OPINION

Soapbox

The Voice From the Stands

Monday 18th August 2008

Easy pickings: New Zealand made South Africa suffer

Having spent Saturday afternoon at Newlands, watching South Africa display a total lack of direction and originality, I wondered if Peter de Villiers could see what was painfully clear to the rest of the world.

South Africa have several fundamental problems that are, at present, leading to their downfall and as England know, once you start down the road of decline it is pretty damned hard to get back up it. De Villiers is in a position to rectify the wrongs and save his side, and a nation, from the ignominy of slipping off the radar, the question is: does he have the balls to do it?

It was painfully obvious that South Africa missed John Smit's leadership skills, not to mention his superior scrummaging and line-out work. Whilst Victor Matfield is a fine second row forward, one thing he is not is a leader of men. Not only does he lack that quality, but his own game deteriorates when he is laden with the responsibility and expectancy that comes with leading such a proud nation.

Richie McCaw has, with two devastating displays, highlighted the importance of having a captain with the ability to lead from the front. The difference he alone makes has been there for all to see during the Tri-Nations - all you have to do is note the difference in the All Blacks when he is not there to see his true worth.

Next up on the problems list for De Villiers is the need for a new fly-half, and there are a few more options than many would first think. Clearly Butch James is no longer up to international standard, and he has even gone as far as admitting he is weighing up his future options based on his form. For my money it was a mistake in bringing him back from Bath in the first place, especially when the likes of Peter Grant were playing so well during the Super 14.

Alas Grant is no longer an option - at least not for the remainder of the Tri-Nations - which leaves you with the two Steyn boys. That's right Francois and the lesser known Morne of the Blue Bulls. As far as Francois is concerned, De Villiers needs to let him know, regardless of his performances, he will be starting at fly-half for the rest of the season.

It is no good bringing him for one game at ten, only to drop him to the bench the next week, or even worse, send him back to the Sharks for a week or two. Rather give the kid a confidence boost and let him find his feet in one position, you never know, it may just work and set him on the right path. One thing is for certain; he can't be much worse than James has been all season.

Morne Steyn, given the gameplan being used by De Villiers' side, is not as bizarre a selection as many would first think. If De Villiers wants a fly-half who can implement a kicking game then he need not look further than Steyn, who is right out of the Jannie de Beer mould. Accurate kicking from hand, a staggeringly high success rate at goal and a dab hand at the drop-goal too, what more could South Africa want?

On top of all that, the balance of the back row is all wrong. Pierre Spies is, for my money, not up to the task of playing Test rugby at present. It seems he is being picked on reputation rather than merit, and sadly there is no room for that in the results-driven industry of international rugby. Before his health issues there was no doubting that Spies was one of the best number eights in the business, sadly for him he is a shadow of his former self.

For that matter Juan Smith has also been going through a lean spell. It is not enough to warrant a crisis but he will know more than anyone that it is time to deliver against the Wallabies over the next two weeks.

And what of Schalk? Apart from being totally outplayed by Richie McCaw he didn't do much wrong, but then we have come to expect so much from him that when he fails to deliver it is glaringly obvious he is having an off-day. De Villiers would have been better off leaving him on and bringing Luke Watson on for Smith or Spies, at least that way South Africa would have had half a chance at the breakdown. As it was McCaw dominated that facet of the game throughout, giving the All Blacks a platform for victory.

The message then is quite clear for De Villiers, act now or forever be remembered as the man who turned the world champions into the laughing stock of world rugby.

Away from South Africa and I am beginning to wonder if I am the only one sick to death of the ongoing Sonny Bill Williams saga. Fed up of being hard done-by and underpaid (his words not mine) in the NRL he decided to up and leave, forgetting the small fact he was contracted to the Bulldogs, sparking a seemingly endless string of stories concerning him and his contractual obligations.

From making us all chuckle with revelations of his All Black dream, to finally making his debut for the free-spending Toulon, we never seem to hear the end of what he is or isn't doing. I can only hope that the decision to make him pay for his own transfer will finally see the whole subject dropped, that is until he becomes an All Black in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup while pigs circle the skies over Eden Park!

On a side note, and back with South Africa's nil points, I looked back through the annals and checked how this result rated among some other pointless Springbok outings. Not for over a hundred years have South Africa been scoreless at home, so hats off to the class of 2008 for making history on Saturday.

Here are all eleven games that the Springboks have failed to score a single point in.

2006: Australia 49 - 0 South Africa, Suncorp Stadium
1999: New Zealand 28 - 0 South Africa, Carisbrook
1965: New Zealand 13 - 0 South Africa, Carisbrook
1961: France 0 - 0 South Africa, Stade Colombes
1921: New Zealand 0 - 0 South Africa, Athletic Park
1906: Scotland 6 - 0 South Africa Hampden Park
1903: South Africa 0 - 0 Great Britain, Eclectic CG
1896: South Africa 0 - 8 Great Britain, Crusader Ground
1891: South Africa 0 - 4 Great Britain, Newlands
1891: South Africa 0 - 3 Great Britain, Eclectic CG
1891: South Africa 0 - 4 Great Britain, Crusader Ground

What do you make of it all?

By Marcus Leach