Boks rebound but not revived
28 Aug 2010
RYAN VREDE writes that the Springboks salvaged some pride in a 44-31 victory over Australia, but it only serves to plaster over the cracks in this team.
Doubtless there will be those who speak of the team having turned the corner. But such assertions are foolish. Since when have Australia, on the highveld, been an accurate measure of the Springboks? Heavyweights pit themselves against world-class heavyweights to establish their standing. The Wallabies in Pretoria are nothing more than super-middleweights – albeit ones who were allowed to punch above their weight for too long, squandering a 21-7 lead.
The scoreline suggests a classic, but don’t be fooled. This was one of the most inept defensive performances in Tri-Nations history, with both sides exhibiting the resistant qualities of a weathered, old barn door and the intensity of touch rugby players at the tackle point.
The Springboks were certainly the worse of the two for much of the contest, conceding four tries in the first half alone, three of them thanks to defensive incompetence of the very highest order. A year ago these same players were defensive giants, granitic in nature. Now they’re being dwarfed by an ordinary outfit.
Certainly the lack of a specialist openside flanker to stem the Wallabies’ attacking flow was a factor – coach Peter de Villiers’ selections exposed once more. Fatigue is another. You only get a sense of just how poorly conditioned some in this Bok side are when you see live how props Gurthro Steenkamp and Jannie du Plessis crawl from ruck to ruck, or how John Smit sucked in the highveld air like he was trying to drink wet concrete through a straw. His ongoing value as a player was illuminated when he was replaced by Chiliboy Ralepelle, who was very, very impressive.
There were those who stood out, Juan Smith the best of them yet again, but a better side (read New Zealand) would have demolished the Boks.
Barring some touches of class, their attacking play was equally woeful, lacking in creativity it was a hideous hybrid of inaccurate bombs – Frans Steyn the worst offender – and rudderless ball-in-hand play. That they scored five tries was more a reflection of a feeble and often generous effort from the visitors, than it was a polished attacking performance.
The Springboks fell behind 14-0 just seven minutes into the match, Will Genia profiting from a slipped tackle from the centurion Victor Matfield (it’s a curse), before Kurtley Beale danced through the midfield as if he were pitted against club rugby players, his run culminating in a try for James O’Connor.
The ease with which Juan Smith scored a minute later suggested defence wasn’t a priority for either side, but an elementary blunder from Bryan Habana directly from the restart saw O’Connor swoop on the loose ball to grab his brace.
When Gurthro Steenkamp rumbled over from a simple lineout drive and Morne Steyn added to two conversions with a 55m penalty, the Boks were back in business. But they then conceded a turnover on the Wallabies’ 22m and seconds later Robbie Deans’ charges’ were 28-17 up, Dean Mumm cantering over, leaving Giteau with an easy conversion.
Francois Hougaard crafted a try for Pierre Spies seven minutes before the break to keep the Boks in touch at 28-24, and when they managed to string together their best passage of play just thereafter – thanks in most part to displaying a level of control through the phases they hadn’t prior to that – one sensed the tide had turned.
Morne Steyn and Giteau exchanged penalties, before Frans Steyn touched down in the corner in the Boks’ best-structured try of the match. The Boks absorbed significant pressure and summoned some defensive solidity to deny the Wallabies, before Frans Steyn landed a long-range penalty to give them a six-point lead going into the closing stages.
Under pressure the Wallabies became increasingly cavalier, easing the defensive burden on the Boks and allowing them opportunities to have a crack at the breakdown. They effected a turnover with a minute to go and a couple of phases later JP Pietersen clinched the match.
Again a victory over a weak Australian side at altitude gains De Villiers a reprieve. But perspective must be maintained. The cracks are patent. This Wallaby team was just too poor, too inexperienced, to take advantage.
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567 Comments
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29 Aug 2010, 17:02 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-494: Sounds like the government departments
29 Aug 2010, 17:07 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-498:
At Soccer City during the SWC, I mentally drew out the plans for a rugby field and came to conclusion that the dead ball area would be minute. And that’s exactly want transpired as per last week’s test.
And were the cricket authorities consulted? Weren’t we all talking or thinking about multi-purpose stadiums post SWC?
I’ve for a while maintained that project management is a fantastic qualification with plenty of employment opportunities. Building a stadium means taking a 30 year view or more with running costs, revenue streams built in.
A real mess.
What do you do with Newlands or Kings Park – another shopping mall for ffs or a parkade.
Yeah, goodthing, enough to make you puke.
29 Aug 2010, 17:07 pm
And Harold from Freestate needs a solid runningfuckslap.
29 Aug 2010, 17:07 pm
gyg2
going to be ghost stadiums, dunno what the cost of a modern stadium is but seems crazy
29 Aug 2010, 17:09 pm
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-502: Moses has miles and miles of space, they could play 2 tests at the same time on that pitch.
