What an enjoyable Saturday late afternoon, bar the ridiculous 3G Internet signal at Loftus Versfeld, of course!
The Springboks totally dominated and comprehensively outmuscled and outplayed a very ordinary and injury ravaged Wallabies side, with the Springboks eventual winners by 31 / 8, after also leading at the halftime break by 14 / 3.
I guess 5 tries to 1 tells the story, with Bryan Habana scoring a hat-trick on the day to increase his Springbok all time record to 46 Test tries.
Where does one start… well, let’s first of all start at the selections of the side this week.
There was the inclusion of rookie Johan Goosen in his first run-on Test, who was clearly so proud and so emotional when the National anthem was sung, sporting some happy tears. Then there was young Jaco Taute on debut at outside centre, the lock pairing of Eben Etzebeth and Andries Bekker restored to the starting lineup in a horses for courses approach, and of course Elton Jantjies and Patrick Lambie on the bench.. and no Morné Steyn in the overall match 22.
The rookies showed some early nerves, with Jaco Taute knocking the ball on first touch and with Johan Goosen missing his first 2, and only 2 opportunities at goal (a long range attempt and an attempt from an accute angle).
Jaco Taute soon overcame these early jitters with a strong defensive effort on the night and all in all carrying the ball well from the No 13 position.
Personally I think Johan Goosen’s goal kicking abilities were still being hampered by the left heel injury he suffered from last week in the run-up to the Test, but the massive positive impact he had in positioning himself flatter on attack, threatening the Wallabies line and defenses, his sniping ability to break and his sound judgement calls and crisp distribution far outweigh a couple of wayward goal kicks. Johan adds so much to the Springbok attacking armoury and with experience in Ruan Pienaar and Jean de Villiers on his inside and outside respectively, this call was as refreshing as it was spot-on.
A bruised heel can recover, kicking to posts can be honed again, but natural opportunism and flair is much harder to nurture or garnish. Well done Johan, long may it last… not flawless, but very, very good.
The first 20 minutes was the usual parry, thrust, parry… early game situation, with both sides eyeing the other out for weakness, the Springboks identifying the glaring Wallabies deficiencies well in this period. With the Springbok forwards slowly taking control and the Springbok loose trio getting more and more into the game, the Springboks enjoyed a golden 40 minute middle section of the game, let’s call it a golden 20 minutes either side of halftime.
Zane Kirchner scored the first try for the Springboks and lets continue by saying he had a good game overall, also coming close to scoring a second time (just denied by Adam Ashley-Cooper who knocked himself out cold with a try-saving tackle, having to be carted off and taken to hospital). The first try was a team try though, the forwards mauling strongly, getting good lineout ball and then placing the Springboks on the front foot and within close range to the goal line, after which crisp passing delivered the ball to Kirchner to score.
The Springboks were immediately back on attack, a sniping break and long run by Johan Goosen, tackled centimetres from the Wallabies line follwed, the TMO was called in and ruled that Johan Goosen was guilty of a double movement, the result being a defensive penalty to the Wallabies 5m from their own line.
The second Springbok try followed, after multiple phases, well executed by the Springboks, great linking and interplay between forwards and backs and with Johan Goosen passing at the correct moment to Bryan Habana,who ran in to score his first of 3 tries on the night. How fantastic to see Bryan Habana back to his glorious best, under the guidance of his guru, Heyneke Meyer.
At this stage the Springboks were up 14 / 0 and it took a 35th minute penalty slotted by Kurtley Beale to break the Wallabies duck, after the 2 Springbok props, Jannie du Plessis and Tenzai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira were penalized for not rolling away at the tackle.
There was more to come from the Springboks before the break though, with Zane Kirchner almost scoring in that fateful movement resulting in Adam Ashley-Cooper out cold before hitting the ground, having had his head on the wrong side of the tackle, but saving the try as Zane’s one boot barely touched the whitewash of the touchline. Adam Ashley-Cooper was stretchered off via the motorised golf-type stretcher verhicle and immediately dispatched to hospital. Ashley-Cooper was ruled to be concussed and will definately be out of the next game for the Wallabies.
At the break, the score then, Springboks 14 / 3 Wallabies.
