Cocks crow in Clermont
25 Jun 2006
France won their first U21 World Championship when they beat the Baby Boks 24-13 on Sunday.
The hosts avenged their 14-10 defeat to the South Africans in the pool stages with a clinical performance in front of a 14,000 capacity crowd at the Parc Marcel Michelin in Clermont.
Coming 24 hours after the Tricolores smashed the Springboks at Newlands, flyhalf Lionel Beauxis kicked six penalties and two drop goals to cap off a memorable weekend for French rugby.
Le Bleu dominated the first 25 minutes and deservedly led 12-3. Apart from a break by Keegan Daniels – playing in the unfamilar position of eighth man – that resulted in a penalty goal for Isma-eel Dollie, the Baby Boks struggled to get over the advantage line.
Another penalty from Beauxis extended the French lead and they should have been even further ahead at half-time. The home side had a try disallowed after the referee spotted an accidental obstruction earlier in the movement, and came close to crossing the tryline again just before the break. Still, a fourth penalty gave France a 15-3 advantage.
The Baby Boks made a couple of changes at start of the second half, with Marius Delport shifting to wing in place of Cedric Mkhize and replacement Scott Spedding slotting in at fullback.
It was Spedding who almost gifted France a try when he botched a pick-up inside his 22 and the loose ball was kicked over the Bok line. Fortunately, a South African hand grounded the ball first.
Having survived that scare, the Baby Boks slowly played themselves back into the match. A powerful scrum had the French in trouble, before Dollie kicked his second penalty to reduce the gap to nine points.
Delport then broke down the left-hand touchline and Chiliboy Ralepelle barged it up into the 22, before the Boks were awarded a kickable penalty that they opted to put into touch. However, they lost the line-out and the scoring opportunity went with it.
South Africa should have scored the game’s opening try with 15 minutes to go, when Hilton Lobberts went blind, but Wilhelm Steenkamp couldn’t control the ball with the line inches away.
Beauxis then made the Boks pay with his second drop goal and sixth penalty to put the result beyond doubt.
Pierre Spies scored a consolation try at the death, against the run of play, but it didn’t detract from a comprehensive French victory.
South Africa - Try: Pierre Spies. Conversion: Isma-eel Dollie. Penalty: Dollie.
France - Penalties: Lionel Beauxis (6). Drop goals: Beauxis (2).
By Simon Borchardt
OTHER RESULTS:
11th/12th place: Italy 12 Georgia 9
9th/10th: Fiji 21 Scotland 19
7th/8th: Argentina 28 Wales 12
5th/6th: England 32 Ireland 8
3rd/4th: New Zealand 39 Australia 36
135 Comments
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26 Jun 2006, 10:26 am
Stan – leave your close minded politics at home if you wish to remain part of the community.
26 Jun 2006, 10:28 am
Here we go again the comments degrading to, Bulls versus WP versus quotas versus biase. The Baby Boks overall performance does illicit some hope for our future rugby. The lack of consistency by the Bokke doesn’t.
26 Jun 2006, 10:28 am
Not politics, but hard reality Ig.
26 Jun 2006, 10:28 am
Stan LOL – Julies would have done a better job than Olivier. I think Olivier’s dream of playing 50 tests for the Boks are still to remain a dream for ever…
26 Jun 2006, 10:32 am
bigg,
the least of our problems was Olivier.
We should start with both the forward and backline coaches.
26 Jun 2006, 10:33 am
What a k@k rugby weekend. First the Lions lost. Then had to sit trough the rubbish at Newlands and then the Baby Boks also lost the plot!!! To add to my missery everybody is going on about the blerrie Soccer WC!!!
26 Jun 2006, 10:33 am
No Stan, politics. Leave it out. I am not asking – i am telling you.
26 Jun 2006, 10:34 am
Hallelujah someone agrees, but first the backline coach his time was past a year ago.
26 Jun 2006, 10:35 am
O, one positive. Now Jake can stop saying Julies has never been in a losing Bok side. No sir!!! His knock-on was my ticket to start for the exit this weekend. Julies, I’m not defending you anymore. You are the weakest link. F-OFF!!!
