Tigers torture no issue for Boks
The Springbok coaches have called for perspective on the defeat to Leicester but are wary of the test that awaits them against France in Toulouse.
An inexperienced and ill-equipped South Africa were beaten 22-17 by a second-string Tigers outfit last Friday, exposing poor selections and under-preparation, particularly with regards to scrummaging, a facet of play were they were decimated.
However, head coach Peter de Villiers remained optimistic in his view of the defeat and diabolical performance, saying, ‘There are more positives than negatives in the loss.
‘Now we know where we’re going. We knew it would be tough with only a week’s preparation. It was an eye-opener, but if we didn’t have the game we wouldn’t have known what we do now.’
De Villiers peddled the same rhetoric after a Springbok B side were schooled by the British & Irish Lions in the third Test, making his explanation for the latest embarrassment perplexing. He continued by offering a lack of leadership for the dirt-trackers (captain Chiliboy Ralepelle limped off with a foot injury 20 minutes into the contest) as a mitigating factor for the defeat.
‘One of the problems we have agreed upon is that of leadership. We now know to address that,’ he said.
The first-choice Springbok combination won’t be short of experienced leaders on Friday evening, and will be favourites for victory, having bagged the notable scalps of the Lions and their southern hemisphere rivals Australia and New Zealand.
They will, however, have to make exponential improvements to the standard of scrummaging they have exhibited thus far to negotiate the challenge of Les Tricolores, as well as hope that the replacements for outstanding loose forwards Juan Smith and Pierre Spies offer them similar value in their areas of specialisation.
Assistant coach Gary said France would be as tough as the All Blacks, who the Springboks have beat thrice in Tri-Nations, in terms of physicality.
‘They have a big strong pack and they will be very physical,’ Gold said. ‘They’re the one team in the world with New Zealand who can match our forwards with size.
‘They’re an emotional team, with a lot of passion. They’ll be playing in a small stadium, and if a French side comes out firing they can rip the heart out of anybody.’
November 9th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
#294 nama1:
I noticed a couple of dodge posters lurking around as well.
Some of them “sounds” very familiar but they use a different lay out (spacing and paragraphs)
I guess when the going gets tough and the klippies flow they might just blow their covers.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
#298 nama1: Thank you NAMA . Is that his nickname or something ?
November 9th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
“They have a big strong pack and they will be very physical,’ Gold said. ‘They’re the one team in the world with New Zealand who can match our forwards with size.”
Actually teh English can do it too- but their general rugby skills suck and their kung-fu is weak.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
#297 Robzim: Jip i am just an armchair rubgy player. but he is just good for line outs. not that hard of a worker. Lyk maar lomp.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
#300 pvz.shark: Thanks PVZ- Shark. I keep hearing it . You wouldn’t happen to know ol’ Spies nickname would you ??
November 9th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
my gut says if France show us scant respect they can take us. If they apprehensive about our status as no.1 team and show us too much respect we should be able to handle them. If they are truly pumped for this test and throw the champs ullyses at us they’ll be one huge handful to handle in Toulouse.
We haven’t beaten France away since Mallets team of 1997
November 9th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
#305 rugbygenius: Nope. Just call him spies. Sharp and makes eina!
November 9th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
#307 pvz.shark: Heh heh heh. Ja . Spies is good enough isn’t.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
#304 pvz.shark:
He is actually very good in the loose, is fast and has great ball skills.
The fact that he is nearly 8 feet tall makes him look more “lomp” than he really is.
His biggest problem seems to be injuries and that might stop him from reaching his full potential.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
#292 pvz.shark:
One of the mistakes we make regarding that question is that we expect the incoming locks to be on a par with those two guys without realising that it took them time to get where they are now. Just think back about their first 30 test or so. Do you think they were this good back then?
What also helped a great deal in their case was the fact that they play for the same prince.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
#302 rugbygenius:
Not sure.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
#310 Robzim: Then i ask again
Who will fill the shoes.
We always had enforcers. Wiese,andrews,ackerman. Then for a short time we had none, then cam bakkies. whos next?
November 9th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
most underrated centre pairing in sa.
Brendon venter, helgard muller.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
#312 pvz.shark: I’m sorry to but into your conversation. Danie Rossouw has a good few years left.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
anyway, as long as it is not lobberts.
cheers everyone.
have a good one
November 9th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Hargreaves Sykes Steenkamp Bekker De Villiers Lombard next generation of locks.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
#313 pvz.shark: Here, here Muller was the bestest ! How many years for Vrystaat ? Most underated scrummie = Werner Swanepol.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
#315 rugbygenius: Danie is like and old bedford. takes flippen long to start, then has n few hickups, then runs great til its shuts of again.
hit and miss
November 9th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
#318 rugbygenius:
ja old smiley. he was a genius.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
#318 pvz.shark: But for an enforcer who is better ? He is our Troy Flavell. All Blacks and Aussies fear him . Leave the fancy stuff to the other lock. He’ll just be an enforcer.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
#310 nama1:
That is why I don’t think exposing Hargreaves was such a bad idea. Who knows, come 2012/13 we might just be talking about him in the same way as we do about VM/Bakkies now.
Flippie’s laaitie (Francois) can also go far, I reckon given time and the right man management.
