At quarter-final time you play the game with your bags packed.
If you lose, you’re on the next flight out. It’s simple motivation to make sure you keep going for at least one more week.
The Wallabies are yet to play their best rugby. They got the win against Italy, struggled to throw in a change-up against Ireland, and the United States and Russia were all about getting confidence.
This tournament is about growing week to week. Has the team been doing this? You would have to say no. Why? Injuries don’t help, having to shuffle positions and personnel and, to some degree, a loss in form are all contributors.
Yet the great thing about going into a quarter-final is that everything that was, goes out the window. Momentum and form play no part in the one-off game. To get their hands on the World Cup, the Wallabies have to play three weeks of ”just getting the job done” type rugby. No bonus points this week, it’s all about winning.
I think we have to learn to win ugly sometimes. But I think the players and the combinations that are starting to come together make it difficult for these players to play ugly. Maybe I should call it ”winning smart”.
This weekend, however, is about controlling the situation. It’s about managing the elements to start with, then the opposition.
I am confused by the likely exclusion of Berrick Barnes from the starting line-up. Pat McCabe is a solid player but after returning from a shoulder injury makes me somewhat wary. I hope I am proved wrong. However, the Wallabies won’t win this game by shutting down the Springboks, it will be by attacking relentlessly and Barnes’s role with Quade Cooper would have fitted well.
I could see a switch-a-roo style game like what was used with Matt Giteau and Cooper in their early days. Barnes in the inside-centre jumper switches to the five-eighth role in phase play for an organisational role, especially in the kicking department and Cooper moves one wider, allowing his vision and sidestepping ability to be one man wider. It also means Morne Steyn will defend in that role and everybody knows his limitation there. It might be a significant area to attack with Digby Ioane and Adam Ashley-Cooper following in tight to get the offload. I hope Deans makes better strategic decisions with his bench and players can have an impact when they get a chance.
On a brighter note, I think we all are looking forward to the Digby Ioane getting the ball in his hands and being the devastating ball runner we know he is after returning from injury.
The inclement weather in Wellington means that the most significant contribution will come from James Horwill and co making sure they win the contest up front. Winning your own ball at scrum and lineouts is a given. It’s in the phase play where the Wallabies will have to be up for it. We witnessed how important David Pocock is to the team with his absence from the Irish game. His ball-winning ability is some of the best in the business. Yet this week his goal will be retention – making sure Heinrich Brussow doesn’t get anywhere near ”our” ball. He will need to give Will Genia a path to make a clear judgment call without all the bodies that linger in the way.
So how do you disrupt such high quality players? By matching their aggression and dishing out a little bit more. What do you have to lose? It’s now or never. The Springboks are talking up experience as being their X-factor. They have always prided themselves on having superior physical presence over opposition teams but that confidence, if dented, can be their weakness.
Get in their heads, don’t let them rest and don’t make it easy for them. Exactly what Samoa did last week, only there has to more of it from the Wallabies.
– Sydney Morning Herald
Aussies are fouling their panties already.
Verusco stats portal provides these defensive statistics.
South Africa has 3 players in the top ten tacklers for the pool rounds.
1. Heinrich Brussow 73 tackles
2. Schalk Burger 68 tackles
and surprise surprise
7. Morne Steyn 57 tackles.
Now what I have seen is no statistic is the same from ne website to the next.
According to ESPN scrum.com
Tackles made and missed by these three players.
Heinrich Brussow 53/3 three matches
Schalk Burger 58/3
Morne Steyn 41/3
This tells me from the test in durban when Quade cooper flummoxed morne steyn, he has improved quite a bit in this world cup. Just maybe the WP defensive coach have helped.
Morne Steyn is not that good on a head on tackle, but is far better on cover defence. He misses very few when he scrambles back to make that tackle.
We need to improve on the first time tackles, and also our umbrella defence needs to get its timing just right, or we will be in for a long day.
bloubul ondersteuner aan wp dokter: “wat is d sterkste ding wat jy my kan aanbeveel vir my depressie?”
dokter: “sianied!!” 😀
…
gooooooooooooooooodmorning everyone (yep, even bluebull supporters, lol)
gbs aan bonsai-gbs: “het ek jou al vertel van die blommetjies en bytjies?”
bonsai-gbs bars in trane uit en sê: “ek wil dit nie hoor nie, pa!!”
verward vra gbs vir bonsai wat fout is
sê bonsai: “ag pa, op die ouderdom van 6 het ek die daar-is-geen-kersvader-nie preek gekry”
“op 7 was dit die daar-is-geen-paashaas-nie preek”
“op 8 was dit die daar-is-geen-tandemuis-nie preek”
snik bonsai: “so, as pa nou vir my gaan sê grootmense spyker nie regtig nie,
het ek niks meer oor om voor te lewe nie!!” 😆
hey, ek sien julle sit en praat alweer ñ klomp k*k hier nê?
onthou net
dis ñ rugby site dié!! 😀
@ Ashley:
Hello Vaaljan!
Sowat n maand gelede in n wolkbreuk daar by Schoonspruit geskuil, gedink aan jou…
Wa was jy allie tyd?
pietman @ 7
so bietjie verslaaf geraak aan cityville op facebook, lol.
anyway,
nie een vir die gaap-fase vd wc nie!! geniet meer die knock-out stages daarvan!! sien so terloops jy toer weer die wêreld vol nê? hoe vorder die besigheid?
gbs
ek sukkel om op die site te kom van my foon af. enigiets wat ek moet doen om op te kom?
8 @ Ashley:
Ja, ek het vir jou raad, met die foon ding… kry vir jou ‘n ordentlike flokken foon!
hehehe
BOKS GOING FOR THE RECORD.
We’ll do this for BAKKIES.
Writes, Kevin McCallum – In Wellington
Go Bokke Go
@ Ashley:8 – Howzit Ash,
Have not seen you about here for a long time. Hope you doing well boeta.
gbs @ 9
like the kids would say:
“jealousy makes you na-a-a-asty!!” 😆
pums @ 11
always well, pums, always well. how’s life treating you?
@ Ashley:
welkom terug. Waar de hel was jy?
5
ash ou maat hier kom ek laataand in van n harde dag se werk en ek loop my vas in een van jou beste,
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