Boks office smash
17 Apr 2007
Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield can lay claim to the title of best lock combination in world rugby.
In the latest issue of SA Rugby magazine, we find out what makes Botha and Matfield so successful. When they’ve played together, the Boks have won 65% of their Tests. When Matfield plays without Botha that figure drops to to 45% and when Botha plays without Matfield it sinks even further to 40%.
“I enjoy them a lot and that’s because, for an optimum pairing, you require one athlete and one hard guy, the “dogâ€,’ says Mark Andrews. “You seldom get both together. South Africa is very lucky because having the right mix allows the athletic one to dominate the kick-offs and line-outs and general play. The other can dominate with his presence, taking the pressure off the hooker and tighthead, who usually get through the rough stuff.”
Also in the new issue of SA Rugby magazine:
– NEW: SA regional focus – all the behind the scenes news from your favourite franchise
– How Loffie transformed the Lions
– Why the Yellow Pages saved Ernst Joubert‘s career
– Keo on why Joe van Niekerk has only himself to blame for failing to reach his potential
– Three rested Boks, Derick Coetzee and Tim Noakes give their views on conditioning
– Byron Kelleher explains exactly what happened at the All Black conditioning programme
– EXCLUSIVE: How Saru ignorned warnings of an impending financial crisis
– Luke McAlister: “I play by my instincts”
– Ryan Cross on crossing codes and playing for the Wallabies
– Memorable moments from the Six Nations
– Beer and babes at the Hong Kong Sevens
– Percy Montgomery and John Smit‘s other life
– Super 14 stats and milestones
– Rassie on the rolling maul
– Our World Cup countdown continues
PLUS: Free Bakkies/Skinstad poster.
101 Comments
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17 Apr 2007, 11:54 am
jlab
The Super 14 is not designed for SA teams. The travel puts our guys at a disadvantage. The Kiwi teams jump across and then bashes a Wallaby and then flies back to be in time to slap his missus around
Our teams do 5 weeks away
17 Apr 2007, 12:06 pm
Now that’s an almost perfect cover for a rugby mag… I still think the semi nekkid cheerleader will be better!
17 Apr 2007, 12:06 pm
jl
… but not as impossible as everyone makes it out to be. just have a look at this year’s performances. if you win your games, the 5 weeks away isnt that long.
17 Apr 2007, 12:12 pm
…if you win your games
Crusaders make a point of winning at home
We make a point of losing every 3rd home game
17 Apr 2007, 12:18 pm
JK1
I agree with what you say….it is not ideal for us. What do you suggest SANZAR do about it? Start a competition with Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana?
We travel for 5 weeks because it is the most cost effective option. Rugby is played on a field, the same dimensions regardless of location (we hope), and the Sharks seem to be doing fine.
17 Apr 2007, 12:18 pm
54
is there an echo in here?
our problem is that our teams, like the bulls did this year, decide long before we go on tour which games we’re propably gonna lose and then target the other games to gain some wins/ points. if we fail to achieve THAT wins, the tour is obviously then gonna be a very loooooong one.
17 Apr 2007, 12:29 pm
what about the Force…they can only win away from home????
Food for thought of those “can only win at home” people out there.
17 Apr 2007, 12:37 pm
We, as South African Sportspeople must learn to accept it if we loose a game (Cricket, Rugby etc). We must stop making excuses for our failures. How often do we hear, we lost because of, the long trip overseas, bad refereeing, TMO decissions, bad weather, unjustified citings, etc. Perhaps it’s time to acknowledge the real reason for most of these losses – underperformance. Why don’t we all addopt Rassie’s attitude – can anyone recall ever hearing Rassie make an excuse.
It is ironic that the commentators during a game, will almost always tell you what the reason for a penalty was, only to read in the press the following day that the ref has made the wrong decission, and that’s why we lost the game.
17 Apr 2007, 12:58 pm
Looks like Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have found replacements for BAD BOYS 3!
17 Apr 2007, 13:07 pm
Hey there guys what do you think of this squad, blend of youth and experience for the world cup?
Props: Gurthro Steenkamp, Os du Randt, BJ Botha, CJ van der Linde
Hookers: John Smit, Chilliboy Ralapele
Locks: Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, AJ Venter, Gerrie Britz
Loose forwards: Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Kabamba Floors, Pierre Spies, Bobby Skinstad, Ernst Joubert
Scrum-halves: Ricky Januarie, Fourie du Preez, Ruan Pienaar
Fly-halves: Andre Pretorius, Butch James
Centres: Jean de Villiers, Jaque Fourie, Bradley Barritt, Waylon Murray
Wings: Odwa Ndungane, Akona Ndungane, JP Pietersen (Either of these can be swapped with Habana if he hits better form)
Fullbacks: Percy Montgomery, Francois Steyn
Looks like a good 30 to me.
17 Apr 2007, 13:13 pm
I’d rather have Andries Bekker than Gerrie Britz.
