Chronicle Editor
The Springboks capitalised on their kicking strategy against Argentina in the first Castle Lager Rugby Championship but former test prop and Southern Kings director of rugby Robbi Kempson has warned that they are going to have to make some adjustments when they play other teams, particularly the All Blacks.
Speaking on the SuperSport television program Masterplan, Kempson highlighted how pinpoint and accurate most of the Bok kicks were against the Pumas in their 32-12 victory at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium last weekend.
“Our kicking game was very good, but not always pinpoint. I think the manner of our kicks caught them by surprise, I don’t think they expected the aerial bombardment,” said Kempson.
“That from the outset put them under pressure. But at the same time we also offered them too many opportunities to attack from both sides by kicking up the middle.”
Kempson outlined instances where a better team than Argentina might have capitalised on the space that they were offered on either side of where the kick was contested. Kempson seemed to be referring particularly to the first half kicking performance, which was less accurate than the second half.
“I don’t think it was that we intended to kick so much down the middle, I think it was more an execution problem,” he said. “You can’t kick like that against New Zealand. In the second half we kicked a lot better, our kicking was much more pinpoint. Our box kicks were outstanding and that put them under pressure.”
Former Bok coach Peter de Villiers joined Kempson in the Masterplan segments and made an interesting observation about the difference between playing New Zealand in comparison to Australia, particularly in his time.
“We always knew the Australian defence would be much better (against ball in hand) than New Zealand would be, so against Australia we always kicked a lot more,” said De Villiers.
Both De Villiers and Kempson were adamant that there would be a big adjustment to the Bok strategy when they play the All Blacks later in the Rugby Championship as they were well aware of the dangers of inaccurate field kicking.
“It won’t be the same against New Zealand, we will adapt our game,” said Kempson.
The former Bok prop added that the Boks were reminded of the perils of kicking inaccurately when they profited from poor Lions kicks in the recent series.
“In the lions games they kicked on us and our counter-attack was spot on,” he said.
Online Reporter