Springboks can still win World Cup with Plan B
The best thing about a bulletproof strategy is that there is little need for another one. Four years ago in Japan, South Africa bulldozed their opponents on their way to glory. Sure they lost to New Zealand in an epic contest that doesn’t get nearly the amount of airtime it deserves, but they hammered England, who only the week before trounced the All Blacks.
What Rassie Erasmus was up to was no secret. The Bomb Squad arrived with all the subtlety and secrecy of a herd of elephants crashing through the African bush. It made a lot of noise and did a lot of damage. But you knew it was coming. You could probably set your watch to its arrival on the hour mark.
The pandemic impacted every country in the world but it was particularly harsh on South Africa. Strict lockdown measures meant the Springboks were forced to watch on as the rest of the rugby world returned to action. One columnist on this site has suggested that Jacques Nienaber, who replaced Erasmus as head coach after the World Cup triumph, was doing the equivalent of “sitting in a sauna” while he “sat on a perch with the [world number one] ranking frozen for [his team] like a boxer trying to pick fights to keep his belt.”
This is an egregious misunderstanding of the dynamics in the country where countless businesses folded and the economy tanked. Many Springboks used their platform to help the country at large, most notably Captain Siya Kolisi who hand-delivered food packages to needy families around Cape Town.
Nienaber’s first game in charge was a hastily arranged warm-up match against Georgia ahead of a British & Irish Lions series that was almost scuppered at the 11th hour. This was hardly an ideal backdrop to blood new talent, forge a new identity and implement an alternative strategy as the defending champions embarked on their next World Cup cycle. Despite defeat in an ugly first Test, the Springboks leaned further into their pragmatic and pugilistic style to take the series 2-1.
There may be more important things in sport than winning, but inspiration and entertainment are more easily found on victory parades. And though the Springboks’ record against the other top five ranked nations in the world over the last four years is short of what it should be, the players and coaches have always had this World Cup defence as their primary target.
They’ve run France and Ireland close on their own patch and have beaten New Zealand. They’ll have to beat all three over the next month and half to win back their crown and there is every chance that they will. But in order to do so, they must fast-track and advance a game-plan that might have previously been considered their Plan B.
The loss of Handre Pollard cannot be underestimated. Besides Antoine Dupont for France, he is the most instrumental figure in any side with realistic ambitions of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup in Paris.
Pollard is South Africa’s most accomplished fly-half in the professional era and could also be the most complete 10 in the Springboks’ history. Whether he’s playing soft touches around the fringe and in the tight channels or dictating the tempo of the game from deep with range-finding kicks, he is the quintessential general on the pitch. He has the heft of a centre and is often used like one, charging at the line and providing stability on defence in the midfield. He can also clear out a ruck if required and fulfils that task better than any other fly-half in the world.
But he’s failed to prove his fitness and so Manie Libbok, a 26-year-old with less than 10 Test caps to his name, has been selected as the only bonafide 10 in the Springboks’ squad. He’s a Super Rugby winner and a supremely gifted athlete. He attacks the line, has a natural understanding of space around him and brings in runners off his shoulder better than anyone else available.
However, he is a very different sort of 10 to Pollard and there, despite some wild arguments the Boks don’t actually need a fly-half but merely a goal kicker, the game around Libbok has to change.
In short, Plan A must be shifted to Plan B. With Libbok driving the bus, certain other positions in the backline ought to adapt as well. Willie le Roux’s importance is heightened as he would not only add value with ball in hand but would help provide Libbok with an extra set of eyes and an experienced brain behind them. Le Roux already marshals the back line and will be asked to step up at first receiver even more than he would have had Pollard stayed fit.
Andre Esterhuizen might be a better option at 12 than regular starter Damian de Allende. Both achieve their primary function by barnstorming over the gainline but the former does so in a more brutalist manner. This is of course reductive and diminishes the all-round traits of both players, but there is no denying Esterhuizen has a leg up on his teammate when it comes to sheer heft.
That means a more creative player is needed at 13. Damian Willemse has enough quality to fulfil this task but Canan Moodie would seem to be the ideal candidate to replace the injured Lukhanyo Am. Like Jaque Fourie, Moodie has started life as a Test rugby player on the wing and the backfield but will surely transition soon. The upcoming clash against Wales would be the perfect opportunity to test out a new centre combination.
With this blend of guile and grunt outside him, Libbok would be able to play off either foot and in either direction. Still, he must be encouraged to express himself and has all the tools to ignite a Springbok backline that has been showing signs of their enterprise, but must now make the switch to an expansive and dynamic plan.
Plan B – the former Plan A – will always be available. The pack is still among the best and most powerful in the world. Once the ball emerges from the morass a wholly fresh blueprint must not only be implemented but trusted as well.
Comments on RugbyPass
Why cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
31 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn 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
4 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 Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 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!😭😭😭 !!!
31 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
31 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.
31 Go to comments