When Brown was asked about his Approach as new Attack coach, he said that he will add that extra dimension for the Backline without neglecting or undermining the Boks strength as the most formidable Forward pack in the World…..Rassies words is that Brown and Flannery will play vital role’s in the coaching. We will hopefully be using all our opportunities on field and really kick some ass : ) it’s a mouth watering prospect to Attack of all our Forward Dominance….Lekker Man : )
Disagree Pollard and Faf have plenty to offer as attacking players
Rassie is on record saying they can’t win the next WC playing the same rugby and that new players need to be introduced as the majority of his squad won’t be there for the next WC
Marie can only play in dry conditions. He has never played well in Europe. He really struggles when the game is tight and the ground is soft or and wet.
Pollard is a solid player, not as flashy but he has the temperament. He always had that temperament from day. Some players are just born with it.
Manie is good, but who did they turn to when the pressure was on. Pollard was probably the single difference in our campaign of us winning the World Cup. All of his kicks help us to win by one point.
Yes, there were moments from other individuals such as RG, Kolbe charge down, Ox scrumming. So many contributed during key moments. But also so many stuffed up a few as well.
So my go to many is Pollard. He is only 29 and will be 33 at the next World Cup.
Sexton played until he was 37, who knows, he might have another 8 years left in him.
Libbok don't have that natural temperament and it very hard to develop that. He is mentally frail.
Love watching him play, but can also really stuff up.
King calling him mentally frail is a bit harsh….on Bok level he performed very well for his first WC….look pollard is a mentally strong player, no doubt….I have also mentioned on previous threads, that he is the man for the big moments….but he has grown into that man…in my opinion Manie has it to…at the sharks he was struggling but he had enough mental strength to push thru and keep on going….look at him now…sinking that kick for the URC final, also required Balls the size of Volkswagens …. the Guy has got a lot in his arsenal and he creates scoring opportunities all the time….Nienaber said it correctly that they will take the stuff ups…because for every stuff up, Manie will create 2 tries….so the positive outweighs the negative….I think he will improve even more under brown….kicking to poles and defence needs a bit more work.
Look, Manie is definitely a step up from what we had in the last. Jantjies never really set the world alight. The only player that could coach him was Swys.
I can't wait to see more of Manie, but great to have a player like Pollard on the bench. It is Manie call if he wants to play the whole game or if he will be subbed earlier.
But also rules him out of big games such as the final when they opted for a 7 1 bench split.
We have other 10 maturing too.
On Pollard, how many players can have big moments 3 games in a row. I know Manie can do it, but he stuffed up in the URC final against Munster.
I agree that Pollard and Faf have a lot to offer on attack. I also agree that Manie is not mentally frail.
Rassie needs an incremental approach. That said there is nothing too much wrong with our attack. If it can be further improved great. All improvements are welcome as are smart tactical moves.
We are in good hands at a time when a lot of players who have served with distinction will not be at the next RWC. A big challenge to Rassie and his coaching staff.
What a nice bloke. Can't understand the grief some are giving him here.
Manie is a beautiful fluid runner with the ball…at his best when he is doing that. Of late his go to move is the open side cross kick, not only can others do that, but being predictable makes it risky.
He needs to get back to the running game with wrap arounds. But we will probably need another kicker if he is the Bok 10 and our open side flank will have to be defensively alert.
Nice guy but that does not win rugby games.
Manie is not a player who can handle pressue espically when a penatlity or conversion kick is on the line and winning or losing in a big game depends on a succesful kick.
Sad but true unfortunately.
Manie will be fine...
Perhaps as long as the open side flank covers him defensively and somebody else does the place kicking. Right now he is too predictable with the cross kick…he needs to get back to running, where he is a superstar.
Undoubtedly a talent, but he is going backwards ….hopefully the new coaches can help.
Was it not Manie who slotted that pressure kick to clinch the Stormers game not that long ago
Yes it was - the notion that he is a poor kicker is crap - his career record is no different to Pollards
There's nothing wrong with Marnie......he did exceptionally well prior to Pollard taking on the mantle of flyhalf at the RWC.
Agreed Denny nothing wrong with Manie at all
Well Dave, I'm thinking there's some interesting times ahead leading into the next WC and I'm also thinking that Rassie could have an even better squad and team leading into the next RWC. I will admit I didn't believe the Boks could win the past WC but I can tell you I feel a lot more confident about Bok chances for the next one. The ABs have for example two class acts in Savea and Jordan, we have our own and then some........doesn't that warm the cockles of the heart.
