Springboks happy to get no kick from a game

The South Africans spent two hours at Stradbrook yesterday blowing away the cobwebs of a long-haul flight from Argentina, scene of their 37-33 Test match victory over the Pumas on Sunday. As soon as the final scrum broke up and the last backline move was completed, the management rushed to Dublin Airport to catch a flight to Limerick for last night's A international at Thomond Park.

The manner of the Springbok performance against Argentina, under new coach Harry Viljoen, is perhaps the most striking aspect of the pre-match banter ahead of Sunday's Test with Ireland at Lansdowne Road: the South Africans did not kick the ball from hand for 73 minutes in Buenos Aires.

Viljoen had instructed them not to kick for the entire first half, and then asked them to continue that to the final whistle. It was only when outhalf Percy Montgomery was trapped in his in-goal area that he was forced to put boot to ball.

It is a remarkable statistic, and illustrates Viljoen's commitment to a fast and flowing game.

Scrumhalf and former captain Joost van der Westhuizen, returning for his first Test in seven months, outlined his enthusiasm for the new system.

"I think it is a change of mindset for the players, to try to retain the ball and be patient. If we want to play at a high level, we must work on our skills, and the game plan lets us use our skills to the full potential.

"I was quite happy with the first half, but in the second we struggled, we made it difficult for ourselves. I think the communication was a bit of a problem in the second half. But it was only our first game. We started off with a new coach and coaching staff, and if you look at it from that perspective it was good," van der Westhuizen said.

On a personal level he was less pleased. "There is a space for a lot of improvement," he laughed. "It was only my first full Test back in about seven months, so it was a start. I'm quite happy with the first half, but if you look at the tape in depth, I still made a lot of mistakes, maybe one or two, maybe three or four wrong options."

Viljoen's courage to pursue his visions extended beyond team patterns: it included switching Percy Montgomery from full back to outhalf for the Argentinean game. Van der Westhuizen believed the tactic worked.

"I was very happy with Monty's performance to be honest, from a scrumhalf's point of view. His communication was excellent and his lines of running were also excellent. I think he is going to become a great flyhalf.

"I think his confidence to play there came through in the training sessions. By the time we got to the game he was quite settled."

Assistant coach Jake White pointed out that the Springbok's performance had been a decent first offering. "The nice thing was that the mindset has changed. We actually tried to play the whole Test without kicking the ball, but as the pressure got to us we realised that we'd have to change it a bit.

"In the first 40 minutes there was good communication with backs and forwards interchanging, knowing exactly where the breakdowns were. Monty took it up naturally at flyhalf, like he had played there before. He has been criticised as a player who doesn't like contact, but he was running up flat and he was going on his own sometimes, looking for contact situations."

So what of Ireland? Van der Westhuizen admitted: "I had a look at the Munster games and that was the only thing that I saw. Ireland always has a great pack, and little Stringer is also a very good player.

"Against Japan you can't see a lot, you won't see how they really play because it is not a Six Nations style. Their true gameplan will only come out on Sunday, so we just have to be prepared."

When asked if he was surprised by Munster's success, he concluded: "No. That is Irish play and that's how Ireland is supposed to play, according to me. Their forwards were just amazing."

From a Springbok perspective, the Argentinean game was not a once off, for, as White pointed out, they have no intention of withdrawing into a shell against Ireland. He also hinted that they may not dispense with the non-kicking policy, just tweak it depending on the conditions.

Former South Africa captain Joost van der Westhuizen is pleased with the new tactics introduced by coach Harry Viljoen. "I think it is a change of mindset for the players, to try to retain the ball and be patient. If we want to play at a high level, we must work on our skills, and the game plan lets us use our skills to the full potential."