South African rugby might strike many as boring and predictable but the same cannot be said for the colourful imagery that their assistant coach Mzwandile Stick used to decribe their critics on Monday.
As the Springboks prepared for Sunday’s match against the Wallabies, Stick produced a couple of phrases that had people laughing and wondering if he was taking lessons from the Rassie Erasmus School of Media Management.
After a very quiet 2020, the Springboks are sitting as number one in the world, the current World Cup holders and they recently just wrestled the British and Irish Lions into submission in the Test series in South Africa.
Despite all these accolades, the team is not immune from criticism and there are those who feel that the style that earned these impressive results is anything but beautiful.
To those critics, Stick would like to say: “There is also a saying I believe in, a dog doesn’t bark at the car that is standing still. He just pees on it.”
And the Springboks are much happier being barked at than peed, on one would assume.
Some of this barking has come from pretty respected places. Recently, Steve Hansen commented on the forward dominated nature of the recent Lions series by saying that the coaches just didn’t have any faith in what was going to happen if the ball was passed around a bit.
“It’s not a game that anybody wants to watch. And it turned a lot of people off,” said Hansen.
(Jono Searle/Getty Images)
With the All Blacks piling on the points against the Wallabies in the recent Bledisloe series – 128 points in three Tests – there are plenty who think that all teams should be looking to play the same expansive style of rugby.
Stick doesn’t agree and even took a little dig at the Kiwis’ style of play as well as reassuring the world that the Boks have no intention on changing their approach.
“They must just try and play that touch or champagne rugby,” Stick said. “We are not going to lose focus on what we want to achieve as a team. We know our strengths, we know our DNA, we know what works for us.”
Stick went on to challenge the theory that his team weren’t playing any sort of attacking rugby by reminding us of the talent that sits in the South African outside backs.
Makazole Mapimpi has scored 16 tries in 18 matches while Cheslin Kolbe has scored nine from 18 and is a constant threat who gives defence coaches nightmares.
The Springboks might be boasting the title of world leaders currently but that doesn’t mean that they are treating their match against the Wallabies this Sunday as a foregone conclusion. They are well aware that their success in Australia has been far rarer than they’d like – just give five wins from 30 Tests since 1993.
To achieve a sixth win though, it’s clear the Boks aren’t planning on doing anything differently and with the likes of Stick and Rassie Erasmus recent media extravaganza, it sounds like we can look forward to plenty of more entertaining press conferences from the management team.
biltong
Guest
What "truth" do you want Stick to come out with?
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Olover Mr Stick would get a lot more respect from me if he just cut the BS and told the truth. And the obvious truth all non Bok fans can clearly see is that starting the 2019 RWC Boks reverted back to the 10 man kicking game played by most countries up to the 1990's. They started playing for territory, set peices, penalties and opposition errors. They prefer to defend than attack. That was a big strategic change Erasmus made before the RWC. The 10 man game is an old style that is negative, very boring to watch and it's the natural style of the Boks. Add on a good measure of cynical and dirty cheap shots also. I agree that's the Bok DNA. We all know the Boks don't care what others think. We all know they only care about winning and the method of it is of no interest to them. Most of their fans are the same, so it all fits well with them. So Mr Stick ... cut the BS and tell the truth. It's taken them to no 1 in world so they won't be changing anything. I'm not telling the Boks how to play. I'm calling it like it is and just won't watch them play is all. I fully agree with S Hansen.... "It’s not a game that anybody wants to watch. And it turned a lot of people off,”..... If the Boks keep this going the only people watching them soon will be their rusted on fans hehehe :thumbup:
Observer
Roar Rookie
A point seemingly missed is that the All Blacks are using sneaky grubber kicks in behind the opposition to combat rush defence. It is a work in progress but it does cause consequences for banana shaped rush defences. The Sprngboks are entitled to play in whatever manner they wish but what happens to their grinding style of play if they get behind and need to chase points? The Wallabies have tried the tactic of passing directly behind the ball carrier on a couple of occasions but the receiver has been too far back. If and when they perfect two using the same attacking line out wide they will strike gold. It was tried many years ago by Wayne Smith in New Zealand and is potentially a devastating and potent attacking weapon
Harry Jones
Expert
Good analogy.
Kabous
Roar Rookie
his comments are more in line with the Peter de Villiers school of communication, an enigma wrapped in a riddle! No one could beat PdV, he was in a class of his own! Stick makes a bit of sense but just needs to dial it down some and be contrarian to all the bad media vibes from Boks camp lately. Need to take a leaf out if Nienaber's book as he also gets sucked into unnecessary comments.
biltong
Guest
Stick also took Damian Willemse down a peg or two. Willemse came across a bit cocky suggesting he is the answer for Frans Steyn's role. Stick reminded him "that is if you get selected" :laughing:
Ben
Roar Rookie
Thanks Oliver, his comments are more in line with the Peter de Villiers school of communication, an enigma wrapped in a riddle! I get his point though and thought that punters were slightly harsh on the Boks after the Lions tour, which is a must win for any Bok coach, and that is what they achieved. The Boks were completely undercooked and it was a tough series for everyone involved with Covid and no crowds etc. I too have been frustrated with the Boks quality of attack off set play as they tend to drift and crashball their way to another ruck and would like to see more inventiveness. Having said that the old adage is that you have to earn the right to go wide and that is only after establishing dominance or parity at set pieces, something that the Boks have now established in their last 5 tests. I will be very keen to see more effective backline moves if the opportunity presents itself but that must fall within the pattern that the coaching team have laid out. The Boks are very good game managers and it is very difficult to find fault with their decision making process. Juxtaposed with that are the current Wallabies that haven't quite figured out who they are in terms of culture and team selection. This is reflected in fractured attack and defence which might lead to plenty of tries but lacks a degree of respect for possession. I completely understand why a Kiwi/Aussie did not get excited about a 2am Boks vs BIL series because of the perceived lack of flair but at least the result was in doubt right until the end. What we saw the last few weeks from the All Blacks during the Bledisloe was ironically very similar to the way the Boks play. Strong set pieces, good tactical kicking, great defence and tries from turnover ball and intercepts. Yet there are no criticism of their styl and that is the way it should be.