After reading the article “NZ expecting Bok yellow cards” i must reiterate We should have forced a media liaison manager or whatever you call the man on Peter de Villiers back in his first year. We need a well trained media man to feed the press with the right information and propaganda.
The All Blacks assistant coach Steven Hansen on Wednesday directly and by implication referred to the four yellow cards the Springboks had conceded in the three Tri-Nations Tests to date. The All Blacks were not afraid of conceding cards, he said. “We must just play within the rules and play well,” said Hansen.
They expect a few things from our Boks and by making sure the Referee know we will try any desperate measure we will be under the eagle eyes of the match officials. Clever , really clever. How can we counter it? It will be difficult now, the first blows might just be the telling ones.
When asked about the inclusion of Springbok lock Flip van der Merwe who will be starting a Test for the first time on Saturday, Hansen said they had seen enough of him in the Super 14 when he played for the Bulls to know that he is “a big boy that sees himself as a rough and tough sort of player” who gives away a fair amount of penalties “and gets yellow-carded a wee bit.
“It’s much of the same that we had before, I guess,” he said, probably referring to Bakkies Botha who is serving out a nine-week suspension after head-butting Jimmy Cowan in the first Test in Auckland.
We must do the following things that any respectable team would do. The Australians showed us the way in their upfront approach in the previous game.
1. tackle hard, first time, legally, no tip tackles
2. contest the breakdown, legally or illegally, do like they do
3. eliminate the tread of McCaw and partners(who will get away with the Ben Franks role)
4. Chase our kicks hard and with conviction
With the attention drawn on us again by the clever use of the Press by the All Black management and players i can guarantee you the room for us to operate in will be very small and closely monitored. The slightest mistake will be blown up and might end in the customary card.
Luckily we wont see Supersport showing incidents over and over again on the big screen. Maybe this time they will give them some back.
We need them to do it and with the deafening sounds of almost 90 000 supporters we might sway a few decisions our way.
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw took a swipe at his critics, including Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, by suggesting that any player who doesn’t adapt to a referee’s interpretation of the breakdown is “an idiot”.
Good SIR Richy hope you get your day, cant wait to hear your crying, cant wait, cant wait…..
I always hated guys bending the rules to suit them, sorry but for me laws are there to uphold not bend or interpret for your own good. So your fall will be the day i celebrate. If you never fall i will have too stick to complaining, but Sir i will never condone rule benders.
McCaw then went further, firing the broadside at his critics.
Despite the overwhelming stats, McCaw defended his side, saying he “disagreed completely” with the assumption that was being made.
“I don’t agree with you on that,” he shot back when presented with the statistics. “When you put stats like that out then I suppose you will come to a conclusion but in my view, it has never felt like that.
“When you get close to a yellow card, you need to get back and make sure you don’t give another penalty away. When you get a warning you have to be smart about it. All those stats do is to show that this is the case with us.”
“When you are there you have to adapt to the referees interpretations. That’s what frustrates me the most about this debate, is that players don’t learn the way the referee interprets the breakdown,” McCaw explained.
“You can moan about it all you like but if you’re not getting what you want then you’re an idiot.
superBul wrote:
how many time did the replacement got the yellow card hanging over the head of the team, sometimes within seconds of coming onto the field
However McCaw’s critics will respond by saying that is the crux of their argument after all – that the breakdown is now interpreted to suit McCaw and not the rest of the world.
All these comments come from a article
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/TriNations/McCaw-Only-idiots-dont-adapt-20100818
All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen has hit back at Victor Matfield’s comments that the All Blacks are using dodgy tactics at the lineout.
On Tuesday, Matfield said the All Blacks were throwing the ball into the lineout before the opposition had a chance to form their players.
“Our aim is to stop them throwing the ball in without us getting there,” Matfield said. “If we can do that hopefully we can put some pressure on their lineout.”
But when quizzed about Matfield’s comments, Hansen said he believed the Springboks vice-captain was trying to influence Welsh referee Nigel Owens through the media.
“He’s obviously trying to give Nigel Owens a message of trying to slow the lineouts down,” Hansen said. “Our game is about continuity and pace, and the South Africans obviously want a slower game.”
And this is only Wednesday, a lot more will be said before the match on Saturday.Who will win the “bek geveg” , war of words
Every dog has it’s day, or for that matter, every cheat has it’s day!
Swings and rounderbouts………it’s all going nicely for the AB’s right now……but it will not last forever. Ou’s that are bakgat see their gat eventually!
Read this somewhere , by McLook
The Springboks so far have not shown the same amount of structure, teamwork, organisation and most importantly explosiveness at the breakdown than either the Stormers or the bulls. Team selections –especially the loose trio combo’s- have been part of the problem but essentially New Zealand has stepped up in that department and we did not.
I believe everything will fall in place if we dominate at the breakdowns. As long as we get forced back at the collisions and get tackled behind the advantage line we will lose and none of the players will be able to step up. What is required is more physical presence; explosiveness and most importantly better team work at the breakdowns.
I am concerned about our loose trio. Brussouw, Bismarck and Beast was instrumental at the breakdowns in 2009 and all three are not playing this year. Spies seems to dissapear in the hard matches and Schalk is at best an average “fetcher”. Louw on the bench is also not a specialized fetcher in the mold of Brussouw or Stegman. It is not only our ability to steal ball that is important but also -probably more importantly- our abillity to force the opponents back at the breakdowns and to not loose our ball when we go into contact. I am keen to see how the Boks are going to approach the New Zealand intensity and commitment at the breakdowns. This is for me what this test is all about. Can we man up at the breakdowns?
I ask will we be allowed?
Super,
After reading your article and following your first few posts I was reminded of the first scene in the Monty Python movie Live at the Hollywood Bowl. In that scene, a WWF wrestler type ouk wrestles against himself. It’s hilarious and a must see!
Its impossible not to love your passion for the Boks and the Bulls, Super. But, it does
make you say the damnest things. 😉
@ fender:
Fender and the bloody language is k@k, i think at least you pick up what i try and say. That i want consistency and i hate people bending the rules.
“Read the Ref, Play the Ref, Tell the Ref…” and if all else fails, shoot the ref.
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