Comments on: Finishing failings nearly floor Boks

By: YankinNJUSA(YankinNJUSA)

YankinNJUSA(YankinNJUSA) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 01:01:15 +0000

Boks remind me a lot of England at the last world cup. Strong defense, experienced team that doesn’t know how to lose. Only problem, if you run into a team that is the same, but also knows how to score, you’re likely to make a mistake here and there and lose.

England never would have made the final if they had to get through both Australia and NZ at the last world cup. Boks won’t this time around.

By: TheTackler(TheTackler)

TheTackler(TheTackler) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:37:46 +0000

@Bouts(Bouts)-33: You're joking. Samoa were all over the Boks for all of the second half and camped deep inside the Bok half. Even when they conceded penalties, they were too deep in Bok territory even for Frans Steyn to be within range, so the sum total of the Boks second half efforts was a big round zero on the scoreboard. And this is a minnow team -- ranked a lowly #10, below Scotland and Argentina.

By: TheTackler(TheTackler)

TheTackler(TheTackler) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:32:22 +0000

@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-17: The Samoans were pretty much AWOL up front in the first half but did they ever fire up in the second stanza or what? Kept SA scoreless and crossed for a well-worked try of their own. Plus regained parity in all the tight phases. Boks on the back foot are impotent everywhere.

By: Druk a Drie(Druk a Drie)

Druk a Drie(Druk a Drie) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:16:58 +0000

I thought the first half was the best rugby i have seen from the boks in a while .. our finishing let us down a touch as we could have had 2 – 3 more tries …there were some serious backline moves going on. maybe we didnt want to show our hand in the 2nd half

1. JDP – was decent in the first half .. i question his fitness though
2. Bissy – i would prefer to see him come on as impact
3. Beast – was immense
4. Danie – great game again .. but still drops balls in the tackle in attacking play .. annoying
5. Vic – great game, great leadership in keep the boys disciplined
6. Schalk – not human
7. Brussy – not his best game .. but still better than most
8. Spies – goes to sleep when the big guns are out ..
9. FDP – i thought he looked better today .. still a bit slow around the breakdown though
10 Morne – tactical kicking and tackling was below par
11. Habana – showed why he is still one of the best in the world today
12. Franz – good, solid .. needs to learn how to pass
13. Fourie – a bit quiet .. but thats what happens when you are tackling all day
14. JPP – huge day .. never missed a tackle
15. Lambie – star of the day ..didnt put a foot wrong .. possibly the day the boy became a man

By: madvillain(madvillain)

madvillain(madvillain) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:46:26 +0000

Australians should not have trouble finishing off the quarter finals.

Cooper has two winning medals this year, a S15 and 3N.

I think they have enough to go for the 3rd winning medal.

We’ll see.

By: julz(julz)

julz(julz) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:12:47 +0000

Where’s the “tactical smartness” in aimlessly kicking away hard won posession, John? It is an absurd tactic that I just cannot fathom. Maybe they are geniuses and I’m the fool. Maybe they will deceive the opposition with this folly only to deliver a new scintilating, dynamic and highly effective new style in the knockout stage!

By: iceman(iceman)

iceman(iceman) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:35:07 +0000

I also cannot see why we choose a full front row for the bench? We did not even utilize it so what was the purpose?

It nearly backfired on us with all the injuries to the back line players!

By: Bouts(Bouts)

Bouts(Bouts) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:13:43 +0000

Come on guys. The game went as predicted (not by Keo’s gang, since they rarely seem to be able to read the trends of world rugby).

It wasn’t a nice game to watch, but they did what was needed. Samoa never looked like they could win this game.

There will be 44 very soar players tonight (minus John who didn’t have a chance to get thumped.) Can guarentee you the Aussies are glad they didn’t have this game!

By: willievz(willievz)

willievz(willievz) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:59:15 +0000

@UKSaffa(catchlightuk.com)-29: It can still be very effective against a nervous 15 in a WC semi like Israel Dagg

By: WTF?!?(bofh)

WTF?!?(bofh) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:19:01 +0000

@UKSaffa(catchlightuk.com)-29: Can't agree more, none of the up and unders helped us today. Just giving away possession.

By: Boom15(Boom15)

Boom15(Boom15) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:37:34 +0000

Butch was missed today. Morne steyn IMO was hopeless…tactical kickinng was poor, defense shocking and the few occasion the backline did get the ball-they were so deep.

By: UKSaffa(catchlightuk.com)

UKSaffa(catchlightuk.com) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:23:35 +0000

Keo and crew – how about an article on why the up and under should be banned from our game plan? I have no problem with going for touch, but the up and under is a high risk, low reward strategy.

Why more interesting then Bismark vs Smit, Habanna losing and gaining form or Morne’s lack of defence.

By: Jake_White(Jake_White)

Jake_White(Jake_White) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:11:08 +0000

12:Tackler = You remember seeing the Samoan scrum back peddle 10 meters before giving away a penalty. You remember the boks driving through with Mauls causing the Samoans to peel off and come around the sides? You remember seeing the Boks pilfer nearly every lineout in the first half ? Clearly you remember little you one eyed Wallaby rooter. The Boks bossed that first half, the big Samoans were cut down, ball stolen, it eventually led to SAmoa having to play dirty. It was the point where they realized they would lose- about 15 minutes into the match. This Samoan pack would have steam rolled Australia – who’s pack is quite pathetic without 1 key player – Pocock.

By: Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)

Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:04:54 +0000

@wpjoulekkading(wpjoulekkading)-26: Ya, after letting the Samoans get away with murder the whole game, watch now for South Africans getting cited.

By: wpjoulekkading(wpjoulekkading)

wpjoulekkading(wpjoulekkading) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:57:47 +0000

Lets hope Brussow doesn’t get cited for his part in that little handbag spat, we’ll need him for the Aussies!

By: cambok(cambok)

cambok(cambok) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:53:52 +0000

@TheTackler(TheTackler)-13: Never a truer word spoken in jest, Tackles. The Samoans give the game of rugby a bad name with their dirty, off-the-ball cheap shots. It's time the IRB did something too about the islanders' preference for head-high tackling.

By: UKSaffa(catchlightuk.com)

UKSaffa(catchlightuk.com) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:35:34 +0000

The game changed in the 2nd half because we kept kicking the ball back to them through up and unders. What is the point of an up an under – 70% of the time, it turns over possession and even if we managed to regather, it only gains 15 meters. In a game like this where our lineout dominated, why not kick for touch instead?

By: John Galt(John Galt)

John Galt(John Galt) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:26:25 +0000

Game of two halves really.

Boks were efficient in the first half, should have been more ruthless with the absolute set piece dominance they showed but poor finishing let them down.

Second half, very poor. Reverted to the ultra conservative kicking game that played directly into the Samoans hands.

Anyone know of any serious injuries?

By: reechie maak so lank die pan warm, bakkies bring die wors...(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:26:08 +0000

@TheTackler(TheTackler)-13: freudian slip of note... thanks for the refreshing honesty...

By: Test(Test)

Test(Test) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:10:48 +0000

Anyone know why JS was sent off the field? I couldn’t work that out, was cause he kicked the ball away or for talking back to the ref after being shoved in the back?