Blacklash buries Boks
6 Oct 2012
JON CARDINELLI, reporting from Soccer City, watched the All Blacks punish the Springboks in the latter stages of Saturday’s Test to win 32-16.
Usually you have to wait until the end of a game for the climax, but for the South African fans at Soccer City, the best time to be around was in that period before kickoff, and the 20 minutes thereafter.
The Calabash wasn’t filled to capacity, but then 80 000 people can still make one helluva racket. Picture the majority of that 80 000 screaming the lyrics of Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika and then drowning out the Kapa o Pango, the All Blacks’ special haka reserved for big contests. If you didn’t feel the prickle of gooseflesh in that opening salvo, you must be made out of stone.
And then the Boks played. They clattered into the collisions. They pilfered lineout ball and assaulted the All Blacks’ scrum. They used that set-piece platform to good effect, scoring from a lineout near halfway.
Not many teams score against the All Blacks, and very few do it from first phase. And to go 50m for that five pointer – well it would have to be something special. It certainly was.
From the lineout, the ball flew to Duane Vermeulen who immediately turned his back to the opposition and offloaded to team-mate Francois Louw. Louw then did the same, and the move worked in that the other member of the Bok loose trio, Willem Alberts, was free to hit the gap.
The All Blacks managed to bring Alberts down but not before the big man tossed the ball up for a support player. The All Blacks attempted to intercept this pass, but only succeeded in knocking it further backward and out of reach. Jean de Villiers succeeded in coming through and winning the ball, and then finding the omnipresent Bryan Habana. When the winger rounded the poles, the crowd erupted. It was a thrilling standalone moment.
Johan Goosen had missed two difficult penalty attempts earlier in the half, but he made no mistake with this conversion or his subsequent penalty attempt. The result was a 10-0 advantage for the Boks. Against all expectations, the underdogs had raced to a commanding lead.
But soft moments – a phrase coined by Heyneke Meyer to describe his side’s tendency to lapse – have cost the Boks all season, and it was a series of soft moments that saw the Boks relinquishing this big lead.
The Boks lost concentration in the period before half-time. Bad decisions and unforced errors allowed the All Blacks back into the game, first through a try by Sam Whitelock and then another by Aaron Smith.
Elton Jantjies, on for the injured Goosen, kicked some important goals to keep the Boks in front, but as the two teams headed down the tunnel, you got the sense that the momentum had shifted in the visitors’ favour.
This was confirmed when the All Blacks scored in the first movement of the second half. The kickoff wasn’t claimed and the ball was shifted wide. Kieran Read found space down the right-hand flank and raced 40m before popping the ball to Ma’a Nonu for the try.
The Boks’ defence went from bad to worse. The All Blacks succeeded in stretching them out wide on a number of occasions, and worryingly, the Boks were starting to fall off tackles.
It was an embarrassing moment when the All Blacks cantered in for their fourth try, Conrad Smith scoring from a first-phase move. Having trailed by 10 points at one stage, the All Blacks were now 10 points ahead.
There was no way back for the Boks. Dan Carter, who looked all too mortal at times with some unforced errors of his own, began to find form as the game progressed. He booted a 60m monster of a penalty to extend the lead to 13, and then nailed a drop goal a few moments later to widen the gap to 16.
A 16-point win can’t be called ugly. The All Blacks came to play the Boks on the Highveld, and while they had already secured the Rugby Championship title, they needed to win to keep their dream of breaking the record for most consecutive Test victories alive.
The pressure was on, and when it mattered, they delivered.
The Boks played well in patches, but their effort and precision wasn’t on point in the second stanza.
They will lament the mistakes that led to try-scoring opportunities for the All Blacks, and what amounted to a hiding on the scoreboard will serve as a reminder that while they are rated No 2 in the world, they’re still a long way behind this mighty All Blacks side.
591 Comments
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6 Oct 2012, 21:02 pm
@melkiwi-99:
We also need speed to counter their speed at loose forwards
Daniels is and option
Alberts is ok but not fast enough He is more of a Lock IMO
They always have numbers out wide and we are getting beaten time and time again there
6 Oct 2012, 21:02 pm
Maybe the Boks had one of those “travel disadvantages” they’re always banging on about? ( The ABs simply don’t believe in hoary myths like that. )
6 Oct 2012, 21:14 pm
@102 Tackler,Nzers love to travel,east,west,west east,one of the Abs advantages
6 Oct 2012, 21:21 pm
@kaksioek-6: what sour grapes, just suck it up saffa, he plays no worse nor no better than anyone in the Boks, its just the Boks got their BUTTS KICKED by the best team on the planet….second is about as good as you will be…the MIGHTY AB’s
6 Oct 2012, 21:24 pm
@TheTackler-102: Be as gracious in victory as we have been in our defeat.As evidenced by the posts here.
