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, 21:38 pm
@David(David)-1556: Granted but that’s your view not mine, rugby as far as I’m concerned is not a political tool nor is it a modern version of war, especially with there being real wars still in existence. It’s just a sport mate, that’s all.
30 Sep 2011, 21:38 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-1582: @JL1(JL1)-1590: Jirre! now there is an oke who likes to dish it out but doen’t want to take it…. he a real seedy specimen. Like that hit with his shoulder on Kankowski… I’m dreaming of Alberts flattening him with interest.
30 Sep 2011, 21:38 pm
@cab(cab)-1591: All he needs is a mirror
30 Sep 2011, 21:39 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-1571: lol I remember a certain mr thomson getting a flattie from rory kockott – went down like a ton of bricks – tought I’d post the link for you http://www.youtube.com/user/kockslapper?blend=1&ob=5
30 Sep 2011, 21:40 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1594:
i understand, you must support whoever you want, however my personal opinion remains that i most admire the stance adopted by Transformation and Mshini.
30 Sep 2011, 21:40 pm
@cab(cab)-1591: Clue to BP… Just look in the mirror!!
30 Sep 2011, 21:41 pm
deliverance
30 Sep 2011, 21:42 pm
@Jinx2(Jinx2)-1595: SIES!…. hahahaha… LOL. not heard that one before…
30 Sep 2011, 21:42 pm
@Jinx2(Jinx2)-1585:
Rob’s drummer in the band (Richard Devey) was called ‘Dish’ – sadly not because of his good looks but his schoolmates at RBH called him that name because of the imaginary cymbal sound he’d made while doing drum solos on his school desk , lol.
The last time I heard he was also in LA.
30 Sep 2011, 21:44 pm
Flo will do VERY well at this level.. he is a better ball carrier and ground ball player than Schalk with a little more common sense savvy to boot.. he would do pretty well off bench..
Alberts should start, not Spies.. and now Hougie has concussion because he should be playing at 9 not 11….
Smit I cannot find ANY reason for him to start a Bok game with Bismark chomping at the bit EVER…
In fact Smit can come on last 5 – 8 minutes and ONLY if we are WELL in front with no hope of losing…
30 Sep 2011, 21:44 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-1609:
You kidding. I recorded “Shadows in the Dark” with Richard Devey. Please see if you can hook me up if I don’t find Rob.
30 Sep 2011, 21:46 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-1610:
Smit will start against Australia- you can bet you house on it.
it will probably be his last hooray though.
30 Sep 2011, 21:46 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-1609:
We were “Youthanasia”
30 Sep 2011, 21:46 pm
@jocuba(jocuba)-1577:
rewind a few years to 1996, 2nd Test (I think) when J.Marshall legitimately hands off Joost in the face in a class fend, and Joost takes a dive, backwards, that would make Ronaldo blush.
1996
1996
1996….
30 Sep 2011, 21:48 pm
LOL – there’s going to be hell to pay if SA do get to play the ABs.
BP will be called a po es from dusk to dawn. The highly strung Popps might be committed to NZ’s equivalent of groendakkies. Hurricane will issue a jihad to all of the Bok infidels. MZMAORI will fire up his cooking pot. AiDoc will complain about the ref. NZInCHINA will say the Boks got lucky. ChCh will congratulate the Boks thru gritted teeth and Cane will be waiting for the 1000th post while getting steadily pissed on red wine.
Seriously, Keo might have to close this site down.
30 Sep 2011, 21:49 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-1599: your best comment ever.
30 Sep 2011, 21:49 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-1599: This is where you continually make a repeated mistake in consideration of me, Mandela had his political reasons for using rugby as a socio-political mechanism to achieve some sort of race reconciliation, that’s his ideal and view, my view is that symbolisms have their role but real delivery does quite a bit more.
However, all that does not force me to support the boks as it’d be disingenuous, I’d never feel for the boks the way I get goose bumps when the AB’s play. Additionally, as I’ve stated previously I did not begin my support of the AB’s recently, I’ve supported since I was very young. What is recent is black support of the boks and my support of the AB’s predates that by a very long way!
30 Sep 2011, 21:50 pm
@JamesNkomo(JamesNkomo)-1604: BP will argue that it took a big man to stand up after that… lesser players like Springbok loosies would have been stretchered off.
And Precious mcaw took a helluva blow to his head from QC’s knee but being the tough man that he is he just got up & got on with the game.
Besides – Lewis Moody was such a shammer too when Mealamu brushed his forehead against the back of his head.
30 Sep 2011, 21:51 pm
@Jinx2(Jinx2)-1611:
Lets keep in touch- i will in meantime try and get Dish’s number.
30 Sep 2011, 21:52 pm
BradS will also congratulate the Boks but provide a technical reason why the ABs lost and Cap’n Fanny wont be touching down for a waggle.
30 Sep 2011, 21:52 pm
maybe the Boks should go back to their roots and send out a ‘D’ team (like Samoa is to NZ) to play for Holland.
we could call them the ‘Windmills’.
FdP would be honorary Captain.
what a bunch of girls, Ive seen less on-field whinging and theatrics to in a kindergarten
30 Sep 2011, 21:52 pm
@JamesNkomo(JamesNkomo)-1604: LOL!
