Coetzee: Boks will dominate Lions physically
Western Province coach Allister Coetzee says the British & Irish Lions ‘aren’t as physically dominant as they think they are’.
Coetzee watched his charges push the Lions close, eventually succumbing to a late James Hook penalty, losing 26-23.
Province have been heavily criticised for their lack of physicality, particularly in their tight five, but Coetzee said that perception was shattered with their performance this evening, and predicted confidently that the Springboks would dominate the Lions in the physical exchanges in the Test series.
‘We slipped a few tackles and that cost us but when we got it right we stopped them in contact. We’ve proven today that we are physical enough,’ he said.
‘They aren’t as physically dominant as they think they are, and I have no doubt that the Springboks will dominate them physically.’
Lions coach Ian McGeechan was pleased with the victory, but lamented their lack of patience on attack.
‘In these conditions we had to vary our kicking game, particularly against a side who kicked almost all their attacking ball, but we didn’t do that enough and that was disappointing.
‘Tactically we had to be more patient, and I think we tried too many things in the wrong areas of the pitch.
‘That said, if you told me going into Test week we’d be five from five I’d have taken it,’ he continued. ‘We know the tests will be a completely different level, but it’s important that we’re closing out close games. That bodes well for the Tests.’
Meanwhile, Lions captain Phil Vickery lauded Province’s effort.
‘We’re certainly glad to get over the line with a ‘W’ because they gave us a good challenge,’ he said.
‘Their physicality was good, and out of all the teams we’ve faced they were probably the closest knit unit, and that showed in their physicality.’
Province captain Luke Watson praised his side for their character and sustained intensity, adding that the fact that they pushed a side of the Lions’ calibre as close as they did was a ‘feather in our caps.’
‘It wasn’t pretty and the weather had a lot to do with that,’ he said. ‘But I thought we adjusted our style and structure well. I’m proud of the boys.’
June 13th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Well every rugby fan in SA accepts Alistairs judgement on physicality on the rugby field.
If he says so then it must be true!!
June 13th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
#1 tight head:
Hi TH. Do you disagree with him or do you also think the average heigh of the Lions is 2m and ave. weigh 120kgs?
June 13th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
#2 Londonbokshark:
The man is clueless.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
He’s right if today was anything to go by. Sheridan/Rees/Vickery/Hines/O’Callaghan were handled by the WP ‘light five’!
June 13th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
#4 Big Hit:
And which of those will play in the first test?
Probably none.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
#3 tight head:
If the Boks get dominated by this lot, it will be because they were thinking of the braai and beers afterwards. Raging Bull? More like Lame Donkey.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
#4 Big Hit:
None of these players have particularly bothered the Boks in the past.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
#6 Londonbokshark:
I don’t believe they will dominate the Boks.
My point is that Alistair passes judgement on the tight five that played today without considering whether any of them will be test players.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
#4 Big Hit:
to my mind the lions have been hitting on the scrum early the entire tour also sheridan’s binding looks deeply suspect…
June 13th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
#8 tight head:
In that respect you are right. I think even if the Lions scrum is slightly stronger it wont affect the outcome, just the scoreline. Bok pack went backwards in the RWC pool game against England and they still won 36 – 0. The Lions don’t look impressive at the breakdown, their moves are pondorous. I think the French would have beaten the Lions.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
#8 tight head:
You’re a scrummaging expert… can you account for the (relatively) poor performance of the Bok scrum in recent years? Is it poor technique? Players just not being strong enough?
June 13th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Alistair talking hot air again. WTF is it with people in SA comparing pineapples to borewors.
The 5 today don’t represent anything like the starting 5…
Alistair, Muir and Gould and Div should form a search party and go and look for a brain to share
June 13th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
#7 Londonbokshark: Vickery has 6 or 7 consecutive victories over the Boks.
#9 gunther: Sheridan has wrecked every scrum in front of him, apart from, most curiously, WP’s
#5 tight head: because Jenkins Lee Mears and Adam Jones are going to dominate the Boks? doubt it.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
#13 Big Hit:
Did he not play in the last 5 games in a row the Boks have won over England? The last game England won against the Boks was first Twickenham test in 2006. Anything prior to that is fairly irrelevant here in 2009.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Alistair Coetzee is a totally clueless ****… flok die man het GEEENNNNNN clue nie…
Vergelyk appels met appels… jou dom fook !
June 13th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
How did Keith Earls get a Lions Call up? As much as I know it won’t happens I hope he starts next saturday… 16th man for the Boks.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
#13 Big Hit:
simple reason sheridan did not look like he has in previous tests, but i suspect you know and are just being polite.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
#17 cab: I have no clue why Sheridan didn’t scrum well today. He went back to not being able to stay on his feet.
