Blues belt lame Lions
10 Apr 2009
The Blues handed the Lions an embarrassing 36-12 defeat in Auckland.
Loffie Eloff’s excuses shall be interesting. We’ll bring you these as soon as possible, but Loffie will give us the same old cliched crap.
Fatigue and jetlag? Sounds like a good one but won’t fly this week, the Lions were down 14-0 at half-time. And yes, they were lucky to get nought, with the missed tackles count at 18 and handling errors from the Blues at 12 – the rain an hour before kick-off can be thanked for that.
The Lions had literally no ball in the first half-time, but when they did it was seriously embarrassing as they didn’t know what to do with it. This is a team with no direction and somebody needs to take account for that.
The defence, as the stats will tell (35 missed tackles in all), was terrible. From No’s 10-13 the Lions kept on rushing up and the gaps were capitalised on from a Blues’ side that is nothing special.
The usually solid Lions tight five were hampered by tighthead Gert Muller’s inclusion as the scrum faltered. Lawrence Sephaka ‘wasn’t fit enough to start’, according to Eloff, but he did play the final half hour. That, like much at the union, doesn’t make sense.
Scrumhalf Jano Vermaak also made an impact when he came on, but why he was on the bench is another mystery.
The only way the Lions were going to cause an upset was via another inspirational Jaque Fourie performance, but when he injured his eye after defending for the opening hour their hopes were all but gone.
The Lions looked more interested in the second half, but that is more of an indictment as to why they weren’t up to it in the first is a mystery.
An out of form Joe Rokocoko created the gap for the third try to Rudi Wulf two minutes into the second half. That the pass to Rokocoko was blatantly forward isn’t really a consideration as referee James Leckie’s numerous mistakes couldn’t even have an impact as the contest wasn’t close.
The fifth try for the Blues came from a charge down off Andre Pretorius, who yet again had a shocker and calls for him to be in the Springbok squad are misguided.
The sooner the competition closes for Loffie and the Lions the better.
By Grant Ball
194 Comments
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10 Apr 2009, 10:47 am
Meyer
White
Mallett
These guys should be coaching S14 teams.
10 Apr 2009, 10:48 am
One thing all NZ teams do that we can REALLY REALLY learn from is support. Theyre up so quick when a player goes down. Even if theres no one near they come up extremely fast. Why dont we do that? How long will it take for SA to learn the lessons of what makes NZ rugby so competitive? Its really not too hard nowadays with video tech.
10 Apr 2009, 10:49 am
Please graham henry, do NOT pick Toeava for the AB’s … have never been a fan, and tonight proves why… two or three passes when he should have gone to ground with the ball… useless… would never be in my AB side NEVER !!!
10 Apr 2009, 10:50 am
#101 Spooner: yep. Sure should be. Mallet not having great success at the moment so perhaps he’s lost it, but the point remains, he should have been coaching here all along.
Eddie Jones should come and coach.
10 Apr 2009, 10:50 am
1. Du Preez, Oosthuyzen
2. Strauss, Wepener
3. Heinke, Sephaka
4. Senekal, Mostert
5. De Villiers, Labuschagne
6. Grobelaar, Brussouw
7. Smith, Joubert
8. Alberts, Floors
9. Vermaak, Jonke
10. Pretorius, Potgieter
11. Mentz, Nokwe
12. Bosman, Ebershon
13. Fourie, Uys
14. Pieterson, Juries
15. Ludik, Rose
10 Apr 2009, 10:50 am
Meyer for Stormers
White for Lions
Mallett for Bulls
Now that would bring the most and best out of the combinations.
10 Apr 2009, 10:51 am
Loose it again through poor support.
10 Apr 2009, 10:51 am
#102 Slumtown: Sharks are learning from their coach in this regard. We haven’t been turned over as much this year, except against the Canes and they are the quickest team in the comp IMO. Year upon year when I watch them they are half a metre faster than everyone else.
