Ireland put the boot in
28 Nov 2009
Jonathan Sexton kicked five penalties to clinch a 15-10 victory for Ireland in Dublin.
The wind wasn’t a factor at Croke Park but the 1 degree-temperature was always going to test a Springbok side that’s endured everything and more in 2009. They responded admirably, delivering a brutal display at scrum time and at the breakdown that gave those South Africans freezing in the cheap seats something to celebrate. Those who had put forth fatigue and the loss of Bakkies Botha as contributors to a Bok downfall must have been disappointed.
Surprisingly, it was at the lineout that the Boks struggled. The influence of Gert Smal, who just two years ago was working with John Smit and Victor Matfield, was patent as the Irish disrupted the Bok feed regularly. If not for the Boks’ dominance in other areas and the visitors’ heroic defence, Ireland may have led at half-time.
The Boks had to wait until the 12th minute for the first scrum, and it was something to behold. BJ Botha smashed opposite number Cian Healy and was well supported by the rest of the Bok pack, who rumbled forward and won several penalties on attacking ball.
Ireland flyhalf Sexton opened the scoring with a ninth-minute penalty, but it was the Boks, who were starved for both territory and possession, that scored the first and only try. From a scrum penalty, the Boks tapped quickly and looked to have butchered an opportunity before sending the ball back to the point of origin. Fourie du Preez, who had another splendid evening with the boot, showcased his invaluable vision by freeing up Jaque Fourie, who held up the pass for an unstoppable Schalk Burger to score. The man the Irish love to boo after the infamous eye-gouging incident hoofed the ball into the crowd after grounding the try.
Morne Steyn missed a few penalty punts to touch, but did some good things during the first half. He converted Burger’s try and slotted a drop goal to extend the visitors’ lead to 10-3 after 24 minutes.
But the scoreline didn’t tell the story. South Africa resisted a couple of Irish surges thanks to the defensive feats of Burger, Danie Rossouw and Wynand Olivier. Heinrich Brussow also obliged with some steals off his own line. Declan Kidney must have been fuming, while the South African coaches would have been breathing a collective sigh of relief.
Sexton narrowed the deficit to 10-6 on the 30-minute mark while the Bok flyhalf fluffed three successive penalty-attempts. Steyn failed to reach the poles twice at the end of the first half, and pushed another shot wide early in the second. On the whole, South Africa were outkicked by Sexton and Ireland’s phenomenal jack-of-all trades, Rob Kearney.
Another true strike by Sexton and errant tactical probe by Steyn, and you could sense a change in momentum. The dense fog that had threatened to settle since kickoff descended, but the crowd ignored the chill and expressed themselves through Gaelic song.
Andries Bekker was fortunate to escape a yellow card in the 51st minute when he dropped his knee onto the shoulder of an Irish player, but Sexton punished the Boks on the scoreboard. At 12-10, Ireland were in the lead.
The Boks defended bravely but continued to lose badly in the possession and territory stakes. Rossouw was caught after fielding a high ball, and it was South Africa’s good fortune that Sexton pushed the ensuing penalty shot wide.
Steyn was substituted for Ruan Pienaar on the hour, and Botha was also pulled from the front row. The first Bok scrum after the substitution saw the visitors shoved backwards, and the next breakdown resulted in a penalty for Ireland. The locals literally began dancing as Sexton bisected the uprights.
The five-point lead was substantial given South Africa’s battle to retain possession in opposition territory. You couldn’t see them mounting an assault on the Irish line in the time remaining, and with the kickers battling to find their radar, they couldn’t close the gap via penalties. Pienaar could do no better when asked to kick for goal, his attempt bouncing off the post.
Cruelly, for the green and gold faithful, the Boks did manage to get painstakingly close in last minute, but a magnificent Irish spot tackle killed the movement and the match.
The result renders the Boks’ tour a miserable failure with the most recent loss coming after defeats to Leicester, France and Saracens. It has been a long year, but none of the senior Boks will look back at November 2009 with any fond memories.
By Jon Cardinelli, in Dublin
243 Comments
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28 Nov 2009, 23:27 pm
@grant10: hmmm…….
classy.
wanker?
i think its maybe time for bed grant eh?
before you seriously make an arse of yourself.
28 Nov 2009, 23:27 pm
@rugby lover: Lol that’s bit of a joke seeing as Adi is one of my favourite players along with Habana and JPP.
