Div takes a beating – again
27 Jul 2010
P Divvy’s honeymoon period with the overseas media is over. Where they once laughed with him, all they do now is mock the man leading the Springboks’ World Cup defence.
NZ Herald‘s Chris Rattue, in his weekly column, wrote that it was incredible the champions of the rugby world attributed such a lack of importance to who coached the team.
‘De Villiers is a faux test coach, a man who got his lines from a joke shop with a free Groucho moustache thrown in.
‘South Africa may feel the rest of the world is unduly harsh on de Villiers, but the rest of the rugby community can rightly feel miffed that the game’s leading team doesn’t take the job of head coach seriously enough.
‘Having been given a leg up to the very top, de Villiers should be made to earn his stripes, increase prowess and prove his ability in the Super 15 while a competent man takes charge of the world champions.’
Rattue added that the surprise was not at the Boks’ decline, but at how quickly it has all happened.
‘What is happening to the Springboks was inevitable under de Villiers, although the cracks have appeared a bit quicker than many of us expected.
‘Men far more qualified than de Villiers have fallen on hard times with apparently good teams, but those who have earned their stripes through the grades – such as Graham Henry – can fight their way clear.
‘Sports teams can function superbly when dominated and effectively run by legendary players, but only for a short time. They will self-destruct when age and fading form emerge and the old hands refuse to relinquish power or embrace new trends. Nothing exemplifies this more than the placing of the cumbersome Jean de Villiers on the wing.
‘Under the new rules, which encourage ball in hand over kicking, the new breed in South Africa must be given their chance to take over, players such as Gio Aplon and Juan de Jongh.
‘But these gifted players, many of them black, will land in the middle of a dysfunctional team, a side run by old players, tight forwards at that, who will fall back on conservative ways.’
201 Comments
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28 Jul 2010, 00:46 am
@Auntie Mavis(Auntie Mavis)-100:
The Safas main problem throughout the opening rounds of TriN’10 is that they appear to have a problem playing a match without a Sth African ref. They must have thought it was the Good Old Days.
28 Jul 2010, 01:54 am
Been looking throug some archives,boy did i find some funnys.
3. sglazer(sglazer) :
July 7th, 2010 at 6:52 am
It’s true. It’s as if SA’s rugby brain shifted into another gear across all levels about a year ago. Quite remarkable. NZ definitely fell behind in the thinking stakes
•158. Groot Gees(Groot Gees) :
July 7th, 2010 at 4:51 am
I pity the All Blacks come Saturday.
Steyn vs Carter
Bok Supremacy vs All Black mediocrity
2. keo(keo) :
July 4th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-1: not as much as i like it … if the all blacks wore a red jersey with their calibre of player currently we would be demanding 15 point wins
•119. Big Hit(Big Hit) :
July 4th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Suarez McCheat needs to retire, it’s been all down hill since that ‘07 QF for him
28 Jul 2010, 02:36 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-101: Honestly mate, you’re just a trouble maker! Why don’t you get a real job and a life, and stop baiting bloggers on this site? Like the ABs have never benefitted from a home town reffing decision – I’ve seen plenty over the years. Stop pedaling your poison buddy – try find something good to say for once, rather than putting the boot in while they’re down.
28 Jul 2010, 02:51 am
@Cyborg(Cyborg)-2: Sorry mate, but that’s just rubbish. It’s not just this seasons performances that have been poor. Under PdV, Muir and Gold the wheels fell off this Springbok “golden era” on end of year tour last year, and the cracks were already starting to show against the Lions. That was not as convincing a series win as it should have been. I frequently read Chris Rattue’s column and he’s a very good sports writer – clever, witty and insightful. There is no agenda, he calls it as he sees it. You should read some of his past columns about the ABs. I don’t think Graham Henry is a fan!
28 Jul 2010, 02:54 am
@Grant in NZ(Grant in NZ)-103:
Everyone comes in here and lets a bit of steam off. Some are serious and some are just having a laugh but in the end it is a rugby blog that anyone can put there views across.
Some are not the views of others but really in the end they have to live with it.
