Seven steps to glory
30 Jun 2008
The Springboks have not won a Test in New Zealand since 1998. Former Springbok mental coach Henning Gericke explains how Peter de Villiers can achieve what Jake White couldn’t.
White may have a World Cup winner’s medal, but the former Springbok coach has something missing from his impressive CV – his side never beat the All Blacks in New Zealand.
In 2004, White’s first year in charge, the Boks came agonisingly close to claiming what would have been a shock victory in Christchurch. With 30 seconds to go, they led 21-18, having scored three tries to nil. But a botched line-out call 5m out from the Springbok tryline led to an All Blacks scrum from which winger Doug Howlett slid over in the right-hand corner.
In 2005, the Boks arrived at the House of Pain in Dunedin needing a win to clinch their second consecutive Tri-Nations title. With six minutes to go, they lead 27-24, only for All Blacks hooker Kevin Mealamu to be driven over from a line-out for the match-winning try.
The Boks were never going to make it third time lucky for White in New Zealand last year, after the coach opted to rest almost all of his first-choice players ahead of the World Cup. While the second-stringers put up a good fight and trailed 12-6 with 20 minutes to go, three All Blacks tries in the final 10 minutes resulted in a 27-point thrashing.
Former Springbok mental coach Henning Gericke was a key member of White’s management team during that time, and it still grates him that the Boks never won in 2004 or 2005. He believes that while they were mentally prepared for the task, they didn’t have the experience or self belief that the finished product, which won the World Cup, had.
‘I honestly believe that the Boks can win one Test, if not two, in New Zealand this year,’ says Gericke. ‘They just need to focus on these seven points …’
1. HAVE A NO-RESPECT MENTALITY
‘Springbok teams are guilty of putting the All Blacks on a pedestal and believing they are unbeatable. Don’t get me wrong, they are a great team, but we’ve shown them too much respect over the years. We now need to change our underdog mentality into a world champion mentality. We mustn’t listen to all the talk that we haven’t won there since 1998 or that we have never won a Test in Dunedin. We are the world champions and we should believe in ourselves.’
2. AIM TO DOMINATE
‘If your enemy responds to you, you are strong; if you respond to them, you are weak. The Boks must arrive in New Zealand, with the intention of dominating the opposition.’
3. PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS
‘The Boks must do what they do best. The All Blacks don’t like to be tackled hard and confronted physically. New Zealanders throw 50-50 passes in the Super 14 because there’s space, but in Tests you can close that space down and put them under pressure. Playing a physical game doesn’t mean you are playing boring, one-dimensional rugby. It means you are playing clever rugby and giving yourself the best possible chance to win.’
4. HAVE SEVERAL LEADERS
‘The more the unyielding the challenge, the more flexible your leadership has must be. In 2004 and 2005, [captain] John Smit was the only real leader in the team. The Bok side of 2008 will have quite a few leaders, and that could make a big difference. Jean de Villiers was an excellent captain for the Stormers this year, while Juan Smith did a good job with the Cheetahs. Victor Matfield captained the Bulls to the Super 14 title last year. The All Blacks, meanwhile, don’t have many strong leaders, which is why I believe they lost to France in the World Cup last year.’
5. BECOME A FAMILY
‘You need to create an inner circle that creates positive energy. If you have a family environment, you will be able to handle outside pressures because you are so tight-knit. However, it may take time for De Villiers to create the kind of family vibe that we had under Jake. Look at what happened to the Bulls when Heyneke Meyer and a couple of key players left. That family structure was broken to some extent.’
6. SEE OPPORTUNITIES, NOT OBSTACLES
‘When you are in New Zealand, you must really want to be there. Embrace the people, the culture and even the weather. Go out and explore the country. If you have a negative mindset about how terrible a place it is, your game will suffer.’
7. HAVE BIG MATCH TEMPERAMENT
‘When you play the All Blacks in New Zealand, the games are going to be close more often that not. You’re going to find yourself in a situation where there are just three or four points in it with a few minutes to go. Your players have to be able to stay mentally strong and close out the game, which is what the Boks didn’t do in 2004 and 2005.’
