Boks lament breakdown burglary
9 Oct 2011
The Springboks have suggested that referee Bryce Lawrence’s failure to punish Australia’s infringement at the breakdown cost them heavily.
The defending champions conceded 10 breakdown turnovers, with Wallabies openside flank David Pocock being the chief destroyer of their attacking momentum.
Referee Bryce Lawrence came into the Test having awarded among the lowest number of ruck penalties on average in the tournament, and that trend continued as he allowed a greater contest than has been the norm. The Springboks undoubtedly suffered as a result, but they must look at their inability to protect the ball in contact and on the deck as the primary cause for their struggles (they also committed 10 handling errors).
Still, captain John Smit intimated that they were hard done by at the breakdown. ‘It [the Wallabies' perceived infringement at the breakdown] was the only talking point between he and I,’ Smit said of his on-field interaction with Lawrence. ‘The message clearly wasn’t going through.’
Asked about Pocock’s influence, Smit said: ‘I guess he was brilliant at capitalising on the way the breakdown was being interpreted. When you are brave and keep the ball, normally you are rewarded. That wasn’t the case tonight.’
Head coach Peter de Villiers echoed Smit’s sentiments. ‘Tactically we played correctly but the breakdown was a mess,’ he said. ‘In a quarter-final you have to take your chances and we didn’t take ours. Well done to them. They had a few [opportunities] and they took them. For the rest of the time we were in control. A couple of calls never went our way, but now isn’t the time to talk about the ref.’
However, Australia coach Robbie Deans, whose side has been heavily penalised by Lawrence in the tournament to date, countered that criticism. ‘We didn’t see it as that. Maybe both sides were hard done by, then. The breakdown was hotly contested, and maybe things evened themselves out,’ he said in a veiled reference to their struggles with the New Zealand official.
Asked to assess Pocock’s performance, Deans was emphatic in his response. ‘Immense. Remarkable. It was bigger than he got credit for. It was probably the most dominant performance [by an openside flank] in the tournament.’
Deans described this showing as the ‘coming of age’ of his youthful group, and added: ‘Tonight the most experienced side in the tournament turned the screws on the youngest. I don’t need to equip these boys with the skills to cope with pressure going forward. They showed that they have that capacity tonight.’
By Ryan Vrede, in Wellington.
164 Comments
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9 Oct 2011, 13:13 pm
@Ig(Ig)-94:
I was relying on your Boys to put the Quade and Kurtly Show OFF THE AIR.
BUT…………………………………………wouldn’t you know it.
You OKES fukked it UP!
Just kidding Ig.
I know how how disappointed you South Africans must be.
Your Team played their hearts out.
Be proud of them.
Sport can be cruel.
9 Oct 2011, 13:19 pm
@RL(RL)-100: Burger masks all his poor decision taking and poor passing skills and poor protection of the ball on the ground by all his Kamakaze tackling which he pulls off and puts his body on the line..
Burger is as much a liability as an asset. he is an asset in the covering tackle situation.. none other like him.. but in a first receiver ball carrying role he is a total liability… and the whole saffa contingency of Burger hero worshipers want Burger as next captain … well there you go… another f’ng 4 years of snot and trane gonna run down these cheeks…
9 Oct 2011, 13:20 pm
@We are red(Redbull)-97:
I think the point for me is this: can we honestly say ‘hand on heart’ that Bryce did not influence the game?
The simple answer is ‘no’; he had a huge influence on the game.
Of course, it will always sound like sour grapes when we point it out but that is a fact. Boks worked very hard on their discipline, in other words, to make sure that they adhere to the rules.
It is therefore understandable that they would be rattled if the rules are suddenly interpreted as the ref sees it fit. It also would have conjured up images of refs that often blowed against the Boks, most notably Alain Rolland in the recent past.
For me personally, the Boks won that game. I understand it does not count and they are now out of the tournament but they deserved their victory tonight, something we cannot say about their performances in the year.
They were mostly well and truly beaten.
