Springbok series wrap.

So the English test series is now done and dusted, result a disappointing 2-0 series result.

Quickly the English, coming off a relatively successful Six Nations came here expecting a positive series result. They would have considered the first test as their best opportunity to catch the new coach Heyneke Meyer and a fair number of new combinations cold.

Realistically one win would have meant a positive result seeing that they are playing away from home. I think they most definitely should feel very proud of their performance when you consider it is not only a young team but also a rather inexperienced squad.

The Springboks on the other hand should not be too positive about their performances. My biggest concern about the new era for Springbok rugby had to do with the game plan and after seeing glimpses of the boks going wide and running onto the ball at pace making numerous offloads in the tackle making meters at a time during the first test, I expected the following tests to show more of this.

In the second match we started with the best 25 minutes of rugby I have seen the Springboks play since Nick Mallet, alas only to fall back into pedantic, slow and unimaginative play for the rest of the match.

Granted they finished when the pressure was on with a try started and finished by JP Pietersen.

During the week prior to this test Heyneke Meyer ad Jean de Villiers said in the media that the Springboks had a very good week of preparation, well it seems perhaps there were too much preparation as the players looked very lackluster in the initial period of this test.

Sadly this continued right throughout the match and it was clear that the forward pack was nowhere near the intensity needed at this level. They allowed the English free reign to commit as many numbers as they needed to the breakdowns and even after repeated warnings from Steven Walsh to the English, the Boks still didn’t realize that they need to front up and not allow the English forwards to slow our ball down.

What was extremely disappointing from today’s match was the proof once again that Morne Steyn has but no bloody creativity when it is most needed, why the hell is he still kicking possession away when it is most needed in the last few minutes of the match. Heyneke Meyer will have to get rid of him. The reason why Morne Steyn has been retained in the springbok jumper has been purely for the reason of kicking us to victory in the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour and the Tri Nations.

This is not a knee jerk reaction from me, it is the reality of the situation, and it is not only me, when 45000 fans start booing your kicking it is time that you, the coach and every part of the management team realize that South African fans have had enough of this tactic.

Lets look at his kicking stats for the series. Steyn missed 25 points with the boot vs England who only missed 9 points with the boot for the entire series. Now considering that the reason why he is primarily in the team is his kicking and 62% ratio is simply not good enough, especially when considering Patrick Lambie is not only a better attacking option, but has kicked better than Steyn this year. Why then is he still the incumbent flyhalf.

Lets face reality, we didn’t deserve to draw this test, England played with more gusto, more intensity, better running options and was it not for some last ditch tackles, a number of unforced errors we would have lost this test, be sure Australia and New Zealand will not make the same mistakes as England.

The frustrating thing is we saw what we can do, we know what we are capable of, now if Heyneke Meyer believes we were only 10% of where we want to be, then the bad news is we dipped back to 2% after this performance, so it is back to the drawing board.

Player ratings.

Beast Matwarira – Decent at scrumtime, missed a few tackles, didn’t make many meters with ball in hand and not enough intensity from what we are used to. 6/10

Bismarck du Plessis – If it is at all possible to play yourself out of form in the space of one week then Bismarck has managed to do that, his line out throws were poor, he looked lost without his buddy Willem Alberts and in general didn’t perform well at all. 5/10

Jannie du Plessis – Decent at scrumtime, average at best. 6/10

Juandre Kruger – Had a decent line out performance in the first half and stole one lineout, not his best game of the series overall.6/10

Eben Etzebeth – decent in the lins outs, stole a line out, but can someone please tell this young man to offload the bloody ball, what is the use you are strog enough to stay o your feet but the allow yourself to be isolated because your teammates are waiting for the pass and not focusing on hitting the ruck. 5/10

Marcell Coetzee – Industrious but cannot do it on his own. 7/10

Jacques Potgieter – no thanks. 4/10

Pierre Spies – If you are goig to have him in your back row, you must have big physical players around him that can get go forward momentum, he needs space otherwise he is useless. The only impressive thing he did during this series was good at line outs.5/10

Francois Hougaardt – If he does one more of those little worm rucks to provide himself space to kick I will dirty myself. 5/10

Morne Steyn – Get the hell outta here. 3/10

Wynand Olivier – Stop gap, thank you , good bye. 5/10

Jean de Villiers – didn’t do much and didn’t look like he was inspiring or leading from the front. 6/10

Bryan Habana – not his best game of the series. 6/10

JP Pietersen – Our saving grace. 7/10

Gio Aplon – If the rest of the team showed his guts and determination we would have won by a score, I looked at him when he was singing the Anthem, pure passion from the wee lad. 7/10

Heyneke Meyer has now won his first series, it wasn’t convincing and I will allow him the benefit of the doubt about his selections for this series. But he has some selection decisions to make, and they do not lie with Morne Steyn. He needs to look at Lambie for now, and get Gooen into the mix as soon as possible.

