Perpignan v Toulon

I’m a Kiwi and stout All Blacks fan but I don’t think this is unreasonable analysis. However, the notion of the Springboks having an unbreakable defence is more of a cultural stereotype as, in all honesty, the stats just don’t quite add up in this WC to support that point.

SA conceded tries and missed tackles during the knockout games they played in - quite a lot of them, really. I think the critical factor for them was more to do with attitude and confidence, while also using their bench effectively to target the breakdown area late in the game especially. Against France, England and New Zealand they were outplayed for large portions of the game but held on enough to be able to exploit weaknesses when it counted.

For France, their essential weakness (after losing their big lock, Willemse especially) was an inability to slow down and control a game. They attacked aggressively but couldn’t consolidate their lead through set piece control. They could only play at hyper speed, which allowed SA to meet fire with fire using high ball attacking and simple driving play. Every time France scored, SA came straight back at them.

For England, their essential weakness was an inability to score tries as well as a weak reserve front row. They couldn’t accumulate enough points while dominant, which kept SA in touching distance and gave an easy target for SA at the scrum to earn penalties towards the end.

For New Zealand, their weakness stemmed from ill discipline, which itself stemmed from a underlying lack of confidence based on several years of shaky results. When things didn’t go to plan - like referee/TMO decisions not going their way - you could palpably sense a degree of panic in their game. This led to desperate high tackles and the like even when they weren’t needed. This was true throughout the last few years, to be honest. Past NZ teams weren’t necessarily better in any technical sense but were mentally stronger...more confident that things would turn in their favour eventually.

They had it against Ireland, but that was after months of analysis, a very smooth build up in the Group stages, and they were helped a little by Irish overconfidence too. SA weren’t overconfident as much as they were cussed and defiant which is a different mindset.

If teams want to learn from the World Cup and improve next time, they need to honestly address these weaknesses rather than beating their nationalistic chests or blaming the referee.

Sjoe. I’m jelly of Leinster already.

An attack mindset in defence is very clever. Instead of being passive - you maximize every minute of the game whether you have the ball or not. Nienaber will be missed but long may his influence last.

209 tackles v 92 is an INSANE stat for a final. I’ve always thought, this is a game of who wants it more and the Boks wanted it more. 209 vs 92 shows who wanted it more.

The fact is this.

This All Blacks side was one of the worst on record, coached by the worst coach in our history. First, world cup pool loss, Argie home loss, Irish home series loss, 69% win record for a coach is horrific, most losses as an AB coach.

And worst of all - the head to head records v our arch rivals, Ireland, SA and France. Here Foster came in at 38%.

I don’t know why we are all disappointed about the final loss because the numbers above tell a story of a team that should have just got out of pool play and got shot.

One could not read a more vacuous & self involved article, ie less than half of it was the article itself, the rest quotes praising itself ie summary, defence stops attack, if it works. Rocket science.

England would be slammed if it had won the same way. Apparently the same makes the Bok superheroes. Pathetic insecurity.

What a bad example, to say their defence won them the game when they missed 37 tackles highlights that the defence wasn’t that good against 14 players.

Geees give it a bone !!!!

Rubbish!

Really nicely put, never looked at it from this angle but that is impressive.

The problem is words like “actually” and “always” as if defensive intensity and strategy are not “playing” rugby or not conducive to a “positive, flowing game.” As Wittgenstein and co. have taught us, the problem is in our language.

No other team defends like the Springboks, Best D in this universe ;p. I hope this team can take it up a gear from here!!!