A hollow victory?

The Boks might say this was a game they could never win. Against an England team as poor as the current one, the Boks would get slated if they lost like last week (and rightly so), and be greeted with skepticism if they did not win by 50 points.

There are many reasons why today's victory deserves applause. This is a battered Bok team. They show little confidence. They also show a decided lack of skill, making elementary mistakes. Most worryingly, they seem to lack the ability to punish the opposition. They are missing some of their first choice players. They have a coach in the unprecedented position of being called home to answer to his bosses during the tour.

However, at least the Boks played with some heart today. At least they showed some determination to win.

More than that, this was a Bok team that presented a change in tactics from the stubborn past points of view of their coach - they employed a fetcher, they changed their defensive pattern to the drift. They tried set moves from their first attacking ball of the game.

This was a team that bounced back immediately from a try by England that clearly wasn't.
And this was a team that defended well despite long periods of possession held by the English.
There were some good individual performances too. Juan Smith played his best game since being injured during the Super 14. Kabamba Floors did not win the tonnes of ball we hoped he would, but he tackled manfully together with Danie Rossouw. In fact, Floors' tackling made an enormous difference today.

Enrico Januarie had a fantastic game on defense and stands out as a consistent performer on the tour. His distribution is slow however, and this puts pressure on his line.

CJ van der Linde's try was top draw handling from the big man. Pretorius must have had a heart attack when he saw a prop was the man that his torpedo pass almost missed.

Andre Pretorius had a shaky start but seemed to grow in confidence as the game went on, and began to control things as was required. Francois Steyn had a few moments of brilliance but showed a lack of fullback experience at others.

Habana had a terrible start to the match and never looked like he was on top of his game. Ndungane was hardly involved. For a front row that many pundits had requested, we did not dominate at scrum time (although we were much improved from the beginning of the season). We made elementary handling mistakes and failed to do simple things like nominate for fielding kicks.

England were far better than last week. The difference in their defensive alignment with Goode in for Hodgson was palpable.

So there was a lot to applaud. But one could see the Boks look to defend their lead for a while. At around the 60 minute mark, England had about 60% possession for the second half. Then the Boks came back and made a controlled and effective maul. They found field possession and nailed the advantage home with drop goals.

Depth way off the pace

We have to be honest though. This was the worst England team that the Boks have played against in many years. The Boks have not dominated all aspects of a game against any opposition in years, and again did not today. While the first team set no example of clearing out rucks and contesting loose ball, the second choices are a long way off the pace. Our locks have shown no desire to perform the job and our loose forwards are a long way from a combined unit (not surprisingly given the fact that there has been no consistency in their selection and they have lacked a fetcher).

Our lineouts were very poor today and only when we resorted to going long to Juan Smith did we start winning consistent ball.

For all that has been said about the attacking threat of some of our backs, we have looked impotent at most times. Despite Andre Pretorius creating havoc in the Currie Cup, he did not have quite the same effect today. Jean de Villiers was better on attack last week than this. Bryan Habana's poor start to today's match may well have been caused by continued finger pointing at his workrate and his resultant desire to get involved. His frustration is understandable when you consider that he and Ndungane hardly saw the ball.

The match tactics may well have been to play for position and make sure of the win. Or this is what they seemed to be after a few attacking set moves to start the match. This again seemed to ignore the game as it opened out in front of them - the English looked fragile out wide.

The honest truth is that if this Bok side had played any experimental All Black side today, we would have come a very distant second. Whether it important to you that that yardstick applies at the World Cup or at any time of any year, the unpleasant truth remains the same.

Jake White

Frankly, conclusions as to whether Jake White should continue to be our coach or not should have been made before today.

It is astonishing how Jake has changed his position leading into today's match, however. His change in point of view on Kabamba Floors, Cobus Visagie and the rush defense are remarkable given his stubbornness in the past.

Without being a fly on the wall in the back rooms on tour, we might never know what has been behind the change in heart. But the flexibility is welcome.

Well done

Well done Bokke. It must have been a difficult time over the past week. Well done to go back on the attack in the last 20 minutes today. Well done for showing some heart and pride.

Not good enough to win

Did it matter that the Boks lost today's match against the English? For two such poor sides, I'm not sure a win or loss actually should mean a lot. It would have meant something to players and coaches who are desperate to avoid further censure from their miserable supporters. And for that reason, you could see the Bok tactics change in the second half. When Jake White sent on Andre Pretorius it was a clear message - "Protect the lead boys - let's get a win under the belt, we need it."

Of course we know that more often than not, rugby matches are lost when the leading side takes that attitude.

Watching the French versus the All Blacks tonight showed a different level. We can make excuses about our resting players. But in reality we have seldom, since the days of Mallet's reign, played with the intensity and continuity the All Blacks are now showing.

