Can the World Cup holders please show up to play the world's number one team
So, it took nearly two months for the world champion Springboks to lose their number one tag since they started playing rugby again.
Holding onto their truncated Rugby Championship title is also looking highly unlikely as the All Blacks only require a losing bonus point to win back the silverware.
Although many in South Africa are “shocked” the Springboks have been humbled at the hands of Australia, this is who they are and have always been. Only time was required to unwind the notion that they are any different.
When have they ever travelled well, particularly to Australia? When have they ever been dominant over a full Test year in the modern era? Perhaps the 2013 side was the last one, despite losing twice to New Zealand in that year.
For this current group, when have they ever put together a prolonged run?
The statement Lions series started with a first up loss in their opening Test as champions, which, to their credit, they fought back from to win the series. Was it convincing? Not in the slightest.
It is unfortunate the way these players have been built up to something they are not, and now they have been torn apart by their own quite quickly.
They were 50 percent in 2018, with seven wins and seven losses. It only took two wins out of three games to take the truncated Rugby Championship the next year.
The tier one sides they beat at the World Cup were Italy, an injury-ravaged Wales, and England on the final day. Japan, not receiving official tier one recognition from World Rugby, were their quarterfinal opponents.
They are 25 percent against the All Blacks since 2018, having won one from the last four, but all of a sudden they are supposed equals?
This side was suddenly billed as a great one on the back of a nice tournament run. The fallacy with the World Cup is that it is the be all and end all and ultimately determines the best side in the world.
In reality, putting together a winning record of at least 80 percent in a non-World Cup Test season is magnitudes more difficult and a far greater achievement, but it would never get the credit it deserves.
What is harder, playing Japan, Wales and England over three consecutive games, or facing the British and Irish Lions three times, then playing Argentina, Australia and New Zealand twice each, followed by Wales, Scotland and England on an end-of-year tour?
South Africa’s 2021 season is a far greater ask than their World Cup campaign in every way, shape or form, even more so because they had to prove they were the best this time.
In 2019, they didn’t have any great expectations placed on them. Even in the final, England wore the favourites tag after knocking out the All Blacks. Flying under the radar provides less pressure.
The weight of expectation is a heavy burden to carry, which we can see has lumbered these Springboks.
At every turn the players now look to the ref for answers, pleading for calls to go their way. They act confused when they don’t, brows furrowed, hands in the air, heads shaking.
The negative body language on the field is plain as daylight to see. They just can’t believe that call just went against them.
You wonder if Rassie Erasmus’ example has set in the rot. The moment he made it all about the ref, the players got a green light to do the same. Can they be held accountable for ill discipline now when they can just question the ref’s call?
There are many Springboks out there who are obsessed with one man wearing white. That is where the answers lie. The ref isn’t seeing the right call. Why isn’t he seeing what I see?
We know this Springboks group have been obsessed with the officials since they admitted publicly they role-played interactions in team meetings during the World Cup.
They psychologically profiled the likes of Jerome Garces in order to actively seek to influence over him.
It is ironic that the Springboks themselves aren’t interested in a fairly officiated contest as they have been trying to swing calls their way the entire time through influence.
The All Blacks aren’t going to give a rats about the referee. At the end of the day, if they lose it’s down to what the 15 men on the pitch have done. They go out there to do what they do, and if it doesn’t work, they look in the mirror first and find something else that will.
The 100th test between the two great rivals has lost some of its lustre, although the game itself will no doubt be a quality affair as the Springboks will rise to the occasion. They absolutely have to.
Now that the pressure of being the best is off their shoulders, their backs are against the wall, their pride is swelling, their egos are bruised, they will come out full of heart and perhaps make a contest of it.
But, if this is what it takes to get the best of the Springboks – embarrassment, shame and losses – they were never mentally ready to be number one. Make no mistake, the Springboks can win this game, but they have already been exposed for what they are.
The number one team doesn’t wear the underdog tag, unfortunately. They wear expectations, and large ones at that. The losses to the Wallabies show this side can’t rise for every challenger.
The good news is it they are not as bad as they are being made out, but were also never as good as they were pumped up to be. Even a win against the All Blacks won’t change that now as the illusion has been well and truly dispelled.
It doesn’t feel right to call them world champions anymore, it should just be the World Cup holders from now on. It was two years ago, everyone has well and truly moved on from 2019. It’s time to look forward, not back.
And that starts this week when hopefully the World Cup holders show up to play the world’s number one team.
Comments on RugbyPass
It’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
1 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
28 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
2 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy not let the media decide. Like how they choose the head coach. Like most of us we entrust the rugby system to choose. A rugby team includes the coaches. It's collective.
14 Go to commentsHi NIck, I have been very impressed with him and he seems a smart player who can see opportunities which Bobby V _(who must be an international 6_) doesn’t see or have the speed to take advantage of. If he continues to improve and puts on 5kgs then he could be a great 8. He is a bit taller than Keiran Reid at 1.93m and 111 kgs, so his skill set fits his body size and who knows where it will lead. I hope the spate of Achilles tendon issues have been dealt with by the S&C people. It’s been a very long time since Mark Loane and Kefu stood out at 8. The question is will we be able to hold onto him, if he does make it he will be pretty hot property. I disagree with the idea of letting them go to the Northern Hemisphere and then bring them back.
28 Go to commentsBilly Fulton 🤣🤣🤣🤣 garrrmon not even close
14 Go to commentsDoes the AI take into account refs? hahaha Seriously why not have two on field refs to avoid bias?
24 Go to comments