The danger of derbies
1 Mar 2011
RYAN VREDE believes the brutal physicality of the South African Super Rugby derbies have the potential to seriously undermine the Springboks’ World Cup campaign.
With the expanded Super Rugby tournament in its infancy, that appears to be a premature assertion. But you would have to present a convincing argument to alter my position, shaped by watching the controlled violence played out in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Cape Town and Durban in the past fortnight.
South African derbies have featured more ruck cleans and counter rucks than in the Australian equivalent. Furthermore, South African derbies totalled 26 more tackles than their Australian counterparts and 241 more than the all-Kiwi contests (that figure is significantly higher because of the cancelled Crusaders-Hurricanes match).
However, those statistics fail to reflect the brutality of the collisions in South African derbies. I don’t have access to technology that could accurately measure force at point of contact, so my view relies on the experience of watching derbies live and from South African players in interviews consistently confirming that the physicality of matches against Australasian teams pales in comparison to those against their countrymen.
The Saffa player has always been driven by the primal urge to pummel his brother into submission. The Australasian teams don’t share that mentality, preferring to strike with the rapier rather than establish their dominance by wielding the bludgeon.
What’s more, South African players, particularly forwards, are bigger, stronger and faster than they have been at any point in the country’s history and so possess a greater capacity to inflict serious injury.
It is no surprise that with the forward-orientated approach that characterises most South African derbies a string of talented forwards have already been injured, with varying degrees of seriousness.
Bulls’ hooker Gary Botha injured his collarbone in the opener against the Lions and will be out for another fortnight. Schalk Burger of the Stormers is expected to miss between two to three matches with a knee injury sustained against the Lions. Bulls lock Bakkies Botha is doubtful for their match against the Highlanders as he is being treated for serious bruising to his foot.
However, the most significant injury is that of Cheetahs and Springbok blindside flank Juan Smith, who tore his Achilles tendon on Friday against the Bulls and faces a lay-off of between six and nine months, almost surely ruling him out of the World Cup. Smith, with the intense physicality of South African derbies, won’t be the last marquee Springbok to suffer this fate.
There are still 16 derbies to play in the next four months. Ominously the physicality will only increase the fitter the players get and the closer we get to the play-offs.
When the South African Rugby Union agreed to an expanded tournament they told us it was what locals wanted. Thousands of empty seats at those derbies thus far tell a different story. It speaks of the administrators’ greed and their lack of concern for the well-being of their prime assets.
In signing on for an expanded tournament they showed no appreciation for superior physicality of South African derbies when compared to those contested between Australasian teams. It was a shortsighted decision that has the potential to seriously undermine the Springboks’ World Cup defence.
COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE COLLISIONS IN DERBIES
SA derbies tackle stats – 1054 tackles made @ an average of 132 per game
Lions v Bulls – 70/203
Cheetahs v Bulls – 169/142
Sharks v Cheetahs – 56/110
Stormers v Lions – 152/152
Aussie derbies tackle stats – 1028 tackles made @ an average of 128 per game
Rebels v Tahs – 138/119
Rebels v Brumbies – 214/73
Tahs v Reds – 156/120
Reds v Force – 112/96
NZ derbies tackle stats – 816 tackles made @ an average of 136 per game
Landers v Chiefs – 147/184
Blues v Crusaders – 82/118
Canes v Highlanders – 121/164
SA derbies ruck cleans (own ball and counter rucking)
Lions v Bulls – 261 and 43/ 129 and 104
Cheetahs v Bulls – 251 and 103/ 271 and 69
Sharks v Cheetahs – 184 and 23/ 93 and 78
Stormers v Lions – 218 and 76/ 259 and 64
Aussie derbies ruck cleans (own ball and counter rucking)
Rebels v Tahs – 194 and 53/ 178 and 55
Rebels v Brumbies – 107 and 97/ 315 and 45
Tahs v Reds – 166 and 72/ 263 and 70
Reds v Force – 157 and 60/ 158 and 55
Kiwi derbies ruck cleans (own ball and counter rucking)
Landers v Chiefs – 313 and 108/ 201 and 116
Blues v Crusaders – 193 and 57/ 156 and 65
Canes v Highlanders – 236 and 77/ 217 and 108
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360 Comments
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1 Mar 2011, 14:22 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-240: funnily enough, the guy who took us on the tour of the Laphroig distillery told us that they too used to be fed a dram the size of a tumbler each day.
those ******* laphroigs were exploiters of the worst kind.
1 Mar 2011, 14:23 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-247:
Long story short…
I had 88 bottles of wine in a garage at one office (meant for gifts to clients over the years), and since we are moving that office to a new building I had to do something with it.
Decided to divide it up between staff, who all walked out of the office with 4 bottles of wine each.
