You have to laugh or you would cry. Sir Bobby Charlton, star of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning side, was asked after the game this week how they would have done against Iceland. “1-0 to us!” he said without hesitation. When asked about the small margin of victory, he replied: “Well, we are now well into our 70s!” The other one was England being the only country to leave Europe twice in a week!
It’s lovely to kick people when they’re down. As Oscar Wilde said: “What better time to do it?”
How do we rate the Springboks after the narrow, slightly fortunate win over a well-organised Ireland side missing a number of stars? It’s a lot tougher than rating the current English soccer team. First, we came back from 1-0 down to win the series. Second, the effort to hold out the Irish at the end last week was stubborn, aggressive and disciplined. There was no mention of stirring attacking play, just prudent defence.
A win is a win and the Boks beat the Irish to take the series. However, given the latent talent in the squad and the optimistic build-up, the reaction has been one of huge disappointment. Anger is in the air and it is tempting to stick in the boot and call for change. This should be resisted in favour of cautious optimism and encouragement. I’ll tell you why.
A few years ago, Joe Schmidt, the marvellous Ireland coach who is wanted by New Zealand, got in touch with Leinster to buy Isa Nacewa, the talented Fijian, and take him to Claremont Auvergne, where he was backline coach. Nacewa turned Schmidt down and told the Kiwi of the talent available at Leinster. He persuaded Leinster to talk to Schmidt and the rest is history. Three players, Brian O’Driscoll, Johnny Sexton and skipper Leo Cullen, not management, spoke to Schmidt and told him they were desperate to transform their team into the best in Europe. Schmidt told them how they could do it and, with an undertaking that they would support him, instead of staying with Claremont, he decamped to Dublin. It was hailed as a new beginning and all were optimistic.
Leinster, under Schmidt, lost five of their first six games and were soon objects of derision. The players called a meeting and told the coach they had got the plot and just needed time to put it into action. They did, and with trophies galore, including two Heineken Cups, he was promoted to coach Ireland. They have since won two Six Nations titles and suddenly are challenging the south rather. There is a lesson in this for us.
Allister Coetzee has come in with a clear plan to transform the Boks. So attractive and logical was the message that the players were over-confident against Ireland and didn’t turn up. They had not appreciated just how difficult it is to change a team philosophy from bump and grind into fast and wide and quick. It is like a golfer who decides to change his grip from neutral to strong. In theory it’s easy but, in practice, almost impossible.
Everything is initially shambolic and you need someone to bully you into staying with it. Balls are lost, turf is destroyed and language deteriorates as anger rises. The temptation to go back is massive but, if you stick with it, at some stage there follows a drive that clicks off the club and soars with gentle draw and a run on the turf that results in an unimaginable shot. Eureka!
Within the mediocre Test performance we had that Eureka moment. In the last quarter at Ellis Park we simply blew away the Irish. The pace increased and we suddenly looked like the All Blacks in full flow. It was marvellous, front and back, and just look at how the players and spectators loved it. That was our perfect drive in the middle of rubbish as we changed our grip. We must, therefore, persevere and keep the new dispensation.
It will not come immediately, but those golden passages of play will increase if we stick with it. Schmidt and Leinster did because the players had bought into it and knew he was right. Have ours? I hope so, but remember the world and his wife will be sticking boots into the plan. Calm heads are needed and an understanding of the incremental steps that must be taken along the way.
Remember, even Sir Alf Ramsey started off with a hammering against France. In hindsight, we are actually on track. Look at that last quarter at Ellis Park again and believe. - Saturday Star
*Robbie hosts the breakfast show 6-9am weekdays on 702.