As I write this post it’s currently 35 minutes into the Springboks test, the score? WellAustralia lead South Africa 31-6. My level of disappointment is at a premium at the moment and I, like many South Africans will want to vent! So here I go…
As a nation who has prided themselves with defence ever since I can remember, it seems to me this policy has been thrown out of the window. Why change a winning formula? It won us a world cup 3 years ago…by the way the Springboks have just scored a scintillating try thanks to Victor Matfield, as the hooter sirens for half time. But that’s not the point… the point is we seem to have forgotten how to defend and I can’t understand why. Our line is jagged, there’s a lack of communication and we seem to just not know how to make first time tackles. Surely the only reasonable explanation is the coach? It’s basically the same group of players that won us the world cup. But it doesn’t matter what happens now, it’s too close to next years prestigious world cup for any drastic changes to happen.
So lets move onto the players. Why oh why do we consistently pick players who are out of form? By we of course I mean PdV. With so many young stars shining in this years Currie cup, the bok management have missed a trick so close to the world cup. I can only hope that these young players will be given a chance on the end of year grand slam tour, but by then it might be too late for us. If each Springbok that played in the test match today could look in the mirror and say they gave everything they had, I would be happy. But the problem is they can’t say that because the reality is, there are a few players who just seem to be playing because they were picked, and that for me, is not good enough. It’s an honour to represent your country regardless of the sport, and if these players can’t put everything on the line, then they shouldn’t be playing, full stop.
On a small positive note, and as much as the players let themselves down today, they can be proud of the way they came back to take the lead in the second half. Many teams could have easily laid down and died but we showed great character to win the second half. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about John Smit and how he should hang up his boots. Well his performance today was a slap in the face and he really lifted his game after some heavy criticism lately, his unbelievable one-handed take was a tribute to a much-improved performance.I believe that Smit would have had played a big part in a leadership sense, in forming our comeback.
Today’s result was bitterly disappointing especially now that we will finish last in the tri-nations. But that doesn’t even hurt the most. It’s the manner in which we lost. To be fair to the Aussies they looked physically and mentally better then we did. They looked fitter, their structure was better, they looked to attack from every opportunity and even though we scored three tries, there defence was so much better. This isn’t good enough for the world champions and my hopes are high for PdV to turn things around. Otherwise maybe he should start looking for a new job, but that’s just my opinion. We did so much wrong today but our biggest mistake we made was the basics. Lineouts, scrums, mauls, and all these sorts of things that we normally do so well, we failed to do with precision today. In the last few minutes of the test match when we lost it, we should have rather chosen to kick the ball deep into the Aussies 22 and force them to do all the work, rather then giving away the penalty for a silly infringement. Van de Merwe should have known better. But that’s how test rugby works, sometimes you play well and lose, and sometimes you play badly and win.
To be honest, I’m glad the tri-nations is over for South Africa because I can’t stand watching our beloved Springboks lose again.
Posted by Bok Supporter 1 on September 5, 2010 at 12:28
I completely agree with you here. It seems players are coasting through these games as if it was just their day jobs, I mean why have players that are “has beens” just giving 70% of the total performance….shameless.
I also would like to add the lack of intelligence amongst our players and whether this is due to the coaching staff or not, it should be built into you if you’ve made it all the way to a national level. Every time we kick the ball out, it goes merely 5 meters passed the line, allowing whoever is their to catch the ball throw it back in and run straight back at a unstructured defensive line. The Aussies kick the ball into row z of the stadium and even though its not as far as one of our kicks, at least it gives them time and the opportunity of a steal in the line out. Do the coaches not see this or maybe I should run for the job.
Another facet of our game I would like to crit, is the amount of forwards in the backline when attacking from loose play. We have guthro steenkamp at first receive, amongst other incredibly slow forwards compared to someone like quade cooper…to me this is why they were so much better going forward.
Anyway that’s my view, dont know if you agree with it or not!
Posted by Oscar on September 6, 2010 at 08:53
defence is based on discipline, something the bokke have lost under Quota coach, since when do they get too choose their practice times…??
Spies is average!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow that guy really does nothing, I feel for Habana he really is just out of form….poor guy
PS: at the end of the game, we go negative again, we couldn’t even back ourselves to keep the ball for two minutes?? really… If Aus needed to keep the ball for 5 minutes they would’ve