All guts, no glory
21 Aug 2010
JON CARDINELLI reports on the 29-22 victory that boosted the All Blacks to the Tri-Nations title and a clean sweep over the Springboks in 2010.
What an anticlimax. You would have expected the Boks to finish this game with a lap of the field; their record-breaking captain riding high on their shoulders. Instead, John Smit’s team-mates had to lift him from the deck at the final whistle. Smit’s devastation said it all. Four losses from four matches, the last defeat coming on the Highveld.
In the final analysis, the result confirmed why guts and passion are simply insufficient in the big Tests. The game was there for the taking, but the Boks were beaten by a better team.
Smit’s initial entrance set the tone for an improved Bok effort. The camera tracked Smit’s progress down the tunnel and as he emerged, 94 000 fans rose in rapturous recognition of a decade of contributions in green and gold. Riding on that wave of euphoria, South Africa’s biggest crowd belted out a deafening rendition of the national anthem and drowned out New Zealand’s haka with a cacophonous ‘Ole, ole, ole’.
Many felt this energy would give the Boks the edge they lacked Down Under, and in the opening stages it certainly made a difference. Inspired by the gritty Juan Smith, the Bok pack turned in an aggressive showing, and from that platform, halfbacks Francois Hougaard and Morne Steyn proceeded to implement the kick-chase strategy.
The accuracy of these high bombs troubled the All Blacks’ back three, but the hosts struggled to take advantage of these mistakes. Their lineout continued to disappoint, Smit conceding possession in the first two set-pieces, and Victor Matfield battling to contest effectively on opposition ball.
Sensing the weight of occasion and how it may evoke a robust showing by South Africa’s forwards, the All Blacks avoided extensive confrontation. They often exposed the Bok defence in the wide channels, and showed a willingness to run back the less accurate kicks, keeping the ball alive even if it meant surrendering as many as 10 metres.
Some patient phase play led to a clinical try by Schalk Burger, but the Boks conceded a breakdown penalty that was goaled by Dan Carter almost immediately after. The defence lapsed in that crucial period before half-time when Brad Thorn broke the line and set up a wide-sweeping move which culminated in a simple run-in for Tony Woodcock.
The visitors bossed territory in the second half and were helped by the Boks’ misguided intentions. The home team would defend like demons, but a counter-surge so often resulted in a loss of possession.
A three-pointer by Steyn in the 64th minute established a comfortable 22-14 gap, an advantage the Boks seemed unlikely to relinquish. But an instant of indiscipline gave the All Blacks a sniff, a breakdown transgression by CJ van der Linde allowing Carter a simple penalty.
Carter missed a subsequent shot, but the All Blacks continued to apply the pressure. Another quick shift to the wing caught the Boks napping, and a great finish by Richie McCaw leveled the scores.
Carter missed the touchline conversion, but it didn’t matter, as a Ma’a Nonu linebreak sparked the clinching try for Israel Dagg. It seemed fitting that the move was birthed from a breakdown turnover, although on this occasion the All Blacks counter-ruck menace provided the forward momentum.
The result gives the All Blacks a clean sweep over the Boks in 2010, a record that will give them psychological points going into a World Cup year. It also wraps up the title for McCaw’s men and leaves the Boks on one solitary log point after four matches.
573 Comments
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22 Aug 2010, 21:16 pm
Plod,wife and kids crying
22 Aug 2010, 21:22 pm
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-551: So you think that is funny? You are quite sick really.
22 Aug 2010, 21:29 pm
@Puma(Puma)-552: If he realised that he wasnt good enough, this wouldnt have happen!
22 Aug 2010, 21:30 pm
That Gary Gold is the biggest moaner within the Bok setup!
22 Aug 2010, 22:11 pm
To keep it simple the ABS are playing a superior game of rugby to the boks at the moment,that and snor and his two stooges don`t help.The ABS have moved forward from last year and the boks backwards.I have said it once and i will say it again if snor and his two stooges are still in charge at the world cup next year the boks will NOT win it,as they are not good enough to be in charge.
22 Aug 2010, 23:03 pm
Ja this was the first game where teh actual game plans were tested without men disappearing off the field with yellow cards, or AB obstructive running (cheating)causing havoc with the scores. And the Bok game plan was clearly second best.
