The Springboks have flattered to deceive once again after their Rugby Championship slugfest in Wellington against the All Blacks on Saturday.
South African rugby pundits will have led us believe that the Boks are closing in on their arch-rivals, but more and more the Wellington result, in favouring the All Blacks, seems to be a classic case of déjà vu.
We hear South African media, the fans, and the team management itself, talking about an upward curve, small margins letting the Boks down, going toe-to-toe with the All Blacks, and that the conquering of the mighty Kiwis is just around the corner.
However, if they would only have looked up at the Cake Tin’s scoreboard – All Blacks 14 Springboks 10 – it would bring these pundits and fans back to earth.
Will the Boks ever beat the All Blacks? To satisfy the die-hard fans, my head says yes. But consistently enough to knock the All Blacks off their perch? I would say no. Possibly never. Not in the way the Boks approach the game.
Victories over the arch-foe are always going to be few and far between. The Boks still seem to think defence is the best form of attack, rather than the other way around. How can you be an attacking force if you are pinned in your 22 for most of the time? They showed it against the Argies in Salta – a game they were extremely fortunate to have won.
By the end of the game, the Boks’ defence did enough to hold out Los Pumas, who scored almost at will in the intervening period. And, almost against the run of play, the Boks reeled in the score to win at the death.
In Wellington, Julian Savea carried and ran the ball countless times on the wing, while his opposite, Bryan Habana, had to feed off the scraps offered to him. Cornel Hendricks scored a fantastic try after which he was reduced to a mere tackler in the game. Savea on the other hand was either picking up the ball from aerial kicks or backline moves and gaining many metres each time. I would also wager a bet that the metres gained in total by each All Blacks’ player was miles better than that of the Boks.
The All Blacks are adept at giving the backs front-foot ball; only resolute defence stopped them in their tracks and prevented possible tries. Brodie Retallick and Jeremy Thrush also made more runs with the ball compared to Eben Etzebeth and Victor Matfield, who were diving left, right and centre into tackles.
The Boks’ inability to beat the All Blacks consistently lies in their and coach Heyneke Meyer’s obsession with a defensive game-plan. As I have said in earlier posts, it is in the Springbok psyche to defend more than attack. And fans and pundits are wondering why they can’t beat the All Blacks consistently?
The All Blacks are far quicker and better in their decision-making. There is always a second or a third man running off the ball carrier, which makes for more and better options when going forward. The possession stats at the end of the first half was 69 per cent All Blacks and 31 per cent to the Boks.
That the Boks were camping on the All Blacks line in the dying minutes was only because of a Kiwi mistake, and the Boks then wanted to make good on all their defensive work by pulling the game out the fire, but they lacked the composure to win the game.
I hope the Bok Roarers especially see that they can’t be singing the same tune each and every year, that they are closing in on the All Blacks. One good game does not suddenly make them a candidate for pushing the All Blacks off their throne.
There is a long way to go before the Boks can claim to have the beating of the All Blacks. The Boks could win the Championship for example, but that would not make them better than the All Blacks – there is a long way to go before they can even claim to be even on par.
Fact is, the Boks’ inability to beat the All Blacks consistently has become a psychological barrier.
Here are some of the stats from the game:
Total runs: ABs 112 – Boks 53
Run metres: ABs 819 metres – Boks 299 metres
Offloads: ABs 12 – Boks 1
Handling errors: ABs 6 – Boks 14
Rucks and mauls: ABs 89 – Boks 50
Missed tackles: ABs 7 – Boks 30
The above stats tell the sorry story of the Boks’ against the All Blacks yet again.
One way in which the Boks can hope to topple the All Blacks is to rip up their defensive-minded game-plan. It’s all well and good if you want to fortify yourself with a solid brick wall, but when you have cannons being fired at you relentlessly, the wall will break eventually.
Zack
Roar Rookie
You sound like another of the Almost Won brigade...you know: "Poms almost won the first test!", "Wallabies almost won in Sydney" "Springboks almost won in Wellington" "Almost" and "nearly" imply acceptance of mediocrity.
Zack
Roar Rookie
Winning is a habit - a good habit. Losing is a habit - a bad habit. A good habit is easy to maintain, with the level of confidence consistent winning generates. Why would anyone willingly accept a loss now and "..not late next year", when there is no guarantee that a loss now will not be the start of a bad habit, which could last into "..late next year"?? This All Blacks team has a pathological dread of losing and have developed systems to strengthen their inner confidence which enable them to dig deep and go into the dark places to win. They respect their opponents, but they run onto the field for every Test with the confidence that they will win - and that confidence drives them to dig deep to the 80th minute.. Critics can hark on about the RWC's we bombed out of, but this All Blacks team has moved up a few levels from 2011 and beyond. The biggest difference is their attitude as professional winners: a 1-point win is a win. Wellington would have been a 1-point win which would have resulted from a probable penalty, if it meant stopping a try and a loss. In the hard cold reality of professional sports, winning puts eyeballs on TV screens for advertisers and sponsors, and butts on seats in stadiums.
