As a South African. No one this side of the pond is underestimating the All Blacks. Razor is highly praised ( I am actually quite stunned at the backlash the guys gotten from NZ fans and pundits alike ), he has the results, unorthodox coach and I think it's just a matter of time before he silences his haters. Super keen for this weekend.
We are not used to seeing the ABs playing poor like that and with no improvement from the first England game to now Although last week Puma test was better. But I’m sure they will step up for the Boks in SA
I don't think it is so much hate for Razor as it is comparing the way fozzie was treated and the seeming "free pass" Razor has that Fozzie didn't have.
@@jeremyviall4168fat fozzy has never accomplished anything. Handed job via old boys club. Not a single person thinks Foz should have got the job over razor in 2019. If anyone has had a free pass to ruin our history it was foz.
@jeremyviall4168 razor hasn't had a free pass. He's just started that's all. Soon he will have as much pressure as foz. Foz had a free pass until it got untenable
dropping logs on the kitchen floor, maybe even on the carpet. NZ has followed his suggested tactics since losing to Ireland in chicago, passing deep against rush defense and putting ourselves under backfoot pressure over and over and over for no reason.
From an Irishman living in Oregon, it's always a joy for me to hear your great and serious discussion with rugby but also having a laugh as well. Cheers to you all.
From Cape Town South Africa. There is no such thing as a weak AB Team. The Boks and SA fans love and respect our greatest rivals. May the best team win and hopefully with little or no injuries. Bok team has just been announced. 🎉
Nice to have insight from Paul Feeney, obviously a very experienced and analytical mind. Good to have his thoughts on how to break down the rush defence.
I think the big misconception here is that the Springboks are confident of a win. The great thing about this bok group is that they respect the ABs and know they are measuring themselves against the best our there. A win will take hard work and the boks are taking nothing for granted...
Great show guys. I think rugby needs alot more of this informed analysis. Alot of the public wouldn’t know what you mean by pods and attack structures, or how mauls work etc. By educating the public it means that they will be alot more interested in the different aspects of rugby, which I believe is one of rugby’s great strengths.
It’s easier said than done. Those kicks worked week as it came after consistently getting over the gain line. French forwards were all over SA in the first 20-30min. Kicking from a position of dominance is always easier than when you are flat/going backwards. Not sure if NZ have the cattle (yet) to get that much go forward against SA but I’m sure those short kicks will make an appearance nonetheless.
From yet another Bok supporter loving your show, thanks guys! So informative and analytical, but at the same time Ross dissects things so that everyone understands, super job! Love how unbiased and technical both Bryn and James are, Parsons is hilarious too! Saturday is going to be epic! Huge respect to the ABs, can never underestimate them, it’s gonna be so so tough 💥💪🏼🇳🇿🇿🇦
This may be an unpopular view right now, but I actually think the Springboks selection has been more unstable and more unpredictable than the All Blacks this season so far. The All Blacks main issue this season has been the locking crisis, but it is getting better with Barrett returning and both Darry and Vaa’i starting to stand up. There is still an open question mark on whether the Blackadder/Savea combo is big enough for an international 6/8, but they did show what they can do when the pack goes forward. Certainly, the Springboks deserve every respect as World Champions playing at home, but as in previous recent seasons - just because they look imperious against Australia doesn’t mean they are unbeatable.
The SB aren't unbeatable - as Ireland proved - BUT they are a serious step up on this current AB side. Sadly,I expect NZ to lose both tests,but it will be the manner of those defeats,and whether I see any genuine improvement in their play. Currently,I would rank NZ well behind SA,IRE and FRA.
You clearly not been paying attention to Rassie player rotation practices. The player rotation builds depth, everyone get a taste of test match rugby. . When injuries happen, the next player in should have some experience, same with the bench, the player off the bench shouldn’t be less of a player than the starting player… Unpredictable,agree. Unstable, disagree. Lastly, no one is unbeatable. Show me a team with 100%?win record.
You lot are playing far more games per season with a much shorter off-season now that you're playing Europe.m and maybe after a few seasons it's beginning to catch up The ABs should consistently be fresher than the Boks as long as they keep playing in Europe
@@Hatunrumiocwas thinking the same, long season for some springbok players who also work in great Britain and Europe. Another reason for rassie rotation.
@@Hatunrumioc Don't think it's that much of an issue, to be honest. Most of the injured list comprises players who play their rugby in Europe so they don't have the extended SA season you speak of, and then you have direct contact injuries like Moerat (concussion), Mostert (broken bone) and the like. While there are currently more games in the Europe leagues, we seem to be rotating well within our squads and no longer have the debilitating travel we used to - yes, it's still many hours on an airplane, but we don't do the time zone travel and stay away for 5-6 weeks at a time. In 2018, PsdT had played 24 games, started in 23 of them, travelled around the world twice, played Cape Town/Japan/ Cape Town in consecutive weekends and a trip to Washington for a game against Wales. The following week against England in Johannesburg was the only game he did not start in. Only after all of this, did he run onto the field at Twickenham for the first game of the end of year tours. Now *that's* where injuries creep in...
Yes, plus they started talking amongst themselves rather than ask him more questions and do the talking amongst themselves after the interview! Would have liked to have known who he'd pick in the ABs side, for example.....
Keen to hear which team in world rugby handles line speed the best. As in which team is doing what Paul Feeney is explaining. He’s gonna get job offers on the back of this show!! 😂 From Tokyo!!
It really is a great panel show for Rugby enthusiasts - great panel management and 'voice of layman' from Ross, great reflections from Brynn about current modern player experiences, but Jipper's insight and analysis is second to none
That conversation with Feeney was bang on! Would love to see more of these sort of guest/conversation. As a kiwi id love to see some well respected, top shelf international coaches too. Would be incredibly interesting to hear perspective, relative to their experience, rugby IQ, philosophy, and approach to the game.
