Wallabies whack woeful Boks
24 Jul 2010
RYAN VREDE reports on the Springboks’ dismal showing in their 30-13 defeat to Australia in Brisbane.
It wasn’t a 49-0 drubbing, but the comparisons between the nightmarish 2006 Tri-Nations campaign are now unavoidable. No matter what the Springboks say, and rest assured that there’ll be plenty of rhetoric aimed at convincing the South African rugby fraternity of their belief in their ability, those words will be as unconvincing as their performance this evening. The Springboks are a spent force, and the month-long break they have is merciful for them and their supporters.
Two yellow cards, Jaque Fourie’s warranted and BJ Botha’s ludicrous, either side of half-time, certainly undermined their challenge. But it cannot be pointed to as the primary reason for the defeat.
The Springboks reminded one of a old car, worked on furiously by a back yard mechanic to remedy a persistent problem, only for a fault to develop elsewhere. Tonight their defensive display was slightly improved, but they lacked discipline at the ruck on defence and gave the pedantic referee George Clancy every opportunity to penalise them.
Matt Giteau had packed his kicking boots, this after he produced a series of indifferent performances in that regard during their June internationals, and duly kept the score board ticking over. When lady luck is pissed at you, everything seems to go the way of the opposition.
There was a patent effort to kick less and more accurately from the Springboks, but the latter goal was never achieved, with opportunities to counter turned down in favour of possession surrendering punts. It was an ugly hybrid of an overly pragmatic and dreadfully ineffective expansive game plan.
Their wide forays were often lateral and frequently cost them possession when the carrier was isolated, with the Wallabies seldom missing an opportunity to turn over or slow possession. When the ball was recycled they were resolute at the tackle point and rarely allowed a Springbok to break the gain line. This was terminal to the visitors’ attacking ambitions.
The Springboks were never able to replicate their opponents’ stifling ability at the breakdown – they just never were as physical a force at the tackle or in their counter-rucking – and the decision to omit a specialist fetcher now looks every bit the tactical blunder it appeared to be when the team was announced.
In possession the Wallabies played with width and pace, and controlled the ball well through numerous phases. Credit to them for their execution of a game plan that was predictable. Rocky Elsom was an ever-present force, while Will Genia continues to grow in stature as a Test scrumhalf. But make no mistake, this was a cohesive, physical and largely clinical effort from the collective.
The Springboks will lament butchering good scoring opportunities in the first half, twice turning over possession on the Wallabies’ 5m line. It would have had them firmly in the contest at the break, instead they trialed 17-3, Giteau sinking four penalties and Drew Mitchell producing a moment of sublime skill to control the ball on his fingertips before touching down just before half-time.
This left the Springboks desperately needing to score first to haul themselves off the canvas. Instead it was the Wallabies who struck a double blow, Giteau banking another three and James O’Connor capitalising on the penalty that saw Botha sin-binned. The 20-point lead was never going to be overturned, especially with 14 men for 10 of the 34 minutes that remained.
Quade Cooper was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle in the 53rd minute and that signalled a lift in tempo for the Springboks, who, galvanised by the introduction of some youngsters off the wood, scored twice in the closing stages after some precise phase play. However, Ruan Pienaar, who was a mix of good and decidedly ordinary at scrumhalf, missed both conversion attempts. Had he sunk those it would have put the Springboks in line to win the Test with a converted try. Instead Will Genia sealed the result shortly before the siren.
The defeat ends any hope of them defending their Tri-Nations title. Expect an improved showing on home soil, but that will simply plaster over the massive cracks that have appeared in a previously granitic wall.
Surely it is time to rest the under-performing, physically fatigued and mentally battered senior players and invest in the bucks on the fringe of the squad. A bigger picture needs to be seen, and if the Springboks are to take a side with quality in depth to the World Cup next year, it is essential that those players are tested in the home leg.
