Guts is not enough
23 Aug 2010
The Boks offered resilience and desperation at Soccer City but nothing inventive or innovative, writes Keo in his weekly Business Day column.
It was like watching an 800m Olympic track final as the All Blacks pulled away for two tries and 12 points in the final three minutes of a contest that had seen them trail SA for much of the preceding 77 minutes.
Somehow you just knew it was going to happen.
The All Blacks were always tucked in too closely to the shoulder of the Springboks, and it was the Kiwis who had the leg strength to find an extra gear in the final stretch, whereas there was nothing left in the legs of the Springboks, who had raced on instinct and hope.
The South Africans, All Blacks coach Graham Henry said afterwards, lacked the conditioning to play the game at the tempo of the All Blacks. There can be no argument because Henry is correct.
For those who lament the lateness of the heartbreak, rugby is a game won in the 80th minute and not the 77th, and had Dan Carter’s radar not been off-centre for the second successive time against the Boks I fear the All Blacks would have put the Boks away 10 minutes earlier than was the case.
Carter, in the 31-17 win against the Boks in Wellington, missed five from eight. In Soweto, he missed five from 10. His opposite number Morné Steyn did not miss a kick in either Test, but SA were comfortably beaten in the end.
The romantics would have settled on a 22-all draw, the South African patriots on a 22-17 win and the Kiwis on the script that finally unfolded.
But no one would have been so crass as to have singled out centurion John Smit with the missed tackle that led to New Zealand’s final try. Smit said afterwards that it was a missed tackle that would haunt him for a very long time, coming in his 100th Test and in the last movement of the game. Sport is a cruel lady and when she stabs you in the back she doesn’t think twice about twisting the knife.
There is a great deal for Smit, coach Peter de Villiers and the Boks to ponder this morning. They could not have asked for a bigger crowd, better playing conditions, a more inspirational occasion, better goal-kicking from Steyn or a stronger platform for their set piece. The players could also not have given more in commitment on defence. But they lost, three tries to one against a team already guaranteed the Tri-Nations trophy.
The Boks will justifiably point to the forward pass in the build- up to Richie McCaw’s try, but they did not lose because of a missed forward pass. They lost because they created very little when they had the ball and they lost because they defended for two minutes shy of what is needed to beat the All Blacks.
One missed tackle? It is far greater than that. It is like a boxer saying he was in the contest for 11 rounds and only lost because of one punch.
I can’t share the enthusiasm of those who are accepting of this Bok defeat on the basis that it was better than their performances overseas.
It had to get better. Playing at home, after a three-week break and with all the elements associated with the match … come on. New Zealand would have done well to get within seven points of the Boks, given the occasion and how everything favoured the South Africans.
It should have been New Zealand out on their feet. They arrived in the country seven days ago and persisted with a ball-in-hand approach that would have sapped their energy. Yet it was the Boks, the home team, who were finished in those crucial final moments.
Physically the home team had nothing left, which is why I question the euphoria in talking up a performance that offered resilience and desperation, but nothing inventive, innovative or creative.
The only try came from a quick tap and go. Another may have come from a charged-down kick. The All Blacks scored three and could have got another three.
The Boks have now scored four tries and conceded 14 in four Tri-Nations matches. That is a damning statistic. Equally damning is the not-so-small matter that the Boks have lost six of their past seven Tests to France, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand since claiming last year’s Tri-Nations.
The Boks were not fit enough or creative enough to win in Soweto against an opponent whose qualities cannot be denied. Against a lesser opponent the desperation would have triumphed, which would only have added to the illusion that this Bok team is the future.
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272 Comments
23 Aug 2010, 11:06 am
We need an attacking coach!!!!
23 Aug 2010, 11:06 am
no glory dragons
23 Aug 2010, 11:08 am
I agree with this article.
This Bok team is not the future. But a number of participants today pointed the way towards the future.
Francois Hougaard and Flip vd Merwe, to be more specific.
The future is a new hooker, new wings and a new coaching team.
And a new look bench.
Other than that, drastic personnel changes are not required.
23 Aug 2010, 11:08 am
Today being a reference to Saturday, of course.
23 Aug 2010, 11:08 am
@GriekwasStormer(GriekwasStormer)-1: you mean like an eddie jones? I don’t get it because the Boks have a backline coach who i presume is in charge of our backline attack
23 Aug 2010, 11:09 am
Mind you we need an entire new coaching staff! We need someone who can whip the fatties back into shape and teach them how to play as a team.
23 Aug 2010, 11:10 am
well, we’ve been saying all along that the conditioning of our top boks looks poor.
I believe that players that “feel” strong play with a lot more confidence.
Worldcup selection should dtill be decided on next years superrugby form after the 30 year olds have been afforded the appropriate rest and recuperation as well as opportunity to show us their real game.
I still believe we have the players to beat the kiwis.
a lot more ingenuity and confidence is needed though.
23 Aug 2010, 11:10 am
I think we need to srop a few of the passengers like Spies, Wynand and Januarie.
Smit will be back to his best. He just needs a break from the game thats all.
23 Aug 2010, 11:11 am
steyn had a mare. his tactical kicking was off. he should have passed when he kicked and he should have passed or kicked when he decided to run.
did p divvy give him confusing instructions? probably. but he executed very badly as well.
there were times when the boks just looked confused with ball in hand. they don’t know how to go 10 phases in with ball in hand anymore… not in the backline at least anyway.
kudos to smith, de jongh, burger and hougaard.
23 Aug 2010, 11:12 am
yes .. send WO, january & habana to go play club rugby
23 Aug 2010, 11:12 am
Creativity is dependend on two things mainly;
* Quality of ball
* Quality of halfbacks
Did we lose the contest in contact and produced bad quality ball?
I think we had enough to work with.
Did our halfbacks play well enough with the ball received?
I believe you could not ask for more from Hougaard, but Morne is starting to worry me a bit. With all the talk of Smit, Matfield and the rest deserving a rest how many games have Morne now played in succession?
Also Keo, you and most South African tend to forget.
We got beaten in the last movement of the game by the best team in the world playing brilliant rugby at the moment. That is rugby mate.
I remember in your newsletter on the Cheetahs Lions game you did not believe the Lions turned a corner in their win over the Bloem boys because the Cheetahs threw it away rather than the Lions winning that match…
For 50 minutes the Boks played great rugby, and for 30 minutes the All Blacks were scintilating.
And the All Blacks is a team that only requires 30 minutes to win any test, or as was the case this weekend, 10…
If we look for a reason for a loss, I believe it was with the All Blacks using their subs effectively, and SA not.
Rugby as you mentioned is not a 77 minute game, but rather 82 minutes (to quote a fellow blogger Bryce), and more importantly, played by 22 players, not just 15.
23 Aug 2010, 11:13 am
it must be said that the current coaching bunch have never learnt a thing withregards to the importance of the bench and the timing of substitutions.
why would you pull off hougaard to replace him with a wofeful out of form januarie. A player who shoveled the ball left in the last 30 seconds of the game where we were woefully outnumbered?
23 Aug 2010, 11:13 am
also our bench needs to be filled with impact players like bismark, spies, vermuelen, konko, tian etc etc.. not has-beens
23 Aug 2010, 11:15 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-5: Point taken, but we never attacked like a team. There was a few nice individual attacks, but we never attacked with purpose.
Like I said in post #6; we need a proper coaching staff!!!
23 Aug 2010, 11:17 am
btigadier did you hear the people boo when january replaced hougaard?
23 Aug 2010, 11:18 am
Return of the white wings
23 Aug 2010, 11:20 am
I looked at some footage of a 1998 NZ/SA test recently. The ball in hand play of the Boks then was much more destructive than what they have showed recently. The AB’s on the other hand are possibly as strong, or getting close to, some of their better backline play.
I think that the SA problem is a combination of lack of combinations and lack of quality coaching. They need a G Henry type analyst to really pick apart the opposition and give the team some moves to break down the opposition defense. Teams like the current AB’s and the Wallabies just defend too well to get broken down without the Boks having some good plans that everyone believes in and knows how to play their part,
23 Aug 2010, 11:21 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-16: neck-up parrott!
23 Aug 2010, 11:21 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-11:
hougaard is an excellent player but his passing,although quick is woefully inaccurate. Impossible for Morne to run on to it. Also, the ref was often the kiwis best defender displaying woeful positional sense and blocking the pass from the scrum and ruck. it’s why he ended up on his arse on one occassion.
Morne kicked on 2 occassions when i believe we should have kept it. Twice he also kicked it dead, once unluckily and the other occassion unforgiveable that would have given us an attacking lineout with 5 minutes to go.I have however, never seen him do this before, in fact, I would say he has the best banana kick to touch in the world.
I, for one, do still believe he is SA’s best option and has proven himself well capable of opening up defenses in Superrugby and Cc by running and passing.
Just 2 months ago, with the early bok games…he was considered SA’s most underrated player.
I believe matfield and Morne have played more games than any other player in SA during the past 20 months. Spies being a close 3rd?
23 Aug 2010, 11:22 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-11: agree with your post. yes were not on top of our game, but i believe its all doom and gloom like a lot of people on this site would have us believe
23 Aug 2010, 11:23 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-19:
I thought Morne was sensational in the Super 14.
He looks a far cry from that now though.
It will not surprise me if Morne clocked up the most game time from any current Bok in the last 12 months.
23 Aug 2010, 11:23 am
Many are forgetting Carter’s wayward goalkicking, the amount of opportunities NZ were creating in the last 20 while all we did was defend.
My point is if you can’t win in front of 94 000 at altitude, when playing for a captain celebrating his 100th Test, and with every guy prepared to take a bruising … greater All Black teams have lost to lesser Bok teams because of the SA altitude (and passion) factor.
This team is in more trouble than we think, if they still could only create one try (and that from a quick tap and go), given the quality of set piece ball they got on Sat.
23 Aug 2010, 11:24 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-11: I agree 150% with the first half of your post. We (all SA teams) take to long to get the ball away from the ruck. We give the defence time to get ready. You nailed our biggest attacking ail there.
The difference between the AB win and the Lions win is that the ABs are an in form team. They we patient (and clever) enough to win in the last minute. The Lions are not inform and won through desperation. However, with D Muir gone things can only get better.
23 Aug 2010, 11:24 am
Australia, in South Africa, have always played like donkey’s one win in the last 11 years and that was followed by a 53-8 defeat at Ellis Park.
Difficult times ahead on Grand Slam tour. It is only going to get tougher from hereon in.
23 Aug 2010, 11:26 am
I’ve said it before, during the previous coaching era and this one.
the boks never look as dynamic as one of our super sides.
Why does everyone except our current coaching bunch know that at altutiude…the best plan vs the antipodeans is to absolutely blitz them for the opening 40 minutes.
make them tackle us and then you are really able to capatalize on the altitude?
23 Aug 2010, 11:27 am
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-3: What about JDJ? Bekker? Van der heever? Mvovo?
23 Aug 2010, 11:28 am
@jamisz(jamisz)-26:
What about them?
23 Aug 2010, 11:31 am
@keo(keo)-22:
My point is if you can’t win in front of 94 000 at altitude, when playing for a captain celebrating his 100th Test, and with every guy prepared to take a bruising … greater All Black teams have lost to lesser Bok teams because of the SA altitude (and passion) factor.
Keo you have seen enough rugby in your life, you have even been in the Bok setup before.
But your paragraph here almost suggests it was a game for the Boks to lose?
After the test against Australia in Christchurch I said this All Black team scares me like no other.
Not only are they deadly with ball in hand, but they are equally good without it. That is the sort of stuff that wins you World Cups and this AB team is currently playing like that.
I will maintain I think you and most guys forget we are playing against one of the better All Black sides in recent years.
And if we can take the best team in the world, playing outstanding rugby at the moment, to the last minute in a game of test match rugga we are not doing too badly.
Yes there is a lot to improve on, but hell player, recognise that we are playing and lost to a team which currently find themselves on a different plain to any other team in world rugby.
This team put 50 against the Aussies on their home turf bugger!
23 Aug 2010, 11:31 am
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-3: Why stop there? Big Vic was as anonymous as Spies.
23 Aug 2010, 11:32 am
Jean de Villiers also needs to go. I’d make de Jongh and Jacque Fourie my centre combination.
