Auckland upset a blow for underdone Boks
19 Sep 2011
JON CARDINELLI doubts that the Springboks will be at their peak of their powers for the largely unexpected quarter-final showdown with the Wallabies.
The luck of the Irish is ironically South Africa’s misfortune. After losing four World Cup warm-up games and struggling to beat the USA in their opening Pool C match, Ireland produced an inspired performance to down the Wallabies at Eden Park.
It was an unexpected result that breathed fresh life into what was shaping to be an all-too predictable tournament, and it was a result that should have South Africans feeling more than a little nervous.
Ronan O’Gara said afterwards that the Ireland management had prepared the team to peak for that specific clash, and that it was always the plan to ride the resultant momentum into the play-off stages. Ireland should go on to top Pool C and play Wales in the play-offs, while Australia will finish second and meet the Boks sooner than anybody but an Irishman would have anticipated.
The Boks have played it cool when asked about the Ireland vs Australia result, and just how it will impact on their planning. But make no mistake, that result will have profound repercussions.
Ruan Pienaar admitted it was an unexpected result before attempting to steer the conversation back to the Boks’ upcoming game against lowly Namibia, while assistant coach Dick Muir went as far to suggest that because the Boks play the Wallabies every year in the Tri-Nations, they will not need as much time to analyse and prepare for that probable play-off in Wellington.
But an earlier admission by Muir was more telling. The Boks beat Fiji 49-3 on Saturday, scoring six tries in the process. Muir said that the side had shown steady progress both on attack and defence, and that it boded well for the rest of the tournament. He did, however admit that the Boks had come into this global competition underdone.
It was always the plan of Peter de Villiers and his coaching staff to prepare the Boks to peak in the play-offs, but they would have identified a semi-final showdown against the All Blacks as their defining moment. Going by how the Boks fared in the Tri-Nations and in the Pool D opener against Wales, not to mention their rotten run with injuries, it was always going to be a tough ask.
Had Ireland lost to the Wallabies and faced the Boks in the quarter-final, they would have provided stiff opposition, particularly at the set-piece. The pool matches were initially targeted by De Villiers as an opportunity for his best side to gel as a collective, and the Ireland clash would have been viewed as more a dress rehearsal for the showdown with the All Blacks than anything else.
I don’t think the Boks would have taken the Irish lightly, but they would have backed themselves to beat Declan Kidney’s men and take some confidence into the all-important clash with New Zealand. They would have continued to build in that match and sharpen a few areas before the crunch semi-final at Eden Park.
But Ireland’s victory will force them into an early meeting with Australia. There shouldn’t be a lot of confidence in the Boks at this stage considering their struggles for collective form. Injuries have also contributed to the battle for synergy and the fielding of their best side, as while they hammered Fiji last week four senior players missed the game and only two of the preferred combinations, the halfbacks and back row, started.
De Villiers will make a number of changes again for the match against Namibia, and will recall his first-choice players for the final pool clash against Samoa. This will be the Bok first-string’s last opportunity to improve as a collective before the play-offs.
Muir said that the Boks’ came into the tournament underdone, and that the game against Fiji was a step in the right direction. But can the Boks make sufficient strides before meeting a team of real substance?
Their last defeat to Australia (in Durban) was blamed on a lack of game time, and it wouldn’t surprise to hear that self same excuse rolled out following another defeat to the Wallabies. The significant difference is that one defeat would have resulted in nothing but wounded pride, while the next would have resulted in the Boks’ exit from the tournament.
The Wallabies have beaten the Boks seven times in 11 matches since De Villiers’s tenure began back in 2008. Despite their recent defeat to Ireland, they will fancy themselves to down the Boks again, and their cause should be aided by the return of players like Digby Ioane, Stephen Moore and the Boks’ nemesis, David Pocock.
It is by no means a forgone conclusion, but the odds are heavily stacked against this Bok team. As their own coaches and players suggest, the best players have not enjoyed sufficient game time and they are yet to click as a unit. Their time to prepare and build continuity has been cut by as much as a week, and judging by their recent showings and injury-effect circumstances, they may struggle to produce a collective performance capable of upsetting a Wallabies side with established combinations, confidence and momentum.
281 Comments
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19 Sep 2011, 08:12 am
Good morning all.