We must get Schalk Burger and Willem Alberts in combination with Spies, without them he should not be selected. We need Duane Vermeulen or Jean Deysel on the bench, Kolisi and Marcell Coetzee should be developed for future use and back up.

Francois Hougaard should be put on a leash and given an attitude adjustment, primary goal of a half back is to clear the ruck, not traffic the bloody ruck. Then take a snipe when there is a gap, after all that is your strength.

Frans Steyn must be courted, loved and motivated by Heyneke Meyer, two of our tries last weekend came from his vision, without him we have nothing.

With Lambie at 10, hide Morne Steyn at 15 until Goosen can come in then relegate Steyn to the bench with Lambie at 15.

Coenie Oosthuizen needs to be looked after, but Werner Kruger must be sent back to the kindergarten where he can scrum against 8 year olds and build confidence and technique.

Andries Bekker needs to be looked after and motivated, he is injured to often and to much a mood player.

We need back up centres, get the two U20 youngsters in there now, give them bench time and exposure.

Overall I am very disappointed with this series, we haven’t put one 80 minute performance together, let alone a 40 minute performance, the All Blacks and Wallabies will be relentless. I understand the Springboks will be much stronger when the injured players return, but that will not help us one iota if Morne Steyn remains at pivot.

It was some incredible thing to hear the crowd boo at Steyn wasn't it?

True i thought only the Aussie did that

Way too long . I read the title, but based on what I know of you your wrong!

thebluesmancometh wrote:Way too long . I read the title, but based on what I know of you your wrong!

Thanks for that informed opinion.

gowales wrote:True i thought only the Aussie did that

Only when he's just about to strike the ball (and a bit before)... or when the ref has made an obvious blunder.

Besides that, we are a bunch of quiet achievers and have some of the most polite rugby fans.

biltongbek wrote:

thebluesmancometh wrote:Way too long . I read the title, but based on what I know of you your wrong!

Thanks for that informed opinion.

Biltong why today everyone put the " " to everything? Is some tradition? They did to my article on this topic and to your article also. Is this some learn about the culture I can get would be nice to know.

AWOP. I think it is a riddle, one they want you to figure out, so no clues allowed.

Stop playing ignorant, I have seen numerous poster call you the grey ghost outright, you have responded to them and said you were not, then the day after you play like you don't know what a ghost is again!

Now again after you've already discussed it you have gone intoignorant mode again.

I'll leave it there before Billtong gets onto me again.

discussed it you have gone intoignorant mode again.

What does intoigorant mean? I check the dictionary but isn't working.

I watched the game on Sky Biltong and thought it ended 2-1? But then I found out it was a draw!

nice nice

anotherworldofpain wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

thebluesmancometh wrote:Way too long . I read the title, but based on what I know of you your wrong!

Thanks for that informed opinion.

Biltong why today everyone put the " " to everything? Is some tradition? They did to my article on this topic and to your article also. Is this some learn about the culture I can get would be nice to know.

Dey make ghost like jokes of you.

Yeah, Morg, a draw we didn't deserve.

biltongbek wrote:Yeah, Morg, a draw we didn't deserve.

In fair SA game based a lot around Steyn kicking. SA did enough from the team to make the shots to goal. But today Steyn just missing enough to mean a draw and not a win. I dont know what is "not deserve" in that Biltong. Commentators said a lot about swirling wind so maybe this put him out?

To be fair some time the team style not suit to the conditions. Like Australia in wet and mud. So maybe SA just lacking the correct combinator for bad kick conditions?

We didn't deserve to draw because we were pathetic.

bil

I said the same about Wales in the 2nd test too!!

3 matches of high intensity in 3 weeks is a big ask and it would be very difficult to raise to the levels of Ellis Park now that the series was wrapped up. The weather, the wind & rain was a signficant factor is how both teams played today.

The boks do have a problem it seems with going for the kill. Look at the ABs today, they won the series but it wasn't good enough, it wasn't even rubbing salt into the wound... they ripped out IRE hearts today... never seen BOD like that at the end.

This ENG side is very good, SA shouldn't forget that... esp in defence, the weather played its part but no one is going to put 20-30 points on this ENG side.

