Obviously the appointment of the new coaches associated with a more balanced game is reaching out for something. Various adjectives are used, but it’s more evocative to name a team that looks like the Bok vision.
That doesn’t mean this team is better than the Boks, Ireland, to me the best model will likely lose on their South African tour. But the Irish game plan executed by our talent could be the ticket.
France’s approach is hard to define….England not much different to where we are today. NZ and Oz if it still exists, don’t bring facets we dominate into play and mentally are a bridge too far.
So Ireland. I see them doing pretty much all the things we do except defense. Key in this change will be to keep our smothering defense. What’s more interesting is what they add. Easiest to adopt, forwards who can offload and construct passing interplay.
We already have that in the Stormers and the Bools. It shouldn’t be hard for the Boks. But we need a forward ball carrier who can break tackles to go beyond Ireland. A Willem Alberts type.
Ireland also use some intricate wrap round moves in the backs, often involving Sexton. Can we get some sleight of hand in our back play? That will require a real playmaker at 12 and Esterhozen does this every week, without losing any physicality.
Would a more physical, more athletic team playing in the Irish mode be formidable. You betcha! And Erasmus has Irish rugby pedigree which should make these changes more intuitive to him.
Stick with moz.