do not have to deal with….I think we have done well all things considered.
We need to increase our win ratio, what are we on? mid 60%? Progress is getting that to 70%, then 75%, then 80%, then higher. That means we beat everyone, not just the AB.
26 Nov 2012, 14:48 pm
@TooMuchRugby-22: Couldn’t agree with you more! People seem to forget that Frans Steyn hardly ever passed the ball when playing 12 in the beginning of the year – crash ball up the middle time and time again. Jean is playing according to the gameplan and though he is getting on in time, is still the best all round centre with the capability to play 12 and 13. Go and look how many JF tries were scored running off JDV shoulder, Jean creating the space. JJ is by no means test quality (yet at least). Jean was one of the better consistent players on this tour and throughout the year.
26 Nov 2012, 14:54 pm
@thecaptain-25: A crashball 12 needs a new skill in the modern era.
The offload.
JDV carries the ball like a flanker going in to contact, under one arm, forcing another phase and a chance for the defensive line to reorganise.
If he could add an offload to his carry, which would involve changing his ball carrying technique, he could be destructive.
26 Nov 2012, 15:03 pm
@willievz-26:
I know I’m repeating myself, but if you consider JdV earlier career this was not the way he played at all. He was putting people into spaces all the time and regularly ofloaded in the tackle.
Die enigste afleiding wat ek kan maak is dat hy onder instruksie is om soos ‘n flank te hardloop.
26 Nov 2012, 15:05 pm
I think JdV has been solid this year, and has lead by example. Imagine if Spies was the Captain….
FS never passed the ball playing fly half, inside centre, or fullback.
The game plan is an enigma to us all, perhaps it is not being executed well enough for us to see the framework.
Crash ball 12, clean ruck, FAST ball, strong ball carriers over the advantage line, when in the opposition half. Milk penalty, or create overlap.
26 Nov 2012, 15:08 pm
@willievz-26: As mentioned and as TooMuchRugby mentions, JDV used to offload beautifully earlier in his career as can be seen by many a try scored by JF when receiving the pop pass from Jean to score, his style of play now is far removed from that, which can only be down to coaching instructions.
26 Nov 2012, 15:13 pm
“This is likely to change in 2013, with a select group of players (my understanding is around 12) set to be centrally contracted, granting Meyer greater decision-making power over their management.”
Mmmm…interesting.
These 12 players will be nominated by who? Meyer?
Given his knack for selecting the wrong players for the Boks so far, I would be very hesitant to make him the sole selector of the 12 players.
Can just see him nominating at least 10 Bulls players to free up some cash at the Bulls so that they can give contracts to another 20 schoolboys next year in order to prevent other franchises from signing them.
26 Nov 2012, 15:22 pm
@TooMuchRugby-22: Madness! Either that or you dont know what you are talking about:
- “In years gone by JdV was the premium distributor of the ball in the Bok backline.” Since which “years gone by”? JdV has never been a premium distributor… He has however been a “premier” intercept player or strike runner. Especially when he started out at 13. NOT Distributor, capische?
- “Frans Steyn is a great player in his own right, but does not nearly possess the distributing qualities that JdV has”… WTF? Now you living in Fantasy Fairy cuckoo land… Let me be explicit – Steyn has superior distribution skills – from offloads to passing length and speed of passing: FACT… And this isn’t even mentioning other superior attributes Steyn has to Donkey…
26 Nov 2012, 15:24 pm
@thecaptain-29: “JDV used to offload beautifully earlier in his career as can be seen by many a try scored by JF when receiving the pop pass from Jean to score”….
Pffffft….
BWAAAAAAAAAAHHHAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAHAAAAAAA
And which fantasy game was this?
Hehehehehehehehe
26 Nov 2012, 15:29 pm
I think we should look at:
player succession plans
coach succession plans
captain succession plans
player rotation for experience
training camps for skills training
and ideally less talk of national playing style, WP has become the Bulls rugby of SA the last 2 years, is shocking. though, in saying this, this makes AC the natural successor of HM
26 Nov 2012, 15:31 pm
@Heavens Game-31:
We were having an adult discussion untill you came along
26 Nov 2012, 15:31 pm
@Heavens Game-31: since when does “passing length and speed of passing” make you a good centre? As a 12, surely your 13 shouldn’t be that far away?? Frans Steyn is not the answer at 12 to get the backline going
26 Nov 2012, 15:34 pm
See, we can’t take Heavens Game seriously as he mentions Steyn as having passed a ball, that is just too far fetched to believe. Drop kick, kick, run slow, make contact….yes….Pass, you got to be kidding me. Granted, I didn’t watch him at Racing Metro…lets agree to watch the S15 where they play him somewhere other than 12 and then decide.
I don’t think we have had a natural distributor of the ball at 12 since **** Muir. Any player next to **** Muir became a bok. He was literally the missing link before and after his time with the boks.
26 Nov 2012, 15:35 pm
@Heavens Game-31: Though this is my first day of posting comments, I have been reading this site for many years and are not new to your uninformed sharks biased comments
26 Nov 2012, 15:36 pm
@TooMuchRugby-34: ????
