SA Rugby too self-centred
Crusaders assistant coach Brad Mooar says SA coaches throw away the game-plan book and teach player to “play what’s in front of you”.
|||Christchurch - South African rugby must stop obsessing about game-plans. And, the sooner coaches throw away the game-plan book and rather focus on skills development and reading a game of rugby - that is “playing what’s in front of you” - the better off the country’s rugby will be.
These are the sentiments of multiple Super Rugby winning team Crusaders assistant coach Brad Mooar, who also spent two years coaching in South Africa at the Southern Kings.
Mooar spoke exclusively to The Star ahead of the Springboks’ Rugby Championship match against the All Blacks here on Saturday.
The former Canterbury flyhalf and Southland head coach says only the Lions have managed to instil a player-driven approach in their game where the men that matter - the players - make the on-field decisions, rather than the coaches.
“There needs to be a want to be more expansive, to play what you see in front of you ... it’s something I’ve seen at the Lions, but it’s taken them a few years to get to this point,” says Mooar.
“When I was coaching in South Africa I became aware very quickly that there is a more mapped out and rigid and structured approach than in New Zealand ... it was we must do this in this part of the field, then do this when we’re here, and this when we go there ... these guys must hit this ruck, and these guys must hit this ruck ... it was kick-chase-tackle, kick-chase-tackle’.
“The DNA of the South Africans is to run into the opponent, to physically dominate them. It’s a very direct and very defensive approach, whereas New Zealand’s DNA is more about running with the ball, trying to beat your opponent with pace, skill or a pass.
“I’m not saying one approach is totally right and the other wrong, but certainly somewhere in between those styles is a really powerful beast, and maybe that’s what the All Blacks have knuckled into. They know when the time is right to be forceful, when to kick and play the aerial game and exert pressure through territory, but they also know where there is a hint of opportunity, doesn’t matter where they are on field, they’ll back themselves to execute it and take it.
“The New Zealand teams play what they see in front of them and of the South African teams, I’ve only seen the Lions do that. Of course, and crucially, the big thing is to back yourself and the players to pull it off. You need to be fully committed to it and have the courage and conviction to buy into it and change your ways ... and I’m not so sure all the teams and coaches are there yet.”
The other major issue holding back South African rugby - and therefore also the Springboks - is the fact “everyone is looking out for his own patch,” according to Mooar.
He says because there is a clear vision at each New Zealand Super Rugby franchise about how they want to play their rugby, this filters through to the All Blacks, who simply continue where the Super Rugby franchises stop.
“It’s a combination of really good people working really hard and having a clear vision of how they want to play the game. I’m talking here about the coach, the players, the administrative staff and the business units.
“In the case of the Crusaders, they’ve generally recruited well and retained their players for long periods, and that helps,” says Mooar. “There’s definitely been a consistency in the people involved, and that’s created an ingredient of trust. Those in charge trust those who’ve been given a job to do, they’re given a period of time to work.
“There’s a real alignment, from the top at the New Zealand Rugby Union through the franchises to the clubs. There’s a common conversation and purpose ... importantly there’s alignment, there are shared ideas; not strategy. And that’s driven by the NZRU.”
Mooar says that in his experience South Africans are not big on team work.
“I’m not sure there’s alignment in idea sharing.
Your country has unbelievable athletes, there are large numbers of people, but it seems each working part is working really hard to protect its own patch. If they worked together though I believe the Boks would be a helluva beast to stop.”
The Star