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Cape Town – He and we can snap the records … Rbadie Erasmus has completed his first season as head coach of the Springboks.
If you choose to equate this with a pbadenger interviewed by the person who will meet him at the airport after a long-haul flight (remember that he has supervised 14 games tested), the answer could be something like, " Hmm, a bumpy ride at times of sleep disturbed … but a quality service when the tramway was crossing the aisles. "
To what extent exactly, if you want to encrypt, can you evaluate the first year of Erasmus, which is rarely boring?
I think the best method would be to divide it into five categories, give it a score of 10, and then combine it to give it a final percentage count.
That's it, then …
Performance 2018
Let's get straight to the point: for a supposed superpower, South Africa's record with exactly 50% wins / losses in 2018 still shows a team far surpbading its most desired potential.
The Boks seemed to take a step back shortly after each advance; they had three consecutive wins, but also two of two losses at short notice, which sums up their persistent inconsistency.
Once again, the final count of the first year of Erasmus at the helm is much better than Allister Coetzee's first year in 2016, when the Boks won four meager tests out of 12 (33.33%).
But the predecessor also strengthened his results in his second season – and paradoxically final – when he won seven of 13 events (there were also two draws against the Wallabies) for a winning percentage of nearly 54.
The remarkable record of the first year of Erasmus on paper is a mitigating factor: a setback in the first game of little significance, low intensity and dominated by the second string on neutral ground in the United States, a dead defeat against the England in the capetonian mud after two nice wins in previous rounds on the Highveld and, of course, Owen Farrell's clash that probably cost SA a win at Twickenham much more recently.
The two worst performances of the Boks were undoubtedly the 32 to 19 defeat against Argentina in Mendoza, and then the 20-11 loss to Wales, Wales in Cardiff on Saturday, was not the ideal way to "remember" the national team during the summer months.
But it is also very true to recall that the Boks did not suffer any of the types of violent hammering from 0 to 57 years that characterized Coetzee's two-year stay.
Which also leads us to see how much better they have been this season in the pair of bilateral clashes with the All Blacks, always at the same speed: a famous and bloody victory against the chances and the flow of possession in Wellington. and a desperately narrow distance, heartbreaking defeat at Loftus when, by contrast, they had been much better for most of the clashes.
According to my book, these two exciting and educational moments justify giving Erasmus a score above 50% in this category …
Rating: 5.5 / 10
Selection
It's hard to take the reins of the World Cup midway – rather than at the beginning, when you have a lot more freedom for experience and patience.
Erasmus has therefore been "in a hurry" to prepare the Boks appropriately for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and, like all modern Bok coaches, it must also be motivated by certain political considerations and the embarrbading factor of so many professional footballers. high level originating from our shores. to be based in foreign countries.
I think it's largely found a pretty clever balance between continuity / stability and the need to adjust one's mix from time to time with longer-term goals in mind.
He sometimes went a little to the left, with a decidedly mixed reaction … like involving 37-year-old Schalk Brits in his plans, then suddenly turned to Gio Aplon (36) for wider goals.
But Erasmus could not be faulted in his quest for strengthening or maintaining depth in many positions: there are several, especially in the tight five group, where players can enter and leave without jerks without disturbing or weakening the unit.
He was also inclined to reward the "little guys" (we think of Cheslin Kolbe, and he was very enthusiastic), who might not have been watched by previous coaches.
The coach also made tremendous progress in burying the great ministerial weakness of the Coetzee era: the third back, where Aphiwe Dyantyi turned out to be a revealing weapon, and drunk Nkosi (though embarrbaded by various injury problems) has the No. 14 jersey when it is in shape.
And although his predecessor, in all fairness, started the process with the restoration of Pieter-Steph du Toit – perhaps the Bok player of the season? – Enlightening Flank, Erasmus pursued the initiative with enthusiasm and success.
Rating: 6/10
Game plan / game style
In general terms, it can be said that the Erasmus de Bok have dissipated much of the fog of streaks, if you will, on this front that has characterized the mandate of Coetzee a little too much.
The Boks felt a stronger sense of urgency, direction, and purpose this year, after two years before the absence of any chance – they gave a better impression that, by a very good day, they might have to be the necessary ingredients to spill anybody. in a really red-letter test match.
Erasmus has almost always set up combative and industrious advanced units – like all the planets on the planet – even though the critics probably took place to the north, while the standards for alignment have moved a little further those of the time of "Toetie".
