South African teams continue to disappoint in European competition. This year was terrible, and no teams advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions Cup. Not only did the Stormers, Sharks, and Bulls fail to advance, but they honestly looked out for their depth, particularly against French opposition. The Springboks are undoubtedly the best in the world, with back-to-back World Cup crowns, so why can’t the local teams replicate that form?
Depth
South Africa is in the envious position of producing a conveyor belt of talent through the junior ranks that cannot be matched. So why is there a disparity in depth for the local teams? This talent is dispersed to all corners of the globe where rugby is played, from bright-eyed rookies to the twisted steel of tough journeymen. Previously, the overseas option was used to pad one’s retirement before you hung up your boots, but nowadays, age means little. The issue is not with the starting 15 or 23 players but rather the second tier who need to fill the gaps when the injury bug strikes or resting protocols come into play.
Travel
John Plumtree rattled some cages with his blunt assessment of the effect of travelling on his team’s ability to perform every week. He is wrong and right in this situation because the travel is challenging, but if he has adequate depth, he could mitigate the travel with rotation. One solution is to integrate more with the URC scheduling to allow for travel blocks between the European and URC matches. The glimmer of light for the local teams is that they will now get 15 business class tickets for overseas URC flights, which will help those weary legs cooped up in cattle class.
Apathy
European rugby competitions have an incredible history, with teams of the past etching their names into history with memorable moments of being called Europe’s best team. This history means very little to the South African public and teams, hence the SA teams’ approach. It is treated as a secondary competition rather than the season’s pinnacle. Jake White has made few friends with his selections and comments after picking backup players in European matches. The SA teams will continue to make up the numbers until winning in Europe is treated as the main course and not a tasty side dish.
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