So, how much time do you have?

Yesterday we ran through some of the most jarring post-match stats you’ll ever see (HERE), and it really does paint a picture of a team outclassed at every turn.

Many armchair critics have cried out for the likes of Jake White and Nick Mallett, both of whom had considerable success as Bok coach, but it’s the latter who finds himself in the SuperSport studios for the post-match analysis.

So, what’s to blame for such an inept performance? Below from Sport24:

“There’s no question that structures in New Zealand rugby is the template South Africa needs to follow. A lot of what we saw today should be squarely blamed on our structures and our administrators because we have not got a professional setup in South Africa that equals the New Zealand system.

“In New Zealand the All Blacks are always placed first. The New Zealand Rugby Union contracts their Super Rugby players and places them in the franchises. Here, every team signs its own players and coach. What I’m trying to point out is they have a centralised system run for the benefit of New Zealand rugby, we have a system that benefits our provinces and not the national side, which should actually be the main priority.”

Mallett also questioned whether South Africa can afford to have 14 professional unions.

“We can’t expect coaches or players to compete at such a high level with inexperienced and unprofessional administrators at the helm. We have 14 unions, but we can barely afford six unions.

‘When I was fired (as Springbok coach), they appointed Harry Viljoen [above] and he lasted for a very short period of time and then they got Rudolph Straeuli and he wasn’t successful. Then Jake White came and served four years and did well and won a World Cup. So surely some continuity should have happened after that?

“But still that is not the main problem. The problem in South Africa is that we cannot maintain 14 professional unions. We always talk about the abundance of talent we have, but a lot of those youngsters are going overseas because of the weak rand. We have to keep those players in the country by reducing the number of unions and making those franchises professional in the sense that people can own shares as they do in England and France. That will allow businesses to run our unions and not people politically voted into position.”

Those baying for blood will want a quicker fix than an overhaul of our administrative setup, but there really is no time like the present to set in motion the wheels of change.

Then again, Mallett does make mention of those politically motivated appointments, which means that getting anything moving in the right direction will no doubt be filled with much red tape and resistance.

Sorry rugby fans, buckle down and get ready for a rocky road ahead.

[source:sport24]