The stats that will concern Boks the most
OPINION: South Africa will be buoyed by their bonus-point win over Australia in Round Four, but levelheaded analyses will have the coaching staff locked in some serious planning sessions before Rounds Five and Six.
The past weekend’s results have left the tournament even more delicately poised than before the round kicked off, with just one point separating all four teams.
It means the one aspect that will be critical to all four countries in the mad dash for the line in the final fortnight, is the quality of their game that still troubles the Springboks most.
Being clinical in execution has been the Boks’ biggest downfall.
After their loss to Australia in Adelaide in Round Three, coach Jacques Nienaber could not (or would not) provide the media with a reason for his team’s inability to finish off the myriad of opportunities they have created.
“I’m not sure,” Nienaber said, when @rugby365com asked him about the team’s failure to convert.
Given that they scored four tries in Sydney in their 24-8 win this past weekend – after they averaged just two tries per match in the first three rounds – may suggest that the issue has been rectified.
However, suggesting that would be tantamount to papering over the cracks that exist in the Bok attack.
South Africa’s Director of Rugby did not take kindly to criticism of the team’s many mistake on attack in another game where plenty of opportunities went to waste.
Celebrated Springbok Rob Louw headlined the list of critics of the Bok’s lack of execution on attack.
Louw, who played the last of his 19 Tests in 1984, asked: “Who is in charge of the Springboks’ attack?
“Why are we making so many basic attack errors? We should have won that game by 40 or more! Something is not right.”
Erasmus was at his most acerbic best when he ‘thanked’ Louw for the support and backing of the Boks.
However, his reply suggested there is not a specialist attack coach in the team.
“All five coaches help out in all departments,” Erasmus said, adding: “We can’t even give the rain as an excuse for only scoring four tries (All Blacks showed us that). We will work hard to get better at it!”
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Hi Rob thanks for all the support and backing the Boks. All 5 coaches help out in all departments , we cant even give the rain as an excuse for only scoring 4 tries (All Blacks showed us that) We will work hard to get better ad it ! Lekka https://t.co/cSnbODS9iu pic.twitter.com/kmpJvjZjY8
— Rassie Erasmus (@RassieRugby) September 5, 2022
The statistics back up the suggestion that the Springboks still rely too much on an adrenaline-fueled game plan.
Despite making the most clean breaks, 24, the Boks scored the joint least tries, 10.
New Zealand, in second place with just 18 clean breaks, tops the try-scoring list with 14.
Centre Lukhanyo Am and wing Makazole Mapimpi top the player stats for most clean breaks – six each.
Utility back Damian Willemse is second for most defenders beaten, 14.
The Springboks have 2,296 carry metres from their 343 – 6.6 metres per carry.
The All Blacks’ 478 carries delivered 3,094 carry metres – 6.5 metres per carry.
It is clear that finishing in tight matches remains a problem for the Boks.
That is why Erasmus, Nienaber and company MUST find a solution to the high number of turnovers on attack.
There were 10 again this past weekend, despite the emphatic win in Sydney.
The Boks need more than just a fired-up set of forwards and an accurate kicking game.
It worked against New Zealand in Nelspruit and Australia in Sydney.
It backfired against the All Blacks at Ellis Park and the Wallabies in Adelaide.
@king365ed
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