Btw what happened to his brother, who was at WP a few seasons back.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
#319 pvz.shark: Since we are doing Nostalgia , can you imagine old Teichman behind todays pack ? With Andre Joubert at the fullback !
November 9th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
top 15 of my era
1.os
2.john smit
3.ollie
4.andrews
5.matfield
6 wahl/rassie
7. andre venter
8. gary teighman
9. josie
10.honiball
11.samll
14.kabous
12 japie mulder
13 pieter muller
15 andre jouba
November 9th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
#310 nama1:
prince=province
November 9th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
#323 rugbygenius: teichman would have been worlds best. and jouba with small.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
#321 nama1:
His brother (Flip) went overseas to play rugby and study.
He already had a Masters degree before he left, so I think he is perhaps looking at other career options
November 9th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
#323 pvz.shark: No space for Pieter Rossouw ? Or Eddie Andrews ?
November 9th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
#325 pvz.shark: Yes . Deadly . Small under the bomb from Morne.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
#328 rugbygenius: slaptjip[s was over rated. pieter hendriks was better than him
Or Eddie who?
November 9th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
#329 pvz.shark: Eddie Andrews . Under appreciated. One more ommision from your team is Percy . Jouba was old school.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
#295 Robzim: thanks…
November 9th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
#326 Robzim:
Pity, if that is the case. I though he(Flip) showed more potential than Francois, who was playing for the Cheetahs at the time.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
#332 nama1:
Sorry, I got the names mixed up. Francois is the one who played for WP and went overseas while Flip is the younger one who is at the moment with the Bulls and who previously played for the Free State.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
#333 Robzim:
Then I had them mixed up as well.
Liverpool 1- Birmingham 2 after 48min. What do you think?
November 9th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
it’s over cadaver for Benitez, he is out of ideas…he can hide behind injuries but i’m not buying his nonsense. Anyway those american owners of liverpool are too broke to fire him cos Benitez signed a 5-year contract just last year so he’ll want a massive payout…
November 10th, 2009 at 12:09 am
French coaching staff
11/9/2009 4:34 PM
French coach: Good news ze playirs, Africa de Zuid will play a midget right in ze middle of ze field,so we just run right ova him. Assistant coach: Aaa, good idea, but we need to run up and support ze man there’s still a fullback to beat yes? French coach: Silly assistant coach, ze fullback’s not be Frans Steyn or Joe Peterson. Assistant coach: BUt they’re 2 best SA fullbacks no? French coach: Yes zey are, but zey are very white you see and so a guy called Kirchner will play ze fullback and ze just run around zhim like that.
joke on news24
November 10th, 2009 at 12:25 am
#336 hehehe
True things are said in jest!
November 10th, 2009 at 3:14 am
#336 mbaxman93: more like,FC: no our zpies took care of the frans steyn problem, zhey flashed ze money in hiz face & he unwittingly zigned a 3 year deal with our ztruggling zide racing metro, ha ha ha ztupid fool!”
“no coach, you iz making huge miztake !zane kirchner iz S14 & recently a currie cup winning fullback he’z got ze pedigree”
November 10th, 2009 at 4:11 am
There are too many players been carried by the system. How can a player be selected when he cannot make his own provincial team? We have Old boys club, provincial pressure and quotas.
Quotas: Chili, Maku, Ruabenheimer, Gufro, Adams, Odwa,De Jongh, Rose, Jacobs.
Unlucky: Free sate and province, Any hooker, Mapoe, Juries, Mbysio, Bosch, Joe Pietersen, Ebersholm, David De Villiers, SAREL PRETORIUS,
Old Boys: Dinosaruas, Jannie Kannie, Muller(he nearly got the nod), Smittie(he needs a rest but should stay.
Lucky: Potgieter, Hargreaves, Bosman, Jacobs, Rose.
The Bulls were loosing till their stars came back, yet players were selected from their loosing squad above teams that kicked their ***.
Maybe this will send a message about how quotas affect levels of play.
What I am thinking, NOT!
November 10th, 2009 at 7:14 am
#339 KevinRack: how raubenheimer, who played for griquas in the currie cup is a “quota” and yet mpho mbiyozo, who as far as i know has played one 15man game against the b&i lions is not a “quota” is really illogical to me.
Heinie is a quota yet francois hougaard is accepted on the strength of his “potential”, not what he has done. Maybe Ludeke is smoking his socks playing heinie before francois.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:23 am
#317 rugbygenius:
Spot on
November 10th, 2009 at 7:35 am
#306 skopskiet:
The French at home are difficult to beat.
You won’t pull it off with the like of The Beast, Jacobs, Ndungane or Ashley Johnson, rest assured
November 10th, 2009 at 7:40 am
#336 mbaxman93:
Has Kirshner forgotten Simon Shaw already?
Dusautoir, Harinordoquy and Picamoles are all mean, dirty fast loossies, Kirshner is well advised to stay at home
November 10th, 2009 at 8:02 am
#340 Transformation:
Adams is a good scrumhalf, his greates virtue is of NOT being a token off the bench, he never let the Bulls down!
At the Test level however there are better though; FdP, Pienaar, Vermaak, and Michael Classens can always be called up like CJ, then Rory Cockott and the WP scrummi are far better too.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:57 am
#323 pvz.shark:Jy sal moet oor kies Ollie het nie vaskop gespeel nie