What a rubbish game of rugby.
Allister Coetzee will no doubt have a sense of satisfaction in picking up a win against Australia yesterday. He’ll feel justified in his selection of Morne Steyn at 10, after he kicked all the Springbok’s points on his old familiar stomping ground at Loftus. Coetzee will talk up his side’s ability to keep the Wallabies out despite the visitors’ surfeit of possession, and the fact that South Africa gave away fewer penalties.
But the wallabies were poor and if this this performance is what signals a step forward for the coaching staff then the Boks are heading seriously in the wrong direction.
Coetzee has found himself a victim of circumstance as well has his own stubbornness. Injuries have robbed him of some of his more likely starters, but he has continued to back players who have been hopelessly short of form on the international stage. On top of that, he’s trying to have them play a style better-suited to experienced test players.
He’d pinned his hopes on Elton Jantjies carrying his Super Rugby form into the test side but the flyhalf has been flaky and lacking the confidence and clear thinking needed at this level. He has not been helped by poor service from the erratic Faf de Klerk, who’s lack of a kicking game is simply not acceptable for a test 9. Has this been as a result of trying to implement Coetzee’s game plan? Who knows. We’ve not seen enough of one to judge him on.
That Coetzee remains set on playing guys out of position is baffling. You can get away with one, but the starting backline had four players starting in positions that they don’t usually play.
There have been some noteworthy individual performances and some of the set piece play has been solid. The forwards have made some small gains. But most of the Springbok game has lacked any direction or clear decision making and there is not really an indication of what they’re trying to do. There is much to be said by the fact that the current captain, Adrian Strauss, has had his two best games for a long time in the weeks after he announced his retirement. He knows he is getting out of the madhouse and is doing his best to go out on a high.
There are a lot of areas that need work, but the basic axis of 8, 9 and 10 is the root of the current malaise. Until that is resolved South Africa will continue to struggle.
I don’t know what we are hoping for against the All Blacks this weekend. It could be scary.
Balls on the line 