Brutal Boks blunt Scots
17 Nov 2012
RYAN VREDE, in Edinburgh, watched the Springboks deliver an almighty defensive performance in the second half to beat Scotland 21-10 at Murrayfield.
This was not a wholly clinical performance from the Springboks on a number of fronts, but one that will nonetheless please Heyneke Meyer and galvanise his side ahead of the sternest Test of the tour in London next week.
It was undoubtedly a victory built, once again, on brutal, accurate and disciplined defence. This has been the hallmark of all the Springboks’ victories this season, and they will have to sustain this if they are to become the dominant team they envisage being.
At the heart this success has been Francois Louw. Irrepressible and seemingly omnipresent since his installment in the side, Louw is now surely among the world’s pre-eminent opensiders and undoubtedly the most valuable player in the Springboks’ ranks at this stage.
Louw was not alone in his excellence. His back row brothers Willem Alberts and Duane Vermeulen shone on attack and defence. The trio are gradually growing into a triumvirate, formidable in their combination, all possessing power and fearlessness in equal measure. Their form and indeed that of Eben Etzebeth, who surely was created for the sole purpose of playing Test rugby, and others like the industrious Adriaan Strauss and unrelenting Jannie du Plessis, is promising, not only for the showdown with England but beyond that. Meyer has the makings of a truly great Springbok pack, and the addition of Bismarck du Plessis, Andries Bekker and Schalk Burger next year will further amplify their potency.
There was little to excite from an expansive attacking perspective, but this is how it will be until the back division settles and finds cohesion and synergy. Meyer has been criticised for myriad reasons, but today he deserves praise for what was a clear directive to pound Scotland into submission through his heavies. The hosts never looked capable of repelling their surges in the first half, losing the gainline battle which consequently robbed them of contesting the breakdown in a meaningful way. When the momentum swung they looked equally inept at bossing the tackle fight, which undermined their cause.
For the first 40 the Springboks were able to control possession and, more pertinently, territory, from where they relied on the best rolling maul in the game to ravage the Scots. Pat Lambie banked two penalties before converting Strauss’s try after a maul.
So dominant were the Springboks that their hosts’ first entry into their 22m came in the 35th minute and their ambition was duly blunted by the brilliant Louw, who earned a breakdown penalty on his 5m line. It was 14-3 at the break, with the Springboks looking supremely comfortable.
That changed in the second half, with Scotland summoning a spirit that was reminiscent of the one that drove the Springboks to a second-half turnaround at Lansdowne Road last week. Strauss got his brace, anticipating and intercepting a pass, and Lambie added the extras, but that was the sum total of the time the Springboks spent in Scotland’s territory.
The home crowd’s belief was stirred with a well worked try off the lineout, scrumhalf Henry Pyrgos slicing through a hole engineered by intelligent splitting of the Springboks’ lineout formation. Greig Laidlaw converted and Scotland’s siege continued unabated. The composure and unfailingly accuracy the Springboks exhibited under extreme pressure was inspiring. They will take heat for what will be perceived as a struggle. But this Scotland team scored three tries against the world champion All Blacks last week. That is the perspective that should inform any assessment of this match.
The tourists held on, even when Flip van der Merwe was sin binned for cynical play. Are there major improvements needed in the week ahead? Absolutely. England are a far superior side and more capable of exploiting the Springboks’ deficiencies. An attacking edge continues to elude them. They again failed to convert their first-half time in the goal zone into more points, which would have made their passage more comfortable.
But this inexperienced Springbok side has passed another important test, one a superior team failed in 2010. Their education continues. The journey is long.
743 Comments
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18 Nov 2012, 22:27 pm
@skopdiekan-687:
Good morning Skop…..I respect JdV as a top man, good leader and fine player over the years. I do think however a change should be made and a replacement found who can inject the skill factor in the midfield needed to unlock defences at that level. At the end of the day, every player whether he’s a great or average test player has a used by date and JdV is approaching his imho.
