Boks v Pumas take 2

This really is an awful game of rugby. Didn’t think it could get worse than the Lions series but it has. Pollard commented that this is international rugby we are not here to entertain. By feck he wasn’t kidding was he

This is hard viewing.

Boks trying to play ball in hand but not doing it at pace.

But this is the next part of developing their game.

They seem to be doing a lot of kicking for a team wanting to run and expand their game. It not as if the Pumas are any good either. They have been dreadful and ill disciplined. Plenty of opportunities for the Boks to run if they really wanted too.

Its all about balance for Nienaber, they had 57 runs in that half, the kicks have been varied, using the pass kick a few times and a few into the corner.

The worlds most exciting winger kick passing to the other wing is not showing much ambition.

OK then, keep criticising. I am just happy to see some ball in hand.

Reinach charged down twice now

Old man even the coaches at half time have said they need to inject some energy. It’s not just us up North that are finding it a hard watch.

I don't disagree with needing energy, but you simply criticise for the sake of criticising.

You want innovative creative play.

I just want to see pace (energy) and intensity on attack.

At this point variation is more important than innovative

There you go, pace and intensity, nothing fancy

Great kick by Pllard for the corner there

Nice, well executed

At last a game of rugby has broken out.

Looking better yes

Pumas have shown more attacking intent in the last two minutes than the Boks have the whole game.
When your team is winning the criticism is hard to take but regardless justified. The Boks can’t even pass the ball down the back line without dropping it or going straight at an opponent. They desperately need an attack / skills coach.

Subs didn't work for the Springboks tonight

Heuer27 wrote:Pumas have shown more attacking intent in the last two minutes than the Boks have the whole game.
When your team is winning the criticism is hard to take but regardless justified. The Boks can’t even pass the ball down the back line without dropping it or going straight at an opponent. They desperately need an attack / skills coach.

I think you are a tad biased in your review. Boks played with much more endeavour in the second half. Both teams had plenty of unforced errors.

The boks transitioned from playing ball in hand and Argentina made most of their plays on the counter.

Usually the Boks make their play on the counter and little goes down the backline in phase play.

Whilst they made lots of mistakes the fact that they are starting to go through the phases has been missing for some time.

Execution will improve if they continue on this path.

I thought Jasper Wiese was very good. He is new to the international circuit but I see potential in him. SA have great depth at No.8 yet I think he could establish himself as first choice.

I would say at this point he is shaping up to be the first choice when Duane vermeulen retires.

Boks are strting to build some depth.

Though withso many injuries to senior players the pack can look a bit inexperienced at times.

With Ox Nche, RG Snyman, PSDT and Duane Vermeulen out it has tested the depth in the forwards.

Our backline worries me though, it is not a very experienced backline in international terms.

I think the backs are doing alright so far. If I remember rightly, a lot of fans were struggling to see why Cornal Hendricks was left out, probably the wrong side of 30.

In the pack the players coming in look good. Next year you could also try out Jacques du Plessis and Marcel Coetzee, inexperienced at international but both guys with great potential.

Cornal Hendriks has a medical condition, hence not being selected. There has been a requirement for insurance that needs to be in place for him to be selected for the Springboks, and thus far it hasn't been resolved.

The backs don't have much depth currently, if you look at only Faf, Pollard, De Allende and Le Roux is experienced in the starting line up.

Kolbe, Mapimpi, Am are getting there, I think they are all close to 20 caps now.

But the rest are very inexperienced, yes you have guys like Jesse Kriel, Frans Steyn, Elton Jantjies etc, but we need replacements for them.

Fassi, Nkosi, Willemse etc has very little caps.

Heuer27 wrote:This really is an awful game of rugby. Didn’t think it could get worse than the Lions series but it has. Pollard commented that this is international rugby we are not here to entertain. By feck he wasn’t kidding was he

What a bizarre comment to make.

Incorrect Handre son.....if nobody watched, you wouldn't get paid!

The bubble that some professional sports live in is quite incredible sometimes.

Goes back to an exciting watch. Think the summary of the other thread was that most people see watching 'their' team as exiting no matter and thus its all about the win. Given Jones is still getting a kicking though and some eyes of envy being cast on Pat Lam I'm still not sure!

Fingers crossed for the next set though as I feel ive been without rugby for months now.

Well, at least you all can look forward to the exciting play of the Wallabies and All Blacks in the next matchups with SA and Arg. At least 15 exciting players per match

OK maybe 16, Kolbe should touch the ball now and then.

OK, 17, Mapimpi is quite exciting the few times he touches the ball.

OK, a few more if you like big tackles from De Allende, Am etc

Few and far between at the moment Old Man. Does it bother you though? As you said you'll like the way your playing as long as you win.

Nope, I never said I like the way we play. I said often, as I have for years that we need to increase our willingness to play with ball in hand, we need to vary our attack, shift the contact point, have support runners on the shoulder, play more than just in the opponent red zone.

When we weren't number one and RWC champions, Lions winners and RC champions, people would pass the odd comment on our style, currently it is rife, every coach, pundit and rugby fan has something to say.

The popular narrative is we are boring and play negative rugby. Whilst I agree to some extent, many throw down the boring narrative without knowing what they are talking about, it has become the lazy opinion, there is little analysis on the things we do well.

One can only take so much vitriol and negative comments.

The fact that we use the few opportunities we have to score some good tries is lost in this mist of negative comments.

But I understand where it is coming from, it just gets a nit much.

It's coming from the style of play.

I was watching a video on houtube yesterday about tne last four matches between SA and the All Blacks since Rassie took over.

The guy is a kiwi, calls himself 2 cents.

Did some analysis on the matches and did some stats.

It was rather telling, the only stat that had a significant difference was the run meters.

Runs per meter SA had more success over the gainline, the team that kicked the most won. Territory and possession was slightly in NZ favour.

Our style may differ, but when you look at the actual affect it boils down to South Africa playing percentage rugby.

Yes precisely. Jones has talked pretty extensively on kicking as a tactic being key. Its gone too far and badly executed at that in the last 6ns. At the moment, and let's face most of the time new zealand are better to watch than both our teams. That doesn't mean running it Baa Baas style either.

New Zealand has been the best team to entertain since as long a I can remember. Teams that have tried to emulate them has not been able to sustain success over a prolonged period, ever.

It is all about the cattle you you have, and then incrementally improving attack over a period of time