Boks to fight fire with an inferno
27 Sep 2011
The Springboks intend to outbully the confrontational Samoans in Friday’s Test at North Harbour Stadium.
After a disappointing campaign in the Pacific Nations Cup, Samoa stunned the rugby world when they beat the Wallabies 32-23 in Sydney. Many believed the historic win signalled the beginning of something special, and the massive Samoan contingent in the greater Auckland area moved to buy tickets to the Samoa vs South Africa World Cup pool clash on 30 September.
The North Harbour Stadium will be at full capacity this coming Friday. There is a big South Africa-fan base in that part of New Zealand, but it won’t compare to the number of spectators clad in the blue of Samoa.
Both sets of fans will be expecting a physical romp, and there’s good reason to believe that this Samoa side will be tougher to top than sides of previous years. While they’re as physical as their predecessors, they play with more structure and purpose.
The Boks have taken note of Samoa’s performances at the 2011 tournament. They weren’t quite good enough to beat Wales, although they were competitive for large parts of that match. They steamrolled Namibia and hammered Fiji. They’re unlikely to dominate the Boks upfront, but there’s no doubt that they will try to win the battle at the collisions.
It will be a bruising contest, and there may be casualties if neither side is willing to move away from an attritional approach. Samoa have already spoken about moving the ball around, but the Boks intend to take the islanders on at the coalface no matter the cost.
It’s a strategy that should bring them the desired rewards, but they will be hoping that it doesn’t lead to further injuries to key players a week out from a quarter-final against Australia.
Bok centre Jaque Fourie said that playing two intensely physical matches back-to-back shouldn’t be a problem for this South Africa team. Following last week’s win against Namibia, the Boks enjoyed a couple of days rest, and Fourie believes this has made all the difference. The Boks have used this time to recharge and prepare themselves for an all out war at the point of contact.
‘It’s going to be physical, I’m sure we’re going to be feeling the bruises afterwards,’ said Fourie. That’s why it was important that we had the break. Your body needs to be fresh, but your mind needs to be fresh as well.’
Several players have stood out for Samoa in this tournament. Scrumhalf Kahn Foutali’i, who also plays for the Crusaders in the Super 15, has been one of the more direct No 9s while the 120kg winger Alesana Tuilagi will be an attacking threat if he’s brought into the line. Centre Seilala Mapusua is another who will look to impose himself in the tackle.
Fourie played down the threat of these individuals. While he acknowledged their talents, he believes the collective is more dangerous than before because Samoa are now using their natural talent and inclination for contact to pursue a common goal.
‘They’re a very physical team, and as is the case with the Fijians, if you allow it to get loose, they will punish you. If your kicking game and first-phase is not up to standard, they will punish you.
‘All round they’ve got a good team, so we’re not going to focus on one or two players. They stay in their structures, so we have to look at how we are going to beat the team rather than the individuals. They’re dangerous in broken play, but they seem to be even more dangerous now that they’re structured.
‘I think they’ve modelled their game on how the All Blacks play.’
The Boks have the pack to boss the islanders proving they don’t go into the game with a complacent attitude. They will also need to take the fight to the islanders in midfield, and this is where men like Frans Steyn, Fourie and even Jean de Villiers will need to prove their worth.
‘They’re very direct and physical, there’s no funny business,’ said Fourie. ‘You know what to expect, they just come straight and hard, and there defence is good as well.
‘We need to be clinical in what we want to do; we need to be as direct and physical as we can be.’
In the build up to the Fiji and Namibia matches, the Boks promised to play direct, pragmatic rugby. What transpired against Fiji was a looser albeit profitable approach against a weak defence. The Boks were also too adventurous during the early stages against Namibia, and the loss of structure led to frustration and unnecessary errors.
As Fourie suggests, the clash against Samoa will require a lift in accuracy and intensity. The Boks should beat Samoa, but their success will be determined by their ability to maintain a high standard over the course of 80 minutes. A consistently physical effort will ensure they beat the Samoans by a comfortable margin and take some much needed momentum into the play-offs.
By Jon Cardinelli, in Taupo
537 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 [10] 11 » Show All
27 Sep 2011, 15:31 pm
It is the bestest of the bestest.
27 Sep 2011, 15:41 pm
@Helen(Helen)-439: Why anybody bothers to engage with that **** completely escapes me.
27 Sep 2011, 15:43 pm
t u r d
27 Sep 2011, 15:45 pm
Hey did you see if you type a poofie word it censors it in the main chat area, but it displays in the ‘recent ‘chats’ column?
27 Sep 2011, 15:45 pm
******* A, shitheads!
27 Sep 2011, 15:45 pm
How very juvenile…
27 Sep 2011, 15:47 pm
@Atreides(Atreides)-454:
Moer hulle
27 Sep 2011, 15:51 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-448:
no, i think he meant she cooks better than you…
27 Sep 2011, 15:53 pm
there’s a nudge and a wink in there somewhere…
27 Sep 2011, 16:04 pm
@Atreides(Atreides)-454:
If you consistently post interesting, informative and intelligent comments then you get an e-mail from the Keo website telling you that you have been granted exemption from the censorship machine and then you can say whatever the fuck you like.
