France 20 Springboks 13
Keo.co.za brought you live commentary from the Springboks’ Test against France in Toulouse.
80 mins: The French crowd begin to applaud their team as the home team have a put in to the scrum in the dying seconds. No 8 Louis Picamoles runs the ball into touch and Barnes blows the final whistle. The French players celebrate their victory over the world champions and the Boks’ poor run on French soil continues. France win 20-13!
78 mins: France win their third penalty at scrum time as they out-scrum the Bok pack. Parra kicks the three points and puts the game beyond doubt. 20-13 to France!
75 mins: France keep the Boks pinned in their own territory, forcing the visitors to make mistakes. With five minutes remaining and despite some handling errors from the French, the Boks don’t seem to have the composure to work themselves to the other end of the field.
68 mins: Ryan Kankowski is yellow carded for a professional foul after France steal an unnecessary quick throw from JP Pietersen in their own 22. Replacement scrumhalf Morgan Parra misses the easy penalty kick, but the Boks find themselves four points behind with one player less on the field.
65 mins: Smit and Matfield express their frustration as match referee Wayne Barnes penalises the Boks regularly.
61 mins: France win another penalty at the scrum in the Boks’ 22m area. Dupuy puts the home side further ahead as he converts his fourth three-pointer. 17-13 to France!
52 mins: With the strong wind at their backs, the French have clear momentum. The Boks are left defending for most of the early exchanges after the break.
49 mins: Dupuy gets the opportunity to kick his team into the lead as the Boks are penalised at the scrum. The French No 9 successfully kicks his attempt over for the first points of the second half. 14-13 to France!
41 mins: With Steyn off, Zane Kirchner restarts for the Boks. It is, however, a nightmare kick as the ball sails into touch.
Half-time: France 11 Springboks 13
39 mins: Steyn is sin-binned for tripping Clerc as the French kick a chip through for a try opportunity. The Boks will now start with 14 men in the second stanza and have to play without Steyn’s accurate boot for 10 minutes. The situation worsens as Dupuy converts the penalty on the stroke of half-time to reduce visitor’s lead to two points. 13-11 to the Boks!
31 mins: France try! The French hit back straight after the restart. The home team break into the Boks’ 22m area. The ball is then flicked wide to an unmarked Vincent Clerc, who dives in at the corner. 13-8 to the Boks!
29 mins: Springbok try! The French are under pressure as they have a lineout 5m from their tryline. Hooker William Servat misses his jumper and Smit steals possession and bursts over for the opening try. Steyn claims the extras to extend the lead to 10 points. 13-3 to the Boks!
25 mins: The Boks work themselves into the French 22m area. Steyn sits in the pocket and slots a drop goal to put the Boks in the lead. 6-3 to the Boks!
20 mins: French flank Imanol Harinordoquy is penalised for an illegal entry at the breakdown. Steyn steps up for his first kick at goal and scores the Boks’ first points of the game. The score is level at 3-3!
17 mins: The Boks spend a good period in the French half, but poor handling and communication results in a French penalty. The home side clear the ball into the Boks’ half.
7 mins: The physical battle is clear as Bakkies Botha emerges from a ruck bleeding from the head.
5 mins: John Smit is penalised for side entry at the ruck, which gives France a penalty in a kickable position. Scrumhalf Julien Dupuy converts his first attempt at goal. 3-0 to France!
1 min: High kick off from the pivot Francois Trinh-Duc, which is claimed by Victor Matfield. Heinrich Brussow sets the first breakdown and Morne Steyn clears the ball back into French territory.
France – 15 Damien Traille, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Yann David, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Cedric Heymans, 10 Francois Trinh-Duc, 9 Julien Dupuy, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Imanol Harinordoquy, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 5 Romain Millo-Chluski, 4 Lionel Nallet, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 William Servat, 1 Fabien Barcella.
Subs: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Sylvain Marconnet, 18 Sebastien Chabal, 19 Julien Bonnaire, 20 Morgan Parra, 21 David Marty, 22 Maxime Médard.
Springboks – 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Adi Jacobs, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 John Smit, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Wian du Preez, 18 CJ van der Linde, 19 Andries Bekker, 20 Danie Rossouw, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Wynand Olivier.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
#397 Lions_Soutie: Agree with you – he played his heart out.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
don’t know how we lost just by seven points!
November 13th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
KIRCHNER MUST GO !
EARL WOULD HAVE WON THAT GAME FOR US !
