Beast feasts on Lions
20 Jun 2009
Keo.co.za rates the Springboks in their first Test against the Lions at King’s Park.
Ratings out of 10:
15 Frans Steyn – 6
Consistency may not be his middle name, and it was another blend of the brilliant and bogus from one of the Boks’ greatest talents. Began with a shaky performance under the high ball and did deliver some misdirected punts, but kept the Lions pegged back in the first half as per the game plan. Goaled a super 50m penalty attempt from the right-hand touchline, but missed a similar shot from the other side of the park. A promising showing although the Lions’ kickers didn’t really test him enough.
14 JP Pietersen – 5
This was a rusty showing from a player who tried to get involved, but took a few wrong options and made a few unforced errors. Was also uncharacteristically exposed on defence when Ugo Monye looked to score early on.
13 Adi Jacobs – 5
The Lions’ called it on Friday, and Jacobs was indeed the weak point in the Bok backline. The No 13 was involved in the defensive balls-up that led to Tom Croft’s try and also missed a few one-on-one tackles. Failed to make much impact on attack.
12 Jean de Villiers – 6
De Villiers made his most telling contribution when he got under Monye to deny the Lions an important try in the first half. Didn’t receive much attacking ball as Ruan Pienaar opted to kick for territory, but didn’t do much wrong.
11 Bryan Habana – 6
Also battled to get involved given the Boks’ drive for field position, but got back well and stood his ground on defence.
10 Ruan Pienaar – 7
Kicked five from six and stuck to a game plan that largely paid dividends. Cleared his line well and his kicking into space troubled the Lions’ back three. Started a bit shakily but improved as the match progressed.
9 Fourie du Preez – 6
Solid service and kicking with a few sniping breaks, but not his sharpest performance.
8 Pierre Spies – 5
Did the necessary but not the imposing performance we’ve come to expect. Dropped the ball cold when he broke from a 5m scrum on his own line at a crucial stage of the second half. Overall, Spies was not physical enough in a contest that was always going to be a slugfest.
7 Juan Smith – 6
Some industrious work in the build-up to John Smit’s try and got through a lot of work on defence. Often the unsung hero for the Boks for his unseen efforts, but a few errors did detract from yet another typical performance.
6 Heinrich Brussow – 6
Brought in as a specialist fetcher but often found himself in a supporting role. Did well to slow the Lions’ ball and score off a full-scale maul, but a quiet showing by his prolific standards.
5 Victor Matfield – 7
Mr Reliable on his own ball and disrupted the Lions’ throw.
4 Bakkies Botha – 7
Botha was the boss of the intimidation aspect, delivering some crunching cleanouts and bruising tackles. Made the hit on Mike Phillips in the 50th minute to deny the Lions’ a try. Most of the visitors will have urine stains on their shorts after this Botha performance.
3 John Smit – 7
Was overshadowed by the Beast but also delivered a strong scrummaging performance against the overhyped Gethin Jenkins. One of the Boks’ best ball carriers as he always made yardage. Took his try well.
2 Bismarck du Plessis – 6
Solid display and was never scared to get stuck in. Found his jumpers regularly and also made several turnovers.
1 Beast Mtawarira – 8
His best performance to date in a Bok jersey. Underrated at scrum-time, the Beast ravaged veteran tighthead Phil Vickery to disrupt the Lions’ set-piece and win some goalable penalties for his side. Psyched from the start, the Beast was further fuelled by the South Africa supporters, and I doubt King’s Park has ever chanted the prop’s moniker so much. Some driving runs and big tackles to complete a well-rounded Man of the Match effort.
16 Gurthro Steenkamp – 5
The replacement had to deal with a tougher challenge in Adam Jones and wasn’t as mobile or as industrious as the Beast.
17 Deon Carstens – 5
Battled to make an impact when the Lions brought their best scrummagers on.
18 Andries Bekker – 5
Replaced Botha but could not replicate his physicality. Took a crucial lineout in the final movement, but the Bok management got the balance of their second row wrong by playing both Matfield and Bekker in the second half.
19 Danie Rossouw – 7
Made some important tackles and was the only replacement forward to offer the necessary grunt around the ruck.
20 Ricky Januarie – 4
Made some elementary errors and the Boks’ distribution from the base deteriorated when Fourie du Preez went off.
21 Jaque Fourie – 5
Strangely replaced Jean de Villiers instead of Adi Jacobs, and failed to gel with the Sharks’ centre. Also slipped off a few tackles.
