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Firstly, thanks George Clancy, you’re off my Christmas list along with Romain Poite and Bryce Lawrence.
There is no one as blind as those who do not want to see and nobody as dense as those who cannot think.
Now for Heyneke Meyer’s Springboks. Heyneke I am giving you my notice. You are falling into the same trap as Jake White and Pieter de Villiers, your predecessors.
Both of them had excellent results in the first two years and then in the third year of their tenure it all came crumbling down.
If you are wondering what I am referring too, then it has to do with adaptability first and foremost.
If you want to continue to believe that an all-out kicking contest will evolve the Springbok game, then you are living in a bubble.
If you believe the same players that has failed since the last two years of Pieter de Villiers’ tenure are going to change the resultant efforts of the Springboks then you are sadly mistaken.
Yes, you may be an expert and have a better understanding of rugby and tactics in general than I do, but even a fool can see we are not progressing.
Over the past few years I have been advocating that the Springboks play more positive rugby, and yet have met stern resistance from fellow supporters justifying the kickathon, because we supposedly do not have the necessary skills.
When was the last time you watched Currie Cup, when was the last time you considered players such as Juan du Jongh, Seabelo Senatla or any other talented backline player that understand the art of offloading, running into space and hitting the gap?
But then again talented smaller players aren’t what we are looking for, are we?
After all, a good big one is better than a good small one, eh?
I actually understand why we play bigger players, if you keep kicking possession away and waiting for the opposition to attack your line the bigger players will supposedly last longer in defence.
There is of course another school of thought, the more you keep the ball, the less you need to rely on bigger players with less skill to defend, and you could rely on smaller but more talented players to attack the opposition line instead.
An alternative theory, don’t you think?
Playing the percentages only works if you are physically far superior to your opponents. We were physically far superior to teams 50 years ago, when natural power from tackling buffalo on the open plains of Africa was still a pastime.
It no longer is, everyone has a health club membership or home gym these days. Hence it is time that you realise power alone is not going to win tournaments.
A poor Australia beat us today, all they needed was a bit of a leg up, a little bit of field position and away they went. Why? Because they are positive. Sometimes to their own detriment too positive to an extent where they play risky rugby that bites them in the arse.
But they are nevertheless positive.
If we were positive today, and a little more creative, we would have pulled this through.
I am asking myself why Ruan Pienaar and Morne Steyn keep on being selected for the Springboks, and I know the answer. Because they can kick, and they like it.
Rugby is played by controlling territory, I get that, but points can also go in multiples of five or seven, but in order to manage a five pointer, you must want to score a five pointer.
I have lost count on how many important matches the Springboks have lost due to the metronome Morne Steyn failing to kick to touch in the dying minutes, and I can recall a few. Lesson here, if you are going to kick, it has to be error free.
Yet, he is still your trusted incumbent.
Sadly, my rant is not going to change anything, as supporters will keep on believing we do not have the necessary skills to play more creative attacking rugby. It also seems they are satisfied with being also rans.
It is also true that change should have come when you took over in 2012, and now it is too late to change because the Rugby World Cup is only a dozen or so Tests away.
In 2013 we scored 47 tries, and the reason for those tries were because the forwards dominated, which they aren’t doing anymore, and the crash ball, power and pace game can only be successful if the forwards dominate. Therefore, there is a requirement for an alternative approach.
My question is this, where to now?
I don’t like AFL, I don’t like soccer and I certainly have had enough of watching Morne Steyn and Ruan Pienaar kicking the leather off the ball, hoping for a mistake from the opposition.
If South Africa do not change their attitude towards playing positive rugby, and continue to play kickathon, then I am no longer interested in supporting the Springboks, I suspect there are many other supporters that feel the same way.
You will not beat the All Blacks with an under-performing pack and these tactics.
Hell, you can’t even beat a poor Australian team with these tactics.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.