Going into the Springboks versus Pumas match I was a relatively happy man. The Springboks’ record was held intact through the draw between the All Blacks and the Wallabies, Western Province demolished traditional rivals the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and I won a few beers free of charge at the local liquor store.
So the beers were set, my Springboks jersey was on and the day was going good. Then came the time for the Pumas game.
From the first minute I knew that this was going to be the worst game I had ever witnessed.
While singing the national anthems, a torrential rain enshrouded Loftus Versfeld followed by a baptism of hail that continued until about 10 minutes into the match. However, the rain never really stopped.
One could draw comparisons in the conditions between both games of this opening round of the Rugby Championship. One would be that the quality of the first game was so much better than that of the second. But another would be that the conditions of the second game were much, much worse.
What the weather did was ruin two good contests. Now we still have absolutely no idea where all four teams stand, what form they are in or who are favourites to win it. These conditions affect the entire dynamic of the game.
But while Australia, New Zealand and Argentina adapted to the situations well, South Africa did not. And this highlights the great flaw in South African Rugby. The lack of a contingency plan.
As strange as it might sound the Springboks went into this game with a bigger attacking mindset than the Tasman teams. Prior to the game the Boks had believed that the conditions would suit a running game. The forecast was clean, the team they had chosen was custom made for a fast game and what Heyneke Meyer had said since last week pointed to an open approach.
The selection of Handre Pollard and Damien de Allende was an attempt to attack. Meyer had said that he was looking to evolve the game his team plays from being physically dominant to being a more skillful unit. They intended to make this first game at altitude a beginning for this new game plan.
But the conditions ruined it and the Boks did not have a back up plan. This in itself requires a lot of thought. The Boks had always been known to be the most structured team in the world, with conditions like these suiting them handsomely.
How then, were they so terrible in this game?
What seems a trademark for South African rugby is the inability to adapt. Here they were trying to employ a more expansive, fast game when their traditional game would have secured victory much easier.
Around halftime the Boks then tried to revert back to their structured style, but they just couldn’t. Even Morne Steyn, who is the master of this style, just could not perform up to standard.
The Boks seem to be in a state of a one-track mind. When a certain pattern is practiced, this pattern is employed with no real backup plan. If it doesn’t work then you keep doing it until it does. When they see it just won’t work then they try to change. But this usually results in them performing much weaker than they did at first.
What Meyer’s men had to do was just do what they do best. Carry up at close range with their big forwards instead of trying to do so out wide. When the platform is laid then you use Steyn to kick for corners.
What the Boks did was kick aimlessly, but they did so because they were on the back foot. They tried to go wide in the beginning and when that didn’t work they tried to keep it structured and to almost no effect.
As furious as I am with this game I try my best to stay objective. The weather was atrocious and playing in that sort of environment is tough, not even the All Blacks nor the Wallabies could score a single try. Yes, the Pumas are a considerably weaker side but the All Blacks and Wallabies both struggled against them at home in tough conditions last year as well.
The quality rugby from South Africa was appalling and deserves all the criticism it receives. But just because they struggled in the storm does not mean they will suffer in dry conditions, and the same applies to their opponents.
You cannot judge the All Blacks’ form by this game and you cannot judge the Wallabies’ or the Springboks’. In the June tests these teams have show what they can do in dry conditions and hopefully we will see that again next weekend.
It was the worst Springboks game I have ever seen, and if they play like that again this season they will lose. Hard words must be spoken as the entire country senses a time of crisis.
RollAway7
Guest
the mistake you make again is saying he was suited for that game, the thing is AVZ he is suited for all games especially the ones you can't prepare for. This is where EXPERIENCE comes in, the forwards lack leadership and experience. You are super harsh on Matfield "If he does prove himself to be instrumental in all facets of play as I’ve said I will gladly admit myself to being wrong." There are no players that will display what you request of Matfield. Ill settle for winning our set piece and giving the back a chance. You are wrong on Matfield and nothing he does will convince you I am just glad that Meyer is not as stubborn. As much as some here like to complain about Meyer he seems to be doing what most people want. Aussies could have won on the weekend had they a more experienced captain. Just remember experience is the one thing you can't buy or train for and it the main thing that will save you when things get tough.
