Gulf between Boks and Blacks
24 Nov 2012
RYAN VREDE, in London, reports Jean de Villiers feels there is a significant difference in class between the All Blacks and his Springboks and that will take some bridging.
The world champions have been denied victory just once in 2012 (they’ve won 19 of their last 20 Tests), drawing with Australia. Their hot streak has featured some sublime performances, and they have become the benchmark against which many measure the Springboks. This was particularly evident when the Blacks put 50 on Scotland and the Springboks stuttered to an 11-point victory in Edinburgh a week later.
These comparisons are, of course, unfair on De Villiers’ young and inexperienced side. The Blacks’ standing now has been years in the making, while the Springboks are in the infancy of their journey. De Villiers was liberal in his praise of the Blacks, but also appealed for some perspective when judging the Springboks.
‘I think that gap is very big still between us and them. But then you look at the Dunedin result and we were in the game in Soweto before they outplayed us and we think that we’re really getting there,’ he said.
‘That’s a special team. They are showing the value of experience and of settled combinations. It takes time to build something like that. We’ve said a lot about soft moments costing us games this season, and experience helps to lower the chance of that. As an experienced player you’ve been there, made those mistakes and learned from it. Its about getting through that rough patch, and if they do the value will be there to see.’
But while the standard of measurement is likely to remain the All Blacks and consistent victory over them, De Villiers stressed the importance of the result at Twickenham against England in the context of their season.
‘The reality is that if you don’t win you’re looking at a 50% win ratio, which is below this team’s standards,’ he said. ‘We’ve only lost three [and drawn two], but it is important for us to win this one so we can go into next year with confidence. We’ve worked hard and had a reasonably successful tour from a results point of view. But we have to step up in different facets of our game, especially the attack.’
In saying that De Villiers touched on a sore point for the bulk of the South African rugby fraternity. The Springboks have scored just three tries on tour against opposition considered inferior, which has fuelled the widely held belief that they are conservative to the point of it being terminal. De Villiers disagrees.
‘There’s always ambition. The opponents don’t always allow you to do what you want. But you get judged by the result and people quickly forget about how you played when you win. History will reflect the score not the style,’ he said.
The Springboks will keep believing that they can replicate the try-scoring feats of the 2007, 2009 and 2010 Bulls (who led the tournament for try scoring in the last two of those years), whose method was identical. De Villiers pointed out that the lower standards of defence in Super Rugby had to be considered, but agreed that that is ultimately was where they wanted to take their attacking game.
‘We’re still very far off that. The way that they achieved that is with exactly the same game plan. It comes down to the decision making and clinical finishing, which is where we’ve lacked. Also those were very settled sides. That is the end goal.
‘We won’t lose focus of where we’re going and sticking to what we’re good at. If we can do that and win, I’m happy. We can’t please everybody. The flip side is that the high expectation is so crucial. Once you lose that and people don’t care anymore, then you’re in trouble. Our standards will drop and we won’t be able to get to No 1.’
315 Comments
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23 Nov 2012, 16:07 pm
@Kaizan-44: Yes… As a janitor I pissonshit and shitonpiss, after which I shovel it all away…
Consider yourself pissedon, with McAnal and Slum sh.at on from a dizzy height…
Now its time for shovelling all you pissingshitting little cowards…
23 Nov 2012, 16:09 pm
@McAwesome-50: Haha didn’t think so!
Well I’ll be supporting the men in green full on tomorrow, unlike Heavens Game who supports the opposition to “teach Heyneke Meyer a lesson” like the lttle embarrassment he is.
Anyway, I gotta roll man. Speak later.
Enjoy the inevitable rants from HG in 5, 4, 3, 2…
23 Nov 2012, 16:09 pm
hope jean is not becoming another corne krige
23 Nov 2012, 16:09 pm
@Kaizan-49: @McAwesome-50: And I there I was thinking I was gonna be taught…
Run like the wind twinkies… Run
23 Nov 2012, 16:11 pm
@Heavens Game-54: You can’t be taught. You’re straight up too dumb.
Even Skop owns you. It’s pathetic.
You wanna quit while youre behind mate. It’s damage control at this point.
23 Nov 2012, 16:16 pm
@the authority-55: And there I was thinking that you “know” me “personally” as you stated in an earlier post…
I call you for the lily livered liar and fantasist you are…
Next time replace “mate” with Sir, Baas or Mr HG, then we talk…
23 Nov 2012, 16:18 pm
HG I know you and you are a twat.
And everyone knows that you are Poltergeist too. Everyone knows.
I piss on your face.
23 Nov 2012, 16:19 pm
@Heavens Game-56: Forgot the signoff “you are the authority”… Silly me.
The authority of taking it like a man… a very fem man… obviously
23 Nov 2012, 16:22 pm
even your sense of humour is dated.