ALSO BRING ASHLEY JOHNSON AND DEYSEL !
November 13th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
#390 Peter Mkata:
afraid not you will have to blame somebody else try looking at loosehead….
November 13th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
#402 Valkyrie: Yeah of course missed three sitters and missed at least three try opportunities.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Well deserved victory for france by far the better team out there. No disrespect to the boks but they have played a very limited gameplan this year of kick, chase and great defence, i think they will start coming unstuck big time if they dont develop a backline before the world cup
November 13th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
#399 Big Hit:
Hi Big Hit
What a kick by him.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
#403 rugbygenius: Kirchner had a good game, agree with Soutie, Fourie was disappointing from an SA perspective.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
and still we can’t see that our front row is the weak underbelly of the team from 1 through 3
November 13th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
#408 Big Hit: He was nowhere to be seen !
I DEMAND BIG CHANGES BEFORE THE NEXT GAME !
Smit must go !
November 13th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
#406 west: agree, need to try a new approach, maybe Pienaar or a running 10.
#407 Peter Mkata: he wasn’t the only one to put in a poor kick.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Kanko made my name gat tonight…..here I was predicting a massive game from him!!!
Brussow , brilliant,but side looked very tired , no game breaker in the backline, playing with 14 men for 20 mins didn’t help either !!
November 13th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
CJ can go back to Leinster waste of time and space.
Roussouw retire.
Kanko go play Cc rugby. Watson far better option let alone Vermeulen, Alberts etc.
Brussow the only bok doing anything at the breakdown.
M. Steyn is not a match winning fly half when you need some spark in the back line. Only knows how to put boot to ball. Fdp the same weakness when we need to run it we kick every time.
Beast not a loose head in an international setup. Let the sports ministry demand his work permit mean time play W. Du Preez with WP Nel.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
accept for one tackle where jacobs bounced off the attacker he actually had a good game defensively and at least better than mossie attacking wise.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
france needs to get a better fly-half than this duck guy and they might be favourites come 2011
November 13th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
Well done France.
Useless front row.
More than useless no 8.
Bring back Luke.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
#413 skopskiet: in fairness to Beast he put Owen Franks career on ice with his scrummaging performance in Hamilton. W.Du Preez might be an option or maybe Blaauw, Nel still just a kid at that level the French would’ve chewed him up imo.
Anyhow, great game later all.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
well played both teams – plenty of passion.
felt really sorry for pdv at the end on the sidelines – looked crestfallen.
for a guy who was looking for a racist under every bok bed to a man who has now realised the senior bok squad are completely anti-racism – he has made impressive progress.
well done pieter.
standout players?
brussow
fdp
john smit – what a response to his doubters..well done our captain
adi – silenced the critics
bakkies and victor and bekker
schalk – immense but lacking in grey matter when judging offside positions
the rest – did ok – nothing outstanding.
hardly a surprising result given the length of the season
November 13th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
15- joe p 14-jpp 13-j.f 12-bash 11-habs 10-ruan 9-conrad hoffman 8-f.louw 7-schalki 6-brussouw 5- anton van zyl 4- Bekker 3 wicus 2 -bissie 1 cj that team shouldv started.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
#413 skopskiet: in actual fact what you are saying is that we are doomed!i think i’m going to get seriously drunk now!
November 13th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
#416 Robzim: as a neutral observer I’m not sure Luke could’ve handled that physicality, a No.8 like Van Niekerk, Spies or Albertz maybe better. You needed a few more Bakkies Bothas/BDPs out there and a few less Kankos.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
#421 Big Hit: ok really out now, later all and commisserations.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
#419 Wezwp:
rather stick to selling bush hats and water bottles
November 13th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Well done France. Well won, well deserved.
When are we going to wake up.
We can’t blame being tired, etc.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
#416 Robzim:
on the contrary, front row did bloody well in the set pieces and were stronger in the loose ( with exception of beast who seems to have lost his aura).
what other 8th man would have played better than kanko under those circumstances?
November 13th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Lets not be cry babies now. Fairly beaten. Move on!
#419. You cant be serious
November 13th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
#419 Wezwp:
yep lets pick the losing semi finalists in the currie cup to play france…
November 13th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
SMIT looked TIRED.
BAKKIES was a pretty fairy princess
BIG VIC looked bored
STEYN was pathertic.
BRUSSOW was amazingly brilliant.
