Boks up for final fling
25 Nov 2009
Fourie du Preez writes off the Toulouse defeat as a bad day at the office and truly believes the Springboks will bounce back at Croke Park.
There was a clamour of concern before the Boks departed South Africa. Medical experts claimed they had endured too much rugby, and a three-Test tour could only end in disaster.
The Boks looked tired in their loss to France, and have been paddled in the two midweek games against Leicester and Saracens. They managed a win over Italy last Saturday, but there are still doubts of their ability to front against the Six Nations champions.
‘The French caught us off guard in Toulouse, but that’s just one game,’ Du Preez told keo.co.za. ‘If you think about the success we’ve enjoyed this season, you can’t say we’re vulnerable after one loss.
‘We weren’t up for what was a very passionate performance by the French, and they were better than us on the day. We showed what we’re capable of against Italy last weekend.
‘We can’t take responsibility for the two midweek losses, so you have to look at things in perspective, we’ve only had that one loss.’
Du Preez injured his hand in the Italy Test, but is confident he’ll start in South Africa’s final fixture of 2009. The Boks scrumhalf came through training on Tuesday with no complications, and coach Peter de Villiers will be relieved to know his star player is available. He delivered a solid showing in Udine, even though his forwards were backpedaling.
‘Most of the year the pack has been going forward, so that’s made it easier for me,’ he said. ‘There have been occasions on this tour where the forwards have struggled, but this Saturday they’ll have another opportunity to show what they’re made of.’
Ireland are full of beans ahead of this clash, their media claiming the Boks are there for the taking and young players like Keith Earls also underlining the tourists’ vulnerability.
Characteristically cool, Du Preez had a subtle dig at Ireland’s presumption.
‘They’ve done well over the last two years if you think they didn’t make the quarter-finals at the World Cup,’ he said with a deadpan expression. ‘They’ve done very well at club and international level and have some great individuals.
‘They’re a very physical side, a well balanced side and I’m sure they’ll play with plenty of passion.’
The two teams will meet for a formal dinner on Saturday where the IRB Player of the Year is set to be announced. Both Du Preez and Brian O’Driscoll are in the running, but the South African said he feels no pressure to outdo the Irish captain on this particular occasion.
‘Brian’s had a great season, and to be honest, I had one of the best seasons of my career. But it’s just another Test and won’t be about personal battles.
‘It’s not about personal accolades for me, it’s about the team. We really want to win this Test and finish the year on a high.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Dublin
139 Comments
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25 Nov 2009, 09:17 am
@greenblack: Thanks to Gert Smal
25 Nov 2009, 09:19 am
IN BOD WE TRUST
25 Nov 2009, 09:20 am
@TheTackler:
And I suppose the home grown NZ refs were aboveboard and fair……………….pleeeeeze , get real !!!!
25 Nov 2009, 09:25 am
who’s BOD?
25 Nov 2009, 09:25 am
@TheTackler:
You know tackler , I really believe you have a undrstanding of rugby and I know you post to cause reaction, you probabaly sit back giggle like a little boy waiting for the expected response.
But I find expats like you the most despicable of people around, run away and shout the odds from a distance, turn on your own kind, you are both a traitor and a coward…….there you got my response you were wating for ……….pathetic man !!!
25 Nov 2009, 09:26 am
LOL@Dawnie. Why you so moerig with Tackles today? And when are you going to invite me out for drinks again? Don’t you love me anymore? And why are you never on Facebook? Your fellow ‘Stonian
25 Nov 2009, 09:27 am
@Breakdown Boy: The ABs have a shocker of a year yet they regain the official #1 IRB ranking AND they canter through their tired-and-burnt-out EOYT unbeaten.
Funny, that?
25 Nov 2009, 09:31 am
I always thought of all the UK teams i hated the Poms the most. However these Irish just make me want to puke.
