Preview: Ireland vs Springboks
9 Nov 2012
RYAN VREDE analyses the key match-ups and picks a winner of the year-end tour Test in Dublin.
The optimism among Ireland supporters appeared to be high when I first arrived in Dublin last Saturday, but I’ve since sensed a steady shift to something bordering pessimism, in light of injuries to key and experienced players. They still hope for an Ireland victory, of course, but there is none of the strong belief that had accompanied their ambition in recent meetings at Lansdowne Road.
Ireland have won three of the last four Tests in the city. Experienced and respected men among their media contingent predict that dominance will end, despite acknowledging the Springboks’ own struggles with injuries and their poor form in 2012. I think they’re right, although any Springbok victory will not be accompanied by glowing praise of the beauty of their performance.
The forecast is for cold but clear conditions at kick-off, which will assist the attacking play of both sides, not that either team is likely to thrill in their own territory. The Boks won’t veer from the kick-chase method when in their half, and they will look to put Ireland’s receivers under pressure with committed chasers. The hosts have consistently pointed to the importance of putting their primary punters – Ruan Pienaar, Pat Lambie and Zane Kirchner – under pressure. I don’t foresee them achieving this, with the Springboks’ pack likely to be dominant and in so doing buying the aforementioned players time to set themselves and pick their spots (they’ll target fullback Simon Zebo), whether that be up-and-unders or kicks into space.
Pat Lambie’s tactical game showed improvements in the Currie Cup, but the pressure of Test matches is incomparable and he’ll be under close scrutiny in this regard. Lambie will also be thrust further into the spotlight if the Springboks succeed in pressuring Ireland into penalties in kickable positions. He has kicked superbly of late and needs to replicate that form on the international stage. Certainly if Ireland find their attacking groove they are capable of punishing the Springboks for infringements, with Jonathan Sexton and Ronan O’Gara among the most accurate Test goal-kickers in 2012.
If Lambie wobbles with the boot the Springboks have problems. Statistically no team in the world has spent more time in the opposition’s 22m than they have this year, yet the return in terms of tries scored has been desperately poor. They have consistently conceded penalties or made handling errors when on attack in this zone. There needs to be a dramatic reduction in both counts. The Springboks simply have to be more clinical.
The Bok pack has fronted well in set and general play, even against the All Blacks, who are widely regarded to be the strongest eight in the game. They’ll be too good for the Irish, who’ll miss Paul O’Connell’s physicality and leadership and Sean O’Brein’s industry and potency at the breakdown. If Francois Louw can impose himself at breakdown time (off the back of a good gainline contest) it will further compound Ireland’s attacking struggles. I think he will, with Declan Kidney’s team not possessing enough high calibre strike runners to boss the tackle and render Louw a non-factor.
Expect parity at scrum time, while the tourists will boss the lineouts, where their rolling maul will be a massive weapon.
Overall, Ireland will be a fierce competitor but not one with the quality to take advantage of a significantly weakened Springbok side.
VREDE’S CALL: Springboks by 10
1,019 Comments
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9 Nov 2012, 15:59 pm
@Transformation-640:
9 Nov 2012, 15:59 pm
@BrumbiesBoy-650:
cheers and the same to you.
9 Nov 2012, 15:59 pm
@ryecatcher-636: Hearing the word skommel for the first time Since I left Cape Town1964..
Use to go down once a month on a bus iness trip.Heavily nostalgic.
After work woul wa lk from hotel the length og Long street,glance at Orange
street where I went to school(SACS No fond memories) and on to the top of
Kloof Nek road where I was fed and housed. Keep well Lady
9 Nov 2012, 16:01 pm
@Heavens Game-648: Every h.arlot was a virgin once.
Prisons are built with stones of law, brothels with bricks of religion.
9 Nov 2012, 16:02 pm
@Dawn-651: post 653 addressed
to myself meant for you.
9 Nov 2012, 16:03 pm
@Heavens Game-54: In which ea r?
9 Nov 2012, 16:06 pm
@Transformation-638: I know you will disagree and I do not have a strong opinion on this, but some people think picking a black player too early in his career is creating too much pressure on these players.
We see the same thing in Cricket where everyone is waiting for the next Ntini and so many has failed dismally.
9 Nov 2012, 16:08 pm
@Horings-657: Would it be fair to say White was guilty of this by picking Ralepele as captain so early in his career? I think everyone will agree he was. Well, Meyer was right in the middle of that situation and it could have created the mindset described in @Horings-657:
9 Nov 2012, 16:13 pm
Ruan Pienaar needs to have a good game tomorrow. And by good game, I mean he needs to:
1) deliver quick ball from the rucks becuase he has been woefuly slow in this area in the past.
2) Snipe once in a while so the defenders are more honest around the fringes.
