Smit starts with a loss

Smit starts with a loss

21 Nov 2011

Keo.co.za looks at the South Africans that featured in the European Cup this past weekend.

John Smit won his first start for Saracens on Saturday, but it was Biarritz that would go on to win the contest 15-10. Neither the former Springbok captain nor fellow South Africans like Ernst Joubert, Brad Barritt or Matt Stevens could prevent the result from going the way of the hosts.

Bath may have lost narrowly to lowly Glasgow two weeks previously, but pulled it back with a narrow 16-13 win over Montpellier. World Cup winner Stephen Donald was the hero for Bath, but Francois Louw and Michael Claassens also featured prominently as the English club fought to stay in contention for the European Cup play-offs. Meanwhile in the other fixture of the group, Leinster thumped Glasgow 38-13 with Heinke van der Merwe starting in the front row and Richardt Strauss coming off the bench.

Munster sneaked another narrow win thanks to a timely drop-goal by Ronan O’Gara, but the forwards will take some credit for the 27-24 victory over Castres, and no doubt starting props BJ Botha and Wian du Preez will take a bow. Unfortunately, Pedrie Wannenburg and Johann Muller could not lift Ulster as they went down 20-9 in Leicester, and Brian Mujati’s Saints suffered what could be a telling blow when they lost 28-23 to the Scarlets at home in Northampton.

Over in Italy, Treviso drew 26-26 with the Ospreys, with lock Corniel van Zyl starting for the home side. Flyhalf Willem de Waal was on the bench for Treviso.


44 Comments

  • 1.cane: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 10:53 am

    Barney the fat Dragon.

  • 2.justrugby: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 10:53 am

    So the trend continues !!

  • 3.Kietzphat: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 10:57 am

    Is Heinke playing loosehead or tighthead for Leinster?

  • 4.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 10:58 am

    @justrugby(justrugby)-2: hey, Smit is not sarries cappie! calm down! :D

  • 5.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 11:00 am

    @cane(cane)-1: No, not a dragon. Barney is a dinosaur, from our imagination.

  • 6.Hakeem Ash Mukalla : Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 11:04 am

    @>^..^< katman(katman)-5:

    I always Smitty was called Barney, after Barney Rubble of the Flintstones.

  • 7.Hakeem Ash Mukalla ,.....formly cane.: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 11:07 am

    @Hakeem Ash Mukalla (formly cane)(cane)-6:

    Oooooops, my cloak and dagger stuff is getting out of hand, even I forgot who I was for a moment.

    8)

  • 8.Taahirah: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 11:08 am

    @Hakeem Ash Mukalla (formly cane)(cane)-6: Nope.
    After Barney in “The Simpsons”.

  • 9.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 11:15 am

    @Hakeem Ash Mukalla (formly cane)(cane)-6: I think he was named after Barney Barnato, the Transvaal gold entrepreneur of the late 19th century, in recognition of the massive gold treasure he delivered in 2007.

  • 10.Staal: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 11:49 am

    Spoke to Vic last week…. lots of respect regarding JS.

  • 11.grant10: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 11:52 am

    @Staal(Staal)-10: of course…

    they were the Chairman and Treasure of the Fat Boys Club.

    What did you expect?

  • 12.grant10: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 11:53 am

    I see Vic rekking his bek about foreign Sa players and Boks…..

    wonder how Bakkies, Guthro and Danie, FDP amongst others mst be feeling about grootbek Motormouth now?

    Vok he seems to have an ego the size of Plods……fat boys unite…

  • 13.Staal: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 11:59 am

    @grant10(grant10)-11: :lol: i saw that coming!

  • 14.Staal: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:00 pm

    @grant10(grant10)-12: and that’s the scary part…

    everyone has got an opinion..

    Vic, me and you as well… :lol:

  • 15.Taahirah: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:01 pm

    @Staal(Staal)-10: I also spoke to him! On Saturday.
    Difference is, I had to stand in a queue to do so.
    :(
    Got a signed copy of his book but not the most riveting read ever…

  • 16.Staal: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:03 pm

    @Taahirah(Taahirah)-15: hehehehe – dis maar n boek oor rugby daai… no scandals… :lol:

  • 17.Taahirah: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:05 pm

    @grant10(grant10)-12: He’s actually very very very diplomatic in the book.
    A couple of interesting points though:
    (1) He reckons a large part of the blame for WP/Stormers underperformance can be laid at the feet of the Cape press who is to quick to write them up.
    (2) He’s disappointed with the Loftus faithful for being so eager to turn their collective backs on their team as soon as the Bulls hits a slump.
    (3) He rates Zane Kirchner

  • 18.Staal: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:07 pm

    We need rain in JHB!!!!! Komaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!

  • 19.grant10: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:11 pm

    @Taahirah(Taahirah)-17: interesting….

    Stormers WP certainly not written up by the more mature supporters….we all know our light 5 is a problem……

    Kirchner? Interesting…

  • 20.grant10: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:12 pm

    oh vok….i see lots of sunshine….aussies will treat this as a bloody 50 over game….going to go to the wire tell you

  • 21.Staal: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:13 pm

    @grant10(grant10)-19: naw… Wp got good enough players imo… change the coach.

    Wp will win silverware then. imo

  • 22.grant10: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:16 pm

    @Staal(Staal)-21: I am no AC fan……too much like Jake…..