Back to the boks, I think Etzebeth is a little too raw. His lineout work was good but he looks a little timid in attack. Bismarck obviously needs to lend him the cattle prod he uses on himself pre-match to wind himself up. I think Bekker & Kruger are a better pairing at the moment. Even Flip & Kruger.

Hougaard.... how many chances is this guy going to have??? He's a winger, he's had the bulls no.9 jersey for near 3 full seasons (given Du Preez was nearly perm injured for that period up to the RWC yet he can't box kick, his delivery is slow.... he's not going to improve no matter how long SA give him.

Habana was a scrumhalf at school and I'm sure the boks would love to have that level of explosive play at 9 but he's on the wing for a reason... like Hougaard he's not test standard.
Pienaar needs to start. SA aren't going to win the majority of games because of Hougaard sniping at the fringes... they'll win by a heads start by a realiable 9.

Morne... well, its going to be difficult to hold onto the jersey if Lambie gets fit. Kicking was very difficult out there... but his series ave. is poor, so poor he makes Carlos Spencer look not so bad of a kicker.

In terms of the 4N I think SA need to have a good look at how they approach the tournament. I think their centre pairing of Steyn & JDV was good enough for ENG but may be a little exposed for pace and creativity in the next 6 matches.
Perhaps, just perhaps they should move JDV to 12 and put a guy like De Jongh in at 13. He's very quick and likes a run. Perhaps play Frans at 15 for his aerial dominance.
I would suggest a team of

Coenie, Bismarck, Jannie, Bekker, Kruger, Schalk, Alberts, Spies (for lineout only).

Pienaar, Lambie, Habana, JDV, De jongh/Engelbrecht, Pietersen, Frans.

The pack above picks itself. The Backline has a bit more pace about it in midfield and at 15 Frans will dominate (although he still needs to his a treadmill for a bit).

No doubt Meyer will keep things very much the same bar some returning players like Schalk, Alberts, Lambie etc.

Perhaps, just perhaps they should move JDV to 12 and put a guy like De Jongh in at 13.

you never want the ball to get to the wings do you.

Look at how Habana is starved of ball at the Stormers with that midfield

Habana is spent now. He cant do the fast and deception running. He only keep to the team to chase a kick. Is about the kick and not the wing. He could be replace by a labrador.

Habana doesn't get the chances he needs.

The first thing the boks need is front foot ball... well they got that in abundance.

Next they need a pivot who keeps the ball in hand a little.... Lambie can do this...although Meyer may need a lot of convincing.

Finally you need centres who offer real direction an slight of hand.

Meyer has chosen JDV as captain for the season, he'll start all 6 games either at 12 or 13. Play Frans and JDV the backline is stunted.... play JDV & De Jongh, the backline is stunted... however at least with De Jongh you have some gas... and with Lambie in at pivot he may be able to open up the door for De Jongh to allow space to be found and ball to be given to the wingers with real opportunity to get some yards.

Frans needs to play.. he's the one true world class player in this field but heis just as effective at 15 as he is at 12. Maybe if Schalk wasn't injured SA could have opened up the backline but there is no point debating that as JDV is the season captain end of. He will play.

I disagree about Frans Steyn, it was his skip passes to Pietersen tha brough us two tries in the second test.

Why don't you rate the replacements? None of the boks impressed except for Aplon, be it that he has to, to be considered again and probably won't unless there are injuries. Steyn's kicking is terrible at moment and he surprised in the previous 2 test, but he reverted back to his normal game today. Could it have been because of the conditions or the absence of Frans? Bottom line is we were shocking and England should have done better especially at the end of the match when Farrell tried for the drop goal

Hi,Biltong the inclusion of Hartley,Haskell and Waldron beefed up the physicality of England.The Boks missing Alberts and Franny Steyn lacked there physical edge VERY respectable result from England.Boks have a lot of players to come back of course like England.Bit of a duck egg Drop from Farrell at the last whats up with Morne Steyn?Has the Boks kicking coach been getting at him he was THE most reliable kicker in World Rugby last year.IF not for his Goal kicking he`s not worth his place Lambie would be a better option.

Meyer has a grudge against province... we're a better outfit then the bulls, we're 2-0 for the season, the top side in SA... yet players lie Pietersen, Kolisi even Duvenage get over looked (the latter for a bulls replacement player).

Meyer says he chooses his pivot as the best kicker... well some people claim shock with Morne but he's had a mixed season, awful at the beginning, better midway and now awful again.
Grant, well that guy would need a massacre to be picked... I think Meyer would choose Werner Kruger at 10 before Grant.

He may not be the best attacker but he is the best kicker in SA without doubt. I wouldn't place him above Lambie, but used as an example show why Meyer is just too biased.

