'Huge gulf': Welsh coach worried by the power imbalance with South Africa
Wales’ hope of winning a Test against the Springboks in South Africa for the first time appears to be fading fast.
This can be deducted from the reaction of Dragons Director of Rugby Dragons Dean Ryan, following his team’s second successive hammering on South African soil.
Ryan pulled no punches in his post-match media briefing, following the Dragons’ disastrous two-match tour of South Africa – which saw them concede 106 points and score just 23, with 20-55 and 3-51 losses to the Bulls and Sharks respectively.
In fact, the Dragons also lost on home soil to the Stormers (10-24).
However, it is not just the Dragons who are struggling to deal with the South African teams’ power game.
Of the 13 United Rugby Championship matches between Welsh and South African teams, only two have gone the way of the Welsh teams – Cardiff edging the Sharks 23-17 at Arms Park and Scarlets beating the Lions 36-13 in Llanelli.
Ryan believes these results – with the South African teams regularly putting 40 and 50 points past the Welsh outfits – show just how tough the three-Test series will be for Wales in July.
The Wales national team has never won a Test against the Boks in South Africa and as it stands none of their regional sides has won in the Republic either.
Ryan said “a number of conversations” will need to happen to solve the issues facing Welsh rugby.
“The Wales challenge is a complex one,” he said, adding: “It is going to require some courage and require some people to lead.”
He added that Wales is facing a “huge issue” and if they keep on ignoring it, Welsh rugby will continue moving closer to sliding down a cliff.
“If we needed a reminder, the last couple of weeks and months have been a stark reminder,” Ryan said.
“In the last two weeks we got an education in power,” Ryan told @rugby365com, when asked about the heavy defeats on South African soil.
“The basic of the game is based on power and at the moment there is a huge gulf between ourselves and South African opposition.”
He admitted that because they lost the collision and the set-pieces battles, they simply could not build any pressure on the opposition.
“The last 10 days there has been no a lack of effort, no lack of detail around what we are trying to achieve, but we can’t hold a scrum and that can march us up a field.
“Ultimately, the fatigue levels are enormous, and the error rate is then enormous come the last 20 minutes.”
He added that collectively the Dragons are just not up to the brute power delivered by South African teams.
“It is a reality check for us and it is a reality check for Wales going into the three-Test series in July,” was the frank response from the Dragons boss.
He again touched on the ‘gulf’ that exists between the Welsh teams and their South African counterparts when it comes to power.
“We are getting a good insight into the power at the top end of the game, both at province level and I am sure Wales will find out in July at international level.
“Outside of a few, we don’t have regions stacked with people that can handle that power.”
He said Wales coach Wayne Pivac will have a good look at the regional teams’ performances in South Africa.
“The critical mass of people that can control that power – not one individual – isn’t enough for us across the side.
“The pressure was everywhere today. At scrum, at midfield collision, at breakdown.
“We put some good defensive sets together, we were quite smart when we had chances to try and get on them. Our line-out was good quality too.
“But we cannot hold any pressure when, from the first scrum, we are marched 50 metres up the field from our own ball.”
Reflecting on the two-game South Africa tour, Ryan added: “I’m not unhappy with performances.
“I don’t have a magic wand and all I can ask is that players are at the best of their ability. I think we have been.
“We’ve come together strongly over this two-week period and levels of our performance have been good – but there is a gulf.
“You can’t play little trick plays that hide power.
“I’m not going to pretend that I have something that can solve that.
“There is a gulf between us and the top of the URC and that is a question that I have to answer within the region, with the resources we have got, and Wales has to answer in July.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
7 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
7 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments