Learning from past lashings
JON CARDINELLI says that for the Boks to move forward, they have to look back at the successes and failures of 2006.
The Springboks have three weeks to reflect on what was their worst Australasian tour in four years. Only the three heavy defeats of 2006 (the 49-0 thrashing in Brisbane, the 35-17 hiding in Wellington and the 20-18 disappointment in Sydney) rank higher in the Tri-Nations’ Hall of Shame. Peter de Villiers said he doesn’t know where they went so wrong, a frightening admission one year out from a World Cup.
But talk of replacing De Villiers is pointless. The player-driven system is no secret, but the reality is De Villiers and his assistants are contracted until the end of the 2011 World Cup. If Saru fires them now, they’ll be paying them win bonuses even if the Boks defend their title under a new set of coaches.
Springbok rugby needs to make do with what it’s got, and if De Villiers, Gary Gold and Dick Muir are going to spend these three weeks wisely, they’ll be doing some research. Former Bok assistant coach Allister Coetzee has already compared the two campaigns, and suggested all is not lost. The big question is, will De Villiers take heed of history?
Jake White’s Boks finished last in the 2006 Tri-Nations and went on to lose two out of three on their end-of-year tour. The Sanzar tournament was lost on the away leg, but the Boks saved some face with two late wins. White then took a number of youngsters to Ireland and England, leaving several senior statesmen in South Africa to rest ahead of the 2007 Super 14.
The Boks lost 32-16 in Dublin and blew a half-time lead in the first Test at Twickenham to lose 23-21. They broke the Twickenham curse a week later when Andre Pretorius kicked four drop goals in the 25-14 win, a victory that began South Africa’s dominance over England in the build up to the 2007 World Cup.
While that was important, the value of playing youngsters and leaving the senior guys at home to rest was evident. Frans Steyn emerged as an important figure on the tour, and in 2007, the Sharks and Bulls contested the Super 14 final. South Africa rode the momentum into the World Cup.
De Villiers needs to keep this in mind when planning for the remaining games of the Tri-Nations and the subsequent Grand Slam tour. Playing his best available players and preventing the embarrassment of losing at home is imperative. It will also ensure they prevent a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of either the All Blacks or Australia, which would be a massive psychological blow before a World Cup year.
Following the conclusion of this tournament, De Villiers must decide on who to rest and who to take to the United Kingdom and Europe. Fourie du Preez and Andries Bekker have already been ruled out with injury, and the latter blow may suggest Victor Matfield should tour. But judging by the amount of rugby the 33-year-old has endured this year, and the adverse effect it’s had on his performance, it would be best to give him time to recuperate.
Persisting with the youngsters and alternative combinations should be the objective on the Grand Slam tour. The World Cup is the priority, and if defending their title means risking a few defeats on the Grand Slam tour, then so be it.
July 29th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
@cab(cab)-349:
a headbutt
into
the
BACK
of a players head.
Thats not cheating. Thats just hurting yourself isnt it ?!
Why bother hitting back when you cant do any more damage than theyre dumb enough to do to themselves ?!
July 29th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
BP
surely such extreme behaviour must have a cause, and let’s face it, causes don’t come much more annoying than jimmy cowan who is like a jimmied up version of matt Dawson.
It is perhaps wrong of bakkies to draw do quickly for his gun, but cowan is another outlaw.
July 29th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
@cab(cab)-349:
“David makes another excellent point on the cheating of the australasians with their lazy running, morally who can blame the more innocent honest godfearing bakkies for trying to get some sort of justice over an insanely unfair system, think of him as a sort of sherrif like wyat Earp who cannot stand for injustice.” – CAB-349
Lazy running doesn’t risk injuring a fellow player permanently with a cowardly king-hit. Bakkies has got to be the dumbest munter ever to pull on boots. He doesn’t step on the field to play rugby, he wants to hurt someone.
July 29th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Boys boys I ask you if the only honest ref in town, aka barnesey, has been hounded out of town – how are other teams to get justice?
