‘Emotional day for Smal’
24 Nov 2009
Eddie Jones believes the technical nous of Ireland’s assistant coaches, Gert Smal and Alan Gaffney, will be a major factor at Croke Park on Saturday.
Smal is no stranger to the Boks, having been their forwards mentor until the end of 2007. He now fulfills the same role with the Irish, and after enjoying World Cup success with his home country, he’s carried that through with Ireland, who won the Six Nations this year.
Smal will come up against the Boks for the first time and his knowledge of one of their greatest assets – the lineout – could be a potential stumbling block for the visitors.
‘Gert’s a meticulous planner,’ Jones told keo.co.za.’ His analysis of the lineout is first class, and he’ll teach that to the Irish players. The Irish pack have always been physical, but he’s given them some added detail.
‘I know he’ll be emotional coaching against the Boks – he’s 100% committed to Ireland, but is a very Bok-orientated guy. He’s also a true professional, so he won’t tell the Irish anything about the Bok players that’s unwarranted.’
The Bok lineout needs to fire if they are to utilise that attacking platform, while Jones believes they should dominate at the breakdown and scrum-time.
‘[Australian fetcher] David Pocock exposed Ireland at the breakdown as he had a free-go. David Wallace, Stephen Ferris and Jamie Heaslip are all ball-carriers, so that’s a potential advantage for Heinrich Brussow, as he won’t really have anyone against him.
‘BJ Botha is the Boks’ strongest tighthead scrummager, and Ireland have one of the weakest European scrums. But the Boks’ biggest Test will come around the paddock in terms of Ireland’s ball movement.’
The hosts rate their chances as they feel they hold sway in the backs. They have world class players in Brian O’Driscoll, Rob Kearney and Tommy Bowe, and Jones believes Gaffney – who he worked with at Saracens – is a man who will know how to exploit any Bok weakness.
The limited Italian centres embarrassed Adi Jacobs for their only try, and O’Driscoll and co will relish going up against a player defending out of his favoured position.
‘They’re an extremely well-coached backline and are tactically sharp,’ said Jones. ‘If Adi plays, they’ll target his outside shoulder, and won’t go outside Jaque Fourie. They’ll be very pin-point in where they attack.
‘Against Australia, they picked out Quade Cooper and put two runners onto him, and O’Driscoll scored. In Ireland’s first-phase plays, the Boks mustn’t over-commit and rush up. They can allow them extra yardage off the first phase so they don’t make a clean break.
‘The whole team mustn’t over-commit to the breakdowns, which the Boks are usually good at. If O’Driscoll gets a sniff of a one on one, he’ll make you pay, so they must have numbers in the defensive line, and spacing must be even.
‘It’s going to be very tight, you can see the Boks are tired – that generally happens to sides after the mental and physical exertion of a Lions series. The Boks might sneak it by three or four points.’
By Grant Ball
334 Comments
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24 Nov 2009, 05:38 am
Tired Dragons………….
24 Nov 2009, 05:38 am
Emotional Dragonz!
24 Nov 2009, 05:40 am
ya beat me
apparently the Boks have had to change all their lineout codes because they were still using the Smal’s from back in the day
24 Nov 2009, 05:48 am
@Big Hit: Like they going to pick the Afrikaans calls in a packed cheering stadium anyway.
Centres have to be Olivier and Fourie for this game. GFullback is a major concern for the Boks and where they can be exploited badly.
24 Nov 2009, 05:59 am
The boys need some serious R&R. Kick back and catch some gamma rays instead of playing these meaningless games. Noakes was spot on!
24 Nov 2009, 06:04 am
Matfield has grown immensely since Small 2007, so I doubt it’ll make much difference. He calls and plays what he sees, not what Gary Gold tells him to.
Personally, I think it’s a crime that he wasn’t nominated for POTY. If anyone dominated a position and had a major influence on all the tests he played, it was Victor. I reckon he was the one player, out of all the nominees, who single handedly, actually destroyed his opponents in the lineouts.
24 Nov 2009, 06:05 am
Sorry, Smal.
24 Nov 2009, 06:08 am
@David:
Damn, it’s too early for me. I meant that he destroyed the opposition in the area he was responsible for, which nobody else managed.
24 Nov 2009, 06:33 am
Matfield pre-08 isnt the same Matfield of today. Goodluck figuring out our lineout. Brussouw will have a fild day
Horses for courses, lets have Meisiekind start, to see what he can produce!
24 Nov 2009, 07:14 am
So Eddie reckons BJ better than CJ?
Interesting.
24 Nov 2009, 07:20 am
yes, adi jacobs is the only springbok to be “embarassed” by the opposition this year.
24 Nov 2009, 07:21 am
@grant10: Not really.
24 Nov 2009, 07:23 am
Where’s Eddie working at the moment? Just Winning Ways? The Sharks should get him as an advisor.
