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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30 Sep 2011, 17:54 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-1343: The Aussies are a strange lot, I felt against the boks in SA, they had dominance in the contact point and the breakdowns, when smit moved to tighthead, they dominated the scrums. Against the AB’s in Brisbane, they won the collision engagements, they were very physical. With them I think it’s a mindset, question is will they bring it?
30 Sep 2011, 17:55 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-1349:
That is key. “Intelligent kicking” as you say. But for that to happen we also need our forwards to present front fool ball to give kickers time to put us in right areas to COMPETE.
And we have to build momentum,more phase play instead of relying on kick chase only to build pressure. Will allow us to also put less pressure on our defence/time on defence.Making twice the tackles in comparison to opposition due to kicking possession away is not on.That will cost us this campaign.
30 Sep 2011, 17:57 pm
@TheAgent(TheAgent)-1345:
99% of non-SAfricans were supporting Samoa.
Samoa lost because the Bok lineout was so superior and they (Samoa) couldn’t retain possession when the ball went out. Hence they couldn’t sustain possession well enough.
30 Sep 2011, 17:58 pm
This may not have been the best 80 minutes of rugby the boks have played, but the bottom line is the result was good for us. If you step back and look at the bigger picture, we have played our four pool games, won all four. Two have been tough and two were relatively easy. At this stage of the tournament we have to say mission accomplished. If we learn from our mistakes, then we are in a good position going into the playoffs. Keep it tighter, use more traditional springbok tactics (pick and drive) to break the opposition down. Kick for territory (find the touchline) and compete at lineout time. Lose the up and under kick and chase game. The defensive record is excellent, forget the missed tackle stats, they don’t tell a true story, look at how many tries have been scored against us. With our defense looking good, our goal kicking looking excellent and the guys up to a tough physical battle I believe that we are extremely well positioned to go into the knockout stages. We are in a far better position mentally than Aus must be in now, and each game is a final on its day. I truly believe that we are in with a good chance of winning this cup.
30 Sep 2011, 18:00 pm
@Samba Bok(JayDaFiveOh)-1331: Bismark is the number 1 hooker in SA by a long way, and he’s regarded as the best hooker on the world, captain or not, he should start.
30 Sep 2011, 18:00 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-1264: The funniest thing Ive read all day – Samoan Captain complains about the ref!!!? Lol, what did he want… a couple of penalty tries? …. Send off the Captain… (Ahh well he did that)…. Let the Samoans fck around at scrum time… tick… Let the Samoans punch Boks in play… tick…. Let the Samoans fck around at ruck time… tick… Miss a few forward passes… tick…
But despite all that, against an effort by the Samoans that would beat most teams at this tournament, the Boks won. Schweet.
The dirty fcker must moan all the way home…
30 Sep 2011, 18:01 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-1318: Smit played all of thirty seconds so your thesis is farked…. Dumfck
30 Sep 2011, 18:03 pm
@Auntie Mavis(Auntie Mavis)-1353: Of course they would support Samoa… to no avail… The World Champions won and deservedly so… Bring on the Wobblies.
30 Sep 2011, 18:04 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-1352: I couldn’t agree more.
Naas had a habit of being able to turn defence into attack with the right kick and he could run & distribute well when it was on. Pity about his defence. Still, I wish we had a flyhalf like him these days…
30 Sep 2011, 18:06 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-1350:
Yeah but lets be fair on jannie,he has improved. In the last 8 months he has tightened up his scrummaging to the point that he even dominates at times.
And looking at SA rugby for the last decade,Tighthead has been a huge achilles heel. Since Cobus Visagie in early 2000′s(Garvey wasnt the best scrummager but he was my favourite player along with Andre Joubert growing up in KZN-his mobility was his strong point) the cupboard has been very bare.Likes of Willie Meyer,Richard Bands,Eddie Andrews,Wessel Roux etc have paraded bok 3 jumper….hardly what we can call…great.I’d go as far as saying Jannie is doing better than recent class…Which is not saying much
And it doesnt seem like its going to change.No real young destructive 3′s coming through,which is why Coenie Oosthuizen is being trialed at 3.
30 Sep 2011, 18:07 pm
@TheAgent(TheAgent)-1345: A number of things I could careless whether the boks win or lose, I just don’t want them beating the AB’s. I’ve no affiliation to Samoa at all, so I’m still not clear on this fact you keep touting, it’d be one thing to say that AB supporters support any team who plays the boks, but to impose another team on to AB supporters as a second choice and call it fact is ludicrous.
30 Sep 2011, 18:08 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-1360: Yeah and coaches like Balie were not the greatest No 3s in their time. We need proper front-row experts to groom the next round of tightheads.
30 Sep 2011, 18:11 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-1346:
At some point, deans must come to his senses, McCabe is not the force he is at super level, if not Giteau then barnes has to be an automatic choice at 12, he’ll provide the balance they need and he is a kicking option. Barnes is a classy, he’ll be solid against the boks.
