Pollard - 15 Man Rugby?

Irish pundits on Sky question Pollard's ability to suit Tony Brown's attack p lans.

Boks were trying to run the ball more but there is still a lot of opportunism to get tries
A Pollard/Delande option seems too predictable. 

Zulu should have come on earlier, especially given that Pollard was kicking poorly.

Well, you might remember how I repeatedly said that Manie and Pollard are very different players, Pollard is your proven WC flyhalf converted inside centre type behind a forwards dominated gameplan. Manie is a flyhalf suited to a ball in hand running game but he needs two things to go his way, a Tony Brown gameplan, not Rassie's gameplan, you won't see or get the best out of him in a gameplan that is half stuck in the old and the other half in the new. As I've always said, he needs Williams at 9 and Moodie at 13. All of them have one thing in common......skill....and some  have above average speed. I'd always back the fastest horse in a race. Speed will burn the opposition as we witnessed with Arendse and Kolbe.

Sacha is another must select.

Denny

I must say there are two youngsters I admired when they played Under 20 rugby and those  were Willemse and Sacha - and believe that ultimately Sacha would be the better choice at Flyhalf and ultinately Willemse has been the netter choice atr 12 - when it would be necessary rto replkace D e Allended or at full back fo the time neing,   

I always liked Pollard - his best performances wewre achieved in 2019 - but since th en he was often injured and became a replica of Morne Steyn.   He never since 2015 when Meyer nearly destroyed  Pollard as a player, he was injured  and in 2016 and 2017 never played for the Springboks,     Since 2019 Pollard was injured frequently and for a for a lemghty period as well -  he has not been the player he was in 2019 in any tests he played in and his participation in a backline aiming to play attacking rugby I can forsee him not performing to the standard Brown would expect from him.    

We have an excellent backliine in the making  with all positions covered iro the centers and back 3 triangle  at wing and full back - but after yesterdday I think we need to find the right combination at 9 and 10 - and then wed have to consider the no 8 position where I think Roos would be the number 1 choice.

I think Du Toit fitted in perfectly in Browns game plam to play attaclkng ball in hand rugby where the loosies are used to cause problems for defenders  and adding  Kwagga to the combination was aimed at that as well.   But Kwagga has deficiencies that makes him problematic  hence the obvious selection of Roos at 8,   For the rest I am happy about the Tight 5 - bar Mostrert. 

We have younger and stronger locks in abundance and the lock combination improved when Mostert was reeplaced by Snyman.   

In essense there are signs of a different approach stemming from Brown's involvement in the coaching set-up and am sure the backline attazcking plan is going to see further improvement in that component of the game and team selec tion,    

Pollard was good when he first appeared in a flat line attack, he's much deeper now, has good hands and a good pass but has never been a playmaker. He's direct but he leans towards being an inside centre come flyhalf and as we know it has its benefits depending on the gameplan like for example the WC. 

I like what Tony Brown has done so far but its early days and it remains to be seen where he takes the Boks with the enormous amount of skill at his disposal. I'm not impressed with Willie as a playmaker, he overdid the chip kick and the kick pass, it was far too predictable.....wind back to Marne's successful try scoring kick pass in the WC as a comparison. Our tries came because of individual efforts not because of structured play, we really don't want to end up like the Irish who were full of intensity, had plenty of ball but ended up safely held not knowing how to crack a defence. I'm also saying I'd like the Boks to attack like the Wallabies of the 90's era who were the best attacking side of the century. Giteau with ball in hand left the Boks guessing and in the process created doubt.....the Boks don't want to be a process attacking side like the Irish.

Whooosh!

Actually that is why I predicted a Bok loss, my thinking a first time Brown model would suffer adjustment and hiccups.

Boks were trying to run the ball more but there is still a lot of opportunism to get tries
A Pollard/Delande option seems too predictable. 

DDA was used much as Esterhuizen was against Wales: mostly as a dummy runner or a link. It appears Brown is more interested in using the threat of the big 12 to create space rather than using the physicality of the big 12. 

