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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7 Oct 2012, 00:35 am
@nama1-200:
Jy is dood reg met daai punte.
Dit moet SL wees onder daardie omstande maar ek is altyd vir die Windies.
Ek is nou uit.
7 Oct 2012, 00:38 am
@THE MAULER-198:
Nows where the fukking hell did I ever say that Elton would’ve won the match for us?
Kak man!!!
You said he had 60 MINUTES on the field. What were you trying to do by saying that? That he should’ve won us the match by giving him an EXTRA 6 MINUTES on the field when he wasn’t even there?
Why didn’t your freakin Messiah put the Boks in an unassailable lead in the vokken 34 minutes that he was on the field and while our forwards were “brilliant” (your word) in the 1st half?
Yet you expect from Elton to perform when our forwards were “outplayed” (again your word) in the 2nd half.
In the 6 minutes of the 1st half that he was on, while our forwards were “brilliant” (your word), Elton kicked a penalty in the 36 and 40th minute.
What exactly did you expect from him in the 2nd half when our forwards were “outplayed?”
Honest question and I hope you’ll see it that way and answer me accordingly.
7 Oct 2012, 00:39 am
We must not forget Meyer is a forward coach and nothing more. He got success with the Bulls largely through their forwards and I think we must admit some good progress was also made with the Bok forwards. The forwards was not our problem today. The Boks dismal failure came from the poor performance by the backs and that will improve only with a new backline coach. No need for large scale changes to the players.
7 Oct 2012, 00:43 am
Nama… You are being pedantic now… When I said he had 60 minutes… When in fact he had 54… Wow… Just watched the highlights again… And up to the almost the 60th minute we had almost 60% possession and territory… So Jantjies actually had a platform to play off… He did not perform… And Goosen is not the Messiah for me at all… Thought he was average tonight… Should have stopped the NZ lock from scoring almost 7 metres out…
7 Oct 2012, 00:45 am
HI SOUTH AFRICA!!!!!
WHO’S YOUR DADDY!!!!!!
7 Oct 2012, 00:55 am
@Dwarslat-203:
I can agree with that.
If only somebody can explain to me exactly who the back line coach is.
We all know that Loubscher is the back line coach but after last week’s match, Heyneke made a point that a lot of credit for the performance of the back line should go to van Graan (forward coach), who doubles as attack coach.
My question now is this, do we blame van Graan for the poor performance of the back line in the 1st half, when our forwards were dominating the AB, or do we blame Loubscher?
7 Oct 2012, 00:58 am
@THE MAULER-204: wait for it mate, Lambie will be the one trashed in here and blamed for the Bok loss
but watch from next weekend, Lambie at 10 for Sharks and you will see the real Bok 10
7 Oct 2012, 01:01 am
@bokke baiter-205: Are you going to make the same stupid post in every thread?
7 Oct 2012, 01:04 am
@Monty15-208: now you already know the answer to that boet
7 Oct 2012, 01:07 am
@THE MAULER-204:
“And up to the almost the 60th minute we had almost 60% possession and territory”
That stat include our absolute advantage, territory and possession wise, that we had in the 1st 40 minutes as well.
Who’s pedantic now?
Give me the stats, territory and possession, for the 1st twenty minutes of the 2nd half, if you can. That will be a more honest reflection.
Yet, the AB were able to score FOUR TRIES in 54 minutes despite the fact that we had “60% possession and territory,” as you say.
What do we ascribe that to?
7 Oct 2012, 01:07 am
nama1. I dont want to comment too much on the first halve that much because we were in the lead at halftime.
If I have to accept Maulers stats on territory, then it means we were beaten on territory also in the last 20 min and somehow I think the subs also plays a role in this. Why was Etsebeth replaced? and Jannie looked fine to me – Coenie is NOT a 3 and never was. I do blame Loubser for the overall piss poor defense of the backline, especially in the 2nd half.
7 Oct 2012, 01:13 am
@sharks_lover-207:
Why? Did he do something wrong in his 10 minutes on the field?
I’m waiting for HM and Tac to explain to me why JdJ again got only 4 minutes despite the fact that Taute was useless again.
Last week it was because the Boks were under threat in their own 22 even though they were leading by more than 20.
Today he was sent on while the Boks were 5m from their goal line. I guess HM was throwing in the towel.
