Bring on the Aussies, enthuses De Villiers
2 Oct 2011
The Springboks will play Australia in the World Cup quarter-finals – and Peter de Villiers reckons it will be easier and more familiar than playing the Samoans.
It is the clash of the last eight with the Tri Nations champions against the defending World Champions.
Ireland, in emphatically beating Italy 36-6 in Dunedin, ensured a quarter-final against Wales in Wellington next Saturday with the Boks to play the Wallabies a day later in New Zealand’s capital.
Hosts the All Blacks will play Argentina in the late Sunday kick-off at Eden Park in Auckland and England clashes with France on Saturday at Eden Park.
The winner of the Boks match will play the All Blacks with the other semi-final an all Northern Hemisphere affair.
(Bok coach) De Villiers told the South African media website SuperSport he welcomed playing the Australians, added the Boks would have the advantage at scrum time and that he felt it would be easier playing the Aussies than it was against the unfamiliar Samoans.
De Villiers said he expected the Australians to try and match Samoans for physicality and didn’t believe either Australia or New Zealand could do that to the Boks. He also backed the improved Bok defence to counter Australia’s attacking threat.
Australia has won five of the last six Tests between the two countries, with two of the wins in South Africa. The Wallabies have also scored four-tries or more in four of the six matches.
De Villiers was unconcerned by this statistic and said that while the Aussies could also believe it to be easier because of the familiarity he felt the Boks were playing outstanding rugby at the World Cup and peaking at the right time.
The New Zealand media generally have backed the Boks to beat the Wallabies, but among former Australian players and within the media the feeling is the Australians will be too smart for the Boks and that David Pocock’s return will neutralise the Boks, as he has done successfully on most occasions in the last two seasons.
Former Australian World Cup-winning captain Nick Farr-Jones, in the Herald on Sunday, wrote the Boks looked like a champion at the end of the road and that the last 30 minutes showed the vulnerability of an aged giant. He commended the Boks’ fighting qualities and scrambling defence, but said too many key players were no longer the players who stood tallest in Paris in 2007.
Former All Blacks World Cup-winning prop Richard Loe, in the same paper, disagreed, saying the Boks would have too much muscle for the Tri Nations champions.
Quarter-finals (NZ kick-off times – 11 hours ahead of SA)
QF1: Ireland v Wales at Welllington Regional Stadium on Saturday, October 8, kick-off 6pm.
QF2: England v France at Eden Park on Saturday, October 8, kick-off 8.30pm.
QF3: South Africa v Australia at Wellington Regional Stadium on Sunday, October 9, kick-off 6pm.
QF4: New Zealand v Argentina at Eden Park on Sunday, October 9, kick-off 8.30pm.
511 Comments
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2 Oct 2011, 20:46 pm
@Richie_7(Richie_7)-249: and don’t kick every fcking ball.
2 Oct 2011, 20:46 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-227:
@Dawn(Dawn)-230:
Poachers used to slip their hands into the trout streams and tickle the trouts underbelly, it sends it into a trance like state then you flip them out of the water!!
Who needs a spear gun!!
2 Oct 2011, 20:50 pm
As I live and breathe.
Richie7 is back.
2 Oct 2011, 20:50 pm
Morning carol and all
@carol(carol)-252:
Sharks are the same like that except what out when they turn back over
2 Oct 2011, 20:51 pm
….And don’t kick every fcking ball away! Beale is safe under the high ball, so don’t bank on the 50/50 stuff
2 Oct 2011, 20:53 pm
Hi Dawn
2 Oct 2011, 20:54 pm
The horse in this movie is hilarious!
2 Oct 2011, 20:54 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-240:
We almost lost to Samoa because of that STUPID FdP ingrained kick chase garbage which is actually Smit’s preferred game plan.. Was him advocating it allalong and LOSING under it like he was doing vs Wales. Soon as we go onto the lead FDP and Smit advocate kicking.. Its their natural habitual safety net they learned under Jake .. Defense wins games and all that garbage krap.. Smit has LOST all games he has captained Boks since 2009 for EXACTLY that reason.. He like FdP don’t know How to play a ball in hand game.
We were playing well vs Wales first 10 minutes then scored.. Then bottled up and started kicking with Smit ON THE FIELD … And Wales said thank you very much and started taking us apart.. Until Bismark, Alberts AND Hougaard came on and SWUNG THE MOMENTUM Around.
