Wallabies compound Bok woes
8 Sep 2012
JON CARDINELLI watched the Wallabies record their fifth consecutive win against the Springboks with a 26-19 victory on Saturday.
It was bound to happen, it was only a matter of when.
The Boks have suffered their first defeat of the 2012 season, their first under coach Heyneke Meyer. To make matters worse, this inevitable result has been inflicted by one of the worst Wallabies teams in recent history.
There were times during this Test where the Boks were as many as 10 points ahead. The Wallabies were desperately poor in the first half, a series of mindless grubbers and chip kicks contributing to an unforgivable loss of both territory and possession. It was during the first half where the tactical kicking excellence of Ruan Pienaar and Zane Kirchner came to the fore.
There was even an instance were the Boks rounded off a good build up with a try. Granted, they had done their best to butcher this opportunity with flyhalf Morné Steyn neglecting to use an overlap out to the right. They were extremely fortunate that they were able to recycle the ball and score from a subsequent phase.
Indeed, it was a first half where all the luck seemed to go the Boks way. The Wallabies played their part with a shocking performance, but there were many examples of Bok incompetence and indiscipline that went unpunished.
Lock Eben Etzebeth was fortunate to escape censure. At a break in play, experienced No 5 Nathan Sharpe goaded the South African youngster, and Etzebeth responded by headbutting Sharpe. It was an incident that was missed by the officials, and for that the Boks can thank their lucky stars.
But they didn’t learn from that incident, as moments later Beast Mtawarira ran into Kurtley Beale off the ball. The Bok prop was shown a yellow card and the visitors spent the final seven minutes of the first half with 14 men.
The Boks survived the period of sanction without conceding a point, but the Wallabies were far more structured and accurate in the second stanza. They attacked the Boks at the breakdown, with Michael Hooper winning several important turnovers, and also began to enjoy more continuity with ball in hand.
Just as the Wallabies began to lift their game, the Bok effort started to flag.
The Boks conceded a soft try in the 56th minute, their defence battling to repress the Wallabies at source and their first-time tackling letting them down in the wider channels.
It was another instant of poor defence that cost the Boks in the 68th minute where Ben Alexander cruised down the left hand touchline. The cover tackle attempt by lock Juandre Kruger was nothing short of pathetic.
Steyn had another forgettable night with boot, missing two drop-goal attempts as well as a penalty. For the umpteenth time, Steyn battled to get the backline going and blew a couple of try-scoring opportunities through poor option taking.
Johan Goosen provided the backline with more direction and posed more of a threat when he was introduced in the final minutes. With Steyn struggling to perform in his primary capacity as a goal kicker, Meyer may finally be forced to consider another option at flyhalf next week.
Saturday marked Meyer’s first loss as Bok coach, and defeat will force a rethink to the current formula. With Goosen or even Pat Lambie at 10, the Boks should be able to ask more questions of the opposition defence.
The Boks were excellent in terms of their tactical kicking in the first half, but overall they failed to dominate the collisions and their lack of variation on attack was a major problem.
That they battled to kick all of their goals, not for the first time this year, is another reason why Meyer should revise his selections ahead of the clash against the All Blacks. That their forwards weren’t able to overcome a feeble Wallabies eight is also great cause for concern.
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490 Comments
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9 Sep 2012, 21:38 pm
@fitz1ella-447:
It is despairing to rely on mistakes by the other team for the majority of your points. You have to want more than that. We will find out in Europe whether Meyer learns from this.
9 Sep 2012, 21:41 pm
@Neilanate-440: fckoff you racist runtcunt … here we go with this cuntload of arsecreep wanting UP the f’ng last bastions arsehole..
this arsecreeping deluxe gotta be the absolute pits of any male stream attention seeking anywhere on the planet…
are we about to be treated to ANOTHER HG-ET love affair f’ng fandango here then I sommer wanna get my bazooka and blow the goddamn house down.
