Boks must now climb Everest
19 Sep 2011
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day column, says a Bok win in a possible quarter-final against the Wallabies would come as a surprise.
Ireland turned the predictability of the World Cup play-offs upside down, but for all the new found hope among South African supporters I can’t see the Boks doing the same thing.
A week ago the Boks were rubbish, according to those on the social network. Once again they are a superpower.
There is no middle ground when it comes to South African rugby supporters – and may it never change. That kind of passion can’t be learned, but with blind faith comes inevitable disappointment when the obvious comes as a real shock. Remember how many were actually stunned when the All Blacks beat a second-string Bok XV 40-7 earlier this year? Too many.
On matters specific to the win against Fiji and the surge in confidence, Frans Steyn reveled in the midfield and the Springboks, apparently by their own admission, did a similar thing in playing the situation and not relying on a pre-match PowerPoint presentation of how to beat Fiji.
Bok lock Danie Rossouw admitted afterwards that it was never the plan for the Boks to be as bold and extravagant and added it showed the Boks could be more than boring.
There is a difference between clueless and boring. The Boks for too long have been clueless and, against better teams, who play with more structure in defence and more precision and aggression at the breakdown, it has been their undoing.
In Wellington, against inferior opposition, the Boks showed the immense individual talent of South African players. Francois Steyn was world class, Rossouw was ferocious and skilled and Heinrich Brussouw, Jaque Fourie, Bismarck du Plessis and Francois Hougaard were as good as they were in week one against Wales.
And never forget Schalk Burger. He is always worth two players. It was fun to watch, fun for the players to be a part of and a shift from the toil and hardship of the Tri Nations. It was a necessary and decisive hit out for the Boks against a team with the odd quality individual, but little collectively.
It is difficult to get too enthused about whipping Fiji and those doing cartwheels because the Boks scored six tries and scored 49 points against a team that conceded 25 to Namibia not only insult the pedigree of the Boks, but also miss the point. Nothing out of the ordinary happened in Wellington.
Fortunately captain John Smit wasn’t one of them and he said the most pleasing aspect was the Boks kept the Fijians tryless, albeit with a bit of help from the Islanders who self-destructed on attack and were never in the match defensively.
Fiji were good in the 2007 World Cup, but only three of the side that beat Wales to advance to the quarter-finals fronted the Boks in Wellington. Get excited that the Boks were willing to back their natural talent and instincts, but don’t get excited that Fiji represent anything in the context of winning this World Cup.
Ireland’s amazing victory against Australia in Auckland was more significant for the Boks than brushing aside Fiji. Every South African loves seeing Australia lose, but it was not the result the Boks would have expected or wanted.
Sure players have to back themselves to beat anyone to win this tournament but every Bok would rather entertain the prospect of Ireland in a quarter-final than an Australian side already taught a lesson in this tournament.
Jake White’s winning 2007 World Cup squad did not get to play Australia, New Zealand or France, but there hasn’t been similar good fortune for Peter de Villiers and there is no tougher assignment than having to beat Australia, probably New Zealand and possibly France in successive weekends in New Zealand. If the Boks negotiate those three mountains they will have scaled rugby’s Everest and it will rank as the greatest ever Bok achievement.
I can’t see it happening and it would be a surprise for the Boks to beat the Tri-Nations champions in the play-offs, if indeed this match-up takes place. As it stands it should with South Africa and Ireland the favourites to win their respective groups.
The Boks, like their supporters, will always have confidence and never be found wanting for self belief, but the reality is Australia has beaten South Africa four of the last five matches, including two in South Africa.
They are also on a three-match winning streak against the Boks and the match will be in Wellington and not at Eden Park – a ground that seems to scramble with the Australian minds as much as Ellis Park does those of the All Blacks.
Ireland’s win, brilliant to watch, exposed the lack of depth in the Australian pack and for the Wallabies to succeed flanker David Pocock and hooker Steven Moore have to be starting.
It makes for a fascinating next three weeks. The Boks will humiliate Namibia and get more than a few bruises against Samoa.