What Peter de Villiers says:
ON THE CHALLENGE AHEAD
‘It goes without saying that playing the All Blacks anywhere is one of the toughest tests in the game, but in New Zealand it becomes even tougher. New Zealand have been the most successful rugby country in the world over the last decade, with the exception of their World Cup performances. They are true rugby thinkers and they play with supreme confidence at home, resulting in an attitude that does not contemplate defeat when on home soil. I’m not surprised at all that we have struggled there since 1998, but it should be remembered how close the Boks came to victories in 2004 and 2005.’
ON MENTAL PREPARATION
‘We will leave this country with our minds focused on the first Test [in Wellington] and the first Test only. There’s no use planning and getting worked up about the novelty of two Tests in New Zealand. The reality is one Test is played after the next, so I will prepare the squad for the first Test only. When it’s completed, we’ll reassess and then prepare for the second Test [in Dunedin].’
ON WHETHER HE WILL VALUE EXPERIENCE OVER YOUTH
‘I trust all South African rugby players, and will pick the side I feel has the best chance of winning. That doesn’t just go for the New Zealand Tests. Whoever I name in my 22 for any Test, regardless if they have one cap or 100, will have my full faith and backing.’
ON WHETHER HE’LL BE HAPPY TO WIN JUST ONE OF THE TWO TESTS
‘I am not a loser. I will never be satisfied if we lose.’
By Simon Borchardt, in SA Rugby magazine
928 Comments
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30 Jun 2008, 20:45 pm
#796 zeitgeist: Sorry that post was rambling.
This is a huge game. A momentous occassion. I am looking forward to it with great enthusiasm
30 Jun 2008, 20:47 pm
#799 skopskiet:
Skoppie what I am telling you is to move on.
Things change, players change, coaches change and so and so on.
Stop living in the past.
Experience is everything in test rugby.
These are your “go to” experienced players.
Do you think any of the seven I mentioned should not be in the starting line up on Saturday?
30 Jun 2008, 20:49 pm
Oh ja and superman Spies was running around that day too, though JdV was not – so what is it, you tell me, that turns a 0-49 team into a 15-6 one?
30 Jun 2008, 20:53 pm
I have no doubt Watson will at best be benched (please do not let this come back to bite me!) tighthead.
Steyn will be there, mark my words. (my neck out any further I will snap both arterial ligaments!
30 Jun 2008, 20:54 pm
#800 Seven: well done, the 800 milestone!
30 Jun 2008, 20:55 pm
#804 zeitgeist:
Well Zeit, I hope you are right mate, because those are the kind of selections that will make all the difference.
30 Jun 2008, 20:55 pm
#802 tight head:
And thats exactly what I’m trying to tell you lot to do, most are stuck on the lucky dip WC hallowed victory, against Argentina and England, its old f’ng hat, and far as I’m concerned hardly worth the hullabaloo that goes with it,
Rather concern yourselves with beating NZ, just as seven here seems to derogatorily consider PdV is off the mark, I’m saying he is exactly spot on.
Beat NZ in NZ, then call yourselves world champs and not before that.
30 Jun 2008, 20:56 pm
#799 skopskiet: um there was no mention of os,danie, joe,fourie, january and i think its a pretty good solid SEVEN steps!
Days like that happen, shouldnt and probably/hopefully won’t
who would your team be seeing as your complaining so much?
okay so New Zealand lost in the world cup, jees
lets get rid of richie, carter, soialo…lets face it jack and collins would undoubtedly be there too. cant even remember, but lets throw away williams, mealum, woodcok, somerville besides mccaellister who left. lets not to mention sititvatue rococoko who just obiviuously cant cut it at international level
30 Jun 2008, 21:01 pm
#807 skopskiet:
Skoppie I am not arguing that point.
I respect the fact that we are WC champions and nobody can take that away from us.
For me, as I said above, beating the All Blacks in NZ is the ultimate.
