The final insult
The Springboks are expecting gracious favour from Lady Luck, God and the Highveld hoodoo but none of these intangibles will be enough to prevent another historic Australian win.
Slim chances of re-entering the Tri-Nations race evaporated with the capitulation at Kings Park, and there’s been subsequent talk about how this Ellis Park fixture is an opportunity to regain some pride. But what if the Boks fall to Australia on the Highveld for the first time since 1963? That would be the final insult. It would complete the plummet from champs to chumps in less than 10 months.
Keo.co.za looks at several reasons why Robbie Deans’s tourists will head back Down Under on a high.
BATTERY TAKES IT’S TOLL
Another week, another casualty. It’s a phrase that be will used to describe the Boks’ 2008 Tri-Nations campaign in years to come (as well as a few less-than-kind adjectives). The disaster in Durban cost South Africa another first-choice winger in JP Pietersen, a loss that comes just a week after Bryan Habana bowed out with a hamstring tear. CJ van der Linde has been banned for four weeks and will also be missed in a tight clash. For a side that’s already struggling, it’s almost unfair to expect the reserves to gel with the incumbents, let alone provide gamewinning touches.
The Aussies’ appeal of Rocky Elsom’s ban proved successful allowing the blindsider to hold onto his starting position. The Wallabies midfield looks no less formidable with Timana Tahu replacing the injured Berrick Barnes. The tourists may have lost lock Dan Vickerman but it is the hosts who are the more depleted and deflated outfit.
KICKING CHAOS
While it’s tempting to get stuck into those less-than-kind adjectives and phrases, it’s best to look at Peter de Villiers’s own errant slurs when it comes to tactical kicking. De Villiers assumed the Aussies had an inferior tactical kicking game ahead of that Kings Park Test, but Matt Giteau went on to break the Boks with his well-weighted chips behind the defence. Aside from Tahu, every member of the visiting backline has a healthy boot and the back three is strengthened in this area by the return of Adam Ashley-Cooper.
De Villiers has ignored last week’s result and picked two wingers not known for their kicking prowess, ditto the centres. Conrad Jantjes has the goods, but has failed to deliver in this vein in 2008, and the same goes for Butch James and Fourie du Preez. Why wasn’t Percy Montgomery selected for a match that is bound to see plenty of tactical kicking? A back three of Montgomery, Jantjes and Jongi Nokwe provides more balance in this regard.
BREAKDOWN WAUGH
Rumour has it he’s been locked in a dark cellar for seven days and fed on nothing but small scraps of meat, but Deans has finally decided to unleash the rabid force that is Phil Waugh. George Smith earns a break ahead of the Wallabies’ more important fixture in Brisbane, and so Waugh gets an opportunity to show the new coach what he can do with a start.
The problem with the South African back row is their failure to fire as a unit, and the persistence with Pierre Spies and the axing of Joe van Niekerk could prove costly. Elsom’s beat the law and you’d expect him to produce another big performance at the tackle point, and watch out for another prominent breakdown beast in Tatafu Polota-Nau.
SET-PIECE SCRAP
The scrumming was a positive for the Boks last week, but the problems at lineout time cannot be ignored. There was talk about the Aussie jumpers encroaching on the Boks’ side, but you’d expect experienced players like Victor Matfield and Juan Smith to rise above this sort of pressure. Hugh McMeniman and Elsom will look to spoil South African ball and James Horwill is one of the most underrated players in the Aussie side. They’ll miss Vickerman, but another bumbling Bok showing in this area will make their jobs a whole lot easier.
Prediction: It’ll be a sad end to a disappointing tournament for the world champions. Although they’ve been hit by numerous injuries, they will lament their own mistakes and perhaps finally admit that the current approach is flawed. Australia by 5.
Springboks – 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Adrian Jacobs, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Butch James, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Andries Bekker, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Luke Watson, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Percy Montgomery.
Australia - 15. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14. Peter Hynes, 13. Stirling Mortlock (c), 12. Timana Tahu, 11. Lote Tuqiri, 10. Matt Giteau, 9. Sam Cordingley, 8. Wycliff Palu, 7. Phil Waugh, 6. Rocky Elsom, 5. Hugh McMeniman, 4. James Horwill, 3. Matt Dunning, 2. Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1. Benn Robinson
Subs: 16. Stephen Moore, 17. Al Baxter, 18. Dean Mumm, 19. George Smith, 20. Brett Sheehan, 21. Ryan Cross, 22. Drew Mitchell.
By Jon Cardinelli
August 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
#892 Rugby_Princess: my gosh you are a dangerous lady!
August 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
#896 Staal: Shame ek weet waar gaan daai jong prop sy kop kry teen die einde van die game!
August 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
#845 Dawn:
Want to know ’bout this site’s creator?