Makes for no atmosphere, you can’t see the ball and rugby, unlike soccer is a sport where you need to be close to know what is going on.
29 Aug 2010, 17:11 pm
One thing tho that huge bugger where they played the test last week was an astounding atmosphere, made loftus seem like a popgun, I wonder if any rugby test has seen a crowd of 94,000?
29 Aug 2010, 17:13 pm
@cab(cab)-493:
That’s why we need a core of yougsters now with test match experience.
Rest the older guys next Saturday. We want to avoid a situation like in 2007 in the match against Tonga. The reserves bench was emptied at half-time with all the experienced guys coming on. And we had to hang on for dear life.
I don’t want to go through that again. That’s why I say give the younsters 3N experience now and rest the older Boks in Bloem.
It’ll stand us in good stead in the long run.
29 Aug 2010, 17:14 pm
@cab(cab)-504: Costs are going to be in excess of 3 million a month I believe. Why would you pay that when your own stadium is free?
Plus, SARU don’t run match days so they may take the profit, but by the time they have outsourced everything it will be a mess. Drinks, catering, suites that are shells, etc etc. Are they going to transport a crew from venue to venue or are they going to emply a full time crew at the new stadiums or what. Who will clean up, who will do security, who will do ticket sales, who will organise safety security, etc etc.
Sounds like another recipe for disaster. SARU are a bunch of muppets.
29 Aug 2010, 17:16 pm
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-507: Actually mate, I’d quite prefer the younger guys to carry on playing for their provinces.
This Bok team is going to get worse, keep the CCup exciting.
29 Aug 2010, 17:22 pm
Stormer
yeah, I have no problem with resting the players for next week, except I don’t think the coaches will cos they don’t like to lose at home, we still don’t even know if they will actually rest anywhere on the eoy grandslam tour – however if they don’t rest these players I think we can kiss rwc2011 goodbye – these older okes need a long rest. And yes you are right if a few of the younger okes put their hands up, it’s only going to make squad and depth stronger.
gyg2
sounds like madness hopefully costs were factored into account of rwc profits, otherwise seems huge money drain – should have spent on housing and hospitals and education rather, but perhaps world cup needed all the stadia and profits covered them.
29 Aug 2010, 17:30 pm
@cab(cab)-506: Abs vs Aussie has had 100 thousand people..
at the MCG.. might even be 110000..
29 Aug 2010, 17:37 pm
Pops
Oh yes the mcg is used, they still play rugby tests there?
PS: I think the Bokkies going go make you okes cry big tears next year.
29 Aug 2010, 17:37 pm
we can do what south korea did after the 2002 world cup in their country, and demolish the stadiums
29 Aug 2010, 17:43 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-511:
The game played in heaven. At Stadium Australia. In front of 110,000 and 2 billion watching world wide.
NZ up 24 – 0 after 10 minutes.
Half time 24 – 24.
NZ won 39 – 34.
From Andre Watson’s book who happened to ref that game.
29 Aug 2010, 17:43 pm
This has got to be the crappest article i’ve read on Keo for a long long time. There are a lot of things that go into making a succesful rugby team including the balance, confidence and skills in the team. Once that balance is destroyed for any number of reasons teams can go on a poor run as we saw what happened to the AB’s and the Ozzies when they had their injuries.
So what happens in SA is that we start our 3N’s on the road, get the logistics wrong by flying our players in on different flights just after a gruelling super14 final, filled with injuries to the squad, have 2 players Yellow carded and lose badly. The 2nd and 3rd tests also get disrupted due to yellow cards and suspensions and the balance in the team goes out the back door as does the confidence.
We come back to SA and after some rest put in a better performance but we are still lacking some combinations, Midfield, scrumhalf/flyhalf is new, back 3 is a new combo and the flyhalf has no kicking back up. What happens is that we put in a brilliant effort for 77 minutes , make 1 or 2 wrong decisions against a brilliant AB team on the day and we lose.
Then its onto the Ozzies and we see the side go behind by 2 tries after 4 minutes and they don’t panick but claw their way back to him. What does it for them is the confidence they have in each other and the combinations. Morne is free from the encunberance of being the only kicker in the side, and he also has an established midfield combination on his outside. Hougaard feeds off Mornes confidence and that impacts on the rest of the team. The tight five start to fire in the lineouts and after scoring the first from the 2nd or 3rd move from a set piece the confidence in the scrums is there.
