Robinson threat ignited Boks
31 Aug 2010
Jannie du Plessis says the pressure of playing against Benn Robinson prompted a stronger scrummaging performance from the Springboks.
The Wallaby loosehead tormented the Boks last year, out-scrumming captain John Smit in Cape Town, Perth and Brisbane. His short and awkward build meant he got under the Bok captain, who played tighthead last year, but in two Tests this year he’s had less of an influence against specialist No 3s BJ Botha (in Brisbane) and Du Plessis (at Loftus).
It’s rare that a loosehead is viewed as one of the Wallabies’ danger men, but that was the case with Robinson last year. Tighthead Du Plessis – who missed training on Monday and Tuesday after taking a knock to the shin – said they’d have to produce a similar showing to Pretoria to negate his influence once more.
‘There’s no doubt that he’s a good player, he’s proved it over and over,’ Du Plessis told keo.co.za. ‘We knew we had to play well to neutralise him at scrum-time.
‘There was a bit more pressure knowing his reputation, but I thought we handled it. There was talk of both sides jumping the gun at the scrums, but there was too much of a hoo-ha made about it.’
Once the helter-skelter nature of the match in the first quarter subsided and the Boks slowed down the frantic pace and forced more set pieces, they clawed their way back into the game. Du Plessis believes the slack start, where they trailed 21-7, could’ve been down to a hangover from the Soccer City Test against the All Blacks.
‘We really gave 150% in Soweto and put our bodies on the line. Emotionally, it took its toll and although you don’t want it to affect your start a week later, it could have been a contributing factor to it. When we were 14-0 down I was thinking I haven’t even had time to hit a ruck or make a tackle.’
Du Plessis may have aided in shoring up the Bok scrum, but only made one tackle and had one ball-carry in 54 minutes. The tighthead dismissed claims from many critics that the intensity of the Test wasn’t on a par to previous Tri-Nations matches.
‘That really is something to say. We scored 70 points in total, I didn’t see much kicking from either side and there was lots of running. We don’t care about what other people think, it was a great game to be a part of.’
On a personal level, Du Plessis will make his first Test start in Bloemfontein – where he was schooled and went to university. Other former Shimlas who are in the 22 include Juan Smith, Flip van der Merwe, CJ van der Linde and Du Plessis’ prop partner, Gurthro Steenkamp.
‘It’s great to know we all sweated blood here, did fitness and contact on these fields,’ Du Plessis said from the Shimlas clubhouse. ‘Juan even worked behind the bar and earned his pocket money here. When I came to the club as a first year, I wanted to get my picture on the wall like the former Boks.
‘We have a new generation of Shimlas in the Bok squad. There are so many memories. Gurthro’s res was 20m down the road from mine, and the night before matches we’d watch a movie and talk about how we’re going to pump the opposition in the scrums.’
By Grant Ball, in Bloemfontein
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12 Comments
31 Aug 2010, 15:37 pm
Reminds me of the threads that used to be posted in Keo years back.Nice.
31 Aug 2010, 16:02 pm
@Provincejoulekkading(Provincejoulekkading)-1: Yep – nice article.
A bit of nice to know behind the scenes that drew us here before the copy/paste from reuters, and “hidden agenda topic of the week” became par for the course.
31 Aug 2010, 16:52 pm
the 1 posiive to come out of 2010 is the boks scrums…..we no easy beats no more…
I have always maintained that if Boks forget sentiment and choose a team on form …..we can do well at 2011 wc.
So much depends on our own internal set up. This is where plod and the 3 stooges undo a lot of things…..imo.
31 Aug 2010, 16:58 pm
@grant10(grant10)-3: Our scrum success is attributable to the resurgence of Gurthro. He no longer scrums upwards; he scrums forward and has bullied all comers this season in both the S14 and 3N. I have noticed this improvement coincided with Gary Botha’s return to the Bulls and their realization that Kuun is not a hooker.
31 Aug 2010, 17:03 pm
@Couchcoach(GI POT)-4: Guthro has been a revelation…..what a comeback after last EOYT……Must be Bok man of the tri nations so far…..
I am so glad as it will stop the 3 stooges from contemplating plod at 1 ……which i believe is / has been mooted. That would be a terrible decision….i believe if Plod cant cut it at 2 he must retire….not be accomodated in a position where Guthro has been superb and where Beast is also knocking hard at the door.
31 Aug 2010, 17:14 pm
The Wallabies’ TH and Hooker are a joke, why the ARU allowed it to carry on without interferring so far not clear, Baxter, Shepherdson, Hardman or Moore are all far better, let’s hope Deans will stick to his IP quotas in Bloem too.
31 Aug 2010, 17:26 pm
’10 – good scrums….4 losses out of 5
’09 average scrum, 5 wins out of 6
I think I know which season PDV preferred
31 Aug 2010, 17:28 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-7: ja 008.
31 Aug 2010, 17:35 pm
yoh G10 remember this nightmare on Plod str? Hahahaha
31 Aug 2010, 17:46 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-9: plod at 3 was like recurring nightnare…..turbo reverse taken to a whole new level.
Bloody 008 still believes in order to be succesful a team needs to not be able to scrum.
And thbis from a pom!!!!!!!
No….008 fooled a lot of bloggers a lot of the time.
I saw through his nonsense minute 1 ……bloody oke is a real Agent!
31 Aug 2010, 18:00 pm
@grant10(grant10)-10: yet johnson is dropping the likes of borthwick to make way for thompson and this agent is still trying to shove plod in our faces
that joyride is gone 008!
1 Sep 2010, 06:09 am
@Hondo(Hondo)-6: Baxter injured and Hardman retired, not sure I share your views on Shepherdson based on the last 2 years form.
Ma’afu is sadly the best of what is left. Weeks had his chances but was just as unimpressive in the midweek tour games vs England, while the less said about my namesake in the gold Jersey the better
Moore however, is suspected to be finally recalled to the starting team for this week’s game.
Very good news, he has been missed. There is no point having a hooker who is quick to the breakdowns at the expense of being able to scrummage or throw lineouts.
Be great to have Polota-Nau back as an impact player too.
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