18 Nov 2012, 22:27 pm
@Heavens Game-692: he was your messiah full tilt.. I think we should go re visit that thread when you were regaling the auspicious virtues of your new found leader of Bok rugby to lead us out of the pit that Dippy Div had set us in.. and you were convinced without any doubt this was your man, your long lost last white hope to lead you to your promised land.. now you not so sure no more, so when did the turnaround come?,
I saw his Achilles heel from day one but you were truly in support of these heathen from the blue drawn curtain of pale skin supremacy… pity it took you so long because now all your heralding love for the messiah has turned to hate, that is how unsuspecting love goes, when it gets thwarted in its desire for fulfillment it turns to hate, its only a natural reaction.
18 Nov 2012, 22:30 pm
@cab-698: that exactly what I said, PdV made the mistake of taking Jakes set in its ways team.. he should rather have bide his time for a better scenario, they controlled him and overturned his natural flair visionary style, and Meyer should have had those little JW loaned chillun of his he was so enamored with, his darlings he brought up through blou blommetjies kindergarten
18 Nov 2012, 22:31 pm
@wnbb-695: Whats a “real” South African? You…
If so, then Godforbid me being a “real” South African…
- a closed minded
- myopic
- barely literate
- piglet
18 Nov 2012, 22:33 pm
kambaya my lord kumbaya – the good news is that i believe the scientists have discovered another planet perenium just next to uranus.
18 Nov 2012, 22:33 pm
HG has developed the knack to back the wrong horse for a good while now.His predictions have become the stuff of legend on keo as well.
18 Nov 2012, 22:35 pm
@Te Rangatira-701: he is approaching it or maybe already approached it, but JdV is not the fundamental problem in the Bok back line, Pienaar at 9 and a non international compliant 10 is the secondary problem, JdV would function fine if a decent 9 and 10 were playing to a quick tempo fast pace distributing game, and JdV was further out, not at 12 but 13, or even switch with JPP on certain plays by bringing the more robust JPP to partner De Jongh at 12.
18 Nov 2012, 22:39 pm
@skopdiekan-702: Go visit… Farkoff and go. While you at it you can go stroke your ego, while Id and you lie to one another to your hearts content…
And I dare you to find context too…
But you won’t because you are as narrow minded as Herstigte Heyneke and the rest of Storming Norming/Pink Cow non performing “structured” skop en jag acolytes…
You mythologize to morph uncomfortable truths into your myopic world view… Just like the other closed minded fools… Yet you try and portray yourself as some mad halfarsed original… You aren’t. You are a regurgitating parrot sitting on the shoulder of your nearest bullshitting bumpirate…
No different to the rest of the dumbfuck sheep…
18 Nov 2012, 22:39 pm
the scientist can only ‘discover’ what already exists, the scientists don’t really discover anything they only uncover what the didn’t know before, that does not make them all knowing, all it does is take them from being absolutely unilaterally dumb and non knowing to slightly smarter with slightly more knowledge than they had previously.
18 Nov 2012, 22:39 pm
@Heavens Game-704: Listen here,mate…and listen well.I can’t farking help it that you are a farking Zimbo!!OK?
18 Nov 2012, 22:41 pm
lol
i see big B telling stories about when he in kindergarten campus – fk me you dudes must have all been into the same hippy **** – all that peacepipe could’ve floated the hindenberg.
18 Nov 2012, 22:44 pm
@wnbb-706: I tell who is a “wrong horse” – the wrong eeh-awing dumbfool donkey that quite obviously sired you after some tomfoolery around the pole, the person who is probably ashamed enough to own up to mothering you, was dancing…
Thats the definition of a “wrong horse”, that is
18 Nov 2012, 22:45 pm
@Heavens Game-708: I think I enlist transie to go find that thread where you were cockahoop over the moon at your new found messiah who was about to lead you to rugby heaven.. now you wanna refute it.. that is exactly how much of an about turn two faced bullshit artist you are.. you were over the moon enamored with the fact that Heyneke Meyer had been appointed as Bok coach and he was going to lead you to Kitch Christie type immortality.. and his initial selection was just up your black white myopic alley.. I gonna ask transie to bring that failing memoryof yours to light
now you turn 180 degrees retrograde and its everyone else who are talking ***** while it was YOU who were singing Meyers praises as your new white hope above hope.. he was not mine.
