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 4:27 pm
and it was deysel that gave us some grunt
other problem was the forwards were not playing as a unit
November 9th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
#49 katman: And what of Ashley Johnson ?
November 9th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
transformation is of course racism.
its rhetoric for selecting player based purely on skin colour.
one can argue whether this racism is justified in light of previous racism, but it remains racism nevertheless – instead its been sold as ‘trasnformation’, actually no its worse than that, its being sold as ‘merit only’.
apparently a 2nd string leicester team beat a 2nd string Bok team if one can believe that malarchy.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
#15
Get over yourself skop. You have such a massive chip on your shoulder and you make everything about colour!
Get over it now, you twisted old man, it’s getting tired now!
November 9th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
#50 ashley: oops: neither can I.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
#51 sharks_lover: Deysel is only good going forwards. Even then he is fearful of contact situations. Watch for lines he running. He always run for smaller guys.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
#53 cab:
Great post. Not sure which comment it was in response to, but I agree with your sentiments wholeheartedly.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
#53 cab: hiyas cabby ,and this be true
i felt sorry for raubenheimer , he was clearly out of his depth and being subbed early means his confidence would have taken a pounding too
but its not use crying about it , we all know it will continue
November 9th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
#47 ashley:
How are you meneer?
Where have you been?
November 9th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Johnson could be a surprise at 8 though, given the regard our coach holds in him, and subsequent habit of backing this.
If I’m not mistaken, he played behind Spies in the u21 WC, and was the captain for Snor’s Southern Spears team
November 9th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
#56 rugbygenius: That’s logical – more chance of him running over a small ‘un than a big ‘un. But he does often have a problem in keeping the ball in contact – gets turned quite often.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
#56 rugbygenius: yeah thats why the 19 from the tigers that is bigger then deysel fell on his *** huh??
November 9th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
#60 ali: This is the best post of the whole day !
November 9th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
#53 cab: The most sense I have seen written on this website for a while.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
#59 Sheriff:
ag, been away for a while, just got g@tvol with this site’s journalists … anyway, how’s life treating you, bru?
November 9th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
#61 Mutant: Yes thats what I mean. His technique is contact is at times a problem.
#62 sharks_lover: You are comparing him to a nobody . That number 19 was just a fat guy not strong . Deysel is for Super 14 only. For Boks – Johnson is the future sir. Sorry .
November 9th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
#61 Mutant: depepnding on how the tackler hits you anyone loses a ball
the ball pottie and deysel lost each the other night was purely because of no support
deysel was held up by 4 players and many seconds later the support came
a touch late id say
November 9th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
#65 ashley:
Die lewe is ‘n lied, sing hom uit volle bors?
November 9th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
#63 rugbygenius:
November 9th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
how many club or S14 franchises cue’d up to sign the WC winning coach? The issue is not how great a coach either of the protagonists are, the issue is that some dainty Sa supporters got knives out for this guy after a failed development game went sour, yet thus far his record still out shines every other white coach that went before him in internationals bar one.
The other issue is that it wasn’t even the development players who failed the test it was the hunky dory Bulls and Sharks front row vanguard plus their stalwart 2nd row lock that let the team down. Between Steenkamp, Ralepelle, Du Plessis, Roussouw, Bekker, Pienaar, Olivier and Ndungane, every one of them a seasoned capped Bok by JW, its them that let the famous bok team down, none of the so called quotas. Maybe its them that should get fired all these fancy pants 2nd grade Sharks and Bulls bok’s that can’t muscle in when required. Roussouw and Steenkamp and Du Plessis were exposed pretty bad. The front line Cc champ tough guys.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
#64 Heavens Game:
youre not meaning
“the closest someone came to expressing your own sentiments’ perhaps?
November 9th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
#57 Tacitus:
just giving my opinion in general, probably not my place to comment.
#58 sharks_lover:
raubenheimer, like rallapelle, maku – and all the others should be playing regular S14 rugby for a full 80 mins – before being selected for the Boks.
If on the other hand its a development tour, this should be called for what it is – and not sold as ‘merit only’ where a depleted leicester side now have a Bok scalp to brag over.
It demeans the Bok, it demeans much of what the coach has achieved and it demeans the young players who are incorectly selected who have to bear the fallout of the expectant Bok public.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
#14 Tacitus: Tac, Spot on that would be my starting 15 too. Actually think that will be the team selected to start. Now really do hope that Deysel is on the bench.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
The thing about Deysel is that he has one run, where some guy tries a loose tackle on him and gets bounced. In the process Deysel makes a yard or two, but without it leading to anything major for his team.
That’s all that’s required for his vocal supporters to go ballistic and scream about the imperative need to have him in the Bok team.
Plenty of loose forwards score more tries, steal more balls, win more line outs, bust more tackles and gain more yards than Deysel.
He is strong, but you don’t see him running 40 yards with the ball, or busting through 4 guys to score tries.
