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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24 Nov 2012, 07:22 am
@poppa69-200:
Well, at least we accommodate you here. That must count for something… No?
24 Nov 2012, 07:26 am
sorry Nama. you’re a good oke, very much the minority in SA.
I just wonder how many bank balances have been improved exponentially.
SA has a history of this in cricket.
24 Nov 2012, 07:30 am
@Jeraldjay-197:
Indeed.
Full tard.
24 Nov 2012, 07:34 am
@nama1-199:
Look at the timing though. Three before lunch on day 1 then 5 on day two and 5 on day three.
Rudolph is a luxury we can’t afford.
I don’t think he is significantly better than Thami with the bat and the improvement in AB’s performance would more than make up for it.
24 Nov 2012, 07:34 am
@poppa69-202:
Poppa you such flippin troll.
I really hope that Sonny Bill / White Rhino fight comes off so that we can hit the Kiwi’s where it will hurt most.
24 Nov 2012, 07:36 am
@gunther-204:
Yeah, I see what you’re saying about the fall of wickets in the 1st session.
Agree re Rudolph.
24 Nov 2012, 07:42 am
and if SBW wins?
He’s owned SA centers for a while now, what’s one note washed up ordinary SA to contend with ?
I think he feigned injury out of pity for the SA in the street who has no real sports hero left.
24 Nov 2012, 07:42 am
@gunther-204:
So, if we can have them 100 odd for two or three wickets by the end of the day and take 4 or 5 in the morning session tomorrow, we can restrict them to around 200-230. Leaving us to chase less than 400.
That’ll be great.
What do you reckon?
24 Nov 2012, 07:42 am
@gunther-204:
Agreed, this was a game Rudolph had to step up.
Glad Faf got runs.
Thami deserves a chance, but I like the look of Quinton de Kock as well.
Too early maybe for him now, but definitely one for the future
24 Nov 2012, 07:47 am
@nortierd-209:
Yeah, Quinton de Kock definitely the one to take over for the long term.
Good stats so far in his career and we do need a hitter in the lower order.
24 Nov 2012, 07:49 am
runs coming quicker than Gunther does outside a primary school
24 Nov 2012, 07:49 am
@poppa69-207:
SBW has “owned “pretty much every country’s centers.
He is brilliant, but it’s pointless to single out that only our centers are poor, then you must be consistent and say that all the centers in the world who line up against him are useless.
It’s a pity he left, will miss his playmaking in the S 15 from a spectator’s point of view
24 Nov 2012, 07:49 am
50 up in 11.1 overs!!!
Not good from our bowlers.
24 Nov 2012, 07:50 am
@nama1-208:
Hope springs eternal.
24 Nov 2012, 07:52 am
@gunther-204:
The top 6 needs to take the responsibility of scoring runs and not rely on that safety net of having a specialist batsmen at 7.
I didn’t agree with you on this issue before (probably ’cause JP’s not available) but you right at the moment Thami inclusion offers more than Rudolph’s does.
Robbie P also in for Tahir.
24 Nov 2012, 07:52 am
@nortierd-209:
That youngster is the business. They’ll introduce him in the 20/20 and the one day stuff next year I reckon.
But I think Thami deserves a go he’s keeping him out at franchise level no?
24 Nov 2012, 07:52 am
@nortierd-209:
Well…….we have Kallis at number 9…….ha ha
Saw that Jennings said he must brush up on his glove work, but yes, his batting looks good and if AB could learn in a short space of time, then so could he.
24 Nov 2012, 07:54 am
@Jeraldjay-215:
I think we might be seeing the end of Tahir here.
Unless he does something special..
24 Nov 2012, 07:54 am
In other sad news.
JR Ewing, alias Larry Hagman, passed away at the age of 81.
Who will ever forget the, “Who shot JR” episode?
Tuesday nights have never been the same since Dallas stopped.
24 Nov 2012, 07:55 am
@gunther-216:
Thami does deserve a chance.
They picked him to more to teach Boucher a lesson, so those caps must still rankle him.
I would have liked to see him have a go, he is a solid player who has payed his dues and deserves a go.
24 Nov 2012, 07:57 am
@nama1-219:
Sad news
Can’t seem to want to watch the new series.
Some things are better left in the past and memories of the past.
He was even more hated than Falconetti ( remember him?)
24 Nov 2012, 07:58 am
@gunther-218:
On Tahir.
You and WP-Forever (formerly WPTID) didn’t agree with me when I said he was overrated. Remember?
