Scotland forward David Denton today looked ahead to the next round of the EMC Autumn Test rugby series and insisted it is a case of “bring on the Boks”.
Undeterred by the fact that Scotland opened their programme with a 51-22 home defeat by New Zealand, the 22-year-old Edinburgh back rower insisted a bucketload of rust has come out of the team’s system.
scotsman
Also, Denton believes that Scotland are more suited to the route-one bludgeoning style associated with South Africa than the fingertip touches employed by New Zealand in stretching opponents to their limits. If anybody should know it is Denton, who was brought up in Zimbabwe and had regular contact with South African sides before moving to Scotland and making himself eligible to wear the thistle through ancestry.
Capped seven times, including a first half shift as a substitute on Sunday for the unfortunate Ross Rennie, who is out for the duration of the Autumn programme with shoulder damage, Denton said: “Facing the All Blacks could have been more physical and it was more the tempo they played at which was the tough thing.
“The physical challenge is coming on Saturday.”
However, he maintained: “These Boks are a side we can definitely play well against. Their tempo is a lot slower and they are a lot more physical but we can definitely handle that.
“Whenever New Zealandwanted to attack they had quick ball and we made it easy for them by missing first-up tackles. You can’t win matches if you don’t make your tackles and that is where we came unstuck. We have to get our defence sorted because we can’t let a team score as many tries as New Zealand scored against us (six). You’ll never win games like that.
“We need to work on our systems in defence. We were sitting off a bit too much. If we do come up with a bit more pressure in offence we are going to be in a very good place. We were rusty in defence and there were a few times in attack when we looked like a team that hadn’t been together for a while. On other occasions, though, particularly towards the end of the first half, we looked like a very, very dangerous team. Defence is a big negative for us but we scored three tries and three tries should be enough to win you a game.
“The great positive I take is that we had a powerful maul I haven’t seen in Scottish rugby for a long time.
“We knew we had to take them physically and we did that well.”
In many ways this is a more important challenge as Scotland have beaten South Africa twice in recent years and have no hang-ups associated with the All Blacks fixture where they have drawn a blank in each of 29 meetings apart from two draws. “A lot of our optimism does stem from having beaten South Africa as recently as 2010, but there is more to it than that,” says Denton. “They are a team our style of rugby suits playing against.”
There is also the massive incentive for Scotland of trying to improve their world ranking so as to reach the top eight and avoid being in a pool with two big guns when the draw for the 2015 tournament is made on December 3.
“This is massive in terms of world cup qualification and we need to get ourselves as high up the rankings as possible to ensure we get a good pool in the World Cup.”
I am not that confident about this match. The Scots scored good tries against the NZers.
They will be up for it for sure. Lets hope we play better than last weekend.
They basically saying the Springboks are not the huge threat they used to be. What a damn shame our rugby once again has become a shambles. The Scots don’t fear us? That says something next we will be having Italy say the same next year. We are clueless out there.
How was this period in our rugby. Not even looking before 92 just after we came back.
Last game with Carel’s boks then the rest with Mallett. Still think Mallett at the start ran with Carel’s team.
Here was our 17 wins in a row:
1997
Aus: 61-22
Italy: 62-31
France: 52-10
Eng: 29-11
Scot: 68-10
1998
Ire: 37-13
Ireland: 33-10
Wales: 96-13
Eng: 18-0
Aus: 14-13
NZ: 13-3
NZ: 24-33
Aus: 29-15
Wales: 28-20
Scot: 35-10
Ire: 27 13
England finally brought a stop to our 17 wins by beating us trying to get our 18th straight win: 7-13
I wonder if we will ever reach the height of that period again? Remember Nick Mallett saying no team will ever do it again, well the All Blacks did it again this year and almost succeeded in breaking that record to go 18 wins in a row, only to come short against Aus with a draw. The 17 wins in a row record is held between the ABs and Boks. Abs had done it before this time though. So they have twice had a 17 run.
Always remember in that period when we beat the All Blacks at the Tank. It must have been one of the greatest fight backs by the Boks ever. To come back from 23-6 down to actually win it was brilliant. We ended beating them by one point, but hell it was marvellous to see us fighting back for that win. Remember the fight back came from a brilliant try by Joost. At the time thought, a bit too late, never thought we would actually go on to win after that try, we did though. Also Skinstad’s try was superb as well. We scored again with Dalton right at the very last minute. Awesome come back and the win felt even sweeter, because of how we done it. True saffa style, never say die attitude at its best that day.
Some of the rugby during the Mallett period was magnificent to watch.
Guys?? we did not lose to them yet? why we talking like we will lose??? Let them brag! thats fine. I think it’s long overdue that we stop the rambings and do our talking on the field.
See SteenKamp looking good in training and could start this Saturday. Good news that. Just hope we don’t have CJ again that is all..lol. Steenkamp if he is okay should start with Heinke on the bench.
This from Sports24
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Boks impressed with Gurthrö
2012-11-14 08:59
Cape Town – The Springboks have been impressed with the impact prop Gurthrö Steenkamp has made in practice this week.