Thierry Henry has sudenly become my favoutite person on earth
25 Nov 2009, 09:31 am
Yes, lies, damm lies, and statistics. Nothing funny there.
25 Nov 2009, 09:38 am
@radiohead:
WHoisthis?
If you are a ‘stone you are not allowed to say anything about me on this forum!!!!!
25 Nov 2009, 09:45 am
@SpringbokSarah:
Brian O’Driscoll.
25 Nov 2009, 09:47 am
hahahaa! You have mail grumpysaurus!
25 Nov 2009, 09:48 am
@jockstrap: Sorry about the club mix-up I got it confused with the galic league which Munster won.
BOD is a brilliant player but saying Ireland is unbeaten this year is kind of a misleading statement, as they played no tests in June-July due to the Lions tour, this is when Ireland useally gets their *** handed to them by any of the Southern three, and beating the other six nations is basically easy when you consider what state they were in back then, the only challenge was Wales who Ireland beat with a last minute penalty. And let’s remember that Ireland (home) drew against an Australian team that the next week lost to 10th placed Scotland. WOW what an amasing year?
So Ireland 2009 Season:
vs France won 30-21 Home
vs Italy won 38 -9 Away
vs England won 14-13 Home (Only two teams were in the
vs Scots won 22-15 Away top 5 IRb rankings at time of
vs Wales won 17-15 Away of matches(Wales(4) & Aus(3))
vs Canada won 25-6 Away
vs USA won 27-10 Away
vs Aus draw 20-20 Home
vs Fiji won 41-6 Home
25 Nov 2009, 09:56 am
@TheTackler: The only reason for their IRB ranking recovery is previous form. If the RIB rankings were reset at the begining of this year then I don’t think the AB would have been number one. Don’t worry, the AB won’t beat the French.
25 Nov 2009, 09:56 am
I’m pretty tired of these ‘fatigue’ excuses every year.
When have the All Blacks consistently played so poorly on their year end tours?
They always seem to muster up the energy needed to finish the year in a winning fashion.
25 Nov 2009, 10:05 am
@Breakdown Boy: ..and then they saw their collective @sses in the B&I Lions tour down south
25 Nov 2009, 10:11 am
@radiohead:
Where?
25 Nov 2009, 10:11 am
We can beat Ireland if the ref watches the ruck defenders charging in from the side, in fact even off sides. When you clear the ruck you must come from the gate.
I have a big concern around the illegal spear tackles on the fetcher, especailly shorty ou like Heinrich. The fetchers are getting dumped on their heads.
BOD is a wonderful player but a shite. Throws a punch then squeals like TheTackler when they man did that thing to him.
We really miss Franny at the back with those long punts, would like to have seen oubie Terreblance play.
Is
25 Nov 2009, 10:12 am
Shell
25 Nov 2009, 10:14 am
@radiohead:
No mail here!
25 Nov 2009, 10:16 am
@jockstrap:
“OPINIONS ARE LIKE ASSH@LES, EVERYBODY HAS ONE”
And Frankly yourname says it all!
@Breakdown Boy:
Well said my man!
I remember the days of Tana Umaga,BOD was jus another center,now all of a sudden he is a gift to rugby!He a great player no doubt about that,but please,he is not the be all and end all of rugby or Irish rugby as a matter of fact!
25 Nov 2009, 11:03 am
@TheTackler:
how does this ranking work, SA win the world cup – NZ get knocked out in the qfinals
SA win the tri nations 3 – 0 against nz
Sa lose to france
Nz lose to france
But all of a sudden nz is the nr1 ranked team. Something is not right there, what if it was reversed, NZ winning the world cup and giving SA a 3 – 0 bearing, I would imagine NZ being so far ahead on the rankings that no one would be able to catch them.
Can you explain, this please?
25 Nov 2009, 11:19 am
Happy Happy day. Irish are “cocky” and “overconfident”.
Wow, they (Irish) should PLEASE continue in this manner and the boks will tear the Irish a new one!!!.
