The easy ssssment is to comaprethe test win ratio of the Springboks in 2013 with the ratio this year:-
* 2013 = 83,33%
* 2014 = 69,24%
That is rather a simplitic way of looking at the team performance. The team stuggled badly against Argentina and lost the away test against Australia - which they won with ease the previous year. Tey strugged badly iin the second test against Wales in June and lost to them away. Those were all sigs of a detrioration of team form this year.
On the positive side there was a noticeable improvement in the away game against the All blacks, the beating of the All Blacks at home and the win over England.
So What went wrong this year?
I think there is a variety of reasons for the downward trend.
Performance of Aging Players
There was a very few changes to the ocore team who played lat eyar and this year - the only real difference ws in the performances of aging players.
The following players showed a serious trend in sliding performances:-
JP Pietersen - Alarming Loss of pace
Bryan Habana - Serious decline in performance level
Jean de Villiers - Serious decline in performance level
Morne Steyn - always poor this year disastrously so
Gurthro Steenkamp - disastrous selection
Jannie du Plessis - serious decline in performances
Bismarck du Plessis - marked decline in performances
Bakkies Botha - dismal performances
Problematic Selections
Meyer made some seriously problematic selections:-
* The squad selection was seriously problematic. The squad was filled up with players like Bakkies Botha, Gurthro Steenkamp, Juam Smith and Morne Steyn;
* The poor identification of the deficiencies of payers who under-performed and their consequential continued selection;
* The selection of two essentially number 12 centers to make up the center pairing - that effectively had a detrimental effect on both defending and attacking backlne play.
* The weakening of the Tight 5 a specifically and the team as a whole by the selection of Victor Matfield.
* The selection of Mohoje - who is not an international level player;
* The selection fo hendricks - who looked good in attacking play and a serious problem in defense and under high balls.
Poor individual performances - lack of consistency of some players
As brilliant as Le Roux was oin some games - as poor he was in the away gae against Wales.
Hougaard was indifferent against the Aussies and looked good against the AB's at hom. He was poor against the irish and a disaster against Wales away.
Where to now
I think Meyer has the opportunity to see how especiallythe aging players perform in Super 15. There is no way that the team can go forward with under-erforming players. In the case of foreign club players - a sinilar detailed evaluation of their i performances shoud be undertaken. If the 2014 trend of test and Super 15 performances shows negatove trends - the players should rather be replaced.
Dubious selections such as Matfield, Mohoje and Hendricks should be eliminated. Matfield is not really delivering as a line out player and he is a serious iiability in Tight 5 play - not up to standard anymore.
I may be wrong - but taking into account this age - today's injury of De Villiers may be career-ending. He is likely to be off for at least 6 to 10 months and that may be problematic insofar as tem development ebfore the WC is concerned.
A special programme should be provided to identify potential wings and centers and a study should eb amde of their development next year. Special attention should be paid to make sure DE Allende is developed as a proper 13.
What do you think?
