Boks start new era with disjointed win
9 Jun 2012
RYAN VREDE reports on an ugly but critical 22-17 victory for the Springboks over England at Kings Park.
Head coach Heyneke Meyer gives you the sense that he, more so than most of his predecessors, was born to fill this role. There were teething pains at the Bulls, including demotion to coach the Vodacom Cup side after a poor Super Rugby campaign, but his impact and influence – both which transcend what has happened on the field – is undeniable. There was an inevitability about his ascension to this role, the error of appointing Peter de Villiers ahead of him simply strengthening his spirit and deepening his resolve to land the job he most coveted.
Nerves and excitement would have affected the quality of his sleep last night, but this evening, after his team negotiated an England team high on industry but lacking the tactical refinement and/or individual brilliance to oust their opponents, he will rest more easily. The tourists will rebound strongly next weekend, given the tactical insights this match would have offered them. But Meyer and his Boks are now 80 minutes away from claiming a prized scalp.
Meyer may never coach another game where the quality of the performance and the result has significantly less to do with his technical, tactical and psychological inputs than it did the individual quality of his players – Willem Alberts chief among those – and their desire to ensure this new Springbok era began with a victory. There can be more encouragement drawn from the performance of his debutants, particularly Marcell Coetzee, who was irrepressible.
In line with expectations, the Springboks largely showed little synergy on attack. Their shortcomings in the former were particularly pronounced in the first half, with good scoring opportunities spurned, the best of which fell to Pierre Spies in the 21st minute, the No 8 denied by a desperate and brilliant tackle from Manu Tuilagi.
You could only appreciate the Springboks’ attacking impotence in the first 40 minutes live. Francois Hougaard has his strengths, but his kicking game is not good enough when measured against the objectives of the game plan. Ruan Pienaar, superior in this discipline, is a better option. Furthermore, often runners isolated themselves, allowing England a crack at the turnover or stifling their recycle. Their rolling maul, a primary weapon, was comfortably negotiated by England. Because they couldn’t build pressure in the first half, Morne Steyn’s goal-kicking threat was nullified. That they were expected to struggle in this facet of play didn’t make it any less frustrating to watch.
Defensively there was plenty of passion and punch, but initially very little organisation. England had limited opportunities in the first half, but made good use of those, looking dangerous when they shifted the ball wide. It took a magnificent tackle from Hougaard to deny Chris Ashton in the 31st minute. That ensured the visitors didn’t take a greater lead against the run of play, but they made their limited surges into the Springboks’ 22m count, Owen Farrell banking two penalties to Steyn’s double to leave the sides tied six-all at the break.
Then something changed for the Springboks. Their build-up play was more patient and purposeful, their effectiveness here borne from a marked improvement in their gainline efficiency. When Jannie du Plessis broke to get in behind the defensive line a try was inevitable, and Morne Steyn duly finished. He’d miss the conversion, his second miss in what would be a poor goal-kicking display by his standards.
Then with a quarter of the match to play Bryan Habana reminded of his class with a devastating break that opened up the right hand side of the field. The ball was intelligently worked to Jean de Villiers on the wing and the Springboks’ captain bulldozed his way over the last defender to score. Steyn missed again, and England got themselves back into contention with two Farrell penalties
But the Springboks never looked in serious danger of surrendering their recent dominance over England. Their cause was strengthened by the impact of their reserves, all of whom were very, very good in the context of the role they were asked to play. Steyn kicked two more penalties to ease the pressure and ensure that Ben Foden’s late score was nothing more than a consolation score.
By Ryan Vrede, in Durban
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335 Comments
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10 Jun 2012, 15:58 pm
@john123(john123)-300: I´d say your pack gave us the most difficulties – especially at the breakdown and ruck – England had the wood on us first half in that department – rest in terms of scrums and lineouts etc we had parity between the teams till you guys subbed your front row and then the scrums got smashed.
All in all SA were dominant but England was right in the game till the last. I expect SA to improve markedly in the next test though. Our backrow of flanks and eight man is not balanced at all. Spies is anonymous and Marcell Coetzee didnt make a massive impact. Alberts was the only one making a massive impact.
If we had a backrow of Brussouw, Alberts and Vermeulen England would have had no ball whatsoever.
Either way well played and England did a lot better than I expected. For such a young team theres absolutely no shame in that performance.
10 Jun 2012, 16:28 pm
oh SA clearly deserved to win that.
