Its been with a little shake of the head some of the “journalism” I have read since the Tri Nations kicked off.
And now the latest missive from Graham “ I own Rugby” Henry who insists that “too much emphasis is being placed on kicking in international rugby, creating a “poor product” that rule changes could help invigorate”
This of course from a coach who insists on picking wings who can’t catch a high ball if their lives depended on it. Now he has the audacity to complain that his selections and team are being undermined by rules – not an opposition who identified weaknesses and attacked them two weeks in a row to send the collective New Zealand psyche into melt down as their beloved Ferns got trampled on by a special herd of Boks.
“The product you’re looking at needs some attention, quite frankly,” Henry told New Zealand Press Association. “We, and the Australians, like to play a ball-in-hand type of rugby and enjoy playing the game. “
The arrogance of that statement boggles the mind, so two teams like to play one way – so the rules must suit them. Sorry Graham but the rugby world is a little bit bigger than your backyard.
Locally we have had Jake ‘ I won the RWC so quote me” White come out and suggest the Boks are going to need to score more tries if they want to be successful overseas, something not even his squad could do particularly well. As well as a few articles in the odd national rag that suggested that the Boks are boring to watch.
These poisoned words from the same people who would be calling for Divs resignation if the Boks hadn’t sent the Lions packing in tutus and thumped all and sundry during the home leg of Tri Nations series
Lets be honest South African sports men and women have a tough time, if they aren’t winning they getting fired – ask Carel Du Plessis or Ian Macintosh , if they are winning they just aren’t winning well enough or have to be gender tested.
The reality is aside from ’98, we have just completed our most successful start to the Tri-nations in years but it still not good enough…
So do we fire Jon Smit who according to Gavin “ I have an agenda” Rich is the driving force behind the Boks current gameplan or just smile and be thankful that beer tastes better when Graham Henry looks upset because his wings cannot catch a high ball.
What do you think?
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Dude nice one.
I think it is best answered by Dan Retief…
It seems the rest of the world are outraged by the fact that the Springboks rely too much on forward power, that they have lost the art of scoring tries and that they rely too much on kicks; whether that be too gain field position, to pressurise opponents or to score points.
I came across this quote by a Pom. “(South Africa’s flyhalf) was just making a name for himself, but even then he kicked more than was warranted. I was astounded to see to what extent these kicking propensities had stultified South African three-quarter play… the main glory of the team lay in the pack.”
And this from an Aussie. “In Sydney and Brisbane the main game of football played is Rugby League. It must be remembered that our players and referees are always trying to give displays of attractive rugby so as to hold our public support from the (original) professional code.
“If rugby union in Australia was played under the strict rulings of South African referees and with all the scrummaging and line kicking as played in South Africa the rugby union game in Australia would soon disappear.
“We Australians like to think that the foundation of the game is handling and running with the ball and unless we did this, public interest and of the player would soon wane.
“In building the strength of the forwards South Africa have neglected three-quarter play. South African coaches should not think too much of the record book and make it their main aim to win matches instead of playing good rugby.
“Kicking for the line does not require skill and my opinion is overdone in South African rugby.”
Strident criticism of that there is no doubt. Some Pommie journo sounding off about Morné Steyn, while forgetting the means England used to win their World Cup in 2003, and David Campese venting his spleen?
In fact, if that’s what you thought, you’re not even close.
The first quote is something I found in one of my historic tomes about the British Lions and was penned by Dr Ronald Cove-Smith, captain of the 1924 Lions, and the Springbok flyhalf he was referring to was Bennie Osler.
The Aussie having a go was Wylie Breckenridge, manager of the 1953 Wallaby touring team, writing his “Impressions of South African Rugby” in the 1954 South African Rugby Annual.
South Africa’s opponents have always been obsessed by the country’s turgid approach to the game – and always they’ve whined about our kickers.
In 1949 All Blacks squealed about Okey Geffin who in two of the tests scored all South Africa’s points with the boot while the ABs scored the only try in each game. In the course of the series the Kiwis scored four tries to the three of SA but were nevertheless white-washed.
Then Ian McCallum put Brian Lochore’s 1970 side to the sword, Piet Visagie nailed the Wallabies in 1971 and Gerald Bosch tormented Andy Leslie’s 1976 All Blacks.
In 1980 John Reason coined the nickname, “The Nasty Booter”, to describe Naas Botha – intending to disparage the approach of the great Northern Transvaal pivot but ironically also underscoring the fact that the Lions of that year did not know how to cope with him.
Joel Stransky won us the World Cup with kicks in 1995 and Percy Montgomery did it again in 2007 – and always the call goes up – all the Boks can do is kick the ball.
The tone-setting rugby of the great Springbok sides of 1937, 1951/52 and 1960/61 and stunning modern performances against France, Australia and England are conveniently forgotten.
