Ken Borland

The Lions have an unbelievable record against all other South African SuperRugby franchises since 2015 and they have consistently been our best team. It really is an amazing record, their dominance of South African rugby is the reason they have been in two successive finals and they have consistently scored the most tries in the competition, so you have to ask why they have so few backs in the new Springbok squad?

With only Aphiwe Dyantyi and Elton Jantjies named in the 43-man squad, there may be no Lions back in the starting line-up against England, which is quite interesting when you consider they have been beating everyone else in South Africa convincingly, and especially with their coach, Swys de Bruin, now with the Springboks as a backline consultant.

There have been suggestions that new Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is concerned with the defensive prowess shown by our SuperRugby franchises, but the Lions in 2016 had one of the best defences in the competition and you have to play, you can’t just kick the ball downfield and defend.

It’s also interesting that none of the first-choice back three from last year’s Springboks – Andries Coetzee, Raymond Rhule and Dillyn Leyds – have been selected by Erasmus.

It is true to win big competitions you need a rock-solid defence.

If you look at the points conceded figure for our teams, the four South African outfits have all leaked between 381 and 392 points, an average of 27.2-29.8 points per match. In terms of tries conceded, the figures are 49 to 52 per side, which amounts to an average of 3.5-3.7 per game.

In comparison, the Jaguares, who are strong contenders to win the South African Conference, are conceding just 26.2 points and 3.4 tries per match. Only the Sunwolves, the bottom team in SuperRugby, have worst stats than the South African franchises.

What is causing our teams to concede so many points? You can’t just say it’s because we now have an attacking mindset. Not one of our sides has been really convincing defensively, which perhaps reflects where most of them are on the overall log. At Test level, the Springboks used to work on trying to concede less than an average of 15-16 points per game, and 11-12 at the World Cup, with just one try. Then, more often than not, you would be on the winning side. It is imperative to get back to these sort of stats now going forward because big Test matches are often gain-line arm-wrestles.

The really good news for the Springboks though is that England have just conceded nine tries and 63 points against a scratch BaaBaas XV, both record lows for them at Twickenham. So their defence is in real trouble and in their last four games one began to notice some real cracks both in terms of their system and individual tackles.They really are sitting before the tackle which causes them to miss so many and any ‘backdoor’ second-line plays cause total disconnection and confusion.

Eddie Jones turned on his players viciously, saying some of them couldn’t cope with the pace of international rugby, but he picked them in the first place, and it will be even harder on super-fast highveld fields with altitude as a factor.

To get back to our Lions, their win over the Stormers at the weekend was so vital because it maintains a buffer between them and the Jaguares, who have a game in hand but are six points behind. It was an exciting battle with the Stormers exploiting the Lions fullback getting into the defensive line early with attacking kicks and the Lions exploiting the home side’s flimsy defence of the rolling mauls and around the edges – the way Nic Groom dummied Ramone Samuels to score was way too easy.

There is also a difference in the way the Lions use the rolling maul these days, they are prepared to wheel it more in order to exploit space and take out the defenders stopping the maul. It is really good use of forces and you have to credit Philip Lemmer for bringing in something different and innovative.

You have to praise the Lions for the win, but the Stormers will rue the red card to Raymond Rhule. You just can’t do what he did anymore on a rugby field, although the nature of his suspension and those of other players in recent weeks does raise fresh questions over exactly how the judiciary works in SuperRugby. How can the ban cause them to effectively miss no rugby?

The Sharks were really outplayed by the Jaguares in Buenos Aires but they also did some sloppy things.

Coach Robert du Preez also made a massive statement during the week that they would be in the final either this year or next, which smacked of desperation and false news from a side scrambling for a quarterfinal place, and about to come up against one of the form teams in SuperRugby.

The Sharks’ pillar defence was just not good enough last weekend, the guys were either too wide or too upright. You can’t allow yourself to just be cut so easily next to the ruck, that should be the strongest part of your defence because that’s where the ball is, but for the Sharks, it was their weakest area.

The Jaguares did finish well and wing Ramiro Moyano scored three tries and they were backing up the ball-carrier well. The try they scored just before halftime to go 17-0 up would have hurt the most for the Sharks because they were slow to react, players had their backs to the ball and conceding a try from a quick-tap penalty is the sort of thing you can’t afford away from home.