The english forwards were were and truly beaten all ends up, in fact for most of the 2nd half they didnt get into the boks half. Morne misses a number of kicks and there were at least 3 try-scoring opportunities – i thought the floodgates were going to open at one stage.
Dewi Morris and the rest of the sky team are complete idiots – owen farrell actually had a bladdy good game considering he was on the backfoot – i dont quite know why they blaming their halfbacks – their pack was beaten all ends up. i think farrell is damn good and in fact threw a beatiful pass for the english try completely against the run of play in the last 10mins with habana jutting out again.
england got a mountain to climb at ellis, cos if boks come out geed up like meyer did to them in the first one and start gelling – could be a big one – only area england beat boks in was at breakdown turnover – i have no idea why brussow is not being selected.
10 Jun 2012, 16:36 pm
@Kleuter(Kleuter)-299:
Spies and Kirchener were K@k, ne?
10 Jun 2012, 17:16 pm
Yesterday was the best the boks will ever play under HM… that is the height of the ceiling he has created. Measuring yourself against England when the stats already reflects a huge difference in ability is foolish. England must had one of their better games yesterday but they too suffer from incestuous thinking and may only have an inch or two to climb before plateauing. That inch may be enough to cause an upset against the declining boks.
These boks are playing support a discredited ideology that got Hitler to conquer Europe but ultimately getting fked up by the diverse allied armies.
Anybody looking for positives for the future under HM is a fool. This man is pure racist scum who should be banned from representing South Africa in any conceivable way. Black representation in the Bok team is a necessary inconvenience to him
Anybody who supports this Bok team deserves every bit of disrespect that I show to them.
Mark Kokane has already got his come uppance. How many more twats are close to falling off the edge???
10 Jun 2012, 17:42 pm
a win is a win – they played very well – the only measurement that can be made is 1 from 1.
he’s selections and gameplan are suspect, but the manner he has motivated the players is not.
10 Jun 2012, 17:55 pm
“These boks are playing support a discredited ideology that got Hitler to conquer Europe”
10 Jun 2012, 17:55 pm
Watkukyoutalkingshaun
10 Jun 2012, 17:57 pm
@youknowwho(youknowwho)-304:
Payday papsak?
Jy gaan ‘n moerse babelaas hê more
10 Jun 2012, 18:00 pm
@youknowwho(youknowwho)-304:
> This man is pure racist scum who should be banned from representing South Africa in any conceivable way.
Or, maybe we should rather say:”This man is a racist who should be banned from this site especially after he had a few”
10 Jun 2012, 19:13 pm
@victoriabok(victoriabok)-309: They’ve banned me many times before… Mark Kokane is in rehab today for being HM’s little ho
Payday papsak??
.. that will be a 2l cider in the UK. Just had a free glass of wine with my roast at wetherspoons.. that’s the lowest I go mate.
Watch your mouth young man before I drive you also into rehab
10 Jun 2012, 21:19 pm
Looking at some posts & I come across this gem from a grown up w.anker:
@ 220 “Get Kirchner out of there. Let’s make the new “magic number” 3, ffs. 4 is just too much out of 22 at the moment anywhere in the country.”
10 Jun 2012, 21:30 pm
Credit to the guys who got their first cap, and Alberts was outstanding, but I think all the congratulatory backslapping after this win a bit worrying. The simple fact is that on defense England constantly committed 2 to 3 more players than us to every breakdown, and committed at least 1 player to pressuring the scrummie, yet we never once managed to turn our resulting superior attacking numbers into an overlap (when we didnt opt for a kick and chase – another ridiculous thing to do when you have the numerical advantage). Sure, Habs sniped through the line a few times, and the forwards won six phases, but I can’t see this unimaginative “structure” working against the Wallas or ABs.
10 Jun 2012, 21:32 pm
The scorn towards Pat Lambie, I figure is because he’s English. Its so absurd that over & above the two wing quota, aspersions can be cast on a Caucasian player because of his ancestry
10 Jun 2012, 21:40 pm
*202
10 Jun 2012, 22:13 pm
@youknowwho(youknowwho)-304: Methinks you may be over the edge already
10 Jun 2012, 22:34 pm
@viewer(viewer)-313: its pat lambie and frans steyn who attract a lot of flak for some reason?
its baffling i agree.
10 Jun 2012, 22:36 pm
@youknowwho(youknowwho)-304: ridiculous shaun.
your bait isnt fresh enough.
wake up.
