Traille tortures Boks
24 Jun 2006
Damien Traille, playing his first Test at flyhalf, inspired France to a famous 36-26 victory over the Springboks at Newlands on Saturday.
At the beginning of the week, French manager Jo Maso said they were looking to find a suitable back-up for the injured Frederic Michalak. They can stop looking. Traille created two tries with clever tactical kicks, scored one under the posts and added a drop goal for good measure. It was a masterful display from someone more at home in the midfield.
However, to focus too much attention on Traille would be unfair to the rest of his team-mates, who all did their part.
The Boks struggled in the scrums early on, conceding two free kicks for not binding properly. Eddie Andrews, in particular, found the going tough against Sylvain Marconnet, while Schalk Burger’s skills at the breakdown were missed.
Only seven penalties from Percy Montgomery kept the Boks in the game, although unlike last weekend against Scotland, his boot couldn’t prevent his side from slumping to their first home defeat since Jake White became coach in 2004.
It was Traille who created the opening try of the match when he went blind and kicked behind Brent Russell into the corner. A nasty bounce saw Russell wrong footed and left winger Cedric Heymans gave the visitors an early lead.
Montgomery’s 50m penalty goal put the Boks on the board before a penalty from French scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili and a drop goal from centre Florien Fritz made it 11-3 at the end of the first quarter.
The Boks looked vulnerable on defence, with the running lines of the French backs exposing them three times, including a switch that saw hooker Dimitri Szarzewski gain 30m. However, three penalties from Montgomery gave the home side a fortunate 12-11 lead.
Yachvili missed an opportunity to put the French back in front with a penalty kick, before Montgomery’s left boot found touch deep inside the opposition 22. Szarzewski’s line-out throw wasn’t straight and the Boks were awarded a 5m scrum – their best attacking chance of the game so far. The home side took the ball through several phases, but De Wet Barry’s grubber (meant for Jaco van der Westhuyzen) was intercepted by Heymans. A minute later, Montgomery missed his first kick of the day and the French went into the changerooms just one point behind.
One become four following another Montgomery penalty after the break, as the Boks seemed to take control of the game.
Russell broke away down the blindside, taking play from the Bok 22 into the French half. The French indiscipline continued to let them down, but this time Fourie du Preez took a quick tap as the Boks pushed for the try. After sustained pressure, Du Preez went for the right hand corner and offloaded to Danie Rossouw, but the lock couldn’t take the pass and Montgomery kicked the penalty to make it 18-11.
The Boks gave themselves some breathing space, albeit briefly, when Pedrie Wannenburg went blind from a scrum and found Du Preez, who put Russell into space. The winger beat two defenders before being ankle-tapped, but got back to his feet and scored.
Then came three sucker punches from the French that had the Boks against the ropes.
Another clever kick from Traille bounced perfectly for Fritz who put right wing Vincent Clerc away for their second try. The flyhalf then danced his way through three Springbok defenders to score under the posts, before kicking a drop goal for a 28-23 lead with 15 minutes to go.
Montgomery nailed his seventh penalty to set up a thrilling finish, but when Clerc shrugged off a pathetic tackle from replacement Gaffie du Toit to score his second try, and Yachvili kicked his third penalty, the small group of French fans at Newlands began to celebrate.
South Africa - Try: Brent Russell. Penalties: Percy Montgomery (7).
France - Tries: Cedric Haymans, Vincent Clerc (2), Damien Traille. Conversions: Diminitri Yachvili (2). Penalties: Yachvili (3). Drop goals: Florien Fritz, Traille.
By Simon Borchardt
333 Comments
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25 Jun 2006, 18:28 pm
Maybe Solly can play fetcher?
25 Jun 2006, 19:22 pm
Kevin W,I would love to see Brent at 10.Then again,he looked pretty sharp on the wing.
