1
Springboks on England's scrum, Manu at 14 and the 2019 RWC final
It was a question Springboks boss Jacques Nienaber sounded very much like he had his homework done for. There he was on Tuesday, within minutes of naming his XV for Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series finale versus England, when it was suggested that the South African front row starters and their bomb squad back up must be licking their lips about the probability of facing an opposition containing a starting loosehead and hooker with just four caps between them and further inexperience likely on the bench.
ADVERTISEMENT
Not quite. Seated alongside the midfielder Lukhanyo Am, who was a bystander for the virtually held Springboks media briefing from London, Nienaber didn’t hesitate to give a reply that quickly contradicted the lips licking suggestion.
“I know a lot of people are talking about South Africa’s squad and the bomb squad but in my analysis of England in the last month of rugby that they have played, they had 21 scrums to exit from and to attack from and they got 14 penalties out of those 21 scrums.
“There are a lot of similarities between us and them and if you just look at the weekend you might notice what they did against Australia, they had four scrums and they scrummed three penalties, so 75 per cent conversion rate in terms of getting penalties.
“Yes, it is going to be a big challenge for us, for our forwards and for our scrum, and we must keep our feet on the ground because if you look at the numbers that England are currently pushing out in terms of their scrum performance they are quite formidable and right up there.”
TEAM NEWS: Jacques Nienaber's XV contains 10 starters from the World Cup final win over England 24 months ago…#Springboks #ENGvRSA #AutumnNationsSeries
https://t.co/EEKuBncHSl— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 16, 2021
It was against Wales on November 6 when the Springboks’ decision to put a regular midfielder on the wing raised eyebrows, Jesse Kriel filling the vacancy left by the injured Cheslin Kolbe and the delayed arrival in the UK of Sbu Nkosi. Not since September 2018 had Kriel worn the No14 jersey – and the 27-old centre had only worn it one previously to that in his six-year Test career. England took that type of experiment a stage further when last weekend opting to put midfielder Manu Tuilagi on their right wing seven years his one and only previous start as a No14.
What did the Springboks boss Nienaber make of England ‘pick three midfielders’ tactic? “I thought Manu played 13 the majority of the time and I thought (Henry) Slade played full-back,” he reckoned. “There is some rotation in that. It’s horses for courses, they need certain individuals to fulfil certain roles and they play around with that. I don’t think one must look at the number on the back in terms of is it a traditional 14 or is he having a 14 on his back fulfilling the role of a 13? I just think it is horses for courses.”
ADVERTISEMENT
It’s now two years since the Springboks blew England away in the final of the 2019 World Cup. Saturday at Twickenham will be the first meeting between the sides since then. The expectation is that this loss will be a motivating factor for any English player from that day in Yokohama who is still involved now.
What is the Springboks perspective, though, on a game billed as a rematch of RWC 2019? “I won’t know what Eddie (Jones) is telling his (England) players. From our perspective the World Cup is so long ago, it’s water under the bridge. You can’t stay and live in that moment, you need to move on and we definitely did. It’s a new focus, new objectives and we are working towards France 2023. I don’t know if they would use that to fuel them, so it is tough for me to comment on that.
“Eddie is a brilliant coach. I have coached against him a couple of times and obviously, he knows South Africa quite well. He was involved with the Boks in 2007 and having Matt (Proudfoot, England assistant) there he will have a good understanding of how we will operate. It will be a big challenge for us.
“In terms of the style of play, Eddie mentioned it this week, each country will play to its strength and we do the same and it’s the style we think will get us results. Everybody does it in the game, plays to their strength and style. We certainly try and do this with ours.”
ADVERTISEMENT
The knives are out for Rassie ahead of the Springboks' clash with England. #ENGvRSA https://t.co/T29kJcNHSp
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 16, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
I’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
4 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
6 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
11 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
11 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
4 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to comments