Vs Samoans same thing.. We started like house on fire ball in hand and taking the game to them, then cowardly FdP starts reverting to his JW entrenched garbage kick chase trash and gifts Samoa ALL the possession, hence we gotta make 150 tackles to their 70 and we very nearly could have LOST..
FDP is a f’ng useless hopeless dunce and Smit and Spies are passengers who will lose nearly every time..Matfield not any better but no worse..
Bismark Brussow Burger Roussow and Alberts HAVE to be on the field else we go home… That’s the long and the short of it.. Start Smit and Spies ahead of Bismark and Alberts AND its HOME TIME..
That is the absolute nitty gritty of the situation and its an absolute certainty.. How much you wanna bet?
Smit Spies FdP starting vs Aussie we already 50% below par of where we supposed to be and what our true winning potential is.
2 Oct 2011, 20:54 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-245: No worries… my favorite are the Garrick… they are such powerful fish. You want to get yourself down to the reef off Salt Rock… about 3/4 to a K out to sea. Hang some sparklers off the gun when the gamefish are out.
I’ve seen bosbefok spearos out there… okes holding their catch above their heads whilst kicking Zambezis away with their fins. If a big Zambezi hung around too long the okes would gang up with a 357 power head spear & take him out.
I stopped spearing when I was buzzed by a white whilst shooting mussel cracker off Seaview in PE. Seriously spooked me.
2 Oct 2011, 20:55 pm
1. Gurthro 2. Bismarck 3. Jannie 4. Bakkies 5. Rossouw 6. Brussow 7. Alberts 8. Schalk
9. Hougaard 10. Morne 11. Habana/Aplon 12. JdV 13. JF 14. JP 15. Lambie
16. Beast 17. Smit 18. CJ 19. Matfield 20. Spies 21. FdP 22. Pienaar/Butch
That team won’t be beaten – but it won’t happen either, keo’s prediction is probably going to come to pass, the only good news is he does have the Boks to lose to Oz so on that basis alone we might be extraordirily lucky. You bring the young dynamic ideas on to set the platform and momentum and the old boys experience to close it out with the kind of pressure that makes ppl do wierd things but is handled better by those who’ve experienced it before.
2 Oct 2011, 20:55 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-241:
Skoppie Most of agree with you
The problem for me has always been who captains? We have spoken about this
Matfield plays better when he is not captain, or if we need to say it when Smit is on the field
Fdp is no captain either
and Jdv was going to be sitting in the stands if Steyn was healthy
With a few of the guys Jinx and cab yesterday this is the starting pack we had
1. Guthro
2. Bismark
3. Jannie Dup
4. Bakkies
5, matfield
6. Brussow
7. Skalk
8 Alberts
But who captains the team Jdv now that he will be back?
2 Oct 2011, 20:57 pm
Skop, actually the kick and chase game was invented and mastered by the Blue Bulls – FdP and Bryan Habana. No need to blame Smit for that too
2 Oct 2011, 20:58 pm
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-254:
Hey Coach, good to see you here..
Are you enjoying the RWC so far?
2 Oct 2011, 20:59 pm
First of all I am not sure when it became a fact, cast in stone that Bismark is the world’s best hooker? Come on guys. He makes a great impact playing off the bench, when he can give his all for twenty minutes. On Friday he looked pretty good, but not astonishing for all the time he was on. John Smit has been doing a great job, he has lifted hisgame during this tournament, and played exceptionally well. It is tough on him that Bissie then comes on an hour into the game and runs rampant, but that is what impact players do. It doesn’t mean that the player that they have replaced is useless.
Smitty is our captain, the best one ever in a Bok jersey. If anyone can make this team gel and come through this extremely tough draw and tournament it is him. Every player respects him and will do as he asks, english, afrikaans, Zulu, whatever. I am encouraged to see many bloggers coming around on this point. Sadly guys like Shampoopaloo are so emotionally wound up now, that they will never see reason. Starting to foam at the mouth a bit I think…Maybe time to go and take a Prozac mate.
If the bokke win this world cup a great deal of credit will have to go to John Smit. If they lose, well, there can be only one winner and so be it. Winning a world cup in NZ playing Aus, then NZ in the playoffs is a big ask and if any side can do it it is the Bokke.
