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 9:15 pm
#243 Hondo:
I guess what puzzles me is this: since when is Ollie le Roux an expert?
But I guess he is just the type of guy that will be prepared to say what others wont.
If you think about it: Steenkamp, Chili and Doc Jannie are really underperformers consistently. Gastro not the guy he was a season or 2 ago.
Chili always as in always injured but also always 1st on the list when a Bok team is announced.
Doc Jannie – well he strikes me as a bit of a lazy ar$e. I know Cobus Visagie rated him a few years ago, but he has never quite delivered.
Its good that they’re working with Pieter de Villiers – knows French conditions and players, but they need to look to more permanent consultant, someone like Visagie – who specialised in tighthead and have earned respect in NH.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
That frenchy PDV says in an interview that the French take the scrums as a Honour type thing…hate being bullied there….reckon they put a helleva lot more emphasis on scrums than here in SA….
That oke played 60 odd tests for France….now settled back in Stellenbosch….35 years old…pity he didnt have a season or 2 for Stormers!
November 9th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
we are going to f’ck dem frogs up…pity about kanko tho.
if i had my way, it would be ou dose steamrollering them into the ground.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Beasty must also stick his hand up and get a bit worked up.
Smit will bust his ballas, watch net.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
at least with sharks missing out in semis a few boks will be well rested…
November 9th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
#249 grant10: Tight 5 will be ok come Friday. Loosies almost the same, but not quite. Smit and Kanko the only unknown.
Morne will save the game regardless. Goodness knows he did it for the Bulls with 25% possession.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
#254 cab: Ja…Beast has gone off the boil a lot….
November 9th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
#256 Kronung: Hope so…we just need to get parity in scrums….then i am happy….
Lineouts we cool
MS and FDP can do the business …i reckon we will keep it tight….
I hear the french have a real monster 12….105 kg and out to make a name for himself….so Schalk and Brussow will need to get into that channel and cut him down….
Not sure if i would bet on Boks….but will be offering up sacrifices to the rugby Gods!
November 9th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
#252 grant10:
In Stellenbosch you will probably find more more ex internationals per square meter than anywhere else in the world.
We are going to k@k on Friday, the French team is very strong and not only in the scrums.
Their loose trio also worries me – big, fast and strong.
I watched the new no 8 (Louis Picamoles) a few times on TV. – really top class – Kanko better be up to it or there will be tears again on Friday night.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Boks will win, but just just. Its the only way I can see it. CJ will be better than what he was, European conditions are good for props to get better at their trade.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
#259 Robzim:
picamoles is a toughie for sure.
should have been deysel at 7 and schalk at 8.
we still going to moer padda tho.
asb.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
#246 byoboy:
just the tip of the iceberg
I watched a better Leicester team whacked a week ago by Leeds, YES, Leeds!
It was a ferocious rugby, imagine the SA XV would have lost to Leeds instead?
November 9th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
#259 Robzim:
crickey rob, how many ex internationals can fit into a sq metre.
sorry…weak joke – sounding like david now.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
#260 4man:
Was the Boks Team for the French Test announced?
November 9th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
#259 Robzim: Ja….i am nervous about this one….Croke Park also gonna be a swine…..even the Italians will fancy there chances of dismantling our scrum Rob….and its often the start of trouble!
But lets hope Beast…Bissy and Smit do the business….
I have heard good things about the French loose trio as well….havent seen them a lot so look forward to the game….
#260 4man:
November 9th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
#261 cab:
Imagine the fireworks on keo if we should lose.
I am seriously worried – some of our top guys are moeg as well.
But we have Morne
Asb. once more.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
kanko going to see his gat and Roussouw is not the answer to the Frenchie either. I got some serious worries about Smit he wont stand up for more than 50 min then CJ going to come on against these bust a gut Gallo boys. Then they left all their bruisers like Chabal to come off bench. These Frogs going to come at us like its the revolution and they aiming for a guillotine ritual or two.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
#260 4man: Good to hear that CJ will have improved….good to have a genuine 3 in the mix again .
November 9th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
#264 Hondo: Not yet Boet.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
i think we will do well in the scrums on friday, atleast parity i would say, whenever the pressure was on at scrum time the boys delivered, so im not to worried about our front row, more worried about the midfield
November 9th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Cab seems confident….and living over there he must know a few things we dont….
Just cant get rid of this gut feel that says its gonna be a long night!
November 9th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
#263 charo:
Divan Serfonteyn has unfortunately moved to Bellville, he might have fitted in.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
#260 4man:
yes that is what i think, hope cj on bench.