We had some gritty defending, and tackles iwth heart, but you just simply cannot do this all 80 minutes. Not with the players conditioned to this level.
The AB’s are not better conditioned than the Boks. I would say that we are at least on par with them. BUT our game plan requires that we are 15% fitter than the AB’s, and with a much tougher mindset (as being on attack is positive and increases the players heart), because we are on defence all the time. If you take for granted that we WILL not consistently be that much fitter, and that the AB’s will continue getting fitter and lifting the intensity, then you can see how kicking away possession and defending all day is simply not an option as a game plan.
We will consistently lose at the highest levels because we are not using the advantages that the laws provide to the team with ball in hand. We should thank the AB’s for showing us how to win teh next world cup, and then put into place plans for us to go about playing this game better than them.
Sometimes being a good boss is knowing when to cut and run. This game plan has had its time. Relegate it to history please. Or at least coach the Boks to play the seocnd plan. Because as soon as we were required to actually keep ball in hand and run it at the AB’s – we looked like we had no clue. if one game plan turns out more satisfying or easy to implement, then the Boks will naturally choose to do so of their own accord. As long as they are all on the same game plan.
22 Aug 2010, 23:07 pm
PS Congrats AB’s fans – that was well played by the AB’s – no excuses this time – they played the better game plan. and deserved to win – without any funny stuff going on.
I can be a good loser when that other stuff is absent.
Yes there were a couple of dodgy calls and missed forward passes, but that happens naturally in a game. We could have and should have won, but we could not sustain that defence all game. And we should not have been on defence all game.
Well done AB’s – you deserved that win.
22 Aug 2010, 23:43 pm
This game was a brutal reminder to John Smit that there is no place for sentiment in International rugby. If you are not in shape, por have teh wrong game plan, you WILL suffer.
Hopefully the lessons have now been learnt, and we will stop with this dreadful outdated game plan.
22 Aug 2010, 23:46 pm
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-554: Like Henry last year and in 2007
22 Aug 2010, 23:51 pm
‘as soon as we were required to actually keep ball in hand and run it at the AB’s – we looked like we had no clue.’
it’s been like that for some time now
22 Aug 2010, 23:55 pm
@JL1(JL1)-559:
Nice one JL1,but it would have been more effective with what you said had some truth to it.
Henry did not complain about the RWC loss,he left it with the Kiwi supporters and NZRU,we did it for him
22 Aug 2010, 23:59 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-561: No last year Henry complained look it up
Too much kicking blah blah blah
23 Aug 2010, 00:04 am
@JL1(JL1)-562:
I said the RWC 2007.
Didnt say anything about 2008,but at least he didnt call your country a bunch of cheats
23 Aug 2010, 00:05 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-563:
I meant i didnt say anything about 2009.
Cos 2008 was another year of complaints from SA,my mistake
23 Aug 2010, 01:57 am
I am a little amazed at the ‘hate mail’ on here regarding J Smit. I agree that he is past his best and getting a fit BdP back should happen sooner rather than later, but the guy has done more than probably anyone else to help bring pride back into the SB jersey after one of their darkest hours.
If the coach is still picking him it must be because there is something in the team dynamic around Smit that they aren’t sure they can afford to lose yet. He has been the heart of that team for a long time. A new heart will take time to get beating. Those of us outside the camp don’t always see the whole picture.
Regarding the missed tackle on the weekend, how many front row heavies haven’t missed tackles when they find themselves out in the backline facing world class backs who can run circles around them? I doubt that there is even one. Nonu would have looked up when the ball arrived and grinned ear to ear as he saw a heavy unit standing in front of him. The last minute timing was horrible, and even as I was celebrating as an AB supporter I was heartbroken when I saw that it was Smit who missed the tackle.
Anyway, I agree that he does need to move on, but everyone (Bok supporter or otherwise) should recognise the important part J Smit has played in both Bok and world rugby. He does deserve some criticism for his current conditioning, but not much of the hate rubbish that has been posted on here.
23 Aug 2010, 04:20 am
GH was stating the painfully bleeding obvious: that crowds all over the rugby-playing world simply don’t find kick-and-chase one-dimensional rugby worth the price of an entry ticket or a DSTV subscription.
The fee-paying crowds prefer watching running rugby.
He’s right.