And as you can imagine, the connection was that they are being paid with wine rather than cash… and so the question came as to what the term was that described this method of payment.
1 Mar 2011, 14:24 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-244:
lilly.
why don’t you go and worry about how many times our star signing will get the ball on saturday.
i was merely responding to old capo.
who is lower than a snakes balls.
but really, nobody cares what you think, least of all me.
why don’t you run along and sue keo for slandering elton jatjes.
1 Mar 2011, 14:25 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-249:
Hi,
Did not read much on Keo in the last week so I missed your question but can well imagine what that was.
The Blues game was always going to be a very good test for the Sharks, they came through quite nicely, and can rightly be regarded as favourites to end top of the local conference.
1 Mar 2011, 14:25 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-244: haha, you have flamed countless threads.
i believe the bulls players have promised to pass bjorn all the ball this weekend and in an extraordinary turn of events, they have managed to convince the highlanders players to do the same as a belated apology to the maoris, the red indians and visitors from outer space.
apartheid wasnt mentioned because no one in either side is old enough to care.
1 Mar 2011, 14:26 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-251:
dont the Aussies still do that??
keep their indiginous people drunk in old small towns
1 Mar 2011, 14:27 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-242:
I can take the heat.
I can’t take all this **** mudslinging and brawling and fighting.
1 Mar 2011, 14:29 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-252: You once mentioned that you have a lady named Taahirah in your office. She obviously can not have any part in this so you can pass her share of the loot on to me.
1 Mar 2011, 14:29 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-257:
Who is fighting!
1 Mar 2011, 14:30 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-257: Yeah, I feel the same. Guess were getting old. Time to step back and let the new kids take over.
1 Mar 2011, 14:30 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-256: i believe so.
and they lock the indonesians up in concentration camps in the outback.
very sad.
much better at Laphroaig.
1 Mar 2011, 14:31 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-254: lol was teasin mate , but one thing i know is i would always get an honest opinion from you and an unbiased one
1 Mar 2011, 14:32 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-261: wow
1 Mar 2011, 14:32 pm
ag i think it has all been rather inoccuous.
this site hasnt changed at all since i first started blogging here in 2007.
reminds me of a song:
its all the same
only the names have changed
every day
it seems we’re fading away
1 Mar 2011, 14:32 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-258:
Very good memory, but she has moved on to bigger things!
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-260:
Reason I don’t spend as much time here anymore. Just the odd second that I am really bored.
1 Mar 2011, 14:34 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-263: before they ship them back to where they were trying to escape from you see.
kudos to our govt for not doing the same to the poor zimbos escaping bob pol pots self created sh ithole up north.
1 Mar 2011, 14:34 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-262:
Shot.
Sharkies look really impressive, not just to find a 13 for you guys…
1 Mar 2011, 14:34 pm
not = now
1 Mar 2011, 14:35 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-267:
That is incitement. Be careful!
1 Mar 2011, 14:36 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-267: till then boet stefan is doing a great job
i have a feeling the sharks will be using paul jordaan there, even though he is a natural 12
1 Mar 2011, 14:37 pm
plus stefan had to take the captaincy reigns as smitty was injured , adi not in good form although he did quite well in the vodacom cup team last weekend
vulindlu is still injured and so to the other 13 planned for the sharks , wynand pienaar
1 Mar 2011, 14:38 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-268:
or maybe we should have taken JDJ off Wp’s hands 
1 Mar 2011, 14:40 pm
Talking of outside centers…
Notice how Waylon is hitting seriously good form again?
Isn’t it strange that Waylon’s slump at the Sharks came about the same time Bradley moved on?
And that he is finding form again thanks to one of the most underrated inside centers in SA? Doppies?
1 Mar 2011, 14:41 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-272:
Hey pretty soon you will have a choice between Lionel and JDJ, place your reserve price now!
1 Mar 2011, 14:48 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-273:
That’s right,
The decline also was corrolated with the ‘re-emergence’ of Jacobs.
1 Mar 2011, 14:52 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-267: meyer bosman hasn’t looked great, looks disjointed but perhaps time required for settle….
although limited i’m a little baffled at the release of strauss?
1 Mar 2011, 14:52 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-274: hehehe
1 Mar 2011, 14:56 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-264:
Most of the rugby iterated guys long since have left: TH, LH, Pietman, Mozart and several other whose name I forgotten.
1 Mar 2011, 14:57 pm
meyer is the most overrated player in super rugby and i have to say the cheetahs did some good business getting rid of him.