We were beaten by a great team.We acknowledge that.But what goes around????
6 Oct 2012, 21:24 pm
@strikers-12: sucker…you sent BOYS to play MEN and got smoked by a very good team…same old same old, SA and the Boks will never learn, you did get one try…good one too…but the AB’s scored more…that is the lesson for SA rugby….all hit and crash and nothing else (apart from one try)….you will always be second to the AB’s…and what an idiot to bet 20k – whats a rand worth???
6 Oct 2012, 21:27 pm
JC’S PREDICTION: All Blacks by 3 – what ever you smoking, drinking JC – why dont you share it around brother – make us all feel better tonight
6 Oct 2012, 21:29 pm
Who will win at Soccer City?
Springboks by 1-7
450
Springboks by 8-14
173
Springboks by 15-plus
42
62% of voters must be related to Dean Greyling
6 Oct 2012, 21:30 pm
@ryecatcher-105: True, apart of “bakkies” I can’t recall any other sore frothing whinger, so credit to the folks.
6 Oct 2012, 21:30 pm
@Tacitus-50: what game were you watching…the AB’s out-muscled, out-smashed, out-mongrelled the Boks all game, and then put 4 tries on them (BONUS POINT – not that we needed it). Look the Boks will get better – truly they will – but the AB’s will continue to get even better and rule the roost until 2015 and then take the RWC again….NZers have a different mindset and philosophy to playing this game, totally different from SA…your play is too prehistoric and neanderthal…you started with a hiss and a roar and ended up puffing like Thomas the Tank Engine….the AB’s were on the KILL and there were Springboks galore to pick from…end of story…as I said, you will get better, you will remain the NO.2 team but never will you be NO.1 that exalted position belongs to the AB’s
6 Oct 2012, 21:35 pm
This coach got no clue
Hougaard back to 9
Pienaar can play 10 off bench behind Willie Le Roux now that Goosen is crocked yet again
Back line options
Le Roux, Coetsee, Rhule, Pietersen, Jordaan, Serfontein, De Jongh, Mapoe, Hougaard, far better than what we saw today.
Oosthuizen is NO tight head.. When will they get it through their thick heads.. when his neck injury becomes life threatening ? Or when?
If they would have played De Jongh at center today, none of those waltzing in the park AB tries would have come about.. Not ONE..
What was coach dreaming about when Goosen went off after the first AB try to get strapped up.. that he would miraculously heal himself while hobbling around on one leg.. what WAS he dreaming about before he let in AB try No. 2 as a direct result of Goosen being crocked and still on the field of play?
6 Oct 2012, 21:42 pm
How many fwd-passes did the Boks get away with today ?
6 Oct 2012, 21:50 pm
its actually excruciating to watch, not cos the ABs are better, indeed i think the Boks are better and there were long periods on the 1st half and in the game in NZ were that would be obvious to even the most obtuse kiwi ; but because this coach is only getting half his selections and gameplan right, its still an improvement on getting virtually none of his selections or gameplan right at the start of the season – but u aint going to beat the ABs without choosing more of the SA players who contributed to Stormers being no 1 and the only 80% team in SA, and the one WP player who is an extremely tenuous selection against the ABs, Bekker astruse Bobs gets selected..
i think there’s going to be more pain to follow on this bok tour
strauss plays hard, so does liebenberg, but get serious, not remotely in the league of hore or mealamu – where is fourie, he not only taken super 15 by storm but so too the CC, where is elstadt, where is kolist, where is brussow, where is de jong ?
kirchener is distinctly avergae and resorted to type today.
oh and the ABs were offside the entire game.
6 Oct 2012, 21:52 pm
Bizzare. When the Bok backs had he ball, the AB’s were all over them like an ugly rash. When the AB backs had the ball it semed they had all the time in the world to weave their destruction. We’re getting go-forward ball but can’t do anything with it (our only try was a bit of a fluke too) whereas the second the AB’s get any ball, try-time. Is our back-line lying too flat or are the AB’s always marginally offsides? Do the AB’s backs give themselves more space to work with. I don’t know. Backline coach? Look at what the AB’s are doing in principle and copy what they’re doing putz. After that awesome start I’m gutted. Well done AB’s though, class act all the way.