Since 2009, it has been us Kiwis that have been booted constantly but we dont come onto this site expecting to make friends with everyone. when the time is right we will put the odd boot in which in some cases is deserved,and believe me at this point there has never been a better time to do up the laces of your steel cap boots and kick away. But we know what goes around comes around and a few people on here will make the most of it once the Boks find there winning ways again. Until then i suggest you take the heat or leave the kitchen
28 Jul 2010, 03:17 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-105: Agreed, and that’s just my view. A bit of healthy debate and rivalry is what it’s about. Some bloggers seem to enjoy BP’s comments, but others appear offended. To me some of his comments are beyond the pale. No issue with you or any other kiwis here though. I’m only a sometime visiter and occasional blogger on this site, so admittedly I don’t see it all.
28 Jul 2010, 03:40 am
@Grant in NZ(Grant in NZ)-106:
Hi Grant
Yeah there is no beating about the bush with BP. I am one that does enjoy some of his posts but of course i am a Kiwi
But you are correct some do find his post offensive,but hey thats the way blogs suppose to be.
I have sixth sense that you are currently in NZ,not going by your user name at all. Where abouts would that be?
28 Jul 2010, 04:19 am
Guys, relax. We’re missing 6-7 of our top, top players. -> HB, Biz, beast, FDP, FS, JPP, …Bakkies, if you like. When we dropped 7 against BIL in test#3 – we looked like we do now
28 Jul 2010, 04:23 am
@svs(svs)-108:
Thats right. Even NZ are missing 3-4 player important players at least.
28 Jul 2010, 04:30 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-94:
It is spelled ‘coach’ Tackles…!
28 Jul 2010, 04:32 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-109:
Now I won’t excuse the Bok idiot ‘brains trust’… but take out Daniel Carter, Richie McCaw, Kevin Mealamu, Jo for a start and we all know the AB’s are a different entity.
This weekend’s game should be a cracker and show where the two teams really are, the brainless Bok’s with their key players missing and no game plan B are hardly the yardstick this year…
28 Jul 2010, 04:39 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-107:
Hurri, funny is ok, trolling is not. I have not seen anything worthwhile other than trolling from BP. You, Cane, Ricane (sheesh, is he still around) Poppa and a few others I apologise for missing, have been around for a long time, giving and taking the best to/from all. Long may it carry on…
28 Jul 2010, 04:41 am
@money_man(money_man)-111:
Yep but our in form winger not playing,our best # 2 again not playing. Our best jumper in a long time not playing.
But remember all the posts and threads about the great depth of SA rugby. NZ knows if Carter and McCaw goes we are not the same team.
28 Jul 2010, 04:42 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-110: Refer to #95.
28 Jul 2010, 04:43 am
As for some comments on here, bloody hell, one of the reasons the overseas reporters are having a go at PDIvvie is about the conspiracy theories he bandied around. What do we get here, some more of the same in that they are just trying to unsettle the mighty Boks before WC2011!
If the Bok supporters can’t see there is something a miss in the Bok camp at the moment then we deserve what we getting!
28 Jul 2010, 04:43 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-112:
I couldnt believe seeing Ricane on the other day,damn its been a while.
28 Jul 2010, 04:44 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-114:
To late, you second mistake in less than a week…you dropping the ball!
28 Jul 2010, 04:46 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-116:
Well there you go, he is still alive!
28 Jul 2010, 04:49 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-113:
You don’t take what the Bok ‘brains trust’ says seriously?
Plenty of very raw talent yes, test quality depth (other than the infinite loose forwards and hookers) not yet.
Particularly as the ‘brains trust’ have not found a way to test their depth at test level like the Wallabies and AB’s have done this season with mid week games… keeping everyone on the same page.
28 Jul 2010, 04:53 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-115:
Good post.
How in the world can we unsettle a team that to me looks as unsettled as it could ever get. No outsiders did this or contributed. It has been the Boks own doing,well management at least. PDV needs to shut it and concentrate on getting his team right for the next game,leave the unproven conspiracies out of it.
28 Jul 2010, 05:03 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-120:
They looked like a team in total disarray on Saturday, total lack of confidence as well. These things is not because of dodgy refs or some bad eggs at breakfast or whatever the next excuse will be.
And that is the problem, it is inly excuses…
28 Jul 2010, 05:18 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-121:
Strange though.
PDV had these Boks on fire in 2009. Maybe these few players that are missing is causing a huge unsettling affect on this team and the coaches.
