What have we learned from the Irish tests?

Coaching

There was a great similarity between the performance under Coetzee  of the Stormers and what happened in the case of the Springboks in the three tests.   The Stormers were basically only interested in defense and not in any attacking – that went belly-up in the last 20 minutes of the second half of the Johanneburg test – when two Lions players came on and the negative effects of Coetzee’s coaching was eliminated – he has not as yet been able to destroy the game plan inculcated in the Lions by his own coaching approach.

In essence there was no real game plan involved – if there was any – it was not at all notable.  The ball were far too often kicked away for the Irish to counter-attack.   Poor and aimless kicking was the reason for a major amount of defense the Springboks had to do. 

One has to wonder what will happen in the Rugby Championship?   With that kind of aimless game used by the Springboks one has to wonder whether the Springboks will win any tests in the RC?  I have my doubts – I think that huge losses are to be expected. 

The second issue relates to selection – Coetzee obviously are implementing the  SARU requirement insofar as selection is concerned and the negative impacts were clear in the three tests played. 

Players

There has been severe criticism of some players as well as some positional seletions – so lets consider those as well.

One of the disappointments in the tournament  was Le Roux.  Maybe he was trying too much in a team who were not really performing.  The only case where he showed the spark he has when in form was the attack leading to the Combrinck try.   The Irish refrained from making kicks that allows him to operate in space – which to a large extent eliminated that situation in the third test.

Mvovo was totally out of depth and was an embarrassment.   He is definitely not test material.   Combrinck was brilliant when he came on in the second test, but had virtually no space to operate on in the final test.

Mapoe now had three tests he played in and in none of the three showed anything of substance.   His defense was iffy and the attacking play was virtually non-existent.  The problem is the fact that we have no real alternative  -  Jesse Kriel was totally ineffective this year in Super 15 and the only other two players possibly to be used in this position is  Vorster – whom I think is out with an injury for the whole year and Venter – who has the wrong pigmentation.  Goosen was used fairly extensively at 13 by Racing Metro –where according to commentators was “the most valuable player in the Racing backline.   However, I would prefer him to play in his natural positions – ie Full back or flyhalf.  Goosen is also a long kick at goal option – he was deadly in the Top 14 final  from that perspective.

Jantjies had a serious problem in all three tests.  His perfomances reminded  me of what he achieved in 2013 – when Coetzee was the coach of the Stormers.   Is Coetzee having a negative effect on Jantjies – some will argue that is the case.   He in three tests made one positive contribution – a cross kick that resulted in the Pietersen try.    For the rest his kicking game was pathetic.  When making relieving kicks from his own 22 – he never found touch.   The ball landed  just about on the halfway line and that gave the Irish the chance to counter-attack all the time.   In the end the relieving kicks and some penalty kicks were entrusted to Combrinck with a more accurate boot.  Even if the ball did not go out the counter-attacks resulted in ball carries up to the halfway line – not up to the 22 as were the case when Jantjies made the kicks.   His defense was atrocious and very poor.  I think either because of Coetzee or for other reasons,  Jantjies did not make the step up from Super Rugby to test level rugby and I think he will not make the grade in future.  

The loosie combination was an abortion.   In the first two tests all three loosies was pace-deficient.  Vermeulen had not been the player he was before is neck injury last year.  He was poor when playing for Toulon and not much better in the tests against the Irish.   Louw is too slow to get to breakdown points timeously and Kolisi is in a similar position.    Fact is that Whiteley made a major contribution in both attacking and defensive play when he replaced Vermeulen.  In the game and twenty minutes he made more tackles than Kolisi, Louw and Vermeulen combined made in three games played.   His ball carries had the same result – so in the RC he is a must.   The general position also was that none of the loosies other than Whiteley actually made any impression in ball protection and recovery  and turnovers virtually never happened.   I think that the loosie position needs total review.  

Props and Hooker.   In the third test the scrumming was more effective and Kitshoff stood out as a replacement player.  Strauss in all three test on average was sub-standard in performance generally – but Coetzee made him the captain for the rest of the year and we will just have to take it.   His back-up should be Marx or Van der mere – but they are of the wrong pigmentation.                       

 I do not think that the team against the Irish is going to make any headway in the RC and there needs to be a game plan – not the rubbish dished up in the past three tests.   I doubt whether the Springboks in fact will win any tests in the RC – even Argentina may be a mountain too high for them to climb.

 

There is an opinion poll on News24 about the Irish tests and the findings hus far is as follows:-

Excellent! A win is a win  =  229 votes (9%)

Average at best               =  506 votes (20%)

Worrying! Too close against a weak Ireland side  = 1790 votes  (71%)

 

The following from News24:-

 

“Former Springbok flyhalf Errol Tobias has not been impressed by the backline play of the Boks in the first two Tests against Ireland.

In an interview with Netwerk24, Tobias said the backline play was for “large parts indecisive and unimaginative”.

According to Tobias, the Springbok backline has suffered the same fate since the period Jake White coached the team (2004-2007).

“We have to remember that this is an evil which started in the Jake White era. It will require great expertise to resurrect," said Tobias.

Tobias, who became the first black Springbok in 1981, also commented on the flyhalf situation in the team.

Tobias says Elton Jantjies needs to improve his goal-kicking, while he feels new coach Allister Coetzee may have missed a trick by not utilising the talented Garth April.”

