Boks to go back to old formula
Forward dominance essential, says coach
THE Springboks are set to return to their bludgeoning roots for Saturday’s vital Rugby World Cup encounter against Samoa at Villa Park, Birmingham. After losing 34-32 to Japan in their tournament opener, there has been much navel-gazing in the Bok camp with subtle suggestions leaked to the media that the players did not listen to management last week.
Captain Jean de Villiers, whose own form is a concern, is at the heart of the problem for choosing to kick for the corners instead of taking three points when they were on offer.
But more than that the Boks played a ball-in-hand style of rugby against Japan, which suited the Brave Blossoms.
All season the Boks have looked confused about their style of play, but yesterday there was a promise to rediscover their identity.
Former coach Jake White has questioned why the Boks have moved away from their traditional style of forward dominance, defence and field-position play, and tried to become a team like the All Blacks.
Current coach Heyneke Meyer has been pondering the same question.
“We have to play knockoutstyle rugby and that hasn’t been the case. We haven’t played to our strengths,” Meyer conceded.
“Since we’ve moved away from traditional South African strengths we haven’t been successful, so hopefully last Saturday was a wake-up call.
“We’ve got some of the best ball carriers in the world and the way we play you have to play off that go-forward ball.
“Luckily Duane Vermeulen is back, so we have one more ball carrier.”
No 8 Vermeulen bristled at the suggestion from White in a French newspaper that opponents no longer “fear the Springboks”.
“Luckily I don’t watch any news channels or read the papers,” Vermeulen said.
“I don’t listen to that cr*p. When you’re outside the team you can say anything you like.
“It might look from the outside like we lost our identity, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way on the inside. We will go back to our strengths and you will see that on Saturday.
“We had a plan against Japan, but we didn’t execute it.
“I don’t think we, as players, have deviated from the game plan, but maybe there have been individual errors,” Vermeulen said.
“We have an easy game plan to understand if you’re in the squad. We’re going back to the way we want to play and the way the coach wants us to play.
“We have to return to what we stand for as South Africans.
“There hasn’t been a big change recently, we just have to do what the coach instructs.”
‘ We will go back to our strengths and you will see that on Saturday