By Lucky Vince Pienaar
Speaking on New Zealand’s rugby programme, The Breakdown, Scott “Razor” Robertson said the Boks’ success was rooted in a solid defence, effective kicking, and precise set-pieces.
“That’s how the Springboks play,” he said.
And then he spoke the wise words that former coach Ian Foster never got his head around.
“They kick the goals to win,” said Robertson.
That is the reason the All Blacks lost the 2023 World Cup and why Robertson, who took over from Foster as head coach after the tournament, could very well have won it for New Zealand.
With Robertson at the helm, the All Blacks are going to become the very hard-to-beat team they were not so long ago.
In the World Cup final, the All Blacks kept going for corner kicks, hoping to score a try, even when there were three points on the table for Richie Mo’unga or Jordie Barrett to convert. And despite Sam Cane being red-carded, they still kept going for tries.
Why? Because that’s what they do. The All Blacks love to score tries. But the Springboks love to win matches more. There was never any doubt that Handré Pollard would go for the posts. He did it four out of four times and scored the winning 12 points.
It was almost sad the way Jordie Barrett went for the 50-50 kick when it was already too late in the match.
When Robertson said the Springboks kick goals to win, he may as well have said it was a fatal error for the All Blacks to reject kicking for the posts.
That, sadly, is Foster’s legacy. Before the match, and even at halftime, he should have realised that the Springboks were not going to give away too many tries and they should have kicked for posts.
“The Springboks won it off the foot. They made the kicks,” he said.
“And they kick the goals to win,” said Robertson.
Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber knew that was the way to win.
And clearly, Robertson knows that too.
South Africa won the World Cup by one point. Robertson understands that a miss is as good as a mile. He would not have let it happen.
Pictured above: Scott “Razor” Robertson.
Image source: X