Usually it is BOKS bleating off, remember Jake Whites Grand Sham tour?
BOD is great come on lets be real, he is excellent, as are Ireland. But Boks, when they play 15 man game behind a pack with BJ as the tighhead and JS at 2, will DONNER ANY TEAM. Even with Honis reffing (talk to your players game) or Wayne Barnes, the boks will win this one.
Boks to win comfortably this Saturday.
As for All Blacks and France, whew tough to call but think the French will squeak it if they can make one or two kicks over.
Wait and watch.
25 Nov 2009, 11:43 am
@ Groenie
The rankings are calculated over more than a year, and NZ were far ahead beofre Jan 2009. They work the same for everyone.
Pretty sure the frogs are going to nail NZ. They REALLY like beating NZ, and something about les blues seems to make those kiwi tummies quesy.
25 Nov 2009, 12:37 pm
@TheTackler: yes it is funny.
its also funny how paddy o’brien only comes down on a ref when it went against his native kiwi
and its also pretty funny, while were on funny topics, that NZ were awarded their 2nd WC(and i mean hosting, not trophy because i doubt they will sniff one again) when there were countries ie, Japan who havent had the opportunity to host the tournament and wouldve caused greater growth and interest in the game.
half of NZ’s towns cant even handle the touring springbok entourage, let alone a W.C influx of supporters.
i’ll bet u dont find the hiding the best team in the world gave NZ this year funny tho?
25 Nov 2009, 12:44 pm
@uncleben: Sorry that is a load of shite! The only ones running their mouth here is Bokke fans. All the Irish fans have done is state that we are unbeaten this year (true), BOD won the Heineken cup (true) and we have a good chance of victory on saturday (true). Now it is south african fans who are attacking BOD for being a despicable person without siting any actual evidence. Some have also written of our success this season by saying all the other teams were rebuilding, when in actual fact the English team in the 6 nations was stronger then the one OZ and the AB’s played, the french line-up wasn’t far off the one that beat you guys. Does your tri-nations mean less cause Oz and the All-Blacks are clearly rebuilding and currently not at the level we expect from them?
25 Nov 2009, 13:04 pm
In John’s book he mentions that at the function after the third SA/Lions test, SA’s deputy minister of sport was speaking and the Lions players showed such utter disrepect by getting up and going to the bar or loo while the man was speaking and each time one of them got up and walked away from their table or returned to the table,the rest of the Lions players would clap hands, all this during the man’s speech.
How much more arrogant and disrespectful can one get.
25 Nov 2009, 13:07 pm
Personally I don’t see how Ireland can be team of the year. They haven’t beaten the All Blacks ever, in their history, and I know some people might retort and say the Boks haven’t beaten France ever in their history but when last did Ireland win in Paris. The Boks have beaten the All Blacks three times in the last year, they’ve beaten the Wallabies at home and away and have a good recent record against the Welsh. The Irish record is more or less even, in that we’ve won at home and they’ve won at home. At the end of the day there is a reason the Boks have been the number one ranked side for the greater part of the year. The Boks have a better recent record against every major nation in recent history. The only basis on which Planet rugby can say that O Driscoll/Ireland is favourite for the player/Team of the year is because there will be more Northern Hemisphere than Southern Hemisphere scribes voting.
25 Nov 2009, 13:07 pm
@Gregs: Oh so I take it BOD was the instigator in this? There was 36 players on tour plus the coaching team. That is an awfully weak excuse for the vitriol aimed at BOD here.
25 Nov 2009, 13:08 pm
@Photon: Kinda of hard to beat a team you havn’t played this year!
25 Nov 2009, 13:23 pm
Leinster, everyone is going on about the Irish being unbeaten, but lets make no bones about it,the only reason for that is the lack of a Southern Hemishpere tour. The Irish have been good this year, but the Boks are the team of the year, and Fourie is the player of the year.
