Boks do rain dance
21 Jun 2006
The Springboks are hoping it rains during Saturday’s Test against the French at Newlands.
The French would have been alarmed by the foul weather that enveloped Cape Town on Wednesday morning.
The rain has been coming down heavily since Tuesday evening, and the forecast is grey for the rest of the week.
The French will be hoping for a clear day so that there potent backline will be uninhibited on attack. The Boks, however, have a new centre combination in De Wet Barry and Wynand Olivier, and will keep things as simple as possible.
“We are not expecting rain on Saturday afternoon, and it should be a great game and spectacle for the crowd here at Newlands,” WP president Rob Wagner told keo.co.za.
The weather forecast for the game is partly cloudy, and temperatures are expected to reach a moderate 19C. But as any Capetonian will tell you, don’t go to the bookies with that information, as the Mother City’s climate does tend to change erratically.
Jake White has stated that a wet game will favour the Boks, as their forwards should be able to dominate the French pack.
“In Paris last year, we let ourselves down,” White said, “but at Newlands we need to take charge in the forwards to have a chance of winning the match.”
By Jon Cardinelli
37 Comments
21 Jun 2006, 13:17 pm
1
21 Jun 2006, 13:17 pm
Can’t believe the Boks would prefer wet weather to dry weather. They can’t be that scared of the French backline?!
21 Jun 2006, 13:20 pm
Ian,yep.The Boks have a better chance in the dry.We have never been good in the wet.
21 Jun 2006, 13:22 pm
In other words the Boks want to make the game as boring as possible.
As I will be singing on Saturday, the immortal words of Bob Marley :
“Sun is shining, the weather is sweet”
21 Jun 2006, 13:23 pm
the poor fans who bought tickets! R350 bucks to stand in the rain and watch un-entertaining forward rugby.
21 Jun 2006, 13:26 pm
this is not cricket…
21 Jun 2006, 13:33 pm
Box have never been good in the wet. Maybe White want an excuse upfront. I hope their boots have long studs and all.
I hope they’re in front when it rains, then they have a good chance to win Duckworth/Lewis style.
21 Jun 2006, 13:36 pm
maybe some positional restrictions in the first 15 minutes of each half could help: e.g. NO forwards are allowed in the backline!
21 Jun 2006, 13:41 pm
A good rain might wash some of the turds away.
The Boks biggest mistake against the French in the past has been to try and play them at their own game.
That is always fatal. They must play their own game and not let their backs get ball and the points will come.
21 Jun 2006, 13:43 pm
If it rains, I’m not going. I’m backing the no rain forecast.
21 Jun 2006, 13:48 pm
Jake, moenie kak praat nie
21 Jun 2006, 13:51 pm
Jake – if you were actually at Stade Du France in November remember 2 things, it a) snowed on that fateful day and then b) Rained. Something tells me the French won’t care one way or the other! As to our pack dominating? Who cares if we can’t score points ala State Du France November 2005!
In closing – can the SARU stop all tests at Stadiums overseas that don’t sell Beer! Stade Du France being a very sore point indeed!
21 Jun 2006, 13:52 pm
Where in Cape Town has it “The rain has been coming down heavily since Tuesday evening, and the forecast is grey for the rest of the week.”
Not where I am, maybe I’m in a diffrent Cape Town. Won’t rain and it will take more than a few drops of rain to beat the French,
21 Jun 2006, 13:54 pm
Doesn’t the Northern Hem. teams normally play in wet weather??? Believe you me its cold in Cape Town at the moment and I don’t think this rain is going to stop. If the boks play as borring a game as they did last saturday I’ll rather watch the footie.They will probabily kick for posts all afternoon long again…mmm…what shall we do…ok kick for posts – Heaven forbid kicking to the corners and using the heavies!On that note, if its rainig the boks will need a superb performance by their flyhalf.Forget about the centers.History has shown that great flyhalf play is a ‘must’ to win games in wet conditions….something the boks have been lacking for a while!
21 Jun 2006, 13:58 pm
Jake, why do u think the french are so f’kin pasty and the boks all hav beauty tans?
21 Jun 2006, 13:59 pm
Spokie
we don’t need rain to play a boring game without using the backline
it all hinges on the french mentality on the day- if their on song, they’ll run us ragged come hell or much water.
21 Jun 2006, 14:03 pm
Praying for rain?
Can you imagine how kak Percy will be under the high ball then?
21 Jun 2006, 14:09 pm
Mossel –
I agree all I’m saying is that overall there were nothing exciting about our play in the last game. When we had the chance to pressure the Scotts with kicks and score tries, we rather took the points. I would at least have seen them trying to score more tries! But agreed the French mentality will play a factor. Just remember they will want to compete to become the 2nd best in the world and they are looking to build confidence ahead of the world cup.
21 Jun 2006, 14:11 pm
Since when does any SA team play well in the wet.
21 Jun 2006, 14:15 pm
Spokie, there’s as much difference between Toulouse and London as between Pretoria and Auckland.
21 Jun 2006, 14:16 pm
Boet – get a geography book Boet, France is actually not that cold a place, Biarritz, Toulouse, Agen are in South West France, on the Spanish Border, they regularly get up to 30C plus, in Bordeaux 3 years ago it hit 42 C. South of France is very similar to the Cape – remember when people say the Cape’s Mediterranean climate – well that’s where it’s from.
