Springbok Watch

[Sidbarret]

Despite the success in 2009, the game plan was wrong. The great majority of kicks yielded nothing (despite Du Preez being absolutely brilliant at it, and everything else for that matter).

The success in 2009 was down to one of the best packs of modern times all playing at the top of their game. Unfortunate injuries (Botha and Smith in 2010 to present) and retirements mean that the pack simply can't make up for the deficiencies of the game plan.

 

[Sidbarret]

On another note. There is this famous story of Jake White telling his first test team that in four years time they would win the World Cup. Now, I don't have much time for that sort of cheap psycho-babble, but it is interesting to look at Meyer's first test side and see where they are one year on.


Loose-head Prop Tendai Mtawarira Sharks 26 32 Injured
Hooker Bismarck du Plessis Sharks 28 42 Injured, hasn't played yet
Tight-head Prop Jannie du Plessis Sharks 29 30 Playing as well as any of the sharks
Lock Eben Etzebeth WP 20 0 Injured, hasn't played yet
Lock Juandré Kruger Blue Bulls 26 0 Heading overseas
Flank Marcell Coetzee Sharks 21 0 Badly out of form
Flank Willem Alberts Sharks 28 9 Injured, hasn't played yet
Eighthman Pierre Spies Blue Bulls 27 47 Playing well by his standards
Scrumhalf Francois Hougaard Blue Bulls 24 15 Just returned from injury
Flyhalf Morné Steyn Blue Bulls 27 34 Playing well by his standards
Left Wing Bryan Habana WP 28 74 Just returned from injury, heading overseas
Inside Centre Francois Steyn Sharks 25 47 Badly out of form
Outside Centre (C) Jean de Villiers WP 31 72 Playing well by his standards
Right Wing JP Pietersen Sharks 25 42 Heading overseas
Full Back Zane Kirchner Blue Bulls 27 14 Heading overseas

 

[Blue]

On another note. There is this famous story of Jake White telling his first test team that in four years time they would win the World Cup. Now, I don't have much time for that sort of cheap psycho-babble, but it is interesting to look at Meyer's first test side and see where they are one year on.


Loose-head Prop Tendai Mtawarira Sharks 26 32 Injured
Hooker Bismarck du Plessis Sharks 28 42 Injured, hasn't played yet
Tight-head Prop Jannie du Plessis Sharks 29 30 Playing as well as any of the sharks
Lock Eben Etzebeth WP 20 0 Injured, hasn't played yet
Lock Juandré Kruger Blue Bulls 26 0 Heading overseas
Flank Marcell Coetzee Sharks 21 0 Badly out of form
Flank Willem Alberts Sharks 28 9 Injured, hasn't played yet
Eighthman Pierre Spies Blue Bulls 27 47 Playing well by his standards
Scrumhalf Francois Hougaard Blue Bulls 24 15 Just returned from injury
Flyhalf Morné Steyn Blue Bulls 27 34 Playing well by his standards
Left Wing Bryan Habana WP 28 74 Just returned from injury, heading overseas
Inside Centre Francois Steyn Sharks 25 47 Badly out of form
Outside Centre (C) Jean de Villiers WP 31 72 Playing well by his standards
Right Wing JP Pietersen Sharks 25 42 Heading overseas
Full Back Zane Kirchner Blue Bulls 27 14 Heading overseas

Should I laugh or cry?

Help.

 

[Rassie]

Despite the success in 2009, the game plan was wrong. The great majority of kicks yielded nothing (despite Du Preez being absolutely brilliant at it, and everything else for that matter).

The success in 2009 was down to one of the best packs of modern times all playing at the top of their game. Unfortunate injuries (Botha and Smith in 2010 to present) and retirements mean that the pack simply can't make up for the deficiencies of the game plan.

We scored the most tries with kicking? I can remember a Fourie bomb. Try Matfield. A Fourie Bomb try Habana and a Fourie bomb in last game vs NZ and Du Preez scored. How did we pin everyone back? Well without his tactical threat Steyn would have no space to kick into.

 

[Sidbarret]

We scored the most tries with kicking? I can remember a Fourie bomb. Try Matfield. A Fourie Bomb try Habana and a Fourie bomb in last game vs NZ and Du Preez scored. How did we pin everyone back? Well without his tactical threat Steyn would have no space to kick into.

