‘Bully’ Boks won’t hold back
John Smit says French accusations of thuggery won’t stop the Springboks from favouring a belligerent approach.
The Boks received a chilly welcome on Wednesday, torrential rain pelting at tired bodies and French journalists unleashing a wave of criticism from the outset.
The local media seem to have picked up where the British and Irish whingers left off, taking their cues from French coach Marc Lievremont and loose forward Imanol Harinordoquy on the subject of robust play.
Lievremont told the media earlier in the week that the Boks don’t always play within the laws, a sentiment echoed by Harinordoquy. At a welcome press conference at Toulouse’s House of Rugby, Smit and Peter de Villiers were made to feel anything but welcome. The French pressmen addressed the Boks as the Butcher Boys of world rugby, something that shocked the South African captain.
‘It caught me completely by surprise,’ Smit told keo.co.za. ‘You don’t ever hear that from the Aussie or New Zealand guys during the Tri-Nations. We play as hard as we can, and most teams respect us for it.
‘We brought that physicality into the Lions series. You need to be more physical than the other side to win a Test match, and you can see in matches where we lost, we were perhaps not as physical.’
The Boks won the second Test of that Lions series, and rather than focus on the victory, the travelling journos attacked the Boks for their over-the top belligerence. Schalk Burger was yellow carded in this fixture for what was initially believed to be eye-gouging (and later confirmed as reckless play) while Bakkies Botha was cited for a (textbook) clearance at ruck time. The Boks have always enjoyed a physical reputation, but these incidences have created a misconception.
‘We’ve never been a side to hit and kick and bite,’ said Smit, ’so I don’t think you can call us a dirty team. Bakkies wasn’t in the wrong when he cleared that ruck, and Schalk was later cleared of gouging. But I can understand how those two instances may have spurred on this idea.
‘Nevertheless, we will try to be as physical as possible this Saturday.’
Smit was involved in the planning for a November tour that will sees the Boks playing three Tests in as many weeks. They play the French on Friday, but have strangely arrived in Toulouse just two days before kickoff.
The squad trained in Johannesburg earlier this week in completely different conditions to those experienced in Toulouse. The team arrived on Wednesday and spent 30 minutes doing various stretching exercises in pelting rain and a seven-degrees temperature.
‘We decided that we wanted to spend a little more time with our families before the tour. That was one of many reasons for arriving late,’ said Smit. ‘We also wanted to be fresh for the game on Friday and felt it would be better to come up a bit later.
‘We employed the same plan when we went to Perth in the Tri-Nations, and it worked on that occasion. We believe this plan will benefit us this Friday.
Smit reiterated that he is not concerned about the conditions.
‘If you want to be playing anywhere in France at this time of year, it may as well be in the south. It’s not too cold and it probably won’t rain that hard. I remember in 2005 they were clearing snow from that pitch in Paris, so compared to that, it shouldn’t be too bad.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Toulouse
November 12th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
#187 Vetkoek:
This is how much the ‘B&I Lions said it was wrong to cite Bakkies’
from the Guardian, Oct 30th, by Lions fwds coach, Shaun Edwards:-
” Beaumont and Davies, our manager in South Africa this summer, were at Rugby School this week when Beaumont, once England’s captain and now one of the game’s lawmakers, expressed alarm at the number of gratuitous hits delivered by players attempting to clear out rucks.
Beaumont said that if current research proved a need, he was prepared to legislate to stop the kind of incident to which Davies had referred earlier – the “tackle” by Bakkies Botha that put Adam Jones out of the tour and out of rugby so far this season. Davies described Botha as a “missile”.
He’s right and my particular worry is the way guys on the fringes, and therefore possibly unsighted, get hit when they are not expecting contact. Off guard they are doubly prone to injury.”.
Off-guard is exactly was A.Jones was as he suffered a direct hit from the Botha Missile.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
#199 bokfan1:
Ja ek weet.
