Coach’s Corner Issue 24: When the whingeing stops, these Boks can really play!

A big thank you to all those who contributed a question, or helped develop one at the call-out stage!

Do you think Samu Kerevi will be selected for this weekend and if so, what position would you play him; 12 or 13? Who would you pair with him? Personally, I’d like Samu at 12 and Petaia at 13, I know that may not be popular but Petaia back with his old Reds mate might just click.
– Bodger
Would you simply bring in Kerevi and Rodda to cover those spots? Any other changes as well? Noah, Banks are the obvious ”look-ats”.
– Bobby

As I suggested in Wednesday’s article, I think it is odds-on that Samu Kerevi will be selected in the centres for the third game Bledisloe Cup game. He is the most powerful midfielder in the Rugby Championship, bar none. The question is who to put around him to form the best combination in midfield.

His presence at inside centre would drag Quade Cooper much closer to the starting side. Cooper does not need another playmaker at 12 outside him, and he and Matt To’omua would probably end up treading on each other’s toes, just Cooper and Bernard Foley back in 2016.

I doubt that Jordan Petaia is in the mix for the no.13 jersey, so one possible combination is Cooper-Kerevi-Len Ikitau (or Hunter Paisami, when available). If Noah Lolesio sticks at 10, there is more likelihood that To’omua will start as his extra pair of ‘eyes’, with Kerevi shifting out one spot.

When James O’Connor completes his come-back from injury, the combination may alter again, with O’Connor plus either To’omua or Paisami at 12, and super Samu Kerevi at outside centre.

I would agree that Izack Rodda is the obvious choice to partner Matt Philip in the second row. He was also the caller of the Wallaby lineout at the 2019 World Cup (and a good one), so it will be intriguing to see whether he takes over that responsibility from Philip.

I would be really interested in the manner in which the Bok defence works. Considering the role Faf plays in the defence in conjunction with PSDT and Vermeulen. If Mostert plays 7, Wiese plays 8 and Reinach plays 9, how much does that affect the manner of their defensive decision-making?
– Biltong

I would’ve thought the 50-22 could be used to counter the Springboks rush defence. Getting the ball in behind them and winning the lineout might make them think twice about rushing. Phil

How do you expect them to go against South Africa? Where will the game be won and lost? I feel as if South Africa can just choke the Wallabies out of the game with three points, mauls and territory pressure. Something they love to do and are very good at.
– Numpty

Post the Rugby World Cup and now a COVID world, has rugby moved on from the tight defensive game of England, South Africa, Wales or is it still the best game plan to deploy at Test level rugby?
– Olly

Ever wondered why the Springbok defence looks so watertight? I suggested one reason in last week’s article. South Africa gets a contribution on-ball at the breakdown (legally or illegally) from 14 of the 15 positions on the field. Competition at every ruck makes it very hard to sustain passages of attacking rugby.

Ever wondered why the Springboks opt for a 6-2 bench split, with an extra second row or loose forward available off the pine in most games? The following table helps explain why.

Stats taken from the three Tests versus the British and Irish Lions and two Rugby Championship games versus Argentina.

All of the top Springbok tacklers come from the back five forwards. The 6-2 is not used primarily to get extra scrummagers on the paddock, it is a tactic to sustain a sky-high tackling rate from those positions.

At the top of the pile are Franco Mostert (who has done such a sterling job filling in for the estimable Pieter-Steph du Toit at number 7), Lood de Jager and captain Siya Kolisi.

It is the structure of the South African defence which demands such a huge work rate from the back five forwards. Let’s take a look at some examples from the second game between South Africa and Argentina.

It’s advantage to the Pumas on first phase, with Santiago Chocobares riding over the top of Damian De Allende’s tackle to breach the gain-line and set a quick ruck ball.

