South Africa awoke from a self-imposed slumber at Ellis Park on August 31.
You read that right.
After winning back-to-back William Webb Ellis Cups playing a style of rugby the majority of non-South Africans didn’t like, Rassie Erasmus flexed. He showed off.
And that should send a shiver down the spine of the rugby world.
Suddenly, South African rugby seems to have recognised what many of us have been saying for years, decades even: they have wonderfully talented and powerful backs who can win Test matches without kicking the ball away.
At Ellis Park, the Boks had 55 per cent possession throughout the game, 67 per cent in the last ten minutes. They passed the ball 108 times, carried it 106 times and kicked on just 33 occasions. The kick-to-pass ratio was roughly 1:3.
It was in stark contrast to the World Cup final less than one year ago when the Boks retained just 40 per cent possession. During that contest, they passed 84 times, carried 85 and kicked 38 times. The South African kick-to-pass ratio was roughly 1:2.
Some may point to the penalty count at Ellis Park (14-5 against NZ) as skewing the possession stats. But that doesn’t explain the disparity in how South Africa chose to use the ball that they had.
There should be no doubt that a change of strategy has been implemented by the South African brains trust. There’s a clear intent to play more rugby.
With Faf de Klerk injured, Handre Pollard benched and Willie le Roux not selected in the match day 23 despite being marooned on 99 Test caps, the Springboks looked a far more dangerous proposition.
Just pause a moment to let that sink in. South Africa look better without the spine of their WC-winning back line.
Yes, they were awarded a try that shouldn’t have been awarded. Yes, it was a poor refereeing performance. Yes, they were at home in Johannesburg. But let’s get serious.
They won a big Test that could have gone either way, missing perhaps five of their top six locks while being steered around the park by a 22-year-old fly-half with four caps to his name.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Remember the name. The kid can play.
If there has been a more accomplished opening four Tests by an international No.10 in the modern game, I don’t remember them. His option-taking and execution are already world class. He’s a triple threat 10 of the calibre rarely seen since Dan Carter.
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Feinberg-Mngomezulu benefitted greatly from the performance of Cobus Reinach in the first half who brings so much more to the table than Faf.
Reinach is lightning-quick and finds space when it’s at a premium. His first instinct is not to slow the game down at the base of rucks and shape to box kick.
Scott Barrett is tackled in Johannesburg. (Photo by Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Similarly, Aphelele Fassi at fullback has the potential to offer so much more than Willie le Roux. His explosiveness was on show at Ellis Park throughout the game and complimented the rock-solid, powerful centre pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel.
The Springboks have always had outstanding backs who could distribute the ball as well as run with it – if given permission by their coaches.
Any notion that SA rugby can only be based on set pieces, kicking and defence was always flawed.
The late, great Joost van der Westhuizen was arguably the greatest scrum-half to play the game and did so running and passing as well as kicking.
Danie Gerber still makes many people’s ’all-time world XV’ in the centres, not because he was a tackling machine but because of his powerful fends and incisive running that cut through defences like a knife through butter.
Some guy called Habana also knew his way to the try line not just by contesting high balls but by finishing off long flowing back-line moves or counter-attacks with ball in hand.
The question on everyone’s lips is why now? Why has Rassie Erasmus suddenly released his back line and permitted ball-in-hand rugby?
It may well be that the new rules designed to speed the game up and reduce stoppage time have forced his hand. We certainly saw much less of the South African trainers on Saturday night.
But I suspect it’s mainly ego.
Rassie wants to stay in our heads. He wants to laugh at all of us who said South Africa were boring and could only win without possession. That winning without risk was victory without glory.
And good on him, hats off. It’s good for the game.
This South African side led around the park by the exciting 22-year-old Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been let off the leash.
