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, 20:12 pm
@CoachPete-399:
Are you on the ‘I wish it was Mallett’ team?
9 Sep 2012, 20:14 pm
@grant10-397:
Yes Brussow when he is fit again at 6
Coetzee at 7
meantime Daniels at 6
Vermeulen will be 100 times better and will grow into that 8 spot
Alberts off the bench
Get Plip outta there please and Potgieter
Even bring Bekker off bench (he cant last a full game )
9 Sep 2012, 20:14 pm
Imagine Percy as Jack Reacher tho, he could kiss goodbye to Keo TV and take on the world!!
9 Sep 2012, 20:14 pm
@carol-401:
About 6 years ago
His dad was my Head master
9 Sep 2012, 20:16 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-391: All the logical truth there… and all logical home truths now… Not one hint of hypocrisy whatsoever despite your repeatedly failed attempts to try and traditionally kick and chase a square peg into a traditional round hole…
Try another search, my sweety, and dont forget a bit of “boere bosbevok bust the door down type couch rugby” with the traditional powerhouse non try scoring man of the household while you’re at it… Okay?
Squeal and shout “give me a bit of ruff tuff, up and under powerhouse straight up my traditionally powerful rear end” to your hearts content….
9 Sep 2012, 20:16 pm
@Heavens Game-382:
Hey HG
I been calling for forward who can keep the ball alive make good decisions and go to ground when pass is not on and then win quick ruck ball For G*ds sake
9 Sep 2012, 20:18 pm
two of these forwards are :
Daniels and Vermeulen
even Brussow
Coetzee needs to get it and will be fantastic
9 Sep 2012, 20:19 pm
@CoachPete-407:
And forwards who wont off load or dont know how to
ALL BULLS PLAYERS lol
9 Sep 2012, 20:21 pm
@Heavens Game-405: Who got the kids in the Bulls/Sharks divorce?
**hystericalhypocriteisagoooooooooooodlookforyou** you wear it so well.
Now tell me, in 3 short sentences, how your giddy love for all things Bulls: coaches, players and ball boys has turned into such hate in 3 short months? (And why WP is being blamed for the break up, if you are in the mood of course)
9 Sep 2012, 20:21 pm
ONE change yesterday only ONE ..
Hougaard playing at 9 ALL game long
and Boks would have won
In SPITE of everything else that FAILED.. had Meyer NOT succumbed to the chorus wanting Pienaar at 9 and STUCK with Hougaard at 9.. and he would have WON..
That much I KNOW without ANY shadow or ANY doubt.!!
9 Sep 2012, 20:22 pm
I must go and executively eat my well innovated supper before I get traditionall kicked in the bollocks “boere bosbevokte” style by a wailing Gypsy Rose…
9 Sep 2012, 20:23 pm
@jackreacher-390:
So why don’t you?
9 Sep 2012, 20:24 pm
@fitz1ella-410: also, Australia have won their last five matches against South Africa and have won seven of the last eight matches against the Springboks.
9 Sep 2012, 20:24 pm
@Heavens Game-411: Don’t choke now………(and if you do, I’m guessing Stellenbosch will be somehow be blamed.)
9 Sep 2012, 20:25 pm
@CoachPete-404:
Small world….!!
Who should be your coach then?
9 Sep 2012, 20:25 pm
All all those Bull supporters (sorry guys ) who say Daniels is to small, but keep calling for Brussow?????
At least Daniels can keep the ball alive off load well and stay up with the play in support
He tackles his heart out, and plays well above his height and weight
He can be used in Lineouts and steals lineout ball (something maybe we should try)???
HM must be out of his mind to have left Daniels behind for “Flop”
Well he is maybe
9 Sep 2012, 20:27 pm
@carol-415:
Mallett or a kiwi coach
9 Sep 2012, 20:27 pm
@David-412:
Pretty difficult on a blog!
9 Sep 2012, 20:27 pm
@fitz1ella-410:
You’re a bit naive if you think HM bowed to the critics wanting Pienaar at 9. He chose him because Hougies box kicking isn’t up to scratch.
9 Sep 2012, 20:28 pm
@CoachPete-417:
Well Gatland will have his hands busy for a while now sorting out the BIL!
9 Sep 2012, 20:30 pm
24 hours late but congratulations to South Africa on Oscar Pistorious Gold Medal last night.
It was a wonderful race and the crowd went mad for your boy.
We were delighted, a worthy winner and a sporting gold moment.
9 Sep 2012, 20:31 pm
@carol-415:
Malletts dad was a character
He dressed like an Englishman in his tweed jacket a pipe and walking stick
He had this booming voice, and sat on the half way line with the boys at the 1st team matches. On the field we used to be reminded by him (mostly encouragement) that we HAD to win
9 Sep 2012, 20:31 pm
@carol-420:
Yeah hes almost Welsh now so he does not count
9 Sep 2012, 20:33 pm
@carol-421:
Give him longer blades i say
9 Sep 2012, 20:45 pm
@CoachPete-422:
Oh yes, all Englishmen wear tweed jackets, twirl their walking sticks and smoke pipes…
A man not to be forgotten, he sounded rather formidable!!