7 Oct 2012, 01:22 am
@Dwarslat-211:
Should our lead not have been bigger given our overall domination afa territory and possession was concerned?
Did you give praise to Loubscher last week after the back line performance against the Aussies? What about van Graan? He is the attack coach, after all.
We do have a defense coach. Can’t get his name now but he also comes from the Bulls. Defense is not Loubscher’s job. Why do you blame him for the kak defense in the 2nd half?
Etzebeth was replaced last week as well. He competes with Flippie and Bekker with Kruger for the lock positions. No problem there.
HM was always going to see how Coenie performs at 3, so he was due to sub Jannie at some stage.
7 Oct 2012, 01:26 am
So, where is the Aus/Arg thread?
Is it because it is a “dead rubber?” What do we call today’s game between the Boks and the AB then?
7 Oct 2012, 01:27 am
@nama1-212: Why did kirchner get anytime on the field,the most useless ineffective fullback in world rugby.Cant stand up in the tackle,gets touched and falls over.Hopefully you are not also a kirchner fan.
7 Oct 2012, 01:39 am
257.katman said:
6 Oct 2012, 14:21 pm
All Blacks are gonna be reduced to 50 shades of grey. Moaning softly, sweating profusely and mumbling, “oh god, oh god”
So Kat, i recall you gave skop so much cr@p about a comment he got wrong and posted it and kept posting all sorts of things he said that did not happen as he predicted.
Above is something the you said the other day. As you can see we all say things that just dont happen the way you or we had hoped.
7 Oct 2012, 01:40 am
Boring Boks.
One dimensional Boks.
Predictable Boks.
Uncreative Boks.
Dumb Boks.
Embarrassing Boks.
7 Oct 2012, 01:40 am
@nama1-214: It was taken out half an hour ago (I don’t know why).
Meanwhile Pumas disappoint, it is Australia who is decimated and playing away after a mighty whipping and additional injuries, but it looks right the opposite.
7 Oct 2012, 01:41 am
No Plan B Boks.
Frustrating Boks.
Conservative Boks.
Unimaginative Boks.
7 Oct 2012, 01:42 am
@nama1-214:
15-9 Ozzie.
Dont know if you are viewing it but thats after 30mins
7 Oct 2012, 01:42 am
SA must NEVER again play the All Blacks at Soweto. It is too much of a psychological advantage for these feeble Boks.
7 Oct 2012, 01:43 am
Heyneke Meyer needs to catch a wake up.
7 Oct 2012, 01:43 am
@Hurricane-216: Actually the prediction was quite good, as only the 2 words from 21 went wrong.
7 Oct 2012, 01:44 am
Losing 32-16 at home is NEVER acceptable. Heads must roll for this shocking display.
7 Oct 2012, 01:45 am
@Nils-223:
haha
7 Oct 2012, 01:50 am
@Hurricane-225: A quote of the day (from Skysports report)
“The All Blacks took full advantage of an 11-3 penalty count as they ran in four tries to the Springboks’ one, with Dan Carter contributing 12 points with the boot.”
7 Oct 2012, 01:51 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-215:
Kirchner is the best FB in SA as limited as he is.
Who is your no. 1? Don’t tell me Lambie because according to all the Shark fans he is actually a FH who just play FB because the froggie performed well at FH after he )Lambie) came back from an injury. That’s him out.
Joe at Stormers? I’m sure you’re not going for him.
Daniller at the Cheetahs? Surely not.
Taute at the Lions? Did he not play wing to make way for Coetzee?
Coetzee? Too young and inexperienced. .
Fransie? Heyneke wants him at inside center.
Did I leave anybody out?
@Hurricane-220: @Nils-218:
I am watching.
Said last week that 6 top internationals in 8 weeks are catching up with the Argies.
7 Oct 2012, 01:56 am
@Nils-226:
lol
7 Oct 2012, 01:59 am
@Liewe Luiperd-224:
When the AB beat us by 10 points in Dunedin despite a sterling performance by the Boks and a poor display by the AB, I asked the question: What will happen if both teams play well in Soweto? Will the AB beat us by 20?
16 points difference is a moerse pak, I agree.
7 Oct 2012, 02:04 am
@Nils-226:
Was that the final penalty count?
Does it include the penalty advantage where your team scored one of their tries (Smith?)?
7 Oct 2012, 02:17 am
@Dwarslat-211:
” I do blame Loubser for the overall piss poor defense of the backline, especially in the 2nd half.”