10 Jun 2012, 22:41 pm
@316 ranger
Yeah Pat can room with the rest of the backline
10 Jun 2012, 22:41 pm
@316 ranger
Yeah Pat can room with the rest of the back 3
10 Jun 2012, 22:42 pm
one things for sure, that if Houggard looked this sh*t against a woefully inept England team, then when the Real teams arrive during the 4Nations, all with superior ball skills in the pack than the Poms, then the tattooed dwarf will be crying out “da plane, da plane” every time the opposition wings in yet another try. Without a doubt, the current PrickBok 9 & 10 look the worse combo throughout the 4Nations despite the lobotomized losers seeing them as a strength.
Cant wait.
10 Jun 2012, 22:48 pm
Just asking. (Might be scorned for it) Does Heyneke prefer Afrikaans players, period
10 Jun 2012, 22:56 pm
PGS, right now hougaard is a very good wing (watched him closely @ loftus vs the ‘saders) & morne in Tests needs the breastmilk of fourie du preez
10 Jun 2012, 23:03 pm
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-320: you are also useless.
wake up.
10 Jun 2012, 23:06 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-323: dont feed the trolls
10 Jun 2012, 23:10 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-324:
10 Jun 2012, 23:43 pm
@youknowwho(youknowwho)-304:
Shame, can’t handle the fact that “your” boys just aren’t good enough?
10 Jun 2012, 23:56 pm
Keurboom
Not as k@k as de Jongh and Grant ne?
Oops, sorry. They couldn’t even make the squad of 32, let alone 22, let alone 15.
You are a prim and proper dooos, and a coke head for supporting obama.
And before you cry wolf remember your low comment a couple of weeks ago.
Too **** to keep your houvrou happy so you decided to join your family business……..pimping.
11 Jun 2012, 00:01 am
@STBUR(STBUR)-326: My boys smashed the Irish… wake up
@rangerman(rangerman)-317: I have been around long enough on this site to know what I am talking about and you should know that too… I have never been wrong. I don’t bullshit for a living… like SARU management and the rest of the black sell-outs who support them
11 Jun 2012, 00:11 am
@rangerman(rangerman)-323:
Your sentences are understandably short with the tattooed dwarfs kkok in your mouth. Youre no more than the biyatch of my biyatch, take the humbling like a gooooood girl.
da plaaaaaaaane.
11 Jun 2012, 03:53 am
@youknowwho(youknowwho)-328:
The AB’s don’t want racist doos’s supporting their side either, so find another team bud!
11 Jun 2012, 03:54 am
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-329:
Much like your mother is also your *****…………it all makes sense now
Doos troll
11 Jun 2012, 05:45 am
@whatever(whatever)-331:
do you STILL think its natural yoghurt ?
yo Daddy is very tricksy, no ?!
11 Jun 2012, 06:32 am
Having watched the All Blacks and Springboks over the weekend, I will say that if the Boks continue to “play their strengths” the All Blacks will beat them in every game this season. The All Blacks beat Ireland with an exhilarating display of 15 man rugby, whereas we continue to concentrate on smashing oppositions forward pack and then, and only then, do we try and score tries. The All Black pack are just as combative and agressive as the Bok pack, only more skillful! And as for the AB’s backline…
In my opinion, you have to have a strong pack to win a game of rugby, but you also have to be able to attack with purpose and skill. South Africa have had great backs and that has also been a “play to our strengths” in the past. Keith Oxlee (clever and skillful) Willie, Michael and Carel Du Plessis, Danie Gerber, Joggie Jansen, Mannetjies Roux, Joel Stransky, Henry Honnibal and so on. The problem is SA do not use these backs to their true potential. I can tell you that it is widely believed here in New Zealand that if the All Blacks had had Bryan Habana, he would be the world’s leading try scorer a long time ago. On Saturday Julian Savea, a debutant, scored three great tries against Ireland.
Fifteen man rugby will ultimately win the day and the AB’s have worked that out a long time ago. Is it not time that the Boks catch the vision and learn to play that way again? It is sad to see great talent in our back line become spectators as our forwards fight on against packs that are easily equal to them….! If Eddie Jones had this current crop of Bok players, we’d see rugby like you can only dream about! The Time Warp is for movies, not the Bok team!
11 Jun 2012, 07:30 am
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-329: this is even sillier.
wake up.
@youknowwho(youknowwho)-328: you need to reconsider your life choices.
wake up.
11 Jun 2012, 11:31 am
@rangerman(rangerman)-334:
“I used to blog alot more here”
as the children wept and prayed that he would accept their apologies and gifts of mercy, the self-appointd Bishop of Keokane looked down on his followers and feigned sympathy.
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