I called for Adi to be picked last year and was delighted when he made it into the team, Unfortunately he’s not on form at the moment.
So do me favour you great big doos and GROW UP!
28 Nov 2009, 23:29 pm
@Crouching Tiger Hidden Bokke: I have been watching you’re comments for a while and you always seem to have criticism towards the players of color, maybe its coincidence or maybe you just one of those disgruntled Boors living in Australia. Any way Does not matter ,just an observation.
28 Nov 2009, 23:31 pm
@Crouching Tiger Hidden Bokke: If that’s the case then I will humbly have to apologize as I must have confused you with someone else.
28 Nov 2009, 23:32 pm
@grant10: wow!
grant, you are seriously pulling out all the stops mate.
you havent argued a single point i have brought up and simply resorted to insults and bluster.
mate, you seriously need to up your game if you think you are going to rattle me with nonsense and platitudes.
silly man
p.s. breaking news! JS will be TH for the forseeable future after bj, cj and any other j couldnt ensure a win just because they can for like to scrum.
28 Nov 2009, 23:36 pm
@rugby lover: What are you my stalker?! Nice spelling of boers there.
Always seem to have criticism towards players of colour? If I think a player has played kak I’m gonna say it ok – I dont care what colour they are.
You’re just some jumped little wind-up merchant who is looking for a fight.
I’m not a boer and I’m seriously not disgruntled. I was in SA last week and I’m seriously considering moving back. I loved every minute of it.
I make a few comments about Ndungane not being up to scratch and suddenly I’m a racist? LOOLLLLL!!! That makes me laugh because most of my favourite Bok players aren’t white – Beast, Habs, JPP, Adi – I was also calling for Mapoe to be picked on this tour and for Johnson to be in at no.8. Critcising one black player does not make you a racist.
So like I say piss off and grow up!
28 Nov 2009, 23:37 pm
@rangerman: Yes please!!! Sharks 3 Smit….bring it on!
Fact is he may retire …..thanks to idiots making the poor oke play out of position.
Personally i have never seen a better Bok scrum in 10 years than BJ…Smit and beast….the 20 min vs Italy and 50 min today…that without bakkies as well….
Seems a retreating scrum equals a good thing in your eyes?
Ag, this is so childish….Ranger…leave my posts alone and i will ignore yours….
You not worth the kak man!
28 Nov 2009, 23:38 pm
Grants list of names for the ranger so far tonight:
fool, twit, imbecile, doos, little man, wanker, little bore.
wow!
all of this from a guy who reckons schalk is a loser for allegedly being on the beach and smit is a loser for speaking his mind about how the squad saw luke watson in 2008.
fortunately i take these kind of things from where they come.
28 Nov 2009, 23:38 pm
@rugby lover: Yes I think you have. Think before you act next time and perhaps learn not to be so judgemental in the future – this is will hopefully come in time for you as you mature into an adult.
28 Nov 2009, 23:39 pm
@Crouching Tiger Hidden Bokke: I would tell you to piss off but it seems you already did.
Some advice, don’t come back guys with you’re mentality will never be happy in SA again.
28 Nov 2009, 23:40 pm
@rugby lover: What exactly is my mentality?
28 Nov 2009, 23:42 pm
@grant10: ok, lets agree to ignore each other.
how terribly mature.
but before you ignore my other posts, just remember to go *** yourself pal.
if you want to throw insults around then rather dont address me.
if you are happy to discuss rugby then you will find me here from time to time.
now go sleep it off.
28 Nov 2009, 23:46 pm
crikey…
28 Nov 2009, 23:48 pm
thank you pdv and the springbok team for all the great memories of 2009.have a good rest now.
28 Nov 2009, 23:49 pm
@gunther: hehehe…
little tiff between mates gunther,
nothing serious, just post-bok-loss syndrome.
28 Nov 2009, 23:52 pm
@Valkyrie: i second that!
28 Nov 2009, 23:56 pm
@grant10: I agree. What’s the old addage? Something along the lines of “if it aint broke don’t fix it!” BJ should’ve seen the game out. Problem was Smit’s throwing, or so our coaches saw it, so they sent Bissie on. But actually, Smit’s throws weren’t the real problem- it was more Gert Smal’s input and their excellent reading of our line-out calls that got into Smittie’s head.
But let’s be honest here, stick a fresh Vic and Bakkies behind the three musketeers and there isn’t much to worry about. As backup for Vic I wouldn’t look much further than Bekker, and as for Bakkies’ back-up. I believe we could do worse than look at and develop Juan Smith. That way we ensure that both he and Bakkies are spelled and rested to prolong their playing careers.