#14 Londonbokshark: your comment is in post 7, I refuted it.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
#18 Big Hit:
too slippery, when he got traction they got a tighthead.
if they leave him out, i will certainly fancy the boks chances in the first one.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
#18 Big Hit: I’ve never rated Sheridan as a loose head prop. His build is all wrong for the position.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
#20 JimT:
thats why he slips his bind he needs wriggle room…
June 13th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
#19 cab: interesting that you rate him as a threat, I was disappointed in his scrummaging today. Maybe he did slip but if so it happened a lot of times. Most people up here would pick Jenkins, I would pick Sheridan but I find it hard to justify on that performance.
#20 JimT: evening Jim AB supporters have traditionally tried to talk him down so forgive me if I take no notice
June 13th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
That was a serious effort by the WP pack. Don’t think the Lions Test scrum will be stronger than today’s. It won’t. On paper, it will actually be weaker.
People are barking up the wrong tree by obsessing over the scrum. It will count for absolutely nothing in the Tests. Front rows with Lee Mears in them rarely dominate anybody.
The truth is that the Lions have picked two packs on this tour: a heavy pack that has played on the Saturdays, and a lighter, more dynamic pack that has played on the Wednesdays.
The Wednesday pack has been much more impressive than the Saturday pack, mostly because their greater speed allows them to get to the breakdown quicker. Sheridan might be the strongest man in world rugby but he is incredibly cumbersome around the field.
The Lions are not going to go with beef in the Tests. The scrum will be a complete irrelevance. John Smit can sleep easy tonight.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
#23 Viscount Crouchback: I’d say the Wednesday pack has been more impressive because they faced the Golden Lions rabble and the Sharks missing 10 Boks. The breakdowns were far from great against the Sharks either for example.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
#16 Londonbokshark:
I believe it’s tradition to pick a young and promising player in every Lions tour group that’s not necessarily there on merit.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
#24 Big Hit:
The breakdowns on Sharks ball were superb. The Lions forced numerous turnovers. And it wasn’t far off a first choice Sharks pack.
Worsley, Rees and Sheridan have looked terrible in general play. They lumber around the field about two seconds behind everyone else. Powell is little better.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
#26 Viscount Crouchback: dunno crouchy I’m not convinced. I know Gatland loves his direct power players and I feel he is the one who is really coaching this tour.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
If WP had kept their starting loosehead they would not have lost.
The reason they couldn’t bind on the loosehead side at the end was that Euan Murray was disrupting Moller’s bind on the hit, by grabbing his upper arm just as he tried to bind. He did this right in front of the ref about 4 times. And got two penalties, one of which cost the winning 3 points.
Whatever about the ref, your props can’t let that kind of thing happen more than once.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
#25 bestyearever: it is, but they usually pick a good one. I believe Will Greenwood was the bolter in 1997. I wonder whether Earls will ever reach Greenwood’s level.
June 13th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
#28 funkyzoo: yes, poor move by Rassie (if he was coaching). Moller looked awful tho, not sure if it was his fault but it looked like it, straight in and down. As a Lions supporter, just glad to come away with the win.
June 13th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
#25 bestyearever: Powell is a thug. He’s only got one trick and that is to run into anything infront of him. Idiot.
June 13th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
#30 Big Hit:
It was Moller’s fault in that he didn’t react to the cynical play by his opponent. Murray is not allowed to deliberately stop the loosehead from binding at the hit. That’s a penalty offense, and Murray should have got dinged for that. But Moller should have worked out what the other guy was doing and countered it. Also Moller/Watson should have “asked” the ref if the Murray behaviour was OK in his interpretation.
Bottom line: Experienced test props have an array of tricks that someone like Moller haven’t seen before. And Moller will be watching the tapes with disgust as he realizes that he was tricked.
June 13th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
I’m also very surprised Sheridan couldn’t dominate Wicus Blauw, who has been weak in the scums all through the S14. If Blauw had stayed on to the end WP would not have lost today.
June 13th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
#33 rich1: Sheridan is inconsistent.
June 14th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Here is a lollipop for any one guessing who the outstanding
lock forward was,think ex Local Lion going south.
With aplogies to the original song writers:
Where have all the Lions gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the Lions gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the Lions gone?
Provinces have picked them every one,one by one
When will the Lions ever learn?
When will Lions ever learn?
June 14th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
#31 BrusselsBok:
I entirely agree mate. It seems Gatland sees something in Powell that no one else see. He is only an impact player (bench warmer) for his club yet he is being touted by Gatland as Lions test starter. Very strange.
What’s the weather like in Brussels at the moment? I could do with a ‘Sandwich’ and a beer from a friterie at the moment.
June 14th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
#18 Big Hit:
What??
June 14th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
#34 funkyzoo:
Sheridan one dimensional. All he can do is push a bit. No skills. He’s a big strong beast though…