ADI silenced his critics
FOURIE was a waste of a selection
KIRCHNER needs to make way for THE MAN !
November 14th, 2009 at 12:00 am
#422 Big Hit:
bh, thanks but no worries from my side – result was expected.
a tour too far for the boys.
not enough motivation compared with trinations, b&il, s14 and cc.
purely a money-making exercise for irb
November 14th, 2009 at 12:00 am
#421 Big Hit:
We will never know whether he would have handled it but he could not possibly have done worse than Kanko.
Alberts is too slow – basically a retreated lock, who will be founded out at a higher level.
Joe could have done it, I agree.
Tough times, but for England too?
November 14th, 2009 at 12:01 am
What makes you think I sell that shite. The Boks need rest so wp players can take their place in The meantime till The wc.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:02 am
the losing semi finalist couldv easily ended up winners you idiot. There’s a thin line between winning and losing.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:03 am
John Smit retire on the sale of your book. Do the noble thing and get the hell out the way so this team can progress.
Bring in the fresh blood now or face some further embarrassment and kiss Wc 2011 good bye.
Fdp and Steyn are stuck in the mud half backs no good for an attacking platform. Jacque Fourie where the hell was he for 80 min!
Time to get back to the drawing board and start again been warning for long enough you want to rest on 2007 laurels then take the medicine when it comes. And it has now arrived in full force.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:04 am
#425 charo:
We must have looked at different games
As far a no 8 is concerned I would say just about anyone from currie cup level up would have done better tonight.
Kasnko was nowhere, and the yellow as well?
November 14th, 2009 at 12:05 am
#425 charo:
Charo, Kanko was super kak no matter how you slice and dice it !!
November 14th, 2009 at 12:08 am
#432 Wezwp:
so ake them all boks retard….
November 14th, 2009 at 12:10 am
#433 skopskiet:
rubbish skoppie
#434 Robzim:
watched with a frenchman. he had a different view from you.
the point is we have plenty of no8’s who can play tight but nobody except kanko who can spark an attack – or am i being obviously obtuse?
the yellow? surely somebody had to rescue the situation otherwise it was a gift 7 points..not?
November 14th, 2009 at 12:13 am
#435 justrugby:
if you say so scrummie.
to me, he was the only loosie who tried to create something. ok, it was his job, but would alberts or vermuelen have done better off the back foot?
November 14th, 2009 at 12:15 am
#438 charo: You are obviously had a few too many…Luke Watson would have been Smit’s hero tonight mate and that at no 8.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:16 am
Think I may have had a few too many – can’t even construct a sentence.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:18 am
The Rastafarian basically set the tone for the Boks’ performance.
In summary: we did not adjust to the conditions and boys are/were mentally tired.
They used the strong wind to great effect in 2nd half, something we failed to do in the 1st half. Beast has lost form now for some time. Bismarck as well. John played a great game in my view except once or twice felt the heat in scrum.
Tight 5 failed to dominate, instead we were harassed and hurried by the Frogs. Kanko, oh dear, he looked out of his depth big time. CJ conceded 2 or 3 penalties, so is he the right choice; I dont think so.
Well as a result the backline could not get into the game because of the pressure. Too many turnovers as well, in critical situations. We also lost a few key lineouts.
So all in all, credit to the French for basically disrupting the Boks and applying huge pressure throughout.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:20 am
#439 Blindspot:
hey einstein, i’m 2 hours behind you so quit with the drinking comment for a start.
oh, so you a luke admirer – figures
November 14th, 2009 at 12:22 am
#442 charo: No give a good player credit when it is due…way better than Kanko…or is that an understatement
November 14th, 2009 at 12:22 am
#441 Sheriff:
erudite post for a policeman
November 14th, 2009 at 12:23 am
#443 Blindspot:
go to bed blindman…otherwise you will regret it in the morning
November 14th, 2009 at 12:24 am
Think you right – good night.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:26 am
#445 charo: Oh I watched the game in brail – lol
November 14th, 2009 at 12:26 am
#444 charo:
It can potentially become a nightmare for PdV, this tour.
But the guys must regroup and build on this performance; it was their 1st game as a unit after the Currie Cup.
At least I did not see over the top panic, but you could see they felt the pressure.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:30 am
Adi Jacobs was average. Lost the ball everytime he took contact with it. Pathetic.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:37 am
#441 Sheriff: the rasta looked shocked to be on stage there!maybe the french tortured him to sing tonight!lol