Richie McCaw says the All Blacks will have to quickly take the crowd out of the game in the clash against the Springboks in Soweto today.
The All Blacks had their last hit out before the Test this morning having a light run around the magnificent National Stadium, which recently hosted the Fifa World Cup final.
Lock Tom Donnelly took a full part in the training session and has overcome the ankle injury which forced him to miss nearly all of the training session on Thursday.
Speaking after finishing the captain’s run, McCaw said it was important they hit the ground running in the Test, to silence the massive crowd.
This will be especially important as the Springboks will be fired up by playing in this new venue and because it’s John Smit’s 100th Test. “We’re going to have to give it everything in terms of that passion, but I’ve got no doubt that we’ve got exactly the same passion as them,” said McCaw, who’ll be making his 88th test appearance for the All Blacks.
“Just because you’re away from home, it doesn’t mean the passion is not there.
“The best way to silence a crowd is to start well and get stuck in, so we’ve got to make sure we do that.”
Like everyone who attended the captain’s run, McCaw marvelled at the stadium and said it’s easy to lift your game when playing in such surroundings.
“It’s a pretty awesome stadium,” he said.
“I’ve heard a lot about it and seen it on TV, but to be here it’s pretty impressive so we’re looking forward it. “Wherever you play, if you get an atmosphere where there are close to 100,000 spectators you’ve got to use it to your advantage.
“The excitement of coming here and playing in that sort of atmosphere is what playing Test rugby is all about, so hopefully the boys use it as a positive.”
Meanwhile, McCaw said it was pleasing to see Donnelly back out training with the team after his scare the previous day.
“It is good [to see him], obviously he was a bit disappointed to have rolled his ankle yesterday, but he ran around fine today.”
For Smit, he said he was given some advice about the game and reaching the century march from the team’s kicking consultant, Percy Montgomery.
“Monty said to me today that if we win tomorrow I’ll be the first South African who’s won when playing their 100th test,” said Smit.
McCaw had another dig at the people querying his play.
“If players do the right thing at the breakdowns then teams can play. The big thing is to adapt to what is being blown because no referee is identical,” McCaw said.
When asked about statistics carried by the NZ Herald this week which showed the All Blacks averaged 43 penalties before conceding a yellow card, compared to the six of South Africa and seven of Australia, McCaw said those figures did not reveal all the facts.
“My point of view is that there has been no disparity in the refereeing. People put stats out and then come to a conclusion, but the statistics don’t give the full picture.
“If we feel we are close to a yellow card, then we back off and we don’t give away a penalty in that facet again. If you’re on the borderline, then you back off, if you’re warned about something then you adapt. That’s what I make sure I do personally and the team does too.
“I would be very frustrated if we did not learn from how the referee is blowing, you’d be an idiot not to change if you’ve been warned,” McCaw said.
net een woord vir die blacks en dit is altitude as hulle nie met minstens 10 punte voor is in die laaste 20 min nie gaan hulle duik
Na die Bulle se EENsydige wen gisteraand, hoop ek die bokke wedstryd lewer bietjie spanning op. IMO, is ons die laaste span wat hul kan keer om ‘n nuwe WB op te stel vir agtereenvolgende wenne. As hul ons hier ook wen, dan is dit drie van die bestes in ‘n ry, en dan het hul ons verseker in ‘n vice grip tussen die ___, maar as ons wen gaan daar nog daardie twyfel wees oor volgende jaar.
Kom Bokke, maak ons trots.
ek voel positief oor die game..
Steve Hansen said once the All Blacks have gone a few phases without scoring they rely on the key players in their backline to step up.
“You’ve got to play what’s in front of you and that’s what we do as a side all of the time,” he said.
“You have a structure that gets you to a place and from there you play what’s in front of you. That’s what your Dan Carters, your Ma’a Nonus and Mils Muliainas do.
“That’s what it’s all about for those guys, they’re there to read the game and play the game that’s needed at that moment.”
How i wish the Boks moer sy grootbek stil.
@ smallies72:
Stem Smallies…… HKGK vir die AB’s….
Hanson- Under the new law interpretations rugby has been a far more entertaining sport to watch, with the ball being kept in hand more and less kicking for territory.
If you play and play and run and run and scrum and scrum and you lose it all goes sour. The shine is gone and the beauty weg , ver flokken weg. Wen bly mooi hoe dit ookal kom. So mooi woordjies oor die wonderlike game impress my nie.
Really looking forward to this game today.
Good luck Boks.
GOOOOOOOOOO BOKKE AND GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SHARKSSSSSSSSS
Hi there
Back again after a 7 or 8 month blogging hiatus – long story involving laziness (mainly), moving house, lost password, new computer, yada yada. While I aint been posting I have been reading it daily as its is such an antidote to to the k#k sprouted on that other SA blog. You know the one – 3 letters and full of antipodeans and the most puerile eejits SA has supplied.
What has prompted my return to the world of (intelligent) rugby blogging is my real disappointment at the negativity surrounding the Boks today as well as the mindless morons who are taking potshots at John Smit.
As Bok fans, and everyone who reads this site surely is that, we have to get behind the Boks every time and believe they will win. I have played and reffed this game for 30 + years and can tell you that anyone who turns up believing that they are not going to win will lose. Its a simple as that ! Anyone who predicts or even suspects a loss will surely get that.
Call me delusional but I only ever believe the Boks will triumph no matter who they are up against. Sure the All Blacks are awesome, brilliant etc but man for man the Boks are every bit as good – a few players are rusty and off their games but if everyone steps up 5% we can thump them. All the negatives are around the Boks but I dont see 15 world class players in the All Blacks – what they have is some really good players playing above their potential – consider these criticisms and the number of years they have been playing.