So, yeah, it’s a tough one but we will build on this for the future …
9 Oct 2011, 13:23 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-93:
Condolences katman.
We Kiwi’s know what it is like to go out in the QF’s.
It is a bitter pill to swallow.
The Boks may have lost. But each and every one gave his all.
9 Oct 2011, 13:31 pm
Deans is fking right.. the ref blew it in the boks favour until it became blatantly clearly that the stats would reflect badly on him so he tried to at least be fair bearing in mind that he did not give that vital penalty. The touch judge had to virtually embarass him by pointing it out. Besides Rossouws transgression, the ref should have seen Matfield pulling on the player in teh air..
Sour fking grapes from sore fking losers
9 Oct 2011, 15:44 pm
Even though I”m dissapointed at the refs decisions and the final score I’m mighty proud of the effort. We were unlucky and just couldn’t finish off.
Looking forward to the 4 nations 2012, I think it’s time to dominate that tournament.
9 Oct 2011, 16:33 pm
The most irritating thing is Bryce Lawrence publicly admitted that he made crucial errors in australias loss against ireland. It is absolutely astounding that he was given the bok aussie quarter given this state of affairs. He should have been given a quarter not involving australia or none at all. The IRB or whoever sanctions the appointments should have considered this because no matter whether he got it wrong today or not this conflict gives rise to reasonable questions of his suitability or subconscious desire to even the scorecard. A very avoidable situation and shows a lack of due care on the part of the IRB.
9 Oct 2011, 16:49 pm
Day light robbery
9 Oct 2011, 17:06 pm
Boks lost today with oz picking up a lucky win….
Hopefully the kiwi’s can bury them next weekend!
Will be edging them on, if the boks can’t win let the all blacks take the spoils
F UCK Australia!
9 Oct 2011, 18:06 pm
I honestly don’t get all these Aussies on the site boasting about how we continue to whinge. Go do something else with your time…geeze…
Go watch the game with a detailed analysis and come tell me that Bryce didn’t hand the Aussies the game.
Yes, he was poor in general, allowed Boks to get away with stuff as well, but considering who was doing all the attacking and who was doing all the defending, the Aussies would invariably have picked up some penalties. They had a bad record so far at the tournament for conceding breakdown penalties, but now suddenly when they were under pressure for the whole game they don’t concede penalties.
USE LOGIC!
Oh hang on, we whine so naturally we’re all stupid upstairs as twits like ET point out. So our Logic is flawed…
9 Oct 2011, 18:07 pm
ag you know, its the story of our lives isn’t it….anything to keep the dirty saffa’s down…
9 Oct 2011, 18:08 pm
@toothgnasher(toothgnasher)-109:
hear, hear…
9 Oct 2011, 18:08 pm
This game aside, the refs have been diabolical throughout the tournament for ALL the teams. It’s killing rugby… and it’s killing it quickly.
Paddy O’Brian is destroying Rugby.
9 Oct 2011, 18:12 pm
@lepel(lepel)-113:
Craig Joubert has done a great job, so far, and in my opinion should get the final.
9 Oct 2011, 18:12 pm
@lepel(lepel)-113: In an interview he said he gives the refs 7,5/10, but sortof curving towards 8/10 so far in the tournament largely because they let games flow.
SA vs Aus game did NOT flow, NZ vs Arg game did NOT flow, Eng vs France did NOT flow… Sure, they’re blowing less penalties, but the balls are continually slowed down at the breakdown, or stolen illegally. It kills attacking momentum and flow…
Paddy O’Brian is the biggest problem in international rugby and he MUST go.
9 Oct 2011, 18:13 pm
@David(David)-114: He’s been the best of the bunch, I agree.
9 Oct 2011, 18:15 pm
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-103:
Skinstad pointed out, at half time, that the Boks should realise what he wasn’t blowing and play accordingly.
9 Oct 2011, 18:23 pm
Under current IRB and referee control the game of rugby has become a disgrace!