As for Gatland, he surely has honorary Welsh citezenship by now?
I think Oscars blade length is perfect, the other bloke looked a bit ‘lanky’!
9 Sep 2012, 20:59 pm
Hmmmm
How much longer do we have to contend with HM?
9 Sep 2012, 21:00 pm
@carol-425:
Yeah my dad dressed like that too had the twirl stick and the dogs too
No pipe
My dad and him got on well My dad was the doctor at games
Yes set one size and length I say
9 Sep 2012, 21:00 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-409: No hate for the Bulls, just a thorough realisation that with a Bok coach from a “traditional powerhouse” North or South, there is inevitably going to be a state of parochialism, provincialism and myopia that is not there when the coach is not from a “traditional powerhouse”…
It is a farkup and I hold officialdom and supporters from the “traditional powerhouses” completely responsible for this myopic morass Boks find themselves in…
In the meantime I will enjoy the anti-establishment shoe of proper soutie leaders like Tommy Bedford, Craig Jamieson and Gary Teichmann, and wear it proudly while washing my hands of this “kick and chase non try scoring traditionalism”… while you traditional powerhouses can draw myopic short straws all day long about your excellent “awesome” players, “structures” and “game plans”…
I will just look forward to the Sharks building nicely for another assault on the S15 summit, next year and get no small measure of schadenfreude for a Bok team discarding Sharkies by the minute while replacing them with an eminently more suitable traditional powerhouse player for a traditional powerhouse kick and chase no try scoring game….
I just hope they get cut from the Boks quick enough before they become real “boere bosbevok bust the door down type rugby players” and its too late for Plum to cure them quick enough for next year…
9 Sep 2012, 21:01 pm
@David-419: I don’t think it makes sense to judge Pienaar or Hougie’s performance based on instructions received from HM and his k a k game plan
They are both quality 9′s!
9 Sep 2012, 21:01 pm
i dont even think morne is that bad, and can attack the adv line, albeit that it is now time to give goosen or lambie a shout at 10, but the real problem is that even if hougaard and goosen are played as halfbacks, they are going to be forced into kicking eveything – kirchener put every single ball he recieved back up into the air, like an unerring robotic metronome – even kirchener can play better, but the whole thing is completely too rigid.
The pack is not a rhino pack, our locks are still learning their trade, our frontrow is not worldclass and our backrow is not properly balanced. There are 5 players, 3 of whom are playing currie cup, that would revolutionise the sprinbok pack and their chances for victory in the home games – its horrendous that players like fourie and elstadt and brussow are not in the starting Xv, let alone the squad.
If HM does not start learing and adapting as is required, then SARU need to act quickly and get him out asap, there is too much talent, too simply put these losses down to rebuilding.
9 Sep 2012, 21:03 pm
I can’t defend HM anymore to my black friends
I just can’t do it
9 Sep 2012, 21:03 pm
craig jamieson? what? tecihman v good captain, but never in the league of the legendary Springbok looseforwards and no 8 – skinstad’s talent was unparalleled, but it was a tough call.
9 Sep 2012, 21:06 pm
No matter how big you are, if you are lined up for 2 minutes 3 yards away from the advantage line with 2 other doofs on you’re shoulder and an identical formation to your left, you are going to get smashed. Some variation and pace is needed. The defence can only be stretched when there is more than 2 options for them to tackle. Too much structure.
9 Sep 2012, 21:07 pm
the whole thing about SA rugby is it has the potential to be so incredibly strong, precisely because of its diversity, the souties have never been the backbone of the Bokke packs tho there have been some fiery ones make no mistake, dalton, pagel, andrews (keith and mark) – but they dont have that rhinocerous build – gdam where are the white rhinos?
9 Sep 2012, 21:08 pm
@cab-430:
You left out Josh Strauss, who should have been in the initial squad based on the lack of experience HM complained about.
9 Sep 2012, 21:11 pm
@David-435:
yeah thats also true, i have no idea how potgieter, leaped ahead of strauss in the ball-carrying stakes, none whatsover.
9 Sep 2012, 21:11 pm
Now this lightie character is a proper breath of fresh air kenner… makes the farken “traditional powerhouse” kenners who obsess about white rhino power, vokmaarvoort bullying dumfck, cowardly, no try rugby look like the proper fools they are…
Without a doubt at all.
9 Sep 2012, 21:15 pm
what rhino power? we got none, coetzee is a lipozano stallion, he builds up a moerse head of steam and u reckon ‘ ja nou gaan hulle betaal’ and then next thing u see him getting carried backward faster than bolt runs the 100 – alberts fighting a lone battle and out on his feet cos sharks and sa rugby so reliant on him now that bismarck crocked.
9 Sep 2012, 21:18 pm
Keegan Daniels is the Christian Cullen of loosies…
Fill a team with Fifteen Keegans and it will fark the daylights out of a team of
- Fifteen Donkey De Villiers
- Fifteen Fatty Vermeulens
- Fifteen Heinrich Brussouws
- Fifteen Potgieters
- Fifteen Deon Fouries
Any day of the week….