Saw the Wallas game… eish… must say Genia looked as average as FdP was against Wales…
again it points to the pack not giving good ball to the scrumhalf…. walla forwards were in sierieaaaas trouble like we were vs Wales…
Our game …. oi we played well…. good change in gameplan with the short side….
nearly had a heart attack when Schalla missed the first tackle of the game in the first 10 seconds…. (pathetic slapgat malkoppie effort)… but wanted to buy Schalla a beer with his flip pass to Morné later on…(that was sublime)
also though Pakslae half tackled like Butch but hell he carried well…
FdP not sharp enough but way better than what he was vs Wales….cause the forwards were better?..
Hougaard – ya well he looks as hunger as a calorie deprived WW2 veteran in a foxhole ….
Lambie and Odwa… must honestly say the looked a bit laerskool …. specially Odwa…
Mossie praat te veel… honestly that must stop!!!!..but hell he finishes well.
Flo did good when he came on….. good honest player…
Guthro was the usual monster..
hmmmmmmmmmmm just a pity we haven’t got sierieaaaas speed in the backs….
we played Fiji…..
19 Sep 2011, 08:14 am
@UptheGuts
Bryce didn’t have a bad game. Aus and their players aren’t as intelligent and adaptable in the rain.
19 Sep 2011, 08:14 am
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-17:
yup, at this rate if any of the big three teams takes it it would be a miracle. after having to batter easch other on route they may not have enough left for the final.
sshit! i’m starting to rue not betting on england to win the wc, though its not too late i suppose.
19 Sep 2011, 08:15 am
The format for world cup is perfect. I reckon in 16 years time just about any team will be able to win it. The IRB is doing something right. With a little bit of luck( okay a lot) we could be facing USA in quarters.
19 Sep 2011, 08:15 am
@conan wishes he was a springbok #4 locks girlfriend…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-43:
Yep – I thought of that too!
.
Trouble is, I think that GH wouldn’t/couldn’t bring himself to do that. And if he tried, I think the team would tell him to get f*cked, and go out and score 50% more points against France than they otherwise might. There’s just too much legacy…….
19 Sep 2011, 08:16 am
And to think, all those Prayers for Fiji amounted to nowt.
So now the Boks have to face a Real team in the Qters.
19 Sep 2011, 08:17 am
forgot about Frans…. he did very well…imo.
why doesn’t he look as BIG as i thought he was?
19 Sep 2011, 08:17 am
F Steyn solved the impotent backline problem, JdV sal lemoene moet skil.
Gurthro did all hard work , so did Smit & Bakkies, later Alberts
So that rest can play…….
So what heppened with Wie Pie ?
19 Sep 2011, 08:19 am
Who says Ireland is easier to beat? I’d rather play Aus in the rain with Quade ‘Brainfart’ Cooper than Ireland.
19 Sep 2011, 08:20 am
Boks to lose in the quarters against Australia! Boks to return to the Currie Cup! … Bulls wins the Currie Cup for Matfield, Bakkies, Fourie Dup,Danie & ET! as easy as that!
19 Sep 2011, 08:21 am
Where the IRB got it wrong was with the refereeing. Paddy OBrien is way out of his depth. I can’t recall there ever being such a huge difference between southern and northern refs.
19 Sep 2011, 08:22 am
Best players on the field on Sat:
1) Russouw
2) F Steyn
3) JPP
4) Smit
5) Burger
6) Guthro
7) J Fourie
8 ) Spies
9) Bakkies
10) Brussouw
We’re seeing a pattern here. F Steyn always plays a near MotM game. Russouw is in the best form of his career. J Fourie is consistent, so too Burger. Smit is getting better with each game. Guthro is ‘old faithful’, never has a bad game. Hougaard, Bissy and Alberts are 1st class impact players…
…and on the negative side, FdP is struggling with form.
19 Sep 2011, 08:24 am
49 – 3
• 96.ashampoopaloo:
16 Sep 2011, 21:14 pm
I won’t be at all surprised if Boks go down to Fiji tomorrow, won’t be surprised at all.
With the f’ng hopeless liability Smit running on with FdP ahead of Bismark and Hougaard and playing the WRONG personnel in Lambie and Ndungane over De Jongh and Aplon Boks are going to get fucked up in open play.
