‘All Blacks are still favourites’
29 Sep 2011
Bryan Habana has challenged the popular perception that the Springboks are the team to beat at this World Cup.
Many of the New Zealand newspapers, television shows and radio stations have hailed the arrival of the Boks following their two big wins against Fiji and Namibia. ‘Can anybody beat this side?’ seems to be a popular question and theme running through the local media.
The All Blacks made a statement last Saturday when they thumped France 37-17. It was a significant result, as it all but ensured that they won Pool A (they should collect a further five points against Canada this Sunday). It was also a significant performance, as while a number of individuals shone it was a polished collective effort that sent the strongest message to New Zealand’s would-be challengers.
Habana confirmed that the Boks have taken note, and moved to play down the hype born on the back of South Africa’s big wins over Fiji and Namibia.
According to Habana, only one team has arrived at this tournament. For a team like the Boks, the recent performances need to be viewed in context. They are still a long way away from where they need to be.
‘The All Blacks have really laid down a marker, and they are the only team to have qualified for the play-offs,’ said Habana. ‘They are still the favourites.’
Habana said there’s still room for improvement before the do or die game against the Wallabies in the quarter-final. The Boks also won’t take anything for granted against Samoa, as a loose performance against the islanders could potentially cost them a place in the final eight.
‘When we went away from our structures [against Namibia] there were individual errors. We were good when we got back into our structures later in the game.
‘I believe the best is yet to come from this side. It’s been difficult [to build much momentum] with all the injuries over the last three weeks. The [first-choice] combinations haven’t had much of an opportunity to play together. There’s a lot to improve on, and we should start to see those combos clicking in the coming game.’
The Boks put 59 points past Samoa in the previous Test between these two sides. Habana was in top form on that occasion, scoring four tries.
Unfortunately, the Boks’ most prolific try-scorer has struggled to rediscover that kind of form in the subsequent four years, and in 2011 the team as a collective has battled to fire against the top sides. While Samoa is not in the top echelon, they will ask more questions than Fiji and Namibia.
‘They’ve improved a lot since 2007,’ said Habana. ‘They’ve always been physical but they are playing with a lot more structure in 2011.
‘We have to give our all. You can’t go into this game worrying about injuries [ahead of a probable quarter-final], rugby is a collision sport not a contact sport. If you’re worried about injuries you shouldn’t be playing rugby.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Auckland
172 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] Show All
29 Sep 2011, 16:15 pm
Mshini: Dagg pace is a bit suspect over 50 meters plus, but he has enough tricks in his luggage to be seriously over the weight limit.
Please don’t get me wrong, I thought McCaw had an amazing game against France, he slowed down the ball effectively, at some points he was acting as the 9 for France and organizing their forwards at the breakdown point, just genius. The AB’s have figured that a well balanced and working in tandem loose trio permits for an advantage at the breakdown both offensively and defensively, however the key is that they must work in tandem and hunt as a pack.
29 Sep 2011, 16:18 pm
Mshini: the reason defenders can’t pick up on the Dagg goose step even though he gives them plenty of advance warning is because it’s so beautiful, they know they are about to be an intrinsic member of a highlight reel!
29 Sep 2011, 16:24 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-150: like ishilo it’s the same thing with vito.danie…vito coughed up three quick knock-ons when he came in brisbane, danie is a serial offender ke
29 Sep 2011, 16:26 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-149:
Dude i dont know myself. He is almost on 50 caps and STILL very below par.No consistency what so ever. And now he is getting older where his speed will start to depreciate. Not that that speed has set him apart from pack anyway. I really think Kankowski has been shafted for this bloke,if kanko was a NZder he would be a superstar-he reminds me of a more athletic but less hard Ron Cribb.His skills set is good he just needs refinement.Definitely think he would have been more effective than Spies had he had the same consistency in selection.But he has dropped off himself the last 8 months or so.
Alberts would do a better job, a big rig of an 8 not a classical 8 but would do the job and assist in strengthening the pack and he gets over the advantage line AT WILL.Against ANYBODY-that momentum is intergral in Test rugby.
Spies is the Reuben Thorn of SA in terms of his invisibility.
29 Sep 2011, 16:27 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-152:
hahahaha lol!!! what bs!!!! killed me with that nonsense
29 Sep 2011, 16:27 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-152: hahahaha uyageza!
29 Sep 2011, 16:29 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-152:
As much as I like Dagg step/shuffle,nobody looked better on his feet stepping that Tana Umaga at his peak as a winger….Poetry in motion….(Rua Tipoki also had one HELL of a left foot step)
Tana in 2000 Test in SA stepped Chester-it like Williams had given up ages ago.
