Smit lauds Bok character
12 Sep 2009
John Smit was lavish in his praise of the Springboks for their ability to withstand immense pressure from New Zealand and claim the Tri-Nations title.
Defence wins Test matches, and nowhere was that more true than in Hamilton. Yes, the Springboks slipped a number of tackles, but when they did they scrambled desperately and brilliantly to hang on for a 32-29 victory.
Their ability to slow the All Blacks’ recycle aided their cause in this regard, and their commitment, strength and accuracy at the tackle point was breathtaking at times.
Smit, looking battered from the rigours of what he described as an ‘epic’ Test match, praised his triumphant charges.
‘We said to the guys at half-time that the All Blacks are an 80-minute team and that proved true,’ Smit said. ‘But I was so pleased with the character we showed.
‘We did the hard yards in the first 40 and wanted to stay on top. The All Blacks came out firing and we needed to up the intensity. We didn’t manage that completely but did enough in the end.’
Speaking about the magnitude of the achievement, Smit, who missed the drought-breaking win in Hamilton in 2008 said, ‘I’ve waited for a long time for a win in New Zealand, this is my first. So personally it’s satisfying, but more so for the team.
‘We come from a World Cup win and managed to carry that momentum and intensity. I’m so proud of the boys.’
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers echoed his captain’s sentiments.
‘It’s huge. We’re on top of the world,’ De Villiers said. ‘To beat New Zealand in New Zealand is a huge honour. We had to work hard to keep them out and we did so.
‘This international rugby, nation versus nation, pride versus pride. New Zealand are the best side in the world, so to come here and beat them is massive.’
The Springboks’ scrum was criticised in the build-up to the Hamilton Test, with Smit being singled out. They made exponential improvements in that facet of play, and De Villiers said some perspective was needed in this regard.
‘There’s nothing wrong with the scrums. We struggled against Australia and New Zealand struggled against Australia, so the common denominator is Australia,’ he said.
‘The scrums have become a lottery. The guys [referees] guess once, then guess twice and then give up guessing. So we’re not to worried about that.’
De Villiers also defended the kick-chase game plan. ‘We didn’t kick more than the All Blacks did, we just took our chances better than they did,’ he said.
He also reserved praise for Frans Steyn, who banked two long-range penalties. ‘In South Africa we have so much talented guys like Frans and tonight we just had to use that talent to the fullest.’
All Blacks coach Graham Henry said their poor first half performance probably cost them the game.
‘We didn’t play well enough early on and if we played like we did in the last 20 we probably would have pulled this one out of the fire,’ Henry said. ‘But congrats to the Springboks. They’ve won the Tri-Nations and deserved to after beating us three times in the tournament.’
The All Blacks were decimated at the lineout, with Victor Matfield, whose prodigious lineout ability Blacks assistant coach Steven Hansen said was being exaggerated, leading the charge.
‘We improved there in the second half and as a result our overall performance improved,’ Henry said. ‘But again, if we’d played better overall I think we could have done a lot better result-wise.’
63 Comments
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12 Sep 2009, 12:07 pm
Legendary Dragons?
12 Sep 2009, 12:09 pm
#1 MaraudingJ: absolutely
Good point made in the second para Ryan, the scramble defence was awesome.
12 Sep 2009, 12:11 pm
Ah the sweet taste of 3 consecutive beatings of the All Blacks. Nice one boys… I’m one proud mofo at the moment!!
12 Sep 2009, 12:15 pm
Well done Bokke. It’s been a great Tri-Nations. John Smit you biscuit. Great leader of men. Fantastic. A wonderful game all round. Rugby Union is a marvellous game indeed. We have not beaten the All Blacks 3 times in a row since 1949!! Loads of character. “Gees allie pad!”
12 Sep 2009, 12:23 pm
John Smit is the best leader South African rugby has had in the professional era (IMHO).
12 Sep 2009, 12:25 pm
Speaking about the magnitude of the achievement, Smit, who missed the drought-breaking win in Hamilton in 2008 said, ‘I’ve waited for a long time for a win in New Zealand, this is my first. So personally it’s satisfying, but more so for the team.
What “drought breaking win” in Hamilton?
12 Sep 2009, 12:25 pm
Manne – al that i can say is … thank you!.. Baie dankie. Van Snorre tot by die ou wattie jockstraps was……. thanks a million….
we have got sieriaaaaaaaaaas bragging rights now……..
thats all that i’m gonna post about this for today…
cheers….
Oh and to Tackler…….. A4Y’s and another and another……
Oh and Tackler…. before i forget….. A4Y’s!!!!
oh … and that sulking face of Richie…..
Aaaag die lewe is n lied!
12 Sep 2009, 12:26 pm
#6 Esoteric: Errrr… Dunedin perhaps?
