Saracens took on the Springboks midweek team at Wembley tonight. Saracens won 24 / 23 after trailing 18 at half time.

Well, what do you say about a team that leads by 12 points at half time and eventually loses by a point?

Firstly, let me say, I predicted that the best TEAM who played as a TEAM would win and Saracens came through as a TEAM in the second half, a half they dominated solidly. The lack of combinations of players who are used to one another is often the cause of a team losing and it was no different on the night.

I’ll start by singling out Bokke performers in this game and mosey on to those who I felt did not perform:

  • Bokke who performed well was Adriaan Strauss, Dewalt Potgieter, Juan de Jongh, Jongi Nokwe and Earl Rose.
  • Bokke who were solid were Andries Bekker, Jean Deysel, Heini Adams & Wynand Olivier.
  • Bokke who underperformed were Heinke van der Merwe, Wian du Preez, CJ van der Linde, Alistair Hargreaves, Danie Rossouw & Davon Raubenheimer.
  • The rest, well they were neither here nor there.

The Bokke handled the first few minutes well when Saracens came at them hard and fared better and better as the first half continued, except in the scrums where their torid tour continued, unabated. Dewalt Potgieter led by example.

Ruan Pienaar did not have a good evening with the boot to the posts but he opened with a penalty and added one conversion from the second Bokke try by Nokwe. The first try however was scored by Juan de Jongh, who showed some good strenght to drive over the try line after the Bokke were camped on the Saracens line for a while. The second try of Nokwe came from a high kick which was well followed up but Saracens can feel aggrieved that the try was allowed because it certainly looked like Ashley Johnson had knocked the ball whilst contesting for the ball in the air.

Ruan Pienaar added a penalty before half time.

At half time Saracens only had 2 converted Derick Hougaard penalties for their trouble.

The half time score was Bokke 18 / Saracens 6

After half time a different Saracens team came out, they dominated every phase, they struck back twice in rapid succession with well worked tries by Bradley Barrit and a charge down try by Ernst Joubert… suddenly the score was 18 / 18.

Derick Hougaard who had a torrid evening with the boot missed a sitter of a penalty to try and put Saracens in the lead, which gave the Bokke the respite they needed to rally and score a good try by Jongi Nokwe, after a sublime long pass wide left by Wynand Olivier to Earl Rose, who cleverly ofloaded to his inside and a final pass going wide again into the hands of the speed merchant, Nokwe. Ruan missed the easy conversion.

With the Bokke leading 23 / 18 the “ghost of bad and multiple mindless substitutions” visited the Bokke coaching staff yet again… sending 4 substitutions on simultaneously… Maku, Raubenheimer, Bosman, Viljoen.

Maku and Raubenheimer were clearly less effective than Adriaan Strauss and Ashley Johnson. Bosman did not do much wrong but the rhytm was suddenly missing. Riaan Viljoen did nothing wrong and tried to ressurect the failing Bokke.

Saracens played a clever game though, they kept possession….. milked the penalties and Hougaard converted one, putting them only 2 points behind the Bokke.

Then Derick Hougaard finally struck gold with a drop goal after missing about 4 previous tedious drop goal attempts. Now Saracens were leading by a point with 4 minutes left on the clock.

In the final minutes Saracens kept possession of the ball and kept it in the forwards, running the clock down untl Derick Hougaard kicked the ball well into the stands to end the game.

Once again I heard moans from commetators about a Referee’s contributions and I shuddered! A good team wins, despite the Referee… and I hate silly excuses!

Well done Saracens!

The Bokke are now a pityful ZERO from THREE games on their tour. 

 

Points:

Saracens: 3 Penalties & 1 Conversion & 1 Drop Goal Derick Hougaard, 1 Try Ernst Joubert, 1 Try Bradley Barrit

Springboks: 2 Penalties & 1 Conversion Ruan Pienaar, 1 Try Juan de Jongh, 2 Tries Jongi Nokwe

 

Teams:

Saracens:
15 Michael Horak, 14 Noah Cato, 13 Kameli Ratuvou, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 Michael Tagicakibau, 10 Derick Hougaard, 9 Neil de Kock, 8 Ernst Joubert, 7 Justin Melck, 6 Wikus van Heerden (captain), 5 Hugh Vyvyan, 4 Mouritz Botha, 3 Richard Skuse, 2 Ethienne Reynecke, 1 Rhys Gill

Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Carlos Nieto, 18 George Kruis, 19 Andy Saull, 20 Kevin Barrett, 21 Alex Goode, 22 Rodd Penney

 

South Africa:
15 Earl Rose, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Heini Adams, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Dewald Potgieter (captain), 6 Jean Deysel, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Wian du Preez.

Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Heinke van der Merwe, 18 Alistair Hargreaves, 19 Davon Raubenheimer, 20 François Hougaard, 21 Meyer Bosman, 22 Riaan Viljoen.
 

Date: Tuesday, November 17
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Kick-off: 19.45 (19.45 GMT; 21.45 SA time)
Expected weather conditions: Scattered clouds with a high of 13°C dropping to 11°C and a southwester of 21 km/h freshening.
Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Assistant referees: Rob Debney (England), Paul Dix (England)
TMO: Brian Abrahams (England)

Our friend and fellow blogger sent these photo’s directly from Wembley. Thanks Carol.

 [cincopa 10518988]

377 Responses to Saracens (6) 24 vs Bokke (18) 23 (f/t) – Game Thread & match summary

  • 361

    Thanks for all the best wishes from all you good people.

    It`s raining very hard at the moment here in the Karoo. Some thunder thrown in for good measure and cold for mid November.

  • 362

    @359

    Goeie Moer!!!!

  • 363

    Heppy, heppy Pilletjies!!

    Goooooooooi Mielies boetie!

    Carol was kind enough to send us photo’s from the game at Wembley, they’re up at the top.

  • 364

    #363

    Tanks GBS>

    Mielies sal gegooi word!

  • 365

    Sjoe, mense is omgekrap vanoggend.

    Pille, geluk met die verjaarsdag.

    More mense, die ‘goeie’ wat hieruit hopelik kan kom, is dat PDV en sy afrigtingspan (en keurders) sal besef jy moet kombinasies kies, en dat politiek nie wedstryde wen nie.

    Maar, of ons hierdie lesse gaan leer sal ons nog moet sien.

    Ons grootste bekommernis, tans in SA is seker die groot gebrek aan goeie skrummers, lyk my almal vou soos ‘n vadoek, sodra daar bietjie druk op hul is.

  • 366

    #365 Dankie bdb.

    Ek blameer swak afrigting. Ons het die talent no doubt.

  • 367

    Op ‘n stadium gedink dit sal dalk goed wees vir die Bulle om vir CJ te kry, maar na dese, nie: lyk my hy kan nie meer skrum nie, en kry so baie seer. Ons het klaar vir Chili wat al ons pleisters opgebruik en al PTA se mediese fondse uitput, kan nie nog vir CJ ook bekostig nie.

    Werner Kruger moet nog baie leer, en kan nog baie beter skrum, maar ten minste kry hy nie seer na elke skrum nie. Go Werries !

  • 368

    Thi Pill….Kromms vanaand? hehehehe

  • 369

    BDB ek stem sooooo saam……die hele Pta se mediese arsenaal is al toegewy an die Chille mens

  • 370

    Werner Kruger is nog jonk, dit sal nog regkom…..

  • 371

    Ek dink wat ons wel leer uit hier Ramptoer, is:

    a. of ons het nie die diepte in SA rugby wat ons gedink het nie,

    b. daar is ‘n baie groot gaping tussen ons A en B span

    c. slegte spankeuses en swak afrigting

  • 372

    369: ja, ek het gehoor dat al daardie nuwe aanbouings aan Pretoria Akademiese Hospitaal is te dankie aan al Chili se mediese onkostes …

  • 373

    371 – BDB I don’t think there is such a huge difference between our Test side and our very best 2nd side which most are not on tour.

    If we were selectors we would have had our best to tour in that Dirt Tracker side. Some selections were just a waste of time we have learned nothing. Now probably sit 6 months backwards in building a very good 2nd side that could step in if any of our Test team get a serious injury.

    Alberts, Sykes, WP. Nel, Kockott, Vermeulen, Mapoe and many more should have gone on tour. Remember we never even had Strauss there and WdP until there were injuries.

    We need very urgent a specialist scrum coach. Get Os in as soon as possible.

    We have the depth but we don’t select them so we will never know what we have.

  • 374

    Thanks for those pics Carol.

  • 375

    #368

    Mmmmmm…. sal moet sien.

  • 376

    #359 Tripples,

    Love the gomstorie, good for your Mom, you should have asked her to make more and sell to friends from other schools. Which schoolkid wouldnt want the classroom to explode and everyone to be coated in stinky gum and powder (funny, that almost sounds like gunpowder, your Mom was brilliant) then to be sent home, win win.

  • 377

    #376 hehehe Manly, was not my mom, was something I read and pasted here, but was soooooooo funny!!!!

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