Jacques
Guest
You have to agree though that the referee was very, very lenient on Argentina with regards to going off their feet at the rucks and creeping over the off-side line when in defence. There is no way you can effectively clean opposition players from a ruck if they are allowed to pile in and immediately go to ground, which is why I found it extremely comical when the ref then blew Eben for not staying on his feet when he was penalised. For a team like Argentina which play a very physical, confrontational, set piece driven game, being allowed leniency in the way I described above, must be like manna from heaven. This made them competitive. Yes, they played well, but the situation worked together. If the weather at the coming weekend is sunny as predicated, I expect the Boks to perform much better. Let's wait and see before lambasting the Boks for the first game. Yes they can play better and adapt better, but they still won.
I don't agree with you that we adapted. In weather like this the game is much slower, it becomes more attritional, it means two things first up. You kick your goals because you aren't easily going to find space. You commit more numbers to the breakdown. The only reason we were under pressure in the end is because we didn't take our opportunities to put points on the board.
Rainbow Nation
Guest
Armand, this article just smacks of Stormers style negativity! Im assuming that you have never played rugby in these conditions? Or perhaps never played rugby, as you do not seem to appreciate that on the paddock thing happen very differently compared to from the armchair. The Boks did adapt, the ref didnt and allowed a right royal mess at the breakdown - something that happens quite often when the Argies play a "spirited" game. Expect more of the same in Salta and pray we get a stricter ref otherwise there wont be a very nice game of rugby to see. The Boks played a lot of youngsters, many fans were expecting another 60 point drubbing of Argentina which was NEVER going to happen even in dry conditions as its something the AB's and Aussies havent been able to do either. All in All, SA did well in those conditions, which was simply not conducive to any game plan. Whilst I also felt Ruan kicked aimlessly, he and Louw were praised by most sports writers for using their wet weather experience. As to your comment on Vic, thank you for allowing him the next game to "prove his worth"! He will not need it, as real rugby supporters already know and see his worth! Maybe with a few more years of experience, you might to one day - but there is no guarantee of that I know
Loftus
Guest
What provincial bias,Fanie? The Cheetahs have more Springboks than the Bulls but they finished waaay below them in Super rugby. Is Meyer now a Cheetah?
SharksFan
Guest
Good article Armand. Do you think Lambie would have provided the tatical kicking and decision making needed to close the game out effectively like he did for the Sharks on Friday? 21 points were scored when he took to the field for the last 20 minutes of the Sharks game .
Harry Jones
Guest
No. You are right. Boks bounce back. Nobody is more embarrassed (privately) than Meyer and Jean and Bismarck. Louw & Vermeulen were pure class; but we learned that the 7 must be a dedicated grunt man. We can put a ruck cleaning and hard running team on the field for the full 80:00: Malherbe start please Meyer! Strauss on early in 2H Bakkies then Etzebeth at 40:00 Smith at 7; when game opens, Coetzee In the backs; we have serious mismatches that could not be exploited in the Deluge...let's see the gas.
Harry Jones
Guest
I have no reason to doubt Jean (who tries to be forthright) when he says it was the worst conditions he's ever played in. And he played in the Western Cape and Munster.
Harry Jones
Guest
Nobody knows Meyer; he's actually hard to read. I see him, looking at the entire tenure, as a man in two minds. He's obviously a talented coach. He has met almost all his self-professed objectives (but in focusing on knocking off #1, he faces the danger that for OTHER teams, like ARG or WALES, beating the Boks in SA is the Holy Grail, and they are clever too). Also, Meyer is on the knife edge: he'll either get his contract renewed BEFORE RWC 2015 if the politicians don't renege, or he'll lose to someone like ARG and maybe face the axe. The gift he can bestow to SA rugby is to teach (and I think he's a good teacher) the thinking part if the great sport we love, to the talented youngsters we have, like Pollard; hope he learns the right lessons, that kid.
Harry Jones
Guest
Yes, I need to watch Noah's Ark Loftus again; and look at Salta coming up I thought the ARGIES played with great heart I suspect there will be blunt force trauma from both huge packs this Saturday This is an excellent preparation for the WC; a dissimilar version of Samoa pool game. Hold on to your nuts, Boks; it'll be alley brawl
Harry Jones
Guest
Great observation We need a big ruck cleaner Juan Snith's return????