Quit while youre behind mate. Your pathetic reputation has taken too much of a hit.
No one likes you on here.
23 Nov 2012, 16:24 pm
@the authority-57: Lies, my little one son… HG is HG and HG only… No one else… Now I know that my legend has grown to encompass other nics…. Some eloquent, others offensive but all mostly interesting… Sadly, I have to own up and admit not I…
But I am happy for you to continue thinking to the contrary… It seems you read me in many others…
Indeed, I am EVERYWHERE!!!
23 Nov 2012, 16:27 pm
All Blacks are playing awesome rugby and even as a Bok supporter I love watching them.
We are still hopefully going to get better, problem is so will they.
Who knows, with a more settled side and some of our first choice players back from injury we could give them a better go, but not at their own game.
23 Nov 2012, 16:28 pm
@the authority-59: I take that as a sure asnuts compliment… The tittlers, tattlers, runts and c.unts in the various getalong gangs “dont like me”… I must be doing something right…
PS My “dated sense of humour” is not for your benefit… Its for mine… I am everywhere afterall and another “me” would obviously find it funny…
Now get a grip, dunce…
23 Nov 2012, 16:29 pm
Pffft take your tongue out your arse pipsqueak.
Youre a joke. Your mother should be ashamed she gave birth to a little disappointment like you.
Insecure little nothing. Keep adding smiley faces to your posts you unsure of yourself little excuse of a man.
Not worthy of my time, you are dismissed. Run along now, theres a good boy.
23 Nov 2012, 16:32 pm
Haha Yet another schooling for Heavens Game.
23 Nov 2012, 16:42 pm
@the authority-63: Wrong again… On the contrary, my Mummy, bless her soul, is very proud of me…
But your Mum… another story… I actually reckon she needs a farken good slap for inflicting you on this farked up WP propaganda blogging world and not teaching you any distinguishable traits of ruggabugger manliness at all…
Btw I do have a maid – or domestic executive, call it what you like -position available at Casa HG… Some fem traits needed, so it could be right up your street… But you better be as fugly as sin or banshee will fire your *** like the last one…
23 Nov 2012, 16:42 pm
@Transformation-37:
ireland ran the ball 96 times and lost.
let me guess, you love action/war movies involving heroic characters who risk their lives for a noble cause or in defense of a cherished people/territory and involves a plotline seeing them only go on to ultimately fail and lose all, though leave an inspirational mark in time and space, for all eternity, to fire the souls of all true men through the acts of their bravery and sacrifice…
23 Nov 2012, 16:43 pm
get real sonny
wake up
23 Nov 2012, 16:43 pm
@Daddy-64: So… Daddy = Authority = Kaizan = Mofo Mofgatte…
The wonders of anodyne anon blogging…
Farken dumbfucks deluxe
23 Nov 2012, 16:46 pm
what happened at FNB was down to outright dishonest and organised cheating, plain and simple…
23 Nov 2012, 16:46 pm
Please make him stop mommy!
The bad man is scaring us.
23 Nov 2012, 16:46 pm
Gotta love this new little fanclub of mine…
Almost expecting Stawmy, Dawny, Keurboom Park to pop out like terrapin heads any moment soon too…
Feel the Love
23 Nov 2012, 16:47 pm
I’ve had an epiphany!
I just realised that I just don’t care anymore if the Boks win or lose. I just want them to play rugby.
23 Nov 2012, 16:47 pm
@Heavens Game-68: Haha yeah, anyone who doesn’t like you are all the same person.
Oh and about my mother being slapped. more online threats of violence eh? Wow tough guy behind your computer.
Maybe its time to log on Poltergeist with your tail between your legs.
Loser.
23 Nov 2012, 16:49 pm
@TooMuchRugby-70: You forgot racist somewhere in there too, umfana…
Get with it…
Farken mhlope izingulube unite… Simunye, we are one
23 Nov 2012, 16:49 pm
I don’t have time for you HG.
Skop will resume his regular ownership of you later. We outsource the more low-level jobs to him.
Until further notice, you are dismissed.
23 Nov 2012, 16:50 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-69:
Yes, the Boks were dishonest. They were actually telling everybody they were playing rugby, while it actually just a WWF rehearsal.
23 Nov 2012, 16:52 pm
@Heavens Game-74:
Wie’s Oom Faan?
23 Nov 2012, 16:54 pm
@the authority-73: Nope… No rest for the wicked…
And by all evidence of the ridiculous, twinky bullshitt you masquerade as blogposts I reckon no rest for your Mum at all…
For truly she must be wicked… or she made a very wicked mistake…
You must have been that mistake….
But if you weren’t a mistake, then she deserves punishment for her very diabolical sin…
Her sin of inconsequence… Her Sin of Authority…
You are the authority…
23 Nov 2012, 16:56 pm
@TooMuchRugby-76:
i know that you know that you dont really believe what you’ve just said there.
whether its somewhere close to the top or deep down inside… we (you and i) know that you know.
