Oom Rugby

Hi guys. There is a old familiar cycle in Bok rugby. Fans says the Boks is boring, so the coach begin the long journey to evolve, but then the team lose too many games, fans get angry, so the coach go back to simpler boring rugby again. Then he get fired. Repeat.

We at that point again after this weekend, and I want to make a case that even though Allister maybe been hopping around for the last year and a half, it is worth to let this group push forward with what they trying to achieve. I say it because for once let us just give the guys some space to change our game – it will take time, man! And also because we actually seeing some good signs in the Bok attack…

The picture above show the Bok approach in the nutshell. It is not a revolution, but it is the basis of how the Boks wants to move forward. It is called the 1-3-3-1 system and the name come from how the forwards is spread across the field. One flank out wide, three forwards together, another three forwards together, and then a flank wide on the other side.

This allows the Boks to keep width, and attack with width; it stretches the defence, creating opportunities in other places; it is a framework for attack with many different options with-in it.

The old Bok style is to use forwards closer together and just try smash it, but all nations is now big and conditioned and that tactic on its own don’t work anymore. So this system is a basis to try give Boks a different dimension.

Smashing it up is fine, but we must have another gear!

It works, as we see above in the Skosan try. Marx in the middle of the field as the system dictate, but he is a decision maker within it. He can carry, or pass to multiple options. We see the backs playing off this structure. Serfontein call for the ball because he can see forwards in the line, and so he make a great break and offload.

Kolisi is crucial because he keep width and draw the defence wider. This allow Skosan to come inside and hurt the stressed defence. This is not your grandpa’s rugby, this is rugby that expect every player to be good passer, runner, and decision maker. It is not rugby that every SA player can play yet but if we stick with it we will get there.

As we see, this type of play give the defence a hell of a lot more to think about. In the previous example Marx can still carry and play tight if he want – the defence have no clue what to expect. Suddenly we have a Bok team that is asking questions!

Look at this picture above. The Aussie wing come up to try to mirror the width that the Boks was showing and what happen – he leave space behind him and Coetzee kick beautifully to the corner. Now we talking!

It will take time to become 100% deadly because our players is not operating perfect in the system yet. Above we see again the Boks is causing trouble, but Kitshoff will carry here and not pass to Elton. I think you agree that Aussies is in trouble here if the ball go wide.

Do we want to throw away this kind of space the Boks is creating just because players is not executing properly yet? No we do not. Give the players time to become experts. The opportunities is there!

It is not always nice to put a spotlight on players, but you must make sure that you have guys in right positions who can make this system work.

In my couch opinion Jesse is a magnificent rugby player but maybe not a Test senter. I sometimes question his distribution skills, his depth, and also his ability to straighten, fix and pass. In example on the left in the picture above he delay too long and the pass get mess up and a try go to begging. On the right we see De Allende show much better hands to put Leyds in space.

Pity Leyds mess it up and is unable to release two guys outside, and another opportunity go to begging. Over time we will see players improve, or other guys will come in, and the system will get better.

Finally I want to make you rest assure that the Bok DNA is still there. In fact, we are seeing more and more our big men causing chaos in wider areas and it is devastating. First Eben run over Kuridrani before committing Hooper and the lock Tui.

He hold them up and offload to Jean-Luc, who run over the prop Robertson and then commit Alaalatoa and Genia. Pieter-Steph is in support but the offload get to Skosan who make many more meters. Aussies feel like they inside a pinball machine.

It was proof that Boks learning to see where the space is but they can still draw on that old power when they need it.

I know people is cynical and I know the Boks must work on many many things like defence and set piece and much more, but we must go one step in a time. I see the negatives, but I also see the positives, and I do not want us to throw the baby with bath water because things is not perfect right now.

Allister been quite frustrating at times, but as the public we ourselves have a role to play in the success of the Boks. If we can show patience and allow this group to keep building and growing then we will all be the winners.

And then maybe, for the first time, we can break out of the repeating cycle of Bok rugby!

DISCLAIMER: English is Oom’s third language, after Rugby and Afrikaans.