Joe Rococoko's try just before the close of the first half was leagues away from anything shown by the Boks in the last few years. All Blacks flew into rucks, close on one another's heels. Forwards and backs ran in close support and made passes the Boks dream of.

In contrast, the Boks looked prosaic against one of the worst backlines in world rugby. The English backs in general and Charlie Hodgson in particular look unable to open a can of sardines, let alone an international opposition. Similarly, their defense holds no terrors for all but the most inept attacks.

All of that said, the Boks looked better than last week.

Improvement

In the forwards, the pack looked better in the scrums. In the loose, Johan Ackerman showed a gratifying level of commitment reminiscent of his Super 14 form. Danie Roussouw tried hard and continued to make his tackles.

At the back, Enrico Januarie had another solid performance. He appears to be losing some of his excess weight. While his pass is delayed and he no longer makes the sniping breaks he once used to, he was certainly competent today.

Jean de Villiers looked good and his pass to Butch James was an absolute beaut. His lack of pass to a screaming Akona Ndungane on his inside cost his team a try though. It must be miserable to be a wing outside a centre pairing of De Villiers and Olivier. Given that, Ndungane's involvement was pleasing, none more so than his insertion into the line to attack Hodgson's channel. Only good cover from Lewsey cut him down. With all that has been said about Ndungane's pace (or lack thereof), he had no issue against the snail pace of the English backs tonight - or racing up on De Villiers' inside as the centre ran half the field only to be pulled down.

Butch James had his best match in a very long time tonight and if he had stayed on, the Boks may have sneaked a win. His grubber for Ndungane's try showed a subtlety not often associated with the Sharks flyhalf.

Francois Steyn had another very good performance. The guy is class and I am dying to see him at flyhalf for the Boks. Frankly, Jake could have called for Steyn to alternate with James if he had wanted to increase use of tactical kicks - it would have been less disruptive and given responsibility to two of the better Boks on the day.

Average

For the rest I thought their performance was average to poor. Our lineouts were abysmal. Our takes at the restarts were as poor as they have been all season. We looked unable to turnover the ball (the 17 phase attack of England on our line proving that) and unwilling to contest. Support play at rucks and in broken play was as absent as ever.

We know Jacques Cronje is not international level and today showed that again. Pierre Spies was anonymous without a dominant forward performance around him. Danie Roussouw works hard but does not look to have the pace for loose forward - either blind or open side flank. Johann Muller appears to attempt to make up for lack of pace to the ball with off-the-ball niggle.

It is hard to be critical of Wynand Olivier - his presence definitely improved our defense. But wings outside him might as well be press photographers - they'd see more of the ball that way.

Our rush defense seems to result in more lapses than not. I actually thought I spotted the Boks drift once or twice tonight. I am sure that is right approach. The drift defense should predominate and the rush should press on poor quality opposition ball.

Miles behind

To be sure, despite the improvement, this team is miles off the form of the top two teams in the world. Hugh Bladen made the comment that people who call for Jake White's head forget that this team beat the All Blacks and the Aussies a few months back. What Bladen and other fail to mention is that this is a team that fails to win the ones that count - those matches didn't. Throughout Jake White's tenure that has been the case. To be honest it is a problem that has been with us since readmission - even under Nick Mallet, winning streak aside.

We are a long way off the form of the All Blacks and the skills and flair of the French. Why is that? It sticks in my throat to admit we're just not good enough. It doesn't quite gel when all the facts are considered, such as our world beating form in the junior ranks.

Regardless of selections and coaching, winning starts by having a team who run on the field willing to die for their country, their coach and their teammates. Some argue that the description is misplaced - it is after all just a game. However, it is a game full of examples of players playing through pain, achieving beyond their apparent abilities and creating beauty where there is often brutality.

Jake White

I think this is where Jake White starts to go wrong. He is a coach who was an analyst. He is a coach who adds the contributions of 15 players and expects a mathematical answer. He believes that more height and pace and ambidexterity than the opposition equals a winning team. Perhaps that it the modern disease - we have heard Nick Mallet, a passionate former player, talk about his quest for a tall, pacey back three.

Kitch Christie seemed to be the opposite. He appeared to be someone who did what would get the best out of his players rather than what would win on the drawing board. The story of his switch in tactics just prior to the 1995 World Cup final is now legendary. He changed from a basketball-type game-plan to the traditional Bok game when Morne du Plessis suggested the players didn't believe in the new approach. Jake would do well to consider his team's current head-space.

I think Jake continues to go wrong by believing in the power of unanimity rather than that of diversity. He does not tolerate questions from his players.

Finally, I believe Jake is victim to his biggest weakness - he is proud. He does not admit to mistakes and has mentioned the systems in South Africa, the injuries to players (some echoing years back) and the pressure from other coaches to experiment (notably the panel of ex-coaches arranged to advise him).