What Paul said reminds me of the RWC 19 pool game between Boks and ABs in which the latter played rope-a-dope ... go behind to go forward. I think the try Roigard scored against the Boks when they hammered the ABs showed how a no. 9 who is willing to be phyical and go straight can really be useful against linespeed ...
Enjoyed Paul Feeneys points on playing off the 2nd pivot and I get the idea of the need to be willing to take risks and being caught behind the advantage line, but I can’t help but think that each time we do get caught, it’s a turnover 90% of the time since SA will have momentum going in.. I’m no rugby expert, I’m only thinking out loud and I’m super hyped for this weekend. Love the show boys, if anyone should be called ‘The Breakdown’ it should be you guys 😅
James is right … this is a golden age for the Boks. It’s built on once in a generation players like Etsebeth, Marx, Malherbe, Kolisi, Pollard, PSDT. Much like the great NZ side was built around once in a generation players like McCaw, Carter, Sonny-Bill, Colins, Nonu, etc. yes the newbies show signs but they have a long road ahead of them. In truth it could take three to four retirements to end this. Just ask NZ
These are the matches that Razor knows how to tackle. I think Elis park provides the stage for a good test for Razor. Im also struggling to think of the last time the ABs lost at Elis park. I was at the match in 2018 (crazy comeback), then Covid hit and we won in 22. Either way it is always a crazy good game at that stadium. 2013 is what i consider the best match of rugby ever played!
ABs please break out and show your DNA that we all love and long for. I think with the size of our front row and mobility of our back row and sure locking department has been suspect since departure of Sam and Brodie but hands are up and I love to see this team progress
James is spot on. The whole "Bomb Squad" thing was just marketing, but what people miss is that it was never intended to be used by the media or the Boks' opposition. It was just a gimmick to help players deal with the disappointment of not making the starting XV. So Rassie and Jacques gave the subs a little team name so that they could get hyped about their role in the game...either turning the tide if things were going badly, or upping the tempo and intensity if things are still tight when they get on, or delivering the killer blow if the Boks are on top. They settled on Bomb Squad. Before Chasing The Sun 1 was released in 2020, people didn't even know that the team referred to the bench by that nickname.
@@Dilmahkana Yes. Quality players not starting was always questioned by the media, and the coaches explained that it is a 23-man game now and the main thing to optimize is "Player Energy Expended". If you leave subs on the bench or only give them 5 minutes of game time, you leave a lot of unused energy that couldn't contribute to the match. The get the players to buy into that way of thinking, and give the bench a special role and purpose, they coined the Bomb Squad moniker. They are no longer "players that weren't good enough to start", they are now the cavalry. The backup. They second wave that picks up the load and gives the team second wind when the starters have expended all their energy and have nothing left to give. The bomb squad wasn't about "making a statement" or subbing the whole pack at once, that was just a happy coincidence that occurred from time to time.
These guys are the absolute best...so analytical without OTT emotions (JK pay attention) I do agree with Ross, The Boks should win, as much as I hate admitting it, hope I'm wrong....
Isnt interesting no one has mentioned the best attack coach guru Wayne Smith taking a look at all blacks attack structure and taking razor aside and having a word in his ear?
I'm not by all means a rugby expert - I''m still learning as to go, so please do help me should I be wrong. I think the think Rassie has the confidence to go for a 6-2 or 7-1 split because he knows that a lot of our players can play other positions then what they usually play. For instance, when we went 7-1 in the World Cup, Rassie knew that Kolbe can play half back Should anything happen with Faf. The same goes for our lock situation at the moment. Even though we have about 7 locks injured, we have guys like PSDT and BJ Dixon that can slot in if needed. It once again comes down to the incredible depth that is currently in the squad which does give Rassie the confidence to take risks with the bench.
Yep. Rassie places a huge premium on versatility and that players that can cover multiple positions give him a lot of options and make it difficult for the opposition to prepare for. It helps with injury cover when you have limited squads, it helps with injuries and cards and HIA subs during games, and it helps with squad rotation when certain players are unavailable. Right now have Willemse and Sacha that can cover 10, 12 and 15. Kolbe that can cover 9, 10, 11 and 15. Kwagga at 7, 8 and somewhere in the backline at a push. PSdT and BJD that can cover flank and lock. Van Staden (and previously Fourie) that can cover loosie and hooker and now the experiment with Jan-Hendrik Wessels that is can cover prop and hooker. Lots of cover across the park when the unexpected goes wrong.
Fatigue will increase when the rush D has to run 4m more every phase. Playing deeper could be a multifaceted reward, time, opens up possibilities, quickens their fatigue . Surely even Stef DT will be affected by that increase..
Glass half full ay? Getting caught behind the adv line on a few occassions under pressure at the next ruck? I dont know. As a variation maybe but not as the rule
@@RD-sp5us Well it *might* be the case that this the innovation; the concept of 'adv line' might be holding teams back against such smart, fit modern defences. There are lots of ways of uncoupling defensive lines, but the common models of what to do and not do are almost absolutely cancelling out viable options. Make it part of your game plan as a whole and the pressure in the moment might not be that high. Definitely need variation though. Ireland have probably optimised the pod system as much as possible. How many years of collective learning did that take?
I think people forget that NZ already tried this tactic in Nelspruit in 2022 and were convincingly beaten that game. Sure the defence may run a few extra metres but the energy they get when they catch someone behind the advantage line more than makes up for it. The problem when playing deep is that you are then under pressure to get the ball through the hands in order to get back over the line out wide. It may work sometimes but this tactic gives far more opportunities for the defence to catch you out behind the line with less support. As an SA supporter I hope NZ go down this route though👍 PS: I think PSDT could play for 120min so wouldn’t bank on it lol
@@notenoughstones3873 fair points :) If they're going down this route they'll have to develop it and meld it with other playing styles. It can't just be 'play deeper'.
