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The 'big talking point' Springboks took time explaining on Tuesday

By Liam Heagney
Springboks' Damian Willemse (Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Jacques Nienaber has given a lengthy response regarding the current standard of Springboks’ goalkicking after it became a major talking point in the wake of last Saturday’s 19-16 Autumn Nations Series loss to Ireland in Dublin. For years, South Africa have always been able to rely on the likes of Handre Pollard, Elton Jantjies and Frans Steyn to harvest points from the kicking tee.

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However, with Pollard and Steyn unavailable through injury and with Jantjies still out of favour after he was sent home from Buenos Aires in September, the Springboks’ goalkicking spotlight has fallen on the 24-year-old Damian Willemse to start turning kicks into points this November.

A full-back by trade, last Saturday in Dublin was just the third time that Willemse started at No10 in his dozen starts for the Springboks and he also had the additional responsibility of goalkicking.

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The experience didn’t go well – he missed a straightforward first-half penalty and Cheslin Kolbe then struck an upright with a second-half conversion – and the post-mortem that took place amongst Springboks fans and in the media was critical amid claims that goalkicking was the difference between the two sides.

Nienaber has since named an XV containing five changes for this Saturday’s game against France in Marseille, but Willemse was again named as the starting No10 and the head coach defended his player. Asked how seriously he was taking the issue of goalkicking, Springboks boss Nienaber said: “I think I am going to take some time on this because I know it’s a big talking point.

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“How can I say? Let me start like this. We started in 2018 with Handre and Elton and they played the majority if not all the Test matches and we had our backup, a seasoned international that can play fly-half, in Frans Steyn. Unfortunately, we are where we are – that not one of the three of them is available.

“I don’t want to call Damian our third choice because although he is only playing now his fourth Test at ten, we all know the quality of the player. But yes, he is a seasoned campaigner and has played 25 Tests or more for South Africa, but like I said it is only the fourth time that he has had to take over the goalkicking duties because in the past we always had other guys there.

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“So yes, we are working on it like we do always. I mean, they measure the kicks in training, every single kick. We can tell you what the kicking percentage is in training but it’s a different thing to go into a Test match with the Springbok on your chest and you have to kick in front of 85,000 people and you know it is for your country.

“It’s a different kind of pressure and the only way they will get better in those situations is to play in that situation, to kick for goals in that situation. So yes, we are working incredibly hard on it. Yes, the players are taking it unbelievably seriously but unfortunately, the most senior experience international fly-half that we have is Damian Willemse and he is still getting into the ten position.

“Although he has played 25 Tests it’s only his fourth Test as ten and on that, a fly-half, if he can kick for goal, it is awesome but he must have a good attack, he must drive the forwards forward, he must drive the game for us, he must have a good defensive kicking game, he must spot space.

“If he is required to ruck and go into a breakdown he needs to do that as well, so there are lots of things that make a good fly-half and goalkicking is one of them if you don’t have another goalkicker. But yeah, we are working incredibly hard on it.

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“We know where we are in terms of that, know where we are in terms of having a seasoned fly-half. Injury has dealt us with the hand that we have. The guys are training their socks off trying and working hard to improve it and I trust it, they will.”

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Jon 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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