Boks were well beaten
7 Sep 2009
Worse than the Springbok performance in Brisbane was the post match analysis on SuperSport, writes Keo in his weekly Business Day column.
Naas Botha blamed the referee Wayne Barnes for South Africa’s emphatic 21-6 defeat against Australia and to illustrate his point he laboured through a couple of debatable decisions at the breakdown. Then Botha spoke about the two Australian tries and the four times Australia’s players crossed South Africa’s line, only to be denied by stunning cover tackles. Not once did Botha show us a South African try or a South African try-scoring opportunity because there wasn’t a heck of a lot to show from a South African perspective.
Australia could have had six tries. South Africa, at best, were close to scoring once. That is how convincing this Australian win was. The Boks, three years ago, took a 49-0 drubbing at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane and had everything gone Australia’s way on Saturday the result could have been of a similar nature.
The SunCorp Stadium has never been kind to the Springboks in matches against Australia, with the Boks having last scored a try at the venue against the Aussies in 1997. They scored plenty there against Samoa during the 2003 World Cup, but when it comes to playing the Wallabies in Brisbane the Boks have managed six, nine, zero and six points in the last decade, while the hosts have totaled 32, 29, 49 and 21.
History always favoured the Wallabies in Brisbane, where the only team to have won there in the last 10 years is New Zealand. Form was also decisive, as was Australia’s team selection, which was an improvement on who started in Perth seven days earlier.
A week ago I cautioned against writing off Australia and wrote that they were not half as bad as their media made out after the 32-25 defeat in Perth. I watched that match three times and the more I watched it the more worried I got about the prospect of Brisbane. It did not need hindsight to know that Brisbane would be very different to Perth.
In Perth Australia never recovered from a 12-point deficit, but they controlled the last 30 minutes of the Test and in particular they were impressive in the scrum. What they lacked was a lineout and physicality in the contact areas. In Brisbane the lineout still wobbled, but the physicality was greater than anything the Springboks have experienced in the Tri Nations this year and the Australian scrum was as good as it was in Cape Town and Perth.
Decisively, the Australians maintained this physical onslaught for the duration of the match and when a Bok team does not physically dictate they tend to struggle.
Anyone blaming Barnes’s officiating is insulting Australia’s performance.
As far a game plans go, South Africa got it wrong and Australia got it boringly right. The hosts played the percentages, kicked for territory and rarely attacked from within their half. Matt Giteau kicked a drop goal and James O’Connor scored from a kick and chase.
When South Africa did it in Cape Town, the criticism Down Under was they were boring. When Australia did it, they were just being clever. What is disappointing about Brisbane is that the Boks were suckered into playing a more expansive and risky game, which favoured the Australians, who in turn played risk-free rugby and got the rewards.
The Springboks, outstanding in the first four Tri Nations victories, will win the Tri Nations, regardless of the result in Hamilton because New Zealand does not have the capacity to score four tries against the Boks and four tries against the Wallabies a week later.
But the taste of championship victory will be soured if there is another defeat in Hamilton, and another set piece disaster will force the selectors to revisit their view on John Smit’s future as an international tighthead prop.
Smit, South Africa’s greatest captain and one of the finest hookers in the game, has taken a beating in the scrum against Australia this year. He should not be playing tighthead. If you play him, start him at hooker, which is his best position.
It won’t happen this weekend and Smit will again be a target, when not long ago he was a strength in the front row. With France waiting in Toulouse in November I can’t see the selectors playing two hookers in the front row, and if they do they should be the ones getting the chop.
266 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 [3] 4 5 6 » Show All
7 Sep 2009, 15:02 pm
I’d start with Schalk, and bring Brussow on later. I’d also have Pienaar on the wing instead of Odwa. With Frans at FB. Other than that I’de leave the team as is (if Habana is fit).
7 Sep 2009, 15:06 pm
#99 Transformation: Howzit….no boet….go read again…i stated it was a helleva brave effort to even accept the challenge of the change ….and saiod it would end in tears….
I always have views…sometimes get them horribly wrong….as in punting F Steyn for the 10 spot ad nauseum….but never short of an opinion or view….after watching this game passionately for 33 years i believe i am entitled to call it as i see it….and i was always vehemently against the J Smit move to 3….just too big an ask….
Doesent mean i dont respect J SMIT…in fact been a huge fan ….but this move…in my opinion….a bridge too far.
