Springbok Watch

[PaarlBok]

Willie le Roux aint a wing. Played flyhalf schoolboy, played flyhalf and 12 for Boland, 15 for Griquas and only moved to the wing by Naka.

 

[PaarlBok]

Weak crowd for the test. Derbin dont like the buy one, get one free specials.

 

[qwerty51]

His passing game as the 2nd playmaker was awful! So many went to ground or behind the man.

 

[RoffsChoice]

PaarlBok Explains his impact at the Cheetahs. JOC (James O'Connor) isn't a wing, played flyhalf as a teenager.

 

[PaarlBok]

We did not had the Willie distribution factor for years in our game. He make a world diffirense to our backline in this dpeartment and 15 is a good position to have him to pitch up all over the field. Nothing wrong with his kicking (altho I dont want to see him kicking) and an excellent defender.

 

[Rassie]

Defintely, but I am not too worried. It is the sort of thing that will improve as the guys get more time together.



There was a definite "softness" about the boks tackling on the day. I don't want harp about it, but Spies and Kruger were seriously soft meaning that turnovers were hard to get and we were left kicking the ball long when they finally got it. The line-out also under performed on the day (though the ref was very forgiving on the straightness of the Itialian throws)



Noticed this as well, but I think Meyer was worried introducing players in the third quarter when the Italians had all the ball. Should maybe have looked to bring the more experienced subs (Ralepele, Lambie, Van Der Merwe and Pienaar) in a little earlier.





Thought Jannie went well enough. I am ok with Oosthuizen being given shot at the tight head jersey and this is the type of game to do it. He struggled a bit, but the boks were never in any real danger of losing.

Personally I would have Adriaanse behind Malherbe and Cilliers in for the tighthead spot, but both of those are currently injured. If Adriaanse is capped, Meyer must commit to that selection, there are too many one test wonders under Meyer's watch already.



A bit tough on Basson. The game didn't flow his way on Saturday but he did score one try and set up another (JdV's) and had another stolen off him by JJ Engelbrecht.

Not convinced that he is the answer, but he certainly didn't hurt is case on Saturday.



I was pretty happy with Willie on Saturday. He tried things, some of it came off and others didn't, which is pretty much what we can hope for from a debutant. The alternatives for the fullback berth are singularly underwhelming so I would prefer if they give him these three tests to make his case. If it doesn't work out, go with Lambie or Kirchner for the TRC.




My problem with Steyn isn't how deep or shallow he takes the ball, but rather the lack of running threat he poses to the defence. Your right about his passing, which is slow through the air, but at least he is shifting it early to get ball into better runners' hands.

To be fair to him though. Morne Steyn played his style of flyhalf play well on Saturday. His tactical kicking is normally over-rated, but on Saturday it was very very good. The boks exit strategy is clearly to kick out on near the halfway and then disrupt the opposition line-out. On the day Steyn did his bit very well, it was the line-out that failed to dominate on the day.



All of this should not be taken to mean I was happy with the Bok performance on the weekend. The middle third of the game was truly terrible. No team should go 30 min with the ball. Even in the opening 25 when South Africa was well on top, the attack lacked fluidity after a couple phases and the option of one off forward runners were over-utilized. The forwards were again guilty of not clearing past the ball and Vermaak was left digging for too many balls.

On the positive side of ledger the Boks did show an ability to score tries given a little bit of possession. If the forwards can recapture the form they showed in the second half of last season, the building blocks are there for a very strong team this season.

Steyn standing deep have a big impact on our momentum because we use sledgehammers on both flanks. We seem to ignore the kind of mobile 6 and sledgehammer 7 combinations that was used in the past. Which means the defense seeing a Alberts or a Potgieter or a Botha that they are going to get the ball. There is no hiding the attacks. Standing deep off course salted teams will employ the blitz due to our ability to think quickly and they will use gang tacklers to stop us behind the advantage line every time. You can actually go from a flat to deep alignment simply by letting the man on your inside depart first voila he is flat.

It is a shame we have the "he is not big enough" mentality in this country. If we did not have that Peter Grant would have been used and we did not have to use a Kickbot 3000 as the only options at 10.

Steyn kicked better or was the back three of the opposition in a total different class than what the Kiwi's and Aussie's have?

 

[PaarlBok]

His passing game as the 2nd playmaker was awful! So many went to ground or behind the man.

There were a few but then there was some excellent passes also. He seems to understand space and when he get it right its fantastic to watch. I'd say he need to play a few tests to get rid of that debut shatters and is probably our best versatile player at the moment. Kirschner, no way I must get that 15 jersey. We need the Willie type to get that backline to its full potential.

 

[PaarlBok]

Hope Serfontein get more time in the next test. He should play 13 but then JJ had a good test.

