Coach57,555 posts
15 Sept 2013, 20:20
#1
15 Sept 2013, 20:20#1
Thee was some glaring problems yesterday in the team yesterday. In dealing with the issue one has to look at the issue from two perspectives. The most important one is that no team can play with 14 men for 50 minutes of a game and expect the 14 players to cover the work to be done by the 15th player. There will be gaps that cannot be filled.
The second issue was the try scored by the All Blacks within minutes from the start of the game. Lets look at the second issue first. This try is nothing new - it is due to poor line-cover by our loosies. Hansen must have done his work well - he saw what happened in the case of a try scored by SAMOA against the Springboks - where Alberts was largely to blame for the try. Same situation - same result.
Now lets look at the deficiencies portrayed yesterday - especially those where the 15 man issue was not the problem. Those were indeed numerous and problematic.
* The first problem was Kirchner - he is in the team because he is good under high balls. However, there was very little evidence of that yesterday and where he was under pressure he flopped badly. His defence - at the best of times not up to standard - was extremely poor yesterday. Just not acceptable.
* The second problem was Morne Steyn. Morne's whole reputation is built around his kicking game. However, when a penalty is awarded to the Springboks and he failed to find touch - it is a horrible show of inadequacy. His kicking game deteriorated to a farce - and was in the main aimless - in other words handing over possession to the opposition. Seriously deficient in defence as well. Other than his kicking at goal - Morne was back to the Dunedin test last year - where he was seriously deficient not only in goal kicking - but in most aspects of the game.
* Pienaar was a joke in bad taste. His kicking game was aimless and his service to the backline slow and ineffective. His defence was an absolute disgrace. Can the man in fact tackle?
* The absence of a second line-out option. Flip is a hard worker - but totally ineffective insofar as a line out jumper is concerned. Kruger is better in line-out jumping - but useless insofar a the remainder of the game is concerned. Our loosies are incapable of providing any support whatsoever, We need a loosie that can contribute to line-outs and another lock that can provide line out support and be in astrong player in all aspects of the game.
* We need a tighthead pop to replace Du Plessis - he is just not good enough anymore. We also need a loosehead prop to replace the useless Steenkamp.
The above are in the main the real problems in the team - but I do not expect Meyer to do anything of substance to improve the situation.
* Kirchner has always been his number 1 choice full back. Should he be replaced and sent off to Ireland asap? I think he should get the walking ticket and be replaced. Based on Super 15 performances this year - where Kirchner showed the same problems as he did yesterday - the best available full back Is SP Marais - who played for the Kings in Super 15 and is now with the Sharks. Good defender and good positional player with speed and solid under high balls - he is a young candidate that will make a big name in future. The alternative is to play Le Roux at full back - but that would leave a gap on the wing. that is unless they play Serfontein at center and move Engelbrecht to the wing.
* The second problem is Morne Steyn. He was bad yesterday and showed that he cannot handle stress of a big match - he has no BMT. I would replace him with Lambie - but Meyer will not do anything of the kind.
* Pienaar is another player that has been poor all games he played in for the Springboks - yesterday was no exception. He under-performed for Ulster as well - so time for a change is essential. We are dead as long as he remains in the mix. I would even be prepared to accept Vermaak or Van Zyl ahead of him at this stage.
* The line-out issue remains a problem. I would go for Du Toit. He is very good in line-out jumping and has grunt. Had a very good game yesterday for the Sharks - so that is an easy answer. What is also evident is that we need a third line-out option - a player who has an all-round good game in defene and ball-carrying - as well as in line-out play. They are available but either Alberts or Vermeulen waould have to make way to reach that objective. I would prefer it to be Alberts - whose contribution in games are in fact limited. However, Meyer may decide on Du Toit - but he would leave the loosies unchanged - which will be problematic.
* Jannie du Plessis is past it and should be replaced. Looking at all - round performances I would say his replacement should be Malherbe - who would be back in circulation this coming Saturday. In the absence of any other tighthead - I would back him up with Adriaanse - at least he is a very good scrummager. I would also get rid of Steenkamp - he remains a useless passenger. On the looshead side I would use Beast and Oosthuizen. The other alternative is to bring in Kitshof and use Oosthuizen as back-up tighthead.
My team for the coming matches would be as follows:-
15 Le Roux, 14 Engelbrecht, 13 Serfontein, 12 De Villiers, 11 Habana, 10 Lambie, 9 Vermaak, 8 Vermeulen, 7 Labuschagne, 6 Louw, 5 Du Toit, 4 Etzebeth, 3 Malherbe, 2 Du Plessis, 1 Mtawarire
Replacements : 16 Strauss, 17 Oosthuizen, 18 Adriaanse, 19 Van der Merwe, 20 Kollisi, 21 Van Zyl, 22 Marais, 23 Catrakillis
The majority of the foreign-based players must be sent off to ply their trade overseas - they are of no real value in any event.