10 Apr 2009, 10:52 am
#104 goyougoodthing: which coach has had ‘success’ with Italy?
You can’t make a good pizza with just tomatoes annd cheese. You also need pepperoni and mushrooms. Mallett doesn’t have much of the latter to work with unfortunately.
10 Apr 2009, 10:54 am
Lions gaan gelukkig wees om NUL te kry op die scoreboard…
Hulle doen net mooi niks !!
10 Apr 2009, 10:56 am
#108 goyougoodthing: yeah granted, not every team is doing it, and why oh why is it only a team being coached by a kiwi thats doing it? I mean come on. These guys get paid to coach and theyre not. Theyre not learning from teams that are doing things right.
Support, Offload, quick recycling, fast passes, relentless forward attack, turnovers… thats what wins games.
10 Apr 2009, 10:56 am
#109 Spooner: LOL true.
I’ve been listening to the whiny kiwis on the blog going on about the Sharks and refs and cheating and yada yada.
Watching this game again highlights the illegal running lines of all kiwi teams off the ball. Every phase there is an obstruction. It’s the way they play and good for them to get away with it. My point is: stop whining and play rugby.
10 Apr 2009, 10:58 am
#111 Slumtown: 1. Our coaches are not good enough and;
2. The players are perhaps not fully into it either.
Stormers look about as happy as a Springbok on the Watson’s farm and the Bulls don’t travel too well. Lions just don’t have the staff and the Cheetahs neither.
10 Apr 2009, 10:59 am
#112 goyougoodthing: Thats what I´ve bene saying about the buggers cheating. Theres loads of off the ball intreference and obstructions.
10 Apr 2009, 10:59 am
Shoulder charge of note, where is the ref?
10 Apr 2009, 11:00 am
Now that was better from Lions. more like last wekk.
10 Apr 2009, 11:00 am
#112 goyougoodthing: now you know how we have been feeling listening to all the SA claims of NZ/Aus reffing alliance over the past 10 years… rather ridiculous isnt it ??? or different now because of what team its impacting upon ?
10 Apr 2009, 11:01 am
#114 Slumtown: Every game same thing. Not one ref has blown them for it. Combine that with Ritchie McCheat on the ground and the fringes and it makes them hard to stop. But we will. heh.
10 Apr 2009, 11:01 am
Flok
10 Apr 2009, 11:03 am
TRyyyyy Lions….. Menz
10 Apr 2009, 11:04 am
TRyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Rose! Well done mate.
10 Apr 2009, 11:04 am
the lions have understood (in the 65th minute) that to win matches you must not kick the ball away and actually play with. Not F*cking rocket science but Loffie doffie hasn’t worked it out yet
10 Apr 2009, 11:05 am
Pretorius you plick, how could you miss that kick?
10 Apr 2009, 11:05 am
Try Blues
10 Apr 2009, 11:06 am
#117 poppa69: IMO all refs are poor, but good on them for turning up, I don’t want to do it.
I know for a fact that a few years ago all the refs were told ‘in a 50/50 call, give the home team the benefit’ so that would explain a lot.
Combine this with the SA teams usually poor away displays anyway and wins on the road were a problem. At home wins were 60% guaranteed only. Must have looked like all the refs were out to get us…
Personally I think it’s a thankless job, none of them cheat, some just suck more than others. Steve Walsh didn’t give the Bulls the S14 he just missed a few things. Like Tintin didn’t cheat the AB’s he’s just muck.
10 Apr 2009, 11:06 am
I don’t car what people say but Rose has talent. Other players like Deon vanrenseburg, willem alberts don’t. They are the useless players in the team. Alberts wouldn’t even make the reserve bench for an NZ team
10 Apr 2009, 11:06 am
#118 goyougoodthing: just like you did last 3Ns ??? every supporter looks for other reasons why their team lost, but in the end they just werent good enough on the day…
and as stated earlier on this thread, no decent SA coaches, how did you win 07 world cup… oh thats right, you had an aussie coach help you.
perhaps if your coaches taught your players better, you wouldnt have to continually call McCaw a cheat… we openly acknowledge JDV as the best centre in the world, why cant you accept that R McCaw is simply the best player in his position ???
