Boks to seize Loftus lifeline
24 Sep 2012
JON CARDINELLI writes that Heyneke Meyer’s Springboks will record their first victory against Australasian opposition when they return to Loftus Versfeld this Saturday.
Consider the excuses for the recent run of results: A new team is building; they’re missing key players due to injuries; wins Down Under are rare; and their once flawless goal-kicker is horribly out of form.
These are excuses that may explain why the Boks are under-performing, but are we to accept that things are so bad that the Boks cannot beat the Wallabies and All Blacks in South Africa? Certainly not.
These are desperate times in the sense that the Boks are desperate for a winning result. They haven’t won since that opening Rugby Championship game in Cape Town. Their last three results have been a draw, a loss, and another loss.
Forget about winning the Rugby Championship title, that opportunity has come and gone. The Boks need to do whatever it takes to get back to winning ways, and in terms of the two matches that remain in this competition, the first in Pretoria represents the best opportunity.
The significance of where they are playing shouldn’t be understated. The Boks have a remarkable record at Loftus Versfeld, especially against the Wallabies. Since the first game played at this venue in 1963, the Boks have beaten the Wallabies in each of the five Tests.
What will also encourage the Boks is that the Wallabies are missing some key personnel. Injuries have taken their toll this year, and the team that plays at Loftus will be sans David Pocock, Will Geina, Quade Cooper and James O’Connor to name a few.
The Wallabies traditionally struggle on the Highveld, and only recently broke a 47-year losing streak. Kurtley Beale’s last-gasp penalty in a 2010 Test played in Bloemfontein gave the Wallabies their first win at altitude since 1963. It showed that they are capable of winning in that difficult environment, that not every game played on the Highveld is a guaranteed win for the Boks.
Meyer and company will be mindful of this as they plan for the coming match. But then again, Meyer will be desperately hoping that Loftus works its magic, that the partisan crowd lifts the Boks, and reduces the Wallabies to quivering wrecks.
A loss at this stronghold would be a disaster. The Boks have already lost the last five Tests played against the Wallabies. They need to break that spell. If they can’t do that against a young Wallabies side, playing at the fortress that is Loftus Versfeld… well then where can they do it?
The Boks will win this Saturday. They will break their losing streak against Australia, and record their first win against Australasian opposition under Meyer.
I wouldn’t be as confident if this Test was to be played at sea level. Up on the Highveld, Meyer’s Boks will use their Loftus lifeline. They will beat the Wallabies and take some much needed momentum into the following fixture against the All Blacks.
Mediocrity should never be tolerated, and Meyer himself has been open regarding his ambition to attain an 80% winning record. His current stats are nowhere near as impressive, but this coming Saturday could be seen as a start.
If the Boks can beat the Wallabies, then there is another big opportunity the following week when they host the All Blacks in Soweto. New Zealand may arrive in South Africa having already won the title, and so may not possess the type of motivation needed to beat the Boks at altitude.
Two wins in these last two matches would give Meyer a 50% record against the Australasian teams. It is a record that is no worse than what Jake White achieved in his first year in charge (2004), and is better than the Peter de Villiers-driven side of 2008 that won just two out of six.
Two wins for the Boks wouldn’t be significant in the context of the Rugby Championship or in terms of climbing the world rankings, but it would restore the status quo.
For a side that is missing key players and struggling for form, Meyer’s Boks will certainly view a two from four return against the Australasian sides as a satisfactory outcome.
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130 Comments
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24 Sep 2012, 11:50 am
@willievz-98: People seem to forget that Naas was NOT a kicking flyhalf. He had a very educated boot but he also had oodles of rugby intelligence. He knew when to boot (in the right places) and he knew when to pass. His distribution skills were silky smooth. He had Garth Wright as Bok scrummy who knew how to pass and put Naas into space, and as for the outside backs… The point being that Naas and Errol Tobias were very effective flyhalves.
Michael du Plessis moved to flyhalf during the course of two 1989 games against the World XV and wasn’t nearly as effective in that position as he was outside of Naas at 12.
I simply do not see Morne Steyn as having the same level of rugby acrumen and skillset required for a Bok flyhalf, regardless of his kicking record (which is shot).
24 Sep 2012, 11:52 am
A draw is not a loss and by the same defination if morne had kicked his goals and our backs taken their chances we would have wins away against nz and oz.
So try and be even tempered in appraisels,ne.
Also, “your book”, has no readers and will never get published.
24 Sep 2012, 11:56 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-102: Except they didn’t but the Boks might have it better form players had been selected.
The only thing credible here is the defense of the indefensible.
24 Sep 2012, 11:57 am
I think Meyer thinks his Obama that needs another term to prove is true value.
He will eventually come right but it took him a couple of years at the Bulls. He doesn’t have that luxury with Boks.
24 Sep 2012, 11:57 am
@mikeybrass-103: credible = incredible
24 Sep 2012, 11:57 am
@rangerman-93: the “sensitive”? jou moer man!
make that the COMPETITIVE!
no easy points in PE NMB stadium will be nicknamed die Slaghuis!!!
sikunqunqela egoqweni!
