Smit conundrum continues
rugby365.com columnist Grant Ball writes that John Smit’s form remains a worry for the Springboks.
An all-Bok front row of Smit and the Du Plessis brothers – Jannie and Bismarck – were picked to take on the Crusaders on Sunday, and the way the Sharks were shunted back at scrum-time was alarming.
It was a throwback to the days when Smit used to play tighthead, except on this occasion he was at loosehead – a position supposedly deemed easier at the set-piece.
Smit and co found it anything but easy, and the way they were man-handled at the set-piece by a Saders front-row of Wyatt Crockett, Corey Flynn and Owen Franks must be a concern for Bok coach Peter de Villiers.
It was no coincidence that during the period when the Saders dominated the set-piece and had all the momentum and front foot ball, they ran in four easy tries in the first half (their third try was also made that much easier with the Shark’s scrum going backwards and hence the defence on the backfoot).
If the Boks are hoping to contain the All Blacks’ attacking game this year, they’ll have to stop it at source, and with such a weak scrum, that won’t be possible.
With Smit’s tighthead shift abandoned and Bismarck du Plessis easily the top hooker in the country, the No 1 jersey has been touted as Smit’s best possible starting option for the Boks. That would have been unfair on 2010’s SA Rugby Player of the Year Gurthrö Steenkamp and Beast Mtawarira, but Steenkamp’s recent injury that will keep him out for a couple of months handed Smit an opportunity to stake a claim for the team where his playing form could be considered the main factor in selecting him.
However, based on Sunday’s showing and provided Steenkamp returns to last year’s form, the Bok skipper will be, at best, the third best loosehead in the country behind Steenkamp and Mtawarira.
Bismarck du Plessis’ physicality means he is indispensable and him playing off the bench would be a waste. Although Smit is better conditioned than last year, he’d have to offer much more than leadership and experience to justify a place in the starting team.
There’s no doubt that Smit is going to the World Cup no matter what his form, and my solution would be playing him as one of two front row utility players from the bench. That would however, create a complex dynamic between Smit and Victor Matfield.
Another worrying factor and something that has become a trend in this year’s competition with many senior Boks such as Fourie du Preez and Matfield, much of Smit’s concentration during matches has been focused on complaining to referees (him remonstrating with Steve Walsh while the Saders were scoring their fourth try was a point in case).
Graham Henry was in the Twickenham stands, and although he won’t acknowledge it publicly, Smit’s form and De Villiers’s insistence to pick him will be a boon for the Kiwis.
Smit’s showings will improve the more game-time he gets later in the season (it always does), but the question is whether he will regain his best form, and whether that will be good enough to warrant a starting place in the team. The performances of many senior Boks have rightfully been criticised early this season, and the next few months will confirm whether it’s merely a dip or their best days are long gone.
Grant Ball writes for RugbyXV
