Henry puts pressure on Boks
19 Aug 2011
Graham Henry says the Test in Port Elizabeth on Saturday is a must-win for the Springboks.
The All Blacks coach was happy to play mind games in a recent press conference, but what he said was true.
Henry picked a second string squad as nine players, including Dan Carter and Richie McCaw, were left behind in New Zealand. The All Blacks will field unsettled combinations in this weekend’s game, with several players returning from injury. The Boks also have home advantage.
Bok head coach Peter de Villiers downplayed last Saturday’s 14-9 defeat to the Wallabies, adding that ‘they only lost on the scoreboard’. However, with this their final Test before the World Cup in September, Henry believes the Boks need to pick up a victory to add confidence to their tournament preparations.
‘I think it’s hell of an important [for the Boks to win]. I would think Peter [de Villiers] and John [Smit] and the team will be desperate. It would just give them the little kick they need going into the World Cup. They haven’t got another game so I would think it is vital for them to win,’ argued Henry before pausing then saying with a smile that he was ‘adding a little bit more pressure’ on the hosts.
‘The South Africans are due for a win and they will be on the edge of the edge, I’d imagine,’ he continued. ‘They have picked a side that is obviously going to be very physical and carries the ball well. They have also got kicking ability, so I think it is going to be a major contest for this group [All Blacks team to play in PE].’
385 Comments
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19 Aug 2011, 09:19 am
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-122:
i think its fair to say that if you kept saying things like gurthro’s a #3 and jannie’s a #1 on a rugby blog then the guys would gang you up too.
she’s good though, i like her stuff mostly.
on a different note, sshitballs!..a chick who talks sweet rugby to you in bed…that would be awesome!…
as transie says, she’s a blogger not a woman….
19 Aug 2011, 09:20 am
Those Franks brothers look weird when they assume crouch position; they look like cheats
19 Aug 2011, 09:21 am
@we have it on good authority that on september 11, a legend will rise…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-151:
Remember I will always argue the principle.
Kiwis argue for the principal (Graham Henry/Ted)
19 Aug 2011, 09:22 am
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-146: only your perspective
19 Aug 2011, 09:24 am
Well said Mshiniwami! Give those Kiwi’s k…a…k
19 Aug 2011, 09:24 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-147:
Ok, time for clarification:
I believe –
1) SA is not the best at the moment. Our chances at RWC are slim. We have an ageing team, poor management and weak coaching.
2) Kiwis are the best team in the world. In my opinion, they’ve been the best for at least 17 of the past 20 years. On form, they deserve to win the rwc.
3) I want / expect SA to win every test, but if I take my Bok hat off, I realise that it won’t happen in a hurry.
4) For some reason, the gods have created different rules for RWC. The Kiwis have not won the cup since Jannie Breedt’s days. Also, we have surprised at the rwc, positively and negatively.
5) Should the kiwis choke again this time around, they will probably never recover from it. The pressure on them is what has tripped them up in the past and this year the pressure is greater than ever!
19 Aug 2011, 09:24 am
@foreverrugga(foreverrugga)-148:
cheesing myself…hehehehe
19 Aug 2011, 09:24 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-149:
Well i agree with most of what you said, but if you think i expect you to bow down to us, well thats really your problem. I dont think i come across like that and i dotn honestly see where you get that from.
Yep you have been playing horrible for 18 months but have a look on here, its because we cheat, we have the refs in our pocket and of course SA didnt have there best team.
There are hardly any posts saying, yep we were beaten by a better team
So you need to look at how sometimes you guys come across as well, your not damn perfect.
19 Aug 2011, 09:25 am
Helen: are you at it again? I’ll give you one thing you are certainly persistent!!!
Sheriff: I’m not sure if you should be on this site, maybe a more socially conscious blog would be more to your leanings.
19 Aug 2011, 09:27 am
@Helen(Helen)-156:
Fair enough Helen,agree as well.
19 Aug 2011, 09:28 am
Keeping in mind that historically, world cups have been won on the strength of the following:
1) Defense
2) Discipline
3) Drop / place kicking
4) Line kicking
5) First phase domination (or at least parity)
Unfortunately, no world cup has been won because of great offloading in the tackle or turnover posession or broken play (Fra vs NZ in ’99 being the only exception)
On the strength of that and the more conservative approach to rwc games, SA has a better chance than their current form suggests or even what happens tomorrow.
19 Aug 2011, 09:28 am
Keep on saying it if Kiwi’s dont win this year they will never win WC. And this year the pressure is ten fold than before.
19 Aug 2011, 09:30 am
@Champs 95 07 and Beyond(Champs 95 07 and Beyond)-162:
We hear it all the time.
