Jean: Don’t write off Boks
23 Nov 2009
Jean de Villiers feels the Springboks are due a good performance and the Irish would be foolish to underestimate them.
Almost every Irish scribe on the Emerald Isle is backing the Boks to come undone this Saturday. Ireland’s uninspiring draw with Australia – a team that managed a solitary win in the Tri-Nations – has contributed to this bullish attitude. Monday’s papers also declared Declan Kidney’s ‘masterplan’ is well on track after the 41-6 win over Fiji.
The Boks have looked a tired and battered bunch on their end-of-year tour, and you can’t blame them. Their season began in February, and a large proportion of the incumbent squad has been involved in successful Super 14, British & Irish Lions and Tri-Nations campaigns. They lost their first three tour matches before managing an unimpressive win over Italy, but according to one of their own, they may save their best for last.
De Villiers moved to Irish club Munster after the Tri-Nations which has rendered him ineligible for Springbok selection. He attended last Saturday’s game in Udine and will be in the stands this weekend at Croke Park. The Bok centre truly believes his team will be up for the final clash of 2009.
‘Our performances on this tour haven’t been great, but we always knew it was going to be tough especially after the year we’ve had,’ he told keo.co.za. ‘I really think the Boks will fancy their chances this weekend. It’s the last game of the year, and they’ll leave everything out on the field.’
The Bok scrum has been poor, but fortunately, the Irish aren’t renowned for their scrumming. The hosts will also battle to replicate the rabid physicality that proved the Boks’ undoing in Toulouse and England.
The local pressmen are pointing to the Bok backline as the weak link. With the likes of Ronan O’Gara, Brian O’Driscoll and Rob Kearney in the back division, the Irish feel there will be only one winner.
‘It is a team that’s been together for a long time,’ said De Villiers. ‘I’ve played with and against many of them at club level and when they toured with the Lions. Most of those players had a great tour to South Africa, and there’s no doubt they are quality rugby players.
‘But to call our backline weak could be a big mistake.’
The Lions toured South Africa after a long European season, but were ultimately beaten by a classier Bok team. The Boks are tired, but cannot use this as an excuse for defeat.
‘We’re professional rugby players and we have to accept that for 10 months of the year, we’ll be playing rugby,’ said De Villiers. ‘It’s an ongoing debate, and although I’d like to see a change, I don’t think it will happen any time soon.
‘The best way forward is a global season because when you’re travelling abroad at the end of your season, you’re at a disadvantage.
‘But I don’t think we can make excuses. The Boks are professional rugby players, and they should rise to the challenge this Saturday.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Dublin
56 Comments
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23 Nov 2009, 20:05 pm
@williforde: Irish are running down Habana….here’s hoping he scores a hat-trick
23 Nov 2009, 20:09 pm
51 Storm Outta Hell: Thanks, I couldn’t work out what kap meant
23 Nov 2009, 22:31 pm
Irish are kakking themselves. Wonder why the Boks are a bigger threat to them than the Aussies were?
24 Nov 2009, 02:31 am
WTF? does anybody else think it is FREAKING RIDICULOUS that JdV is sitting in the stands while we suffer with a long list of injuries (and suffer Adi Jacobs in general)?
Especially when we are up against such a good backline? If Snor had any blloody common sense, he would start JdV. I get it if we are playng at ome- but if w eare playing right nxt to where he LIVES, and he has JUST left. That is JUST DOF.
24 Nov 2009, 08:50 am
@Papoose:And then you ruined it all by losing not one, not two but a massive THREE games on the EOYT while the ABs lost none. And two of those three bad hidings came from mere club teams…
24 Nov 2009, 11:21 am
The reason the Bokke scrummaged better against the Italians is that Paddy had laid down the rules and it was an even playing field, unlike the previous week and the Bokke mid-week matches.
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