Monty the key to Bok success
20 Jun 2006
Scotland coach Frank Hadden rates Percy Montgomery as the most influential member of the Springbok line-up.
French Sports daily newspaper, L’quipe, asked Hadden what France have to do to beat the Springboks and his answer, among other things, was to shut down Montgomery.
Hadden said that Montgomery’s ability to read the game and his understanding of rush defence made the Boks such a potent defensive force.
L’quippe’s rugby editor Arnaud David, who interviewed Hadden, told Keo.co.za that Montgomery was regarded by the Scottish coach as highly respected and that he was perceived as the gel that keeps together the Bok backs defensively.
Hadden also told the French that to win in South Africa the French had to be prepared to fight for every blade of grass on Saturday. He described beating South Africa in South Africa as among the most difficult challenges in the game, but felt that the Boks were mentally vulnerable if their dominance on match day was not reflected on the scoreboard.
“Hadden said that if the Boks got early points it was virtually impossible to beat them in South Africa, but if a team managed to stay in touch with them going into the last quarter, then the Bok players started doubting themselves and started to do silly things,” said David. “He also described the Bok lineout as the best defensive lineout in the world, lead by Victor Matfield, but one that was not as effective on their own ball.
“The pack was good without being brilliant and Fourie du Preez limited the Bok backline instead of aiding it.”
Asked if he believed the French could win at Newlands, Hadden said they had the ability but he questioned whether they had the mental strength.
“It is all in the head, he said. France’s attitude will determine whether they give themselves a chance or not. As we saw in Durban and Port Elizabeth last year, you don’t know which French team arrives. The one who comes to play or the one who has already boarded the plane back to Paris.”
65 Comments
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20 Jun 2006, 12:59 pm
jb, as long as someone can kick up and unders he’s good enough for the boks
Seriously though, I thought Fourie had an average game and yet the papers and keo gave him good ratings… but come to think of it, you are quite right with the rucks where the scottish put him under pressure.
Also thought Paulse had a shocker. Didn’t even see the Scotland winger run past him to score the try as he was jogging back. And he also cost us a try with that ****** pass to Jaco. And he was subbed just after that walking off the field smiling? I wanted to give him a snot klap just then. How can you be proud to represent your country if you make such a basic mistake and cost them a try and walk off laughing as if it’s nothing?
Disgrace, I tell you!
20 Jun 2006, 13:21 pm
Cab,
I think SA performed poorly in the second test. If your forwards bashed in the first test, the you allowed us to disrupt your ball in the second. As a consequence you had very little go forward to create space for your backs, and as a result we looked more competitive. Compare this to the way the ABs played against Ireland. The rucks were being hit and ball was fizzing out the back for the scrummie to clear. They can fix their lineouts with a bit of time. Can SA fix their ruck clearances and ball retention as easily?
20 Jun 2006, 13:22 pm
Werner,the pro paulse boys will be at you soon mate.I’ve been fighting with them all year
20 Jun 2006, 13:24 pm
Paulse was a massive asset in 2004.His experience was crucial.Now,half the Bok team has over 30 caps. We dont need his experience anymore.
I’ve gone fishing……
20 Jun 2006, 13:41 pm
londonshark,
I know yes, the thing is, I didn’t really have a problem with him. Don’t really think we have too many good wingers in this country… maybe the Ndugane twins… but on Saterday, he really, REALLY pissed me off!!!
20 Jun 2006, 13:48 pm
Werner,me to mate.
I would put JP on the wing.We should also keep our eyes on the 7′s team.We got some real flyers in that team.
20 Jun 2006, 13:50 pm
“percieved as the gel that keeps the team together” Is he trying to take the piss out of pretty percy or what……
20 Jun 2006, 13:58 pm
Jip, JP’s good… don’t really know enough about the 7′s to have a real opinion…
that’s why i miss the tours so much, to have midweek games and play the younger guys and see what they do against international opponents in foreign conditions playing in the bok jersey…
but to me after saterday, paulse don’t have the heart and attitude to play for the boks anymore…
20 Jun 2006, 14:20 pm
I think its sad that a player who wouldn’t have a hope in hell of making the French side (after his very very average displays in France) can be a Bok certainty (under White).
