Brave Wallabies shut out Boks
9 Oct 2011
JON CARDINELLI watched the Wallabies hang on for what could be the unlikeliest yet most significant victory at this 2011 World Cup.
Did the better team win? It’s a question the Springboks will be asking themselves from now and until the next global tournament in 2015.
South Africa controlled the game for large periods but were repeatedly undone by the Wallabies’ heroic defence. David Pocock was talked about as a danger man in the build up, and after a breakdown performance highlighted by some momentum stalling and often try-saving turnovers, he was undoubtedly the game’s MVP.
Much will be said about referee Bryce Lawrence’s performance with the whistle. Lawrence adopted an ‘anything goes’ policy at the rucks, but it was the Wallabies that adapted to the official’s style early on. The Wallabies dominated the collisions in the first half, and with Heinrich Brussow crying off with a rib injury, the Boks battled to combat Pocock’s inhibiting presence at the breakdown.
The Boks enjoyed as much as 84% territory and 55% possession in the first half, and yet only garnered a three point return. Their poor ball security at ruck time led to turnovers, as did their tendency to spill the ball in contact.
They upped their game in both respects in the second stanza, and it was all the Aussie could do to hang on. The subdue and conquer style so prominent and effective in 2009 once again held sway, and the Wallabies forwards struggled to resist the Boks when they cleaned out would-be ball poachers. They also battled to deal with the high ball, which was well chased by South Africa’s belligerent backs.
Quade Cooper had a shocker. After a dropping a high ball first up, he was often caught in possession and failed to provide the expected impact with the boot. A number of Wallabies grew increasingly susceptible as the game wore on, but the Boks just lacked that killer blow.
There’s no denying that the Boks had their chances. Jean de Villiers made a scything break in the second stanza and put Pat Lambie away for a try, only to be called back for a forward pass. Fourie du Preez thought he was in for a five-pointer when some good Bok defence dislodged the ball centimetres from the Aussie line. Unfortunately, the ball was again knocked free as Du Preez reached for the line.
Every Bok surge into Wallabies territory was succeeded by a desperate display of defence. The turnover followed, and the Aussies’ inability to clear their lines with any great distance ensured the game remained in the Wallabies’ half. The Boks’ lineout dominance also contributed to their territorial ascendancy, but in the end they will lament their inconsistent showing at the breakdown, as well as their poor finishing when it was on out wide.
After a frustrating period on attack, Morne Steyn finally put the Boks ahead 9-8 with a well-taken drop-goal. With 20 minutes to play, the momentum was with the Boks and if they continued to play in Wallabies territory and control possession, they would advance to the semi-finals.
But the introduction of Berrick Barnes had the desired effect for the Wallabies, and after a series of tactical kicking misfires by his team-mates, he delivered a rolling kick deep into the Boks’ 22. The Wallabies remained in the Boks’ half and eventually won a penalty, which James O’Connor held his nerve to convert.
It was a massive moment for the youngster, who had missed a relatively easy attempt in the first half. If he had missed, the chances were the Boks would regain possession, resume control and win the game. If he slotted it, it would set up a dramatic eight minutes where the Wallabies would need to continue to repel the rampant Bok forwards.
Through the Herculean efforts of Bismarck du Plessis and Schalk Burger, the Boks threw everything at the Aussies in those final minutes. They even managed to turn the Wallabies over, but unfortunately knocked it on just when they were moving back into the area of the field where Steyn would be able to kick for goal.
From there, the Wallabies closed out the game smartly. It will remain one of the great escapes for the Wallabies, but the Boks can hardly argue that they deserved to win this game. They didn’t take their opportunities, and on the day, the scoreboard will show that they were punished for that failure to convert dominance into points.
1,133 Comments
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9 Oct 2011, 09:18 am
Pocock and the Aussies got away with murder at the breakdowns and the Boks got a raw deal .
As per usual Schalk Burger was incredible .
