Ditch the stereotype: This Springboks team can play
On Saturday, shortly after his team had trampled over England, Jacques Nienaber attended a press conference with a satisfied look on his face. It wasn’t just that he’d become the first Springboks coach to claim a victory at the self-appointed ‘Home of Rugby’ in eight years. It wasn’t just that he had silenced a few critics and earned their respect after a one-sided thumping. That smirk that never quite left his lips had a clear message: ‘Look out world. My boys can play’.
South Africa were brilliant in all the ways you’d have expected them to be. Frans Malherbe put on an masterclass at the scrum. Eben Etzebeth underlined his claim to being the best second-rower on the planet. And Franco Mostert, a Swiss Army Knife of a player, was equally effective in the loose and around the tight channels.
But further back, in areas of the pitch that Springboks fans have looked at longingly, hoping for magic but seeing nothing but pragmatism, some jet-heeled conjurers were casting spells. Whisper it quietly but the Springboks backline is cooking. Scratch that. Sing it from the rooftops. This is a rugby side that can hurt you in more ways than one.
Of course, they’re not alone. Ireland, France, New Zealand, and yes, even England, have the infrastructure to marry brute force with pretty patterns out wide. But because it is the Springboks who tore the English to ribbons (a week after doing the same to a confident Italian side), we should spend a little longer dissecting this newfound addition to their arsenal.
This is akin to discovering a white rhino that also possesses razor-sharp claws. Or a buffalo that hunts lions at night. Watching a Springboks backline run amok challenges our understanding of nature. There is obviously enough evidence from the past to shift our perception. Andre Joubert, Jean de Villiers and Henry Honiball spring to mind as show-stopping backs. But some theories have calcified to the point that even after such a resounding win this weekend, one columnist on this very website can still label the Boks as “boring”.
This is not an attempt to dramatically shift the discourse. One can’t convince all the people all the time. But only the most pigheaded witness could deny that something special is brewing behind the indomitable Springboks pack.
Willie le Roux is at the heart of it. He has bafflingly fought for recognition and acceptance ever since he made his international debut in 2013. Some have said he’s too slow, too weak, too inconsistent, too susceptible under the high ball. Even during the World Cup victory of 2019 there were fans and commentators who were calling for his head.
Those dissenting mouths have been closed. At 33 he is playing the best rugby of his career. He’s at fullback, then at first-receiver, then orchestrating a counterattack, then pulling centres into position for an offensive play several phases down the road. To call him a general would be an understatement. Go and watch every Springbok try scored by a backline player in the last four years. There’s a good chance le Roux has made the final pass in at least 80% of them.
He’s not alone. This column has questioned Damian Willemse’s credentials as a Test fly-half. I still hold some reservations but his performance on Saturday stuffed my previous assertions right down my throat. He was calm and composed. Assured of his role, patient with ball in hand, explosive when he needed to explode. He made a strong claim to keep his starting position until the World Cup next year.
As did Kurt-Lee Arendse, who skinned Marcus Smith to dot down his seventh try in six consecutive Tests. He lit up a soggy Twickenham with every touch of the ball, wriggling past defenders and dancing through half gaps.
2019 flashbacks for England fans ?#ENGvRSA #autumnnationseries pic.twitter.com/njCbD1KyYm
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 26, 2022
What will Nienaber do when all the absentees are once again available? Does Handre Pollard walk back into the side? Goal kicking is a concern without him and his all-round play puts him in the conversation with regards to the most complete No 10 in South Africa’s history. And yet, would his reintroduction destabilise what is clearly a working combination?
And what about Cheslin Kolbe? Arguably the most dazzling player on the planet, his position is also under threat. Given Makazole Mapimpi’s added heft and surety under the high ball, it would mean a straight shootout between Kolbe and Arendse. Does form matter more than seniority?
Then there’s Lukhanyo Am, one half of the best centre combination in the world, according to World Rugby, who combines dazzling skill with defensive nous to go along with Damian de Allende’s direct running.
In reserve is Andre Esterhuizen, Jesse Kriel, Canan Moodie and the incandescent Manie Libbok, who only a fortnight ago put on an exhibition at fly-half rarely seen by a man wearing the leaping antelope.
The Springboks backline has never had more depth, more variety or more potency than it does right now. They’ve never seemed more capable and willing to give the ball air, to attack the space rather than the defender in front of them or to launch an offensive from little more than the inkling of a chance.
For this Nienaber deserves credit and the respect he said his team seldom receives from outsiders. He has overseen a transformation that none of his predecessors have accomplished. What’s more, he’s done this without sacrificing the founding principles of South African rugby.
They’re still behind France and Ireland, and are just about level with New Zealand on World Rugby’s rankings. That is a fair reflection of the power structures in the global game. But if they are to become the first team to lift the World Cup for a fourth time next year, they’ll do so with a team that has more than enough guile to go with their trademark grunt.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
1 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’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
2 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.
3 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 comments