Any enigma about the physical preparation and the evolution of the Springboks’ game will be revealed when they face the British and Irish Lions.
Given the Springboks have not participated in any competitions since the end of 2019, and with most of their key players playing abroad, it is difficult to analyze the medium-term prospects that would deposit them at the gates of the Rugby Championship 2021.
In principle, one of the keys to dismantling the South African defensive game lies in avoiding or controlling the rapid pressure they exert through no’s. 6-8 and no. 9: fast and direct through the shortest channel until crashing into the opponent’s attack.
Physicality on the occasion of contact is the central axis of the South African strategy, with almost 98 per cent effectiveness in ruck and 85 per cent in positive tackles.
At the last Rugby World Cup in 2019, the Springboks left their qualifying group behind by playing good rugby but mostly focused on the potential to score points. But as they progressed towards the final stages of the tournament, their try power diminished until they faced England with an accumulated net difference of +13 tries in their favour.
So far a quick overview of the current world champion. But one thing will be certain: nothing that happens in the series with the Lions will determine the aspirations to impose their leadership and physical might in the rugby ecosystem of the southern hemisphere.
A similar situation occurs with Argentina, who dispersed their men in European professional rugby and, to a lesser extent, Australia. After a disappointing performance at the World Cup, the Pumas managed to shore up their game at the Tri-Nations in 2020, based on defensive strength (86.2 per cent on positive tackles) and relative control of the breakdown.
Finally their second position in the championship was ensured by the effectiveness of kicking the sticks but also showing notable advances in scrummaging (after hitting rock bottom in 2017) and lineout, where they presented, among others, the winning card of Guido Petti as the best jumper of Super Rugby in the last year of Jaguares.
Regarding the scrummaging technique called ´La Bajadita´, promoted by Argentina at the Tri-Nations, you can consult its current implications in contemporary rugby in this article by Nick Bishop.
What should we expect from Los Pumas in the next matches? Matches against Wales in July will give us approximate form of the Argentine team. But we can point out something that differentiates the Argentine team for some years and that could be healthy.
First, we see a strong correlation between granted turnovers and the dramatic change in status, where the ‘disorganised Latino’ temperament shows its achievements by incredibly disorganising the world’s tightest defences.
The other point that perhaps the Argentine team should enhance, in addition to other variations to the monolithic defence already presented, is obtaining more fluid access routes to the opponent’s territory to transform possession and territory into tries.
The kicking game could be an avenue. The conservative conduction of the phase game could be another. In the 2020 Tri-Nations, the opponent’s 22-metre penetrating effectiveness was 9.6 per cent compared to 10.5 per cent for Australia and 37.2 per cent for New Zealand.
So far, that’s my vision of things. Once the luminaire originating from the recent Super Rugby Trans-Tasman is extinguished, we will see what Australia and New Zealand haver in store for us.
Kabous
Roar Rookie
Francisco, this is an old article now but what is your review of the Boks post BIL and Argentinia matches?
Ulrich
Roar Rookie
Whether SA wins the B&I Lions series or not, we should be ready for the TRC. How that's to pan out and where it will be played I don't know.
NH Fan
Guest
Rassie appears to be a better coach from what I have seen and doesn't just rely on phyisicallity. White seems to only focus on it and having experienced players to make up the difference in his lack of game plan. On Saturday Bulls lost because of a terrible game plan and assuming that they could run over Benetton. In the first half Benetton had 65% possession and looked to move the ball wide having seen the weakness in their style. In the second half at 20+ points down the team still kicked the ball away inviting Benetton to run back at them. Rassie would have changed things around, White never does and why Monpellier were just a big team that others ran around. Bulls lost 4 players to the Boks and I don't think any of the u20s would have been in the 23. Their maul was defended easily (unlike back in SA which was a key weapon). The scrum only got one penalty and was not dominating as most expected. The lineout was a mess and was under alot of pressure for a well drilled team. I am sure it would have been closer with those 4 but if the plan was to kick from deep and try just run at Benetton I don't think it would have made a difference. Every time Benetton got the ball they where making 20-30m ball in hand. How would the 4 players have stopped that. In the Rainbow Cup the SA teams were identified by pundits as having weak defensive structures and soft shoulders off first phase and Benetton went hard at it. The Boks will have neither as Rassie & Co understands how to defend like Europeans.
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Hello Harry Jones …! Players like Finn Russell, Romain Ntamack, Richie Mo`Unga or young Marcus Smith can disarm any defense by appealing to its unpredictability. Apparently the game tends to stay stable around a great defense, risking little in designing new configurations for the attack. Personally, I am looking forward to seeing RSA and B&IL perform in the South African series.
Kabous
Roar Rookie
Dont know if Rassie is a much smarter coach than White, both are pretty good. Rassie has the edge in PR and player relations but the rest is pretty even. Also Rassie is really half a combo with Jacques and together they make a mean team. Jake has to carry the can mostly by himself. If Bulls had their best players available and not split up for Boks and Blitzbok duties, it would have been a different ball game. There is only so much you can do with a R60m salary cap. Not taking anything away from Benetton, you can only play what is in front of you, but Bulls losing was not a surprise to me. I do agree the game is not an indication of what is to follow in the BIL tour but I have a few concerns. Boks and Lions talk each up and Boks normally fall for that sweet nothings... The Boks can still be basking in old glories, will enough aggression be stirred to be up for it or do they first need to lose the 1st test to get it back? Who is going to relay on field instructions now that Nienaber will be sitting in the coaches box, where will Rassie be? Small things but they all add up...
