Taine Randell
OPINION: AUCKLAND (Sunday News/Pacific Media Watch): Congratulations Tonga – you produced not only one of the great World Cup upsets but you also restored some Pacific Islands tradition to this Rugby World Cup tournament with the boil-over 19-14 win against France.
Coming on top of Samoa's brave effort against South Africa, losing 13-5, it's been a good final weekend for the Island teams. Let's hope Fiji can continue that theme when they play Wales today.
But it's fair to say the efforts on Friday and yesterday have papered over an alarming trend at this World Cup that saw a lot of the Islanders' flair stifled.
Perhaps Tonga's effort yesterday could be put down to the circumstances they were in. They really had to chance their arm against France. It was all or nothing and they gave the ball a bit of air. The structures that have been a handbrake over the last three weeks went out the window and they tossed the ball around on attack while producing some real energy on defence.
But I couldn't help but feel this has all come a bit too late and unless Fiji can produce a massive win against Wales it looks like there will be no Island presence in the quarterfinals.
In the second half of their game against the Boks, Samoa showed what could be achieved against the South African defence. They opened them up more times than other sides have managed and it will be something noted by coaching staff of some of the title contenders.
Rush defence
With the Boks employing a rush defence led by Jaque Fourie, the imposing centre who is the best exponent of this method in world rugby, the Samoans used some clever tactics in the areas inside Fourie's danger zone.
Simple looping around moves between first- and second-fives allowed the Samoans to slip through the inside areas and get in behind the Boks and from there spread the ball wider.
It's been a bit of a Catch 22 scenario for the Island teams here. We have seen a lift in performances in that they no longer get whipped by some of the heavyweight sides. In fact, Tonga upset one of those very teams.
Put that down to the large numbers of professionals in their ranks. They are fitter, more committed and have good habits.
We have seen a lift in the set piece work of all three sides – Samoa, Fiji and Tonga – and that is to be commended.
But it seems to have been at the expense of their traditional flair.
There is no doubt this has everything to do with the coaching influences these players are now under.
They ply their trade around the world in New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Europe.
Foreign coaches
We are also seeing increasing use of foreign coaches in the make up of their management teams.
As a result, we are seeing a far more structured game plan. But I don't believe the Island teams will succeed trying to play like the All Blacks, the Wallabies or even the Boks. Endless pick-and-goes just isn't their game.
The challenge now as they head off to prepare for the 2015 World Cup is to take the good things that come with this pragmatic approach and blend them with their Polynesian strengths. They still need to maximise the genetic advantages they have with their size and explosive abilities.
Rugby doesn't need to have all teams playing the same way, especially not the Island sides with their unique talents.
How will the Springboks go with the defence of their title at the business end of the tournament? That's an interesting scenario. Just as they did against Wales, they got off to a steaming start against Samoa but went off the boil and their performance fell away. The patchy nature of their play will be a concern.
But a bigger problem may be the loss of Frans Steyn to a tournament-ending shoulder injury and the ongoingproblems with Bakkies Botha.
They are two players central to this side. Botha is your stereotypical Boks hard man and Steyn is your big-kicking South African back.
And when I say big, I mean very big. In the warmups at Albany we calculated Steyn landed one goal from 68m. That ability breaks the hearts of opposition and its absence takes away a major threat.
I felt the Boks were building some ominous form during pool play. But that stalled against Samoa and I now tend to think their likely quarterfinal against Australia might be swinging in favour of the Wallabies, who have had the chance to regroup with a couple of easier games after their shock loss to Ireland.
Taine Randell is a former All Blacks captain and columnist with the Sunday News.
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Farewell Manu Samoa, Ikale Tahi and Flying Fijians - a cultural success
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