I think Morne's days are numbered. Had Lambie been fit I think he would have started the third test at 10. With no Lambie or Goosen available Meyer's hands were tied.

SA should have won that game, England had no tactical direction once Flood left the field and little to no gain line distribution. Similarly frustrating times may come again in recent times as Meyer will have to bring through a good number of younger players.

It would definitely seem more of a coaching and gameplan issue to me biltong, aside from Morne there wasn't much wrong with your initial personnel and when you played more instinctively you were markedly the better side. Regarding Meyer's failings, clearly the critical thing is how he adjusts for the Championship.

I agree about steyn, he has his weaknesses but he really does pull the x factor pass out to put someone in or away.

Steyns probably the biggest mistake Meyers made during the series- not taking advantage of introducing another 10.

Now hes well and truly stuck with him. Theres zero chance of trying someone new in the 4N.

So although they won the series the same questions are there. Is the same crash and bash gameplan going to be enough against the more outgoing Oz/ NZ sides?

Just where are they going to dominate as without a genuine backline strategy they'll need to make up for it elsewhere, and by your own ratings the entire pack were either poor or decent at best and none of those names will send chills into the AB pack. And what is the plan if the Bok pack and lineout gets monstered?

Unlikely but this is the reality Meyer and the Boks may have to answer.

Like you not concinced either Biltong. PDV's ghost is set to haunt yet again methinks.

fa0019 wrote: I wouldn't place him above Lambie, but used as an example show why Meyer is just too biased.

I'm not convinced of Lambie is the best optioin for 10. As talented as he is he just has that utlity feel to him and I think he'd make a better 12. A Goosen, Lambie, JDV (as caretaker until a genuine 13 comes along) lineup I think would be the best when Goosens back.

Geez Jury's out on this side...just dunno...

I think Lambie wll slot in easily... he plays there for the sharks week in week out and the first bok game will be vs. Argentina where Meyer does have a little room to experiment (although bonus points will be key in this 4n).

Not having a go Taylorman but I think people should get off PDV back a little.

Personally I think he was treated rather badly by all... no one gave him a chance and in the end he didn't do THAT badly. He won a 3N, a lions series, 2 tests in NZ. The RWC didn't go well but he was very unlucky with a QF loss.
I was quite a big critic of PDV but when I learnt his father, his daughter etc were all threatened, how someone tried to set him up in a s.ex scandal etc I got a bit ashamed of my tolerance levels and thought I should lighten up a little.

In the end he is no Strueli... certainly the worst ever coach in bok history.

sorry taylorman, I think we posted at same time.

I agree... I think Lambie will be SA's future at 12 rather than 10. Goosen won't make it back this season however... may make it back for the AI squad though... he should travel if fit.

However Morne is not the man for the 4N thats for sure. Lambie can do a job and SA will still be very tough to beat if they play like they did at Ellis Park.
If they can field Alberts, Schalk and Bismarck in the same side I think they will be up for facing anyone.

The boks didn't have the right plan nor the right players to execute it. Without the dominating go-forward ball provided by the likes of Alberts, in the first two tests, the lack of creativity in the mid-field was highlighted. I've said elsewhere that you don't need imagination if you have players who can bash straight through defences, but if you don;t have those big guns all firing, like today, then you do need imagination: Morne and Olivier simply don't have that. Habana, Pietersen, Aplon are a potentially devasating attacking force, who never really got given the ball...

But full credit to England, who seemed to have worked out some effective counters for Bok strategy

fa0019 wrote:

Not having a go Taylorman but I think people should get off PDV back a little.

I wasn't actually referring to the man himself as I think he was good for South African rugby- he opened doors for a lot of people. I was more referring to his era, where the right steps werent taken to prepare for the inevitable departure of many of the real leaders of the side- the Matfields, Smits, FDP's etc

Also didnt know that about the threats on PDV. Thats disgusting and cowardly. Theres a difference between being angry at the man and voicing it but being childish enough to threaten family just because rugby match results arent to your liking is childish and cowardly and in PDV's situation in SA has a more sisnister side to it.

I certainly hope post PDV SA Rugby is looking after him as if not I'd have him and his family move to another country and have him write a warts and all autobiography of his life and times in SA and his years as coach.

A GUARANTEED BEST SELLER!

Taylorman

I understand dude... I know you weren't taking a snip at him personally, rather his rugby record which is fair game. His book is just out and whilst I haven't read it yet I am planning on doing so. The briefs in the media, the snippets etc have been pretty crazy etc.