23 Nov 2012, 16:57 pm
@the authority-75: Run along now, umfana… Suka isitabani… Musuka ukohla kukipa lenyoka phakathi nguus wakho… Okay
23 Nov 2012, 16:59 pm
Eish… Where’s my fanclub gone…? Where’d they run away to…? Come back children…
Pretty Please?
23 Nov 2012, 16:59 pm
When bloggers have to resort to desperate stabs at other peoples family, thats when you know they have been well and truly defeated.
Heavens game – you are a defeated man.
Its kinda sad to watch as you squirm but to no avail.
Dont worry theres always hope for you later when you are relegated to a lower league, arguing with skop… Not much hope, but hope nonetheless. My monies on skop though.
23 Nov 2012, 17:03 pm
@Daddy-82: Agreed.
Heavens Game is a defeated little racist.
23 Nov 2012, 17:04 pm
I promise I wont let on again that you are all one and the same… I promise to be nice… I will never call you the lily white effeminate, bitchy little “metrosexual” mofgatte you really are ever again…
I also promise not to slap your Mums for their obvious mistakes… When a kick up the no doubt ample backsides will do just as well…
Promise?
23 Nov 2012, 17:07 pm
@Daddy-82: Who started with family first, sonny boy… Ask yourself that and then go look at the posts… Why, it was you=authority of course in post no. 63…
Nearly done and dusted…
Lesson almost over…
But stick with me and maybe I make you famous…
One famed fuckwit
23 Nov 2012, 17:09 pm
@Heavens Game-85: Wrong again dumbass. Not everyone who disagrees with you is the same person.
23 Nov 2012, 17:09 pm
Haha as soon as you get outed as Poltergeist, you start accusing everyone who opposes your racism as the same person.
Utterly pathetic
23 Nov 2012, 17:11 pm
@Daddy-87: leave him be. I used to enjoy his posts but when i read all his racist nonsense, i quickly went off him.
HG is a sad racist. you will never change him. dont waste your breath.
23 Nov 2012, 17:12 pm
@SIumtown-83: Racist this… Racist that… Coming from a lily white slummies without one clue of the vernacular, definitely slightly ironic….
Now wouldn’t you also agree with that?
No you wouldn’t, hey dumbfuck… Nevertheless if you still struggling with a bit of dosh I do have a gardening executive position open…
A boring, repetitive job… Should be right up your street… Dumbfuck savants allowed only…
23 Nov 2012, 17:14 pm
@the authority-86: No… But you obviously are…
Obviously…
Disagree is a strong word here…
Here I was thinking you had learnt your lesson… But you haven’t…
Fark, Mummy needs another spanking just for that, ne?
23 Nov 2012, 17:15 pm
@Heavens Game-90: Last act of a desperate man.
You just exude patheticness.
23 Nov 2012, 17:16 pm
@SIumtown-88: Agreed. Better things to do with my life.
So long HG. Enjoy riding out this discussion by yourself… Maybe you can log in as Poltergeist and keep it going for longer.
23 Nov 2012, 17:16 pm
@Daddy-87: What racism, Daddy?
You mean exposing lily white probably suburban glowing emos who have definitely never set foot on hallowed grass of Billy Webbs Heavenly Fields of rugby for the dumfuck cowardly little wets they are…
Then yeah, I am as racist asfuck…
23 Nov 2012, 17:18 pm
@Daddy-91: Keep telling yourself that… It looks like your “momentum” is faltering… Bandwidth low? Running out of airtime?
Never fear… Just call Mummy…
23 Nov 2012, 17:24 pm
All Good times must come to an end…
See you later fanboys
Hasta La vista Babies…
23 Nov 2012, 17:50 pm
And they are flippin grown men.
23 Nov 2012, 17:51 pm
@charo-39: Hahahahahaha
23 Nov 2012, 18:12 pm
At last.
23 Nov 2012, 18:35 pm
This Gulf has been obvious since the Boks readmission to Professional Sport.
You see the lack of imagination amongst the Bok S15 teams.
The Stormers were the best defensive team this year in the S15 but **** on attack.
The Sharks showed glimmers but when looking at Centre combo’s of Bosman and Whitehead, only Whitehead offers magic.
The Bulls are Meyers Boks but in Blue. So that means boring up and unders.
Cheetahs play the most expansive game in the SA, but this is a new development. They hadn’t perfected such in the past years.
Lions were just ****, but Mitchell tried to get them running a little with ball in hand. They had their best game against the FORCE last season when Janjties and Taute were unbelievable.
My point is, is that as a rugby nation we live in the Old Private School House Master mode. We need to move our game forward.
23 Nov 2012, 19:10 pm
The place stinks when the HG pervert is in the room. Sies.
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