    Wish Mallet would come get his hands dirty here …

  • 23.Staal: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:21 pm

    @grant10(grant10)-22: Mallet, Rassie, BVenter………

    anyone of them good enough to win silverware. imo

  • 24.grant10: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:23 pm

    @Staal(Staal)-23: well lets see who bok coach is…..we may see ac doing that gig….that may, in a perverse kinds way, open the door for someone like B Venter…..although Gold seems to have favored mation status for some obscure reason here in CT

  • 25.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:23 pm

    @grant10(grant10)-20: 12:00 pm The players are taking early lunch at the Wanderers. The officials will take another look at conditions in 30 minutes from now. There’s some blue sky around, but it is mostly overcast. If the rain stays away, the ground should be really dry in an hour. Covers are completely off and the Supersoppers are zipping around with intent. Weather permitting, we will have a 1.00 pm start! Stay tuned …

  • 26.grant10: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:28 pm

    @Transformation(Transformation)-25: thank you young man

  • 27.Hakeem Ash Mukalla ,.....formly cane.: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 12:58 pm

    I went on a bender over the weekend.

    But I never got drunk enough to walk into a restaurant naked.
    I never got that ****-faced that I assaulted anyone.
    And I just couldn’t bring myself to insult any women.

    I didn’t drive a scooter,
    and I arrived home without any cuts and bruises.

    I guess I just didn’t try hard enough.

  • 28.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 13:19 pm

    @Hakeem Ash Mukalla ,…..formly cane.(cane)-27: And you call yourself a Kiwi?

  • 29.grant10: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 13:20 pm

    @Kietzphat(Kietzphat)-3: loskop

  • 30.grant10: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 13:20 pm

    @Hakeem Ash Mukalla ,…..formly cane.(cane)-27: apprentice kiwi?

  • 31.Boksarenumber4: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 13:24 pm

    Smit can go to HELL

  • 32.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 13:34 pm

    @Boksarenumber4(Boksarenumber1)-31: Wow, that’s so harsh. I can only assume he banged your wife, used your toothbrush and then slipped into your pajamas for a kip while you were “away on business” (i.e. driving your bus).

  • 33.Taahirah: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 14:09 pm

    @>^..^< katman(katman)-32: Did he use the toothbrush to bang the wife?

  • 34.Qrest: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 14:30 pm

    Fatboy loses again.

    This is news?

  • 35.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 16:44 pm

    Those who understand the HEC will know a losing bonus point in Biarritz is a good result.

  • 36.Great White Shark: Reply to this comment
    21 Nov 2011, 20:14 pm

    keo seems to be insinuating that it was Smit that lost the game.

  • 37.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    22 Nov 2011, 00:44 am

    @Great White Shark(Predawn)-36: for once keo is being consistent. last week we even got treated to a PHOTO of the “aura” diving over the whitewash marking his try in his 1st game for sarries…now this week he started and the team lost.

  • 38.Qrest: Reply to this comment
    22 Nov 2011, 02:07 am

    @Big Hit(Big Hit)-35: Ahhh there’s that winning mentailty coming out of the north again.

  • 39.bryce_in_oz: Reply to this comment
    22 Nov 2011, 02:42 am

    @Transformation(Transformation)-37:

    Never took you for one that blames 1man for a 22man loss… did you watch the game… obviously not with a comment like that…

    Was pretty entertaining… Biarritz were huge particularly Harinordoquy… the strong Saracens pack were bullied… Schalk Brits most certainly wouldn’t have helped in this respect.

    Biggest influence missing was Neil De Kok…

  • 40.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    22 Nov 2011, 08:33 am

    @bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-39: i’m NOT blaming smit for the loss i’m just saying, in as much as you and others were in raptures last week as smit scored on debut for saraces, keo is reporting that saracens LOST on smit’s first start!

    some bloggers posted the saracens match 15 sometime last week so clealry it was newsworthy that smit was starting, so it must be equally newsworthy when his team falters on his first start!

  • 41.bryce_in_oz: Reply to this comment
    22 Nov 2011, 09:35 am

    @Transformation(Transformation)-40:

    Yep I wonder if the ‘usual suspects’ blamed Schalk Brits for losing 5 of their 6 games in last seasons HEC? :wink:

    Off-topic… did you get to see much of Ross Kennedy at your Kings this past season?

    Is he good enough to warrant a Crusaders call-up?

  • 42.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    22 Nov 2011, 09:52 am

    @bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-41: yes he was good for us technically sound at lineouts, excellent ball carrier and was on the score sheet a couple of times but i’m not sure about him being saders material.

    re smit, i don’t remember you asking of mujati won the game singlehandedly week before last when the headline was “mujati powers saint to victory”
    it seems convinient that some are now interested in the title of this one :D

  • 43.bryce_in_oz: Reply to this comment
    22 Nov 2011, 10:19 am

    @Transformation(Transformation)-42:

    Er… that’s simple… I’m an advocate of 22man 85min rugby…

  • 44.President_of_the_Sharks_rugby_experts: Reply to this comment
    22 Nov 2011, 18:16 pm

    @bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-43: lol bryce, aint it amazing that it’s the same idiots that have no clue and have achieved nothing , some even trying to say that they played the game at the highest level?????????

    so when they lost were they to blame or their whole team??

    actually it just shows how immature they are, it’s that simple

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

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