All Blacks brace for all-round assault
2 Oct 2012
Israel Dagg says that the All Blacks will expect the unexpected when they travel to Soccer City for Saturday’s showdown with the Springboks.
The Boks produced their most balanced performance of 2012 in last Saturday’s hammering of the Wallabies. The forwards were at their fearsome best, while the backs used that platform to devastating effect. The kicking game was also on point, ensuring the hosts won the territorial battle.
Bok coach Heyneke Meyer said after that victory that the players are starting to understand and execute the game plan. They are starting to play the game in the right areas, and then create and finish try-scoring opportunities once in opposition territory. It is not, as Meyer confirmed again on Monday, as if the game plan has changed.
Be that as it may, the All Blacks have taken note of the Boks’ five-try display at Loftus Versfeld. Dagg described the showing as ‘exciting’ and said it was clear that the Boks are now playing with more attacking intent. Dagg said that this will make the Boks doubly dangerous this Saturday, as the hosts will also use the kick-chase tactic at some stage.
‘We just have to expect the unexpected,’ the All Blacks fullback said.’They were great in that game against the Wallabies with ball in hand, but I’m sure they’ll try and Test us with a few high balls. In that respect, we will be prepared. We pride ourselves on our high-ball skills.’
When assistant coach Ian Foster was asked if he thought the Bok game plan had changed, his reply suggested that one player has certainly made a difference to how they attack.
‘They have a different guy at 10,’ said Foster. ‘They were looking to play with more width against Australia. I think it’s going to be a traditional South Africa vs New Zealand Test, but they will throw a few different things at us on attack. But we won’t change much with regards to our own plans.’
Flyhalf Johan Goosen is expected to start his second Test this Saturday, and the All Blacks will certainly look to target the 20-year-old. Foster played down the suggestion that the visitors would gun for one opposition player specifically, although he admitted that the South African flyhalf channel can expect a great deal of traffic.
‘He’s got a good all-round game, but he is still finding his feet in international rugby. We’ve got our own game plan and we will highlight one or two areas where we want to attack. Obviously a No 10 at this level is expected to make a lot of tackles. So hopefully if we attack well we can expose him in a one-on-one situation.’
Much of the All Blacks’ attacking success, and the Boks’ for that matter, will depend on the performance of the forwards.
Some of the All Blacks are still feeling the effects of a brutal encounter with Argentina, with Luke Romano and Conrad Smith sporting some ugly facial cuts. But that physical encounter has not diminished the appetite for a physical fight nor the will to win in South Africa, as senior statesman Keven Mealamu confirmed.
‘The Boks are playing with a lot of energy, and we saw that when we played them in Dunedin,’ Mealamu said. ‘We will be prepared for that [physicality].
‘Beating the Boks in South Africa is not an easy thing to do. Not many teams can do it. It’s always the Test you look forward to as a player, so we will definitely be up for it this Saturday.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Johannesburg
148 Comments
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2 Oct 2012, 22:52 pm
@Te Rangatira-42: carried away?
form?
i only mentioned that he “cleaned rucks on his own & smashed people”
where did i allude to adongo’s “form”?
2 Oct 2012, 23:01 pm
@Kaizan-41:
You are dreaming. Most those players moved to NZ during the Juniors.
Family moved for other reasons, NZRU did not offer there 8 year old a contract.
You really need to do better than that.
2 Oct 2012, 23:10 pm
@Kaizan-41:
Another thing i find funny is all those players played for NZ internediate and college schools.
Now proved they were here before the age of 14 years old. I could dig deeper to find when they arrived to NZ but i think you have made your little mind up.
2 Oct 2012, 23:17 pm
@YoMama-32: History has proven the Boks with French being second as the biggest thugs of the game, NOT the All Blacks.
I’d say we are at number 3.
2 Oct 2012, 23:22 pm
The beauty of the poaching nonsense always gets rolled out (primarily by some Bok and UK supporters) when they know there is a gulf in class between their respective teams and the AB’s. This little chestnut conveniently disguises their annoyance the AB’s cause them, as they cowardly divert our supremacy and their own failings.
2 Oct 2012, 23:23 pm
@Hurricane-37:
Strange how you answered what players NZ had poached which i picked huge flaws in your points but didnt say how many NZ born players are in the Samoan teams or how many learnt the rugby in NZ playing for College rugby and NPC.
Your poaching theory shows you have no clue in how NZ is made up.
2 Oct 2012, 23:38 pm
@KiaKahaNZ-54:
No, I truly hope I’m wrong. I have too much respect for New Zealand rugby to accept that this historical behaviour (Meealamu & Umaga on O’Driscoll and Thorn on Smit) is appropriate.