Thanks, guys, for giving us Bok supporters' sonething to make the game on Saturday even more interesting to watch. But you do know that Rassie is watching this show too and is ready and waiting to see if you play deep and is ready to have the Boks smoke you behind the advantage line. 😉 Cheslin Kolbe was just practicing with that chargedown of that conversion kick😊.
Hi guys - the question of the bomb squad is simple. In 2019 the boks had a genuine dilemma on picking the best front 5 because of the depth and skills available. So they just said 'sod it' we will pick 2 front 5's and a relieving loose forward because we have a number of versatile players. I think that has grown into more of a science now ito value add and effort of different player profiles.
Regarding the "bomb squad". the Boks managed to eliminate the stigma/dissapointment within the squad of not being a starter, and instilled a pride in being the guys that finish the job. On another note, us Bok fans never go into an AB test feeling remotely comfortable, no matter how much flak they might be copping on that side. The respect is genuine and deserved. And lastly, this pod is so much more pleasant than listening to JK's constant flip flopping and whinging.
De Jager, Mostert, Etzebeth and RG are all injured. Boks have no no 4 left and only a stand-in 5 in Pieter-Steph. Does it mean the bomb squad now becomes the balloon squad ? It will affect the Boks ability to maul, drive and scrum and to dominate collisions. Will that enable the AB’s to win on Saturday? Don’t think so. This Bok team is tough and has a never say die attitude. Last time they beat the AB’s without a hooker - who would have thought that to be possible?
Lets go boks, huge respect to the ABs but we haven't won the Nelson Mandela cup in 15 years and this year i feel we are going to get it so Bokke take both games tightly in my opinion
Many of the big teams worldwide have a lock sized loose forward - think POM/Beirne for Ireland, Kremer, PSDT, Lawes for England, Ollivon for France etc. We've flirted with this occasionally with Barrett at 6, Finau against England, but often revert to relatively shorter options like Blackadder, Sititi and Papalii. Why? Does this hurt us against the bigger lineouts and packs? Do we need to consider converting locks to loose forwards to match international trends (Vai'i maybe?)?
Well lads, if we are being new game innovation into the podcasts. With the inability to tackle a player in the air, is there a way from set piece to pass to a lifted player in the midfield with the idea to set a midfield maul. Could something like this mitigate rush defense as the rush players cannot tackle the lifter player. From the next phase you could get quite dynamic as defending teams could not commit 1 player to that tackle/ensuing maul as they’d end up steamrolled. I understand there could be some technical nuances. But just looking at ways to manipulate a rush defense. Additionally, (this one is far fetched). Is there a way to create a deliberate bounce pass. If there is one way to get defenses out of their structure it’s the perception of loose pill on the ground. I can think of a dozen scenarios for a deliberate bounce pass and I’ve seen a million bad passes that have gone to ground that have ended up creating tries.
Good thoughts re coaches. However worth sharing some other thoughts. In participative management (vs authoritative management), the participants have the opportunity to share their thoughts and collectively derive a better outcome. Leon has his philosophy and Razor has his. If Razor as Head coach is unable to convince Leon of his philosophy, we could end up with a bigger problem. What is to say that others in the coaching squad or amongst players don’t have similar thoughts as Leon. Have they just been muzzled and possibly demotivated? In authoritative management it is “my way or highway”. Have we just witnessed that? Given the number of players who didn’t perform to their usual standard in the first test vs Argentina, evidences confused messages and non-alignment amongst coaches. Similar performances in the next few games will give us some clue as to the current state of our coaches. Let me add one thoughts on leadership that is well understood in ever-successful corporate environments: There are several roads to achieving your objective. The best way to motivate your team and successfully arrive at your destination is to remember the following: “A true leader surrenders himself to the strengths of his team members.”
would like to see the all blacks with a 6/2 bench. my suggestions would be coming off the bench , williams, aumua, tosi, cane, jacobson,ratima and lienert-brown
I love the show guys! But I think you've missed the point around the hype of the Bomb Squad. It's not so much that it's never been done before, but it's never been done where the players coming off the bench are better or just as good as those in the starting line up. The term "Bomb Squad" speaks to the power of the bench because the Boks, at the moment, have such incredible depth. That is at least how we see it here in SA. They can name a bench of 8 forwards if they had to that would be good enough to start in a test match the following week without losing any intensity or skill.
Back in 2016, the Hurricanes crushed the Sharks 41-0 in the rain in Wellington. They beat the rush defence by going over (with chip kicks, grubbers, cross kicks), around and through. No All Blacks team since has mastered this, why? We have the skills. I love the idea of suckering the Boks in behind the advantage line, but having the skill to offload and get behind their rush line. Bring it on!
As a sharks fan that stung. I remember that game well. Guys could not get in position and coverage was poor from the back 3. I think on the highveld where its bome dry this year and the ball hangs you're able to move around alot faster than on the New Zealand pitches. I think NZ can catch SA behind the line with these kicks but every kick would have to be sublime
I love that they remember how close that 2015 semi final was... But the all blacks just had that extra genius in their team, but the Boks were close and had a kickable penalty reversed in the 72nd minute for a neck roll by Victor Matfield...
Wouldn't it be interesting to find out that ,it was actually Leon's call or strategy that won the second test 😮 and he had to rub it off Razor's face and broke his ego ? GO Bokke
Imo I don't think pick and go is the deal. If you look at the rush defense of Argentina and the times we were able to get in behind their line, was because we played deep ball through the back-line, not a pick and go. I think the reason Argentina wanted fast defense was because they wanted the All Blacks to do the pick and go, so they can get over the ball and steal it, which is what they were doing to us in Wellington. I reckon the key against rush defense is actually playing the deep ball, and attacking the lines with setups, because it made Argentina second guess who they were going to tackle. We can work the setups that way, because Jordan, Beaudy and Damian have that strength, they just need to execute it.
