McLook
One has to feel for Wales as they were outstanding on the weekend. I got pretty upset with the Springboks as the match progressed but in retrospective one has the give credit to Warren Gatland and his Welsh side.
I had some sort of an Aha moment during this game in the sense that I developed a deeper appreciation of the impact of the new rule interpretation on the game. The most important thing of the modern game is structure at the breakdown. The emphasis has shifted from set piece to the breakdown. Where previously forward dominance was dependent on structure at set piece, forward dominance now depends on structure at the breakdowns. Continue reading
I wrote a piece after the 2010 match and started by stating that between the referee, Habana and the box kicks we nearly lost the match. I also said that the score line was flattering to the Welsh. After watching the game again I’ll stick with those sentiments. Not that Wales were bad, they actually played some good footy in that match but the South African players made it easy for them. The Springboks lacked concentration and were without a doubt tired after a long S14 a tough tri-nations and an extremely physical encounter the previous weekend in wet in cold conditions against Ireland.
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Read this outstanding artile by Mark Reason. I found it in the Dominion post copied and pasted it verbatim. It is so good.
If New Zealand go out of a consecutive World Cup because of another dodgy refereeing decision, they will have no one to blame but themselves. The All Blacks no longer even bother to bend the laws. They set out to deliberately cheat.
For only one piffling syllable, CHEAT is an awfully big word. “Who are you calling a cheat?” demands the card-playing gunslinger, just before the mandatory murder and the five aces sliding from the sleeve.
The All Blacks cheat in spades. Half of their tries in the Tri- Nations have been set up by blatant cheating. Continue reading
It always intrigues me how partial and narrow-minded some of the New Zealand rugby commentators can be. The constant criticism of South Africa’s style of play and the ‘drooling’ over the New Zealand expansive game is something that irritates me immensely so as if there is only one way to play rugby and as if New Zealand has the perfect game.
June 23, 1956 – South Africa 8 / Wellington 6
The playing surface was not entirely dry as it did rain in the days prior to the match. The match itself was, however, played in magnificent sunny weather in front of 45 000 spectators.
What a classic Springbok / All Black test match.
It is games like these that keep the rivalry alive. Two opposing styles played almost to perfection with uncompromising defence and a bit of referee controversy into the mix.
What a game!
What a timely victory for the Springboks and congrats to the Springboks for not getting drawn into the capacious game so promoted and drooled over by the All Black ‘groupies’.
We want a contest not a flap-flap razzle and dazzle mismatch dominated by one team with a bunch of natural athletes suited to play a league hybrid gobbledygook.
The Springboks are at risk of a white wash (losing all 4 Tri-nation tests matches) for the first time in tri-nations history. Desperate times indeed and that might explain some of the selections for this match.
There is a bit of a public hysteria at the moment in South Africa after the first two Tri-Nations Tests this year, specifically because of the way the Springboks lost in both these games.
I don’t think any Springbok supporter will ever be happy with ‘throwing’ Test matches for the sake of a ‘larger/bigger’ objective. However, this is exactly what happened in 2007. Continue reading
Here are some really insightful video clips of the first Tri-Nations Test. Continue reading
Dwyer’s thoughts in blue with some commentary from my side in black.
The Boks were well under strength with about eleven first choice players missing and, as was clear with the second-string Wallabies against the Samoans, this is rarely good enough.
So clearly it is not just the Springboks who struggle with their second stringers. What worries me though is that we probably have more rugby players in the Western Cape than the entire Australia. One would think we have enough depth to be competitive with a second string team.
The most annoying aspect about this match was that Australia scored almost all their tries off mistakes made by South Africa. I’ll have to watch the match again but I can’t recall Australia actually scoring a try off set piece (lineout, scrum or even consecutive rucks).
Apart from our lineout which was only reasonable because we mauled the ball up twice –by the way that was the only time I saw Stegmann with ball in hand (truck and trailer behind the maul), was he even on the field- and our scrum which was at best average. We were just about ordinary in everything else we did.
Our four main problems: Firstly losing the ball within 3 recycles almost every time we tried to run with the ball, secondly not taking the ball up at speed and therefore unable to breach the defensive line, thirdly poor defence especially around the fringes and in the backline, lastly being too predictable and one dimensional on attack. Continue reading
Auckland 3 / South Africa 6
The third tour match against Auckland at Eden Park was disastrous for many reasons and had in many ways a lasting negative impact on the tour. This match changed the perception the New Zealand public had about the Springboks essentially leaving the kiwis very negative about the touring side. Warwick Roger recalls how -as he walked home after having watched the match as an 11 year old- the realisation dawned on him that the Springboks were not gods at all and how in the ensuing weeks they started kicking each other on the rugby field like the Springboks did against Auckland. An Article in the Star stated on the Monday after the match that: ‘It was a rubbishy, unintelligent game… rugby at its most depressing… exactly the sort of game that makes league fans out of rugby supporters.’
All accounts of this fixture assert to the fact that is was an awful match with both teams being incredibly, humiliatingly bad and more concerned to brawl, kick, punch and shoulder charge than to play rugby.
It was exciting and a close contest and I was as happy as most Aussies with the Reds victory mostly because it moved me up to the top 4% overall on Superbru.
Generally speaking though, I thought it was a rather poor exhibition of how to play finals rugby – by both teams. Not poor rugby but poor finals tactics. Let me explain at hand of the following observations I’ve made while watching the game.
South Africa 3 / North-Auckland 0
The second match against North Auckland played in extreme weather conditions in Whangarei didn’t help the Springboks’ cause; the Springboks were desperate to not only win but also to play well but the wet underfoot conditions made it impossible to play proper rugby.
