Neil Jardine
Captained Rhodesia 1962 – 1969 Rector of Michaelhouse. (1978-1986)
"Rugby is a thinking game – its’ not a running or a kicking game. This mania for running with the ball and playing open rugby at all costs is stupid – you must adapt yourself to the circumstances and play to your strength"
Now 50 years later Niel Jardine writes for Frosty ...
On the evidence of last weekend's Currie Cup matches, I cannot get over how the game has speeded up, how strong the players are in this sport of constant collision, and how thoroughly coached they are. There are still too many missed touch kicks and tackles (cost Griquas against Western Province), too many penalties kicked to the corner in preference to going for poles. My constant mantra is TAKE THE POINTS!
The Golden Lions gave away six points in five minutes by choosing line outs and failed to score each time. (The Jantje brothers are talented but very inconsistent.) Are coaches and captains aware of this? Defence-coaching has reached a very high level and getting across the opponents line within the 22m area is increasingly difficult. But tries can be scored if thorough coaching becomes imaginative and unexpected. The try Basson scored against the Golden Lions was a classic – cut
inside, step to the left, a metre from the try line pass to the unmarked supporting player ( I'd put him back in the Boks team and leave out Willie le Roux -agree??
The grubber kick from Gous Prinsloo of Griquas to set up a try for Scheepers was brilliantly executed, Prinsloo ran at full speed, grabbed the ball just short of the line for Scheepers to slide with the ball over the line. The try scored by Marnitz Boshoff for the Golden Lions was an object-lesson in how to change the angle of attack and run straight – what a player he is!
Back to a favourite topic at the moment. Why do refs continue to consult the TMO on incidents? Where the assistant-refs are not only in the picture, but a few metres from the action? Two examples: referee Stewart Berry consulted the TMO on a possible forward pass from which Ruhle scored for the Cheetahs against the Sharks. The assistant ref was three metres from the pass and in line. Why wasn't he consulted?? Instead we waited and waited for the replays and at last the try was given. In the Bulls vs Golden Lions match, the assistant referee must have been 'blind ' not to see
Ngungane carry the ball into the in goal area, so here a call to the TMO was necessary and he picked up the tug on Ngungane by Elton Jantjes. I felt Stewart Berry spent far too much time lecturing the props on how to play. Does he think they aren't coached? Massive waste of time.
In these issues I await the observations of Kingsley Went, a former international player and referee. I hope we whack OZ next Saturday.
Neil Jardine