I believe the turnover that led to the try Pocock kicked that back illegally
9 Oct 2011, 09:18 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-741:
Cheers
9 Oct 2011, 09:19 am
@ET.(ET.)-89: You are a true fool and life will always deliver exactly what people like you deserve. I’m happy and you’re a grub.
9 Oct 2011, 09:19 am
We better destroy those ***** in the cricket now…
9 Oct 2011, 09:19 am
@Black Power(Black Power)-609:
You’re looking like a real idiot now. If you’re going to try and wind people up, at least get the spelling right you pillock!!! It’s C-H-O-K-E-R-S. You’ve had eighteen years or so to learn it….
9 Oct 2011, 09:19 am
Pocock was huge. To be honest we need a paradigm shift in terms of attack. We had plenty of ball and territory.
Hopefully we can now clear out the dead wood and get a good coaching team who can rebuild and improve our team.
As for Bryce Lawrence, what a terrible referee, loads of bad calls on both sides. Hopefully he does not referee another game.
For Australia, I think Quade Cooper looked terrible, now I’ll support the ABs …
I can’t imagine Slade will be worse than QC
9 Oct 2011, 09:19 am
@Inevitable(Inevitable)-736:
“The SAFFAS gambled everything on winning the WC – and failed miserably!”
You obviously take delight in this. Otherwise, well done to the Aussies. They were simply better than us today.
But you make a good point – was it really worth throwing 2 away 3N games this year? That was all for nothing now.
SA needs to lose its obsession with the RWC and “4 year plans”. We need to refocus on winning EVERY game.
9 Oct 2011, 09:20 am
Geez the Smitty haters in full force. I’m no Smit fan but he was good today. Divvy should have subbed Brussie with Bismark although Flo was not bad at all. Danie, FDP, Spies and JPP was poor tonight. We could have won this ease but our hands was just shocking. Yes… this Bryce had a absolute shocker but we blew it. Well done Aus but with Cooper at 10 you will be going home next week. Schalk …. great game buddy. I’m out.
9 Oct 2011, 09:20 am
disgracefull by Lawrence, it was pretty clear all through the match as he guided them
lambies try was not a forward pass but a flat one
the other try was a forward pass, but life goes on , that whole bok team played their hearts out ,
9 Oct 2011, 09:20 am
Commiserations Boks fans, as a Kiwi, trust me I know what you’re feeling right now. It’s not easy to get to sleep after a game like that in the middle of the night, it sucks. Bad luck, I thought SA should have won. Had Frans not been injured, it may well have been a different result. Not having Carter may cost us, too, in another hour or so. Anything can happen in the knockout stages and if the Pumas are up for it, who knows, the ABs may also be out of the tournement by tonight. Re Bryce L, I’ve always thought he was rubbish. Whenever he refs, every ruck or maul is a lottery.
9 Oct 2011, 09:20 am
@NZMaori(NZMaori)-656: Thanks mate – yes we are the losers today though only on the scoreboard
Actually very proud of the way the Boks played – they dominated that game totally except in taking their opportunities. All the best for the Blacks next week and Hope New Zealand take the Cup – they deserve it. Feel better now?
9 Oct 2011, 09:20 am
Boks out of world cup
Bafana out of African cup of nation after celebrating prematurely. Dancing and singing and show ponying – then realise oops we not in…
What a weekend.
Province thumped, Boks pipped, Bafana bombed…can’t get worse…
9 Oct 2011, 09:21 am
Lawrence is an Anzac. What was anyone expecting? A fair contest?
If I see Smit in the street I’m going to shove some dogshit in his face. PdV will go down as one of the worst coaches in Bok history. Both of you get the F-UCK OUT OF HERE.
9 Oct 2011, 09:21 am
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-743:
Very sad, take your medicine
9 Oct 2011, 09:21 am
@BillMcConnell(BillMcConnell)-753:
Don’t take the fool seriously. He’s a stalker.
9 Oct 2011, 09:21 am
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-721:and rugby is played on the scoreboard hey?
just admit they shut you up today…
9 Oct 2011, 09:21 am
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-746:
Hats off to you Slum.