Kicking was the only thing they were doing so most of the good things that would happen would involve a kick at some stage, that does not mean more good things would not have happened if they used other options.

 

[Rassie]

Kicking was the only thing they were doing so most of the good things that would happen would involve a kick at some stage, that does not mean more good things would not have happened if they used other options.

Yeah. We kicked it down in the opposition territory and then apply the pressure forcing teams into mistakes. You started running from inside your half making mistakes we capitalize on it.

We did use other options in previous Tri Nations tournaments. Got smashed though we scored tries from everywhere we still ended up 3rd getting well beaten in NZ and Australia.

In 97/98 got us to play some excellent rugby using a good defense but we counter attacked more especially opportunities inside our own half. One game in Durban we threw the ball around NZ scored one try we scored 4 beat them by 1 point. We turned down 3 for tries in first half and that approach we almost lost the game.

But you are right in one sense. Our players are too limited and the choices with players were too predictable. Nick Mallett in that golden year had players we were not as predictable as Erasmus or Venter would not stand flat all the time and bash it up. Honiball stood flat and he was doing always something different. They used big Mulder as a decoy a lot of times to create space for them. But look at today. Picking guys like Potgieter and Alberts you know what is going to happen. 9 bash 9 bash. That is why they ran into ang tackles all day getting nowhere.

 

[USARugger]

Can you guys go replace all of Goosen's joints and bones with titanium? Him potentially having his career cut short through injury would be devastating to SA rugby. When I flip on a game to see Morne wearing 10 I usually either change it or end up falling asleep. Goosen at 10 and I'm watching pretty intently.

 

[Rassie]

Can you guys go replace all of Goosen's joints and bones with titanium? Him potentially having his career cut short through injury would be devastating to SA rugby. When I flip on a game to see Morne wearing 10 I usually either change it or end up falling asleep. Goosen at 10 and I'm watching pretty intently.

That is the problem with our running 10. They run and they run and they smash and they are more injured than anything else. Henry Honiball had same problem when he was eventually playing in a good team. Now if you want to see flat you watch him. He did this clever little trick when standing deep or flat. He never actually stood deeper he just basically let the other guys move forward couple of steps before him and he was deep.

Morne Steyn was born in WP and went to school in the Freestate. Like Derrick Hougaardt he had his creativity coached out of him.

In SA 3 Franchises use the Super Rugby for development and 2 unions actually do not care about it and just go shop at Craven Week poaching talent. After 16 years the province in the Bulls Franchise played Vodacom cup. Got hammered by over 100 points week in week out compared to teams like Boland and Griquas which is competitive and even reach the final of Vodacom cup.

 

[USARugger]

I've never really seen Goosen take any particularly nasty hits and he isn't exactly a defensive stalwart himself, just seems that he may be injury-prone. Hopefully I'm completely wrong and the past two years have just been an anomaly in his career. He is far, far more exciting to watch than Morne and can actually get a back line moving. With some of the centers that are coming through now the Saffa midfield could be insanely good in the coming years. Could you imagine if Fourie (I honestly don't know how he's been playing in Japan at all so this is purely speculative) could be lured back for one final RWC and run a midfield of 10. Goosen 12. Serfontein 13. Fourie..that's scary stuff.

Not gonna lie Goosen could be half as good as he was and I'd still rate him just for crying like a little girl during his first anthem as a Springbok. That was easily one of the most powerful and moving things I've seen during a match, for me personally. Fuck me, I'm not South African or even from the Southern Hemisphere but my chest swelled seeing a young man so fucking proud to be there representing his country.

 

[Rassie]

I've never really seen Goosen take any particularly nasty hits and he isn't exactly a defensive stalwart himself, just seems that he may be injury-prone. Hopefully I'm completely wrong and the past two years have just been an anomaly in his career. He is far, far more exciting to watch than Morne and can actually get a back line moving. With some of the centers that are coming through now the Saffa midfield could be insanely good in the coming years. Could you imagine if Fourie (I honestly don't know how he's been playing in Japan at all so this is purely speculative) could be lured back for one final RWC and run a midfield of 10. Goosen 12. Serfontein 13. Fourie..that's scary stuff.

