RUGBY: Ominous explanation for Boks captaincy riddle

COMMENT

After the New Zealand-South Africa Test in Christchurch on on Sunday, I was telephoned by a knowledgeable source, who asked me: "Do you know why Wikus van Heerden didn't captain the Springboks yesterday?" I told him I had also wondered why the most experienced forward in the team hadn't taken the armband.

I thought it may have had something to do with coach Jake White grooming Johann Muller - a huge second-rower who has been impressive on and off the field - for the job,

"Van Heerden," my informant told me, "is not going to make the Springboks World Cup squad. Jake White is being forced by the ANC to take Luke Watson. So the captaincy had to be given to someone who is going to France."

The development, if it comes to pass, represents bad news for the Tri Nations and Super 14. African National Congress heavies have been pushing for the inclusion of Watson, the Western Province captain, in the World Cup squad since he was excluded from the first squad earlier in the year.

Watson is a journeyman player, but his family played an important part in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. His father, Dan "Cheeky" Watson, gave up his chances of a Springboks jersey to play his rugby in the black competitions.
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Ominous explanation for Boks captaincy riddle

Spiro Zavos Tuesday, July 17, 2007

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COMMENT

After the New Zealand-South Africa Test in Christchurch on on Sunday, I was telephoned by a knowledgeable source, who asked me: "Do you know why Wikus van Heerden didn't captain the Springboks yesterday?" I told him I had also wondered why the most experienced forward in the team hadn't taken the armband.

I thought it may have had something to do with coach Jake White grooming Johann Muller - a huge second-rower who has been impressive on and off the field - for the job,

"Van Heerden," my informant told me, "is not going to make the Springboks World Cup squad. Jake White is being forced by the ANC to take Luke Watson. So the captaincy had to be given to someone who is going to France."

The development, if it comes to pass, represents bad news for the Tri Nations and Super 14. African National Congress heavies have been pushing for the inclusion of Watson, the Western Province captain, in the World Cup squad since he was excluded from the first squad earlier in the year.

Watson is a journeyman player, but his family played an important part in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. His father, Dan "Cheeky" Watson, gave up his chances of a Springboks jersey to play his rugby in the black competitions.

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For the ANC, Watson's elevation to the captaincy of the Springboks is seen as part of a necessary transformation of South African rugby in the post-apartheid era. Other changes deemed necessary are the imposition of a quota of 10 black or coloured players in the national starting XV and the renaming of the side to the Proteas.

If this policy is put into effect next year, as has been suggested, South African rugby will go into a decline from which it might not recover. The impact on the Super 14 and Tri Nations would be devastating.

Yet on recent evidence, South African rugby is - finally - coming to terms with the transformation experience: the Bulls became the first South African side to win the Super 14 this year, and the second-string Springboks side made a strong showings in the Tri Nations Tests against Australia and New Zealand in the past three weeks.

There were five black and coloured players in the 22-man squad for the All Blacks Test, and all justified their selection. In the warm-ups before the Test, the Springboks concentrated on their defensive patterns and drills. These patterns worked for 67 minutes, before the All Blacks scored three tries to establish their third-largest winning margin against the Springboks.

Steve Hansen, the embattled All Blacks forwards coach, pointed out that if the All Blacks had converted some of their 13 line breaks into tries, the score could have ballooned out to the 60s. A South African supporter said to me at half-time: "We are hanging on by our fingernails."

Spiro Zavos
Tuesday, July 17, 2007

The Springboks were also helped by the dropped-ball syndrome that is afflicting the All Blacks. In their five Tests before last Saturday, the All Blacks dropped 75 passes. Against the Springboks, they dropped 20 more.

This has been explained as an overeagerness to exploit a break and "a lack of patience" in waiting for an opportunity to score. But there is also the fact the All Blacks haven't fielded the same back line in successive Tests for a long time.

So the stage is set for the Eden Park showdown. The Wallabies seem to have settled on a side to take them to the World Cup. The All Blacks are still searching, it seems, for their best line-up.

What happens in South Africa next year can wait. The rugby story right now is that, in a World Cup year, the Wallabies and the All Blacks, with the Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup on the line, have a perfect dress rehearsal for the World Cup semi-final.

rugbyheaven.smh.com.au
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RUGBY: Scrum schools up on sneaky Gregan

16/07/2007

NZPA

A facet of the All Blacks rugby armoury that escaped condemnation last weekend ironically looms as an area demanding attention ahead of the Tri-Nations rugby decider against Australia.

