Congrats Aussies!

[Lee Grant]

Blue

Agree about Rossouw's boo-boo - it was so bloody stupid and was a slap in the face to his meritorious team mates.

To be fair: the Boks had every chance to win and their great champion, FdP had two chances to score tries but lost the ball, once, oddly, due to the contribution of QC (Quade Cooper) in a tackle.

I felt sorry for Matfield after the game: a noble warrior, respected by opponents, and having a certain nobility about his carriage and demeanour. Nor could one fault PdV in his gracious comments after the game. One does not always associate him with graciousness but his comportment did his country and SA rugby proud.

Talking of graciousness: thanks for your opening comments in this thread Paarl Bok. You are a class act starting it, and for making the comments you did, despite being gutted at the result and knowing that the game was easily winnable.

 

[James Buchanan]

Agree about Rossouw's boo-boo - it was so bloody stupid and was a slap in the face to his meritorious team mates.

It was far from the first incident of the Boks using spoiling tactics in the lineout during the game. I remember one of the very early ones involved Rocky's (I think) arm being pulled down during the catch.

The Boks got away with heaps during lineouts, so in some ways it was just a case of fair payment for earlier advantage.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Rugby is a cruel mistress. Many Saffa's have been extremely gracious in defeat and disappointment, others not so, but they are easy to ignore.

You can only play with the hand you are dealt, and further react to the cards as they are played. The Rugby gods were not kind to the Bokke yesterday, and in the leadup, injury wise. Steyn and Broussouw particularly may have made a difference. Unfortunately they were not there to make that difference for the 80 minutes. Same could be said for not starting the Battleship.

Yes Roussouw's act was penalised and that gave the chance for Bieber Boy to slot the winning points. Is he solely to blame for the defeat? Last time I looked there were 14 other players in green out there. In any close match, there are actions by the other 14 players in the team which created the exact circumstances for "the penalty". If any one of those actions had been different in some way or other, Roussouw would not have been jumping against Samo in that lineout that lead to that penalty. Rugby is a team game. Success, like failure, is the result of all the actions of all the participants.

Time to get even more philosophical. The Saffa's can be gracious in this defeat, 'cause they simply take a long term view on things. There will be another World Cup. The'll find another Victor Matfield and John Smit et al one day, probably too soon for most of our liking. A distant relative of mine, Ivor Ha-Darce, has a factory over there that pumps hard arses out to order. The Battleship one day will be decommissioned when Nimitz Du Plessis comes of age. The cycle of life will continue as it always has.

All empires wax and wane, and the Saffas will have a rebuild phase, blood some new young bokke and in Arnie's words "They'll be back".

And when "they're back", bring it on.

 

[Sandpit Fan]

Thanks Paarl Bok for starting the thread, and thanks also to Mank, Blue and other SA supporters who have contributed to to it. Appreciate it guys and would like to think that we would have been as generous if the result was reversed. CC shown live here in the sandpit, so I'll get behind WP - How the hell are the Golden Lions doing so well anyhow with their poor S15 season?

 

[Brisbok]

Thanks Paarl Bok for starting the thread, and thanks also to Mank, Blue and other SA supporters who have contributed to to it. Appreciate it guys and would like to think that we would have been as generous if the result was reversed. CC shown live here in the sandpit, so I'll get behind WP - How the hell are the Golden Lions doing so well anyhow with their poor S15 season?

The Lions are steadily on the rise under John Mitchell and of the major unions, they are the least effected by Springbok call-ups...for now!

 

[Hugh Jarse]

The Lions are steadily on the rise under John Mitchell and of the major unions, they are the least effected by Springbok call-ups...for now!

How is John M going after the home invasion and stabbing last year?

Others have suggested possibly tongue in cheek of him having a tilt at the Head Saffa job. Unlikely I would have thought.

 

[matty_k]

I'm going to miss some of Pdiv's crazy quotes though.

Maybe they can just wheel him out for press conferences.

 

[Braveheart81]

Hopefully he becomes a rugby columnist.

Then everyone can be happy.

