If one analyses the results of the RC last year and effectively looks at performances - there are some issues that stood out.
Argentina Tests
If one looks at the local test first - there was a problem in the first half of the game and we were not entirely on top of the situation - leading by 6-3 up to just before half time.. However, just before half time SA threatened to score and a Puma player made a deliberate knock down of the ball.. A penalty try and yellow card followed.
That really was the end of the game for the Pumas - especially when another player was yellow carded as well. With 14 men on the field for virtually 20 minutes of the second half - the Pumas never showed and they were beaten with ease.
However, it was the away test that really showed deficiencies in the Springbok side. Ball handling was poor and some players were bad in capital letters. In the poor categoory of players can be included -
* Morne Steyn clueless in execution;
* JJ Engelbrecht - poor in both defense and attack;
* Jannie du Plessis - poor in scrumming and defense.
Like in 2012 in 2013 the Argentinians were poor in the June tests. They have a habit of selecting fringe players for the June tests - often players part of the Pampas Vodacom Cup side and then select their front line internationals for the RC.
We were bloody lucky to win that Mendoza test and that is a fact. It was equal to what happened in the away test in 2012. What is further extremely bothersome is while we struggled to beat them away last year - while the AB's and Wallabies had bonus point wins in Argentina.
Can we have decent at home and away wins with bonus points against Argentina this year? I m not so sure about that one. The team this year is in some respects weaker than they were last year - and stronger in other respects. Morne Steyn will probably be still in the team and that means no improvement in that component of the game. The selection of Matfield will weaken the Tight 5 considerably compared to last year.
It all depends on the players selected by Meyer. If he sticks with players like Matfield, Alberts and Morne Steyn we will be weaker than last year - so if we want to get the bonus points win - both in the local and away games - we need some real workers to see us through - not some reputation players.
Australian Tests
The Walalbies were weak last year was in the throws of change of the coach. Like Meyer did after his appointment - McKenzie selected basiclly players from the Queensland Reds side and they proved to be not good enough. Australian rugby last year - after a very opoor performance - especially in the third Lions test - really was in the doldrums.
Bearing in mind that fact - coupled to their team selection - we and the ALL Blacks beat them easily - both at home and away. There were signs of serious change when the Wallabies beat the Pumas away from home by a huge margin.
This year McKenzie managed to turn the team around. He looked at performances in Super 15 this year and made some really major changes to the team. The result was two huge wins against the French and a major improvement in their performances.
From a Wallaby perspective McKenzie decided there were no "holy cows" anymore and players like Genia, Cooper, Alexander, Robinson and Horwell were not in the starting teamhe played this year. The improvement was massive and unlike last year - the Wallabies will be hard to beat this year.
Can the Springboks beat them away and at home. If we look at what happened in the second Welsh test in particular - the answer becomes problematic. Unless there are some major changes in the team we field against the Wallabies - we have no chance of beating them. We know that De Villiers and Etzebeth will be brought back in - but that is not the real answer. It still leaves us with gaping holes and limited players like Morne Steyn, Willem Alberts, Victor Matfield and a questionable tight head prop.
My guess is that we will lose the away game b ya substantial margin - which will force Meyer in making changes - which could result in a at home win.
The All Blacks
We all know that a major problem last year was the mistake of Poite in carding Bismarck, but we ignore the other najor problem at Eden Park and that was embodied in the person of one player - Morne Steyn.
The All Blacks were penalized in our 22 and Steyn failed to find touch - the ball being caught on the halfway line and the AB's having space at their disposal - ran at the Springboks and ended up scoring one of their tries. As i that was not enough - Morne had t take a penalty on the half way line and kicked it over the dead ball line. Scrum on hte ahalfway line - the AB's got possession from teh scrum - Nonu broke the Morne Steyn tackle attempt and another AB try followed.
With Bismarck off it would have been a miracle if we won that fame - but any idea of limiting the damage went out of the window because of Morne Steyn's pathetic performance.
The Ellis Park test could have been won by the Springboks - but for the pathetic defense of players like Engelbrecht, Morne Steyn and Willem Alberts - who gifted tries to the AB's. The AB's was helped along by the inability of Alberts to make a tackle ball recovery a meter from where he fell over his own feet and idiotic play by Morne Steyn in not kicking the ball out seconds before the half time hooter.
Can we beat the AB's this year? It depends entirely on the player selection by Meyer. Keeping handicaps like Morne Steyn, Alberts and Matfield in the team will definitely mean a loss for the Springboks - both away and at home.
Meyer will have to sharpen up his selections and will have to select players capable of performance and not select non-performing players based on experience and reputation only - otherwise losses in the RC are to be expected.
