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
Exciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
11 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
3 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
3 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
3 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
11 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to comments