Which is what people didn't get about Esterhuizen against Wales - his dummy run turning Wales 12 inside created the space for Kriel's opening try, and his snap pass having pulled Wales 13 out of the line for an attempted spot tackle released the outside backs for Mapimpi's try. If you measure things by how much smashing and bashing your 12 does, you're going to miss a lot.

Libbok would have been more effective on the hard pitch of Loftus which is perfect for a running game. Zulu could have come on the 2nd half to replace Delande. 

Replace De Allende - are you  serious?  

It should be Sasha Zulu, a bit like Shaka Zulu

The question is for how much longer is Rassie going to hang with Faf and Pollard? They ain't going to get any better. The only way to find out if they still have a use by date is to start the young and new. I get the feeling that the new is ready.

What was wrong with Pollard's performance apart from a few bad place kicks, which is an exception for him and sure to autocorrect in the next game? We got tons of great ball out back, most of which died with Kriel.

I'm not knocking Pollard's performance, I'm questioning the timing of a transition. 

Hoew many times were there loose balls lying around after BS pasasews and at leastr 2 of tthose can be linked drectly to FAF.    But the backline performance analysis is on par with  thata choieved when Meyer and Cowetzewe buggered up badly as coaches and Pakie is abck to Meyer style rugby - for him everything else is wrong.      

But the backline performance analysis is on par with  thata choieved when Meyer and Cowetzewe buggered up badly as coaches and Pakie is abck to Meyer style rugby - for him everything else is wrong.  

what the hell does that even mean?

I stayed at the same hotel in Newcastle where the Boks were to play Scotland in their pool. Got into the lift which was occupied by him and a few players, I'll never forget the look in his eyes, I swear he was a nervous wreck, his eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of his head.

It's the first time I've mentioned this, so sad, I felt for him. 

Pakie

Ten man Rugby with the lyhalfc kicking posssession away and the backline players only on he field to defend against attacks.   

Brown was brought in to help cenment a diffderent form of rugby and your ra ting of backline players were farcical to say the least.        

Well, put some substance to it. Who deserved better and what exactly did they do to deserve better?

Come on, give us something more than "Pakie want play BS Meyer 10mna jake blal nd are defsihnntct in asstsmmnet of plaerys he dont lkie".

Pakie's fluency in Shitoric makes me suspect he might be the low born slut who keeps hacking ou Maaik's password.

Just saying . . .

I neither admit nor deny such a scandalous insinuation and besides, only a sick mind would have guessed that ou Maaik's password is clickspenispump123, and I certainly did not. Although I might have, but I cannot confirm.

ou Maaik's password is clickspenispump123

Tx, we might have to electronically monitor it with the ClickaPrick Society. Monitors can be velcro fitted and come in various sizes, at a guess Mike would need a large one like XXXL

Models also come solar powered but for that Mickey will have to stand half naked in the sun a few hours a day.

D enny

I gave you four ptioetial winners and one of he fcour one at odds ocf 11/1,  Ifc you put  $20 on eacxh ofhe four your netg profit would ahve eben circa $150.

And what I get in return is the abnove - shame on you for that.      

Just a reminder of 'I told you so' and also on this very same blog I stated that Faf and Smith have to go......Faf's dumb chip kick with the tryline in touching distance was so typical of him and once again Kwagga's little bursts were ineffective. Pollard has limited vision and is not a playmaker and he's only effective in a certain gameplan. That gameplan will not win the Boks the next WC. There has to be a wholesale change to the backline for the new backline to work.

Here from this blog.....

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Well, you might remember how I repeatedly said that Manie and Pollard are very different players, Pollard is your proven WC flyhalf converted inside centre type behind a forwards dominated gameplan. Manie is a flyhalf suited to a ball in hand running game but he needs two things to go his way, a Tony Brown gameplan, not Rassie's gameplan, you won't see or get the best out of him in a gameplan that is half stuck in the old and the other half in the new. As I've always said, he needs Williams at 9 and Moodie at 13. All of them have one thing in common......skill....and some  have above average speed. I'd always back the fastest horse in a race. Speed will burn the opposition as we witnessed with Arendse and Kolbe.

Sacha is another must select.