Ek het maar niks beter te doen vandag:)
November 12th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
#202 Vetkoek: Hahaha reg so – ag dan baklei n bietjie meer met die poephol
Ons kon almal sien die Britses het probeer om hard te speel, en vuil te speel om die Bokke se self vetroue te probeer skud. Dit het nie gewerk nie, en toe die Bokke net so hard terug speel, toe kon hulle dit nie behandel nie, en die ouens moes hospitaal toe gaan ens!
Ag nee wat, daar is n goie gesegte – Moenie die wolf wakker maak nie as jy hom nie kan dood maak nie!
November 12th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
#201 WakaNathan:
Great story. This from WalesOnline and the Western Mail:
IF there was one person you wouldn’t expect to back the controversial Justice 4 Bakkies Botha campaign, it would be Wales and Lions star Adam Jones.
But, despite being the victim of the big South African’s “dangerous play” – an act that left Jones with a dislocated shoulder and facing six months on the sidelines – the affable Welshman is adamant Botha didn’t do anything wrong.
“It was just one of those things that happens in rugby,” said Jones, speaking for the first time about the incident at the Ospreys’ new kit launch yesterday.
“Botha shouldn’t have been banned for it, nowhere near it.”
Following a post-match citing by the independent commissioner, the Springbok powerhouse was given a two-week ban for an illegal charge on Jones during the Lions’ Test in Pretoria.
Botha staunchly protested his innocence and, such was the outcry among his team-mates, the entire starting XV wore Justice 4 Bakkies armbands during the third Test.
The protest quickly earned SA Rugby an IRB charge for bringing the game into disrepute. And, after presenting their case to a disciplinary committee in Dublin on Monday, they are waiting to hear their punishment.
Jones’ version of the affair was then quite timely
But, as far as the 28-year-old prop is concerned, his injury was just part and parcel of the rough and tumble of international rugby.
Jones added: “I don’t have any complaints. He just cleared me out of the ruck and I got caught.
“Everyone counter-rucks nowadays and, if anything, I was in the wrong place. He just hit me and I was unlucky.
“So I was surprised to see he got banned. I know we didn’t cite him so I don’t know why the independent commissioner did.
“It was just a fair ruck from a hard player. When I have met him before he seems like a tidy enough bloke so I’m not seeing it as anything malicious.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
#204 Vetkoek:
This from the guy of the team the Safas labelled as whingers.
Lucky players dont make the rules then huh. The IRB does.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
#206 WakaNathan:
The point is as elusive to you as a world cup to a kiwi hey?
IRB makes the rules. Citing commissioners interpret them the way they want and one guy gets cited for an offence that happens every week. you like youtube so much, check it out for yourself. Unfortunately due to moderation, the 5 or so examples of Brad Thorn, Richie McCaw, Nathan Sharpe, Tony Woodcock and the British & Irish Lions hooker who hit Bakkies immediately after he hit Jones, that I posted the links for have been disallowed.
But if you look for them, you’ll find them.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
#206 Vetkoek:
Goeie v@k, Vetkoek, maar jy is geduldig met die aap.
Smaak my die knaap kort ‘n lekker PK…..
‘n Lekker “Waka” teen die kop!!!
Is jy so verveeld?
November 12th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
#206 Vetkoek:
The point is that Bakkies was banned for an offence that others have similarly been cited/warned/banned for, as the clip shows. And Bakkies is a repeat offender of the same offence. Most people would be smart enough to learn to correct the problem.
What does it matter about who retaliated ? Woodcock is coming back from a 1-match ban for striking. The fact that G.Smith threw many punches at him and D.Mumm ran 20yards to throw another couple of blatant ones, seems not to have mattered to the Citing Commissioner either.
The IRB are trying to eradicate the cause not the effect. Which is why we have laws. Look for them, you’ll find them.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
#139 WakaNathan:
Doesnt answer the question as to why you are always having a go at the boks and certain other bloggers.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
#141 Richie_7:
Phew, what a conclusion you have come to.