If Fiji get up a head of steam and stretch these useless lardass chickenarsed Boks like Smit and FdP early on then don’t expect the cavalry of Bismark Alberts and Hougaard to save their overrated arses again, Fiji won’t choke and lay down and get kicked in the groin like Wales did, of that you can be sure.
With Smit and FdP and Spies and Morne starting and Schalk flapping around much better, I will hardly be surprised if Boks get one big smack to the overrated ego tomorrow, pretty much everything is pointing in that direction already.
• 96.ashampoopaloo:
14 Sep 2011, 22:32 pm
With Smit on vs Fiji we already down to 14 from kick off, Bakkies also another waste of a mobile player. FdP 3.
No Aplon but we got Odwa, Frans won’t do f’all at 12 against Fiji, they gonna smoke him with Morne being targeted, Lambie cannot stop 115 kg of motoring muscle
Poorly selected side can actually come unstuck against a running Fiji outfit who won’t stop running all 80 mins. Bakkies, FdP will not cut it past 20 min
• 108.ashampoopaloo:
14 Sep 2011, 22:42 pm
@jocuba(jocuba)-84:
Spot on this side is selected out of panic and fear… Poorly selected they going out there with NO correlated basis of security or composure.., watch the sh’t hit the fan, and Bismark, Alberts, Hougaard won’t fix what Smit Bakkies Burger and FdP leave behind, not this time with Fiji running rampant.
• 134.ashampoopaloo:
14 Sep 2011, 22:52 pm
@cab(cab)-106:
They in panic thinking Bakkies and Smit gonna stop Fiji… Even Steyn at 12 gonna get skinned and Lambie at back gonna be exposed big time.
FdP not gonna stop these okes especially after gifting them the ball with his kicks
• 187.ashampoopaloo:
14 Sep 2011, 23:14 pm
@jocuba(jocuba)-128:
Ja but Tuilagi is for the last game.. not this one… by then we could already be out the competition if we go into games selecting like this
Fiji going to RUN all afternoon and Smit will be kaput from 20 min… Bakkies if he lasts 30 … FdP will not bring these okes down.. Hougaard should be in there.. If Butch injured then Morne will have to do, but then play JdJ at 12, Aplon 11, F. Steyn should have stayed at the back where we gonna need him.. not Lambie.
Idiots selecting this team… between Rassie, Gold, Muir, Smit and PdV they got absolutely fokkol clue… whatsoever .. its panic stations and if we come through this like we did vs Wales.. it gonna be a miracle but I can see sh’t flying this weekend. Seriously.
• 219.ashampoopaloo:
14 Sep 2011, 23:40 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-216: Problem with you dumb fcks is you way behind the action.. I’m way ahead of you and all you can see is idiocy.. but you don’t realize what I spelled out long ago has already come to pass and is staring you directly in the face as we speak.. ******** !
• 226.ashampoopaloo:
14 Sep 2011, 23:50 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-211: Good at what exactly .. tackling in open play.. yeah he’s good at that.. that is ALL he is good at.. not carrying and not contesting breakdown …
dumb idiot fool with your fuckup agenda.. you idiots that think you understand rugby actually DON’T !! schmucks.
• 236.ashampoopaloo:
15 Sep 2011, 00:13 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-233: problem with idiots like you is you actually got this stupid idea that you are some kind of fundi on rugby.. when you are obviously NOT ..
19 Sep 2011, 08:24 am
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-52: Bryce has never struck me as one who knows what’s happening in the scrums. Usualy he goes *** for tat. The breakdown was a complete mess. But I had a feeling something was up when I saw McCalman instead of Higgenbotham.
19 Sep 2011, 08:26 am
With the draw as it stands now, it will be a North vs South final. That is consistent with the history of RWC…
’87 NZ vs Fra
’91 Aus vs Eng
’95 Exception
’99 Aus vs Fra
’03 Eng vs Aus
’07 SA vs Eng
’11 SA/NZ/Aus vs Eng/Fra/Ire/Wal
The NZ semi will be the final, whoever wins there will probably take the Cup!
19 Sep 2011, 08:26 am
@myth geskop(myth geskop)-63: He knows his rugby nuh?
19 Sep 2011, 08:29 am
@myth geskop(myth geskop)-63:
Bwhahahahahaaa…. and Shmapoo has the audacity to show his face here after that!!!!
Shampoo, does this now mean that you are the idiot that you called everyone who disagreed with you on Friday?