9 Sep 2012, 21:43 pm
@cab-445:
agreed we need hard men. both white and henry saw the value of keeping an old dog prop hanging around their national setups.to secure his future he genuinely needs to go back to the past.
this is meyer’s state of emergency period and he needs to act boldly. meyer should call back bakkies and gurthro as a matter of national urgency. if elstadt needs to come in then so be it, or the gemmerkop too.
we need a minimum of no less than 1 deadly front rower + 1 deadly lock + 1 deadly flank… anymore brekers want to turn up in the game is a bonus, but no less than the minimum is a must.
backline to do their usual thing which is chase kicks and support the forwards.. no tries… so i wouldn’t make any changes there (except for mvovo who needs a dcm on sunday already).
9 Sep 2012, 21:44 pm
Siya Kolisi is a black rhino, slightly smaller than his white counterparts, but hits even harder – much harder than coetzee – but like i say we got no rhinos, when a rhino hits something it goes forward our lot rebound like pinballs.
9 Sep 2012, 21:44 pm
Saw Ingesund (sp?) told bafana something like not to be afraid to lose against Brazil but to play…maybe HM needs to let go a bit, just saying….
9 Sep 2012, 21:47 pm
@fitz1ella-447:
surely mallet over divvy, skop?
or at the least a combination of the two?
9 Sep 2012, 21:47 pm
South Africa
No quick fix for Boks
Sun, 09 Sep 2012 14:52
PrevNextImprovement is well being made, albeit it at a snail’s pace
The Springboks’ woes are set to continue for the remainder of the year due to the severity of their shortcomings.
The Boks’ stuttering form this season stems not from a singular weakness but rather an array of frailties in various facets. There is, therefore, no simple solution, hence the frustratingly slow rate at which the new-look Boks are progressing.
Ironically, it took the first loss in the Heyneke Meyer era at the weekend to illustrate that improvement is well being made, albeit it at a snail’s pace. The performance against the Wallabies was still a far cry from what is expected of a Springbok side, but it was a vast improvement on the shocking draw against Argentina.
Their tactical kicking, a key feature in their territory-driven game plan, was much-improved, as was their defensive effort. Although they leaked two tries, they increased their tackling accuracy from 72 percent in Mendoza to 88 percent in Perth.
It was the Wallabies’ ability to maintain possession, helped in no small part by Meyer’s reluctancy to play a specialist fetcher, that sucked in defenders and lead to the two five-pointers rather than any glaring glitch in their defensive structures.
There’s no doubt that additional changes to the side need to be made. A lack of an out-and-out opensider would be a recipe for disaster against the mighty All Blacks on Saturday, while Morne Steyn’s shaken confidence and suspect defence remains an on-going issue.
It’s important to understand, though, that whilst thrusting the likes of Francois Louw or Heinrich Brussow, who finds himself outside of the squad at present, or play-making prodigies Johan Goosen and Pat Lambie into the starting line-up would speed up the rebuilding process, it would not assure immediate success. Even with these talented prospects, the Boks would still struggle against their Antipodean rivals.
No amount of tinkering or time on the training field during the week will change the fact that the Boks are lambs to the slaughter what Saturday’s showdown in Dunedin is concerned. There simply is no quick fix. Experience is hard earned, and it’s only through experience that the Boks will grow as a unit.
It is imperative, however, that Meyer identifies the players he deems best suited to take South African rugby into the future and afford them a prolonged run in the starting XV in order to build some sort of foundation and continuity heading into 2013 and beyond.
Only the most die-hard of Springbok supporters would put money on a Bok victory this weekend. It would be a monumental upset. A clever tactical approach from the Boks, however, could make for a more competitive contest than many expect.
Although they won’t be aided by the whirlpool Wellington wind, the Boks will do well to follow – and improve – the Pumas’ blueprint, which doesn’t differ too much from the Boks’ current conservative game plan. Attitude, passion and aggressive yet disciplined defence are what served the Pumas well against the All Blacks. The inexperienced Bok pack, in particular, will need to take the fight to their hosts.
Targeting the talented but inexperienced Aaron Cruden ought to be the focal point of the Boks’ strategy this weekend. Cruden struggled to stamp his authority on the match in Wellington and Aaron Smith also suffered from the ripple effect caused by Dan Carter’s injury-enforced absence.
It was clear that Smith struggled without the composed Carter, who takes a lot of pressure off the young number nine. Expect the experienced Piri Weepu to start at scrumhalf and shoulder much of the responsibility from the base on Saturday to ease the pressure off Cruden.