637 Comments
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25 Jul 2010, 10:45 am
@west(west)-550:
Our rugby has generally been in downslide mode since re-admission. We should not be blinded by the 2 RWC`s we have won. Never before have the Boks been so gutless when playing away from home. These days the Irish and French are our masters away from home (some results are hammerings and not even close)and we struggle to beat Wales. We have managed to stay more or less on par with Aussie (it`s about 50/50 since re-admission) but our winning record against the AB`s is atrocious. I think it`s now about 30 % against them in games since re-admission. Now, the AB`s were always the yardstick to measure yourself against and I`m afraid we have lost the plot, totally. Yet, I will not write off the Boks. I will reserve final judgement till after the return leg. The day we start to lose by 20 points against Aussie at home, will be the day I start to support something else.
25 Jul 2010, 10:45 am
@TASSIES(TASSIES)-600: From a neutral point of view i find it crazy you guys have won the super 14 3 times and not one those coaches has gone on to coach the boks yet a guy who has never coached at that level is in the top job
25 Jul 2010, 10:53 am
@Springbokvel(Springbokvel)-601: I totally agree i will always admire Bok and AB rugby as they were always the benchmark when I grew up , but I must admit that if you had told me 20 years ago that England would one day beat the boks 53-3 I would have sent you to a mental home but it happened??
I dont no the politics behind bok rugby so cant comment but I think there is something rotten behind the scenes when a team consistenly implodes like the boks do every three years. Although we all laugh at ABs come world cup time I cant ever imagine them losing by 30 points three weeks in a row!
I still think the boks will be beat Aus at home but cant see them beating the blacks
25 Jul 2010, 10:59 am
@west(west)-602: H Meyer was universally accepted as being the best qualified for the post. Our (rugby) President slipped up and made it perfectly clear why the incumbent was appointed. I think he succeeded in spit of himself, up to this point but has run out of gas when the going got tough. Having said this, it has never been easy to win in NZ and Brisbane in particular but one did expect a little more from this team, under other circumstances. It just smacks of all-round ineptitude. The home leg is going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Don’t hold your breath unless these is a sea-change in strategy.
25 Jul 2010, 11:03 am
@west(west)-603:
There are political forces at work, of course. And I`m sorry to say I think the quota system is killing our rugby from junior level up. You can see this coming through in our junior rugby. The baby boks are now being beaten by 50 points by the baby blacks. Not looking good at all. If you want to compete with the AB`s on equal footing at any level, you have to select your best. If not, you will lose. Simples.
25 Jul 2010, 11:09 am
@west(west)-603: look rugby is a religion over here in SA amongst a certain section of the population. Its inculcated into the culture and often influences peoples timetables/lives etc at the expense of most else. Then one has another section of the population who are now also entitled to a share of the action and seek to influence the game in the national interest. De Villiers is a product of this and it freaks the former out that this guy can dictate how a key part of their lives is played out, especially when it seems he hasn’t a clue what he is doing. It is an interesting dynamic and the frustration(on both sides of the fence) is tangible. Never far from the surface. If you stay on here long enough, the racial warfare becomes quite bitter, predictable and interesting in equal measure. This observation of mine might even provoke a little right now. We’ll see.
25 Jul 2010, 11:14 am
The Spanish have an interesting sport called bullfighting. One of the key props in this ‘sport’ is the red ‘flag’. The analogy in South African terms is when the word ‘quota’ is waved in front of the ‘bull’. The results are pretty much the same. Watch this space.
25 Jul 2010, 11:19 am
@TASSIES(TASSIES)-607:
I think it will be silly to deny the fact that quotas and political interference has a huge impact on our rugby.
25 Jul 2010, 11:24 am
as much as we are so keen to blame quotas….i ask a simple question with no malice…..
Is smit not a quota?
Is quotas only based on pigmentation of ones skin?
Serious question….i would love a definition of a quota….if it involves selecting without merit….then my assertion is Smit ,Spies ,M Steyn and a few others are, by definition, quotas.
25 Jul 2010, 11:30 am
@grant10(grant10)-609: howzit boet. Interesting question. In real terms I think it boils down to race. No question in my mind. The players you mention are in the team for reasons other than ‘quota’. I am inclined to agree with your assertion about those players not warranting selection at this time but I’d think they are there for different reasons. Lets just say that the selection of the Springbok team is not ideal at this time, racial quotas playing a small part of that but always there to fudge the real reasons for our current demise. Which is poor selection, lousy preparation, inappropriate game plan. I suppose, bad management about sums it all up nicely.
25 Jul 2010, 11:31 am
@TASSIES(TASSIES)-606: Fair point I will probably never understand the full picture as i dont live there.
Oh well my favourite games to watch will always be ABs vs the boks especially the ones played in South Africa the intensity is something else and hopefully always will be. I watched a re run of a 1997 game at Ellis park the other day the Blacks won 35-32 i think? but what a game those are the games i cant get enough of.
Good luck for the remainder of the games
25 Jul 2010, 11:32 am
@grant10(grant10)-609:
Smit is, Spies and Steyn are not. LOL. I think the definition of being a quota is clearly illustrated by how teams are selected at junior level. Apart from Chilli, I don`t think there are any other quotas in the senior Bok side. Some may not be the correct selections but you can`t label them as quotas. Chilli is clearly not a merit inclusion.
25 Jul 2010, 11:41 am
@TASSIES(TASSIES)-610: now tassies….that i agree with.
The real cancer is not ‘quotas’….
its a fat out of shape captain…..very poor 3 x stooges….and a total lack of hunger or game plan.
Race got sweet fanny adams to do with this unholy mess we now in…
25 Jul 2010, 11:42 am
@Springbokvel(Springbokvel)-612: I tell you 1 thing….chilliboy is far better bet than plod….thats for damn sure.
25 Jul 2010, 11:43 am
@west(west)-611: Well I can confirm that these game are pretty intense occasions for us too. For example, I never sit down when watching an AB/Boks Test. If I’m actually at the game(which is rare) I battle to stay in my seat. It’s simply too intense. In the pub where we watch I never sit down once the game gets under way. These games are battles. No other way to describe them. Very very intense.
25 Jul 2010, 11:50 am
@Springbokvel(Springbokvel)-612: Hey SB I kinda disagree with you there boet. Chillie comes with some pedigree. Followed in John’s footsteps really. I think he was voted SA junior rugby player of the year if I’m not mistaken. He’s been hellava injury prone over the years but was lined up to take over the Springbok captaincy from some time back. He is also doing nothing wrong when he comes off the bench lately. Quota is a very loosely employed word in my opinion. I’m inclined to agree with Grant here. Player selection pretty much goes with form. Now if you had rather used Januarie as your example, maybe my response would have been slightly different. But Januarie’s there because the coach seems to be married to that idea and maybe race doesn’t really come into it, much like his infatuation with playing the captain. Who happens to be white in case someone hadn’t noticed.
25 Jul 2010, 11:52 am
@TASSIES(TASSIES)-615:
Generally tense when played in SA. A bit one- sided when played in NZ, unfortunately.
25 Jul 2010, 11:56 am
@grant10(grant10)-613: Ja, and on the subject of quotas/race, P Divvy was appointed Springbok coach based on his race. That is an indisputable fact. Hoshkins made that pretty clear. We can debate his success rate forever and the why’s and wherefor’s for this but one thing is for sure, Heyneke would have been the better and more qualified choice. I think we all knew that. Those of us who like to believe that we are colour-blind at any rate. But that’s an opinion which I’m perfectly prepared to debate.
25 Jul 2010, 11:59 am
@Springbokvel(Springbokvel)-617: look we’ve had some serious battles in the land of the long white cloud too. I recall some big ones during Mallett’s era. Very close one point/last minute stuff. But yes, you are right, the local Tests are generally closer, because the AB’s are historically the slightly better team. That is, since re-admission, for the purists.