24 Sep 2012, 11:59 am
@Transformation-106: Have a feeling that Alan Solomons will get them firing enough to pick up more wins than the Kittens did.
24 Sep 2012, 12:00 pm
@Transformation-106: haha, i like the gees!
24 Sep 2012, 12:19 pm
Any news on the Lions new tournament they are trying organise? It will be a pity if this group of players, who are playing brilliant rugby, gets scattered due to their super rugby relegation…
24 Sep 2012, 12:27 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-90: Why would I mention the Lions / a Lion?
I don’t support them.
24 Sep 2012, 12:28 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-102: Yes, if better form players were selected we could have won all the tests so far, including the away ones against Aus/NZ.
24 Sep 2012, 12:32 pm
@mikeybrass-101:
On Supersport an article mentioned that HM just might stick with MS because he’s comfortable etc at Loftus…
Even if he does succeeds and is accurate with the boot and we end up winning the game, it doesnt solve the long term problem…
Goosen cant be the only answer.. if he gets injured will HM take 10 steps back by selecting Steyn again? Who will play 10 at EOTYT if Goosen gets injured?
Its time to make space for a new number 1 and 2 flyhalf and start to give them the same support, encouragement and guidance Steyn is receiving… Steyn should be a last resort… HM should start to realize this.
Jantjies has a great boot, tactically and for goal. He’s a better attacking player and spreads the ball well… Lambie the same, but probably behind in the kicking department…And they are good defenders. And obviously Goosen is the future. All 3 better options.
So why persist with Steyn?
Even with MS we should be able to beat the Aussies at home. That being said we can beat them with Goosen, Jantjies and Lambie.
24 Sep 2012, 12:44 pm
@Jeez-112: I agree with everything you said. Except I am praying for a miracle that Steyn does not start
24 Sep 2012, 12:50 pm
@mikeybrass-113:
Perhaps he will break his pinky like Spies did… 8 weeks out during the international window just might do the trick…
24 Sep 2012, 13:09 pm
@Jeez-114: Or be used to say he has had an extended mental break.
24 Sep 2012, 13:20 pm
@Jeraldjay-104:
in english..?…
24 Sep 2012, 13:26 pm
@mikeybrass-101:
very well said, mikey.. very well said.
ja nee, egnatius was a supremely professional flyhalf in an amature era bar none.
stories of him practising for two hours before and two hours after team practise are legendary and in 28 tests he only lost 9.
dont get me started on his records at the bulls.
24 Sep 2012, 13:31 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-102: fark me, you’re the supreme Zibi apologist it seems.
Zibi’s win record is kak and the 2 draws he salvaged were lucky ones, against nit the greatest opposition.
Don’t come with kak like we “almost” beat NZ – we didn’t. The stupid gameplan and players trying to execute it may win one every so often, but that doesn’t make it the “right” gameplan.
Your messiah is obtuse and a bloody slow learner…..it must be hard to look outside the laager.
24 Sep 2012, 13:42 pm
@rangerman-108:
its going to end so badly
shame
24 Sep 2012, 13:47 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-117: Naas was misunderstood. The closest players we have had since were Butch James (at the WC ’97 only) and Joel Stransky. Henry Honnibal was a different type of player. This misunderstanding is the root malise of much of what is wrong with coaching in the country.
24 Sep 2012, 14:17 pm
@mikeybrass-120: We played WC in 97?
24 Sep 2012, 14:39 pm
@trupisero-118:
coulda shoulda woulda is very popular around these parts nowadays
24 Sep 2012, 15:02 pm
@NZINCHINA-122: drives me nuts. Know how you guys would’ve taken stick if you came up with we ‘ coulda woulda shoulda” won in 95, 99, 03 and 07….
24 Sep 2012, 15:07 pm
The Odds Makers consensus puts the Boks to win at 1:3.5
There will be small movements later once the Test teams’ announce, not by much though.
With Alain Rolland the referee, the Test is in HM’s bag, Rolland can retire comfortably now with all the dough he scooped since 2009
24 Sep 2012, 15:15 pm
HM will play Morn’e and the Springboks will win. It won’t be pretty but they will win. Then he will play Morn’e against the All Blacks and they will lose.
24 Sep 2012, 15:16 pm
What stupidity, for ” seize ……… lifeline” is surely an inappropriate choice of words?
Meyer’s Mob will surely be The Walkind Dead come October?
Always good to mess with the minds of the limited on any vacation day. Cheers I am off to the races..
24 Sep 2012, 15:48 pm
@thesiener-125: The All Blacks will send a second-string team to Soccer City.
Agree, we will start Monnas in both tests.
24 Sep 2012, 17:24 pm
@trupisero-121: ’07
Having a cold (aka “man flu”) makes me feel old
24 Sep 2012, 17:40 pm
Please tell me this Supersport story is a joke!
I saw on News24 this morning that Goosen is due to start and I was soo happy
HM must go if he carries on like this showing blatant loyalty when Leadership is required!
Fark him man
25 Sep 2012, 08:25 am
“and is better than the Peter de Villiers-driven side of 2008 that won just two out of six.”
Yes but one of those was a win in New Zealand at the House of Pain.
Not even the legendary Jake White could win in NZ.
Dont go putting PDV down like that.
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