Don’t forget we are playing a side that dominated possession against the AB’s in New Zealand but without their playmaker in Cooper couldn’ convert to points and they also beat us in Oz. So instead of looking at what this team has achieved on the day there is talk of cracks in the squad etc. I tell you I’m tired of the one dimensional thinking that comes into the writing here. The perspective that is shown is always from a point of view of wanting to criticise 1 or 2 players rather than reviewing what it is that is missing from the team dynamic and plan and the resources available. PDV and his team have had to experiment and some of it hasn’t come off but anybody who has played in a rugby team knows that there are certain combinations that when they are settled and confident in each other can make a team fire. Conversely when you have to make more than 1 or 2 changes it can dramatically affect the performance
Give credit where it is due. That was a good and dynamic Oz team with ball in hand that was beaten with 4 well worked tries.
29 Aug 2010, 17:45 pm
That’s pretty interesting trannie, wonder if sa don’t do the same
all I know is our kiwi brethrren on here are going to be crying rivers of tears in nz, we will have to setup a hotline on keo or something. Cap’n fanny will be rarer then that smelly parot they have on the south island
29 Aug 2010, 17:50 pm
@cab(cab)-512: yeah they still play them there, like in NZ and SA stadia have turns to host tests… last 3Ns is in Sydney, trying to organise a few people to get along to the game…
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-514: I remember that game vividly, as you can imagine at frac12; time I wasnt too happy..
29 Aug 2010, 17:50 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-517: eish.. should be 1/2 time..
29 Aug 2010, 17:53 pm
½
29 Aug 2010, 17:56 pm
Cane will take the loss in his stride with a congratulations and a few mutterings over bakkies
NZINCHINA will mutter his discontents but probably
Hurricane will blame the ref and commisioned a four thosand page dossier
Poppa will blame the ref and commision a 6000 page dossier and an execution of the coach
Cap’n Fanny will strut around like a prize bantamcock all thru the tournament unt the Abs get knocked out when he will go into hibernation for 2 years
ricane – will argue he was right about henry’s flaws all along and continue to bemoan the loss of deans
black panther – will either slit his wrists or have to cop bowl after bowl after humble **** pie
29 Aug 2010, 17:57 pm
@cab(cab)-520: that bowl after bowl of humble pie, seems it has been well baked in SA this year, lots of people with pie ALL over their faces..
29 Aug 2010, 17:58 pm
And AiDoc will howl at the moon and blame the English or kaplan
29 Aug 2010, 18:08 pm
521 Popps yip strange that, oh well, always good to get the ABs confidence up a year out.
Forgot Stodders – who will look for excuses as to why the ABs are actually better than the Boks despite being soundly beaten, and continue to mantain he is a proud Scotsman despite dressing in black for every game
29 Aug 2010, 18:12 pm
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-497: This is madness. The Lions probably made 40 million from hosting a test match at soccer city before deductions, more double what the FS can make at their stadium and now the clowns at SARU wants to get their grubby fingers on more cash – their excuse share the love between all 14 unions.
Never, screw the small guys and screw Vester and the FS if they agree to this socialist bullcrap.
29 Aug 2010, 18:14 pm
@cab(cab)-523: indeed, because SA have stopped the ABs in the last 3 WCs havent they?
oh hang on..
29 Aug 2010, 18:16 pm
@cab(cab)-523: keep crying Cab, its such a great look
3-0 doot doot doodle oodle oot doot do do
hows that humble pie tasting Cab? a full 3 servings full too… must be hard to swallow huh?
29 Aug 2010, 18:22 pm
Popps yip, but we actually had you at 4-0 and that’s not including the baabaas, which is a tentative 5-zipper. I’m glad the ABs have recovered some ballast, it’s not pretty to see a sinkiing AB ship, but am afraid when it comes to the big occasions we both know how the Bokke step up.
29 Aug 2010, 18:25 pm
@RedLion is born again(RL)-524:
It is madness. The Big 4 need to stand together and bring Verster into the fold. Majority vote in SA Rugby scares me. It’s like the tail wagging the dog.
But then again tickets for Saturday’s test in Bloem are moving slowly.
The guys in Bloem need to put their hands in their pockets if they want regular tests there.
29 Aug 2010, 18:27 pm
@cab(cab)-527: still clinging to that baabaas game Cab? a non-test, exhibition match you claim as a SA win? bwahahaha
4-0? how Cab, including one game from the previous year is it? was that the game AFTER Newlands when the 3Ns was already won in 08? yep, you guys sure step up in the big games.. like the BIG occassion at soccer city?
desperation indeed…
29 Aug 2010, 18:31 pm
Was at the game again thought we made lostsa mistakes but won ugly which is all we wanted to do after throwing the game last week which we should have won. Must say I have really enjoyed this rugby trip back to SA and really enjoyed the Sa rugby fans we really know how to have a great jol around rugby
29 Aug 2010, 18:32 pm
@cab(cab)-527:
3 weeks to prepare
the captains 100th test match
the advantage of altitude
90000 rabid fans, who left disappointed by the way… never have I seen such a big crowd silenced so easily
yep
you phuckers sure STEP up for the big games..