Maybe you should blame John McFarland .
After all, he is the defense coach.
7 Oct 2012, 02:22 am
@nama1-230: I do not know, to be honest. I just found that amusing. “taking full advantage” from being blown off.
7 Oct 2012, 02:29 am
So you can build your team up before the game but when you get knocked back into reality and the winning team praises their team for winning, and being number one in the world it’s a sign of cockiness lol go figure. I like how a cast majority think that the All Blacks winning is due to the Sorongboks flaws and not the fact the All Blacks are superior still. I wouldn’t worry that much SA fans your turn is coming. It’s only a year or 2 away. Let us enjoy this as you guys will surely baste yourselves in your own ***** when the time cums
7 Oct 2012, 02:31 am
Oh dear. Aussies have scored and that might be it.
7 Oct 2012, 02:33 am
@Nils-232:
The Irishman did confuse me at times but hey, he was blowing in my team’s favor at that stage so I did not complain too much.
Can’t say the same for my buddies who were all AB supporters.
7 Oct 2012, 02:34 am
Great try by Digby btw.
Go Aus…
7 Oct 2012, 02:38 am
.OH YEAH..WE’RE YOUR DADDIES,THAT’S RIGHT YOUR DADDY COME NEMESIS. BEND OVER AND TAKE YOUR PUNISHMENT LIKE GOOD LITTLE SAFWITS. PUT YOUR LITTLE HOME TOWN ADVANTAGE BOTTEMS IN THE AIR AND TAKE A GOOD SPANKING.THROW A SHEEPSKIN RUG OVER YOUR BACKS SOUTH AFRICA AND TAKE IT LIKE AN OBEDIENT SPRING BOK ,OH SORRY I MEAN’T SPRING EWE. YEAH ,YOU ENJOYING THAT……LIKE LAMBS TO THE SLAUGHTER
7 Oct 2012, 02:43 am
I have Aus by 4 on bru.
Hope the Argies score now.
YES…YES…YES…
Play for the whistle now Aus…3 minutes to go.
7 Oct 2012, 02:45 am
@bokke baiter-237:
You’re not really a kiwi, are you?
7 Oct 2012, 02:46 am
@bokke baiter-237: Now we know why you come on this site as you find the south african male attractive.Good luck with trying to get a saffa to bend over but i am sure you would have more luck at home at your local pub.
7 Oct 2012, 02:48 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-240:
you did take one in the behind at home though , he’s quite right
7 Oct 2012, 02:49 am
@nama1-227: anyone of those that you named would have to be better than kirchner.Pietersen,aplon even would give us more attacking flair.
7 Oct 2012, 02:49 am
Wallabies win 25 – 19.
Well done.
So they go ahead of the Boks on the log by virtue of winning more games, of hoe?
7 Oct 2012, 02:49 am
@nama1-235: Well, I was slightly amused seeing zero penalties while it was middle of the 2nd half and have to admit it strangely resembled one fateful QF, just vice versa (then flow of 2 squeezed penalties stopped for good before the half-time) – just today I was confident they will up the tempo after the break and it should be enough despite hosts kicking flow of penalties.
But yes, I was worried the moment I turned on my monitor (returning home) and seeing 0-10. Fortunately, that score did not last long.
IMHO, Boks did play quite well in the 1st half.
7 Oct 2012, 02:49 am
McCaw the greatest player to ever grace a rugby field, there is no debate on this now.
7 Oct 2012, 02:50 am
@NZINCHINA-241: oh another kiwi who cant get enough of us.Stick with the chinese,we dont want you.
7 Oct 2012, 02:52 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-246:
you got rogered last night, must hurt as you all thought you were actually going to win, we move on from you here take the Aussies and clean sweep the northerners
7 Oct 2012, 02:53 am
Well, congrats Australia, and shame that was the best chance for Pumas.
@nama1-243: Not sure about that but there goes up into smoke notion that HM guided Boks from 4th to 2nd place in the IRB rankings as in fact his troops played their first game ranked already 3rd and finished exactly the same.
7 Oct 2012, 02:54 am
That’ll make it 21 straight and counting.
7 Oct 2012, 02:56 am
@NZINCHINA-249:
Correct.
No one has a better record than McCaw and really i dont think many well have ever.
Only the jealous well debate that.
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