Ugly win gives Boks hope
22 Aug 2011
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day column, says the Springboks did what they had to do against a makeshift All Blacks side in PE.
Take hope from man and you kill him. South African rugby fans, Springbok players and the embattled Springbok management again have hope after battering the All Blacks in Port Elizabeth. These Boks are not yet dead.
Defeat against a second string All Blacks (coach Graham Henry made 11 changes to the side that beat Australia in Auckland) would have been catastrophic for any World Cup defence. Defeat would have crushed the spirits of South Africans and the players. The Boks simply had to win – and they did by dominating the primary phases, playing for field position and kicking points whenever on offer.
The game plan was simple, effective and as many told me afterwards the obvious blueprint to winning World Cups. After all South Africa has two of those golden trophies and New Zealand hasn’t seen one since 1987.
The All Blacks are dead. Long live the kings of world rugby, South Africa. I heard that a couple of times in Port Elizabeth on Saturday night. As I said there is hope again in our rugby, and typically there is arrogance that South Africa has had it all under control for the last four years despite losing nine of their last 12 Tri-Nations matches and winning 59% of all matches.
As I said, there is South African hope – and thank goodness for that.
Equally there should also be realism, at least from the South African with half a brain cell, that beating a makeshift All Blacks team at home is not a dry run for a World Cup semi-final against the first choice New Zealanders in Auckland.
I wrote last week that South Africa’s best hope of a successful defence is that some other team knocks over Australia or New Zealand, as happened in 2007. Given there is hope again in our rugby, why not another miracle? After all God may defend New Zealand but he favours us when it comes to Rugby World Cups.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry selected a pack in Port Elizabeth that lacked mongrel, leadership and the desire to meet the brutal Boks in those dark alleys. I picked the Boks to win by 12 points (no hindsight needed when it aired on Keotv on www.keo.co.za on Friday and on GoodHopeFM radio on Saturday morning) and based my confidence on a pack not good enough to dominate the Boks, a loose-trio lacking a fetcher to compete with Heinrich Brussouw and a New Zealand backline that would play high risk, but would never have the forward platform for it to be effective.
New Zealand’s backs demanded cohesion, composure and direction from flyhalf Colin Slade who fluffed every kick, most passes and all decision-making. When he limped off after 60 minutes it was 60 minutes too late from a New Zealand perspective.
New Zealand has flyhalf problems if they lose the incomparable Dan Carter before or during the Rugby World Cup.
South Africa will have problems the moment they come up against a pack whose players stand their ground. In Port Elizabeth the Boks physicality, led by Bismarck du Plessis and Bakkies Botha, allowed for control and meant flyhalf Morne Steyn could play as if at a training run. New Zealand never had the flow, go forward or momentum to challenge Steyn’s defensive frailties. It will be different when those 11 players, led by Richie McCaw, return.
Steyn again is the king of 10s … at least he was in Port Elizabeth after scoring all 18 points. I don’t agree. I’d still play the more complete and physically imposing Butch James at No 10 in the World Cup, but when selectors and coaches don’t quite know what it is they want the lasting memory is the latest one and a full-strength New Zealand, Australia, France and England won’t mind fronting Steyn.
The All Blacks, in the context of the match, made 21 linebreaks and fluffed six tries. South Africa never created one try-scoring chance, but relied on Steyn’s boot to punish New Zealand playing all the rugby in their own half.
This was desperation stuff from the Boks. It was ugly but who cares. They had to win.
I just wonder how many South Africans believe the Boks peaked in Port Elizabeth and produced their World Cup final, in terms of game plan and performance. Just checking because had the All Blacks somehow won I know South Africans would have excused the defeat on New Zealand peaking too soon and showing their hand too soon. Yes I am being facetious.
I have always rubbished talk that there is no such thing as a poor All Blacks team. The side that started on Saturday was as vulnerable as the bunch of plodders South Africa took to New Zealand and only marginally better than that which lost twice in South Africa in 2009. South Africa’s A team beat New Zealand’s B team in South Africa. It is the way it should always be.
381 Comments
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22 Aug 2011, 19:09 pm
@ UptheGuts(UptheGuts), I can tell you’re new! Welcome mate, your 1st impression of poops spot on, he’s a swamp donkey (word of the day) of note. Although he’s rugby knowledge very good, he’s k@k attitude and pure hatred for anything safa is disgusting
22 Aug 2011, 19:22 pm
Goodness griefness lots of hoof in swampdonkey mouth comments here today.
22 Aug 2011, 19:25 pm
With extraball snowballing his cat jiffy and helen making bloopers of note. Suspect that one. She says she is a kiwi but is great buddies with Jake White
22 Aug 2011, 19:29 pm
Inevitably hilarious
22 Aug 2011, 19:31 pm
Poppa you cry?ng aga?n?
If you l?ke ? can ask everyone to lay off so you dont have another breakdown?
P.s. GH has beaten pdv only one more t?me than pdv has beaten GH. Henry has had an extra home game and had the pr?velege of play?ng the boks m?nus 21 f?rst cho?ce players.
If you arent concerned you should be pal.