27 Sep 2011, 16:17 pm
@Kitchener(Kitchener)-460: Crikey……there’s me out of contention then! haha… (****) just checking…
27 Sep 2011, 16:31 pm
@Kitchener(Kitchener)-460: Let’s see how many other repulsive words you can type. How about Johnson?
27 Sep 2011, 16:34 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-462: Or Isandlwana….
27 Sep 2011, 16:36 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-462:
Blue Bulls.
27 Sep 2011, 16:41 pm
@Atreides(Atreides)-463: @David(David)-464: I can’t believe keo’s otherwise strict censorship machine is letting all these naughty words through.
If we’re not careful it will soon be deemed okay to say **** Muir.
27 Sep 2011, 16:42 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-462:
Kitchener
27 Sep 2011, 16:42 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-462:
ET
27 Sep 2011, 16:43 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-462:
Poppa
27 Sep 2011, 16:43 pm
@David(David)-464:
shut up.
27 Sep 2011, 16:45 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-465:
Tecumtwat
27 Sep 2011, 16:47 pm
@Kitchener(Kitchener)-460:
How did you slip through old bean salad?
27 Sep 2011, 16:48 pm
where is tecumseh?
Haven’t seen him here for a while now.
grooming his poodle for intercourse, I’m assuming
27 Sep 2011, 16:49 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-470: You have a filthy mouth.
27 Sep 2011, 16:52 pm
@Helen(Helen)-472: He got banned. Again.
he’ll be back I’m sure at some stage.
27 Sep 2011, 16:56 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-473:
I know.
And I don’t even have to vloek!
27 Sep 2011, 16:56 pm
@Helen(Helen)-472: He’s gone baby gone.
27 Sep 2011, 16:57 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-474:
The great marvellous and wonderful IG would’ve gotten rid of him permanently
27 Sep 2011, 16:59 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-477:
Hopefully natural selection will come to the party.
27 Sep 2011, 17:00 pm
Another day, another dollar
I see poops made another few racist remarks, a real holborsel that guy
27 Sep 2011, 17:10 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-469:
I didn’t realise you were such a sensitive fellow.
27 Sep 2011, 17:17 pm
@David(David)-480: who, gunther?
the “quirps” on this blog mask a michael jackson like persona
27 Sep 2011, 17:42 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-481:
Indeed.
I moonwalk after my second bottle of grey goose.
@David(David)-480:
That wasn’t sensitive.
That was me telling you to stop talking out yer bumhole.
:insensitive smiley face:
27 Sep 2011, 17:45 pm
27 Sep 2011, 18:22 pm
PdV had a tossed salad for lunch yesterday.
27 Sep 2011, 18:38 pm
“Tossed” is a naughty word.
27 Sep 2011, 18:46 pm
Zere vill be no tossing of any kind on zis vebsite.
27 Sep 2011, 19:12 pm
Any Maori tossing in my absence (like tossing cabers)….
Or Transkeian tossing (like tossing dwarves)….
27 Sep 2011, 19:13 pm
Any Rossoneri tossing (like tossing wet fish)
Or Prawn tossing (like tossing Dawn)…
27 Sep 2011, 19:14 pm
Anyone done the Macarena, also known as the Kapa o Pango…
Has the fat lady…er …. Maori sung yet…?
27 Sep 2011, 19:16 pm
Has a Samoan been moered…
If not yet… then wait till Friday… 22 will get moered then…
27 Sep 2011, 19:18 pm
Has an All Black been moered yet…?
If not then wait till the semis… a whole nation will be moered by 22 Boks…
27 Sep 2011, 19:51 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-491:
Goodness, a whole nation will be given a jolly good biffing by just 22 Steroid-Boks? You Boers must be the toughest people on the whole planet! I bet every single nation out there wishes they were as well hard as you Yarpies.
27 Sep 2011, 19:53 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-487: Rhodesians were tossed all the way to Natal eons ago
27 Sep 2011, 19:54 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-107: “Only your dance, little man. Only your silly little angry, choreographed Thriller video that you feel compelled to show the world over and over, like a child who has learnt Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on the piano. And like good adults, we must just grin and praise it every single time.”
Spot-On!!! That is classic… you’ve articulated – extremely well – what the rest of us think but just didn’t know just quite how to explain.
27 Sep 2011, 20:02 pm
kitchy crotchety old bean stew
27 Sep 2011, 20:04 pm
must say that ‘womans’ obsession with her vaginal juices is seriously off putting.. wish the old hag would just bottle it and give her arse a hoary chance.
27 Sep 2011, 20:05 pm
Powdered his nose and out snot flew
27 Sep 2011, 20:10 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-496:
I agree. All that talk of covering herself in menst . . . no, I feel uncomfortable even repeating it. Safe to say it’s a rather disturbing fixation that “she” has. Bizarre in fact.
27 Sep 2011, 20:14 pm
@Kitchener(Kitchener)-498: quite agree old bean stew .. can’t quite stomach the thought of all that obsessional menstruation demonstrating for an encore
27 Sep 2011, 20:15 pm
@Kitchener(Kitchener)-492: You learning son… slowly but surely.
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 [10] 11 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.