As far as the coach goes, nice guy, but has failed on my score card up till this point.
On the strength of that I am not bristling with confidence, and will judge him further when he reveals his hand by naming his run on team.
30 Jun 2008, 21:07 pm
#808 Seven: So as far as you concerned losing 0-49 is fine, hunky dory, A-OK, just as long as you can smirk it off, and get an Aussie coach to teach you how to go about fluking a cake walk WC tournament by 5 penalties to 2. Alls forgiven.
Well I don’t see it that way, all the hullabaloo blue eyed wonder boys got smacked by 49 points to Zero, (all your WC hero’s apart from 3 or 4). Now that to my mind rankles far worse than fluking an easy open sesame flawed draw competition by 5 penalty kicks to 2, as impressive as you might still think it is.
30 Jun 2008, 21:23 pm
#809 tight head:
Yip thats it, thats the acid test like you said it, beat NZ in NZ, that IS the ultimate,
certainly not the lucky packet rigmarole that goes this way and then that, like France is still convinced they beat us in 1995 semi in the rain in Durban, and even some Boks who are honest will concede to it, then there’s Suzy and forward passes, you name it, its all lucky packet stuff out there.
But not winning a 3N competition home and away, that is different, do that and you have my full admiration. WC’s nice to have, destiny smiled favorably, all things panned out just nicely, JP turned the Fijian wing, Danie forced Cueto’s foot into touch, gods must have been smiling. SA were the better prepared side all considered or else NZ got France in Cardiff and we didn’t, we got Fiji in Paris instead.
As far as the coach goes, he hasn’t done anything thus far to displease my way of thinking, he has perhaps let his mind wonder off the immediate task, I still like his winning approach mentality, and I also far prefer his inclusive rather than exclusive philosophy, he may be lightweight in terms of psychology or tactics or technical game planning, that we’ll have to see, but then again Jake was certainly no maestro else how the hell did he manage to get hammered by 49 points to f’ng zero? and apart from doing well as a new broom sweeping Straeuli’s cobwebs clean through 04 & 05, he proceeded to go progressively spiraling out of control through 06 & 07, until Eddy urned him around (unless those that fail to acknowledge the blatancy of it still prefer to pretend otherwise).
30 Jun 2008, 21:24 pm
#810 skopskiet: No, its not hunkydory…but it happened and if you read above i said it should and hopefully will never happen again. i dont think those players have ever felt so low and i dont think they ever will!
i actually think you are just retarded
30 Jun 2008, 21:33 pm
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30 Jun 2008, 21:49 pm
#812 Seven:
Yup it was the pits, and I’m telling you you got selective short memories, because it was the very same hallowed blue eyed team that got turned around by Eddy Jones, almost identical apart from Bakkies, Schalk, Butch, Steyn and JP, all the others including Smit, Matfield, Os, CJ, Danie, Juan, FdP & Ricky, Fourie, Habana, Ndungane and Percy contributed to that humiliation.
So to you the WC tells you those players were the real deal, and I’m telling you to check it out with both eyes, caste your mind back only one year prior, same players, same coach, kak result, perhaps the single worst in Springbok history.
So fool yourself all you like, WC lucky packet wins don’t fool me.
That coach was diabolical, to lose in such a fashion, this coach just has to lose by half as much, lets see you conspiracy theorist transformation bashing hypocrites come flailing away out the woodwork, like I see you all lined up raring to let your venom loose, your sharpened hatchets all primed and ready if by any chance one or more of your target scapegoats like Watson or Jacobs or Jantjes just so happens to perhaps put a foot wrong and miss a tackle or give away a turnover.
If any of these quota selections would happen to contribute to a 49-0 hammering, lets see the blood splatter then.
30 Jun 2008, 22:00 pm
that 49 is deeply etched into your mind, do you have nightmares over it every night, i have never seen a person so stuck on a number. Hell i dont know what medicine will help but try like a smoker who wants to quit , take it one day , then a week , you might overcome it.