30 Sep 2011, 21:52 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-1612: I sh’t myself just considering the f’ng fallout
Bismark, Alberts and Hougaard will not save his overrated fat arse every time without fail.. that’s an absolute given…
Its going to come a cropper this policy of the super bench.. and I’m already kaking myself about it because it is flawed with superstitious type miracle star dust strategy.. there is NOT enough time for some super players to pull the team right EVERY time after the starters have put them on the back foot the first 50 – 60 minutes.. its asking too much for the miracle workers to save the overrated lardarses every single game..
Best players MUST start.. not the other way around..
Spies FdP and Smit should all be on the bench.. Alberts, Hougaard and Bismark should ALWAYS start… Smit should perhaps not even be in the 22.. but that’s another argument
30 Sep 2011, 21:52 pm
@cab(cab)-1605: As I said my support of the AB’s is not a consequent of others feelings but rather a deep rooted sense of the team I love. You are entitled to your opinion no doubt.
30 Sep 2011, 21:54 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-1614: Lonely out there boykie??!! Pressing your nose against the glass & watching everyone else having a conversation.
Just apologise for your behaviour & you’ll be a MAN my son…
30 Sep 2011, 21:55 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1617: The people here mostly LOVE the springboks… at least I reckon the greater majority of them.. how come the snooty well bred well educated intelligentsia cannot ?
30 Sep 2011, 21:55 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-1619:
Ta, man.
30 Sep 2011, 21:55 pm
Pundy, wouldn’t you feel more at home on The Silver Fern?
You can talk till the cows come home there about your love for the ABs and you will get nothing but back slaps for it there.
30 Sep 2011, 21:55 pm
Oooookkaaaay
This is a remake of Arnie’s predator movie
30 Sep 2011, 21:55 pm
@JL1(JL1)-1580:
cynical play at the scrums ?
your girls were backpeddling in the 2ndH
cynical was Smit, your Captain, slapping ball away with 1 hand, only to then regather and throw it away with 2 hands so the Samoans couldnt attack when they were stranded.
30 Sep 2011, 21:55 pm
@cab(cab)-1615:
….and ET will be wearing out his calculator buttons wondering where he made a mistake.
30 Sep 2011, 21:56 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1624:
whatever. yawn. next…?
30 Sep 2011, 21:56 pm
@jocuba(jocuba)-1618: the only reason he stood up was coz kockott got a red card, would have been too **** scared otherwise. fark, imagine kockott actually punched him
30 Sep 2011, 21:57 pm
And for the honorary AB faithful – Nils will be in mourning, Sir Stodders will try convince us that the ABs are actually still the better team, ET will be devastated more because he was wrong than because he supports the ABs.
30 Sep 2011, 21:57 pm
@JamesNkomo(JamesNkomo)-1604: Hahahaha, now that was a classic
THANK YOU FOR SHARING
30 Sep 2011, 21:58 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-1628:
you appear to be struggling to follow your own advice
“1596.wooden spoon:
30 Sep 2011, 21:35 pm Ignore the kiwi troll.”
face it, youre my Darryl Cullinan.
30 Sep 2011, 21:58 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-1629:
Are you watching Predators with Aiden Brody?
If yes, then no.
30 Sep 2011, 21:58 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-1631:
snap
30 Sep 2011, 21:58 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-1621: Is that where you spend the rest of your time when you’re not here posting cr@p… perving in the kindergarden?? You sound quite well informed.
Perhaps we shoul refer to you as Black P@edo in future.
30 Sep 2011, 21:59 pm
@jocuba(jocuba)-1602: Hy kort ook ‘n p o e s klap
30 Sep 2011, 22:00 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-1636: don’t overestimate yourself panty.
30 Sep 2011, 22:01 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1617:
Black support of the SA government is also relatively new.
What I find strange is your attempt to identify with AB culture and yet refer to Israel Dagg familiarily as “the jew”, which I believe most Kiwis would find offensive.
30 Sep 2011, 22:02 pm
@jocuba(jocuba)-1639:
that would be entirely consistent with your comrades. Fire away, it matters not, Ive had worse
30 Sep 2011, 22:03 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-1621: Like old Fitzy, hey po es
30 Sep 2011, 22:07 pm
Watching this gane again its possible that the filthy moans are even dirtier than their filthy forebears in 95.
Who woulda thunk it.
Its a good thing they are on their way otherwise they’d have nobody left to pick.
Filth.
And let’s be frank, they are kiwis not moans.
30 Sep 2011, 22:07 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-1626: Don’t let it bother you as it’s my right, you and the majority of the bloggers can support who they want I could careless. I love having rugby conversations and just straight banter that’s why I’m on this site. You seem to be obsessed with agreeing with the majority, I don’t have that drawback.
30 Sep 2011, 22:08 pm
Jock it looks similar?
30 Sep 2011, 22:09 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-1643:
Actually the only person who has gone there is your mate poops.
Carry on up the blindside heh heh heh.
How them lemmons ya two faced prick?
30 Sep 2011, 22:11 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-1630: Call yourself a girl, you need to really catch a wake up, TROLL
30 Sep 2011, 22:12 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-1646:
That’s the first time I’ve ever heard shampoo being accused of siding with the majority. The truth is quite the opposite, and far more vocal than you’ve been.
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