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Why it's time for the Springboks to rethink Damian Willemse's role
One of the big debates surrounding the Springboks squad in recent seasons has been the coaching team’s decision to use Damian Willemse in the fly-half role. After Manie Libbok produced a solid performance in South Africa’s win over Australia, Willemse got the pivotal role in the clash against the All Blacks in Auckland.
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Willemse failed to stamp his authority on the game, especially in the first half when the Springboks were being pummelled all over the park. With their backs against the wall, the Springboks needed some direction on the field, but it wasn’t coming from that fly-half channel.
To be fair, several of Willemse’s teammates also looked like they were shell-shocked in the opening stages and there was a lack of quality ball to work with.
One could also make the case that Willemse was rusty, not having played since the URC and he also recently recovered from a knee injury. However, it was a Test match and you would have expected more from a player with his pedigree.
There was some indecisiveness with the ball in hand and the backline just looked devoid of ideas for much of the time when he was at fly-half. The Boks looked much better on attack when Willie le Roux slotted into that first receiver role, and it is a ploy the Boks adopted on a few occasions with him and Willemse starting in the same backline.
Willemse has plenty of skill and speed and the full-back position gives him more time to make decisions and terrorise defenders around the park. Maybe it is time that Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber take a page out of John Dobson’s book when it comes to using Willemse in the backline.
The Stormers coach preferred to use the 25-year-old in the No15 and No.12 jerseys during the URC and European season and he flourished. In Auckland, another glaring difference between the All Blacks and the Springboks was the kicking game.
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All Blacks fly-half Richie Mo’unga and full-back Beauden Barrett put the Boks under constant pressure with high balls and accurate kicks in play and the Boks did not get that from their playmaker on Saturday. The Springboks coaches see Willemse as a utility player and the ultimate successor to Francois Steyn, who has now retired from the game.
It’s also understandable that Erasmus and Nienaber are preparing for every eventuality and with injuries being a big part of the game, Willemse could be the big solution at fly-half if resources are cut short during the Rugby World Cup.
However, the Boks would do well to give Libbok an extended run in that fly-half role until Handre Pollard gets back to full fitness. The more confidence Libbok gets on the international stage, the better it will be for the Springboks.
Comments on RugbyPass
Amazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
1 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
1 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
1 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
7 Go to commentsSeeing pictures of Jacques high-fiving it with Irish players breaks my heart. Too soon. I need more time.
1 Go to commentsquins is all over the place. The minute they get the ball they panic. Quins can still win tho just need to win all rucks otherwise just don't bother.
7 Go to commentsGreat wins for the male & female kiwi sides. Ireland not far away..
1 Go to commentsWhy is this dude getting so much coverage? Usually knobs like this get cancelled.
2 Go to commentsWow. What was that? A 3 million word meandering article about what exactly?
2 Go to commentsNice piece of writing. And yes the Sharks pulled a rabbit from the hat and were a little lucky with that penalty try that wasn’t given… however the Sharks (with their resources) should be way more consistent and should be putting teams like Claremont away for breakfast. I expect more from them and hope they kick on now.
8 Go to commentsJust what the Sharks needed to get things going in the right direction Defence on the outside really creates havoc for the whole team and needs to be addressed.
8 Go to commentsWell done guys both teams will be ready to play knockout rugby.
1 Go to commentsSurprised that Ramos isn't starting at 15. But what a squad of galacticos!
2 Go to commentsWhy is it a snub? What journalistic garbage is that? Sure the guy is a great player, but there are plenty of loose forwards and not all of them can be Springboks. Also, I know of no-one who doubts Rassie’s judgment. South Africa has a conveyor belt of loose forwards that just keeps producing, so the competition is intense. I certainly wish him well, but there is no entitlement and there is no snub.
17 Go to commentsSkelton may be brought back for the Wallabies so that would be the only reason that may hinder Wilson. Easily the form, most skilful and game IQ of any Oz 8. Valentini’s best and favourite position is 6, but lineouts may be an issue with Skelton, Valentini and Wilson. Will be interesting what Schmidt goes for but for me Wilson should be picked on form. Schmidt rewards work rate, skill and consistency. All that glitters every so often won’t be in contention. Greely is one of those players that has a knack of making the right decision. A coach is going to love him because he knows week in week out he’s going to get the job done. The second try Greely wasn’t the guy who made the initial break it was Flook, Greely was at the bottom of the ruck when Flook was off along the sideline. Greely got up and made the effort to catch up with play but also read the play nicely and hit the pass from Campbell at pace and then held the pass beautifully to Ryan.
6 Go to commentsSpot on Ben. Dead right. Havili looked great at 10. Easily the highest rugby IQ of any NZ player these days. Getting a kick charged down is a result of getting used to adjusting your depth to the line at 10, which he will sort out with time. But other than that it was an outstanding first effort in that position this year. I think the NZ media has misunderstood this directive from Razor. Havili might rank behind B Barrett this year, but Beuden is 33 this month and won't last much longer. DMaC is great but flaky and not really a test match animal (his efforts in Dunedin versus Aus last year for example). If Razor can't have Mounga, DMaC is too unstructured for Razor (and is just too small for test rugby). Havili will end up our first choice first five, and in partnership with Jodie will be excellent. Two triple threat operators in tandem, and big bodies and tough tacklers to boot. Jordoe will be the ABs goal kicker. I am an Aucklander and Blues (and Warriors) fan, but Havili at 10 is going to be sensational in time… he can be the best first five in the world by the end of this year. No question.
6 Go to commentsSharks deserved to be far further back by the last quarter. Their tackling was awful, their set pieces were disappointing, their defensive organization was poor (especially on the Kok side of the D line), they kept making unnecessary errors, and they never looked like cracking the Clermont defense during those first 60m. Masuku kept them in touch, with some help from the Clermont generosity on penalty opportunities. Agree with the writer of this article. It was belligerence, and ability to raise their pressure game just enough, that turned the last quarter into a Bok-style shutout. Clermont have a reputation of not playing the full 80m, and there was a bit of that for sure. But, quite often when the intensity of a team drops off in the last quarter credit is due to the opponent for tiring them out. At 60m, with the Kok try, you thought that just maybe the game was on. At 70m, with the Mapimpi contribution, one felt that Clermont were fading, while facing a team that would maintain the pressure game through the final whistle. Good win in the end, but the Sharks are still playing way below their potential. And with their resources, and a coach that has had enough time to figure things out, they are running out of excuses.
8 Go to commentsGood riddance
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