Bumbling Boks blow it
9 Oct 2011
RYAN VREDE writes the Springboks’ chronic struggles at the gainline was ultimately terminal to their cause to defend their title.
Lets get the issue of the perceived bias of referee, Bryce Lawrence, out of the way. This is a man who has heavily punished the Wallabies in the three games he has officiated them at the tournament, awarding 33 penalties to their opponents, and just 18 in their favour.
It is foolish to launch the witch hunt against the New Zealander because, in a game of cause and effect, the Springboks must look to their frequent impotence and lack of basic handling errors (11 in total) at the gainline as the root cause of their defeat in Wellington tonight. 76% territory, 56% possession, Australia making almost three times as many tackles (147 to 53). The Springboks should have won emphatically, instead they will watch the remainder of the tournament play out from home.
They produced one particularly infuriating period between the 26th and 35th minute, conceding three ruck turnovers – five, eight and 10m from the Wallabies’ tryline, as well as butchering a try and coughing up possession in the tackle 10m from goal. In the 59th and 67th minutes David Pocock, allowed greater scope thanks to the absence of Heinrich Brussow (off in the 20th minute) pilfered a ball 5m from his chalk, and a minute later Fourie du Preez – for the second time – spilled the ball .
They must reflect on the aforementioned period with deep regret. Australia had earlier capitalised on their inability to protect the ball in contact, the ball being turned over in the build-up to the 12th minute try. Outside of that the Wallabies offered nothing on attack. They soaked up pressure and scrambled desperately. They live on thanks to the generosity of their opponents.
The Springboks looked formidable, unstoppable even, when they were able to build phases. You wondered how any team would stop them. Then they stopped themselves.
It must be noted that coach Peter de Villiers undermined his own cause with his persistence with John Smit ahead of the dog of war, Bismarck du Plessis. Smit was a tortoise in a china shop until the bull was unleashed to remarkable effect in the 50th minute.
De Villiers’ loyalty to Smit was going to cost him dearly at some stage. This moment wasn’t unpredictable. Du Plessis, like Dan Carter of New Zealand, is a player with the ability to be the difference between victory and defeat. Of the plethora of errors De Villiers has made, he should lament is misplaced loyalty to his captain most deeply.
And so the dream ends. There’ll be a string of references to an ugly win for the Wallabies. I disagree. The Springboks lost ugly tonight.
By Ryan Vrede, at the Wellington Regional Stadium
Follow Ryan’s World Cup coverage on Twitter
136 Comments
Pages: « 1 [2] 3 » Show All
9 Oct 2011, 09:34 am
Ryan,you are a joke,did you play tiddly winks at school?
9 Oct 2011, 09:36 am
i agree dirty play on Brussow’ and yet watch nothing will happen
9 Oct 2011, 09:36 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-39:
not in my opinion..his best game in ages isn’t anywhere near his best. His kicking out of hand is laughably bad particularly for a winger who spent 4 years at loftus?
9 Oct 2011, 09:37 am
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-49:
Haha I forgot about the “dangerous scrumming”.
But Vrede likes ignoring those calls. He’s not into ref bashing, even when it was as bad as it was tonight.
I say when the Samoan Prime Minister can call out the IRB, Vrede should at least be fighting for what is right in this regard.
But he’s a coward.
9 Oct 2011, 09:37 am
If you have to start out a column defending the referee, then you need not continue.
The Boks were awesome.
The Wallabies were brave.
The sneaky team won.
The person responsible for a fair game, failed.
9 Oct 2011, 09:38 am
Why was Schalk playing first receiver most of the game? Pakslae was ineffective. Team was not well gelled. Boks paid the price for going into their shell after they went into the lead. Ref was shite but a champion team deals with those things
9 Oct 2011, 09:39 am
habana needs to hang up the boots
spies is looking **** we need to make way for people who deserve to be there
lets see jean deysel duane vermuulen
9 Oct 2011, 09:39 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-53:
He kicked what, once? After he’d been hammered 3 or 4 times.