24 Nov 2009, 07:33 am
I actually think we may need Kanko at 8. His speed will really help in cover defence.
24 Nov 2009, 07:37 am
Smal did some good work towards the end, you should have seen how we took apart the English maul with ferocious defense in the WC final.
24 Nov 2009, 07:38 am
@Sonito: kanko was k@k against france, he was prancing around like the powderpuff that he is. the irish will want to get physical with the boks & kanko shrivels in such encounters.
24 Nov 2009, 07:59 am
@Transformation:
Yeah but the Irish are going to attack us in the backs. I don’t want dinosaur Rossouw trying to get across in cover defence.
24 Nov 2009, 07:59 am
@Transformation: Ireland don’t have the forwards to get physical with the Boks, if they want to win they’re going to have to play some rugby out the backline.
24 Nov 2009, 08:01 am
@Transformation: Got a feeling the game will be more open than the French game – the Irish do like to spread it wide , this could allow Kanko the chance to move – if it is tight , Kanko will be kak
24 Nov 2009, 08:02 am
Chilliboy op today on foot….out for at least 3 months
24 Nov 2009, 08:03 am
Heyneke Meyer to be officially unveiles as Bullds D O R today at Loftus press conference
24 Nov 2009, 08:23 am
@grant10: and some news for Sharks fans as well:
““Lions’ Willem Alberts and Louis Ludik get warm welcome from Plumtree
Two of the Golden Lions’ most talented rugby players, massive number eight Willem Alberts and fullback/wing Louis Ludik, have linked up with the Sharks and yesterday attended their first training session in Durban.
Their arrival was welcomed by Sharks coach John Plumtree, who said he was “excited to have them in what should be a very strong squad”.
The two will join another Lions forward, the two-metre tall, 120kg lock Gerhard Mostert, who was signed by the Sharks late in the Currie Cup season.
The 25 year old Alberts, at 1.92 metres and 116kg is one of the biggest loose forwards in world rugby, and he will provide Plumtree with options to both number eight Ryan Kankowksi and bullocking flank Jean Deysel.
The fleet-footed Ludik, who just turned 23, enjoyed an excellent Super 14 with the Lions this year, but a serious Knee ligament injury against the British and Irish Lions at Ellis Park ended his seson and prevented him representing the Emerging Springboks against the tourists.”
This was in today’s Witness.
24 Nov 2009, 08:27 am
@Sharksgirl: lol sharksgirl i just wrote an article for RT about this , but there is some bad news too
24 Nov 2009, 08:30 am
@Big Hit: @Sonito: fair enough, but the name kankowski is not synonynous with crunching tackles. Either way PdV will give him chance after chance of that i’m certain.
24 Nov 2009, 08:32 am
@grant10: this oke is cursed
honestly he needs to go home, to his grandmothers home, and they must slaughter a WHOLE cow
else he’ll never get rid of this injury hodoo
so sad
he needs to forget international rugby for 2010 and focus on being injury free
24 Nov 2009, 08:33 am
News is PTA is that the Bulls and the Lions are chasing the signatures of Carl Hayman and King Carlos for next year’s Super 14…
24 Nov 2009, 08:35 am
@sharks_lover: Oh no whats the bad news Sharks_L? Oh and sorry Good morning to you!
24 Nov 2009, 08:39 am
@Sharksgirl: good morning dear hope you are well
it is reported hernandez has a back problem and ruan has to go for a knee op , neither is certain to start the super 14
thus du monds cheetah journey has been put on hold
24 Nov 2009, 08:40 am
both not serious but like with ruans knee op they not sure how fast he will mend as the op is still to be done when he returns from europe
24 Nov 2009, 08:42 am
@Papoose: ja….get fit and play more CC….needs to play.
His confidence must be shattered
24 Nov 2009, 08:42 am
@sharks_lover: Oh great
another seaso without a flyhalf 
Ruan at least we have good cover in McLeod and Cockott but at 10? Dumond against Carter? I am starting to think this Hernandez expense was really not worth it 
24 Nov 2009, 08:43 am
@Sharksgirl: Wow….so its happeneing….check the We Talk Rugby site about J Smit to 2 at Lions….very interesting!
24 Nov 2009, 08:43 am
15 – Zane Kirchner (Jaque Fourie if injured).
14 – JP Pietersen
13 – Jaque Fourie (Adi if Kirchner injured)
12 – Wynand Olivier
11 – Brian Habana
10 – Morne Steyn
9 – Fourie Du Preez (Ruan Pienaar if injured)
8 – Danie Rossouw
7 – Jean Deysel
6 – Heinrich Brussouw
5 – Victor Matfield
4 – Bakkies Botha (Bekker if injured)
3 – Beast Mtawarira
2 – John Smit
1 – BJ Botha
Bench:
Juan de Jongh
Wian du Preez
Kanko
24 Nov 2009, 08:45 am
@Tjorra Nagel: lions have failed in there bid….Bulls with Hayman at 3 will be a scary prospect!
