It has to be in his head as he slots all the kicks in training and before the game
Those demons in the head turn an easy kick into an impossible one
I wanted to believe he would sort it out post WC as his overall kicking record is pretty much the same as all kickers out there but Saturday’s redemption miss is inexcusable
It’s just so sad that he is being defined by his goal kicking as he is a damn good player with ball in hand and getting the best out of his backs
He is struggling to get that monkey of his back. Agree it’s a Damm shame because he has brilliant passing skills.
So it might be technique and can possibly be rectified. I hope that for Manie. If he can get everything together, it will be a show.
Did Handre feel the pressure when he had to make the 55 meter kick to beat France?
In a recent interview Handre called those moments "fun", and he wasn't making a joke. He's got ice in his veins.
He is certainly not kicking like that at practise runs, so the pressure must be it.
However, he is still not a good kicker
Percy Montgomery struggled with his place kicking for a while, and then he shortened his run up and ran more straight to hoof the ball by following through instead of kicking. This takes out some of the margin for error.
Percy just took two steps and belted it 
Certainly he is affected by nerves, probably more so than most…..but having a flowing rhythmical technique with a lot of bend in the run up, can’t be helping. What he’s doing isn’t working under pressure. You aren’t going to fix nerves….. I’d try the Monty solution, a simpler technique. Right now his career is in tatters, what’s to lose.
Mozart
Some sprtsmen in any code of sport thrive on siuations of stress - other sportsman cannot. Anthat mntal situation is what happened to Libbok and it happened in he past as well to him. So id that problem treatable, I will gve you ne example - the tennis player Rublev - against whom top players truggle until the inevitable meltdown take place, He was treated by sport psychologists over at a least the past three years and they were unable to help him out of it.
I think confidence building may help but when the stress situations arive - will it be ssuccessful?
As to Libbok if the Springboks were in the lead he would convert that kick ten out of ten times such kcks are made, If the kick would turn around the outcome of the natch - he would probably miss such kicks 6 timess out of 10 efforts.
Be it as it may I believe Libbok should consult a sport psychologist and see what happens from there forward,
.
When will the team announcement be made for Saturday,s game?
The team announcemeent is likey to be sometime between 14:00 and 15:00 today if Erasmus past annoucnements are borne in mind. Have Supesport news already on.
Ok thanks.
Libbok would do well to consult with Monty. Confidence the grows with success. It may do the trick.
That said it's also to some extent the way you are wired. The hardness of temprement displayed by Djokovic, Nadal and Federer was exceptional.
As far as I can make it up the team will be as follows:-
15 Fassie
14 Kolbe
13 Kriel
12 De Allende
11 Arendse
10 Libbok
9 Hendrikse
8 Wiese
7 Du Toit
6 Kolisi
5 Nortje
4 Etzebeth
3 Malherbe
2 Mbonambi
1 Nche
16 Marx. 17 Steenekamp, 18 Koch, 19 Louw, 20 Smith, 21 Reinach, 22 Pollard, 23 Am
No revenge - but the inclusion of Du Toit and De Allende is giving the Springboks extra teeth
Etzebeth is breaking Mattfield's record in playing for the Springboks in tests. .
Wonder whether the squad players not included wlll be released to play URC club/franchise rugby this weekend?
Mozart
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Goal kicking is a bit like golf. The ball isn’t moving so it should be easy, right? But it’s not. Golf is a physical motion which includes coordinated action with wrists/arms/shoulders/hips/knees/ankles and in extremis….toes. It’s incredibly complex, which is why dumb people who just do it tend to have an advantage. Nobody can consciously control all these motions in a second, the time to make a swing….it has to be a grooved action.
And even supposedly great swings break down under pressure. Yesterday all McIlroy had to do to win the BMW was put a long iron on the green and two putt. But since the US Open he is failing at the last step. With his magnificent swing put him at that spot on Monday morning with a bucket of 20 balls and he puts 19 on the green.
Now take Libbok. He kicks magnificent soaring kicks with a draw. They look splendid. But he has a loose elastic action and the height and draw add variability. Add a bit of tension and that looseness is exaggerated.
Up comes Pollard….he doesn’t hit a full swing, more of a punch….low with a slight fade. He is in perfect balance, with limited body rotation. Did Handre feel the pressure when he had to make the 55 meter kick to beat France? You bet, but that tension had much less effect on his mechanically simple technique.
In these precision tasks, the elegant is often the enemy of the predictable. Manie didn’t wimp out of the kick that went long to the corner…he overcooked it, which suggests to me his problem isn’t nerve, it’s technique. Percy solved similar issues by shortening his run up and simplifying his strike. If Manie wants to save his career he should call Mr Montgomery.