26 Jun 2006, 10:40 am
And please Jake!!! Jaco is k@k! Why play a kicking game with a flyhalf that can’t kick? Barry is k@kker, who told him he could kick in the first place? A grubber: Not something the Boks can or should do…EVER!!! Why pick Habbana when you never pass him the ball? Hell, why have a backline? Danie, you were great the last two games. You were k@k on Saterday. Besides Os actaully you were all k@k!!! Os, you are a legend! Thank you for that monster tackle, I wet my pants. I’m upset!!! And sober! Bot a great combination…
26 Jun 2006, 10:42 am
Stadig Grr there are so few of us Lion supporters around, losing another with a heartattack would deplete our “quota”
26 Jun 2006, 10:43 am
Boks were horrendous, sounds like the baby boks were the same, dissapointing weekend.
The boks were 23-11 up and cruising and then it all went to pot. In fairness, the criticisms regarding the Law and a fecther are well-founded.
26 Jun 2006, 10:47 am
No Cab, the Boks were never cruising. They should never had had the 12 point margin in saturday’s game, they were never in the match.
26 Jun 2006, 10:56 am
Stan…great point mate! I couldnt agree with you more! Mhkize has had a bad hammie all the way through…..and the spears “legend” keep getting the game time…Pieter Louw was brilliant the 20 minutes he got…is it however fair that he only got 35 minutes in the tournament……
26 Jun 2006, 10:57 am
Bigg
Did you sleep in the Bok’s match, Barry palyed inside , Olivier was outside the game stopped at Barry, Julies ,and Olivier would have been much better
26 Jun 2006, 11:00 am
Does anybody know what time the TN squad is going to be announced?
26 Jun 2006, 11:02 am
BadBoy, well that was the case, and indeed it should have been a 14-point lead since percy missed the converted try.
But in practice, I agree with you, the French destroyed us in every facet of the game.
26 Jun 2006, 11:03 am
Grrr,
You cannot call Julies the weakest link.
Thats racist.
But you may call Joe a weak link….
26 Jun 2006, 11:06 am
Andrews is the weakest link, we need a scrummaging TH. Visagie or BJ Botha.
26 Jun 2006, 11:08 am
a fit bands…
Did you see the try by the Aussie prop on saturday?
******* awesome! Almost as good as the one by Bands.
26 Jun 2006, 11:15 am
ha ha … not Bands, he’s a kak scrummager.
26 Jun 2006, 11:15 am
I still rate bands.
But did you see the try?
26 Jun 2006, 11:16 am
Perspective needs to be maintained.The Boks are clearly not up to scratch at the moment and Saturday was a disappointing result.However we must give the French their due and accept defeat gracefully.The Boks where always going to struggle against the 6 Nations champs.This Bok team has let themselves down with some downright ordinary rugby.
Up front the experience of Marconnet and de Villiers proved too much for the Bok frontrow.It is not a little ironic that despite playing Szarzewski a lightweight hooker they dominated scrum time.Perhaps the undersize Schalk Brits can take heart from the continued rise of Szarzewski.The French second row overshadowed the illustrious Mr Matfield,though Danie Roussow again had a strong performance.My biggest disappointment again was the loose-forward combo.It is my opinion that Joe and Juan are too similar and with Pedrie in the mix we are one-dimensional in this facet of play.
We seem to have a serious problem at half-back and Fourie du Preez failed in his primary role of distributor and marshall.His kicking may well be an asset,but poor passing and slow clearance far outweigh any positives provided by his boot.
Jaco v/d Westhysen is way below par and seems unable to impose himself on a game.
De Wet Barry had a shocker and Wynand Olivier will struggle to settle at international level if the midfield disruptions continue.Out wide and little can be said for the wingers.Russell may have provided some excitment,but was found wanting in defence.Habana must up his workrate and Gaffie showed why he has been in the international wilderness for so long.Percy as ever is Mr Reliable,but this is not enough.
