Springbokke vs Wallabies: Newlands

[Blue]

I find myself wanting to rant and rave about the Boks inability to move the ball through phases and reluctance to take it wide. Sure they are playing a simple plan, but surely there are times they can move it. They have good runners and never use them.

Anyhoo, hard luck Aussies. Just didn't bring enough on the night, even though the Bok pack were out on their feet in the last 30. I have to agree with Kearns (which I hate to admit). The laws encourage fairly boring rugy. Thankfully we play it better than most.

Alexander impressed me.

The thing is still wide open but if the Boks sneak a win somewhere on the road or even a couple of bonus points it should be all over.

 

[Pfitzy]

Brown, Smith, and Giteau should hang their heads in shame. Some of the most stupid rugby I've seen. Smith also got shown up by Broussow in the first 20 minutes.

But I can't stand refs who penalise the stronger scrum - the Wallabies nudged the Boks everywhere and got their advantage for being better too late to make a difference. Not that it would have changed the scoreline.

I hate how Test rugby has gone back to knocking over penalties, but I can't fault the Boks for being better at playing to the rule set they've been handed. Screw bonus points - this is Test rugby.

 

[Scotty]

Not whining PB. Boks won, and deserved to. They played the better rugby, less mistakes, putting more pressure on the opposition and playing to their game plan very well.

Roland did not affect the result, but I don't like referees that like to be the centre of attention. The penalties went both ways - at least one each in scrums that should just have been resets, another I can think of where the Boks had the ball, but ref didn't allow them to play the advantage. Just want him to let the game flow more.

 

[Scotty]

PB,

I'd also like to point out that I had a go at Joubert after the Wallabies vs AB game, mainly due to his penalising of the Wallabies in the scrum. Even you will admit that the Wallabies got the best of the Boks at scrum time - do you still think they were rightly penalised against the ABs, or that possibly Joubert got it wrong?

 

[PaarlBok]

Well I was sitting in the box next to Rob Louw. He sure aint very PC or TV friendly and he had a go at the ref many times not giving more penalties to the Bokke for various things. Always helping sitting from where I sat (ask Thomo, its 7 stories high) and you can see the lines much better then the TV's on the ball view.

I said it before, refs make mistakes and I never got the feel that he is out there favouring the Bokke in this one.

Fact is the Bokke did what was necesarry to win this test and did it pretty early. They then stick it out and thats the good thing about them at the moment. Not near the form they can play themself and something to look forward to.

 

[Scarfman]

It's a shame that the Bok are so good at 10-man penalty rugby. Because by the end of the ELV period they had slowly moved towards playing a game in which tries are scored.

 

[Spook]

Burgess is the worst half back ever fielded by Australia. Every pass when Australia is on attack or under pressure stinks.

Giteau's challenge was absolutely stupid.

G Smith carried the Aussie pack as per usual. He is a lone ranger.

Mortlock has lost it. Baxter is totally ineffective around the park. Doesn't hit rucks, can't pick and drive...and he ain't that good at scrummaging. And yes, a tight head prop should do more than just scrummage.

 

[cyclopath]

Burgess is the worst half back ever fielded by Australia. Every pass when Australia is on attack or under pressure stinks.

Giteau's challenge was absolutely stupid.

G Smith carried the Aussie pack as per usual. He is a lone ranger.

Mortlock has lost it. Baxter is totally ineffective around the park. Doesn't hit rucks, can't pick and drive...and he ain't that good at scrummaging. And yes, a tight head prop should do more than just scrummage.

I think it's a bit much to ignore the work put in by Robinson, Moore and Mumm when he came on - Smith didn't do everything, and everything he did was not necessarily good. He still pops up at first receiver too much for my liking (I know he has great hands, blah, blah, blah but that's not where he needs to be) and the yellow card, although late and of no consequence was just stupid for a player of his ability. Who would you play instead of Baxter?
Pretty much agree with the rest.

 

[louie]

spook had sharpe to your hit list and i'm with you.

thats another good question why the fuck was gerrard allowed to leave? we could have used him a lot.

 

[Scotty]

I said it before, refs make mistakes and I never got the feel that he is out there favouring the Bokke in this one.

He didn't favour either side, and I never said he did.

Well I was sitting in the box next to Rob Louw. He sure aint very PC or TV friendly and he had a go at the ref many times not giving more penalties to the Bokke for various things. Always helping sitting from where I sat (ask Thomo, its 7 stories high) and you can see the lines much better then the TV's on the ball view.

You could just about have 2 penalties at every ruck if you wanted to, but only pedantic referees do this, the good ones let the game flow. That was the point of my post.

And of course he wanted the ref to give more penalties to the Boks, a supporter always wants the ref to pick up more penalties for his side, not against.

 

[PaarlBok]

And of course he wanted the ref to give more penalties to the Boks, a supporter always wants the ref to pick up more penalties for his side, not against.

Wel Rob aint the normal supporter, not the pen pusher PC playing Prymary school rugby thinking he know everything about the game, in my eyes he is a Bok Legend playing at the top level on his day.

Thing is if you want to nbeat the Bokke, you need to outplay them in the forwards and starve FdP & Steyn with ball. Lineout time is your biggest problem and both the All Blacks & Wallabies not even a match. With the find of Brussouw, breakdowns same story and now with the addition of Schalk as impact player, its only getting better for the Bokke.

 

[Pfitzy]

G Smith carried the Aussie pack as per usual.

At giving away stupid penalties, yes
At bitching to the ref, yes
At being utterly outclassed by a rookie, absolutely

Smith had a shit game. Lots of other games you can defend him with, but not that one.

Best forward by miles was Benn Robinson, for workrate and superior scrummaging.

 

[PaarlBok]

You missed Phil Waugh. :nta: Time to give him & Cross a go.