7 Sep 2009, 15:08 pm
Watched game again, we were never going to win the game. woeful scrum, frontrow turned into popcorn and no commitment to the breakdown. Barnes seemed to allow side entry allowing Aus to seal off the ball and we did not know how to react.
Lots of poor performances from many players. We have the best lineout yet MS especially was guilty of not kicking the ball out from within the 22. RP is not a fullback. Spies played like he did last year.
The kick and chase strategy is, as many predicted, not sustainable and it actually makes us vulnerable to counter attacks. There is a school of thought that suggests it is different with BH and JPP as chasers but I can’t see it. When will we learn that you become the best and consistently beat the opposition by playing more with the ball and that is the modern game. This self limitation and robotic approach will sell us way short and another QF or SF exit come 2011. Big calls need to be made by PDV firstly fixing the frontrow and getting players who are more adept at playing with the ball instead of tackling our hearts out for 60 and fading in the last 20.
7 Sep 2009, 15:17 pm
102. Shakes :
The Aussies used the kick anh chase against us and proved that it works, but you have to be pin point and have good chasers otherwise it can work against as you well say.
Quite honestly though this team won a WORLD CUP!! a B&I tour and are close to winning a 3 nations and you call to change the team.
Short term memory hurts.
That is a Aussie stronghold, we haven’t won there in 40 years and in post isolation this is the least we have been beaten by.
Give the Aussies their dues.
This is the best Springbok team in post isolation, one loss doesn’t change it.
My god people are fikkle.
7 Sep 2009, 15:18 pm
Saying though: Fixing the front row might be something we have to do. Hamilton will show whether it’s just the Aussies or whether we are in as much trouble there as people are saying.
7 Sep 2009, 15:20 pm
Remember the mighty NZ team that conquered all around 2006. They still lost a few now and then. Rustenberg?
This is no time to panick.
7 Sep 2009, 15:22 pm
#103 Mike H: Mike….shakes…ita about trying to remain reasonably unemotional and being prepared to also face up to shortcomings and fix them…..i dont believe not 1 saffa has anything but the highest regard for guys like J Smit, R Pienaar, Beast, etc…..
But hell that front row needs to either get fixed or get changed…..
7 Sep 2009, 15:24 pm
#103 Mike H: Hi mike H, unlike us the Aus don’t overdo the garry owen. We only kick and seldom take the ball up more than 5 phases. We made 30 odd % more tackles that is not indiactive of a team that only kicks it away. When Aus kicked they probed the corners and closed us down very different to this up and under nonsense that most of us rave about.
7 Sep 2009, 15:28 pm
I want to lodge a complaint.
Against the weather.
7 Sep 2009, 15:28 pm
#105 Mike H:
There was nothing on the line at Rustenberg, the trophy was already sealed in NZRFU cabinets. Thats why the ABs spent the entire week at Sun City and it showed. Rodney put everything on the black but came up red (faced).
All to play for in Hamilton however.
7 Sep 2009, 15:30 pm
#106 grant10: G10, yes that is really what I am getting to that we do have problems and if we don’t address it then we will not take that step up. I think that because we have won 4 out of 5 we should not overlook our shortcomings.
7 Sep 2009, 15:34 pm
The Aussies have lost 4 games in a row we have lost 2 in 7.
We were out played today but we don’t need to change how we play.
Our kicking was not as accurate, it doesn’t mean kicking doesn’t work just as you pointed out the Aussies kicked. We just kicked worse this game.
We had a bad game end of story.
Our frontrow is a point to look at and Frans for Pienaar but we don;t need to change the way we play.
Kick when you are in your own part of the park and run when you are in theirs. (You just have to kick accurately because if you kick badly you are most likely to lose against teams like Aussie or NZ)
7 Sep 2009, 15:35 pm
#110 Shakes: That is the ‘problem’ with winning…in the euphoria one tends to paper over the cracks …..which is understandable…..
For this team to be labelled ‘great ‘ we need to critically analyse and then take measures to address weaknesses….
Yesterday a blogger even said the boks always weak at scrums and so be it….a kiwi here says he would rather have a great lineout than a great scrum….
Why the hell cant we have both!!!!
7 Sep 2009, 15:35 pm
I will definitely not accept that we should follow the lead of a Aussie team that wins 1 from 3 at home.
7 Sep 2009, 15:37 pm
#111 Mike H: Cant and wont make too many changes….not the week before a mini WC Final!
