Would a loss against the Irish make this year a disappointing one for the Springboks?

This is a question that I hear many rugby lovers ask in the wake of a disappointing tour of Europe. Let’s firstly have a look at the results of tests played this year.

SA 26 – Lions 21 (H)

SA 28 – Lions 25 (H)

SA 9 – Lions 28 (H)

SA 28 – NZ 19 (H)

SA 31 – NZ 19 (H)

SA 29 – Aus 17 (H)

SA 32 – Aus 25 (A)

SA 6 – Aus 21 (A)

SA 32 – NZ 29 (A)

SA 13 – France 20 (A)

SA 32 – Italy 10 (A)

This gives us a winning record so far of 73 % which could become 67% if we lose to Ireland or 75% if we manage to win this weekend. These results gives us an aggregate score against everyone of 24 – 21.

The third test against the Lions was played with an inferior team, and had we played our top players in that game, a win was possibly on the cards. The game against Australia that we lost this year was the most disappointing one for me. We where outplayed that day, and looked like a shadow of the team that won every Tri nations game up to that point.

The test we lost against France was on the cards, and I called the French to win by 8 before kick off. The signs that the players where tired was to be seen in the Currie Cup Semi finals and to some extent in the second half of the final. And to make matters worse for the France game was the fact that we missed some key players.

So in my humble opinion, this was a great year for Springbok rugby, win or lose this weekend, and if we can manage the players better next year, we can have an even better year.

146 Responses to Was this a successful year?

  • 121

    Yes it was a good year, tho i believe we could play better and the players should be managed better as well.

  • 122

    103 – Grootblousmile

    Well, come on … #11 was a little kafka-esque wasn’t it ? Especially that “world domination” flourish at the end 😯 Goodness me … Little bit of the Fourth Reich in you I fear ! 😉

  • 123

    Another thing, when do our guys get a rest/break and for how long because it seems that have to start training for the Super 14 in December i think. Seems they have played non stop rugby all year.

  • 124

    Hi Rugby Princess 🙂

  • 125

    Hi GBS

  • 126

    Hi Tree Hugger 🙂

  • 127

    RP – going to bea cracker of a game this weekend when you play the froggies.Are you nervous ?

  • 128

    Both games, Boks v Bogs & ABs v Frogs are critical to year end placement on the calendar & nothing is a given 😯 Lets face it – things are not going to end well for one of us …

  • 129

    #118 Van

    “A great team doesn’t last one season. They build on what they’ve achieved the previous season. How do you think the All Blacks built their aura?”

    Van, help me out here:

    – Did the Boks win the WC in 2007 and were the awarded team of the year by the IRB?
    – Did they build on that success this year?

    If, the answer to both these questions is yes, how can you still deem 2009 a flash in the pan – even by your own definition?

  • 130

    55 – Irish 😆 Well hope he knows the words and is not stoned this time 😀 Not sure where they found that oke to sing in France. Here we have never ever heard of him. He was a cracker though. Had a good laugh after but not while he was singing it..haha.

    I hope Deysel is not on the bench. Deysel and Brussow together would be far better than Burger at blindside. That is if Burger is over that injury.

    My biggest worry is Adi at inside centre. He going to get chowed there. We need WO to start.

  • 131

    130 Puma

    Howzit Puma

    I have a sneaky suspicion that you would like Deysel to play blindside. Am I right? hehehe

  • 132

    @129 – South Africa didn’t play one good side in the RWC 2007. New Zealand were unlucky, the injuries of Carter, and Evans and the poor refereeing by Wayne Barnes cost them the world cup. I have no doubt that they would’ve beaten the Springboks. They have better players in most positions and are a team who can play the full 80 minutes. In 2007 we only just managed to beat both the All Blacks and Wallabies at home.

    The Springboks didn’t build on 2007 because 2008 was an absolute failure. Peter de Villiers was only successful in 2009 because of Heinrich Brussow (who in my opinion is the best player in the world right now) and Morne Steyn (His accuracy after the Super 14 was astounding, until the year end tour.

    The world cup was a pure fluke. 2008 a failure, and 2009 was a success when up until we messed up the end of year tour (By South African standard it was a great year, but we’ve been poor since readmission). Now we have to stand up and repeat what we in 2009 and improve on that. The world cup is a watered down competition compared to the Tri-Nations. I’d rather win 4 Tr-Nations than the World Cup.

  • 133

    Geez I must read what I write before I post.

  • 134

    131 – SAB

    Your suspicion is spot on 😀

    Deysel is playing brilliant at blindside. Burger never played well for Stormers this year and has been injured for awhile too. He is a walking yellow card for us against Ireland.

    Deysel must start. Then read that it will be Burger to start. So he better be on his best behaviour otherwise we play catch up again like we done in the 2nd test against the Lions.