Six Goddamn Love
9 Sep 2012, 21:18 pm
So as the hrs. of the day move on more irratational black spots are highlighted by the mad tail-chasing dalmations.
Of the bat it was Mvovo, then Habana and now we have another black spot(quota in their language) being an irritant which drive them to frustrated scratching until they bleed(hopefully to death).Now the previously adored Beast is just badly beastly as the Master scratches his itch like a foulmouthed b itch.
Are there any more itchy black spots to be exposed? Remember their numbers only mostly give 20% that means 3/15 or 4/22(they hang on to the left-overs here). And they will say that is not racist at all.
Go black spots.
9 Sep 2012, 21:20 pm
we looked good for 30mins upfront yesterday just with the pure ‘gees’ of Bok rugby, but then the aussies simply got parity and the result was inevitable – they always going to beat us outwide – higginbotham and samo did their job.
the Bok pack looked absolutely phenomenal out of this world good for 30mins under HMs tenue, vs england in the 1st half of the 2nd test – this is the sort of motivation this guy can engender, but now that bismarck is injured his iffy selections are being exposed because he cannot get the rhino-type dominance his gameplan is based upon (and lemme tell you both the sharks and the stormers and the ABs also play off those platforms).
Go see how kak a sharks side is without Beast, Bismarck or Alberts- they get hammered by everyone and did. They can offload till the cows come home and pull backflips reverse scissor bypass tricks wont make any difference.
9 Sep 2012, 21:20 pm
@Heavens Game-439:
KD’s problem is he thinks too much out of the box for the ‘goddienstige’ rugby of HM and his many cronies.
9 Sep 2012, 21:25 pm
Coetzee is no Lipizzano… Coetzee is a mongrel Thoroughbred through and through… But even he and his unequalled work rate, tackling or driving, is not enough for the structures and ruptures of “traditional powerhouse” rugby which so enamours the supporters and sycophants of the traditional “north and south”…. That rugby where kicking the ball sixty meters counts more than being able to score tries….
Meanwhile the anti-establishment souties, bruinous, minnows and vrystaters can just satisfy themselves with innovation and tries…
9 Sep 2012, 21:28 pm
‘ja nou gaan hulle betaal’
9 Sep 2012, 21:29 pm
Brussow is a shameful ommission – I mean the guy is wordclass, arguably the best in the world. Its horrendously bad.
How they can pick Burden over Fourie, with absolutely no too-the-ball players, is quite simply cloudcuckooland bad.
And we dont have a single enforcer in the Bok pack – no elstadt, no bakkies, no danie no bismarck and no gurthro – forget it.
And then there is the kick-chase, every single time, without variation, which tops off a most infurtiating period of being a Bok supporter.
9 Sep 2012, 21:31 pm
wat gaan ons doen – hoof, daar gat hy …
9 Sep 2012, 21:34 pm
@Heavens Game-437: here is the atypical left field small is better soutie is superior off the beaten track woe is we lets all play twinkle toe shark shot touch rugger like Tommy Bedford and we are gonna revolutionize the boer vokmavoort game forever
While he was front of the queue only 2 weeks ago before the bamboozled bedazzlement in Mendoza brought his Hail Heyneke singalong swansong to a crunching realization that Heyneke ain’t ALL THAT..
Bring back Divvy I say.. amongst ALL the soutie and boertjie brain dead coaches that went before him.. ONLY PdV had the balls and the vision to play Bokbevok rugby the way it supposed to be played.. but then the f’mg soutie led insurrection SUNK him.. and faced with either a soutie led Smittie knows best revolution coup, he cow-tailed and curtailed his inventive play the situation mind and went along for the goddamn Smit / FdP / JW entrenched ride and we are STILL playing Macintosh / Maakgraaf / Streauli / White / Meyer .. TRADITIONAL bokbevok play without the ball kick it to the heavens CHICKENSHIT rugby..!!!!
9 Sep 2012, 21:34 pm
Like I tried to say about it’s about options. 2 pods of players isn’t options. The Cheetahs were great in patches at spreading the forwards and letting the scrumhalf dictate the point of attack, same with the Sharks towards the end of the comp. It’s easier to beat a man than it is to run into 3.
9 Sep 2012, 21:35 pm
@Neilanate-442: Ja, you right… And it looks like that may be Beast’s problem too…
Along with Lambie, Alberts, Coetsee, F Steyn, Mvovo and even Doc DuP as well…
Maybe they just see the game differently to those players and coaches from the “traditional powerhouses”… Maybe they zig, while the powers that be want to zag, score tries and offload, while the traditional powers that be want to keep a netjies structure and moer the ball skywards like an 80mm mortar bomb…
I reckon by the end of the RC, there wont be one Sharks player in the Bok mix other than on the bench…
The Bok Kick and Charge XV will be made up possibly of one stray Vrystater at 10, only maybe though, and the rest of the team made up of “collision winning”, structurally proficient white rhinos from the North and South “traditional powerhouses”…
I will be happy in a way… If this does come to pass.
9 Sep 2012, 21:37 pm
@Heavens Game-443:
“Coetzee is a mongrel Thoroughbred through and through..”
You’re pissed, right?
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