An under-strength South Africa posed few problems at scrum time during New Zealand's scratchy 33-6 victory in Christchurch, and although the Wallabies pack is also identified as inferior to the All Blacks come set-piece time the gamesmanship of halfback George Gregan undeniably gave the home side parity there at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on June 30.

Gregan successfully undermined an area of All Blacks strength by ignoring one of his core responsibilities -- feeding the ball when the Wallabies gained possession from an All Blacks' indiscretion.

The canny veteran was so adept at delaying the feed, a scrum barely went its course, particularly during the first half of Australia's 20-15 victory.

Gregan's tactic resulted in practically all of Australia's scrums being either reset or fragmented after South African referee Marius Jonker awarded a free kick, usually in the home side's favour.

New Zealand were regularly penalised for either engaging too early or pushing over the mark while Gregan, ball aloft, remonstrated with Jonker.

Although the canny ploy was not wholly responsible for the All Blacks' grip on the Bledisloe Cup being loosened, it was one area where Australia's street smarts negated New Zealand's ability to attack a vulnerable area.

Tony Woodcock and Carl Hayman were frequently bemused by Jonker's rulings, particularly the latter after he was penalised for collapsing on Australian loosehead Matt Dunning.

Welshman Nigel Owens will be giving his slant on the scrummage at Eden Park on Saturday night, with loosehead Woodcock admitting the pack would have to react quicker to his interpretations -- and a repeat of Gregan's time wasting.

"They conjured up a strategy there, and we were probably a little bit slow to react to what they were doing," Woodcock admitted.

"There were a couple of calls where everyone was unsure about the ref, but we've got to deal with what happens and try as be as positive as we can.

"At times it was frustrating (at the MCG). We just have to be more patient."

The frontrower was loathe to finger Gregan as the genius, offering "it's pretty hard to tell when you've got your head buried".

However, the Australian's longtime adversary Byron Kelleher acknowledged his nemesis has been at his argumentative best in Melbourne.

"Referees determine the way they like to see the game -- and George likes to get in his ear and give his opinion on what should be happening."

France-bound Kelleher plays his 54th test on Saturday -- and last on home soil -- said he would not be changing his approach and entering onto a war of words, four years after Gregan's infamous "four more years" taunt during the 2003 World Cup semifinal.

"I concentrate on trying to dominate that space and make sure the opposition halfback knows I'm on top of him."

Meanwhile, Woodcock reiterated forwards' coach Steve Hansen's plea that an increasingly edgy rugby public keep the faith ahead of what looms as a virtual World Cup dress rehearsal -- their last meaningful game before the quarterfinals in France.

"We've slowly being trying to build, we're slowly getting there," he said.

"We realise we're not right there but hopefully in the next wee while we can put things together a bit better," he said, adding the team was virtually in a no-win situation.

"Before the last World Cup we were thrashing teams, and we were peaking too early."

The All Blacks team is named tomorrow (1pm) with Kelleher expected to return to the starting line-up for Piri Weepu. Jerry Collins will be back on the blindside flank for Reuben Thorne in the other definite switch.

There will be the usual element of intrigue surrounding the midfield combination though after Conrad Smith only received three minutes at centre in Christchurch it could be considered too great a risk to turn him out against Stirling Mortlock.

Luke McAlister and Isaia Toeava appear likely to continue their partnership though the experience of second five-eighth Aaron Mauger could prompt yet more tinkering.

Copyright: NZPA 2007

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RUGBY: `Bledisloe is RWC dress rehersal`

Monday 16th July 2007

When New Zealand and Australia go head-to-head in a Tri-Nations/Bledisloe Cup decider in Auckland on Saturday it would be as much a dress rehearsal for a possible Rugby World Cup re-match later this year as it is a battle for the silverware on offer.

New Zealand forwards coach Steve Hansen and Wallaby flanker Phil Waugh said there is more at stake at Eden Park on Saturday than just two trophies - the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cups.

Speaking to Sportal after the All Blacks beat a second-string Springbok outfit 33-6 in Christchurch at the weekend, Hansen said he was "excited" about the showdown between the All Blacks and Wallabies this week.

"It is perfect. You couldn't ask for a better [RWC] dress rehearsal," he told Sportal.

"Everything is on the line. We have great opposition, we lost to them last time we played," he added.


