Springbok strategy their downfall

What I don't understand about the Springboks on Saturday, is why when it was obvious that their kick and chase plan was not working, could they not try something different? Our forwards were obviously losing the battle at the breakdown, and unable to contest for opposition ball. Why then, when we were desperate for a win, did we kick back possession again in the dying moments of the game? Especially when had been unable to gather our own up and unders for basically the whole game. Why did we not just hold on to possession??

Either M Steyn was crazy for kicking away the possession, or the team strategy was just to keep on kicking. I honestly think it was the latter. We needed a plan B, and there wasn't one...actually there hasn't been one for 5 years now.

I said it before and I am repeating it again.  Morne is the key to the kicking strategy - that is why he is not replaced when he flops.   When it was apparent to the public that he was bad - they even boo-ed him - Meyer kept him and did not replace him with Lambie.   The same applied again on Saturday - when a player is bad he needs to be benched.   

Taking that into account it is clear that Meyer is the one who keeps the kicking game as the only game in town = no alteenative plan is in evidence.   Justin Marshall said that clearly on the Re-Uion program and subsequent developments confirm that.    It seems as if continuous losses will be the only way that may eventually force a change.

To be honest, to me it looked like they had no idea what they were doing at all. It looked like they had no gameplan.  Backs looked confused as to what Morne was going to do with the ball, forwards looked confused at breakdown....there is no continuity between the forwards. No continuity between the forwards and backs, and no continuity between the backs. If Argentina is frustrating them(which they were) then they're going to be going crazy against the AB's.

Forwards are to slow, and to slow to the breakdown. Also, M Steyn stands waaaaay to far back as well. M steyn isn't playing behind a big dominating pack in S15. You would think our coaches, and him would realize this.

I thought the Boks were not only clueless but appeared to be completley lethargic in their game play. Their normal enthusiasm and punch was actually ony a quaint splurt and a bitch slap............................

Leadership from JDV is a lacking and though he is only in a care taker role I do worry aout the next crop of leaders in the mould of Smit or if there are any? Evertytime SA has done anything of significance we have had a mighty captain leading our troops? At the moment we have a "puff daddy"..

Composure, experience are also key factors that are lacking as no strategy will work if these elemnets are missing as well. We just lack intelligent players and where are our experienced leaders like the Habanas and the JDV's etc why are they not doing more.

Houggard must be the most confused player on the planet as he is a scrum half for 40 minutes and then a winger for the second - WTF!!!! is that all about....He is better as an impact player when we really need him as he gives the spark we need. As an 80 minute player I am sure he has it in him, but his ability to be effective becomes less prominent as he has too play a structured role more than the opportunistic free range options he has when he comes off the bench.

Pienaar needs to start "PERIOD"........at scrum halve and frekin stay there!!! If we are stuck with Morne then thats our bad luck and we will only have to work harder to make up the defeciencies in our game plan.

Robbie Deans in his aftermatch interview said it simply when he stated that "If you want to compete with the AB's then you need to be well conditioned, superfit and intense inall facets of your game. He also said scaringly that the AB's attack you down every channel so it will be relentless and if it continues too there plan watch Morne targeted even more. The issue would be that Morne will just go deeper and we will see the boot implemented even more. Playing right into the AB strategy.....its so predictable that its frekin laughable.....

Yes we have players out and they will make a difference when they get back.

 What plan B...the coaches and players don't even have a plan A.

Like I blogged earlier, these coaches have gone from dumb to dumber.

Help us someone...please.

Sadly AJ,

There was a sequel made after dumb and dumber it wascalled dumber and dumberer.....

from a techincal perspective the major area of concern was the breakdowns. the forwards were to upright at the breakdown point lacked cohesion and lacked structure to really enforce there dominance. the smaller more agile forwards outran the boks. the players lacked confidence just as radtad said.

poor in game tactics and lack for the better word prober ball retention basicly killed the ball carriers that the boks had thus rendering the HM game plan useless. cant run the ball if you dont look after it ????...teh pumas whipped up the pace which in my view was not that high but the boks could not keep up with them. that to mee was the biggest area of concern. from that morne crumbled by standing just deeper and deeper because that is what he does if he is not on the frontfoot and as a result franna try to give some forward momentum for the forwards by HM's ancient game plan.

the techincal issues from the breakdowns to there poor cohesion at the scrums can be fixed but that all wont account for nothing it the mental and the way they approach the game is not sorted out. they were just poor in every department. for me franna played as well as hy could and eben is well and truly the reincarnation of bakkies botha. he was massive in that game. a big learning curve for him but i must admit played very well