12 Sep 2009, 12:27 pm
I must say Henry’s comments are very sporting as well. I do have a lot of respect for the guy.
12 Sep 2009, 12:31 pm
Can all the kiwi bloggers on this site please convey our apoligies to the Kiwi PM that we were not thumped by the ABs as he predicted,and that in future maybe he should stick to running the shaky isle rather than throwing his name away in silly predictions.
12 Sep 2009, 12:31 pm
#9 Esoteric: not sure about that, maybe I’m nit-picking but he implies they would’ve won the game if they’d changed their approach and then says SA deserved to win the 3N because they beat NZ three times, what about the Aussies? NZ could still finish 3rd.
12 Sep 2009, 12:33 pm
Oh yes and a big toffee to the IRB,Paddy o Brien and especially thatexcuse for a journalist Spiros.
12 Sep 2009, 12:34 pm
#11 Big Hit: Would be nice to see ABs beat Aus then neither team will know where the hell they stand.
12 Sep 2009, 12:36 pm
#11 Big Hit: “then says SA deserved to win the 3N because they beat NZ three times, what about the Aussies? NZ could still finish 3rd.”
True – hadn’t considered that actually… Sorry bit pissed and am feeling that “winning feeling”
12 Sep 2009, 12:37 pm
Amazing how many teams have said that they could have beaten the boks if they had played better in the first 20 minutes,seems to be a pattern here.
12 Sep 2009, 12:39 pm
Did JS get man of the match award he was a collosus.
12 Sep 2009, 12:42 pm
Just watching the “delayed live” on Prime TV in New Zealand… the irony of seeing Nandos on the advertising screens on the sidelines…
12 Sep 2009, 12:54 pm
Does anyone know who won man of the match? My money is on Bismark, his best test ever!
Congrats to the Boks! Simply a class team who execute everything perfectly! From 1 to 15 they all played today!
12 Sep 2009, 12:59 pm
F Steyn should be MOM, he won that game with those long range kicks and his strength and fearlessness in his defence.
12 Sep 2009, 13:02 pm
I’d say this 2009 possibly one of the greatest years ever for any bok supporter by a mile, and who’s in charge, who’s the genius at the helm… yup you guessed it, the little magician from die Perel, where are all these no hope doubters now, crowing like a bunch of double take c1cks who cry ‘bokke’ when less than a year ago their doubts were oozing all over these pages thick and fast, keo and Gavin Rich and co. doing the very best swansong they could muster to hand him his ***. Well he’s shown some people well and good what true ‘winning ways’ rugby is all about. The little maestro magician from Paarl.
12 Sep 2009, 13:03 pm
Well done to the Boks! To John, Frans AND to PdV, Muir and Gold!! Surely there can be no doubters any more. All those goes who said they would support PdV if we won the 3N please stand up and be counted in the PdV Supporters Column!!!
Also well done to NZ too…!! They still are a great team! Things aren’t as bad there as they may seem. Games between us have always been close. Time was when we’d lose all the close ones by a few points with seconds on the clock… At the moment we’re managing to win the close ones now…
It is a great time to be a Bok supporter.!!
12 Sep 2009, 13:04 pm
“New Zealand are the best team in the world.”
WTF?
How can a coach say this to an audience of millions when his own team are the number 1 ranked side on the planet, World Cup Winners, B&I Lions series winners and Tri-Nations winners.
I am sorry, but it is a disgrace.
12 Sep 2009, 13:05 pm
Well done to Smit and his men. They deserve it.
12 Sep 2009, 13:06 pm
#11 Big Hit: Yes, you’re nit picking. As usual.
12 Sep 2009, 13:06 pm
Oh good grief….who let him out of his cage so early….? Put your red ball back in your mouth and get back in your wicker basket. Please.
12 Sep 2009, 13:08 pm
#22 puff: I think he was alluding to them being the best team in the world in recent times. PdV’s Bok team have now taken on that mantle quite clearly.
He was being respectful, which i think is a sure sign he is growing into his role as the Boks head coach.
Well done PdV.
12 Sep 2009, 13:10 pm
#10 4moreyears: Nice one.
Now for the RWC 2011.
12 Sep 2009, 13:12 pm
#18 I wanna be coach: It seems they don’t show man of the match overseas, probably due to sponsorship reasons.
12 Sep 2009, 13:12 pm
#22 puff: Ye thaught that was pretty bizar too,however I think it is a comment that is lost in traslation so to speak think he probably meant it as “one of the best teams in the world”
After listening to him after the Bris game saw for the first time how he actually struggles with the English language which is fair enough I suppose considering his mother tongue is Afrikaanse,and even though all South Africans are supposed to be bi-linguel or even multi-linguel I know I would struggle if I had to give a post match interview in Afrikaanse.
12 Sep 2009, 13:13 pm
Well done Bokke. Deserved to win today.