Frans Steyn at 15….Hope habana fit…and lets rock n roll…
7 Sep 2009, 15:39 pm
I totally agree with the sentiments of this article.
Which Internation Team in the World can afford to go into a test match with three hookers, two on the field and one on the bench. Madness!
The frontrow would be far more balanced and a whole lot stronger with Smit back at hooker and a specialist tighthead either being CJ, BJ or even Jannie di Plessis.
Bismark can come on for the last 30 minutes and John could even move to the far easier loosehead position.
My bench would have Heinke van der Merwe (when fit) and Bismark.
Just these changes would in my opinion greatly strengthen our team and would create more opportunities for the backline who continually are on the back foot.
7 Sep 2009, 15:40 pm
#101 grant10: i’m fine grant hope wp cheered u up a bit on saturday…i’m not suggesting you don’t respect jsmit, i’m just trying to understand your point of view, because i could’ve sworn that on the day you referred JR to the news24 article you were agreeing with whatever the author of the article had to say about smit & maybe as they say “a week is an eternity in test rugby” and now you have chamged your mind & you’ve reverted back to thinking it was a huge mistake to move him to tighthead.
Beside CJ & BJ (who by the way got murdered too by the aussies this year) who do u see as the future for the bok 3 jersey?
7 Sep 2009, 15:41 pm
112. grant10 :
You are alwasy going to have a crack or 2 no matter. Wonder why NZ haven;t won a world cup in 2 decades.
Wholesale changes is not a solution. We have cracks we need to ensure our strengths outweigh our weaknesses by a long way.
That’s what this team does. It plays to it’s strengths.
No matter how good we are we will never win every game we play. But we when we lose half the public think the team is falling apart.
This is is far from falling apart.
109. BlackPanther :
You could say the same for that game but not as much of a dead rubber but you could imagine how our guys might not have been as amped as they could have or should have been against a Aussie team fighting for pride.
7 Sep 2009, 15:44 pm
#114 grant10: Agree totally my suggestion obviously EOYT and beyond. After thi saturday it is time for some sort of makeover i.e. addtional/new personnel (not extreme though) then perhaps we can push the envelope.
7 Sep 2009, 15:44 pm
#116 Transformation:
Ophou skoor soek man.
Grant spoils me when Keolings get together.
7 Sep 2009, 15:46 pm
#116 Transformation: Ja…WP made a tough day bearable…although a bok loss is like a 1000 times worse than antthing imafginable in sport!!!
It was a great arcticle and the massiveness of the conversion to 3 was emphasised….i brought it to JR attention as Gold alluded to wanting to get Faan Rautenbach, BJ and CJ back and have a horses for courses policy ….and said J Smit needed to improve by 30%….some bloggers wondered whether it was possible…..
I am dead set against playing players out of position….have always been and will always be….to convert a 2 to 3 at this level…damn nigh impossible….
But so brave of smit to attempt it…..that was my point boet.
7 Sep 2009, 15:47 pm
We need Smit to play 2 & Jannie to play 3 for the 1st 60min. Then off comes Jannie, on comes his boetie and Smit moves to 3. Please PDV change the front row!
Please PDV can you aslo send Adi Jacobs home he is no good, put Olivier on the bench in his place.Frans Steyn needs to move back to 15 and Ruan on the bench.
Lastly Schalk needs to start as we are not getting the calls at the breakdown that we got at home therefor eliminating Brussouw. Brussouw must come on after 60 min when others are not as fresh then he can do his best work! Schalk is needed for his physically and number of tackles made period!
7 Sep 2009, 15:47 pm
The level of debate on this site has taken a subsequently downward spiral in the intellectual stakes due in large part to the dynamic duo masquerading as journalists (J.C/Ryan take a bow) who set the agenda. These modern days spin-doctors’ set the bait and let their dogs of war attack. Allow me to present an article I feel will aid in raising the general level of constructive debate and hopefully expose some truth.
I believe that Rugby transcends sport in South Africa and has the capability to help people of different backgrounds understand each other and air whatever misconceptions they may perceive of one another. In short, Rugby is a metaphor for life because it presents the same challenges we all go through and recreates the situations we encounter.
I read the “JAKE WHITE STORY” this weekend and was absolutely in awe of the authentic love and passion this man has for the game of rugby. No one exhibiting sane faculties could ever question this man’s commitment to the game.