The key point is that even a gain-line loss does not stop the Boks from rushing on second phase:

Lukhanyo Am and Cheslin Kolbe are still defending high and looking to apply pressure on the Argentine passers. This loads a big burden on De Jager and Mostert to fill in the gaps behind them, with scrumhalf Cobus Reinach organising the remaining forwards on the short side.

By the end of the sequence, it is De Jager and Mostert who are defending inside the man on the far edge, fullback Willie Le Roux.

This was a repeated pattern, even after Argentina won good turnover ball near the Springbok 22.

De Allende and Am have no intention of sliding passively towards the touch-line and linking up with Kolbe, they move resolutely upfield and let Mostert and De Jager (this time in the company of second row Marvin Orie) do the drifting for them.

De Jager and Mostert also pull more than their fair share of weight in the tight exchanges.

In this sequence, they are at the heart of the maul defence before peeling away to make the first tackle jointly; De Jager makes the stop on third phase, Mostert on fourth; when play bounces back the other way on sixth phase, Franco Mostert makes the cut tackle which sets up a turnover for Malcom Marx. Seven total phases, with three major involvements by De Jager and four by Mostert. That is the definition of work rate in the modern game.

The principle of using an active second line of defenders folding in behind the first line rush was amply illustrated at a defensive scrum in the first match between the same teams:

All the front-line tacklers are aligned out-to-in, so there will be no drift, and the last defender (fullback Damian Willemse) is positioned a good ten metres inside the far 15 metre line. When Cobus Reinach picks up the fumble, the picture looks like this.

There are no less than four other defenders who have circled around Willemse (on the ground) – captain Kolisi, both centres and left wing Aphelele Fassi – when Reinach races away to score a try. The defence is reaching the far edge quicker than the attack!

Reinach’s action is typical of the Springboks use of the number 9. Like Faf De Klerk he is the joker in the pack, a ‘libero’ free to rush the kicker or chase from the back-side all the way down the line.

What is the other big man in the South African forwards, Eben Etzebeth, doing while De Jager and Mostert handle the heavy load? Chances are he will be chasing a high kick off number 9 – a role usually reserved for an inside back.

Is it any wonder that South Africa need six forwards on the bench and so many stoppages in play, when so much is demanded of them in so many different areas?

What impact do you think these law variations may have on the Rugby Championship – on play and refereeing?
1. Cleanout and the safety of the jackler.
To introduce a sanction for clean outs which target or drop weight onto the lower limbs.

2. One-player pre-latched
To recognise the potential for one-player pre-latching prior to contact, but this player must observe all of the requirements for a first arriving player, particularly the need to stay on their feet.

3. Flying wedge
To sanction the three person pre-bound mini-scrum by redefining the flying wedge.
– Phil

This question reinforces Olly’s query about whether the defensive approach is likely to continue to be popular at international level. The three aspects Phil mentions are all changes targeted at the first or second support player in attack, and they will only reinforce that emphasis.

The deeper issue, which we have discussed at length in previous weeks, is whether the original 2020 law amendments at the tackle will be prosecuted with sufficient vigour by referees in remainder of the Rugby Championship. The five refereeing appointments from the English Premiership are likely to be key in this regard.

The international games so far in 2021 have been weighted in favour of the defence. A table collating the results between teams from the Six Nations, versus their counterparts in The Rugby Championship looks like this:

It is obvious from the raw stats that only Australia and New Zealand among the top nations, currently believe that attacking rugby is still possible. The averages for games involving either country stand at 59.6 points, and 6.4 tries per game. The averages for everyone else are 39.6 points, and 2.8 tries per game.

From now on, it will be all about attack versus defence, with Australia and New Zealand about to mix it with Argentina and South Africa. The burden falls back on World Rugby to create the protocols for its referees to follow, clearly and consistently. It has to get the balanced game it wants in place for the future of Rugby.

That means quicker outcomes from a cleaner tackle area, for both sides. Quicker recycles for the attack, more immediate steals for the defence. There is no other way forward.