26 Nov 2012, 15:36 pm
@WP-Stormers-SA-24: “I think we have done well all things considered.”… Really? You have considered all things?
Like the fact that outside the ABs, the rest of the tier one, tier 2 nations outside France (who Boks did not play farking fortunately) are in as much if not more of a rebuilding state as the Boks are… Consequently these competitors are more sh.yte than in previous years…
Compare this to Straeuli’s era when the Boks not only had to contend with Aus, NZ and France but also the strongest England side in history…
Now contextualise Meyer’s record – a lucky draw against a sh.yte England side, not in the stratosphere of England circa 2003, a lucky draw against Arg – certainly a decent side but also probably not their very best – especially if you recall that Arg circa 2007 ended up in the top 3 sides on the planet….
Then you have the lucky wins – including the one against a very sub par Ireland on this EOYT…
The only comprehensive win the Boks had this whole season was against Aus at Loftus…. Basically an Aus C side that ended up with 13 men on the pitch…
Now that is context and considering all things…
Chrissakes, some of you chaps gotta wipe the propaganda sh.yte outta your eyes…
26 Nov 2012, 15:37 pm
@thecaptain-38: @thecaptain-38: sorry, that was meant to be a smiley face but my computer spewed that out!
26 Nov 2012, 15:40 pm
@WP-Stormers-SA-36: No, indeed you can’t take anything backline related,”seriously”, because it is quite clear that actually understanding a constructive, meaningful role for the backline in rugby is a problem for most Saffa’s at present – including the current Bok coaching setup…
But still I optimistically persist with throwing good quality pearls to swine like a good pilgrim…
26 Nov 2012, 15:45 pm
@Heavens Game-39:
That’s more like it.
This I can agree with.
26 Nov 2012, 15:45 pm
think you view the year in a negative, angry man who doesn’t realise we are a 65% win ratio nation and demands more, straight away.
We assume the coach has a philosophy, and having NO time to prepare I think he has done well.
England have FAR more players than SA, and are at the start of their international season. Their new coach had a 6 nations to coach before coming to SA. SA is a lovely country. We went to play our games at 5 degrees in the rain and beat them.
The fist game against England we took our foot off the pedal and let them sneak in a late try.
Come to think of it, you sound like a English scribe. England score in the 78th minute of the game and you think they were on a massive comeback, and had the game been 82 minutes long, they have scored another 2 tries to win the game.
The status quo of world rugby has been restored. NZ on the top, SA 2nd, and the rest fighting for the scraps. This is how it is. We (the world) have restored balance, now let us (SA) improve.
26 Nov 2012, 15:45 pm
@thecaptain-35: Funny that he is and has been the answer to exactly that… in two hemispheres…
In France (who pretty much know what makes a backline tick)
And
At the Sharks (who also have a fairly good idea of backline play, at least compared to other SA sides)
But then again you can really see the Steyn wood in this “premier” JdV forest of yours…
However keep eulogising the Donkey… while the rest of the world will continue to use his outside channel as nice weakness… (Well it worked for the Sharks anyway, especially when getting JPP to exploit our “premier distributing” Cappie in S15 just this year)…
26 Nov 2012, 15:49 pm
@WP-Stormers-SA-43: Read your first line and consider this… if, supposedly the Boks are a 65% winning % Nation, then how come you are comfortable with a coach and Captain who steer the Boks to a % in the 50′s…
Either that or you can’t do your sums… Let me state this FACT to help you: The Boks win % was not in the 60′s… It was late 50′s, okay?
26 Nov 2012, 15:50 pm
I do agree that there is lots of room for improvement though, and a postive backline would be a good start, fast ball from the rucks, a few offloads in the tackle, and a side step or two, and at least 85% kicking record at least.
I am not blind to the uphill climb, just see the positive, versus focusing on the negative.
Mourn the losses, not the victories.
26 Nov 2012, 15:53 pm
@TooMuchRugby-42: Its a farkup that cannot be glossed over if we are to “consider all things”….
@WP-Stormers-SA-43: SA might officially be No 2 at the moment… But I tell you who the real No 2 side is at the moment: France…
And the Boks can be farken thankful that they didn’t play them on EOYT or they would caught a smack along the same lines as Aus did…
Simple…
26 Nov 2012, 15:57 pm
@WP-Stormers-SA-46: Actually “just seeing the positive” is being blind to the uphill climb, no?
26 Nov 2012, 15:57 pm
The reason I can be comfortable is stated in my first post, context.
I didn’t like his Bull-Shark selection policy, I felt the Stormers forwards had some more to offer. I didn’t think JdV would be a lasting option, but hell, as long as it is not Spies. I don’t like the idea that his assistant coaches are all from the same union, but thats all he could get at short notice. I am hoping they all signed 1 year agreements, and HM can discuss this with his employers and get more specialists involved.
I mostly didn’t like the team not sporting enough moustaches this Movember, versus the AB that were very impressive.
26 Nov 2012, 16:02 pm
@WP-Stormers-SA-49: Your context is clearly warped – you admit it so…
“just seeing the positive” demonstrates this…
However this is your choice and opinion, but I certainly don’t agree with it… Definitely.
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