It’s a very long trip to Buenos Aires and they had a quick turnaround from their last game, but the Sharks looked sluggish. The Bulls had similar problems the week before and how to manage that trip is something the South African teams have to sort out. When I was involved with the Springboks, we found it better to train in South Africa for two sessions, then fly over, have a captain’s run and play.

It is pleasing, however, to see the Jaguares hit their straps and when SuperRugby resumes they will have three vital games left in which to clinch their playoff place. Their Australasian tour proved that they can win on the road and they have been really impressive in their recent bonus point wins at home, so they are building nicely. It will still, however, be a big test for them to host the Stormers and then play the Bulls and Sharks away after they have played Tests against Wales and Scotland.

The Bulls were also really disappointing last weekend and they will look at their game against the 14-man Brumbies and really rue their defeat – it will probably be the game that loses them a playoff place.

They did some really good things on attack – Handre Pollard’s show-and-go try and Roelof Smit scoring out wide – but their defence is just not good enough for them to be playoff contenders. An example of that was when they had three defenders on two attackers after the restart turnover, but they all just rushed up and opened the space for the Brumbies on the outside. They will also be disappointed with the try when fullback Tom Banks ran the whole length of the field to score.

The Bulls are just not able to stop momentum close to the rucks, their opponents get go-forward too easily, and especially in the 22 that generally means seven points against you because it leads to space around the pillars, something which Brumbies scrumhalf Joe Powell exploited.

The Bulls have certainly been more entertaining this season but they need to step up over the next few weeks. Pretoria only really comes out to the stadium for winning rugby. The Bulls have a lot of talent in key areas, the locks are the envy of every team and the fetchers are second to none, and they have real X-factor in their outside backs.

Pollard has played plenty of Tests and is at the peak of his powers, Jesse Kriel too, and they have more players in the Springbok squad than the Lions, so how come are the Southern Gauteng side so far ahead of them? The Bulls are certainly an enigma, they do a lot of good things in every game, they just need that consistency of performance, they are too up-and-down at the moment.

On a parting, more positive note, my heartiest congratulations to Siya Kolisi on his well-earned appointment as captain for the England series. I am sure he will fly the South African flag high and do the position proud.

John McFarland was the Springbok defence coach from 2012 through to the 2015 World Cup, where they conceded an average of just one try per game and the least line-breaks in the tournament. He is now the assistant coach of the Kubota Spears in Japan and before that, McFarland won three SuperRugby titles (2007, 09, 10) with the Bulls and five Currie Cup crowns with the Blue Bulls. In all, he won 28 trophies during his 12 years at Loftus Versfeld.

Last weekend’s SuperRugby action was filled with some tremendous games of rugby and superb individual performances.

The Bulls versus Stormers game at Loftus Versfeld took us back to the good old days of real war on the gainline, full of big hits and turnover attempts.

The Stormers will be disappointed to lose because they had opportunities they didn’t take, but the Bulls will be very excited to return to winning ways after their tour. They were under pressure after losing four in a row and questions would certainly have been asked if they had lost last weekend too.

What made the difference in the match was the kicking game of the Bulls, their ability to get the ball behind the Stormers wings and then put in a good chase, and they scored two excellent maul tries.

The Bulls were obviously all motivated to put in a big performance for Adriaan Strauss in his record appearance. I remember him wandering up to my office at Loftus as a 19-year-old, many moons ago, and then when he was 21, at the end of 2006, he decided to further his career with the Free State Cheetahs. And then he came back to Pretoria as a seasoned Springbok.

Adriaan is currently in great shape, the rest he took during last year’s Currie Cup clearly did him good and he is still a really quality player. Directing things at the back of the maul, where you have to sense when and where the momentum is, is not an easy job.

Stormers flyhalf Damian Willemse, for all the hype, really struggled against the pressure the Bulls exerted on him through the rush defence. His option-taking was not great and he wanted to kick or go around the rush defence, when actually you must go through it and then you have lots of numbers on the fullback. If you go around the rush defence then the fullback is in the defensive line and it closes down your options.

Jake White did not do young Willemse any favours with his comments about the 19-year-old needing to be picked for the Springboks right now. Willemse still needs time to develop.

He is, however, a real talent and you have to credit Stormers coach Robbie Fleck for playing him so early. Willemse has a lot of strengths – he tackles well and has silky running skills, but the tactical appreciation is not quite there, which is so important. He doesn’t have the kicking game yet, that appreciation of space that allows a flyhalf to play the suffocation game that is so important in Test rugby. I don’t think Rassie Erasmus will change the blueprint he presented to us when we were the Springboks coaching staff – a strong kicking game and a big pack of forwards.