As said,he needs to concentrate on his teams issues,not look for excuses but look internal for problems,he could be it,not me to say. PDV has a team that can win most games,enough said.
28 Jul 2010, 05:28 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-122:
It is strange, dare I say it, if the team clicks they do look almost unbeatable but boy if they don’t they look 3 rated.
Lets see what they do in the time off and what happens when the jog on for another go…
28 Jul 2010, 05:32 am
G’day gents
Guys, we all know the Boks will be back……..
Sort out a few “issues” and we will be on track to have a serious crack at next years WC
Div will be given a good “talking to” at his next review and hopefully told to wind his neck in and concentrate on a game plan, playing and picking the correct players in the correct positions and ensuring he fields players willing to put body on the line, and who are fit (JS take note)
With regards the banter on Keo, IMHO most is good stuff, generally the guys will have a wind up and put the boot in when required (As some Saffa’s have deserved recently), but there are, unfortunately one or two dooooooos’s like wet panties, who……..well he is just a doos! Some Saffa bloke shagged his wife in the toilets in a pub in London and he is out for revenge……he now sits on an anonomous blog and tries and get his mojo back….sad!
28 Jul 2010, 05:41 am
@whatever(whatever)-124:
Haha so ‘n halwe doos, ‘n hele kan mens nog gebruik!
My only problem is PDivvie had a talking to last year, did he forget about all that?
28 Jul 2010, 05:44 am
JS must be a bit nervous about Bismarck, now that the tighhead option is in tatters. WC hooker choices will be interesting
“…Du Plessis has almost fully recovered from a neck injury suffered during the Super 14 and should be in the mix for Sharks selection in two weeks’ time.
Du Plessis is unlikely to feature in any of the Boks’ three home Tri-Nations matches, starting on August 21 against the All Blacks in Johannesburg
But Bekker’s back injury, which he picked up in the Tri-Nations clash against New Zealand in Wellington, is worse than feared and he could need surgery to a damaged disc”
28 Jul 2010, 05:46 am
@svs(svs)-126:
Thats not good news about Bekker……..bugger!
28 Jul 2010, 05:47 am
out for the season
28 Jul 2010, 05:51 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-125:
Wet pantie, it’s official, you are half a doos………
Yeah, I know Div had a talking to last year, but maybe is is just like a naughty schoolboy who needs a canning every now and again just to make him…..well, “skrik so bietjie wakker” !!
28 Jul 2010, 05:52 am
Rather fix Bekker now than next year…
28 Jul 2010, 05:54 am
@whatever(whatever)-129:
Mmm mag mos nie meer die rotang gebruik nie, maybe that is the problem.
I do have some issues with some weird team selections and poor subs during the game as well, this has been happening from day one and no caning will help for that!
28 Jul 2010, 06:10 am
Brandon Cannon’s remarks are on the verge of racism, an unlikely event at the eye rolling beautiful Libs of Auz, it got to tell you something about the level of absurd that this drunken clown brings to the Test rugby environment
28 Jul 2010, 06:28 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-131:
We have got him until the WC I’m afraid, so we can only hope he changes his ways, sees the light, gets his gat skoped so he sees the light or else it is gonna be a looong 2011 and a short WC
28 Jul 2010, 06:29 am
Who is Brandon Cannon?
28 Jul 2010, 06:32 am
@whatever(whatever)-133:
Ja I know, makes me moedeloos and gatvol to see them play the way they playing though.
28 Jul 2010, 07:07 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-107: How in the world did you guess?
. Just didn’t want to be confused with Grant10. Devonport, Auckland has been my home since ’94 – A beautiful little corner of the world and home to the mighty North Shore Rugby Club.
28 Jul 2010, 08:08 am
@Grant in NZ(Grant in NZ)-103:
Lighten up. It was merely a reference to the Bulls getting 80% SA refs this season, hardly an invalid point considering how much youve all been whinging about the Irish refs.
Is a ratio of Kiwi’s to Safas here of 1:100′s not sufficiently comforting for you ?
28 Jul 2010, 08:17 am
@Grant in NZ(Grant in NZ)-106:
Diddums. I have written posts here that say, for eg, 9 ‘nice’ things about SA and 1 ‘bad’ thing and guys like you pounce on the sole negative point only to jump to conclusions about me, allegedly, “hating Sth Africans”. If you’d been here the past 12mths, you may have noticed the bad-traffic has all been 1-way and I’ll let you guess in which direction. Show me 1 Kiwi poster more repulsive than the coward, Heavens Game, and then show me where youve admonished him for bad behaviour.