19 Sep 2011, 08:29 am
@Helen(Helen)-65: I’m not too sure. France might actualy go all the way this time. No matter who they play in the final. AB players will be shitting themselves if they meet France in the final
19 Sep 2011, 08:30 am
@myth geskop(myth geskop)-63:
The highlight of my day was directly after the Boks defeated Fiji. Timotei shampoo, who had been screaming and whining (along with grant10 and their disciples) that Matfield, Fourie du Preez and Smit were the coaches and selectors for the Boks and that de Villiers was completely useless, suddenly could not say enough about what a brilliant coach de Villiers is.
A complete and utter dooooooos. I thought it was women that couldn’t make up their minds about anything.
19 Sep 2011, 08:30 am
This shampoo guy , should stick to selling Shampoo.
Old story, T 5 that work and rest can blossom. Auz found that out as well , we also outplayed them in SA untill we got tired.
19 Sep 2011, 08:31 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-56:
On Sat’s performance, I think Ireland is more of a ‘real’ team
19 Sep 2011, 08:32 am
Boks should throw their game against Samoa, gaining a much easier route to the final.
19 Sep 2011, 08:32 am
did Fiji forget to practice scrumming before the game?
they got monstered…
19 Sep 2011, 08:34 am
@Helen(Helen)-71:
All this fuss about facing Australia is unwarranted in my opinion. The Boks have the players and the talent to unravel the misfiring Convicts.
19 Sep 2011, 08:35 am
Mampara of the day has to be Body on Tap.
Wow, that is embarrassing for Shampoo. Not sure anyone would ever take this idiot seriously again. With any luck, he might just cancel his keo account and join the Huisgenoot blog instead
19 Sep 2011, 08:35 am
Its about TIMING .. AB’s have FAILED to do that 5 times running and these twats here like Klingong and his dumbfck sidekick bulsemoer finkelfuckwit who think some kind of sunshine is oozing from out their dumbfck rugby relevant arses
Boks fckd up in 1999 getting it ALL WRONG for Australia having decimated England the week before
France drilled AB’s with Cullen, Lomu, Wilson, Merhtens et al in 1999 and then FELL APART a week later vs Australia
Last week ALL the NZ press were raving that it was Australia’s WC to lose and then Ireland pull a number on them from the front row where Moore was absent and their powder puff props and hooker could not match the Irish onslaught from the front..
In 2007 we met NOBODY.. who the fck is STILL as blind as bats to NOT recognize SIMPLE SALIENT FACTS..that beating 13th rank Fiji, 6 rank Argy, and 7 rank England is NOT beating the BEST the world has to offer in rugby relevancy ??
IF Boks take Aussie out in 1/4′s – which is absolutely achievable,.. AND take NZ out a week later – which will be slightly MORE difficult , and then go on to beating whomsoever wins the OTHER side of the draw from the NH in the final – it will be a MAMMOTH achievement something not many sides would achieve in taking this setup which is fraught with Russian roulette type odds at pulling a blank instead of a live one on the day. As AB’s have found out to their ongoing bewilderment and dismay for the past 24 years.
19 Sep 2011, 08:36 am
@myth geskop(myth geskop)-63:
sniggers…hehehe
19 Sep 2011, 08:36 am
@Helen(Helen)-71: Who will the ABs face in a possible 1/4 final? Seems they run the risk of being seriously undercooked come semi’s time, specially if France makes good on their B-team promise.
19 Sep 2011, 08:37 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-76: Kindly respond to post 63.
19 Sep 2011, 08:38 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-74:
Agree, we were able to neutralise the Fijian backline and will do the same against Aus.
The Fijians looked decidedly average and without any sting on Sat. It almost looked like we were playing in some warm up game against the Leapords
19 Sep 2011, 08:39 am
Yes we’re all waiting for a response to post 63.
19 Sep 2011, 08:39 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-78:
What is the B team promise?
As for who the kiwis face, I have to say SA. Poetry has to rhyme, so if we don’t get to play the AB’s the poetry of this RWC will just not rhyme so lekker. Roses are red, violets are blue, some poems rhyme, others don’t. -
19 Sep 2011, 08:40 am
@Helen(Helen)-80:
According to Brussouw the game was harder than what we thought.
19 Sep 2011, 08:40 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-76:
hahahahahaha… you are our joke of the day!