Harry Jones
Guest
The weather in Salta, a place renowned for great climate, is predicted to be sunny and warm. Boks by 15 or so. Meanwhile, OZ and NZ will draw B2.
It wasn't so much Jannie scrumming in as Jannie folding in. I think he needs an extended break, or perhaps retirement is calling.
Armand van Zyl
Roar Guru
That's the thing fredstone, I seriously cannot see Meyer as the type of coach that White is. Meyer has always seemed to have a more personal relationship with his players, hardly seems a dictator. What worries me the most is like Saturday no one can really know what the conditions will be like. So if they train a running game and it rains again like it did then we seem completely foreign to a game plan that we've been using for a decade. So now they train that way again when the weekend's game is suited for a running game. Surely it can't be too difficult to employ both as the situation demands? I mean they are professionals after all. It doesn't help we evolve both those game plans but we can only use one in a set match?
Suzy Poison
Guest
"From the first minute I knew that this was going to be the worst game I had ever witnessed." Was the second minute a bit better for you Armand, cos that's when the Boks scored the only wet weather try of the first round? Ja look, just give giving you grief, no matter how you spin it, the Boks were very kak. Sad but true. If the Boks had scored no more tries, but taken control on the game with a Forward dominated wet weather kicking game and scored maybe only three more penalties I would called it a worthy victory. Thing is, Bok forwards look average, and that is a worry? The fact is that the Boks ( kinda like AB's ) were hanging on, by their fingernails at the end, and that's not very lekker. WTF has happened to World rugby this weekend? The Boks are trying to play like Australia and the AB's are trying to play Jake Ball? Neither of them very successful. Still normal service will be resumed next weekend. AB's were hard done by ref, Jaco refused to penalise the weaker Aussie scrum, and I foresee a comfortable victory to Darkness at Eden Park. Boks will have to toil in Argentina, but for some reason, I think they are better with backs to the wall. I expect Bakkies and co to be fired up, by the poor showing at Loftus. It will be tight, but expecting Boks to get a another close win. Am I deluded?
Armand van Zyl
Roar Guru
I have played in stormy conditions for my club before. The game ended 6-3 for us. That day it was massive in Klerksdorp in a Askari vs. Vaal Reeffs derby. But that's only club rugby, it doesn't come up nearly sufficient enough to compare to international level. That being said though I will tell you this, there is almost nothing you can possibly do in weather like that.
Frogbok
Roar Rookie
Very sensible way of looking at it Pieter. I was disappointed while watching the match, but the conditions were simply the worst that I have seen on a rugby field in a very long time. Handling the ball was almost impossible. Having said that, the mindless and constant kicking still frustrated me and I feel that they could have tried something else, like keeping the ball in the forwards etc. Ths scrum was a big issue, from what I could see Jannie was the big culprit, he constantly scrummed at an angle. In the end though I decided that the match was a once-off disaster as a result of the atrocious weather and that there's not much point in discussing it too much or debating tactics.
I submitted a sketch/article on exactly that issue, hopefully it will be up in the next day or two.
Pieter Sauerman
Guest
Armand, did you play? Not that it is a qualifying question. Whilst many have played in mud baths in rain, not many have played in a cloud break which is like playing under constant geyser burst. We can get carried away but ultimately we got the win in spite of all running game preparartions, no line out specialist, struggling in the scrum (which is more argies getting a hit allowed than beast's neck injury) and a centre pairing that hasn't played in 6 weeks, and nearly forgot a kid playing flyhalf. Was it a great performance, no it wasn't. Sometimes a win is enough, ask both the Wallabies and the All Blacks
fredstone
Guest
Yep, that about sums up the conundrum well Armand. What's intresting is the Bulls philosophy, Naas made a comment a while back about asking a Bulls player about game plan, etc. And the response was something to the extent of we play the game plan even if we're 100 - 0 behind which indicates a certain ammount of rigidity. Rassie is also a control freak, and so is Jake White. I can remember a story my uncle told about Doc Crayven that went something to the effect of you do what you're told and don't question otherwise you're out. So maybe the problem isn't so much a coaching problem as a structural and potentially a cultural problem within our rugby.