24 Nov 2009, 08:45 am
@sharks_lover: bad news that….
24 Nov 2009, 08:46 am
@Papoose: your props the wrong way around
24 Nov 2009, 08:54 am
hehehehehehehehehe …. die dinge gebeur hier in die stilligheid in S14 wêreld….
24 Nov 2009, 08:56 am
@Staal: lots happening behind the scenes i am sure…..
24 Nov 2009, 08:57 am
@Staal: any snippets of news you can share Staal??
24 Nov 2009, 09:02 am
@grant10: Al wat ek huidiglik kan sê…. Heynecke slaap nie………
24 Nov 2009, 09:08 am
@grant10: Earlier this year i posted that the Bulls are at the crossroads for various reasons regarding the current Bulls structures/teams.
This was discussed very early this year…….
To be the best they will have to adjust and i believe they took the correct dicisions regarding certain players and the current structures….. time will tell but honestly…. imo.. they are making the correct changes….
Bulls can maybe still be a force in 2 years time without there current Boks… time will tell….
24 Nov 2009, 09:10 am
@grant10: Grant its not factually correct.
1. The youngsters gone to Pumas have gone on a loan basis, so will eventually come back to the Sharks with game time under their belt. Which they would not have got at the Sharks.
2. I do not believe that assertion that the Sharks had turned John away via another player? Its not the way the Sharks operate. Lots may be pointed against the Sharks but they are a very professional outfit. What that article implies is something more in keeping with the previous GLRU set up rather than the Sharks.
When John was coming back the Sharks made it clear that they could not afford the huge salary bill that John came with and that they had to first sort out their contractual obligations to Bismarck. This was all done publicly not behind closed doors.
3. The move to TH was not initiated by the SHarks but by the SB! The Sharks were requested to comply in this by the SB, which the Sharks did to a degree. In Fact check team sheets in S14 John was rotated at hooker with Bismarck.
4. When it was not sure whether the Sharks would sign John back, John went public that his loyalties were to the SHarks and that if the Sharks would not sign him he would rather go back to France than play for another SA team. So I honestly believe that he will be back at the Sharks till he retires. Hopefully I am not proven wrong
5. I am of the opinion that John will again be rotating with Bissie at Hooker. Lets see what happens in 2010 S14.
24 Nov 2009, 09:11 am
@grant10: good morning grant , yes it is
24 Nov 2009, 09:13 am
@Sharksgirl: Smit should stay at tighthead for the Sharks, the Sharks front row did well in the Super 14 and he’s shown he can move to hooker seamlessly when he needs to. Only reason to change it is if BJ Botha returns.
24 Nov 2009, 09:16 am
@Staal: certainly the Bulls appear to be a step ahead when it comes to overall structure and forward planning…i think the HM appointment a masterstroke.
24 Nov 2009, 09:20 am
@Sharksgirl: ja…but it wouldnt surprise me if the lions dont try and do a deal with the sharks…bearing in mind the Ludick and Alberts affair….As you say, all conjecture….so lets see….
Also know that the 2 Du Plessis brothers are a bit ‘difficult’….not sure how Bissy may react if he is dropped to bok bench and smit moves to 2 at sharks….it may lead to an interesting environment, especially as i know Bissy can lose his rag a bit.
Time will tell….but interesting times…
24 Nov 2009, 09:22 am
@Big Hit: Smit can go play tighthead in France.
In SA we need him at 2…
24 Nov 2009, 09:22 am
@Big Hit: You are right, I think they will do something similar to this year’s S14 where JS is rotated. Some games he played TH and other games he played Hooker. How long is BJ’s contract in Ireland?
Just hope this madness at the SHarks ends, and they make JS captain!
24 Nov 2009, 09:24 am
Read an interesting article about how the French players saw the Boks build up to the French game, and why the French reckon the Boks underestimated them.
Fistly the arriving 2 days before they thought was a bit insulting, they reckon when they went to NZ and won, they arrived 15 days before.
Secondly they reckon when the boks arrived it was raining and they (Boks) did not train.
Thirdly The Boks went out Wed night and ate at some fancy resturant, Jiglo I think.
The French players were watching the Boks every move and in the change rooms it was getting drilled into them that the Boks were (in their minds) showing disrespect and underestimating them, this provided them with additional feul to go and prove a point.
Maybe we got it wrong ?? The boys were also given the week off prior to the arrival, so perhaps we were undercooked !!
24 Nov 2009, 09:26 am
@Sharksgirl: BJ signed for 3 years, same as CJ but they’re are probably get-out clauses in both.
@grant10: well he’s shown he can switch with ease, even mid-game so as far as the Boks are concerned it’s no biggie.
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