Fading fear factor adds to the Boks’ woes
It can be said with little fear of contradiction that Mike the Mechanic can be a fiery and forthright individual who neither respects the niceties of diplomacy nor tends to hide the light of his opinions under a bushel.
He also has a wide – and in most cases – first-hand experience in the outcome of sports he turns his attention too, something that puts him several rungs up the ladder from the Arithmetically-challenged Golfer, the self-styled oracle of all things sporting, who invariably loudly manages to get his feelings across to the usual gathering often without engaging his brain before opening his mouth.
So it was hardly surprising that with the Arithmetically-challenged One a notable absentee, the Mechanic, gave the weekend’s results the benefit of his conclusions. In retrospect, he produced a far better summary of the situation facing South African rugby that the self-styled expert probably would have done.
“The problems facing the game in this country are numerous,” the Mechanic started out, sticking to the sermon, now dog-eared, from being read from the pulpit of virtually every South African supporter.
“But, for me, the biggest thing is that the Springboks have lost the fear factor after having losses to Japan, Argentina and Italy on the record books, squeaking past a below-par French side and giving up record defeats to the All Blacks and Ireland. That’s a lot like what’s happened to Bafana Bafana.
“We are, in short, just 15 individuals wearing green and gold. True, I would hate to be on the wrong end of a charge by Malcolm Marx – that could hurt you in a major way and on the subject of Marx, how he was judged not to have scored by English TMO Rowan Kitt in the 19th minute against Wales, escapes me.
“Or for that matter having to face up to Eben Etzebeth or Pieter-Steph du Toit. But the truth is, there is some individual brilliance, but little cohesion. We have become just another team on the schedule ready for a klap. No trace of the fear this country used to generate.”
He paused at this juncture, creases etched on his troubled brow, shook his head and continued.
“The Boks are being under-coached – by an apologist to boot – are seriously disastrous under the high ball, have little innovative in the thrust from the halfbacks, the tackling is diabolical, and it looks like the boys in the backline have spent their spare time at a knock-on academy.
“We seem to have forgotten entirely that as rugged as our pack can be, you don’t win a Test using only your eight forwards ... not often anyway.”
The Mechanic took another break to once again shake his head in disgust, before changing tempo and the sombre look on his visage noticably brightened.
“Now,” he said, “take all of the above and contrast it against the way the Blitzboks positively attack the task in front of them.
“There’s a wide gulf between how our Sevens side approach their job and the look of the Springbok team.
“Just look at how they went about the defence of their Dubai Sevens Series title, beating the All Blacks 24-12 in the final. This all comes from being superbly coached, a waterproof team spirit where every one of them plays for one another and the spur of players like Cecil Afrika, Kwagga Smith, Seabelo Senatla and Werner Kok.
“What really upsets me though is that I made a poor choice by deciding to watch the Wales game live and the Sevens in the kykweers. I won’t make that mistake again in a hurry.”