From the penthouse to the shithouse
17 Nov 2008
The drop in form for the world champion Boks – and in particular 2007 IRB player of the year Bryan Habana – has been dramatic.
In Edinburgh this morning the talk is rightfully of heroism, bravehearts and lost opportunity. The Scots, ranked ninth in the world, were a try away from upstaging the world champion Springboks. In South African cities the rugby talk rightfully is of disgust at the performance of the Springboks.
One country’s support base had no reason to believe a victory was possible, while the one in which we live had no reason to believe defeat to the sad Scots was a possibility.
Scotland are an ordinary side, so any attempt to justify or applaud this Springbok performance must be rubbished. This was no come from behind win; it was an insult to what was achieved by many of the same players a year ago.
Something has to be seriously wrong when Bryan Habana, the player of the year in 2007, is substituted 30 minutes before the end on successive weekends, and the only surprise is that he wasn’t yanked 30 minutes into the respective matches.
It is becoming tiresome, not to mention repetitive, to hear the players, in their post-match summary, talk of how they went back to a structured game plan at halftime and how they focused on doing the basics and playing to a style that complimented their strengths.
The players may mean well, but in attempting to articulate the performance they condemn the coaching staff because the words are those of players at odds with the coaching philosophy.
This is not a healthy Springbok side. They don’t have the aura of a year ago and it is because they don’t have the fitness, confidence, discipline and self-belief of the side that effortlessly arm-wrestled all opposition at the World Cup. They also don’t have the intellectual capital in what is a very inexperienced coaching trio.
There has been no rebuilding of the side, so that can’t be an excuse, and there has been no growth.
The Boks, for all their failings, may squeeze past England on Saturday, but again it will be more reflective of the limitations of the opposition than any South African revival.
The continued doublespeak in game plan; the contradictions in romance and realism; have left loose-forwards on the wing, locks in the midfield and props at first receiver, with the occasional clean out at the ruck coming from a wing, centre and flyhalf.
South Africa’s strength is physicality at the breakdown and dominance in contact. Against Scotland players attacked as individuals, got isolated and were often turned over, and when the Boks did get numbers to the breakdown there was no discipline. Put bluntly, there was no plan as a team or for individuals, especially Habana, who internationally has gone from the penthouse to the shithouse.
Habana’s decline is alarming and if he is not injured then it must rank as among the more dramatic reversals of form. Currently he can’t catch a ball, run a support line or even make an intercept count, and to see a novice Scottish winger beat him on the outside, much as Welsh wizard Shane Williams did earlier this season, is more mystifying than it is embarrassing for Habana.
Habana should not be playing against England because his form does not warrant inclusion ahead of Jonge Nokwe. A few others should also not be playing against England, but the insular selection policy that picks Brian Mujati ahead of the northern hemisphere-based CJ van der Linde and BJ Botha and Earl Rose ahead of Bath’s Butch James means some of South Africa’s best players will watch Saturday’s Test from the stands at Twickenham.
Fourie du Preez’s injury means there is a scrumhalf crisis, but a bit more innovative thinking could have turned a mishap into an opportunity with the selection of Saracens and former Stormers scrumhalf Neil de Kock, who has consistently been the best scrumhalf in England for the last three seasons.
That, however, would require having a plan – and like with Habana, if there is such a thing I know I am not alone in failing to see it.
These are disturbing times for the Boks because damage is being done now that will only come to the fore when the British and Irish Lions tour South Africa next June.
692 Comments
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17 Nov 2008, 16:54 pm
#647 Dawn:
Doppies kan gaan doppies blaas …
17 Nov 2008, 16:55 pm
#648 Vetkoek:
Great observation.
Fourie was awesome ; stayed on the outside and of course scored that superb try. And he had to work for it.
17 Nov 2008, 17:00 pm
#649 Sheriff:
Don’t know what’s up with Jantjies. A couple of times he’s intercpted kicks that JPP had covered. If he had stayed wide of JPP and waited for JPP to run and pass inside to hime then it would have had greater impact.