He is a man from the street so to speak... in hindsight you can see his erratic behaviour was probably frustration/anger off the back of what was happening to his family.

One thing I do find odd however is how not one player has come out and said a bad word against him, not one.
He has no power here at SARU, no protectors... if someone had a grudge, i.e. Bismarck, Ruan, Frans etc I think we would have heard it by now. For some reason they players have been very loyal to him.

In the end he didn't do bad... he didn't do great though and I think his actual coaching level is in reality one notch below test.

I will miss the old fella anyhow... Meyer is too clean cut.... these days I'm waiting for someone to throw mud at journalists/the opposition etc but it doesn't happen.. our world is certainly lesser for it

There was little to criticise him about as far as player management was cocerned, however he was out of his depth, can you imagine a rugby debate between him and Ted on live TV?

think you're a wee bit "generous" on Houggard TBH, he's talented but today he got it all wrong (apart from the good box-kick for Habana early on which led to an SA pen). I'd give him 3 or 4.

To be honest he has done very little the whole series to justify his selection over Pienaar let alone the 3rd test. He didn't have a Bergamasco disaster but he is holding back the bulls, oops I mean the boks ( ) as much as Morne is.

Years back people said it was because he played too much at wing and wasn't being given enough time at 9... he's in effect had 3 seasons at the bulls as the starting 9 yet he's not got one bit better.

From an English perspective, gentlemen, when I first looked at the series, before it started, I saw Bakkies and Victor missing, as well as Smit (who did well in England last season) and figured our own pack might do quite well. The front row of Corbisiero, Hartley and Cole completely mullah'd the Irish at Twickenham in the 6N and I must admit to thinking before the series that if Beast Mtawarira thought he was going to bully Cole as he did Phil Vickery in the Lions series, he'd have another think coming.

As it turned out, Corbisiero was replaced by Joe Marler who did some things well, and some things not so well. Marler at times is like having an extra loose forward, which can be handy, but notwithstanding Alex's broken thumb, I would still prefer to have started with the front row unit that did so well in the 6N.

England chopped and changed their team around throughout the test series and using so many players is not good for consistency of performance. To be honest, I don't think Lancaster knows what his best team is yet. The basic pattern of how he would like England to play under his management is taking shape, but which players will best suit that gameplan and work best in each position..... well.... as I've said elsewhere on this board, Rome wasn't built in a day.

All in all, 0-2 isn't a disastrous result for England. It isn't the one we would have wanted, but sometimes you have to learn on your feet and there is enough encouragement in today's performance to suggest the management is aware of the problems and is working to address them. We can't ask for much more than that at this time.

Congratulations to SA on winning the series. You were the better team. I hope that there will come a time when you're not.

.

I'm not too impressed by South Africa. England are not a great team and didn't play very well in any of the tests, yet they were in touch in all three and if anything 2-0 flatters SA. Conclusion: SA are pretty average.

Are those ratings for the whole series or the third test?

As I think they're a little unfair on some players if they're for the whole series. But about right for the third test.

What this series has highlighted for me is the massive importance of F Steyn, he is instrumental in getting the backline moving and seems part lion in defence.

Aslong as Meyer gets a few first choicers back I think you'll do well in the QN's.

yappysnap

Frans Steyn IS the most important player for the boks I agree.

If you look at his stats its freightening.

Under PDV, SA won 63% of his 49 games... but when Frans played they won 71% of those (30 matches).
Against AUS, NZ, ENG & FRA when Frans played they won 58% of their matches... when he didn't they won just 27%.

He's a big time player who is pretty unique in world rugby... his boot gives SA so much front foot ball.

He really counter balances the other Steyn. Much like the EngGreenwood/Wilko combo or Nonu(SBW)/Smith for the AB's.

Just seen that Argentina went down to a record defeat at home to France so their opening game away to the Boks could be very painful...

The boks need a tune up game...one where they smash 40 points on someone, get a bonus point and raise their confidence. Away to AUS will be the next match and it will be key.

If the boks can get a result there they could sneak this tournament... previous 3N have always been about momentum... often teams race out infront and they become seemingly impossible to catch.

biltongbek wrote:We didn't deserve to draw because we were pathetic.

Or we were better. I happen to agree with you that there was a serious drop in intensity from the Boks. But you were quite quick to tell us to stop being so harsh on the England team after the 2nd test, so perhaps you should be the same.

Overall in the series your forwards battered us and although we had injuries too, having Frans Steyn and Alberts out clearly hugely affected you in the last test. Given the lack of preparation time you had for this series, there were some promising signs, particularly if Morne is dropped. That to me will be the biggest show of whether Meyer is up to it.