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Rugby Championship: Heyneke, McKenzie must fix their mistakes ahead of Perth

Roar Guru
26th August, 2014
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Izzy, you're right. Australia should keep focus on the main trophy available this year. (Photo: Paul Barkley/LookPro)
Roar Guru
26th August, 2014
151
2839 Reads

At the best of times it is difficult to predict Test results, and based on the performances of the Springboks and Wallabies over the past two weeks, predicting the outcome of that upcoming match has made it even harder.

What is certain though, is that Ewen McKenzie and Heyneke Meyer can both be questioned about their selections, playing players out of position, technical aspects of their strategies, and their loyalty to certain players.

Australia
I started to do some analysis of the All Black versus Wallabies match of the past weekend, and I never got further than the period of Richie McCaw’s yellow card. There was really no need to go any further.

From Aaron Cruden’s restart after the penalty was converted by Kurtley Beale, New Zealand retained possession for most of the ten minutes with one man down. They camped inside the Wallabies’ half, and the Wallabies simply had no answer for the superior tactical play of New Zealand to get out of their half and exploit the one-man advantage.

Their forward pack lacks fire and perhaps even a bit of pride. Kurtley Beale, as talented as he may be, is not the answer at 10. If you consider the success of the Waratahs this past season, sacrificing combinations that have clearly worked for the sake of including one player – Matt Toomua – just hasn’t worked.

South Africa
When attempting to cross the desert in a 4X4, it is necessary to deflate the tires and expand the contact area of your tires in order to overcome the sand. And that is exactly how the Springboks have looked in their last two outings against Argentina. For the sake of being fair, I will ignore the result at Loftus, as the conditions made it difficult to decide where each team was at.

However Salta was a different ball game. The Springboks were beaten in the scrums, dominated in the contact area and had their gaps exploited out wide. There is very little that can be seen as a positive for the Springboks, unless of course you want to give them a Noddy badge for the win.

The question most would ponder though, is what can change in two weeks?

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Well, that is the great thing about rugby, even a week is a long time, and an extra week provides McKenzie and Meyer time to reflect, and gives the players time to heal and start fresh faced and reinvigorated.

So where will McKenzie make changes?

I have no doubt, even as an outsider, that the Waratahs’ combination of Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Kurtley Beale, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Israel Folau will be instated. The only question remaining is whether McKenzie will move Ashley-Cooper to wing to accommodate someone like Tevita Kuridrani at outside centre.

It is in the forward pack, however, that McKenzie faces his real challenges. Where are the tough guys?

The Aussie pack needs guts and grunt, someone like Jacques Potgieter. Is Will Skelton that man? Perhaps, but how long will he last and how does he influence the line out potential of Australia?

There are mixed feelings in regards to Scott Higginbotham, an industrious player, but too loose. The Wallabies have Michael Hooper, who can be a lot more effective if he had a grunt man in the back row. Wycliff Palu has disappointed, Scott Fardy is seriously under-performing, and that in my view would be McKenzie’s greatest concern.

Heyneke Meyer has some selection issues to make as well. His front row has been beaten, abused and pulverised into tiny bits of beef jerky. Whether fatigue or technique is the issue, I would suggest they get a break.

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Fortunately Vicki Matfield is back, and will partner Eben Etzebeth, who is still a bit light on game time. Willem Alberts seems to be on the mend and could join his comrades in Francois Louw and Duane Vermeulen in the back row.

But the main conundrum Meyer is facing is his nine and 10 pivots. What should he do?

A halfback going backwards has a much tougher time than one playing behind a winning pack, but Ruan Pienaar is pedantic. There simply is no other way to see him.

The secret of South Africa’s success over the past 18 months or so has been pace. Hitting the rucks at pace, running at pace and never halting the momentum of the wave of Springbok juggernauts. Let’s be real, skills in this back line is limited to Willie le Roux, while the rest are crashball runners. There is no change of pace as they approach the opposition defence, there is no guile, no step and certainly very few offloads in contact.

The secret to Meyer’s army lies in one thing, and one thing only. Speed of execution. Hence the pedantic Ruan Pienaar is not the answer.

I would rather see a limited halfback like Francois Hougaard, who has been playing this style at the Bulls all his life and understands the requirement of quick ball, or the inexperienced Cobus Reinach, with his unpredictability and game-breaking moments, before suffering through another traffic lesson from Pienaar.

Don’t get me wrong, Pienaar has been one of my favourite players for a long time, but he simply does not fit the bill.

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At midfield, the Stormers centre pair has to be swopped around. It isn’t a matter of being picky, but rather a matter of common sense. That is how they have been employed at the Stormers the whole season.

The alternative is to move Jan Serfontein to 12, Jean de Villiers to 13 and Damian de Allende to wing, where he has had his most impressive performances.

Final Outcome
I don’t think we will see either of these two teams with a flat performance in Perth, it just isn’t part of their DNA to stay down. Both teams will want to rejuvenate their fans’ belief, and they will want to earn back the respect they have lost.

I think we will be in for a hell of a game, come September 6.

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