Boks bury sad Scots
10 Jun 2006
The Boks were brutal in Durban, but the sorry Scots couldn’t even claim to be brave as they took a whipping in the first of two tests.
John Smit’s Springboks opened their 2006 season with a comprehensive 36-16 win after leading 18-6 at halftime. The win was not surprising, with Scotland’s late try the only surprise of the day. It will be a long seven days between tests for the Scots, whose captain Jason White admitted his pack took a beating.
The win was satisfactory for the Boks in every sense. They scored four good tries, could have had a couple more and the defence generally was sound. There were missed tackles, 16 of them, but in the context of the match they proved meaningless. Scotland did not have the creative to punish any defensive slips and on the day they offered very little in a one-sided contest.
The Boks, 20 point winners at the end, were good for every point that separated the teams and Port Elizabeth, the venue for next weekend’s test, is unlikely to bring any respite.
Much was expected of the Scottish pack, but the famed rucking and counter-rucking was left in Edinburgh as the Boks slapped around the Scots at the breakdown and pulverised them in the tight phases. Os du Randt, at loosehead, was colossal, while Victor Matfield disrupted the Scottish lineout with regularity and Danie Rossouw was prominent in all aspects. With no scrum, lineout or ruck platform, the Scots played most of the test in retreat, while the Boks marched relentlessly to a fine victory.
Percy Montgomery profited from the forward dominance to score 21 points, including his 18th test try, but the major points were scored by the forwards. It was a complete performance in the first hour, but once the substitutions were made the Boks lost momentum and intensity. On this particular day, against an opponent that did not threaten the Boks at any stage, the final quarter lapses went unpunished.
Schalk Burger won the man of the match award but you could easily have given it to any one of the loose-forwards. Fellow loosies Juan Smith and Joe van Niekerk were very good and so was Burger, but Du Randt would have been an even more popular beneficiary because his performance really set the tone of the match.
Fourie du Preez’s return at scrumhalf added stability to the Boks and Jaco van der Westhuyzen did enough to warrant his inclusion as the Bok flyhalf. His field kicking could have been better, but he varied his play nicely and gave the backs the spark with some decent passes. It was the Boks counter-attacking that proved more lethal than the constructed backline moves and Jake White will point to the manner in which the tries were scored as his answer to those who argued the Boks had lost the ability to score tries after last week’s 10 penalties 30-27 win against the World XV.
Jean de Villiers’s injury was a negative, as was Andre Snyman’s all-round performance, while there was minimal impact from second half substitutes Gaffie du Toit, Hanyani Shimange and Lawrence Sephaka. But they were negatives that White can live with in this early part of the international season, especially if the opposition remains as limp as it was in Durban.
Scorers
Springboks
Tries: Schalk Burger, Breyton Paulse, Andre Snyman and Percy Montgomery
Conversions: Montgomery (2)
Penalties: Montgomery (4)
Scotland
Tries: Simon Webster
Conversion: Chris Paterson
Penalties: Paterson (3)
130 Comments
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11 Jun 2006, 06:14 am
Boks & AB’s both win, though it was scrappy and had both good and bad patches, a win is a win and you can only improve from there. Best way to make the Boks boys play like they are number 2 in the IRB world rankings and beyond….put 15 guys dressed in black with a silver fern on there chest and watch the Boks play out of there skin. Problem that the Saffa fans have with that, is that they cannot believe how the Boks cannot play at that intensity against the rest of the test nations.
11 Jun 2006, 06:43 am
Onlooker 42,
I am familiar with Plasma, LCD, CRT etc. types of TVs but what sort of TV set do you have to be watching to come up with “England forwards murdered a full strength ABs in November”. You are kidding!! The losing score to England was even flattering. There is a big difference between “murdered” and “may have kind of outplayed”.
I take it that you saw nothing unusual about the Super14 final. Please find your TV manual immediatly and adjust your set (or at least turn your TV up the right way).
Sorry to break the news so harshly but the Easter Bunny and Father Christams are not real and England were outplayed when they losed to the ABs in November.
11 Jun 2006, 06:53 am
Ha ha read on da bbc sports page that da scots were so stuffed they were laying on the floor in da change rooms. Sh*t and hear we are crying big rivers how **** da Bok players were.
11 Jun 2006, 07:51 am
I Agree that Snyman did’nt hav the best game on the Wkend. But when he first joined Leeds he was very dissapointing. But once he got comfortable playing with his teammates he became lethal, and described by Dewi Morris “as one of the best finishers in the Premiership”. So whilst I agree that Habana, & probably Russell would offer more, I think it would be stupid to drop Snyman out into the wilderness after just one bad half of rugby.