22 Morne Steyn – 7
Dealt with the pressure well and made a potentially game-saving cross-cover tackle on Monye in the 72nd minute.
By Jon Cardinelli, at King’s Park
75 Comments
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20 Jun 2009, 18:51 pm
My summary:
Beast and Smit owned their opposite biaches today
Bissy was an extra loosie
Vic and Bakkies were supreme… made o’Connell and his partner look like school kids
Brussouw did exactly what we hoped he would
Juan was quiet but effective
Spies was quiet but OK
Fourie du Preez was masterful, it was senseless to sub him
Ruan Pienaar kicked well from hand ant to goal but is leaky on defence
Jean de Villiers was better than I thought he would be but tends to go from sublime to pathetic on defence
Adi Jacobs was WAYYYYYYYYYY below par
Habana did not see any attacking ball but was solid in defence and he looks hungry
JP Pietersen was solid without being spectacular
Fransie Steyn held his own at the back but made a couple of vital errors
The less I say about the subs, the better. Apart from Morne Steyn who did some good things and appeared calm under pressure the other subs were dreadful…. lay the Lions comeback at their feet… it fits !
20 Jun 2009, 18:52 pm
#47 cab: Remember what Bakkies told Smit? They just need to keep their backs straight and they will go forward.
20 Jun 2009, 18:53 pm
#46 skopskiet:
A very astute piece of analysis, old top.
You have to wonder what would have happened if Adam Jones had started…
20 Jun 2009, 18:53 pm
#46 skopskiet: Spot on Skop. Our backs never clicked – they never looked dangerous on attack – emphasized by the continual kciking away of possession.
20 Jun 2009, 18:56 pm
Don’t be so hard on PDV. I remember a certain qaurter final against Fiji, leading 20-6, and thinking the game was safe Jake White cleared the bench and nearly cocked it up. But hey Jake is white and that’s alright!
20 Jun 2009, 18:56 pm
#52 The-Pill:
yip, quite surprising that.
#53 Viscount Crouchback:
would have made no difference, you were not only outscrummed, but outjumped, outmauled and outfetched; and that means goodnight.
20 Jun 2009, 19:00 pm
#56 cab:
Winning margin: 5 pts.
Bok points from Phil Vickery conceding penalties at scrums: 6 pts.
Do the maths, as our cousins across the Pond would say…
20 Jun 2009, 19:05 pm
#51 grootblousmile:
Typical Blue Bulls summary
Steyn and Pienaar were fine
Jacobs suspect on defense – though Fourie was also skinned big time at the death by Roberts which led directly to Croft’s second try with Bod setting him up twice.
Habana exemplary on defense
JPP very uncertain of himself running without conviction like he used to do, got shunted back when caught without support and turned over.
Spies was absolutely nowhere all game, one can be sure that if its a defensive situation Spies is absolutely the wrong player at 8, Roussouw should have come on fopr Spies and never for Brussow, biggest mistake of the entire game that one move alone.
Bekker did nothing wrong, in fact it was Bekker that caught Bowe out wide else could have been a try out there.
Carstens a diabolical failure, Kruger should come onto bench, ditch Carstens.
Front 5 and Brussow to remain intact at least till 70th minute
If Burger must start should be at 7 or 8, leave Brussow alone otherwise Croft, Wallace and Heaslip will have us for breakfast next game up.
Another scrummy, Vermaak or Adams to come onto bench, not Januarie, otherwise a switch with Pienaar to 9 after 70 minutes may work with M.Steyn switching to 10, leaving room for WO and Fourie and Jacobs to be in the 22.
20 Jun 2009, 19:06 pm
The Boks came out of hibernation, did enough to win…in fact looked really good in the scrums where they were expected to battle (the rugby writers don’t know twot about the game – they get it wrong continually), nearly got screwed up (again) by a coach that still lacks understanding of what Test rugby is all about. Likely there will only be one change – Adi if the coach is not colour blind – and we will run it much better next week to win going away. I think the E Boks will also lower their colours on Tues and cause panic in the British Press ranks…they wil turn on their team/coach like the fickle sensationalists they always are. The ref was shocking – a disgrace to us in the southern hemishere….bad both ways and missed/wrong called all over the place. But lets always remember, we won a game we sneakingly all worried we might lose…won it playing only mediocre on balance. Well done Boks….and hey, John Smit you are a great. Next time the coach calls you off, over rule him !!l
20 Jun 2009, 19:07 pm
#57 Viscount Crouchback:
lol, 26-21 is the only math you need to do now me old mucker.