Of course there are contributing factors. Lack of fetcher aside, there is a frightening lack of commitment to cleaning out rucks and supporting the ball carrier in South African rugby. There have been few games that have been marked by the required ferocity - one of the last being the Bok win against the All Blacks at Newlands last year. This is difficult to explain.

It was hard not to feel sorry for Jake White during the final minutes of today's match. He sat with his head in his hands and no doubt wondered what more to do. He took on a job in 2004 when the Boks were perhaps at the lowest of their once proud history and turned things around fairly quickly.

But even those who have worked closely with Jake have been vocal in their criticism of him this last week. Naas Botha, once Jake's manager for his world beating junior Boks, has appeared in television and press interviews calling things for the disaster that they are.

World Cup

We have to ask whether there is any hope that Jake can turn things around in time for the World Cup next year. Let's face it, next week's match against the English and the final match against the World XV will tell us nothing - just as the final home matches of the Tri-Nations did. We must go on the recent record of the Boks in the matches that have counted. Sadly that is not one that brings much confidence.

So if intervention is required, does it make sense to keep Jake involved or to sweep the slate clean? At the beginning of the year I argued for a mentor to be appointed to help Jake. Now I believe subtle measures are too late. On return from the tour I see no disadvantage to the appointment of a different coach to take the team to the World Cup. In fact I believe it is imperative based on the fact that we should never be in the position we are.

We have two open-side flankers rated as the best in the country by their Australian and New Zealand counterparts - one was Currie Cup player of the year. Neither Luke Watson nor Kabamba Floors have had a look-in under Jake White. We have a prop rated as one of the technical best by his Northern European competitors, yet Jake White has told Cobus Visagie he will never be picked.

We have had many chances to experiment. Experimentation is usually best tried incrementally, perhaps one positional switch at a time. Instead we have desperately tried to win games against the World XV and the Australians and New Zealanders when they meant nothing in terms of trophies. We then played a completely experimental side against the Irish at Lansdowne Road.

Matches prior to the World Cup next year will need winning. Experimentation and resultant losses could devastate the already broken psyche of the Boks leaving no time to heal.

It is difficult to imagine anybody successfully taking on such a challenge, but no more than it is to imagine Jake White overcoming his pride and beliefs over the same period.

It is sad that we ever ended up with our backs to wall in this fashion. South African rugby is not as poverty stricken as our games this year have been. Our approach, selections and attitude were apparent in that hand of fate.

Hulle was nie die Springbokken nie

Wow. What kak was that?

The monster pack looked just as bad as the monster pack Jake selected for Sydney (was it last year?)

How many attacking balls did we lose when players went down without support and the Irish robbed them or forced the penalty?

Five lineout jumpers? Jake if you can't do the maths, I'll fly out and write it down for you. For the possible extra lineout that might win you (and we sure didn't win too many extra tonight), how much ball does it lose you because you don't have a fetcher?

While Spies looked like a world beater behind a dominant Bulls pack, he looked like a chump behind a beaten pack tonight.

And never mind the loosies, our locks shouldn't hold their places either. Ackerman was awesome in the Super 14. But he hasn't played since then due to injury and it showed. Albert van der Berg can't hold down a first choice place in the Sharks. And it showed.

The rush defence - farkin hell. The only player who makes it work is Breyton. The line takes their alignment off the wing in the rush, and with two rookies, our alignment was kak.

Jaco Pretorius looked like he met his teammates before the match. His defensive alignment was the worst of the bunch.

Habana on wing would not have done much better - he's been crap at marshalling the rush all season.

I'm one of the proponents of Habana at centre. After today I don't know what to think. There were so many holes, I can't judge his performance.

The scrum got drilled - Sephaka and BJ. That just tells me that our scrumming is still kak. Balie has done nothing for the technique. We keep blaming every player from Eddie Andrews to Deon Carstens to CJ van der Linde.

What we need is someone who is a master of technique - not strength. Visagie is our Mendez. Jake swallow your pride and call him. He's got a year of playing time left. Maybe he can teach our youngsters something before he retires.

Congratulations Francois Steyn. You looked class today. As for him on wing? I'd have rather seen him at flyhalf. We need a backup to Andre Pretorius. Tonight proved that.

What did today teach us? The commentators thought it was that we don't have much depth outside of the first choice match 22.

St Mich said something similar.

I don't think that's close to the mark. When Jake selected half the side out of position, I think he lost the opportunity to learn any lessons at all.

Pick a first and second choice side without a bias for size, without a bias for Potentially world beating stats (like the highest bench-press-to-time-for-the-60m ratio). Pick them based on their Super 14 and Currie Cup performance.

Stop feeding us the representivity bullshit - that side today looked bloody white to me.

This resting players stuff lacks credibility too. Paulse hardly played this season. And yet we went in with two guys on wing who don't play wing.

Swallow your pride and pick a fetcher.

Then we can start learning about how to tune the side to win the friggin World Cup.

Until then we're shooting in the dark.