Editors Note

Brilliant! So that closed the chapter on Tri Nations rugby in its current form. The All Blacks were crowned champions yet again, to add to their 5 other titles and the Australians suffered their first ever whitewash. That leaves the Springboks as the only team not to lose every match in a season in this most demanding of competitions. Quite an achievement if one considers all the sh*t in SA Rugby over the past decade…

The All Blacks did not play well against a dilapidated Australian side that looked dead and buried after 20 minutes. A lot of credit must go this team, not only did thy rise to the occasion but almost threatened the black mob’s claim to the title. But alas for South African hopes, the best team in the world contained too much class and superior fire power to step up a Howlett (should have been Gear!) when required.

Make no mistake, the title is a well deserved one and despite their hiccup in Cape Town, the All Blacks played some scintillating 15-man rugby throughout the tournament. Their forwards, magnificently led by Richie McCaw provided a superb foundation for exciting backs to score tries and with the unnerving boot of Carter and McAlister they grabbed their opportunities and converted them into points. The All Black’s management team also showed a keen appreciation for what will win them matches without compromising the 15-man approach i.e. rigid defence, shrewd tactical play but always with a dynamic attacking prowess attached.

The Aussies, as have been exhaustively documented have problems BUT for this armchair critique their ability to be competitive regardless of weak forwards and missing 4 or 5 world class players, was a phenomenal achievement. Their depth was challenged to the maximum but yet they managed a creditable performance against the two top nations in the world. Look what happened last year to the All Blacks when they missed Richie McCaw for the season. Australian rugby, contrary to their media hacks and world wide belief is not on a fast downward spiralling crash, they are way to smart and advanced. There is more than enough time to find, coach and prepare the right players and somehow, they will be there in the semi-finals (again!) come 2007 in France.

As for the Springboks, their kudos and that of their coach has risen considerably. To operate under an administrative mess, accentuated again by the latest debate if Springboks should rest or play, and be as successful as they are confounds belief. They have concentrated on two of the basics of test rugby (modern or old); unyielding defence and superb first phase structures. The team was criticised by many for their weakness in crafting tries rather than pounce on opponent’s mistakes. Yes, it is true, but it is about knowing and understanding your playing personnel and their belief. If you believe you can score 4 tries every match and that will be more than the opposition then fine, spend the time on attack. Straeuli’s Springboks did just that in 2002 but their leaky defence and under cooked basics allowed other teams to score a lot more. It is compromise and percentage rugby at test level that assures victories.

Hopefully, there is a long term plan in place where the correct personnel can mature in combinations and where a game plan of attack, defence and the basics can, percentage wise, be employed to win the match. Jake White is shrewd enough to know and implement that. The biggest enemy to success however lies within, not only the administrative quagmire, but the individual player’s professionalism and belief. The Currie Cup will display if there has been growth on that front as last year’s Tri Nations champions, failed to deliver on the provincial scene.

As for the Currie Cup, it is building momentum despite one of the most bizarre competition formats in recent history, accurately reflecting the state of the game’s curators. The match-ups are still a bit lopsided in some cases but when the big boys meet there is some quality displays.

This coming weekend one of the biggest local derbies of recent times takes place at Newlands. Western Province versus the Sharks. The Springboks have been added regardless of the call to rest and the match will hopefully produce the kind of rugby supporters have become accustomed to when Springboks are involved.

On a sad note, RF’s heartfelt condolences to the family of Ettienne Botha who past away in a car accident this week.

Enjoy the Currie Cup rugby and there are 2 tickets each available to the Sharks / Griekwas match on the 17th at ABSA Park in Durban for the first two readers to provide me with the name of the young exciting Sharks fullback. Enjoy!

Lucas

lucas@rugbyforum.co.za

Visit www.rugbyforum.co.za

Brilliant by Desmond Organ

There can be few complaints after one of the most exciting Tri-Nations since the competitions inception, for the second year in a row the outcome was determined in the last 15 minutes with bonus points the final determinant.