After halftime the Wallabies dicipline cost them as repeated infringements eventually cost them a Yellow Card to James Slipper, replacement prop for the Wallabies, around 52 minutes into the game. At this stage the Springboks were pushing hard for their next try and they were rewarded with the 3rd try after the Yellow Card penalty saw them claiming a lineout close to the Wallabies line, whereafter the Springboks mauled close before Franclois Louw broke through for a wonderful score.
At this stage of proceedings the Springbok looseforwards were reigning supreme, with Francois Louw having a sublime game on the ground and linking forwards and backs and carrying the ball well, Duane Vermeulen excelling at the breakdowns and stealing ball and Willem Alberts knocking the stuffing out of the Wallabies with bone-crunching hits…. he is not called “The bone collector” for nothing!
With just more than 20 minutes remaining on the clock, a “woerrie-warrie” kick by the Wallabies out to touch was grabbed in touch by Habana, who fed Adriaan Strauss with the quick lineout feed whereafter Adriaan ran and drew the defenders before deftly passing back to Habana for the speed merchant to cut the Wallabies to shreds and scoring his 2nd try of the night (his 45th test try for the Springboks). At this stage I was going positively nuts in the overcrowded Press Box, but heck who the hell cares if the whole world knew at that precise moment that my blood was bright, unadultered green!
With the conversion over, the Springboks led by 26 / 3 with only a quarter of the match to come and the Wallabies looked out of sorts and injury riddled.
Credit to the Wallabies, the mix-and-match bunch, motlet crew which remained, bit the bullet and started attacking with ball in hand, Kurtley Beale doing sterling work at pivot.
With a trademark sideways shimmy, Kurtley Beale took Hougaard by surprise, who slipped the tackle and a well timed pass sent replacement Mike Harris in for a score in the far corner. Harris failed to convert his own try and the score was 26 / 8 in favour of the Springboks after 65 minutes played.
In the last 10 minutes Juan de Jongh took the field as a replacement and eventually Elton Jantjies earned his first Springbok cap in the 75th minute.
Juan de Jongh came very close to scoring before Bryan Habana rounded the match off with his 3rd try, his 46th Test try, in the last minute of the match, with brilliant off-loading skills displayed by Jantjies. The conversion was missed but the Springboks rounded off the match with this try to a comprehensive 31 / 8 win.
All in all, not a faultless performance by the Springboks, but good signs of what they are capable of and had they converted all their goal kicking opportunities to posts, the score would have been over 50.
The 3 clear missed tries was rued by Heyneke Meyer after the match and he feels that the Springboks can and should still improve, due regard and respect given to the All Blacks who await the Springboks next weekend in Soweto.
The After Match Press Conferences of the Springboks was a happy occasion, but also one tempered by the message that the Springboks would now have to refocus and work hard this week, whist keeping their feet firmly planted on terra firma.
Robbie Deans, the wide-eyed Nathan Sharpe, Michael Hooper and Pat McCabe attended the Wallabies Press Conference… maybe the only Wallaby players left standing after their injury riddled game. Deans was clearly miffed and not a happy camper and upon a question from me regarding the fact that the Wallabies had to play with 14 men for the last 8 minutes (due to the fact that 7 substitutions had already been made), he explained that with the hooker going off, they had asked if he could be subbed, the initial clearance was given until the decision was changed and no substitute was allowed to come on or continue. Well Robbie, you and your management team need to learn to count… that’s how it goes!
The Wallabies, reeling from injuries before this match already and having 5 crucial injuries in this match is clearly considering flying replacements in from Australia… but this morning’s headache is exactly which players would have visas sorted out for Argentina, in time to play the next Test, not an easy task in the context of what needs to happen before they face the Pumas in Rossario.
Audio of the After Match Press Conferences:
Springbok After Match Press Conference:
Wallabies After Match Press Conference:
Hello GBS good for you to have seen and experienced the win by the Boks at Loftus. Also good to see you praising Ruan Pienaar
“upon a question from me regarding the fact that the Wallabies had to play with 14 men for the last 8 minutes…” what was the exact wording of your question GBS? Did it perhaps include a reference/comparison between Deans substitute numbers and the Proteas with Duckworth Lewis … or were you a little nicer than that
By the way seen SA got 146/5 against Aus; Aus already 48/1 after 7 overs.