22 Aug 2011, 19:34 pm
@ Dawn, france not being in the same pool as Nz is a easy mistake! Hehe even our coach doesn’t know who we playing! You should go read ‘butch number one’ thread, just as funny! I’m outa here, enjoy your evening dawn, be good or be good at it! Hehe
22 Aug 2011, 19:38 pm
@ rangerman(rangerman), I kinda feel sorry for him, he had good intentions not too long ago but he cracked under the pressure just like the all blacks do at world cups! Hehe
22 Aug 2011, 19:41 pm
@NoRugbyGuru_0_(RugbyGuru_0_)-351: Thank u very much. Always nice banter on here but when the 2 I’ve mentioned are around it turns into a shitstorm. every single time. Probably best not to rspond anymore as they succeed in dragging you to their level if you do.
22 Aug 2011, 20:01 pm
Just wish I had time in my day to get involved in all these brawls.
Work is the curse of the blogging classes
22 Aug 2011, 21:07 pm
@Stiff-arm(Stiff-arm)-8:
Good point
22 Aug 2011, 21:59 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-332:
Tried that suggestion to the blogger a few times…complete waste of time…
22 Aug 2011, 22:24 pm
Hope is what boks need
23 Aug 2011, 03:55 am
@TheAgent(TheAgent)-213: He meant in 2002… ie NZ weren’t the favourite going into the 2003 WC.
23 Aug 2011, 04:57 am
I am totally disappointed that Hosea Gear missed the squad for NZ..I hope he comes in for injury cover and does fantastic.
23 Aug 2011, 04:57 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-328:
Do yourself a favour and read what you typed, then think long and hard about it.
23 Aug 2011, 05:08 am
Funny article, SA relying on hope to win, well good luck with that, how many wins in the last 10 games, two was it?
King Henry looked mighty smug at that post-game press conference, why, because 1. he got to see a lot of fringe players in action and 2. a B team loss was acceptable as the Bokkes will take false hope from victory over a weak NZ team into the RWC.
End of the day, should the Bokkes face NZ in the RWC, they’ll face an A team with McCaw and Thorn leading a strong pack, Carter’s FAR superior kicking and passing game and a backline that will shred the Bokkes something chronic.
But there’s hope right?
23 Aug 2011, 06:44 am
@richw(richw)-366:
So why don’t you just come out and say it then?
The Boks stand NO change!
It is a forgone conclusion, the All Blacks are the WC champs 2011!
Other teams need not bother, waste of time!
This is the best and most well prepared AB team in history!
KH is the best coach ever!
Richee knighthood is a formality!
Dan Carter is the pretiest flyhalf ever!
The parade is already organised!
The champagne is on ice!
Did I miss anything?
23 Aug 2011, 06:57 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-367: The T Shirts have been printed, do not forget the T Shirts
23 Aug 2011, 06:59 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-328: You sound like a 5 year old having a tantrum
23 Aug 2011, 07:02 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-367:
Merely pointing out that the AB coaching trio have 4 odd million NZers critiquing their every move and anything short of a RWC victory would see them lynched before being extradited. You don’t get to coach two RWC’s without being a sly old dog.
Compare this with SA who know their coach should be committed to a padded room somewhere and the team itself can only improve, and Aussie with Dingo Deans trying to wrangle raw talent into a cohesive unit for 80 minutes at a time, the AU supporters know this and wait eagerly game after game for it to happen.
I’m looking forward to watching Wales actually, such a clutch 60 minute team, if they can play 80 they could surprise the big guns.
23 Aug 2011, 07:13 am
@richw(richw)-370:
Got news for you bud, I know a sh it pile of New Zealanders who don’t give a rats arse about the WC or the AB’s. They are just over rugby. So, I’d back off the 4mil.
You can get some really good deals on flights outa NZ during the WC!!
23 Aug 2011, 07:18 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-367:
Grow up son.
23 Aug 2011, 07:19 am
@richw(richw)-366: Hope is what keeps you jokers coming back for another tilt at the RWC mindmill.
23 Aug 2011, 07:21 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-372:
Grow up? Faaking good post I’d say
23 Aug 2011, 07:51 am
The great thing about this squad of tried and tested seniors is that both Butch ‘Headless Chicken’ James and Morne Steyn give the Boks plenty of choices for all the games.
Morne Steyn will more likely than not be the Boks RWC highest points scorer if the game plan stays the same as it is with the madman coach at the helm.
23 Aug 2011, 07:58 am
@richw(richw)-370:
Pointing it out or rubbing it in?!
@whatever(whatever)-374:
The truth always hurt…
23 Aug 2011, 07:59 am
@JL1(JL1)-368:
How could I forget?!?!
28 Aug 2011, 18:23 pm
Mark, I’m worried as you are that our desperate win against ABs is a bad portent for the WC. I’m also worried that the boks don’t seem to have much else in their bag of tricks. The passing in the attacking phases is poor, and tragically–for a team that includes the likes of Botha, Bismark, Matfield, Du Preez and Fourie–we don’t seem to have a plan, other than kicking penalties.
Which is where I disrespectfully disagree with you. Anyone who thinks we can make it without Steyn is delusional. His starting omission cost us the Aus game.
I’d love for the Boks to go out there and score tries and not rely so heavily on Steyn’s boot. But we don’t. Butchie didn’t make an iota of difference to that in the game he started in. I agree he is far superior to Steyn in attack. But the fact is, we just cannot afford to not have Steyn’s boots. I think South Africans (like you) need to stop kidding themselves and give Steyn the respect he deserves. With due respect to the other greats in the team, Steyn wins matches. Period.
2 Sep 2011, 09:38 am
(y)
2 Sep 2011, 09:39 am
:-9
2 Sep 2011, 09:40 am
:-0
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