An identification parade of world rugby’s bad guys would put South Africa front and centre.
The Springboks stereotype is of huge forwards laying waste to all before them like a marauding green and gold army of stone giants with little in the way of fluent attacking rugby.
Easy to pigeonhole and easier still to take against. But something strange has happened in recent times. There has been a metamorphosis. The South African side that will confront England has that base element of muscle which is the Springbok DNA – but they can play too. With Manie Libock zipping passes and Cheslin Kolbe doing his hot-shoe shuffle, they have become strangely loveable.
Not everyone feels this way – as the death threat Boks scrum half Cobus Reinach had to deal with after the quarter-final victory over France showed – but for the non-unhinged the evolution has been a surprising treat. The architect of everything Springbok is director of rugby Rassie Erasmus and his explanation is fascinating.
After South Africa lost to France 11 months ago, Erasmus decided on the radical revamp of the side’s approach. He said: “We had to adapt and try to score tries through more open, fluent, running rugby. As a team we don’t want to be this wonderful playing rugby team that the whole world loves but we do want to score tries. Post that last French game I tweeted a few times. I said we’d have to adapt and make things clearer for refs, we can’t just rely on mauling, scrumming and close-contact work.
“Those aspects are tough to referee and if the ref gets two decisions wrong and you get four opportunities, 50 per cent are gone.
Danmark Seneste Nyt, Danmark Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også læse nyheder, der ligner denne, som vi har indsamlet fra andre nyhedskilder.
Rugby World Cup: England's almighty challenge vs South Africa: What game plan could succeed?Ahead of England's Rugby World Cup semi-final vs South Africa, we look at their almighty challenge, and what areas they need to get right.
Læs mere »
5 past Rugby World Cup meetings between England and South AfricaIn their five meetings in the tournament, England have won only once ahead of Saturday’s tie.
Læs mere »
5 past Rugby World Cup meetings between England and South AfricaIn their five meetings in the tournament, England have won only once ahead of Saturday’s tie.
Læs mere »
The World Cup final beckons: talking points ahead of England-South AfricaThe two teams met in the final four years ago, with South Africa resounding winners.
Læs mere »
The World Cup final beckons: talking points ahead of England-South AfricaThe two teams met in the final four years ago, with South Africa resounding winners.
Læs mere »