1
Springboks explain lack of XV changes, what next game strategy is
Springboks boss Jacques Nienaber has explained the thinking behind why he wasn’t tempted to make wholesale changes to his team for next Saturday’s final match of the 2021 Rugby Championship versus the All Blacks on the Gold Coast. Just a single alteration has been made to the XV – Ox Nche starting at loosehead with Trevor Nyakane moving across to tighthead where the injured Frans Malherbe loses out.
ADVERTISEMENT
“No, we’re playing No1 and No2 in the world,” said Nienaber when asked why he limited the changes in his starting XV to just one. The restriction was similar on the bench, the only tweak seeing Jasper Wiese taking over from Marco van Staden who suffered a shoulder injury last weekend.
“Yes, one of our strategic goals is to create squad depth but also the biggest one is to win. Whenever we have the opportunity to do that, to give our rotational players a bit more exposure in Test matches, we will do that but missing out on so much Test match rugby in 2020 due to Covid, I feel as a team we need to get back to the standard we were on 2019 and we are still building towards that. From that perspective, when you play No1 and No2 in the world you play your best possible team available.”
Nienaber also addressed questions at the virtually held media session regarding the current kick-heavy Springboks strategy of play and whether it will be the same for Saturday’s rematch with the All Blacks whom they lost 19-17 to last weekend in Townsville. That was the third loss on the bounce for the 2019 world champions and the coach was pressed on whether it was now time to change tack.
“One must always look at it objectively,” insisted Nienaber, whose record as Springboks boss reads five wins and four losses. “We could have managed two games, the first Australian Test match and last week’s, we could have managed it a little better at the back end of the game, maybe could have changed or made a few subs from a coaching perspective. We could have got some lift of energy a little bit quicker in the team.
TEAM NEWS:
Jacques Nienaber is sticking rigidly to his Springboks plan, only making a single injury-enforced change to his XV… #Springboks #RugbyChampionship #TRC2021 #RSAvNZLhttps://t.co/wumpfvzXQ5
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 28, 2021
“Will we change the strategy? It depends on what New Zealand does. If New Zealand changes their strategy and the way they defend and do things and they give us space in a different area of the field we will take it but if they load the front line with 14 defenders and only one at the back, then obviously the space is going to be at the back and our ability to adapt to what picture they are painting for us is going to be the key. It depends on where they give us space.
“Our option will always be to attack space and sometimes attacking space will be by keeping the ball in hand because there is space in front of you in the front line and sometimes space will be on the edge and then you have to use your passing and then sometimes the space is behind them and then, unfortunately, you must utilise the kicking game to get into that space. Rugby will always stay the same in terms of that – you try and attack space and you also try and attack space with what you feel you are good at, your DNA as a team. We feel that (kicking) is our DNA, we feel that is what we are good at.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Yes, we can’t hide away from it, we lost three games on the trot now but in the first Australian Test match and this last game with two to three minutes to go we were in the position to win those games. We spoke about that and we can still go and improve in terms of managing that department and it’s not just players, it’s management as well.”
Nienaber added that winning the 2021 Rugby Championship title wasn’t a priority when he took the Springboks job. “The big thing when I got appointed in January 2020, the two big things we were aiming for were the Lions series and the World Cup. All the other tournaments were important but those were the big ones that we have to put our focus on… and we are still building up to where we were in 2019.
“What these last three games have taught us, or taught me personally, is what is our DNA, what are we good at, what pressure points do we need to apply pressure on to try and get results that suit our players, our style of play and the athletic ability of our players. The moment we veer off that, if that foundation isn’t there, we struggled to impose our form of play on the opposition.
“It was clear as day for me so we are still trying to get that back and going into 2022 if we have the opportunity to get more Test experience into our rotational group we would like to do that. The one positive of Covid with an extended squad, the young guys coming into the mix, we had the opportunity to have them with us now. Not always playing but the environment won’t be new to them and there won’t be this massive void. They will know how the system works and our big aim is still 2023.”
ADVERTISEMENT
"This year the Springboks have adopted a playing style that is foreign to themselves."
– @bensmithrugby on why this current game plan by South Africa isn't 'DNA' and never was. #NZLvRSA #RSAvNZL #RugbyChampionship https://t.co/71ayuUyZUv— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 28, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 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
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!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 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.
27 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.
27 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 comments