South African fans intone the mantra “Test matches have to be won” and our adversaries wail that the Springboks are killing the game as a spectacle – especially the Australians who, in spite of their two World Cup victories, never caught onto what wonderful entertainment winning is.
All that said there is little doubt the Boks, having beaten the Lions and strode to the top of the Tri-Nations table, need to start doing more with the ball… and I’m sure they know it.
I have no doubt that somewhere soon one of our opponents will feel the full force of this golden generation – you don’t whip the Wallabies 53 -8 and England 42-6 and then suddenly forget how you did it.
Here’s hoping the force is with John and his boys as early as their next game in Perth on August 29.
In the prophetic words of PDV.
“The day we get it together someone is going to get a hell of a hiding.”
Losers are always the ones complaining.
@Morné (Comment 2) : didn’t Herkie Kruger say the same thing about the Golden Lions? 🙂
Henry would give both his nuts to have the Bok players available to him.
@McLovin (Comment 3) : Funny how that always works out. You wouldn’t hear any of these comments from them had they beaten us.
Bravo Mr Sauce!
I do like Boks winning but must say that would prefer more tries and seeing more of a whole team participating. is it too much to ask?
it annoyed me a bit looking at the backs given a bit of a ball later in second half and being so unused to it. and then few minutes before the final hooter, game in a bag and John asks Morne to kick.
@rekinek (Comment 8) : The kick at the end was to deny bonus points…
i didnt even finish watching the last two bok games, it was way to boring, in the aus game i stopped about when the stats said morney kicked 36 balls out of hand
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 9) : the score was 29-17, kick or no kick they were denied the bonus point, if they had scored (converted or not) -kick or no kick – they would get a bonus point.
and if this was a point anyway wouldn’t taking a line-out and keeping ball in hand be a better option.
@willa (Comment 10) : that’s kinda my point.
@rekinek (Comment 11) : 29-17 would’ve been 29-24 if they got a try, as opposed to 32-24 (no bonus point).
@rekinek (Comment 8) : That last decision to kick actually pissed me off – because game won, no chance of losing. Surely a try to finish it would have been nice.
@rekinek (Comment 11) : See Mollys comment
@Pink Oyster (Comment 14) : Eish – bonus points count ask Jake White about 2004…
So my comment to the folks suggesting we should be more daring is this – if thats what you demand then you lose the right to whine when we lose…or you need to accept the gameplan.
We have a formula that has allowed us to thump the teams ranked 2 and 3 in the world in three consectuive weeks – no mean feat in itself – why change it – winning in SA counts more than style……
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 16) : Like Oom Heineken the Mayor said.
There’s winning rugby and there’s losing rugby. That are it.
@McLovin (Comment 17) : And the Boks are playing winning rugby. I’ll take that every day of the week.
@molly (Comment 13) : @Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 15) :
the kick went through and the final score was 29 – 17
where do you get 32 from?
if the kick did not go through would be 26 – 17 (still no bonus)
if they scored whether it would be 29 – 24 or 26-24 (still bonus)
We had a few opportunities to score tries the last game and didn’t convert any of them, it would have been “nice” to score a try, but it would have got us no bonus point, only thing it would’ve got us is style points, yay 🙄
I’ll take the points that are there and that guarantee us one extra point on the log, thanks.
No doubt its winning rugby, its worked for the Boks and others at different stages of their history.
It is however not going to win any new recruits to the game and that is probably borne out by the evidence of those 1924 and 1954 articles that Dan Retief mentions and the growth of the game since them being written.
From a SA’s (and anyone that is winning with it) point of view its great, for the losers its not great and for the neutrals / first timers its painataking.
@McLovin (Comment 17) : and there is a watched rugby 😉
I hope that we win the 1st tour match and once the 3N is in the bag then start playing a different style of rugby. Winning is everything
@Pink Oyster (Comment 14) : me thinks the same – but it probably would not have happened.
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 16) : i think you are missing the point of our complaints a bit. I think there is no doubt that we are happy with the win and rather win ugly than loose pretty. That’s beyond debate.
The issue is – boks were dominating they should go for a kill. If they are the best in the world I guess it is not too much to expect a bit more than kick kick kick kick
Aloha, Peeps!!!!
No complaints from me as long as we win.
We outplayed the top two teams in the world with relative ease.
Not the Boks fault that they can’t beat us. They want to run let them run.
@Prof. Ice Babe(Super Girl) (Comment 26) : Hola.
Nice to see nothing has changed in 85 years, English Aussies and New Zealanders (Ultimately the same people) whinge when they lose!
@rekinek (Comment 19) : Yeah but we made sure THEY did not get a bonus point…that,s also very important 🙂
@rekinek (Comment 25) : I am with you but lets be honest – when you playing the top teams in the world a 14 point margin with 20 minutes to go isn’t an unassailable lead. i would love the Boks to score oodles of tries but the reality is against the Kiwis and Aussies you kick three points until the cows come home.