Australia is a different beast and they’re a side that has troubled South Africa even more than the All Blacks.
No matter what anyone may say and despite all the bravado among South Africa’s support base these are more nervous times for South Africa, as defending champion, than Australia as a potential champion.
330 Comments
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 » Show All
19 Sep 2011, 10:05 am
We want to beat ABs: France
TOBY ROBSON
Last updated 13:54 19/09/2011
French coach Marc Lievremont has dismissed a suggestion his side would not care if they lost their match against the All Blacks because it would give them an easier path through to the World Cup final.
It remains to be seen whether France will name their strongest side for next Saturday’s much-awaited Pool D crunch match against the host nation at Eden Park, but Lievremont made it clear whichever team was selected would do all it could to win.
“What are you saying? Are you saying we should lose against the All Blacks on purpose?” he said, after a French journalist asked if Australia’s 15-6 Pool C loss to Ireland had changed his thinking on the team to face the hosts.
A day after walking out on a press conference, Lievremont continued an apparent disdain for his own media mocking the notion that his side would not try to beat New Zealand.
“If we lose it might be easier, but then again the All Blacks might have exactly the same assessment as us, so they might want to lose against us,” he said.
“With matches ahead against the All Blacks and Tonga I don’t think we are going to start these games thinking we are going to lose, that certainly is not an option.”
He said there was no way of knowing how other results would go and thus impossible to design a favourable path through the knockout stages after just two pool games regardless of results so far.
“We have had a surprise with Ireland, but there might be other surprises as well. Anyway it would not be in the spirit of rugby thinking we might lose it [on purpose].”
Lievremont made the comments after France’s 46-19 win over Canada at McLean Park where he was clearly more pleased with the four-try effort than the scratchy first-up win over Japan a week earlier.
“I’m happy. I’m not going to be unhappy after every match,” he said.
“Today we have ten [competition] points and we can now start the week ahead serenely and prepare for the match ahead of us.
“Of course last week I was annoyed and I said so, but now we need to be confident and prepare for next week.”
Though his side lacked accuracy and purpose early on against Canada, Lievremont was pleased with the way they had stuck to the task and finished strongly in difficult, wet conditions.
There was a hat-trick of tries to right wing Vincent Clerc and a brilliant 50-metre effort from fullback Damien Traille, but France looked unconvincing for much of the test. They were up just 25-19 with 15 minutes to play in a scoreline that could have been closer but for three missed penalties by fullback James Pritchard.
But wing Aurelien Rougerie, sipping a Heinken at the post-match conference, said the players had taken plenty of confidence from the match and had remained calm thorughout.
The French line-up against Canada contained 11 changes to the one that started against Japan, but several players put their hands up with strong performances.
No 8 Louis Picamoles was a force with ball in hand, halfback Morgan Parra showed his worth as a kicker in landing nine shots at goal for a personal haul of 23 points, and Traille had some strong moments at fullback.
One thing that seemed clear was the scrum improved when Fabien Barcella came on to the field early in the second half.
For all that it remains unclear whether Lievremont will continue to tinker, or as the All Blacks are expected to do, name his strongest line-up.
Meanwhile, Canadian coach Kieran Crowley has repeated his call for more regular top-level test matches for tier-two countries.
He felt the difference against France was his players’ inability to maintain their intensity for the entirety of a match few would argue was a highly competitive affair.
- Stuff
19 Sep 2011, 10:05 am
Chances are we had to climb Everest anyway… We could’ve met Aus in the final… now we’ll meet them earlier than that…
i agree with mshiniwami… Far better to win the wc cup beating the BIG NAME teams along the way…!
Go Bokke!
19 Sep 2011, 10:05 am
8848m is not to high for us boks….
19 Sep 2011, 10:10 am
Not like the easy downhill run the Boks fluked in 2007…
19 Sep 2011, 10:10 am
@ufo(ufo)-2: if at all possible i don’t mind winning WC11 against Georgia… a win is a win!
