Team selection, tactical blunders reasons why Boks lost
THE Springboks lost to the All Blacks on Saturday for the following reasons.
1. Poor team selection. Duane Vermeulen did not come to the party and was completely ineffective. Deon Fourie should have been selected. Joseph Dweba is a good player but not yet Springbok material. What has happened to Johan Grobbelaar and Akker van der Merwe?
2. Pollard did not dictate the play.
3. Poor captaincy. I have said it before and I say it again: Kolisi, a fine player, is not an inspirational leader. He cannot read the game and change tactics. He doesn’t cajole, enthuse or rev up his players.
4. Far too much kicking by Hendrickse. You cannot score tries if you don’t have the ball. Giving the ball to your opponents is insane. High/ box kicks in the last 20 minutes is crazy. Players are too tired to do the follow-up.
5. Poor defence by Allende. We need two big, strong and fast centres who can take a gap and tackle ruthlessly. Players in the mould of a Danie Gerber and Wynand Olivier.
6. Willie le Roux is a must at fullback. Willemse hardly ever passes the ball on attack and is caught in possession on most occasions. Warrick Gelant is my number 2 after Le Roux. Gelant could even play centre.
7. Lood de Jager is not the force he has been in previous games. Franco Mostert is a more than able replacement. Perhaps Pieter-steph du Toit should go back to lock. Then, last, Vermeulen and Frans Steyn on tour baffles my senses. They should be left to play for their franchises. Why has Evan Roos been left out?
JOHN WHITLOCK |