White-hot Boks thrill
29 Sep 2012
RYAN VREDE reports on a 31-8 victory for the Springboks over Australia at Loftus in which they produced the type of performance they hope will become commonplace.
The Springboks were good, but hold your unbridled praise. The result was not unexpected. This was the weakest Wallabies side the Springboks have faced in their last nine encounters, and at a venue they have never won at. The measure of these Springboks will come against the All Blacks in a week.
The Wallabies were never in this one, a brutal and organised defensive effort blunting their ambitions. It is in this facet of play that most Test matches will be won and lost. That the Wallabies scored once (through a slipped hit) gives me more joy than the bonus-point the Springboks earned.
And they could have and should have won by more, six missed kicks and host of squandered try-scoring chances ensuring that the scoreline flattered the Wallabies.
However, it would grossly remiss not to applaud this win, particularly since it provided reasons for optimism in some key areas.
Flyhalf Johan Goosen will have better Tests, but he certainly isn’t an impostor at this level. His tears during the anthem humanised the kid many what to believe has supernatural ability. He showed his rawness with two hooked penalties, too lateral a running line and poor option-taking at times. But he also stirred hope of a bright attacking future with a couple of linebreaks and generally slick play. He doesn’t have Henry Honiball’s defensive punch and will be targeted by their opposition, but he isn’t a defensive liability and his attacking skill makes up for what he lacks there.
Then there’s the Boondock Saints – Francois Louw and Duane Vermeulen – who hunted in tandem, both outstanding at the gainline and on the deck. They lend the Springboks an air of menace and mongrel, with their efforts amplified by an industrious and highly effective pack.
What else? Ruan Pienaar looked composed and sharp. Andries Bekker was influential at the lineouts and in general play, Jaco Taute was impressive defensively in the most difficult channel for this discipline, and Bryan Habana reconfirmed that has left the fraud he was under Peter de Villiers behind him with a throwback effort.
And their much-maligned game plan? The tactical kicking was poor…when they did kick. This was a wholly different approach from the Springboks, a more expansive one than we’ve become used to. This doesn’t, however, herald the start of a bold new era from Heyneke Meyer’s men. The Wallabies allowed them to play in this manner. The Blacks will demand a tighter approach. They are some way off mastering either, but there are signs that should encourage.
Their rolling maul is unmatched by any team in the game, and it was from this platform that they opened the scoring, with a touch of tactical intelligence (two decoy runners) creating space for Zane Kirchner to score in the corner. Pienaar had taken over the goal-kicking responsibility from Goosen and duly banked the touchline conversion.
The Springboks were in business again seven minutes later after Habana finished a disjointed move that went right then snapped left. Pienaar’s conversion attempt struck the post and the teams went down the tunnel with the hosts leading 14-3, Kurtley Beale’s penalty all the Wallabies could muster in the face of an immense defensive effort.
The Wallabies huffed and puffed after the restart but the Springboks killed their ambition superbly, first Louw peeling off the back of another unstoppable rolling maul to score, then Habana catching them napping with a quick lineout feed to Adriaan Strauss, who drew a defender and offloaded to put the winger away.
The Springboks’ defensive intensity and precision tapered off in the closing stages, allowing the visitors to breach their tryline, but they never seriously threatened a comeback. With time nearly up the Springboks launched another expansive assault, this time Louw finding Habana with a left-pass most elite scrumhalves would be proud to boast.
The Springboks will believe this performance is a good example of what they can achieve when things click, and they’ll be right. But there is a sterner examination ahead in the form of the world champions. For now, however, they deserve to be lauded on the strength of this showing.
By Ryan Vrede, in Pretoria
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174 Comments
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29 Sep 2012, 21:51 pm
@Spiesisworthless1-48:
I agree 100%
I think we could have him in there ahead of maybe Flip (in the squad of 30)
Alberts off the bench and to cover lock as well
Coetzee to start maybe?
29 Sep 2012, 21:55 pm
@Spiesisworthless1-48:
And Flow is more than a fetcher
The balence now with loosies is good
In past with Spies the other 2 were doing work of 3 players
29 Sep 2012, 21:56 pm
Katman I don’t think I can caddy for you
Those bags are too heavy
29 Sep 2012, 21:57 pm
@fitz1ella-50: Supremacist? You reckon if you say it enough it will rub off? It’s just schmucks like you that I don’t like. What does that make me?
And remember, a couple of years of late night liberal posturing on a rugby blog doesn’t make up for 5 decades of shoving your little white snout in the handy trough that PW’s government shoved in front of you. I know your type, make no mistake. You phony old timers who now claim to be such ardent fans of the rainbow nation. Where was that fuzzy love in the 60′s, 70′s 80′s? That’s right, punk. I see through your pretentious charade.
