melkdave says...

The bokke do seem to be in a rut concerning playing style and perhaps coaching,The unability to move the gameplan forward from 2007 is very worrying.Yes well exacuted the bokke gameplan is hard to counter.But most if not all nations now use part or the same gameplan ,but have added or are adding expanded backline play into the mix.SA only just held on to win the 2nd test against England ,and to get a draw in the 3rd,Against a very green and unexperianced England ,while SA where very experianced by camparision,The game has moved on and SA seem to be falling behind ,im lossing respect for HM as a coach virtually every game ,the win at Newlands i suspect had more to do with the pumas being nervous and overwhelmed by the occasion than bokke superiority,as they matched or even outplayed them in the 2nd half,then again at Mendoza outplayed them all game..

As to the wallabies ,ive been satyng the same as PR for sometime years in fact..Their style of play is exciting and dynamic ,but it does call for highly skilled fit players,At the moment though injury or just loss of form ,they just havent got the players to excute the gameplan ,theres a lack of depth concerning quality players..We all know Australia can put out a world class 15 ,but after that theres nothing.Of course the major problem is the tight 5 they struggle to provide quality ball for the backs ,and its been hidden to some extent by them having world class backrowers over the years,now even thats drying up ,with only D.Pocock being top draw but he does go MIA in alot of games ,Then in the backline ,the current crop of centres are very average at best,no one anywhere near the class of Horan or Ella even on the horizon.Given the above its hard to see how R.Deans could try and change the gameplan ,as being unable to secure good ball ,is a 1st step for any gameplan,

Posted 13:14 28th August 2012

rockman says...

At first i thought that the English and French were just throwing their toys out of the pram as they weren't winning, after all, they weren't complaining when Wasps, Leicester and Toulouse were dominant were they? But i know think they have a point. PR is dead right, there is no visible solution to keep everyone happy. Scottish International rugby is not what it was, take Edinburgh and Glasgow out of the Heineken Cup and it just gets worse. Although it truly is a magnificent competition, just look at Edinburgh toppling Toulouse or Leinster taking Clermont in the dying seconds of the game when it came down to TMO.

Posted 11:58 28th August 2012

Carpelone says...

I am unhappy with the Boks, still I found your analysis a bit harsh. Nobody should forget that this squad sorted England out quite easily and drew with Argentina at their home ground, playing as badly as New Zealand did with Ireland. Let's see what Oz will do there.

I agree that there is a lack of long term plan by HM and it is not clear where the Boks management is heading to.

I disagree on the Sharks, they were quite entertaining for the second part of Super Rugby and arguably played the better rugby for a while. You may argue: with a Kiwi coach and a French flyhalf.....

Generally, placing 3 teams in the top 6 in the SR is not bad, especially having the Cheetahs out there, well capable of getting some big scalps.

To be honest with the Boks management, they were edging everybody in 2009, then somebody changed the interpretation of the breakdown (now a dogs' breakfast) and we are lagging behind.

Posted 11:40 28th August 2012

Rosbif says...

Thks RA. I've been bleating on about the Rabo/HCup debate on these pages for too long now... and I'm off the Celtic xmas card lists as a result methinks....

Posted 10:32 28th August 2012