Ireland great: Sharks gamesmanship ‘celebrated and almost expected’ by South Africans as ‘nothing accidental’ about Springbok’s antics
Jaden Hendrikse, whose gamesmanship has been heavily debated, and Makazole Mapimpi for the Sharks, and Leinster senior coach Jacques Nienaber.
Former Ireland centre Gordon D’Arcy believes that the ‘win-at-all-costs’ mentality is ingrained in the South African psyche and that it has potentially impacted Leinster under Jacques Nienaber.
The Sharks caused controversy with their antics during the penalty shootout victory over Munster in the United Rugby Championship at the weekend.
Jaden Hendrikse, who has earned 20 caps for the Springboks, particularly drew the ire from Irish supporters as he winked at Jack Crowley after going down with cramp.
D’Arcy insisted that the Durban outfit’s actions were intentional and perhaps even premeditated, and is something South African outfits are used to doing in rugby.
‘Unapologetic’ South Africa
“Whatever about having cramp or no cramp, the effort or lack of it to get out of an opponent’s way, the home crowd booing a dead-ball kick and coaches roaming the pitch all aligned to the same purpose,” he wrote in his Irish Times column.
“It was textbook ‘s***housery’ and there was nothing accidental about it. It is celebrated and almost expected. The head coach made that clear post-match, that the ends justified the means.
“That unapologetic, win-at-all-costs mentality is woven into the DNA of South African rugby along with the assumed confidence. And to be fair, it is effective.
“They believe they will win before the warm-up, before the anthem and before a pass is thrown. Everything they do, legal or questionable, is in service of that belief.”
D’Arcy then compared it to his former side, Leinster, under Jacques Nienaber, who he believes has looked to bring in a similar mindset in certain aspects.
“Leinster, under South African defence coach Jacques Nienaber, will have tried to adopt some of that Springbok edge and mindset over the last two seasons, especially in defence,” he added.
“Suffocating the opposition and relentless in the scramble they may be, but the question is whether Leinster have the same raw ingredients, physically or mentally, to deliver the same results.”
D’Arcy suggests that the influence of Nienaber may have had a negative impact and changed the culture within the province for the worse.
“Leinster are not South Africa, and they don’t need to be. What traditionally made them a special team was their controlled expression and ruthless execution,” he wrote.
“A culture of excellence that didn’t require verbal dominance or dark arts, it was a quieter confidence. They didn’t need to tell you they were good; they showed you.
“There is a legitimate question now about the focus on defence. It built a South African empire with back-to-back World Cup wins, but perhaps it comes at the expense of what made Leinster formidable in the first place.
“The delicate balance between attack and defence feels out of whack. Adopting the mindset is fine, but mindset – like culture – has to fit the group to which it is applied.”
‘Caught between two rugby identities’
The Ireland great therefore believes it may have caused some confusion within their ranks, which has led to their Champions Cup elimination and some unconvincing recent performances in the URC.
“Right now, Leinster may be caught between two rugby identities – the old-school humility and the newly imported aggression. In that scenario, they could miss out on the best of both,” D’Arcy wrote.
“They don’t need to become snarling. They need to become certain. There’s a difference.
“Irish teams rarely have a squad-wide swagger like South African or Kiwi sides. They usually have one or two players who carry that energy, but it’s not culturally widespread. That’s okay. That’s us. And when it works, it works beautifully.
“But conviction can’t be conditional. It can’t depend on being ahead or getting the bounce of the ball. It must be worn. Earned. Chosen. The next week and perhaps the week after will be a measure of that conviction.”
READ MORE: ‘We stand with Jaden’ – Siya Kolisi breaks Sharks’ silence on Hendrikse’s ‘wink gate’