De Villiers looks like he has lost about two yards of pace.
I like Aplon, I must admit. I think he adds an extra dimension at the back.
Pietersen is a good player, but either he was injured or he has lost serious pace.
Habana cost us two tries. He is a has been and must go.
But all of the above is meaningless chatter if we don’t change the Terrible Trio sitting in the coaching box.
I’d rather retain the team exactly as is, if we can bring in Heyneke Meyer or even Allistair Coetzee as coach.
But the 3 clowns are destroying our team.
23 Aug 2010, 11:32 am
What a depressing article. Its so sad knowing that De Villiers, **** and Gold is taking us to the world cup…. lets be honest, they dont have what it takes to create something new to get the boks going
23 Aug 2010, 11:32 am
The Boks have NEVER had the 80 minute mentality. If they’re in sight of the final tape after 60 minutes, they slack off and defend their lead, relying on their defensive ability to close out the chasing pack.
But these old, old Boks just don’t have the kick in their ageing legs to stop the pack from sweeping past.
The RWC is only a year away. It’s now too late to sweep away the useless coaches and four-fifths of the super-experienced fast-fading geriatrics in the team (including the once-peerless Matfield). You simply can’t get newbies into AB-beating form in only one year, especially when those ABs are themselves nowhere near their peak yet, but building magnificently.
SARU have failed in their succession planning. These Boks are so far down the road to nowhere there’s no map on earth that can get them back to where they lost their way.
They peaked in 2009. Exactly halfway between world cups.
All the
23 Aug 2010, 11:33 am
@keo(keo)-22:
so what do you suggest
23 Aug 2010, 11:34 am
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-30:
Okaaaaaay, which is it Tac, the players, the coaches or the whole kit and kaboodle?
23 Aug 2010, 11:35 am
PissAnt – Interesting comment.
SA still probably threw the game away at the end however we played a brilliant AB team, the best AB team i have seen in years.
The Boks still had a few big names missing that i believe would have made a difference, but i think the Boks have picked themselves up and need to go and beat the wallabies twice!
23 Aug 2010, 11:36 am
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz)-34:
1. The coaches.
2. A small number of key players that HAVE to be changed.
3. A proper bench – picked for impact – needs to replace the tokenism among the current reserves.
In that order.
23 Aug 2010, 11:36 am
@bobbyboyshey(bobbyboyshey)-18: Stop crying…..
23 Aug 2010, 11:37 am
@race of tan(race of tan)-35:
Damn right we chucked it, again like I said bad use of subs by us and good use of subs by Henry.
23 Aug 2010, 11:37 am
@keo(keo)-24: I said before that we will not be able to sustain the passion thing. I reckon we are in trouble against the Wallabies this coming Saturday. They will have taken heart from the AB’s performance and I think some of our senior players poured everything they have into this last game.
Aus will run us off our feet. Time for tough decisions.
23 Aug 2010, 11:38 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-38:
In other words – the coaches suck. Agree?
23 Aug 2010, 11:38 am
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-36: Righto, who would you replace and with whom? It is fair to toss caution to the wind, we’re all up against it. Friggin ABs are looking real good.
23 Aug 2010, 11:40 am
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-40:
No question the mistake comes down to coaches with subs.
I said to old Sharkie dude on Friday that the Sharks will kick WP’s *** because neither the players or coaching staff at WP has the ability to read the game in play.
The same rings true for what I saw on Saturday, just about every single substitution bar Juan Smith who was struggling was absolutely, 100% stupid.
23 Aug 2010, 11:41 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-42:
And by that I include subs not made which should have been made.
23 Aug 2010, 11:41 am
@keo(keo)-22: No fetcher, no chance. We all new this going into the game except the coaching staff. You can only do so much with Mccaw running riot
23 Aug 2010, 11:41 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-38: Problem was the full 80. Subs come into this equation and the equation (bench) was definitely in favour of the ABs.
Perhaps the Boks should do a Crusader… stack the bench. Start with a sprinkling of bench players, run the buggers ragged and sub with the power-houses. e.g. Spies off the bench would be far more beneficial than starting. He has pace to cut the opposition to ribbons when they are tiring.
23 Aug 2010, 11:43 am
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz)-45:
I have been praying for 6 years now for a Saffa coach to understand the importance of bench players and how to use them.
To date.
Nadda.
23 Aug 2010, 11:43 am
Couchcoach – This happened under Mallet. The Boks played a great defensive type gameplan in 98 and went onto whitewash the 3N. However the affect of defensive type rugby during that 17 game win record took it’s toll on the players bodies and they were finished in 99. Similar thing is happening now, the players are out on their feet, epsecially seeing as most these players have also played non stop s14 rugby, plust last years british lions and 3N.
Phew I am exhausted just think about the amount of rughy. Morne Steyn has played alot of rugby since last years British Lions, i have a feeling the man needs a break!!! Plus countless others, the only time they do get a break is through injury or suspension!!
23 Aug 2010, 11:43 am
Can you imagine a Bok team with both Smith and Burger rotating? Awesome!
Start with Mvovo and bench man Habana… it would make him hungry and smarten his act up.
23 Aug 2010, 11:43 am
results like we have had recently, although never good, may prove useful to the senior players in the coming months.
they will know that they need to pull the finger right out or else no worldcup selection.
as it should be.
23 Aug 2010, 11:43 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-28: and imo the ab’s are the only team in the world who could have beaten the boks on saturday. with a little more composure we would have sealed the deal
23 Aug 2010, 11:43 am
Unbelievable talent so misused.
23 Aug 2010, 11:45 am
Keo,
1. is Butch James a must for next week and EOYT?
2. Where do Smit go from here?
23 Aug 2010, 11:45 am
@mamma_lou(mamma_lou)-50:
I agree.
23 Aug 2010, 11:45 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-52:
23 Aug 2010, 11:46 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-28: “I will maintain I think you and most guys forget we are playing against one of the better All Black sides in recent years.”
At the start of this 3N season on 10 July, as the 2009 champions flew into Auckland to defend their title against a team they beat three times in 2009, Keo — and his entire Hallelujah Chorus — sneered at this NZ team as being, supposedly, “one of the weakest in a generation”. The Boks were smug and cocksure of a second successive 3N title against a dispirited and pretty puny team.
Now, barely six short weeks later, the puny ones have transformed themselves into “one of the better All Black sides in recent years” and their relentless march toward their own home RWC fills SA hearts with fear and despond.
How total is THAT transformation?
23 Aug 2010, 11:46 am
anyways folks, gotta run
cheers
23 Aug 2010, 11:47 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-28: Until you play the ABs with Fourie dp and Brussow, you cant tell how good they are. Last year was the first time Mccaw couldnt do whatever he wanted and the ABs didnt know what had hit them. Whenever you play the ABs without Mccaw and Carter, they half the side they usually are.
23 Aug 2010, 11:49 am
Analysis paralysis
I watched the three games down under and though we will learn from our mistakes and win all our games at home…… nada…
we did not and lost again…
and will in future lose again with this personnel and playing style
i differ in opinion that we were in the game… imo we were never in the game…..
take a look at the tackle stats…
in starting the game and with all the restarts we were making horrible schoolboy errors in receiving kickoffs and with our own kickoffs
that just shows me that we play as we train…
i put this 100% as the responsibility of the coaches.!
imo.. they are not stepping up!
i’ve read a lot of posts on this blog about players not stepping-up but imo Henry as a coach has improved after last year and ours went backwards….
coaching….
van ons bêkke was te groot….soos ons coach self sê……
and i don’t want to slate the coaches but i am losing my repect for them…
i can point to various things that they are doing but what the hell…. it’s poinless…
snorre has done brilliantly up to middle last year…. since then he is imo struggling……. what worries me is that not everyone he is coaching thinks he can turn it around….
and i am not even referring to Silwer & Minder….
23 Aug 2010, 11:51 am
PISSANT – Don’t you think our players our exhausted? Possibly more mentaly than physically. The Bok brand of rugby is very demanding on the body and most of the Bok 15 have played non-stop rugby since last year’s Brtish Lions tour. Also playing non-stop S14 rugby, the tuffest rugby comp in the world!!
23 Aug 2010, 11:52 am
@Bok fan(Bok fan)-57: lets not forget McCaw was coming back from injury last year himself… brussows 09 form is always mentioned, the fact Ritchie wasnt match fit is overlooked all the time…
FDP and Brussow may struggle coming back from surgery and injury respectively…
ABs had to blood youngsters last year due to circumstance, this year SA have had to..
this, we’ll be better when players return is a cop out… your best available players (the coaches/selectors opinions) were in the side.. same as NZ last year… (Ross????? lmao, glad we found Donnelly, much like you guys finally finding someone to step into FDPs shoes.)
23 Aug 2010, 11:53 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-55:
GOING into the Tri-Nations the AB’s were under pressure given what happened the last time these two teams met.
During THE COURSE of the Tri-Nations the AB’s displayed a totally tranformed application to the game than they did a year ago.
You can only judge a team by what they bring to the park, what the AB’s have brought to the park in recent months has been brilliant.
@Bok fan(Bok fan)-57:
Any team loses players, of course it has an effect on the team like it would any team.
The impact of that effect however is a process that should, and can be managed.
It is an excuse, but a convenient one.
23 Aug 2010, 11:54 am
@race of tan(race of tan)-59:
Yes, and I have been on about it (the mental aspect) for quite a while now.
23 Aug 2010, 11:54 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-62:
But that too, comes down to management…
23 Aug 2010, 11:54 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-42: Yeah, have to agree. The bench should be used to bring on a player who provides something different to the player on the field, or to remove a player who is having a bad day.
Roussouw for VdM: Probably not a bad call, but VdM was having a great game.
Ricky for Hougaard: Again, Francios was playing well. What could Ricky have brought that Francios was not providing? However, the way the crowd boo-ed January when he came on, made me decide not to go whatch SA rugby again.
CJ for Jannie: CJ has been k@k this year.
No-one for Steyn: Carter once again made him look awful. I think SA coaches still think a flyhalve can defend is position by kicking well at posts (Naas, Louise Koen, Derick Hougaard, Braam, Louis Strydom, De waal, Lance Sherrel agg the list just goes on). What about the rest of the players? Why must the nr 10 kick at post? Why does he not have to be able to destribute well? Howcome most players in the Ozzie backline (Gitua, Cooper, Barnes, that talented kid) are all capaple of kicking at goal? We only have Steyn.
Sorry. I degress. Couldn’t get beer at Soccer City.
23 Aug 2010, 11:54 am
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz)-54: Just asking
23 Aug 2010, 11:55 am
The difference was in the subs. Shocking tactical decisions and a substitute bench with Chilli and Ricky. Really compare that to NZ. Its obvious that a scrapper should start and a show-pony explode off the bench. Spies is an impact player.
23 Aug 2010, 11:57 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-60:
But you cant use that as an excuse remember, Bok supporters have been shot down for less in the past
23 Aug 2010, 11:58 am
@Staal(Staal)-58:
Jou laaste sin spreek boekdele…
23 Aug 2010, 11:58 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-28: Agreed,this New Zealand team is scary,not only from a talent perspective but because they have an effective winning system that takes advantage of the current rules and they actually execute their game plan effectively. How many Tests have they won in a row? With only Australia and the EOYT remaining,l can see them breaking the Springbok record of consecutive test wins.
The one concern l have about them is the lack of depth in certain positions(the loose trio,flyhalf,centres,locks).l do not under rate their respective under studies but do feel there’s quiet a significant chasm in talent when it comes to the reserves.Case in point,who’s going to play fly half against the aussies
23 Aug 2010, 11:58 am
M Steyn was better than carter in 2009
23 Aug 2010, 11:59 am
also in the super 14 of 2010 … and the semi vs saders
23 Aug 2010, 12:00 pm
@Diliza(Diliza)-69:
They have lost Carter for 2 months now so that question will be answered shortly.
23 Aug 2010, 12:00 pm
PissAnt – Do you get to chat with Tim Noakes?
Why is Tim Noakes not getting the support and authority he needs to protect the players etc?