29 Sep 2012, 21:57 pm
@fishdish-47: its an ideological quandary.. and the way those two were hung out to dry in broad faced lily white daylight was almost as appealing as an AWB rally down Soweto’s main street before Sunday morning church parade.. Meyer better start getting it right.. his agenda’s are starting to smell a little fishy.. if not fishy maybe even a little desperate
his level of trust is pretty much down to status zero.. he may have gotten it working slightly better today under a setup very much stacked in his favor but he keep pulling those stunts and it won’t be smelling so hunky dory in the state of Denmark for much longer.
29 Sep 2012, 21:57 pm
And skop will moer me
29 Sep 2012, 21:58 pm
@CoachPete-46: Meyer didn’t want to make the same mistake two weeks running in not changing a kicker (not that it helped).
If Goosen missed a 3rd kick it could have impacted on other areas of his game, right call imo.
29 Sep 2012, 21:58 pm
@CoachPete-51: Definitely an option if we’re looking for more mobility in our pack. I’d prefer Alberts starting against the likes of Argetnina and the AB’s.
29 Sep 2012, 21:58 pm
@Dawn-53: Don’t worry, I have a pull cart. So it’s more the reading of putts and club selection. You in?
29 Sep 2012, 22:00 pm
@fitz1ella-55:
I have mentioned that when Zane was injured we could have had Taute at 15 and bring in Jdj
Would you agree?
29 Sep 2012, 22:00 pm
@katman-54: you see through fuckall fuckface.. come see how far you see through me I show you who sees what through which side of your supremacist runtcunt backside.. you the little **** who is WIDE open for inspection here.. your pseudo liberalist half bred whitearse non enlightened so called ‘intelligence’ smacks of outright phony trash if ever I seen any anywhere…
29 Sep 2012, 22:02 pm
@CoachPete-52: Thats right we were literally playing with a 7 man pack the whole time Spies was in the team. He’ll be back, but by then Meyer will be used to Vermuelens beautiful behemoth presence.
29 Sep 2012, 22:03 pm
@Dawn-53:
A couple of whiskeys and then i am sure you can carry his bags
29 Sep 2012, 22:05 pm
@katman-54:
julle ouens is snaaks
29 Sep 2012, 22:05 pm
@Spiesisworthless1-62:
Well both of us can see Vermeulen is a true classic hard working 8
Spies does nothing So yes he may feature if there is an injury.
And “Flop”Potgieter needs to stay in club rugby and learn how to pass
29 Sep 2012, 22:05 pm
@CoachPete-60: Jantjies and De Jongh should have been on when we went 3 tries to zip up already 15 minutes out from full time.. WHAT was the coward coach actually thinking.. that we were still going to lose from 25 -8 up with 12 minutes to play??
And Pienaar should NOT have been taking every line kick and every place kick AFTER we were clearly out of any kind of trouble already after being handily in front from around 50 minutes or so.
Taute should have gone to 15 at some stage .. I still say De Jongh should play 12 with Hougaard at 9 and Goosen 10, JdV back to 13 and Taute 14 or 15.
See how they go next week.
29 Sep 2012, 22:09 pm
@fitz1ella-66:
will you ever have anything positive to say, skop?
i think goosen was injured, not enough to warrant coming off but injured enough not to take the kicks. probably a decison was made from the top, or it was player/captain inititiave ?
29 Sep 2012, 22:09 pm
@fitz1ella-66:
As i said earlier why have them get up and then leave them standing there for so long
yes agreed about jantjies coming in 65 min or so but i guess HM was thinking goosen was doing well
Pienaar taking kicks was a mistake Ultimately your future star 10 will need to be doing it so as i mentioned he should have stayed with goosen
29 Sep 2012, 22:11 pm
60 mins: SPRINGBOK TRY! Try No 45 for Habana, who is showing great form during the Rugby Championship. He has the speed to breakaway from the chasing Wallaby defenders, and dots down untouched under the posts. Pienaar converts. SPRINGBOKS LEAD 26-3!
so at 60 minutes we were 26-3 up and Lambie comes on for Kirchner and both Hougaard and Lambie miss tackles to let Aussie score with 14 men on the park..
How come it takes the coach ANOTHER 15 minutes before he allows either De Jongh or Jantjies on the park.. was he afraid their pigmentation was actually going to lose the game from there?
29 Sep 2012, 22:11 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-67:
I think Pienaar to one line kick when Goosen was limping
I think if goosen was able to stay on the field and run like he did he can kick as well
29 Sep 2012, 22:12 pm
@CoachPete-65:
Sorry for my absence, a medium rump steak called me away!
Re empty seats at Loftus….. What are the locals doing then? Pretoria looked qute dull to me, thought a good rugby match would be far more interesting than checking out the new seasons outfits at Mr.Price!
29 Sep 2012, 22:12 pm
@fitz1ella-69:
Skoppie his conservative approach has been seen with his handling of the Steyn/Goosen situation
So it was predictable
29 Sep 2012, 22:13 pm
@CoachPete-68:
oh for farks sakes, can the man do nothing right…?..
dont you think there was a more to the equation than just whether to give the bench a run?
dont answer it, its rhetorical.
29 Sep 2012, 22:13 pm
I’m in.
Eager to learn.
At least these guys aren’t portly.