30 Sep 2011, 18:11 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1351:
Yeah but when pressure is on they hardly front up,dont have the athletes to take on Bok/NZ packs that are humming. They do it mostly through hook or crook.Thats why the OZ game for YEARS has been baseed on multiple phase play/recycle strategy to hide inadequacies. the way England dismantled them in 07 and Ireland in 2011 was a thing of beauty.
Difference with NH and SH teams vs OZ is that NH teams even if OZ show some degree of parity upfront for first 25 min or so,THEY STILL DONT LET UP.They bring the pressure regardless till they break.NZ and Boks due to having more weapons in arsenal look to expand gameplan and often play into ozzie hands.
30 Sep 2011, 18:12 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-1359: Being able to now lift in the lineouts many of Naas Botha’s kicks would be considered turnovers today. His size and defense would also be a huge liability. I doubt he would have made a provincial side today.
30 Sep 2011, 18:17 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-1362:
Dougie Heymans…he wasnt the best player as rugby became more for the athletically inclined but he must a killer in the scrums.Free State always dominated with him upfront.He should be working with some of the young 3′s.
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1363:
What force in Superrugby? lol same McCabe who has been a utility player for brumbies mostly on wing in their WORST period of Superrugby? He is NO force.Average player,makes Tirunui look like a superstar.In fact both Oz midfielder are average.Faingaa is good defender but not a 13 and Horne is rubbish sicknote.Barnes is class but maybe be undercooked.
30 Sep 2011, 18:17 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-1359: Agreed, naas had a great running game, he had feet and was incredibly fast.
30 Sep 2011, 18:18 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1361:
Deny it all you like bud… The PIs are the little brothers and poor cousins of the All Blacks…
And that comes right from the top…
In his crying about the All Black ‘brand’ not getting what it/they deserve at world cups… and threatening to walk away from the comp… Mark Reason on rugby heaven reports that…
“Tew then went on about brand equity and how New Zealand supplied 39 players to the World Cup outside the All Blacks squad and so were the biggest player exporter.”
So Tew sees the PIs who live in New Zealand as New Zealanders… although everyone would rather patronisingly deny it… when he or you or any ABs supporters need to… you’ll exploit the PIs for your own purposes…
and if you think both Fiji and Samoa players didn’t get calls and texts from the AB players saying “go stuff them up for us…” you’re being unnecessarily naive…
30 Sep 2011, 18:21 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1361: Definitely no spirit of Moerhom Mbalula in you… Definitely not a true Saffa… Another anti-Bok bigot…
30 Sep 2011, 18:22 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-1364: Can’t fight that.
30 Sep 2011, 18:32 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-1366: During this super series, he was one of the shining stars for the brumbies whether at 12,15, or on the wing. There are those players who are elusive and effective at super level but never translate to test as they play in their shell. McCabe is exactly that. Rene ranger and Ben forgot his last name at the highlanders will progress to AB level, and I think they’ll be stars in time but McCabe absolutely not.
30 Sep 2011, 18:33 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1371: Ben smith
30 Sep 2011, 18:37 pm
@mako(mako)-1354:
Agreed. We have been at the coal face for three games. We will take no step backwards against the Wallabys. We will win.
30 Sep 2011, 18:41 pm
@ufo(ufo)-1368: I’m still at a loss, you speak of Tew’s views on perhaps pulling out of the 2015 as the head of nzru, and this translates to all AB supporters having Samoa as their second choice team to support? A player or some players SMS some team mates from their provinces who play for Samoa as a sign of support and this in turn means all AB supporters invariably support Samoa against all teams but revert to the AB’s as their number 1 team? Is this the thrust of your argument?
30 Sep 2011, 18:42 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-1369: How am I a bok bigot? What constitutes a true south African?
30 Sep 2011, 18:43 pm
@malcolm(malcolm)-1365:
Lifting is still illegal. Supporting isn’t, once the player is in the air.
30 Sep 2011, 18:44 pm
Is there any difference between anti-racist and ” anti- Bok ” ? Or neo-racist and anti-Bok?
Since the slipping from the sleeve onto the backside Bok is the bigot there is NO such thing as an ” anti-racist bigot “. It is a misfit.
Amazing what a few trivial wins against minnows can do, even if some have played spiritedly. Is P.Div now the King of the Hill?
The history books still say all four group opponents combined have just one HUGE win in a 100 yrs. of ‘Bok rugby. That sums up the mighty opposition for the delusionals.
30 Sep 2011, 18:45 pm
The day of reckoning is at worst weeks away but at best days away.
30 Sep 2011, 18:46 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1371:
Nick Phibbs also was half decent in superrugby but he is junk.McCabe is average
Rene Ranger wont make it anywhere near Test rugby if he doesnt fix that ridiculous error rate of his.Plus he must go to midfield,lacks speed for a top class international winger.Smith is going to be a star.Very good at 15…At 12 he is pretty decent,linebreaker of note.Acceleration is good,balanced runner.