19 Sep 2011, 10:12 am
@Staal(Staal)-5:
Neither would I bud… neither would I…
19 Sep 2011, 10:13 am
The Boks can beat the Ozzies by putting Frans Steyn at 12, he got our entire backline running again. JDV is the problem in the Bok backline. Maybe PDV could move JDV to the wing the JPP to full back!!! But we need Frans Steyn at 12 , the Boks looked very comfortable and even Morne Steyn made a few line breaks.
Come on Boks we can beat these Ozzies!!
19 Sep 2011, 10:14 am
Of course, if the Boks deliberately chucked the game against Samoa, they’d be back on the gentle side of the draw again….. Will the Hansie Cronje mentality come through again?
19 Sep 2011, 10:16 am
the wobblies will feel the fatigue factor in the coming weeks.
and they are not quite as flash as keo would have everyone believe.
smashed by the kiwis 2 months ago and beaten by the irish 2 days ago.
oh…..and the irish were on ,like, a how many game and year losing steak againstr the wobblies?
nope, boks are being underestimated. that;’s cool with me.
19 Sep 2011, 10:16 am
Let’s be honest, chaps, there’s no real change here . . . a Steroid-Bok win over the Boggies in the quarters would have been just as much of a surprise as a Steroid-Bok win over the Shackledraggers.
I’ll definitely be supporting Australia to beat South Africa and New Zealand because I want them in the final . . . the Wallabies may be the Champions of the Southern Hemisphere but they have become England’s bunnies in the last few years.
One more thing . . . the hugely overrated plodder Skulk Burger might be “worth two players” . . . but only if those two players happen to be Laurel and Hardy!
19 Sep 2011, 10:17 am
Tac – The Big Somaons may just beat us anyway, they are playing very well!
However the Boks are peaking RIGHT NOW. When the Boks can replace Matfield wiht Rousouw and he wins man of the match, one knows all is well in the Bok camp. I just hope PDV keeps F Steyn at 12 and moves JDV to the wing!!
19 Sep 2011, 10:20 am
Kitchener – The Ozzie confidence has been smashed, i dont think they will be a threat now!! However i still would never right them off!!
This Ozzie team is a very unlikable team unlike the great Ozzie team of the Noughties, that was a gentleman team and very well liked!!
19 Sep 2011, 10:21 am
“But wing Aurelien Rougerie, sipping a Heinken at the post-match conference, said the players had taken plenty of confidence from the match and had remained calm thorughout.”
and this is why we love the french.
19 Sep 2011, 10:22 am
One other things that the Boks will have learnt from Saturday is that Frans Steyn has to play inside centre and Hougaard is better that Habana and should start.
19 Sep 2011, 10:23 am
@race of tan(race of tan)-12:
Most likeable Aussie team is IMO the one that won the WC under Nick Farr-Jones… a real gentleman, great leader and thoroughly good guy…!!
19 Sep 2011, 10:24 am
Everest part of the training programme now?
19 Sep 2011, 10:26 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-16:
Kamp BergTrap…!
19 Sep 2011, 10:26 am
Train – THank God you agree. WIth F Steyn at 12 the Boks are 100 times better than with bash ball JDV. JDV on the wing is better with JPP at fuilback. Hougie is incredible, the man has mean BMT and oodles of skill1!!
19 Sep 2011, 10:27 am
partykeer is dit regtig moeilik om selfbeheersing hier toe te pas.!
19 Sep 2011, 10:32 am
@race of tan(race of tan)-18: hougie will be used to inject fire in the last 30 mins, as will biz probably.
the beast proved he can have a massive impact too.
i would prefer lambie at fullback and frans at 12 but then jdv drops out of the squad, jdj on the bench (covers 12 and 13) and gio too.
but will divvy ever leave jdv out of his 22? i think not sadly.
19 Sep 2011, 10:37 am
All the media here and abroad since Ireland’s win has been about how it complicates Aus’ road to the final with them having to beat the Boks amper so asof dit ‘n uitgemaakte saak is.
As I see it, if the French were to play their best team this weekend they could take the All Blacks. But they won’t since a loss to NZ will give them an easier road to a potential final.