6 Oct 2012, 21:54 pm
@melkiwi-89:
With a population like south africa you would be the boks you moron
6 Oct 2012, 21:55 pm
Other Kiwis like you, Yellowhairman, need to be quietly humble and accept our victory without putting down the SAs. There will be a day when we will be on the recieving end. I don’t see a big difference betwen all the top teams.
6 Oct 2012, 21:58 pm
We have a useless fullback
u useless scrumhalf
pathetic centres without steyn
a wing who wants to intercept on his own tryline
and a coach who is semi retarded
bring JJ into centre
the 2nd half was like watching adults play against kids
when goosen left the field the Boks were finished
im so tired supporting this cr@p
6 Oct 2012, 22:02 pm
oh my goodness, all kiwi hell has broken loose here.
6 Oct 2012, 22:03 pm
@humblekiwi-116:
At least you have humility but the ABs scored double the points of the Boks.
As a South African supporter i am disgusted by the Bok performance.
A bunch of amateurs
6 Oct 2012, 22:04 pm
The one single glaringly poor selection today was bringing De Jongh on LONG after the horse has bolted.. Taute was a revolving door in the midfield with JdV hardly better
So he brings De Jongh on at 76 minutes.. is the coach totally clueless.. De Jongh the one back line player that tackles heard and low.. and the one back line player that can actually make something happen in the mid field.. JdV and Taute was a disaster 3 games in a row.
And for all the Pienaar to 9 punters.. AGAIN the slow ball from ruck time KILLED Boks off their own attack ball giving AB’s chance to regroup their defense..
If Hougaard is not going to play 9 then drop him altogether because Hougaard and Habana are both same old same old opportunists but neither are devastating from set piece game.
And WHO’s goddamn idea is it to pick and go one player at a time into a wall of AB defenders.??. 3 mts out and Boks lose the momentum and offer the turnover EVERY TIME.. Strauss, Oosthuizen, every single Bok plays a one on one pick and drive one trick pony game.. and it NEVER works EVER.!!!
If Goosen is now shot and injured again.. then they better start looking for another fly half.. My punt would go to Willie Le Roux at 10. or else Pienaar as a stop gap with Hougaard at 9. Not Lambie and not Jantjies they not up to international standard, neither of them.
6 Oct 2012, 22:05 pm
@cab-113:
How can the Boks be better when they lose by double the points in their own country? I know you mean well boet but seriously stop dreaming
6 Oct 2012, 22:07 pm
Someone should tell Heyneke that he is a Doos.
He is as stupid as PDV
We need an oversease coach
FOCK HEYNEKE
6 Oct 2012, 22:09 pm
@Transformation-118:
Just arrived from Soccer city, can’t help saying it; I TOLD YOU. The All Blacks are the best team in the world. Commiserations my man. Ayikhatywa indoda iphantsi.
6 Oct 2012, 22:09 pm
The bench selection and the game management of HM were mind boggling
Goosen didn’t expected to last long, so what was the plan?
Bringing on Jantjies the Relegator?
The ABs smelled blood, I counted 7 runs in the 2nd half through his channel, all were successful, the guy offers a good place kicking at altitude and nothing else, he kicked the ball 3 times back to the ABs at the last 3 minutes, not sure what that was supposed to be?
I’d rather see AC or even PdV as the coach
6 Oct 2012, 22:09 pm
@fitz1ella-120: all i saw was holes in the Bok backline in the 2nd half. I could not believe what i was watching.
Taute at centre? ***** ******
Time to give Jean the boot, he was a joke in the 2nd half
We deserve better than heyneke the ******
Bok selectors should be put in the asylum
6 Oct 2012, 22:11 pm
FOK HEYNEKE
R.E.T.A.R.D
6 Oct 2012, 22:13 pm
After today’s fiasco, here’s my take teamwise to build on going forward, picked with a specific style of play in mind- to beat the AB’s somewhere down the line en route to the next world cup, from currently fit players only. The tight five need to look after the scrums and lineouts, carry ball and stay out of the backline. The flankers must play to the ball, and defend and protect possession, while the 8 must be an attacking runner into space and link. The current obsession with large 7′s as primary ballcarrierrs is a fallacy which limits our creativity and makes us one dimensional.