23 Aug 2010, 12:00 pm
@heboric(heboric)-67: I didnt use it as an excuse, was just pointing out that ALL teams do not have ALL their players available at the same time generally, last year the Boks did… that is an anamoly in professional sport…IMO..
23 Aug 2010, 12:01 pm
@Staal(Staal)-58:
Prior to the test I mentioned to someone on here I am getting an uncomfortable feeling of paranoia setting into the Bok management staff the likes I last saw under Straeuli.
23 Aug 2010, 12:02 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-55:
actually no one talked the boks up more before the Auckland game than the kiwi press. they were gushing at the talent at our disposal due in large part to the 3-nil drubbing in the previous 3 nations and the way the stormers and bulls defeated most kiwi sides int he S14.
sure they’ve changed their tune since and are gushing of their praise of the ABs. a simple timeline of chris rattue articles would be quite revealing. further to that the kiwi press are lamenting the fact south Africa do not take the job of bok coach seriously enough to give it to someone worthy.
23 Aug 2010, 12:02 pm
Good article Keo. We have the playing resources but just do not know how to manage it. Intellectual capital is lacking. Its time to utilise prof Tim Noakes and get in a new coaching team. And no time for sentimentality re John Smit. Otherwise RWC is going to be 2003 all over again.
23 Aug 2010, 12:03 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-72: Cruden will get first go at the position I believe…
23 Aug 2010, 12:03 pm
@race of tan(race of tan)-73:
Him and Ross Tucker who does work with the Sevens guys.
Remember, it is up to the Bok management and SA Rugby administration to involve these guys. Noakes has no say over players as he is not part of the setup.
Sherryl Calder is in SA currently, she is a double World Cup winner (the only consequtive winner in history!!!) for two different teams and has not been involved since 2007…
23 Aug 2010, 12:05 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-78:
That is going to be a massive ask for the youngster.
Mind you he is coming in with all the trophies already won…
23 Aug 2010, 12:06 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-75:
Believe it or not, I’m actually sad that you are having to go through this rude awakening, Damascus episode or whatever one should call it.
I can see how your attitude has been forcibly going through a realignment, and I realise it is an unwelcome one.
The fact is, as much as you’be tried to be more than fair to the guy, Diddy is revealing himself to be everything most of us have expected since day one.
Truth is, you almost had me convinced earlier this year, but I guess it was just the euphoria of the Bulls S14 title that made me see things more positively than good sense should have allowed.
Snor must go. And his two sidekicks should go with him.
23 Aug 2010, 12:08 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-80: there will be no pressure on him IMO. I expect the same forwards to contest the Aussie game in 3 weeks, with probably only the Franks brothers being rotated… Henry will want to give the understudy a great platform to work with…
wouldnt be surprised if Weepu is cover for the 1st 5/8th position versus the Aussies…
23 Aug 2010, 12:08 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-75: obviously one cannot speak for the players… they have to do it themselves…
but ya….
the question is…. do they believe Snorre is a good man manager, easily accessible, open guy, ect….. or a good coach…
the question is what do we need now…
time will tell…
23 Aug 2010, 12:09 pm
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-81:
“Truth is, you almost had me convinced earlier this year, but I guess it was just the euphoria of the Bulls S14 title that made me see things more positively than good sense should have allowed.”
thats quite funny tac
23 Aug 2010, 12:10 pm
@munkiboi(munkiboi)-76: And so they should!
23 Aug 2010, 12:10 pm
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-81:
The problem is the powers that be havent the balls to do it. To much fallout so to speak.
23 Aug 2010, 12:10 pm
@Staal(Staal)-83:
I’m worried about the Bulls if Snor is fired now. Because then we have to make do without Heyneke Meyer again…
23 Aug 2010, 12:11 pm
Personally I’m against wholesale changes at this stage. NZ have looked brilliant and have been a step ahead, much like we were last season. I believe with the right conditioning this group can lift the RWC and return to form. Lets see how we go on the EOYT without the senior boks before we chuck everything away. I am concerned about the make-up of our bench and how we use our subs. How many times must **** Muir be burnt before he learns his lesson? Also how can you compete with Ricky and Chilli in your 22? Honestly would these guys be playing CC currently?
23 Aug 2010, 12:12 pm
@munkiboi(munkiboi)-84:
Fact is, I was warming to Snor, especially after the France game.
I should have known better.
23 Aug 2010, 12:13 pm
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-87: ain’t gonna happen.
…imo.
23 Aug 2010, 12:14 pm
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-81:
I have seldom been afraid to call something as I see it.
Quite simply, I expected PDV to start making the tough calls now when the pressure was on and to my mind he has been shy in doing this.
It is fine to empower those around you, but not at the expense of losing all power yourself and PDV might have crossed that line.
He is seemingly sitting with his basket of eggs now, arms wrapped tightly around it and is in fear of letting anyone in and look at them or touch them. Hence my paranoia statement.
This year he has lost his edge for me in being innovative and positive and it might be because the pressure of the job is finally getting to him, as it did to Straueli who ended up making some extremely stupid calls.
23 Aug 2010, 12:14 pm
@Dumb Supporter(DumbSupporter)-64: I didn’t like the attempt to drown out the HAKA either.
23 Aug 2010, 12:16 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-91:
Or as Staal mentioned, making the calls coaches need to make when in situations like this.
When the chips are down you need to pick your nutsack up and be counted.
23 Aug 2010, 12:16 pm
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-81: “Snor must go. And his two sidekicks should go with him.”
Did you mean “sideburns”?
23 Aug 2010, 12:17 pm
In any event there are two tests still to go.
It is never too late to turn things around before 2011 as Jake proved, and I am looking forward to this press conference at noon…
23 Aug 2010, 12:21 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-95: today? It’s quarter past already!
23 Aug 2010, 12:22 pm
@jamisz(jamisz)-92: the blacks dont mind. hostile terratory and all that… just makes win sweeter
23 Aug 2010, 12:25 pm
@jamisz(jamisz)-96:
I am not attending, waiting on the transcript…
23 Aug 2010, 12:31 pm
1693077″>poppa69(poppa69)-60: @PissAnt(PissAnt)-61: A guy like Fourie is missed far less when you play a scrumhalf like Hougaard who had a great game, however not playing a genuine fetcher in todays modern game is suicide and unfortunately we have paid the price this 3N’s. It was less of a factor playing at home but still a deciding factor in my mind as the giuys couldnt keep it up for the full 80.
23 Aug 2010, 12:31 pm
PEOPLE PROOF THAT JOHN IS GEARING UP FOR WC 2011!
Boks playing too much – Smit
——————————————————————————–
by Brenden Nel 23/08/2010, 11:56
Springbok captain John Smit has admitted for the first time that senior Springboks are “playing too much rugby” but said it was up to his side to get themselves out of the hole they dug themselves into in this year’s Tri-Nations series.
Smit spoke to Talk Radio 702 about his 100th cap for the Springboks, a game that ended in disappointment as the captain missed a crucial tackle that gave the All Blacks a last gasp victory in front of 94000 heartbroken fans.
The Bok captain said he was “relieved” to be past the milestone and now to be able to concentrate on the rugby again. “The sun actually came it up when we thought it wouldn’t. It is amazing to see that,” Smit told 702. “You got to look at yourself and the mistakes. To lose a test in that manner was very emotional for me. Losing is one thing and I understand it. It doesn’t mean I like it.”
Smit said while the team had experienced a similar nightmare in the 2006 Tri-nations and returned a year later to win the World Cup, this should not be taken as a given ahead of next year’s defence of their World Cup title.
There are growing alarm bells as to the way the Boks faded in the final quarter and increased worry that senior members of the side have played too much rugby.
“There are far too many similarities to be comfortable with,” Smit explained. “It is important not to use 2006 as an excuse and be comfortable with it and then to think that in 2011 we will be as good as we were in 2007. “That is the trap we can’t fall into. In 2010 we have a much more experienced side that is getting beaten like this. Perhaps it is a high mileage thing where some players have had a bit too much rugby and their bodies are talking.” Smit said though that he still sees light at the end of the tunnel.
“Suspensions haven’t helped us either, and as much as we have excuses, we only have ourselves to blame. There is hurt and this weekend will highlight that. We’ve felt this feeling before. You want to reflect back on this in a year’s time when you need it – when you’re 20-all against Fiji. You want to remember this hurt. You want to reference back to this moment when you feel like actual death to get you out of that,” Smit added.
“Hopefully we can do that and keep our intensity like that for seven weeks in a year’s time.” Smit looked ahead at the Australia game, talking about the positives he takes out of the defeat at the hands of the All Blacks.
“ It’s always hard talking after the game when you are the loser. To be honest, we had very little to take out of the first three games. This one we know if we are a little closer intensity we want every week, we know we can make any team ordinary.
“This is the team that is leading the way in world rugby and suddenly their passes went down and we were tackling them backwards. Suddenly we started to look like world champions again.
“Sunday I woke up wife and children realised the biggest positive is that if we play right we will win any game every time.”
23 Aug 2010, 12:33 pm
@Diliza(Diliza)-69: the record is 18(Lithuania). The previous record of 17 was shared by the AB’s and the Boks
23 Aug 2010, 12:33 pm
I believe people are panicking a bit early. NZ are going through a purple patch and playing superbly, on top of this they are enjoying favourable reffing decisions and the rub of the green. The time to panic is if we lose to the Aussies. Lets face it. There are only 2 sides in world rugby capable of beating NZ in NZ and we are one of them (France the other). Our game plan is better suited to RWCs than theirs and our side is not at peak conditioning (need rest) and we are without FDP and Ratel (our versions of McCaw and Carter). If we rest our senior players in the EOYT and Ratel and FDP return to the fold we are going to be challengers, make no mistake. However we do need to utilise our bench better and pick quality instead of Januarie and Chilli – Hougaard and Bissie will add some spark from the bench. This all said, I fully expect us to klap the Aussies at Loftus.
23 Aug 2010, 12:34 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-95: Jake didn’t “turn things around” at all. In 2007, he lost three of the four 3N tests, including home and away defeats by the ABs and came stone last yet again.
The luck that he struck was that someone other than his team removed both Oz and NZ from the RWC equation and handed him a down-soft run through to victory via Tonga, Fiji, Argentina and an English team full of geriatric super-experienced survivors from their 2003 title campaign.
The 2011 Boks have an uncannily similar look to that 2007 England team that got whacked 36-0 in their opening match and who then had a similarly lucky passage to their second final.
23 Aug 2010, 12:34 pm
I see on one of the other rugby blogs someone claims you could clearly see the TMO celebrating after the ref had awarded the McCaw try. Apparently he stuck his hands in the air and gave another dude a high 5. Has anyone else seen it? If true, surely that’s not acceptable? We all know if the TMO forms part of the small SA population that supports the AB’s he’s also anti Springbok…
(I wasn’t sure which thread to post this under)
23 Aug 2010, 12:37 pm
@AlphaTango(AlphaTango)-104: Must be a blog that’s even wierder than this one.
23 Aug 2010, 12:40 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-103: “The 2011 Boks have an uncannily similar look to that 2007 England team that got whacked 36-0 in their opening match and who then had a similarly lucky passage to their second final.”
Need we forget that team ended up in the final having had beaten France and Australia! And to me this NZ side is reminiscent of the side that swept all aside in 2006, but that couldn’t close out a game against France, because their gameplan avoids the set-pieces.
23 Aug 2010, 12:40 pm
@Bok fan(Bok fan)-99: your last two coaches havent really seen the importance of having someone always on the ball (ala McCaw)
Jake has stated he wouldnt have picked Brussow, PDV only did when injury forced his hand…
strange IMO
23 Aug 2010, 12:42 pm
@AlphaTango(AlphaTango)-104: The TMO was a south african though?
23 Aug 2010, 12:42 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-107: Very.
23 Aug 2010, 12:43 pm
@jamisz(jamisz)-92: Yeah. I was very embarresed to be a SA supporter on Saturday. And that has little to do with the result.
23 Aug 2010, 12:43 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?
23 Aug 2010, 12:43 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-107: There are a lot of things our current coach hasn’t seen the importance of!!!
Congrats on the win btw, was a good game!
23 Aug 2010, 12:46 pm
@Muttonbird(Muttonbird)-105:
A strange blog indeed. It’s still an interesting comment and I would like to know if it’s true or not.