2 Oct 2011, 20:59 pm
Coach, throw the captain’s armband to Schalk. Everybody agrees the captain should lead from the front, right? Anybody else on the team play harder than Schalk?
2 Oct 2011, 21:01 pm
Where we have issues are with counter rucks.
Fdp does not get that ruck ball out of the rucks quick enough exposing us to giving up ruck ball with counter rucks This happened vs Samoa and wales
Plus when Pdp and M steyn are under pressure they resort to aimless kicks
This is why our forwards need to totally dominate OZ and that means Bismark there with Alberts and Russouw coming in later for possibly Bakkies
2 Oct 2011, 21:02 pm
Where you been reechie!
2 Oct 2011, 21:02 pm
@carol(carol)-263:
Yes thank you daaarlin
2 Oct 2011, 21:03 pm
@Richie_7(Richie_7)-265:
yes that is an option I agree I do feel he is a better player when he is not captain (see matfield to ) plus him and Brussow are already doing Spies’s job
2 Oct 2011, 21:04 pm
New job, less time for online activities
2 Oct 2011, 21:04 pm
@mako(mako)-264:
tell me which other hooker is playing at the RWC who routinely bounces three defenders off of him whenever he gets the ball, what other hooker wins even half the turnovers bismarck does, combine all of that with his sheer physical condition and fitness – and please show me, which forward, let alone hooker is even close. He is the ideal hooker – he tackles, carries, fetchers, cleans and is as agressive as all hell.
2 Oct 2011, 21:04 pm
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-261: Coach a great scrum but heres a question, “what do you sacrifice by bringing Smittie in for Bissie in the way of hooking?” and a second question is ” what do you think Smittie versus Bissie contributes to the team by bringing in his leadership? ”
I believe Smittie brings in more by way of captaincy as overall gain than we lose by having him hooking instead of Bissie. We are talking about 1/8 of the scrum versus 1/2 or 3 in terms of captaincy as there are only 1 or 2 others who can lead. I know that you cannot look at it purely in those ratio terms but we have to maintain perspective as to the relative strengths of players.
2 Oct 2011, 21:05 pm
@Richie_7(Richie_7)-265: If Schalk makes the final (assuming we make the final)… I’ll be impressed. The intensity of play is surely impossible for one man to sustain for 3 games on the trot.
My fear is that he blew it all against Samoa & his performance will suffer. Nothing wrong in subbing him with Alberts though…
2 Oct 2011, 21:05 pm
Have heard nothing from the sods critisizing Danie for a while now. Best player of the tournament so far imo, at worst one of the contenders. Never bet against the Danies in SA making an impact when relied upon, real patriotism can lift a man to great heights normally beyond reach. Bakkies should not get a sniff.
When our backline has gotten the ball, which has not been often, it has looked pretty promising. With the limited intelligence of the two making the calls in that department I’m not holding my breath on a change in tactics though. PdV only has to get one call right – start Bismarck. I’d prefer Guthro in front of Beast too, but that’s not going to influence the result.
Off topic, but can anyone tell me how Marius Goosen is doing? If looked after he’ll be a great, no question.
2 Oct 2011, 21:06 pm
Cab, Andrew Hore
2 Oct 2011, 21:06 pm
Kick and chase rugby only works when forwards are dominating and you are getting plenty of ball.
2 Oct 2011, 21:07 pm
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-266:
For me, the issue we have with counter rucks, is that we don’t.
2 Oct 2011, 21:07 pm
That injury looked nasty.
2 Oct 2011, 21:08 pm
@Richie_7(Richie_7)-275:
fantastic player, not in the league of bismark, and mealamu is better cos he’s agressive clearing is unbelievable and the reason nz get such quick ball to attack with – nz still pick genuine tightforwards, all 5 of them.
2 Oct 2011, 21:09 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-272:
Yes I do ask the question about leadership and have been for some time
I recognize his leadership but his work rate to Bissy does not compare
So agreed its a tough one, and I believe Smit is going to start with Bissy coming on at about 50 min mark
2 Oct 2011, 21:10 pm
@cab(cab)-271: Yeah but how much more effective is a hooker who puts another player into space instead of boumcing off 3 players. i agree if you have to take contact you want to dominate but dont see that as more beneficial to keeping continuity and pressure on the opposition by keeping the ball moving. Unfortunately us Saffas focus on the domination through contact rather than looking for and using the space on the field. Of course you do create space when taking 3 or 4 players out of the equation but you also run the risk of losing the ball in contact.