I guess it comes down to whether you want to do it the All Blacks way or the Springboks way.
The Springboks have historically developed a game plan that aligns with the talent they have available at that point in time. When they had a world class flyhalf like Naas Botha available then the game plan was to utilize his uncanny kicking abilities. That game plan changed radically in the Henry Honiball era to suit his ability to attack the gainline with ball in hand and then evolved again to accommodate Morne Steyn. Handre Pollard is a solid all round player who can adapt to different styles so while I’m not for one second saying he isn’t as good a player as Botha, Honiball or Steyn, he doesn’t define the way we play to the same extent that those players did. It’s not just the flyhalf. A Springbok backline with a Danie Gerber at centre operated very differently to one with a Pieter Muller or a De Wet Barry. And it’s not just the backline either. Think of the different way the Springbok pack operated when they had the likes of Bob Skinstad and Joe van Niekerk available. Very different to the way we play with a Duane Vermeulen or a Morne du Plessis. Malcolm Marx is another player with such a specific skill set that you change the structure of your pack to maximize his turnover opportunities.
The All Blacks don’t do that. They don’t compromise on the game plan and will rather panel-beat a player to fit the required role than change the gameplan to better utilize individual skills. The game plan might evolve over decades but it doesn’t chop and change depending on who is injured or who has retired. Dan Carter was particularly successful as an All Black flyhalf because he didn’t need to modify his game. His skill set suited the All Blacks (and Crusaders) blueprint for what a first five should do. The same is true of Richie McCaw. The All Blacks are less reliant on individual skills and more focused on sticking to their support and ball-retention systems.
So while we’re debating whether to play more of a running game with Manie Libbok or the less adventurous style we play using Handre Pollard, spare a thought for Razor Ruddock who has lost the services of his Japan-based Carter clone Richie Mo’unga and now has to decide whether to try and panel-beat the uniquely talented Damian McKenzie into the mould or else do the unthinkable and let DMac break that mould and do what only he does.
Welcome back Rooi
DMac is a fantastic player and should be given free reign to express bimself...welcome back Rooi.
"DMac is a fantastic player and should be given free reign to express bimself"
Well I'd be happy to give him a free rein but giving him reign over a kingdom or something might be pushing it a bit.
Thank you Squeaky Toy. Was I gone that long that I'm getting welcomed back?
"giving him reign over a kingdom or something might be pushing it a bit."
...nah, not a kingdom. just a team...and yes, that was deliberate...and yes, you were gone a while and yes, this place is a bit better with your snarky d!ckhead attitude about.
To me it's a matter of going with the flow so my backline would be Grant Williams, Marnie, Arendse, Esterhuysen/ Willemse, Moodie and Kolbe. All of them like to run and attack the gain line and there's an added bonus in speed at 9,11 and 14. There's no sense in kicking away good ball when flair, skill, speed and the will to run is in abundance. A kicking game would nullify the potency of a vibrant attack. Create a gameplan around the arsenal in hand.
In all for that backline, Dentsie. Just worried that it has too many small players in it.
It's both a blessing and a curse to have Kolbe and Arendse.
Most dangerous backline in the game….it would certainly be a grand experiment to unleash them.
Good to have you back Rooi
Just worried that it has too many small players in it...
Answer to that is to ask yourself whether they're frail in defence and whether they've leaked any tries. I'm of the opinion that they haven't. Would also say that they punch above their weight and in my not so humble opinion their speed alone compensates for their lack of size. SAFFAS have a thing about size, bigger is not necessarily better and speed will always trump size.
Well as long as you have some big guys in the centres you are ok
Especially considering how physical Kolbe and Arendse are out wide - you would think they were 10kg heavier than they are
11,473 posts
very interesting choices as far as the makeup of the team and gameplan. It's a nice problem to have and I'm sure most coaches would love to have the talent and skills that he has at his disposal. Hats off to him for laying the perfect foundation to launch from with the appointment of a backline and a forwards coach.
But here's the thing......is he going for a full overhaul of how the Boks approach the game or is he going for middle of the road part conservative part running game? Libbok is your flyhalf if it's a running game.....Pollard/Faf is your flyhalf/scrummie if you desire to bury flair.
Good luck Rassie although I hasten to add he has had plenty of that in recent months.