1. Tendai Mtawirira
2. Adriaan Strauss
3. JC Janse van Rensburg
4. Eben Etsebeth
5. Andries Bekker
6. Dewald Potgieter (C)
7. Francois Louw
8. Terra Mtembu
9. Ruan Pienaar
10. Johan Goosen
11. Bjorn Basson
12. Lionel Mapoe
13. Raymond Rhule
14. JP Pietersen
15. Willie le Roux
16. Scarra Ntubeni
17. Marcel van der Merwe
18. Flip van der Merwe
19. Marcell Coetzee
20. Francois Hougard
21. Elton Jantjies
22. Paul Jordaan
6 Oct 2012, 22:15 pm
@Boksarenumber1-121:
i dont think the team that took the field today are better, i think they probably could match the ABs for about half or even 3/4′s of the game and even dominate if they played a certain way – but because they are too conservative and lack self-belief they wont win, they were cutting thru the kiwis easy as, and then went into Defense-mode and kick-chase and their forwards started playing looser rather than in the tight, and the kiwis started getting more ball, and by then it had all gone tits up, u could see it from around the 30th min.
But if Boks played more positively, and taken it to the kiwis, for longer – would have been v close, they were shitting themselves, they couldnt get any ball
But there is an even more fundamental problem, selections, meyer has through default and losses, was forced to bring in players like louw, vermeulen and Goosen, which have revolutionised the team, as of course, they would but he’s got not selecting even more players that would give this team the edge it needs and what everyone feels SA currently possess in terms of playing talent, which is not being utilised selected and utilised correctly.
JdV was abysmal today, there were at least 3 tackles i counted that he dropped off, taute actually putting in some v good tackles – but taute is not a bok centre, he is a fullback, the most attacking exciting centre in SA played for WP, and is not being selected for the Boks, instead he is being overlooked for a 21 year old fullback with no test match experience. where is de jong, where is brussow, where is fourie, where is elstadt, kolisi – you name it already, same old same old, expect the same on EOY tour.
its a good team with too many mediocrities to be a great one, the players that could make it great are not being selected or are injured, and the gameplan is shitarse too..
only positives are jannie du plessis scrumming has come on leaps and bounds, but it was Beast who worked the ABs over today something fantastics, and Habana has become a different player again under meyer although that **** where he juts out of line cost the Boks another crucial try today, as he and it normally does, and he’s been told it a hundred times, but doesnt like being exposed on the wing.
6 Oct 2012, 22:17 pm
@CoachPete-101:
The Boks were going reasonably well with Goosen on the field (with noticeable help from the referee)
The whole thing collapsed thereafter, the Boks were completely dysfunctional.
Should make some of us thinking
6 Oct 2012, 22:17 pm
@wasabi-114: it’s not all doom & gloom man…
if the all blacks had to start andy ellis at 9, beauden barret at 10, robbie fruean at 13, robbie robinson at 15 they would get killed too…
the all blacks NILLED australia at eden park, we competed against them!
we’ll get there!
6 Oct 2012, 22:18 pm
pdv must be laughing his a.ss off
im done supporting this nonsense
so much potential such idiots in charge
6 Oct 2012, 22:21 pm
@Transformation-130: by the time we get there we will all be dead, its a hopeless situation with these idiots in charge
6 Oct 2012, 22:22 pm
id take pdv back any day, if it weren’t for his brainfart in RWC of excluding bismarck, that was unforgivable, pretty much decimated the entire campaign and was completely unfair to the player.
6 Oct 2012, 22:30 pm
@cab-133:
Missing PDV already. What about the chosen one i.e. Heiniken?
6 Oct 2012, 22:30 pm
For the honest rugby folks, and they are very few and far between,the ONLY stats that matter i.e. competition rugby results (since the appointment), show clearly that BIER Meyer and his MELKTERT Volkies are just 33per centers.
You are challenged to answer these horrific stats. of the 2012 RC:
P 6 W 2 D 1 L3
Winning 2/6 games = 1/3 = 33.3333333333333333333333333333333333′ %
6 Oct 2012, 22:34 pm
What a k ak game!!! Locks outplayed!! Backrow outplayed!! Hougaard useless!! Taute??? Not a bok!! Jantjies been found wanting!!! And Kirchener??? How did he ever become a bok??
6 Oct 2012, 22:36 pm
this gameplan is based on territory, well the Boks achieved that, they had something like two-thirds territory, its got fkall to do with territory, possession is more important, i think it was about even today, but even possession means nothing if its statics, gotta be go-forward fast-paced possession, and the Boks had it for the first 30mins, and then took the foot off, and reverted to kickchase.
Boks have got their backrow right, but their tight 5 is not right, and neither is their scrumhalf, ffs how blind must anyone be not to play hougaard at 9? you want a scrummie that going to keep that go-forward going, not one whose going to arrive slowly and look for calculated options.
the whole thing’s a mess – tell you what if he selected hougaard at 9, de jong at centre, fourie or bismarck only worldclass players at 2 and elstadt rather than bekker, jp on wing, brussow at 6 or off bench – then you’ll have a great Bok team. kolisi should come in for coetzee too, pogieter dropped entirely along with arno.