25 Jul 2010, 12:05 pm
@TASSIES(TASSIES)-616:
Chilli was good at junior level. Has not proved himself in senior rugby yet and is 3rd best hooker at the Bulls. There are also other hookers in the country better than him. He is a quota selection and has never been 1st or second choice hooker in SA ever. The mere fact that he played well against Italy in a test is a bonus but does not change the fact that he is not there on merit (compared to other hookers in the country). Januarie is not a quota. He made the Bok side on merit (albeit a few years ago when he was second best choice in the country). His is a selection problem because his form is not what it should be.
25 Jul 2010, 12:17 pm
@Springbokvel(Springbokvel)-620: look I respect your point of view. In spite of my once playing hooker in my younger days, i don’t claim to be an expert on the position. Chillie ‘seems’ to be doing all the right things when he comes off the bench. Maybe because he’s being measured against John, who is not playing all that well. Not sure really. But I also played No 9 for a bit and that role has not changed that much. Januarie is slow at the point of breakdown, where he can’t seem to quickly secure the ball and distribute so his backline can enjoy the advantage. By the time it reaches inside centre, the defence has realigned to apply maximum pressure on our backline. Happens all the time when he’s on the park. We saw a considerable difference when Pienaar replaced him in the Wellington Test. Of course there can be many factors contributing towards this but I like to believe it was speed of distribution which suddenly got us front foot ball. Which of coarse is the primary function of the scrummie. Not all the fancy stuff Ricky brings to his game.
25 Jul 2010, 12:18 pm
anyway I’m now out of here. Sunday braai calls. Nice chatting.
25 Jul 2010, 12:26 pm
@grant10(grant10)-613: Good point. Our only ‘quota’ problem is the coach.
Most players of colour are there on merit. Ther emight even be players of colour who should be in the team but isn’t. Chilli is not that bad but based on pure merit he probably does not deserve his place.
Choosing January for the first two tests was a huge blunder, as was the lack of inclusion of a fetcher the last game where colour did not play a role. Our problem on national level is not quotas but plain bad coaching.
On junior levels it might be a different story. Some good white players (especially oustside backs) might get demorilised and leave the game because of finding it difficult to get into teams.
Our rugby should benefit in the long run if the base of players gets bigger. Having black rugby stars will contribute to making the game more popular among black people. A bit of a chicken and egg situation.
25 Jul 2010, 12:54 pm
We have the talent we just need direction
25 Jul 2010, 13:16 pm
The Boks were just clean blown away in Brizzy. They are completely bereft of a gameplan to compete under the new rules at the breakdown where they cheated constantly and without constraint yesterday and also in both Auckland and Wellington. How many times did they get away with sealing off the ball yesterday, coming in from the side (Burger, Chilli, Fourie) and hands spoiling delvery of the ball, and yet were pinged only on very rare occasions. It was incredible that BJ was the only one caught, he was just 1 of very many men in Green without any regard for the rules yesterday. The Safas can whinge all they like about McCaw ‘cheating’ at the breakdwon, its music to our ears.
25 Jul 2010, 13:44 pm
now to really make the weekemd all i need is the pair of dancing queens, Rangerman and Ratel Brussow to pop in and suggest Smit must move back to 3 …..or how he really will….after a long break,losing 20 kg s and copiuos conditioning, miraculously regain his zeal for Rugby and lead the boks to a glorious retention of the Webb Ellis Trophy in kiwiland.
Fark me….i may just lose my lunch.
25 Jul 2010, 15:40 pm
A very interesting game actually. At times we performed well, with plenty of sustained pressure, but we could not convert that into points. At other times, we were godawful. But never as bad as Bob Skinstad in the commentary box. Please get rid of him. Please.
Zane Kirchner (5) – He really must be running thin on chances now. An average performance by an average player. Kicked ball away and did not pass to Aplon, which would have resulted in a try.
Gio Aplon (5) – Everyone called for Aplon to be in the line-up after the Auckland game (some before even) but he did nothing to justify that.
Jaque Fourie (6) – Showed glimpses of the man who is so widely revered, but also made a silly tackle that will rightfully see him out of action for a while, though 4 weeks is incredibly harsh.
