Jean De Villiers
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers is clear that his team need to take a massive step up before they face the Wallabies in Perth in their next Castle Lager Rugby Championship game on 6 September.
The Bok captain arrived home from the great Salta escape – where the Boks needed a penalty four minutes from time to beat a plucky, aggressive Argentinean team – knowing that the weight of public outrage at the result would be waiting for his team.
But De Villiers is a pragmatist, and, as he points out: it wasn’t the greatest of performances, but a win is a win.
SuperSport
While there is a lot for the Bok management to work on before they take on the Wallabies, and even more before they head to Wellington to face the All Blacks a week later, it isn’t all doom and gloom in the Bok camp, even though it may seem so for their fans.
“We’re not happy with our performance but definitely happy with the two wins,” De Villiers said on arriving back in Johannesburg.
“I think we all know that this is a very tough competition and if you keep on winning – if you are not firing on all cylinders, that is a positive result. We’ll take the two wins but there’s still a lot of hard work that needs to be done before the next game.”
While De Villiers is still adamant that the Argentineans are a lot better side than their 12th place on the IRB rankings portrays, he accepts that the pressure is on the team to show they can do better when they head to Perth. Argentina’s lowly log position comes mainly from the fact they play a B-team in the June internationals and only have their European based stars for the Rugby Championship, meaning their ranking has been in freefall for the last two years.
The ranking clearly isn’t something Los Pumas care too much for, and most rugby fans will agree that on the evidence of the last two weeks they would give most teams ahead of them on the rankings a massive fright, if not condemn them to defeat.
Still, for a team that constantly talks about concentrating on their own game, the Boks have a lot of work to do. They aren’t satisfied with how they played, something that De Villiers took every opportunity to underline.
“I think that’s a good thing (that the public expect more from us),” De Villiers admitted. “If the supporters and public can put as much pressure on us as possible to achieve better and perform better, then I see that as a positive sign. I think once we are happy with mediocrity and just putting up an average performance then I think we are in trouble. We see it as a good thing and we know we didn’t play well. We need to up our game and we need to improve.”
The Bok captain said he did take note of the impressive All Black performance on Saturday in putting up a half century against the Wallabies in their demolition at Eden Park, but that for now, they are in the distance. First priority is the Perth game, and that is where the Boks need to focus their attention right now.
“They were impressive but we are only seeing them in three weeks’ time,” De Villiers said on the All Blacks.
“The focus for us right now is Australia and putting up a good performance against them, after that we’ll take on the next one.”
“At the end of the day we’re happy that we won two out of two and we’re top of the log at the moment in the Rugby Championship.
“But we are very realistic in the way we played and what lies ahead for us.
“There needs to be improvement and if we want to walk away with the trophy at the end of the tournament we need to put up better performances.”
83 @ nortierd:
hey nortie… what the heck do i know…? i’m just happy with a win…!! 😆
84 @ Charo:
😉
#85 @ MacroBok:
Sound like a 2012 version of Allister Coetzee right there.
ufo wrote:
He he, your cup runneth over 😆
nortierd wrote:
There are blogs for the Short term though 🙂
95 remarks later 😉
88 @ Nama:
@ Nama:
6 round tournament vs 16 round tournament
@ nortierd:
59
Well, you must be rating the Boks then?
😉
Winning two recent tests under Steve Walsh by a total of 3 points (against lowly ranked teams), that’s must be the bench mark for rating the Number 2 ranked team? 😉
Just asking
MacroBok wrote:
Ja ja, and to answer your post 85, HM has said he wants to win every test.
So then we will win the RC.
My worry is simply, as much as we want to see the Bokke win every test, especially against NZ, if we make such heavy weather against the easiest of the 3 opponents, why should we feel confident that we will now all of a sudden beat NZ and Aus?
89 @ MacroBok:
true… 😆
93 @ nortierd:
as does my time…
laters…
98 @ Hondo:
Consistency Hondo, consistency.
We have been winning tests consistently these last few years and are full value for our nr 2 ranking.
Argentina have been losing tests consistently, hence they are full value for their ranking of 12th.
Quite simple really
Hondo wrote:
nortierd wrote:
Id imagine they would start with not complaining for what feels like three months that Argentina is only ranked 12th.
They should try to win every game, why not? We all hope they learnt from these games.
We played badly n 3 out of our last 4 games now. In everyone of them the Boks were outplayed by the opposition but they were just not good enough to beat us. Maybe they should’ve so that we can catch a wake up call before it’s too late. If it isn’t already too late.
nortierd wrote:
So over the stretch of a period there is no chance of the odd poor game vs the odd better game, above or below the current ranking?
Nama wrote:
Shhh, don’t spoil the win with facts.
We won
@ Nama:
92
@ MacroBok:
85
A Boks’ win at home is a possibility, don’t rule that out, it all depends on both the ABs and the Aussies not forcing a screening of the referees?
😉
MacroBok wrote:
Yes there is, but, as Nama also stated, 3/4 were “below” average, and 2 of them were at home.
That is the worry
nortierd wrote:
Los Pumas have already beaten Eng on 4 occasions & also Aus on 4 occasions …
And have also on occasion run mighty NZ close
@ Hondo:
and a win away?
@Nama
We are no longer in the business of winning rugby matches, we are in the business of building character
@ Angostura:
Last 2-3 years?
nortierd wrote:
And Arg could also play above average, much better than “12th” would suggest…
Really resisting to say it aren’t you? 😉
110 @ Angostura:
Angos, Ireland came the closest (barring last weeks draw) to beating NZ from the so called lesser unions, yet no one is even trying to build them up as they are the Argentinians.
Just because we struggle to beat them , it’s almost as if it can’t be, heaven forbid, that the Bokke were useless, no, it must be because Argentina is awesome.
Sorry, I just don’t buy into that, they will get carrots and continue to lose, so maybe the problem lies with us?
Saved by a penalty try in the last minute of the game against Wales.
Looked totally inept in a freak rainstorm at Loftus against Arg.
Looked totally rubbish in Salta against Arg and did not even deserve the win.
MacroBok wrote:
Ag ok, hulle is friggin awesome hoor.
Om ons so naby te hou, moet hulle wees. 😉 want ons almal weet hoe awesome ons is
@ nortierd:
Why are you fixated with last 2-3 years?
Is it because only this limited period supports your thesis, or is it because you know they’ve been fielding a B-team in several tests during this period?
Either way your thesis is based on a quagmire …
@ MacroBok:
111
Not going to happened with the current Boks squad,
The Min requirements would be to bring on F. Styen, Brussow, Lambie, Heinke v.d. Merwe and BJ imo
Unload Juan, Matfield and Pollard,
That’s not exactly HM’s thinking 🙁
@ nortierd:
nee nie eintlik nie, ons weet ons was swak.
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