Highveld usually comes with high kicks. Should expect alot of kick n chase tactics at some point. I dont think they will revert to type when the pressure is on. This Bok side has a different mindset to previous Boks. Thats a good thing. Means they are open to changing the status quo when required
Well, if you look at the team selected the Boks will not 'revert to type'. Reinach, Sacha and Fassi will inject pace into attack so expect a running game. Pollard on the bench to close out the final quarter
Didn’t they try to do that in Nelspruit in 2022? Didn’t work out too well that time but good luck to them if they do it. The best way to counter rush D is to get over the gain line, dominate the collision area and get quick ball as this will put the defence on the back foot. Trying to play deep and go around without those fundamentals is not a great idea IMO. Trying to get the ball through the hands without much go forward will just give opportunities to the defence to catch players behind the line.
Should the ABs look to be dropping a high number of cross field kicks vs the springboks? SA’s back 3 of LeRoux, Arendse and Kolbe are 6ft1, 5ft 9 and 5ft8. Seems a clear advantage if the all blacks are playing Jordan and Clarke on the wings?
Shots fired! Someone has paid for a giant bill board across the highway on the route from the AB's hotel to Ellis Park. The bill board has the world cup score emblazoned on it. Hehe go bokke!
We are short of locks at the moment, so they can probably get after us in the engine room. Not sure how the bookies have ABs at 3.93 to win outright, as a Bok fan, if you are betting man, I feel those numbers offer VERY good value on them or at the very least to cover the spread which is +7.5
The Springboks usually performed well when they were the underdogs. As a South African, we never underestimate the All Blacks. They are still the benchmark to play against
I am quite curious as to why they keep ons saying revert back to set piece. Isnt the goal of each team in each game to try and gain set piece dominance? If you do gain set piece dominance, isnt the goal to exploit it? ie. If a team is weak at defending the blindside, wont you try and exploit it? If a team is weak at defending the short lineout, wont you exploit it?
Half time game plan should be Razor 10mins breakdancing on the 50m line to razzle dazzle the crowd to bamboozle them all and they start cheering for the ABs.
I think the idea of the bomb squad backfiring with an injury or two is misleading. Firstly because injuries can happen with any bench split that can affect a team, and then other teams don’t have the level of quality, ability and athletes that SA have.
Shout out to host Ross Karl. Dude runs a great show, asks informative questions, and really brings the best out of the panel. A real slick production.
💯
Amen, really one of the best host’s out there.
💯. I often (most weeks) think this but never express it. Give the man his flowers.
After Watching this was literally thinking the same thing. Then saw your comment. Tip of the hat to Ross, runs a n absolute clinic
On the money there @amcmartin. Here here
Isn't this show better than the breakdown!?!?! 🔥
100%
Way way better 😂😂😂it's a lot more intellectual... Even better than the South African shows which kinda resemble the breakdown..
As a South African. No one this side of the pond is underestimating the All Blacks. Razor is highly praised ( I am actually quite stunned at the backlash the guys gotten from NZ fans and pundits alike ), he has the results, unorthodox coach and I think it's just a matter of time before he silences his haters. Super keen for this weekend.
There hasn’t been a backlash here. Everyone seems fine with giving him time. Backlash seems a bit exaggerated
We are not used to seeing the ABs playing poor like that and with no improvement from the first England game to now
Although last week Puma test was better. But I’m sure they will step up for the Boks in SA
I don't think it is so much hate for Razor as it is comparing the way fozzie was treated and the seeming "free pass" Razor has that Fozzie didn't have.
@@jeremyviall4168fat fozzy has never accomplished anything. Handed job via old boys club. Not a single person thinks Foz should have got the job over razor in 2019. If anyone has had a free pass to ruin our history it was foz.
@jeremyviall4168 razor hasn't had a free pass. He's just started that's all. Soon he will have as much pressure as foz. Foz had a free pass until it got untenable
Wow !!! As a typical kiwi played and coached I love hearing the expert analysis from guys who know. This is the best rugby panel out there.
Probably the best Rugby show in Kiwi land. This show trumps all the other one's I have seen thus far by a landslide
one of the overseas Rugby pods I just can't miss. Lots of Rugby IQ there. Really well put together.
Cheers from Joburg, SA
Great show from a South African. Always look forward to watching you guys and listening to great insight and experience talk. Thanks guys. 👏👏👏
What a way to start the show, Paul Feeney dropping gems.
@@TeeJy145 Agreed. That was a great conversation. More of those please. Would be awesome to add a bit of international flavour too.
dropping logs on the kitchen floor, maybe even on the carpet. NZ has followed his suggested tactics since losing to Ireland in chicago, passing deep against rush defense and putting ourselves under backfoot pressure over and over and over for no reason.
The Aotearoa Pod is miles clear of The Breakdown 🔥👏
From an Irishman living in Oregon, it's always a joy for me to hear your great and serious discussion with rugby but also having a laugh as well. Cheers to you all.
From Cape Town South Africa. There is no such thing as a weak AB Team. The Boks and SA fans love and respect our greatest rivals. May the best team win and hopefully with little or no injuries.
Bok team has just been announced. 🎉
Nice to have insight from Paul Feeney, obviously a very experienced and analytical mind. Good to have his thoughts on how to break down the rush defence.
That was very knowledgeable insight into how to beat Rush defence this show has to be right up there with the best analysts of the game of rugby
Paul Feeney might be my favourite guest the show has had on!
Really enjoy how this is a smart panel and it isnt a debate like so many others. Good footy knowledge talking good footy
Love the detail from Paul and quality of conversation and analysis. Keep it up lads! You are appreciated. Best rugby show going.
I think the big misconception here is that the Springboks are confident of a win. The great thing about this bok group is that they respect the ABs and know they are measuring themselves against the best our there. A win will take hard work and the boks are taking nothing for granted...
A bit of false modesty never got anyone anywhere…..