23 Aug 2010, 12:47 pm
@Atreides(Atreides)-112: cheers, was an awesome game… I could very easily watch test match rugby of that calibre over and over again… cant fault the effort of either set of players..
23 Aug 2010, 12:48 pm
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-87:
They won’t fire Snor. He is their favourite political selection. They said so themselves.
Heyneke?! The man they admitted was the best coach in the country? Who got the professional racist middle finger?
The Boks won the 2009 BIL tour, they’ve been waiting for it their whole lives, and it is their only opportunity for such an historic event.
Then they came off that high and won the Tri Nations, with a squad that had all the right selections that were forced upon Snor, due to injuries.
In 2008 they won all their EOTY tour matches….barely. Could have lost any of them.
What else have the Springboks achieved under Snor?
The truth is that it has never been a healthy squad under Snor and GoldnDick. The team’s best is no longer good enough, so they say. The foundation that Jake White put in place is crumbling, whether you’re a Jake fan or not.
23 Aug 2010, 12:48 pm
I’ve always said that these types of games result usually revolves around 2 or 3 crucial moments. As it was on Saturday.
1) Morne over kicking the ball (the second time off a penalty).
2) That forward pass. That try inpacted on how we played the last 80 minutes, and in all likely hood would have led to different option taking in the play that led to the Dagg Try
3) the blocking penalty in our 22, handing momentum to the NZ’ers at a crucial stage.
We should have won this one, We had the game to lose. Which we did.
No complaints to the ref really, he was unsighted on that forward pass, was Roland the line judge on that side?
The rest were our own errors. Very well exploited by a great NZ team.
23 Aug 2010, 12:50 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-114: yep i agree. in the words of schalk “it was a proper test”
23 Aug 2010, 12:50 pm
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-106: Making the final isn’t good enough if you end up losing it.
23 Aug 2010, 12:53 pm
Keo, the boks have not played running rugby since Mallet’s demise. For the last 13years we’ve seen nothing but brute forward play and mixed with that some inconsistant kicking. Yes, now and then we’ve had some good games due to a fantastic platform set by the forwards, but under Jake we were coached one thing. Win by defence. He prepared his team (which 70% of them still play for the boks) to win a world cup. The rules have changed, literally.
The guys who won the ultimate prize in 2007 are now playing the same type of game *partly due to the bulls influence as well* and things will not change until we have a wholesome personnel change and a coach who does not allow the senior blokes to decide on the game plan.
We may win the world cup with this team, but for the wrong reasons.
23 Aug 2010, 12:53 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-107: VERY strange. If you watched the opening 07 WC game SA vs Eng, Schalk was suspended so Jake had to start with Wikus van Heerden who played a fetching role and was outstanding and the reason Fourie dp had such quality ball to do whatever he wanted.
Its very concerning our coaches are so blind to this fact.
Well done on Sat, class side
23 Aug 2010, 12:53 pm
My team for RWC 2011:
So ideally, my bok team for RWC would be:
Guthro
Smit
Jannie
Bakkies
Victor
Ratel
Smith
Burger
FDP
Morne
Habanna
JdV
Fourie
JPP
Steyn
Bench:
Bismarck
BJ
Danie
Spies
Hougaard
JdJ
Aplon
Team for EOYT:
Beast
Bissie
BJ
Flip
Bekker (will he be back)Hargreaves
Ratel
Smith (C)
Vermuelen
Hougaard
Butch
Mvovo
JdV
JdJ
Aplon
Steyn
23 Aug 2010, 12:54 pm
@Koobus(Koobus)-111:
John Smit on the bench.
Come on now, how sad a sight would that be.
When your Captain is no longer good enough.
Get him as far away from the Team as possible.
Let the new man make his mark.
23 Aug 2010, 12:55 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-116: early engagement at scrum in ab halve… we can go on and on… but i take your point
23 Aug 2010, 12:56 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-118: as opposed to not being there at all
23 Aug 2010, 13:00 pm
@mamma_lou(mamma_lou)-124: A miss is as good as a mile.
23 Aug 2010, 13:01 pm
bring back nick mallet i say. forget about meyer, he’s happy at the bulls. or make the griquas coach the bok coach.
23 Aug 2010, 13:01 pm
@Bok fan(Bok fan)-120: thanks, but we were lucky too… the McCaw try could so easily have been not given, and I for one would not have complained one bit… the most pleasing aspect for me was we were able to match the intensity you guys brought… that was the big test for us IMO. at times though I had a sense of deja vu with the ferocity in SAs defense reminding me of how clueless we looked against France in 07..
no team deserved to lose on the weekend..
23 Aug 2010, 13:02 pm
@keo(keo)-22: Mind you Dan needs ankle surgery now and he’s been playing n a stuffed ankle since the June internationals so that may explain the lack of form in the kicking department…but he didn’t use it as an excuse…
23 Aug 2010, 13:06 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck(logie_Jumpbuck)-126: RWC is too near for any new coach to mould his new team around his game plans. You’re stuck with PuffDivvy and he’s already announced that he’s chosen his RWC squad by now, notwithstanding the hugely disastrous 2009 EOYT and now the 2010 3N.
You’ve made your bed and now you must sleep in it.
23 Aug 2010, 13:07 pm
@Atreides(Atreides)-108:
Exactly
23 Aug 2010, 13:07 pm
@mamma_lou(mamma_lou)-123: yes, that was crappy one too, but not as bad as giving up 60 meters of advantage, twice. Although we looked good on that drive before we gave away the free kick….
23 Aug 2010, 13:10 pm
REFEREE’S REPORT
On another day…
Just been told that (7) not allowed by IRB
1) that forward pass might have been spotted by the TJ
2) Richie might have been judged out
3) I might have judged Schalk to have made a triple or quadriple movement when he scored
4) I might have yellow-carded Schalk for throwing the ball away (cf. Drew Mitchell earlier this season)
5) I might have yellow-carded Hougaard for cheating when he ran into the easily avoidable Rococoko. Instead Bokke scored from the upfield penalty
6) I might have penalised Spies for being offside at an attacking AB ruck on the 22
7) I might have yellow carded Morne for wasting 2 penalty touch kicks and Carter for missing all those goal kicks
All in all, a reasonable performance. Can’t believe the Bokke play so naively at the ruck and maul. Think that brute force is what is needed.
23 Aug 2010, 13:11 pm
@Diliza(Diliza)-69: His name is Aaron Cruden…in the mould of Dan Carter and looks a bit like him too…just conquered cancer last year too,..great talent ..only 21 or so..
23 Aug 2010, 13:12 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-125: i dont subscribe to the winning is the only thing philosophy
23 Aug 2010, 13:14 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-127: Ja a draw would have been more fair. Was heart breaking. Will have to get our revenge in the WC
23 Aug 2010, 13:14 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-127: Nice Poppa. Great test match. Nice to see you so humble in victory. I reckon a few NZers will be worried about your tactics come RWC 2011? Also I feel we gifted you the game with some useless subs, what do you think? Do you reckon we should have mass changes or are you like me and think this side can still challenge come 2011?
23 Aug 2010, 13:15 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.
23 Aug 2010, 13:15 pm
@AlphaTango(AlphaTango)-104: From the front angle it was clearly a try…ball down first and then the foot/…
23 Aug 2010, 13:15 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-131: agree, but momentum killer nonetheless
23 Aug 2010, 13:16 pm
I believe we will see a better springbok team next year, but the playing style will need to change.
Anyone who watched the WP – Sharks game over the weekend will tell you it’s all about the new rules and how you adapt.
The boks haven’t. And neither have the bulls to be honest.
23 Aug 2010, 13:16 pm
@Koobus(Koobus)-137: THAT my friend is a good point and fair comment…
23 Aug 2010, 13:19 pm
**** man, i hate the fact that the all blacks will always be the better team in world rugby. why can it not be the springboks!?
23 Aug 2010, 13:20 pm
@katman(katman)-94:
That was farking funny…
Snor and the Sideburns… an old doo-wop band from 60s…??
now you just have to let us know who is the left and who is the right sideburn…!!
BTW…
the Lion’s are showing tons of improvement under Mitchell… they must hang onto him for the next few years if possible… he’ll turn them around…
23 Aug 2010, 13:22 pm
@mamma_lou(mamma_lou)-139: True.
23 Aug 2010, 13:22 pm
Keo,
You failed to point out that the Boks:
1. Played at a 1,700m altitude, that widely considered by the bookmakers a 10-14 points Boks’ advantage depends on how many days the visiting team had to acclimatise.
2. The Boks played at home, that usually gives a 7-10 points Boks’ advantage by the Bookies
3. The Boks lost by 7 points
The arithmetics shows the Boks lost at home by margins of 24-31 points spread, did you realise when they lost last time to the ABs at Joburg?
Let me tell you: in August 1992 at Ellis Park, AND that was after 6 years of Test rugby lay off, just for Small to drop the ball on the try line and with a gariatic forwords at average of 32 years old, that was as sar as the ABs got!
Keep beating about the bush!
23 Aug 2010, 13:23 pm
@Koobus(Koobus)-137: Some good points. I also believe promoting and selecting individuals who are not up to calibre is having a negative effect on transformation. Just look at Ricky Januarie, a springbok legend, but he can’t currently make his CC side and as such is kept in the national side only for appearances. He was booed at Soccer City. Surely he deserves better.
23 Aug 2010, 13:23 pm
@all of you guys calling for the firing of PDV….so Heyneke takes over and what?
Who is he going to make captain? Thats the reason Smit is still playing. No one else there that has the respect of the other players. Matfield is not a good captain, cannot contain himself if he thinks the ref is making the wrong decisions. Could hamper the team in tight games. Burger is there but will everybody respect him enough?
Steyn has been woeful, who else is there to replace him? Butch? Not quite, he is not consistent enough.
Heyneke will probably retain 98% of the current team, so i wonder what you would say then. All these has beens still being retained.
It is easy to blame the coach but if your players are not performing, do you still blame him. Steyn misses touch with the penalty and 5 mins to go. Oh yes it was the coach that told him to do that!!!!
January passed the ball even though there were more ABs present. What **** is that, as a player you would expect your forwards to retain the ball and set up the second phase. If we have the most dominent forwards in the world why should he not have expected them to retain the ball?
Steyn is the problem, the TN is a step up from the S14. Wynand had a field day in the S14 and has done nothing in the TN.
23 Aug 2010, 13:28 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-145: Oh shut up. We lost to them in 1997. Also we lost to France in 2001 and Lions in 2009.
23 Aug 2010, 13:29 pm
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-136: have been on the receiving end of last minute losses (John Eales kicking in a Bled in NZ, Willie Os? try at the death in Sydney) and they are never easy to take..
I think the last two games for the ABs have been godsends… In the Aussie game we were able to really grind out a win, defense being key, and it seems defense is the winning of the world cup generally.. the weekends game will have done a lot for the belief of the team, coming from behind against SA in SA is immense..
I agree with you on the subs, why Juan was taken off I will never know… your pack was 50% better with him there…brings the hard graft and workman effort every single time, would love him for my team.. Hougie did well, lets hope they stick with him for the aussie tests and that FDP is always in his ear..
I think this side can definitely challenge next year, not that naieve
You guys have been forced to make changes this year, like us last year and it takes time to introduce new guys into the system and get them to test level..
I think if the majority of the new guys are retained for the remaining 3Ns, that come the NH tour you guys may just see your team evolving the way you want it to…the S14 showed you guys can definitely play ball in hand rugby..
23 Aug 2010, 13:29 pm
im out
23 Aug 2010, 13:29 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck(logie_Jumpbuck)-142:
What do you mean.
AB’S had 6 attempts at being WORLD CHAMPS , they only success were with a mediocre hosted tournament in 87 so they 17 % successfull.
Boks are 50% sucessfull.
23 Aug 2010, 13:30 pm
I was at the game @Hondo(Hondo)-145: Might have to move back to Ellis park, Soccer City doesnt seem to have the same effect on the ABs. I think its because Ellis Park is in Hillbrow, the most dangerous part of Joburg.
I was talking about that drop from Small on the try line the other day. Man I was pissed off.