Oh dear Aus 60/1 after 8 overs, Watson going strong, he has had a great tournament. Levi got a duck for SA
Oh dear Aus 60/1 after 8 overs, Watson going strong, he has had a great tournament. Levi got a duck for SA 🙁
4 @ BullscotBok:
Don’t know how that happened, must be slow network or something.
2 @ BullscotBok:
The full Audio of the Pressers will be up here later
Ciao a tutti. What frustrates me about the Boks is this playing in patches. As the article says, the “golden” 40 min period. WTF is up with that. When the Wobblies were staggering and basically out on their feet, we allowed them back into the game to escape a record thrashing and save some face. I agree that there were many positives but I look to the ABs as our benchmark and here we look reallyinferior by comparison. The ABs don’t easily concede points. The opposition has to work for the ball or every point they score, while the Boks at times just don’t care. The Boks just concede easy points and don’t value the ball at all and just gift it back to the opposition and seem to just want to sit back and let the opposition do all the playing. Why can’t they play for 80 mins? It’s no use playing so up and down – one moment at 110% and then the next 10%. What I would love to see is more consistency- more professionalism; that the match is only over when the final whistle blows. This is a critical issue that the Boks have to address as it has determined the outcome of every game so far. We have had our great periods and then awful periods and it has just been a toss up which one dominates enough to win the game!
7 @ The_Young_Turk:
Not even the All Blacks are an 80 minute side, as we saw in the middle of the night, on at least 2 different periods in the game… and 2 weeks ago in Dunedin.
Pumas scored 2 tries against the All Blacks.
Aussie cruising to victory in the T20 match… 14 needed off 20 balls
9 needed off 18 balls
Australia wins by 8 wickets, 14 balls spare… the last hit a 6
Proteas only hope is for other teams to do them favours now… India must beat Pakistan, for one.
Otherwise, Proteas…. tata, thanks for coming
@ grootblousmile:
That’s not the same thing I’m talking about as you should know. You are contesting my point when you have made the same point just in different words. Either you don’t understand what I’m saying or you don’t want to?
I think there has been a massive mind shift in the Springbok camp. Kudos to Ostrich for that. As I said yesterday, and as Loosie lamented, bollocks to both JdV and Ostrich for trying to tell us the game plan hasn’t changed. Man up, both of you, it was a real P Divvy comment. I defy anyone to tell me it hasn’t changed.
I slightly disagree with YT. I am happy with the play yesterday, even with the inconsistencies. So many new players – this team is a far cry from where we started – 1 player is still in the same position in the backs from the start (Sideshow Bob), and so many young/new faces, a different game plan and limited time are all reasons for the mistakes, and the moments of brilliance. This young team is the future, and nurtured correctly, will go places.
Yesterdays match also proves that we DO have the talent in this country, and the DO have the skills. If I see one more comment by a journalist lamenting the fact that we do not, I won’t be responsible for my actions.
As I also said yesterday that my areas of concern, are:
1. The break down. Somehow we are not reading the situation properly. One minute we commit all and sundry to a ruck that doesn’t require it, the next, we commit no one and the ball is stolen all to easily. Yesterday the count was 8 by a second string Aussie side. McCaw & Co. will run riot here if we don’t sort that area.
2. The Beast and Doc are struggling in the front row. Apart form one or two brief moments, they have been off all season. I have no idea what the problem is here, perhaps Loosie can help me out – I am sure it must only be a couple of small adjustments.
3. Scrum half. Pienaar, on the whole had a solid and much quicker game last night, but kicking out of hand was very iffy at times, but I am still not convinced he is the best Scrummie around. On the other hand, if Hougie is being seen as the second best scrummie, I feel his position on the wing is wrong. He is not the best wing in the country in my opinion, and thus shouldn’t be starting if he isn’t playing scrum half.
The loosies were awesome last night, and fed very well off each other, with Flo really showing he has his confidence and mojo back.
Bekker has also found some form, if he continues to play like that, suddenly the locking berth looks pretty good.
Taute has shown he is here to stay, and the Goose/Jantjies combo bodes well for the future.