I thought the two Bulls flankers, Hendre Stassen and Roelof Smit, had a huge effect on the breakdown. It’s interesting because the Stormers had Nizaam Carr and Siya Kolisi, both possible Springboks later this year, but there’s no doubt that the Bulls did win the breakdown battle at the back end of the game.

Stassen is just 20 and will be a heck of a player. In the last few weeks he has really announced himself, he’s tough and he goes hard on the ball.

For both teams, the defence on the wings was not good, guys shot up and opened holes in the defensive line. It’s a concern in our game at the moment that we don’t seem to get the right decisions being made in defence out wide. We have Springbok wingers there and they are not covering themselves in glory on the outside at the moment.

For the Sharks, what a turnaround!

To score 63 points in New Zealand when they were really under pressure, what a response that was! To out-score a New Zealand side so convincingly deserves great credit.

I could certainly see the effect of Dick Muir in the coaching staff, they played with no fear whatsoever. Jean-Luc du Preez had a colossal game and to see him swatting off defenders really bodes well for the Springboks later this year.

Flyhalf Robert du Preez may be in the Springboks mix himself, along with Handre Pollard. Du Preez is a consistent goal-kicker, he has steered teams to big wins in finals before, and he knows where the space is behind. He’s also a big guy, but he does struggle a bit to find the right level to hit guys when defending. But Du Preez can certainly win you a game.

It’s been a funny four weeks for the Lions, starting when they came so close in the Blues game, with the TMO overturning a try. But in SuperRugby, every team goes through some sort of mini-crisis because it is such a tough competition. It’s about how you deal with it and recover.

After the bad result in Argentina, the Lions gave the Crusaders a huge run for their money and 14-8 is not a typical Lions score. Coach Swys de Bruin takes great pride in outscoring the opposition, but it was good to see their defensive system function well, even though they did not do enough to get the win.

They are missing their captain, Warren Whiteley, hugely; just the calmness he brings and he is much more comfortable with the tactical side of the job. Franco Mostert is also an inspirational captain but he is more of the follow-me type leader.

As far as the Lions not taking that kick at goal at that penalty midway through the second half, sometimes the coach will put on a message to kick for the corner because he believes the momentum is with his side; but sometimes a captain just goes for the corner when the coach wants the team to go for poles!

It happens in rugby and is reminiscent of that famous SuperRugby semi-final at Loftus Versfeld in 2013.

John McFarland won three SuperRugby titles (2007, 09, 10) with the Bulls and five Currie Cup crowns with the Blue Bulls as their defence coach. In all, he won 28 trophies during his 12 years at Loftus Versfeld.

He is currently the assistant coach of the Kubota Spears in Japan and was the Springbok defence coach from 2012 through to the 2015 World Cup, where they conceded the least line-breaks in the tournament and an average of just one try per game.

It was a very exciting weekend of rugby – although obviously the SuperRugby results weren’t very good for South Africa – and the importance of competing hard at the breakdowns was shown in two of the biggest games of the weekend.

One of the positives for South African rugby to take out of the weekend was France beating England in such passionate, collision-dominant fashion. They really blitzed England at the breakdowns and the tackle and have certainly given the Springboks a blueprint for success in their June series against England. The things which worked for France are certainly tactics we can do as well.

Defensively, France really competed at the breakdown and were able to disrupt England’s really flat attack. The decision needs to be made by the Springboks to replicate this, although it also depends on what loose forward combination they choose. But the Springboks tend to prefer having 14 players on their feet, all defending in a row. I can remember Chean Roux and Rassie Erasmus preaching to us that for the first 15 minutes the Springboks mustn’t compete at all at the breakdown! Fortunately we ignored that.

Obviously England have breakdown problems away from home and they were only able to get go-forward when their finishers came on, guys like James Haskell and Kyle Sinckler. When they came on it solved their problem in terms of power in the collisions and I’m sure Eddie Jones would have learnt some lessons about having more power up front. Especially with two of the Tests against South Africa being played at altitude, the power factor really comes into play in what should be high-scoring games.

The Lions versus Blues game was also a very exciting encounter. The Blues gave it their all, they played with an utter sense of purpose and passion, and they played with that intensity for the full 80 minutes. Normally against the Lions at altitude, the wheels come off at the back end of the match – think back to the game against the Hurricanes in the semi-final last year and even against the Crusaders in the final when the Lions only had 14 men. The Lions certainly finished the stronger team in both those games.