Not gonna lie Goosen could be half as good as he was and I'd still rate him just for crying like a little girl during his first anthem as a Springbok. That was easily one of the most powerful and moving things I've seen during a match, for me personally. Fuck me, I'm not South African or even from the Southern Hemisphere but my chest swelled seeing a young man so fucking proud to be there representing his country.

Watch out for young Pollard. He can play 12 as well one of the heroes of last years JWC and he came in as replacement for Goosen. Goosen had neck injuries when he was still in school. Known as a guy to go in and put his body on the line. That is understandable for youth his age and he should have been kept back till he understands how to look after himself. Professional rugby players are targeted and teams these days even put knees to key players heads to neutralsize them. We saw that with Brussouw in the WC.

 

[USARugger]

Wish stuff like that would just be kept out of the game entirely. Targeting a player is one thing but fucking do it legally.

 

[Rassie]

Wish stuff like that would just be kept out of the game entirely. Targeting a player is one thing but fucking do it legally.

Agree. WC final it was done as well. It almost backfired as the guy who came in played even better than the guy who was took out. And I fear with the new concussion rules we might see more NFL tactics creeping in.

 

[USARugger]

Agree. WC final it was done as well. It almost backfired as the guy who came in played even better than the guy who was took out. And I fear with the new concussion rules we might see more NFL tactics creeping in.

You referring to Richie trying his karate on Morgan Parra's head? I actually was thinking about that one too but after watching the replays again I can't really say with confidence that one was intentional.

Hopefully we don't see that. I don't want to see Rugby turned into some kind of blood sport.

 

[Rassie]

You referring to Richie trying his karate on Morgan Parra's head? I actually was thinking about that one too but after watching the replays again I can't really say with confidence that one was intentional.

Hopefully we don't see that. I don't want to see Rugby turned into some kind of blood sport.

I am not naming names mate. Do not think you should either but I can tell you it was intentional.

 

[USARugger]

I just don't think the footage supports an undeniable conclusion in either direction.

 

[Blue]

At the moment Lambie is doing everything to play himself out of the Bok 10 jersey. I canlt decide if he is part of the Sharks problem or a result of their tactical ineptitude.

Steyn is doing everything that will see Heyneke select him.

 

[Rassie]

I just don't think the footage supports an undeniable conclusion in either direction.

I am not mentioning names. But from above footage I saw a semi conscious French player getting smacked against the gob by a conscious NZ player coming in from the wrong side of the ruck.

 

[Rassie]

At the moment Lambie is doing everything to play himself out of the Bok 10 jersey. I canlt decide if he is part of the Sharks problem or a result of their tactical ineptitude.

Steyn is doing everything that will see Heyneke select him.

Lambie was never a creative player. He hit two gaps in a Currie Cup final couple years ago and that was his claim to fame. Everything else Freddy was running the show

 

[Rassie]

Where are they now

Shaun Adendorff (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Fabian Booysen (MTN Golden Lions)
Ruan Botha (MTN Golden Lions)
Allan Dell (KZN)
Pieter-Steph du Toit · (Sharks)
Ollie Kebble (Western Province)
Steven Kitshoff (WP)
Wiaan Liebenberg (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Khaya Majola (KZN)
Marvin Orie (Blue Bulls)
Braam Steyn (KZN)
Nico van Dyk (KZN)
Paul Willemse (Vodacom Blue Bulls)

Abrie Griesel · (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Travis Ismaiel (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Tony Jantjies (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Paul Jordaan - Sharks
Dillyn Leyds - (Western Province)
Tshotsho Mbovane - (Western Province)
Handré Pollard (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Raymond Rhule (Freestate Cheetahs)
Jan Serfontein (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
William Small-Smith (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Vian van der Watt - (MTN Golden Lions)
Kobus van Wyk - (Western Province)

 

[USARugger]

I am not mentioning names. But from above footage I saw a semi conscious French player getting smacked against the gob by a conscious NZ player coming in from the wrong side of the ruck.

I just can't watch the Higgers or Cooper knee incident and then watch that one and say they are the same thing. Richie isn't even looking at Parra when he goes in on the slow-motion. In the gate or not I don't think the knee was intentional. For the record I was screaming my lungs out for France to win that test and Joubert should be brought before a tribunal because of that fucking game.