There have also been two South African acts of stupidity in the past few years that I also find unacceptable. When Bakkies headbutted Cowan a few years ago for pulling him back and when Greyling headhunted Richie for once again lying all over our ball, they simply did not find acceptable ways of dealing with cheating (which has also snuck into the Kiwi game) because they were too dumb.
I would love nothing more than to see a full strength All Black team play within the laws against a South African team who can control their emotions. To be the best, you have to beat the best. It would be awesome to see an All Black / Springbok game played out in honour.
2 Oct 2012, 23:43 pm
@YoMama-57:
Cheating?
Isnt a penalty awarded against a team means they were cheating?
You can say SA never cheat if they have never been penalised.
Are you sure SA never been penalised?
2 Oct 2012, 23:43 pm
@Hurricane-56:
That post was aimed at Kaizan, not myself.
2 Oct 2012, 23:46 pm
yip and Boks brace themselves for all round cheating display or mccaw proportions.
3 Oct 2012, 00:02 am
@cab-60:
Yep and we will wear eye guards and head gear for dirty play the boks are known for.
3 Oct 2012, 00:18 am
Haha – reading some of these kiwi posts trying to deny poaching is hilarious… The ENTIRE rugby world knows new zealand poaches. Its just your thing. There is simply no debate here Im afraid. It might be hard for you to accept it, but the rest of the world knows its real…
I notice that no one cares to comment on the poach-camp set up by the Crusaders Rugby Union in Pretoria.
Hell, youre even in a South African rugby website right now. Probably trying to poach ideas or something.
3 Oct 2012, 00:26 am
People, I will settle this dispute.
The verdict is…
New Zealanders are indeed poachers.
I am the authority.
3 Oct 2012, 00:32 am
@51…Yep,Trans,I got abit carried away there ,my apologies,I’ll put it this way & I think you will agree,Adongo has been a good buy for Counties and for kaizan ,he’s been well poached
3 Oct 2012, 00:33 am
@the authority-63: stop whining.
3 Oct 2012, 00:35 am
@Kaizan-62: Who cares. It’s up to the South African rugby fraternity and organization to keep players. Players have the right to live where they want to, and earn a living where they can.
The Boks need to win on the field, with the players selected.
The game of rugby is also paramount.
3 Oct 2012, 00:43 am
@SodaJoe-66: Soda, you asked who cares?… Well Im not surprised you are condoning this sort of thing, but to answer your question: We care mate. SARU took the matter to the IRB who ordered the Crusaders administration to immediately end any and all efforts at invitational training camps in South Africa.
3 Oct 2012, 00:45 am
How does a New Zealander like their eggs?
3 Oct 2012, 00:52 am
Soda, first you boys were swearing blind that you never poach… Oooh no, not us, we’re little angels we are… And now as soon as the proof is put in front of you, you change your tone to “who cares”.
Typical poaching kiwis.
3 Oct 2012, 00:58 am
New Zealanders = poachers
It’s just common knowledge.
3 Oct 2012, 01:01 am
@Kaizan-69: I am a South African. A die hard Bok supporter.
Whining about poaching. whining about joining the Northern Hemisphere rugby union.
Blah blah blah.
I expect my Boks to win. I especially expect them beat the All blacks and stand proud. They don’t whine.
I think the team we have right now is very good. And going to get better. And no I don’t believe in “rebuilding” that’s for Craven Week, Currie Cup, Super 15. The Boks are there to win. No whining. By men.
Big. Proud. Talented. Athletic. Men.
Who don’t fkn whine.
3 Oct 2012, 01:14 am
Soda… As the authority on the matter, you are hereby advised to stop talking about “Big. Athletic. Men”.
Kiwis poach. Its a simple fact.
3 Oct 2012, 01:50 am
The Italians poached Michael Schumacher to win championships for Ferrari, and the Japanese poached Valentino Rossi to win championships for Yamaha. And there we were thinking that it was just harmless professionalism… What were we all thinking in 1980 when those sneaky Japanese at Kawasaki poached a fully-cooked Kork Ballington?
3 Oct 2012, 01:56 am
@Kaizan-62:
Again, you have tried to prove poaching but have fallen short.
I am not saying it does not happen, i know of a couple ABs over the last 20 years, note a couple. You think every Samoan, Tongan, Fijian that plays in NZ are poached. The ones that are laughing are the ones that know otherwise.
You and The Authority are clueless.
Its really a cop out and another excuse along the lines of many from a few Bok supporters for a loss to make them feel better..
This is professional rugby, do you understand the concept?