23 Aug 2010, 07:30 am
Ah Tickles, and we can’t have the odd forward pass destroying a good game of running rugby can we? Would Mr Henry have sed that in 2007?
Piss off you bigotted hypocrite.
23 Aug 2010, 08:58 am
@aliboy(aliboy)-565: Aliboy, I agree with just you just a little bit. BUT, John Smit should have done the honorable thing when he realized last year that he’s simply not good enough anymore. He should have retired. But with him refusing to throw in the towel (and the union too scared to speak up because of this so-called gratitude for his past success), he’s put the Boks in a position where we have to prepare a new captain in less than a year.
Yes. He’s got some motivitional influence over the players, but why not make him team manager or something?
23 Aug 2010, 09:00 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-566: LOL! Maybe, but how did they manage to get that many spectators for a dead-rubber match if Henry was right? LOL!
23 Aug 2010, 09:23 am
@Bouts(Bouts)-569: They came to watch the AB’s of course
23 Aug 2010, 12:17 pm
@captain fantail(captain fantail)-413: OK you sprung me. So I was being a little facious.
But the highveldt ambush back fired on the SA’s. The Boks started at 100 mph hoping to puff the All Blacks out enough to keep an early need. Good move, almost worked, they almost won. But that same highveldt worked against the Boks at that pace and the Boks couldnt maintain the pace for 80 minutes, bad move, didnt work, and they lost. The Boks became lethargic in the forwards and the All Blacks sensed the weakness and upped the ante in the last 5-10 minutes (as they do) and thats the game.
23 Aug 2010, 12:21 pm
1-BEAST
2-BISMARCK (J.SMIT-BENCH, STRICTLY FOR MOTIVATIONAL QUALITY HE BRINGS)
3-JANNIE
4-MATFIELD
5-BOTHA
6-HEINRICH BRUSSOW
7-SCHALK- (F.LOUW-BENCH)
8-R. KANKOWSKI (D.VERMUELEN)
9- F.DUPREE, “THE GENIUS” (HOUGAARD-BENCH)
10-R.PIENNAR
11- HABANA
12-J.DE VELLIERS
13-J.De Jongh( Jaque Fourie-Bench)
14- GIO APLON (THE BLACK SHARKS WING-BENCH)
15- STEYN
WITH ALL THIS ATTACKING POWER, FLAIR AND THINKING RUGBY MINDS, WE WILL BE THE FIRST COUNTRY TO EVER RETAIN THE WORLD CUP. COMMENTS?
15- STEYN
23 Aug 2010, 13:05 pm
I seriously believe that if we harnessed all the strengths of the different types of rugby played by the different types of racial groups in South Africa, we could be better than the All Blacks year after year. Our rugby as is, is mundane and predictable, it is not entertaining even when we were winning. We need to get rid of all our prejudices!, New Zealand was only able to play that brand of rugby once the Maoris started playing alongside their white country men, it is then that they incorporated their diffrent styles to formulate their current style of rugby which is renowned world wide. IN FOOTBALL IT IS THE SAME, BRAZIL, A CLASSIC EXAMPLE. WHETEHR WE WANT TO ADMIT IT OR NOT BLACK FOLK HAVE MORE CREATIVITY AND AGILITY, SO WHY DO WE NOT WANT THIS SUCCESS FOR OUR COUNTRY. THE BLACK PEOPLE OF THE EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE HAVE BEEN PLAYING RUGBY FOR OVER A 100 YEARS, WHY DO WE INSIST ON HAVING THIS GLASS CEILING FOR ALL ASPIRING TALENTED BLACK PLAYERS WHO EXCELL. WHY ARE THEY ALWAYS RELEGATED TO BEING ON THE WING. BLACK PEOPLE COULD BE DEVELOPED MORE SO TO BE ANY OF THE LOOSE TRIO, SCRUMHALF, FLYHALF, INFACT MOST OF THE BACKLINE POSITIONS. COME ON PEOPLE, LET US PUT MORE RESOURCES IN ASSISTING DEVELOP THESE YOUNG PLAYERS. SOME HOW THERE IS AN OBSESSION IN SOUTH AFRICA ABOUT SIZE BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT IS CODE FOR RACE. RUGBY IS A GAME THAT WAS CREATED BY THE ENGLISH, TO BE ENJOYED BY ALL.
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