Does anyone have a decent recipe for humble pie? On Thursday I wrote that “if the Springboks don’t pulverise the Wallabies at Ellis Park, it’s a major upset”. I argued that Australia had no chance of claiming a victory on a ground they last conquered back in 1963. I made a case that despite their vast improvements under Joe Schmidt, and despite coming within seconds of beating the British & Irish Lions, they’d receive a reality check against the double World Cup champions.
Well that didn’t work out, did it? Australia were brilliant. Beyond a horror opening quarter where nothing went their way, they were utterly dominant in just about every department. They owned the breakdown, bossed the point of contact, cut up the Springboks’ defence when given the chance to counter and held firm in defence, keeping South Africa scoreless for more than 77 percent of the match. They deserve every plaudit that comes their way after achieving one of the great comebacks in the sport’s history.
Right, that’s out of the way. Let’s turn our attention to the Springboks and try to unpack what went wrong.
First off, I stand by my prediction. That may seem ridiculous now but that’s only in retrospect. The Springboks should have beaten the Wallabies comfortably. They are, pound for pound, man for man, a better team. They were playing at home. They had more proven match-winners.
That’s the thing with upsets. We’re surprised when they happen. Making a call before kick-off in favour of one team should not be interpreted as disrespectful towards the other. Was it disrespectful to give Leicester City no chance of winning the Premier League in 2016? Was it disrespectful when your jaw hit the floor after Mike Tyson was knocked out by Buster Douglas in 1990?
Of course not.
So, how did it happen? The battle on the floor was the obvious point of difference. Not that this should have been a surprise. Fraser McReight rightfully won the player-of-the-match award for pilfering several turnovers, three of them inside his own 22, with South Africa on the attack.
The Boks’ frailty over their own ball has been an issue for some time. New Zealand exploited this in last year’s Rugby Championship, as did Italy and Georgia recently in the July internationals. All of those matches ended in Springbok wins at home. This time there would be no let-off.
A deeper dive is required to fully analyse why one of the best teams in the world are making what look like rudimentary errors. Ball-carriers are too often isolated when the ball is flung back infield from the tramlines. This could be a consequence of a new approach that sees big runners operate out wide. Some of the best work from Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit came in those wide channels. But they couldn’t be everywhere at once and when the game drifted away from them, Australians picked their moments to steal in at the ruck.
This can’t continue. Rassie Erasmus was eager to place the blame on his shoulders and those of his support staff. He absolved his players, even though their inability to adapt mid-game was noteworthy.
Let’s take the coach at his word. South Africa, for all their attacking intent, simply cannot make the same mistakes next week. If it means they revert to a more pragmatic game at Newlands, so be it. Two steps forward might require a step back.
There are other concerns that need urgent attention. Manie Libbok was instrumental in all three South African tries but inexplicably played a series of skip passes beyond his hard-running midfielders. This felt especially odd considering Andre Esterhuizen was playing one of his best games in green. It was Libbok’s ambitious pass that was intercepted by Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, emphasising the momentum swing that was gaining steam at the time. This is not to say that Libbok is the reason why the Boks lost, but this is an example of the team’s issues with troubleshooting.
Then there’s the question over personnel. Bongi Mbonambi is a legend. His work over the past six years, especially in the World Cup semi-final against England two years ago, will never be forgotten. But he looked leggy on Saturday. He wasn’t the only one. The lack of impetus off the bench was another reason why the Springboks lost the game, causing them to fade just as the Wallabies grew. The impact of the ‘Bomb Squad’ off the pine has turned more games than we can recount here. Against Australia they were inept and inefficient.
Perhaps this is the kick up the arse the Springboks needed. There have been some suggestions that they disrespected the Aussies. I don’t buy that. I can’t fathom a world in which a team that includes Kolisi, du Toit and Eben Etzebeth would ever give less than their all while representing their country. They were simply outplayed. It happens.
And there were positives. Esterhuizen was immense. So was Etzebeth. Grant Williams was dynamic and deserves a continued run at scrum-half. It will be fascinating to see how he dovetails with the more measured Handre Pollard outside him. The score is a consequence of a woeful performance but it’s not all doom and gloom. This team deserves the opportunity to turn things around.
And I fully expect them to. That’s right, I’m going early. I predict the Springboks will iron out the kinks, rectify their mistakes and right the many wrongs that plagued a chastening performance in front of a stunned Ellis Park.
This is the week where they earn their money, where they underline their status as a champion group. And sure, this might also be a week for a little humility and honesty. From the players, from the coaches and even from a few journalists in need of a recipe for a particular type of pie.