Former captain Jean de Villiers believes that fans aren’t too bothered about the Springboks’ style of play as head coach Rassie Erasmus attempts to evolve the team’s attack.
Last year, Erasmus recruited Tony Brown to run the team’s attack, with the former All Blacks fly-half arriving with a glowing reputation for his expertise in that area of the game following his coaching stints with the Highlanders and Japan.
Under his tutelage, the Springboks have been more expansive in attack, which Erasmus believes is necessary if they are to become the first nation to win three Rugby World Cups in a row.
Springboks aim to entertain
After falling to a defeat to the Wallabies at Ellis Park, South Africa reverted to a more conservative approach in Cape Town to defeat Australia 30-22, and after the match in the Mother City, Erasmus explained that another reason for the attacking evolution is to produce more entertaining performances for the fans.
“We are trying to please our crowds by winning and playing a better brand, and sometimes we get it wrong like we did last weekend,” he said.
“But sometimes when we get into games like this where it’s a real grind, we tend to find a way.
“We tend to struggle when it’s an open, free-running game – it’s beautiful rugby, but you lose on the scoreboard.
“Overall, we’ll learn from this and hopefully the tighter the matches get, we’ll get more comfortable with it as we have been in the past.”
However, legendary Bok centre De Villiers argues that fans aren’t too concerned about how the team plays, with positive results ranking high in importance.
Teething issues
Appearing on Off the Ball, the 109 Test cap international was asked why the Springboks are evolving their attack.
“It’s constantly about the competition to attract eyeballs; you’re not only competing with our rugby tournaments and teams but also with other sporting codes and everything else on TV, too,” he said.
“When you are paying for your SuperSport, here in South Africa, or buying a ticket to go to a live game, you want value for money and to be entertained.
“I suppose the Boks need to do their part in making it as good as possible to watch, so the fans can get the value that they believe that they deserve, but it’s about that balance.
“I’ve generally spoken with most South Africans who prefer winning rather than losing, and even if it’s boring and ugly at times, they still prefer the win. But then you do get picky at times. I suppose it’s that evergreen debate, whether it is just about winning or whether it’s about entertaining, and most people like winning, don’t they?”
A year on from Brown joining the Springboks, de Villiers believes that the squad is still getting to grips with the new attacking structures and is wary about the number of strong voices in the coaching team ranks.
“I don’t think they are there yet,” he remarked.
“I think they have quite a way to go. Also, remembering the change in personnel from a management point of view, with the Irish influence back, not just with Jerry Flannery entering last year, but also Felix Jones coming back.
“So now you’ve got someone, like a Felix, who is fantastic from an attacking point of view, but also Tony with his input. Rassie is also giving input, and he wants to evolve, and it’s about getting the balance and combination right by listening to all the voices and making sure you are aligned with where you want to go.
“Sometimes with so many voices, it can get confusing about what have to do, and I’m not saying that’s the case with the Springboks, I’m not in camp, but those are some of the elements that you look at and make sure you are very well aligned.”
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