23 Aug 2010, 13:31 pm
O yes , nearly forgot, hope the Boks dont lose the next two, otherwise they will equal the AB’s as the only team to have lost EVERY game in a TN tournament.
23 Aug 2010, 13:35 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-149: PdV did say after the game that both Juan and Hougaard were subbed because they had niggling injuries and said they had huge games.
It’s going to be well hell of a tournament, like I’ve said, if we play a genuine fetcher I’ll rate our chances, if not will be a mountain to climb.
Have you guys got anyway in Richies league if he gets injured? We clearly dont have anyone in Brussows league
23 Aug 2010, 13:44 pm
@Bok fan(Bok fan)-154: I missed that about them both having niggling injuries… btu agree with PDV that they both had huge games…
its going to be a massive tournament, cant wait..
not sure we have anyone in Ritchies league to replace him, there are one or two that can possibly step up… Vito is an example, though he may become a number 8 by the looks of things.. Braid has returned to the Bues to try and make the WC it seems, and I think he would be right up there in the mix if Ritchie wasnt able to play
We seem to have had the luxury of churning out great opensiders, Jones, Kronfield, Brewer, McCaw etc..
23 Aug 2010, 13:46 pm
@Alli G(Alli G)-147:
Good post. I agree. A lot of people seem to have selective memory when it comes to previous coaches as well. Remember the 49.0 drubbing against the Crims during the Jake White Era, 2 x losses against Ireland… not one win in NZ…Nick Mallet – ending the careers of Teichman & Andre Venter prematurely, taking an injured Skinstadt to the WC, the Gaffie du Toit & van Husslin debacle etc etc etc. Yes I agree PDV should keep his f*****g piehole shut, but purely based on performance he’s no worse that any of the previous coaches (not yet in any case)
23 Aug 2010, 13:49 pm
@haaibok(haaibok)-153: In that unlikely case they will just join he club as Australia have lost all four in 2005, too.
But it’s four while that might be six.
23 Aug 2010, 13:50 pm
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz)-45:
“Start with a sprinkling of bench players, run the buggers ragged and sub with the power-houses.”
Don’t agree. You start with your best and trust them to do the job. What needs to happen is that coaches should start to develop a team of 22 PLAYERS. Not 15 players and 7 bench players.
It’s like batting Tendulkar or Kallis at 8/9 to try and fool the opposition into believing that they are on top after they’ve bowled out 7/8 of your batsman.
23 Aug 2010, 13:51 pm
@haaibok(haaibok)-151: that’s one tournament….they dominate rugby year in year out.
23 Aug 2010, 13:54 pm
Please just get rid of the entire management. Div do the honourable and step down.
The following is from another website and a view from NZ writers:
“Coach De Villiers lacks the authority to clean out the old guard and make tactical changes. He is groping in the dark, and his latest backline was too lightweight for the modern rugby battle. Their battle plan is confused,” wrote Chris Rattue on the NZ Herald website.
“The All Blacks were magnificent, nullifying South Africa’s famed home advantage and finishing them off with two late tries that should rank high in any memory that can cope with the cluttered modern day Test schedule.
“As for the Springboks, they are in even bigger trouble than we thought. If that’s the best the world champs can come up with in a home colosseum while celebrating John Smit’s century of Tests, then they are indeed one large tank skidding out of control down one very steep hill.
“Luckily for their World Cup opponents, South Africa’s rugby administrators are so immature that a few rough on-field decisions get them barking about quitting a multimillion-dollar broadcasting deal they’ve only just extended,” he continued.
Rattue and other NZ critics, are of the opinion the Boks may improve when influential scrumhalf Fourie du Preez returns, although Francois Hougaard was lively on Saturday.
They believe the calm Du Preez should be the logical captaincy replacement for the fading Smit
23 Aug 2010, 13:55 pm
@haaibok(haaibok)-151:
Historically I have read a lot of South African media about rugby. The reason I do this is because (generally) they are a lot more ballanced than our own crowd. South Africans seem to appreciate hard rugby too, and tend not to be as full of it as Australians or English. It is interesting reading the comments from followers and fans however, and I do have the following observations….
A lot of you have your heads up your backsides – Haaibok you are a perfect example. It is good that you have won 2X world cups because the 90K people that turned up on Saturday didn’t have a lot else to crow about. Get over the historical world cups and stop using it as an excuse if you dont want to keep being bloody hopeless.
The whine about injuries crops up regularly. This assumes that your team is the only one in international rugby that suffers injuries. In every sense of the game, there are two teams and two sides of the coin.
The ref’s dont disfavour your team. I didnt hear much bleating about this last year or during the S14 this year. It seems to be a regular thing when you are losing.
You need to admit some of these problems will help you address them.
There are no proper excuses. Right now your team just isn’t that good. … not even last year. Sure you beat an out of sorts All Black team 3 times, but that shouldnt be the yardstick of your season. What about everything else. You were beaten by a weak Australia, a french team and your midweek team even got beaten by an english club side! What was your winning % last year?
23 Aug 2010, 13:55 pm
The Bulls Bokke have been bad this Tri-Nations. Its embarassing.
Vic, Bakkies, Steyn, Spies, WO, very poor.
Guthro and Kichener did well.
Nee man, die Bulle moet hulle sokkies optrek.
23 Aug 2010, 13:59 pm
@Bok fan(Bok fan)-154: @poppa69(poppa69)-155:
I think Adam Thomson could be a very good International 7 as well Popps.
Tanerau Latimar and Scott Waldrum are the other current possibilities.
But true, Ritchie would be very hard to replace.
Just as well he is made of teak and steel.
23 Aug 2010, 13:59 pm
161. Ibleedblack(Ibleedblack) :
Lets rewind a year mate, really. You lost 3-0 last year we lost 3-0 this year.
Get over yourself
We’ll see what happens next year.
And tell you one thing, if teh AB’s think they can wina WC running from their own 22 they’ll get a wake up call.
I have however been very impressed with the AB defense and that’s a cornerstone of a WC winning campaign.
Saturday was one of the best games of rugby I have seen in a long time, reminds me of some close losses under JW – AB’s coming up trumps in the last minute. Well done to them.
23 Aug 2010, 14:00 pm
@BlueBlood(BlueBlood)-162: Now it’s interresting that you rate them like that. I would have said:
Spies, WO, Kirchener were poor
Steyn, Vic, Bakkies (head but aside) adequate, if capable of better
Gurthro, Hougaard did really well.
And I mean this with absolutely no malice towards the Bulls players whatsoever…
23 Aug 2010, 14:01 pm
And Vicotr was just as **** as Smit – when he is not stealing line-outs he is doing f-all.
Shoudl we drop him – NO!!! should we rets him and condition him YES!!
These gusy will be teh difference coem WC2011.
Men amongst boyz.
England were terrible all 4 years to 2007, yet made teh finals in 2007. Go figure!!!
23 Aug 2010, 14:03 pm
160. superbok(superbok) :
I prefer them to hark liek that. When they were singing our praises we fucked up.
Don;t drop teh management or the core palyers. NZ want to win a WC.
Drop them and we lose
23 Aug 2010, 14:05 pm
@Diontnz(Diontnz)-133: Great prospect,but feel he’s not ready to step into Carter’s shoes right now.
23 Aug 2010, 14:10 pm
Keo I do not believe that the players are as you say unfit, the only unfit one is the fatty Smitty the rest not. Just ask their conditioning co coaches at their provinces so please drop that excuse.
The problem is with having the wrong players on the park and playing an outdated game plan. Get rid of some pygmies, has-beens and yesterdays heroes then refine the kick and chase strategy to one less predictable.
23 Aug 2010, 14:11 pm
@Mike H(Mike H)-167: I don’t think any of the players need to be dropped either. The need to be managed a lot better though. What I do agree with is that our management is out of depth. I mentioned on another post that our substitutions on Saturday probably cost us the match, which has happened in several situations before. They don’t have the ability to read the match. Why bring on January for a firing Hougaard? He wasn’t tired. He was having a field day disrupting Carter.
23 Aug 2010, 14:12 pm
@AlphaTango(AlphaTango)-156: Agreed, same old same old. Give me the job, I’ll sort all the problems out
23 Aug 2010, 14:14 pm
@Koobus(Koobus)-111: Would F Steyn be kicking for poles? If he can get his average close to 80%, it would be a **** hot side
23 Aug 2010, 14:15 pm
@Superbok….. do you really think that the backline is that bad? Size does not count for anything it is about skill. Aplon has shown us time and time again that size really does not count. There are only 2 players in the backline that needs to pull up their socks or be replaced. Steyn and Habana. Steyn is tactically not good enough and Habana is being shown up defensively, he keeps drifting in for the intercept and not concentrating on his defence. So either they shape up or get shipped out.
The centre pairing that played this weekend should have been more than a match for the ABs but Steyn did not give them the chance to show the opposition what they are capable of. De Jongh what a talent, did not miss one tackle and we know he is able to take on the opposistion players on attack but he did not even get one opportunity in the game.
De Villiers is capable of taking any team apart, how many line breaks did he make? If Butch was playing at least they would have had some opportunities to test the opposition.
I would get Larkham in to coach coach him. We have to admit what a player he was. His reading of the play and tactical kicking was excellent.
23 Aug 2010, 14:16 pm
South Africa (like France and England) need central contracting to stop their players being overplayed by clubs/provinces.
You can’t lose 1/3 of your run-on side and expect to beat a full strength All Black side. It’s delusional to expect you can.
23 Aug 2010, 14:17 pm
In the short term we need to keep going with what we got but long term we need to get a clean out at all levels
23 Aug 2010, 14:19 pm
The kiwis with such small player pool and money make us look like dumb c nuts
23 Aug 2010, 14:23 pm
@Alli G(Alli G)-173: No. I don’t want the players to be changed. I want the management to change. I don’t believe that between them they are capable of coming up with a better game plan. Our players are poorly managed. For example, why did Victor have to play against Italy? Why January? Meanwhile, the Bok brand is suffering with us being in trouble with the IRB on a regular basis.
Please just get Heyneke in charge and we won’t need a major change in players, if any. We need someone with aptitude for change in our game plan depending on what the situation requires. We only know one way right now.
23 Aug 2010, 14:23 pm
@KevinRack(KevinRack)-176: their system is set up to the benefit of their national side, as is Ireland’s who are the second most consistent winning side in world rugby. It makes a big difference.
23 Aug 2010, 14:28 pm
@Alli G(Alli G)-173: no he didn’t, he pit in one big hit but was turned around like a blow up sheep doll on 3 ocasions and it was his inept kicking which led to an easy black try so I say again test rugby isn’t for pygmies.
23 Aug 2010, 14:29 pm
@Ibleedblack(Ibleedblack)-161:
Point taken.
Thats why I enjoy good hard rugby, its not for sissies. BUT to say the Boks are useless ect, thats ****!.
The SA rugby is strong very strong, the worst is this political rubbish we have to sit with while you dont have it.
From school level to the sen. teams, sitting on the field and when Ricky came up, you got to feel sorry for the guy.But again, PDV and the others must look at them selves for getting reactions like that, they persisted with him.
Talking about a yardstick, I love that , the Blacks are untouchable after this victory according to NZ press .
They have won the w/c all ready.
MAN I LOVE IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its all systems go for the Boks , come next year.
Talking about refereeing in S14, no wonder there were no problems, it was the best refs in the world , and they all from this beaut of a place. Arent you lucky to always have SA refs when you play a test against others.
23 Aug 2010, 14:35 pm
@KevinRack(KevinRack)-176: Our pool isnt that much bigger
23 Aug 2010, 14:37 pm
@Bok fan(Bok fan)-181: Our actual pool
23 Aug 2010, 14:39 pm
“Guts not enough.” Was there not a similair title in the newspapers after our poor performance in the 2003 world cup? Another simularity would be the quality of coaching staff.
23 Aug 2010, 14:39 pm
@RedLion is born again(RL)-179:
have to say I didn’t Aplon was particularly impressive but then I’m not sure 15 is his natural position
23 Aug 2010, 14:47 pm
When a teams fitness goes under then you know the coaching team is to blame! Jake might not have been perfect but at least his bok team was fit!!!
The story of this country, racism screws up everything! Yet we still cling to it like the idealistic idiots that is every political leader that we have.