Waugh, one of the Wallabies' co-captains - Stirling Mortlock is the other - said the Eden Park encounter will be the toughest Test Australia will face so far this year and agreed the clash would provide the perfect preparation for the World Cup.

"The challenges of going to Eden Park and facing the All Blacks in a Bledisloe Cup decider - games don't come much bigger - so it is going to be big challenge and a good experience for the guys," he said.

"It is a big clash and there is a lot at stake. Everyone is looking forward to it. We got a lot of confidence out of the game last year so we are fairly confident going over there.

"It is the business end of the competition and this is a big game it would be nice to fill the trophy cabinet up before going over to France later in the year."

planetrugby.com

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RUGBY: Only winner was New Zealand

Monday 16 July 2007

There should never be any honour in losing a test to New Zealand by 27 points, writes Keo in the Sunday edition of the Weekend Argus.

New Zealand have problems, but even with all their problems they won by 27 points in a test against the Springboks. So let’s not get too carried away with talk of bravery, courage and defensive heroics. The Boks still got a hiding in being beaten 33-6.

The scorline is flattering, but whether you get your points in the first 10 minutes or the last 10 minutes the game is played over 80 minutes. It would be too simplistic to suggest the Boks lack fitness and that is the reason they have not been competitive against the All Blacks in the final quarter. A more accurate assessment is that if you tackle more than you are tackled for the first 70 minutes and if you play with 14 men and not 15 for 10 of those minutes you are going to be the more fatigued side in the last 10 minutes.

In Durban Pedrie Wannenburg’s sin-binning influenced the outcome and in Christchurch the same player’s departure for 10 minutes expedited the inevitable conclusion, with New Zealand again beneficiaries of a superior class of player warming the bench.

Brendon Leonard, replacing Piri Weepu at scrumhalf in the 50th minute, provided the urgency in New Zealand’s attack. For South Africa there was no such luxury, although the Boks would have at least given themselves an attacking opportunity if they had started with Peter Grant at flyhalf.

Instead Derick Hougaard got one more match to play himself out of the World Cup 30 and he surely must have succeeded. The first time he tried to attack from 30 metres out he got turned over and the Boks found themselves 30 metres out from their own tryline.

The Boks showed willingness to run the ball, but they did not have the backs to execute this intention. Their good intentions were not packaged with conviction. The All Blacks had the players to score tries but not the game plan. Too often the ball was moved laterally and the skip and long passes gave the Boks a crucial additional second to get back and scramble on defence.

The one on one tackling of the Boks was not as good as their scrambling, while New Zealand’s finishing was as ordinary as in the Melbourne test defeat against Australia. The same players made the same mistakes in throwing poor 50-50 passes and taking the wrong options.

New Zealand’s passing was sloppy and their finishing was not clinical. For that reason alone the differential was closer to 30 and not 50.

The Boks were tough in defence, but also cynical in trying to stop New Zealand from playing. With the quality of team in Christchurch that is all they could be. This test has no relevance to the Boks prospects of beating New Zealand should the two teams meet at the World Cup.

Only three of the battered Christchurch bodies will be in the Boks World Cup match 22 against England, with none of Gary Botha, Johann Muller and CJ van der Linde in the starting XV.

New Zealand’s starting XV, in four years, remains a debate and All Blacks coach Graham Henry is expected to make another seven changes for next weekend’s Bledisloe Cup and Tri Nations final against the Wallabies.

The All Blacks in this year’s Tri Nations have played like a composite team, whereas Australia’s weakness in squad numbers could translate to strength. They only have 22 players and coach John Connolly is forced to pick his best team every time. They’ve found the continuity absent in New Zealand’s game.

Getting the ball for New Zealand was not an issue, but actually doing something with it was. The Boks made 206 tackles to New Zealand’s 136, but the handling error count of 16 to 5 was disproportionate with the advantage in ball dominance.

The All Blacks have psychological issues, but it would be naïve to think South Africa, France, Australia, Ireland and England don’t have similar doubts.

There will be relevance to next weekend’s test because the winner takes the Bledisloe Cup and Tri Nations. In Christchurch the only relevance came at the final whistle when referee Stuart Dickenson ended the farce the Tri Nations has been in the last two weekends.

And if you question the use of word farce then ask yourself why the applause for a 27 point Bok defeat to the All Blacks? Exactly.

Mark Keohane - keo.co.za

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