29 Aug 2010, 18:32 pm
@RedLion is born again(RL)-524: @I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-528:
Hi guys, I don’t think it’s such a bad idea. The smaller unions aare mostly bankrupt and need the money to keep the game alive in their areas. Why should the major provinces cream the money from the Tests, as well?
29 Aug 2010, 18:33 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-503: Harold Verster – the free state’s biggest weakness.
Moet BAIE hard ge-DONNER word.
29 Aug 2010, 18:38 pm
531 Popps
yeah but how lucky were you? A breakaway try and an illegal try in the space of 5 mins, but do you see the bokke commissioning 2000 page reports. Nope, you boys can learn something from such humility, cowboys don’t cry.
29 Aug 2010, 18:41 pm
@cab(cab)-534: humility..
right, I forgot..
“4-0″
“SA should only play the CC until AB rugby is good enough again”
“NZ rugby is k@k”
“its good they won, they have a WC here next year and maybe it will help them sell seats”
“a declaration of war”
humility indeed, its just them damn conspiracies that keep popping up…
crying about a forward pass Cab, now imagine its a WC 1/4 final..
I see SA has a new lead clown, take a bow Pogliaci
hey, at least in the BIG ganes against Fiji, you did indeed stand up… be proud!
29 Aug 2010, 18:42 pm
Actually the Great One might have decided to throw the games against nz cos he is thinking of the bigger picture – lose the battle but win the war – like Sun Tzu or something.
Brilliant.
29 Aug 2010, 18:44 pm
@cab(cab)-534: thats funny cab, cowboys dont cry..
could have fooled me, thats all youve done in your posts today brokeback..
cowboys just go aan and aan about conspiracies, and even get the head of their union to show humility when levelling accusations…
keep crying brokeback…
29 Aug 2010, 18:57 pm
@David(David)-532:
Hi David.
The bigger stadiums obviously generate the revenue which SARU ensures the smaller unions obtain a part.
But now they want to start dishing it out before the money has been made.
The WPRU own Newlands outright so they will have to recompensed.
And I know the smaller unions want their pound of flesh particularly when they become feeder unions for the major franchises.
But I have a problemm when tickets are moving slowly in Bloem and they still want/demand tests on an annual basis.
29 Aug 2010, 19:03 pm
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-538:
If you read Versters comment, he said that he’d be happy to take the extra cash and just host a second level test match a year.
29 Aug 2010, 19:11 pm
What a goal from Messi – the is too much quality stuff on tv. Live matches from La Liga, Bundes Liga, FA premier league, Frog rugga, Pom rugga and of course the Currie Cup. My eyes are sore from all of this sport.
29 Aug 2010, 19:13 pm
@RedLion is born again(RL)-540: that was awesome, the quality of the – defence splitting pass – from andres iniesta!!!
29 Aug 2010, 19:13 pm
@David(David)-539: Mighty Whites 6, Yellow Belly Canaries 7′th. Same goal diffs. But we are more handsome I fink.
29 Aug 2010, 19:16 pm
@David(David)-539:
I understand that but the bigger unions are the lifeblood of SA rugby and hence have bigger overheads.
And then SARU will have to ensure that they have the expertise to host a rugby test.
As things stand in the administration, i don’t think they could organise a piss-up in a brewery.
And the ultimate irony is that it is about a yet-to-be-drafted document.
Hopefully sanity will prevail.
29 Aug 2010, 19:21 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-541: indeed awesome stuff form the world champions.
29 Aug 2010, 19:52 pm
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-538: They creating a mess. A large mess. They forget where they get their Springboks from… the bigger Unions might suddenly play their Boks instead of resting them… make life very difficult for the Boks. Losing millions as happened to the Sharks this year isn’t healthy.
SARU have their heads up their as$ses
29 Aug 2010, 20:00 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-545:
The analogy that comes to mind for me is the European Union financial crisis.
Why should the German taxpayers fork out for a debt problem in Greece or Spain or Portugal. Would they? Of course not.
I see exactly the same situation here. Who advised these schmucks? Julius.
29 Aug 2010, 20:22 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-515: Good post. We beat a good Aussie side and showed character to come back from behind. Positives for me is how quickly Hougaard adapted. We do not have to be too concerned for life after Fdp.
Butch also showed he can stand in for MS if required.
29 Aug 2010, 20:55 pm
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-542:
Yeah, you also had a 17 point lead in January this year. Your guys make the ABs look like amateurs when it comes to choking.
29 Aug 2010, 21:47 pm
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-543: Sanity, in SARU? You and I both know that’s not possible.
Compensation for all Unions is going to be interesting, who draws the fans, who develops talent.
29 Aug 2010, 21:55 pm
@Zandberg Jansen(Zandberg Jansen)-10:
” Brilliant Boks ”
LMAO
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