25 Nov 2009, 13:25 pm
@LeinsterNM:
Who mentioned BOD in particular? He says the Lions players in his book, so you do the maths.
25 Nov 2009, 14:33 pm
@TheTackler:
Your still here? You are such a sad little man… and blatantly just a sad kiwi. Probably from some sad little backwater south island town where people still think that the AB’s were actually food poisoned in the 95 world cup. Open your eyes… the AB’s aren’t the world.
Such a sad little existence you must lead.
25 Nov 2009, 14:45 pm
I find du Preez’s comments interesting…
1. He comments on Ireland not making the quarter finals of the world cup. Does winning a world cup or making the finals/semi’s suddenly cement your position on top for the next 4 years? In that case does that justify france beating SA since France made the semi’s in 07?
2. The Boks and public keep mentioning that the guys have had a long year and that they’re flat/tired. So why tour? And if that’s an excuse then the Northern Hemisphere players could do exactly the same and use the same excuse when they tour SA in the middle of the year. In fact, they could blame the B&I Lion’s tour loss on exhaustion then.
C’mon Fourie, you’re a phenomonal player but stupid remarks aren’t scoring you any points. This Saturday is the Trinations/World champs versus the 6 nations champs, and whether the Boks would like to admit it or not they know they will be measured by the win or loss. Let’s hope this “we’re tired and already world champs” mentality doesn’t have them ease off the gas.
25 Nov 2009, 15:53 pm
@Richie_7: How the hell can the NH players use the excuse of the BIL tour when they don’t have the context of that being followed up by a very hard Tri-Nations. Are you an idiot or what?
25 Nov 2009, 15:54 pm
@jockstrap: The so-called god-like status of BOD did nothing to save the Lions on not one but two occassions against the Boks. His ego was at full tilt and he was more concerned about winding players up and recklessly throwing himself into tackles to try and get Bok players stretchered off.
Only a complete idiot would run in tackle a player the size of Rossouw at full height. You can see he was blatantly going for a shoulder barge but he missed calculated as Danie was leaning down to catch the ball and his head was at level with BOD…bang! What a doos. I have no respect for this fool. He also got Rees injured while tackling Habana, which we got blamed for!
Contrast his appalling behaviour with that of FdP. Du Preez is too busy reading the game and working out his strategy to be involved in pathetic testosterene fuelled. I’ve never once seen him lose it, despite being the target of countless illegal challenges that went unpunished on numerous occassions. You never heard Du Preez moaning about Giteau’s shocking attempt at injuring him (another transgression that went unpunished). He has been key in nearly all of our major victories this year as well as the S14 and CC final.
How many professional players can say they’ve achieved about Du Preez has in the space of just one year? FdP is without a doubt one of the greatest Springbok players in recent years and it would be an absolute travesty for rugby if he doesn’t get Player of the Year.
25 Nov 2009, 16:02 pm
@Crouching Tiger Hidden Bokke: true
25 Nov 2009, 16:12 pm
@Crouching Tiger Hidden Bokke: **** hooor
well said
this BOD talkis as non-sensical as the Blacks being number 1 on the rankings
25 Nov 2009, 16:18 pm
@Gregs: Apologies if you were not referring to BOD but a lot of people on this site are making personal attacks on him without any foundation.
Everyone is saying what an arrogant wanker BOD is but can anyone give me a concrete example of this. The fuss after the Umaga spear was created by woodwards spin docter alister campbell in the hope that it would take the heat off him. He never runs his mouth off before or after a game, is always respectful of the opposition and everytime I have met him in Dublin he has never been anything but friendly.
@Photon: I agree with you about the Boks being team of the year but my point was that you cannot use our not beating the ABs as we have not played them this calander year. We can only play what is in front of us and up to now we have done that very well. As a rugby nation it would be hard for us to top this year as we won the Grand Slam, Leinster won the Heineken Cup, Munster won the Magners League, record Lions representation, our A’s won the Churchill Cup and 2 players nominated for world player of the year. Our confidence is not a reflection on any other teams performance or ability it’s just like you guys are all thrilled about the fantastic season the Boks have had.
