Jake White: What has happened to all the Rugby Championship teams?

When World Rugby was still the IRB (International Rugby Board), I was invited onto the rugby committee where we had a series of meetings to discuss the shape of the game.

I’m sharing it with you now because there was one memorable discussion point where we were debating the role of the maul. You know, how to stop it and can it be done legally? I clearly remember the sternest resistance came from the Argentine delegate. He vociferously and passionately defended the sanctity of the maul, and we know why, because they were so bloody good at it!

From their first meeting in 1965, it took the Springboks 50 years to lose to Argentina - and now they’ve lost on three occasions in the last nine years.

Of course, there was famously a Hugo Porta-led team that beat the Boks in the 80s but that was during the Apartheid years and they had a handful of players from Chile and Uruguay, so it was called the Jaguares. They ended up beating us in an unofficial second Test, but technically we could keep bragging rights until 2015 and that famous 26-24 win in Salta.

They’ve always been immensely powerful, but they didn’t have that x-factor or game management to skittle the biggest opponents. Even so, when it came to the maul or the pick and go to the try-line, they were the masters. They had some incredible tight-five forwards. Roberto Grau came to South Africa and was followed by the hard-hitting hooker Federico Mendez, who played for Natal. Patricio Noriega went to the Brumbies and ended up becoming a mainstay for Australia. Back then, Argentina front rows were a sought-after commodity because their scrum and the revered Bajada scrummaging technique, invented by Francisco Ocampo in the 60s, was so strong.

I tell you all this because it was fascinating listening post-game to Schalk Burger Jnr talking. He’s a clever and shrewd pundit and he surmised by saying that ‘with as frail a scrum and lineout as the Pumas have right now, they will find it really difficult to win in South Africa’. The gist was that they got a lot of leeway at home in those two areas but in Nelspruit, it will be far, far more difficult. It stopped me in my tracks. Honestly, I never thought I’d hear a Springbok saying the Argentinian scrum and lineout would be their Achilles heel.

Now everyone is waxing lyrical about the running ability of their backline and the patterns behind the scrum. Again, it made me think about those discussions many years ago about the ‘shape of the game’. Have Los Pumas focused so much on running rugby that it has come to the detriment of their set-piece?

Their backline tore the Boks to shreds, scoring four tries and it could have scored a lot more, had they been more clinical.

They’re not alone in challenging their national stereotype. If you look at Australia, fans have always been amazed by their evasive running and cross-code skillsets and quality in the air but right now they’re struggling to replicate that. Then you have New Zealand, and their unbelievable understanding of the game. They used to be able find a way to win no matter how the game unfolded but they’ve lost their Midas touch, for now.

At 21-0 up, it’s incredible to think they nearly threw away that match at the weekend. Indeed, the All Blacks have seen fit to call Wayne Smith back into the squad in to help the All Blacks prepare for the week, which doesn’t surprise me at all. Joe Schmidt was in the inner sanctum less than a year ago and many sages could argue that’s why they got so close to toppling the ABs. They can’t risk the Wallabies toppling them over the ditch.

In South Africa, we’ve always been known for having an uncompromising, physical way of playing, yet we are now building a name for running rugby. Indeed, when I look at this Championship’s final weekend, the lie of the land is so, so different.

Trends ebb and flow but some things remain constant. Doc Craven always used to say, ‘your tighthead prop is the most important player on the pitch’ and when you asked him what the second most important position was, he’d say deadpan, ‘your replacement tighthead prop.’

An old adage used to be that you needed a tight five to win a rugby match. Another was that you needed a strong spine to succeed. This meant that you needed a top class 2, 8, 9, 10 and 15. For example, when you look at successful teams, let’s say the All Blacks World Cup winners in 1987, they had Sean Fitzpatrick, Buck Shelford, David Kirk, Grant Fox and John Gallagher. That spine was hugely important.

Another talking point right now is the role of the No.8, especially, ‘is Ardie Savea an 8?’. My view, you’d be a fool not to learn from history. Look at Mark Andrews, Toutai Kefu, Lawrence Dallaglio, Danie Roussow and Duane Vermeulen. All those No 8s have all won World Cups. They are all big men, who are a lineout option and big ball carriers. Kieran Read was a lineout option and had a certain skill set. I’ll leave it there.

That’s the beauty of rugby. We all have opinions on what the key component to success is. Some say it’s your back three. Some say it’s your loosies who win games, while some say it’s your half-backs who dictate your game plan. One combination that has become increasingly important is the back three because of the importance of kicking. I remember at the 2011 World Cup, they fielded Ben Smith, Israel Dagg and Cory Jane, when they used to have Mils Muliaina, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Joe Rokocoko, which was a big departure.

Now listen, no one is saying it’s right or wrong, but what is beyond doubt is that Argentina have beaten the old Tri-Nations firmament by changing the way they play. When they had a scrum, lineout, maul and pick and go, they were not as successful as they are now. Why is that? There are so many permutations to discuss but I’m thinking that there is no singular area that takes precedence over the other one. If you focus on one part, you inevitably lose out elsewhere.

This exciting Pumas team is a reflection of the coach and Felipe Contepomi was an enterprising, cerebral No10, who also spent a long time at Leinster where he would have picked up many so many rugby lessons. If Argentina can refind their set-piece dominance, then watch out. You have to give them credit. They don’t have their own league, players are dotted all over the world and they have scant time together as a squad but look what they’re doing. For neutrals, it is a joy to watch.

The old Mike Tyson, everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face is true in Test match rugby. You think you’ve got it cracked and you get embarrassed. Coaching is like Jenga. You pull away one block and it all risks falling apart. That’s why coaching is increasingly an art. Having the ability to stay ahead of the curve when everyone else is looking to topple you. I’d love to know your thoughts.