25 Jun 2006, 20:11 pm
People this not the end of the world. That was a classic French performance, they would have beaten anybody on Sat, Ab’s too. They did this in 94, they beat the ab’s 2-0 in a series in new zealand and the ab’s still reached the finals in 95. White’s test is how he gets up after this defeat. 3 things came out of this, Russel is ready for the big league, Jaco is not a flyhalf and De Wet is finished. i would rather have had 12. Julies and 13. Wynand. Just before half-time habana was right out on the left all Jaco had to do was kick a grubber to the left hand corner and it would have been try time, that would have made the score 25-11, putting alot of pressure om the french. The Boks could have easily won that game. NO NEED TO PANIC
25 Jun 2006, 20:16 pm
londonshark 100%, Russel would have won the game for us if he was at flyhalf. Jaco was woeful at flyhalf, Monty would probably do better. Jaco is a great fullback end of story. I don’t think this is set back at all. The BOKS have been more pre-occupied with keeping their home record intact rather than playing well. That game could have been so different if Russel or Monty was at flyhalf. This may inhance the theory of giving JDV a shot at flyhalf. Danien Teraille was AWESOME at flyhalf , it was great watching the french strut their stuff. The Boks should be glad this happened now. They looked to complacent, watch them play in a few weeks
25 Jun 2006, 21:44 pm
Saffa Gut & Brokeback mountain crew,
Please lets now see what you think of Steddie Eddie? I think he has a close idea of what his butt looks like up close. The French virtually stuck his own head up his arse.
25 Jun 2006, 21:58 pm
CWS – Lets be fair my man.
Eddie, Os and CJ all saw their asses. Dont just single out Eddie. Be fair.
Jake must answer why Visagie is not in the mix
25 Jun 2006, 22:09 pm
I don’t know about Eddie but I saw Os going backwards a few times. He was also noticably slow in getting to the set pieces in the 2nd half.
Jake reckoned this was the season we were going to step up a level in attacking skills. Last week he was complaining that we asked too much when we complained about a lack of them.
This team is now 2 years old and expecting them to support the ball carrier or being in position for the release in the tackle shouldn’t be asking too much.
Frankly executing the type of plays Jake referred too is more a basic instinct than a skill and shouldn’t need years of team building to acquire.
25 Jun 2006, 22:31 pm
Now White is saying we lost to the French not only because they were so skillful but because they were so big!
Please,the only guy on the field who was worthy of the Bok jersey only weighs 80kg. Pedri was also good though.
The Boks had a kak gameplan and and a kak flyhalf.FDP is given **** ball by his forwards because half the fat buggers are in the backline!!!
25 Jun 2006, 23:57 pm
You may disagree but on of the most important people in the front row for a good scrum is the tight head prop. They have already played the locks out of position to strengthen his side of the scrum. Why doesn’t everyone admit it, he is not the 1st choice tighthead!
Saying that I think a number of people also need to get their working papers: Eddie, Jaco, De Wet.
I think Jake needs to but the bullet and stop his pride getting in the way and enalrge the squad, especially with the injuries. Lets call back Pienaar & Butch and also think of inviting Barret, Luke and Dulane.
25 Jun 2006, 23:58 pm
should read walking papers. Lets add Paulse and Joubert.
25 Jun 2006, 23:59 pm
Hey not that CJ was much better than Eddie. I would love to see Visagee and BJ get a go!
26 Jun 2006, 00:52 am
Couple of comments. Totally agree with Sandino about France. No better place on earth, and as for Londonshark, just won’t comment. As a place to live and play rugby it leaves England for dead. Spot on about the southwest, Sandino. But, Sandino, your not very complimentary description of Afrikaans people does you no credit; none of those guys picked themselves to play; if you’re going to have a go at anyone, have a go at who put them in the team. Prepare yourself for a not great season, boys….some of those guys are really out of their depth and are going to really struggle against NZ.
26 Jun 2006, 02:45 am
1. Os
2. J Smit
3. CJ
4. Bakkies
5. V Matfield
6. Joe (Burger if fit)
7. Jaun Smith
8. Perdie
9. Pienaar
10. B James
11. Habana
12. Barrrit
13. J Fourie
14. J deVillers
15. Monty
16. ??? (Afirmative Action has killed props & wings, QD lost a large no of WP locks)
17. Brits (good impact player)
18. Danie Roussow (“)
19. Watson
20. FduPreez
21. Russel (“)
22. JP Pieterson
26 Jun 2006, 03:03 am
hasnt BJ got busted neck? so he wont be back till next year too.
26 Jun 2006, 03:07 am
richardm
solid team. although it would be hard to argue moving JDv back to the wing, but then again he looks for work and reads the game well enough to support percy at the back. so paulse can be on bench maybe.
26 Jun 2006, 03:07 am
Every amateur selector imagines, foolishly, that all you have to do to win tests is to select their preferred players. Tedious “team” after tedious “team” is trotted out as the “solution”.
Coaching and, especially, PLAYING counts for much more. THAT is why the Boks are what they are.
26 Jun 2006, 03:29 am
Why don’t the Springbok coaches build a team around “teammates”? Ruan and Butch for example.