6 Oct 2012, 22:37 pm
Fully fit Bok team:
1. Beast
2. Biz
3. Don’t know. Coenie will need a year at tighthead before being thrown in at test level. He may never get there. Jannie is scrumming now, but not great in loose play.
4. Alberts (He is not mobile enough to be a loose forward)
5. Etsebeth
6. Brussouw (c)
7. Flo
8. Vermeulen
9. Hougaard
10. Goosen
11. Rhule
12. JDJ (But he needs to work on distribution, else Serfontein)
13. Ebersohn
14. JPP
15. Steyn
6 Oct 2012, 22:39 pm
@Peter Mkata-134:
yeah Peter i much rather have pdv, but he made a massive fup in RWC – the only problem is certain players like the bloubulle and jannie dup and frans steyn and habana all appear to really respond well to meyer. i want meyer to do well, but its infuriating cos there is some real talent here.
6 Oct 2012, 22:39 pm
Boks had all the ball and territory buy no game plan!! What is the game plan??? Just keep trying to pummel them??
6 Oct 2012, 22:39 pm
@Peter Mkata-134:
How are them Kings of the Eastern Cape and surrounds?
6 Oct 2012, 22:39 pm
Buy=but
6 Oct 2012, 22:42 pm
SA has no 9!!! Even Hougaard been found wanting…. How can anyone even punt him at the moment??
6 Oct 2012, 22:43 pm
Some time I posted stats that stated the Boks overall winning ratio since the 1800 is 66% compared to the All Blacks 80% plus. We have probably come a little bit down with the chosen one in charge. But we should not be overly concerned with that. The end of the year tour will ensure we get back to the 60s again.
The All blacks are now going to stretch the no of games won record with the Europeans coming up at the end of the year.
I had a funny feeling that the Blacks would score more if they had upped the gear today.
6 Oct 2012, 22:43 pm
Guys punting anyone “starring” in the CC need to wake up… It is not Superrugby and definitely not Test rugby!!
6 Oct 2012, 22:46 pm
@THE MAULER-143:
hougaard got incredible busty strength, speed and pass – he opened the game by busing thru 3 AB tacklers with no space to move – that bugger will drive the boks on rather than trying to slow the fking game down which is what the fatty old boks used to try and do, the boks are at the very best when they out blitzkrieg the kiwis, and that means having a 5-2 split with like-for-like replacements to keep up that intensity, and genuinely committed tight 5 players that hit those collision points to get that go-forward or quick cleanout ball, instead we got teddie and the best outside centre in the game masqerading as our tight 5.
6 Oct 2012, 22:47 pm
Fully fit Bok team:
1. Beast / Janse Van Rensburg
2. Biz / Fourie
3. Cilliers / JdP
4. Alberts
5. Etsebeth
6. Brussouw (c) / Kolisi
7. Flo
8. Vermeulen / Coetsee
9. Hougaard / Van Zyl
10. Goosen / W. Le Roux
11. Rhule
12. JDJ / Serfontein)
13. Ebersohn / Mapoe
14. JPP
15. Steyn / A. Coetsee
6 Oct 2012, 22:48 pm
@humblekiwi-116:
hehehe
You were not here in 2007 or 2009?
Oh boy did the SA supporters make up for anything the Kiwi supporters said.
But yeah, lets try not too do that. Most these Bok supporters are just like us (just a bit uglier) not that they want to believe or acknowledge the fact and there is nothing worse than the winners rubbing it into the face of the losers. Especially if the losing supporters expected more than what there team produced
6 Oct 2012, 22:49 pm
The Melkterts’ forwards are so focussed and intent on their ‘Stampkar rugby’ which leads to all big ,seemingly brutal oafs gaining selection that they leave out anything that reminds them of the athletic 60s animal springbok. End result is that those big, brutal oafs contribute little or nothing to the cover defense.
Where are the Windhond-types of Hennie Muller,Doug Hopwood , Jan Ellis, Rob Louw, Andrew Aitken and more?
ABs play it wide and they score, 4 vokken times in nothing more than a Vanity Cup game for them in a long dead rubber.
6 Oct 2012, 22:49 pm
@cab-139:
Have never been a fan of Meyer even when the Bulls were winning everything. All braun and no brain rugby. If PDV had stuck to what he preached when he started.
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