Opinion: Player management in focus as United Rugby Championship enters crunch phase for South African sides
South Africa’s coaches have some big calls to make regarding the management of their resources in the United Rugby Championship and Currie Cup tournaments over the next few rounds, writes Jon Cardinelli.
The Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers have combined to claim 11 victories in the 12 matches staged in South Africa over the past three weeks.
While the Sharks should be disappointed with their performance against Edinburgh last Saturday, and while the Stormers should count themselves lucky after some poor officiating spared them a narrow defeat to Ulster, it’s fair to say that these franchises have largely exploited the local weather and conditions to challenge the status quo.
Four months ago, all four South African franchises languished near the bottom of the table. As things stand at present, the Stormers (sixth), Bulls (seventh) and Sharks (eighth) are all in the running for a place in the URC play-offs. The Lions (12th) are also on the rise after claiming some big wins at Ellis Park in recent weeks.
Some might commend these teams for staging a remarkable comeback, while others might highlight the significance of home advantage in the first edition of this unique tournament.
Still in the hunt for knockout places
The absence of Test players – from the South African teams in September, October and November, and from the European clubs for the duration of the Six Nations – has also influenced results.
Whatever the case, the Stormers, Bulls and Sharks remain in the hunt for the URC play-offs.
If a few results go their way, a team like the Stormers may finish in the top four and secure a home quarter-final. Home advantage has been hugely influential in this tournament to date, and any team hosting a cross-hemisphere play-off will be favourites to win.
These three teams are also jousting for top spot in the South African pool. The team that finishes first in this division will automatically qualify for next season’s European Champions Cup, and will reap the rewards of such a promotion.
In short, the South African teams have everything to play for in their last five matches before the URC play-offs. Four of these rounds will be staged in South Africa, while the fifth will take place in Europe.
The respective coaches may be examining their resources with growing concern as the end of the URC league phase approaches. They may be considering which of their star players require a rest before the play-offs, and indeed which of their players may be suited to specific opponents – and in the case of the final round in Europe, the conditions.
South African coaches and players have had to adapt a great deal over the past couple of years. Prior to 2020, the South African season began with the Super Rugby tournament in early February and ended with the Currie Cup final in late October. Since the big four franchises joined the URC, however, South African rugby has followed the northern-hemisphere season.
There have been relatively few opportunities for rest since South Africa’s lockdown restrictions were first lifted in September 2020. Apart from several postponements due to Covid-19, many of the South African players have competed non-stop across various tournaments.
The Currie Cup is currently running at the same time as the URC – and teams have often been tasked with playing two matches in the space of four days. Occasionally, many of the same players have featured in both matches.
Different coaches have approached the management challenge in various ways, and with that in mind, it’s interesting to see where the respective teams stand at the halfway stage of the Currie Cup. One wonders how the domestic tournament and the current standings might impact on the coaches’ approach to the back-end of the URC.
The Bulls (second) and Sharks (third) remain well placed on the Currie Cup table, but may be inclined to push to secure a home play-off in the coming weeks.
Western Province – the Stormers in all but name at domestic level – currently languish in seventh place. They have work to do if they are going to catch fourth-placed Griquas – who are eight points clear of Western Province at this stage – and qualify for the quarter-finals.
Perhaps these teams might realise that the Currie Cup is no longer top priority, and that their efforts and resources should be focused on securing a URC play-off place, and a spot in the Champions Cup.
And after a taxing two-year period, which has involved switching tournaments and aligning with the northern-hemisphere season, these teams may not have the resources to succeed in both the URC and Currie Cup.
It is possible that one or more of these teams will drop out of play-off contention in both tournaments. If the coaches fail to manage the squad smartly and if the players lose focus, these teams will finish both competitions as also-rans.
The next few rounds will reveal which of the South African coaches has what it takes to manage such a challenging situation, and perhaps which of the coaches has what it takes to steer his side in a demanding tournament like the Champions Cup.