Samoa bring Boks back to earth
30 Sep 2011
RYAN VREDE watched Samoa give the Springboks a reality check despite going down 13-5 at the North Habour Stadium.
The Springboks’ showings in the last fortnight has seen even some usually astute commentators divorce from their senses to join the unadulterated celebration of the team. Tonight was a jolt of note for the defending champions, who would have been beaten by a more refined opponent, so impotent were they on attack (zero linebreaks) and porous on defence (they missed 27 tackles, in line with their average of 26 per match).
They undoubtedly benefited from Samoa’s early tactical naivety. So much for the structured Samoa that could have beaten the Springboks had they not relied on misplaced enterprise – running from deep in their territory – as much as they did. It was a nonsensical tactic to employ, particularly since they looked more than capable of mixing it in the heavies and establishing a better attacking platform on the rare occasion they chose to.
The islanders were denied despite long passages of play in possession in the first half, then undermined their cause in the second half with a string of handling errors, laboured decision-making and poor discipline, the worst example coming from Paul Williams who was red carded at a crucial juncture for shoving Heinrich Brussow in the face.
The numbers were evened out a minute later when John Smit was binned for what was adjudged to be a deliberate knock down with 10 minutes to play. But Samoa never possessed the killer blow. Their effectiveness rode on hope of defensive lapses, when more certainty and purpose would have served them better. Indeed they played like rave music was pounding in their minds, when they should have tuned in to a station that promoted greater composure.
The Springboks will testify to the ferocity and bone-melting qualities of a Samoan tackle and the islanders were rarely asked any telling questions. The Springboks’ opening try was birthed by multiple phases setting up a centre-field ruck before the ball snapped left to Bryan Habana. Morne Steyn converted, before Frans Steyn reminded of the Springboks’ unique trump card by banking a 58m penalty.
Morne Steyn kicked another just before the break, but the 13-0 scoreline going down the tunnel spoke to attacking impotency against competent and combative defensive units which is deeply concerning. The sterile, uninspiring fare they served up on attack tonight won’t see them progress beyond the quarter-final in Wellington next week.
Samoa burst into life in the second half, dominating possession and territory. The Springboks’ much-vaunted structure capitulated and they were reduced to a bumbling mess in the face of incessant attack. George Stowers, immense on the night, crossed for a try which Tusi Pisi crucially failed to convert.
You sensed the Springboks were on the ropes, and they will speak of their character in denying their opponents, but the reality is so much different. They were tested to their limit by a side they have consistently thumped by an average of 50 points.
This Springboks side is a pretender to the one that captured the title four years ago. Their journey continues, but surely not for much longer.
By Ryan Vrede, at the North Habour Stadium.
Follow Ryan’s World Cup coverage on Twitter
1,781 Comments
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1 Oct 2011, 00:02 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-1750: correction “ukhulekha” = “ukhululekha”
1 Oct 2011, 00:04 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-1748: all my prefixes and tenses are all farked up… Nope, no more… I have forgotten and can’t thetha anymore…
1 Oct 2011, 00:07 am
@ufo(ufo)-1538:
Dude,
I’m down with that plan. I will notify all you geezers. It looks like Christmas next year.
1 Oct 2011, 00:08 am
@JockBok(JockBok)-1740:
Awecome punked out playlist. YEAH!!!!
1 Oct 2011, 00:13 am
Smash the w@nker English!
1 Oct 2011, 00:42 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-1439:
Old Bravefart sounding just like a wetfart.
The only thing he can toss is that little piepie he owns.
I call a game I am interested in and obviously I support that call to the hilt. NO ONE will dare stop that from happening. So piss in a galle wind.
Love it or lump it.
Are you even a S. African with your British citizenship and passport?
Not interested at all in any one’s pathologic nationalism or patriotism especially those who have dubious origins.
1 Oct 2011, 00:57 am
Not one of you AfriForum-types (white first and African second) challenged a single idea or notion in post #1684 because of a paucity of honesty.
1 Oct 2011, 00:58 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-1692: No, it’s only Slack Panther and 69Poppadoms who are the “trolls”, their modus operandi is obvious.
Besides, calling them trolls really riles them up, people see them for what they are – juveniles – and they get a good dose of their own medicine.
Keep singing the troll warning chant.
1 Oct 2011, 01:05 am
@ET.(ET.)-1757: that’s because no-one bothers to read your posts.
Jeez, take a hint instead of talking to yourself.
