South Africa are caught between two playing styles, which All Blacks coach Steve Hansen says explains their fitful form in the Rugby Championship.
Hansen believes counterpart Allister Coetzee faced a conundrum the moment he took charge of the Springboks this year – whether to stick to their traditional forward-based strengths or play more expansively.
He believes the same issue remains heading into Saturday’s Test in Christchurch.
South Africa have lost their last two Tests, away to Argentina and Australia, with a lack of attacking fluency an obvious shortcoming.
Hansen reckons the success of the Lions in Super Rugby this year left Coetzee under pressure to adopt the same free-flowing methods which carried the Johannesburg-based side to a maiden final.
“Maybe that’s been part of their problem so far, they’re not sure how to play,” Hansen said.
“There’s a certain style South Africa play, it’s bruising, it’s physical and it’s reasonably direct whereas the Lions don’t play like that.”
While the five other South African teams struggled, the free-flowing Lions scored more tries than any team in Super Rugby and only came unstuck in the final against the Hurricanes.
They provide the spine of the Springboks in the form of athletic No.8 Warren Whiteley and spritely halves Faf de Klerk and Elton Jantjes.
Yet statistics show they have kicked more than any team midway through the Rugby Championship.
“I’m not sure which one of those styles Allister wants to play. It looks like he wants to play a more expansive game and they’re going through that process,” Hansen said.
“When you come and you mould your team, sometimes it takes a little while to get them where you need them to be.
“They’ll get it right one of these days soon and when they do, look out.”
Coetzee responded to Hansen’s remarks with few clues to this week’s game plan, although he suggested the tourists would lean towards conservative rugby.
“If you don’t win your set piece, there’s no style that you can play,” he said.
“You have to have the possession to determine the pace of the game.”
He suggested kicking would be a bedrock of their methods, believing Argentina’s late collapse in the 57-22 loss to New Zealand last week was caused by a willingness to play for too long with the ball in hand.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
"He suggested kicking would be a bedrock of their methods" Dear me, why would anyone want to kick the ball as a gameplan when Dagg and Smith are in great form.
Richard Islip
Roar Rookie
The Boks always have it in them, to produce one passionate game a year against the All Blacks. History demands that. And after that one passionate game, the next one usually falls flat on its face for the Boks. They seem to always think that they have the measure of the men in black, even if they lose. And that is where the All Blacks are so utterly different....the same relentless intensity and skill, match and match out. For my money, the Boks are set up to get a hiding this game. A hiding. Otherwise, next game around. This is not a Springbok side to worry anybody. This is an All Black side to scare everybody.
KiwiDave
Roar Guru
I think this weekends game will be a lot closer than people think. The boks have a habit of bringing their A game against the All Blacks. Take the last world cup for example. They gave us one hell of a fright and even though I think the All Blacks are a vastly more talented side, a bok side playing with a lot of heart is a very tough opponent. They may lack consistency in their performances at the moment but I wont be taking them lightly this weekend.
Old Bugger
Guest
I don't believe you need possession to determine the pace of a game or even, to play a particular style of rugby. Many games played by the ABs over the past few years, have shown them to be a distant second place in the possession and territorial statistics and yet, have managed to win the scoreboard. If you are capable of losing both the possession and territorial stats by 40/60 ratio to your opponents but still win the scoreboard, then that speaks volumes for whatever else your side is performing, on the paddock. And, that is the key - it is what you do with the possesion crumbs to ensure that your team wins, which creates the opportunities, to score points. At most times, you can't teach players to read what's in front of them and as a result, a coach is reliant upon how skilful the players are, when he chooses them. However, if as coach, you allow players to be confident, to try options, to make mistakes but learn, to pass the ball, to kick the ball without constricting them with win-the-ball-kick-the-ball plays, you inadvertently allow your players to expand their vision and see better opportunities beyond, the set-piece win and kick-chase scenarios, your coaching is instructing. Coetzee has an opportunity to involve Ackerman as an assistant irrespective of what his bosses say because JA, has certainly grasped the wherewithal of how to scrape a win with limited opportunities and conversely achieve a deserved win, with substantial opportunities. Sooner rather than later, there has to be an expectation from either Coetzee or his bosses, that the game of rugby is being played by teams with peripheral vision to see what's not only in front but also, what's around them and the associated skill, to take advantage of that vision to outflank and breakdown, their opponent's defences. I have no doubts that this will happen in SA rugby simply because, the current modus operandi, is fast becoming the out-dated option hence, the RWC cycle is most timely indeed, for the Bokke rugby team, to find their feet and their growl, once again.
Gilbert
Guest
Boks are in rebuilding mode after Meyer's disaster. They'll lose some games here and there, but they'll be back.