PARIS (AP) — Before the Rugby World Cup, South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber backed new flyhalf Manie Libbok to create more tries than he missed kicks at goal.
Saturday's count on those two markers after the defending champion's 13-8 loss to Ireland was: One try created, two very makeable kicks missed.
The five points Libbok left out there off the tee at Stade de France were statistically the difference in the colossal Pool B showdown between top-ranked Ireland and No. 2 South Africa, and will likely see renewed scrutiny on his ability to kick high-pressure goals at the sharp end of the tournament.
It's often the difference when the world's best teams collide.
All three of the Springboks' World Cup triumphs have been built on highly reliable goal-kickers, and Nienaber's decision to set the title defense in France around a different kind of flyhalf in Libbok was under the spotlight from the moment he picked him as his only specialist No. 10 for the tournament.
Libbok’s two misses on Saturday night came at important moments in a game that had the tension of a knockout fixture, even if it wasn't. A conversion for the try he created for wing Cheslin Kolbe would have put South Africa 10-7 up. The penalty he missed later in the second half, from similar range, would have again edged the Boks ahead, 11-10 this time with about 15 minutes to go.
Libbok wasn't the only South African kicker off target. Scrumhalf Faf de Klerk also missed with two penalty attempts, meaning 11 points begging from kicks, although his attempts came from halfway-line territory. That also exposed the lack of a backup kicker for Libbok, whose young test career has been marked by misses with the boot, even if his intuitive style brings many other benefits on attack.
Nienaber said South Africa’s inability to dominate Ireland physically, which was better at the breakdown and stood its ground at critical moments in the set-piece, was just as pivotal and robbed the Boks of the forward momentum they feed off. There were other missed chances.
“We missed a couple of points off the tee. I won’t say that’s the sole reason for not getting across the line,” Nienaber said. “In the first half alone we lost two balls close to the tryline and had another two opportunities later on, so that’s four opportunities, plus those points off tee. But I won’t say it is only goal-kicking.”
Nienaber’s move to call up experienced No. 10 Handre Pollard to the squad last weekend as an injury replacement suggested goal-kicking issues are in the Springboks’ coaching team’s minds, though.
Pollard guided the Boks to victory in Japan four years ago, but wasn’t fit enough to initially make the squad this year. He has recovered fully from a calf injury, and Nienaber found a place for him when hooker Malcolm Marx went home with a knee injury.
South Africa might now have a little bit of a conundrum at No. 10.
Counting missed kicks at goal as evidence of a different result is an inexact science and benefits from hindsight, when the Ireland game could have taken so many different turns. Also, without Libbok you don't have the smooth little loop move and long, fizzing pass to Kolbe for South Africa's try against the Irish. Or the sweet cross-kick that set up another wing, Kurt-Lee Arendse, for the score that sealed South Africa's win over Scotland at the start of the World Cup.
But Pollard may well start at fylhalf against Tonga in South Africa's final pool game and might then be an option at 10 for the quarterfinals, which looks like a meeting with host France if the Springboks get through.
“We’ll have to discuss. Lots of things go in to team selection," Nienaber said of the likelihood of Pollard starting against the Tongans next weekend. “The pressure is on us to do well against Tonga to get a result there so that we can get out of our pool.”
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