It might even solve a headache or two for Naka in the S14. He doesn’t have depth at lock and is sitting on some serious loosie talent like Brussow and Kitshoff (and Kabamba) at 6, Frans Viljoen and Francois Uys(and Raubenheimer) at 7 and Ashley Johnson and Hendro Scholtz at 8, and then he hasn’t touched some excellent youngsters putting up their hands.
Add to those mentioned above as Bok tight 5 Wian duP, CJ, Heinke and Coenie Oosthuizen and I reckon we are a lot better off at prop than what we realize, and with Bissie, Adriaan Strauss, Tiaan Liebenberg and a resurgent Gary Botha all vieing for Smitties spot they just might keep him honest.
Which brings us to loosies and 6, where I reckon Brussow and Stegman are in a league of their own as fetchers, if that’s the route we decide to go. At 7 I would look at the likes of Pierre Spies(1st choice for his speed), Duanne Vermeulen and Schalk Burger, and I would look at developing Pottie at 8 with Ashley Johnson and Pieter Louw as back-up. And there are other guys like Willem Alberts and Nick Koster who can show their hands as well, so I reckon that resources wise we have the ammunition.
What we need to do is to reach consensus on the pattern we want to play and then focus our attention at working that plan.
29 Nov 2009, 00:08 am
@catleya: Ja….i believe 2010 must be about rotation and specialisation.
I can tell you now PDV is going to make some changes and go for some young blood….he is scared this bok teams pack is gonns do an England post 2003….
Personally i feel Smit can only get to 2011 if he stays at 2….he simply is not a 3…read the weekend Argus and Jake whites comments today….an eye opener of note.
BJ,CJ,WP Nel all in the hunt….but BJ was brilliant today, now thats a real tighthead.
Dewalt will have a chance to captain boks in 2011 if Matfield and Smit dont make it….and dont be surprised if Smit retires now!
29 Nov 2009, 00:23 am
Smit’s won everything there is to win, so I guess he’ll find it hard to keep his motivation up there if he were to say pick up a serious injury. Same applies to Matfield. So anything is possible. Anyway, thanks for the chat. That’s me off to bed.!
29 Nov 2009, 00:26 am
@catleya: me too…cheers boet
29 Nov 2009, 00:43 am
@grant10: bj was absolutely brilliant today!hopefully he will be heading home next year because the number3 position is his to lose now imo.smith or bissy at two and this bok scrum looks good come2011.
29 Nov 2009, 02:36 am
Smitty’s be pushing nothing more than a Zimmer frame by 2011. He’s over the hill now already.
29 Nov 2009, 02:37 am
@rangerman: Bushy & Grant don’t make me lose faith in this site. You are both great guys, who of all people, should not be slinging it at each other.
With the return of the gutter-trash, I hope you guys can at least stay above it.
If only for the sake of normal, decency.
And common sense.
And mature adult behaviour.
29 Nov 2009, 02:43 am
Guys,
Money talks!
As Pdv said: “Money buys the whisky”
I got it 4 out of 5 times RIGHT with the bookies, both results AND the spreads!
The Secret? a total non biased observation, let’s drop all the colour preferences, it has no place in sport and thus must be condemned.
I say again, with Fran Styen at 15 and CJ/WdP @ LH the Boks would have won it by a 12-21 margin.
The Beast is detrimental to the tight game, a great source of enthropy and mayhem among the Boks’ forwards.
Kirshner is a giveaway, like another imposter Jantjes, plenty of action but no substance and no useful work.
If you insist on a colour ‘balance’ then you need not look further than Mapoe and Johnson next season, Mapoe can step staright into JP position, Johnson needs to show that he can do more at tackling the ball carrier than merely jumping on the top of the mound but he has the attributes, the physics and the skills, too bad that Floor isn’t 20kg heavier and 10 cm taller.
Raubenheimer, Adams, Maku, Nokwe? even PdV doesn’t rate them, why should we?
29 Nov 2009, 03:32 am
Wow, this last loss has really put everyone in one helluva bad mood. Okes rauling left right and centre here.
29 Nov 2009, 03:34 am
Yikes!!!!
Pistols at dawn!!
