BIbiltongbek
Club Pro749 posts
BIbiltongbekClub Pro749 posts
31 Oct 2014, 23:24#2
Where is the comparitive stats for Jacobs, I distinctly remember him being a barn door in defence, and he tucked the ball so tight under his arms when running he couldn't pass.
31 Oct 2014, 23:34#4
He's a 12 playing 13 re tard.
sharkbok
Captain23,293 posts
sharkbokCaptain23,293 posts
31 Oct 2014, 23:50#6
Serfontein had a good 1st season where he looked good with ball in hand.
His defence is very good. When playing away against NZ I dont think I have ever seen so many runs by the All Blacks that did not get clean breaks.He has the offensive tackling technique pushing players back, or totally out of position to place the ball well. He has a techique of allmost lifting the player in the tackle to rough up the ball carrier.
Jaque Fourie can also be an offensive tackler. Both are excellant on positional play on defence, and I think it would be a wall trying to get through.
When the Stormers defence was at its best in 2011/12 time when Fourie was playing, it was probably the best defence ever by any team in the SuperXV. When Fourie left the Stormers, their defense was still excellant both nothing like it was with Fourie at 13. Apparently he organises the defensive lines. With him combining with Serfontein, if the Boks dominate possesion any team will struggle to score a try.
I do have some reservations about how much pace either centre has, but these 2 combined with Pollard would be a very strong defence.
Jean is typically good at defence but he drifts out of the backline to often.
MOMozart
Captain49,914 posts
MOMozartCaptain49,914 posts
01 Nov 2014, 00:07#7
I compiled the stats from EsPn stats guru....they have been challenged and successfully defended before. You also need to remember we won only 2 of our 6 TN matches that year....vs 4 out of 6 this year. That makes the 2008 numbers more of a challenge.
SB on Step's defence, sure Step is good head on....what about side on. Conrad Smith and Speight beat him rather easily through the outside gap. Teams will figure out he has an acceleration and pace problem.
He is a 12 at best, certainly not a 13. Still I can't see what he brings in the 12 channel. He seems like a nice kid, and I was impressed with the agony on his face as Smith broke outside him...he cared. But in the jungle of test rugby being likable counts for little.
MOMozart
Captain49,914 posts
MOMozartCaptain49,914 posts
01 Nov 2014, 00:23#9
Not to be argumentative, but Jean is doing what he always does.....force outside in by rushing up. But the line needs to move with him. On a few occasions there was a kink in the line, with Serfontein further back....jean and the wings forward. Taute and JJ fell into the same trap.
When Jean played with Fury they choked the opponents by getting forward fast...Jean still is but Jan tends to hang deeper. Is it the chicken or the egg?
SASaffolk
Captain30,741 posts
SASaffolk Captain30,741 posts
01 Nov 2014, 01:10#11
Adi Jacob s was a bloody insult
MOMozart
Captain49,914 posts
MOMozartCaptain49,914 posts
01 Nov 2014, 01:16#12
BB I think it's fair to say both Jean and Habana have been caught out more than in the past...but some incidents like the Fekitoa try were a roll of the dice. Wait in formation and watch the double overlap work...or take a risk. Jean and Fury have always used the rush defence and mostly successfully.
We do need a new generation of the Jean/ Fury combination....but while there are several options nobody has done the business yet.
CLclevermike
Coach57,555 posts
CLclevermikeCoach57,555 posts
01 Nov 2014, 04:49#13
Mozart
A 15% missed tackle ratio is in fact very good - so Serfontein can really not be faulted. However, there is a real problem - Jean de Villiers rushed out of the defensive line and nobody else can be blamed for the gap in defense created. That gap has resulted in the scoring of a number of tries because Jean has no way of stopping the move of the ball that way. To state that other players should do the same is utter nonsence.
The second issue is the Outside center situation as to attacking play. Jacobs is history long gone - so what makes his performance pertinent to the present situation? You might as well for that matter make a comparison with Danie Gerber and say that Serfontein is poor compared to Gerber.
Why not look at present contenders for the 13 position? Jacque Fourie played in three tests and carried the ball 9 times for a total meter gain of 13 meters - ie a gain of 1,44 meters Serfontein played in 2 tests in that position this year and handled the ball 23 times for a meter gain of 82 meters - ie an average carry of 3,56 meters per carry.
Serfontein was worse in defense than Fourie - but 3 times better than Fourie in ball carries. Fourie's tests included one against the Scots - one of the poorest NH teams on the SA visiting schedule - Serfontein played against the AB's and the Wallabies. Both did not show reasonable attacking play - but Fourie was in fact atrociously poor bordering ont he non-existent.
One cannot fall back on history and say the De Villiers-Fourie combination at its prime was effective when these two players were at their prime. Neither of them are at ther prome at presennt.
Where you are correct is that we need a new generation of centers - but we have to work with what is available and the cupboard is at present not crowded with real contenders - bar for two rookis in Serfontein and De Allende. Both are in reality inside centers and up to theis year played adult rugby as 12's. Any center will have to adjust to the 13 poistion and it will take time.
All the players who has been playing their adult rugby at 13 there are really contenders for selection. Those included the defense deficient De Jongh - who failed dismally in his last two tests at 13 in 2012 - and the two very average players Hanekom and Jordaan - both being out of contention this year because of rather serious injuries.
