If you wanted to understand why no South African team has ever won the Super 12 you could do no better than study the four games that made up two-thirds of round two of the competition this year.
In Canberra on Friday a Bulls side that bases its entire tactical approach upon a dominant pack and a reliable goal kicker scrummed poorly and missed vital kicks. The Brumbies thereby escaped with narrow victory for the second time in a fortnight.
In Invercargill on Saturday the Stormers met a Highanders side that was but a pale shadow of the team that reached the semifinals only three seasons ago. The Stormers have yet to develop any kind of wet-weather game plan, however, and they were distinctly fortunate to escape with a draw.
On that basis, though, the Cape side was the only one of our teams to avoid defeat. They played poorly, but earned two points: what would the Cats and Sharks not give for such a result?
In Durban the Sharks were outclassed by the Waratahs, despite leading at half time. In 2004 Kevin Putt’s men lost 48-14 to the same opponents, but that was in Sydney.
Finally, the Cats reverted to type at Ellis Park, scoring several fine tries of their own, but conceding no fewer than six courtesy of a defence numbering rather more holes than the 4 000 of Blackburn, Lancashire, fame.
To distil the essence of the above: our good sides are not ruthless enough,
especially when on the road, while our bad sides cannot find a way to win at home against foreign opposition.
Note the word ”foreign”, by the way. The Cats had no problem in motivating themselves to beat the Bulls at Ellis Park, making a string of fearsome hits and refusing to buckle in the set pieces. Against the Hurricanes a week later it was a very different story. There is a suggestion here that traditional South African xenophobia is no match for the hatred felt for neighbouring provinces.
The implosion of the Cats would be just another footnote were it not for the fact that they were so good against the Bulls. They have an enviable blend of youth and experience on the field and a coaching staff brimful of experience in playing at the highest level. It should not be beyond the scope of the squad to put one awful performance aside and contend seriously from here.
In the case of the Sharks it’s hard to be either as diplomatic or optimistic. The union is going through hard times and there are dark rumours of a change of coach in the offing. The Cats changed coach halfway through the tournament in 2004 and it is hardly recommended as a way of focusing players’ minds.
Yet the same side began last season with similar tales of backstage woe and began round nine of the competition in second place, having won points and plenty of respect on the road. It is not impossible that the same could happen again, but it is far from likely.
One thing the Sharks can call on is the genius of Brent Russell, a pint-sized purveyor of memorable moments, capable of playing anywhere in the back line. Yet Russell is not unique in the South African game; the Bulls have a similarly talented fellow by the name of Bryan Habana, but they choose not to give him the ball until it is too late.
Against the Cats, Habana’s brilliant late try earned a most unexpected bonus point, and against the Brumbies he looked the best player on the field on the rare occasions that his team-mates saw fit to pass to him.
It has been suggested that he is wasted on the wing and that he should play at outside centre. Unfortunately that will make little difference as long as the ball gets stuck in the hands of Ettienne Botha at inside centre.
If the Bulls were lethargic in their opening match then they were criminally negligent against a Brumbies team lacking half a dozen Wallabies. It is too easy to blame the defeat on a few kicks missed by a 21-year-old flyhalf. The Bulls should have scored four tries or more against such underwhelming opposition and announced themselves as championship contenders.
Last year the only South African side to reach the semifinals was the Stormers and already it looks like the same again. The Stormers have a midfield problem because they are in the happy position of not knowing whom to leave out. One of Marius Joubert, De Wet Barry and Jean de Villiers must either play out of position or warm the bench.
They are less fortunate up front where coach Gert Smal would give his eye-teeth for a few spare Bulls forwards. Springbok success in 2004 was based around merging the Stormers backs with the Bulls pack, but that is unfortunately not possible in the Super 12.
Therefore while Smal must implore his backs not to waste the good ball that comes their way, he must also remember that there is simply no substitute for pace. That means Tonderai Chavanga, if fit, must play and never mind the juggling act at centre. The Stormers are in Canberra this week, and it would be a huge tonic to rugby watchers in this country if they could succeed against the Brumbies with the rapier where the Bulls failed with the broadsword.