29 Nov 2009, 03:36 am
@Hondo: Agree on Kirchner and Jantjes (what a useless fullback lets hope he doesnt return to the mix in 2010)
Johnson has potential but really if youre looking for extra beef at 8 then we need to be speaking of Alberts. For colour sake yes Johnson. But imho Alberts far better – if we´d had a combo of 6 Brussouw, 7 Deysel and 8 Alberts today with Bakkies at 4 it would have been a different thing.
Starting to agree with Skop about all the kicking from FDP and M Steyn as well as occasional stupid boots from other backline players and Kirchner. We just kicked the game away. It was pathetic to watch.
29 Nov 2009, 03:45 am
My current best team would be:
first choice/ sub
1 Beast/ Wian du Preez
2 Smit/ Bismarck
3 BJ/ WP Nel
4 Bakkies/ Anton van Zyl
5 Mallet/ Becker
6 Brussouw/ Potgieter
7 Smith/ Deysel
8 Spies/ Alberts
9 Fourie du Preez (if he stops kicking)/ Jano Vermaak
10 M Steyn (no choices)/ Peter Grant???
11 Habana/ Nokwe or Chavanga
12 Jean de Villiers/ Wynand Olivier
13 Jacques Fourie/ Juan de Jongh
14 Lionel Mapoe/ JP Pietersen
15 Frans Steyn/ Louis Ludik
Some contentious choices but nothing is set in stone.
You could include a fit Heinke vd Merwe, CJ, Sarel Pretorius, Mvovo perhaps for future, Perhaps Ebersohn but size an issue, Aplon an option to consider – his defence in CC semi was huge, Juries perhaps, and really on current form its ridiculous excluding Stefan Terblanche
29 Nov 2009, 09:56 am
Hey Rangerman – funny to expose that Gwant10 makes a million posts but is hardly analytical, but there again keow is really a pace for ranters like skoppie, xhosa etc who love to use words like useless, pathetic, hopeless etc about players who are in the world top 10, sure they have bad games. Also very funny to see thatthe kick & chase is John Smit’s idea/ It’s that tik again bru, particularly the cheap stuff. Stay away from tik and keo.
Catleya – nice thinking.
My little take. We lack super coaching. Ireland and ou Gert saw us coming and while we spent the week developing the scrum; we forgot the lineout. I’ll go with Ranger – rather a weakish scrum than hopeless lineout!
We need to realise that the world moves on. Kick and chase worked against NZ and Oz who had some inexperienced players (Oz) and weren’t expecting it (NZ). So their return tactics have sharpened up. Kearney is fantastic under the high ball and we have few real chasers (Kirchner did well). We let him get the ball then tackle, tackle, tackle. Not so clever.
Like Jake’s rush defence SA need to move on. We have many excellent players (despite wot grant, skoppie et al rant about). All they need is coaching. PdV is an excellent motivator but we need a few people as tacticians, analysts, individual coaches (not a woodward tribe though). DM and GG are good but not excellent or that experienced.
29 Nov 2009, 10:22 am
@rangerman: @grant10: Eish!
hope the heads aren’t too sore this morning. Cricket is on and it’s a lovely day!
What does this tour tell us about the Boks? Not a lot. SA have never been that good at travelling have they? FWIW I would use 2010 to blood the next gen of player, Bekker for Matfield is my bolter for PDV selection shocks next season. Vic is an awesome player but he won’t make 2011 in peak condition so Bekker must play now. Smit may choose to retire which I am fine with, what a player and what a leader but he also won’t make 2011 in my view.
Boks are the team of 2009 and there isn’t a blogger alive who would argue otherwise, this tour changes nothing!
29 Nov 2009, 13:19 pm
Hope you guys noticed how the South African players ran straight down the tunnel and refused to clap the Irish team off. Pretty petty I would say. Got their asses handed to them and ran away crying.
29 Nov 2009, 14:16 pm
@Slumtown:
I agree wholesaly
My point is, if someone does insist on players of colour, they need the credentials FIRST
Albert, Vermulen and Spies are in contention but Johnson can come 4th or 5th, all the three 1st choice have history of long injuries so Johonson may get the nod on merit!
He plays the game the way it should
29 Nov 2009, 14:16 pm
@DDP: How exactly did we get our asses handed to us? Ireland failed to score one try! It was all down to their 16th man – mr moffie Nigel Owens! We were really poor but Ireland got nowhere near to crossing our line. The refereeing yesterday was a disgrace.