 

[PaarlBok]

Dankie to you all comments , really appreciated and not necessary from you lot. Myself played a bit of sport in my lifetime and have my laaities who also do their sport and living in Paarl, its all about life lessons specially for the kids. The best medicine I learned in my time and try my best to educate them is that there are always some positives out of negatives and you tend to learn much more from losses then wins. The best cure for depression after a loss is to take it on the chin and congrat your opponent. For those using the ref excuse , well that make it just more difficult to get over it and in the process you end up even more depressed and look and sound like a real tosser doos. The real differense yesterday was that PoCock never cheat or broke the laws, he only played the ref better then our lot and maybe the differense on the scoreboard.

 

[PaarlBok]

Thanks Paarl Bok for starting the thread, and thanks also to Mank, Blue and other SA supporters who have contributed to to it. Appreciate it guys and would like to think that we would have been as generous if the result was reversed. CC shown live here in the sandpit, so I'll get behind WP - How the hell are the Golden Lions doing so well anyhow with their poor S15 season?

No probs Sandpit, Lions gave us a moerse hiding on the weekend at home. Will update the CC thread later.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Paarl,

I have always respected your posts and they have given me an understanding of the way a South African thinks about the game that isn't coming from a journo or the like.

Yesterday's game could have gone either way and it's nice to know that some from your country are gracious in defeat. I know many will think otherwise but you can hold your head up high and I'm sure if the result was the opposite Aussies would feel the same way towards your team.

Well played sir.

 

[Groucho]

Thanks Paarlbok. Typical South African graciousness. The better rugby team by most measures lost on the day.

But it was an epic battle, and your guys have won enough gritty defensive efforts over the years that you know how it feels for us to have won one as well!

 

[PaarlBok]

Thanks Paarlbok. Typical South African graciousness. The better rugby team by most measures lost on the day.

But it was an epic battle, and your guys have won enough gritty defensive efforts over the years that you know how it feels for us to have won one as well!

No probs Boet. Despite the result I like the way the Boks took it up with ball on hand in this one. Phase after phase is our way forward and surely Rassie's tactic in this one. When we play like this , I can bear the few up and unders.

 

[PaarlBok]

By the way we have the Aussie cricket team in town. Looking forward to the usual rivalry.

 

[Groucho]

South Africa can look forward to having a lineup that should pretty much always feature Bismarck, Alberts, Lambie, Hougaard, and possibly Aplon and de Jongh in the starting XV.

I'm going to miss some of Pdiv's crazy quotes though.

Someone once told me that the Dutch had distilled all their madness and sent it off to South Africa. I thought that was hardly fair comment, since the Dutch are obviously still mad.

It also happens to be a rugby compliment of the first order: it is their 'madness' - their extremity of thought and deed - that makes Saffa teams so hard to beat. They are like beserkers.

But, I think that maybe South Africa in turn distilled all their madness and put it in P Divvy.

 

[exISA]

Great sportsmanship - you guys were unlucky. Was a great game.

 

[Blue]

Someone once told me that the Dutch had distilled all their madness and sent it off to South Africa. I thought that was hardly fair comment, since the Dutch are obviously still mad.

Not too far from the truth, really.

We are happily mad, us Dutchmen.

Thankfully most of us acknowledge the fact.

 

[Blue]

They are like beserkers.

A little bit more finesse on the day and we would have won it.

Anyway I have been thoroughly depressed today and should get over it by February for the start of the Super 15. Just in time to watch the Bulls struggle to build a new team. Fan-fucking-tastic.

 

[Blue]

Blue

Agree about Rossouw's boo-boo - it was so bloody stupid and was a slap in the face to his meritorious team mates.

Feel really sorry for him. He is a hell of a humble being and I think he would give his whole career to have that lineout over again.

Really hope the new coach can talk him into another couple of years. He has at least two more in him for sure and as it stands there is nobody in SA who can perform the same role at 4 right now and him with Bekker could be sensational.

Anyway, talking about SA's future will be out of place right now. Let's get the Cup over with first.

 

[Sully]

He has been unlucky to be stuck behind Matfield and Botha