The two sides to the Springboks, the good and the ugly
The Springboks have multiple styles of play for differing opponents, but the contrasting gameplans post-World Cup have been more like a split personality disorder.
The ‘good’ side is great to watch and typical of what you would expect from them. The ‘bad’ side is ugly and disastrous for the global game.
The first test against the All Blacks in Townsville last year was a new low for South African rugby, in terms of how the game is approached.
Defensively they were strong, manhandling David Havili in the midfield, ripping apart the All Black maul, and monstering their ruck.
But it was on the other side of the ball that was concerning. Never before in history has a South African team played like it, yet we were told at the time it was their DNA.
There was next to zero desire to do anything with the ball with an unhealthy obsession of kicking to the sky. Even on the edge of the All Blacks’ 22, the scrumhalves were asked to launch box kicks.
George Bridge had a catastrophic night under the high ball, conceding an early try from a dropped ball, but Jordie Barrett was foolproof, defusing nearly everything. The Springboks recovered just two of the 16 kicks sent his way.
The wasteful nature of the kicking was not working, yet with less than two minutes to go and needing just one score, Herschel Jantjies sent another box kick to the sky while inside New Zealand’s half.
There is a difference between a balanced kicking game required at test level and the Boks’ incessant level which reared its ugly head again that night, kicking close to 40 times with 38 in total.
Then there were the constant stoppages and slow restarts to the set-piece.
The forwards deliberately slowed down play as if they hadn’t learnt in pre-school how to tie their shoelaces properly. Forget water boys, Eben Etzebeth needed a personal ‘tape runner’ to strap his boots when he wanted a break and stall for his side.
This subservient desire to slow the game down and not play with the ball was disgraceful for a team that was making their World Cup encore as winners.
The champions of the game should be the benchmark others are chasing, taking the game to greater heights. This was anything but.
You don’t want to be critical of the game as it needs flourishing rivalries, champions and stars to celebrate, but it would be unjust to all the other Springboks teams in modern history and South African rugby itself to pretend this is how the game should be played.
Schoolboy rugby sides in South Africa do not play that way. The elite schools are well coached and want to play with the ball, their top sides in the URC can be brilliant attacking teams and bring a natural South African-style to the way they do it.
Now test rugby is not schoolboy rugby, but it is still rugby. William Webb Ellis did not pick up the football just to then box kick the leather off it.
We kept hearing the justification for the kick-heavy game was that it was ‘tactical’ and should be tolerated as it was ‘winning rugby’. Yet the numbers say otherwise, with a win-rate barely over 60 per cent against tier one opposition – which is lower than the Springboks’ historical average.
Against Australia and New Zealand since 2018, South Africa is an underwhelming 36 per cent with four wins from 11 clashes. The two wins over the All Blacks have been when they play their best brand of rugby.
Essentially they backed down from the challenge in Townsville, and were justly rewarded with a loss for it, their third in a row after two losses to the Wallabies.
The irony is they should have won, because they All Blacks played rather poorly and the Springboks had them beat in most other areas, but their own negative style let Foster’s side off the hook.
The ‘good’ side of the Springboks was on show in the second encounter on the Gold Coast, with a balanced kicking game (27 kicks) and an increase of nearly 50 percent in the number of passes as they moved the ball more.
They wanted to play and take it to the All Blacks physically. As far as spectacles go, it was up there as one of the best games of the year.
They still played to their strengths, looking for the maul when needed but when they made it into the red zone they ran their patterns when required and threw some punches with ball-in-hand to offer up a true contest which was missing in the first test.
Their positive intent was rewarded in the end with an opportunity to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, and they successfully did so.
Now they have their best chance in over a decade to even the lopsided ledger against the All Blacks and repeat the deeds of the 2009 side who beat them three times in a row.
Foster’s side have plenty of issues and are bringing poor form to South Africa with many players who are inexperienced.
Over the last 10 years, South Africa have won just three of 18 tests against the All Blacks, which is far below a reasonable output for this rivalry based on history.
Scotland have a better win rate against England over the same time period, with three wins from 11 tests.
Springboks Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus says they always have respected New Zealand as opponents.
Well, when you’ve won just 17 per cent of your games in 10 years, you don’t really have a choice but to respect them. Only when you are on the other side of the ledger will your ability to respect your opponent be truly tested.
And here is South Africa’s chance to get to that other side. There are no more underdog tags for the Springboks to grasp onto. They are expected to win these two tests by former players and pundits alike on both sides given the poor from of the visiting side.
The Springboks should win and win well by roughly 10 or so points, plain and simple. By even more if they play extraordinary well.
Don’t be win-shy now. Show us the good side, for rugby’s sake.
Comments on RugbyPass
I 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.
19 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.
7 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.
19 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?
9 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.
9 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 commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments