Wales debacle will revive the flyhalf debate
POOR decision-making at critical moments, both by the Springboks and Irish referee John Lacey, allowed the Welsh to make a piece of history at the Millennium Stadium.
Everything that could go wrong did as the South Africans lost first their captain and veteran centre Jean de Villiers to a serious knee injury in the 57th minute of an untidy, ragged contest and five minutes later had wing Cornal Hendricks yellow-carded by Lacey.
The Springboks, trailing 12-6, were threatening to score when Lacey, on an assistant’s call, brought them back and ruled that Hendricks, in jumping for the ball, had illegally taken out Welsh fullback Leigh Halfpenny.
It was at most a penalty, but the Springbok wing was sent from the field and Wales held on for their six-point win, their first over the Springboks since 1999 and only their second in their long history.
The yellow card call by Lacey was a massive one, and obviously had a major influence on the final quarter, but the Springboks made so many errors and their decision-making was so poor that they could hardly complain about the defeat or the referee.
The Springboks appeared mentally and physically weary at the end of a 10-month season and it showed, both in their tactical approach and in their execution, while they had little answer to the Welsh rush defence.
Individually the Springboks were found wanting. Even an overused Willie le Roux and Pat Lambie, for goodness sake, made a string of errors under pressure, and they were by no means the only ones.
A shaky Francois Hougaard, who replaced scrumhalf Cobus Reinach for the last quarter, picked up where he left off against Ireland, while Handre Pollard, on for Lambie, also had time to contribute to the long list of errors on the day.
The Welsh were hardly in irresistible form, but this was a heaven-sent opportunity to end years of misery.
The Boks, dreaming of a quiet Christmas and home, and missing at least a dozen of their first-choice team, were vulnerable. But they also helped dig their own grave, again turning down goalable penalties, again missing touches, and again running when they should have kicked and kicking when they should have run.
The Springboks had the edge in the line-out and, for the most part, the scrum, but Welsh flank Sam Warburton dominated the breakdown and exposed their tactic of having one-off runners crashing into defenders and never, ever offloading.
Captain De Villiers, on the eve of the Test, highlighted the importance of the Test:
“The success of the year will be determined by the result,” he said. “Our preparation going into a World Cup will take a backward step if we don’t get a good result.”
He is right. It was a dark day for the Springboks, both collectively and individually, and the 33-year-old De Villiers, who could well miss the World Cup because of the ugly injury, suffered more than anyone.
Meanwhile, the Lambie-Pollard flyhalf debate will be revived by the disappointments of yesterday. Meyer values Lambie’s game management and tactical awareness, while he has admired Pollard’s precocious talent since he was a schoolboy in Paarl.
Barring injury, Lambie and Pollard are certain to be in the World Cup squad, and form in the build-up to the event will decide pole position.
The pair are flyhalves in the modern mould, prepared to take the ball to the line and ask questions of the opposition’s defences. Yesterday’s result does not change that.
They provide Meyer with exciting options at flyhalf while silencing those pressing for a return to the past and the recall of Morné Steyn.
To get away – as quickly as possible – from yesterday’s debacle, Pollard’s supporters have been pointing out the impact he made in the final quarter against Italy.
They have compared his lengthy, pinpoint pass to tryscorer Bryan Habana for the last-minute try to Lambie’s bungled effort in the first half when JP Pietersen, with a clear run to the line, had to cope, unsuccessfully, with a ball at his ankles.
In defence of Lambie – and we should always go the extra mile in defending a player of his talents – there were subtle differences between the two incidents.
Lambie was still in heavy traffic when he spotted a distant Pietersen clear on the outside and, crucially, he was flinging a long pass to the right off his left hand; Pollard, in contrast, had broken clear, he had time and space to pick out Habana and he was passing to the left with his stronger right hand providing power and accuracy.
To digress even further, and this is just one of rugby’s many little subtleties, games naturally, if often unconsciously, flow to the left of the team in possession because most players are right-handed.
There’s not many people who know that, as veteran Cockney actor Michael Caine might point out, but the dominant force behind a pass is the right hand and most players are more comfortable and precise moving the ball to the left.
It is one of the reasons why the flyers in the team, thoroughbred finishers like Carel du Plessis, Jonah Lomu, Julian Savea, Habana and Lwazi Mvovo, are traditionally out on the left wing. (And they should also be left-footed so they can step or kick in-field to keep the ball in play).
The right wing is often the sturdier player, strong on his feet, effective at close quarters and enthusiastic about going in search of the ball because his inside backs, passing to the right off the left hand, are not always regular providers.
There are, of course, times when right wings flourish and Tony Watson was one.
He broke a number of tryscoring records for Natal (198593) and, of course, he was the one who dashed through for the one that really mattered in the historic Currie Cup final win over the Blue Bulls in 1990.
But, significantly, Watson benefited from having a host of cack-handers, among them Gawie Visagie, Des McClean, Henry Coxwell and Andre Joubert, playing alongside him in the backline, creating overlaps and opportunities down the right flank.
And here ends the (technical) lesson for this Sunday.