@McLovin (Comment 27) : did you enjoy the game, were u sitting on the edge of ur seat, did ur pulse rise every time the ball came out of a ruck, wondering if fourie would run over mortlock, or habana sprinting around mitchell,if jean would slice the defence like a hot knife through butter…..mine didnt cause i knew morne would kick 😀
@Prof. Ice Babe(Super Girl) (Comment 26) : I see you girl 😉
@willa (Comment 32) : Does that ever actually happen unless we playing Italy or Nambia? 😈
@willa (Comment 32) : Unfortunately…that’s what he was there for…to kick,kick,kick……….kick……..kick…………………………………………………………………….kick 😥
@willa (Comment 32) : 😯 you have a pulse 😯
@willa (Comment 32) : I get where you’re coming from, but I enjoy seeing the Boks slowly squeezing the oppo to death too. My biggest source of enjoyment is from the final score. But more tries are always welcome. 🙂
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 33) :
hey Ma!! Thought you were ignoring me!! 😆
@McLovin (Comment 37) :
I love any win!! 🙄
Lunchtime. Laters.
@Prof. Ice Babe(Super Girl) (Comment 38) : 🙄 Would never do that……watch your mail next week….I’ll be catching up….Mary leaves on Monday 😥 🙁 😥 🙁
@Prof. Ice Babe(Super Girl) (Comment 26) : dzien dobry
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 34) : Australia, England – so we really need one against NZ now 😉
I must admit, watching Habana spending 80 minutes blitzing down field is an amazing experience, especially when, in not one of those runs, did he have the ball.
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 40) :
I am sure you had a great time though!! 😉
@rekinek (Comment 41) :
Hoe gaan dit?
anyway my friends im off to play a round of golf, so my weekend starts now, have a good one
@Salmonoid (Comment 42) : 😆 😛 😆
@Prof. Ice Babe(Super Girl) (Comment 43) : 🙂 the time we have had together has been great…still got a weekend together…even greater 😀
@willa (Comment 44) :
Dont you work?? Where you playing? KCC?
@Salmonoid (Comment 42) : Some great tackles at the end of those runs!
@Prof. Ice Babe(Super Girl) (Comment 46) : KKC….Kloof Country Club???
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 48) : Kennsington Golf Club?????
@Rahul (Comment 47) : Really ❓
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 50) : Ja, putting pressure on the ball catcher.
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 49) :
Krugersdorp….I understand that Willa and me are practically neighbours! 😆
@Rahul (Comment 51) : 🙄 I thought they couldn’t catch?? 😛
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 53) : 😆
😯 😐 Is this day never going to end 😕
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 55) :
I can also do with a ‘go home”….:wink:
Best feature about rugby is the amount of different manners in which to win the game.
Take that away and it becomes about as interesting as boxing.
@Prof. Ice Babe(Super Girl) (Comment 43) : bardzo dobrze. dziekuje. u ciebie?
@rekinek (Comment 58) : WHAT!!!
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 59) : just answering the question
@rekinek (Comment 60) : OH. :cool:..I hope she understand Polish (?) better than I do ❗
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 61) : (Yes) even if not – I am no good in Afrikaans either – just checking how far guessing will take me 😉
@rekinek (Comment 62) : Can I ask Rob for your e-mail address??
Great article WS – really enjoyed the deprecating sense of humour – and the bit on gender testing. 😆
I think maybe this is a purist v spectator thing: the purist can see the artistry and brilliance in the maul, the precision of the play for field position, while the spectator wants to see a try.
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 63) : sure 😎
@Big Fish (Comment 64) : Well put
@rekinek (Comment 65) : Thanks..will mail you next week when my child has returned to London!
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 67) : 😎
@Big Fish (Comment 64) :
Why does it have to be one above the other. Is it not possible to combine both and be really enjoyable for all.
That is way too simplistic. I, as a spectator, would like to to see the artistry and brilliance in the maul, the precision of the play for field position, hooking a real tighthead which would hopefully lead to a try as opposed to a penalty kick.
I will gladly win the world cup and even the 3 Nations with what you call purist rugby and penalty kicks, that is a once off but I really won’t be bothered to go through a Super 14 and a CC watching that type of rugby only week in and week out.
Ah man, I think we can all agree that old man Henry can go fuck himself for so many different reasons.
If they lose tomorrow he’s anyway on the road to the retirement village.
@VinChainSaw (Comment 70) : +1
@Salmonoid (Comment 69) :
I was being largely facetious: mainly in the hope of stirring some debate, but the site seemed to go wonky again…
didn’t i say this would happen in my “back to the 80’s” article. rugby is boring at the moment and it is due to the laws. but south africans aren’t whining cos we are winning for a change.
@Big Fish (Comment 72) :
Mission accomplished then, if my contribution can be seen as part of what could be a debate.