‘That performance won’t win a World Cup’
28 Aug 2010
John Smit conceded that the Springboks’ performances was well below-par despite a seemingly comprehensive victory.
The 44-31 scoreline suggests a comfortable win and polished performance, but that is a flawed perception. Certainly the Springboks showed good character to rebound after trailing early, but Smit was forthright in his assessment of the showing, refusing to hail the victory, their first in five matches, as a turning point.
‘Games get complicated when you have starts like that,’ Smit said of the Springboks’ diabolical performance out of the gate which saw them fall behind 14-0, then 21-7. ‘We were lucky that we were that poor for the first part of the game and not the last two minutes. So we had time to recover, but we wouldn’t have scripted it that way.
‘Thankfully we had a couple of guys who had seen that movie before. A more inexperienced side would have panicked. But that’s not a good performance and certainly not rugby that will win us a World Cup.’
Head coach Peter de Villiers was similarly measured in his assessment.
‘You will never play the perfect game. Last week we were a lot more intense, but this week we were more composed. In Soweto the guys were afraid to make mistakes and that showed in our play. Today that wasn’t the case and I think we benefited from that,’ he said.
At Soccer City De Villiers was conservative in the use of his bench, but tonight his faith in the wood riders was rewarded, Chiliboy Ralepelle, in particular, excelling. The matches were similarly close, but De Villiers explained his decision to introduce replacements this week, compared to his reluctance to last week, saying: ‘We were in complete control here with or without the ball. When you have that sort of control it’s easier to make the substitutions.’
De Villiers also defended the form of Bryan Habana, whose fundamental error in the first half cost the Springboks seven points, intimating that the wing, along with Smit and Victor Matfield, are fatigued. This is despite conditioning coach Neels Liebel telling the media that the squad were in optimum condition just a fortnight ago.
‘These guys [Smit, Matfield, Habana] don’t know how it feels to feel good any more,’ he said. ‘They’ve exceeded the maximum game time they should have played.’ He was non-committal when asked if they would be rested for the final Test.
Smit said that significant defensive improvements were needed for the Test in Bloemfontein next week, explaining that the loose form tonight’s match took was unlikely to be replicated.
De Villiers added: ‘This defeat doesn’t make Australia a bad team. We did well to put pressure on their key players, but they are dangerous when they get space and we’ll have to be aware of that again next week. They’ve got some good dancers in the team, guys who can dance without hearing music. We’ll have to be a lot tighter defensively if we want to shut them out again.’
57 Comments
28 Aug 2010, 20:38 pm
I dance without music all the time – its GREAT!
28 Aug 2010, 20:38 pm
I dance to the beat of Puff the magic DRAGONS!
28 Aug 2010, 20:39 pm
IN. MY. HEAD!
28 Aug 2010, 20:51 pm
This pearler from Pieter de Villiers.
‘These guys [Smit, Matfield, Habana] don’t know how it feels to feel good any more,’ he said. ‘They’ve exceeded the maximum game time they should have played.’ He was non-committal when asked if they would be rested for the final Test.
Isn’t he sort of answering his own statement. Well sort of.
Next week’s game will mean nothing to these Boks. They need the break. Now is the time to let the youngsters gain more 3N experience.
Starting next Saturday.
28 Aug 2010, 20:52 pm
lol
28 Aug 2010, 20:55 pm
This guy gets better and better each week. Who needs comedy hour?
“They’ve got some good dancers in the team, guys who can dance without hearing music. We’ll have to be a lot tighter defensively if we want to shut them out again.”
28 Aug 2010, 21:55 pm
Well done Boks. A win is a win.
Only player I would change for next week would be Habs. He cost us 14 points. Bring back Aplon and send Habs back to CC. Or rest him. Maybe even a younster like Mvovo or Basson but now is not the time to try out new players. Just bring back Aplon to replace Habs for next week.
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-4: No don’t agree to rest these players for next weeks game. WE need to end the Tri-Nations with another win and confidence under our belts. Rather send the youngsters and the very best of them on the eoyt. Though I always like to see our best playing test rugby. This time think our players are very tired. Unless they play NO CC and rest there, that would give them 6 weeks rest then maybe select them to go on eoyt. Then rest them again another 8 weeks after even if it means we miss some of the S15. But think some senior players need a complete rest after next week. We need them all fit and ready for next years wc.
28 Aug 2010, 22:34 pm
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-4: don’t agree with you at all.there is still the mandela plate to play for and ending on a high is important to keep the momentum going…the lads can rest after next saturday.
