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, 12:33 pm
@Gumboots-399: One just knew how it was going to go down when Lambie rattled off his first ‘tactical’ kick…………
The highlight of the game was the Lambie and Pienaar charged down kick fiasco. (Lambie, bless his heart – looked like a shark on dry land, that’s how fuckedup Meyer is as a coach)
It must also be said, that not since Straeuli ran the show, have I ever seen such an unhappy Bok team (on the field).
Duane, Alberts, Flo, Strauss, Eben and Jannie worked their butts of.
18 Nov 2012, 12:35 pm
Given his approach to the game, Meyer’s solution to the selection headache he is expected to face as previously unavailable forwards become available next year should be to slot them into the backline. Expect, for example, Juan Smith and Schalk Burger to be reunited – but in the centres. Spies will make his long-awaited return to the wing, partnered by longtime rival Kankowski. Kirchner retains his spot at the back due to his peerless ability to stick to the game plan.
18 Nov 2012, 12:45 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-401:
Sad indeed. You right! You can see the unhappiness in the team.
The body language is so negative and they play like programmed machines…
I doubt there has even been a Bok team so poorly coached…
18 Nov 2012, 12:51 pm
@Gumboots-403: The starting forward pack is very very very good. Pienaar has no idea how to instruct the forwards to achieve quick ruck ball for recycling. He looks and looks, takes a step and then passes. Lambie plays according to a pattern and JdV, the less said about him the better. That’s when the latter two see the ball from Pienaar.
The BBC said Taute made the most metres of the backs last week against Ireland. This week JdJ never saw the ball. It tells me that Meyer didn’t trust the ball getting past JdV.
18 Nov 2012, 12:54 pm
I shudder when I think that Meyer is calling for centralized contracting… I shudder to think of the control he craves for the direction of Bok rugby…
There is no room for other ways to skin the cat in this vision of “unity”… There is no strength in diversity here… There is no room for unique individualism… This is a vision of the Borg – acquire, assimilate and program…
If there ever was fascism in rugby, this is it…
Meyer might be backed to the hilt by SARU but he and the Boks are losing supporters weekly…
18 Nov 2012, 13:00 pm
This is like Groundhog Day……every Bok performance just leaves me flat and dissapointed….
18 Nov 2012, 13:00 pm
@mikeybrass-404:
It is indeed! I said earlier we had our forwards to thank…
When Steyn played 12 he played exactly the way that Jean is playing. Takes the ball into the opposition… It is not the players it is the game plan and the coaching staff… Easy really…
18 Nov 2012, 13:00 pm
The Boks 2nd win on the trot seemed to upset more than a few here?
Noticeably the FUPP here?
Could it be that many took a wager on the Scotts?
18 Nov 2012, 13:03 pm
@Heavens Game-405:
Indeed very scary… That will be the day I become a hockey fan…
@grant10-406:
Every game I think it is going to change… Wishful thinking – now I know it will never change. To see Lambie launching rubbish into the air was heart breaking… Watching Pienaar being so predictable was alarming… It is not gonna change under this coach…
18 Nov 2012, 13:09 pm
We stuck with those HM oke…..what a terrible thought .
Bet M Steyn at 10 and Taute at 13 for Poms…..
All we need is Spies back at 8 and lod to earn a recall and my worst nightmare is complete
18 Nov 2012, 13:10 pm
plod
18 Nov 2012, 13:12 pm
@grant10-410:
I watched the game with a few Blue Bulls and they are saying it is a given that HM wants Spies as captain… Now that will be the death of most. Britney in charge and given carte blanche to prance… what a picture…
18 Nov 2012, 13:28 pm
There was much excitement in the HM camp when Keegan had a poor game so that he could be dropped. It was also hoped that Vermeulen wouldn’t perform so as to open the door for Britney. Flouw was also not supposed to be playing as well as he is as it has exposed the coach and made him look really silly regarding a fetcher. Niknaks and Hougie are safe as they do as told. Steyn will be back and HM is quite relieved that Bambi is not performing. The script is clear for all to see. Call me silly, but I tell you the script has been written well before a ball was kicked in anger…
Spies will be the next captain… His messengers ala Tact, etc are preparing all the for inevitable… Blue is true…
18 Nov 2012, 13:32 pm
@Tacitus-184: So the All Blacks are completely missing the point?