If Ruan Pienaar, who should be given another run as starting scrumhalf, and the Bok back rowers can unsettle the All Black halfback pairing, they could make matters difficult for the world champions. If they are unable to do so and the potent All Black backline gets clean ball, it could be a blow out.
By Quintin van Jaarsveld
9 Sep 2012, 21:48 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-453:
thats right bakkies, i think your namesake is probably only good for 30mins but even off the bench could steady everything, i think tho they should strike out and give elstadt a go – Meyer does not want guys that give away penalties and therefore is not picking these types, Fourie i believe is also being overlooked for this reason – but these guys are essential to the way the Boks play, and in fact, even more so to the way Meyer wants to play.
They all got it wrong tho, they should be using the forward domincance to keep possession, not kicking it away, they should be using it to attack with and confiscate and retain, not hoofing it down the throats of the most dangerous counter-attacking strikerunners in world rugby.
9 Sep 2012, 21:49 pm
How much longer this HM gonna forsake a specialist fetcher….
Farken hybrids se moer man…
9 Sep 2012, 21:51 pm
@lightie-451: Meyer better learn and learn DAMN Fast because his trajectory curve of learning is steeped in the DOWNWARD direction ..
Some of us were warning with alarm bells big time already very early on in his tenure we were NOT too keen on what we were seeing .. or hearing..
INSTEAD the very same ‘minority’ left field last bastion revolutionary johnny come lately so called rugby aficionado’s were the ones SINGING Meyers praises..
NOW they do an abrupt 180 degree ABOUT TURN .. and start crying that its a north south conspiracy to OUST the poor sharkshit incompetents from out the kraal laager…
Meyer is simply NOT up with the program.. his head is STUCK in pre 2007 domvok SA rugby principles and he simply CANNOT for the life of him work out WHY the fck it AIN’T WORKING !!??
GodfokkenVERDOMPT!!!
9 Sep 2012, 21:52 pm
i think i’m gonna go left field and put some money on sa to win the championship soon as betting opens.
they could take the anzacs at home and nz away. long odds but it could happen.
9 Sep 2012, 21:54 pm
i actually cannot bear to watch the game next week, i simply do not want to watch the ABs hammer us. I think im going to give it a skip.
9 Sep 2012, 21:56 pm
How about this Bok team full of “boere bosbevok bust the door down type rugby players” and “White Rhinos” that supremacist supporters of the traditional North South Powerhouses are screaming for:
15. Willie Le Roux/Joe Pietersen
14. Coetsee
13. Serfontein
12. De Villiers
11. Englebrecht
10. Goosen/Steyn
9 Hougaard
8. Vermeulen
7. Elstadt
6. Louw
5. Bekker/Kruger
4. Etsebeth
3. Malherbe
2. Fourie
1. Greyling/Kitschoff
Playing Heyneke and Rassie North South traditional rugby
Come play this team of anti establishment misfits and bruin ous who are keen to score tries:
15. Aplon/Ludik
14. JPP
13. JdJ
12. Frans Steyn
11. Mvovo
10. Lambie
9 McLeod
8. Kanko/Strauss
7. Coetsee/Kolisi
6. Daniel/Brussouw
5. Bresler
4. Alberts
3. Doc DuP
2. Bismarck
1. Beast
I bet you I know which team you think will win… And I guarantee you farken white rhino obsessed fools which team wont win….
Dumbfucks deluxe
9 Sep 2012, 21:57 pm
@David-435:
How many test and super rugby caps does he have?
9 Sep 2012, 21:58 pm
JDV must also stop making wimp out statements….harden up man….
9 Sep 2012, 21:59 pm
“Their tactical kicking, a key feature in their territory-driven game plan, was much-improved, as was their defensive effort. Although they leaked two tries, they increased their tackling accuracy from 72 percent in Mendoza to 88 percent in Perth.”
Its these sort of stats that are the most disturbing, and it is exactly what these fools reckons are the key to success. Forget this ****, win the collisions and play with the ball and momentum you win. Very very simple.
9 Sep 2012, 22:01 pm
Alberts is from the Lions, he is ou TVL personified, and the last of the great white rhinos it seems, but even he cannot take on 8 committed players from the other teams.