3) Defend better. He is a serious weak link in our backline defensively
4) Only kick occassionally. Let the flyhalf get the ball once in a while.
Here are some facts about Pienaar:
- The Springboks have lost more games than we have won when Pienaar has started at scrumhalf.
- Of the games we have won with Pienaar at SH, one was against an Australia C-side and one was against Tonga in the World Cup ’07… And they pushed us way further than they should have.
Scrumhalf is a crucially important position and the performace of this player can have a huge impact on the overall performance of the team. Pienaar has been a liability for the Springboks for a long time regardless of his kicking game (which is often very average, yet he avoids criticism).
Pienaar must improve because he is hurting the Boks more than any player on the team (excluding M Steyn).
9 Nov 2012, 16:15 pm
@Daddy-659: That’s all from me. Over and out.
Go Springboks!
9 Nov 2012, 16:17 pm
@Daddy-659:
thank you.
that has been my opinion of pienaar sinceday one. i do not rate him.
i have also stated to a different blogger that as far as our backline players go, mor than anything we really, really need a good scrumhalf.
9 Nov 2012, 16:26 pm
@Horings-657: aaaaaaaaaahhh rubbish man! siya played 2 years of SA Schools, 2 years of Baby Bok rugby, Currie Cup, and Super Rugby with APLOMB now all of a sudden he must be held back because “picking a black player too early in his career is creating too much pressure on [him]“?
F>UCK that thinking and anyone who subscribes to it!
9 Nov 2012, 16:30 pm
@Horings-657: i’m sorry but you are talking nonsense horing, especially when we have the likes of Spies still waiting to “evolve cognitively”!
what about the likes of lukas van biljon, meyer bosman who got elevated and turned to pish? are we to make them the RULE?
mxim!
9 Nov 2012, 16:30 pm
Siya Kolisi is just straight up not good enough. Good tackler but thats about it. Too small and hasnt ever done anything special.
Definite quota player. Doesnt deserve to play for the Boks on merit.
9 Nov 2012, 16:33 pm
Heyneke appears to have come out fighting this pm. The team photograph taken this afternoon at Lansdowne Rd is itself amusing (see ‘irishtimes.com’ web-page).
Meyer feels verbal kicking is unjust
Fri, Nov 09, 2012
Rugby: South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer bristles at the suggestion he is developing a conservative team which is over-reliant on kicking.
The Springboks, ranked third in the world, launch their three-Test tour of Europe against Ireland at Aviva Stadium tomorrow. An uncompromising pack, confrontational approach and well drilled kick-chase game are viewed as the hallmarks of South Africa rugby.
Meyer, however, insists the perception that his team lack ambition is wrong. “The one criticism I sometimes feel is unjust is that we kick too much. In the six Tests we played in the recent Rugby Championship, we kicked less than the opposition and the All Blacks kicked 13 more times than us.
“Against Australia in Pretoria we scored five reasonably good tries and we missed three chances. Everybody said that was a bad Australian side. Then Australia draw with New Zealand and the All Blacks don’t score a try.
“Yet I don’t hear people saying New Zealand are conservative and they don’t play great rugby. Look at last year’s World Cup final — New Zealand scored one try through a line-out and won 8-7, but it’s said to be one of the best games in the history of the tournament.
“Test rugby is all about winning. You can play any-which-way, you simply have to win and that is what we are aiming for. But we do want to play better rugby. We’ve been in a position to win every single game, but the one thing that let us down in 90 per cent of the games was our goal-kicking — that should have been better.
“It is not conservative or expansive rugby, you have to kick your goals and that is one thing you need to rectify.” Meyer has hardly enjoyed the best start to his Springbok reign since replacing Peter de Villiers in January.
South Africa finished third in the Rugby Championship and his record in nine Tests is won four, lost three and drawn two — results that have earned him criticism. “I am not a guy who thinks he knows everything. I have made a lot of mistakes and I will take that on the chin,” Meyer said.
“I have spoken to a lot of coaches and players out there. Obviously you want to improve, but first you have to put the basics in place.”
© 2012 The Irish Times
9 Nov 2012, 16:36 pm
@the authority-664:
In fact – Go and watch the “Siya Kolisi Tribute” on Youtube…. The only rugby tribute I’ve ever seen where they didn’t have any material for the guy… One offload to Habana looped for the entire tribute… He’s done nothing else.
Kolisi is average at best.
9 Nov 2012, 16:51 pm
@Horings-657: who said we need another ntini?
who was elevated early and failed?
9 Nov 2012, 16:54 pm
@the authority-664:
Too small???????????????
