2012 Rugby Championship Round 4 Game 1 New Zealand vs South Africa - 15 Sep

[Mank]

Agree with Du Preez. Really struggled to come up with a Saffer MOM though. P'raps Habana cause he scored a try but he was very quiet.

Who else for Saffer MOM?

No-one stood out. The back row played reasonably well, but all about equally, so couldn't really pick between them.

In terms of who should not be playing for the Boks:
Morne Steyn, Greyling, Bekker.

On a tight rope:
Francois Steyn (too individual, his option taking is terrible), Kirschner (he's solid, but Lambie would add more).

 

[Waylon]

Mccaw is the best 7 to have ever walked the earth. He is always that good......just another day at the office. The bloke has incredible tenacity and strength as well as a big motor.

Unlucky for the Bokke though. It was strange at the end to realise they hadn't won the test. The Bokke beat the allblacks all over the park except the scoreboard. As a neutral, I was frustrated for them. The effort was magnificent. The Bokke pack was very good. The cleanout at the breakdown was absolutely sensational. You don't often see the allblacks beaten at the breakdown.

Goosen looks like the next great 10 in world rugby. I was very impressed with his brief appearance and after seeing him play, you have to wonder why the Bokke management haven't had him starting. He is a class act and his time has arrived

 

[Waylon]

Don't know whether I put it down to great play by the Boks or awful stuff from us but I was spectacularly underwhelmed by that performance. Our forwards are just not getting stuck in enough, and our backs are not clinical enough.

Its a cliche to say it is the mark of a good team to win playing awfully. At some point a good team actually has to play well if they want to be considered a good team.

The allblacks are missing the go forward in mid field and the offloading of $BW. He was sensational in the Bledisloe games.

 

[Tordah]

The Bokke beat the allblacks all over the park except the scoreboard.

I disagree. They were clear victors at the breakdown for the first 65 minutes, but set pieces (scrum AND lineout), kicking, taking the high ball and running from broken play certain AB superiority IMO.

 

[Scorz]

Foxtel has just briefly shown a bunch of male Uni Students in tutu like costumes performing some form of interpretive contemporary dance number. Apparently it is a traditional pre match thing in Dunedin.

Gotta be a pisstake, but a good one, N'est Pas? Anyone able to throw some light on that.

IIRC the Students (scarfies) traditionally have an international Nude Rugby "Test" Match with the obligatory clothed streaker in the build up to the Dunedin Test. Did this occur?

Both correct.

 

[Mank]

Goosen looks like the next great 10 in world rugby. I was very impressed with his brief appearance and after seeing him play, you have to wonder why the Bokke management haven't had him starting. He is a class act and his time has arrived

Throwing a rookie into the pressure cooker of an All Black test in their paddock is a huge risk. Not only for the team, but for the player himself. So Meyer took the safer option. His other option, and the one I think he should have taken was to start Lambie (who has a decent amount of international experience) at #10 and bring Goosen on later in the game. However, he now needs to swallow his pride for the SA home tests and get both Goosen and Lambie onto the field as much as possible. The only way people improve is by effective practice, and that means game time at the highest level.

 

[Mank]

I disagree. They were clear victors at the breakdown for the first 65 minutes, but set pieces (scrum AND lineout), kicking, taking the high ball and running from broken play certain AB superiority IMO.

Lineout I'll give you, but the ABs did not win the scrum battle.

 

[Dam0]

Foxtel has just briefly shown a bunch of male Uni Students in tutu like costumes performing some form of interpretive contemporary dance number. Apparently it is a traditional pre match thing in Dunedin.

Gotta be a pisstake, but a good one, N'est Pas? Anyone able to throw some light on that.

The Selwyn College Ballet Company was founded in 1928 and is NZ's second oldest amateur ballet group. As someone who attended Otago University and was acquainted with several Selwynites I can assure you it is deadly serious.

I suggest you withdraw and apologise.

 

[Tordah]

Lineout I'll give you, but the ABs did not win the scrum battle.

yeah, not traditionally, but as in they did not lose any of their own scrums but the Boks did, twice I think (one for going early and one where they were wheeled off their ball but Messam couldn't control).

 

[qwerty51]

Goosen goes on after 10 mins, Boks win.

 

[FrankLind]

McCaw, when questioned about this knee by Smithy - "Are you having a crack, Smithy because it's not about me, it's the team as a whole"

 

[Scorz]

NZ vs SA is just that much harder hitting isn't it. The collisions, the aggression, the pressure.

The All Blacks are still playing like shit v the next best teams in the world. And winning. I think they need a week of just practising basics or something. Let the magic happen by itself.

MOTM Sam Whitelock. Find a mistake, find a missed tackle, find a lazy moment: None from what I could see. He does everything Romano avoids (gameplan excuses noted), and only got a hand from Retallick when he came on - from then on, the breakdowns and the scrums improved - and they needed to, because the Boks were having it all their own way.

Piri Weepu, Argentinian RWC2011 game aside, has been riding a thin line. And he has to go - the days of the ponderous 9 are dead, and his option taking - long held by many as exemplary - was a damp squib.
Furthermore, The Smith-Cruden axis must be allowed to grow at it's highest rate, and TKB is waiting to do battle with TJ Perenara for the bench spot. Because Aaron Smith will be the worlds best halfback if he's consistent.

I don't know how much longer Mealamu has left. I don't know why they had Vito on the bench. Or dropped Ben Smith. I don't know why International teams haven't figured out Dagg can't pass properly.

Hugh - the penalty around the 60min mark is usually due to pressure - mental, physical and tactical. Unless you were alluding to the obvious Worldwide iRB Conspiracy Theory?

