The EVOLUTION of playing STYLE
BEFORE WE get into the meat of the subject, Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber wants to ensure that there is some understanding around what leads up to the killer question. Because deciding how you want to play rugby isn’t exactly knocked over before you’ve blown the froth off your pint.
“If myself, you and the public understand two things first, then it will make a lot of sense what I say next,” Nienaber begins. “First, rugby is a game of continuous contest. That’s what makes rugby completely different from other contact sports. There are over 800 contests in a game of rugby.
“Then the second one is: rugby is a game for all shapes and sizes. The laws of rugby start with that. It’s for the fat kid, the thin kid, the kid that can pass a ball and also the kid who can’t pass the ball. So those are the two things that underpin the sport. Then we get to your question: how long does it take to arrive at a playing style?
“It depends on how well you know the athleticism in your squad. So for example, when I walked into Munster, it takes you some time to see the athletic attributes. We already have a pretty good idea where the contests in rugby are going to be, which is determined by