18 Nov 2012, 13:37 pm
@Gumboots-413: The day Spies and M Steyn are back in the team is the day I watch something else…..cant take this kak anymore….waste of time, really is.
18 Nov 2012, 13:39 pm
Spies is too soft for Meyer – he won’t be captain and he won’t start unless Vermeulen is injured. Thank god for small mercies.
18 Nov 2012, 13:40 pm
M Steyn, however, will start against England – and Taute will be at 13.
18 Nov 2012, 13:40 pm
@grant10-415:
Can’t agree more… Steyn will be back on Saturday and Spies cappie next year… Remember this day… a coach who will always be loyal to his boys…
18 Nov 2012, 13:41 pm
@kaksioek-416:
Spies will be back… It is indeed Meyer who converted him into an eigthman…
18 Nov 2012, 13:44 pm
@Hondo-408:
Personally I think the danger in the Boks winning all 3 matches is that HM will feel vindicated in his selections and game plan.
I realize it sounds terrible to say that sometimes the Boks losing might save us from him in the long run.
18 Nov 2012, 13:46 pm
@nortierd-420:
I get your point… Most do!
18 Nov 2012, 13:51 pm
I see his latest quote is “winning ugly wins tournaments”
Guess that is true, but surely in between on these types of tours with no trophy to play for you can try something new and exciting?
Seeing us kick the penalty to touch on 80 minutes and seeing the French tap and go on 80 minutes sums up our mindset as pedantic and boring to a tee
18 Nov 2012, 13:52 pm
With the way Springboks are playing they might as well put out this team next year:
15 Taute
14 Spies
13 M Coetzee
12 De Villiers
11 Kanko
10 F Steyn
09 Pienaar
8 Vermuelen
7 Burger
6 Louw
5 Etsebeth
4 Bakkies
3 Jannie
2 Bissie
1 Beast
16 Strauss
17 Cilliers
18 Coenie
19 Bekker
20 Alberts
21 Duvenaghe
22 M Steyn
23 Kirchner
The only player under 1.9m in the backline is the SH and he’s 1.88m tall.
18 Nov 2012, 13:55 pm
@mxhosa-423:
You may just give the coach some ideas…He is lacking in it lately…
18 Nov 2012, 13:57 pm
I reckon all fit this would be HMs team
1. Beast 2. Strauss 3. Jannie 4. Etsebeth 5. Matfield 6. Burger 7. Arno 8. Spies
9. FdP 10. Morne 11. Habana 12. Frans 13. JF 14. JdV 15. Taute/Kirch
I think he seriously rates Strauss, even over Bismarck, cos he is a supreme hardworking disciple who goois maar fasten lekker accurate darts.
He’s got so many posi’s went it’s not even true – flo was an afterthought, brussow has ben totally passed over, deon fourie and elstadt are not even in the picture, de Jong and kolisi are players he doesn’t mind having but he feels ge has better, which he doesn’t. These are form players that are not being selected and gave given wp the 80% + win record for 2 consecutive years that alluded even the bulls in their prime.
He’s selecting on average 3 wp players for every test match despite tge statistics and results (his big love) indicating completely the opposite.
Hougaard, goosen, jdj, jp, frans – this is where the boks attack should centre around – the only 2 he’s got right are frans and goosen but he’s gameplan completely stifles it.
18 Nov 2012, 14:12 pm
@cab-425:
Hougaard completely out of form and it would appear not up to it at international level especially at 9, the Goose is made of glass and completely unproven at the highest level, Frans Steyn is not an international 12 to slow and one dimensional he’s a 15, JPP well the punters were calling him the best back in the world only a few weeks ago on KEO that space has gone very quiet, your backs are just awful to watch you must cringe Cabbie!!
18 Nov 2012, 14:13 pm
1. Beast 2. D fourie/Brits 3. Cilliers 4. Alberts 5. Eben 6. Flo 7. Kolisi 8. Vermeulen
9. Hougaard 10. Goosen 11. Rhule 12. De Jong 13. JP 14. JF 15. Frans
I reckon they’d destroy currnt team
jannie dup is playing v well at mo tho it must be said, and heinke was an outstanding selection – SA got some magnifico props at moment.
Flo is skitterend, thought so when I first saw him, got everything – but brussow should be there too – this could be by far tge most talented side in world rugby, better even than the ABs on talent, not just gees.