He is a world-class masturbater
He once won the Gold
for his famous words bold
And hopes there is more to come later
August 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
#891 Dawn: Lady Boy…
August 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
#895 EEE:
You are not alone – I think they will too
August 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
#848 Dawn:
Get True Romance.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
#895 EEE: Hey sweetheart – how are you today? You are the classy lady on this site. The others are just plain JELOUS
August 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
#899 Loosehead: Bunny Boiler
August 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
#883 Ethel:
There was a walker Harry once,
he always had to the kanck of dunce
his *** change left him without his gavel
So to pass his time he went to travel.
about as near to Limerick I’ll get.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
#892 Rugby_Princess:
I’ve seen all the Saw movies.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
R Bell lbw b Botha 73 (77b 11×4 1×6) SR: 94.80 at last!!!! 144/2
August 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
#892 Rugby_Princess: just make sure their is no cold water available, does funny things to other “bits”
August 29th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
#901 rangerman:
I like to think “creative solutions”
August 29th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
#907 Ethel: probably bcos I am the eldest
August 29th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
#890 Ethel:
There’s no way you can be me. You’re not eloquent enough.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
#881 Rugby_Princess: Hi Princess, I have resigned from the Ministry of Wishful Thinking, I am therefore not expecting much from tomorrow`s game, the upside of that is that due to lower expectations I can hope for a pleasant surprise and not be disappointed if the surprise is not forthcoming.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
#912 poppa69:
August 29th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
#899 Loosehead:
August 29th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
#909 shooter: Who is that person you talk so fondly about? I don’t know him!
August 29th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Boks to get a smack tomorrow..eish!
Evening RP, others………
August 29th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
mary had a little lamb
she also had a duck
she put them on the mantlepiece
to see if they would f f f falloff….
August 29th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Just remember that rugby is not a game…it is war. Unfortuanately a war hasn’t been faught this badly since Olaff The Hairy, King of all the Vikings, once ordered 10 000 battle helmets with the horns on the inside. For clarification sub Olaff The Hairy with PdV……..
August 29th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
#906 WP Till I Die:
How do you know me.
I’ve already got it.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
#915 WP Till I Die: Hoe wiet djy. Djy weet almal weet dat Ethel WPTID is?
August 29th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
#909 shooter:
There was an old vagrant from Calcutta
who would always sleep in the gutter
but the tropical sun burnt a hole through his bum
and melted his balls to butter.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
#910 Dawn:
Research ?
August 29th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
OA Shah b Kallis 23 (37b 3×4 0×6) SR: 62.16 150/3 THATS MORE LIKE IT!!!!
August 29th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Wow some nice lesbian action over here. Lets see some tongue action Ethel!
August 29th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Hmmm, we’re approaching the 1,000 mark.
Pietman and cane will probably appear shortly.
We must ensure that cane does not steal our 1000 again!
August 29th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
#3 whtjam:
we need him like a hole in the head
August 29th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
#923 Dawn: Dawn het jy gegoogle en kyk?
August 29th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
there once was a man named keo
a story he wrote about geo
was out on his ***
and showed off his class
making a coach his hero to zero
August 29th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
#923 Dawn: I thought you know each other?
August 29th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
#926 Rugby_Princess: Where do we go to my lovely – when we alone in your bed! Do you like ignoring me! Cough it out girl – get over it and accept it.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
#900 Ethel:
I had a long counselling session with Richie the other day
Now you seem to be suffering an identity crisis
Maybe in your case we should just let it go
What do you say Ethel? Or was that Jugs? Or Harry? Or ****? Tom? Hilary?
August 29th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
#924 Ethel:
Djy’s dan in Ireland, djou maknaai. Ek’s in Kaapstad.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
(sung to the tune of the Beverly Hillbillies)…
let me tell you a story about a man named Jed
poor mountaineer trying to keep his family fed
then one day when hes hunting for some food
out from the bushes popped a lady in the nude
nude that is , no clothes on
well the next thing you know
old Jed was in the truck
greasing up his balls getting ready for a fark
in came granny with a 303
and shot his balls from here to tennessee…..
August 29th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
#934 Ethel:
You are more confused than a chameleon in a smartiebox.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
#932 rangerman:
August 29th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
#921 poppa69:
Mary had a little skirt
With splits right up the sides,
And every time that Mary walked
The boys could see her thighs.
She also had a little blouse
Twas old and torn to bits,
And every time she wore it
The boys could see her t*ts.
Mary had another skirt
Twas split right up the front,
But she didn’t wear that one very often.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
#932 rangerman: Now that is class.
There once was a boy called Ethel
Everyone thought he was from Bethel
He lived in the Cape
And got permanently gesuip!
and now bums off the people of Shannon
August 29th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
#932 rangerman: You`ve got a knack for this. The poet laureate of the Keo generation!
August 29th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
#498 grootblousmile: great to hear that spirit mate
#474 Dawn: u gettin all militaristic this weekend lol!
August 29th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
#936 WP Till I Die: No I am in your head.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
mmmmmmmm
August 29th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
#931 Ethel:
Dobriy den, tovarischa. Kak d’ya la, krasivaya?
August 29th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
#935 Dust: The fumigator are you still living my china!
August 29th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Custard recipe for Saturday afternoon
1 egg
20g/¾oz caster sugar
20g/¾oz flour
8 tbsp double cream
beat the egg with the sugar until pale and thick. Beat in the sifted flour and add the cream.
Good luck with it
August 29th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
#936 WP Till I Die: Speaking of eloquence hehehe
August 29th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
#945 whatever:
You drunk that wine yet ?