Solid defence no longer strong point
SA’s once-tight teams have been leaking tries, giving new Bok coach a major headache
As Rassie Erasmus’s tenure as Springbok coach moves from a concept to reality with his first Test as head coach less than a fortnight away‚ one aspect of the local game must have him worried stiff – defence. Springbok and South African rugby has many flaws, but generally solid defence was one area that could be expected to create problems for the opposition. But not anymore. After round 14 of the Super Rugby competition‚ the Sharks (352)‚ Bulls (350)‚ Stormers (356) and Lions (369) have conceded 350 points or more. The only teams that have conceded more are the Sunwolves (421) and the Blues (377). Contrast that to the top New Zealand and Australian sides — Crusaders (223)‚ Hurricanes (213)‚ Chiefs (242)‚ Highlanders (289)‚ Waratahs (274) and Brumbies (296) — and it is clear the South African teams are way behind defensively. At the same stage in 2017‚ the Lions had only conceded 251 points and the Sharks 266. But both teams had not played New Zealand opposition because of the tourna...
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