I am so tired of this ****! Maybe it’s just a bad season or maybe it’s the players. But can you even consider that when the coach was selected because of his race?
23 Aug 2010, 14:56 pm
@superbok(superbok)-177:
Maby the question should be, why did Victor have to play something like 14 S14 matches when the Bulls coaches knew that their were something like 15 test matches coming up this year and that Victor is a kingpin for the Bok team?
23 Aug 2010, 14:59 pm
@haaibok(haaibok)-153: Wa ha ha ha, you’re hysterical mate. What you should do is jump into your time machine and live in the past permanently. Your NARROW MINDED view on the Bok history is so selective that it qualifies as frightening.
Agreed, the Boks have won the WC twice, and justifiably so. However the AB’s have ten tri-nations titles, that’s fairly consistent domination over a period as opposed to tournaments won twelve years apart, again not taking anything away from the Boks.
Wake up and watch a few games with both eyes.
Have a lekker day.
23 Aug 2010, 15:00 pm
Maby-maybe
23 Aug 2010, 15:02 pm
@nama1(nama1)-186: The Bulls were selfish, only thinking about their pockets and not about SA rugby in whole!
23 Aug 2010, 15:16 pm
Firstly, well done AB’s and well done Henry and Co. These guys deserve all the praise they get.
Here is my 2 cents:
1. Juan Smith and Hougaard were God sends for us without them it would have been worse much earlier in the game
2. Schalk Burger is not human. Guy runs onto field with a wry smile and then goes absolutely nuts for 80 mins, running and hitting anything that moves, including referees. Then at the end same smile appears and shows utmost respect for team he has just tried to decaptitate
3. De Jongh and Aplon did really well and surprised me as thought they may be a little green for such a big test. Aplon has the heart of a friggen lion, geez
4. Ref was ok and missed lots on both sides – not even going down the blaming route. Missed 2 fwd passes that I could see and allowed AB’s to slow ball down big time. Donnelly and McCaw incidents? How the hell did they get away with those?
5. John Smit – take a bow and go have yourself a holiday mate. Come back in new year and see if you have still got it. Anybody see Bismarck play for Sharks?
6. Apart from Burger and Juan Smith, none of our forwards dominated opposition
7. Spies out for a while? Duane Vermuelen or perhaps even Willem Alberts?
8. Richie McCaw is absolutely one of the best players ever to walk this planet. Us South Africans talk about the athleticism of Spies, but McCaw is just as athletic in my opinion. The guy is everywhere and wins so much ball for AB’s it is nuts and always puts his head and body where it just shouldn’t be. Make no error, he pushes the laws to absolute limit and leads his team to it. But if you can get away with it well done and you deserve it.
9. These AB’s are one damn fine coached team. We gave them so much to think about last year and they went away and did it. The backs weren’t firing and Henry took over, the fwds were diabolical at one stage, couldn’t maul, couldn’t catch a kickoff and lineouts were an absolute disgrace – he took control of fwds and now look at them. Henry is the master. Taken mediocre (IMO) Super rugby players and older players like, Roco, Mealamu, Kaino, Reid, Donnelly, Nonu and even Mils and got the absolute maximum out of them. Who would have thought the form of Mealamu, Nonu and Mils would have been so profound after past year or so and Super 14.
10. Our coaching team are not even Currie Cup material. I challenge anyone to provide me with consistent achievements that anyone of PDV, **** Muir or Gary Gold has achieved? Don’t even tell me about 2009 either as word is that players had everything to do with it. 2008 was a disaster, so was 2009 end of year tour, so is 2010.
11. Tim Noakes wrote and article last year (google it) that 2010 would be one of worst years for Springbok rugby due to players load and stress and highlights the diff in the way AB and Oz players are conditioned and train as opposed to SA teams of balls to wall and knock the bejesus out of each other even at training.
12. 2010 end of year tour – Grand Slam tour!!!!!Look away now, don’t even pay your satellite fees and don’t read the papers, it is going to hurt
23 Aug 2010, 15:19 pm
Must say well done to the AB’s for the win, they didn’t give up Boks looked good at times but the AB’s are class right now.
I was at Soccer City on saturday,everything was amazing the setup is brilliant, the ground is beautiful and i am damn proud to be a Saffa seeing what we pulled of in the SWC, there were 2 exceptions one being the obvious result and the 2nd being the disgusting booing when Rikki January was brought onto the field, those Bok supporters should be ashamed of themselves for acting like that towards someone who plays for his country, although he isnt playing well he does not pick himself and does not deserve the treatment he got from some spectators.
23 Aug 2010, 15:29 pm
@ufo(ufo)-143: Howdy UFO. Yes, I can’t understand all the fuss about the Bok loss when the big news of the weekend is YET ANOTHER LIONS WIN. At this dizzy rate we might win three games IN ONE SEASON. Crazy times indeed.
23 Aug 2010, 15:30 pm
@toddke(toddke)-190:
Damn straight.
23 Aug 2010, 15:33 pm
What a load of nonsense from the lot of you! It’s Graham Henry who’s having the sleepless nights: this is as well as his side are ever likely to play and yet it’s a match they were in danger of losing; a more alert referee rendered their loose trio largely impotent at the breakdown (Reid was conspicuous in his absence from most facets of play); they don’t have an international quality scrumhalf; their back three are shocking under the well-placed high ball; their lack of confidence on their own lineout ball has robbed them of attacking options off the middle and tail (they almost always go short)and they look vulnerable when the scrum is policed correctly (now, if only the match officials would stop them breaking up and re-setting just before the engage is called).
Yes, the Boks have been poor, but we can and will get a lot better. This is as good as it gets for the Kiwis and, while it’s not bad, it sure isn’t rugby gold.
23 Aug 2010, 15:36 pm
If they shoved JJP up into the fray, just retruning from injury, why didn’t they throw in a battleship called Bismarck?
Bismarck would’ve been all over Nonu and his friends with 10 minutes to go, judging by what the highlights and reports say of his performance against WP.
IMO, JJP is still not ready. Go check the stats, he was the least productive player for the Boks. Another braindead decision by PdV.
23 Aug 2010, 15:52 pm
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-189: Are you too dumb to realize that people are ignoring you? Damn…there I’ve done it! Everyone’s laughing at you dude!
23 Aug 2010, 15:52 pm
@MacToogie(MacToogie)-191: Ricky J cannot pick himself but he can put his hand up and say that he is not good enough just like that Shark flyhalf did earlier this year and quit. If fat Ricky can just do it then so can fat Smitty.
My fellow ticket buyers you pay a fortune for a ticket and if you see a has-been or a yesterdays hero then feel free to boooo them.
23 Aug 2010, 15:54 pm
@UnbeataBULL(UnbeataBULL)-196: It seems to me you didnt
23 Aug 2010, 15:56 pm
@UnbeataBULL(UnbeataBULL)-196:
Ignoring who?
23 Aug 2010, 15:56 pm
@RedLion is born again(RL)-197: You’re an idiot, end of story
23 Aug 2010, 15:57 pm
@toddke(toddke)-190: Very good 2 cents, I agree with all your points. Hopefully they give guys like Smit, Victor, Habs and Morne a break from the EOYT so your last comment doesnt come true. I think if we take a fit Brussow with guys like Hougaard and du Jongh, we could easily win all our games
23 Aug 2010, 16:00 pm
@Journo John(Journo John)-194: I like how you think. The revenge will be sweet next year with Fourie and Brussow in the side
23 Aug 2010, 16:02 pm
After the S14 you Bulls havent had anything to celebrate about..Losing at Loftus againts the Cheetahs etc, Newlands with the Bully Boks playing so kak.
23 Aug 2010, 16:08 pm
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-203:
Er the CC is hardly something to brag about with all the Boks out, but winning the toughest provincial comp in the world ‘again’ is something else.
You should set your African standards higher!
23 Aug 2010, 16:12 pm
Our Saffas problem is we get inflated heads after achieving momentory success. We had a **** 2008 after winning the WC in 2007. In 2009 we were great and now in 2010? Look at the postings of Keo & Co before the trinations and compare it with now. Before we were next to unbeatable and suddenly we are in crisis. Last year we beat NZ 3 times this year we lose three times. After we beat Aus over there in cricket suddenly we were talking about a new area of SA domination just for them to come and whip us on home soil almost immediately.
This is a blessing in disguise for 2011 where the format of the world cup is such that we will have a chance of taking the trophy and we will hopefully bounce back.
Fact is we do have the resources to be consistent if we take the player depth into account. The success in the S14 shows we have the coaching talent too. That’s what nice about being a Bulls supporter: consistency. They might not win everything but sure as hell will be around the top. Year after year.
If we can only put politics aside on a national level and get the right coaching team (and top management). Who knows we might become more consistant. Like the AB’s. Hats off to them.
23 Aug 2010, 16:15 pm
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-203:
I bet we won’t have to wait another decade to win the Currie Cup though……..
23 Aug 2010, 16:41 pm
What is with the obsession with the “kicking fly halves” in South Africa? The game is rugby, you need to be able to have a good skills set including kicking but kicking should not be your main weapon in your artillery. DAN CARTER has shown us the way, let us follow. NAAS BOTHA IS DEAD.
23 Aug 2010, 16:49 pm
it’s now obvious for all to see. the old guys are tired. they have been weighed and found wanting.
it’s odd how it’s the players from two best S14 teams who are struggeling. bulls and stormers.
emotional/mental or physical issues? building up to something and then coming down. it’s human…..it’s always difficult to get back up to that level, especially if the dynamics around you changes as it would have with the franchise to the national set-up.
bulls players not performing:
vic
bakkies
spies
steyn
wo
stormers players not performing:
flo
ricky
j fourie
habana
i think it’s merely a pendelum effect. next year it’ll be the boks building and playing the part of the underdog (which we do so well with our backs to the wall) and the all blacks with the big red target on their back.
can the all blacks sustain this level of commitment and effort for another 12months? i’m not sure, but sooner or later soemone’s going to catch up.
the pendelum swings…..
23 Aug 2010, 16:50 pm
WE NEED TO TEACH A DIFFERENT BRAND OF RUGBY AT PRIMARY AND AT HIGH SCHOOL. NO.01-15, LIKE THE ALL BLACKS SHOULD BE MOBILE, CATCH THE BALL IN WHICHEVER DIRECTION IT IS THROWN AT WHATEVER SPEED,TACKLE, PASS WHICHEVER DIRECTION, ABILITY TO THINK ON YOUR FEET CAN BE TAUGHT, SIDESTEPPING WOULD BE A BONUS IF SOME RUGBY PLAYERS WERE NOT SO RIGID and hopefully one can be taught to play with passion for a full 80 minutes. STRENGTH AND ENDURENCE CAN BE INCULCATED INTO AN INDIVIDUAL.
23 Aug 2010, 16:54 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck(logie_Jumpbuck)-208: Theres plenty of talent, these guys should be rested
23 Aug 2010, 16:55 pm
@Koobus(Koobus)-209: this is true, that pass from sam whitelock to woodcock was better than any of backs could manage. i was dumbfounded at the skills they posess compared to our mediocre bunch.
23 Aug 2010, 17:03 pm
@Koobus(Koobus)-209:
You mean in the ‘Locations’ and the S. Camps?
23 Aug 2010, 17:08 pm
@toddke(toddke)-190:
Aplon missed/evaded 9 tackles, De Jongh 7, his tackle basically is wrapping around the ankles of the ball carrier or hiting necks of the smaller players, and the cherry on the top, he is ruining Habana’s scoring career which is fine by me
23 Aug 2010, 17:37 pm
205. diewareouboet(diewareouboet) :
100% mate, that’s why I’d rather go to the WC with less expectation than more. SA mentality doesn’t handle a pat on the back too well.
23 Aug 2010, 17:42 pm
@Alli G(Alli G)-147:
I’ll join the gand and agree – Good post mate
23 Aug 2010, 17:45 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-103:
Rofl – that arguement is a lame duck – someone beat Aus and NZ and we beat they people that beat them.
Get over it.
Start hoping you get a WC trophy on home soil because if you don’t we’ll be having a good laugh at your expense.