The lack of creativity in the back division has reached crisis point.Serious questions must be asked of Alistair Coetzee and I refuse to accept injuries as an excuse.Even Jean and Jacques failed to light things up and their loss can’t be held responsible for the continued woes of our backline.
All told the French simply outplayed us and the Boks never looked like they were going to win this one.Some big headaches for Jake ahead of the tri-nations and with the Kiwi juggernaut still chugging on and Australias re-birth underway it will be a long hard tri-nations for the Bokke.
Looking ahead to the 3N it is time for calm heads and realistic introspection.Is the current crop of players the right blend?I most definitely do not think so.Is it prudent to go into a game sans a recognised fetcher?I most certainly don’t think so.It is now up to Jake White and his selectors to rectify their early season wrongs.
Andre Snyman and Gaffie du Toit have proved only that their internationals careers were correctly ended seasons ago.They have failed dismally in adding any value to the Bok cause.Jaco v/d Westhysen does not look the part as an international 10 and will need to dig deep to rediscover the form that brought him back into the frame.
The Boks are in dire need of some excitement and a healthy dose of mongrel wouldn’t harm.There must be more variety in the playing resources and better utilisation of SA’s huge pool of players.Rugby is no longer a 15 man game,let alone 22.A squad of 30-odd players that can do the job is a must and the sooner Jake realises this and rectifies it the better.Wrapping key players in cottonwool is not the answer and sentimentality has no place at a selection table.
26 Jun 2006, 11:25 am
no, unfortunately missed the aussie game, but if it was Rodzilla, he is good.
26 Jun 2006, 11:26 am
Stan – IG told you off hey! I see you have not responded to his post 107 – Why??????
26 Jun 2006, 11:36 am
My thoughts:
Eddie Andrews is K@K, K@K, K@K
Big Joe did not succeed @ No 6, we need Luke Watson
Jaco, has failed, once again, it is time to replace him with one of the regular No 10′s weve got – De Waal, Steyn……even Buth – can’t go worse!!
Hope they have finally seen the light, Barry needs to retire, he gifted them 10 points, he’s OVER THE HILL!!
The Ndungane’s & Giscard Pieterse needs to come into the mix, as well as some of our new young centres like Barrit, Goodes….
We DEFINATELY need a new forwards coach!!!!!!!!!
We DEFINATELY need a new backline coach, the running lines are terrible, the creativity absolutely gone – Coetzee is a Plonker, to say the least!!
We have a looooooooong, most probably terrible season ahead!!
26 Jun 2006, 11:38 am
Bigg,
you should be able to smell the fear from there!
I dont react to threats. he can do what he wants.
26 Jun 2006, 11:39 am
rotten tomatoe to ig the teachers little pet
26 Jun 2006, 11:49 am
Simon, you sure are an angry dude today!!
Let the bloggers post what they want!!
Fancy your comment that what the bloogers post is old news – isn’t that what we get from you and your co-writers week in and week out!!
26 Jun 2006, 12:20 pm
rastafox good comments. My sentiments exactly.
26 Jun 2006, 12:20 pm
Cabernet,
You still batting for Jake then?
26 Jun 2006, 12:23 pm
Rastafox,
Agree with your statements.
Eddie at 3 will not win the WC in 2007.CJ was also very dissapointing too. We need Cobus, BJ Botha for WC or even Rayno Gerber. Not sure about Bands. It is time for Jaco to retire the No 10 Jersey. Pretorius is not the solution either. Luke Watson is a must for the team and so is Schalk Brits. Select Spies in the team as well and say goodbye to DWB and Maruis Joubert. Nothing wrong with our regular centes and use Olivier as reserve. The tri- nations can end in tears for White.
26 Jun 2006, 12:25 pm
Our regular centres are ordinary at best.
26 Jun 2006, 12:30 pm
Some real home truths were delivered in some style by the French on Saturday.The lack of real excitement is fast becoming the hallmark of tests involving the Springboks.
The major concern on Saturday was the abject failure of the tight five.This can be attributed to the following factors:
* John Smit seems to be carrying too much weight and is not in the best of form.The man has toiled away manfully this season,but with the 3N yet to start is looking ragged already.
