The Springboks’ 30-23 win over Argentina at Mbombela Stadium wasn’t a pretty one. It was error-strewn and was at times their execution was poor. But they managed to put together a late fightback and it won them the game. A win is a win, yes. But the Boks won’t always be that lucky.
The Boks don’t just need to change their gameplan or their focus or their mindset. They also need the right players to do so.
In their win over the Pumas a few things stood out. A few players, to be precise. And Oupa Mohoje is at the top of that list. Mohoje had a great game. He was one of the few Bok players who deserved to walk off the field with his head held high. He was everywhere. His work at the breakdowns was solid. He made the most tackles of all the players at the Mbombela Stadium (13) and he missed just one. He made six carries and gained 12 metres. He won a turnover and a lineout to boot. I was sceptical about his inclusion, but he justified his spot in so many ways.
Francois Louw, on the other hand, is another story. He is a perfect example of a player who was selected on reputation, not form. He battled injury in Bath and he has been looking like a player who lacks confidence and fitness. So how one could think that he would go from a patchy season in England to a great one in South Africa is beyond me. Returning home after some time away can do many wonderful things to a person’s soul, but unfortunately this was not one of them. I must say, his performance on Saturday was more tolerable than the ones against Ireland, but it still was not the kind of game a quality player like him can produce. So why he continuously starts ahead of form Lions loose forward Jaco Kriel is baffling.
Kriel has had a great season. He has performed consistently. And in every match that he has come on from the bench he made an immediate impact. Saturday was no different.
The centre pairing of Damian de Allende and Lionel Mapoe also leaves us with more questions than answers. In Nelspruit we saw Damian part with the ball much more than in his previous games this season. He even showed lovely quick hands in the first half, but as a combination he and Mapoe have not really worked.
Faf de Klerk was huge against Argentina and he was huge against Ireland. His skillset, his attitude, his workrate. These three things have played a big part in some of the Bok wins so far this year.
Warren Whiteley had a relatively quiet game by his standards, but he did at least show a cool head by stepping inside to score the match-winning try.
I was thrilled when Bok coach Allister Coetzee included Kriel, Malcom Marx and some of their Lions teammates, but now I want to see them play. Especially Marx. That is a player who can be influential AND efficient.
The Springboks can’t continue to rely on being rescued by flashes of individual brilliance from some players.
It won’t help them against New Zealand and it might not even help them against Argentina in Salta this weekend. They need FORM players and a refreshed approach.
But it seems scraping through every match has become acceptable. And I can’t put into words how I feel every time we see the Boks celebrate a last-minute win against a team they should beat in their sleep like they’ve just bagged a series win over the All Blacks at the ‘House of Pain’.
It’s not acceptable. And somehow, somewhere, something’s gotta give. - Cape Times
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