It had been 50 50 during the Rassie era and there isn't much that indicates it so won't be a 50 50 affair.
@@benkay1390being a kiwi, you'd know all about false modesty
@@SamWhite-no6dd I’m an Aussie mate but thanks
@@benkay1390 Well then you’d know about real genuine modesty 😂
I've got my notepad out, class is in session!
This is the BEST rugby show - by far!!
This was a really good information packed episode! How cool would it be if you could get a random coach on fairly regularly. Do it. Do it. Just do it.
Great show guys. I think rugby needs alot more of this informed analysis. Alot of the public wouldn’t know what you mean by pods and attack structures, or how mauls work etc. By educating the public it means that they will be alot more interested in the different aspects of rugby, which I believe is one of rugby’s great strengths.
Fantastic episode fellas. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed any other as much as this one.
Well done fellas …..best show around by miles….can actually make it to the end of !
This truly is the best rugby podcast. Another excellent episode, gents.
The unlocking of the rush defence was best done by France 🇫🇷 in the world cup, du pont took 2 steps back and kicked behind the wings, very effective
And how many times did he do that..😅
It’s easier said than done. Those kicks worked week as it came after consistently getting over the gain line. French forwards were all over SA in the first 20-30min. Kicking from a position of dominance is always easier than when you are flat/going backwards.
Not sure if NZ have the cattle (yet) to get that much go forward against SA but I’m sure those short kicks will make an appearance nonetheless.
Worked briefly in the first half. Once boks saw the tactic we changed tactic and nullified it
From yet another Bok supporter loving your show, thanks guys! So informative and analytical, but at the same time Ross dissects things so that everyone understands, super job! Love how unbiased and technical both Bryn and James are, Parsons is hilarious too! Saturday is going to be epic! Huge respect to the ABs, can never underestimate them, it’s gonna be so so tough 💥💪🏼🇳🇿🇿🇦
Sky Sport NZ, You're amazing! I hit the like button as soon as I saw it!
Bok fan here. This is the best NZ rugby show going. Keep it up lads.
Brilliant tonight lads. ABs Hard ⭐️
The pick and go is massive to my mind, line speed teams especially but most teams don't respect the ruck anymore
...but most teams don't respect the ruck anymore? Not sure what that means.
@@johanstruwig3815 defensively there is so much space around the ruck
Yeah agreed. But having said that. SA is probably not the best team to do it against
This may be an unpopular view right now, but I actually think the Springboks selection has been more unstable and more unpredictable than the All Blacks this season so far. The All Blacks main issue this season has been the locking crisis, but it is getting better with Barrett returning and both Darry and Vaa’i starting to stand up. There is still an open question mark on whether the Blackadder/Savea combo is big enough for an international 6/8, but they did show what they can do when the pack goes forward. Certainly, the Springboks deserve every respect as World Champions playing at home, but as in previous recent seasons - just because they look imperious against Australia doesn’t mean they are unbeatable.
The SB aren't unbeatable - as Ireland proved - BUT they are a serious step up on this current AB side.
Sadly,I expect NZ to lose both tests,but it will be the manner of those defeats,and whether I see any genuine improvement in their play.
Currently,I would rank NZ well behind SA,IRE and FRA.
You clearly not been paying attention to Rassie player rotation practices.
The player rotation builds depth, everyone get a taste of test match rugby. . When injuries happen, the next player in should have some experience, same with the bench, the player off the bench shouldn’t be less of a player than the starting player…
Unpredictable,agree. Unstable, disagree.
Lastly, no one is unbeatable.
Show me a team with 100%?win record.
rory7590
You’re the only one saying that mate lol bit over dramatic 😂
richardscanlan3419
FK ME! Just as well you’re not a coach
The playing field has been leveled, pretty much all our locks are injured for this test.
Springboks sitting with top 6 locks injured. This is a big deal and I suspect will affect the scrum too.
Don't like this at all 😢
You lot are playing far more games per season with a much shorter off-season now that you're playing Europe.m and maybe after a few seasons it's beginning to catch up The ABs should consistently be fresher than the Boks as long as they keep playing in Europe
@@Hatunrumiocwas thinking the same, long season for some springbok players who also work in great Britain and Europe. Another reason for rassie rotation.
@@Hatunrumioc Don't think it's that much of an issue, to be honest. Most of the injured list comprises players who play their rugby in Europe so they don't have the extended SA season you speak of, and then you have direct contact injuries like Moerat (concussion), Mostert (broken bone) and the like. While there are currently more games in the Europe leagues, we seem to be rotating well within our squads and no longer have the debilitating travel we used to - yes, it's still many hours on an airplane, but we don't do the time zone travel and stay away for 5-6 weeks at a time.
In 2018, PsdT had played 24 games, started in 23 of them, travelled around the world twice, played Cape Town/Japan/ Cape Town in consecutive weekends and a trip to Washington for a game against Wales. The following week against England in Johannesburg was the only game he did not start in. Only after all of this, did he run onto the field at Twickenham for the first game of the end of year tours. Now *that's* where injuries creep in...
At 21:30 the discussion is super powerful for business leaders. Probably earlier but that’s when I tuned in.
Paul was a great addition! Why so short??
I think he was sitting down mate.
@@ecolasersolutions8769 😂 Top class…
Yes, plus they started talking amongst themselves rather than ask him more questions and do the talking amongst themselves after the interview! Would have liked to have known who he'd pick in the ABs side, for example.....
Keen to hear which team in world rugby handles line speed the best. As in which team is doing what Paul Feeney is explaining. He’s gonna get job offers on the back of this show!! 😂
From Tokyo!!
Bryn Hall and James Parsons need to be part of the AB team. Great insights!
Thanks so much What a great show
wow this was great analysis!
Fantastic, objective analysis,Tim. Well done!
Fantastic show, thanks guys!