Dont think we wil see a nil again but a bigger sore is definitely posible, i would hate to see it. That one stuck in your mind was painfull enough. You are a clever guy , leave that buzz word or shall i call it a buzz number to rest.
30 Jun 2008, 22:09 pm
#15 WatKykJy: There is a difference about shutting Carter down, and putting a king hit on BK the halfback, thus putting pressure on his pass to Carter as what happened in Capetown in 2005.
Fairly confident the ref will be looking at any cheap shots alot more closer than what happened back then
We expect the All Blacks to come out and really turn the heat up on you guys, the AB’s have waited for a big test for a while now, so thanks for the challenge, its gonna be huge, as a country, we pretty fired up over this, redemption is a huge motivator
30 Jun 2008, 22:14 pm
#814 skopskiet: No that is wrong, but the comments have been made that watson and jacobs has done little to warrant a starting birth…every player will be judged in the context of the game and the all round performance.
Undoubtedly i think Eddie made a difference, but he had an abundance of talent to do so with when the team was peaking which was the plan, of course. To win the world cup. Eddie was **** with the reds besides the first game where he used a dominate pack to play forward orientated pick and go rugby to grind out the single vicotry.
Jake stuffed up there. Jaco wacko arguably produced the worst performance ever by a springbok player. The overall display was embarrassing and i’ll never forget tthat giteau dive when he sailed in close to the posts. Our tactics were exploited, but we apadted and change to come the best defensively structured team while showing attacking structure and composure…and won the world cup.
That is the story as i see it and if the boks hadnt of lost in that way and manner and had the deep introspection.
Its in the past which im glad about, it was an embarrassing day….no player ever wants to feel like that. attempt to contemplate how those players felt and stop lamenting on the point. Are you telling me that you wouldnt include Smit, Bakkies, Matifeld, Os< jUan, Fdp<Fourie, habana, and percy in a springbok squad?
catch a wake up and open your eyes! you obviously have very biased blinkers as my opinon of watson, jacobs has been on their recent performance.
watson was embarrassed by shane williams in the second test, handling was horrible at newlands albeit wet weather, but this is supposed to be 1 his strength.
jacobs has done everything without being outstanding and when frans steyn came on in the 2nd half our emphasis seemed to pick up in the midfield, thought he has a good work rate and was physical in the contact points.
i dont know, you obviously have your very firm beliefs….but dont know why you are tearing strips off players that would walk into most springbok squads and lamenting points over ones that will barely be remembered in springbok history
30 Jun 2008, 22:16 pm
#815 superBul:
No super its not the number that matters, it is the blind mans bluffing that goes on around here that gets ones goat, they are so enlightened by the fact that we managed to squeak past Fiji (just), and Tonga, to win a relatively easy favorable draw WC – OK have the little victory – but the real issue is we never scored a single point against Australia on July 15th 2006, with every single SA gladiator on board, the very same ones you guys are saying should be playing this weekend and every weekend, Smit, Matfield, Spies, FdP, Percy etc. etc. – what did they achieve – worse than any Bok team in history ever managed – so whether it was 0-49 or 3-53 – it sticks in my gut far worse than a little 15-6 penalty kick shoot out, thats easy to forget – 0-49 not so easy.
30 Jun 2008, 22:27 pm
skopskiet would you not play these players? who would you play? keep mentioning the problem but no solution
30 Jun 2008, 22:28 pm
#816 KiaKahaNZ: Kia – I will be waking up at 2 am to watch the greatest rugby rivalry of all. There are no easy games against the All Blacks. I can’t wait.
Respect.
And may the best team in green win.
30 Jun 2008, 22:34 pm
#818 skopskiet: Boet you are now riding 4 horses. The argument about the RWC is moot at best, boring and tangental at worst. SA won the RWC get over it. And I say teh same who harp on us winning it – that was last year.
Now lets get on with winning the Tr-Nations. That’s the goal. Top of the Table after all games completed. We might lose some, but we have to win more than we lose.