Rugby teams are no longer beating each other in a fair contest. The referee will determine the outcome of the game on his interpretation of the laws which will differ from game to game depending on which teams are on the field. Bryce Lawrence refereed the Australia/Ireland game totally different than the Australia/Springbok game.
The IRB and its referees are a disgrace to the game!
9 Oct 2011, 18:24 pm
@David(David)-117:
true.
i asked myself why the boks were not adapting to what he was blowing at the breakdown, especially in the second half.
9 Oct 2011, 19:00 pm
@Uys(Uys)-118: And it’s going to become more and more of a problem as fans turn away from rugby. How can you try and promote the most confusing game on the planet (Rugby has the most rules) to potentially new fans when the rules are seemingly different in every game…
9 Oct 2011, 21:42 pm
@once more unto the breach, dear springboks, once more…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-119:
I’ve heard this said everywhere, but how exactly do you adapt to this? Does someone just punch Pocock in the face? If the ref allows a player to infringe and slow the ball down, what must the opposition do? Bakkies-style clean-outs?
9 Oct 2011, 21:59 pm
What is sacking ??
Rossouw disagree’s with the refs call on the penalty which gave the aussies the winning points.
He says he sacked the player and as far as he knew you are allowed 2 sack a player. He says he did not play him in the air.
9 Oct 2011, 22:15 pm
i dont think i’ve ever seen the boks play so well and lose.
congrats to aussie for doing the houdini act.
now I know how ABs felt in 2007, and to a lesser extent wales in the opening game.
9 Oct 2011, 22:17 pm
Not SURE if I was WATCHING
POKER or bridge today.
Braai Lawless and priceless.
Say that when you are drunk B\RYCE Laweless
do not think to come and visit in the land of William Web Ellis.
.They spent all their bullets. 2015 2019 RSA
9 Oct 2011, 22:21 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-122:
Tree, actually he had his legs while in the air and pulled them.
I saw it on the replay. Fact is Matfield could have been penalised as well for putting his hands all over the Ozzie while he was mid air.
What Rossouw has said is rubbish. You can only sack a maul.
It was a lineout, no maul therefore a penalty. The ABs were penalised twice against the Argies for pulling the jumper. Its dangerous and Rossouw could have recieved a card for it to be honest.
9 Oct 2011, 22:39 pm
i only saw what matfield did, so cant comment on darnie, but wud be silly 4 him 2 lie when every one will watch the replays. Still dont know what sacking is though, HELP ! ! !
9 Oct 2011, 22:40 pm
It’s simple to sort this out. The IRB should allow rucking. Guys who lie on the wrong side or use their hands will just get trampled. Its guaranteed to keep guys like Pocock honest. Not sure why they banned it in the first place…. No one has ever been killed by being rucked. Always been part of the game.
9 Oct 2011, 23:04 pm
@Uys(Uys)-118:
Thats not true. Bryce has been the most lenient ref at the breakdown throughout the whole tournament and last night was no different. You cant say he was inconsistant. SA had their chances to win the game but blew them ALL. Morne missed crucial penalty conversions, Lambie overan Fourie(?) forcing the forward pass, Lambie missed his drop goal attempt and worst of all was Dannies senseless lifting of an Australian player at the lineout, gifting Bieber Occonor a penalty to take the lead and win the game. Bryce didnt lose that game for the Bokke! The Bokke lost that game all on their own!
9 Oct 2011, 23:08 pm
@Nuk3Fr33k1w1(Nuk3Fr33k1w1)-128:
* it was JdV not Foruie*
9 Oct 2011, 23:53 pm
In both yesterdays games the refs allowed the defending teams far more latitude at the breakdown than would be normal. Pocock did have an excellent game, but you only had to watch his face at some of the breakdowns to see that even he felt that he was getting away with things more than normal. Why else do you look up at the ref and then suddenly pull a ball out of the ruck as he did a few times. The Boks got way with some stuff as well, but lost the ‘free-for-all’ breakdown battle when HB went off. The Argies were also very lucky not to end up with more guys in the bin given the tactics that they used to stay in the game.