I just watched the Lions and Sharks last night here in the USA and was amazed at the level of talent on those two teams – why isn’t Human in the Bok squad alng with Jorrie Muller and Pretorius at centers?
It seems to me (a definite outsider) that Jake trys to put players together that just don’t know each other and have never played together.
26 Jun 2006, 03:51 am
the whole ******* forward pack…except OS was slap kak…yeah they looked like first timer playing. what a embarressment god, i dont even wanna talk about the back line, russell were only one that caught my eye…i can smell a good tri nation season this year …NOTTTTT!!!!
26 Jun 2006, 03:54 am
and it didnt look like the boks knew the basics…your taught the basics in laerskool ..god damn, Jake needs to pick in form players…and stop picking the ****** out of form players that slacks down and still gets a springbok jersey with ease
26 Jun 2006, 04:20 am
Tackler and AfricanYank are correct. It is hard to believe that there are not enough talented players in SA.
Selection alone is not the way forward. The currently selected bunch are not the ones to win the WC and by default the Coach that insists that they are must take a hike.
It is not rocket science
26 Jun 2006, 04:34 am
But Tackler is a twit. The whole point of a blog like this is so that people can discuss things like team selections. No one really thinks they are a selector. But that’s a bit much for Tackler to understand. This blog is of of such importants to his little life he thinks it is real life.
26 Jun 2006, 06:12 am
SA were completely outplayed by the french from 1 to 15.Questionable selections:Andrews, Joe at 6,Pedrie over AJ,Fourie ahead of Januarie/Pienaar,Jaco…period,Barry,Olivier not a 13,Gaffie will never crack it at test level.
So called ‘Prime SA BEEF PACK’(all 900+kgs of it) was destroyed by lighter opposition ….therefore Boks were completely decimated.Attitude by JW and Gameplan employed was bound to fail at some point.not enough variety, creativity and panache in bok back play
Sick and tired of people lambasting players such as Julies,Sephaka,Tyibilika,Shimange.They dont get a chance to prove themselves(dont pick themselves either) and one of tests here and there dont count.Players such as D.Coetzee,Gaffie,Snyman,Wickus,Jaco,A.van der Berg,Rossouw(until rec) all get chosen for the bok squad and they dont nearly get as much public criticism as the others mentioned but they get game time and still dont perform well.Lets be consistent across the board in our criticism.
A number of the comments passed toward Zinto were completely uncalled for and blatantly racist.U might not agree with someone’s opinion but there’s no need to go personal in your retaliation as a number of u did.Rugby is a sport for all people whatever their skin colour.Its not reserved for the supposedly “special” white minority,things will move along faster once ya’ll get that into your THICK SKULLS!!SA still has a very long way to go…(rugby&society-wise)
Mshini Wam’………..(dissapointed)
26 Jun 2006, 06:17 am
tackler is my hero!
mshiniwami, nice post. i think majority of people here agree with you. its just the percentage of twits who just dont get it, or their rugby views are seriously twisted. i doubt many here have played or coached rugby at all.
26 Jun 2006, 06:54 am
Nobody “discusses” team selections. Every amateur selector just trots out their personal “selection” with not a skerrick of excuse, rhyme or reason! Many simply beat their favourite provincial tambourine.
And nobody comes forward to admit that their favoured selection pretty much sucks when the Boks actually WIN an unexpected test.
The instant the Boks lose, these tedious “amateur selectors” emerge like a swarm of blow-flies around a fresh cow-pat.
Rugby revolves around COACHING and PLAYING rather than selection.
26 Jun 2006, 07:06 am
For instance, given The Wet Barry’s penchant for brainless crash-bashing and avoiding or ignoring any gaps, he might well have had a far better game at outside centre number 13 against France rather than pretending to be a “distributor” (which he certainly isn’t) at number 12.
Barry’s ongoing failure at 12 is because he is UNCOACHED in the role and his complete natural inability to PLAY that crucial distributor’s role.
26 Jun 2006, 07:14 am
African Yank suggested Jorrie for the boks. I’m of this thread, the general level of rugby knowledge just dropped below freezing.
26 Jun 2006, 07:16 am
Tackler Barry has played at outside centre before and it has failed miserably.
26 Jun 2006, 08:08 am
Hopefully Barry has finally proven to Jake that he does NOT belong in a rugby jersey, let alone a Springbok one – he’s been working so hard at it lately.