Twat
9 Nov 2012, 16:56 pm
@the authority-666:
You and Poltergeist are like two bats who only come out at night and talk kuk all over the place
What’s your real nic
9 Nov 2012, 16:57 pm
@the authority-666:
And why is there a tribute if he’s done vokkol
And why are you bothering to watch it
9 Nov 2012, 17:05 pm
@horings-657:
JPP and Habana were 19 and 21 respectively, when they made their bok debuts, look how well they turned out… The difference is that they had already played senior rugby at provincial level, Chilli hadn’t. That does excuse Jake White’s blatant window dressing though. In fact HM rated Adriaan Strauss above him, as is the case now, while Meyer was Bulls coach.
Should Meyer stop young picking 20 year old flyhalves because Meyer Bosman was pushed to early and proved to be monumental failure? Oh wait, it hasn’t…
This attitude that if white players are good enough, therefore old enough – while the black players must no be pushed too early – should stop. This is not 1992 for FFS! Most of these players have come through the same school system. They’ve played in the same junior rugby competitions. Play in the same CC and SR…
In Kolisi’s case, he’s played SA for schools, baby boks (2 years), WP u21, WP CC, Stormers, how much development should he have gone through? He didn’t even make the squad! Yet he’s baby bok teammate, with a handful of CC games is deemed ready for the boks…
This is the kinda selection policy that is polarising our rugby nation. Funny thing is that, had HM picked Taute at 15, JdJ at 13 and Jantjies on the bench, all would be well in SA rugby. Very few would be bothered by Chilli’s non selection.
9 Nov 2012, 17:20 pm
Man to man is so unjust, children:
Ya don’t know who to trust.
Your worst enemy could be your best friend,
And your best friend your worse enemy.
Some will eat and drink with you,
Then behind them su-su ‘pon you.
Only your friend know your secrets,
So only he could reveal it.
And who the cap fit, let them wear it!
Who the cap fit, let them wear it!
Said I throw me corn, me no call no fowl;
I saying, “Cook-cook-cook, cluk-cluk-cluk.”
Some will hate you, pretend they love you now,
Then behind they try to eliminate you.
But who Jah bless, no one curse;
Thank God, we’re past the worse.
Hypocrites and parasites
Will come up and take a bite.
And if your night should turn to day,
A lot of people would run away.
And who the stock fit let them wear it!
Who the (cap fit) let them (wear it)!
And then a-gonna throw me corn,
And then a-gonna call no fowl,
And then a-gonna “Cook-cook-cook, cluk-cluk-cluk.”
—
Some will eat and drink with you,
Then behind them su-su ‘pon you, yeah!
And if night should turn to day, now,
A lot of people would run away, yeah!
And who the cap fit, let them wear it!
Who the cap fit, let them wear it!
9 Nov 2012, 17:26 pm
@Dawn
There’s a tribute because someone requested it. Jeez you’d get a Skipper Badenhorst tribute if you request one
He’s average boet. Face facts. One good(ish) performance against the bulls and all of a sudden he’s Bok material?
If you rate him, explain why… What has he done that could justify his selection ahead of the many, many world class loose forwards we have at our disposal?
9 Nov 2012, 17:32 pm
@the authority-666: this is one fckup of a self engrossed piece of garbage nonentity of white supremacist trash that is the arsehole backwardness of anything rugby related.. and this pathetic little puffed up piece of snotdroll reckons it is the ‘authority’ on rugby, I never seen a more fckup useless piece of sniveling garbage anywhere relative to anything rugby related.
9 Nov 2012, 17:35 pm
@mxhosa-671: Meyer is a closet supremacist.. same as White was… there is absolutely no two ways about that.. anyone trying to bullshit themselves otherwise are just as self justifying racist as them.
9 Nov 2012, 17:36 pm
@skopdiekan-674: HM must come a close second then?
9 Nov 2012, 17:36 pm
@skopdiekan-674:
Skop!!… How’s my favourite little waste of time?
Tell me Skop, didn’t you say that Deon Fourie was the best hooker in the country apart from Bismarck???
WHAT!?!?!…. You prefer Fourie to Chilliboy??
You snivveling little RACIST, white supremacist, garbage trash ratfuck!!!
Fourie doesn’t even start for the Stormers yet you would leapfrog him ahead of Chilliboy??
You fckup of a self engrossed piece of garbage nonentity of white supremacist trash that is the arsehole backwardness of anything rugby related!!!!!!!!!!!
9 Nov 2012, 17:38 pm
@Dawn-669: Poltergeist reckons he’s a bra from Soweto.. and this Authority prick is the anti black spokesperson on all things anti transformation inclined.. so put 2 and 2 together and what do you have tweedle de dee and tweedle de dum the opposite sides of the same nonentity coin.
9 Nov 2012, 17:39 pm
@skopdiekan-674: You dare have an opinion about rugby Skop!!!
You dare to prefer a white player to a black player!!?!?!
You RACIST, white supremacist little sniveling, ratfuck, garbage, trash…………. (insert multiple adjectives here) …………….. moron.