But the Blues were the stronger finishers last weekend and I’m not convinced the balance of the Lions back row is correct. Playing lock is very different to blindside flank and the Lions have been at their best when Kwagga Smith, Warren Whiteley and Jaco Kriel have been their loose trio, along with Malcolm Marx at hooker. That group is good on the floor, at the breakdown and in the tackle, which enables them to slow down the opposition’s ball and win turnovers.

And because the Lions generally play to a 1-3-3-1 system, it means they usually have two back-rowers on the edge of the field, which provides them with strike power, certainly Smith and Kriel have given them real impetus in the past.

It’s not quite the same when you look at Franco Mostert playing that role, and then you look at the ease with which the Blues scrumhalf was able to get around him at scrum time. The Lions need to look at whether he should be persevered with at number seven; the problem is they are well-stocked at lock and maybe they feel their other back-row players aren’t up to the level needed.

With the loss of Whiteley for the next four games we will see whether the experiment will continue or whether the Lions will go down another road.

To be fair to the Blues, they were very disciplined and they gave a blueprint as to how to beat the Lions. They denied them entry into their own 22, from where they strike with their strong lineout and drive, and they obviously didn’t give them many penalties.

The Blues were also able to keep the ball, through many phases, and the Lions were just not able to get over the ball and get steals. The Lions defence was good, but there were few turnovers, so they were on the back foot for long periods of the game.

Aphiwe Dyantyi made two key interventions in the match – his interception try was absolutely superb and then his charge down of a restart, if he had just been able to gather the ball then the game would have been won … those are the small margins in SuperRugby.

But the major thing is that the Lions spent too long defending and the Blues got the confidence to come back. And what a good effort it was to come back from 21-3 down. At altitude things change quickly, but normally for the home team.

The Blues generally kicked off shape – in other words they would keep the ball in order to bring the Lions wings up and isolate Andries Coetzee at the back, meaning they were able to find space in the corners quite easily, and a good chase then meant the Lions were under pressure.

Most importantly, your scrum has to stand up to the opposition front five, and the Blues did that all game.

You have to credit the Blues for never running out of steam, and credit to the Lions for their part in a fantastic game of rugby. It shows the high standards of Swys de Bruin that he was very upset and complaining about his team at halftime, even though they were 21-10 up. Swys favours all-out attack, he has a simple philosophy of beating your man, he wants his players to take on their opposite number.

It’s been a big month for the Lions with two local derbies, but there will always be a slight let-up in intensity somewhere in the competition and there are times when you have to win when you are not at your best.

It was also interesting to note Marx being kept on the field for the whole time, so he’s now played four straight 80 minutes, even though Robbie Coetzee is not a bad replacement. The Lions are going to have to look at Marx’s workload.

I was with the Sharks at the weekend and I was able to visit my old Springbok friend Ricardo Loubscher, who is now coaching their SuperSport Rugby Challenge side. It was nice to exchange ideas with him and meet up with a lot of old friends at Kings Park.

I was also able to meet and chat with Alan Zondagh, the former Western Province coach, who has a great passion for attack. He raised a very interesting point that all teams play a similar style of attack these days – the 1-3-3-1, you see the same style from all the teams.

It will be an interesting weekend of SuperRugby again and I think the Lions will bounce back, they’ll be expecting five points as they have the good fortune to play the Sunwolves, and remain in a good position before they go on tour. I don’t think their slip-up against the Blues will be too costly because the Aucklanders are not really seen as contenders, and a bonus point win this weekend will see them still in a good position.

The Sharks now have a difficult run of four games away on tour and it was interesting to see coach Robert du Preez being so positive as to target four wins. That would be a first for a touring side!

The Bulls are in Hamilton, John Mitchell’s old stamping ground, to face the Chiefs and it will be interesting to see how they go. The Chiefs have been competitive this season, they beat the Blues before their good win this last weekend. It’s been an interesting change to have Damian McKenzie at flyhalf and I didn’t expect them to be as good as they have been. But in New Zealand they just seem to be able to rustle up fresh 100kg centres and wings that are flippen quick.

The Stormers have a home game against the Blues and it is non-negotiable to win at home if you are going to try and get a home semi-final. Anything away from home is a bonus. Just look at the Hurricanes, who were not very convincing against the Bulls but then smashed the Crusaders quite convincingly in Wellington last weekend.

