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It appears that coach Heyneke Meyer is hoping to bury the World Cup opposition under a mountain of Springbok caps.
Meyer, who believes that experience is the key to lifting the Webb Ellis trophy, has neglected to blood younger players in the past couple of years and is now banking on too many old farts later this year.
Experience is vital and the heavily capped men are an asset, but Old Man Time has taken a toll on stars of past World Cup battles and many of them don’t have the stamina and pace anymore.
South African fans keep saying, “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough”. But are the ageing players good enough?
The 38-year-old Victor Matfield tops the list. The lanky lock, who still has an octopus-like grip in the lineouts, is not the player he used to be. He’s too slow about the field and has been reduced to taking cheap shots on players, in many cases giving away penalties. He does not dominate lineouts anymore: the All Blacks, Wales, Ireland and England have all given as good as they got in past Tests.
Matfield is now a liability. The problem is that there are few, if any, contenders to take his place. And the serious injury to captain Jean de Villiers, who is unlikely to be fit enough for the World Cup, means that Matfield is likely to lead the team.
His decision-making leaves much to be desired. He’s a rolling maul addict, a tactic that has worked well in the past, but now has been effectively countered by the opposition. I would prefer Duane Vermeulen as captain.
And what of other old-timers? Some time ago, I counted eleven survivors from the 2007 World Cup line-up still in Meyer’s Springbok squad. At that stage, Australia had only two and New Zealand five. While the Wallabies and All Blacks have been bringing younger players through, Meyer has been stuck in a time warp.
Take the case of Pat Lambie. He’s a flyhalf with great tactical sense and in his early 20s, a player who should have been given far more game time. Meyer, of course, stuck with Morne Steyn because of his goal-kicking ability and experience. It’s true that Meyer brought in 20-year-old Handre Pollard, who has far fewer caps than Lambie, but don’t be surprised if Steyn is a contender for the No. 10 jersey when the World Cup comes around.
Meyer appears paranoid about losing and hence the safety-first tactics. The Springboks have played conservative rugby in the past to good effect but the game has changed.
The squad has changed now and we have reduced the average age of the squad. Age-wise, there is not a great difference compared to other teams. The problem is that we do not have the depth that the All Blacks have. Older players, too, are more susceptible to injury and the Springboks have paid the price.
If Meyer still counts on experience, we will battle to contend for the Webb Ellis trophy. After one recent poor performance by the Springboks, former Bok star Ashwell Willemse, now a commentator, said we would be lucky to make the World Cup semi-finals.
The Springboks do not play smart rugby and don’t go with the flow. We have a game plan, but fail to adapt when the going gets tough. With Meyer barking orders from his box high in the stand, the Springboks stick to the plan no matter what. Structure, kick for territory and hope to overwhelm the opposition. I am not suggesting open rugby, just clever rugby.
Much is made of our physicality. The view that we are the tough guys on the block is nonsense. Many of the other teams have their tough guys, too, but the difference is that they adapt to what is happening on the field.
Meyer reminds me of former coach Rudolph Straeuli’s infamous Boot Camp, a clumsy and stupid attempt to toughen up the Springboks. ‘Brawn baffles brains’ appeared to be his mantra; one that clearly did not work during his tenure.
Meyer continued to believe that big is better no matter what and his view ruled out several talented smaller players who could have been given experience at Test level.
A Springbok team with other game plans up their sleeves will allow them to play with more confidence. It will also make it more difficult for teams to defend against our attack. In the past, one did not have to be a rocket scientist to prepare for a Test against the Springboks. Our play has been too predictable, both by the forwards and backs.
I would still keep some of the older stars, but rather use them on the bench as impact players. These would include Jannie du Plessis, Schalk Burger and Matfield.
The World Cup is some months off. However, barring injuries, here’s the team, hand on my heart, which I feel could cap it all:
Front row: Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Frans Malherbe.
Locks: Eben Etsebeth, Lood de Jager.
Flanks: Francois Louw, Willem Alberts.
Eighthman: Duane Vermeulen (captain).
Scrumhalf: Fourie du Preez.
Flyhalf: Handre Pollard.
Centres: Frans Steyn, Damian Allende.
Wings: Willie le Roux, Bryan Habana.
Fullback: Pat Lambie.
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.