2 Oct 2011, 21:10 pm
@David(David)-277:
We are going to have to to win This is why we need Alberts at 8
Plus he carries the ball across advantage line and he tackles
Spies does not of that
2 Oct 2011, 21:12 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-281:
u talking about backline players or schalk brits, those are nice-to-have’s, but the reason oz will beat us is the lack of sheer vokmaarvoort grunt upfront, as they;ve done repeatedly over the last 2 years, we dont need the thinkers in our pack, the ozzies backs will outthink our whole team 5 times over, just moer them stukkend.
2 Oct 2011, 21:12 pm
@carol(carol)-263:
You enjoying the RWC ?
2 Oct 2011, 21:13 pm
@Die_Valk(Die_Valk)-274: Only wish that Danie would transfer the ball into the trailing arm when going into contact. He makes me nervous whenever we play the big sides as he loses the ball in contact too often for such a powerful ball carrier. Would have him as my 8th man though and replace Bakkies with him later on with Alberts coming on at 8th man
2 Oct 2011, 21:13 pm
271.cab
Firstly, how many of those attributes that you mentioned are the main function of a hooker? Sounds to me like you are describing a flank. Secondly he is playing short roles, so his energy levels are higher than those around him. Have you seen him bouncing three defenders off himself for 80 minutes?
Please don’t misunderstand me. I think Bissie is a great player, and a brilliant impact player. In that position he looks a world beater. However I think that if an international poll was held he would not be picked as the World’s best hooker as you are saying here, as if it were a God given fact.
The main thing that is going to set the Boks apart from the rest of the sides over the next two weeks is the quality of our squad. When we have used our bench our team has strengthened, rather than weakend. Other teams are the other way around. Injury to players therefore is a bigger deal for other sides, the depth of quality in our squad is unmatched. It is almost impossible to get through a tournament as tough as this without injuries, and they will take their toll.
2 Oct 2011, 21:16 pm
@mako(mako)-286:
we need tightforwards mate, why u think we getting no go-forward with smit, matfield and spies there? put it this way, if you were a forward playing for oz, who would you rather face, smit or bismarck, and that is the nub of it. Its an easy decision.
2 Oct 2011, 21:16 pm
Cab, problem with Bismarck is Smit is a stronger scrummager – opponents and fellow Bok frontrowers agree. In the first 50 mins you need solid tight phases; once the opposition are run off their feet you can afford to bring on Bissie who may be less technically strong in the scrums, but gets to all the rucks and can make the turnovers, tacklesn and ball carries. Watch Mealamu on Sunday – he’ll be exposed by the Argentinian front row. NZ have the same hooker dilemna
2 Oct 2011, 21:18 pm
@cab(cab)-283: I think we can have both Cabbie. Domination in the tackle situation and getting quick ball has as much to do with ball placement in the tackle as it does with looking for support players 2 things I think Bissie does not do well. Bissie has little concern for continuity, he only thinks about domination is my point and he would be devastating if he developed the spatial awareness to offload to supporting runners. I do love his sheer power and strength and athelticism but rugby is played with the brains as well.
2 Oct 2011, 21:20 pm
Anycase guys was great chatting again as usual. Have a great week all and sundry and heres to the Bokke winning handsomely on Sunday.
2 Oct 2011, 21:22 pm
@jocuba(jocuba)-259:
my mate has had two sleigh rides from a 180 kg grey shark in the last two weeks as it grabbed his snoek on the buoy and ran wit him and the fish lmao!
i had to practically beat off a po of dolphins to keep my snoek.
my mates got some nice garrick today.
anyways, i am off.
keep well all.
2 Oct 2011, 21:23 pm
@Richie_7(Richie_7)-288:
if you dont pick mealamu like at the last one, you okes are even more dof than i thought, tho henry has cottoned onto that. Hore is a fantastic player, but what all u okes miss is the physicality that a genuine mullet tight-forward brings to the game, it sets up the entire thing. Mealamu has got two left feet, can throw, cant scrum (supposedly), and dont put ppl into space – leave him out at your peril.
you watch that bugger he is into everything, he and thorne, hit mauls and clean players off the ball from minute 1 to 80, which is why there is no faster ball anywhere in world rugby and its why NZ backline, as good as it is, can incinerate sides.
