Springbokke vs All Blacks : Soccer Stadium , Soweto

[Muttonbird]

Ok. I might have been a bit hasty saying they are rolling the dice for the sake of it but you can sense there is a certain amount of panic present in the Bok camp. Although S14 has little bearing on the performance of the national sides, it did show that SA has depth at that level and NZ does not. It will be interesting to see how that depth goes on Saturday.

 

[PaarlBok]

Ok. I might have been a bit hasty saying they are rolling the dice for the sake of it but you can sense there is a certain amount of panic present in the Bok camp. Although S14 has little bearing on the performance of the national sides, it did show that SA has depth at that level and NZ does not. It will be interesting to see how that depth goes on Saturday.

Snor works with a squad of 29 for the home tests, the same lot he had on tour. Panick buttons will kick in if he all of a sudden pick players out of this 29 players.

 

[Hawko]

Eight changes after three heavy losses? Doesn't matter how you dress it up - that's hitting the panic button.

Most of the changes are forced due to injury/suspension. More changes were needed before you could ACCURATELY describe it as hitting the panic button.

 

[TheRiddler]

Drinking game whilst watching the match

Every time the ABs are offside at the ruck or perform some of their other much discussed illegal ruck tactics and get away with it, then a good chug of beer. If the culprit is R McCaw then it has to be two chugs. Think that should enable anyone to be absolutely ratted by the end of tonights game

 

[MrTimms]

Every time the ABs are offside at the ruck or perform some of their other much discussed illegal ruck tactics and get away with it, then a good chug of beer. If the culprit is R McCaw then it has to be two chugs. Think that should enable anyone to be absolutely ratted by the end of tonights game

If there is a report of a spike in the number of alcohol poisonings tomorrow morning, you will know the game has caught on.

 

[Hartman]

Wow.

 

[Lee Grant]

Great game, what a match. Well done All Blacks.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

The Boks will be absolutely gutted by that. They'll also be furious with some of the refereeing too. It was absolutely atrocious tonight.

 

[Larno]

Thought Hougaard grabbed his chance with both hands and looked to be the goods today (his theatrical turn with Rokocoko aside). Heir apparent to FdP's jersey at the end of the world cup perhaps?

 

[Joe Blow]

It was a great test and one that the Boks will feel they let slip away.
Juan Smith made a huge difference to the Bok pack at the breakdown and in general play. He and Gouger showed up Spies in every aspect.
Hougard, De Jonge and Aplon all played extremely well and showed that they belong. Hougard or Smith would have been my MOTM. Aplon is very strong for his size and I think the Boks have found their fullback.
Ruchie McAWE once again got away with murder. How did he not go to the bin?? Also Franks was lucky not to go.
Bok scrum was also much improved and will give us some trouble next week.
The Wallabies better show up ready to play!!

 

[Toddy]

The Boks will be absolutely gutted by that. They'll also be furious with some of the refereeing too. It was absolutely atrocious tonight.

The bad ref calls do go both ways though.

Great test. Boks won the collisions but just ran out of gas.

Juan Smith would be my motm.

 

[Blue]

We were dumb. Passionate, but dumb. Three or four incidents in the last ten cost us the match, mostly discipline, bad tactics.

Bok vintage of 2007,2008 would have had the focus to shut the game out with territory and posession. The boks have lost that edge.

The Bok forwards with Smith back, du Plessis and vd Merwe at 4 looks like the mist physical pack we have had in a while. Loftus next week. Matfield's 100. There will be no lack of passion but do we have the brains to match that brawl at the moment? Doesn't look it. That brain is called Fourie du Preez.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

The bad ref calls do go both ways though.

Great test. Boks won the collisions but just ran out of gas.

Juan Smith would be my motm.

In the main I completely agree, but that move that led to the McCaw try had a blatant forward pass and the amount of offside play I saw at the breakdown last night was just dreadful. The ref just did not police it at all.

 

[Muttonbird]

The Boks will be absolutely gutted by that. They'll also be furious with some of the refereeing too. It was absolutely atrocious tonight.

But the SA supporters (on KEO for instance) aren't bagging the ref - why are you?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

But the SA supporters (on KEO for instance) aren't bagging the ref - why are you?

I can't speak for them and nor do I want to, but I feel I am able to comment on what I saw (or least thought I saw) in the live action. There were several times when the TV coverage crossed up to the coaches box and Gary Gold looked like he was about ready jump out and kill someone. My previous post outlined some areas that I thought were relevant about the refereeing.

 

[Blue]

Only gripe I have is when McCaw came over the top when were were on their line. Should have been yellow btu it was marginal and can see why the ref just gave a penalty.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Only gripe I have is when McCaw came over the top when were were on their line. Should have been yellow btu it was marginal and can see why the ref just gave a penalty.

That was particularly egregious. What did the ref think he was looking at there? I was sitting with a mate watching the game and we both looked at each other and said why wasn't that a yellow card?

 

[rsea]

I thought the ref worked hard early to ping the ABs for their usual range of infringements but didn't continue with it.
McCaw is just so smart with the way he plays the referee. eg when he deliberately slowed the ball when the boks were right on their line. He KNEW he wouldn't be carded for it so he took the illegal option, saved the try and gave up only a penalty. It's this kind of smart play that saves the ABs maybe 1 try a game and pushes them ahead of other great teams.

 

[MajorlyRagerly]

Great win, fantastic game. Blatant fwd pass missed into lead up to the try, but such is life.

Ref was harsh at the start then tailed off a bit. Boks were living in our backline everytime we were on attack when close, and seemed to be on the wrong side at critical times but I don't expect that to be mentioned, let alone a video made to point it out...

Anyway, a match for rugby lovers. Fantastic defense by bokke, what a comeback by Juan smith. Brings me no pleasure to see smit century celebration ruined, a talisman of the game.

 

[cyclopath]

The forward pass was a clanger - not just a few inches forward either. But, these are missed every game.
I was very surprised the TMO gave the McCaw try - even on frame by frame replay, it looked a simultaneous foot in touch and ball grounding to me. I reckon it would be denied by a TMO more times than not.
The Bokke had their chances - Morne Steyn was particularly useless, sort of like Barnes on a bad day - if in doubt (often) just kick it, usually poorly. If you want a back line to attack, he shouldn't be in it.
Smit is just well past it - I admire him as a man and player, but it is becoming embarrassing to see him waddle around the park.
I thought Owens did OK, but was pretty lax at offside for both teams (MR - it wasn't just the Bokke doing this (mainly rushing up to try to cut off the line), I noticed the ABs defenders having to turn around at times to get back to the Bokke line to make a tackle they were so far forward!!). Also gave up policing the off the feet play pretty much, apart from a stray penalty or two. He dealt it all out pretty evenly, so nobody can really be aggrieved.
McCaw's effort to stop the try was a trademark move - even the Kiwi comms noted how he came around and slowed the ball down enough to stop a certain try (the blindside was way open if the ball had been cleared). Very clever.
Some of the overhead scrum views were good (about the only good camera work all game) and showed a fair bit of boring in from both LHPs, with Myth taking the points for most sideways - he actually ended up driving backwards on one! Both sets of flankers seemed to be "prop-binding" a bit too. Bokke scrum did well.
Our flankers should watch Burger, McCaw and Smith in loose play - if they want to seagull, they should learn to link like these guys.