You really are a sorry man
23 Aug 2010, 17:47 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-103:
When you come with **** like Noakes is a phony and we only won the Wc because we didn;t meet Aus or NZ – my god – we would have killed Aus and possibly given the AB’s a great hiding as well.
Our WC team was awesome.
23 Aug 2010, 17:49 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-55:
You have a decent piont there.
Keo and the gang should eat humble pie.
All their over the top praise (as usual) got to me. Check my posts from those threads.
These same people that are slating us now thought we were teh bees knees a few montsh back.
Go figure
23 Aug 2010, 18:17 pm
Very good piece Keo.
The body language of our captain after the whistle spoke words. If ever he doubted it before, he now knows it is time to hang up his boots and his jersey, including the centurion one, for good.
The harsh but sincere fact is that the Boks were yet again very one-dimensional on attack and uncertain about their offensive blueprint. There were notable improvements in the speed of our ruck ball and the scrumhalf serving the dish. But that is where it stopped.
Our pivot is a major concern and cannot adjust his game to the situation.
We need to smoke out a flyhalf somewhere. I doubt that Butch’ knees will carry him to NZ next year.
Perhaps Eddie was right about Ruan, but he is in a bad place mentally.
Peter Grant?
23 Aug 2010, 18:44 pm
With defences the way they are nowadays the most talented backs with plenty of posession won’t breach it with conventional attack. The last game between Aus and NZ is a good example. Bulls vs WP last game as well.
Broken play gives one a better chance and therefor quick turnover ball is still the best attacking platform. For that you need someone who can turn over ball and can never play without a specialist fetcher.
This Saturday 3 crucial defensive errors cost us: Schalk on Thorne, Habanna coming off his line when Mc Caw Scored and JS when Dagg scored.
In the WC of 2011 it will aqain be defence clinching it. Even if the other side dominates possesion. A flyhalf (and fullback?) who can slot drop goals and rock solid defenders will again be the heroes.
23 Aug 2010, 18:45 pm
@willievz(willievz)-219: aye. Peter Grant is the unluckiest player in SA.
Maybe Skops has an idea when he says play Morne Steyn at 15. Grant at 10.
23 Aug 2010, 18:49 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-221: Perhaps not as farfetched an idea as some might think.
Certainly makes me ponder.
23 Aug 2010, 19:16 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-221: morne is much slower the frans?
eish boet
23 Aug 2010, 19:17 pm
morne steyn was tried a few times at FB for the Bulls and failed each time
the kids a 10
23 Aug 2010, 19:17 pm
Good Article
“..I can’t share the enthusiasm of those who are accepting of this Bok defeat on the basis that it was better than their performances overseas..”
I feel sorry for the Bok supporters and some of the Bok players who had a great game
Hougard
Flip
De Joung
Juan
Burger
Aplon
The BOKS under the current idiot management and Affirmative Action coach are a
F@cking disgrace
I hope the Aussies whip us this week
John Smit is over the hill, he disgraced us
and Spies is a crock
We desperatley need a flyhalf
23 Aug 2010, 19:20 pm
now this i cant understand, kanko has been called in to cover Juan Smith???
Kanko i feel should be starting but not at 8 , he is a 8 why not Vermeulen or Alberts to cover 7?? or Potgieter
23 Aug 2010, 19:27 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-226: If Smiths out I think it’ll be Burger, FLO and Spies with Kanko on the bench. That is the only way it makes sense. Which is not to mean that it’s the way it will happen mind you, it’s just the only way that makes sense
23 Aug 2010, 19:28 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-226: Also PDV won;t easily go outside his current bunch, which means either Kanko or Potties to be called up. Kanko did</i< have a blinder on Saturday..
23 Aug 2010, 19:33 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-228: he did lol but at 8thman
23 Aug 2010, 20:21 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-103:
This must be the biggest lot of rubbish you ever posted on this site.
23 Aug 2010, 20:30 pm
O ja TACKLER may I remind you .
W/C 07 , yes we didnt get to kick the AB’s backside because they were such chokers that they never gave us a oppurtunity to do it.
This is the reason why.
We won Eng twice, which in turn won Aus in the quarters.
And if your memory dont serve you right, may I remind you.
The Boks won Argentina, they won France who kicked the AB’s out in the quarters.
So dont utter the rubbish that we won cause we never played the AB’s
We won cause we were the best!!!!!!!!!!
23 Aug 2010, 20:35 pm
@haaibok(haaibok)-231: I think you are in deep trouble with the grammar police soon.
23 Aug 2010, 20:37 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-232:
23 Aug 2010, 20:40 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-233: Hello Pops. Your team are looking really great right now. Power & pace.
I hope you haven’t peaked too early again.
We are just lulling you all in to a fall sense of security.
23 Aug 2010, 20:44 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-234: Hey Soda…
if not for a fortuitous call with Ritchee’s try then we all may be talking a completely different topic, so while the boys are playing well, I still believe they are building… (fingers crossed) lol
though one could also ask, was 2009 the year the Bokke team peaked?
23 Aug 2010, 20:49 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-232:
life…
without parole..
23 Aug 2010, 20:50 pm
@gunther(gunther)-236: and a big blackboard.
23 Aug 2010, 20:53 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-235: Honestly. We have athletes who are completely buggered, and a 1-dimensional game-plan.
Both those things can and will be fixed.
I will say Boks Vs All Blacks – hard to beat for intensity and classic rivalry. Rugby is a hard sport, physically & emotionally. I take my hat off to every one of those guys who puts his body on the line for 80 minutes plus 8 minutes of injury time.
23 Aug 2010, 20:55 pm
your time has come …
Mon 23 Aug 2010, 08:29 (9) 31 Comment(s) Email article Share
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Better from the Boks, it has to be said, and it was great to see Juan de Jongh and Francois Hougaard perform as if they were born to play Test rugby. Juan Smith was herculean in his return to the national side while Gio Aplon added a real touch of excitement to the Bok attack.
And were it not for a controversial TMO call and a missed forward pass, the Boks might even have beaten, or at least drawn, with the best side in the world …
But this was at home, on the Highveld, and it was their fourth defeat from four outings. It’s actually not good enough and something needs to be done …
It’s time for Peter de Villiers and the Bok management to take responsibility for the state of the team.
Bryan Habana came off his defensive line, yet again, to gift the All Blacks a try. Jean de Villiers did the same thing when he was playing wing, so it’s clearly an instruction. The Bok defense is in tatters!
Again the use of the bench was embarrassingly inept. While the All Blacks brought on fresh legs at times that made sense, the Boks subbed their best player (Smith) and left three players on the bench. Does De Villiers not trust his bench or does he have no clue? Sure it was Smit’s 100th Test, but it should have been Ralepelle finishing the game …
As pointed out by Kiwi coach, Graham Henry, the Boks look to be unfit and as such finished the game poorly … Throw in the lack of bench finesse and the last 20 minutes of a Bok Test are a train smash waiting to happen. Anyone remember that first test against the Lions?
Often, including in the final move of the game, the Boks lost control of the ball in the tackle.
Pierre Spies had yet another insignificant match. This while Duane Vermeulen and Ryan Kankowski were dueling it out against each in a Currie Cup game.
The Boks again started a test match without a fetcher and thus came second at the breakdown.
How can the coach and selectors possibly defend the decision to select Ricky Januarie for the first seven Tests of the season before giving Francois Hougaard his first start?
John Smit at tighthead, the selections of Earl Rose, Ashley Johnson and Davon Raubenheimer, taking forever to eventually select Morne Steyn and Heinrich Brussow, the public clown persona given his ridiculous chirps to the media …
hmmm….
23 Aug 2010, 21:01 pm
@gunther(gunther)-239: Honestly Shunts, this is a basic management issue.
We should have rested key players during the Italy games, at least.
We need players who can last 80 minutes or have a quality bench that can play 40 minutes.
We need a serious injection of pace. De Jongh, Aplon, Frankie are all a positive injection.
But the management is rubbish. All of them including the “fitness” coach.
23 Aug 2010, 21:01 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-238: nothing comes remotely close in rugby terms Soda… was a test match of the highest quality, and have already stated on this thread I dont think either team deserved to lose.
I do too mate, there will be some very sore bodies this week on both sides…
I think the physicality, the intensity have been whats kept the rivalry so strong, no other team tests either of our teams the same way… Ive said it often on this blog, a strong SA is nothing but good for NZ rugby..
23 Aug 2010, 21:07 pm
#225 BOKSARENUMBER4 I agree with you the 3 stooges are a f#####g disgrace,they should come and watch the game with the bok fans who pay good money to watch their team getting beaten again and hear what the fans think of the team`s performances and about their management of the boks it would make them think again.
23 Aug 2010, 21:10 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-241: I think the World Cup is going to be particularly interesting. Never in the history of the tournament have some many teams the potential to win it.
NZ are obviously favorites – home ground, and simple stats make that obvious.
But
France
SA
Australia
then
England will be strong again.
Wales & Argentina are no lightweights.
Italy, Fiji, Samoa, Scotland – all can play the game.
It’s going be a magnificent spectacle.
23 Aug 2010, 21:26 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-243: cant argue with that assesment at all mate…
Ireland I think may be the best of the NH after France, though will never rule out England (they seem to ONLY play rugby every 4 years
)..
I still hope a SH side can win the thing again, I like the fact that the SH has dominated the eventual winners… adds a lot of weight to the 3Ns and the S15 being the premier comps..
cant wait for it to start myself…
23 Aug 2010, 21:32 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-244: Ireland should be in the group with France, Boks, Aus. But I just can’t see them winning it for soem reason.
I think France could very well win it for NH, playing AB’s in the final, after beating us in semi’s. I think it works something like that? Not the result the match ups.
23 Aug 2010, 21:37 pm
@diewareouboet(diewareouboet)-205:
Injuries to so many of the 2009 Boks hasn’t helped mate. By the time the senior guys are rested for the end of season tour, it’ll be next year before we see the “real” Boks again. 18 months since we saw them last.
23 Aug 2010, 21:42 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-245: Ireland got no front row.Strong from 2/4-15 with a few good bench players too.Tighthead biggest prob and cant see any solution with whats around
23 Aug 2010, 21:44 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-245: I dont think Ireland will get there either, but they could very well spring an upset or two… I think it will be one of the usual 5 suspects to win it..
Fra/SA/NZ would be my favourites
Aus/Eng would be good outside chances (at this point in time)
winner of our pool will eventually meet you guys in the semis if everything goes to script.. 2nd in our pool gets the Eng/Aus side of the draw assuming no major upsets..
which side would I prefer… hehe well an AB/bokke final would be the ultimate…
23 Aug 2010, 21:47 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-248: A SA NZ final in NZ. ***** Bells. I think we would both choke!
23 Aug 2010, 21:48 pm
So H ells is a ***** offence.
23 Aug 2010, 21:52 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-249: could you imagine keo the week of the final? hahaha not sure it would be the sanest of places to visit
23 Aug 2010, 21:57 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-251: Ah Keo. An anthropological treasure.
23 Aug 2010, 22:00 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-252: finishing work Soda, enjoy…
yes, keo, where opinion is king, regardless of the accuracy..
cheers
23 Aug 2010, 22:02 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-253: adieu.
23 Aug 2010, 22:03 pm
Blood sucking vampires all out, feasting on an injured Springbok carcass, enjoy for the moment will surely pass away
This Bok will stand and be counted when it matters most
23 Aug 2010, 22:05 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-253: Sure is better than Silverfern
23 Aug 2010, 22:09 pm
Now we need some of the young ones to be picked and snotklap Australia
23 Aug 2010, 22:16 pm
Its time for new blood…
Smit has to call it time…he has served his nation with distinction and he should be remembered for that, not these last four defeats and a mistackle.
Frans Steyn should play full back…de Jongh should start again as he brings energy and passion. Fourie and JDV combination is stale and sterile…Habana is out of form…he has been given too many chances. If Mapoe is fit get him in, otherwise how about Gerhard van den Heever? Spies should be dropped. Vermuelen should come in. Flip did well. Stick with him. I think Matfield should remain for the next two games. No choice especially since Bekker is out.