One passage from his book did peek my interest, it transpires in 2007 before he named the Springbok squad. He is invited to a meeting with his agent and a lawyer who notifies him that the Watson family had asked him to relay a message. Either pick Luke for the bok squad or else a story would break in the press about a so called third force that ran rugby in S.A to which Jake would be linked. Jake goes overboard in selling the scene and you can almost hear that hideous “mafia-movie” violin playing in the background. He then states in a derisory tone that a “clandestine offer I couldn’t refuse was being put on the table by the family of a slightly above average rugby player”. Eventually he decided to accept the deal but was told the Watson’s had withdrawn the offer.
This is where I have a major gripe with the inconsistency in Jake’s behaviour, the whole book looks like a rendition of Jake the great who faced up to countless foes when he believed in something: disagreeing with Nick Mallet about dropping Venter in favour of Bobby Skinstad, when he quit Viljoen’s coaching team when he’d been marginalised by the appointment of Tim Lane as backline coach, when he threw Andre Markgraff under the bus, when he refused to select Solly Tybilika (a Springrose man) in honour of Dan Qeqe despite pressure from Van Rooyen and the presidents Council, the manner he fought tooth and nail to contract the right players through the end of 2007, when the press turned on him, the proposal by the blue bulls for a vote of no confidence. Through all this attrition Jake showed admirable strength and resolve.
For this great powerful man with bags of resolve who had faced up to politicians and was still standing to give in because of a 9 point plan linking him to a 3rd force begs for introspection. When Luke’s famous D******n and puking on the bok jersey speech caused a furore, no one seemed to address his allegation of a third force.The people Jake White was so scared to be linked to he was willing to select Luke. All we had was that Luke was racist and that he’d disrespected the jersey, but nothing about the third force (smoke screen anybody?).
The so called journalists on this site should go back to their day jobs and investigate to see if there’s any truth to this allegation instead of wasting our time pushing an agenda that for all intents and purposes has ceased to annoy or influence anybody.
7 Sep 2009, 15:48 pm
#116 Transformation: as for who can do the job at 3….you know i believe both CJ AND BJ better bets imo…..
As for those 3 s in the country….damn we in a spot of strife hey….not sure we have 1 !!
7 Sep 2009, 15:50 pm
#118 Shakes: agree….it will be fascinating to see the squad come end of year!!
7 Sep 2009, 15:51 pm
#123 grant10: I reckon any frontrow with JS at hooker will beat our current one. BDP is a softie beneath the surface.
7 Sep 2009, 15:51 pm
#119 Dawn: well you are ten times better looking than the others!!!LOL
7 Sep 2009, 15:56 pm
#126 grant10:
Baie dankie. Such a gent!
7 Sep 2009, 15:57 pm
#125 Shakes: Not sure about that….truth be told i am really no expert at that front row…..but i havent liked what i have seen from the 2 nd lions test …
7 Sep 2009, 16:00 pm
#127 Dawn: i see no WPTID on the blog….hope he survived the swine flu!!
7 Sep 2009, 16:03 pm
#129 grant10:
He’s OK. Just going through one of his bipolar moodswings.
7 Sep 2009, 16:05 pm
#130 Dawn: LOL….off to beach with me and the hound in the bloody rain…..aiii…
Have a good evening Dawn…..you missed a great atmosphere at the game…next time….
Outta here….
7 Sep 2009, 16:06 pm
#122 Diliza:zama futhi diliza…
#119 Dawn: hey wena noNtombi, sukuzirhawulela zisiya kusela, uzakujika uxakane nazo!
7 Sep 2009, 16:06 pm
#126 grant10:
worth missing pilates for????
7 Sep 2009, 16:08 pm
#133 gunther:
Of course I am.
But God forbid anyone drags you away from Pilates!
#132 Transformation:
Watter?
7 Sep 2009, 16:16 pm
KEO – PLEASE CAN YOU TAKE NOTE OF COMMENT #122 WHICH IS SPOT ON!
I USED TO LOG ON TO THIS SITE EAGER TO READ SOME QUALITY ARTICLES AND READ POSTS THAT DISCUSSED RUGBY? OVER THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS THIS SITE HAVE BECOME NO MORE THAN A SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE, A MERE EXTENSION OF FACEBOOK & TWITTER FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T LOG ON TO THOSE SITES AT WORK!
7 Sep 2009, 16:19 pm
Keo I found this entry on your website.
2007 and now you think Barnes is ok?
Furious All Blacks fans have put a NZ$1,000 bounty on the head of Wayne Barnes.