Finally, the Dirty Boks will never change. The 8 should have gone for 10mins when that mutant 17 did. A diving shoulder charge to the head, followed by Shrek's elbow. I hope they both get a holiday.You can accuse the AB's of rule pushing all you like, both the first attack and the second were disgusting and it shouldn't be tolerated in sport.

 

[Kangaroo Sausage]

NZ vs SA is just that much harder hitting isn't it. The collisions, the aggression, the pressure.

The All Blacks are still playing like shit v the next best teams in the world. And winning. I think they need a week of just practising basics or something. Let the magic happen by itself.

MOTM Sam Whitelock. Find a mistake, find a missed tackle, find a lazy moment: None from what I could see. He does everything Romano avoids (gameplan excuses noted), and only got a hand from Retallick when he came on - from then on, the breakdowns and the scrums improved - and they needed to, because the Boks were having it all their own way.

Piri Weepu, Argentinian RWC2011 game aside, has been riding a thin line. And he has to go - the days of the ponderous 9 are dead, and his option taking - long held by many as exemplary - was a damp squib.
Furthermore, The Smith-Cruden axis must be allowed to grow at it's highest rate, and TKB is waiting to do battle with TJ Perenara for the bench spot. Because Aaron Smith will be the worlds best halfback if he's consistent.

I don't know how much longer Mealamu has left. I don't know why they had Vito on the bench. Or dropped Ben Smith. I don't know why International teams haven't figured out Dagg can't pass properly.

Hugh - the penalty around the 60min mark is usually due to pressure - mental, physical and tactical. Unless you were alluding to the obvious Worldwide iRB Conspiracy Theory?

Finally, the Dirty Boks will never change. The 8 should have gone for 10mins when that mutant 17 did. A diving shoulder charge to the head, followed by Shrek's elbow. I hope they both get a holiday.You can accuse the AB's of rule pushing all you like, both the first attack and the second were disgusting and it shouldn't be tolerated in sport.

What a great post The chap i watched the game with said much the same thing, but im not sure whether he was actually watching the game.

McCaw MOM for me, Whitelocks undies close second.

Heres a tip: If you're ever having a picnic at the beach and you spot Luke Romano, hide your chips, because hes bound to swoop in and try to pinch one.

 

[Blue]

NZ vs SA is just that much harder hitting isn't it. The collisions, the aggression, the pressure.

The All Blacks are still playing like shit v the next best teams in the world. And winning. I think they need a week of just practising basics or something. Let the magic happen by itself.

MOTM Sam Whitelock. Find a mistake, find a missed tackle, find a lazy moment: None from what I could see. He does everything Romano avoids (gameplan excuses noted), and only got a hand from Retallick when he came on - from then on, the breakdowns and the scrums improved - and they needed to, because the Boks were having it all their own way.

Piri Weepu, Argentinian RWC2011 game aside, has been riding a thin line. And he has to go - the days of the ponderous 9 are dead, and his option taking - long held by many as exemplary - was a damp squib.
Furthermore, The Smith-Cruden axis must be allowed to grow at it's highest rate, and TKB is waiting to do battle with TJ Perenara for the bench spot. Because Aaron Smith will be the worlds best halfback if he's consistent.

I don't know how much longer Mealamu has left. I don't know why they had Vito on the bench. Or dropped Ben Smith. I don't know why International teams haven't figured out Dagg can't pass properly.

Hugh - the penalty around the 60min mark is usually due to pressure - mental, physical and tactical. Unless you were alluding to the obvious Worldwide iRB Conspiracy Theory?

Finally, the Dirty Boks will never change. The 8 should have gone for 10mins when that mutant 17 did. A diving shoulder charge to the head, followed by Shrek's elbow. I hope they both get a holiday.You can accuse the AB's of rule pushing all you like, both the first attack and the second were disgusting and it shouldn't be tolerated in sport.

I agree that Greyling should go. He has copped a ban for an elbow before.

That did Vermeluen do?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

The Selwyn College Ballet Company was founded in 1928 and is NZ's second oldest amateur ballet group. As someone who attended Otago University and was acquainted with several Selwynites I can assure you it is deadly serious.

I suggest you withdraw and apologise.

The little I saw was both old and amateur. I thought on that basis that it was a pisstake.

I was unaware that it was performed by an old and amateur group. For arriving at that conclusion, I apologise.

Having suffered through the ultimate pisstake at a Dunedin Test Match, that is Scandal'us singing the Australian National Anthem, you will perhaps excuse me for arriving at that conclusion.

 

[whatty]

The 8 should have gone for 10mins

What for?

 

[Dam0]

The little I saw was both old and amateur. I thought on that basis that it was a pisstake.

I was unaware that it was performed by an old and amateur group. For arriving at that conclusion, I apologise.

Having suffered through the ultimate pisstake at a Dunedin Test Match, that is Scandal'us singing the Australian National Anthem, you will perhaps excuse me for arriving at that conclusion.

Well, I'll admit it is a little unusual to see 60 odd 20 something lads in tutus dancing away. To everyone else it is a piss take but to the guys doing it, it is very serious.

I think the claim to being one of the oldest ballet companies is said with just a touch of irony, although I am sure it is true.

 

[qwerty51]

What for?

The charge into McCaw.

 

[Mank]

Finally, the Dirty Boks will never change. The 8 should have gone for 10mins when that mutant 17 did. A diving shoulder charge to the head, followed by Shrek's elbow. I hope they both get a holiday.You can accuse the AB's of rule pushing all you like, both the first attack and the second were disgusting and it shouldn't be tolerated in sport.

On the contrary, it's in the laws of the game that foul play is ok against cheating All Blacks. Look it up, sub section 23.a clause 7. Ref messed up big time.

 

[Scorz]

What for?

The headbutt/shouldercharge that lead to McCaw being tee'd up for the elbow.