Die Burger’s website reports that Steenkamp is a strong candidate to wear the Bok No 1 jersey against Scotland in Edinburgh on Saturday. The role was fulfilled by CJ van der Linde against Ireland last week after the withdrawal of Tendai Mtawarira due to heart palpitations.
Steenkamp, who currently plays for French club Toulouse, joined the Boks in Dublin last week but couldn’t be considered due to a rib injury. On Monday he had his first field session with the team and impressed in his first scrumming session on Tuesday.
“From the outset he made a huge impact in our training sessions and made a few huge tackles on Monday afternoon. That’s Gurthrö for you. He is world class,” forwards coach Johan van Graan said.
Steenkamp now stands a good chance to start at loosehead on Saturday, otherwise he’ll play a big role from the bench.
“Gurthrö is doing really well at Toulouse. His strong points are mainly his ability to carry the ball and dish out huge tackles in midfield. His scrummaging has improved a lot. I think he’s grown a lot over the last four years. Gurthrö is at a stage in his life where he really can be considered as a world class prop,” said Van Graan.
With Mtawarira out coach Heyneke Meyer could decide to use Steenkamp and Heinke van der Merwe as looseheads, and Jannie du Plessis and the versatile Van der Linde as tightheads in his squad.
After the Test against the Scots on Saturday, the Boks conclude their European tour the following week with a clash against England in London.
@ Puma:
Agreed. Gurthro is a good player (although Heinke is a much better scrummager).
Anyone but CJ.
@ Sharks_forever:
Ja we’ll sort them out, bunch of dress wearing tripe eaters.
Cant wait to see the team, and nt much speculation re the team this week in the press, guess HM has things closed and under wraps.
@ Sharks_forever:
12h00 today isn’t it?
5 @ Sharks_forever:
Hope we do, think we will beat this Scots side, they also have some injuries after last week.
Never ever used to worry if we would beat them or not, just knew we would. Then they surprised us in 2002 and again in 2009 almost beating us and then beating us in 2010.
If they view us the way they say, then they surely don’t fear us any longer the way used too, and the way they do the ABs.
We will beat them, but to hear a team that feared us talking like that about the once Mighty Boks says it all. We just don’t put fear into any team facing us. I tell you what we are lucky we never played France this past weekend, the only reason we are 2nd on the log is because poor Oz had to face them, while we faced a not very good Ireland side and we just scrapped through there. Next week will be our test. We need to bring our backs more into the game. Go look if you can at the time we played France with Malletts Boks and how the French Supporters stood up at the end and applauded the Boks walking off after we beat France 52-10. All the Boks actually waving to the crowd in Appreciation. The same happened at Murrayfield when we played the Scots a few weeks later beating them 68-10. It was not just beating those teams it was the way we done it. We have gone backwards for sure.
This is the team I think will play if one can assume without really knowing what is happening in the camp,
15 Kirchner/Taute
14 JPP
13 JDJ
12 JDV
11 Hougaard
10 Lambie
09 Pienaar
08 Vermeulen
07 Alberts
06 Flouw ( I was never a fan but must admit, he is very very good right now)
05 Jandre (He needs to step up)
04 Etzebeth
03 Jannie/Cilliers
02 Strauss
01 Gurthro
16 Brits
17 Cilliers/Malherbe
18 Heinke
19 Flip
20 Marcel
21 Jantjes
22 Taute/KIrchner
23 Mvovo/Rhule
This is who i think HM will play and not how I would,
@ Stormersboy:
Yes 12H00
7 @ Stormersboy:
Heinke is a better scrummager, but Guthro carries the ball as well as Beast does, that is where he and Beast are better than Heinke. With Guthro we sort of get the same player we have in Beast. We need him not only for this game, but more so against England.
We will see just what we need to do this week after watching Oz play England. Can’t judge England against Figi. We will beat the Scots, they don’t have depth like we do, if they lose a player they struggle.
@ Puma:
Agreed
I actually hope Jannie gets rested this weekend, not sure he will though as players love playing if they are able.
The lock pairing is also a problem for me, i really hoped HM would have called Bakkies in, I still believe he and Etzebeth could be devistating
11 @ Sharks_forever:
I am with you on that starting XV.
Also not sure of Kruger, he has not impressed me this tour. Again agree, I was not a huge Flouw fan either, he has converted me this season. He has been bloody good for the Boks. Total new respect for him. I do WISH we had a faster 8 have said it many, many times, I like a 8 to have speed. Still think Meyer has missed something by not trying Coetzee out at 8. Remember Mallett saying in one of the shows he has been on, that he would have had Coetzee as his 8 without a thought. Thinks he would become a brlliant 8. Should have tried him out in the June tests there. Now doubt Meyer will change from Vermeulen, who has been good, but too slow for what I like in a 8. If Kanko can play like he did at the end of the SR season, then he would be my 8. Anyhow for now that loose trio is fine, just too slow.
