The great new Bok tactic….

…..the rolling maul X 3

Agreed…we should absolutely retain the option. But Ireland had no problem defending it. The question is whether the new tactics will actually be deployed in close games against good teams…or whether it’s just a decoration.

The Boks used the rolling maul a number of times,   When  the Aussies lost their loosehead prop in minute 48 - non-contested scrums were the result and the pop was replaced by a light-weighht player making the mauls easier to carry out.   The last try was scored after an Aussie player were yellow-carded for bringing down a preceeding maul.     Not surprising - given the crcumstances,              

The question I’m asking is whether any of the new tactics will ever become second nature to the Boks….the joy with which they reverted to the rolling maul last night showed that tactic is clearly part of the DNA of our rugby. 

Will putting a center into space ever be with this team. Am got the ball 3 times yesterday. Granted  the conditions were awful but Paisami got twice as much ball.

In truth, the possession and territory stats were almost dead even, the rolling maul was the difference.

The rolling maul is part of the DNA of all top teams - and is used by all at times.    Yesterday it ws more of a tactic because of the circumstance and the lose of 2 playrs that made the mauls easier, 

When the conditions being better the wider play would happen anyway as was proved again yesterday.          

The rolling maul should be part of the strategy not it's mainstay like it was at the WC. Gets worse when the only strategy is the rolling maul, scrum, up an under and the lineout.

Well only time will tell.

Lets judge the tactics after the All Black games.

Except against Ireland at home. We did beat Portugal at home though.

We tied with Ireland at home, which is a moral victory for Ireland . It’s like the stock market, you never hear a negative voice until the market begins to plunge. That will probably not be before next year given the easiest schedule I can recall, this year.

But this 31 year old team won’t be replaced without considerable pain.

Home field advantage is probably in the range of 5 points….studies show home team wins 58% of matches. So that’s probably about right. World Rugby Rankings use the following adjustment:

Q. How do you allow for home advantage?

When calculating points exchanges, the home side is treated as though they are three rating points better than their current rating. This has the effect of 'handicapping' the home side as they will tend to pick up fewer points for winning and give away more points for losing. In this way, the advantage of playing at home is cancelled out

To me that’s too little. They probably fixated on the value of a penalty, I bet the maths will demand more points to create a 58% win ratio. But call it 3 to 5 points.

I’d say we are at least 10 points favored against Oz….beyond home field advantage.

Against the ABs, call it even…..so home field advantage is critical.

This schedule favors the Boks.