Gil Scott-Heron famously sang “the revolution will not be televised” but the Springboks’ revolution under new attack coach Tony Brown has been there for all to see.
After wining back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles with a power game and a dogged rush defence, the Springboks have added a greater attacking element since Brown joined Rassie Erasmus’ coaching team at the start of the year.
It’s still very much a work in progress, but having witnessed the Springboks’ first six Test matches of 2024, it’s clear that the team have embraced the challenge to try and hurt teams with some panache and not just with blunt force.
The end goal is not to move completely away from the power game, brutish defence and set-piece dominance that makes the Springboks such a colossus in world rugby, but to add an extra weapon which could take South Africa to the next level.
The New Zealander Brown is helping the Springboks get a lot more width on attack and to create space for their dangerous runners such as Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arende on the outside.
But the gameplan also needs the players’ soft skills and decision-making to evolve as well. You need the right instruments and skill set to do the job.
And that is where another assistant coach Mzwandile Stick comes into the picture. Stick, a former Springboks Sevens captain, has helped the players with their passing under pressure and their peripheral vision to spot the space.
We’ve seen props doing “out of the back” passes and players offloading in the tackle with a lot more accuracy and than in the past. All the work going in is clearly a geared to enhance this new style of play.
While the Wallabies are essentially canon fodder, the Springboks’ stats after their opening Rugby Championship Tests tell of a story of a team keeping hold of the ball a lot more, while also doing the basics well.
The Springboks scored nine tries in two Test matches against the Wallabies, with the bulk of them coming via their powerful maul in the rain in Perth. One of those tries came from a wonderful planned move, where the Boks had to pods of jumpers in a switch of attack.
But the maul tries and a few others came from the pressure they put the Wallabies under with ball in hand and their willingness to attack on the counter, even in very conditions.
The Springboks carried the ball 235 times against the Aussies over the two Test matches, one less than the All Blacks in their matches. However, they made almost 200 metres more than what the All Blacks managed against Argentina’s Los Pumas.
Of those carries, the Springboks had a 60% gainline success rate, making almost four metres per carry. It’s a clear indication of how they are trying to combine their power with an ability to attack the space.
Another telling statistic is who made the most carries for the Boks, with wings Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arende and flank Pieter-Steph all carrying for over 100 metres in the two matches.
Du Toit has been used a strike runner in the wider channels and has punched holes in Ireland and the Wallabies’ defences. Arendse didn’t even feature in the second Test.
Another colossal performance by #Springboks stalwart Pieter-Steph du Toit in Perth💥#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/hRoxoPaOgA
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 19, 2024
But while the Springboks have attacked with a lot more with ball in hand, they haven’t slacked off in defence or when it comes to securing their ball at the breakdown.
The Boks have a 90% tackle success rate over the two matches. They have also won 96% of their rucks, which is an improvement from the Ireland series. Only Argentina (97%) has been better in this department.
The challenge against the All Blacks will be a lot tougher on both attack and defence.
The All Blacks also have a 90% tackle success rate, while they showed in the second Test against Argentina that they are still an attacking force with the amount of successful offloads they executed in the rain at Eden Park.
However, the Springboks’ attacking revolution is on the right path. There is certainly more to come from the Brown-Stick attacking duo.
IOL Sport