Keep on posting, it is so funny … in an ambarrassing way
19 Sep 2011, 08:41 am
@Helen(Helen)-82: France has threatened to send in a B-team to face the AB’s, effectively throwing that game.
19 Sep 2011, 08:41 am
“Body on Tap”…
thats the beauty of the interweb isn’t it…once it’s out there, it’s out there…. hehe
19 Sep 2011, 08:42 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-76: hey shampers… leave that spade alone and get out of the hole…
19 Sep 2011, 08:44 am
Timotei shampoo…keo’s own Down Syndrome child.
19 Sep 2011, 08:45 am
Yeah big fcking clever pricks here ain’t they just… including this halfwit of a half woman who thinks she / he wears the pants
Most you morons were sh’ting bricks before the Fiji game.. tails all geknyp between your legs.. I spelled out the warnings of playing wrong personnel for Fiji which thankfully didn’t quite pan out.. though first 10 minutes Fiji were asking questions and thereafter Boks got the upper hand and went from strength to strength
Now suddenly you beat a flailing Fiji and all of a sardine ALL you f’ng clever pricks are cockahoop know it alls – shows what kind of dumb fck bravado brekers we have here who think by beating a disjointed politically racked decimated side like Fiji we suddenly TOP of the rugby world just like Magic…
19 Sep 2011, 08:45 am
@Helen(Helen)-65: You have to wonder tho if that Semi won’t be the winning team’s final. I worry that neither team will get out of that game unscathed and may struggle to field a full-strength team a week later. If we win the semi, what are the chances that our already bruised players will still be standing? If Victor and Bakkies are among the casualties of that game…Could we beat England without a lineout?
Actually, I think we could beat England if we matched them in the scrums. My only worry then should be Jannie. If the semi is as tough as expected and he has to play a full game…
19 Sep 2011, 08:46 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-85:
Hmmmm…… I can see why they’d want to throw the NZ game, but to win 7 in a row, you need to build up a head of steam, so I really hope they don’t. It will disrupt their campaign.
If everything happens according to form we will probably have a North vs South final, which is great for world rugby.
I still think any of these team can reachy the final (in order of probablity)
1) NZ
2) SA
3) Fra
4) Aus
5) Irel
6) Arg
7) Eng
8 ) Wales
19 Sep 2011, 08:46 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-74:
Shows you how little you know. Past couple of years we have had very poor results against Ireland. But it is is OK, don’t spoil your SH superiority delusions based on facts.
19 Sep 2011, 08:47 am
“Body on Tap”… i gotto remember that!
19 Sep 2011, 08:48 am
@Ace11(Ace11)-90:
Ace, the saving grace is that the team we face in the final would have had an equally brutal game the week before, so the playing field is mostly leveled.
Get your point though. It will be difficult picking yourself up a week after beating the world’s best team (NZ)
19 Sep 2011, 08:48 am
@klingon_x(klingon_x)-92:
Who’s we?
19 Sep 2011, 08:49 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-78: At this stage Argentina, I think
19 Sep 2011, 08:50 am
@myth geskop(myth geskop)-63: @Helen(Helen)-75: @conan wishes he was a springbok #4 locks girlfriend…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-86: @Staal(Staal)-87: @conan wishes he was a springbok #4 locks girlfriend…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-86: @Taahirah(Taahirah)-79:
Keep it coming Fckwits
Almighty f’ckng clever pricks up each others fanny all for one and one for all… keep it coming you f’ng Morons.. you who THINK you so fcking clever.. keep it coming because the long last laugh is coming for you..
19 Sep 2011, 08:50 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-85:
wow, it would be amazing if the ab’s send in a b-team as well and try to out throw the frogs…’who wants it less’ would make for an entertaining spectacle.
19 Sep 2011, 08:51 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-89:
Are you planning to apologise to all these bloggers you called an idiot for predicting a SA win? I think not.
Will you admit that you were wrong and that on the strength of it, you know less about rugby than most bloggers here? I think not.
Will you tone down your insults against those who disagree with you now that it has been proven that you are wrong more often than not? I think not.
Will you consider yourself to be an idiot for getting it soooo very wrong? I think you should.
19 Sep 2011, 08:51 am
@conan wishes he was a springbok #4 locks girlfriend…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-98:
hahahahaha… a race to the bottom.
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