18 Nov 2012, 14:16 pm
NzinCn
that’s cos our supremo domfkop is selecting him at wing when he’s a joost scrumhalf on speed. Tell you what he’s still a bladdy good wing – made a try-saving tackle yesterday in 2nd half – scots coulda had that game – such is tge bullshit defensive-minded approach they adopting – I hate this ****.
18 Nov 2012, 14:28 pm
Imagine – what other team got:
1. Beast gurthro heinke
2. Bismarck, D fourie, Brits
3. Cilliers Jannie
4. Elstadt, alberts, flip, bakkies
5. Etsebeth, Kruger, bekker
6. Flo, brussow, d fourie
7. Alberts, Kolisi, Burger
8. Vermeulen
9. Hougaard
10. Goosen piennar
11. Habana rhule
12. Frans JdJ serfontein
13. JdJ, JP, Jf, JdV
14. JP, jdV, JF
15. Frans, Taute, Aplon, Kirchener
it’s an embaressment of riches – a 58% return with even half those players available and scraping against understeength irelad and Scotland is pisspoor.
18 Nov 2012, 14:30 pm
@ChineseGuy: doubt jpp @ your peril, he’s come back from injury & played in 2 Tests where the team struggled to get any width and you”re already gleefully mocking him…FO.
18 Nov 2012, 14:36 pm
Nick Mallet summed it all up the best post match.
If you are going to bash at the first channel over and over, then you may as well play Alberts at centre.
And that Lambie is clearly playing under instruction.
Heyneke Meyer is trying to implement a game plan that is outdated and horribly ineffective.
Anybody who is celebrating the ugliness of yesterdays win is disillusioned.
And Meyer’s assertion that winning ugly, wins tournaments is naive in the extreme. It may have won currie cups and super rugby 5 years ago, but it will not win you tests against the All Blacks.
18 Nov 2012, 14:53 pm
@Transformation-430:
settle down tranny it was your countrymen calling him the best back in the world after a few good performances, your backs are farking awful the whole world can see that, i’d rather watch a good hard fought match of womans lawn bowls than Bokke back play
18 Nov 2012, 14:55 pm
@cab-428:
he might be a decent winger but he’s not an international 9
18 Nov 2012, 15:01 pm
@nortierd-420:
I beg to the difference and I have my earning to back it up!
HM’s previous 4 Test victories came from the substantial assistance of corrupted referees on the taking
Last two winnings were achieved against slightly hostile, biased test referees, BIG DIFFERENCE!
18 Nov 2012, 15:05 pm
@NZINCHINA-432: Not that they care if you do watch them or not
@NZINCHINA-433: Yep, rubbish 9
@Vetkoek-431: Don’t jut blame Meyer and hs game plan, a game plan does not make a player take their time to kick, or pass or run
18 Nov 2012, 15:10 pm
@Gumboots-424:
HM is winning now, it all that matters, it may upset some, yourself too?
18 Nov 2012, 15:11 pm
@Hondo-436:
Well against the 9th and 10th best team I would actually hope so…
18 Nov 2012, 15:13 pm
@Vetkoek-431: these rock species are doomed to extinction yet they wanna go down clutching at the rock of Gibraltar around their neck as a keepsake memento
@cab-427: sounds suspiciously like my kinda team you punting there look like you eventually came around to singing from the skopskiet hymn sheet
@Heavens Game-405: wakey wakey.. so one more eye opening revelation by the man who was so convinced this was your long lost messiah gonna take you by the hand and lead you to your promised land.. so where were you when I was busy telling you I told you so?
18 Nov 2012, 15:13 pm
@JL1-435:
JL how can your backline play be so bad, we can’t blame it all on Meyer and the game plan, there aren’t any real game breakers that’s the problem, all this talk of JPP he’s done nothing in a Bokke jersey for years, compare them with NZ the ultimate game breaker DC, Nonu who can bust right through them, Smith the ultimate tactician and the game breakers Dagg, Jane, Savea, Gear
18 Nov 2012, 15:13 pm
@JL1-435:
I beg to differ. A game plan that goes against a players natural instinct can horribly neuter their ability.
Lambie is playing a game that he has never been seen trying to implement at any other level, so it is clearly under instruction. It does not come naturally to him though. All Meyer has done is swap a horribly out of form and ineffective Steyn for a player who is superior in his ability to unleash a backline and bring those around him into play… only to ask that player to try and play like a Morne Steyn?????