30 Jun 2008, 22:35 pm
#818 skopskiet: I do not often agree with your arguments, but this time I think you are on the right track. We have no better chance this year than we had last year against the ABs and Wallabies. I do not know why everybody is so upbeat about this 3N.
30 Jun 2008, 22:35 pm
I’ve been away for a week but it feels like I’ve been here all week what with the same JW 49-0 chip on the shoulder posts…
30 Jun 2008, 22:46 pm
#823 wooden spoon: Hello Spooner. You missed:
Steyn is an overated out of form doos.
and 2 new dead horses beyond the tongue biting cobra (which essentially morphs in to 49-0).
#822 AB: Yup – our Achilles Heel is over-confidence.
30 Jun 2008, 22:55 pm
#817 Seven:
The sequence of events went like this
SA-France Newlands 24th June 2006 – 26-36 – loss
SA-Australia Brisbane 15th July 2006 – 0-49 – loss (record loss)
SA-NZ Wellington 22nd July 2006 – 17-35 – loss
SA-Aus Sydney 5th August 2006 – 18-20 – loss
SA-NZ Pretoria 26th August 2006 – 26-45 – loss
SA-NZ Rustenburg 2nd Sept 2006 – 21-20 – hooray a home WIN (1 point)
SA-Aus Ellis Park 9th Sept. 2006 – 24-16 – hooray another WIN (at home)
SA-IRE Dublin 11th Nov 2006 – 15-32 – loss
SA-ENG Twickenham 18th Nov 2006 – 21-23 - loss
SA-ENG Twickenham 25th Nov 2006 – 25-14 – well wadaya know an AWAY WIN !!!
SA-AUS Newlands 16th Jun 2007 – 22-19 – narrow home win (Steyn drop kicks)
SA-NZ Durban 23rd Jun 2007 – 21-26 – home loss (Steyn fluffs it)
SA-AUS Sydney 7th July 2007 – 17-25 – loss
SA-NZ Christchurch 14th July 2007 – 6-33 – loss
Out of 14 competitive internationals in two years played by our magnificent coached team we won exactly 3 matches (2 at home – 1 away) and lost 11 (home and away)
That is a 21% to 79% loss/win ratio
Now you tell me again just how great a coach this was, if PdV succeeds as well as that, you going to laud him with such magnificent honors as you offer JW, without EJ – JW was a has been no hoper, full stop, proof is right there in the stats, like it or lump it.
I’d like to see you guys after PdV gets it right just half as good as our 2006-07 record.
30 Jun 2008, 23:00 pm
Skops focus on the 2008 Tri-Nations.
Trust me – and this movie has played many, many times. The Springbok coach will move from adulation to Hades over time.
SA rugby fans are cannibals.
Now – start sending out some positive energy to the boys in Green & Gold.
30 Jun 2008, 23:01 pm
yup some things do not change.
30 Jun 2008, 23:02 pm
#825 skopskiet: 4 wins. 29%. But who cares. You are also paying this years bills with last years paycheck, just like the 4 more years goats.
30 Jun 2008, 23:07 pm
#819 Seven:
Problem dear boy if you still missing the obvious over here is that your emphatically hallucinatory soap box WC victory is only marginally relative to the fact that you had a really bum coach who with all the fantastic talent churned up through the system over the years only managed to see the light and turn things around by way of some radically induced alternate patterns introduced by an outside influence, yes the very same banished Australian Judas, one Eddy Jones, who now holds a coaching post at Saracens, while our magnificent WC wonder boy coach is still selling soap opera books and, what is it, – vitamins?
So to answer your unanswered question, I would certainly pick most those players, like PdV has, but at least coach them to win – not lose 11 out of 14 competitive tests on the trot in two whole years of competition –
OK, the fanciful draw WC and the input of a proper tactician has blinded us all to the blatant truth – thats the last word on the matter – for tonight at least.
30 Jun 2008, 23:08 pm
Skop you really try to bend everyone to your level of bitter arrogance, sour defiance. I guarentee most of us can applaud JW AND support PDV … YES that is possible. You seem to be like the greek guy – forever cursed to roll the 49 stone rock up the hill and let it roll down again.