Zack
Roar Rookie
"...they’ll be tough to beat for sure." Not if they are required to select players to fill quotas..
Zack
Roar Rookie
The apologetic referee might have had something to do with the Sydney result, doncha' thinK!?!
Simon Bedard
Roar Pro
...and yet the Boks almost rolled the ABs in the final minutes.
Greaper
Roar Rookie
I tried to slow the footage down to have a good look but the camera angle was bad so I couldn't make out what actually happened but from the initial hit I thought that it was a shoulder in the face. I didn't actually see Louw holding his face but he was in pain but I appreciate the clarification. Cheers.
Greaper
Roar Rookie
not at all Harry, I thought that there was a shoulder charge and was querying why it wasn't looked at but now I know. I think the AB forwards had a mandate before the game to get under Etzebeth's skin for a retaliatory card, it's difficult as they found out. He's very much like Bakkies, always hard encounters and pushing and shoving but you'll very rarely find him swinging. I think these off the ball niggles and chance taking by the ABs is actually a positive for the SBs, it shows that they felt that they needed something a bit extra on top of what they had to get an edge over the SBs.
Lee
Guest
That was very impressive, I was seated on the corner of the pitch closest to that, and when Pollard hit his man I thought the Boks were in. Super tackle to stop a big guy at pace.
Harry Jones
Expert
it's fine, jerry great test match refs, keep the cards in the pockets except for repeated cynical professional game-killing.
Jerry
Guest
McCaw and Louw clashed heads so he didn't go shoulder first into the head. Besides which that didn't cause the injury, Louw had an 'irritated nerve' in his arm - which is where the shoulder hit.
Harry Jones
Expert
but it seems like sour grapes when this stuff is brought up nz won fair and square i saw richie give willie a facial, too but so what rugby is tough and fun bc it is tough none of the boks whined afterwards and that's the way it should be etzebeth hit richie one time in the head duane too great test none of the young boks went off thinking "we cannot beat nz" and none of the young ABs thought: "that was easy"
Greaper
Roar Rookie
The ABs got away with quite a few offences and not just niggles, Richie went shoulder first into Louw's face in trying to clear him off the ball and basically took him out of the move which resulted in the try - I've ust watched the highlights and it's clear that he used his shoulder with purpose and that was the end of the game for Francois. Read holding back Habana after he offloaded to Aaron Smith was quite obvious but not spotted either for some reason.
Rugby Tragic
Guest
For sure but, the ethos of the All Blacks is to win every test... the biggest issue to me is will they peak at the right time and how to keep the team relatively fresh?.. As much as the fans did not like but perhaps Sir Graham Henry got it right in 2007 "rotation".... hmmm
Harry Jones
Expert
The latter
Rugby Tragic
Guest
Correct Richard but where would be prefer to be coming from ... playing in knockout series against a team who you have not beaten for a couple of years or coming off a loss to that team?
Rugby Tragic
Guest
Chan Wee, Read was not required on the left on Saturday night, Julian Savea was doing well enough on his own!
Rugby Tragic
Guest
Harry, McCaw is not fighting father time...... he is dragging father time with him. When he got hit by Vernmulen on Saturday (and it was a huge hit) to see him just shrug it off and just get back to his work must of been inspiring to his team mates. The punishment his puts his body through game after game is not human .... how can he do it? It would be interesting how many km's the guy gets through in a match. Many has suggested he is past it... maybe his best years are behind him but what he brings presently is pretty good! After the Sydney test this year, the naysayers were really out for him, yet he made 20 tackles that night and missed.... none. Not bad for a guy who is past it.
sheek
Roar Guru
Thanks Harry, It was tough picking Dusautoir ahead of Rives, who I saw play with a limp, damaged arm/shoulder back in 1981. It was one of the most gutsiest things I have ever seen on a rugby pitch. Rives came into the test injured, having missed the first test, & should never had played. He was so inspirational, but fortunately, the Wallabies were too good that day! But Dusautoir has matched Rives every step of the way.
Harry Jones
Expert
We need a bigger 12/13 and a stronger tight-head and a bigger blindside.
Harry Jones
Expert
Great list Sheek I would have a hard time making one Joost probably was the best Bok; all in all He had that indomitable will & vision at 9 Definitely Dusatoir (or Jean Pierre Rives) AB: it might end up being Read but as of now, McCaw for sure OZ: Eales.