18 Nov 2012, 22:45 pm
@skopdiekan-707:
Rearranging the deck chairs to accommodate a certain individual is not the best way forward. Agree with you that there are fundamental flaws at 9 -10 which have been exasperated by the coach being a blind fool who suffers from pigheadedness
18 Nov 2012, 22:48 pm
JdV is actually an enigma, everyone always said he got such a great rugby kop on him, but he been playing 12 for a number of years now outside allsorts of 9s and 10s, and Frans Steyn is far more effective at 12 on every occasion he drafted in for boks – even at wp, jdv was better outside de wet barry and outside de jong.
18 Nov 2012, 22:49 pm
you up that pisswilly little peace pipe smoking self made ‘scientific’ skeptic thinking hippy back side,, the little coward so chicken of reality he still running and cowering from the likes of those who tell him to his flowery hippy face he’s a bullshitter, same as you scientific idiots who pretend you look for truth when its the last thing you ever really seeking, all you wanna know is when your next boerewors braai byeenkoms is happening.
18 Nov 2012, 22:51 pm
@wnbb-710: “Mate” is not the word you use to address me, okay… A “mate” in your worldview is probably someone you meet in one of those BayofPiglet parties the likes of you probably find yourself at when you can actually tear yourself away from you computer and this blog 24/7…
Farken “mate”… You wouldn’t know the meaning…
18 Nov 2012, 22:51 pm
He hates HM only now because in his twisted mind he believes that HM has turned his precious Lambie into a MS clone.Lambie had a shocker yesterday and now he and his fellow Sharkies are spitting mad,blaming HM.In my opinion they are pissed off at themselves because they absolutely believed that Lambie would ignore HM’s instructions and play his own game.Now they even want Lambie not to be selected for HM’s future Bok teams.This got nothing to do with him seeing the light.It all boils down to one player not fulfilling their aspirations and hopes.At the end of the day HM forced Lambie to play to HIS instructions,plain and simple…..and now,and only now,they suddenly see the light!
18 Nov 2012, 22:54 pm
@Te Rangatira-714:
JdV should play at 13 and JdJ at 12, with Hougaard at 9 and a decent 10 Boks won’t have a problem.. the problem starts at 9 and filters on to 10, and it stops right there, don’t get into second gear because at 10 the game plan stops abruptly.. that is if it gets past 9.
@cab-715: Frans Steyn is no great shakes at 12.. not like the hype surrounding him, he might be more physical than JdV but he’s no match winner like everybody been touting what a genius play maker he is.. he’s slow and hefty, like Mallet says may as well play Alberts at 12 in HM’s back line strategy.
18 Nov 2012, 22:55 pm
ja verseker … when is the next boerewors byeenkoms happening? biltong en boerewors en worcester sauce….a i ai ai smaaklik
actually those poofda veggie fallafell things u have are bladdy nice, best thing i ever tasted in soho, but then i realised daar’s geen vokken vleis — we are flesh-eating orangutang carniovers, its not right.
18 Nov 2012, 22:56 pm
@skopdiekan-716: Skop, please don’t lump Gat in with us. He can’t count for starters.
18 Nov 2012, 22:57 pm
@skopdiekan-713: Go… Go find whatever quote you want to morph into the myhtologizing bulldust that you think is the best way to ma.sturbate youself, Id and your ego… While you at it you can fantasize to yourself, your ego and whatever multinic you call yourself lately to your hearts content about how “knowledgeable” you are about backline play and just about everything else too…
At the same time you could probably shove your head straight up your talking ar.sehole and discover that the sun truly does shine out of there…
Thats how much you truly know about Bok rugby and backline play… Everything bar the magic farken mushrooms…
18 Nov 2012, 22:58 pm
@skopdiekan-719: Frans distributed just fine at 12 at his French club and at 12 during the ’07 WC. The problem is how Steyn is being utilised.
