‘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, 11:12 am
Smit is a great 3 …x 1000…
Happy cab?
Or doesent it really make it so??
24 Nov 2009, 11:13 am
my next headline…setting the intent here….
CJ signs for Stormers!!!
Cmon Rassie…
24 Nov 2009, 11:15 am
@grant10:
197, what?! now he is a great 3, thought you said you would never say it.
look the point is a simple one, which is that I do not think Smit is a great scrumming TH by any chance, but as far as general play goes and in the tightloose, there’s not another TH that can touch him. He’s been in outstanding form, crashing over for tries, cleaning rucks, making tackles, managing refs and generally making a huge nuissance of himself. Take all of that away and while we might have a scrum that is better, we might also have a losing Bok team and then all the genia will go:
‘Oh farkk, now what?’
24 Nov 2009, 11:17 am
@cab: my point is and remains a 3 has to first and foremost be chosen on scrum ability.
24 Nov 2009, 11:19 am
@gunther: Agreed, that is what the ABs are doing with Mc Caw, I think its a marvelous idea. In a snippet from an interview with John that I read on Sharkworld, apparently the Unions and Saru have come up with a plan to rest the SB. Lets see how it will go this season. Personally I hope you are right and that he sees us through to WC.
24 Nov 2009, 11:20 am
@grant10:
yeah, your point has been noted ad nauseum.
I too would love to see a Bok scrum that is not mangled, but if it means playing smarter winning rugby where the terrible twins, aka Bismarck and Smit, rove over the field and destroy teams for intensity – then i know where the smart money is.
the point is that its not as clearcut as everyone makes out.
24 Nov 2009, 11:22 am
@cab:
But then again……maybe not !!!, maybe Smittie at 2 doing all those things and allowing us a solid scrum……maybe we would be better ……not ??
24 Nov 2009, 11:23 am
@cab: Smit at 2….Bissy for 30 minutes….
IMO thats the only choice.
But i agree…this debate is tired….lets see how the dice rolls.
24 Nov 2009, 11:23 am
Props have come along way from the amatuer era – Flippie Van der Merwe and Guy Kebble would come nowehere near an international scrum today – in fact why did JW not pick Cobus Visagie whose been by far the most dominant scrummaging TH in NH conditions over the years?
24 Nov 2009, 11:25 am
the only thing that clouds the clearcut issue is Smitty is a great captain….if it was purely rugby…Smit vs Bissy….
24 Nov 2009, 11:25 am
England have Julian White who is an absolute behemoth in the scrums – but no modern team would select him other than in maybe NH conditions – can you image white on the SH fields? he’d have a coronary.
24 Nov 2009, 11:26 am
@cab: personality issues…same reason he wouldnt pick LW and sent Matfield home.
JW …lets not go there….less i say the better.
24 Nov 2009, 11:26 am
@grant10: The Book has soured me on him.
24 Nov 2009, 11:26 am
@Puma:
Glad to be of help. It’s very informative.
Must get back to work now.
CAB…hello there. Posduifie Botha wants to know if he can cabin at your plek in Paris for a week.
24 Nov 2009, 11:27 am
Should John Smit be moved back to hooker?
Yes 1346 93% of all votes
No 104 7% of all votes
Total Votes: 1450
Started: November 21, 2009
Back to Vote Screen
Seems you out of sinc Cab…..this is also my last post on this point !!!
24 Nov 2009, 11:29 am
@grant10:
but thats not clearcut at all, just last week you were up in arms over what a twatty watty captain he was for his book…and that is not the way ‘honorable’ fellas behave and so on and so forth – some of which i happen to agree with – but i’m never quite sure wtf your position on smit is, its anuthing but clearcut.
24 Nov 2009, 11:30 am
no contest….imo..
24 Nov 2009, 11:30 am
@The Jinxta:
he’s welcome to, but better be before the end of year, cos i’m out.
24 Nov 2009, 11:30 am
@cab: surely you not comparing Flippie and Guy with BJ AND CJ??
24 Nov 2009, 11:30 am
@grant10: You can have CJ Grant as long as Sharks get BJ back
24 Nov 2009, 11:32 am
@rossoneri: havent read yet…excerpts put me off…especially the Luke stab!
Will wait for library,,,,decided not to spend cash on a book that has a dig at LW…
24 Nov 2009, 11:33 am
@The Jinxta: Thanks Jinxie. Was good to look at and go down memory lane.
24 Nov 2009, 11:34 am
@cab: i think he is a great captain.
I think he is a great 2
i think he is a terrible 3
i think he was a dood to have a dig at LW.
That clwear enough?