The Boks are in pole position as far as preparation is concerned. We’ll deal with whatever draw we’re given.
Aus WC is done while NZ is still tinkering. If they put SBW on the wing in a knockout match vs SA there’ll be flower bombs coming down on his head the whole night.
19 Sep 2011, 10:38 am
When gods become men
Luke Alfred | 18 September, 2011 01:06
It’s a curiously poignant process, watching a team become a shadow of their former selves. As a fan, you become strangely jammed, hoping, on the one hand, that they succeed, despite evidence to the contrary; on the other, knowing that the march of time is irreversibly clarifying. Time marks you, and despite yesterday’s handsome 49-3 win against a weak Fiji, it has marked the Springboks in New Zealand unmistakably.
Normally teams are able to arrest decline by succession planning and a degree of coaching courage. But unlike, say, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans, who dropped Matt Giteau before the competition, the Bok coaching staff have failed the bravery test.
Coach Peter de Villiers has become increasingly convoluted in justifying his support for his captain, John Smit, who threatens to pervert his legacy by sheer bloody-mindedness. Bismarck du Plessis is a hungrier, more confrontational player, a human wrecking ball; Smit is a drowning man clinging to the increasingly tattered shreds of his reputation.
The justification for Smit’s continued inclusion is that he melds and moulds, unifies and leads. But elite sportsmen are notoriously sensitive to sporting imperfection, and Smit’s outstanding leadership abilities are being compromised by his on-field failings. His authority ultimately derives from his ability as a player. When that ability is compromised, so is his natural authority.
At a certain level, then, what we are witnessing from afar with the Boks in New Zealand is a human drama. It is the universal drama of man’s pitched battle with time. It might be more. What we might see develop over the coming weeks is a fully fledged tragedy. It is the tragedy of heroes allowing their hubris – roughly defined as an excess of arrogance and pride – to compromise their good sense, and it is playing out on sport’s greatest stage – a World Cup.
We all allow hubris to compromise good sense. And we all allow hubris to compromise sense, because we are human beings and are prey to the failings of vanity, what the American novelist Philip Roth has called the human stain.
But our dramas are small, suburban, domestic, private, played out in the head, the kitchen, the bedroom, the car. The national rugby side play out their drama on an infinitely larger stage. It is a stage we all see when we turn on our televisions, a stage that encourages us to all have opinions and a stage that is managed to a surely unpalatable degree by SuperSport, who, more than any other institution in this country, have shaped the cosy, self-regarding realm of what passes for rugby debate in this country.
If all of this reads like the perverse scratchings of a frustrated, desk-bound hack, take a look at the videos of Fourie du Preez from the 2007 World Cup in France. Here is a player in his natural element in the way a fish belongs in water. He is not only quick-witted, but fleet of foot and smart of hand. In the quarter-final against England, he went round the opposition, he conducted the game. He was confident enough in his body to commit to 50-50 balls. Even with the virtue of hindsight, it’s apparent that Du Preez was playing the game in a dimension no one else was playing in that day in Paris. He was a rugby god, a rarecase of a sportsman completely at one with his talent.
The Du Preez of the recent Super 15 season was a player petulant and frustrated by turns, someone who spent more time than he should bickering with the referee. His performance against Wales last Sunday was that of a man who has found his lust for the game progressively beaten out of him.
With him, we are not simply watching a player at odds with his form, where he and that form will be reconciled like estranged partners in a troubled marriage. Du Preez has been playing this kind of rugby for months. To pervert for a moment the title of Milan Kundera’s wonderful book, what we’re seeing in New Zealand is the unbearable pathos of being Fourie du Preez.
Du Preez and Smit and Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha and Bryan Habana have just been doing what they’ve been doing for too long to take the punishment any more. Experience has transformed itself into a deadweight, more stubbornness and obstinacy than wisdom. Indeed, you begin to suspect a strange collusion between the senior players and the coaching staff, one which will end in disappointment and possible humiliation come the latter stages of the competition.
