Springbok captain Jean de Villiers has rejected suggestions that Saturday's big win over Australia had anything to do with a dramatic change in game plan.
After looking uninspired on attack so far in the Rugby Championship, the Boks scored five tries and could easily have scored three more.
While De Villiers praised young fly-half Johan Goosen for his positive role, he insisted the victory was due rather to the solid platform established up front and the backs finishing off their opportunities rather than a change in tactics.
"We haven't changed one thing," said the Bok captain.
"The thing that has changed is that we are now capitalising on the pressure we put on the opposition. People don't seem to understand that.
"We have shown that we can create, and now we are starting to finish. It's not that we went out there with a more attacking mindset. It was more about playing the situation.
"If the opposition leave men back, then obviously there is more space to attack from close. If they bring men up, then you will kick to the back to find the space. No defence is watertight, there is always space. It's about finding out where that space is and exploiting it."
Coach Heyneke Meyer was obviously happy at the result but called for his team to be more clinical, adding that they could not afford to waste chances when they face the All Blacks next week.
The home side's kickers left 16 points by the wayside and had three tries turned down by the TMO.
"We have very high standards, and there were three more tries that we should have scored," explained Meyer.
"It's great to come home and win, and we haven't beaten the Aussies for some time, but we have to start taking those opportunities.
"We would like to score more tries next week but we are aware of the challenge of playing the world champions.
"New Zealand are a very settled side. In terms of defence, they have a number of experienced players who have been in that system for ages.
"They're the world champions and one of the reasons for that is their defence. It's going to be really difficult to create and score against them.
"We will need to be more patient with ball in hand, more tactically astute. If we get scoring opportunities, we will need to make them count.
"We are the only team that has played three matches away in a row. The All Blacks will come here now and we are hoping that South Africa will get behind us. It is always harder for visiting teams to win on the Highveld too."
Comments
Ramage says...
Cmon Jean are you taking lessons on how to be a politician? Will we see you standing for the South African Parliament? What a load of bull.
Posted 11:19 01st October 2012
martinmarais78 says...
De Villiers start to sound more and more like some of the special gifted rugby moron comments on this site...
De Villiers, not all the rugby folks is as delusional as your average Shark fan out there that you could fool by claiming it was the same game plan!
Daibok, how are you boetie?
Posted 20:57 30th September 2012
rugbyphile says...
"We didn't change one thing" he said. I agree--many more than one thing changed. The flyhalf took the ball at pace and got involved, Jaco Taute took the ball at pace and tackled low and hard like Frans Steyn used to do before he became rich and famous-- there was very little aimless kicking and the discipline was much better with the Bulls thickheads limited in numbers. Vermeulen and Louw were immense and there was even some backing up though still not as much as there should be. Kicking at goal was poor again--the one thing that should change is the SA kicking coach. For Australia Michael Hooper was excellent and Beale had a few good moments but the front row did the normal Wallaby thing of going to ground on almost every occasion, rotating props and bringing them back again and the defence was below the normal standard. A highlight of the game was the TMO who was excellent with difficult situations. Pity about the injuries for Australia--served Samo right though, if he had used his arms in late tackling de Villiers he wouldn't have hurt his shoulder.
Posted 15:47 30th September 2012
SACanuck says...
He is joking right? Because I saw 15 men playing rugby with heart and looking like they were enjoying themselves as opposed to the last 50 games were there were only 10 players. The only role the backs had was to chase a kick
Posted 15:36 30th September 2012
rolf says...
well if they didi not change the gameplan,
then it must have been the change in players
that changed their game from boring kick&rush
to a rather entertaining style of running rugby.
works for me.
Posted 12:09 30th September 2012
davodiablo says...
The game plan compared to previous weeks was different and the players selected reflected that .
Posted 12:06 30th September 2012
Ramage says...
The flaky fly by night Oz supporters are showing their true yellow jersey traits in spectacular form. One day moaning about all injuries they are suffering then saying they have no game plan but then they are Aussies arent they and some of them Queenslanders lol, You know the ones who spell beer as xxxx. You do have to pity them.
If the ARU has no structure, cancel their fledgling National competition after only one year, so they can afford an outrageous salary package for John O'Neill to lure him back from football after sacking him, what can you expect. Yes it was the ARU who went begging Deans to come and coach the Wallabies it was they who extended his contract before the RWC and if things arent working who is at fault? Remember when before Deans every OZ scrum fell over on impact at least now they get to engage. I challenge any oz to tell me what International coach could lose as many of his top players and still win. Just list the Oz players in positions and then list them as number 12345 pick etc then put in your own country's players remembering that you have to get rid of the first second choice if no 3 is your top player. When you have done that then see what sort of team your own country has selected.
Finally I am no Deans supporter and he and Mitchell stuffed up a very good team and ruined the career of Christian Cullen so I have my own gripes with Deans but hey OZ these cries are a bit rich after your own Union decided he was the best man for the job. Could the sacked former coach of Stade Francais have done any better? I doubt it as it seems some of the players have a rather inflated idea of what their worth is to the team and then run to the media to whine their way through the sycophantic interviews set up for them.
Posted 11:13 30th September 2012
boksmashoffice says...
Is he on drugs? You have a 10 playing on the gain line. There was less aimless kicking. Jeez Jean you are a nice fella but you are talking crap.
Posted 11:01 30th September 2012
Dangerous says...
Meyer using his Jedi technique again. "we have changed nothing" "this is all part of my plan"
Posted 09:49 30th September 2012
new_j4a says...
Jean, you are beginning to sound like Peter de Villiers....it is clear that the game plan changed.
Posted 06:37 30th September 2012
piriaka says...
Good to see the game plan change - and the result was obvious.
Posted 03:45 30th September 2012
safehands says...
I firmly believe Deans has got to go for the benefit of Australian rugby. The Wallabies looked absolutely pathetic...no shape, no game plan, no nothing!! I'm embarrassed for Australian rugby and I'm a 100% die hard AB fan!! The Boks did well in as so much to dispose of them comprehensively, but this Wallaby side is clearly suffering more than any other team that I have ever seen with a huge amount of front line players (this isn't 2 or 3...it's 10-12!!!) out through injury.
Even the AB's would struggle to remain competitive with that injury list. That said....RD is bringing nothing else to the party either....the Wallabies looked clueless and 80% was not through pressure being exerted...it was pressure put onto themselves...absolutely terrible to see a powerhouse nation suffering with not just injuries, but clearly also a side bereft of any direction from the coaches.
Something is clearly wrong in the Australian rugby and hopefully they sort themselves out sooner rather than later...there is way too much competition from the likes of the AFL, NRL and cricket for them to allow this cataclysmic implosion of Australian Rugby to continue!!! At the moment, it is in real danger of falling by the wayside in comparison to the big 3 over there...and that would be a real shame for not just Australia, but world rugby in general.
Posted 03:34 30th September 2012
Kiwikev says...
Deans is fired in 3, 2, 1...
Posted 03:16 30th September 2012
Waz4before says...
Well done the Boks but sorry t change th topic to Australia but surely now Deans has run his course? The results are now against him, the sides performances are as low as they've been for 20+ years and he doesn't carry the faith of the squad anymore.
Posted 02:36 30th September 2012
Trinats2 says...
At least SA had a game plan !
Posted 02:19 30th September 2012
melkdave says...
His joking surly ,J.Goosen gave the nokke a running game ,and thus options.SomethingM.Styen just doesnt have.Of course the bokke changed the gameplan ,they held onto the ball rather than just hoof it .JdV is delusional
Posted 00:34 30th September 2012