Pasty? Don’t confuse the Pom’s with the French!
21 Jun 2006, 14:18 pm
Weepee
yeah, even in london it reached 30C last week though. now there is a fair amount of pink poms about
21 Jun 2006, 14:19 pm
OK boet. Will get an atlas …. boet.
21 Jun 2006, 14:25 pm
Praying for rain and picking Russel does not make a whole lot of sense…if it is foul wheather you’re hoping for, then choose boring old Gaffie to kick the ball to kingdom come and then also Jacque Cronje to crash the ball up the whole afternoon…we are paying a little fortune Jake so stop your ****, wish for a sunny day and let us see some tries!
21 Jun 2006, 14:54 pm
Swapo, You’re so spot on with the selection comment. Gaffie is better with the boot for a rainy day. The team though seems to be balanced for both rain/no rain. And he can always replace Russell.
Last Saturday was boring on a dry field. More boring forward stuff if its wet this Saturday.
Gosh why do I love rugby and feel obliged to watch every Springbok test?
21 Jun 2006, 14:59 pm
Amerifikaner
you probably have nothing else to do? Sport is important though
or rather as They say- money is not everything, but the second in line is a hell of a long way off!
21 Jun 2006, 15:11 pm
Chaps. Damien Traille is at flyhalf for the french, i think we r going to get stuffed up this Saturday. There is too much class in that french side. That means the french have 2 world class srumhalfs, 3 world class flyhalves, that’s just being greedy. Ours r like a bunch ruff neck farm boys, no class what so ever, ironically it is the ruffest of them all which will endup begin the man, Butch
21 Jun 2006, 15:13 pm
White should be trying out Gaffie at flyhalf again and putting Jaco at fullback. The french are trying things this Saturday too.
21 Jun 2006, 15:21 pm
If it rains heavily – more likely than not – and France are apathetic (always a possibility) – the Boks can win a doer unattractive skill-free slugfest, with Monty putting over the crucial kicks – in this respect he’s bloody good.
However, if Newlands is dry – occasionally happens – and France are in the mood to play – then SA are in for a train smash: the incohesion caused by a lack of openside flank getting quality ball and pounding the French backline AND a super-ordinary, cross-running, selfish fly-half (Jaco) – will make this an open day for les Bleus – consider it Betsen’s comeback match.
John Cowper – Detroit
21 Jun 2006, 15:27 pm
strange opinion from white. as an aussie i have rarely seen the boks play a home game in the wet (the 95 semi an obvious exception) or in an away game for that matter. the wallabies cop the worst in conditions when we go to NZ
21 Jun 2006, 16:20 pm
I think a lot of the recent posts are spot on, if it is going to rain why play Kaboutertjie Russell? High Ball’s obviously not his speciality, then again any ball over 5 ft is out of his reach! Gaffie would have made sense as a flyhalf, knows CT well, keep the French in their own half etc… But then again after our World Class line out failed miserably against the Scottish in the 2nd Test, maybe Jake is opting to keep possession and take the ball through a more tight phased approach – Jake then why take the Knock on king of World Rugby De Wet Barry?
21 Jun 2006, 17:09 pm
Why we have to depend on the weather for the outcome of a Test is way beyond my limited comprehension.
21 Jun 2006, 17:43 pm
FFS leeanthony
will you please wake up and smell the coffee on this one? Gaffie has had AMPLE opportunities to prove himself at flyhalf and by this stage it is FACT: He does not have enough time at flyhalf to be any good there. He is a great kicker, yes, and he can pass, yes, and he is fast, yes. He is a great fullback and is unfairly talked about as being “kak” player.
But he cant do all that he has to do in time at flyhalf!! There are about 5 more things to check on as a flyhalf. So STOP IT ALREADY!
If anything try Fourie at flyhalf, since he was flyhalf at school for Monnas, and was the competition’s leading points scorer. And Habana at outside centre. And Nokwe at wing- I still believe he has what it takes. Fester just didn’t know how to get it out of him…
Another thought: Russel’s acceleration would make an awesome blindside attack as a scrummie. And his defence aint bad either.
22 Jun 2006, 04:48 am
Weepee, 2 shay, 2 shay.
22 Jun 2006, 05:32 am
Come on now we are “hoping” for rain? Dear god what is happening to this team?? Are the boks so low in confidence we “hope” for conditions that will hamper the oppisition? We have electric players like Brent Russell and Bryan Habana we should be more concerned with getting our own attack right rather then worrying about France’s!
22 Jun 2006, 07:07 am
The weather forecast is clear skies for the next week so doesn’t seem that rain is in the cards. The Bok pack will hold its own but be afraid of the French backs who could hammer us out wide.
22 Jun 2006, 08:10 am
I totally agree Steel Shark. For the first time this season we have two wings that posses immense acceleration and the ability to beat the man on the outside. But I think Jake realises that his team lacks the skill to unlock their wide men, espcially with Barry there and no De Villiers around.
Let’s be honest, regardless of the conditions on Sat, everyone knows what White is going to do. With three big ball carrying loose forwards (4 if you include Danie Rossouw), no fetchers and a one dimensial crash balling no.12, the likes of Russell and Habana are not going to see much of the ball!
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