Robbie Freuan while a fav of mine is in same book as Ranger.Error rate
30 Sep 2011, 18:47 pm
@David(David)-1376:
That was not the real poppa you posted to about Dr. Phil
30 Sep 2011, 18:48 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1375: A Moerhom Mbalula Bok supporter. Not a halfarsed nose up Kiwibackside AB sycophant.
30 Sep 2011, 18:50 pm
@ET.(ET.)-1380:
I wondered about that.
30 Sep 2011, 18:53 pm
@ET.(ET.)-1377:
So you’ve been outed as an AB fan today. Interesting.
30 Sep 2011, 18:53 pm
@David(David)-1382:
Always look at the name in the brackets, that is where the fakes are revealed.
30 Sep 2011, 18:54 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-1235: Very true, I should’nt get to precious about it all..some good banter here as well.
Slumtown, Stomers boy, UFO, thanks for the reply’s.
Long may the ALL Blacks and Boks dominate world rugby!!
Bout time we had a turn with the cup though…
30 Sep 2011, 18:54 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-1379: Remember when Nonu started out, he had no pass, dropped the ball often in critical situations, and made poor decisions. I trust the AB coaches to develop Rene rangers game as well as frueans, I think in time in the AB set up, they’ll be the article. McCabe has no expression, very limited at test level. Ben smith is the business, I like his game a lot, hopefully, he does not head to Europe, a perfect AB winger.
30 Sep 2011, 18:54 pm
Must say the Boks got their tactics back to front… First half with wind behind them they should have kicked to the corners… 2nd half wind in front they should have played keep ball…
A definite 4 out of 10 rating for “brains trust” game plan…
30 Sep 2011, 18:54 pm
@David(David)-1376: You know what I mean.
30 Sep 2011, 18:55 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1374:
no bud… what i’m saying is that they are new zealanders first and foremost… and many are born in new zealand…
and the head of the nzru sees them as new zealanders first and foremost… not as pacific islanders… and while you may be the exception to the rule here and find it difficult to comprehend (and no disrespect intended as i have often stated that i have no problem with whoever you support) but the fact is most people do support their countrymen… and Tew and MOST AB supporters (given the fact that most of them are also in fact new zealanders) will support new zealanders who were born and live in auckland and play for fiji or samoa…
because you are a saffa who chooses not to support your own countrymen… (again no disrespect intended simply pointing out the fact) you may struggle to understand most people around the world actually do support their own countrymen… and in rugby mad new zealand this is perhaps even more pronounced…
and if you had to ask… and most of them admit to it anyway… most AB supporters do claim the PIs as their next favourite teams and support them when they play anyone else but new zealand
again… you MAY be the exception… but the rule is pretty clear…
30 Sep 2011, 18:57 pm
Love this one….
462.ET.:
30 Sep 2011, 11:13 am Paul Williams you are a hero to greater Cape Town. You were hit first by that dutchy.
Apart from your obvious racist views, please not that you represent f.ck all about Cape Town or it’s people.
30 Sep 2011, 18:59 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-1390:
Oops, before I get attacked for a typo, ‘not’ should read ‘note’.
Thank you.
30 Sep 2011, 18:59 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-1381: You’ve not answered my questions, let me remind you 1. Why am I a bok bigot and 2. What constitutes a true south African? Provide me with your standard in each question, then we can discuss it.
30 Sep 2011, 19:02 pm
@ufo(ufo)-1389: Nice post!Thanx.
30 Sep 2011, 19:03 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-1387: You are very generous with the 4/10 rating
30 Sep 2011, 19:03 pm
Who dares speak for all Capetonians.
30 Sep 2011, 19:05 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-1395:
Guess…
I’ll give you a clue. He hasn’t lived there for 18 years.
But he has got Skype.
30 Sep 2011, 19:06 pm
@ufo(ufo)-1389:
Are you making a reference to only Samoa, tonga, and Fiji or just Samoa? Tew’s main argument is that nzru expends resources in developing a lot of the players who play for pacific island teams as they are members of provincial and super level teams in NZ. This is a logical argument in lieu of WC costs, and the fact that the nzru is struggling financially, it’s has nothing to do with emotions, pacific islands nationalism, and local support of pacific island teams.
30 Sep 2011, 19:06 pm
@ET.(ET.)-1377:
Since the slipping from the sleeve onto the backside Bok is the bigot there is NO such thing as an anti-racist bigot .
Also because anti-racist = anti-Bok there cannot therefore be such a thing as an ” anti-Bok bigot “.
All mind games of the immature who speak out of both cheeks. Possibly even 4 cheeks.
30 Sep 2011, 19:07 pm
I have time for a mini-brawl before Predators at 21h30!
30 Sep 2011, 19:08 pm
A win without major injuries.
Sitting in my kaya at the dam with the sound of the rain on my sinkdak.
Awesome gf.
Sweet lullaby-Deep Forest on repeat.
I am blessed.
Have a awesome weekend all:-)
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