When there is good reason to be bold, De Villiers seems petrified of making an important decision. Perhaps he’ll do something unspeakably brave and bring Gio Aplon off the bench in the 71st minute against Samoa.
Haven’t the younger, less battered players been wonderful this World Cup? The Heinrich Brussows, the Francois Hougaards, the Frans Steyns? This is also part of the current Bok problem: that there seem to be different degrees of hunger in the side.
While the younger men are playing rugby with a brio and sense of freedom and personal expression that can be felt thousands of miles away, the older generation are merely going through their lines, pros who have gone through the mind-numbing boredom of doing Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap on the Charing Cross Road one time too many.
There is a possible corrective to all of this. There are tales of teams discovering themselves during a World Cup, of realising, as the French did in the 2006 soccer World Cup, that they had experienced a rare degree of luck in getting to the knockout stages, so it was time to galvanise themselves. Before meeting Italy in the 2006 final in Germany, remember, France beat Spain and Brazil, two of the pre-competition favourites.
This might happen with the Boks. We hope it will. We hope matters move along speedily to late-night meetings behind closed doors, with some brave and far-sighted player or member of the coaching team ready to remedy what everyone privately acknowledges. Unfortunately, all the indications are that the Springbok defence of their crown is living on borrowed time, a campaign managed by a confederacy of dunces.
19 Sep 2011, 10:41 am
JdV must be dropped from the squad. Play F. Steyn at 12 with Petersen/Hougaart the wings and Lambie at fullback. How can anyone think to put JdV at wing? He is too slow!!
19 Sep 2011, 10:41 am
@rangerman(rangerman)-20: I’m with you on that. I can’t believe I am saying it, but after what i saw on Saturday I’d keep Steyn at 12. He did a great job,
19 Sep 2011, 10:43 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-4: Or NZ in ’87. The easiest of the lot.
19 Sep 2011, 10:46 am
And wouldn’t Deans have loved a couple of ‘old heads’ (Gits and Sharpe) against Ireland to keep the young guns calm and believing they could still win…?
Rather than Div failing the bravery test… Deans failed the stoopidity test…
Just ask Nick Mallet and Graham Henry… You don’t drop your stalwarts just before a world cup…
rather win and fail a ‘bravery test’… than pass the ‘bravery test’ and lose…
#justsaying…
19 Sep 2011, 10:47 am
@rangerman(rangerman)-20: Lambie at fullback, Steyn at 12 and Hougie on the wing. Jean on the bench with Butch to cover any backline substitutions. Neither Jean or Butch are impact players but they add value in experience (can close a game out) and versatile can cover all positions quite competently.
19 Sep 2011, 10:51 am
@gecko(gecko)-25: Australia, France, England…. they’re all there. And SA had exiled herself and weren’t.
19 Sep 2011, 10:51 am
I would gladly contribute to repatriate Keo’s journos to Oz. Do they think that the Boks would not click into gear at some point?
19 Sep 2011, 10:52 am
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-22:
The author has it wrong, these gods will become immortalised icons of RWC.
JS is starting to hit the rucks hard and carrying the ball up more. You can see the confidence in his game growing.
Du Preez delivered speed ball at rucks while his decision making was brilliant, he made some knocks at the ruck but his accuracy is on the up.
Deans has got it wrong, he after 4 years in charge, is resembling his team – good but made to believe they’re better than what they’re actually are.
@ufo(ufo)-26:
Aus had their bravery test on the weekend, and failed.
19 Sep 2011, 10:52 am
@Kitchener(Kitchener)-10: You’re a funny old man in your old age, Kitch. But surely even your blissful dementia cannot mask the undeniable truth that England won’t get anywhere near that final. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that they lucked into a win over the Argies and then spluttered to a victory over mighty Georgia. The best TV bits from those matches were undoubtedly the scenes from the coaching box, where Johnson & Co’s bipolar swings between “fck me, that was almost a disaster” and “fck me, I’m glad that’s over” made for excellent viewing.
19 Sep 2011, 10:53 am
Why the hell is it all good that Ireland beat Australia but none of you can back us to do the same? One thing I will admit, is that the selections for that game will be more important than ever. If we proceed to use driftwood players like Bryan Hasbeena, or Jean de Whatsagap, then we will struggle. A lot.