Wynand Olivier (7) – Unbelievably, had by far his greatest showing in a Bok jersey – ran good lines and was impressive defensively. However, he was incomprehensibly subbed off after 55 minutes.
Bryan Habana (4) – You cannot question his effort, but Habs needs to be sent back to WP to get back some form. Gave away silly penalties, and while he chased hard, nothing came to fruition and missed first time cover tackles as well.
Morne Steyn (5) – A very average kicking display – he will definitely improve during the home leg, but doubts remain whether he should be in the crucial pivot position for next year’s World Cup.
Ruan Pienaar (4) – Negated his quick ball with an absolutely shocking display of aimless kicking (not to mention his missed conversions).
Pierre Spies (6) – His best game against quality opposition as of yet. Was quietly influential at the breakdown where other forwards were anonymous and made some better runs and tackles. One suspects he did enough to keep his place.
Ryan Kankowski (5) – To be fair, Kankowski did the best he could in playing out of place. However, it showed once again why he should not be picked for international games.
Schalk Burger (5) – A mixed bag from the blonde dynamo. Carried the ball strongly but also missed some first time tackles. Also got involved in an off the ball scuffle which I am surprised was not picked up after the game (poking some sausages in Rocky Elsom’s eyes).
Victor Matfield (6) – Did alright taking into account his captain’s pathetic lineout throwing, and did his work satisfactorily in the tight, covering lots of ground. Needs a long rest though.
Danie Rossouw (3) – Lost the ball in contact more than half the time. Slipped first time tackles. Not sure what happened here…
BJ Botha (5) – Felt he was a tad unlucky to be sinbinned in the second half there. Scrummed pretty well against a guy who tore us apart last year.
John Smit (2) – No comment. You saw the game. You know what should happen.
Gurthro Steenkamp (7) – Has been the best forward consistently this season. Scored a good try and was solid in all other aspects of the game.
George Clancy (3) – Apart from a few very questionable calls at the breakdown and some missed infringements (i.e. obstruction from kick-off, forward passes etc.) and an unfair yellow card, had a good game.
Peter de Villier and co (0) – Seriously. Just **** off.
25 Jul 2010, 17:07 pm
“Victor Matfield (6) – Did alright taking into account his captain’s pathetic lineout throwing, and did his work satisfactorily in the tight, covering lots of ground. Needs a long rest though.”
I suppose he years have caught up with him but when he tries to carry the ball he ends up (at best) going sideways, in truth almost always he goes backwards at a great rate of knots. He made the occasional half-hearted tackle but often as not he got in the way of someone more efficient.
And the moans about Clancy are ridiculous: the Boks really need to look at the laws of the game, the new interpretations and play accordingly. Clancy reffed accordingly.
Can’t argue with the assessment of PdeV.
25 Jul 2010, 19:15 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-625: Ahh rubbish mate – weve played the whole Super 14 under the new laws and we excelled. We had the Bulls and the Stormers in the finals under the so called new laws. We ran people off the park. Thats got nothing to do with why theyre not competing now. Our coaching team are a complete bunch of goons, were carrying a bunch of has been players, were making bad selections and were playing players out of position. The guys look clueless whereas a few months ago they were nailing everyone in the Super 14. You cant tell me we dont have the talent or ability.
Nope. Coach and staff and a team of Boks who are obviously not happy with whats going on.
25 Jul 2010, 19:24 pm
@grant10(grant10)-508: agree – cant have this backward thinking anymore. How is it we can play against quality opposition and not learn anything from them?
Duh
25 Jul 2010, 21:10 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-629:
Who mentioned the Bulls or Stormers ? I certainly didnt.
Have references to the S14 become the new Sth African default option this week – getting bored of hitting the ‘RWC’ button all the time ?
Id far rather listen to the Poms go on about winning the World Cup in 1966, atleast that material isnt looking so tired.
25 Jul 2010, 22:09 pm
Black Panther guess you are enjoying the situation the Boks find themselves in…. No you would rather not hear of mention of the Super 14….. Your Kiwi sides were average and the two top SA sides excelled home and away….