As justrugby has just said…thats my last comment too…
24 Nov 2009, 11:35 am
dood is doos
24 Nov 2009, 11:36 am
@justrugby:
no doubt i am out of sink – but if SA public opinion slelected rugby teams we’d still be in the strauli era. south africans are mad, they want to change a losing team, but also a winning team as well – not right in the kop. the average age of this team is 27 and they are being billed as over the hill, where apparently the youngsters must come through.
why, i ask? why must the youngsters come thru if we are winning?
its what happened to england after their RWC, they lose a few games and all the older players were chucked out for the next generation and they got smashed and they still gettting smashed and they in total dissarray. Alot of those players like Worsely, White, Vickery, Grewcock, Dayglo etc should have been retained.
24 Nov 2009, 11:36 am
@Puma: deal….BJ looks fit and in fine form….great 20 min…i reckon he will head back to Sharks…so does Bob Skinstad
24 Nov 2009, 11:38 am
@cab: i doubt whether Justrugby is advocating mass change?
24 Nov 2009, 11:40 am
@grant10: Its a good book Grant. The Luke thing is only a page and nothing you have not read. He does not really diss Luke just talks about the team spirit. The whole books is rugby mostly and really good.
24 Nov 2009, 11:40 am
@justrugby: Herd Mentality.
Lots of people “voted” for Lehman Stocks before a big disaster. The people that voted here are doing so with emotions and not with a clinical knowledge of whats best for the team. Come on, stop shooting down John Smit.
24 Nov 2009, 11:42 am
@Puma: Will read it….just wont buy it.
24 Nov 2009, 11:42 am
@grant10: Well he was on Holiday there. So who knows. I would have BJ back in a second. Great rugby player.
Remember he only left because he never got selected by PdV for the Boks. Now after getting a call up he will have other thoughts and may come home. Hoping back to Shark country.
24 Nov 2009, 11:42 am
@Heavens Game: No one is dissing Smit…
24 Nov 2009, 11:43 am
@Puma: no…he left in 2007….
24 Nov 2009, 11:43 am
@grant10:
Definetely not, but we must continue to tweek and improve where needed. never ever said wholesale changes and never ever said JS has not got a role to play.
The side will simply be better served with JS at hooker. And that tweek will have a massive positive ripple effect.
24 Nov 2009, 11:44 am
@grant10: Many must have it so get it from a mate. Some great reading there especially about the Lions. Very good book if you enjoy rugga. It is mostly about rugby does not diss anyone.
24 Nov 2009, 11:45 am
@justrugby: i agree….
@Puma: ja…i will make a plan…
24 Nov 2009, 11:45 am
@grant10: You sure Grant? Was it not mid last year? Think he left then. I could be wrong though.
24 Nov 2009, 11:47 am
By all means, lets watch WP Nel and Kevin Buys closely, since I am looking forward to seeting the Cheetahs destroy all and sundry in the S14. I would love nothing more. If we had a TH like Carl Hayman or a LH like Benn Robinson – how fantastic. Hell Os and Ollie have been banging on about Wian, Coonie Oosthuizen and WP Nel for a while now, and who knows better than them right?
yip i want to see this mighty cheetahs scrum – this same cheetahs team who all but lost all of their first 5 matches in the CC.
24 Nov 2009, 11:48 am
@Puma: after the wales tour to sa in 2007…i was very the moer in at the time…he…smit and beast had looked great in scrums vs 6 nations champs….
I said then it was a disgrace that he and CJ were leaving…
Only bigger disgrace the F Steyn move!!!!
24 Nov 2009, 11:48 am
@grant10:
read the book first…thats my last comment!
24 Nov 2009, 11:48 am
@Heavens Game:
You have it wrong on all counts !! I think you are giving no repect to some very knowledgeable bloggers……herd mentality …..geez !!!
24 Nov 2009, 11:49 am
@cab: buys is the lions 3 …
24 Nov 2009, 11:50 am
@gunther: i will …promise.
24 Nov 2009, 11:50 am
@grant10:
yes i know, thanks.
24 Nov 2009, 11:50 am
@grant10: If that is true I will buy you a beer! Always rated BJ!
24 Nov 2009, 11:51 am
Okay to break the ice almost died now, well crapped myself just about…….heheheh. Bloody hell a monster of a cat was sitting right here on my desk in the study. Damn for a moment thought it was a ******, but no ******* here in Joburg. I am in Joburg this week. Finally got the cat out. Big and fat must have weighed about 30kg..haha.
24 Nov 2009, 11:51 am
@justrugby: you need to take about 1000 off for g10′s multiple voting
24 Nov 2009, 11:53 am
@Puma: can it scrum??
24 Nov 2009, 11:54 am
@Sharksgirl: cold windhoek please…from the very back of the fridge!
24 Nov 2009, 11:54 am
@Big Hit:
he does that for idols too…
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