Wynona Louw on running rugby
WHY in South Africa is attacking rugby, expansive rugby, running rugby or whatever you want to call it so often associated with recklessness? It can be high-risk, for sure, but it’s nowhere near reckless.
I ask the question because at the conclusion of the national coaching indaba last week, Springbok coach Allister Coetzee spoke about playing more attacking rugby, but not to the extent that it becomes “reckless and stupid”.
He also revealed that the indaba provided enough insight to take SA rugby forward without “emulating” other countries, despite the fact that New Zealand are the benchmark in world rugby and one just has to look at them to see what complete rugby should look like.
“I think we have a few franchises who have been playing brilliantly on attack. The misconception out there about ball-in-hand or heads-up or expansive rugby – all those terms that people chant – there has got to be a balance in everything, and we have to play in a way like that but not to the extent that it becomes reckless and stupid and make mistakes,” Coetzee said.
Coetzee, and there are others like him in SA rugby (but not Johan Ackermann!) seem to automatically put a negative connotation on running rugby. As in people “chanting” for it. Other terms that Coetzee has pinned on it include “myth” and “fairytale”.
Well, I believe the Boks need to play positive rugby, and positive rugby does not equal reckless rugby. The two are by no means the same thing.
What do I mean by positive rugby? I mean exactly that. Rugby that is positive. Rugby that encompasses all aspects of the game, and not where one area is favoured while another is neglected.
And this is what Coetzee doesn’t seem to get. You can adopt a different approach while still maintaining traditional strengths. Your setpieces don’t have to be neglected just because you run the ball more or because you try to be more creative.
Coetzee has said that the Boks would spend 20 minutes extra on improving their defence and kicking skills at every training session from now on. He believes that these two areas need to improve if they want to produce better performances during the endof-year tour next month.
The Bok mentor also said that they have to up their territorial game. Oh, and he added that they’re not going to Wembley Stadium to “entertain”. (Never mind that the All Blacks have won Tests and entertained fans for at least 20 years.)
Now, trying to fix or improve those areas is all good and well but looking at what Coetzee has emphasised so far, it’s quite clear how the Boks will be looking to play. They will play what he calls “Test rugby”, which again is a different kind of Test rugby that New Zealand or Australia play.
According to Coetzee, you first have to win the territorial battle by kicking your way into an opponent’s half before you can attack. But why on earth should that be the only exit plan from your 22 or your half ? If the game or the option dictates that you have to kick, then by all means kick. But if there is an opportunity to run the ball, then do so.
Running the ball from your red zone is made to seem like a foreign concept in South African rugby. Which is weird, because we often see it done with great ease and to great affect by other countries. One trait doesn’t have to come at the cost of another. The Boks can still have strong set-pieces, a good kicking game, and be more expressive with ball in hand.
In the end, it all comes down to one simple thing: playing the situation and taking the right option irrespective of where you are on the field. That concept seems to elude Coetzee.
There are a number of promising players in the Bok squad for the Barbarians game. I am thinking of guys like Lizo Gqoboka, Thomas du Toit, RG Snyman, Roelof Smit, JeanLuc du Preez, Uzair Cassiem, Tian Schoeman, Francois Venter, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Sergeal Petersen, Jamba Ulengo and Cheslin Kolbe.
These are exciting players. Players who the Boks need, and now they finally get a chance. I just hope that chance will be in an environment that promotes growth and encourages expression, not only when it come to the Boks’ “old strengths” but also when it comes to running the ball. Not recklessly, of course.