Those that keep saying that Jaco should replace Percy at fullback, need to pipe down. Can Jaco keep for goal=No, is Jaco’s kicking out of hand better than Percy’s=No. Did people not see Jaco performance’s for the Bulls in the S14, Espcially againt the Crusaders in semi’s. He was shocking, and his kicking was aimless.
Leave Percy at fullback, and if Jake feels the need to rest him, give Russell a run out there.
11 Jun 2006, 08:48 am
Go Breytie!!!! Jaco is not the answer to flyhalf problems. What a good opertunity to include JP Pietersen, Ndungane bros at wing, but they’re not in the squad, Snyman is… What about giving Pienaar a run in the second test. Is it still posible for white to lure Isa Nacewa to South Africa. He could be an answer to our flyhalf woes??? Has he played for NZ yet?
11 Jun 2006, 09:37 am
Good game Bokke:)
Snyman improved nicely after a poor start.
Jaco was good and his grubber kicks were effective, so there was no need to rethink.
Tight five was a machine.
Loosies were all over the park, good to see.
Most of you who think our performance was not good enough are a tad narrow minded. We were playing Scotland and Jakes plan was to shape the Boks game plan accordingly. If it was against the All Blacks, the game plan would have been totally different.
As for the ref in the second half he sucked badly.
We could have scored at least 2 more tries.
Good one Jake White and the Bokke:)
11 Jun 2006, 09:54 am
Pete77
You are right about Jaco not being apole kicker. It could only happen if the flyhalf (Pretorius,Bosman,whoever) is icking well enough to be team kicker.
Jaco was poor vs the Saders. He was better to a big improvement on ‘ol cross eyes’ at 15 i the other games. I remember Naas and Garth Wright etc saying how much him at 15 had helped the bulls. Then after a few games came the Saders game.
My big fear with Percy (and always has been) is that he is very vulnerable under high ball ,and then he pops up and unders too ,that result in turn overs.
I cant understand why he cant get this right. To his credit he realised this this game and kept it more in hand with a much improved 2nd half.
Just look at k1w1inoz etc ,they can clearly see Percy’s shortcomings which will be nailed in the TN.
He could be so good if he could get this right,its bee about 9 years and he’s very very erratic in this department.It does matter.
Stoffel – not saying Ndungane’s are world class….just saying that if you can retread Snyman as a wing and its not quite working,you can incl Ndungane’s in a squad and bring them thru. Not saying they should start,but they have a bigger future and promise than Snyman etc.
Guys are often at their most lethal in their early purple patch days. We shall see what happens betw now and RWC.
11 Jun 2006, 09:59 am
look, i really rate JP but he is 19 man, let him grow a bit first. i must say well done to pakslae. i always had my doubts against him but yesterday he proved me wrong.
du preez was good, as was jaco, leave him there and he will be a force. actually, all the bully boys played nicely.
jacques fourie needs to get the ball more, whenever he gets it he causes trouble. our centres saw very little ball, dont think it is jaco’s fault, the coach obviously told them to use the forwards as runners.
breyton adds that little bit of stability to the back 3 and his try was excellant, he didnt panic just did what needed to be done.
weakest link was snyman, but let him get used to the way the boks play and then we can judge.
i agree zinto, lets see what pienaar does. i was thinking in the first half that if he was there we may have got more tries, the game suited his style of play.
11 Jun 2006, 10:07 am
Onlooker as per .12, you are just talking **** out of your own arse.
Give credit where credit is due.
A day before this match you were probably one of the people saying they were going to beat the Boks.
Then please bear in mind we were also understrenght. What about Bakkies, what about Habana?
Story of every BOK supporter, if you cant sit behind your keyboard and moan and complain you arnt happy. But then i guess you are in the Rugby proffesion and know far more than the national coah?
11 Jun 2006, 10:21 am
DANIE DANIE DANIE
PAKLSAE
To all you fuckers that were screaming blue murder at his insclusion can now go get FUCKED.
Anyone notice what happened to our scrum once OS and JS went off.
It got buckled.
11 Jun 2006, 10:25 am
I say Jaco is a better fullback then flyhalf and that the Boks have a problem at no10. Now Nz has Greg and Aus have Vickerman and Rathbone, what about White getting two of theirs to help at the flyhalf position. I’d go for Barnes from Aus and Ncewa from Nz. I think it’s only fair.
11 Jun 2006, 10:38 am
ddrek, I agree that Percy is sometimes very erratic under the high ball. But I doubt very much this will mean that both Aus & NZ are going to bomb high balls at him during the Tri Nations. I mean, he has being playing 15 for the Boks in the last 2 Tri Nations & it has’nt being a problem, so I doubt it will b 1 now.