John McFarland is the assistant coach of the Kubota Spears in Japan and was the Springbok defence coach from 2012 through to the 2015 World Cup, where they conceded the least line-breaks in the tournament and an average of just one try per game. Before that, McFarland won three SuperRugby titles (2007, 09, 10) with the Bulls and five Currie Cup crowns with the Blue Bulls. In all, he won 28 trophies during his 12 years at Loftus Versfeld.

The Lions have been really dominant in South African rugby for a long time and they have built that dominance on old-fashioned values.

The great thing about the Lions is that they can play in a number of ways, they can take you on up front or they can go around or through you. It’s all led to them being unbeaten against South African opposition for three years, which is an unbelievable record.

At one time the Bulls were as dominant but now they’ve taken three 50-point defeats in a row from the Lions and two of them have been at Loftus Versfeld!

It was Franco Mostert’s first game at flank and he really came through well, but the match was decided by the maul and the Bulls’ indiscipline, which led to penalties and allowed the Lions into their 22 to set the lineout drive. There were a lot of turnovers and penalties, but it’s the latter that allowed the Lions to gain the ascendancy.

The Bulls are employing a new system to stop the maul, with the hooker almost acting as a second wave behind the initial effort to stop. The only problem with that is that it means there is a lot of weight down the one side of the maul and the Lions were able to shift their drive and score easily. In fact two of their rolling maul tries were from shift drives. If the Bulls don’t stop the initial momentum then they will be in trouble.

The Lions competed in the lineout five metres from their line, while the Stormers utilised sacking, so there are many different ways of defending the maul and you just have to perfect the system you use. But the Bulls really need to look at that.

It is in their favour that they are now playing New Zealand sides, although the Crusaders can come hard at you at maul-time. The one positive is that the Bulls’ lineout is functioning well, a 94% success rate means they are winning their own ball.

Lions wing Aphiwe Dyantyi looked really dangerous and the Lions back three were subjected to an aerial barrage, for which the Bulls only received the odd return. So the Lions wings stood up well and that puts another tick in the box towards a Springbok place.

Ironically, all three of the Lions’ locks (Ferreira, Orie, Mostert) – were Blue Bulls players as youngsters and played most of their rugby there until they were 23/24, so the Bulls were given a taste of their own medicine when it came to the driving maul!

Speaking of Marvin Orie, the way he chased down that Elton Jantjies grubber was really excellent, he beat some of the Bulls backs to the ball through sheer commitment. It was also a pinpoint chip and I thought Jantjies was really good. He played flat when he needed to, he played guys off his shoulder, dictated with the boot and his defence was also up to scratch.

The Sharks will be disappointed with their performance against the Waratahs. They just couldn’t convert their mauls or scrum opportunities in the 22 and they need to show far more patience with ball in hand and build pressure.

For the Waratahs’ final try that drew the game, the chase was very poor and the Sharks gave them far too much space down the side. In situations like that, there are basically only two attackers, the fullback and wing, so you only need three chasers and it’s vital that the opposite wing does not get sucked in.

There was also an opportunity for the Sharks at the end: with their scrum so dominant I felt they would scrum for a penalty, but unfortunately the reserve tighthead went up in the air.

I’m quite looking forward to the Sharks versus Sunwolves game this weekend because there will be four Kubota players in the visiting team, which is quite an achievement for our club.

Sunwolves flyhalf Harumuchi Tatekawa is a quality player who played centre against South Africa in that World Cup match. He can dictate a game, he’s a very strong defender and he has good hands, as well as being able to take it to the line.

At centre the Sunwolves will have Sione Teaupa, who I think is a real talent. There are quite a lot of Tongan recruits in Japan, they go there for university or the final years of school, and then a lot stay and make their life in Japan.

The other two Kubota players – Grant Hattingh and Lappies Labuschagne – are well-known to South Africans. I’m especially pleased to see Lappies back in SuperRugby and he’s leading the tackle and turnover counts again.

It will be interesting to see how the Sunwolves cope in Durban; it’s not going to be a crisp Tokyo afternoon but a balmy, humid day and the ball will be very slippery.

John McFarland is the assistant coach of the Kubota Spears in Japan and was the Springbok defence coach from 2012 through to the 2015 World Cup, where they conceded the least line-breaks in the tournament and an average of just one try per game. Before that, McFarland won three SuperRugby titles (2007, 09, 10) with the Bulls and five Currie Cup crowns with the Blue Bulls. In all, he won 28 trophies during his 12 years at Loftus Versfeld.