29 Nov 2009, 14:18 pm
@Hondo: Johnson should’ve at least been on the bench. Would’ve been very interested to see him, Deysel and Brussouw playing as a loose trio,
29 Nov 2009, 14:18 pm
@Slumtown:
So,
Ebersohn’s weight is an issue but Aplon’ weight is adequate?
Wow
29 Nov 2009, 14:29 pm
@DDP: don’t see ghosts behind every tree now mate.if you are irish enjoy the victory but i have to say you guys are a funny bunch out there in the green isles.i see your rugby experts are talking about the world cup again just like in 2006 when you beat the boks and the aussies and we all now know what the end result was.i just love irish optimism!
29 Nov 2009, 17:26 pm
@grant10: Pretty garbage responses from you Grant, to a very valid question…you’ve been preaching the gospel of good scrums=won games for months, but I agree with Ranger, BJ was all but invisible. And where does go-forward in the scrum get us when all our scrummie and flyhalf or wings do is box kick or up and under???? Or give it to WO who runs sideways like a crab into touch? Scrum domination is an important part of a well rounded team, but the concept that it is the overiding factor in rugby success died out with the dinosaurs. Last night proved that. We creamed them in the scrums in the first half and what did it get us? A measly 4 point lead, and we couldn’t put a single point on in the second….What about our borng one-dimensional kick an dhunt? What about our lineouts which sucked? Or them smashing us in the rucks and dominating the physical contests? These all contributed to the loss,not ONLY that BJ went off.
29 Nov 2009, 17:31 pm
One thing that had me seeing red and spitting bile and acid: A few minutes left in the game, JdV breaks down the left wing and gets into some serious pace. JPP on his shoulder when he makes the break, he SLOWS DOWN to a canter, leaving Jean to sprint into space on his own, looking around for the offload while the laziest springbok ever to wear a Bok jersey jogs along 5 metres behind!! JdV Goes to ground and JP half-arsedly joins the ruck – absolutely a massive try opportunity left out there to rot – I mean WTF!!!!???? Anyone else see it the way i did? Or did I miss something?
*&*(*^*&%*^!!!!!!!
29 Nov 2009, 22:56 pm
@catleya: Nice post- every onelese on this site are acting like a bunch of 12 years olds with hangovers…
29 Nov 2009, 23:46 pm
@Atreides: Its simple- we need to be good in all aspects of the set pieces – not just one of them – forr securing your own possession. I reckon lineouts is the most important, but scrums do a lot for morale.
But this counts for nothing is you can DO BUGGER ALL with said possession…
And the complete lack of variation in our game plan can either be laid at the feet of the coaches, or Morne Steyn. Lack of variaton makes us easy to defnd against. You need tomake a team expect ioe thing , and produce another.
As soon as Ruaan Pienaar came on, and started varying play down the wings, it kept them guessing and we made good ground. In fact within two phases we nearly had a try by Beast.
But did Pienaar play like that under orders, or because he has a better sense of variation and what is required of an international flyhalf? Did Morne play like that under orders, or because he was too lazy to change play?
I cannot figure it out myself.
30 Nov 2009, 01:46 am
@grant10:
Is it stupidity or arrogance when one thinks they are higher than the other.
Maybe you played at a higher level but you could have been the useless player in the team that kept letting the team down.
Ranger may have been the player who was excellent that made the local team look professionals.
Have you met Ranger, have you played against Ranger?
If not…then you are childish!!
30 Nov 2009, 01:50 am
@grant10:
You need to take your medication…right now is a good time!!
30 Nov 2009, 08:20 am
@Atreides: You need a solid scrum for so many reasons, but agree you also need a player who can contribute in the tight-loose and do the lifting in the lineouts. If BJ can’t do these things as well as he can scrum then he is no good, but one thing is clear for me – PDV cannot in the name of good sense pick Smit as tighthead next year. The difference in the scrums was clear for all to see, a proper tighthead is needed but one who can also do damage with the ball in hand around the fringes and clean out the rucks when required. BJ may not be the answer to our prayers here but JS clearly isn’t!
The Boks also need to play the match situation better than they did on Saturday. Kearney and Bowe are superb under the high ball as a rule so why keep punting it to them? They are not Sivivatu and Rockocoko! It worked in the 3N against the ABs but that doesn’t make it alright for other teams. How many times did the Boks kick away decent possession? When Pienaar replaced Steyn I thought that would signal the end of the negative Blou Bul tactics but it didn’t! Some variation Boks please.
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