I think outside of Danie Rossouw & Pierre Spies, all the Springboks had good games.
Jaque Fourie wasn’t at his best either, but I wouldn’t put him in with the two mentioned above.
9 Oct 2011, 09:40 am
Tries win matches – as I’ve said.
We were scoring tries with FS at #12.
JdV is the big culprit here. Look at the games he played for the Boks lately
and everyone blames MS? FS and MS together were a revelation.
Naturally Ryan will blame anyone other that someone from WP.
Time he got some stem cells and grew a pair.
9 Oct 2011, 09:40 am
The boks had their best game in 3 years today. There where one or two mistakes.
Any other ref and the Boks would have walked this game. Two times when the boks where 5m out Pocock stole the ball illegally which should have been penalty for the first one and a yellow card for the second.
The Boks should’ve gotten 6 penalties in the Ausies half. Bryce had an direct influence on the outcome off this game.
9 Oct 2011, 09:41 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-20:
Fair enough he had a “good game” – but good is the enemy of the best – that’s my point, keeping secret weapon off the park so long was the irrationality of it … and it cost us the World Cup; he didn’t even lead with any sort of perceivable inspiration, our whole team performance shot up the moment he came off … that’s the point: good is the enemy of the best …
9 Oct 2011, 09:42 am
@klippies101(klippies101)-57:
Jean Deysel? Duane Vermeulen?
I’d stick with Spies ahead of those two, even though I think he’s pathetic.
I’d like to see the Boks move Schalk to 8. The position he will be most effective. Then bring in a younger guy who can play there as well that allows us to change to a more expansive game. I’m backing Nick Koster to have a break-out season in 2012, but even Ashley Johnson ahead of the two you mentioned would be nice.
9 Oct 2011, 09:43 am
4 years of “building for the WC”, only to lose in the quarters. This is why the WC shouldn’t be a priority. We’ve got to get a new coach, a winner, who doesn’t accept tri nations losses like this one (and Jake White) did.
9 Oct 2011, 09:44 am
@J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-61:
PdV and co. gambled, and in this case it didn’t pay off, but I’ll be disappointed if they don’t call out the referee, because really someone needs to assess that game.
When you’re camped on the opposition goalline, you’ve got 6 guys committed to a ruck and Pocock is allowed to come in from the side, on the ground and use his hands to steal it, something is terribly wrong with the refereeing.
Especially in a game that only had 2 points in it, those little decisions cost us, end of story.
9 Oct 2011, 09:44 am
im shattered,this is gonna be one moerse long day.i have to work now.im eyeing the drinks in my bar.
9 Oct 2011, 09:45 am
Hopefully Keo gets rid of Ryan Vrede as well … NO idea of rugby !!!
9 Oct 2011, 09:45 am
meyer for bok coach ? to be honest spies and habana havent been good in a long time
9 Oct 2011, 09:47 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-58:
he kicked 3 times.
9 Oct 2011, 09:47 am
Ausies should have never been aloud to score. They went off their feet and kicked the ball back from an offside position in the ruck. Should have been a penalty to the Boks
9 Oct 2011, 09:49 am
@PeaceFrog(PeaceFrog)-66:
I don’t want him sacked, I just wish he’d stick to doing work for the SA Rugby Magazine or something, rather then his assessment on rugby games… because like with this article he completely missed the point.
9 Oct 2011, 09:49 am
The outcome of this game is a disappointment but sadly, not a surprise. Mad Brycie did what Paddy told him BUT until SA officials and administration do something about it and take it seriously it will continue. Vrede trying to whitewash him is just childish and shows his limitations. Note how the suddenly super sharp touch judge picked up Danie R’s indiscretion? Amazing.
But while Ryan is a baby box I sort of agree about the Boks losing the game. Take the soft Aussie try. Defensive lineout, Brycie allowing all sorts of hands in and you try give it to Burger to run 10m from your line and then; don’t support the ball carrier! Basic, basic, basic. That is Muir’s and PDivvy’s total rugby idiocy. Drill the basics then try be clever. Shows what happens when you allow a spineless journo and corrupt administrator to pick your coach.