Muliana – old and on the scrapheap a while ago, now playing well but is he best in the world ?
Dagg – young, really quick but better than Habana ??
Nonu – last time I looked still one dimensional.
Carter is better all round but slotting goals – only 1 man in it.
Weepu – fat (or maybe I am fooled by his chubby cheeks on a slender body) Cowan – quick . If either was that brilliant Henry would have settled on 1 of them. But best in the world – no.Hougaard untested sure, but has the X factor.
Back row – McCaw is head and shoulders above any of the current 3 Boks at ball stealing but the other 2 please not best in world at all. I would have Harinordoquy over Read any day. If Spies pulls finger today…. Burger vs Kaino ?? Kaino couldnt nail down a spot last year.
Thorn or Matfield – both old and gnarly but one is 35 years old (thorn) vs 33 years – consider the experience 44 caps vs 99.
Flip vs Donelly – not much to choose except Age 25 vs 28 and winning culture Bulls vs Highlanders.
Front row – a fat hooker who has been around for years vs a another fat hooker who has been around for years (and won everything). One of them is the glue who holds the team together the other is only 1st choice because his rivals are injured.
I could go on but have to go do the freekin shopping.
As for everyone who is abusive to John Smit (you dont post it here but you know who you are) you are absolute disgraces to the spirit of rugby – if you want to be rude, football is your game.
There I have vented, believe in the Boks, stop writing them off and watch them win today.
And in the spirit of sporting generosity – go pakistan !!!
@ Mielie Pap Mike:
Well said about the Bokke……. 110% behind them today cant wait to see the HK look small in that BIG stadium…. pity no vuvuzela allowed, would of loved when the AB do the Hk we Blast 90 000 vuvuzelas back at them they will not know what hit them……
GO BOKKE!!!!!!!
8@ Mielie Pap Mike:
Ou Mielies, welcome back.
The Articles on R-T needs to reflect truth and honesty – news with integrity, whereas with the comments it is much easier, one can and often needs to be subjective and tout as hard as possible for your team… within reason.
Last night was an eye opener for me, after the Bulls match at Loftus a SARU fella suddenly piped up during discussion amongst us there (it was during the last 4 minutes of the Lions / Pumas match and we were all watching on TV) and said, if the Lions lose here (which they almost did) there will be hell to pay on that one-eyed Lions Supporters web site… and he named the site by name. The other journos all broke out laughing at the obvious one-sided reporting on that site… and they were described as amaturish and doff.
I kept out of the discussion because some of us have ties to that site or some of the bloggers on that site at least… but my ears were open…
So what is the message, here on R-T we have a duty to be objective and truthful and to supply a balanced view of events, our readership is from all over the globe, that I can assure you as I am in control over the stats and instrumentation here on R-T to prove it.
Objectivity or giving credit where credit is due is ESSENTIAL and it speaks volumes of the actual integrity of the web site.
@ Mielie Pap Mike:
Met so naam kan ek seker in Afrikaans post
Ek het nog glad nie vir die wonderlike AB of hulle wonderlike game of hulle wonderlike kaptein aanbid nie. Ek voel sterk ons het nog nie ons game plan uitgevoer , ons spelers is nie op hul warmste nie en die donners kroek en die skidsregters is eenogig.
So ek voel ons kort dalk net daardie 5% waarvan jy praat dan skop ons gat.
GOOOOO Bokkkeeeeee
@ grootblousmile:
So by the way het die ander joernaliste darem gekyk na jou site. Kon ek hulle darem op hoogte hou met die Vrystaat score?
…and with that I leave you, going to FNB Stadium now… talk later from there!
12@ superBul:
Sommige ken die site, van die ander weet ek nie of hulle doen nie….. Ian schwartz van die Bulle ken die site, klompie Springbokspelers en van hulle ouers ken hierdie site en blog selfs hier.
Het gisteraand lekker genetwerk met Rob Peters van NEWSPOD MEDIA en vandag praat ek en hy verder oor bande tussen mekaar en podcasting streams hier op R-T….
Een ding kan ek jou wel vertel, daar’s ‘n paar NZ Media mense wat R-T elke dag lees…. ek is in E-Pos verbinding met ‘n paar.
Cheers!
“Een ding kan ek jou wel vertel, daar’s ‘n paar NZ Media mense wat R-T elke dag lees…. ek is in E-Pos verbinding met ‘n paar.”
Ja, ek het dit sien kom: net ‘n kwessie van tyd dan is daar net een wêreldtaal, Afrikaans neem alles oor:
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaafrikaans !
😀
Eish, maar hierdie rugby blog is stadig, dit is al na een en nog geen draad vir die toets vandag nie …
Draad sal 15h00 op wees volgens die Baas
@ superBul:
Gaan nou 14H00 op wees
@ Mielie Pap Mike:8 – Mielie, Very good post that.
@ Mielie Pap Mike:
You are critical of Mealamu but look at his work rate around the field on offense & defense. He plays like a 4th loosie. No comparison between him & JS. Mealamu is the real deal.
Jim T
Not necessarily critical of Mealamu just dont think he is better than Smit, remember Smit has been mucked around and has had to play across the entire front row. I dont think any other player has ever had to do that and whilst he hasnt shone at TH or LH he has pretty much done OK. I aint seen him being badly beasted at prop. Thats why he’s big lad.
Mealamu has only ever been asked to hook and isnt always 1st choice for the AB’s – Hore, and others been ahead of him in the past. Outside of Bizzie no one has seriously threatened Smit before. (actually I’d like to see Schalk Brits in the mix)
Enjoy the game and keep the faith !!
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