He has less control than Paul Adams.
Good guy to have on the sub continent but elsewhere? No.
24 Nov 2012, 08:02 am
@nama1-222:
Now he’s having verbal handbags with Warner.
Going to get off 2nd best there.
24 Nov 2012, 08:02 am
@nortierd-221:
Yeah.
I remember Die Burger had pictures of famous people that you could print onto your clothes using a hot iron. I did Falconetti.
Liked the guy just because he was so hated.
24 Nov 2012, 08:03 am
too fcken easy.
24 Nov 2012, 08:05 am
Adelaide Oval will henceforth be known as the Protea graveyard
There’s a few players who will struggle to get picked again after this test and series
24 Nov 2012, 08:06 am
@nortierd-223:
Only way he can win this battle is by taking his wicket.
Does not look likely.
Aus batting a about 5 rpo. On the 3rd day of a test match!!!
We need a break through…and fast.
24 Nov 2012, 08:07 am
@nortierd-226:
Jip. Three I can think of.
Tahir, Kleinveldt and Rudolph.
24 Nov 2012, 08:09 am
@nama1-224:
Yes, I remember those.
People were shouting at there tv to warn, I think it was Wesley?, to look out.
Come to think of it, 40 years on we still shout at our tv’s when the Bokke play
24 Nov 2012, 08:11 am
A spinner getting no-balled?
Shouldn’t happen at any level
24 Nov 2012, 08:12 am
Tahir, how can a spinner bowl a no ball ?? Should not be in the side !!
24 Nov 2012, 08:14 am
Warner does his bit for charity
24 Nov 2012, 08:14 am
Finally a wicket!!
Robin P should replace Tahir IMO
24 Nov 2012, 08:15 am
Warner doing his bit to better SA
24 Nov 2012, 08:16 am
Rory you beauty!! 2 wickets in 1 over !!
24 Nov 2012, 08:16 am
@poppa69-232:
Enjoy watching him, never a dull moment@CharlesM-233:
2 down, good on Kleinveldt.
Problem is the quicker we get the first 4 out, the quicker Clarke and Hussey come in.
24 Nov 2012, 08:17 am
If Ponting doesn’t score he will be dropped for Watson IMO
24 Nov 2012, 08:22 am
@nortierd-236: Let’s hope the law of averages gets rid of them as well: they should fail at some stage!! (Wishful thinking??)
24 Nov 2012, 08:23 am
@nortierd-229:
Kleinveldt making me swallow my words.
Two more wickets today, please!!!
24 Nov 2012, 08:23 am
My brother’s at the game he says the crowd is giving Tahir some verbal bashing.
24 Nov 2012, 08:25 am
@Jeraldjay-240:
Adelaide is a nice little town.
A bit like Bloemfontein by the sea.
Great ground.
24 Nov 2012, 08:25 am
@nama1-222:
Yep.
He’s been a disappointment.
For a spinner at this stage of his career he doesn’t know his game at all.
His no-balling is a symptom of this.
Unless he takes a Michelle I expect to see Robbie P in place for the next game.
24 Nov 2012, 08:25 am
@CharlesM-233:
John Galt will disagree with you re Robbie P.
24 Nov 2012, 08:27 am
@Jeraldjay-240:
Symcox had a chicken thrown at him, so Tahir is going to have to pull a Chopper Reid and harden the …. Up.
One way of silencing the crowd is to take some wickets
24 Nov 2012, 08:28 am
@gunther-242:
That’s the disappointing part. For someone as experience as he is to still not really know his game.
Not good…not good at all.
24 Nov 2012, 08:31 am
Tahir is doing his part in nursing Ponting back in form.
Time to bring the quicks on again
24 Nov 2012, 08:33 am
When he took that “no ball wicket” he held his hand behind the ear as if asking the crowd to keep quiet. It back-fired when he was no-balled though
Nama: the only reason I’ll pick Robbie P is the fact that Tahir isn’t taking wickets and bowls at least one or 2 bad balls per over. RP can bat as well and is an excellent fielder. In the 1st innings even Faf’s economy rate was better than Tahir’s. We don’t really have a world class spinner IMO
24 Nov 2012, 08:33 am
@CharlesM-238:
We can only wish.
Clarke in unbelievable form and Hussey is just superb.
24 Nov 2012, 08:34 am
Rory you biscuit!
24 Nov 2012, 08:34 am
@nama1-239:
That makes 2 of us.
Another to him.
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