 

Have to agree with Errol in this case.  White always was clueless about backline play.   His approach has serious limitations through “stampkar rugby”  He did it in the case of the Springboks, in the case of the Sharks and he is still doing the same in the case of Montpellier.    The teams he coached can get through to the play-offs in competitions – but that is where it ends.   His only claim to fame was the 2007 WC win – but the Springboks played “stampkar rugby” in that case and never even showed one instance that they could score a try. 

He was the start of cluelessness about backline play that was religiously carried on by the equally clueless Meyer and now is the forte of Coetzee – if the last three tests are anything to go by.        

 Actually what we've learnt is ... that you don't know what you're talking about. 
As an ex hooker, you assured us of your expertise, basically telling us all to hush up and pay attention.
You were probably a very poor hooker back in the day ... clueless to how a hooker actually plays ... that much is clear enough.
When asked to give us proof regarding Strauss, you couldn't. You couldn't even show us any of his supposed technical faults . You had nothing at all to substantiate any of your thumb sucking. 
When pressed even further you ducked and dived ... eventually coming up with "I'm the expert" speech ... "trust me I know" ... and this after the humdinger you tried to feed us on Alberts. 
We've heard it all before, Comrade.
Guess what, Arsehole ..... ??
The above is a lot of the same. Fabricated horsehyte. 
You should wipe your mouth more often, Comrade ... you have a ring of sh!t around it.

Hey Mike,Just quietly, I don't think cc likes you!

 CC does not like anybody who disagrees with him.  I had some minor disagreements with him about a few players and he went bananas.  When I agree with him - he still goes bananas.  This topic is about what we learnt from the three tests - not what I have said controversially in the past - but he attacks me as a person - not what is written above.  What does that says about him?

Mike stop already....do you seriously think anybody reads your long missives. As you ponder on each insult you can think up for players you don't like.....just remember nobody is going to read past the first sentence......what a bore.  

 Mozart - which players do I dislike.  I have always supported Le Roux in he past and now I criticized him.   The same with Vermeulen.   My name is not Mozart - I do not criticize players on the basis of prejudice - my norm is performance.   If you find anything prejudicial to players I dislike - and who do not deserve criticism because of performance deficiency - just point it out to me.  Maybe you will learn something by reading the posts - and you are badly in need of rugby knowledge.   

" Mozart - which players do I dislike." 
Time to stop di gging.

Cer adunce - Look at the players I mentioned and find out which players I dislike - dunce.   You always are idiotic - but is getting more so.   Stop taking the stupid pills - you are stupid enough as it is.  

 And the digging continues.......

 Pathetic drone...the most inflexible, biased poster on this Board. The Comrade is losing altitude even with guys who generally support his positions. 

What have we learnt from the Irish tests???
We have real problems with the following
1) Game play or lack thereof2) Strauss's lack of form and leadership3) Back row unbalanced and ineffective4) Flyhalf- who in turn is negating the effectiveness of an out of form crash baller Damian, and we have now idea as to what Mapoe could possible offer.5) Left wing and fullback need to be assassinated.
 Other than that the Boks are ready to go.
Consider this.Visualize Barrat, Sanchez, Cruden, Folley and a host of 10's out there directing traffic for the boks.  

 The most biased ever member is the backward Mozart - the real problem is not me - it is Mozart the greatest rugby fool ever and his side-kicks.

 Hahahaha. Look at me. I am not a doos. I am brilliant, actually. It is just Mozart and Ceradunce. It is their fault that I look like a doos. And lately, CC has also, for some reason, started to make me look like a doos.

 That Irishmen arent stupid ,dont believe in pots of gold belonging to leprachauns and can play the odd game of Rugby ? And shouldnt be underestimated by anyone including the ABs .

 WD, them pesky Irishmen have surprized us in the past. They've got more heart than brains...which does not make the stupid, clever and gutsy. They almost surprised you lot a few years ago. Whe gave them a sniff of blood in the first test and the red card added to their motivation. They took alot from that match and nearly got a deserved series win. Yes, my lot played poorly, but Ireland played very clever and they were highly motivated. Well done to them. They got a double dose of the rub of the green, but deserved it...we played in white!

"Yes, my lot played poorly, but Ireland played very clever and they were highly motivated." 
Isn't that what is expected from any good international side in any case? If they played clever and were highly motivated and we were not, then which was the better side?

Mike claims: 
"Fact is that Whiteley made a major contribution in both attacking and defensive play when he replaced Vermeulen.  In the game and twenty minutes he made more tackles than Kolisi, Louw and Vermeulen combined made in three games played."
What is this supposed to mean? That if you add the combined tackles of Louw, Kolisi and Vermeulen across three games, Whiteley's tackles combined from JHB and PE still beats them? 
Lie. L/K/V combined across three games made 64 tackles, Whiteley in "the game and 20 minutes" (which I take it to mean the PE game plus the JHB game) made 26.
If it means each of the players' tackles individually across three games, Louw's tackles total 28 . Still more than the 26 by Whiteley in "the game and 20 minutes".
Also conveniently not mentioned is that the Boks as a team had to make more tackles in the PE game than in the previous two games combined.

But for those last 20 mins in the second Test, we lose the series to the Irish.
Ellis Park comes through again for the Boks - no coincidence that our best games have been there in past several years. The altitude is an equalizer and the support is always great. Easily the venue with the best home field advantage in the business.
No RC games there this year BTW. That's a mistake.