Bokke are RWC champions. Well done JW
Bokke are number 1 team in the world. Well done JW
Bokke must win Tri to keep this position – lets see, PdV you have our support.
Try it, not so bad
30 Jun 2008, 23:11 pm
If Jake White had been the ABs coach he would have been fired with that record. The NZ public would not have stood for that level of loss. White redeemed himself with a RWC win and all is forgiven. A bounce of the ball against Tonga at the end and things might have been different.
The English in 03 were the only team to win the RWC with a winning record prior to the Cup. It just shows results elsewhere mean nothing to win the RWC,its all about the 4 or five weeks of the cup itself. Thats why ranking three years out is ridiculous.
NZ will probably be ranked again no 1 at the end of the year which means they will be thrown again into the minnows pool in 2011, thrash them all by 100 pts then run into trouble at the knockout stage because they haven’t had any tough competition.
Can the ABs get put into the pool of death next time . Please.
30 Jun 2008, 23:11 pm
#830 zeitgeist: Z. Give up. He’s my mate and I can’t make him stop.
Win the 2008 Tri-Nations. Which means we have to win more than we lose. Lets set reasonable objectives.
If we win on Saturday I will be elated (and hopefully can have a bit of a dos seeing that I will be getting up at 2am on the 4 July/5 July in the US – maybe I will just stay up drinking watching fireworks).
30 Jun 2008, 23:12 pm
#831 lapoftherugbygods: aye
30 Jun 2008, 23:15 pm
#828 SodaJoe:
Glad you noticed – OK not so bad, bum coach only lost 71% of the time – yet still his ardent disciples believe he waltzes across the waters –
like I said – and I hope I don’t have to repeat it here again, let PdV achieve this glorious record in his first two years, the almighty howl of discontent will be screaming through these blogs like a painful siren of sorrowful anguish from the very pits of Hades itself.
30 Jun 2008, 23:21 pm
#834 skopskiet: Skops it’s a little bit disingenuous to say that the record was not met with howls for dismissal on JW as well. You were part of this forum where the rabid cannibals went after Mr. White too. I don’t think that JW was treated any differently.
He survived the cacophony.
Then everyone got behind the team and coach at the RWC.
Then we won.
Last year.
Now we are in 2008. With a new coach. “New” team.
And we have to beat the All Blacks on Saturday.
There you go.
30 Jun 2008, 23:24 pm
#834 skopskiet: I believe most of us here called for JWs head during and before the 2006 season, we clung on in hope as he kept saying he is planning for the WC not the 3N. He succeeded in bringing home the trophy, how he did it and who he used is irrelevant to the argument. PdV can expect the same harsh treatment that was dished out on White if he doesnt perform and equally the same applauds if he does! That is the way us fickle supporters operate!
30 Jun 2008, 23:25 pm
#835 SodaJoe: Snap!
30 Jun 2008, 23:28 pm
#830 zeitgeist:
Sorry man, I ain’t fooled, can’t be fooled, like #831 lapoftherugbygods: says here, in that same period while we were achieving 29% success, Henry was achieving 88%, yet he got beat by a lousy forward pass, we succeeded through a defensive tackle on a Fijian wing, cups and lips – many a slip between them.
Henry would never have been allowed to take his team to the WC had he lost 49-0 or achieved a 29% win record in the two years leading up to it, never. In spite of his 88% record most NZ’ders want him out because of that single WC loss – how ironical the wheel and dagger of fortune thrusts and turns.
White got out knowing he got lucky – extremely so – so he should be grateful fortune has been that kind to him, after all his real record while unaided by better coaches speaks for itself – whoever will willingly open the record books and take a hard good look for themselves.
30 Jun 2008, 23:38 pm
#837 AB: Hello Boet. Great minds and all that.
Did any of you lose your log-in? To upgrade your WordPress?
30 Jun 2008, 23:39 pm
#838 skopskiet: STOP!!!! Please I beg of you.