29 Aug 2010, 09:41 am
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-4: That’s right, no more 100th games etc – time to get rested and get on with the conditioning for next year’s challenge.
29 Aug 2010, 10:16 am
Div is correct about one thing. This defeat doesn’t suddenly make Aus a bad team. They have always been bad.
29 Aug 2010, 10:49 am
What does J.Smit know anyway ?! Cab seems to ‘know’ that the Boks “will win RWC 2011″.
Boks lose 0-4 = doom’n'gloom
Boks win 1-0 = RWC Glory
Best keep all fingers and toes crossed Fiji and Argentina then, I suppose.
29 Aug 2010, 10:50 am
49-0 — that’s BAAAAAD.
29 Aug 2010, 10:54 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-11: the problem with this candy floss win is exactly that. Fans now will beat chests and see the Boks cruising to wc 2011 glory.
My lasting impression was a team devoid of any defenive structure….beating a team devoid of heart and desire.
The aussies seemed to lack self belief….and could still of wont it had it not been for 2 lineout steals late in the game and a miracle tackle by Hougaard.
29 Aug 2010, 10:58 am
Beating the Australians, at altitude, with Jakes team and S14 Champs and runners up, and 2 centurions, and 60 m place kicks and and and, if they didn’t win, then wtf?
Hardly a reflection of anything in the brains trust other than they can rip of the ‘Skinstad Special Loop’ from 2004 or whenever. Blatant ripoff, I’d sue for copyright infringement.
29 Aug 2010, 11:07 am
…there may definately be some truth to the Boks not being brave enough and confident enough to move the ball last weekend.
confidence makes you brave and after 3 losses the side were probably in a mindset “not to lose” and not “let’s win”.
…this weekend was a good win in that specific regard.
29 Aug 2010, 11:08 am
G10
sensational tackle by Houggard, almost Gregan’esque.
Safas obsessed with RWC, less so with the here and now. That’s a recipe for disaster putting all the eggs in to a once-every-4-years basket. Not that you would fall for that old trick, G10…..
Enjoyed the match alot, the rugby has been a real improvement in TriN’10
29 Aug 2010, 11:15 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-16: The WC is a bit of an ‘evil’ in that it seems to detract from the ‘here and now’ and is often used as an excuse by underperforming coaches and players…..i hate the ‘judge us at the WC ‘ statements…..Boks are poorly coached….of that i have no doubt. The conditioning is visibly poor….the reliance on altitude to forge out a very narrow win yesterday over an aussie team who had zero real self belief, is testimoy to a bok team still struggling ….
It was ‘fun’ ….but forgettable.
The 1 st half should be used as a training video on how test rugby should not be played.
29 Aug 2010, 11:17 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-16: it suits certain agendas to be ‘obsessed with RWC’ a guy like jake white would be seen as the kak coach he is if his win ratio excluded RWC’07 games against fiji, tonga & usa…
29 Aug 2010, 11:20 am
@grant10(grant10)-17: G10 the Boks are not coached. At least with anything new. Current Boks have said as much behind closed doors.
Wins like yesterday and the promise of RWC glory take away from the very real here and now problem of: we have zero idea.
29 Aug 2010, 11:21 am
@grant10(grant10)-13:
Well summed up Grant. This was also an Aussie team who recently lost to England as well, so a narrow win against them at home needs to be put in context. The Bok should have won comprehensively and not reliant upon luck and this aussie mental weakness that must drive Deans crazy.
29 Aug 2010, 11:24 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-18:
mmm, not sure really. i’d definately like the Boks to win more but it would be difficult to deny that the WC is the ONE to win.
look at our cricketers in the nineties. They cleaned up OZ time and again in the friendlies but kept folding in the big ones.
To such an extent that I believe we still carry the stigma a generation later. It doesn’t really matter if we keep cleaning them up…everyone judges the side on the WC performance.
the kiwis will always say that the WC is not that important….for the obvious fact, that they can’t win it.
29 Aug 2010, 11:24 am
Deans must be beside himself with frustration.
How the Aussies implode year after year at altitude is the strangest thing!
29 Aug 2010, 11:25 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-21:
likewise Spain losing to Switzerland in a groupo friendly doesn’t matter so long as they win the ones that count.
29 Aug 2010, 11:27 am
Transie
I like your improved tone in the last 24hrs. Welcome back, Kotter.
29 Aug 2010, 11:27 am
@grant10(grant10)-22:
I wonder what that Auzzie scrumming technique was all about…with the locks not binding tight and actually standing wide?
