Biggest Takeaways From SA Teams’ First URC Tours

The biggest takeaways from the South African sides’ first European tours in the inaugural United Rugby Championship, according to Quintin van Jaarsveld.

SA United Rugby Championship Team of the Week – Round 4

It Truly Is A Different League

With four rounds in the can, it’s now clear that the competition is not a different league in tag line alone. New scenery, new opposition, challenging conditions, heavy and slippery as well as 4G pitches have produced plenty of fresh challenges for South Africa’s “Big Four.”

As a result, thoughts that local teams would pitch up and takeover straight out of the shoot were quickly dispelled. The immediate impact that the foursome’s introduction did have was that it breathed new life into the global club game, as evidenced in the record viewership numbers the new league has drawn in.

Their beefy build and intimidation factor couldn’t spare the new kids on the block punishing old-school initiations, which led to none of the four teams hitting their initial targets of securing two wins in their four-match tours. Instead, they headed home with a collective four victories from 16 matches. The Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers all earned one win, while the Capetonians also played to a draw, which sees them lead the South African Shield on seven points.

Asked to give the South African contingent a grade out of 10 upon the completion of the fourth round in the SuperSport studio on Saturday evening, Odwa Ndungane was kind in giving them a five. Fellow analyst and Springbok legend John Smit called the grading “generous” and I have to agree, but the silver lining is that there are several reasons for South African supporters to be optimistic.

Saffas Are Fast Learners

After being blown out of the water in the first two rounds – aside from the Lions, who had a lay-up (to use a basketball phrase) to get off to a winning start against whipping boys Zebre – all four teams made significant strides, particularly at the breakdown.

It’s a perplexing problem, one that doesn’t exist in any other sport and shouldn’t in rugby, but the reality is that referees on opposite sides of the equator view the game through different lenses. The rage-inducing dilemma has become so accepted that the term law interpretations is sans the quotation marks it should be framed by and has become part of rugby vernacular.

Even so, local sides and their supporters quickly found out just how vastly different key areas of the game are officiated and the breakdown battle is the most contentious bar none. Down South, referees often tell ball poachers off when they slightly get it wrong without gaining a significant unfair advantage in an attempt to add to the spectacle of the game. Up North, those scavengers are reprimanded right away and repeatedly.

On top of that, a major momentum generator for South African teams often blew up in their faces…bafflingly, many feel. Where latching onto a teammate to boost their drive in contact usually works wonders, a stern blow of the whistle soon followed whenever such a train hit the deck in the opening rounds.

While the severity came as a shock, growing pains were expected and all four teams made marked improvements in these and other problem areas. The extent to and speed at which they adapted to the foreign officiating were both impressive and promising and while more such school fees will surely be paid, it won’t be too long before local players clear these hurdles.

Euro Vets Proved Invaluable

The adage you can’t buy experience applies to players but not to coaches. The local mentors made some shrewd signings in terms of roping in players with experience of the Northern Hemisphere game and conditions and those investments, for the most part, paid immediate dividends.

At the top of that list is Marcell Coetzee, an Ulster stalwart who was voted PRO14 Player’s Player of the Season for 2020/21 by his peers. The talismanic Bulls captain took to the heavy pitches like a duck to water and did the heavy lifting on both sides of the ball, setting the benchmark for his teammates. Fellow Springboks Johan Goosen, Arno Botha and evergreen Bismarck du Plessis further bolstered the Pretoria outfit in this regard.

Ruan Pienaar’s understanding of the conditions and tactics made him an invaluable general in the No.9 jersey for the Sharks, who also benefitted from Gerbrandt Grobler’s know-how, while big Brok Harris was worth his weight in gold for the Stormers with his insight into how the scrum battle is approached and officiated up North.

Tries Were Hard To Come By

After the try-fest that was the Currie Cup, touchdowns took a serious nosedive and all four teams were unable to get out of first gear. Static offence, tighter defence and a few sly tricks from the fresh foes limited local sides to a measly 28 tries in their 16 matches.

The Sharks led the way with nine, the Stormers scored eight and the Lions seven, while the Bulls – who’d trampled all comers with their complete brand of rugby on their march to a second successive Currie Cup title – managed to score just four five-pointers. For context, winless basement dwellers Zebre scored five tries while Irish giants Ulster, Leinster and Munster all ran in 19.

As a side note, the Sharks also leaked the most tries (14), with the Lions (13), Stormers and Bulls (both 11) only marginally better. A central issue was the midfield, where any semblance of danger went to die on a consistent basis, especially when it came to the Capetonians, who crabbed across the field and killed their wingers’ hopes of getting decent opportunities on countless occasions.

To be fair, thirteens were often victims as well, only receiving the ball once all else had failed and well behind the gain line, from where they were asked to turn chicken s**t into chicken salad.

A Major Spanner In The Works Emerged

A key contributing factor to the offensive impotence of the South African sides was the blanket stuffing of the driving maul. A staple of rugby in the Republic, the rolling thunder of forwards becoming one has long been a go-to power play for local teams to wear down the opposition and rumble over the whitewash, so much so that hookers are now among the top try-scorers.

Three Bok Bolters For End of Year Tour

Based on the evidence, Northern Hemisphere teams have a better understanding of the mechanics that go into mauls than Australasian sides and were, therefore, able to neutralise South Africa’s Weapon X. The success the Sharks had in this department against Cardiff at the weekend highlighted how rarely local teams managed to gain traction with their mauls during their maiden tours.

Again, those dreaded law interpretations played a part with a few head-scratching calls going the way of home teams, but one also needs to give credit where it’s due and the Northerners came prepared. Fortunately, it’s not a case of reinventing the wheel but rather tightening up technique and tweaking a few set-up variations.

URC Will Take An Immense Toll

After four extremely taxing weeks, there might be a low-key sense among local players that the much-maligned rigours of Super Rugby perhaps weren’t so bad after all. Time zones aside, at least the punishment and suffering in New Zealand was swift, a few audacious touches and over the hosts went.

Now, facing like-minded and similar stylistic opponents, it’s apparent that the United Rugby Championship is going to be a tough old slog. In this new world, playing a defence-driven brand of rugby virtually takes twice the toll. The Stormers will be hurting the most, having made 515 tackles while missing a further 65 (87% success rate)…and they’re only ranked seventh in terms of tackles made.

The Bulls made 452 (ninth) while missing a further 61 (87%), the Sharks 384 (15th) while missing a further 35 (91%) and the Lions 321 (16th) while missing a further 48 (85%). Add in all the bruising collisions from carrying the ball and the little reward that came with it, and you have what they call a rude awakening.

Boks Were Conspicuous By Their Absence

Finally, one must remember that 42 of the country’s best players were on Springbok duty, leaving the “Big Four” without their apex predators. The Sharks, in particular, were gutted and if one stops and considers that a side sans no less than a dozen star players were able to soundly defeat the Ospreys, then such a victory can be seen in a clearer light.

A promising picture painted in green of gold will soon become visible and it’s only then that the paradigm shift of club rugby will truly come into effect.