It really is a great panel show for Rugby enthusiasts - great panel management and 'voice of layman' from Ross, great reflections from Brynn about current modern player experiences, but Jipper's insight and analysis is second to none
That conversation with Feeney was bang on!
Would love to see more of these sort of guest/conversation. As a kiwi id love to see some well respected, top shelf international coaches too.
Would be incredibly interesting to hear perspective, relative to their experience, rugby IQ, philosophy, and approach to the game.
What Paul said reminds me of the RWC 19 pool game between Boks and ABs in which the latter played rope-a-dope ... go behind to go forward. I think the try Roigard scored against the Boks when they hammered the ABs showed how a no. 9 who is willing to be phyical and go straight can really be useful against linespeed ...
love your show, from South Africa
I just love this show, every week without fail.
Sky Sport NZ, cool video keep it up
Enjoyed Paul Feeneys points on playing off the 2nd pivot and I get the idea of the need to be willing to take risks and being caught behind the advantage line, but I can’t help but think that each time we do get caught, it’s a turnover 90% of the time since SA will have momentum going in.. I’m no rugby expert, I’m only thinking out loud and I’m super hyped for this weekend. Love the show boys, if anyone should be called ‘The Breakdown’ it should be you guys 😅
Excellent show - from SA
Always great show. Educational yet never borin. Hope dont do to many contestables just big men runnin it back. Cheers
I really don't believe that anyone in SA is taking a potential win for granted.
James is right … this is a golden age for the Boks. It’s built on once in a generation players like Etsebeth, Marx, Malherbe, Kolisi, Pollard, PSDT. Much like the great NZ side was built around once in a generation players like McCaw, Carter, Sonny-Bill, Colins, Nonu, etc. yes the newbies show signs but they have a long road ahead of them. In truth it could take three to four retirements to end this. Just ask NZ
These are the matches that Razor knows how to tackle. I think Elis park provides the stage for a good test for Razor. Im also struggling to think of the last time the ABs lost at Elis park. I was at the match in 2018 (crazy comeback), then Covid hit and we won in 22. Either way it is always a crazy good game at that stadium. 2013 is what i consider the best match of rugby ever played!
Honest stuff tonight boys. Pull your finger out, get your prep right… doesn’t work on some people. But you can be sure that is the way the BOKs work!
ABs please break out and show your DNA that we all love and long for. I think with the size of our front row and mobility of our back row and sure locking department has been suspect since departure of Sam and Brodie but hands are up and I love to see this team progress
Love the show, hopefully the Boks win both trophies .
James is spot on. The whole "Bomb Squad" thing was just marketing, but what people miss is that it was never intended to be used by the media or the Boks' opposition.
It was just a gimmick to help players deal with the disappointment of not making the starting XV. So Rassie and Jacques gave the subs a little team name so that they could get hyped about their role in the game...either turning the tide if things were going badly, or upping the tempo and intensity if things are still tight when they get on, or delivering the killer blow if the Boks are on top. They settled on Bomb Squad.
Before Chasing The Sun 1 was released in 2020, people didn't even know that the team referred to the bench by that nickname.
I think it was first questioned why Marx was on the bench since he's world class. I think the philosophy behind the Bomb Squad helped explain it.
@@Dilmahkana Yes. Quality players not starting was always questioned by the media, and the coaches explained that it is a 23-man game now and the main thing to optimize is "Player Energy Expended". If you leave subs on the bench or only give them 5 minutes of game time, you leave a lot of unused energy that couldn't contribute to the match.
The get the players to buy into that way of thinking, and give the bench a special role and purpose, they coined the Bomb Squad moniker. They are no longer "players that weren't good enough to start", they are now the cavalry. The backup. They second wave that picks up the load and gives the team second wind when the starters have expended all their energy and have nothing left to give.
The bomb squad wasn't about "making a statement" or subbing the whole pack at once, that was just a happy coincidence that occurred from time to time.
@@charlcoetzee3358 Sure. I get that
Will be watching this one from behind the sofa-Boks are different level to ABs right now and should win by a comfortable 2-3 scores
This goin to be a tight game.Lots of match winners both sides,Kolbe vs Jordan,Barratt vs Sasha,Savea vs Krugga.Tough to call😊
Brilliant!
Wow! The first 7 mins of the guest is the smartest response I’ve heard about rush D ever. That guy is worth every cent he’s getting paid.
These guys are the absolute best...so analytical without OTT emotions (JK pay attention) I do agree with Ross, The Boks should win, as much as I hate admitting it, hope I'm wrong....
Isnt interesting no one has mentioned the best attack coach guru Wayne Smith taking a look at all blacks attack structure and taking razor aside and having a word in his ear?
I'm not by all means a rugby expert - I''m still learning as to go, so please do help me should I be wrong. I think the think Rassie has the confidence to go for a 6-2 or 7-1 split because he knows that a lot of our players can play other positions then what they usually play. For instance, when we went 7-1 in the World Cup, Rassie knew that Kolbe can play half back Should anything happen with Faf. The same goes for our lock situation at the moment. Even though we have about 7 locks injured, we have guys like PSDT and BJ Dixon that can slot in if needed. It once again comes down to the incredible depth that is currently in the squad which does give Rassie the confidence to take risks with the bench.
Yep. Rassie places a huge premium on versatility and that players that can cover multiple positions give him a lot of options and make it difficult for the opposition to prepare for. It helps with injury cover when you have limited squads, it helps with injuries and cards and HIA subs during games, and it helps with squad rotation when certain players are unavailable.
Right now have Willemse and Sacha that can cover 10, 12 and 15. Kolbe that can cover 9, 10, 11 and 15. Kwagga at 7, 8 and somewhere in the backline at a push. PSdT and BJD that can cover flank and lock. Van Staden (and previously Fourie) that can cover loosie and hooker and now the experiment with Jan-Hendrik Wessels that is can cover prop and hooker. Lots of cover across the park when the unexpected goes wrong.