July 29th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Muttonbird
did you ever see Colin Meads play? Go watch some of the tapes. A national hero in the land where sheep are nervous. Meads would not only kick hit but kick ppl when down and grab their gonads and twits – one of the dirties most ruthless heartless ******** to ever set foot on a rugby field – he made bakkies look like a saint and did u ever hear the bokke moaning?
July 29th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
All Black success is hardly based on open running rugby, which is the modern myth that has been perpetuated. No it’s bases on ruthless packs who have ain’t and distinguished list of thugs ranging from meads, shaw, to loe and thorne.
Brutal barbarity mixed with an extremely sly undehanded win at all costs approach, which have produced some of the finest actors of innocence ever produced in sport, goddammit kronfeld, fitzy and now mccaw are my alltime heros. Awesome cheating crooks
July 29th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
@cab(cab)-355:
Well you are moaning now aren’t you?
According to your theory, Meads only did it because he was innocent, honest, and provoked.
T.V. has changed all that **** on the field. Because the mummies and the children can see the game so clearly now, it has to be visually clean. No room for the Bakkies or Flavells of rugby.
July 29th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Oh ja, flavell was another one that reeked of filth, turned national hero in the land where men are dirty buggers and sheep are fast
July 29th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Mind u we did have johan roux who ate half of fitzys ear just before big kobus told him it was illegal to create van gough’s, he was psychotic.
July 29th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
@cab(cab)-358: Flavell’s never been a hero here. He had a great rugby mind and huge knowledge of the history of the game but when he stepped across the line he lost it and therefore had to go. Bakkies is the same – these players are not able to be rehabilitated.
July 29th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
I aint stressing about the state of affairs…all we need is a little TLC for the players & then it’s ON! very difficult 2 rule the world for so long…
July 29th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
@cab(cab)-352:
need I repeat myself
the
BACK
of his head. The hardest
EMPTIEST
part of his entire body.
It takes the incre’mental limits of DUMB DUMBER DUMBEST to whole new hyper-drive levels of DUMBness.
July 29th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
The World 15 of Thugby:
1. Richard Loe (NZ).
2. Danial Dubroca (spelling) (Fr).
3. The Cannibal, Johan Roux, (SA).
4. Marty (mr asia) Johnson,(Pomgolia).
5. Bakkies. (Capt and Undisputed King) (SA).
6. The Eye Gouger Burger, (SA)
7. Cowboy Mark Shaw, (NZ).
8. Lawrence Dalaggio, (Mr Coke fiend), (Pomgolia).
9. Matt Henjak. (Quokka killer) (OZ).
10. The Butcher, ***** James. (SA, and Vice-Capt).
11. Some Scrotum twisting Frog. (fr)
12. The Chiropractor. (Samoa).
13. Another Gallic piece of filth. (Fr)
14. Yet another (kick them while they are down) Frog.
15. Some Frog.(fr)
July 29th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
LoL Cane
that is quite a list
was dubroca the French prop in the 60s?
Actually bakkies must clean up his act, seems like you were right all along, even loe did not headbutt scrummies from behind
July 29th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
@cab(cab)-364:
Richard Loe did two or three utterly dispicable deeds.
-Elbow to the face of Paul Carrosa (Ozzie Wing) after he had scored a test match try. A full force body drop.
-Eye Gouged Matthew Cooper in a NPC Match. For which he got a 6 months suspention.
- And something else.
July 29th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Yeah I remember the incident on wee carozza, but did not know of local NPC filth.
July 31st, 2010 at 6:07 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-351:
Nope numnuts… the back of the head is where the more serious injuries occur hence striking to the back of the head is banned in MMA!
July 31st, 2010 at 7:06 am
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-353: dont worry about Cab, hes been whinging more then me, which says something…
of course hed try to justify Bakkies, remember most of these guys supported the whole armband fiasco, they just dont understand the difference between hard and dirty..