* Os is approaching his sell-by date faster than we would like and can’t hold together this creaky scrum forever.
* Eddie Andrews is not good enough to holdup to the best in the world.
Giving CJ v/d Linde the benefit of having to come back from injury and the fact that the French scrum was well dominant by the time he appeared,there was not much he could do.Pieter de Villiers was fired up and had the measure of Os regardless of the tighthead woes.
The real French masterstroke was playing two openside flankers and the mobile and exciting Szarzewski at hooker.They simply outclassed the Boks at the breakdown and put real pressure on the Bok half-backs.Even after losing Dusatour they simply sent in Remy Martin.
That two French tries were scored from glaring defensive errors by the wings makes a strong case for Jake to select some specialist wingers for his tri-nations squad.The incumbents are liabilities at best.
The poor form of the Bok backs is tiresome and answers must be found.There is no doubt we have some exciting players that are well capable of ripping a team apart,but as long as we look to 100kg backs with pan hands and crash-ball mentality we will continue to suffer.I have grown increasingly weary of Alistair Coetzee in the last few seasons as the situation is deteriorating rather than improving.
My biggest gripe is the loose-forwards and here there is a serious problem with the loss of Burger.We simply have no variety or adaptibility and the current crop seem to have been mass produced.Our loosies are supposed to be big,strong and skilled if Jake’s spin is to be believed.They fall short in all but size and it is shows up glaringly.Joe and Juan are too similar and tend to fulfill one role and share the workload.Pedrie is in the same mould and adds no value.Each is a good player and these three should compete for one spot,two at a push.
We are not far off Jake,but it is time to reassess what seems so obvious to so many and make some tough calls.Out with the deadwood and reward form.Snyman,du Toit and Barry have added nothing and only succeeded in showing that the talent we have coming through should elbow these chaps out the pecking order.
Bring on players that are more dynamic and in some sort of form.Granted there are some injury questions and this has disrupted the flow.I have to ask though why some players have merited selection despite poor form and others have been shunned when in fine form.This was always going to bite Jake on the behind.
26 Jun 2006, 12:57 pm
In looking ahead to the 3N surely Jake White has to let it all hang out and expose his squad sooner rather than later.Perhaps the following pool of players could be rotated and measured at the highest level:
Loosehead
Os – to be used sparingly and as a mentor
Sephaka – can he make the step up if needed
Carstens – can he recover from the Visagie lesson
CJ – will he regain his best form
du Plessis – is he good enough to cover tighthead
BJ Botha – can he produce his S14 form for Bokke
Hooker
Shimange – quota or genuine contender
Botha – is he genuinely 2cnd best in the land
Brits – can he offer something extra
Smit – needs to be managed better
Locks
Roussow – a true international standard lock
Botha – can he dominate as before
Matfield – complacent star or true leader
v/d Bergh – still got the necessary ability
Bekker – can he step up to the big league
Muller – good enough to step up to Bok level
Loosies
Watson – can he justify the hype
Tiyabilika – does he add any value
Cronje – plonker or physical enforcer
Joe – can he rediscover the form of seasons past
Pedrie – skilled enough for big time
Juan – can he play as a team member
Botes – versatile Shark could add variety
Spies – ready to stand up to the big boys
Scrumhalf
Pienaar – how good is he really
Januarie – still competitive and willing
Du Preez – how complete is his game really
Delport – another forgotten talent
Flyhalf
James – is he the real deal or a liability
Pretoors – the undisputed king at 10
Jaco – perhaps a run at 15
Bosman – how fast can he adapt and impose himself
Center
Jean – is he the “messiah” so many seem to think
Jacques – is he SA’s best back
Wayne – champ or chump
Olivier – will he grab his chance
Joubert – as good as his hatrick vs NZ suggests
Wings
Ndungane x 2 – are they international quality
Habana – can he up his workrate
Paulse – is his experience that vital
Russel – where does he really fit in the picture
Fullback
Percy – candidate for mentorship role
Jantjes – how good can he really become
Pietersen – the kid needs to be developed
These are some posers for Jake and he will have to answer these before the year is out.
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