AND WILL THE BLOODY BLUE BULLS FORWARDS PLEASE STAY OUT OF THE BACKLINE!!!
26 Jun 2006, 08:24 am
Monty – did his job again, kicked the points (6)
Russel – ups and downs, more ups, needs game time (6)
Olivier – nothing special (5)
De wet – Eish!! (3)
Habana – nothing special (5)
Jaco – no good (2)
Fourie – to slow (5)
P3 – average (5)
Jaun – average (5)
Joe – average (5)
Victor – Not a good game (4)
Danie – average (4.5)
Eddie – outscrummed (4)
JS – useless (2)
Os – difficult day in the scrum (4.5)
26 Jun 2006, 08:25 am
The Wet Barry — even at #13— is a one-dimensional dripping-wet crash-bashing flop. He’s never ever been anything else.
But Jake absolutely worships him. He has lots of test caps (far too many) and he therefore has lots of “experience”.
Jake utterly adores that!
26 Jun 2006, 08:26 am
habana should get a 3, for bugger all effort.
and anyone in our tight 5 shouldnt get higher than 4.
26 Jun 2006, 09:37 am
Jake’s article in today’s Business Day suggests that JW may alter his stance in the cold light of day.
Hopefully he realises that not only did the tight head fail, but also the locking pair didn’t fire. The second flanker was who.
The loose trio were played off the park, by smaller men.
The back line never got going, as much due to the halves as to the Wet One, who contributed nothing. Gafster is a quaetion, not an answer, particularly as he has never shown BMT. The most promising member of the back line was Brent Russell.
Losing from a position of 23 – 11 is due to inexperience but composure is like RSA skills, not a strong point.
Keo, given that your bones are shot, give us your rating of the individuals in the team, some like OS were very good. It’s not all doom and gloom but the critics would have had less to chirp about if we’d been playing some newbies.
26 Jun 2006, 12:47 pm
OK guys and girls after I was c*%$#@# on on Wednesday, saying the boks will lose by 10 lets be honest about our players and coaching staff for a moment.
Percy – Playing well at the moment, if not for him we would not have been flattered by the results this season thus far.
Breyton – Rusty, and not the solution for our problems.
Snyman – Go back to England.
Habanna – Never gets the ball! Strong on defense but otherwise wasted. Imagine he played for the Ausies. Still one of our best.
Barry – He should not even be picked for the WP. Career over.
Marius – Career over.
Jaco – Probably our worst player at the moment. He is not a flyhalf and not the solution in that position. He’s decision making is very, very, very, very, poor.
Olivier- Good player but needs time to settle.
Du Preez – I know allot of people likes him, but in honest retrospect he is playing terribly at the moment. He will always perform against the likes of Scotland, but otherwise he’s service is slow and he has lost allot of pace. Solution: Ruan Pienaar.
Januarie – Impact player at best. Lost allot of pace to and I think is he a yellow card in the making.
Jean – Great player. Needs to sharpen his defence but otherwise great.
Fourie – Great player.
Joe – He is no ‘fetcher’. He plays he’s best rugby at 8 and if you don’t believe me watch Saturdays game again….and again. I don’t agree with JW going into the tri-nations without a fetcher. Mcaw and Smith is going to have a field day. Great coaches can admit when they make mistakes and act on those mistakes…Luke Watson needs to be picked.
P3 – Great player but never gets the chance to make his mark. And when he plays a steady game like Saturday he gets subbed??
Rossouw- Best improved player this season but does he have what it takes to mix it up with the big guns. Time will tell?
Matfield – All he does is jump in the line outs. He’s game has lost allot of passion. Is he overplayed? I dunno? But he will have to up a gear in the 3 Nations.
Bakkies – Great player. We miss him dearly. I hope the medical staff are putting everything into him to get him ready.
Eddie – Career over. Sad but true! He just doesn’t cut it anymore.
J Smit – Not the best hooker in South Africa but world cup captain to be….Hey I’ll just stay out of this one…..
Juan – Has this dude ever passed a rugby ball in his life? He is a good player but he’s decision making is a bit one dimensional at time.
Albert – Impact player.
Shimmie – Please send him home. He must be borred to death!
Brent – Impact player and nothing else!
Gaffie – Int. career over.
Os – Great player. Will he last all the way? I give him the benefit of the doubt!
O, and can someone just please tell Jake he’s backline coach is a LOOSER, and that if he wants to add to that success of a Cv of his he had better hire somebody else…..
Dream,dream…dream….
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