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, 16:18 pm
THIS IS SPARTA! 300
1 Mar 2011, 16:18 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-297: he explained it last week in last week’s blog entry, dewalt comes across as quite lucid
1 Mar 2011, 16:19 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-300: Stole my thunder there bro
1 Mar 2011, 16:19 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-301: He he he. Seems like I beheaded Leonaidus…
1 Mar 2011, 16:20 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-302: very impressed with these articles from him. I might Friend him on facebook. But then I have to worry about my wife “poking” him on the sly…..
1 Mar 2011, 16:20 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-303: his is quick his name must be lightning bolt, usain’s half-brother
1 Mar 2011, 16:20 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-302: He’s an Eastern Cape boytjie. Might explain it.
1 Mar 2011, 16:24 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-305: eish, becareful of bumping into Taahirah on FB
1 Mar 2011, 16:26 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-304: That you did fella
@Transformation(Transformation)-308: I’ve seen worse. Much worse. Mostly on this blog actually
1 Mar 2011, 16:31 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-307: ek weet, he went Daniel Pienaar…
1 Mar 2011, 16:34 pm
Only incompetent fools will talk stupidly about technology in a situation like this one referred to here.
All I ever need here are BCs as that will give the most important measurement required simple a piece of paper.
Again let me instruct you that the measurement more often than not will spell out that notion I refer to as DECREPTITUDE.
More specifically and closer to home base Smith, Burger, James, Smit(need I go on) all are just decrepid.
As we hit 28 years we hurtle headlong and rapidly towards that physiological or, more correctly, pathological state, easily noted by the inability to readily and easily do the physical things one was capable of as a 19 yr. old.
If you are not an original thinker but, in fact ,a mere follower(like the sheep you so love to refer to) then you will grapple with this concept.
My advice just accept it and move on but please stop effin blteating like the sheep you are.
1 Mar 2011, 16:37 pm
ET in his element
1 Mar 2011, 16:43 pm
@ET.(ET.)-311:
Talk to yourself again?
Voices in your head?
1 Mar 2011, 16:44 pm
@ET.(ET.)-311:
Only 28 and you’re over the hill????
1 Mar 2011, 16:45 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-314: don’t argue with ET on sports science…just don’t
1 Mar 2011, 16:48 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-314:
calm down.
pissant has only just managed to pour oil over troubled waters.
don’t light the fires again
1 Mar 2011, 16:49 pm
@Pinky Kekana kills Beemer buys Merc(gunther)-316:
Oh no you don’t
You’ve had your brawling fun
Now it’s my turn
1 Mar 2011, 16:52 pm
Dawn coming out of retirement for one last brawl. Rocky 7!
1 Mar 2011, 16:52 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-317: you’re sure you wanna go down this road?
1 Mar 2011, 16:53 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-318:
1 Mar 2011, 16:53 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-317:
as you were then
maverick you are cleared for take off.
1 Mar 2011, 16:54 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-319:
Of course
I got 5 minutes to spare
If you gonna eulogise, then use the arrow and direct your epic at somebody.
Otherwise it just looks mal.
1 Mar 2011, 16:55 pm
@Pinky Kekana kills Beemer buys Merc(gunther)-321:
Listen you coloured-hater pinko liberal racist.
1 Mar 2011, 16:58 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-323: Shut it, Mrs Coconut.
1 Mar 2011, 16:58 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-312:
Too many decrepid ‘thinkers’ here , the main problem plus they too constantly pickle what little ‘brain cells’ in their possession with too much ethanol.
The brain like any muscle needs to be exercised more as we all hurtle to decreptitude but the concept is too complex to comprehend.
So we read simple stupid novels which are just other peoples, thoughts which may be more or LESS challenging than our own(or should I say mine).
So let me go and exercise my brain as I generate the genes of the muscle-type, nicotinic acetyl choline receptor(Noakes cannot even do that, the silly rented quoter).
See I even lead, like a good captain, by EXAMPLE.
1 Mar 2011, 17:01 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-323: @>^..^< katman(katman)-324:
Aah. We’ve gone down the gutter again. let me join you.
Something to chew on: I dont know what this fuss bout the Kuli-scribbling is all about.
I mean have you have her picture?
She’s hot!
That means she’s a ho..ie.
Thus it cant be racism.