9 Oct 2011, 09:21 am
@ET.(ET.)-748: you’re a nobody.
9 Oct 2011, 09:22 am
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-699:
You must have admired they way the Aussies took out your favourite team?
Pretty impressive stuff!
Scored a try as well!
9 Oct 2011, 09:22 am
It is better to be beaten fair and square; you wont enjoy it but as you unpack it in your own mind you know there’s no excuse.
I have been talking about Bryce for at least 2 years now and he is a fraud and cheat, so are his employers
9 Oct 2011, 09:22 am
@Fumbler(Fumbler)-760:
Good luck buddy. This is the best year for you guys. If you don’t take this one, then it is going to get tougher and tougher. World teams are catching up fast.
9 Oct 2011, 09:22 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-671: that it can mate – arent you going to watch the All Blacks vs Argies??? Movie?? heheh Good luck.
9 Oct 2011, 09:23 am
This feels like a Super rugby loss… at the most a Super rugby semi final loss. I suppose it is the awful atmosphere and seeing the same yellow stadium over and over.
9 Oct 2011, 09:23 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-762: Hard luck. Maybe with a better coach next time.
As for the ref, now you okes know how it felt in Cardiff and there it was way worse, at least you got plenty of penalties today.
Anyway, there’s always tomorrow.
9 Oct 2011, 09:23 am
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-763: you are a chop.
9 Oct 2011, 09:24 am
@RL(RL)-674: you are talking the biggest load of cr@p mate – JP was fine Habana is the moegoe who always stuffs up. Aplon should have come on for Lambie in the last 10 considering we were losing.
9 Oct 2011, 09:24 am
NZ will now go on to win this. Boks were the only hope. Now you have the young di-ck sucker Wallabies without the ref on their side in the semi.
9 Oct 2011, 09:24 am
I always say the team that scores the most tries should win even if they were not the best team on the day,and that is exactly what happened here today the ozzies were bullied by the boks but they scored the only try and that was off a bok mistake,that was there only chance to score in the 80 minutes and they took it.The best team lost today but as i have said the scoreboard is the only thing that matters after the game is finished the boks lost and we just have to get over it and move on.
9 Oct 2011, 09:24 am
@President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts(sharks_lover)-759: i’m so proud of the boys, disappointed by the result but not cut up at all.
well played by all the boys…
lambie is all class
9 Oct 2011, 09:24 am
How many high tackles did the ref and touch judges miss? Might not have led directly to points, but to better territory and better chances! I am amazed at wha they wee( line out) and what they miss! He’ll they get paid well to do this job! **** I am sore, but well defended aussie, you made it happen!
9 Oct 2011, 09:24 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-775:
How did your John Smit go today? You foking blind sheep. Open your eyes.
9 Oct 2011, 09:25 am
Aussies were well and truly outplayed
I felt the Boks bullied them and it is actually a humiliating victory for them
9 Oct 2011, 09:25 am
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-777: Yes and you can always say, this win does not count, too, because “you weren’t there”.
Hardenthefookup and stop whingeing.
9 Oct 2011, 09:25 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-768:
And you are a ” BANTU ” Out of Africa somebody?
9 Oct 2011, 09:25 am
I actually don’t mind the ABs winning that much, with the way they’ve constantly dominated and their style of rugby you feel they deserve a WC, but seeing the smug faces off those SA AB fans will be too much to handle. French/Welsh upset? Just hope the Aussies don’t do it.
9 Oct 2011, 09:25 am
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-773:
Your ( You’re ) a complete joke.
Hows that? is that better
9 Oct 2011, 09:25 am
@Nils(Nils)-774:
Thanks mate. Yes the AB’s huge favourites. Always been and this may be the year. You play what is in front of you. The ref made strange decisions, but that is not the reason we lost. With 74% possession you should be winning easily. We had no plan B, so played plan A even though it was not working…
9 Oct 2011, 09:25 am
Well actually of the remaining people I’d prefer the NZ’ers to win. They deserve it most
9 Oct 2011, 09:26 am
Brussow would have made no difference.. ref gave Pocock too much leniency in breakdown law.. Louw had an absolute storming game and was a big contributor…
Spies tried hard but his blind side break down toucj line alone was just plain and simple ‘stupid”
The loss was not converting attack ball into points and that comes down to too much reliance on traditional one dimensionality..