BUT, if Frans Steyn stays at 12, Lambie stays at 15, Hougaard plays at 11, then Bismark and Alberts get introduced early, we will definitely beat Australia. If we manage to win the set-piece battle, as Ireland did, then why would there be any reason that we can’t down the Australians?
19 Sep 2011, 10:56 am
@Staal(Staal)-19:
Hy irriteer die kak uit my uit.
19 Sep 2011, 10:57 am
rangerman – Your right about Hougie he is such a great impact player!! However for the Ozzie match i would still go for JDV on the wing, too much experience there!!:-
10 M Steyn
11 JDV
12 F Steyn
13 J Fourie
14 Habana
15 JPP
With Hougie, Lambie on the bench!! MMM no room for Butch!!! Or Ruan!!!
19 Sep 2011, 10:57 am
@Jer1cho(Jer1cho)-32: Ofcourse the Boks could beat the Aussies no doubt! Hell, no one thought Ireland could do it, but they have. This is World Cup, anything can happen.
19 Sep 2011, 10:58 am
Ok, so Fra, SA, NZ all have reason to ‘throw’ a game.
Imagine both Fra and NZ try to throw a game. Watch how Richie stops on his way to a breakdown to tie his show laces and Mealamu tosses his lineout ball to the French flyhalf, who then kicks an up and under backwards with not a single kiwi following up the kick
19 Sep 2011, 10:58 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-28: You must have still been in SA in ’87. Probably why you refer to the country in the feminane.
’87 was a joke. One country took it seriously, the guys from the North were all on the piss.
Think carefully what you are saying, as NZ might only have to play one other Top 3 nation to win this trophy. Which means after you beat someone like Ireland etc in the final, you open yourself to all sort of comments.
2007, joke or not, is on record. On the shirt sleeve as such. Maybe you should concentrate on more important matter – like getting your trains running.
19 Sep 2011, 10:58 am
one day against wales rossouw is sshit and the next against a non-tackling fiji rossouw is the bizniz
nc nc nc
just wait until we play teams that aren’t constantly fractured on defence and rossouw will be back in the dogbox coughing up possession at the first sign of contact.
19 Sep 2011, 11:00 am
SA have what it takes to win 3 in a row against the best in the world.
The Ausies, on the other hand, don’t seem to have this ability and their game plan is much more dependent on an injury free passage to the final.
The kiwis will have to overcome their chokers bogey three big games in a row. Also, a tall order for a team that is suddenly looking a bit average.
19 Sep 2011, 11:00 am
Helen – There is no way in hell the All Blacks will throw a game. The media will crucify them! As Fitzie said last night on ITV1, it is all about building momentum going forward.
HOw on earth England did last RWC God only Knows!!
19 Sep 2011, 11:02 am
@race of tan(race of tan)-34:
JDV would make a great sub instead.
Won’t mess with the team as it is now. Even Vic and Bakkies will have to play their way back into contention.
19 Sep 2011, 11:03 am
@Jer1cho(Jer1cho)-32: because most Bok fans were hoping for a cake walk a.la 2007
this is the problem when in the 4 years preceding the world cup, people “accept” losing and mediocrity and use “we’ve got Bill” as a shield, without Bill we are going to be naked to criticism and that freaks most punters out.
i’m actually glad we are likely to face Aus & NZ. if we are to win this thing, let’s do it the hard way.
Go Big or Go Home.
19 Sep 2011, 11:05 am
Let’s keep some perspective. Even though I was expecting more from the opposition, it was only Fiji we beat.
Every Springbok looked good on the day .. always easy to do when you are dominating the set phases and having lots of go forward. Even players who go AWOL / do not perform to standard in the tight games when the opposition give as good as they get or even dominate in the forwards looked like they belonged there .. hell, even john smit looked like he was playing some rugby.
I just hope PdeV is smarter than I give him credit for and take this game for what it was.