Since 94 we just feared the AB's. Now its mutual respect blended with fear. Love hate like the 3 x 1 pointers during WC 23
As a Zimbabwean, go Sables! In the meantime, springboks are a pretty similar animal, so go Bokke!
Vanhu vakurohwa paweekend
Fatigue will increase when the rush D has to run 4m more every phase. Playing deeper could be a multifaceted reward, time, opens up possibilities, quickens their fatigue . Surely even Stef DT will be affected by that increase..
Glass half full ay? Getting caught behind the adv line on a few occassions under pressure at the next ruck? I dont know. As a variation maybe but not as the rule
@@RD-sp5us Well it *might* be the case that this the innovation; the concept of 'adv line' might be holding teams back against such smart, fit modern defences. There are lots of ways of uncoupling defensive lines, but the common models of what to do and not do are almost absolutely cancelling out viable options. Make it part of your game plan as a whole and the pressure in the moment might not be that high. Definitely need variation though.
Ireland have probably optimised the pod system as much as possible. How many years of collective learning did that take?
I think people forget that NZ already tried this tactic in Nelspruit in 2022 and were convincingly beaten that game. Sure the defence may run a few extra metres but the energy they get when they catch someone behind the advantage line more than makes up for it.
The problem when playing deep is that you are then under pressure to get the ball through the hands in order to get back over the line out wide. It may work sometimes but this tactic gives far more opportunities for the defence to catch you out behind the line with less support.
As an SA supporter I hope NZ go down this route though👍
PS: I think PSDT could play for 120min so wouldn’t bank on it lol
@@notenoughstones3873 fair points :)
If they're going down this route they'll have to develop it and meld it with other playing styles. It can't just be 'play deeper'.
Thanks, guys, for giving us Bok supporters' sonething to make the game on Saturday even more interesting to watch.
But you do know that Rassie is watching this show too and is ready and waiting to see if you play deep and is ready to have the Boks smoke you behind the advantage line. 😉 Cheslin Kolbe was just practicing with that chargedown of that conversion kick😊.
Hi guys - the question of the bomb squad is simple. In 2019 the boks had a genuine dilemma on picking the best front 5 because of the depth and skills available. So they just said 'sod it' we will pick 2 front 5's and a relieving loose forward because we have a number of versatile players. I think that has grown into more of a science now ito value add and effort of different player profiles.
we have three openside flankers in the starting lineup.. the ABs are going to own the breakdown..
Sounded like Paul Feeny was being interviewed as a replacement for McDonald 😂
Crossed my mind as well
Regarding the "bomb squad". the Boks managed to eliminate the stigma/dissapointment within the squad of not being a starter, and instilled a pride in being the guys that finish the job. On another note, us Bok fans never go into an AB test feeling remotely comfortable, no matter how much flak they might be copping on that side. The respect is genuine and deserved. And lastly, this pod is so much more pleasant than listening to JK's constant flip flopping and whinging.
De Jager, Mostert, Etzebeth and RG are all injured. Boks have no
no 4 left and only a stand-in 5 in Pieter-Steph. Does it mean the bomb squad now becomes the balloon squad ? It will affect the Boks ability to maul, drive and scrum and to dominate collisions. Will that enable the AB’s to win on Saturday? Don’t think so. This Bok team is tough and has a never say die attitude. Last time they beat the AB’s without a hooker - who would have thought that to be possible?
Lets go boks, huge respect to the ABs but we haven't won the Nelson Mandela cup in 15 years and this year i feel we are going to get it so Bokke take both games tightly in my opinion
Many of the big teams worldwide have a lock sized loose forward - think POM/Beirne for Ireland, Kremer, PSDT, Lawes for England, Ollivon for France etc. We've flirted with this occasionally with Barrett at 6, Finau against England, but often revert to relatively shorter options like Blackadder, Sititi and Papalii. Why? Does this hurt us against the bigger lineouts and packs? Do we need to consider converting locks to loose forwards to match international trends (Vai'i maybe?)?
Fabien Holland at 6
obligatory "blah blah blah this is so much better than the breakdown" comment "blah blah blah John Kirwan is gone CRAZY! blah blah blah" 😂
Meds time.
It's not that that's tedious,it's when the overseas trolls come on to have their usual dig at NZ rugby.
😂
Well lads, if we are being new game innovation into the podcasts.
With the inability to tackle a player in the air, is there a way from set piece to pass to a lifted player in the midfield with the idea to set a midfield maul. Could something like this mitigate rush defense as the rush players cannot tackle the lifter player. From the next phase you could get quite dynamic as defending teams could not commit 1 player to that tackle/ensuing maul as they’d end up steamrolled. I understand there could be some technical nuances. But just looking at ways to manipulate a rush defense.
Additionally, (this one is far fetched). Is there a way to create a deliberate bounce pass. If there is one way to get defenses out of their structure it’s the perception of loose pill on the ground.
I can think of a dozen scenarios for a deliberate bounce pass and I’ve seen a million bad passes that have gone to ground that have ended up creating tries.
Good thoughts re coaches. However worth sharing some other thoughts. In participative management (vs authoritative management), the participants have the opportunity to share their thoughts and collectively derive a better outcome. Leon has his philosophy and Razor has his. If Razor as Head coach is unable to convince Leon of his philosophy, we could end up with a bigger problem. What is to say that others in the coaching squad or amongst players don’t have similar thoughts as Leon. Have they just been muzzled and possibly demotivated? In authoritative management it is “my way or highway”. Have we just witnessed that? Given the number of players who didn’t perform to their usual standard in the first test vs Argentina, evidences confused messages and non-alignment amongst coaches. Similar performances in the next few games will give us some clue as to the current state of our coaches.