1 Mar 2011, 17:02 pm
2nd have = seen
1 Mar 2011, 17:02 pm
@ET.(ET.)-325:
Decrepit.
Not decrepid.
1 Mar 2011, 17:03 pm
When you’re accustomed to trawling the regular news sites (News24, IOL, M&G), you might never know of the amazing news that is broken on rapport.co.za
Like the CCTV footage of cops storming Cats Pyjamas in Melville and assaulting patrons. Hectic stuff.
And the report of Schalk Burger Snr and his physical spat with a domestic worker that has now ended up in court.
Or a revealing piece on the child trafficking… er, talent scouting, that the Bulls practice amongst Cape schools.
Check it out – it’s all there.
1 Mar 2011, 17:07 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-329:
or *** for grades at university.
or tokoloshes stealing court dockets
rich pickings indeed.
1 Mar 2011, 17:12 pm
@ET.(ET.)-325: on ESPN during breaks/commercials there’s this short program called “Sports Science” they measure all sort of sport related things like the force a linebacker generates before he hits an opponent or the the force a player generates before he heads a ball and how many milli-seconds is the ball in contact with his head. you think they can help Ryan?
1 Mar 2011, 17:23 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-326:
1 Mar 2011, 17:23 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-331:
Ryan? Really Ryan? Who would want to waste such good time with someone who is incapable of understanding simple science?
They do that type of measurements ALL OVER the world except in Ryan’s world.
It simply requires attaching small sensors, eg. in this case transducers to the body and converting one type of energy to another readable measured form of energy.
There are a large number of such tv programmes on a number or sports’ channels here, too much to get excited about unless you are specifically involved with the research.
1 Mar 2011, 17:24 pm
Does anyone else think picking winners for this weeks games is really difficult.
1 Mar 2011, 17:26 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-331:
I think a linebacker would hurt ryan.
quite badly in fact.
1 Mar 2011, 18:20 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-290: yeah but then again its vodacom cup…he could possibly push meyer bosman, however i can see lambie and potgieter either at 10/12 getting a run soon…especially if meyer keeps dancing around. no complaints on his defence so far
1 Mar 2011, 22:25 pm
it still hurts when I pee…
1 Mar 2011, 23:31 pm
all baled and blown right out, no more gusto left for the fight…
1 Mar 2011, 23:56 pm
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?
2 Mar 2011, 00:02 am
I dont understand that poem, is it about soldiers of hoe?
2 Mar 2011, 00:08 am
bulls had to make 203 tackles against lions, ***** bells u dont see that every day.
2 Mar 2011, 00:14 am
its a song by Pete Seeger early 60′s folk legend before Bobby D
Left out 2nd verse, it goes
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young girls gone?
Taken husbands every one
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?
Cycles where life goes back to the flowers over the graves
the stupidity of war
when will we ever learn
when will they ever learn
2 Mar 2011, 00:18 am
peter seeger, hell not sure heard of him either, was he not the poefta who wrote where do you go to my lovely on the boulevard of saint michele or something?
2 Mar 2011, 00:24 am
naah that was a pommie Peter Sarsteadt
Pete Seger was an anti Vietnam anti establishment early 60′s New York beatnik in the Alan Ginsberg, Bob Dylan tradition
2 Mar 2011, 00:24 am
if you into the folk stuff, do you like that horrendous stuff by John Denver, liewe fok between that and jazz – i’d rather shoot me toe off.
2 Mar 2011, 00:27 am
He was one of the first to popularize ‘we shall overcome’ which was taken up by Martin Luther King Jr. as their trademark protest song during civil rights movement in 60′s
2 Mar 2011, 00:28 am
what about creedance clearwater revival, good old decent rock n roll, no heavy lyrics, long silences or harmonicas?
2 Mar 2011, 00:30 am
John Denver is commercial twaddle
Real folk music is Leadbelly, Joan Baez, Woody Guthrie, Joni Mitchell, Crosby Still Nash Young, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, and the whole west coast sound that developed from it
2 Mar 2011, 00:31 am
good god almighty, you know your stuff, sounds like you were interested in all the american stuff, actually it was probably their best generation after the motown.
2 Mar 2011, 00:32 am
wasn’t much of a CCRW fan, they too much like country rock commercialism for me, I was more a real folk follower, like Odetta, try listen to some Odetta if you ain’t heard her already
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