The Rugby Thread - Part Deux

lexity said:
I think SFM is a long way from ready. You can see it. He is nervous.... and he was nervous on Saturday. That's a confidence issue.
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I actually think it's the opposite.

He is so confident in his own ability and backs himself 1000% of the time, when, perhaps the situation requires that he distribute rather than do whatever Harlem Globetrotter move he has in mind.
 
lexity said:
I think SFM is a long way from ready. You can see it. He is nervous.... and he was nervous on Saturday. That's a confidence issue. It's almost as though Sasha feels the need to prove to himself each game that he is worthy of being picked. That's why he's so nervous. When he misses a kick or makes an error and everyone gets to see his facial reaction on a big screen, we're all witnessing a young player who is not mentally ready/mature. That's my view, anyway.

As others have said before me, how does one get players ready other than occasionally throw them into the deep end? It's just that he lacks experience all round. It could be a good decision to play him a little less, so as to preserve his abilities and make better use of him in future. Rather give him the time he needs to settle in properly. Otherwise it could ruin his playing career. That would not be good.
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I agree, but I do think he is on his way to be the best.

A lot was loaded on his shoulders too soon and I think the other teams have been hyper focused on him as a key player in the game.... which is the correct thing for them to do as it makes it impossible for him to work he magic.
We just need to use that to our advantage, let the focus be on him, let him be a distraction. Then from our side lets have other options to score tries... because we have loads.
 
Lions v AB's for tonight's match -
Not a bad looking Lions team.

Teams

10Bet Lions: Quan Horn, Kelly Mpeku, Henco van Wyk, Richard Kriel, Erich Cronje, Chris Smith, Nico Steyn, Francke Horn (captain), Batho Hlekani, Siba Mahashe, Ruan Delport, Etienne Oosthuizen, SJ Kotze, PJ Botha, Sebastian Lombard. Replacements: Morne Brandon, Boan Venter, RF Schoeman, Hyron Andrews, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, JC Pretorius, Haashim Pead, Boeta Chamberlain.

New Zealand: Beauden Barrett, Fehi Fineanganofo, Rieko Ioane, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Emoni Narawa, Richie Mo’unga, Noah Hotham, Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, Ethan Blackadder, Wallace Sititi, Patrick Tuipulotu, Sam Darry, Pasilio Tosi, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Siale Lauaki. Replacements: Bench: Bradley Slater, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Saula Mau, Jamie Hannah, Peter Lakai, Kyle Preston, Josh Jacomb, Anton Lienert-Brown.

Referee: Angus Gardner (Rugby Australia)

Kick-off: 7pm
 
Nerfherder said:
I agree, but I do think he is on his way to be the best.

A lot was loaded on his shoulders too soon and I think the other teams have been hyper focused on him as a key player in the game.... which is the correct thing for them to do as it makes it impossible for him to work he magic.
We just need to use that to our advantage, let the focus be on him, let him be a distraction. Then from our side lets have other options to score tries... because we have loads.
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His fumbles in the game was all due to not looking at the ball but at the approaching AB defender. And yes as you say he has become a targeted player because of his abilities. He just need to lose his fear of looking out at the defense and back himself and get the ball away.

Other than that, he had a few good breaks (in broken play though if I remember correctly) but got tackled hard and isolated (same as they did to Jasper Wiese during his breakaways) as the support players was too slow to catch up.

I cannot say much for the rest of his distribution ...whether it was his choice not to run the ball down the line or whether it came from Rassie.
 

What does this prove? He had a bad game. It doesn’t change my opinion of him as a player.
 
Werner1975 said:
Also, he had a long injury lay-off before the Puma game. Some times it takes a player a while to get back in the groove they were in before the injury hit.
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Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you won't still get the odd stellar, brilliant performance out of him in this stage of his career. I just think it may come at a heavy price.

Nerfherder said:
We just need to use that to our advantage, let the focus be on him, let him be a distraction. Then from our side lets have other options to score tries... because we have loads.
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That's a possible option, although it's a bit much for such a young guy to be used as bait for fly-half bullies.

But the strategy is good and maybe something like that can be worked out.

Even if he stands back a bit as if he is going to drop kick, and waits for tall locks to charge at him before passing to the backline or kicking over into open space created by his targeters.

The AB's have typically been better at strategizing than the boks have been. Nothing says the boks can't incorporate more of that into their game.

Superstars being used to draw the opposition out of position is a good one :thumbsup:
 
Next question.... how should the boks counter the AB strategy/skill of wrapping the carrier/scorer-to-be up over the try line?

This is currently an obvious weakness.

It also goes back to Kolbe being wrapped up and prevented from scoring by Barret a year ago or so. He spilled the ball after looking to a certain try and it was down to Barret's technique.

Maybe the opposition pundits have managed to distract from the fact that braun/physicality is not enough, at the highest level in rugby.

You have to be rugby-smart, too.

Jasper probably proved this in the 1st test.

Bok fans are perhaps a little too easily flattered by compliments like 'physically dominant' .
 
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lexity said:
Maybe the opposition pundits have managed to distract from the fact that braun/physicality is not enough, at the highest level in rugby.
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This kind of narrative doesn't make sense, since 2018 the Boks have won a lot more than they have lost. In this period their results against ABs have improved. So they must have done something right.
 
lexity said:
Next question.... how should the boks counter the AB strategy/skill of wrapping the carrier/scorer-to-be up over the try line?

This is currently an obvious weakness.

It also goes back to Kolbe being wrapped up and prevented from scoring by Barret a year ago or so. He spilled the ball after looking to a certain try and it was down to Barret's technique.
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Yeah, I don't know how we counter this. Maybe passing to a guy in a better position? Conscious effort to look better after the ball when you have possession? I don't know. It's extremely difficult to hold on or pass when you are wrapped up like that.
 
Stephen said:
This kind of narrative doesn't make sense, since 2018 the Boks have won a lot more than they have lost. In this period their results against ABs have improved. So they must have done something right.
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They certainly have improved. But a) 2 can play the historical record game..... AB's have a 60 - 40 win record, historically, aginst the boks and b) the result shows the bok weaknesses were identified and successfully exploited by Rennie this time.

Also, iirc this is the 2nd time the boks came a horrible cropper in the 2nd half in recent times. Wasn't the Aussie 2nd-half whipping at Ellis 'The Cauldron' Park, too? That's with all the hype and fly-overs and altitude and dbl world champion crowing. Maybe an early sign of choking under full lights?

The AB's just needed some smarts and fraction of the opportunities/territory available to the boks.

I still think their performance is going to be difficult to repeat because it was one of those days where everything including bok rustiness did go their way, and we all know that happens once in a blue moon. But I wouldn't tempt fate or rest on my laurals if I were Rassie.

I suspect the boks experienced another bad day at the office along with the rustiness and failure to convert from their own dominant scrums.... so the opportunity now arises to produce a more rounded, slick performance which became more of a thing with Rassie and Tony Brown.

The boks should have easily won, given the unforced errors, and scrum dominance. They can learn to counter the hold-ups over the try line and the huge number of turn-overs.
 
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