You can leave Earnst Joubert out and replace with Wikus van Heerden
17 Apr 2007, 13:17 pm
Bakkies and Victor has shown us how important combinations are in rugby and the continuety of it. These 2 deserve a cover and are the best lock pairing in the world , it’s just such a pity they are playing for such a **** team.
17 Apr 2007, 13:21 pm
remember how the Bulls supporters went on went Victor wanted to win the game against the Force instead of a draw….
….it showed courage and a winning nature…very un-Bulls like rugby.
17 Apr 2007, 13:22 pm
Seak1_cpt
Agree with that, have not been able to see much of bekker here with Skysports in London, is he pretty mobile to fit the scrapper (Bakkies) and master (Matfield) in the lineout for the Boks. Reason Earnst is there is for future leadership, and growth.
The guy on rugby365 compiled most of the team with a few tweaks from me.
17 Apr 2007, 13:26 pm
#62. Dit lyk vir my jy was ook op Greame Smith hulle se party.
17 Apr 2007, 13:38 pm
Re mag covers ….
There are the cricket boytjies, still frozen in their block of ice on SA Cricket cover.
Ag shame man.
17 Apr 2007, 13:39 pm
Dawn still not working??
17 Apr 2007, 13:40 pm
jlab , you probapley poured yourself a double , put on Delarey and sharpened your biltong knife after the bulls game eh wahahahahahaha
17 Apr 2007, 13:42 pm
Your cover this month is Da Boss. Well done.
17 Apr 2007, 13:43 pm
Meaning the BOKS OFFICE SMASH cover
17 Apr 2007, 13:50 pm
Victor Matfield looks like one of the Disciples.
17 Apr 2007, 13:52 pm
If I had to put in a loose forward (at the expense of EJ), it would be Keegan Daniel (prefered above Piere Spies in the U21 team I am told)
17 Apr 2007, 14:06 pm
JL1
Don’t you know? I just pretend to work. I fool everyone.
17 Apr 2007, 14:17 pm
Have not seen Daniel so cannot comment on that. Do you know which position Daniel is preferred at?
17 Apr 2007, 14:23 pm
Byron Kelleher is going to talk about watching the first 6 games at the pub with the boys
17 Apr 2007, 14:34 pm
If you’ve seen Byron’s girlfriend then you won’t be suprised if he didn’t watch any of the games
17 Apr 2007, 14:44 pm
chch how is life?
Big one this weekend-Sharks have beaten 4 out 5 Kiwi sides in the S14
The Chiefs are waiting now
17 Apr 2007, 14:45 pm
Dawn a need some coaching or a strategy to get they same result
17 Apr 2007, 14:49 pm
anyone taken into account that most guys, after appearing on sarugby’s cover, either lose form or get injured? keo, you’re temting fate, arent you?
17 Apr 2007, 14:49 pm
temting = tempting
17 Apr 2007, 14:51 pm
GO LIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ROARRRRRRRR
17 Apr 2007, 14:58 pm
Hey check this out, it is not just in SA that some unions are struggling
Concerned Waratahs officials believe the NSW Rugby Union will struggle to make a profit this year because of plummeting home crowds
17 Apr 2007, 15:26 pm
65% win rate is still too low.
17 Apr 2007, 16:35 pm
Well I would just like to say that if you don’t like the BULLS don’t say nasty stuff about there players!!!!Victor and Bakkies are the worlds best locks and thats that!!!Yes sometimes they are a littel off but every player has his off day,that’s a fact!!!The Bulls are a great team but sometimes they forget to play and they can be one dimensional.But let us not forget they have some of the worlds best players in their team!!And with Pierre Spies back expect them to be even better!!
By the way really nice cover!!!
17 Apr 2007, 17:30 pm
#79
Hehe, smart observation…..
17 Apr 2007, 17:32 pm
Let’s see…..Previous covers:
Maruis Joubert, Schalk Burger, Brent Russel, Luke Watson, Jean & Jacques….
Don’t know about that one.
17 Apr 2007, 21:41 pm
Oh GREAT here I sit up in Sweden still waiting for my SA Rugby sub to arrive from last month. Haven’t had the chance to page through that yet, and you are already teasing me with a new one. SA Postal system sucks major league!
17 Apr 2007, 22:17 pm
And so to the SuperWrap’s weekly teams.
Schalk Burger has played a lone hand for the Stormers for so long now – on Saturday it meaningfully fell to him to give the pep talk after yet another demoralizing defeat! – that it is hardly surprising that he is the only one to gatecrash the Sharks/Bulls dominance of this week’s Springbok Barometer.
Burger, although not a classical fetcher, is in a class of his own as a destructive force and his steady improvement since coming back from his neck injury has once again made the green-and-gold No6 jersey his own.
The “Bokometer†not only reflected the supremacy of the country’s two top sides but showed – transformation quotas permitting – what a formidable side South Africa could pick to gear up for the World Cup.