A little unfair on the Lambie missed tackle, Hougie missed the tackle in front of him, and made it very difficult.
The Bench was an awesome lineup, bar Liebenberg, and again bodes well for the future of SA rugby.
All in all, I am a very happy camper, and with the young crop coming through, the future has been proved to be rosy – if managed correctly.
@ Just For Kicks:
Perhaps I just did not express myself as well as you did in your above post by laying out everything in technical terms but that’s what I meant as by your first point: “One minute we commit all and sundry to a ruck that doesn’t require it, the next, we commit no one and the ball is stolen all too easily.”
14 @ Just For Kicks:
Wait for the Audio of the After Match Pressers, maybe what Jean says about no change in game plan makes more sense then… or at least puts it in perspective.
I am busy uploading the cut versions of the audio, having cut the noise and rabble sounds up front and at the back of each interview.
Also not the 2nd question of the Wallabies presser, me asking what was up with the 7 subs thing and playing with 14 men.
14 @ Just For Kicks: Good man!
Audio of the Pressers is up, chaps
I have now listened to the audio clip. It was more than execution. There has been a change in game plan. The personnel changes in the looses forwards alone has proven that there has been a shift in the game plan. You can use the political speak as much as you like, you’re not going to pull the wool over the supporters eyes. If even the top commentators agree that there has been a shift, then we need no further proof.
I just dislike this not manning up. Everyone has said, and we all agree that Ostrich was the right man for the job, he just needed to adjust the plan. He has clearly moved from plan A to plan B, it has clearly worked, and it is clearly the future. Just stop trying to prove you haven’t changed. There is nothing wrong with being wrong. Accept it and move on – Supporters do!
@ Just For Kicks:
Bravo, well said! That’s also my main frustration with HM supporters. It’s as if they feel that no criticism of HM should be allowed to stand, he should always be seen as this flawless and all-knowing being who has planned everything out accurately to the tee from the very beginning.
“I just dislike this not manning up. Everyone has said, and we all agree that Ostrich was the right man for the job, he just needed to adjust the plan. He has clearly moved from plan A to plan B, it has clearly worked, and it is clearly the future. Just stop trying to prove you haven’t changed. There is nothing wrong with being wrong. Accept it and move on – Supporters do!”
I also think that there’s been a shift… but more a shift in personnel and not so much a shift in Game Plan.
Putting different players in (the loosie combo and Goosen & Taute), will result in different application.
What I mean is the natural attributes of a Goosen or a Flo, and the way they play, present different dynamics… which apparently appear as a new Game Plan.
It’s natural that Goosen would kick less up-and-unders, it’s natural that he would attack the gain line and stand flatter… and that’s why we all want him there.
It’s natural that Flo plays towards the ball, so too Duane Vermeulen… which provides better balance in the loosies and which naturally values the breakdown situations more.
Whatever the case, different Game Plan OR different players…. it seems to be working… and that’s the important thing!
@ Just For Kicks:
This is an exerpt from a longer post that I wrote on another thread that to me explains our frustrations.
“And then to his supporters it is a personal issue. Either you are for HM or you are against him. You are either part of the hated enemy’s (WP of course) conspiracy to see their man in the coach’s seat or you are a committed supporter and rabid defender of the Blue Bulls (N Tvl) conservative tradition. Of course it’s so much easier to hold to this view as you can then comfortably overlook all the mistakes and deficiencies on “your” side and just blame it all on negativity and ill will from the “other” side.
It leaves those of us who just want the best for Bok rugby left stranded somewhere in the middle, derided and scorned by the “true believers” on all sides.”
We are caught up in this battle where you have to identify with the “right” side and march in lock-step with the propaganda or you are dismissed as the enemy trying to undermine “their side”. It’s moerse frustrating I tell you.
@ The_Young_Turk:I remember reading that, and agreeing wholeheartedly. Somehow, if you criticise – even if it is positive criticism, you become an enemy of the state.
I see the whole thing as a cult.
I shall call it the Ostrichidian Sect with Jay da Villain as the 1st lieut. It doesn’t matter what Ostrich says to his disciples, it is gospel (not in a religious way). The followers/disciples have been brain washed into believing every last utterance that passes his lips, and will go to the ends of the earth justify his cause.