  • 135

    132 – VanStraaten, Jeepers are you a kiwi in disguise? 😆

    Remember when we played Oz at home in 2007 we had some injured players and then 6 players missing against ABs. We can never lose that many and be as good. We still beat Oz but came short against ABs I think by 4 points. That is without our best playing.

    We had all those players back for the world cup. Played some good rugby against England. We always up our game anyhow against Oz and ABs think that the Boks were so fired up they would have beaten them.

    ABs got the short stick for sure with a useless ref. Then all they needed was a bloody drop goal. They were sitting on the French line for about 15 min trying for a try!!!!!! Daft it cost them way, way too much time and that is where they lost it. McCaw should have called for a drop. He never and the rest is history. They lost.

    Boks deserved the cup in 2007. We beat England that beat Os and France. So it was all fair who played in the final. It should have been a Bok/AB final but they just never went for that bloody drop goal which would have seen them through to the semi and final. We won and I am proud.

    Now get to grips with yourself ou maat 😉

  • 136

    132 – VanStraaten, We played stupid rugby in 2008. That is what cost us. The success for this team all started when they turned it around against Scotland. They changed the gameplan back to Bok strengths and with that we whacked England and went from there on to win the Lions Series and Tri-Nations

    Brussow was not part of the eoyt when we turn that 0-10 score at halftime against Scotland to beat them in the end and that huge score against England.

    Brussow is a brilliant player and I was shocked that he was dropped to play for France. Yes DROPPED he was going to play in the Dirt Tracker team. Only a injury to a player that got him back in the Bok side to play France. Thank goodness he got a starting place there. We lost but also have 4 players missing on this tour. Huge players in, Juan, Spies, JdV and Fransie.

    So now just hoping without those players we can pull off another win against Ireland this Saturday. If we start with Adi our chances going to be very hard. Also if we start with Burger. He is just not the same player this year and is a walking yellow card for us. Start with WO and Deysel.

  • 137

    #132 Van,

    Broer, it is normally at this point in a conversation/discussion such as ours that I ask the other ouk “Can I get you a drink, ’cause I think I need one.”

  • 138

    132

    If I understand you correctly the WC was a f*ckadilly, lucky packet walk in the park, right?

    There’s a sole mate of yours on another blog who would love to exchange views with you hehehehe

  • 139

    van straaten @ 132
    “I’d rather win 4 Tr-Nations than the World Cup”

    hmmm, do you have any idea how many times nz have won the 3n? i dont … i’ve lost count!!
    point is … almost every kiwi supporter would gladly give up all those 3n victories if it meant they would see their team hold the web ellis trophy aloft!!

    ok lets put it like this …
    87 nz
    91 aus
    95 sa
    99 aus
    03 england
    07 sa
    i dont think there one person on here who’d wonder what they above numbers was about
    but
    ask eg
    when last did aus win the 3n
    and when did they manage to win it the first time
    and
    its GOOGLE TIME!!

  • 140

    # 138 SAB

    Sounds conspicuously like the same nutter, just minus expletives.

  • 141

    138 – SAB 😆

  • 142

    #132-Robocop is riding a unicorn.

    Your argument is invalid.

    Those who watched Robocop would get it, maybe not! Aiii

  • 143

    #132 – Maggies man, ek voel nou sommer lus om my polse te kou! Jy is vreeslik swartgallig! Miskien het jy ‘n lekker vakansie nodig?

  • 144

    @143 – Ek het nogal daardie uitwerking op mense. 😉

  • 145

    #144 – Wat jy se oor die Bokke/All Blacks, en dat hulle baie meer Tri-Nations titels as ons het is natuurlik waar. Maar jy moet onthou dat ons baie meer “obstacles” as hulle het. Jy weet waarvan ek praat. Ons kan ongelukkig nie altyd ons beste span in die veld stoot nie. As dit in ag geneem word, doen ons eintlik goed.
    Oor die Wc stem ek glad nie saam nie. Ons het verdien om te wen. Ons was in die finaal en het vir die Ab’s gewag; dis nie ons skuld dat hulle nie opgedaag het nie. Onthou, ons het ook beserings gehad. Jean en Pierre was albei uit, Schalk was geskors. Die AB’s het verloor teen die Franse omdat hulle te veel van hul self gedink het, en te min van die ander spanne. Hulle “choke”. Ons het 2 van die 4 toernooie waarin ons gespeel het gewen, wat baie goed is. Selfs beter as Brazil met sokker.

  • 146

    Donner Straatie,

    Hier probeer ek my beste om die mense positief te hou terwyl hulle aan die keel gegryp word deur die resessie, depressie, kompressie… en gegryp na ‘n flessie

    …en die jaar wat almal nou al moeg laat sweet het…

    …en ek kry dit nogal so bietjie reg ook….

    En dan kom saai jy die swart onweerswolke van weemoed, min spoed, baie bloed… en al sulke goed…

    Flok, gee dadelik vir jouself 7 kappe met ‘n ligte byl, op die zaber se koppie, choppie!

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