South African rugby has this reputation of having a powerful scrum. In fact the perception is that South African rugby is totally dependent or at least of being over dependent on its scrum to the extend that if you can counter the South African scrum the Springboks are easy to beat.
9 June 1956 – Waikato 14 / South Africa 10
The first match against Waikato is remembered mainly for two reasons; firstly, the massive three and a half hour welcoming procession; secondly, the fact that the Springboks lost the match. Here is a picture of the welcoming procession.
Deaker on sport (sport talk show here in NZ) featured interesting interviews with Robbie Deans and Graeme Henry 
as well as with some other sporting celebrities last night. In particular they talked about how the new breakdown rule
interpretations would influence the games during the WC, All Black choking, team selections and preparing players for
the WC.
Not much is available on the Australian leg of the 1956 tour. McLean in his book “Battle for the rugby crown” devout a chapter to this part of the tour but writes very little about the actual matches apart from the table below which is a summary or record of matches played in Aussie. Continue reading
Peter Bills wrote an article in the New Zealand Herald warning (or is he looking for excuses) that the New Zealand S15 Franchises are bashing each other to a pulp just in time for the World Cup.
He writes: “The pace and physicality of the Super 15 since it began in February has to be increasingly draining these guys. For the best, and that means most of the All Blacks, it will go on for the rest of this month. The Super 15 final isn’t until July 9. And then comes … the Tri-Nations. If a side like the Crusaders reach the final, it could be they’ll have to play it in South Africa.
In an article in today’s Dominion Post former All Black coach and current Lions coach reasons the All Blacks will need a change of direction if they want to win the WC later this year.
A shift in rule interpretations from last year to this year by referees is playing into South Africa’s hands in the run-up to the Rugby World Cup in Mitchell’s opinion. Continue reading
The 15th of August 1992 was South Africa’s official return to first class international rugby after 11 years –since the 1981 tour to NZ- of rugby isolation. The Springboks did play two “Test matches” against a world XV in 1989 (6 years prior to 1992) and 4 “Test matches” against the NZ Cavaliers in 1986 and of course there was the two Test matches against a 1984 touring English side but these matches were in all fairness not the real thing.
I wrote a piece a few months ago entitled : “Most enjoyable Test against England”. It was an Article about two Test matches South Africa played against England in 1984.
Danie Gerber scored 4 tries in the two Tests; overall South Africa crossed the English goal line 9 times.
Second test – 14 August 1993 – Ballymore, Brisbane
This Test was probably the Test that made the biggest impression on me of all the Test matches I’ve seen in my life mostly because of the way Australia played and won the Test. The tactics they employed and the extraordinary precision of execution impressed me immensely.
It is with much less fear and a lot more anticipation that we line-up for the second match of the year. We’ve worked on a couple of things during the week but are acutely aware that we haven’t spend enough time integrating the forwards and backs (team runs). Continue reading
Being a coach is without a doubt one of the hardest but potentially also one of the most rewarding jobs. Looking at the pressure the S15 and national coaches has to endure I have often found myself wondering who on earth would want to be a coach. Sort of; “not for all the money in the world would I want to be a coach”. Continue reading
The 1956 series between the All Blacks and the Springboks was without a doubt the most intense and brutal series ever played between these two nations. It left lasting impressions on New Zealand and South African rugby and societies. This series of articles- on the 1956 tour- will examine firstly why this series was so intense and influential and will discuss secondly the nature of those long-term effects.
Interesting article in the New Zealand Herald this morning states that New Zealand Maori rugby side is in line to play a historic series in South Africa later this year.
According to the article Rugby News reports that the Maori will play two matches against a “shadow” Springbok side after the World Cup. The article then further states:
The hot topic this week seems to be the Bulls or more specifically the Bulls’ dramatic slump in form after their shock loss against the Western Force. Somehow this loss goes down a lot more dramatically than in 2008 (I think it was when they also lost in Perth against the Western Force). Continue reading
The words of Irish international Fergus Slattery echoed perhaps best the general feeling about South African rugby at the end of the 1976 tour. Commenting to Phillip Jones of the Sunday Times before he left South Africa Slattery said: “The first thing I would tell a young player is not to play like the Springboks. They are five years behind the times.”
Martial arts have quite a number of fascinating or secret fighting strategies which are made known to the experienced or deserved practitioner. Continue reading
I think most South Africans (except maybe Stormers supporters) are somewhat disappointed with the way our Super Rugby teams are going this year. New Zealanders (Crusaders fans excluded) are also not particularly over the moon with how their teams are performing. The Chiefs is almost bottom of the log. The Blues is somewhat better than previous seasons but far from consistent. The Canes is sort of all over the place. The Highlanders is the surprise package for the Kiwi’s but just a few injuries short off coming apart. They lack depth in the squad and everyone in Kiwiland is holding their thumbs but not expecting them to go all the way. Continue reading
They made complaining an art form. Almost all reports of the 1976 tour -especially the fourth test- starts and ends with a grumble about the refs. The whining began round about the third match, picked-up in intensity after losing against WP and spiraled out of control after the loss against Northern Transvaal and then reached heights of stratospheric proportions after the fourth test defeat. Continue reading
While everyone is blowing off steam about the Bulls Gregor Paul published a surprising positive article about Bulls rugby in the New Zealand Herald. He reckons there are at least 10 things that can be learned from Bulls rugby going into the WC. Here are the 10 things he listed: Continue reading
This weekend revealed the problem with South African rugby to be hot potato-ittis. The old disease of spilling the ball forward in the tackle took on epidemic proportions in the South African teams. The bulls in particular were spectacularly awful in this department. It was also prevalent at crucial moments in the Stormers match although not so frequent. Continue reading