There is just too much hype for the limited amount of achievement he produces, in my view.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
#73 Puma:
That post wasn’t in response to you, Puma. It is just coincidence that it appeared right after your comment regarding Deysel.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
#66 rugbygenius: firstly your so call genius is very very average as deysel is a flank and johnstone a 8thman , so go learn about the different positions first
2ndly johnstone played well but defended poorly the other evening , and it was a head on tackle he missed that gave their try away
3rdly the 19 was not fat , but big and strong , but also having read many of your posts i will say something i have been wanting to say to you for some time , you are nothing but a racist , and whenever you compare or complain or mention a super star , its always a player of colour , thus you just compared deysel to johnstone
November 9th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
#67 sharks_lover: It also depends how you go into contact, and Deysel is very upright a lot of the time – poor technique, especially when there is little support around you. Not only last game, but in the Super 14 and CC too. It’s an area he needs to work on, that’s all. I still rate him as the best 7 after Juan (and Schalk, who I believe should play there now considering Brussow’s form).
November 9th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
#52 rugbygenius: I like Johnson. And I’d be happy to have him on the bench instead of Deysel or whoever else is in our match-22 against the French. But in my mind the Springbok eightman is still a two horse race. Kankowski is the number one contender. Any other nation would kill for a player like him.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
#66 rugbygenius: You talking nonsense
Deysel deserves to be selected for the Boks. He has proved himself a long time back. Not just a S14 player. He was one of a few that made a differenc on Friday night. Ashley did too.
Hoping Deysel makes the bench. Then we all know it will probably not happen. I think he deserves to and will be a great back up to Burger.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
#74 Tacitus: now thats nonsence tacci and you know it
the thing is loose trio is a unit , and when you have someone strong like deysel being a ball carrier the need players feeding off his work not standing back like they did the other night
because he sucks in the 4 defenders you talk of, i guess you will prolly tell me pottie was better the deysel last friday night??
November 9th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
#70 Skopskiet
I totally agree as a sharks supporter I can’t stand the uselesness of Jannie Du plesis, at least Ndungane is a decent backup at S14 level, Jannie is totally useles…WRT chillipip Ithuoght he was amazing coming out of age-group level but sitting bench has done him no good, He played like **** alomg with Guthro, who starts at the bulls
November 9th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
So cab name me the players that were chosen out of merit. Which player contributed more to the loss than the other. Rose? Adams? Maku? Nokwe? Johnson? De Jongh? Viljoen? Hargreaves? Potgieter?
Or was it not perhaps Steenkamp, Ralepelle, Du Plessis, Roussouw, Pienaar, Ndungane, Olivier?
Your argument falls flat on its ***.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
#78 katman: Katman I feel very positive that Kanko will make the starting 15. Well I do hope so. Will play well with Burger next to him and with Brussow at 6.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
hmmmm,
seems like we’re comparing d*cks!!
..
well in that case, see you guys tomorrow!!
cheers everyone!!
November 9th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
#77 Mutant: mutant there is a lot wrong with many players because of poor coaching and i agree with you
lets take the locks and body positions in the scrums of the locks and loose forwards of the boks last friday
and so one can show many poor things , but why is the coaching staff not picking these things up , and not only bok coaches
all
November 9th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
#74 Tacitus: Rossouw does exactly the same, except he normally has the ball dislodged from his angry grasp in the process.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
#75 Tacitus: Perfect timing then Tac
November 9th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Guys relax.
Konka will play.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
in fact the one black player who has really set the CC and has been playing regularly well every game, Mapoe, has not been selected. He and De Jong are merit selections and thoroughly deserve their Springbok selections, they are ready and have shown this week in and week out.
But Ralapelle, Maku and Raubenheimer are not – especially with the depth of talent in these positions where looseforward and hooker have alot of depth in SA rugby.
Liebernberg over Rallapelle
CJ or WP Nel over Jannie
Sykes over Becker
Deysel over Raubenheimer
Would have been a very different result imo.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
#84 ashley: Cheers Ash.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Looking at the French Team I would definately have deysel and rossouw on the bench and no bekker. It just might be a bit of a risk if matfield gets injured.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
#88 Sheriff:
November 9th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
#76 sharks_lover: don’t read too much in the missed tackle of johnson. he was rushing to cover the position, and its not unusual for someone to lose their footing when stepped by a player coming from opposite direction.
loose forward bench spot is a two-horse race between johnson and deysel. i’d be happy with either of them, so coach’s call.
potgieter is a talent but not sure yet of his physical readiness. in any case, as no.8 he is behind the current contenders, and both our flanks will be playing full 80 i suspect
November 9th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
#82 skopskiet:
you not listening to what i’m saying, you already have picked your side or cause.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
#84 ashley: you have no ****?
November 9th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Later mates.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Kankowski has to start against the French. Harinordique (forgive my spelling guess) is a similar kind of player, but Kanko has so much more… how you say, Va-va-voom?
November 9th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
#25 Tacitus: Tac, Brilliant.
That was funny but have to agree with you mate…hehe. Good one.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
What’s actually worse to consider is had it been Smit and Beast propping against that front row they’d probably have got popped just as bad. Then what would the anti Pdv choir been singing this fine Monday morning if it had been Smit and Beast done like pannekoek by the Italian Stallion and his Leicester front row mates.?
November 9th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
this tour is kanko’s time to shine. i sincerely hope he produces the goods, otherwise we won’t be see him getting any meaningful game time when spies returns.