Think it was also Jantjies who had JPP on his outside in a race to the line on Saturday. If he had offloaded to JPP it was pretty much a given try (there was no-one in front of JPP). He chose to run straight into a brick wall.
Not sure he likes JPP in the squad with him, just get that feeling.
17 Nov 2008, 17:03 pm
#652 OCO:
Also think that he offers very little other than his kicks. There are many better than he and Kirschner would be a better choice (mind you Kirschner also has the ability to give away too many penalties).
Not in the same class as ST (who has been brilliant all year and should have been there on merit well before any other SA FB) and Percy, who is still classy but slower.
17 Nov 2008, 17:06 pm
hierdie span was gelukig om the wereld beker te wen en speel nog steeds swak rugby!
tenmunste droom hulle van a beter ‘brand’ van rugby spel….
17 Nov 2008, 17:07 pm
#648 Vetkoek:
FS was marshalling the back line when he came on. Combo with JF is awesome. JF scored the almost exact try that JdV couldn’t.
However, if the game plan is catch the ball and run then you get what we got in the first half. It was PdV’s plan which he has tried from the outset – and has failed misserably each time.
It’s a team game but PdV is saying play as an individual. There is no synergy and thus we play badly. PdV is just too naive, not the players.
17 Nov 2008, 17:09 pm
#654 oogman:
This is not the team that won the RWC. It has been changed, along with the coach (in reality it’s the opposite, the new coach has changed a winning team). It’s really quite simple to see where the problem lies and doesn’t require CSI.
17 Nov 2008, 17:11 pm
#652 OCO:
Again, many people criticise PdV for a lot of things.
My criticism is the fact that he has not yet succeeded to unite the team. It’s better but every man wants to shine as an individual.
17 Nov 2008, 17:24 pm
#657 Sheriff:
I’m not sure what you mean by ‘it’s better’ as we have lost too many matches and scrapped through those which should have been a ‘no-contest’.
I don’t think PdV has a game plan that can win matches and I think his choice of players sucks in many areas.
But yes, I don’t think has united players and the inclussion of the other dude (:-) – not gonna bring that name up) has not helped. I think their are too many divisions in the camp. Not the first time in a Bok squad either.
17 Nov 2008, 17:29 pm
Is anyone else having trouble posting comments etc
17 Nov 2008, 17:31 pm
#658 OCO:
With “better” I meant, I think they a little tighter now than say a few months back during 3N.
17 Nov 2008, 17:34 pm
#659 ruggalover: Nope !
17 Nov 2008, 17:35 pm
647 dawn: i think doppies is already lucky that he has been preferred over walter venter at provincial level
17 Nov 2008, 17:37 pm
661 grootblousmile: shot
17 Nov 2008, 17:39 pm
Give Kanko a run..
17 Nov 2008, 17:41 pm
Can’t remember when last our centre’s have broken through defenses and scored from set play since fourie and jdv were playing together..they used to create tries all the time and space for the wings
17 Nov 2008, 17:45 pm
#665 ruggalover:
It will be interesting to get the following stats:
a. How many intercept tries scored under the prev coaching staff
b. What % of total tries scored it is ie
15 of 20 tries scored were intercept tries thus 75%
Maybe someone can look into this ; will be appreciated
17 Nov 2008, 17:50 pm
666 sheriff: man i don’t know where to get those kinda stats..would be interesting
17 Nov 2008, 17:51 pm
#666 Sheriff: evil post!
17 Nov 2008, 17:55 pm
Under jake we would pressure the opposition into making mistakes, but to be fair under PDV we have actually made plays with ball in hand..
17 Nov 2008, 17:55 pm
#668 pedspin:
The motive behind the request is however pure and holy
17 Nov 2008, 17:57 pm
666: maybe we can just get total intercept tries scored by jdv and habana and then get total tries scored under jake white
17 Nov 2008, 17:58 pm
#671 ruggalover:
Mate, there are some astute researchers here on keo.