20 Jun 2009, 19:08 pm
#50 Viscount Crouchback:
That might well be true Crouchy but the Boks put enough points on the under-weight lions in the first 60 minutes to win.
With their mobile pack (back row aside which i thought functioned very well) they took a knife to the proverbial gun fight. Shaw or Hines should start instead of Wyn-Jones. A Jones to start instead of Vickery and Sheridan on the bench.
20 Jun 2009, 19:09 pm
Just read #58…agree with that idea of Ruan to 9 when Morne comes on. January must go !! Carstens too although he covers both sides. I think Bismarck was awesome too…but in future, take him off, Smit to hooker and leave Beast on.
20 Jun 2009, 19:10 pm
#55 Green T:
aha said the froggy uhuh
#54 Slumtown:
we kicked everything away, hope we not going to play all 3 tests like that, typical Sharks style, Muir and White style rugby, seems PdV has sold out on his original style
20 Jun 2009, 19:14 pm
#63 skopskiet:
Agreed Skoppy – PDV relinquished his power after the dire Scottish game.
Smit and the coaching staff have been calling the shots ever since.
20 Jun 2009, 19:15 pm
Looking at the Lions, their backline really does look good but unless they can find the right combinations, their pack is really quite weak in the tight 5 and overall they look a very ordinary Lions…made to look better than they should by the weak opposition in the early games. And remember, they only sqeaked 3 of those games against decidedly weak teams.
20 Jun 2009, 19:30 pm
#63 skopskiet: PdV is damned either gameplan he opts for. When it comes off, the players were brilliant. When it doesn’t?… I say, let’s take this win for what it was, a WIN. We won’t be complacent again. If the Lions thought that the last twenty to thirty minutes were the best they could dish out, then I’m afraid they are in for a real beating come the next two weekends. The rustiness would be gone, Jaque Fourie to partner JdV in midfield. A proper replacemnt for John Smit(wishful thinking). Deon Carstens is not of international standard. Hopefully Frans Steyn now realises he should play Fullback. Otherwise this team pretty much is too good the B&L Lions.
21 Jun 2009, 01:36 am
Beast certainly had the better of Vickery, but Lawrence made some strange decisions.
21 Jun 2009, 04:58 am
#53 Viscount Crouchback: It did not make sense to have Brussouw on when they had bad scrummagers. As they were going backwards at scrum time, they would have focussed on rucks instead, rucking as a pack, preferring to keep possession there. This would negate Brussouw’s effectivemenss here.
If the BIL’s have their good scrumagers on (who are not as mobile), then Brussouw should come on, to attack their rucks, since they will not have as much support there then.
21 Jun 2009, 05:04 am
#58 skopskiet: “Bekker did nothing wrong”? Bekker let their scrumhalf in for an easy try by not marking his man!! Sies – easy soft try dammit! A Stronters try I mean…
21 Jun 2009, 05:13 am
#43 Viscount Crouchback: The thing is next week tehrusty Bok defence will be back o its old standard and the midfield holes that you had this time will be no more. So that makes next week, what, 28-6?
21 Jun 2009, 06:00 am
#55 Green T:
C’mon Greet-T and Skoppie, Jake White got far more vitriolic criticism than PdV ever has. Truth is, most are too afraid to trash PdV’s decisions for fear or being branded racists…thus, PdV gets a relatively easy ride.
Let’s be honest, he phucked it up royally with his subsitutions yesterday. That’s the truth…and it has zip to do with the colour of the man.
Just like Mickey Arthur phucked it up with a naive game-plan at Trent Bridge.
21 Jun 2009, 06:14 am
#62 yank:
Nearly gave me a heart attack, Januarie, with that first sloppy pass to Morne behind the posts!
Fortunately Habana shouted for the ball and cleared.
No man, Januarie is kuk.
21 Jun 2009, 11:34 am
Hope PDV has learned a lesson fom this – you don’t take all your best players off the field when they are winning! My only concern is if du Preez gets injured we are in **** as Januarie just isn’t up to it at this level any more.
21 Jun 2009, 12:01 pm
#73 rich1: Noone is up to FdPs level son. So januarie will look bad no matter what.
No stand out performances though, except for Mr Overrated himself Beast.
21 Jun 2009, 15:38 pm
#58 skopskiet: Excellent summary!
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