As soon as you two clowns catch up the better.
Thing is with all the players from NZ,Tonga,Samoa,Fiji….you guys still have more players to choose from.
3 Oct 2012, 02:08 am
@the authority-72:
you’re not even a good stand up comic.
Whats your point anyway?
3 Oct 2012, 02:23 am
@Kaizan-69: last world cup nz had 4 non nz born players. with 40 kiwi born players playing for other countries, with 18 of those players playing for samoa. so its a two way street. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/rugby-world-cup/8750876/Rugby-World-Cup-2011-45-New-Zealanders-in-action-here-….-for-teams-other-than-the-All-Blacks.html
Don’t no about those poaching camps in the islands. all of the players who come from the islands are either born there and come at a young age with their families or get scholarships from nz schools (Im one of those) the nzrfu have nothing to do with it. there are also 600,000+ islander living in nz so you’d expect a few of them to play for nz.
3 Oct 2012, 02:27 am
@melkiwi-76:
Kaizan has no argument. He lost even before you posted that, just a nail in the coffin that post was.
3 Oct 2012, 02:27 am
As for daniel good on him, no one in sa offered him a contract so what was the poor guy to do. SA’s lose is NZ gain.
3 Oct 2012, 02:41 am
@the authority-63: you are a dipstick who sucks his thumb…you havent a clue about NZ rugby – you show you immature ignorance and your deservedly numbskull intelligence…keep deluding yourself my man…its about all SA have in the rugby world now….
3 Oct 2012, 02:42 am
@the authority-72: and you wank
3 Oct 2012, 02:49 am
I think what needs to be said here is how infantile and immature SA posts are – you are so insecure that you have to flail at anything that is not SA, you know just grab youselves and give yourself a thrill. If you learn from Aus and NZ you will have a team that SA can be proud of, instead you portray yourselves as the end and be all of rugby on the planet. Well hello…wake up…you are not and you will never be. You may get close but second is as bad as last…and who will be 1st….? the AB’s of course…history shows they are the best Team and winningest team (to use an Americanism) on the planet. Nothing SA do for the next 50 years will close that gap, you guys are too full of yourselves and your coaching and rugby set up there shows your approach to the game will never ever ever change. It’s in your DNA – how can you change that. In the meantime Saffers with any brains migrate to Aus and NZ, we have lots of them here and eventually there will be some SA names called out in the AB’s line up, of couse they will have been born here, not poached, but true blue NZers and my guess is that in 50years time, Jappies will still be complaining about poaching…hopefully by then SA will have gone North to Europe…best place for you losers….AB’s easy on Saturday…yeeeeeeeha
3 Oct 2012, 02:51 am
@Hurricane-74: and still, you refuse to comment on the poach camp set up by the crusaders rugby union in Pretoria…. Mate, its pretty obvious your country poaches rugby players. Its also hardly surprising that kiwis do their best to deny it. I wouldnt expect you to just accept it.
Its not an excuse for anything. The All blacks have beaten the boks recently because they have been better. Simple as that…. But, the fact remains, New Zealand has a reputation as poachers…. Hell, I heard irish blokes talking about your poaching culture the other day… Its only you and your countrymen who dont accept it.
If a South African rugby body set up a poach camp of any kind in New Zealand, I would say it is wrong and we shouldnt be there…. You on the other hand, turn a blind eye, or just flat out deny it.
Poachity poach poach poach.
3 Oct 2012, 02:57 am
Kiwis poach.
Its not a big deal. Its just their quirk.
It is incredibly funny to watch them squirm when you bring this simple fact up.
3 Oct 2012, 03:01 am
As The Authority on the matter, I declare that New Zealand rugby is guilty of poach-culture.
The Authority has spoken.
3 Oct 2012, 03:02 am
@Kaizan-82: why would the crusaders bother setting up a camp when they have hundreds of great young players coming through every year. Can you tell us when this was happening? maybe an article of some sort just to back it up. Cause Christchurch have the strongest school boys teams in the country and have a great development in place so it just makes no sense at all.
3 Oct 2012, 03:05 am
@the authority-84: a total of 81 non nz players have played for nz since the begining. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/atoz.asp?group=S
considering 40 kiwi players playe for other countries just at the last world cup alone show thats nz gives a lot more than they recieve.
3 Oct 2012, 03:06 am
@melkiwi-85: see post 41. There’s a link to the story there.
This is old news mate. Maybe you should go fill yourself in before come posting on here.
3 Oct 2012, 03:09 am
Tana Umaga was a great rugby player, and now he is becoming a really good rugby poach.
3 Oct 2012, 03:11 am
Whats the difference between a rhino poacher and a Kiwi rugby coach?
