Ireland put the boot in
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
November 28th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
@SodaJoe: could you, please, name fox sports link if you are watching on pc?
November 28th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
@SodaJoe: ya actually if you’ve got a good feed, it’s best to stick to it… they can be very fickle.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
@Nils:
iraqgoals.net/3786-rugby-wales-vs-australia.html
November 28th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
I have no idea where the iraq goals comes from.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
@SodaJoe: many thanks!
November 28th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Ping Pong. But big kick for Hookie. Long one.
Man we missed Francois’ Big Boot today.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
6 points a begging for Wales.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Grant at flyhalf and Steyn back at fullback. JDV and Fourie at centre. That should do it.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Cmon Australia!
With such a meagre, no, pathetic resources to be in the top 3 (and usually at least in the top 5) and to win the world cup twice – astonishing. my hat off to them, no matter whether you call them convicts or whatever.
Although Wales are my second favourite rugby team in Europe after France, I hope Australia will win today. And convincingly.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
I got it right, why you couldn’t?
Below my thread from yesterday:
61. Hondo :
November 28th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Bakki Botha is out injured, that already changed the UK odds from a 12:10 to 10:13.
Also, Bekker moved to lock in the line up while Hougaard is on the bench, the Boks are now with 4 forwards, 3 backs on the bench.
The Boks are persumed weaker and still have the Beast and Kirshner among the run ons, a certain handicap.
prediction:
Ireland by 3 to 10 points
November 28th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
@sglazer:
When he was appointed, SARU’s official statement was that it was not for rugby reasons alone. Meaning, had it been for rugby reasons alone, Meyer would have been appointed.
I’m not saying PDV is a bad guy, or a bad coach, etc. Just that he is not the best head coach in SA and his first two seasons have shown this.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
26-12
November 28th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
We didn’t miss F. Steyn today all we missed was a scrum half and fly half that know wtf to do on a rugby field. The two f.ng useless dumb *** idiot palooka’s we got f’ak’d up the entire game on their own. Fdp and M. Steyn lost this game same way they lost against France.
People are dumb deluded. They cannot see that since we adopted this f’ak’d out idiotic kick the f.ng ball in the air approach starting with the f.ng useless Fdp and continuing on with the equally useless M. Steyn our rugby has deteriorated into the most dismal dumb f’ak hopeless rubbish rugby on the planet. And we wonder why we can’t win against low rated Nh sides. Watch Aus and NZ carve up Wales and France at will while we revert to dumb f’ak dumb doos twat *** idiotic stone age kak rubbish trash rugby brought on by who I’d like to know. Which dumb f’ak idiot started all this structured up in the air kick and chase trash?
Muir, Smit, Fdp, M. Steyn – out
Matfield, Burger hanging in by finger nails.
Start again I’m shouting it loud and clear from the roof tops. Start again or go down like a bunch of no hope idiotic dumb twat fools.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Australia try again, Wales are owned.
Yes.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
BOKS CROAK AT CROKE PARK
I swear every time I fall asleep, the Boks are winning but when I wake up and we lost… Italy was the only game that I actually watched
November 28th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
@skopskiet: wouldn’t say no to Dewaldt and Peter
November 28th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
@SodaJoe:
You aren’t gonna win too many Tests with Kirshner and The Beast, that’s a fact
With CJ/Wiam Du Preez and Fran Styen in the line up I would have put the Boks for a 4:1 to win at a 12-23 spread!
November 28th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
@skopskiet:
Bring on Adams, Rose and Burton Francis, right!
January too,,,
And why not?
LOL
November 28th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Who’d like a happy pill or two?
November 28th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
@skopskiet: who would you prefer at 9/10?
November 28th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
@sglazer: which springbok coach was the best head coach in the country when they were appointed, markgraaf, straeuli, viljoen, white?
November 28th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
@Transformation:
Heyneke Meyer. he was the other coach nominated for the position. PDV was appointed for reasons other than rugby alone. Official statement.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
@TheTackler: no need… we won the world cup, lions series and tri-nations. Be positive… and I saw the Proteas did well
November 28th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
@AndrewBK: I said it at the beginning or the year already. We need an alternative at 9. FdP is brilliant, but he needs an understudy. Before January became fat and slow he and FdP actually complemented each other quite nicely.
I say bring in Vermaak. Adams is too old and Kockott is too much of a hothead.