 

[Rassie]

Willie le Roux aint a wing. Played flyhalf schoolboy, played flyhalf and 12 for Boland, 15 for Griquas and only moved to the wing by Naka.

I missed this. Reminded me of Percy/ Was a liability at center. Suddenly transformed into a better player by Mallett who asked his High school coach what his favorite position was and they told him 15 first 10 second 13 third. Maybe we should do that with Willie

 

[qwerty51]

Definitely the right way to go, hopefully it was just early nerves.

 

[Sidbarret]

His passing game as the 2nd playmaker was awful! So many went to ground or behind the man.

It was mixed, there was poor one out to Jean in the first half that landed in no-mans land, spoiling a two man overlap, but there was very good one to Basson in the build-up to Jean's try.

 

[PaarlBok]

It was mixed, there was poor one out to Jean in the first half that landed in no-mans land, spoiling a two man overlap, but there was very good one to Basson in the build-up to Jean's try.

At least we dont get that ugly up and unders the others keep on landing all day. Actually a bit refreshing to see we still have wings.

 

[Rassie]

We have even used Rassie Erasmus as a playmaker in the past. We ran 5 tries in under 30 minutes in one game with him directing things. But he had confidence which comes with experience. Can not expect a test debutant to run the show.

 

[Sidbarret]

For Steyn we need a half back that can box kick and create space for him to kick in. Cause Teams like NZ and Australia will just realign their back three and cut out all the space for him to place the ball in. Thus resulting in opposition coming more at us and draining more the energy out of our big forwards.

I feel sorry for Hougaardt as he is a attacking 9 and his oncoming runners is forwards and not the more fleet footed backs or players with the ability to offload rather than just being predictable sledgehammers.

Don't really see how box-kicking opens up the back field. I'd much rather we use the space created with the wingers back to run the ball back, if the winger are up, kick in behind them. In last year's test at Dunedin there was one instance where SA had scrum just outside their 22. NZ had four guys back covering the kick, leaving only two defenders in the front line. SA chose to kick long anyway. Madness.

It is a pity that the Bulls tried to turn Hougaard into another FdP. FdP was a simply brilliant rugby player and the best 9 I've seen, but Hougaard is brilliant in his own way. Instead of focussing on improving Hougaard's core skills (clearing the ball), they focus on box kicking which is unnecessary nice-to-have-but-I-would-prefer-not-to-be-used skill.

 

[Rassie]

At least we dont get that ugly up and unders the others keep on landing all day. Actually a bit refreshing to see we still have wings.

Cause Loyalty is a great part of South Africa’s current strength.

 

[Rassie]

Don't really see how box-kicking opens up the back field. I'd much rather we use the space created with the wingers back to run the ball back, if the winger are up, kick in behind them. In last year's test at Dunedin there was one instance where SA had scrum just outside their 22. NZ had four guys back covering the kick, leaving only two defenders in the front line. SA chose to kick long anyway. Madness.

It is a pity that the Bulls tried to turn Hougaard into another FdP. FdP was a simply brilliant rugby player and the best 9 I've seen, but Hougaard is brilliant in his own way. Instead of focussing on improving Hougaard's core skills (clearing the ball), they focus on box kicking which is unnecessary nice-to-have-but-I-would-prefer-not-to-be-used skill.

Because Fourie Du Preez could kick to the wings so they had to be forward as he could pin point kick it to any place on the field. That is why and that is why the 2007 law tweak did not effect us that much. But without a good kicker like FdP we are going to feel it or we need to get more mobile forwards

Hougie is a attacking 9. He plays that way. Not that the Bulls is trying to turn him into FdP. He is just a running 9 but the problem is instead have a center or a wing or a back coming at a angle or anything its a massive forward with tunnel vision

 

[PaarlBok]

Our ruck cleaning was bad. You can have any 9 but if the rucks dont get cleaned, he'll play like dog shite.We need Brussouw urgently. Vok I cant understand why he isnt in the team. Madness.

 

[Mank]

Our ruck cleaning was bad. You can have any 9 but if the rucks dont get cleaned, he'll play like dog shite.We need Brussouw urgently. Vok I cant understand why he isnt in the team. Madness.

Is Brussow a particularly good ruck cleaner?

 

[Sidbarret]

Our ruck cleaning was bad. You can have any 9 but if the rucks dont get cleaned, he'll play like dog shite.We need Brussouw urgently. Vok I cant understand why he isnt in the team. Madness.

Though I agree that Brussouw should be there, I fear the problem with clearing is a coaching issue. Under Meyer/Van Graan the forwards are taking up a position over the ball instead of clearing the bodies out of the ruck leaving the ball open for halfback to play quickly.

 

[PaarlBok]

Is Brussow a particularly good ruck cleaner?

He is all over the rucks, he and Flo together will be potent.