He was willing to sacrifice (certainly the lion's share of the time) the presence of a true "burrower", in favor of a more generalized and universal approach to theft and slowing down, although the formula was exposed to a noticeable degree at the end of the season. in Cardiff.
From time to time, Bok's bottom line was revealed as a result of decisive maneuvers, although this was probably not enough to please the purists, and there was a tedious reliance, especially when Faf de Klerk was the only ° 9, who set the tone for boxing in some tests. matches; The Boks are still not the best of the winners in the air, which does not help.
The midfielder remains an area in which the Boks do not have the appropriate impression: the alliance De Allende-Kriel has too seldom demonstrated qualities of penetration as individuals or as to the caliber (you could add levels of desire) of their pbadage / unloading, which meant Bok's stealth in the wider berths was often thwarted.
Erasmus & # 39; s Boks does not usually struggle to penetrate the test column enough for firmer and faster throws – especially at home and in the Southern Hemisphere – but this also happens, too often at the expense of a clean and well adhesive defense.
One of the main problems in preparing for next year's World Cup is the inexplicable tendency of some outside defenders to misalign themselves when the Boks are threatened – there are too many leaks for the opposition.
Rating: 5.5 / 10
Transformation
Given the stated goal by SA Rugby to be able to form a Bok team with a 50% representation of color players from here RWC 2019, it is a statistical fact that They still have not managed to do it in 2018.
According to our barometer by editor Garrin Lambley throughout the 14-game campaign, the Boks have peaked – at least in terms of match, against 47.83% in the first match against Wales in Washington, doubtful exercise. where both teams have set up highly experimental training.
Nevertheless, under the circumstances, Erasmus was fully entitled (a week later, when he cocooned his "first team" for the home game against England) to take a liberal turn, as a marginal option or particularly young , whatever his color – what he did. .
The Boks played three more test matches in the 2018 formation, reaching about 45% of black players (so very close to the target) … but also several in which the countdown plunged in the mid-thirties.
These included the four matches of the end-of-year tour, although the coach could say that he was surprised by the impossibility of finding men who could have been at the forefront like Tendai Mtawarira and Lukhanyo Am.
Furthermore, it can be argued that devotion to transformation should not be determined solely by numbers, right?
Erasmus has named Siya Kolisi, a black African captain, which has earned him many accolades and has probably seduced hitherto uncertain environments. He has also uncovered gems for players from previously disadvantaged backgrounds who have become essential factors – like Dyantyi and Nkosi.
Paper Embrose showed pleasing signs of potential in the half-melee position at the end of the year, while the coach also advanced the claims of someone like Damien Willem, an elderly 20 years, suggesting that the versatile lining would be closer to the usual match. commitment one day next year.
Dealing with Bok rugby's unique demands in terms of "numbers" is not a simple task, but Erasmus probably had a sufficient and sincere mastery of it, although there might be persistent disagreement across the ideological spectrum of observers …
Rating: 6/10
Public relations
Erasmus me a little surprised here … and all favorably.
He entered the extremely demanding work of Bok with the reputation of being reasonably opposed – almost but never to the point of seeming seemingly reluctant at times – in the media spotlight.
Previously, he had generally preferred to operate in a sort of quiet solitude, not often looking on his laptop or in his office to interact with scribes and experts. you wonder if he was feeding a little paranoia, despite his natures and body language quite affable and comfortable, when required or willing to do it.
But there is no hiding place as a Springbok coach … and, giving him his due, he seemed to fully appreciate it.
Until now, during most of Bok's career, Erasmus has gone further than simply talking about mild or cautious platitudes when meeting with the media.
He spoke with a sometimes surprising opening to explain the selections, aspects related to the form and abilities of various actors and strategies, including his use of players off the bench or in rotation.
In fact, he took personal mistakes sometimes so willingly on the chin that he was sometimes unnecessarily hard with himself.
There were ups and downs, but Erasmus remained pleasantly honest and candid. I am sure that the same thing in 2019 would be well appreciated in the media / public world.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
GLOBAL SCORE: 29.5 / 50 = 59%. It may sound a bit generous to harsh critics, who have the right to feel differently. Yes, he also had the best results in this exercise, perhaps in the least relevant category (the last one).
But my own instinct is nevertheless motivated by a pretty firm feeling that things, as laborious as they are at this point, are improving.
And that's not the worst end result, is it?
* Follow our editor on Twitter: @ RobHouwing
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