Now Frans at 12 and Juan at 13 outside of a nippy 9 and a good 10… With quality wings and a fullback who dares to counter-attack or join the line to create an overlap (god how I miss Andre Joubert’s days….) …
18 Nov 2012, 23:00 pm
@mikeybrass-723:
yip u got it.
18 Nov 2012, 23:01 pm
His fellow Sharkies,after singing HM’s praises just two weeks ago,are,on other rugby blogs,also calling for HM to be removed as Bok coach.What is that saying?Are their support for the Boks or their coach limited to the welfare of Lambie in the Bok set-up??If that’s the case then I absolutely agree with Kaizan and others that we don’t need their support.
18 Nov 2012, 23:02 pm
Am over and out…
Thrown enough pearls to the swine, varkies and piglets for them to make necklaces to farken stifle themselves in their own myopic swill masquerading as rugby “kennerdom” on this Storming norming propaganda mouthpiece…
18 Nov 2012, 23:03 pm
@skopdiekan-719:
Ok…..getting the 9-10 axis right will alleviate problems for the outside backs and Jdv may get a second wind and start carving…..something that all rugby folks will like to see. Catch you up mate…
18 Nov 2012, 23:04 pm
@cab-724: We have such players
They aren’t being picked and utilised properly. We don’t have a decent backline coach and we don’t have a head coach who understands the role of backline play.
I need another glass of wine. I’m depressing myself.
18 Nov 2012, 23:04 pm
I have to add that their praise singing of HM started with the selection of Lambie as ten….obviously!
18 Nov 2012, 23:05 pm
@Heavens Game-722: nothing whatsoever to fantasize about it.. you said it in full blown adoration of the Meyer principle of Bok supremacy.. its emblazoned on this site in your own indelibly etched opinions and hail the coming of the Meyer messiah.. it wasn’t me falling for his ruse, it was you who fell for it, now you wanna try pretend you saw him coming all along when some of us.. like myself was telling you then already what he’s about.
shows you might think you know whats cutting when its pretty clear you don’t.. time you started listening when we that can see drop these premonitory hints, then all this anguish and about turn misplaced patriotic fervor you suddenly face don’t need to kick you in your over expectant teeth.
18 Nov 2012, 23:06 pm
@skopdiekan-730: Gat went BOOM
18 Nov 2012, 23:06 pm
Running off,nowadays seem to to be the HG way when he runs out of idiotic things to say.
18 Nov 2012, 23:07 pm
@mikeybrass-728:
yep not looking great, and i think next week could be v tough – the thing with this bok side is there are just too many good players to really go wrong, but a loss to england will infuriate those from bloubul country no end.
18 Nov 2012, 23:08 pm
@Te Rangatira-727: so long Te Ranga
see you around
18 Nov 2012, 23:08 pm
@cab-733: We will beat England only if we change tactics like we did against Ireland. And that includes the ball seeing more air than dirt, with 13 being introduced to it again.
18 Nov 2012, 23:10 pm
@mikeybrass-731: more like boom biddy boom biddy boom biddy boom biddy boom biddy boom biddy boom boom boom
18 Nov 2012, 23:11 pm
@skopdiekan-736: LOL. Too true
18 Nov 2012, 23:14 pm
On numerous occasions HG made his name ‘gat’ on this forum.To come on here today saying that he was against HM ‘s appointment in the first place is nothing short of a bad joke.He was the first one loudly proclaiming that HM would take us to places never seen before.He was right,HM took us to the Kukhuis of mediocre rugby,
18 Nov 2012, 23:18 pm
@wnbb-738: Gat’s nether-regions is something never before seen by any human.
18 Nov 2012, 23:21 pm
yip felafel is like staple diet to those who know what is right for human consumption and whats not, the beduin in the desert been eating that stuff like felafel and humus and olives and goats cheese and flat unleavened bread since Moses fell off his camel, that the stuff for longevity and healthy life style.. its about time you found the right chow to guzzle on soho main street.
18 Nov 2012, 23:23 pm
time out…
so long
18 Nov 2012, 23:46 pm
@skopdiekan-740: Hhmmmm felafel. LOVE IT. Married to a Maltese woman.
19 Nov 2012, 08:45 am
“since Moses fell off his camel”
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