It doesn’t say much for our rugby talent (if Whites reasons for picking him are entirely rugby related).
20 Jun 2006, 14:35 pm
Hadden,
Thanks for your astute insight.
Can you imagine how good Monty would have been if he could catch a high ball?
20 Jun 2006, 14:35 pm
grrr, howzit bro? you crack me up hey…
20 Jun 2006, 14:44 pm
Someone please give Stan a leathal injection
20 Jun 2006, 16:29 pm
Nothing earth shattering in Hadden’s comments I think, we all know what Monty brings to the Bok backline – positionally he’s the best fullback in the world.
So what’s upsetting some of you guys? We all know FdP is a liability
, that Matfield is the best lineout forward in the world and the Monty is a legend….. what am I missing?
20 Jun 2006, 17:09 pm
Minder KWV en jou spelling sal dalk verbeter…
Hier is iets vir die WP ondersteuners….
Newlands reels under **** force
Melanie Gosling
June 20 2006 at 11:14AM
There are so many dog turds in Newlands Forest that there are days when forest station office staff cannot open their windows for the stench.
“In summer the smell is especially terrible. We pick up as much as we can, but can’t keep ahead,” said Philip Prins, who manages the Table Mountain National Park’s fire programme.
It’s got so bad that the standby firefighters have to go around picking up turds before they can do their training along the road in Newlands Forest.
One volunteer, Pixie Littlewort, who takes school children on educational outings in the forest, says she picked up just over 25kg of dog faeces one Monday morning.
“I weighed it. And that’s just from the work area around the buildings at Newlands forest station. That translates into 619 people who did not bother to pick up their own dog’s droppings.
“We counted 40 to 50 flies feeding on a single fresh dropping in the middle of the tarred road. About 10 metres away these same flies could also enjoy lunch at the standby firefighters’ quarters,” Littlewort said.
“The firefighters use the road to do their press-ups and work-outs, but first they have to clean up the dog turds. I have to clean it up before I take the schoolchildren there because it’s no good trying to get their attention to look at bark or fungus if they’re standing in dog faeces.”
“Not only are the turds a problem, but so is the steady stream of dog’s urine at the forest entrance, which adds to the stink.
“One Saturday I sat there and counted more than 300 dogs urinating on the bollards between 9am and noon. The poor officials can’t open their windows because of the stench. One of the bollards had to be replaced because the acid in the urine had eaten it away,” Littlewort said.
She says dog owners come up with strange excuses when she tackles them for not cleaning up after their dogs, some even claiming that the excrement doesn’t smell.
“We need a separate entrance for dog-walkers so their dogs can offload away from others who use the forest.”
Asked to comment, Table Mountain National Parks spokesperson Paddy Gordon agreed that “there is far too much of it” in the forest.
“We’re reviewing the environmental management programme for dog-walkers so that everyone can comment on it, not only dog-walkers, as was the case in the past.
“Dog-walkers themselves have suggested a ‘poop-loop’ at the entrance, because apparently observations show that most dogs do their business within the first 20 metres of the cars.”
20 Jun 2006, 22:32 pm
So as Keo wrote in the blog above…what hapopens if Monty’s gone. Rather late than never Jake,blood someone else NOW.Altho I rate Jaco there,but who will be your no 10….may aswell get Bosman or Steyn in the mix.
Glad to see Jake’s got Jaco to kick for poles a bit.
The injury to Burger is no ‘blessing in disguise’ ,we have many loosies,no serious neck injury is a blessing. Idiot.
The minor injury’s may wake Jake up….thats where we can benefit now rather than later,imagine if this all happened a year from now. The boys cant be expected to last that long.
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