SARrugby.com

 On the positive side I think he has done welll with our forwards. We have been competitive in most games at forward level. 

The start of the year we dominated the collisions and the advantage line like we have in most games, although without a specialist openside flanker saw untidy play at the rucks, when Louw entered the scene things improved greatly.

I would even suggest that the boks may have the best pack in the world at the moment, even when many first choice players are not in the team. Also this year we have seen a vast amount of different players and combinations, and still we have been turned in solid performances match after match. One or two idiots have been disposed of like Werner Kruger, Greyling and the donkey Potgieter.

 I think the forwards are only going to get better as the combinations gel. Meyer is good with the forwards, no doubt. We may need a 2nd open sider to cover injuries to Louw.

-

On the negative side-

The backline- The defense has improved as the year has gone on, but the attacking play has been woeful. Crash balls have been the order of the day and the outside backs have been starved. Only the oppertunistic Habana and Pieterson have made something of limited chances. Bob Kirchner has been the surprise package exceeding mosts expectations although I would still like to see another fullback

Only Goosen has brought the attacking edge, and is it because he ignores Meyers game plan?

Oh sure, Goosen as a young first test Bok went through the following dialogue.......Meyer wants me to kick, but I'm going to ignore all that, I'm gonna run. And that same rebel was so nervous he could hardly get the ball over from bang in front of the poles? Man you guys go off on some totally dotty tangents.

I strongly believe we need better, more cutting edge backline coaching. Meyer is at fault there....but to suggest he is banning the running game is delusional. How about Habana's set piece try against NZ. Remember that?

 Moz the set piece try by Habana was I believe oppertunitist. It was off a lineout, but if I recall it was tapped back by an All black on a bok throw and Habana siezed the oppertunity to score an individualistic try. 

Goosen was running and passing more than anyone to date. So ignorning Meyers gameplan is a bit harsh but he did not look like a Robot and was playing his instinctive game. 

This from Planet Rugby on that try:

" A South African try from a set-piece move. Willem Alberts bust through the All Black defence before offloading to Jean de Villiers, who showed off some juggling skills but managed to hold on. Bryan Habana was in space outside his skipper and had an easy run in, scoring behind the posts"

Look I'm not saying all is great, far from it. But honestly Lambie wasn't much of a factor in the CC final either, outplayed by Demetri I thought. Perhaps he is just getting too intense about this flyhalf thing, and not playing his natural game.

 That is a different try- I was referring to the one in New Zealand scored by Habana.

The one you are referring to was allright, if I recall it bounced of a New Zealand player from Alberts and into Jean hands.

So unless our backline game plan is use the opposition as link players between bok forwards and bok backs as the playmaker, we are in trouble. Jeans pass was also forward to Habana so perhaps we should have also got a New Zealand backline player to have made the pass to Habana as well. Just Joking. 

We seriously need a backline coach. I thin Dick Muir would be better than our current backline coach. 

Sharkbok

I agree with you about th forward issue aand thinj on the whole there was improvement and that Department as the year progressed.   However, we have serious deficiencies - especially at prop for bench playing - as well as in the event of injuries to players,   Meyer's selection in that regard was not really based on foirm and I think that soemthing needs to be done to overcome that deficiency.

The problem remins with backline play - especially on attack.   The backline play was deficient and badly so in the rests against the Lions and reched the lowest point in the third test.   There were some positive signs in the Cape Town test afainst Argentina and then a rapid decline in the subsequet away tests.   In Pretoria the backline performed well - reallu for the only time this year and in the ubsequent test the backline defence went down the drain.   In the last two tests the serious deficiencies in backline play was again absent.

There are two issues here that is really problematic.   The one issue relates to player deficiency and the othr issue is backline coaching.   The downward trend commenced with and continued while Morne Steyn was at flyhalf.   As the tests proceded his own play took a downward trend.   In Pretoria Gooxsen was the flyha;f and there was a noticeable improvement in performances.   However, when he was inured the rot set in again.  The other issue relates to selection criteria.   Playing outside Morne Steyn the center combination struggled and also showed a downward trend in performances,    In feneral defence was good - but broke down in the Soweto test.    Thereaftr in the latest two tests th defence was good - but attacjing was affected by poor player  selection in respect of the no 13 position.

On the whole the backline play is not up to international standards and the reason for that is basically poor coaching.    Meyer is not a specialist backline fundi and one would have expected him to get in expertise  to get that aspect of he game moving forward.   He did not get that and the backline is from an attacking[perspective dead - with a serious tendency to kick away possession by injudial kicking.   If the ball gets past the half backs the no 12 would play crashball and most attacking moves die before the gainline is reached,   Some blame Meyer for the negative and restricted backline play.   Looking at all the tests played since June - there may be some jusitification for that viewpoint,    Although there were personnel changes wirh playerrs who have had different  playing styles - the overall strategy remained the same. 

All-in-all  I would say Meyer had a success rate of 5,5 points out of ten. 

Keep it short - Meyer has been crap - a huge disappointment. I had high expectations, but he is out of touch selection wise and tactics wise - ie poor on all fronts

in short meyer should go. playing pattern and tactics has been the biggest issue