I see an opportunity for Butchie…
My team for this weekends game
Beast
Smit
Du Plessis
Flip
Matfield
Smith
Burger
Rossouw (No.8)
Hougaard
James
De Jongh
JDV
Habana
Pieterson
Steyn
God bless Africa
23 Aug 2010, 22:23 pm
@Bhupendra du Solanky2(Bhupendra du Solanky2)-258: Maybe Steyn could have an extended run St flyhalf
Vermeulen is only worth a try, he does not look like package, maybe Willem Alberts should get a run
Wingers, Mapoe has not played for a while so maybe get Shadow in
23 Aug 2010, 22:47 pm
Just one comment from me today: whatever happens, the ABs must be the outight favourites going into RWC 2011.
That is a not-negotiable for me.
It must virtually be impossible for them not to take the Cup in 2011.
So far everything is going according to plan.
I’m happy with 2010 because the Boks would not have benefited from a successful 2010 campaign.
Now they have to ask the uncomfortable questions, about conditioning, combinations, depth. It must sound like someone who is in denial, but I’m telling you NOW we will see the value of these depths of despair next year, when it matters most, on the big stage.
We have harvested good players in 2010, much like in 2009: M Steyn, Brussow.
The early part of the season will afford all these players to lift themselves just that 15-20% per player which is what we need right now.
I would not even be too concerned if we lose against the Aussies twice in a row, altho that is not the preferred route.
23 Aug 2010, 23:05 pm
When former All Black halfback Justin Marshall left for England five years ago, a litre of petrol cost about $1.30.
He remembers a flat white coffee costing about $3 and a beer at his local about $6.
But since his return to New Zealand about a month ago, Marshall has noticed his British pounds are not going as far as he had hoped.
“I think five years ago you could get a coffee for around $3 or $3.50 but I wouldn’t think there would be many places you’d get one for under $4,” he said.
“Petrol is now close to $1.80 a litre and if you’re drinking quality lagers in a pub, a lot of the bars are charging up towards the $10 mark.
“It’s expensive and something you can’t help but notice.”
Marshall, 36, agreed with rugby correspondent Peter Bills that New Zealand was an expensive country – and not just for visitors.
Bills – sounding a caution ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup – said the prices of everyday articles had “horrified” him and Kiwis were “victims of massive overcharging”.
%3Cbody%3E%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22adDiv%22%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//ads.apn.co.nz/accipiter/adclick/CID%3Dfffffffcfffffffcfffffffc/aamsz%3D440X400/POS%3DPOS2/SR%3D1/acc_random%3D1852688872/pageid%3D56591565170/site%3DNZH/area%3DSEC.NATIONAL.STY/keyword%3Dnz%20expensive%20says%20black%20destination%20zealand%20rugby%20world%20cup%20tourism%20leisure%20industries%20personal%20finance%20business%20sport%20travel%20former%20halfback%20justin%20marshall%20left%20england%20five%20years%20ago%20litre%20petrol%20cost%20remembers%20flat%20white%20coffee%20costing%22%20target%3D_top%3E%3Cimg%20src%3D%22http%3A//apn-images.adbureau.net/apn/accipiter/images/AE1.gif%22%20alt%3D%22%22%20border%3D0%20%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E
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CCID: 31622
He said New Zealand was becoming “one giant rip-off”.
Marshall, an 81-test All Black who is now a Sky TV rugby comments man, said his rugby friends had also warned him that the cost of living had become higher in New Zealand than in Britain.
“All of my mates who had come home kept saying to me that I needed to be aware that the expense of living in New Zealand is something you really have to take into account … It really has become an expensive country to live in.”
He said his weekly grocery spend in Britain was between £150 and £200 ($323-$431) to feed his family of five.
Here, the bill is $400 to $500 a week.
“I’ve really noticed it with things like cheese, milk and bread and butter … When I was in the UK I bought a leg of imported New Zealand lamb for 17 quid [$36.60]. I bought the same thing here and it was close to $40.
“Even when you take the exchange rate into account, it still costs more to buy our own meat here.”
New Zealand Beef & Lamb chief executive Rod Slater said Marshall was “pretty much on the mark” and said prices for export lamb in Britain, our biggest market, were generally “on a par” with prices here.
Mr Slater said this parity was partly because of New Zealanders paying GST on food whereas consumers in Britain did not. “So that’s 12.5 per cent right there.
“The other thing is a huge part of the lamb sold in the UK is frozen, whereas we get it fresh here. Our currencies have come closer together as well. I mean, not long ago it was $3 to one pound; now it’s two to one, so that has made a difference, too.”
Marshall said retailers, hoteliers and people in the hospitality industry were in a Catch-22 situation with next year’s Rugby World Cup looming.
But he agreed with Cup chief executive Martin Snedden, who expressed concerns that rorting visitors could damage the country’s reputation.
“You want people to come to NZ and see it for what it is,” Marshall said, “but in the same breath we want to make money … It’s an opportunity to maximise businesses and maximise what New Zealand has to offer and people are going to be here anyway.
“It’s very difficult to pull away from that opportunity when it is so evidently going to be in your face but you want those people who come here to go back to the UK and not talk about how difficult they found it to find cheap hotels or how expensive it was to go out for dinner.”
Despite the exorbitant cost of living, Marshall says there is a flip side and has no regrets that he and his family are back living in Christchurch.
“I have realised how much better New Zealand is in terms of family life and amazing scenery and just how good the people are here. It’s an amazingly beautiful country and I don’t think when you live here you realise how lucky we are.”
**********************************************************
Cut the prices New Zealand, dont rip us off if/when we get there. Listen to Justin Marshall.
24 Aug 2010, 00:54 am
Right, to win the biggest games, you need a better squad.
One of each type in each position
E.g Spies + Vermeulen – Kanko too much like Spies
Bruger + Brussouw
A squad that could do this
15. Gio Aplon / Frans Steyn
14. JP Pietersen / Bjorn Basson
13. Jaque Fourie / Juan De Jongh
12. Jean De Villiers / Meyer Bosman or Waylon Murray
11. Bryan Habana / Francois Hougaard
10. Morne Steyn / Peter Grant
9. Fourie Du Preez / Jano Vermaak
8. Pierre Spies / Duane Vermeulen
7. Juan Smith / Francois Louw
6. Schalk Burger / Heindrich Brussouw
5. Victor Matfield / Andries Bekker
4. Danie Russouw / Bakkies Botha
3. BJ Botha / CJ Van Der Linde
2. Bismark Du Plessis / Tiaan Liebenberg
1. Tendai Mtawarira / Coenie Oosthuzien
24 Aug 2010, 01:30 am
EOYT:
15. Gio Aplon
14. Bjorn Basson
13. Juan De Jongh
12. Waylon Murray
11. Francois Hougaard
10. Peter Grant
9. Jano Vermaak
8. Duane Vermeulen
7. Francois Louw
6. Heindrich Brussouw
5. Andries Bekker
4. Adriaan Fondse
3. CJ Van Der Linde
2. Bismark Du Plessis
1. Tendai Mtawarira
16. Tiaan Liebenberg
17. Coenie Oosthuzyen
18. Juandre Kruger
19. Dewaldt Potgieter
20. Meyer Bosman
21. Elton Janjtes
22. Lionel Mapoe
23. Gary Botha
24. Jannie Du Plessis
25. Francois Viljoen
26. Willem Alberts
27. Ricky Januarie
28. Patrick Lambie
29. Gerhard Van Den Heever
30. Riaan Viljoen
24 Aug 2010, 04:23 am
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-260: Epic fail as a copy-and-paste!
24 Aug 2010, 04:29 am
@haaibok(haaibok)-231: You don’t WIN an opponent, pilgrim. You BEAT them. And, yes, even in Afrikaans — you don’t WEN an opponent, you KLOP them.
Pay attention at the back of your Standard 5 class, pilgrim. You don’t want to grow up one day and still be so stupid. It’s not a good look. People laugh at you.
24 Aug 2010, 05:41 am
We have the players, its been that way since Jake White ran the show, thats always been clear. But the way team selections, tactics and decisions have gone… We just dont have respectable coaches. Heyneke Meyer better be the coach post World Cup.
24 Aug 2010, 06:38 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-265: You are showing no mercy today.
24 Aug 2010, 07:18 am
Time to bring in the youngsters. This should be the starting lineup once all fit.
1. Beast
2. Bismarck
3. Kruger
4. Bakkies
5. Bekker (c)
6. Brussouw
7. Smith
8. Burger
9. Du Preez
10. Lambie
11. Hougaard
12. De Jongh
13. Fourie
14. JPP
15. Frans
Old men subs:
Liebenberg
Gunthro
Victor
Louw
Jean
Ruan
Aplon/Habana
24 Aug 2010, 08:18 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-265:
Tackler, you can get quite personal , you like to attack a writer of a post.
Maar my vriend ek is n boerseun, en BAIE TROTS daarop. Engels is my 2de taal.
TACKLER, maybe you know whats this means.
4MY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND
CHOKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND YOUR BELOVED all blacks WILL SUFFOCATE IN THE W/C.
This , hiding the BOKS were giving this year will be the catalyst they needed to take them to glory. Same as what GH said about the hiding they were dished out last year, thats why they peak once again 12 mths ahaed of schedule.
Its so nice to hear Tim Noakes on yes an Afrikaans radio station , staing that you can not maintain the condition the AB’s are right now for the next 12 mths. So I predict , they will run out of steam come the Semi’s, in the 75 min. AGAIN AS USUAL
24 Aug 2010, 11:03 am
@Mike H(Mike H)-164:
Mike and Haaibok
I know, I know, you won 3-0 last year, and I would have been the first to shake your hands. Well done on that. They were quite simply some of the most fantastic games I had ever seen.
The Bokke won last year because they were awesome, not because we were missing Cater, MacCaw, our coach was a muppet/puppet or because the refs were disfavouring us.
I agree Haaibok, I suspect politics interferes with all levels of your game. It is tragic. Just a thought… do you think NZ should be boycotting SA rugby right now because of their quota system? This is blatant racism, and we have boycotted the Springboks in the past for this.
24 Aug 2010, 16:47 pm
I never thought I would open this can of worms, but here goes:
Perhaps we were not as inefficient with Smit at 3 and Bismarck at 2 as we thought.
24 Aug 2010, 21:00 pm
Springboks brand of rugby is to honest! They need to catch a wake up and start playing the way the cousins on the other side of the water is doing it.
You must play obstruction rugby! It is vital that this part of their game improves. It is the only sane way to get overlaps & holes in the oppositions defense. These decoy runners in front of the ball basically rips defense lines to shreds, the Springboks are the only clowns that have not caught onto this!
Speed up the attack! The useless officials cannot keep up with the pace of the game especially the side that attacks, forward passes will not be picked up that often because the officials just cannot watch, breath & keep up all at the same time.
Make a human barrier to protect your back 3 from up & under’s. Very important to turn your back onto the attacking player chasing the ball & turn the speed down to a jog, this will give the officials ample time to catch up with the game & in the event where your player is caught by some miracle it gives the ref an opportunity to blow the tackler up for not giving the ball carrier enough daylight to place the ball.
Watch the ref at the breakdowns, the moment he checks behind him that the offside lines are in check you must then go in as quickly as possible from the side to disrupt the attacking ball. By the time that the official has turned his eye back to the breakdown he would have thought you have come through the gate & allow you to continue with your ball spoiling shenanigans.
For pete’s sake why gang tackle the ball carrier 5 meters backwards with 3 players if none of the tacklers can contest the ball before getting back to their feet before attacking the ball again. This is nonsense, only value is that it looks spectacular & some spectators will have some bar talk afterwards ,it is brainless rugby as it takes 2 defenders out of the game and creates overlaps wide.
Read my lips, defending players are not allowed to play the player or ball on the ground!
Why does South African rugby players at all levels insist on keeping the opposition ball carrier on their feet, while they wait for more defending players to drive the attacking player backwards. This is nonsense, you are waisting energy, you are giving the opposition more time to get more numbers to the ball. Get the ball carrier to the ground asap, he has to place & release the ball asap. Get a vulture like player that always runs on the shoulder of the defender to steal the ball – do not both go for the man!!!
If the Springboks do not adapt to the above, they will loose more, more often against the cousins from over the water than they will win.
All is not lost – adapt or keep on loosing!
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