18 Nov 2012, 15:16 pm
@JL1-435: you also bought into this dead end garbage hook line and sinker.. guess once dyed in the wool of the laager mentality there no way outa there even when you think you spread your wings and saw life through the eyes of the enlightened ones the conditioning remains what it is.
18 Nov 2012, 15:18 pm
@NZINCHINA-439:
I disagree mate. JPP has been in very good form in the last few seasons. JDV was in excellent form last year and for much of this year. Lambie has been in excellent form for the Sharks. JDJ is a fantastically talented attacking player and their can be no disputing that Habana has been excellent in the last 6 months.
But the instructions are clear. Kick everything and chase it down. We have a guy playing 15 who is absolutely useless and a scrummie who used to snipe and look for the break who is now kicking everything. A flyhalf who comes from the most enterprising backline in SA who is kicking everything? They are having this coached into them at the Boks.
18 Nov 2012, 15:22 pm
@NZINCHINA-439: Easy. Your backs have the playing pattern which allows them to express themselves at test level and they are used to doing so. Hell, it’s only been in the last few years that our players have got used to doing it again at Super level; that needs to be transferred to Test level where the margin for error is less. The Bok backs are on training wheels and it is helluva sad to see.
18 Nov 2012, 15:24 pm
@Vetkoek-442: It is sad because we can do it. The boks pre-1989, the Boks of WC ’95, 1997, 1998, 2007 (WC) could all do it. What did all these teams have in common? Coaches which valued backline play. Cecil Moss, Gysie Pienaar, Alan Solomon, Eddie Moans…
And who do we have now? Ricardo with a forwards coach being the attack coach. It’s enough to drive me to drink.
18 Nov 2012, 15:25 pm
The actual root of the problem in that back line is Pienaar
Pienaar is the crux and cause of the entire back line dilemma
Pienaar’s only position of value he could have offered to SA rugby was at 10 not at 9
all these dumb debilitated FdP disciple arsecreeps cannot see the wood for the trees and Pienaar is just busy stuffing traditional Springbok rugby in the eye and cutting it down at the knees..under HM’s one dimensional dead end strategy.
Meyer is one dumb bloody hopeless imbecile.. he is simply not a rugby guru’s backside..
He will lead the Boks into the mire where they will drown and suffocate on their own lack of ingenuity and dead end deficiencies..
The only possibility to get out of this vice grip of one dimensional staid and dead ended nowheresville is get Pienaar out of scrum half and play Hougaard there..
Next stop instructing Lambie to hoof the ball into the air and let him play his natural game.. if that is not a possibility then find another fly half, Jantjies or Goosen.. or Pienaar.. or even Peter Grant at a push….not Morne Steyn
JDJ must play at 12.. not 13, JdV out to 13 or 14 and can switch with JPP who can rotate at 13
Rhule to 11 rotate with Habana and Mvovo, Aplon can cover either wing or FB off bench.
15 between F Steyn and Taute or Kirchner at last resort.
18 Nov 2012, 15:28 pm
@skopdiekan-445: JdJ to 12 and bring back Jacque Fourie for 13 !
18 Nov 2012, 15:29 pm
@skopdiekan-445: And get someone like Garth Wright roped in to show Hougaard how scrummies should play.
18 Nov 2012, 15:30 pm
@Vetkoek-431:
Mallett may ignore the fact that HM was his forwards coach and learned his trade under his and Solomons’ tutalage with Ballie Swarts as the front line coach.
And JW did just the same
18 Nov 2012, 15:35 pm
I wonder what some franchise coaches are thinking – especially Plum… Players do want to play for the Boks, and to play for the Boks, players quite obviously need to play a certain way…
This is a normal requirement for Bok coaches – but I wonder with the extremes of game programming undertaken, that if players start playing differently for their franchises to how they are programmed to play for the Boks, that they feel they jeopardise their chances to play for the Boks…
I can just imagine – Plum asking for a play it as you see it counter attack and Pat turns around and says “but in this quadrant of the field the best decision is…”
Fuckit
18 Nov 2012, 15:44 pm
WE WON !!!!!!!!!!!
People ****** if we win…..people ****** if we lose…WTF
A lot of unhappy miseries out there that like complaining. Try be a bit more positive in life and you will be happier for it.
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