9 Nov 2012, 17:44 pm
@Finfan-676: Yup HM must be about par with this prick at recognizing rugby talent in this fckup insanity ingrained racial bog that they call SA rugby… bunch of f’ng thicker than 3 bricks pontifical slef engrossed garbage that think they got a meager iota of a clue as to who is who in the hierarchy of rugby talent and capability.
@the authority-677: Fourie should be first hooker on the bus before ALL these half baked half of nothing hookers after Bismark.. that is how it should have been recognized.. Bismark, then Fourie, and then maybe Brits and then Chili Boy… Strauss, Liebenberg, Burden and the rest of them way down the list thereafter.
9 Nov 2012, 17:45 pm
@the authority-664: he is 1.87m ie 3cm shorter than arno botha who is touted as the next-big thing… so bark up another tree
9 Nov 2012, 17:46 pm
Skop = White supremacist RACIST
9 Nov 2012, 17:49 pm
@Transie
He is 6ft 1 and only 96kg.
Thats small for a loosie no matter which way you try and spin it.
9 Nov 2012, 17:50 pm
@the authority-682: thats it.. you getting closer.. keep trying to pigeonhole this white supremacist racist here.. try avert the reality from your own warped ideology you continuously try hide behind.
‘Authority’ my f’ng lily white arse… puffed up little pontifical know nothing pratass more like.
9 Nov 2012, 17:53 pm
@skopdiekan-684:
How dare you have opinions on players Skop, you filthy racist… How dare you come on here and comment that you prefer Fourie (a white hooker) to Chilliboy (a black hooker).
You are RACIST scum.
9 Nov 2012, 17:55 pm
@the authority-683: Kolisi is ten times as tough as any those other soft bourgeoisie hairdressing, Eau de Cologne wearing, Anti dandruff shampoo shaping poeftas that reckon they twice as tough rugger bugger brekers.. Spies, Potgieter, Coetsee, Kankowski, Daniel, and possibly even Alberts too combined…
9 Nov 2012, 17:56 pm
@Transformation-681:
In fact Kolisi is smaller than the following BACKLINE players:
Frans Steyn
Jean De Villiers
Jaque Fourie
JP Pietersen
Jaco Taute
Alwyn Hollenbach
JJ Engelbrecht
Butch James
Louis Ludik
Henni Daniller
to name just a few…
9 Nov 2012, 17:57 pm
@skopdiekan-686:
I don’t converse with white supremacists like you.
9 Nov 2012, 17:58 pm
@the authority-687: and he’ll fck them all up in a one on one tackle.. every last one of them he’ll plant right on their lily white backside.. with aplomb.. maybe even all of them together simultaneously combined..
9 Nov 2012, 17:58 pm
@Transformation-681:
Kutheni uzimoshela ixesha ngezibhanxa ezifana nalomfo? Abantu abafana naye abafuni ukuthathelwa ngqalelo.
9 Nov 2012, 18:02 pm
@the authority-688: so stop conversing you piffle arse little pipsqueak ponce that reckons you in anyway relevant to anything rugby related any time ever.. you pseudo little prick that got no clue when it comes down to real rugby strategy or quality of player recognition.. what moron dunce idiots like you know about rugby is a big round hollow empty hole of nothing ZERO..
just like coach Heyneke.. all f’ng hot air bullshit and no real down to earth recognition about who got what quality when it comes down to selecting the correct horse for the correct course.. you dumb f’ng imbecilic bullshit artist nonentity of zero relevancy moron.
9 Nov 2012, 18:08 pm
@blue and white stripes-672: welcome back
9 Nov 2012, 18:09 pm
@skopdiekan-691:
NAZI
9 Nov 2012, 18:11 pm
@ryecatcher-692: to bedlam
9 Nov 2012, 18:12 pm
@ryecatcher-694: Where the inmates rule
9 Nov 2012, 18:15 pm
@the authority-693: what you still conversing for idiotic moronic imbecilic self justifying white racialist dumb mickey mouse ignoramus that knows absolutely sweet fanny fokol about anything relevant to rugby.
9 Nov 2012, 18:18 pm
@Skop
Someone should slap that filthy ***** you call your mother for raising a racist scum like you.
9 Nov 2012, 18:19 pm
@ryecatcher-695: so maybe the welcome should be addressed to anyone that stick their head into this bedlam of insanity.. why else would anyone wanna come talk crapshoot here pretending that they are in anyway relevant to or meagerly constructive to anything regarding SA rugby?
9 Nov 2012, 18:20 pm
Honestly skop, Your ****-***** mother needs to take some responsibility for giving birth to a fcking disappointment like you.
Do the honours mate. Give her a slap for us.
9 Nov 2012, 18:23 pm
Jirre
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