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'It's not happening in a 2027 World Cup playoff match'
By Josh Raisey
Schalk Burger is taking positives from South Africa’s narrow 29-28 defeat to Argentina in round five of the Rugby Championship on Saturday, saying it is part of the team’s “evolution”.
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After missing a rudimentary penalty in the final seconds of the match, which would very likely have given the Springboks the victory and the Championship, flyhalf Manie Libbok’s goal kicking has certainly been in the spotlight.
The Stormers No10’s kicking is something that has always come under scrutiny, and the former flanker believes the events in Santiago del Estero will “follow” him.
Burger’s former teammate Jean de Villiers is in agreement, and now feels it is now a “risk” to play the 27-year-old without another kicker in the team.
Speaking on this week’s episode of RugbyPass TV’s Boks Office, the pair dissected the loss, and the ramifications for both the Springboks and Libbok.
“Unfortunately with Manie – and he was so good when he came on, his tactical kicking was accurate – for a reasonably young flyhalf, that follows you that pressure kick, because it’s going to come again,” the former World Rugby player of the year said.
“And we can go through the game and say ‘that’s not the turning point’, but at the end of the day, last year at the World Cup, that’s what won us the World Cup, Handre Pollard’s kick against England. Then you go to the final and you realise [Jordie] Barrett and [Richie] Mo’unga missed three attempts between the two of them, that’s the World Cup there.
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“That’s, unfortunately, the difference, the margins are so fine.”
“The reality now with Manie is you need to differentiate between Manie as a flyhalf and Manie as a kicker,” de Villiers said.
“Fantastic flyhalf- fantastic attacking player, defensively he makes his tackles, he can do a proper job for you. Unfortunately there is a risk by selecting him at flyhalf with the goal kicking if you don’t have someone backing you up as a goal kicker. As a flyhalf, that is a tough thing, but is he a bad player? Certainly not.”
The positive for Burger is that this has come three years before Rassie Erasmus’ side are set to defend their World Cup in Australia. This provides the players, not just Libbok, to improve their skill set.
Boks Office host Hanyani Shimange even highlighted the kicking struggles South Africa’s highest point scorer Percy Montgomery endured during his playing that he was able to iron out.
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Fortunately for Libbok, he has been backed by Erasmus to go out and prove the doubters wrong this weekend in Mbombela in round six of the Championship, where the Boks can bring the title home. Libbok will start in the No10 jersey and, judging by the rest of the backline, will be the designated goal kicker.
“It’s part of this Bok team’s evolution,” Burger said. “You’ve got to expose players, you’re going to lose Test matches to be able to know. It’s not happening in a 2027 World Cup playoff match. The players have got to make those mistakes before that.
“Luckily now it happened before three years before the next World Cup so you have a chance to improve your skill set.
“If you’re Manie Libbok, prove them wrong, say ‘listen, let’s go back to the drawing board, let’s remodel our mental approach, remodel some technical issues that I might have in my kicking game’ because clearly there is a bit of both. He’s a great attacking player and Rassie backs him for it and you have an opportunity to learn from that mistake.”
Shimange added: “Monty went through it. He changed his kicking and came back at the top. It’s a very fixable thing. I just think the abuse is unfair.”
De Villiers also agreed that the reaction by fans and the abuse directed towards the flyhalf online has been “too much”
“This is where we really need to say,” he said. “We take rugby extremely seriously and Springbok rugby is so close to our hearts but at the end of the day it’s just a game. We can’t now get personal and start attacking his character.
“That just gets too much. No one regrets it and hates it more than Manie that he missed that kick.”
Watch the highly acclaimed five-part documentary Chasing the Sun 2, chronicling the journey of the Springboks as they strive to successfully defend the Rugby World Cup, free on RugbyPass TV (*unavailable in Africa)
SteveD - "I love winding them up!"
SteveD - "Some on here can dish it out but they can't hack it.."
(6 hours later) SteveD -"stop insulting me. Leave me alone. Go away!"
Hahahaha. Stick to cutting the grass, pensioner.
jou poes voechek is more like it
the way that you carry on it's like someone that has roids going right through his putrid veins KANT
you are a fu;king whinging pop. Your nation helped set up apartheid which you probably have no idea about. Your nation interned more that 20000 women and children in apartheid internment camps of which approximately the same amount died. Your nation is the shocker and should not be throwing any stones at glass houses should you!!!!!! KANT
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You complain about how your Irish heritage has been attacked, yet you do the very same thing, I'm sensing some bi-polar schizophrenia at play here, so many pseudonyms but so easy to spot the same racist idiot. Here's some Dutch for you: voestsek!!