10 Apr 2009, 11:06 am
Try Blues
10 Apr 2009, 11:06 am
F0kken pateties
10 Apr 2009, 11:07 am
#125 goyougoodthing: and of course the email/fax about getting those jaapies didn’t help much either…
10 Apr 2009, 11:07 am
#127 poppa69: Fair enough. I admit it. He is dynamite. No argument.
10 Apr 2009, 11:07 am
Blues 31 / 5
10 Apr 2009, 11:08 am
#125 goyougoodthing: have to agree with you, it is a thankless task refereeing, and know I wouldnt want to do it either… think as passionate supporters we look for any excuse except the truth
10 Apr 2009, 11:08 am
At this stage, I would propose only having 2 teams from SA in the S14 comp. These useless teams are actually hurting the Sharks and Bulls chances. It’s like free money.
10 Apr 2009, 11:09 am
We at least want another try from the boys come on. Give us something here.
10 Apr 2009, 11:09 am
#130 goyougoodthing: yeah, that does raise the eyebrows… bit like Susie huh ?? lmao
10 Apr 2009, 11:09 am
Try to the Blues
10 Apr 2009, 11:09 am
Try Blues, in the corner… again
10 Apr 2009, 11:10 am
36 – 5
10 Apr 2009, 11:11 am
Blues are on fire tonight. They got the mojo today. Lions dont … pity. Would have been a nice game if they did too. But all round been a great game of rugby.
10 Apr 2009, 11:11 am
Blues 36 / 5
10 Apr 2009, 11:11 am
#126 Pirlet BEL: Agree
10 Apr 2009, 11:12 am
#127 poppa69: Hey I think it’s great with what he gets away with, it’s his job. Good on him, I think he’s a clever sod, and kudos to him. Is he ‘playing within the laws’ well, he’s definitely ‘pushing the limits’…
As for JDV, not the best IMO. But I am biased.
Remember bashing Ritchie is an easy way of getting a reaction from you lot, it is an easy bait LOL.
10 Apr 2009, 11:12 am
#140 Slumtown: as a blues supporter, too little too late IMO. they will fall away by the end of the comp, guaranteed… you cant continue to make so many handling errors when you come up against the top teams in the comp
10 Apr 2009, 11:13 am
Eloff is no good. Get rid of him.
10 Apr 2009, 11:14 am
#143 goyougoodthing: you forgot, poaching, SUSIE, Barnes, playing fullbacks at centre… always gauranteed a reaction to..
opps forgot the biggest thing we bite at
BigHit !! lmfao
10 Apr 2009, 11:15 am
#144 poppa69: For sure – I seriously dont think theyre in for a playoff position. but when they have clicked this season theyve been devastating. They need some consistency. But some awesome players all round.
10 Apr 2009, 11:15 am
#127 poppa69: The coaching thing is s serious problem here. Not sure what to do. Jake White is trying a few things, and by the looks of it it’s got merit.
My hope is that is lives up to its potential and does not become a vehicle for jock sniffers like John Alan to ride a gravy boat.
In any case, I’m glad we used Eddie and I am glad the Sharks have Plummers and his assistant from Wellington in too. Really making a difference.
Remember **** Muir had plummers as his ‘assistant’ and from what I saw, he ‘assisted’ more than the head coach coached if you get me.
10 Apr 2009, 11:16 am
#75 King Shark – Die koppie kom Durban toe!: the assistant referee made the mistake, not Jonker anyway
10 Apr 2009, 11:17 am
#147 Slumtown: they have the attack, but it seems to win anything of note you need to pay attention to an old adage
defence is the best form of attack.
Blues have some devestating runners, just seems their spines are quite often missing their hearts…
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