There was a telling moment after the Springboks narrow win over Argentina on Saturday night that gave away the mindset currently among the management heading into this year’s Rugby World Cup.
Asked about how poor the Boks were in controlling the game, coach Jacques Nienaber replied by making no excuses, but pointed out how good Argentina controlled the game “between the two 10 metre areas” and made it difficult for the Boks to get out of their half.
“It is a game plan we’ve played before and we are comfortable with,” Nienaber said, pointing to the semifinal at the Rugby World Cup in 2019 against Wales, “But I’m not so sure that game plan will win you a World Cup right now.”
It was an interesting take on the game, and at the same time underlined the way the Boks are looking at the looming World Cup.
NIGHTMARE DRAW
While it goes without saying that the nightmare draw on their side of the pool means most games are likely to be decided by inches, the Boks have clearly been trying to develop a game plan over the past 18 months since the British and Irish Lions tour to try and give them an attacking edge when it matters most.
The attacking edge has seen the rise of players such as Grant Williams, Manie Libbok, Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse - all exceptional ballers in their own right but not the traditional players that the Boks would normally pick.
It was on last year’s November tour that the Boks took the game plan into third gear, and while their results were mixed, it was clear that a different attacking angle was developing from the territory based plan they employed against the Lions.
But that all has drawbacks - and as most rugby pundits will know - by attacking more, you leave more gaps to be exploited by the opposition. In the game against Wales at the Rugby World Cup the Boks tried to play a zero-sum grind and won an arm wrestle precisely because they were better at it.
It is also no secret that the Boks believe that teams have worked out how to counter that type of game plan, and thus they need to alter their attack a smidge to ensure they get the best out of the athletes they can choose.
DIFFERENT TYPE OF ATTACKERS NOW
Above that, the developing squad has also seen changes in the types of players coming through and there is a true belief that the squad will develop onwards on a more attacking path as the younger players in the side start to mature.
There still is a lot of scope to play a tight, forward-based territorial game if needed, but the Boks acknowledge openly that they need more if they are going to get through a tough World Cup and defend their crown.
The grind and arm wrestle may win games, but it won’t win a World Cup against sides who are close to exceptional on attack - like France in their prime.
The big question is if the Boks can alter their DNA in time for France, or if the recent setbacks are coming at the wrong time.
They have been exploited in the opening stanza by New Zealand twice (Ellis Park and Auckland) and paid for their insecurities. Argentina exploited a sloppiness in handling that was far off the Boks own high standards as well.
And while it is not an excuse, the Boks have been experimenting in terms of team selection so much that there hasn’t been a natural flow to combinations within the squad.
That should all change as the team ramps up its preparations after the 8 August squad announcement and should be more apparent in their play against Wales and New Zealand in Cardiff and Twickenham respectively.
TIME RUNNING OUT
But time is running out and the Ellis Park performance, which was supposed to be a celebration of a team that hit their straps, turned out to be a defensive effort where the Boks needed to dig themselves out of the gutters to scrape home to a win.
They know they weren’t good enough in the past two games, and know there is hard work ahead. But they have embarked on a journey that needs to be fulfilled if they are to have a chance.
The only question is if they will do it in time to defend their World Cup crown? Or if the process needs more time to complete.