Fly-half is more tricky. Pienaar has had his moments, but he’s not a no. 10
I would love to see Grant being given a chance. He is way under rated.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
@skopskiet: sadly, i agree with you on morne steyn.
ruan was dropped for missing kicks and all we got was another louis koen.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
@sglazer: That official statement was bad blood between Hoskins and PdV. Hoskins really screwed PdV there. No matter how well he does and how many records he breaks, that one sentence that Hoskins uttered will always be a dark cloud over his career.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
@siener: But it was the truth. He cast the tie-breaking vote. And one can see: PDV has been appointed too early in his career. It’s obvious.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
@rangerman: Well said. Morne looked well rounded in the S14, but from there on he became more and more one dimensional.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
can guarantee you without a doubt that Adams or S. Pretorius alongside Pienaar would be 1000 times improvement on Fdp and M. Steyn.
And Fdp touted is best rugby player in the world. IRB player of the year aware nominee. Ha call another rouse what a f.ng joke. Bod showed Fdp loud and clear who the superior rugby player is today.
Anybody watch how Genia feeds his backline today in Aus routing of Wales while Fdp and M. Steyn f’ak up every front foot ball we get. F.ng pathetic useless players the both of them.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
@sglazer: @sglazer: were any of the other coaches i listed the best in the country when they were appointed? And please this time answer the question.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
33-12 final score.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
@siener: Hoskins cast the tie-breaking vote in favour of PDV. It wasn’t bad blood. It couldn’t have been or he wouldn’t have voted in favour of the man.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
@Transformation:
It’s off the point. It has nothing to do with whether PDV is the best head coach in the country now.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Looks like Ruan has been giving Morne kicking lessons
November 28th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
@siener: I reckon the benchmark we should be looking to is our win in Perth. We ran brilliantly and controlled the game (last 15 minutes aside). We did this with Morne at 10, so why can’t we do it again?
I personally think we are seriously lacking a versatile world class 12 (eg Berrick Barnes) and on this tour is showed.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
@sglazer: I totally disagree. Too early in his career? His CV is twice as long as White’s was when he was appointed.
The results have also been in PdV’s favour. Records broken all over the place.
PdV’s first two years is so much better than White’s first two that it shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same breath. People have very short memories.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Hey did the Boks really win IRB team of the year!?
November 28th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
@skopskiet: Who’d you replace FdP with?
November 28th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
@siener:
The results are in his favour because a world-beating team was already forged when he arrived on the scene
November 28th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Morne Steyn really has struggled in the northern hemisphere…
November 28th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
@skopskiet: You’re the most fickle critic I’ve ever come across.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
@SpringbokSarah: Yepp
November 28th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
@AndrewBK: hey we’re the shiz!
November 28th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
i think we missed frans steyn so much today it cannot be overestimated.
we were stuck in our own territory for so much of the game and even penalties gave us no relief as we couldnt use them effectively.
anyone who still thinks bj (carthorse) botha or morne (upandunder) steyn are the answer should think again.
anyways, stay well and well done irish!
tjorts!
November 28th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
The reason why our backline play is so **** is because there are no WP players (JDV was not first choice for the match). How on earth can you play a Bok backline without any WP players. It`s just not rugby. Grant and JDV must be starters and Joe Pietersen on the bench as impact player ala Russell.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
@sglazer: Sure, he had much more to start with that White had, but it is quite interesting that this “world-beating team” did much better under PdV than they ever did under White.
Today was a very good example of the limitations we had under White. Today’s game in terms of selection and of game plan was the closest we’ve been to what JW would have done (except that JW would never have selected Brussow) and we got the same results as he did.
Like I said earlier: Today PdV fell back on the comfort zone that he inherited from JW and paid the price for it.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
@skopskiet: Pienaar can’t kick for **** and Adams was average as hell against the Saracens.
The fact of the matter is. The current crop of players are breaking down and there aren’t any decent players coming through because CC coaches insist on playing every Bok to fuel their greedy desire for success!
I blame the provincial coaches for this travesty of a tour! No new talent is being developed thanks to them! Dark days ahead for the Boks. 2010 will be a nightmare year. Its going to take around 5 years to develop world-class players to replace the present veterans.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
@sglazer: a world beating team that entered the world cup @ no4 in the rankings would’ve been forged already even if heyneke meyer had been appointed. The question is what has pdv done with the same team?
November 28th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
@Transformation:
He has largely kept it together. For that he deserves credit. Beyond that, he has blundered.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
@siener:
They won the World Cup, which was a defining moment in forging the team as world-beaters. It’s a process that creates the forging.