#266 Robzim:
lol, it will be carnage.
yes, once more.
yes chabal will come out, but Burger needs to hit him hard when he comes on. our boys must just bash em for 80.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
#272 Robzim: LOL
November 9th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
can imagine the french will have more motivation than the boks.
beat ab’s in nz and now face world champions and trinations victors.
they will be fired up…hope pdv can get our boys psyched
November 9th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
#271 grant10:
nah, they very good, but this is a great bokke side if it plays with hunger, if matfield and kanko and beast go missing we poked, but if they all up for it – u not going to find any side to beat Bokke over 80mins.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Bok bench must be carefully selected and managed….vital.
No bloody softies for this one…
November 9th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
#276 cab: From your lips…
Cheers all
Outta here
November 9th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
#278 grant10:
See u, easy on Smittie tomorrow, he might soon be gone
November 9th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
cheers guys…supper time and the dog also wants me to throw the ball
November 9th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
24 – 18 to the bokke cant wait! expecting a few droppies from morne aswel, and wouldnt be fantastic if Adi scored a intercept try ala jdv
November 9th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
#280 4man:
See u, Mr Lifesaver.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
#279 Robzim:
only if HE wants to
November 9th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
#283 charo:
Do you think John will be around till the next world cup?
My views are not much different to those of Grant on this issue, you know it is a WeePee thing
November 9th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
good thing Leicester did us 3 big favors. They got rid of Jannie pap broek, Gurthro and Chili in one fell swoop. So now it won’t be Jdp on bench, nor Chili or Gurthro. Now its Heinke and Strauss and Cj on bench, so who you gotta thank Leicester and Castro. Next problem is Deysel to play bench and Bekker or Danie or Potgieter. Our achilles heel is Kanko and perhaps mid field and full back.
Should have been Kanko on bench or Potgieter on bench. Brussow, Deysel and Burger to start.
Dusetoir, Harinordequi and Picamoles are going to be one handful. Kanko to soft for these oke’s and Roussouw to lam and slow. Should have been Burger, Deysel, Brussow with Potgieter off bench.
Adi and Fourie better deliver and Kirchner at back. Plenty going to hedge around how MS controls our go forward ball. I suspect kick n chase till the cows come home.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
#252 grant10: We used to thnk like that but w ehave fallen through our asses with quotas and other interference.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
anyone know when the team gets announced?
November 9th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
#284 Robzim: John Smit will be part of the squad but will not Captain. I have a sneaky feeling a certain man by the name of Brussow is tipped for that honour.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
also is there anyway to change your name? i could just register again but then i lose my precious keo $$$
November 9th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
#195 cab:
“merit only means the best players in SA, not the best players of a certain colour in SA.”
merit (plural merits)
1. Something deserving either good or bad recognition.
2. Something worthy of a high rating.
Not according to wiki.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
#281 Mustard: I hope so too. But my Crystal Ball is telling me France is winning by 8. I hope its broken.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Hmm
Ratel Brussow, Vin Deysel and Kanko. A new breed of loosies?
So we dont have a problem with loosies, as an ausie said before all south africans are born loosies we just start playing other positions. The question i keep asking is whats,whos after the due of matfield and botha????
Bekker is not the answer!!!! sorry wp supporters, and no one else is really putting their hands up!!
November 9th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
QUESTION !!!!!!!
What is a Ratel ?
IS this Heinrichs nickname in real life >>>
November 9th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
#266 Robzim:
Yeah. It seems some has already returned from R-T under different names waiting for that to happen. It will be mayhem here on Keo over the next three weeks, I tell you.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
#287 AndrewBK:
Tomorrow at 12h00.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
#293 rugbygenius:
Honey=badger.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
#292 pvz.shark:
Well, Victor Matfield holds a different view about Bekker and he is not a WP supporter and should know a bit about whether a lock is good or not.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
#296 nama1:
sorry: honey badger
November 9th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Again. Would it be too far fetched to say that the inside centre position should be a loosie, piere spies type player.
then you have a 12 that can cover at 7 and vice verca?
just a thought. while the 7 is getting up from the brakdown the 12 gets in the thick of things in the new breakdown and 7 takes his place at 12?
hmmm
Ja ja. this from someone who stil thinks the freestate loose trio of adre,rassie and AJ was the best combo ever.
and the combo of atherton,andrews,
November 9th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
#293 rugbygenius: Nope dont know but he is as tough as one