29 Aug 2010, 11:28 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-25:
I think it is a way of pushing so that the hooker get’s the full benifit of the “shove”…because let’s face it, Faainga is a hookers arse at the set piece.
29 Aug 2010, 11:30 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-25: ja
strange that!
Cheers
29 Aug 2010, 11:50 am
Say what you want about the Wallabies, if the RWC is ‘all that matters’, then noons will want to face this team in 14mths time. They are a young team, all getting playing-time and learning more in defeat than others are in victory. Meanwhile they continue to fly in under-the-radar and will turn up in NZ as very well equipped for a run of the 2-3 one-off wins that it takes to lift Bill.
Besides, Safas do love to boast about their (slim margin of 1) advantage in RWC wins. To Kiwis. But they can’t teach the Aussies ANYTHING in that count, can they. The Aussies have won 2, also, with considerably less resources. For my money they are THE Dangerman come RWC’11, and Deans knows that.
29 Aug 2010, 11:57 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-28:
I would concur with that….but it doesn’t change the fact that they are historically uber pish in SA and should not be the bok rugby barometer.
29 Aug 2010, 12:01 pm
@grant10(grant10)-22:hey Grant, what did you think of francois steyn, was he better than kirchener & aplon?
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-24: what tone?
29 Aug 2010, 12:06 pm
The Aussies, despite their ‘uber pish’ form on the veldt and dominaXXXion by ABs can still hold a better record in NZ than the Boks can since they re-graced the field again in 1992. So can France.
And considering that is where the RWC will be staged, that’s all that matters.
29 Aug 2010, 12:10 pm
Wallabies to track their players
Greg Growden
August 29, 2010
PRETORIA: For those who believe top-line
rugby players just lumber around the field
from lineout to scrum and can get away
with the occasional push-up to keep
themselves in shape, they had better think
again.
The Wallabies have begun using a GPS
tracking system in Test matches that shows
the leading players cover as many metres
and play with the same intensity as those
involved in a high-level rugby league match,
such as an NRL semi-final. Peter Harding, the
Wallabies strength and conditioning coach
who has worked in all four football codes in
Australia, is using the system to ensure the
players train wisely and are properly
prepared for matches.
While the GPS unit that tracks a player’s
every movement has been used at
Wallabies training for the past two seasons,
it made its first appearance in an Australian
Test match in Christchurch three weeks ago
when nine players had it inserted in a small
pouch on the back of their jerseys.
The GPS tracks how many metres players
cover during a match, how fast they go,
how hard they are working, as well as
providing agility and acceleration scores.
It
also provides a player’s heart rate
throughout the Test and even shows if he
favours a certain leg when he tires. So now
the lazy player has nowhere to hide.
As Harding put it: ”We can see exactly what
they are doing.”
From the Christchurch Test, it showed the
players ran about eight kilometres, of which
about one kilometre was at full sprint.
Harding said rugby league players covered
seven to 10 kilometres during a match.
Football and AFL players covered more
ground.
Harding showed the Sun-Herald a diagram
of where Wallaby back-rower David Pocock
went on the field. It resembled a Jackson
Pollock painting with lines going in all
directions. But it proved Pocock worked at a
high intensity and basically covered every
metre of the ground. It also showed that his
heart rate at the start of the Test was 140,
rising to 186.
”The figures indicate that in a Test there is a
massive amount of high- intensity efforts,”
Harding said. ”The difference between our
metres and rugby league metres revolves
around our work-to-rest ratio because we
have scrums and lineouts.
”So our efforts are quicker and more high-
intensity. Basically it involves the same
amount of metres in less time, so it sees the
rugby players accelerating more. We’ve also
got bigger guys moving quicker.”
Harding said the findings would be used to
ensure that Wallabies training was ”more
effective and more game-like”.
”We want better-conditioned players,” he
said. ”So we need to use our training
systems more effectively to get both the
technical side out of it but also the physical
side, whether it’s conditioning, speed or
acceleration. We’re trying to get the balance
right to ensure we get more out of the
work we are doing.”
29 Aug 2010, 12:14 pm
@grant10(grant10)-22: like the Boks lose year after year in Brisbane?
29 Aug 2010, 12:29 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-30: mate….Frans Steyn is out of shape and out of form.
You know i rate the kid hugely…..but no way he is currently good enough to be a bok….he is at 60 %….max!
Aplon and DeJongh should both be in starting bok team currently….imo
29 Aug 2010, 12:29 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-33: ja
the mind boggles
29 Aug 2010, 13:12 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-31:
We might not have a great record in NZ but we have a fair record in WC’s including winning one away from home. Where did you say the next one is?