9 Sep 2012, 22:03 pm
@lightie-433:
If you execute is perfectly, you don’t have to do all that. Even if the opposition know exactly what your next move will be, they will be unable to stop you if your execution is 100%.
At least, that is what Meyer want us to believe.
@fitz1ella-460:
The problem is that in his mind it is not working because the players are not executing it perfectly.
Nothing wrong with what he wants and how he wants it in his little mind. It’s just that the execution is lacking at this stage.
9 Sep 2012, 22:04 pm
@cab-467: Fark off, Alberts now a go you good thing Sharkie through and thru… He’s half a soutie by now…
9 Sep 2012, 22:05 pm
@gunther-464:
No tests, as you know, but far more Super ones than Potgieter. Plus his experience as captain.
9 Sep 2012, 22:08 pm
@Heavens Game-469:
half soutie my arse – he born and bred krugersdorp, the closest he gets to sout is what he sprinkles on his pap vir aandete.
9 Sep 2012, 22:09 pm
Cheers guys. Just getting over a bout of pneumonia so I need to sleep.
9 Sep 2012, 22:11 pm
@Heavens Game-463: Forgot Jantjies at 10…. Fark me… now the anti establishment team cooking with gas… Please God, let this match come to pass… Let the Heyneke and Rassie coached traditional White Rhino Bokke come play the Ragamuffin, anti-establishment Misfits coached by Plum and Mitchell…
Ref can be Steve Walsh…
Then we see once and for all who is who in this farked up structural up and under zoo
9 Sep 2012, 22:12 pm
@David-472:
night David
9 Sep 2012, 22:19 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-461: You go do that… why dont you bet the light Blue painted house, with traditional, powerhouse structure while you at it…
Meanwhile I give you a bonus if you are right, this is how confident I am that you’re not… I will give you my left ballas unreservedly if you win that little bet.
Anzacs at home an NZ away… my left ball… Pfft
9 Sep 2012, 22:27 pm
i actually dont rate this kiwi or aussie team that much either…..
we putting these 2 rather mediocre teams on a pedestal only because we so dof…….
Mallet / Mitchell and a correctly selected team we drill these Anzacs….6 love….
no need to fear them…..I fear ourseleves and our dommigheid more…
9 Sep 2012, 22:32 pm
@grant10-476: Grantie, I cannot agree with you more… Good that you back without the Barney yoke that let you down so much in the past….
Was starting to feel maybe I was a bit insane and the only one who could see this stuff…
Now that you back maybe I should also join the Clifton Liberation Front and wear a budgie smuggler too (black and white, not striped though), because we starting to think more and more alike….
9 Sep 2012, 22:32 pm
@grant10-476:
Now we are mediocre?
OK, we have not played to our best, actually not even close but the team is not mediocre.
When was the last time you hammered Ireland 60-0 or even Ozzie 22-0 ?
When we fire, the Boks will not have the either the personal or game plan to stop us. Not yet anyways. We expect things to change very quickly
9 Sep 2012, 22:45 pm
@Hurricane-478: What I mean is I have seen far beter Kiwi and Aussie teams in the past….
I was a bit scared when SBW was doing his thing….
With Carter and SBW gone this weekend Boks should be looking for a bloody win….
How we let a piss poor Aussie team like yesterdays beat us defies belief…
We are our own worst enemies….bloody hell man! HM has chosen pathetically….we will be back pushing you guys hard if only we do the right things and lose our conservative yoke and fear that is stranglig our rugby….
I hope Mallet somehow gets drawn in to assist in some capacity…..
Or Mitchell who outright yesterday said he would start with Brussow….
We choose right players its game on……I assure you….
Mean no disrespect….but that kiwi team SHOULD NOT frighten us….