Francois Steyn, at flyhalf, is noteworthy – especially if he improves his dubious option-taking – as is the presence of Bob Skinstad and the Sharks’ centre duo of Brad Barritt and Waylon Murray.
However the most significant aspect of Week 11’s Barometer is who is not in it. Victor Matfield for instance. Johann Muller’s strong game against the Blues, makes him the No5 lock, putting Matfield, who was up against less formidable opponents, on the sidelines while Skinstad shaded Juan Smith on the same grounds.
Add Jaque Fourie, André Pretorius, Jean de Villiers, AJ Venter, Heinke van der Merwe and Jano Vermaak, all of whom did not see action at the weekend and you start seeing the potential once the national selectors sit down to pick the best Bok side for the mid-year tests against England and Samoa and onward to the Tri-Nations.
The Springbok Barometer for Week 11:
1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls), 2 Gary Botha (Bulls), 3 BJ Botha (Sharks), 4 Bakkies Botha (Bulls), 5 Johann Muller (Sharks), 6 Schalk Burger (Stormers), 7 Bob Skinstad (Sharks), 8 Pierre Spies (Bulls), 9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls), 10 Francois Steyn (Sharks), 11 JP Pietersen (Sharks), 12 Brad Barritt (Sharks), 13 Waylon Murray (Sharks), 14 Odwa Ndungane (Sharks), 15 Percy Montgomery (Sharks).
The Super XV for Week 11:
1 Aled de Malmanche (Chiefs) , 2 Tom Willis (Chiefs), 3 BJ Botha (Sharks), 4 Bakkies Botha (Bulls), 5 Johann Muller (Sharks), 6 Richie McCaw (Crusaders), 7 Chris Masoe (Hurricanes), 8 Mose Tuiali’i (Crusaders), 9 Brendon Leonard (Chiefs), 10 Dan Carter (Crusaders), 11 Roy Kinikinilau (Chiefs), 12 Aaron Mauger (Crusaders), 13 Casey Laulala (Crusaders), 14 Hosea Gear (Hurricanes), 15 Leon MacDonald (Crusaders).
17 Apr 2007, 22:18 pm
asha1 and ratel,
Tim Noakes is a legend. His books are regarded as the holy grail of sport fitness and conditioning, world wide, from amateur level to olympic athletes.
17 Apr 2007, 22:44 pm
I think Paul O’ Connell is as good if not better than Bakkies.
Both are very similar in the enforcer role and both can go missing in games.
Bakkies with Matfield make a very good combination.
Lineout wise Matfield’s extra height is very important, however I’m forever reading that he’s lazy getting to rucks etc.
Where Bakkies and Matfield really get assistance is the extra options at the tail with the average height of 6,7 and 8 of the SA teams taller than other sides giving numerous variations on where the ball is going to be thrown, and numerous defending jumpers on the oppo throw.
In a dream team P.O.C. and Bakkies would be very nasty combo and P.O.C and Matfield very interesting.
Interesting enough by the way is that Donnacha O’ Callaghan is a bit of a late developer and will get much better. I was a bit miffed that the 4 of them didn’t get matched up in Dublin for the autumn internationals. Same as B.O.D Darce v J deV Fourie.
17 Apr 2007, 23:40 pm
#89, Tim Noakes is, was and always will be a “snake-oil vendor”. The gullible will always come-a-runnin’ when Timmy comes to town with his mighty fine opinion on everythin’
You don’t know whether pity or contempt for those troubled pilgrims is the more appropriate response…
18 Apr 2007, 00:26 am
Ring that bell, round 2, TheTackler vs TinyTimmy
18 Apr 2007, 02:44 am
Naah, he SURELY couldn’t daffy enough to want to be tackled that hard again, surely?
But, hey, who knows?
18 Apr 2007, 03:13 am
mate, i was surprised he went so quietly, like a student to his books in the library.
18 Apr 2007, 04:36 am
When you get tackled, you have to take lots of time on rest and recovery, I suppose. If you come back too soon, you’ll get “burn-out” or something…
18 Apr 2007, 04:45 am
Are you suggesting Timmy is on major sabbatical, taking his own advice. how professional…
Tackler can you please rank the nz locks.
1 jack
2 ali
3 robinson
4 rawlinson
5 ryan
6 eaton
i am tempted on form to have rawlinson at 3, but think of robinsons experience and how valuable it would be.
ryan is top notch too, but he didnt perform much in his bread and butter role.
eaton is suffering from 2nd season pains, but will still be selection concern.
18 Apr 2007, 05:54 am
If it were up to me (and it isn’t) I’d have Jack and Eaton in my run-on XV.
18 Apr 2007, 08:47 am
johnny @ 89
…. of running that is, doesnt make him an expert on everything else
18 Apr 2007, 09:28 am
Hey I think I’ll buy this edition.
It will be interesting to see the circulation figures with this edition. Would a significant increase in readership prove that the reading ability of the typical Bulls supporter is higher than the rest of the other provincial fans…..
18 Apr 2007, 14:04 pm
100 n.u.n.
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