South African fans will woe the loss in Dunedin, but reality tells us that we won the tournament in similar circumstances a year ago. The only difference is that this year the Aussies were as dismal as their cricketing counterparts and there are many around the globe that is sharing a collective handshake at their fall from grace. Eddie Moans is a one trick pony that has finally come to the end of his reign; what a challenge to follow his predecessor but that is the name of the game. Australians should be asking for his departure not because he has a bad track record but because he has failed to deliver.

Jake White, despite his media limitations has done a fantastic job, compared to Graham Henry he had a far higher mountain to climb and having spoken to a few learned fans from Wales there is less to Henry than meets the eye. Many believe that the real success story in the All Blacks coaching establishment is Hansen. Ruddock’s mentor has been the difference this year and he deserves the credit for turning their forward pack into a very competitive unit. Gert Smal has been blessed with fantastic talent and if you take this away, you have the Stormers Super 12 record to account for. Smal does the basics and that is what White has asked for. Meyer would be my choice but he has got ambitions of his own which go beyond waiting for Jake to move aside.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the tournament was the ability of the Springboks to win matches despite having less possession than their opponents, scoring from turnovers is great as long as you have an alternative when the opposition works out what your limitations are. South Africa is blessed with three quarters who have the ability to deliver an attacking approach and yet we have yet to see the complete performance. The biggest challenge for White and his coaches is to nurture the talent at their disposal, wining matches with a defensive approach is one thing, turning this into a complete package must be the goal for the next two years.

Several years ago you could argue that the Springboks were playing a numbers game as far as representation is concerned; now we are truly becoming representative and if the process is taken to its logical conclusions we could be in for some great rewards. Januarie, Habana and Steenkamp are possibly just the beginning of a steady stream of quality players to come from the broader South African community, what a pity that our own Minister of Sport has failed to recognise the contribution that these players have made by his unpatriotic comments. The Minister should apologise to the South African public for failing to recognise the advances that have been made in the midst of Kamp Staaldraad and Andre Markgraaf.

Selecting a team of the tournament is always going to be a controversial exercise, but there can be little doubt that there are players who have stood up and delivered and that is the barometer by which I have selected this years team of the tournament.

15. Monty – From Purse Strings to Super Hero
14. Tuqiri – League players can make it in Union
13. Umaga – Team player but will he make it in to France
12. De Villiers – Playing him at wing in Dunedin cost the Springboks the Tri-Nations
11. Habana – Thank you for being a true South African
10. Van der Westhuizen – Carter failed to deliver
9. Januarie – Passion is the name of the game AKA George Gregan
8. Van Niekerk – Please stay clear of the Skinstad glamour syndrome
7. McCaw – Step aside George Smith and Phil Waugh
6. Burger – Step aside McCaw, Smith and Waugh
5. Matfield – Kevin Putt you know nothing
4. Botha – The enforcer
3. Hayman – CJ is just behind you
2. Smit – Shimange is going to have splinters for a long time
1. Steenkamp – The future

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Quotes

I bring a touch of the unknown to myself, let alone what I bring to them (All Blacks). I might play [badly] and get hooked after 10 minutes, but we might go out and win the game. There's nothing to lose.      Matt Rogers

You can't afford to not be in the contest. If one team is diving in and securing ball, or killing ball, and you're not and they're not getting penalised for it then you can't stand back and let it happen and that's when it becomes a bit of a dog fight.       Wayne Smith

The trick for us to go forward now is finding players who are going to be better than what we've got at the moment because clearly the players we've got aren't good enough.        Eddie Jones

Like all the other players we've got two weeks off. I'll use that for a mental break, I can control what happens over the next fortnight, but I can't control what happens after that.        George Gregan

Joe (van Niekerk) has not yet played the type of rugby for either Province or the Stormers he plays when wearing the Bok jersey. He realises he will get the opportunity on Saturday to silence his critics in the Western Cape.       Kobus van der Merwe

Hell man, the Sharks are playing much better 'Free State rugby' that we are. If we had played them at our usual game they would have sorted us out. They have some very dangerous young backs and we felt that keeping the game tight was the way to go.       Rassie Erasmus

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Volume 5, Week 29

Editors Note