Tiger is hondkuk. All down to Bubba! (Where is he!)
29 Sep 2012, 22:14 pm
@fitz1ella-69:
Evening Skop, where do you stand on golf?
I think you could agree with Katman on one thing…….
Americans can be incredibly embarrassing, you know the whole ‘Get in the hole’ thing is fairly cringeworthy!!
29 Sep 2012, 22:14 pm
@carol-71:
possibly or maybe the price of tickets not work what the boks had dissed out previously
It was a decent game yes
BECAUSE WE WON
29 Sep 2012, 22:16 pm
@fitz1ella-66: Meyer didn’t want to bring Jantjies and de Jongh on when the Boks were defending their tryline. He wanted to protect them. And it’s just as well, too, seeing how de Jongh immediately butchered a try when he came on.
29 Sep 2012, 22:16 pm
@Dawn-74:
Where do you stand on men in pastel knitwear?
Oh and the whole T-Shirt tucked in scenario, I tell you, golf dress code thingie is a minefield!
29 Sep 2012, 22:17 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-73:
But i keep Goosen on unless he was injured
I wont answer it
I move taute to 15 and bring in jdj
There you go never answered you
29 Sep 2012, 22:17 pm
@CoachPete-68: yep his confidence management of Goosen sucked .. perhaps it was protectionist between Meyer and De Villiers to cocoon Goosen for his first outing after he missed his first 2 kicks but if he wants to blood him properly he has to chuck him in at the deep end somewhere and Pienaar missed at least 3 which Goosen could have got..
If Goosen was favoring an injury then its another case altogether but then how come it takes till minute 76 before Jantjies and De Jongh come on?
29 Sep 2012, 22:18 pm
@fitz1ella-69: Hougaard was responsible for that try – Beale gave him the slip and after that it was all over.
29 Sep 2012, 22:18 pm
@ Carol
These guys don’t look too bad thank dog!
29 Sep 2012, 22:20 pm
@kaksioek-77: Bullshit De Jongh didn’t butcher any try .. he lunced for the line after the pop up from Pienaar who couldn’t make it and De Jongh got within 5 cm of the line.. if you call that butchering then what the fck was Tautes misfield off the bounce from the upright..?? you also got supremacist jaundice ******** up your lily white brain?
29 Sep 2012, 22:20 pm
@CoachPete-79:
29 Sep 2012, 22:22 pm
Kaksoek
Stop with your blaming de Jongh for the botched try already. He was only on for two feckin minutes. Supremacist!
29 Sep 2012, 22:22 pm
@kaksioek-81:
Yes you are right. It was Hougaard that fluffed his tackle…not Lambie, like the moron above alleged.
29 Sep 2012, 22:23 pm
Oh snap!
29 Sep 2012, 22:24 pm
@Dawn-82:
I don’t have satellite TV, I will rely on your judgement!
However I can honestely say I have NEVER seen a hot golfer!
29 Sep 2012, 22:24 pm
@Dawn-85: you tell him
fcking supremacists all over the goddamn place here…
next they gonna be wanting de Jongh and Jantjies to caddie for them too
29 Sep 2012, 22:27 pm
@ Carol these guys aren’t too bad. Lean mean golfing machines.
29 Sep 2012, 22:28 pm
here comes the ultimate supremacist come crawling from out of his white knight hidy hole .. must have just got off his ratle bazooker all at the ready for some black arse to target in his sights..
Both Hougaard came off his wing and Beale skinned Lambie to set up Harris.. they both fck’d it up together.
Hougaard should be at 9 what the dumb deluded coach actually thinking playing a scrum half at wing?
29 Sep 2012, 22:28 pm
@fitz1ella-83: @Dawn-85: Simple fact – deal with it. If Skop is going to go on one of his rants – and that ship has long since sailed – then he is going to have to deal with an inconvenient truth.
29 Sep 2012, 22:29 pm
@carol-88: Google Natalie Gulbis. She can swing a club and is fairly easy on the eye. Not really my type though, but I guess she qualifies as hot.
29 Sep 2012, 22:29 pm
O vok Predawn is back.
29 Sep 2012, 22:30 pm
Hougaard is an amateur scrummie compared to Pienaar at test level.
29 Sep 2012, 22:31 pm
which ‘inconvenient truth’ you wanna propose that De Jongh botched a certain try after Pienaar ran out of gas 8 mts out… while Taute knocked on an open sesame opportunity with the line at his mercy .. and fluffed a few other handling errors in first half too..
29 Sep 2012, 22:31 pm
The Habana haters must be cringing. Very little praise on The Panther on this thread. He was incredible. On attack; on defence, in the rucks. Legend.
29 Sep 2012, 22:31 pm
@Dawn-85:
Actually it was his speed and assesment of the situation which allowed him to be up in support in the first place
Pity he was a bit short
29 Sep 2012, 22:33 pm
If you miss your tackle then the runner becomes another defenders problem which means he has to now mark two players.
29 Sep 2012, 22:33 pm
Zactly Coach
At least he tried
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