South Africa coach Allister Coetzee says he wants to change the way the Springboks play so they do not rely solely on brute force to win matches.
Coetzee has indicated he will look to include more flair players in future squads and cited the example of the Lions and Stormers in this year’s Super Rugby competition as successful teams who attack with width.
“We’ve been renowned for playing in certain ways and you can win games in lots of different ways,” Coetzee told Barbarians News on Thursday.
“Lots of other international sides understand that they have to match South Africa’s physicality and we’ve got to be a bit smarter and more accurate now.
“I believe in a balanced style of play. There are different kinds of pressure you can apply to the opposition and that can be with ball in hand, at the set-piece, with your contact skills.
“People enjoy watching us score tries and we understand that we have got to widen our game. South Africa maybe used to be a bit narrow at times and the Lions and the Stormers have shown what can be done and the opportunities that are there if you attack with width and put more effort into playing on the edges.”
Coetzee, however, said that any movement towards a more expansive game will be gradual.
“You can only do that with the right personnel and it won’t happen in year one or year two but we want to make it happen. We don’t want to go all-out attack and neglect our forward style, our dominance at the set piece and the maul, but we want to be more effective.”
Coetzee said he may look to the South African Sevens team to find players who would fit a more explosive style.
“Seabelo Senatla has had a good year and was promising at Western Province and went on to play one Super Rugby game. We’d like to look at him,” Coetzee said.
“Then there’s Cheslin Kolbe, Juan de Jongh and Francois Hougaard, who did so well at Worcester last season.”
The Boks start their Rugby Championship campaign with a home match against Argentina on August 20.
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
It went pretty well for the ABs in 1987 when there was a similar balance from Auckland
Bakkies
Guest
That's why it is rare especially long term. When 14 Crusaders players plus Tana Umaga started for the All Blacks in 2002 it didn't go down well on and off the pitch.
Yet the 1995 World Cup team was littered with Transvaal players
Bakkies
Guest
I think with transformation Coetzee will have to change the way the Boks play. I watched the Jaguares v Lions match and the Lions had a number of coloured players in their side. The potential is there though the players are raw. They ran in to gaps and used footwork which is what SA Rugby is crying out for at the top pro levels rather than players bashing and barging in to contact and running out of ideas.
Bakkies
Guest
Loading a test side with players from one provincial side rarely works.
Baylion
Roar Rookie
The problem Coetzee faces is that, on form, he has to make all the Lions Boks as the Bok incumbents have been generally poor this year and only the Lions play the type of game the SA public demands. Teams like the Bulls and the Stormers are trying to move to a more open game but are still some way off and their players might struggle to gel with the Lions players, we saw that in the Ireland series with de Allende and Mapoe. However, to load the Boks team with Lions he will sit with a very inexperienced Bok team as the Lions only have about 30 Bok caps between them. To do that he will have to move out of his comfort zone to coach a style he has no experience with and will have to pull in either Johan Ackermann or Swys de Bruin to assist otherwise he might do more damage than good. A Saffer sports writer recently compared the form of the incumbent Boks to that of the Lions players and could find only 3 or 4 incumbents who could make a Bok team on current form. Coetzee has a tricky task to put together a team that will go some way to satisfy the various demands - style of play, transformation targets, win tests, beat the All Blacks (#1 goal for most Saffers) - Beat the All Blacks even once this year and a lot will be forgiven :)
winston
Guest
A different bounce of the ball and the Boks would have made the World Cup Final.
Marius Ciliers
Roar Guru
When Meyer Quit I gave up on the Boks. My blood runs green and gold but my heart aches knowing the full potential a unified Sa Rugby union without outside interference can put on the table. Thats a meal worth starving for. But Alas I watch and wait and hope as always as I am sidelined in morbid depression. Aus might look for saviors and the next great thing. We...we look for peace in unity. Standing up as one whole, a more diverse concoction of epicness no other Rugby Nation can table. That Bok team. Is Legend.
That is the crux of it.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Translation: I can't fit Combrinck, Kriel, and van Rensburg into the Springboks due to the quota system.
Grent Dosa
Roar Rookie
I agree, Kolbe and de Jongh not good options for the Springbok backline and Senatla needs a full season of super rugby before he can deserve being selected. Kolbe wont ever be a solid test fullback and ill be quite disappointed if he ends up selecting de Jongh because we've got some real talent coming through at centre now
brumby bill
Guest
Every global coach needs to pay close attention to the way the Chiefs, 'Caines and Lions play the game; fluid, natural and relatively unstructured. I don't believe Coetzee has the capacity to understand even the basic elements of this proposition .
felix
Guest
Coetzee must fall!!!!.
felix
Guest
Coetzee referring 7's players shows just how clueless he is,who is next in line to coach the boks!! :-x
Ralph
Guest
".. the same group of guys.." There might be a clue in there somewhere.
Colin Kennedy
Roar Guru
He'll have to coach his way out of the wet paper bag first, and I don't see that happening anytime soon.
hmmm, guys like Cheslin Kolbe, Seobela Senatla, Juan du Jongh and the token white player Francois Hougaard. If those four guys are in the same backline we will leak tries by the 60th minute in every test as the sheer 100kg size of international backline players keep pounding at our line. Of course you can have a spattering of small, lithe, and quick players in a squad, but if you litter your squad you simply won't match the physicality of other international teams. The average backline player today weighs closer to 100kg than 80kg. Like he suggests, it is about balance. I just don't see him achieving that balance if he cannot select on merit.
stainlesssteve
Guest
has Coetzee thought of speeding up the process by enlisting a few Japanese players?...hahahahaha
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
With Meyer in charge, in 2013 he showed what the Boks were capable of in terms of expansive rugby. OK the match was lost but I'd think that those lucky enough to attend the match and even those who could only watch on TV would not have condemned the Springboks effort that day. If they can do it once, they can do it again however the mindset needs to change. Ackerman has proven that SA has the talent but do they have the will. Surely they can see the old days of intimidation and size alone will no longer suffice as athletes grow bigger, faster, stronger. The contrasting style that the Boks have bought to the table competing more against the more mobile packs of Australia and New Zealand is great to see. The ingeniuity of coaches are now more important than yesteryear with video analysis available on every play. The playing field will level out as each country tries to capitalise on their own strengths and look for ways to water down areas of assertiveness of their opponents. Many are assuming that the RC is a 'one horse race' ... I don't believe it is. Sure it appears that NZ is well in front but I am not fooled in believing the gap is as big as the all the soothsayers... A lot will come down to resolve and commitment ... time will tell.
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
Not sure that Ackerman alone can transform the Springboks. Test Rugby is generally poles apart from Super Rugby. Ackerman was 'apprenticed' to John Mitchell for a couple of years as forward coach, he took over the Head Coach position at the Lions following the departure of Mitchell. If fantastic how he has developed, essentially the same group of guys into the entertaining and successful unit they now are. As a devoted All Black fan, one tends to be a little insular in the support of the MIB but I have to credit the Roar and those who contribute to it (they know who they are) in increase the knowledge of the AB's greatest rugby foes. There was an article written on Stuff quoting Laurie Mains on SA Rugby and where it is heading. The link is below for anyone interested. Incidentally Mains was also coach of the Lions back at the turn of the century. http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/82566869/laurie-mains-predicts-quota-system-to-end-south-africas-time-as-rugby-super-power