A know WPTID is one such blogger. That request will appeal to certain type of mind, but it is merely interesting. Would not want it to become a burden to anyone.
17 Nov 2008, 18:01 pm
#665 ruggalover:
You fortget the RWC. FS and JF undisputed world champions.
JdV inercepts on the wing. Max one centre break per game and little to show for it.
Last years S14 shows that FS out performed in all aspects of the game other than JdV scored more intercepts – but FS can kick too.
JdV was outplayed at centre by both Wales and Scotland.
FS made a game saving try that JdV would never have made (as he never has before – in the 3N he missed exactly the tackle FS made).
No comparison.
17 Nov 2008, 18:19 pm
673 oco: just giving my opinion.i’m not forgetting the rwc,steyn played really well..but he only played there because of injuries otherwise the centre’s would have been jdv and fourie.think yr being harsh on jdv..he’s had probably the best s14 and rugby reason of his career.the jury still out on what steyn’s best position is..i personally feel he has had his best games at fullback and wing for boks where he has some space and time and has not had to distribute the ball to often
17 Nov 2008, 18:31 pm
#666 Sheriff: Are you thinking what I think.
17 Nov 2008, 18:33 pm
#673 OCO: I agree 100%. Can’t understand why the glory boy gets all the praise when he leaves his line a lot and puts the team under pressure.
17 Nov 2008, 21:26 pm
Wow!
What a headline!? I am flabbagasted by the tone of the article. Are we that bad as the Springbok team in 2008 or bet yet under Pieter de Villiers?
I would associate a shithouse with Kamp Staalrad! Not a team that won in New Zealand CONVINCINGLY for the first time recent memory.
The Springboks are playing the usual way they play when they are abroad or when playing away from home. The mindset is default defensive.
We didnt lose against Wales and Scotland! I can recall Nick Mallett losing and Rudolph Straule losing to these sides respectively.
Basically you are blaming the following people for the Boks ‘shittiness’.
- Pieter de Villiers
- Enrico January
- Brian Mujati
- Brian Habana
- Earl Rose
I dont know people whether the pattern is evident for everyone to see. I will let you decide. There is a concieted and concerted effort in this website to blame all of rugby’s ills to “‘You People’” and “‘Your Politicians’”.
The problem with Boks at the moment is with the senior players. They still want to play according to White’s (excuse the pun) wishes. The coach is for the expansive gameplan and the Seniors are conservative by nature. They then have a nerve to say that they went for the structured approach in order to secure the win.
They are undermining the Coach. Drop the lot.
Seriously a shithouse team does not beat Australia by a record margin.
17 Nov 2008, 22:02 pm
#266 cane: maybe we’ll meet in 2011 and you can try yourself
17 Nov 2008, 22:17 pm
#284 karamba: Jake’s not coming back
#441 stodders: I’ve told you already thats not how the World Cup groups are worked out.
17 Nov 2008, 22:44 pm
God even keo believes all the hype about the Boks having an “Aura” last year. The truth is last years team still came last in the tri nations and the last 4 years only had a winning ration of 30% against the blacks and consistently lost to a number of teams such as France and even Ireland away from home.
All credit to the Boks they peaked at the cup and beat a number of teams but I think it has seriously disillusioned a lot of Bok fans, they now think they should be spanking everyone because they one the world cup. When they lose or perform badly they all blame the coach but truthfully are some of the players that great, they come from a pool of teams that consistently make up the bottom half of the super 14 and haven’t exactly dominated the world of rugby over the past 5 years.
I think since SA came back in 92 they have churned through over 10 coaches my question is it always there fault
17 Nov 2008, 22:52 pm
#680 hawkes: put Gatland, Deans or Mallet in charge and do you think it would be the same?
