Springboks vs Wallabies @ Newlands 27/9/2014

[BDA]

There can be no doubt at all that the players executed what they were given to do in this game. In the first half Phipps had some shocking passes and wasn't handling the pressure at the breakdown well. He settled as the game wore on though.

I really think that Beale should be heading home from the tour to play NRC and Super Rugby next year. X factor be F%$#$ed, I'd rather somebody who can execute consistently and not crab across field to lamely drop the ball off to a team mate who is set to be smashed. Mind you is Link wanted to play that bullshit short kicking game why not select him as it was his favourite play until Chieka stopped it this year at the Tahs.

And that is a nice segue into what really has disappointed me about Link. The "master tactician" of the Reds has been shown up in every game bar two French tests, this year. Starting at the selection table he destroyed the Wallabies chances for the Bledisloe with mystifying selections and then dropped those players when "stepping down" to perceived easier Boks game. An example further is the Pek Cowan selection, good enough to come off the bench against the ABs, Bok and Argies, but then dropped for Robinson who had fitness/workrate issues? Then I have to say at the tactics table the game plans from what I can follow are poorly thought out and often reliant on individuals instead of ensemble combinations of players. For instance today's game plan featured many pre-planned short kick plays, for a team and individual players which have NEVER shown a consistent ability to execute a kicking game from hand. Is that playing to strengths FFS?

I love that the Wallabies are actually attacking for significant periods of play and actually generally positive. I am totally dismayed that Link is emulating Deans in all the mystifying calls in selections and preparation that we came to detest.

To be fair to Link, he's obviously still tinkering with his selections and tactics. he has until 2015 to get both right. He's clearly made some progress with both since last august. The teams overall performance for the first 70 minutes of this game was arguably their best this year. This is the same Wallabies team that was decimated in every facet of the game by the same Bok team at Suncorp last year.

I agree some of the kicking was mindless, but link will surely take all that in before next year.

the Kiwis used the short kicking game to great effect this year, especially against the wallabies. I don't mind Link trying different tactics provided he's smart enough to scrap the shit ones.

 

[Quick Hands]

Not sure if it's been said already, but I though Nigel Owen was excellent. Nice to see a referee with a genuine feel for the game, who knows when to step in and when to let the players play. Best refereeing display of 2014 at any level for mine.

 

[Pfitzy]

I thought it was of good quality, bar some of the points I raised in the article.

*ahem* I'm legally required to add:

DISCLAIMER FOR DULLARDS AND TROLLS: I DO NOT BLAME NIGEL OWENS FOR THE WALLABIES LOSING.

GET IT THROUGH YOUR FUCKING HEADS YOU THUNDERING COCKSTACKS OR I WILL BE FORCED TO CALL UPON MY UNHOLY MINIONS AND END YOUR MENTAL MIDGETRY.

 

[Gnostic]

To be fair to Link, he's obviously still tinkering with his selections and tactics. he has until 2015 to get both right. He's clearly made some progress with both since last august. The teams overall performance for the first 70 minutes of this game was arguably their best this year. This is the same Wallabies team that was decimated in every facet of the game by the same Bok team at Suncorp last year.

I agree some of the kicking was mindless, but link will surely take all that in before next year.

the Kiwis used the short kicking game to great effect this year, especially against the wallabies. I don't mind Link trying different tactics provided he's smart enough to scrap the shit ones.

Interesting because I think the team hasn't progressed at all since last year, though I put that down to injury for flux in availability for a few games. Then we had avoidable changes in Beale, Skelton, Jones, Cowan, White.....

As for the kicking game, its fine for the ABs to use it, they have players who can consistently execute a kicking game. Name one game where the Wallabies have executed a good kicking game since the retirement of Elton Flatley? It has been one of the worst areas of skill execution for many years, so I am perplexed why any coach, let alone somebody supposedly a master tactician, would elect to have the Wallabies adopt a kicking game from good first and second phase possession.

 

[Pfitzy]

Can I just point out here, before anyone wants to take a shit in Link's mouth:

If we beat the Argies by 40 with a bonus point,
AND
If the ABs beat the Boks by 20 and deny them a bonus point

We come 2nd in TRC.

 

[Dave Beat]

I think 20+ phases of good rugby was hit 5 times in that game, it hit 30 and the Boks drop goal - that is good rugby.

 

[Pfitzy]

Can I just point out here, before anyone wants to take a shit in Link's mouth:

If we beat the Argies by 40 with a bonus point,
AND
If the ABs beat the Boks by 20 and deny them a bonus point

We come 2nd in TRC.

Sorry that should be: if we beat the Argies by 44.

 

[Ash]

It hit that many phases because Owens refused to blow blatant ruck infringements fairly often - particularly either holding on or sealing off / diving off their feet. Apart from a bizarre period or two of not reffing the ruck, Owens was pretty good I thought.

Mad flurry of late tries there, we held strong but once the Boks got on top they just rolled us. Very flattering scoreline in the end to the Boks, but they were the better team thanks to their bench.

We paid for our inability to attack beyond throwing the ball to Kuridrani. I am struggling to think of a game where our 9, 10 and 12 made so many wrong decisions and look so pedestrian on attack.

Shame, as our starting tight five put in a top effort.

Oh, and Vermeulen is just such a great player. Would kill to have him playing for us.

