Simplicity is the solution for the Springboks
Simplicity is the solution for the Springboks if they are to beat the All Blacks in Wellington and keep alive their Castle Rugby Championship defence, writes Mark Keohane.
In my Sunday Times Rugby Column, Keo Uncut, I wrote of the need to find comfort in a DNA that has always worked for the Boks, which is a strong set piece, a functioning line-out, an intelligent kicking game and an aggressive defence.
What also has to change is the constant narrative about building for the 2027 World Cup in Australia. The focus must be to keep winning now.
Rassie Erasmus, and when Jacques Nienaber took over as Bok coach between 2020 and 2023, never spoke of World Cup cycles. They never excused a defeat in the context of squad building for the next World Cup. They spoke about the now and an evolution in which transition does not have to come at the expense of victory.
They started to win Test matches because winning creates a habit.
The Boks at World Cups are a different beast to any other Test team. They know the formula to win a World Cup, which is reliant on a strong set piece, accuracy in goalkicking, an understanding of scoreboard pressure and most pertinently that defence beats attack in World Cup finals.
You only have to study the Boks 12-11 World Cup final win in 2023 against the All Blacks in Paris, France, to know how far the Boks have veered from this formula, when analysing their performance at Eden Park against many of the same All Blacks.
Pieter-Steph du Toit made 28 tackles that night and rearranged every part of All Blacks inside centre Jordie Barrett’s body in those 80 minuters. At Eden Park, I can’t recall Du Toit getting close to denting Barrett’s body and the All Blacks’ psyche.
Erasmus, throughout his tenure, has been lauded for irreverence, innovation, rugby intelligence and for doing the unthinkable.
To win in Wellington he doesn’t have to be any of those things. He just must be true to the basics of the game.
The defeat at Eden Park hurts more because of the quality of these Boks. They can’t ever get that result back, but they can get a result in Wellington if there is a change in mindset and in game management.
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