The English referee played a huge part in the Cardiff quarter-final. He sent Luke McAlister to the sin bin for a professional foul, missed a blatant forward pass in the build-up to Yannick Jauzion’s match-winning try and failed to penalised French hands in the ruck near the end of the game. Barnes also appeared to target All Blacks captain Richie McCaw at the breakdown.
A fan, or fans, doctored Barnes’s Wikipedia entry over the weekend (Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that is edited by its readers), which starts: Wayne Barnes is a c*** and goes on to say he “suffers from a vision-related disease which results in him being unable to see forward passes” and “gave up law to take up refereeing because he couldn’t read any “f***ing law books.”
A $NZ1000 bounty is also offered to the person who “finds him for me and keeps him under lock and key until I get there.”
The Barnes attack includes a threat to “f***** rip off your head you w*****”. It calls him a “sack of “s***” and warns in capital letters: “WE WILL FIND YOU”.
Barnes’s performance has also been questioned by leading New Zealand website RugbyHeaven, which has changed it’s name to RugbyHell since the loss to France.
“This was the Tri-Nations champions against the Six Nations,” wrote Duncan Johnstone. “It was the best team in the world against the tournament hosts on a hugely emotionally occasion. Sounds like it might have needed the best referee in the world. I don’t think we got that person dished up to us.
“And perhaps astute TV commentator and former All Black (and World Cup winner) Grant Fox hit the nail on the head when he suggested that while the French were now moving forward in the competition, Barnes should not.”
– To read the uncensored Wikipedia entry on Barnes click here
– To read Johnstone’s full column on Barnes click here.
This entry was posted on Monday, October 8th, 2007 at 6:21 am and is filed under Rugby World Cup. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
7 Sep 2009, 16:20 pm
#134 Dawn: andinaxesha lokuba uGrant ukuthengela izimuncu-muncu sithetha ngebhola yombhoxo ngoku!
7 Sep 2009, 16:22 pm
We are at the point where we have reached The pinnacle of world rugby. Its up to pdv now to keep this green machine going. Its definitely not going to be easy with all the overseas departures. It will however give us the opportunity to blood some new talent.
7 Sep 2009, 16:26 pm
#130 Dawn:
Bipolar mood swing?
7 Sep 2009, 16:26 pm
Even Keo is afraid of saying it loud and clear – JOHN SMIT IS A PASSENGER IN THIS NATIONAL TEAM!!
Bismarck is better than him – fact. Cannot go back to hooker position. Saffas stop being sentimental, there is no place for him in this team. He is over 30 now. Let us start looking for a new t/head. I say this with all the respect he deserves as a GREAT captain!!
7 Sep 2009, 16:32 pm
i’m not quite sure why you okes think its particularly brave or fearful to express your opinion that John Smit should not be selected, since all it is is your own personal opinion.
Just because its your opinion does not make it true, and the last two coaches who actually know how to win rugby test matches, just keep selecting him.
I think its good you express your own opinion, but lets face it, none of it means anything. The wee Maestro conjures his plans without input from others, a wonderful stubborn arse.
7 Sep 2009, 16:34 pm
#49 Dawn:
Tshwane mob is no longer here!! ha ha!!!!!!!!
7 Sep 2009, 16:35 pm
John Smit is worth two players for his leadership alone.
7 Sep 2009, 16:36 pm
it’s not all doom and gloom all of a sudden.
7 Sep 2009, 16:37 pm
#140 Peter Mkata: One just needs to look at how the Boks fall apart without him in a tight situation to understand how key he is to the team…
Next in line Matfield is woeful as a leader…
7 Sep 2009, 16:38 pm
The John Smit hate propaganda has really gotten to me.
7 Sep 2009, 16:41 pm
#140 Peter Mkata:
its a good thing that the coach doesn’t share your view….
7 Sep 2009, 16:44 pm
#138 Wezwp: “pinnacle” as defined by whom?
#30 Stawm: i agree, wayne barnes seem to be applying the Elvs when it came to the mall, at one point someone jumped on heinrich brussow & floored him while he was bound to the maul, when brussow signalled to get barnes’ attention he just ignored him & move along!
I’ve always admired how the aussies never allow anyone to maul them, they will either throw themselves on the grond or blatantly collapse your maul like they did on saturday…bloody cunning aussies
7 Sep 2009, 16:45 pm
You drop John Smit out of this team and the entire Bok squad will fall apart, mark my words.
Pages: « 1 2 [3] 4 5 6 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.