Only the ignorant think Manie can’t kick

Manie Libbok is being targeted by malicious “critics”. Those condemning his apparent inability to kick — based on a missed conversion into a gale force swirling wind at the Cape Town Stadium a week ago

— are a combination of the ill-informed and ignorant.

Libbok, on December 16 against La Rachelle, at the very same stadium and with the last kick of the game, nailed a beauty from the touchline. It was a magnificent strike and in the euphoria of the moment, I can’t recall anyone questioning his natural ability to kick conversions or penalties.

Criticism of Stormers kicking coach Gareth Wright is also off-side.

Springbok rugby’s goalkicking record points scorer Percy Montgomery transitioned from winning a World Cup in 2007 and playing his 100th Test at Newlands a year later against the All Blacks, to the kicking and skills coach of the Springboks between 2009 and 2011.

Montgomery told me that “you don’t try to teach a player of Morne Steyn’s quality how to kick”. You simply listen to him talking aloud to you, answer his questions when he taps into your own experience, and be prepared to catch a lot of balls in practice.

Libbok can kick, and like any other international and professional goalkicker, he is striving for greater consistency in his kicking, but also greater maturity in his decision-making regarding when to take a kick and when to own a moment and back another form of team attack because it is a 50-50 kick.

Captains and coaches often protect their best kickers to ensure there aren’t unnecessary misses that could knock their confidence or skew their percentages and create a perception of inferior goalkicking.

England’s Jonny Wilkinson, among the elite goalkickers in the history of the game, would not easily attempt anything beyond 50 metres. Montgomery, in the latter stages of his career, also learned to appreciate the difference between a probable three points and a possible three points.

It all influences goalkicking percentages, and it is why a percentage can be misleading because to fully appreciate a percentage every kick must be analysed — be it the distance, angle, weather conditions, time of the kick and significance of the kick.

Libbok, for the Stormers and the Springboks, kicks two from three on average. His goal is to become a three from four kicker, and he will get to 75% the more he plays and the greater the number of goalkicking opportunities he gets. What he has shown in a short time is that he can convert the biggest kicks, and he can kick on the biggest stage.

Montgomery, in his first Test, as back-up kicker, missed three times from three kicks. In his 100th Test at Newlands, he also missed with three kicks from three. In between, in 98 Tests, he broke every Springbok kicking record and kicked at 100% in the winning 2007 World Cup final and 81% throughout the tournament.

In respect of the Montgomery 100th Test, Dan Carter also missed as many kicks. The wind conditions were that bad.

I have seen Morne Steyn miss four in a Test against the All Blacks in New Zealand.

Equally Louis Koen in Dunedin against the All Blacks. I have seen Carter miss five from seven against the Boks in a Test. I have seen Handre Pollard have some indifferent Test match-day returns.

These are among the greatest kickers in the game.

All Blacks flyhalf Richie Mo’unga missed with the critical conversion against the Springboks in the World Cup final. It does not mean he can’t kick.

Wilkinson battled at the 2003 and 2007 World Cups in averaging 60% on both occasions. He struggled with the ball and ball pressure. His career average was 80%.

Libbok’s goalkicking needs perspective and not condemnation.

His goal is to become a three from four kicker, and he will get to 75 percent — the more he plays and the greater the number of goalkicking opportunities he gets