A few thoughts on the Scotland game

Handre Pollard has never been a stellar defender, but his tackling is now at the point where I feel it's a liability. Scotland 12 knocks him over a 15:25 first half, then at 41:08 in the second half Esterhuizen has to tackle the Scotland 12 after he broke Pollard's tackle again - a sitter of a tackle that you'd feel any test back should be able to make. More Pollard misses to come further down.

First half:

18:05 Am weakly loses the ball in contact

22:52 Esterhuizen beats the rushing Scot defender to make 10m, only for Etzebeth to be carried 5m back in the tackle at the next contact. Rare sight. Moodie knocks on out wide.

24:34 Moodie beats Duhan for a good run up the middle

26:50 Scotland switches direction and Kwagga comes from the other side of the ruck to make a crucial tackle on Russell to avoid an overlap

39:41 Esterhuizen sends the poor Scottish 9 flying

Not much going on in the first half. Second more interesting.

At 49:42 Willie cancels a 3 on 1 overlap outside him with a skip pass to Mapimpi. With Moodie running a line on his inside the Boks surely has the Scotland defense pinned if they take it to the line and put it through the hands, but this play just cancels out the 5 phases spent beforehand to draw the Scots to the other side of the field.

Louw didn't have a bad game, but Steph's physical impact is noticeable as he comes on.

54:15 Terrific tackle by Eben on Duhan as he was about to break clean away. He missed that, Scotland is probably in as Duhan has a one on one with Moodie plus a support runner on his inside. It's a breakthrough that again shows the high risk of the Boks defense style - Wiese shoots up for the spot tackle, but if the guy he targets gets away a pass or offload inside there's often a gap, as happened here.

Scotland blows another chance as Huw Jones throws a ridiculously poor pass that goes way over the head of a flying Duhan on the outside with only Willie to beat.

57:08 Jones beats Steph, Am, Willie, Wiese and again Pollard in succession.

59:30 Am gets drawn in by Scotland 12 which opens a gap for S15. Pollard yet again misses S15 before Willie clumsily brings him down in what was more of a push than a tackle.

66:20 Pollard run over by Scotland 12...again

75-76:00 Boks twice can't get the ball wide, first Steph gets caught in possession before passing and then Kolisi's pass goes behind Esterhuizen on the other side. The flankers just don't have the sleight of hand to get these close contact passes away in time.

76:58 Jones again passes to the assistant ref instead of Duhan

Williams injects noticeable pace in distribution immediately after coming on. Things might have looked better out back for the entire game if he came on earlier. The ball was getting back so slowly with Hendrikse, but even so there doesn't seem to be much direction in the Bok backplay. Still too much drifting by the outside backs, too many skip passes. 

Pollard with at least 5 missed tackles.

Overall Boks weren't terrible, but there were a few key moments where the game could have changed completely - Eben's tackle on Duhan possibly the biggest.

Very good summary Pakie those were the key moments. Scotland had many chances in that game….a more composed side would have cashed in those opportunities. 

Pollard’s tackling is porous, no doubt, has been throughout his career. That’s what was short sighted about the Pollard to 12 calls a few years back. He is often ahead of his centers, comes up really fast…but that also makes for a much harder tackle.

The Boks may do better with 12 shooting up and Pollard being more neutral.

Yes they may be better if he had a better 12 than was the case on Saturday.    Esterhuizen defense was always BS and in one case it was clearer than daylight n Saturday.    That is why Pollard sid tha De Allende is the best inside center he ever played with in his career,

Matter of fact the backline malfunctioned badly yesterday and the problem was in the center positions..    Brown was not a happy chappy when he spoke to the chap recording mcth icidents on his laptop after another backline flop.  

Just ignore it MP, he can't help himself.

Mpower

You tell me tha the abckline fuctioned properly yesterday and twhat I nwrote is factual,    Why was the only two backline tries scored from cross kicks while the ball never reach a wing through passing te whole match.    I wil lay you  bet - A play again in he remaining otests - Esterhuizen will not be played again this year and definitely never in future agains/

Reason - Esterhuizen is a dud when it coes to attacking bckline play.   That is why he enver scored a try in te 19 tests he played in and was never credied with a try assist either,          

.        

That’s what was short sighted about the Pollard to 12 calls a few years back. He is often ahead of his centers, comes up really fast…but that also makes for a much harder tackle.

Yeah I was never excited either about the Pollard at 12 idea.

Reason - Esterhuizen is a dud when it coes to attacking bckline play.

Esterhuizen has two jobs if you pay attention. One is to serve as first link, as he does during the first Mapimpi try and several times during the match. Second is to challenge and breach the advantage line, which he did all game long.

As for the ball not getting to the wings because of the 12, a few examples:

2H 49:16 - Ball through the hands. Pollard to Willie, Willie to Andre who hits the gap between Duhan and S15, turning Duhan inside and opening space for Am, who gets the pass from Andre. Am then comes back inside between the same two players and takes the tackle instead of feeding the "wing", which in this case was Steph.

LMAO!

People still trying to engage ou Maaik on rugby matters . . . 

It's a disease of the mind

Just want to highlight that Eben trysaver again. Lock at full stretch on wing speeding away from him. Did he have any right to pull that off? What a play.

**Edited the whole tackle sequence in here instead of just the first image**

That was a good tackle (if it can actually be called a "tackle" in the strict sense of the word) and it may well have saved a try but I didn't think Eben had a particularly good game and I was surprised when he was named MotM ahead of Esterhuizen or Mapimpi.

He botched at least two of our lineouts on our own throw, he gave away at least one penalty, he ruined a good try scoring opportunity when he was driven back in the tackle like a ragdoll, he lost his temper at least once and his captaincy was weak.

Good try-saving effort though. 

Why would you not call it a tackle in the strict sense of the word ?

Etzebeth is really fast, a total athlete….that’s a tackle very few locks would make.

(Sic) still trying to minimize Eben with faint praise, who can forget his glee when he thought Eben was rightly accused of that fake charge before RWC2019. 

Nah that's the same tackle MP, just added the completion in as well.

Fcn amazing...

A jersey pull stops Duhan van der Merwe…,waaaaahahahaha!

The backline functioning in any form of attack was disfunctional.   It was not pollock who fouled up to just two players fbrther out namely 12 and 13.    If one look at the irish and Superrugby series he backline did not malfancttion - so why did it happen on Sunday? 

Mozart

I look at the socalled tackle - the ackled player has his arms free to pass he ball while Du Toit ma be the nerest by half a meter than te nearest Scottish player - he was not lying at the feet of Du Toit. who had o go to te side or being off-side so you are talking kak again.   Aleayss th same - if Mozart maes aa BS statement ceck it out becaause he is always lying about acual situations.             

Pakie, great contributions .................. you da man, boet.