I will never write SA off at any cup/tournament but seem some people on here have no problems writing off the enemy
19 Aug 2011, 09:30 am
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-152:
they are cheats.
watch their crusader and ab games again. you’ll see they often release their bind after the scrum hit and then drive through hard with one (or sometimes even both their arms) by their sides (yes, both…they even release from the hooker) you have so much more strength/power driving forward with your arms by your side than if you had to keep them raised and bound to your hooker and the opposition prop.
granted, they are good players like the whole ab team but they are filthy cheats…the lot of them…
19 Aug 2011, 09:30 am
@Champs 95 07 and Beyond(Champs 95 07 and Beyond)-162:
Yes the pressure is a lot more than before.
Remember all the Kiwi eggs are in one basket: rugby
We have eggs in this basket and in that basket – more of an even spread; you will appreciate then that they brought this on themselves
19 Aug 2011, 09:31 am
@Helen(Helen)-161:
Will that was old RWCs, Rules have changed. Lets hope the RWC final does not turn into a kicking festival
19 Aug 2011, 09:32 am
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-159:
But are you sure about anything?
I asked about your views on an ideal 12. Still waiting…unsure I guess…
19 Aug 2011, 09:34 am
I just hope these people who say World Cups dont matter its the winning in between that counts are not the same who troll on cricket forums every time the Proteas dont do well at World Cups. It may be huge coincidence but some have same user-name/post name on said cricket posts
19 Aug 2011, 09:35 am
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-165:
So, what other baskets are you talking about Sheriff?
This will be interesting
19 Aug 2011, 09:35 am
@we have it on good authority that on september 11, a legend will rise…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-164:
You will understand then the need to have refs with ‘soft eyes’ for AB mistakes
That’s the way they roll
It has reached a stage where they feel cheated when the ref is AB-biased
19 Aug 2011, 09:36 am
The reasons why the kiwis have not performed at rwc is:
1) rwc is played by different rules. The pressure forces a more conservative approach to both attack and defense. It takes some of the flair and skill that some teams are known for, out of the equation. No bonus points are needed so each team plays first to NOT LOSE and then TO WIN. A very different animal to TN or S15.
2) Because all teams lift their games to dizzying heights, the differences becomes smaller and variables such as psycological preparation becomes greater. Confidence, fear and risk of choking become self fulfilling prophesies.
3) Big matches can make or break a team and / or an individual, so fewer risks are taken and some of the flair is lost, especially in the stronger teams where the public / media scrutiny is greater.
19 Aug 2011, 09:37 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-169:
‘this and that basket’ I said
You know them well; it is false to ask me to name them
19 Aug 2011, 09:39 am
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-170:
Will Sheriff, looks like you will never be happy. Enjoy your painful life of bitterness and whinging.
19 Aug 2011, 09:40 am
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-172:
No please explain
19 Aug 2011, 09:41 am
@foreverrugga(foreverrugga)-148: lol
yes…..but my whinge is factual…by the way, your girlfriend doesent think i am a mofo
19 Aug 2011, 09:42 am
the kiwis are overwhelming favourites to lift the william webb ellis trophy.france,though,on their day could deny them doing so and in the process put a massive smile on the faces of the rope industry the following day.
19 Aug 2011, 09:42 am
Winners win, losers lose. Simple as that.
That is why SA has a played 4, won 2 record in rwc and such a poor TN record. When it comes to RWC we are winners, the kiwis are losers.
What will happen to NZ rugby if they don’t win this rwc??? I suspect Henry and McCaw will be on the first plane off the mud patch. Rioting and looting in downtown Auckland and additional security checks at airports, maybe even a mass burning of black jerseys outside Carisbrook and a human sacrifice or two?
19 Aug 2011, 09:43 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-173:
Mate I just tryna help
Believe it or not but I have your best interests at heart
19 Aug 2011, 09:44 am
Henry is far smarter than our own Pearl from Paarl.
19 Aug 2011, 09:45 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-174:
The only explan = ‘you know them well’
19 Aug 2011, 09:45 am
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-122: Seriously? You want to make that comment? YOU OF ALL PEOPLE? Give me a break.
19 Aug 2011, 09:45 am
jeepers….sheriff and helen…..basket cases of note…..whinge, cry, moan…
19 Aug 2011, 09:45 am
Sheriff: I did not receive your memo re: ideal 12. In short an inside centre should have the following skills set but not limited to: good hands and feet, a good pass, spatial awareness, with a kicking game but not essential, acceleration and strength in the tackle, whether the team’s captain or not 12 must be a very good communicator. Just a few things off the top of my head. What’s your ideal 13?