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Hello Carlos the Argie …! I don’t know your age. But the story of ´la bajadita´ often exceeds the memory of the youngest. Obviously Nick did not intend to expose us to an Argentine scrum clinic, but he did want to show us some technical peculiarities of the Argentine scrum. Perhaps you could give us a more complete and corrected reference to the coordinated push system. Do not you believe it…?
Harry Jones
Expert
Can’t wait! 2019 Boks gave opponents ‘bad space’ (wing channel) but made it very hard on foes finding good space (middle-behind). Only NZ figured it out in 2019; and even they required two drops by Boks 8 and 10, with good bounces. Gatland & Townsend have had 3 years to work that out. That’ll be their key. SA won’t have to score 4+ tries if the Lions can’t unlock Bok D. I think Finn is the best at finding that particular space. But it looks like Biggar-boot.
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Traditionally Argentina has had key players working in the Northern Hemisphere, and that has given them the opportunity to get to know the European game much more internally than that of the Southern Hemisphere. The consolidation of Jaguares was an excellent foothold to capitalize on experiences and test men in the southern game. Today the reality is different and paradoxically Argentina will be much richer thanks to the dispersion of its players. Wales will be an excellent measure to test the floor and the limitations of Argentina before RugbyChanpionship
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
Great! An Argentina writer that doesn’t get that the bajada or coordinated push described by Nick was incomplete and incorrect.
NH Fan
Guest
Argentina I think will be better placed in this year's RC than the previous one as they will get good runs out against Wales and the players are much more match fit than last year. A good squad that will push Wales and hold its own in the RC. Have players from the NH will also bring that extra phyiscallity that seemed to fall a little under the Jags.
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Hello Mafu...! In a world where defensive systems still prevail over attack systems, B&IL versus RSA is going to be an ordeal for both. We should all look at what's new that might apply to the series, especially RSA, as they can't lose in their own country after they quit RugbyChampionship2020. That is my thought when I read the current situation.
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
How are you…! I particularly like the Argentine game. He is faithful to a legacy of power and perseverance and very interested in continuous improvement processes. Although we do not stop being a ´latino´ team (prone to mental deconcentration and mood fluctuations that affect the game) we have achieved a certain mental strength that improves our perspectives and allows us to get the best of our game plan, with the right variations to surprise and not be predictable. If we consolidate that record, that level of work, we can fight in all hemispheres. Never before. RugbyChampionship is a good place to prove it.
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Thanks Just-Nuisance: Good point of view...! I am one of those who believes that the novelty is the result of a novel combination of things already known. The truth is that France has been making the right combinations for the development of an effective attack and a solid defense, very solid. We were able to see some views on 6Nations2021: it was the team that scored the most points (65) and with the highest try difference in favor (+7) and a Visit 22 Opp / Tries ratio of 53% (only surpassed by Wales). I think it's a different and stronger version of the Latin team that we saw slip out of the race at RWC2019.
NH Fan
Guest
This RC is going to be the most interesting in a long time. Normally this signals the end of testing plays/players and starting to bring it together in the off season for the second two years of the WC cycle. Not sure if anyone knows what their WC plan is. NZ and Oz players have really only played two games against someone that wasn't each other. Add in that Rennie is probably a better coach than the SRAU coaches while Foster is worse than any of the SRA coaches not sure how much the TT shows the two nations international strenght. SA and Argentina on the other hand could end up being anything. We saw with Argentina they came out strong in 2020 and then didn't maintain it. Playing a weaken Wales might tell us if they are any good (lose they clearly aren't). Summer tours should give us a bit more of an idea but I do think SA & Argentina will very heavily built around phyisicallity, set piece and a kicker who plays the percentage game.
NH Fan
Guest
While SA hasn't played any international competitions they have plenty top players who have been playing club rugby regularly in the Euro environment. Just doing a 23 from the European teams will still give the Lions a strong game. Alot of the Euro grunt is still set by top SA players. Those players going back to the SA camp will get the others up to speed. Rassie is a much smarter coach than White so don't expect the Benetton v Bulls be a foreshadow of the Lions tour. It does act as a warning and will make the SA team try harder than if the result had been reversed. RC will be very interesting this year. SA will have had plenty time together and played the Lions so will be ready for the RC with minds focused. Oz will have faced a French team that will bring on their physically a bit more and focus the mind from the TT. NZ will be the interesting one. They seem so far ahead in the TT that it will be hard to focus the mind after it and the Rainbow Cup final results. Add in the July test does nothing to challange them physically (like they need) and running rugby will result in lots of tries but not always help the defence. Argentina will be solid, nothing more, nothing less.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Power, precision, unpredictability.. France is building a different rugby?… Sounds just like The French teams I’ve watched past few decades.. And part of that unpredictability is an ability to both delight and confound one week to the next.. The more things change the more they stay the same…
The Late News
Roar Rookie
By the way Francisco your recent articles have been great! Love to hear a new or different perspective.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Well given that Los Pumashad a victory over the All Blacks less than a year ago, things should be ok. Bokke v Lions...hmmm...might be very interesting!
Tooly
Roar Rookie
If playing Tests and getting beaten counts Australia will win the WC. In reality Argentina and SA with their best players won’t miss a beat.
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Hola Ex Force Fan...! France is building a different rugby in the northern hemisphere today. Apparently it is the right product between power, precision and unpredictability: champagne rugby, we called it in Argentina. At SixNations he demonstrated a very fine attack and very effective attack / defense articulation. Australia will test the evolution of France and its aspirations for RWC2023 in a few days. Wales will do the same with Argentina.