30 Jun 2008, 23:43 pm
#839 SodaJoe: Luckily it had my password stored, otherwise?
30 Jun 2008, 23:45 pm
#838 skopskiet: JW is history now my friend, and all he will be remembered for is the WC win in 2007. We are now busy with the next chapter in our history book! Turn the page my friend and move on.
30 Jun 2008, 23:46 pm
#841 AB: Me too. So it happened to you as well.
Roy – a little warning please boet. You are not dealing with the sharpest tools in the box here. If you could see the 2 fingers pecking going on you wouldn’t be so cruel.
30 Jun 2008, 23:47 pm
Just to add another dimension to the debate
International
Australia vs France in Brisbane
Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Marius Jonker (South Africa), Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)
Television match official: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)
Assessor: Andrew Cole (Australia)
Tri-Nations
New Zealand vs South Africa in Wellington
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch judges: Matt Goddard, James Leckie
Television match official: George Ayoub
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie
30 Jun 2008, 23:48 pm
skopskiet you clearly have problems…
are you acutally a bok supporter? get your head out of your ***, im trying to see things from your point of view but i really can’t stick my head that far up my own
and also i hope we won’t fall victim of over confidence…saturday wont be easy but we know our capabilities, what we’ve done and achieved…and we musn’t be unrealistic
respect new zealand but respect ourselves, this is time to take down the old rival when its weakened, the kiwis are going to come out firing, especially after word cup to prove a point, but the POINT of this is not that we are going to be over confident, but that we need to stop talking and prove our worth on saturday.
i think we potentially have the team to do it, skop if you can remove your head you shoudl check the game out…
30 Jun 2008, 23:49 pm
#844 BokiNZ: C’mon Binz – we play what’s in front of us. We have a shot at winning, not comfortably, but 1 point in our favor will do me fine.
30 Jun 2008, 23:50 pm
#836 AB:
I don’t agree with it AB – why be fickle – the coach performs badly why keep him, he does well hold faith in him – how he survived the 49-0, I still to this day cannot fathom it, must have had guardian angels hovering over his head, because every rugby man from Frik du Preez through Divan Serfontein wanted him gone, including me, and I didn’t change my tune thereafter (if you haven’t noticed), Carel du Plessis was given exactly 8 games to perform – less than 1 full season, he finished on a resounding victory (still I think a SA record over Aus if I’m not mistaken) and yet he was booted – Mallet picked up his new look team and went on to do great things with it. Yet White goes from f’ng bad to worse and gets reprieve after g’dam reprieve and then a lucky packet WC with Eddy holding his shaky hands to top it all off.
Its actually no wonder no one with their heads rightly screwed on wants to hire him as a coach, they’ve seen enough, like I have, to know a decent winning coach from a fortunate fraud.
#840 SodaJoe:
Sorry Soda – when the little penny eventually does drop – maybe all these that bay for a hopeful mans blood – will eventually see some wood for the trees – maybe till then I’ll be singing it out loud just like my friend Bob says – and stand on the ocean till I start sinking.
30 Jun 2008, 23:51 pm
#845 Seven: 7. I know they are missing players as well as anyone. What I don’t think is that they are severely weakened. It’s NZ vs SA. And the Kiwis have a major point to prove. After losing so often a win will be really, really great.
30 Jun 2008, 23:55 pm
#846 SodaJoe: That’s true but undeniably ref’s had a huge influence on the results of games. Particvularly of late. Let’s hope that’s not the case in Wellington. Perssonaly I have no qualms with Dickenson- he’s orraait! Lets hope that stays the same too.:smile:
30 Jun 2008, 23:57 pm
#847 skopskiet: If it makes you happy the penny’s dropped. You’ve done your job. Very, very well.
I think it’s time we promoted you.
You are now chief searcher of bad **** on Graham Henry. Corporal Chch will be your fine assistant. Criticakl to your success will be to focus on your new task. It is vital for the Snor’s success – so don’t be distracted. Sersant Skopskiet!! Mooi loop.
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