19 Aug 2011, 09:46 am
@grant10(grant10)-175: difficult to convince people otherwise when wearing tight-fitting speedos two sizes smaller than normal.
19 Aug 2011, 09:46 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-179:
But I saw the stress triangle on his face: 2 cheeks and forehead
He’s feeling the pressure, that’s for sure
19 Aug 2011, 09:47 am
Also, if we happen to meet in the semis, I guarantee you that SA will lift their game the way Fra did in ’99 when they were the underdogs.
Senior players will have the game of their lives and surprise us. SBW will follow Lomu …
Unfortunately, SA teams play on emotion and this time will be no different. Sadly, that kind of emotion is only good for 1 or 2 games, so we’ll struggle to top our group, but thereafter, expect miracles!
19 Aug 2011, 09:48 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-179: …and he has experience in losing a world cup as favorite
19 Aug 2011, 09:49 am
@grant10(grant10)-182:
play that again please…but this time in d minor…
for a bonus get transie and skop to fill in as the ‘other’ two tenors…
19 Aug 2011, 09:50 am
@Tecumseh(Tecumseh)-184: well my good man if you think you will ever convince 99 % of rugby lovers that Plod is a better player than Bissy, then you the 1 with the poor blood circulation to the brain….not me mate.
19 Aug 2011, 09:50 am
@grant10(grant10)-182:
Are you sure you want to do this?
19 Aug 2011, 09:51 am
@Helen(Helen)-161:
Hi Helen – a pleasure to “meet” you – I’m sure.
I agree with your assessment of what it takes to win a WC. Defense is probably in the upper most of coahces and players’ minds when they go to a WC. I do not agree however that these factors count in our favour. Not with the way that our set pieces have disintegrated and the way in which our defensive system has eroded away for the last two years.
I agree that neglect of these factors is the one place where the AB’s have failed in the past – not that they were a poor defensive team by any stretch of the imagination, but purely because their rhythm was disturbed by the other teams’ better than usual defense.
This WC, however, will be far different. The AB’s have, as a consequence of 2009′s fairy rugby and poor results, subsequently put a premium on defense, are the best team in the world at the set phases and they kick a lot more for territory than they used to. Dan Carter converted his third ever drop goal in test rugby and the first for him in five years against the Aussies two weeks ago. This was a sign to me that they are prepared to take points whichever way they came. It is no longer considered sacrilege to drop goals in NZ. A very ominous sign indeed.
So, with the best defense in world rugby, the best set pieces, the best kicking flyhalf and the best goal kicking flyhalf in world rugby – I cannot see how they are going to be beaten at the WC. We will have to wait and see…
19 Aug 2011, 09:51 am
@we have it on good authority that on september 11, a legend will rise…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-188: your high level humour escapes me…..
19 Aug 2011, 09:52 am
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-190: just really do not understand the need to carry on about choking kiwis…..
far better to concern ourselves with our own issues?
19 Aug 2011, 09:53 am
Comparing player for player between NZ and SA, SA has the edge in 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 13 and possibly 15 if the right choices are made. These are key positions that can determine the outcome of a big game
19 Aug 2011, 09:53 am
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-178:do you think the kiwis will be favoured by refs at the wc next month?in boxing they always talk about home-town decisions, so i was just wondering.
19 Aug 2011, 09:53 am
@187.Helen said Excellent point
19 Aug 2011, 09:53 am
@Helen(Helen)-177:
Well i asked you the same question and by the looks of it you havnt answered.
What would SA do if they dont win this RWC. Thats all you guys play for by the looks of it. Jersey means noting really. On this site i have read that SA dont worry about the 3N. Dont mind losing and if they win the 3N its a bonus…. Where has the pride gone.
The old SA plyers would be turning in there graves listening to some of this.
All that hard work up to the 1970s only to be thrown out the window by people hoping for 8 good games every 4 years
19 Aug 2011, 09:55 am
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-183:
Add eye for a gap
12 a back-up 10; that’s why it’s good to phase a 10 in at the highest level by letting him play 12.
12 & 13 must straighten the line of attack and essential create something for the wings be it through the timing of the pass (SBW) or drawing the defenders
19 Aug 2011, 09:55 am
Let it be said and remember that you read it here first.
This WC is going to take on a different pattern to those preceding it. This is the most professional WC to date and the teams with the best structures and the best game plans will go on to contest the play-offs. There will be fewer surprises and emotion and passion will only count for the first 20 minutes of every game. Thereafter, the best coached team will pull through.
19 Aug 2011, 09:56 am
@grant10(grant10)-193:
You’re an exp blogger; just skip my posts
Surely that should not be too difficult
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