9 Sep 2012, 22:48 pm
night all
outta here
9 Sep 2012, 22:57 pm
@Hurricane-478: Ja, but Hansen is a bit of a Tinkerer…
This is an AB team which I reckon will usher in an All Black Reich of non-choking and an actual honest RWC championship win anywhere… not just on rigged home turf:
15. Dagg
14. Kahui/Ranger
13. SBW/Smith
12. Carter
11. Savea
10. Cruden
9. Smith
8. Read
7. McCaw
6. Cane
5. Retallick
4. Romano
3. Franks
2. A Problem position… But Kevvy will do
1. Franks
Finish and klaar…
9 Sep 2012, 23:03 pm
@grant10-476:
I think you are right to a point, whilst I don’t think the Abs are mediocre, I am of the belief that the opposition sides especially Aussie and Ireland(third test) have made them look better than what they really are. The Argies showed that if you play with passion and are willing to put your bodies on the line you have a chance at victory, they probably lacked the polish in the backs and those little errors to really claim the win.
9 Sep 2012, 23:13 pm
M Steyn, you should ask for time off mate, 3 yrs of abuse is far to long for athlete.
Take the valuable time off and enjoy your kid, you deserve it mate.
9 Sep 2012, 23:14 pm
@grant10-479:
True Grant.
@grant10-480:
Night mate
9 Sep 2012, 23:26 pm
@Heavens Game-463: better side than your sharkshit singalong last bastion squad..
but you f’ng deluded without a doubt because half those in your ‘misfit’ side are from the same establishments as those in your white rhino side..
15. Willie Le Roux – Paul Roos – Stellenbosch /
Joe Pietersen – Grey College – Stellenbosch
14. A. Coetsee – Middelburg Tech. – Bethal
13. Serfontein – Grey High PE – Grey College Bloem
12. De Villiers – Paarl Gym – Stellenbosch
11. Englebrecht – Grey High PE – Stellenbosch
10. Goosen – Grey College Bloem /
Steyn – Cape Town – Sand du Plessis Bloem
9 Hougaard – Paul Roos
8. Vermeulen – Nelspruit High
7. Elstadt – Montagu High
6. Louw – Bishops
5. Bekker – Paul Roos / Kruger – Paul Roos – Stellenbosch
4. Etsebeth – Tygerberg – UCT
3. Malherbe – PBH
2. Fourie – Pretoria – Pietersburg High
1. Greyling – Potgietersrus /
Kitschoff – Paul Roos
15. Aplon – Hawston WC
/ Ludik – EG Jansen Hoer Skool – Kempton Park
14. JPP – Gen. Hertzog Stellenbosch
13. JdJ – Hugenot High Paarl
12. Frans Steyn – Aliwal North EC – Grey Bloem
11. Mvovo – Mthatha Transkei
10. Lambie – Michaelhouse
9 McLeod – Wonderboom High Gauteng
8. Kanko – St Andrews PE /
Strauss – Paul Roos – Stellembosch
7. Coetsee – Potchefstroom – Port Natal /
Kolisi – Grey High PE
6. Daniel – Dale EL /
Brussouw – Grey Bloem
5. Bresler – Windhoek – Durban HS
4. Alberts – Monas – Tukkies
3. Doc DuP – Grey Bloem – UFS
2. Bismarck – Bethlehem – Grey Bloem
1. Beast – Peterhouse Harare
10 Sep 2012, 01:06 am
Heineke’s vision in a nutshell (a quote after Mendoza)
“It is easy to throw players out and pick new ones, but that is not coaching, that is picking”
So okes can ease up, he WILL drag rectangle poles into round holes.
That said, I believe Dunedin Test will be closer than many think. I refuse to believe they will be ***** for 4 games in a row (last English game including).
10 Sep 2012, 01:32 am
@grant10-476: “Mallet / Mitchell and a correctly selected team we drill these Anzacs….6 love….”
Why you keep persisting that the results are only up to YOUR okes picking right players/combos? You may be surprised to discover that OTHERS may do that just fine as well.
And then it might be messy.
10 Sep 2012, 04:53 am
Can Anyone tell me why Habana was wearing blue and red socks and not the springbok green?
I have never seen that before?
10 Sep 2012, 05:11 am
@CoachPete-488:
I think he forgot to take off his training socks…
10 Sep 2012, 08:05 am
@Nils-487: Nils…..
This Bok team is poorly selected…in the extreme…
and poorly coached…in the extreme….
I am saying that with the correct selection and coaching / game plan, we will have a far better crack at both the aussies and kiwis, who I feel are not as good as what they are being made out to be….
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