Why the Japanese David was always likely to beat SA’s Goliath

Malcolm Gladwell’s most recent book, David and Goliath, explains quite logically that despite the apparent mismatch, the little shepherd herd boy with the sling was always going to win that fight. Goliath, the 6 foot 9 inch giant, was afflicted with acromegaly, a benign tumour on the pituitary gland that promotes growth but badly affects vision. He never even saw those high velocity pebbles that cut him down – hardly a fair fight, was it?

Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15Japan's Karne Hesketh scores their third tryReuters / Eddie KeoghLivepic TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Japan’s Karne Hesketh scores their third tryReuters / Eddie KeoghLivepic

The Springbok defeat over the weekend to rugby minnows Japan had shades of David and Goliath. With hindsight, the guys in green and gold were ripe for the plucking. A few weeks ago, a group of the black players publicly complained to Cosatu about not getting enough game time. And a number of those who lined-up on Saturday are either out of form or returning from injury. Hardly what builds cohesion in what is, critically, a team sport.

Last week John Smit told a presentation in London the key ingredient in the Springbok 2007 World Cup victory was because “the Afrikaners, Coloured, Blacks and English guys all pulled together into a team.” That, he said, made them unbeatable.

Hopefully the Japanese defeat will galvanise the Springboks into pulling together. Smit says South Africans are best when they have their backs to the wall. After the weekend’s shock, that theory is about to be put to the test.

 

Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15 A Japan fan holds up a flag before the match Reuters / Eddie Keogh Livepic
Rugby Union – South Africa v Japan – IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B – Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England – 19/9/15
A Japan fan holds up a flag before the match
Reuters / Eddie Keogh
Livepic
Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15 Japan celebrate victory after the match Reuters / Eddie Keogh Livepic
Japan celebrate victory after the match
Reuters / Eddie Keogh – Livepic
Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15 South Africa head coach Heyneke Meyer during the national anthem Reuters / Eddie Keogh Livepic
Rugby Union – South Africa v Japan – IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B – Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England – 19/9/15
South Africa head coach Heyneke Meyer during the national anthem
Reuters / Eddie Keogh – Livepic
Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15 South Africa's Schalk Burger shakes hands with Japan's Shinya Makabe after the match Reuters / Eddie Keogh Livepic
Rugby Union – South Africa v Japan – IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B – Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England – 19/9/15
South Africa’s Schalk Burger shakes hands with Japan’s Shinya Makabe after the match
Reuters / Eddie Keogh – Livepic
Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15 Japan celebrate victory after the match as South Africa's Victor Matfield walks off the pitch Reuters / Eddie Keogh Livepic
Rugby Union – South Africa v Japan – IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B – Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England – 19/9/15
Japan celebrate victory after the match as South Africa’s Victor Matfield walks off the pitch
Reuters / Eddie Keogh – Livepic
Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15Japan's Karne Hesketh celebrates after scoring their third try to win the gameReuters / Eddie KeoghLivepic TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Rugby Union – South Africa v Japan – IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B – Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England – 19/9/15Japan’s Karne Hesketh celebrates after scoring their third try to win the gameReuters / Eddie KeoghLivepic TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15 Japan's Ayumu Goromaru before a conversional penalty Reuters / Stefan Wermuth Livepic
Rugby Union – South Africa v Japan – IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B – Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England – 19/9/15
Japan’s Ayumu Goromaru before a conversional penalty
Reuters / Stefan Wermuth – Livepic
Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15 South Africa fans hold up a banner during the match Reuters / Eddie Keogh Livepic
Rugby Union – South Africa v Japan – IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B – Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England – 19/9/15
South Africa fans hold up a banner during the match
Reuters / Eddie Keogh
Livepic
Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15 Japan's Kosei Ono in action with South Africa's Victor Matfield Reuters / Stefan Wermuth Livepic
Rugby Union – South Africa v Japan – IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B – Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England – 19/9/15
Japan’s Kosei Ono in action with South Africa’s Victor Matfield
Reuters / Stefan Wermuth
Livepic
Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15 South Africa's Patrick Lambie in action Reuters / Stefan Wermuth Livepic
Rugby Union – South Africa v Japan – IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B – Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England – 19/9/15
South Africa’s Patrick Lambie in action
Reuters / Stefan Wermuth
Livepic
Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15 South Africa fans during the game Reuters / Eddie Keogh Livepic
Rugby Union – South Africa v Japan – IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B – Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England – 19/9/15
South Africa fans during the game
Reuters / Eddie Keogh
Livepic
Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15 South Africa's Bryan Habana in action with Japan's Kotaro Matsushima (L) and Kosei Ono Reuters / Eddie Keogh Livepic
Rugby Union – South Africa v Japan – IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B – Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England – 19/9/15
South Africa’s Bryan Habana in action with Japan’s Kotaro Matsushima (L) and Kosei Ono
Reuters / Eddie Keogh
Livepic
Rugby Union - South Africa v Japan - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B - Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England - 19/9/15 South Africa's Lood de Jager (2nd L) celebrates scoring their third try Reuters / Stefan Wermuth Livepic
Rugby Union – South Africa v Japan – IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B – Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton, England – 19/9/15
South Africa’s Lood de Jager (2nd L) celebrates scoring their third try
Reuters / Stefan Wermuth
Livepic
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