What I did like to see was a very good defensive effort and a practical game plan that suited who the opposition was. On Sat morning I was giving Rassie some of the credit and wondering if his influence was starting to show.… that obviously just got blown out of the water after reading that the players seemed to have gone their own way.
Namibia will be a cake walk, and I’m glad that Wales beat Samoa because suddenly our game against Samoa has picked up in intensity which is what the Boks need before they face possibly Australia in the ¼’s (that is to say if Wales and Samoa win all there other games).
Do we have what it takes to beat Australia / Ireland (1/4’s), NZ / France (Semies), Eng / France / NZ (Final)? I have my doubts, especially when we are keeping passengers in the team at the expense of exceptional rugby players.
19 Sep 2011, 11:06 am
I’d like to hear Giteau’s comment on the Aus vs Ire game.
19 Sep 2011, 11:08 am
Helen – On my word Danie Roussouw/Bakkies and Alberts were brilliant at locks, but Danie was the MAN. He seems to be getting better and better with age, what kind!!!
Yes maybe keep that line up, that was the best Bok display i have seen since 2009!! Yes it was against a hard tackling minnow team but when we beat a weakened Italy last year we didnt look as good either and we didnt keep Italy tryless!!
THe Boks are beginnig to peak at the right time!!!
19 Sep 2011, 11:08 am
Keo’s just trying to protect his face from all the egg after saying the world cup was the Wallabies’ to lose.
Ireland shunted the Wallabies around. Ireland does not have a good scrum. The Boks on the other hand have one of the worlds best.
I stated time and time again that any team with a determined defensive system and a decent forward pack would send this Wallabie side packing. And I was right. Tries are their only way to get points. They have no kicker.
So for the Boks…
Lineouts, check.
Scrums, check
Breakdowns, check
Kicker(s) that get the points 95% of the time, check
ability to drop goal, check
experience, check
Boks will fok the Wallabies, then fok the All Blacks and then fok the English.
19 Sep 2011, 11:10 am
Helen – Gits should have been in the Ozzie squad, Robbie Deans to be fired after this RWC!!
19 Sep 2011, 11:10 am
“A week ago the Boks were rubbish, according to those on the social network. Once again they are a superpower.
There is no middle ground when it comes to South African rugby supporters – and may it never change. That kind of passion can’t be learned, but with blind faith comes inevitable disappointment when the obvious comes as a real shock. Remember how many were actually stunned when the All Blacks beat a second-string Bok XV 40-7 earlier this year? Too many.”
Rugby is in our blood which is why the average Saffa supporter is so emotional when it comes to the oval ball.
The same reason why a player can be a the saviour one week and **** the following week.
Rugby is a highly emotive topic in this country (which I have no problem with). However it does mean that sometime people can’t separate fact from feelings.
19 Sep 2011, 11:11 am
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-35:
I backed Ireland whole week to beat Aus.
@Jer1cho(Jer1cho)-32:
Aus RWC is over.
@Paws(Paws)-43:
Our passengers are starting to add their bit. JS/SPIES/HABANA/DU PREEZ will start all the big games.
I’m stating this so many times not because it’s my view but that’s what PDV has said is the plan, it’s starting to work and I find it strange that people are still calling for the supersubs to start. They won’t.
19 Sep 2011, 11:11 am
Well I for one think we are slowly improving, and might peak just at the right time. We lost to Aus in the first Tri Nations game, but we were much improved, and one could see that the players lacked game time. The next week we beat a second string New Zealand team, but we played convincing rugby, and any NZ team is hard to beat, regardless of the players selected.
We were not brilliant against Wales, but the Welsh threw everything they had at us. Much the same way Ireland threw everything at Australia. We managed to still grind out a win, against the best Welsh performance I have ever seen. Australia couldn’t manage to win a nailbiter against Ireland. Against Fiji, we did as was expected, but the POINT WAS, we DID do it! It’s not like it was a case of, yes but but but but… We played EXACTLY how we were supposed to against Fiji, and against Wales, we did EXACTLY what we had to to hole off a 70 minute onslaught.
We can only get better every week.
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.