Congrats, I thought no-one would figure that out.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
#209 Stawm:
So its only fine here if its pro-Boks/SA ?
Funny, I dont see alot of pro-NZ/Aus/Engl…
And rest assured, Im probably harder on my own teams.
November 12th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
#212 WakaNathan:
Yes, it is.
Because we are the best team in the world.
And as such, you will treat the Boks with respect, heathen.
November 12th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
#211 WakaNathan:
No its not only pro boks, but what is the point really of nit picking stupid comments from bloggers all the time.
Also, you’ve made your point about how you think Smit is arrogant and the boks are arrogant, and the whole conspiracy theory etc, why do you keep on about it all the time.
Do you think you are going to change the minds of die-hard bok supporters to turn against their team, especially when the team is winning? Its not going to happen.
Mind you, having said all this, they are your ulcers you’re cultivating and you will reap the benefits of them sooner or later.
I shouldnt be interfering or else I am guilty of what I am accusing you of.
November 12th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
#212 Vetkoek:
Prepare to be disappointed then.
Respect is a 2-way deal mfraid. Which is not news to yer wee buddy, BokFan1 (BaXXies !).
November 12th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
#213 Stawm:
Actually if you saw thru the thick red mist and had been around longer than 5mins you’d have also noticed that Ive consistently said I would still pick Bakkies as a great player, that I backed Smit as a great Capt against a tide of naysayers here who barracked that he was “only the 3rd best hooker in the country”. I even called Jake White the answer to your prayers in the 2yrs prior to the RWC despite those same naysayers here who called for the axe. The same fickle and spineless bunch who now pat them on the back and say “I told you so”.
And the 2% of entries you read from me/others that arent hitting your Pro-Bok Approval levels are lost in a tsunami of 1-eyed hypocricy that sweeps ruthlessly in the opposite direction. Anyway, for a tough nation, cant you just see past all the bits you dont like and just focus on all the bravado that an endless supply of willing punters are only too happy to oblige ?
November 12th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
#215 WakaNathan:
Thick red mist? I presume you are insinuating that I am angry or lost the plot? Quite wrong, I am amused at your constant guidance of the bok supporter spirit.
Thanks for that.
As for being around longer than 5 minutes, I joined this site just about a month after it was launched, somewhere in 2003 I think – as I said earlier, I dont feel the need to compete in this ‘mine is bigger than yours’ saga that you seem to be attracted to.
As a matter of interest, who appointed you judge and jury of bok sentiment?
November 12th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
#216 Stawm:
If that is the case, then I wouldnt need to point that out to you either.
Who said anything about Judge & Jury and ulcers, tending towards the melodramatic now arent we ?
November 12th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
#213 Stawm:
BTW – on yest’s article about the AB lineup to play Italia, I called the ABs “arrogant”, 1 of the players hopeless and today that middleweights Italia have a genuine chance.
Is this acceptable to your tolerance levels or was it too anti-ABs ?
November 13th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Your few neg comments WRT the AB’s dont come near the number of neg comments WRT the boks.
You seem to take it to a personal level.
But in all honesty, I dont really care, enjoy your ulcers.
cheers
November 13th, 2009 at 10:57 am
#219 Stawm:
My few ‘negative’ comments re the Boks are a mere drop in the ocean compared to the bile directed at not only AB rugby, but towards Aussie, Poms, Lions etc here. Smits comments just showed he and many others dont feel the need to even put up a think veneer of respect to the lawmakers or his opponents.
So grow a spine, lightweight.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:14 am
New Zealand testicles are a delicacy in France.
November 13th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
#220 WakaNathan: Why can you not find another site? Google that is the easy way
November 13th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
#222 JL1:
I would miss winding you up far too much, JL1.
How are those stadium crowd stats for the tour coming on ? Still a few spare seats in the house for Udine, Italy, I see. The San Siro was Sold Out 2 mths ago, twice the capacity of the un-sold Bok venue.
What does that tell you ?