2 Oct 2011, 21:25 pm
Johann Goosen is definitely top notch Bok FH material his concussion when he ran smack onto Tautes head looked severe I hope it don’t dampen his potential. He could step up to international level almost immediately just like Frans Steyn and Lambie did that’s how good he is.
You wanna win this Wc you start and play Bismark at least 80% of the game that’s how you win it.. Not by carrying a palooka passenger like Smit.
Smit AND FDP are the proponents of kick chase rugby not Matfield or Morne Steyn.. That’s why under Smit Boks haven’t smelled a decent win ANYWHERE since 2009.
This mako fool wanna win the WC then you play Steenkamp, Bismark, Brussow, Bakkies, Roussow, Alberts, Burger in your run on team
NOT Beast, Smit, Spies or perhaps even Matfield.. But I run on with Matfield Alberts and Bismark LONG before I run on with Smit AND Spies.
Smit has NOT WON a decent international game of rugby SINCE 2009. WHAT makes you think he’s about to suddenly start now?… Matfield HAS !!
2 Oct 2011, 21:27 pm
can throw = can;t throw, neither can hore, and its the one area of bismarck’s game that is not as good as smit’s. smit however was very poor at it when he started his career too.
we need tightforwards who can play tight coalface rugby, not darts throwers, maradonna’s or flhalf playmakers – there’s a place for skill too, but its not a pre-requisite for the tight stuff. look at those paddy’s and italians today, their tight 5s look like clan of the cave bear.
we used to have the ugliest hairy arsed nastiest mofos in the business, now they all great thinkers.
neefok, asb terug where are the neanderthals?
2 Oct 2011, 21:30 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-291:
night danger.
2 Oct 2011, 21:31 pm
Cab, I completely agree. Mealamu is a mongrel and will smash anybody in the tight for 80 minutes, but the real magic is between 50 and 60 minutes when Graham Henry sees the opposition is dragging arse and sends on his subs. He realises the opposition tight 5 are not getting to the rucks and brings on somebody like Hore who prefers to play loose (much like Bissie). That’s why the likes of Bissie and Hore make great advantage gains, clear rucks effectively, get high tackle counts, scorr tries, and get turnovers – guys like Smit and Mealamu have already worn down the opposition. Hore/Bissie don’t have the same effect playing the full 80
2 Oct 2011, 21:32 pm
@cab(cab)-279: NZ have two good international quality hookers in Mealamu and Hore, but I think most Kiwi’s would love to have Bismark in the AB’s. He’s a step above the two Kiwi’s in physicality and contribution at the breakdown/on the gain line.
I was musing last night about what a combined AB and Bok side would look like. I would go for something like this – based on players who are likely to be available for selection for the first QF.
1. Woodcock
2. Bismark
3. Jannie
4. Rossouw
5. Thorn
6. Kaino (This is the SA No.7 position)
7. Brussow
8. [Richie, Schalck, Read, Spies, it doesn't really matter cos put Kaino and Brussow together and any other back row is going get monstered]
9. ???? Problem position for both sides
10. Steyn
11. Habana
12. Nonu
13. Fourie
14. Dagg
15 Mils (Captain)
It is a conservative side, but the forward pack would be strong enough to get them on the front foot against any opposition. As a consequence, Morne would be happy to be more of a distributor rather than lurking deep in the pocket.
2 Oct 2011, 21:33 pm
@Richie_7(Richie_7)-296:
tjesus christus richie, smit aint anything like mealamu. bismarck is like mealamu, but has hore’s fetching, he is the complete hooker.
2 Oct 2011, 21:34 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-293: that is a scary strong ruin on forward pack, and I sincerely hope the AB’s don’t face it this year!
2 Oct 2011, 21:34 pm
Ask Nick Mallet today whether he thinks he did the right thing dropping Teich from the Bok captaincy just before the world cup in 99. He will tell you he made a mistake. Your Captain is the glue that holds the team together, and nobody can do that job better than John Smit. Robbie Deans has made a major blunder changing his skipper just before this WC. As time will show.
Bissie does a great job off the bench, Smittie is doing a great job starting.
@ 293.ashampoopaloo:
Gow up dude, you are not the only person allowed an opinion in the world, nobody is calling you a fool, but your emotions are running away with you. Take a deep breath….
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