I salute the players. Every single one. They gave their all but were let down by the coaching staff and administration. Again.
9 Oct 2011, 09:49 am
All the boks had a good game including John Smit. We lost because we cannot score tries due to us still playing an antiquated game plan that relies on winning games by penalties. When we play a team who does not give away many penalties we lose even when we have 70% of the possession. We lost because of our coaching staff not any of our players.
9 Oct 2011, 09:49 am
am i the only one who saw the pass to lambie as not being forward? If you have as much ball as the Boks had an not win then you should lose. That is not say they deserved to lose.
Out of this must come some good. PDV, Muir and Gold out although whoever is the defence coach should stay. Its time to honour our senior players give them a good sending off and bring the the youth because we so much depth in SA. We didn’t disgrace ourselves here we just did not convert when we needed to.
also agree its bullsh1t to play from WC to WC we need to be the best in between otherwise these 50/50 games look so much worse when they don’t go your way
9 Oct 2011, 09:49 am
@klippies101(klippies101)-67:
can you honestly say willem alberts added anything?
regrettably, meyer has signed with the bulls for something like 5 years. He’s the only real candidate in my mind that has the whole package of a coaches armoury.
we’ll end up with another fuckwit.
9 Oct 2011, 09:50 am
hardly bumbling Boks mate. They dominated every phase
of the game!
9 Oct 2011, 09:50 am
Brycie needs to learn the rules of the game. Blame the IRB – they should have produced a Braille version just for him.
9 Oct 2011, 09:50 am
No doubt that Danie Rossouws indiscretion in the line-out cost the game and Fourie DuPreez’ missed try cost us on the scoreboard, but even before the match was started, it was a foregone conclusion that Bryce Lawrence would have an impact on the game. The “hands-in” he missed right in front of his line of sight when we were attacking in the first half should have been a scrum to us, The blatant tackles around the neck, the awarding of a scrum to the Aussies in the last three minutes when Bismarck had ripped the ball and it should have been our scrum, all add to the frustration. Bryce Lawrence had a significant impact on this game, as he does everytime he refs a Bok game. He appears to be Paddy O’Briens blue-eyed boy. Franklym the state of refereeing under O’Briens watch has declined markedly in recent times.
9 Oct 2011, 09:50 am
Bryce basically refused to blow any penalties at the breakdown today, we had all the territory but got no penalties. Very disappointed that a ref at this level could be so pathetic. He blew the breakdown the same for both teams but they were not the laws of the game.
9 Oct 2011, 09:51 am
So, who should be the next coach?
I reckon the only SA coach I’d consider is Brendan Venter – a bit more out of the box if you will. Otherwise I’d look to hire an overseas person.
I don’t think Coetzee or Meyer are what we need.
9 Oct 2011, 09:51 am
Hey Ryan,
I know that you’d like to be a journalist some day. But until then, read what even the Australian JOURNALISTS have to say about their saviour Lawrence:
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-match-report/win-for-the-ages-wallabies-triumph-against-the-odds-20111009-1lfki.html
9 Oct 2011, 09:52 am
@malcolm(malcolm)-72:
strange logic? Oz had at the most 30% possession and beat us with a penalty.
…does that not sound wierd to you.
9 Oct 2011, 09:52 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-79:
If you don’t have anything smart to say, keep your mouth shut.
9 Oct 2011, 09:52 am
@husky(husky)-71: I have to say that leg thing was pathetic from the ref, especially considering that the aussies were putting in high tackles but nothing was done…
9 Oct 2011, 09:54 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-74:
Meyer is way too much about Blue Bulls rugby to ever coach the Springboks. If you want the likes of Deon Stegmann, Dewald Potgieter, Werner Kruger etc. to be playing test rugby, then definitely ask for Heyneke Meyer. The domination of Blue Bulls players in the Springbok side would continue.
I think it should go to Rassie Erasmus, who then acts as a Manager – and uses coaches to do the actual coaching.