But, seriously, if the Boks are to become serious contenders next year, there has to be more consistency in their win ratio and by that I mean against the AB’s, Aussies and France particularly away from home.
29 Aug 2010, 21:52 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-28:
There are more rugby players registered in Stellenbosch than Australia.
Kinda puts there achievements into perspective.
30 Aug 2010, 00:06 am
@Inevitable(Inevitable)-37:
““considerably less resources” is probably an understatement”
please explain how that can be ?
There are less people in NZ than there are in the Western Cape alone
SA has 5 times as many NZ players to choose from and roughly the same as many Aussies.
so, while you’re at it, please explain SAs incredible underachievement ?
30 Aug 2010, 00:13 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-32: And here we see the difference between our nincampoops and real professionals.
To put another stat in context American Football, a game of 4 x 15 minute quarters, and 3 hours of broadcast time has exactly 10 minutes & 53 seconds of playing time.
30 Aug 2010, 00:14 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-38: don’t be boring. Just enjoy the sport.
Howzit?
Going to see Arcade Fire on September 22 & My Morning Jacket in Louisville in October. Yeah baby.
30 Aug 2010, 00:16 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-39:
just how good is that I Am Kloot ‘sky at night ‘ ?! even my kids all have their own ‘favourites’. Album of the Year ?
sup
30 Aug 2010, 00:18 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-41: Maybe. Good year for music if you can see past the Brooklyn based depressives.
30 Aug 2010, 00:19 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-41: Lovely weather over here. Been swimming. BBQ. Gardening, or may pathetic attempt at pretending that I am gardening – it involves watering the flowers, mowing the lawn, etc.
My son just left for NYC for University – Freshers Week seems not to change.
30 Aug 2010, 00:26 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-40:
I can get way more boring than that. Sometimes you just gotta itch a scratch.
Just back from 3 weeks holiday, split in 2 parts – 1 Euroroadie and 1 in Devon. Crazy good fun. Back to Reality time. Ouch.
Soundzzzz ? as I say, Kloot has been sizzling hot on PantherFm. Caitlin Rose, the Boss likes but too C&W for me. Benn rediscovering some ole blues recently, Howlin’ Wolf, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Hank Williams etc. Superb. I went to some unfarkenbelievable gigs before holidays, Giant Sand were superb, and a jazz-guitar Legend, Pat Metheney Group who I have to say was 1 of the best technical guitarists Ive EVER seen, incred.
Not alot lined up otherwise.
sup ?
30 Aug 2010, 00:27 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-32: Boks have been using this for a while now
Aussies seem to save up to buy this technology
30 Aug 2010, 00:28 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-43:
Columbia ?
NYU ?
30 Aug 2010, 00:28 am
@JL1(JL1)-45: Seriously?
30 Aug 2010, 00:30 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-42:
Brooklyn based depressives. ha !
Nice to see some territorialism comin’ in there. You can take the Boy out of Sth Africa but….
30 Aug 2010, 00:30 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-46: St John’s in Queens. His gene pool is not deep enough for Columbia. His parents pockets may not be deep enough either.
Man – Devon in an English summer. Almost unbeatable. Just gorgeous.
30 Aug 2010, 00:32 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-48: Nah I just don’t get the fascination with Grizzly Beat, TV On The Radio, The Antlers, etc.
They may be the only people on earth who can fit a faint jingle jangle in to a drone.
30 Aug 2010, 00:33 am
OK 5-30 my time. Time for a dop. See you through the window. play nice.
30 Aug 2010, 00:37 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-47: Yes, Sale Sharks also use it
Old news
The Springboks’ training session in Brisbane on Monday was cancelled – and all because of advanced technology.
Peter de Villiers revealed on Monday that he is not only a coach who prefers the man-management approach, but he also puts great store in science and technology aiding him in his steering of the Springbok ship.
“The guys’ bodies are quite sore and I decided it would be sensible to keep them off the field today. We have this GPS system tracking the players and, after looking at all the results, we made the decision last night already that the workloads on their bodies were too much,” De Villiers said.
30 Aug 2010, 00:45 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-49:
cmon, St Johns ?! you must be very proud. And a decent b-ball team to follow too huh.
Cool.
Freshers Week (its ‘Orientation Week’ in Aotearoa and lasted more like 2-3 weeks……..some might say ‘years’) are the best times of your life, no ?! My friends stepson was was caught drinking underage by the campus police at Penn State in his Freshers Week last semester and apparently its ’3 strikes youre out’ – his Dad, a retired NYC-detective, was none impressed.