29 Sep 2011, 16:45 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-157: who is the best young stepper in SA at the moment…i like paul jordaan’s step @ pace…frankie hougaard is also a top stepper.
29 Sep 2011, 16:51 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-158:
Those 2 have great feet
BUT
Tshotsho Mbovane has no peers sbali in SA.He not only has great feet on EITHER foot he is explosive too.Plenty of gas to burn.
Hougaard,Aplon,Jordaan,Mjekevu all very good as well.
But the kid from Gugulethu is a sight to behold in space
Young JP du Plessis also very good feet.
29 Sep 2011, 17:13 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-5: GOOD POST.
29 Sep 2011, 17:56 pm
Madoda, if kankowski was in NZ, he’d have taken over after Rodney, it’s hard to teach expression and kanko has oodles of it, NZ coaches would have ensured that kanko is versatile, therefore have both a loose and tight game, he’s not afraid of the tight exchanges (no one from St. Andrew’s fears an adult engagement), it’d be more a matter for him to read the game more accurately. The sharks coach has been a disappointment in that regard, kanko should be playing a Read type game.
Don’t forget reihana’s stepping prowess, there was a light brown midget from England who could turn it on proper. Tana on the wing was a true revelation, his work rate showed up Lomu’s deficiencies a lot, hayi ke the king, Christian Cullen, was just messy! Do you guys still remember that Fijian wing who played for the blues, rupeni caucau-something, that boy had tasty feet and a gas heater, actually more a blow torch, Henry tried to get him citizenship but he started that Fijian indiscipline nonsense.
29 Sep 2011, 19:49 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-121:
I suppose that given your irresistible urge to always comment, that makes you a toss’er then.
well theres a surprise.
29 Sep 2011, 20:01 pm
@ufo(ufo)-145:
yes yes, youre SO right
its JUST like sending your National team out to defend the
um
‘honour’
of a serial THUG who had just committed his FOURTH (official) act of intentional injury on an opposition player, injuring him out of his livelihood for 7months….
the same player who then went on to main one of his OWN players (G.Aplon) within weeks, but only because his team and the whole Nation told him to “keep doing it”, the same player who was then banned for his FIFTH offense for dry-humping an opposition player which ended in a reverse-Liverpool Kiss
and lets not forget the Boks chose to protest – on the field of play – about their victimisation for foul play the very week after Schalk Burger had EYE-GOUGED a player in the very FIRST minute of a Test match.
if I was a vindictive sh*t-stirrer, I too would say that
but Im not
so I wont.
29 Sep 2011, 20:07 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-162:
An irresistable urge to comment.
That is rich coming from a serial crybaby like yourself.
Hey pal you seem bitter.
Now there IS a suprise.
Still a **** tho’.
And a two-faced prick to boot.
29 Sep 2011, 20:15 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-164:
ooooooh, youve now morphed in to Boy George II !
he, too, isnt clever enough to write his own material and instead re-mixes the hits of yesteryear and releases them as-if they were his own.
voulez vous un c*ck-star ?
29 Sep 2011, 20:48 pm
“‘They’ve improved a lot since 2007,’ said Habana. ‘They’ve always been physical but they are playing with a lot more structure in 2011.”
Yeh the difference between us and Samoa is that we haven’t actually improved that much. In fact we’ve gotten worse!
29 Sep 2011, 21:28 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-163:
But you are.
So you do.
In a nutshell.
29 Sep 2011, 21:49 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-167:
does this mean you
dont care
anymore ?
29 Sep 2011, 22:12 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-167:
poor old Gunther
stuck in a rut
an anti-Kiwi terrorist using ammo recycled from the opposition
Keos’ own
Cli Che Guevera
30 Sep 2011, 00:15 am
The best step of recent times Stormers vs Waratahs S14 Semi-final 2010…..Juan De Jong HotStepping the life out of Kurtley Beale,what a Classic
30 Sep 2011, 01:25 am
@AssassinWP(Ashraf Ismail)-170: Now that’s the truth he chewed him like a 2cents chappies bubblegum. De Jong issue is that he does not have a 10 who can facilitate those runs, and he has a tendency to cut back but not step back into the flow, which makes him excessively predictable. Equally, if the boks focused on creating mismatches de Jong would be lethal on attack but has to have instinctive stepping versatility read the situation.
30 Sep 2011, 06:54 am
Anti kiwi terrorist?
Moi?
There are many decent kiwis about.
Its just that you aren’t one of them.
Silly boy.
Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.