9 Oct 2011, 09:54 am
It will probably be Coetzee. He is the right colour and has been on the right side of the results table most of the time. He is far better than Div at least, although I would love to see what Mitchell or Eddie Jones would do with this side.
9 Oct 2011, 09:55 am
Tripple Rats..
Boks out!!
I misssed the game but it looks like G10, Skop, Robzim had a point, reading Ryans report here, “Bismark being unleashed in the 50th minute with remarkable effect”.
Then Ryan refers to John as a tortoise! Hummmmm
9 Oct 2011, 09:55 am
there is a simple solution, from today i will no longer read ryans articles.
Ryan what qualifies you to write about rugby? Oh and by the way have you gone back to bed? or you just dont have the balls to reply to comments made?
9 Oct 2011, 09:56 am
Guys, I’m not surprised that Bryce Lawrence is causing controversy. As a Sharks fan, Lawrence is very well known to me (and the Sharks mostly are on the receiving end)…
BUT
With all that possession and territory, we really should never have left it in the balance, to enable a ref call to swing the game.
Our forwards were good (except at the beakdown) and it really was our lack of creativity and penetration on attack that did us in. We were bereft of ideas. Normally we never have that much ball, when we had it – we didn’t know enough things to do with it.
Credit to the Aussies. They played poorly, yet still won. They are a better team than the Boks (as much *** that is difficult to swallow, it is true – 6 wins out of 7 games confirms a huge dominance).
9 Oct 2011, 09:56 am
@YoMama(YoMama)-82: strange reaction. I understand you are upset.
9 Oct 2011, 09:57 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-79:
Brendan won’t get it, otherwise I’d love to have him in charge. Someone with some brains who I doubt cares much for players from a particular province, a coach who would select the best, rather then Bulls, or Stormers players.
I do think Rassie would be good though. He’s a good ‘analyzer’, just not as good a coach. Make him the Manager like England have done with Johnson, and employ suitable coaches.
9 Oct 2011, 09:57 am
@carol(carol)-86: nope, Smit was actually good tonight. The forwards were all excellent.
Impossible to single out any one player.
9 Oct 2011, 09:58 am
@Sonito(Sonito)-78:
exactly…!!!
couldn’t put it better myself.
he refused to awarded any penalties at the breakdown and the team with the most possession and territory sufers from that.
with any other ref it would’ve been a 15-20 point win.
9 Oct 2011, 09:59 am
Losing is a habit – the Bokke need to bring in new blood to break it.
9 Oct 2011, 09:59 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-81: They also scored a try with 30% possession so I do not think it is strange logic at all. I am sure you and your ilk will blame John Smit for the loss despite the fact that the forwards John Smit included got 70% of the possession. If a backline cannot convert that amount of good ball into points then there is a problem although I do agree the ref did not help.
9 Oct 2011, 10:02 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-84:
that’s rubbish.
he needs talented backline players so buys them from WP?
he’s always been about what sort of player he needs to play a specific way and has never been afraid to get in consulatancy task specific coaching EG, the bulls work a lot with balie swart when required.
but a pointless debate as he will not apply in my opinion.
Rassie is to wishy washy
9 Oct 2011, 10:02 am
Ryan you suck. Thank you to the Bok legends that ended their carears today, great players, great team. We got robbed today. I agree with everything said above about the ref. Also, no penalties for the Aus players not rolling away. Bryce, your day will come. Ryan you suck! I am waiting for Keo’s article which will have the headline : I told you so!
9 Oct 2011, 10:03 am
The Boks could score with all the possesion because the ref aloud Aus to steal the ball illegally everytime we got close to the tryline!!
9 Oct 2011, 10:03 am
Anyone except Meyer as coach. Stain will be there till he is 50 and spies will probably get 200 caps whereas he deseves very few
9 Oct 2011, 10:03 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-91:
Was Ryan at the game then?
Perhaps he needs glasses!
9 Oct 2011, 10:03 am
@malcolm(malcolm)-94:
oh come on…that try wasn’t a result of any creativity was it?
Pages: « 1 [2] 3 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.