FdP was the big contributor to slow ball on attack
This team would have won this game today
Lambie
JPP
Fourie
JdV
Aplon
Steyn
Hougaard
Alberts
Burger
Brussow
Matfield
Roussow
JPP
Bismark
Steenkamp
Beast
Smit
CJ
Spies
Louw
Pienaar
De Jongh
9 Oct 2011, 09:26 am
A more unworthy side of the title ‘World Champion’ than Australia you couldn’t name, don’t even have a lineout or proper forwards that can stand up and match it … and a more destructive coach than Peter de Villiers you couldn’t name either.
Villain of the piece for me is John Smit for the utter selfishness of carrying on playing ahead of Bismarck. As his parting signature to a general 2/10 perfortmance for the last two years he missed the tackle that gave them the winning try. Smit lost us the World Cup and so did the coach who selected him. He needs to be fired with immediate effect. Pocock won it for them – the injury to Brussouw (along with Bakkies and Frans Steyn) cost us also when we we needed them most – Lady Luck was very cruel to us?
9 Oct 2011, 09:26 am
@Black Power(Black Power)-550: Chocking is what you do when you place wooden wedges in front of an aeroplane’s wheels.
Choking only has one C in it.
Pay attention in your spelling class, pilgrim.
9 Oct 2011, 09:26 am
My girlfriend is Argentinaian so:)
GO PUMAS
but NZ do deserve to win
GO PUMA’S
9 Oct 2011, 09:26 am
Now that we are recovering from the shock, was not really suprised by the score, will a smarter player like Luke not have made sense than a donkey like Spies at 8? I mean this in all honesty. Should PDV not insisted on his more axpansive rugby when he took over?
The Boks did not out muscle the Aussies as many had insisted. A team needs a ball player, creativity to unlock a defense. We had no one to unlock the Ausies today and we never had from Jake’s time. This is nothing new, it comes from far away.
People like Danie Gerber, Michael dup and Carel dup must be ashamed of this donkey type of rugby. No brains relying overly on braun and kicking away possession with the hope that your opponents will make a mistake. Stupid, stupid rugby.
9 Oct 2011, 09:26 am
@Nils(Nils)-783:
I am 3 for 3 and soon it should be 4 for 4.
Final will be N.Z. vs. France
9 Oct 2011, 09:27 am
Fact remains, with all that possession and territory, it should never have so close that a ref’s call (either way) was capable of swinging the game.
Except for the breakdowns (which the Bokke seemed to have forgotten about) the SA forwards were immense.
It was our lack of creativity and penetration that did it for us.
Australia, despite not having any ball, were the opposite – you felt they could have scored a try at any time. And with the little ball they had, they scored one and we scored none.
I’m looking forward to a new coach with new ideas. We musn’t be scared to look overseas if needs be. And it is time for some fresh faces in the playing team.
9 Oct 2011, 09:27 am
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-776:
JP was mediocre mate! Habanna was too…
9 Oct 2011, 09:27 am
Anyway it should be interesting next year with new-look Boks and ABs teams and new coaches.
9 Oct 2011, 09:27 am
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-763: at the end of the day Divvy will be know as a kak coach … Skop likes him for some reason
Skop likes him for puting his tail between his legs and running to Plod.
9 Oct 2011, 09:28 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-789:
Agreed – with proviso don’t take off Bismarck unless he is dead – change that, even if he is dead leave him on the field.
9 Oct 2011, 09:28 am
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-782:
lol Oh yeah Sheriff, the Ozzies feel really humiliated.
Anyway, tough luck mate, its a sad day for you guys.
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