I've never struggled with that, funnily. I never doped though. Was always a clean player. Has to be a connection.
At your age one would think getting an erection would be anything but grim, should be anticipated as much as winning a RWC
I strongly suspect you miss apartheid, Steve. Such anger.
Have thumbs a up. I'm having one.
Hopefully it feels better than beating the boks. That's so routine now.
As grimly inevitable as an erection at a Taylor Swift concert.
Used to be enthralling...
Very kind of you to prove my point.
Stay salty, seasick Steve.
It's a game, geez. Losing is part of winning, getting euphoric winning the RWC is normal.
But......maybe one day you'll understand.
At least my 'mispell' was how you bogtrotters say it.
And no, you didn't hit a raw nerve, you hit the Effoff button, and when you start insulting my grandson you go way over the top and so you can go and stew in your own Oirish stew, china. So please eff off and find someone else to insult. I've had enough of your bulldust. So you won, just like the RWC. Oh right, you didn't. Not even once!!
Doesn't hurt when your team loses and you only raise an eyebrow when they lift silverware?
Most parts of the world call that 'glory hunting.'
Nope, you're the one who's so thick you actually forgot to thumbs up yourself! Ag shame, man keep trying, but also stop trying to be so trying.
That's a smart move. I didn't realise that you get a direct bump yourself from the gate entry?
I also hadn't realised that the economy was soaring over there.
Indulge in improving your Dutch, perhaps?
Didn't bother me much, had to lose one, glad it was to a good team, hopefully we meet in 2027, so I can say this again when we lift the cup again.
Hit a raw nerve did I? Sorry about that.
He got dropped from the starting 15 then?
You misspelled Irish. Sorry to be barking on like.
Unfortunately the tickets have been selling out within ten minutes for every test so I don't bother. And anyway I'd rather the visitors came in their thousands to SA and spend their euros so I can stay here in indulgent luxury thanks to their generosity rather than take their seats.
Spot the Bok! They win even when they get it wrong and lose!!!
Any wonder you need steroids and 10 man rugby to have a chance.
I'm guessing you're one of the guys who's literally too thick to even insult.
Ádh mór ort!
Nah, he's not an Oirish leprechaun that needs boosting. But he does love potatoes...
How'd you like them spuds when they did you in the world cup?
Choked or bate into the dirt. You choose?
Nope, you're wrong. Finish and klaar, so unless you can provide proper references to prove it, I win.
Unlike the Irish, I won't choke on Tayto Crisps
Proper Bok fan. Doesn't even bother attending the matches.
It's not just a myth then.
No actually, it's not hard to give yourself a thumbs up.
See below...
Has he started cycling steroids yet or is he a late developer?
Yet, you weren't quoting anyone. You used an idiom which is a phrase.
You originally used "?
It's actually ?"
Get it right, Steve.
Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long.
I do, sunshine - my grandson's. He goes to the top rugby school in SA.
Go to a match, Steve. It will change your life.
Rassie knows what he's doing. Let's give Manie a chance and trust the process.
'De Villiers also agreed that the reaction by fans and the abuse directed towards the flyhalf online has been “too much”'
And very embarrassing. But maybe they'll learn a bit more from this and STFU in future. Nah, they'll carry on being dom.
Nothing new. People who never had the skills to catch or kick, let alone kick goals, all hurl abuse at the 10 these days. Playing 10 in rugby is one of the most difficult in sport. Even players who lumber from ruck to ruck and do little else think they can do better.
I've always wondered what was the plan in 2023 when Pollard was left out of the squad. Was the plan always to sacrifice Mapimpi or someone else so he could come in a kick the goals in the knockouts since the Boks probably would have been knocked out at the semis if Pollard hadn't turned up
Pollard was left out because he was injured.
Schalk knows what it takes to win.
Namely, ramming your fingers into your opponents eye socket.
Classy.
it was only another british player so who cares
You really know so much about test rugby. Schalk was just unfortunate to be found out, not that I condone it. And so have you - another Bok hater?
Went to school with the guy. My mum grew up with his father and uncle. He is really a nice guy.