1 Oct 2011, 01:05 am
@ET.(ET.)-1757: that’s because no-one bothers to read your posts.
Jeez, take a hint instead of talking to yourself.
1 Oct 2011, 01:05 am
@ET.(ET.)-1757: that’s because no-one bothers to read your posts.
Jeez, take a hint instead of talking to yourself.
1 Oct 2011, 01:07 am
whoa there’s an echo in here.
1 Oct 2011, 01:11 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-1761:
Strangely and stupidly you do and thereby give the obvious lie to you lame claim.
Worse still you respond with three posts. Explain that?
1 Oct 2011, 02:04 am
Sorry to hear that Gunther. Commiserations, I still miss mine.
1 Oct 2011, 02:06 am
HA !
hey Nanny Goat
you really think after the abuse I’ve received about my own family here that calling me a ‘troll’ is what “really annoys me” ?
Darryl Cullinan falls to the sweep shot yet again.
*chortle*
1 Oct 2011, 02:16 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-1752: I’m not certain if you are funny haha or funny peculiar, either way there’s something rather odd about you.
1 Oct 2011, 02:21 am
Gunther: I hope all is well.
1 Oct 2011, 02:45 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-1759: Priceless!!
1 Oct 2011, 03:58 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-1765:
Anti Saffa, racist, hating Troll!!
1 Oct 2011, 04:01 am
Lovely to see the Samoans supporting their team on Friday, sad to see some hating keewees supporting them with alot of venom, spite and anti SA feeling
Seems the anti Aussie thing was not a once off flash in the pan.
Twats!
1 Oct 2011, 04:05 am
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1670:
Doos!
1 Oct 2011, 04:32 am
@whatever(whatever)-1770: Samoa is to NZ what SWA/Namibia once was to SA — a League of Nations mandated former German-colonial territory and then governed as an extra province up to independence.
1 Oct 2011, 06:55 am
Go Manu Samoa!! What an awesome game.. To all the twats who said they’d get thrashed by 30 – 40 points. Stop hiding!
Mango rugby
Jungle rugby
Samoa cant last 80 minutes
Boks to dwarf throw the Samoans
Where are you guys hiding!!
Samoa gave the Boks a bit of there own medicine… lol
1 Oct 2011, 07:51 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-1772: Samoa, Tonga and Fiji all play home games during this RWC, making them raise their game
1 Oct 2011, 08:21 am
@kelefua(kelefua)-1773:
eerrrr…
try reading the 1772 (one thousand seven hundred and seventy two) posts that came before yours…
your shot is just as cheap as the countless ones made by the the PIs in the match… just as ill-considered but ultimately makes no difference to the final out-come…
now put the cork back in the bottle, find an old cardboard box, a quiet, dark corner… and get some sleep…
1 Oct 2011, 08:23 am
to be clear…
no one’s hiding… pity you couldn’t man up when everyone else was still here…
typical to take your cheap twat when no one’s looking hey…!!
1 Oct 2011, 09:21 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-1772:
And your point is?
1 Oct 2011, 09:23 am
@kelefua(kelefua)-1773:
Really? Did you see the scoreboard?
Typical, if we can’t win lets hit high, late and hold back players and then the very best……… the manly thing………. hit a bloke from behind
Faaking coward!
1 Oct 2011, 11:54 am
@ET.(ET.)-1757: Havent got a meeting with Julius Malema or something, **** this comrade mentality is getting so old and stale. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
3 Oct 2011, 01:19 am
Lol the Boks can dish it out for years yet they complain when another Samoa gives it back to them bunch of sissy’s. Hit from behind? Bok players drop there nuts when the push come to shove just like when they come to play club rugby here lol!
3 Oct 2011, 13:26 pm
Samoa is a township in New Zealand as far as I am concerned.
Absolute scum of Nz rugby. Thanks for coming, now back to your henna tattoo parlours!
Yes Yes Yes, all the coconut nations will say that we got a taste of our own medicine! Every rugby team has it’s thugs. Yes the NZ have Brad Thorne who tries to fill that role. We have Bakkies, correct, but Bakkies gets pinned when he transgresses.
The coconut nations have too much brawn and far too little brain.
Brawn only gets you that far but then you fall short EVERY time because there is no brain to finish the job.
Then they follow up your brainless performance on the field with brainless media outbursts. Hope we never see you till the next world cup and we will kick your butts legally again.
The coconut nations are an embarrassment to the HAKA, but then again it’s probably the only structure they can bring to their game.
Baa baa black sheep have you any wool!
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