17 Nov 2008, 23:34 pm
Yeah I admit those coaches could make a difference but I remember the bok fans giving grief to mallet not long after his golden run in 97/98 when he lost a few games. Surely you don’t buy into this Bok “aura” from last year. To me the England 02/03 WC wining team had an Aura as they were the dominant team in world rugby before winning the cup they won 12 consecutive games against the tri nations teams (this Bok team had nothing like that record before winning the 07 cup). I just think some of the bok fans think because they won the cup they should be pummeling everyone and look to blame the coach before looking at some of there players who are rather average
18 Nov 2008, 00:56 am
#682 hawkes: I don’t buy into an aura of any team what I do buy into is a team which is clicking and doing things better than other teams. SA beat every team in the world last season except France (who were beaten twice by Argentina) and NZ (when they had 5 players out and lost a 6th during the game).
The Bok team is full of top players who were used to playing a particular way and their strength has been ameliorated by new laws and a new gameplan.
This being the case the coach should either go back to a more suitable gameplan or be strong enough to drop all of them and pick different players.
Currently he is stuck in a halfway house and results are getting worse.
18 Nov 2008, 01:07 am
beat every team in the world last year except? except?, that was my point they havn’t been beating the Abs, they still lost to them twice in 07 and Aussies. Injuries or not you have to remember the blacks had Ross Filipo & Boric ( LOL) playing locks for that Durban game? There coach isnt great but if they sack him at the end of the year would things change?
18 Nov 2008, 01:27 am
#684 hawkes: they were beating the ABs pretty comfortably at home in ’07 with an understrength side missing Smit, Habana, Smith, Spies, Du Preez and lost James in-game. Thats a serious amount of quality to lose and the result was still tight.
They beat Australia too and sent their B side out to Aus. After that they went on a 13 game winning run including the World Cup.
Things would change if they had a world class quality coaching group. atm the current crew aren’t cutting it but who knows they may be 3 from 3 this weekend. You can’t argue with results.
18 Nov 2008, 01:33 am
Go the Boks, World Champs!! gona demolish england. Chokers going to choke against wales. CHOKERS CHOKERS CHOKERS!! HAHA
18 Nov 2008, 06:14 am
#685 Big Hit:
Full of balony bro. They were never comfortably beating the ABs in ’07. Please don’t stretch the truth like that. Furthermore, are you sure they’re B-side beat Aus in Aus?
18 Nov 2008, 06:25 am
#687 sinba556: they were leading 21-12 with 14 minutes to go with a team missing 6 starters. What do you call it?
I never said the B side beat Aus, I said they sent a B side but they did beat Aus in 07.
18 Nov 2008, 06:55 am
What a stupid article, the fact is that we are world champs and from now on it doesnt matter if we play the AB’s or Romania our opposition is going to play out of there skins to beat us. It happened to England and Australia before us, hell it even happened to us.
I thought the scott’s had a great game and if they played like that week in and week out, they would beat any side in the northern hemisphere easily.
As a nation we should be lifting our side up not knocking them down. Playing none stop ruggers since Feb has to take it’s toll, if you ask me we should do what the european teams do and thats sent a “B” team and call it developement a tour. Give the big boys a rest.
Now I know what Keo’s going to say “but its the same for Aus and NZ” actually its not. Aus dont have a currie cup so they do bugger all after the Tri-Nations and the AB’s Air New Zealand cup is no where near as physical as the currie not to mention nearly all the AB’s involved in the Tri-Nations are rested intelligently.
18 Nov 2008, 09:07 am
I feel that BH has lost his positional expertise, probably as someone has explained the rules to him, and he now stands in the Bokke back-line. I swear I have spotted him on-side several times this year.
18 Nov 2008, 09:10 am
A seven year old boy was at the centre of a courtroom drama today. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge awarded custody to his aunt.
The boy however confirmed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and refused to live there. When the judge suggested that he live with his grandparents the boy cried out that they beat him more than anyone.
Then in an unprecedented move, the judge dramatically allowed the boy to choose who should have custody of him.
In a final ruling yesterday, custody was granted to England Rugby Club as the boy firmly believes that they are not capable of beating anyone.
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