25 Nov 2009, 16:38 pm
@groenie:
NZ drew 1-1 with France.
therefore
NZ has only lost to 1 opponent – Boks – who were ranked no2.
Boks have lost to 2 opponents – Aus & France – who were ranked lower (approx 3 and 6th at the time).
the points gained/lost are calculated on the basis of 1. who the opponent was (ie their ranking) and 2. whether it was home/away.
On that basis, the points lost/gained this w/e will be against opponents ranked 4th (France) and 5th (Ireland) respectively, nb however that they are on equal pts.
25 Nov 2009, 16:41 pm
As an irish person and a gambler I thought I’d check out what the South Africans point of view is on the weekends match. I admire South Africans in general so I hope they are not all like the people on here.
The attack on BOD’s character is amazing. He’s a quiet guy who doesn’t like being in the spotlight and shy’s away from media attention. To say he has a massive ego couldn’t be further from the truth.
BOD is targetted by other teams because of who he is. Is he supposed to stand back and take it or be a man and take no sh*t? Also the comments about him starting things with sly punches are nonsense. Why would he need to do tings like that? Its spoilers who do that to try to put better players off their game.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that alot of people have a problem with Irish cockiness. Well, its called confidence and theres nothing wrong with being confident.
The media are hyping up this match as there being bad blood etc but thats all nonsense. I doubt the players take too much notice of it.
25 Nov 2009, 17:03 pm
@p:
Yes, given BODs status as a near recluse in Ireland, it would seem rather odd that he is marrying a local actress/popstar and has been seen at more Black tie society functions than James Bond has in an entire back-catalogue.
However, please try your best to forgive the locals their rather venomous attacks on Saint Brian given that this was born out of their own frustrations at being labelled dirty during the Lions Series. The bigger the smokescreen the more confusion goes the old adage. And the Boks can put up a smokescreen bigger than most. In fact, for us neutrals, the way that Saint Brian Terrier yapped and growled at the Bakkies Mastif and the Victor Wolfhound with all he could muster was 1 of the sights of the Series and proved that there was fight in this dog.
25 Nov 2009, 17:40 pm
@WakaNathan:
Are you stalking BOD Wakanathan?
Anyway the point is if you are looking for scumbags there’s plenty in this world.
25 Nov 2009, 18:03 pm
Ha this is actually hilarious. People are really clutching at straws here. The only thing anyone has against BOD is a mistimed, stupid tackle. He has played 100 tests and that’s it…..HA….
You know one of these days a genuine offence is gonna take place with a BOK on the receiving end, I dunno, maybe a big gouge ala your boy Burger. When that day comes I am gonna stay as far away from these boards as possible…..
But keep thinking the world is against you all lads…..It makes for some comical reading….
And once again…..HA….
25 Nov 2009, 18:23 pm
@Richie_7:
1. What Fourie was actually saying, is that they have progressed tremendously since they didn’t even make the playoff’s of the WC. Nowhere can I see him saying that they shouldn’t be in Top 4 because they didn’t make the WC finals. Huh? Carry on reading and he only says good things about them. Don’t where you got your presumptions from.
2. The NH actually send weakened teams to the SH at the end of their season. Do you not remember ARU and NZRU spitting their dummy’s because of these weakened teams, whilst the SH always send their full strength teams up North. They bitched and moaned to the IRB, threatened legal action and wanted compensation. The B&I Lions did mention fatigue and also the affect on the amount of injuries their players suffered.
The subtle differences is that OZ for example didn’t compete in S14 finals, didn’t have a 3 test tour against the B&I Lions and don’t have a domestic comp other than club “practice” matches. You can how much more lively they are on this tour, although, still admittedly hopeless. It is simply not possible to train to peak for Super Rugby, peak for a Lions tour, peak for Tri Nations, peak for a CC playoff series and then peak for end of year tour. Tell me which sport or athlete has the ability to do that? Peak from February to November of each year. There is no-one out out there who attempts that. To ignore fatigue is ridiculous.
