- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
For South African rugby fans, life is dismal oh so dismal and come Saturday there is a realistic chance that it could get worse with the threat of another unwanted record lingering.
In the past 14 months South Africa have lost on home soil for the first time to both Argentina and Ireland, away to Argentina in this year’s rugby championship in Salta, and arguably became the victims of the biggest upset in rugby union when they lost to Japan in the opening fixture of their World Cup campaign.
These are heartbreak-inducing results but possibly what hurts the most is the nature of the performances over the last year.
Combined they point to a serious downturn in progress at Test and Super Rugby level.
South Africa finished with the wooden spoon last year after the defeat to Argentina in Durban. After losing to Argentina and Australia in consecutive weeks, and the All Blacks this weekend, the Boks look odds on to finish with the wooden spoon in hand two years running.
More reason for concern for the fans, SARU and those in charge of the professional game in South Africa are the poor results of South Africa’s Super Rugby franchises.
The performances at Test level witnessed over the last 14 months were preceded by three of the worst seasons in recent memory for South African franchises.
The 2012 season was the last year that there were two South African representatives in the semi-finals and the last time until this year’s (2016) Super Rugby season that South Africa had a side in the grand final.
In 2015, the year the unwanted records started, no South African Super Rugby franchise qualified for a semi-final.
The Lions represented South Africa admirably this year in Super Rugby but they were the only South African side to make a semi-final, saying very little for the other South African franchises as they played in the easier of the two conferences.
South African rugby has to take a look at itself and its current ideology of blueprinting a team’s way around the field at all levels of the game.
There is an awareness that the game has evolved but it’s obvious that South African sides are struggling to adjust.
The Lions lead the way and it is promising to see the Bulls and Stormers attempting to apply a more decision-dependent game that demands adequate skillsets to carry out decision making in small windows of time, which in itself is a skill that will take time and experience to bed in.
The insistence or perceived strength in this method of approaching the game has been noticed by overseas coaches plying their trade in South Africa.
Brad Mooar in a recent interview with The Star shared his opinion of what he had picked up on while coaching at the Kings: “When I was coaching in South Africa I became aware very quickly that there is a more mapped out and rigid and structured approach than in New Zealand… it was we must do this in this part of the field, then do this when we’re here, and this when we go there… these guys must hit this ruck, and these guys must hit this ruck… it was kick-chase-tackle, kick-chase-tackle.”
Mooar went on to point out that it’s the cohesion within the New Zealand rugby landscape that makes the difference: “It’s a combination of really good people working really hard and having a clear vision of how they want to play the game. I’m talking here about the coach, the players, the administrative staff and the business units.”
Immediately you think of Super Rugby juggernauts like the Crusaders, where Mooar is an assistant coach, the Chiefs, and now the Hurricanes and Highlanders.
It’s not just within single organisations though, the best interests of New Zealand rugby are the priority and it’s not just words, it’s tangible in decisions, central contracting systems, player welfare and most obviously results.
In the same interview, Mooar expressed the idea that South Africans are more inclined to take care of themselves than to put the team first or to champion teamwork – a contrast to what he had to say about New Zealand rugby: “There’s a real alignment, from the top at the New Zealand Rugby Union through the franchises to the clubs. There’s a common conversation and purpose… importantly there’s alignment, there are shared ideas; not strategy. And that’s driven by the New Zealand Rugby Union.”
The media has come hard regarding recent Springbok performances, justly so, based on performances and results, but it really should not be all that surprising that the Boks find themselves in this position.
The problem is bigger than just the Boks, the national side is only one part of what makes up South African rugby and its future well being. Right now it’s hard to picture the game operating in South Africa with the best interests of the Bok side as its core focus.
“Your country has unbelievable athletes, there are large numbers of people, but it seems each working part is working really hard to protect its own patch. If they worked together though I believe the Boks would be a helluva beast to stop.”
Brad Mooar sees the potential for a bright future. It is conditional, though, dependent on the steps those in power take to create progress within South African rugby.
It’s easy to point out coaches and players – consider for a change the role the men in suits are playing in the struggles South African rugby is facing on and off the field.
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.