28 Jul 2010, 08:33 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-112:
*sob*
I wont be able to sleep at night…….
a small selection from YESTERDAY =
98. BLACK PANTHER(BLACK PANTHER) :
July 27th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
@ufo(ufo)-93:
Im not particularly enamoured with every person in NZ, I might add. No country is perfect, apparently. Crikey, Im even stuck in England at the moment….
87. BLACK PANTHER(BLACK PANTHER) :
July 27th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
@ufo(ufo)-74:
awesome player, F.Steyn.
197. BLACK PANTHER(BLACK PANTHER) :
July 27th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
@Ezee-23(Ezee-23)-196:
Fleck. Now there was a centre.
Its called ‘balance’ – you should familiarise yourself with it some day.
28 Jul 2010, 08:42 am
@Grant in NZ(Grant in NZ)-106:
No “beyond the pale” is saying personal things like (in this same thread):-
@whatever(whatever)-124:
“Some Saffa bloke shagged his wife in the toilets in a pub in London”.
I dont see you admonishing him, Grant. I keep 99% of my posts – whether you like em or not – on strictly rugby matters. This IS a rugby blog after all. Now tell me this kind of stuff is acceptable in your World because this is just the norm for morons like this. Furthermore, some of the racist cr@p about Polynesians that he has willingly spewed here, even knowing I have Polynesian family members, is also “beyond the pale”. How funny tho that you seem to highlight rugby-comments from the minority bloggers instead….
28 Jul 2010, 08:47 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-137: Happy to – as light as a feather I am, but I wouldn’t call some of your comments light.
You wont find a single complaint from me about the refs on this site, but since you raise the point, the most diabolical reffing performances in the Super 14 came from Aussie refs, (one of them a Kiwi).
Not looking comfort in numbers me – I live in a land of 4 million+ Kiwis and I generally try to avoid saffas.
28 Jul 2010, 08:48 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-140: reminds me of being admonished by Puma for referring to Smit as Plod…..but when Ricky Janurie is called Bushpig and Warthog the silence is deafening from these same ladies…..
Pi sses me off big time.
work to do…have a cool day.
28 Jul 2010, 08:58 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-140: Remember to keep it light mate!
“I keep 99% of my posts – whether you like em or not – on strictly rugby matters”.
- Strictly on rugby matters, really? That be your opinion!!
Re whatever’s comments – Agreed, they are beyond the pale. As I said to Hurricane, I’m only an occasional blogger here and so haven’t read any racist rantings from whatever. If I had, I’d have let him know what I thought!
28 Jul 2010, 08:59 am
@Grant in NZ(Grant in NZ)-141:
I look forward to your reply to 140 and whether or not you regard comments like that as “beyond the pale” compared to my rugby-related ones. And I can assure you, Ive had 100′s like that from him and many others.
Im still here tho. Because there are loads of good b@stards here, lots of them Safas, some of them not. But I think you might wish to reassess what you think is ‘beyond the pale’ on a rugby blog.
28 Jul 2010, 09:01 am
@Grant in NZ(Grant in NZ)-143:
Cheers.
28 Jul 2010, 09:04 am
@Grant in NZ(Grant in NZ)-143:
OK, mayyyyyyyyyybe not 99%. But I personally dont think Ive stepped over the limit of acceptable, ever. I admit to making a few references to Safas lack of a sense of humour tho…. but thats hardly comparable to the afforementioned now, is it.
28 Jul 2010, 09:06 am
Good day all trolls, troublemakers, and New Moon haters.
28 Jul 2010, 09:09 am
I might be a troublemaker and a New Moon hater, but I ain’t no troll!
28 Jul 2010, 09:09 am
@grant10(grant10)-142: Please! Don’t try to tar me with that brush. This has nothing to do with your opinion of John Smit, (of which I have read plenty), or the racist slurring of Ricky, (which if I had read I would have admonished). Do you even know me Grant10?
28 Jul 2010, 09:10 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-146:
Saw your post on the clowns thread. Greetings to you, or should I say, Kea ora!
Good to see you and so many of your compatriots back on Keo again!
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