NZ will also share similar fatigue issues as Boks, however, I personally think GH has always gone on about that and managed his players throughout the year and even in Super rugger. Injuries to Dan Carter and Richie help as it keeps them out of action. Also unlike the Bok team that had a large core group of players that never really changed from week to week, NZ and Oz are still trying to figure out the best in there positions and teams are continuously changing. The NZ players were pulled from the NPC too.
25 Nov 2009, 18:27 pm
@Just Another Paddy:
They dont need to wait for a Bok to be gouged, they just make em up anyway so they can act aggrieved. Havent you heard the one about how ‘Sherdian punched Bekker in the gonads’ ?
…….’Priceless’.
25 Nov 2009, 18:31 pm
“There was a clamour of concern before the Boks departed South Africa. Medical experts claimed they had endured too much rugby, and a three-Test tour could only end in disaster”
I thought it couldn’t get more ridiculous. It just did. Seriously excuses are great but sometimes, as in this instance they are just laughable. I personally didn’t mind the bad weather, the anthem sung badly, the lack of preperation or the differing referee interpretations that Ive been seeing on these boards for the last much too much. This one is going too far.
There are soldiers worldwide who go months on end without a wink of sleep patrolling in unknown territories. This could lead to fatigue. PROFFESIONAL rugby players running on a pitch for 80 minutes once a week does not lead to fatigue. It leads to bad journalists coming up with poor excuses.
Please reference these medical “experts” and send me their details so I can gice them my two cents.
Oh and P.S. If all these PROS are so tired then why on earth are half of them playing another game for the BAA BAA’s.
25 Nov 2009, 18:38 pm
@Just Another Paddy: You are absolutely right Paddy. Also keep in mind that most of our players have been playing rugby more or less continually for over 12 months with perhaps 3 weeks off if lucky and compared to the boks who only played the tests except brussow our lads had to play tour matches as well!
25 Nov 2009, 18:41 pm
@Richie_7:
Too true.
The Boks are making ‘fatigue’ excuses only after their recent losses, another 1 of their smokescreens to confuse the masses.
In fact the Bok 1st XV have been well rested. Those key players that were involved with the Bulls had 2 weeks between CC Semi & Final and then another 2 weeks after the Final before they met France. So 1 match in a total of 4 weeks – sounds well rested to me !?
And havent they gone on & on about their EOYT schedule ? hang on, the Boks only play 3 Tests, whereas the Wallabies play 4 Tests and the All Blacks play 5 Tests plus the BaaBaas. And we dont hear them moaning about fatigue.
@toddke:
and the beauty of the lot – now this idiot is suggesting that McCaw & Dan Carter were out injured, that the ABs were somehow lucky because it “kept them out of action” as if in some way these injuries were part of the Anti-Fatigue Masterplan. Well I’ll tell you who was lucky – the Boks that Carter only played 1 match and that McCaw played on 1 leg.
Fatigue my @@@@@@@rse. Theyre sounding like a bunch of moaning Poms, no less.
25 Nov 2009, 18:46 pm
@WakaNathan: Waka mate, Bulls players never rested for 2 weeks after the CC final. They went straight into training after that tourney. There was a two week break after the semi. They still needed to train but probably took some time off then but that mate is just not enough rest.
CC is a tough tourney and I rate it a close 2nd to S14. And just the same when the Boks get back into the CC which they all did in the last 4 games before the semi. Tough to go and play CC straight after the Tri-Nations and they had no rest after the Tri-Nations.
I say from next year Bok players must not play in the CC. That is where they must get there rest and again after the eoyt. If they rested instead of playing CC they all may have had 4 weeks rest. None of them did. Their bodies are tired. You know that though.
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