1
'Recipe for disaster' - Fears growing among Springbok fans that an undercooked squad for test rugby will tarnish World Cup gloss
The announcement that Australia would be the host of the 2020 Rugby Championship over New Zealand left a growing number of Springbok fans uneasy about the prospect of playing test rugby this year.
ADVERTISEMENT
Before the announcement, conjecture around which hemisphere they would play in this year offered the chance to explore the option that suited the Springboks best.
The confirmation that the Rugby Championship would go ahead in Australia put the Springboks on a path to overcome perhaps the greatest challenge yet, preparing for test rugby with extremely limited preparation against the All Blacks and Wallabies, who both have played individual iterations of Super Rugby.
The prospect of an undercooked Springbok side playing an entire tournament in a foreign land was labelled a ‘recipe for the disaster’, with one fan saying he doesn’t ‘want the Boks to get massacred’ in their first tournament as world champions.
A bad result could ruin the momentum created by the World Cup, tarnish the gloss of the world champion tag and ‘ruin team morale for the Lions tour’. Compounded with a growing number of key injuries, the Springboks would be up against it to defend their Rugby Championship crown.
I want to have a RC but I also don't want the boks to get massacred add on to that a lot of our World cup starters in Europe are injured so it will be tough. If we do go we might as well send some up and coming guys.
— Bob the Builder (@BryceAllies) September 12, 2020
I would like to know what Rassie thinks is the best for the springboks. I agree sending an undercooked squad to face the All Blacks is a recipe for disaster and would rather see our players play locally. But money talks.
— Stephen Marsden (@StephenMarsden2) September 11, 2020
We already have a good number of players out on injury + the rest haven't played a match since March. Competing with dudes who'll have a 3 month head start in form/game time isn't smart at all. Besides being illogical you'll ruin team morale for the Lions tour. Currie Cup only.
— Such Is Life…. (@EnslinMavunga) September 12, 2020
I'm saying local bok players haven't played a single match since March. The overseas ones just started a month ago. Playing RC with NZ,Aussie who'll have 3 months of form/game time in October isn't smart. Match fitness is lacking. Rather concentrate on just CC
— Such Is Life…. (@EnslinMavunga) September 12, 2020
RG now Handre. And local comp hasnt even started. Dont think we will be able to go and defend the championship. Oaks must be match fit for such.
— Jimmy (@JHDW2017) September 12, 2020
Most people will remember how the Boks performed in their first comp as champs. I also want to see the Boks out there playing, but not at the expense of putting a make-do team to the slaughter against NZ
— Jason Gilbey (@JasonGilbs) September 11, 2020
ADVERTISEMENT
Both AU and NZ had full Super rugby campaigns. If we do play in the champs we will go in with no match fitness and will probably come back with 7 to 8 injuries. Most of our locks are already sidelined as well. Can't see a positive outcome to be honest.
— MrRef (@RugbyMrRef) September 11, 2020
News that Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard suffered a long-term knee injury playing for Montpellier added to the growing injury toll of key Springbok players, with RG Snyman and Lood de Jager all recently injured playing in Europe. A number of fans expect a second string side full of up and comers would have to be sent to Australia.
This sentiment was echoed by former Springbok captain Wynand Claassen who said it ‘doesn’t make any sense’ to play the games.
“I honestly believe they should not play in the Championship; it simply doesn’t make any sense to me,” Claassen told The Citizen.
“If one thinks that New Zealand and Australia have been playing their domestic rugby for the last two months and our rugby hasn’t even restarted yet, we would definitely be underprepared.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Not all Springbok fans were opposed to playing despite the dangers posed, with Twitter polls suggesting that there is plenty of appetite to see the Springboks play this year in any state to ensure that some test rugby is played before the Lions tour.
should Boks play Test’s this year? priority to build steam ahead of Lions? but Test rugby is not a joke if you not prepared.. do more damage than good? better to let guys build up in local and european comps?
— Oom Rugby (@Oom_Rugby) September 10, 2020
Boks must go defend their Rugby championship in Sydney and people must stop giving us compelling arguments. https://t.co/TySGNa8EHB
— Biscotti (@MvusiTroc) September 11, 2020
The compulsory 14 day quarantine period in Aus prior to Rugby Champs basically gives the Boks a 2 week camp. Not heard of outside of World Cup years. Sure, a few speed bumps to get over, but I say the World Champs must bloody play! #BoksMustPlay
— Front Row Grunt (@FrontRowGrunt) September 11, 2020
How are we gonna prepare for the Lions if we don’t play now? This could be the only international window for our locally based and overseas players to play together before the biggest series in 12 years.
— Thala Msutu (@ThalaMsutu77) September 11, 2020
It still remains to be seen whether Argentina and South Africa are able to turn up to compete in the Rugby Championship, while reports suggest some top All Blacks could opt out of the tournament leaving New Zealand understrength also.
With potentially up to eight weeks away from families, NZR said it would support those players who decide to stay at home.
“This challenge of what they are about to undertake is going to be significant and we will back them and their families in whatever way we need to ensure they are looked after,” NZR’s Chief Executive Mark Robinson said.
With domestic rugby under the belt, New Zealand and Australia would still be in a stronger position to field a team despite missing top stars while the Springboks and Pumas have the odds stacked against them.
Comments on RugbyPass
An on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
25 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
25 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen 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.
25 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.
9 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.
25 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?
11 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.
11 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 comments