P de Villiers

[Blue]

Not sure why you are suggesting that the thread would go on for pages becuase this article just substantiates what I have been banging on about for ages and most SA fans agree with.

I started saying last year the Wobs will be the ABs biggest problem. Not SA. Our slide started at the beginning of the EOYT last year and it was evident from the start that PdV cannot select or coach coherently unless the 15 guys who pick themselves are fit and in form.

SA are slipping back. We don't need to be, but we are.

Wallabies are on the way up.

 

[ChargerWA]

PDV is obviously bad for SA rugby, but you would have to wonder what percentage of their current slide down the rankings can be attributed to the near universal phenomenon in team sports, where champion teams age and then go through a rebuilding phase. My biggest critcism is that he keeps plugging away with his (old) favourites when there is a better option in a few instances, but thats really no different to Robbie Deans, and also Graham Henry to a lesser extent.

 

[Moses]

SA are slipping back. We don't need to be, but we are.

I reckon the position of SA rugby is grossly inflated by a tournament where you scraped past Tonga and Fiji then put away Argentina and England to claim the world cup.

 

[Jnor]

1) Real response: We all know the Tri-Nations is harder and look how the Bokke did last year. It might be inflated by the general public who go 'ooooh world cup, shiiinyyyy' but I reckon most in the know (that includes all of us, of course) would know the real danger the Boks are.

2) :fishing

 

[Blue]

I reckon the position of SA rugby is grossly inflated by a tournament where you scraped past Tonga and Fiji then put away Argentina and England to claim the world cup.

True. But they played what was in front of them and won. Unlike everyone else who did not. It was not the first time where the winner had to scrape past lesser teams who tend to lift in the WC. (I hate this debate but) NZ could not put a game away which they should have done in their sleep. They were dominating and choked. Australia was nowhere from the word go. Neither were therefore good enough in the year and that's the end of that. I always say if you follow that argument then every single World Cup win is in question...

Anyway, I think any question marks left over from the RWC were wiped out by the 3N and Lions wins and the following form of the Bulls and Stormers. Nothing inflated about a 3N, Lions and three Super rugby wins since 2007.

ChargerWA
If SA were showing any attempts of building depth and rebuilding in key areas you would have a point. Sadly your post does not apply becuase building depth is something PdV thinks is not necessary.