The only side that looked like anything Non Sa was a rejuvenated Reds side….
So the SA population are looking at the impending Tri-nations with relish….
What happens …. the boks get out muscled at the breakdown by both AB’s and Assies… Both sides being more hungry than the boks…
A couple of bad refereeing decisions aside the Boks have been comprehensively beaten in every department of the game…
The bok team is in disarray a bunch of individuals who are frustrated taking the law of the game into their own hands hence the yellow cards and citings…
I suggest that a blind man on a galloping horse can see that the Boks are leaderless off the field…. One might suggest leaderless on the field but really that is a small part of the equation….
i am sorry to say this but the situation as I see it is as follows…. de Villiers inherited a side that was still young but with growing experience from jake White…
Crikey Eva Besuidenhout in his Darling town could have taken on the coaching role at that point and gone on to get the plaudits of a winning side…..
But the chickens have finally come home to roost… Pieter de villiers is finally becoming exposed as a poor coach. He hasn’t the capacity to take a winning etos and develop it by pushing it on with the introduction of new blood on a gradual continual basis…
He has reached a stage where the cancer of burn-out and plain longevity of some of his more experienced players has or will mean that a total overhaul of the playing staff will be necessary. This will mean a couple of years of catch-up will be required before we re-join the best in the world. If we ever do…
It is so obvious. The same players in the Bulls and Stormers can comprehensively beat the best that Australia and NZ can put together and these are almost exclusively the current Bok side….
Pieter de villiers please fall on your knife and can the powers in SA finally go on bended knee’s and plead with Heneke Meyer to take up the Bok Coach role he should have had before a dubious Committe vote robbed him of the role that de villiers took on.
This has nothing to do with racialism…. We have all moved on from that it is all about getting the proper qualified people into the roles to do the job….. Catch a life Saru you will have to do it sooner or later….
26 Jul 2010, 05:36 am
Ages of Bok tight 5 come WC11
Victor 34
Danie 33
Smit 33
Bakkies 32
BJ 31
Cuthro 30
The numbers don’t lie – boeytjies getting a few yards slow around the park – might explain why we’ve been out bossed at the contact point over the past 3 weeks????
26 Jul 2010, 07:35 am
@Jester(Jester)-632:
The most comforting aspect is that SARU will not axe Krusty the Clown until after 2011. To do so would mean too much egg on their faces. And were it not for the bouncing arrogance of Krusty – both to his opponents and to the rugby fraternity in general – I would almost start to feel sorry for him. I dont.
26 Jul 2010, 10:36 am
@TASSIES(TASSIES)-604: Its funny how when the boks do well then noone gives Div credit. All big hearted bok supporters say its the eperienced players like smit coming together, coaching support staff etc. Every reason for their good performance is given besides Div being a good coach. Now all of a sudden the boks play **** and its Divs fault, and no longer the support staff, experienced players etc. Be true to yourself and stick to your guns. Stop being so racist and smell the coffee. Your true colours are showing!!
26 Jul 2010, 10:44 am
@Springbokvel(Springbokvel)-605:This is a real ignorant comment to make. Quotas has had little effect on SA rugby. In fact most players are more than 80% white. If quotas weremaking an impact., We would have 3 whites in a rugby team at national and provincial level.
26 Jul 2010, 11:02 am
Tassies i have to respond to comment 606′look rugby is a religion over here in SA amongst a certain section of the population.’ The inference here that that only a certain section of the population played rugby/sport. This is a absolute rubbish statement. It is Ok that you only no the origens/history of sport from your perspective. When i grew up the sport that received media coverage was white sport. because you were exposed to rugby played by other population groups did not mean that they did not play it. I can speak about Mof Myburg, Hannes marais and the like. Could you quote the names any of the black rugby players that would have Dawie De Villiers a run t halfback, I think not., more than that did you watch them play. You inference that because you plyaed the game you know about the game than others suggest a paternalistic view. What is more is that I watched people play the sport on both sides of the divide, something you did not do and therefore, dont believe that you were better.
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