Let me add one thoughts on leadership that is well understood in ever-successful corporate environments: There are several roads to achieving your objective. The best way to motivate your team and successfully arrive at your destination is to remember the following: “A true leader surrenders himself to the strengths of his team members.”
would like to see the all blacks with a 6/2 bench. my suggestions would be coming off the bench , williams, aumua, tosi, cane, jacobson,ratima and lienert-brown
I love the show guys! But I think you've missed the point around the hype of the Bomb Squad. It's not so much that it's never been done before, but it's never been done where the players coming off the bench are better or just as good as those in the starting line up. The term "Bomb Squad" speaks to the power of the bench because the Boks, at the moment, have such incredible depth. That is at least how we see it here in SA. They can name a bench of 8 forwards if they had to that would be good enough to start in a test match the following week without losing any intensity or skill.
The gospel according to Paul! Good stuff.
Back in 2016, the Hurricanes crushed the Sharks 41-0 in the rain in Wellington. They beat the rush defence by going over (with chip kicks, grubbers, cross kicks), around and through. No All Blacks team since has mastered this, why? We have the skills. I love the idea of suckering the Boks in behind the advantage line, but having the skill to offload and get behind their rush line. Bring it on!
Pointless. The Boks rush defense expects this.
As a sharks fan that stung. I remember that game well. Guys could not get in position and coverage was poor from the back 3.
I think on the highveld where its bome dry this year and the ball hangs you're able to move around alot faster than on the New Zealand pitches. I think NZ can catch SA behind the line with these kicks but every kick would have to be sublime
@@jadenphilander8799 we’ll see. Expecting it and being able to respond are two different things. Do you rush up or hang back for the kick?
Sharks can not defend and Rassie was not around with the boks in 2016..yawn yawn...
@@jerryb6323 definitely, things have evolved since then. Moreso on defence, doesn’t mean the same tactics can’t be executed again.
forgot the lock sam derry to make up the 6/2 bench
Boks have lock crisis, we lost 6 Frontline locks to injury. Eben, RG, Klein, Lood, Morat, Mostert.... Huge for all blacks
We've only just managed to sort out our own locking crisis 😂 I love Eben but I won't be sad that he's not playing.
Probably evens out the lock battle then 😂,
Nz’s depth there is not the best , Scott Barrett the only one who is seasoned
I love that they remember how close that 2015 semi final was... But the all blacks just had that extra genius in their team, but the Boks were close and had a kickable penalty reversed in the 72nd minute for a neck roll by Victor Matfield...
Wouldn't it be interesting to find out that ,it was actually Leon's call or strategy that won the second test 😮 and he had to rub it off Razor's face and broke his ego ? GO Bokke
Imo I don't think pick and go is the deal. If you look at the rush defense of Argentina and the times we were able to get in behind their line, was because we played deep ball through the back-line, not a pick and go. I think the reason Argentina wanted fast defense was because they wanted the All Blacks to do the pick and go, so they can get over the ball and steal it, which is what they were doing to us in Wellington. I reckon the key against rush defense is actually playing the deep ball, and attacking the lines with setups, because it made Argentina second guess who they were going to tackle.
We can work the setups that way, because Jordan, Beaudy and Damian have that strength, they just need to execute it.
Highveld usually comes with high kicks. Should expect alot of kick n chase tactics at some point. I dont think they will revert to type when the pressure is on. This Bok side has a different mindset to previous Boks. Thats a good thing. Means they are open to changing the status quo when required
Quality analysis gents!! Well presented arguments, astute identification of the major issues and some great, cunning solutions. Very insightful.
Well, if you look at the team selected the Boks will not 'revert to type'. Reinach, Sacha and Fassi will inject pace into attack so expect a running game. Pollard on the bench to close out the final quarter
With Eben and RG reportedly out of contention, it could be a another 1 or 2 point game. Good weather @ fast and furious game
this coach is right rush defense counter simple stand deeper and let the ball do the work
Absolutely the ball always beats the man
Didn’t they try to do that in Nelspruit in 2022? Didn’t work out too well that time but good luck to them if they do it.
The best way to counter rush D is to get over the gain line, dominate the collision area and get quick ball as this will put the defence on the back foot. Trying to play deep and go around without those fundamentals is not a great idea IMO. Trying to get the ball through the hands without much go forward will just give opportunities to the defence to catch players behind the line.
Should the ABs look to be dropping a high number of cross field kicks vs the springboks? SA’s back 3 of LeRoux, Arendse and Kolbe are 6ft1, 5ft 9 and 5ft8. Seems a clear advantage if the all blacks are playing Jordan and Clarke on the wings?
Get this into my veins
Shots fired! Someone has paid for a giant bill board across the highway on the route from the AB's hotel to Ellis Park. The bill board has the world cup score emblazoned on it. Hehe go bokke!
We are short of locks at the moment, so they can probably get after us in the engine room. Not sure how the bookies have ABs at 3.93 to win outright, as a Bok fan, if you are betting man, I feel those numbers offer VERY good value on them or at the very least to cover the spread which is +7.5
Brynn talks about the Boks never punished for the bomb squad, they almost blew it in the World Cup final.
The Springboks usually performed well when they were the underdogs. As a South African, we never underestimate the All Blacks. They are still the benchmark to play against
I am quite curious as to why they keep ons saying revert back to set piece. Isnt the goal of each team in each game to try and gain set piece dominance? If you do gain set piece dominance, isnt the goal to exploit it? ie. If a team is weak at defending the blindside, wont you try and exploit it? If a team is weak at defending the short lineout, wont you exploit it?
ARP > The Breakdown
Half time game plan should be Razor 10mins breakdancing on the 50m line to razzle dazzle the crowd to bamboozle them all and they start cheering for the ABs.
So the elephant in the room do we have midfield to go through the opposition defence ?
I think the idea of the bomb squad backfiring with an injury or two is misleading. Firstly because injuries can happen with any bench split that can affect a team, and then other teams don’t have the level of quality, ability and athletes that SA have.
Add versatility. Only really works if you have backs that cover various positions