What scares me the most about this is thinking back to Barnes ‘possum in the headlights’ performance in 2007. We haven’t seen one quite that bad yet this time, but the QF refs seem to be heading in that direction with a noticeable drop off in the number of penalties awarded. Let’s hope neither of the semi’s aren’t decided with a similar poor performance.
9 Oct 2011, 23:53 pm
aren’t = are
10 Oct 2011, 00:12 am
All I can say is this not the last a ref will decide the out come iof a game in this tournament .
10 Oct 2011, 02:19 am
@Kietzphat(Kietzphat)-5:
How many times did I read
“we will win with Bryce”
prior to KO ?
lots and lots.
~guffaw~
10 Oct 2011, 02:25 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-11:
H I L A R I O U S article, thanks so much my wee nanny-goat.
“Mr Bryce Lawrence, the son of an official…..”
written by Mark Reason
THE SON OF A JOURNALIST !!!!
yes, thats right – Mark Reason, the son of John Reason, who hated the ABs SO MUCH in the 60′s – 80′s (nb in particular because of NZs sporting links with aparthied-era SA), that he took it upon himself to ridicule the ABs with a venomous vitriol at every single opportunity that he makes Stephen Jones look like an AB cheerleader.
…………………………~~~~~~~~~~~~@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
10 Oct 2011, 02:28 am
@BlueBlood(BlueBlood)-19:
“the ref cost us the game. he should be killed immediately. it was nonsense. kill bryce right now. kill him.”
ah yes, we remember all the mocking, here, of the Kiwis editing the Wiki profile of Wayne Barnes after Cardiff.
what next – therapy sessions ? domestic violence ?
10 Oct 2011, 02:34 am
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-72:
“Kiwis are cheating and Aussies have been crushed today”
I could tune here every day just to read your posts. Dont run away now, y’hear !
10 Oct 2011, 02:43 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-136: Yup, kicked off with “Tonga were moral victors”, now wheels have come off completely. Expect a frothy breakdown should ABs win the cup.
10 Oct 2011, 02:58 am
I’m thinking we create a list of idiots, so that new bloggers know who to ignore.
So far I’ve got:
ashampoopaloo
poppa69
grant10
Black Panther
youknowwho
Other names don’t come to mind straight away… but you know who you are.
10 Oct 2011, 03:03 am
Written in today’s UK Guardian – an independent assessment:
South Africa complained long and hard that Australia were slowing down their ball but the referee Bryce Lawrence took the view throughout that, unless he saw a blatant offence, he would give both the attacking and defending sides latitude. The Wallabies did take advantage but the Springboks were not averse to entering a breakdown from the side and off their feet and Burger once got away with diving into a ruck off his feet and grabbing Pocock’s head before twisting it.
South Africa were also fortunate in the second half when Steyn body checked Digby Ioane as the wing chased his own chip into the Springboks’ 22 but was not even penalised for a cynical offence that merited a yellow card. For all their complaints about the anarchy at the breakdown South Africa created enough opportunities to have won comfortably.
Thoughts?
10 Oct 2011, 03:05 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-138: Thanks for that. Note taken.
10 Oct 2011, 03:10 am
@BillMcConnell(BillMcConnell)-139:
I saw the Steyn incident, and agree that it could have resulted in a yellow card. End of the day though that wasn’t points on the board, which is what we were denied by having the ball turned over illegally.
Didn’t think the Schalk incident was as bad as is being made out. Dan Vickerman was the main culprit, and they also got away with a few high tackles, 2 that come to mind straight away.
10 Oct 2011, 03:15 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-141: Agree with most of what you say but who knows what a yellow card for Steyn could have resulted in. Either way, shouldhaves and couldhaves are a fairly pointless except for a good argument. Most of the NZ and Eng press seem to suggest SA were offside at the ruck at a lot of the time and Bryce just had no control full stop. It was a brutal affair that’s for sure. You guys should be very proud even through that may stick in your craw a little. You won’t get any gloating from me – that’s just ugly.
