Since the advent of the professional era, I believe there’s no significant difference among top teams in the oval game in terms of defensive structures, attacking organisation, set-piece plans and exit strategies.
What then, you ask, was the defining quality which saw the Springboks, for argument’s sake, overcome a star-studded World XV side so convincingly at Newlands this past Saturday?
Primarily, I believe it came down to the Boks’ experience – the average age of the current side is 29.
With experience comes composure under pressure which, in turn, allows said players to make the finest on-field decisions.
Big matches are more often than not won by the best decision-makers.
If I recall my playing career, I would categorically state that I produced my best rugby between the ages of 26 and 32. Simply put, that’s when my physical ability matched my decision-making ability.
While critics may suggest Bakkies Botha is past his sell-by-date or Schalk Burger is on the wrong side of 30, in terms of modern conditioning, as long as the body lasts, the brain only improves with age.
Therefore, senior players are worth their weight in gold and have to be managed scientifically.
Some may argue that affording said players less game time is the simple and most effective solution. However, while rotation is important in the modern game, I believe tailoring a particular player’s training regime is the ultimate key to career longevity.
Senior statesmen such as Burger and Botha, for instance, would be best served conditioning in the controlled setting of the gym rather than performing hard practice drills out on the training field.
With the 2015 Rugby World Cup just 17 test matches away, I believe Heyneke Meyer’s sternest task will be in getting his core group of experienced senior players to England in peak physical condition.
Meyer has been labelled “too conservative” for his selection choices and squad composition, however, in my mind that remains his greatest strength. What makes him such a top coach is that he doesn’t get rattled and grab a new player each and every time his team experiences a hiccup.
Those that are begging for new blood are ultimately not responsible for the results and are inclined to knee-jerk reactions i.e. Lose a match and change the side or win and retain the status quo.
Young players such as Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jan Serfontein, for instance, definitely add verve and value to a side. However, if Meyer were to select a glut of young guns without striking the right blend, I believe the Boks would have zero chance of winning the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Purely from a statistical point, World Cups are won, time and again, owing to a spine of experienced players running through the side. The 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 tournaments bear testament to that.