Aum Shinrikyo, the Manson Family, Raëlism, Scientology, the Branch Davidians and now, the Ostrichidians. There is a thread, and those on the inside will struggle to see it.
By the way, the last comment is meant as purely tongue in cheek, so please take it so! Or just ignore it if you can’t!!!!!!
@ Just For Kicks:
That’s another thing. One can’t even make jokes or banter or even just let off steam without it being taken seriously or personally. You’ve got to watch your every word that it doesn’t cross some boundary indicating disloyalty or being traitorous to the “cause”.
As far as JdV is concerned, it’s normal and expected that the captain backs up his coach. A sports team is supposed to be united and pull together and support each other. They don’t run down each other and they say only positive things about each other. They have to motivate each other and work together as a team. If anyone breaks this unwritten code, he can no longer function as part of the team.
However we as commentators on a blog are not part of the team. We are just a big amorphous mass outside with each a little insignificant voice. Except for the guys in the media, our voices don’t make any difference. We only have power or significance if we act together in sufficient numbers or if the media pushes our message. We are not soldiers in an army that have to follow the orders from our high command. We are CONSUMERS of a product called rugby that is there to ENTERTAIN us and has to compete with many other products for a slice of our attention and money. RUGBY HAS TO PLEASE US, NOT VICE VERSA!
I think some people confuse this fact and see themselves as loyal foot soldiers in the rugby army that owe allegiance to their superior officers. No, we as rugby fans have to try and see that our favourite sport delivers always the highest quality product that it can, so that it can grow and attract ever more followers and entertain us even better.
The thing here is that almost EVERYTHING has changed. The personell, the game plan, the excecution. Now man up and admit it and we can all move on. There is no difference between PDV changing his “play what you see in front of you” to whst won the 3N and Lions series and HM changing his “vision” from “give it to Morne to kick it away”, to a more balanced approached.
Hehehe. Cut and thrust, parry and probe.
No not on Saturday evening, here on RT.
Boks played ok. Not great. Just ok. Wallabies were severly disrupted without Genia and Surfer Dude and were always going to struggle.
As for the acceptance of critisism, well one pays one’s money, and one takes one’s choices.
The most exciting sport on the box this weekend must surely have been the Ryder Cup golf.
Absolutely nail biting. If you want to know how to shut 40 000 yobbo Americans up, just watch the highlights of the golf.
Absolutely amazing scenes and golf of the very highest quality.
Well done to Olly and the Europeans. I’m sure Seve is still grinning broadly.
Ok, I think in the cold light of a hangoverless day I think it might be right to look at a few things:
Props, average. Neither Jannie or Beast really took control, but they had parity. I hope that they both up their games for the All Blacks this weekend.
Hooker, Strauss was very good. Omly one kak throw as well.
Locks, good hey!Etzebeth was enormous, his work ethic is fantastic. Bekker played well, he stopped plenty of their mauls, which is good for a center cum wing.
Loosies, they were very very good. HM has got his balance just right. This is the best that I have seen Flo play. Alberts did lots of the dirty work. Duanne, I think that he has put the Spies myth to bed.
Scrummie, Pienaar looked after Godsend. A few kicks out of hand were not quite perfect, but he has done enough to keep his place. I don’t think that he expected to be kicking for posts.
Flyhalf, Godsend was a revelation in the backline. After 7 tests looking like carthorses the Bok backline looked really good.Ok, so he missed 2 [hardish] kicks at goal, but his play overall was really good.
Centers, JDV was really good outside of Godsend. He is not a 13. Taute, well after a shakey start was also good value. What to do this week if Frans is back?????????
Wings, well Habana showed just how classy he is. He should get away from WP as soon as possible. They just don’t seem to make the right use of him. Hougaard was good, ok he messed up the tackle which lead to the try, but Lambie could have put a little effort into making a tackle.
Fullback, Zane was very good. No aimless kicks, joined the line really well, defended like a beast.
The Aussies were better in this test than they were in Aus [before the injuries].
I am not sure if the Boks will beat New Zealand this weekend,they have an good chance of doing so.
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