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‘Divided’ Boks back in disarray

Gavin Rich

Johannesburg - The Springboks have returned from a disastrous Tri-Nations campaign in severe disarray with another player ruled out with suspension, a record which reads three-zip after as many matches and to reports of major divisions within the camp.

In three matches on tour the Boks conceded 10 tries and 93 points, and failed to even pick up a bonus point, all but ending any chance of them retaining the Tri-Nations title they won so convincingly in 2009.

Those who have known about the big differences in philosophy that exist within the coaching group employed to guide the team and the ongoing battle that started in 2008 between the various coaches and the players over what style of play to follow would not have been surprised at the reports which appeared in Independent Group newspapers on Monday.

It is alleged that significant differences exist between the coaching style espoused by the two assistants, Gary Gold, who has always been from the more structured school, and Dick Muir, who as we saw with his Lions in the Super 14, is in favour of a more free flowing style of play.

Head coach Peter de Villiers takes his lead from them and is said to be undecided on the way forward, while the players, who had the major say in playing style under the old interpretations last season, where they employed what could be described as the Jake White template, are divided in the absence of a clear voice to guide them.

Regardless of the veracity or otherwise of the reports, it was clear from the three matches in Australasia, but particularly the last two, that the Boks are caught between a rock and a hard place and are unclear what to do. Their game-plan seems to fluctuate between the old one, where structure and kick and chase is king, and one where willy-nilly running is the order of the day.

It contributed to a situation which was well summed up by skipper John Smit at the end of the tour when he described the defence as poor and the attack as ordinary. When you neglect structure, defence does invariably suffer, and so does attack if you don’t have players used to or equipped at off-the-cuff rugby.

It is also usually accepted by coaches that good defence and a great attitude to tackling, like was the case with the Stormers in the Super 14 under Allister Coetzee, is an indication of passion and good team spirit. Sadly too often on this tour the Boks have been made to look bereft of that, and this does lend credence to the stories emerging from Down Under.

The problem for the Boks is that the failures over the last fortnight can no longer be taken in isolation. Since last year’s Tri-Nations triumph, they have played six matches against top five teams, and won just one of them – the big win over France in Cape Town.

They have lost heavily to New Zealand twice, to Australia once and the scoreboard flattered them in defeats to France and Ireland on the last end of year tour, where a midweek team wearing Bok colours, selected by the Bok coach and coached by one of his assistants, also slid to two alarming defeats to English club sides.

Although their chances of retaining their Tri-Nations title would appear to be gone, the Boks will feel they can redeem some pride in the three home matches to come, starting with the clash with the once again mighty All Blacks in Soweto on 21 August.

However, in terms of showing the way in the build-up to World Cup 2011, these clashes may not say too much about the Boks and their chances as all of them this year are being played at altitude. This means the Bulls kicking-orientated strategy will give them an edge they won’t have in New Zealand in 15 months time.

The Bok performances in New Zealand and Australia were compounded by the four yellow cards they received, which meant they played 40 of the 240 minutes of rugby played on this tour with only 14 men. Ireland referee George Clancy was no better – he may even have been worse – than his countrymen from the previous two games.

Wisely Smit, who seemed to be the spokesman for the Boks in the aftermath of the 30-13 defeat in Brisbane that ensured they will return home without even a bonus point to show for their efforts, did not attack the referee this time. Good for him, for there was too much of that in the previous matches, and Clancy might have responded by saying that he had read that the Bok coach was hinting in the build-up week that they should push the boundary of the law so he watched out for it.

There can be no denying though that the Boks were murdered at the breakdown, and it wasn’t just Clancy dishing out the punishment. Indeed, it is hard to deny the feeling that the Boks shot themselves in the foot in this important aspect of the game with a dubiously selected back-row which included too many players who play loose and not enough who play too the ball.

Selections, as much as a confused reaction to the changing game under the new breakdown interpretations, played a bigger part in the Boks slipping behind the All Blacks (certainly) and Australia (maybe) than the refereeing.

The Boks will face the All Blacks without Jaque Fourie, who received a four week ban for the tip tackle that saw him suspended after just two minutes of the Suncorp Stadium Test. Bakkies Botha is of course out for the rest of the Tri-Nations season through the suspension incurred in the first international in Auckland.

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