…
The kiwi rugby coach poaches rugby players from other countries, not rhinos.
3 Oct 2012, 03:12 am
@Kaizan-82:
I have no clue what you are talking about here.
What camp? Show me the location and address.
Strange how there is not one South African in the Saders team or is there?.
So what is really happening.
So i will ask you, what is a poached player to you?
How about the few Kiwis that have played in the English and Scottish teams, are they poached? How about the Kiwi born players all over the world playing for international teams. Do coaches like Plumtree and Mitchell and Deans count as poached?
Were the Irish complaining after the 60-0 killing? Would make sense.
Alot of questions i know but seems you honestly have no clues as to what a poached player is.
You think we poach them at 2 years old…. lol
3 Oct 2012, 03:16 am
@melkiwi-86: what, head?
3 Oct 2012, 03:25 am
@Kaizan-87: seriously thats your proof?
anyone could have written that letter. newspapers have a tendency to make stuff up just to sell and get people reading. obviously you fallen for it.
Ask yourself does nz really need to turn to sa for player? simple answer NO. So its obvious that you’ve fallen for it.
3 Oct 2012, 03:27 am
@trupisero-91: thanks for that the adults are talking now, go back to sleep.
3 Oct 2012, 03:38 am
@Kaizan-87:
This is the reply to the pathetic rubbish you guys are fed from the SARU.
Again they have it wrong:
Chief executive Hamish Riach has hotly denied allegations the Crusaders are attempting to poach South Africa’s rising rugby stars.
A report in a South African newspaper yesterday alleged the Crusaders planned to grab the country’s rising talent and that the South African Rugby Union (SARU) had fired off a letter to the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) to demand it intervene.
But last night Riach denied there was anything sinister about the Crusaders’ involvement in a private sporting academy in Centurion, near Pretoria.
“This is wrong, they have completely got the wrong end of the stick. To say we are intending to pinch their players is completely untrue.”
Instead, Riach stated, the Crusaders were entered into a commercial licensing agreement with the academy which also involves sports such as golf, swimming and football.
Riach acknowledged that when the Crusaders toured the republic in the future some members of the team would visit the setup. The franchise would benefit financially from the licensing agreement.
Yesterday’s report stated the academy had been sending a letter to schools, detailing information about a “nationwide talent identification programme at an all-expenses paid training camp” for 60 under-16 players in July.
The report added that the letter from the SARU to the NZRU stated: “What we find frankly horrifying is the systematic and widespread targeting of young players in SA.
“We would therefore appreciate if you could intervene on our behalf with the Crusaders by passing on our concerns and asking them to cancel this expedition.”
Riach said he was unaware of that correspondence and has heard nothing from the NZRU or the SARU.
“The vast majority of players that attend the academy will be from South Africa.
“It’s not about us pinching any of their players to play for the Crusaders at all,” he said.
3 Oct 2012, 03:46 am
Hilarious a saffa moaning nz poached their kenyan player! And to think some still claim zim born englishman mujati as one of their own…
3 Oct 2012, 05:29 am
@JohnPierre-81:
You seem to have alot to say for a bigheaded a rsehole? In fact you are the very reason NZ has taken the cup for being the most arrogant rugby nation around.
dingbat!
3 Oct 2012, 05:38 am
@whatever-96: you guys claimed that title a long time ago, how you say, china :0
3 Oct 2012, 06:39 am
I bet they don’t expect the Spanish Inquisition.
3 Oct 2012, 06:50 am
Kaizan: you’re embraboeoring yourself & saffas in the process.
heyneke “poached” recruited adongo from the Sharks in his famous drive to get the Bulls to play a high-tempo ball in hand game, when meyer left for the Bok job in january Ludeke & the other domkop left at Loftus didn’t know what to do with adongo & frustrated him plus tana saw him in KENYA & not in SA.
10 Jul 2012
The Bulls have confirmed the release of recently recruited flank Daniel Adongo.
The 23-year-old was lured from
the Sharks earlier this year after an extended chase, but has spent just six months at the franchise, in which time he has failed to break into the Super Rugby group.
He will join New Zealand side
Counties Manakau with immediate effect. All Blacks legend Tana Umaga spotted Adongo playing for the Elgin Warriors against the touring English Counties team in Nairobi in June, and offered him a
two-year deal with Counties.
After discussions with the Bulls,
Adongo established that he was
well down in the loose forward
pecking order and requested to be released from his contract.
Adongo is highly rated by
Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer.
3 Oct 2012, 06:52 am
how can taba POACH a guy with a contract? the Bulls RELEASED him…grow up!
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