Lambie’s calm demeanour makes him the complete package for the Boks
OF ALL the positions in Heyneke Meyer’s Springbok line-up, flyhalf is probably the one area where the coach is still scratching his head.
Handré Pollard, Morné Steyn and Pat Lambie have all played a role for Meyer over the last four years. And all three players bring a certain dimension and their own strengths to the Bok party.
Steyn has walked a long road with Meyer, and indeed the Springboks. The Francebased pivot is a proven match winner, especially with the boot. And out of the three fly- halves, he is probably the best goal-kicker.
If the Springboks decide to embark on a more conservative route, Steyn may be the first choice because of his tactical kicking and his ability to find space with his boot behind the opposition back three.
However, Steyn doesn’t offer much in taking the ball to line, and the fact that he likes to stand a bit deeper in the pocket may put a lot more pressure on Damian de Allende to collect the ball and get the Boks over the advantage line and provide some momentum. and he also has the skills to bring his backs on the outside and his loose forwards on his inside into the game on the advantage line.
The main concern, though, is Pollard’s ability to maintain a 90% kicking record, because that is going to be key for any team to lift the World Cup. While Pollard can kick 50 metre goals, he doesn’t always have the accuracy.
The same can be said about Lambie’s ability in front of the poles, but the Sharks man has worked extremely hard on that part of his game. But what he does bring to the party is the temperament required to kick those clutch penalties.
Lambie is a classy operator, and a guy with a real rugby brain. As Doc Craven use to say, he is a footballer.
Lambie has the ability to play any sort of game Meyer requires. His tactical kicking is the most underrated part of his make-up, as we saw in the Boks’ last match against Argentina that he can move the team around the field with smart tactical kicking.
But he is also a gem with ball in hand, as he loves to attack the gainline. While he is not as big as Pollard, he does possess the ability to break through tackles with his quick feet and his awareness of the space around him.
Out of the three flyhalves in the group, Lambie is close to the complete package. But for me it’s his demeanour and the way he approaches the game that makes him such a special player. In important moments you need a guy who can offer you that calmness and that something special that can be the difference between losing and winning the World Cup. IF YOU like newspapers, the Springboks and the history of rugby, a new book: “Great Springbok Rugby Tests – A Newspaper History” (published by Don Nelson) will put you in just the right mood for the World Cup.
This book contains newspaper clippings from some of South Africa’s greatest rugby matches from the first test against an England Football team at St Georges Park in 1891 to the Boks’ win over the All Blacks last year at Ellis Park.
The illustrations and pic- tures in the book, as well as the side stories, will delight rugby fans, young and old.
And the research work is very impressive.
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@roblouw6: Great game of rugby tonight Bulls Lions what amazing talent and depth we have in SA!
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@VictorMatfield: This will be the great man’s last few matches in a Bok jersey