10 Oct 2011, 03:21 am
@BillMcConnell(BillMcConnell)-142:
I’m very proud of the guys, as I said yesterday in another thread. I think every single players should be happy with his performance, because they all gave their best – except maybe Pierre Spies, he’s just useless.
Bryce Lawrence is a joke, but maybe we should have played according to his interpretation. We couldn’t adapt, especially after Brussow went off injured.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt… you can’t play Australia without Heinrich Brussow. We lost that test earlier this year in Durban as well after he went off in the 50th minute. After that the Aussies had their way at the rucks.
10 Oct 2011, 03:23 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-143:
Oh, I never became a Danie Rossouw fan. The guy runs far too upright, only knows one direction, which is straight ahead, misses a HUGE amount of tackles and has the worst hands I’ve seen since Lomu. I’m glad to see the back of him.
10 Oct 2011, 03:26 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-143:
Nice one Hendrikp
You guys should be proud of the efforts the Boks put into that game, just could not quite finish. Oz only had a couple of chances and they took them, thats all that was in it really.
Brussow was a huge loss for you. As said the rucks were a free for all and Brussow would have loved it, game changer really. But it was just the finishing,very sad to go out on such a dominant performance.
10 Oct 2011, 03:31 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-143: 100% with you on all counts in both comments. I dip in and out of this site because it is a great rugby blog (best I’ve come across) with real fans who know their stuff. In the Virgin Islands there isn’t a great deal of coverage. But there are also some real ferals that come out of the woodwork at which point I just sign off. Your list is a good idea.
10 Oct 2011, 03:35 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-145:
We’ll be back. South Africa has far too much rugby talent to be losing in a quarter-final. They definitely shouldn’t be satisfied… but if a talented coach is given the head coaching job – I’d prefer Brendan Venter, or Rassie Erasmus if it’s a management role similar to Martin Johnson – and he keeps the guys together and replaces the departing players and dead wood (just Pierre Spies) we’ll win more often then not.
Our goal has to be recovering from this Head-to-Head record against the All Blacks:
Wins: 34
Losses: 46
Draws: 3
It’d take a hell of a long time considering we’ll only be playing each other twice a year, but that has to be the goal.
10 Oct 2011, 03:44 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-147: I wouldn’t be at all worried about the future of SA rugby if I were you. You have some fantastic young players, good rugby brains (Venter and Erasmus among them) and an infrastructure and rugby production line that is starting to get back to where was in the 70s and early 80s. Being out of international rugby for a while was always going to take a toll when you got back and your balance sheet against the ABs is probably the best indicator of that. Correcting that (from an SA point of view) is a good goal to have and I’m sure whoever takes over would have that as a long term ambition to nail.
10 Oct 2011, 03:45 am
@BillMcConnell(BillMcConnell)-146:
It’s easy to sit on your couch and find fault, then tell everyone to F off if they point out where you went wrong.
Fourie du Preez for example. I keep hearing he was slow… I played a bit of scrumhalf, and it’s not as simple as getting to the ball and moving it on as quick as possible. That’s how turn-overs happen. You need to make decisions from the base, and hold the ball until the receivers are in a position to make use of the ball. du Preez’s tactical kicking was also excellent.
His sniping isn’t what it used to be. Genia has overtaken him as a running scrumhalf… but Fourie du Preez was definitely the right choice for this game.
Francois Hougaard is a terrific player, but a poor scrumhalf. I’m calling it now – Ruan Pienaar will be the Boks starting scrumhalf in 2012.
10 Oct 2011, 03:51 am
@BillMcConnell(BillMcConnell)-148:
Definitely not worried. There is a lot of talent… if we just use it correctly.
I’d have liked to have won this World Cup, but at the same time I’m confident we will now get a very good coach. Hoskins has a lot more brains then that fool Brian van Rooyen, so he’ll realise only the best can take us forward.
For now I’m cheering for the underdogs, Wales, but I’m really just hoping for an entertaining final 4 games.
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