I think his main problem is that occasionaly he loose concentration on defense, but then he does make some very smart defence decisions at times, like gettin that intercept in the S14 against the Saders when they had a 2 man overlap. Like every Bok player Percy has his shortcomings, but overall he offers far more to the Boks then any other fullback we have.
11 Jun 2006, 11:07 am
Steady Eddie had a damned good game, as he always does for the Boks.
11 Jun 2006, 11:10 am
Knerses (108)
Nice summary.
Pete77
I sure hope you are right re Tnations but its also him taking his own up n unders.
Like I said ,if he could rectify this and only fall short occasionally ,then he would stand out far and above. Its just that these mistakes can be very costly.
You seem level headed enough to discuss and differ somewhat but yet still hear and appreciate one anothers points.
I would not harp on this if i didnt notice it most games. Cheers
11 Jun 2006, 11:14 am
Congratulations to Jake and the Boks.
12 wins on the trot at home. Pretty good record for someone who gets some pretty rough press on here.
11 Jun 2006, 11:20 am
cane
esspesially considering this winning streak includes the top five teams in the world. Remarkable record. Well done Jake
11 Jun 2006, 12:37 pm
12 games on the trot is extremely good. To those who knocked White beforehand by saying any half-decent coach could obtain this, note this is a *record* for the number of consecutive matches won on SA soil post-isolation. White is a ******* brilliant coach.
Scots spent on the floor of the changing room…classic… Lets give them a bigger hiding next week ! I hope Snyman comes good as he is a player who requires familiarity with those playing around him to perform; lets keep him in the side for next week.
11 Jun 2006, 12:51 pm
Actually you Saffa’s give all your coaches such a hard time, I’m surprised there is anyone left in the Republic who would take the position.
11 Jun 2006, 14:05 pm
right, all the Jake White, Danie Rossouw and Os Du Randt detractors, front and centre. bloody fools.
11 Jun 2006, 15:42 pm
Scotland haven’t beaten won on SA soil in 100 years of rugby….take the win in that context.
Nonetheless, some decent all round performances. We still have a quite a few things to improve.
Namely, protecting the scrumhalf at the ruck and our centers still do not appear to be running dangerous enough angles.
Scrummaging against Scotland?
When did this become an international benchmark for scrummaging units? I agree with the oke above that says Sephaka would make a better oprion at tighthead.I thought this was Jake Whites plan anyway at one stage? Wouldn’t a more mobile Andrews be better coming off the bench anyway later in the game?
Laugh all we want at Snyman’s handling skills…but just how clumsy is J.Smit?
Anyway, Danie Roussow rules.
11 Jun 2006, 15:48 pm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/5067808.stm
Scottish,lads where so exhausted they were lying on the changing room floor afterwards…Welcome to Africa
11 Jun 2006, 15:49 pm
HeHe The fact that ur comparing a backline players handling with that of a hookers says it all
11 Jun 2006, 15:57 pm
Why the **** was he standing in the backline all the time then?
duh?
“eat my shorts”- Homer Simpson
11 Jun 2006, 17:13 pm
Hi how’s Russia St Petersburg? Not going to the soccer?
11 Jun 2006, 17:53 pm
was at th game and man did it rock afterwards.. durban and kingspark sure have the best afterparties and braais…
back to ruggas:
move andre to centre… wynand on bench is good cover… steady eddie managed to suffer in a winning pack, and then they kept him on he he, clever we are.. schalk was beyond human again, paulse was iffish but with a moment of brilliance..
and for heavens sake take that ****** flyhalf jaco and donate him back to japan, no pay them to take him back, what a useless game he had…
11 Jun 2006, 18:17 pm
big g
You’ve been watching the game though those racist eyes of yours again.
11 Jun 2006, 18:19 pm
big g
Your name isn’t Carel van der Merwe by any chance??? From Bloem
11 Jun 2006, 21:36 pm
Brassy,I’m still waiting and I expect I’ll be kept waiting because you won’t be able to find one SPECIFIC moment of magic.
Bluecap and co. I have nothing against Paulse. The debate started on another thread thats all.
Is he better than Snyman? Yep. Snyman’s kak,I know, but I believe we have better options out wide than him and Paulse.
On wet heavy NH fields he will be shown up. IMO.
12 Jun 2006, 10:04 am
How can Hanyani be expected to contribute when given five minutes in a game that was over by the 60 min mark.
Granted though, that his one chance was a lineout and he fluffed it and the Scots scored.
12 Jun 2006, 11:45 am
What about history being made in the second half, an ALL BLACK front row, which got shoved off the ball.Would ahve thought the media might record this momentous occassion.
EDDIE & SHIMMIE are not international standard. Cant wait for CHILIBOY to get into the big league.
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