Puma this is where i am concerned for the Sharks, we dont have that extra talk lock or a real enforcer lock, and although our locks do well?? they do not dominate, other factor is with Bissy out we have no fether, we seriously need to bring in or Buy a Fetcher,and my other concern is if Beast is injured or like now out with a heart condition??? Chadwick?? no man there we in shit
Would give Taute a start at 15 in this game. Could Eben play 5? He has done before, I would try him there and play Alberts at 4 or Flip. Kruger has not been great this eoyt so far.
Just wish we could bring our backs into the game more. Doubt it with our game plan, so will just expect more of the same. also you never know the weather in Scotland it could change every hour there. So have to see when we get on the field, if it is dry or rain pouring down.
talk = tall
16 @ Sharks_forever:
Tell you what I have thought of it straight away when Beast had the heart problem again. If we start with Chadwick again we in huge trouble. We can’t afford too as now we don’t have Bissie at the start this year. I seriously think Sharks should speak to Lions to bring in Van Rensburg on Loan. He will only ever be considered for Boks if he is playing Super Rugby. He should think about it, as it would only be a loan. We do need a fetcher that is for sure while we don’t have Bissie. What do you think of Kleinhans? How would you rate Cloete at SR level? Then he never played CC yet. With our Locks what about PSDT? Think he is a massive talent there. Tell you what with a fetcher, jeez I would love the Sharks to offer a season or 4 to the Arg openside flank, how awesome is he? Think one of the best. Also liked the player that played for Kwas in the CC. Though not in the same class as the Arg player, also Cheetahs would have first choice with him. Get the Arg openside flank…..
We should invite Bakkies to come home and bring him to the Sharks………….
Coetzee had a very good 20 minutes, he deserves a chance to start with Alberts playing off the bench.
I also think that playing Eben at 5 gives you a chance to play Flip at 4, a very tough combo.
@ Puma:
Will Bismark be fit to start the season?
21 @ Stormersboy:
No bud, think Bissie only comes back Mid-April. Big loss for the Sharks and even more so if Beast can’t start. Then we in huge trouble. As we lost our first two games lost year without having Beast, but we still have Bissie and with that we still picked up a losing bonus point in both those games. Doubt we will without Beast and Bissie.
@ Stormersboy:
No he will miss the first 4 matches i have heard
20 @ Stormersboy:
Yes that what I was thinking. Shift Eben to 5 and bring in Flip to 4. Alberts was superb there for Sharks at the end of the SR season, so even him, but Flip with his height would start with Flip.
22 @ Puma:
meant – last year
5 @ Sharks_forever:
Tjarkie, my dear friend…. thanks for that one!
Spot-On!
The fact that they supposedly don’t rate or fear the Bokke is all just Pre-Gamesmanship from them… they’ve got to talk themselves up, they’ve got to beat their own chests, they also said they did not fear the All Blacks before they played them…. they’ve got to show a braveheart face, specially after losing by 29 points to an All Black team that showed 10 changes to it’s strongest combination.
I only watched the All Blacks / Scotland game yesterday…. and the Scotts are seriously lacking in a few departments, sometimes the All Blacks rounded them with ease.
Bokke will win… the Scotish guts can only take them so far, and no more. I’m not saying it will be a walk in the park, and the Bokke have to be wide awake… but they’ll pull through.
24 @ Puma:
Fark, you guys don’t listen, do you…
You can’t move Eben Etzebeth to No 5 on this tour… whilst he might have the physical attributes for making a No 5 lock in future, that role HAS TO GO TOGETHER with lineout calls and the oke who has just turned 21 has not called a single lineout for a senior side.
Calling lineouts is not just about shouting “hey farker, throw the ball on No 2”, it’s much more than that… it’s about analizing the whole opposition lineout and it’s about making an informed choice – in a couple of seconds. That only comes with experience.
The Springboks have something like 96 calls on field at present… and now you want to confuse the issue even more.
Let Eben slot in as regular lineout caller at the Stormers, whether he wears No 4 or No 5 there… let’s do that first and see how it goes.
It’s like suggesting and throwing a loosehead prop (who only plays loosehead) suddenly onto tighthead at Test level… and expecting him to be totally proficient on the other side of the scrum… because he is a prop after all. You know, I know that THAT won’t work, the technicalities are different and the same applies between No 4 and No 5 lock.
That Eben WILL eventually make a great No 5 lock, if groomed into the role, I have no doubt about!
Arghhh, whatever… why do I waste my breath….
@ grootblousmile:
Hiyas Rudi, agreed
@ Puma:
😆 Pooms, not sure if i have seen that Argie flank??
27 @ grootblousmile:
Well Kruger may call the lineouts, but he does little else. Would rather take a chance on a no lineout caller..hahaha. Man gbs, Kruger is not up to it. Eben has to learn pronto next year to do the lineout calls he is ALWAYS going to start, he is like a Bissie a player right now you can’t do without. So let it be his responsiblity. 21 years of age does not mean you can’t learn to do the calls. He must learn to do it. Kruger offers little else besides the calls.
Bring in Kanko next year he will and does it very well. Also has speed at 8……
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