Greatest times of yer life !
30 Aug 2010, 00:46 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-50:
I get a migraine just thinking about TV on the Radio. Funeral beats.
30 Aug 2010, 01:16 am
Interesting this one, from a neutral scribe.
And how they laughed as they mocked the helter-skelter non-structured rugby that the ABs brought to the table in 2009; and how the wheel has now turned…..
Don’t be fooled by adrenalin thrill
By Peter Bills
South Africa and Australia came close to producing a new version of rugby this morning in Pretoria.
It was essentially rugby sevens played with 15 men a side – an interesting hybrid model which, alas, I don’t think has a future.
Neither, for that matter, does either of these teams if they continue to play the game in such a dumb fashion.
Yes, it was entertaining enough if you just want the vicarious pleasure of watching players dive over the whitewash. But for any serious observers of the game it was close to a joke at times. “Surreal” was how one leading world rugby official called it, and he was right on the money.
Not to put too fine a point on it, it was a kind of rugby diarrhoea.
Tries spewed out at regular intervals, with no-one on the field apparently able to control the flow.
There were nine tries scored and only some desperate, scrambling defence by both teams prevented that number being doubled.
Back in New Zealand, there must have been expressions of bemusement mixed with humour on the faces of the All Blacks players and coaches.
For this was a game that told us exactly why New Zealand are already home and hosed as 2010 Tri-Nations Champions, not to mention Bledisloe Cup holders yet again.
All the structure, authority and composure the All Blacks have brought to the international game this year, even while playing an open, attacking game, was missing in Pretoria. We had the farcical situation of Australia leading 14-0 after just four minutes, 21-7 after 11 minutes and then 28-17.
Yet all the while, Robbie Deans’ side never had control of the game. At times, it exactly mirrored Sevens – one side scored, the restart went to the opposition and they scored. Six tries were scored in the first half alone yet of that tally, four were down to gross defensive errors and a fifth came from a forward pass.
That summed up the game, really. Unforced errors lay all over the field, like corpses on the Somme. Technically, it was pretty lamentable and merely served to confirm New Zealand’s overwhelming technical superiority in their rugby this year.
South Africa won in the end chiefly because of their traditional line-out excellence at critical moments in the crucial final quarter.
Leading 34-31 with the game finely balanced, the Springboks seized two vital Wallaby line-out throws which stole away potentially vital attacking platforms deep in the Boks 22, from the attacking Australians. Victor Matfield, on his 100th Test cap appearance, reminded us of his timeless ability and those around him deserved
praise, too.
Even worse for Deans’ side, they then butchered two simple tries which were there for the taking had their players simply made the ball do the work by taking out opponents with passes. Instead, mindless shifting of the pill across field which allowed the defensive line to drift ruined at least two scores.
Another was saved when impressive half-back Francois Hougaard got across to smash Adam Ashley-Cooper in the tackle, forcing him to spill the ball rather than walk it in over the line.
Australia couldn’t come back after that glut of missed scoring opportunities. But their decision making was awry in the final quarter too, when they turned down kickable penalties for punts into the corner. Their faith in hooker Saia Faingaa’s line-out throws was misplaced.
There was none of the precision or clinical execution we had become accustomed to seeing from the All Blacks this season. Literally, they are in a class of their own on this evidence.
Bryan Habana dropped a simple re-start kick and then missed James O’Connor on the outside for one try; Kurtley Beale made the ‘Boks defensive line look about as mobile as the Maginot Line with a few sidesteps to open them up, leading to O’Connor’s first try and, at the other end, the defence parted like the Red Sea to allow the impressive Juan Smith to steam through an enormous hole to score for the Boks.
It was helter-skelter stuff, harum-scarum rugby with desperation written all over two ordinary teams. No-one ever really got a grip on the game with some proper structured rugby in the style of the New Zealanders.
So yes, for the uninitiated it was undoubtedly aesthetically pleasing and a real adrenalin thrill.
But don’t believe that all South Africans were fooled.
The vast swathes of empty seats in Pretoria, heartland of the South African game, told you plenty about what knowledgeable South Africans think of the present state of their side.
30 Aug 2010, 12:36 pm
Black pantie- To correct one of your stats re performing with resources, the Boks have won 50% of their RWC’s while NZ have won just over 16%…Having said that our Admin are trying there best to drop our pass rate!!
30 Aug 2010, 20:49 pm
@Olivergm(Olivergm)-56:
and exactly which of ‘my stats’ are you correcting ?
None of them, by the looks.
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