Can we have 3N referees from now on. I agree with Jon Schmidt, the ones from the **** nations are as competent as an English blood capsule.
12 Sep 2009, 13:16 pm
#22 puff:
Think you’re just looking for reasons to knock PdV… As Stodders says he was just trying to point out that New Zealand is always the team to beat and we beat them…
12 Sep 2009, 13:16 pm
#28 BlueBlood: I also think games played in SA are the only time mom recipients are awarded prizes our anzac partners are a bit tight arse.
12 Sep 2009, 13:19 pm
#22 puff: I think he was just being humble, wouldn’t read too much into it.
12 Sep 2009, 13:21 pm
#32 Big Hit: Am I right in thinking JDV and FS will not be playing in the November eoyt.
12 Sep 2009, 13:23 pm
You got to love the headline on rugby heaven NZ.
THE BOKS FIND SOMETHING TO DO IN HAMILTON
classic stuff.
12 Sep 2009, 13:32 pm
Nice to see that the Prime Minister, John Key, will eat his words regarding that the Boks “will like Hamilton even less after this weekend”.
12 Sep 2009, 13:41 pm
still havent seen the game. feels like my balls got chopped off , so frustrating. Anyway still so f*cking pleased!!! This current group of players are worth their weight in gold
2007-2009 the Golden era
12 Sep 2009, 13:43 pm
#36 wp_boytjie:
Die Goue Bokke!!
12 Sep 2009, 13:48 pm
2 things everyone should take into account:
1) This was the boks 3rd game in a row – fatigue was always going to be a factor against a fresh AB team without fatigue – so hats off to the boks for winning the 3rd game in a row!
2) Nigel Owens once again showed that IRb refs are paid to keep games close – NZ came back in the 2nd half because the ref allowe them to.
The ref clearly kept the ABs in the game – SA shouldve won by at least 15.
These are facts that everyone should admit to.
12 Sep 2009, 13:54 pm
Well done Boks! True World Champions! John you deserve everything you get from here on. You are the greatest captain of all time.
12 Sep 2009, 14:03 pm
from another sports website about the refs.
It will also go down as an occasion in which fate restored a historic wrong for the test was played on the 28th anniversary, to the day, of the famous Flour Bomb test during the 1981 Springbok tour in which the Boks felt they had been done in by Welsh referee Clive Norling.
This time they triumphed, on their merits, in spite of the questionable ministrations of Welsh referee Nigel Owens who in the first seconds awarded a dubious penalty that Daniel Carter kicked to put the All Blacks in the lead but continued to find doubtful fault with the Boks and also failed to award at least one yellow card against the All Blacks.
12 Sep 2009, 14:11 pm
#33 4moreyears: as far as I know that’s the case. JDV talked about these being his last Bok games so he’s clearly not eligible. Boks need to find some replacements.
12 Sep 2009, 14:16 pm
#38 mellowyellow: I see you’re wearing your tin foil hat again
What you wrote isn’t fact. It’s your opinion. Which you are entitled to.
12 Sep 2009, 14:20 pm
#41 Big Hit: Good time to blood some new talent maybe against Italy and the 2 club teams.
12 Sep 2009, 14:28 pm
hey waka ya doos…………..whats the excuse this time??
12 Sep 2009, 14:33 pm
#20 skopskiet:
If you really really think he is in charge and puting this together then you are dreaming big time,……….only comment he has uttered that I agree with is that Hamilton is Hicksville delux!
12 Sep 2009, 14:46 pm
JdV has only a one season contract. He will be back next year coming the tri-nations.
12 Sep 2009, 14:48 pm
#11 Big Hit:
Why Bigglies Why……….do you have to be such a nit picking knunt?
Knunt……………..Eskimo translation……CCunt.
12 Sep 2009, 14:51 pm
#11 Big Hit:
Why Bigglies Why……….do you have to be such a nit picking knunt?
Knunt……………..Eskimo translation……..
12 Sep 2009, 15:09 pm
John Smit was absolutely smashed by Schalks head in the first 10 minutes or so – he looked dazed and confused – bloody nose and thick lip.then went on to put in a huge performance as player and captain – giving no less than 100%. After the game he could hardly walk up the stairs to collect the silverware – He looked shattered and probably needs some much deserved rest – but if he decides to hang up his boots who could begrudge him – he has won everything except the S14 title. But I hope we manage him well and keep him to 2011 we will struggle to win the WC without him.
There is not a tighthead in world rugby that you would replace Smit with. Although there maybe better tighthead scrummagers than him they will never be better than him in the other tight/loose parts of the game and of course leadership. Scrums to me are not that important anymore – as long as you can just hold your own of which we normally can. Today there were 15 scrums (only 4 in first half) and 120 Rucks…….. do well at breakdown (not necessary rucks) and you will dominate the game.
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