1 Mar 2011, 15:01 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-278: thats why we mostly blog elsewhere
end of the day we are here for our love of rugby , not some sicko’s racist squeels
1 Mar 2011, 15:02 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-274: is it greedy to want both?
think i’d take lionel, leave the little guy for the kapies
1 Mar 2011, 15:02 pm
@Seven(Seven)-276:
Look at who left and who has stayed:
Gone: F Styen, Butch, Pienar, Brad Barritt, Kockott, Strauss
Stayed: J Pietersen, Ndungane, Jacobs
Call it a ‘Natural Selection’?
1 Mar 2011, 15:05 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-274: With Paul Jordaan comming back from the bok 7′s and the very highly rated Fred Zeilinga not sure the Sharks would need either of those 2 though Morne.
But yeah i am sure those 2 are getting very restless, but you cant always run away , you gotta up the anti , lift ur game and you will play more
1 Mar 2011, 15:07 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-280:
The other blogs aren’t busy , the rugby proper standards there are pretty poor,
Nothing comes close to the Super Rugby Blog of 10 years ago.
1 Mar 2011, 15:15 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-282: it does hurt as the only one i’m glad is gone is kockott…
a back division of
pienaar,mcleod
lambie, james
barritt,strauss,terblanche
steyn,ludik,pieterson,mvovo
hoffman and lionel cronje as utilities
1 Mar 2011, 15:20 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-273: Brad left and the guess who surfaced? the two donkeys swannie & dries strauss
1 Mar 2011, 15:24 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-286: pacy adi and crabby waly were right behind…
adi can stay in sharks xv…divvy will still select him from there…perhaps not now he has jdj
1 Mar 2011, 15:27 pm
the sharks still have the great oupa terreblanche to energise the midfield.
1 Mar 2011, 15:32 pm
@Seven(Seven)-276:
The Strauss deal was done some time back.
1 Mar 2011, 15:34 pm
@Seven(Seven)-287:
Adi was quite impressive in the VC game.
1 Mar 2011, 15:40 pm
@Pinky Kekana kills Beemer buys Merc(gunther)-253: Everyone was chatting nicely and you ruined the thread. Admit it.
1 Mar 2011, 15:41 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-252: Okay. Cool.
1 Mar 2011, 15:42 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-255: So you admit that Gunther inflamed this thread. Thanks.
1 Mar 2011, 15:45 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-293: Barca star Messi to help Perpignan!
2011-03-01 09:45:01
French rugby giants Perpignan and Spanish football heavyweights Barcelona have called on two-time world footballer of the year Lionel Messi and his team-mates to help them fill the 1992 Olympic Stadium for the rugby European Cup quarterfinal with Toulon.
The Catalonian teams released an animated film featuring Messi and his fellow Barcelona stars performing the haka as they endeavour to sell all 55,000 tickets for the all-French clash on April 9, which should feature among others English legend Jonny Wilkinson, who is currently playing for Toulon.
Barcelona and Perpignan struck an agreement a few months ago which paves the way for the rugby side, the 2009 French champions and last year’s Top 14 finalists, to play one of their Euro matches on the Spanish side of Catalonia.
Barca’s mythical Camp Nou stadium had been hoped for, but was ruled out. Monjuic has now been chosen, and the presidents of both clubs are optimistic they can fill it to capacity.
“We are convinced we can meet the challenge of filling Monjuic for a rugby match,” said Barca president Sandro Rosell Monday when he met his Perpignan counterpart Paul Goze at the Camp Nou.
Goze said if the stadium was at capacity, the club stood to make a fortune.
“If the stadium is full then this match can earn us 500,000 euros,” said Goze, whose side are normally limited to a capacity of 14,500 at Stade Aime Giral.
Perpignan have been allocated 20,000 tickets, Toulon 8,000 and Barcelona 20,000 while the remainder are in the hands of tournament organisers, the European Rugby Cup (ERC), and its sponsors.
“This event counts a lot for us, for three reasons,” explained Rosell.
“First, we want to celebrate Catalan rugby, in the north as well as the south, and also celebrate the union of the two clubs.
“Secondly, it will also be a Catalan party, an identity which Barca and Perpignan share.
“Finally, we wanted it to be a family get together, that can allow children, parents and grandparents to come along and discover rugby.”
1 Mar 2011, 15:45 pm
Thanks to Pissant things have settled nicely again. Thank you Pissant.
1 Mar 2011, 15:53 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-295:
Great pleasure.
For a really great read, check out Dewald Potgieters column on Superrugby.
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/blogs/dewald-potgieter/Rugby_teaching_you_lifes_lessons
1 Mar 2011, 16:02 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-296: Yep. Knew he is a bright guy from following his Twitter posts.
Didnt know Fourie du Preez”s nickname is “Porra”!
1 Mar 2011, 16:15 pm
298
1 Mar 2011, 16:18 pm
299
1 Mar 2011, 16:18 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-298: Great call!
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