Given how ineffective the SA centres have been in this years SuperXV at making breakes or creating spaces for their wings, perhaps SA teams should just play fast loose forwards in the centres.
The passing and catching skills of the backs in general, but particularly the centres are not up to standard, along with little to no play-making ability.
If crash ball is the only option it would be better to have forwards that are around 115kg take the contact than players around 90kg.
They (loose forwards) can at least stay on their feet longer and do offloads, plus they are better at retaining possession in the tackle and dominating the advantage line to get the supporting forwards to run onto the ball from the rucks. As loosies they should also be more effective at clearing rucks, getting turnovers etc.
Loose forwards like Kankowski (when he was in form), Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Pierre Spies, Joe Van Niekerk, are just as fast as most SA centres, sometimes faster.
The game plan could just be to keep it tight, mauls, kick and chase etc. Having loosies as centres would help our team to dominate the advantage line and the collisions.