 

[Pfitzy]

I am struggling to think of a game where our 9, 10 and 12 made so many wrong decisions and look so pedestrian on attack.

Really? Try 23rd August @ Eden Park.

 

[Viking]

That be the first I've seen he doesn't take the kicks for the Brumbies.. Maybe one other, and it is not the only guy who does it.

He missed a couple in the finals for the Brumbies and last year for the wallabies. I think he has more misses then White and Mogg.

 

[Viking]

Oh, and Vermeulen is just such a great player. Would kill to have him playing for us.

He was animal in both defence and attack, plus how many bloody turnovers did he make? Great player.

 

[Quick Hands]

As for the kicking game, its fine for the ABs to use it, they have players who can consistently execute a kicking game. Name one game where the Wallabies have executed a good kicking game since the retirement of Elton Flatley? It has been one of the worst areas of skill execution for many years, so I am perplexed why any coach, let alone somebody supposedly a master tactician, would elect to have the Wallabies adopt a kicking game from good first and second phase possession.

As a case in point, late in the game when they just got in front, Lambie got the ball inside his own half and drilled it down into the corner giving the Wallabies a pressure lineout on their own line. I can't recall the last time an Australian team executed such a fundamental tactical kick like that. Our kicking from the hand is ordinary both tactically and skill-wise (at all levels of the game).

 

[Viking]

As a case in point, late in the game when they just got in front, Lambie got the ball inside his own half and drilled it down into the corner giving the Wallabies a pressure lineout on their own line. I can't recall the last time an Australian team executed such a fundamental tactical kick like that. Our kicking from the hand is ordinary both tactically and skill-wise (at all levels of the game).

Cooper does that pretty often. One of his under-rated skills IMO.

 

[Brumby Runner]

If To'omua is out injured, I'd prefer to see Horne in the 12 jersey with Christian Lealiifano on the bench ready to sub at either 10 or 12 as needed. For those who are concerned about Lealiifano's form, that has improved a mile in recent NRC games, especially when he has played 10. He is a better 10 than 12 despite Bernie's persistence playing him outside Matt To'omua. We then need someone else to replace KB (Kurtley Beale) on the bench. Don't think we have another back over there, do we?

 

[Scrubber2050]

Another one that got away !!!!

Scrum went terrific, Slipper Saia and keps very good
Fardy and Kuridrani also very good,

Beale was just fucking terrible - time to drop him altogether.

Hooper's captaincy fairly poor. Hope it is changed for RWC. Moore to return but we don't really know IF he would be any good either - Fuck Fuck

Some big moments where WE fucked up.
Horwill missing Lambie who went on to score
Hooper's knock on resulting in a try a phase or 2 later
Alexander knocking on late in the game
shit kicks - what are they thinking !
Our bench made NO impact at all.

Noe on to the Argies - we better look out

 

[Braveheart81]

It figures that the first game for the year that Beale actually tackled well and put his shoulder in against the bigger guys, every other aspect of his game went missing.

Will be interesting to see what happens this weekend with the 12 jersey. To'omua was poor and got concussed and Beale was poor off the bench.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

While we are busy throwing brickbats at the Wobs, I think we need to recognise that Heynke Meyer out thought and out played Link, and give full credit to the Saffer team for their full 80 minute performance.

At #7 Oupa wasn't outstanding, but he was solid enough on debut, and riding the pine certainly fired Schalk Burger up. He had a big impact in the closing stages of the game. I'm not sure that he would have had the same impact if he had started the match with Oupa on the pine.

I was hoping that Battleship would have another Barry Crocker like he did with the Wellington lineouts, but showing his class he demonstrated that the Wellington performance was the exception not the new norm for him. What a joy if must be for a Coach to be able to deploy a player of the class of the Battleship off the bench to close out a game, especially when Strauss really did nothing wrong while he was on the oval.

The Bokke showed the Men in Gold that the game is for 80 minutes not 70.

We should bounce back next week against Los Pumas, who were rather pedestrian for much of their game against The Darkness, but there should be some real excitement and quality footy being played in Safferland as the two heavyweights go toe to toe.

 

[Ulrich]

From a South African perspective I felt To'omua made life difficult for us although he did admittedly make some bad kicking calls. Hooper ran around like a little demon the entire game and Kuridrani was man of the match for me. I think he will be the world's premier number 13 in two seasons or so.

Horwill made a huge amount of tackles (17 I hear?). Schalk made 17 carries in 25 minutes.

I feel for Australia although I'm not one to suggest the scoreline is harsh because if 3 quick tries were scored in the first 10 minutes of a game it makes it no more important than 3 tries scored in the last 10 minutes of a game and neither suggests dominance. It simply means one team was sharper or fitter and/or the other had a simultaneus brain fart for 10 minutes.

Sometimes that's the difference between teams though.

At the end of the day both sides had numerous opportunities which were botched. The Boks made some shocking mistakes when they had overlaps.

Australia's pack went really well and even shoved ours on one occasion. England should definately make it next year and based on recent developments I feel Wales will be the team to miss out in that group of death. I think it says a lot as Wales are not a bad side.

<Slight RWC Interjection>

The traditional powers are gaining a bit of momentum since 2011 which was not really the case in 2007 or 2011 where Australia, England and France were off the pace in one or both of the WCs and SA were also off the pace leading up to 2011.

Currently only France are drifting behind. Argentina might surprise a few again next year as they did in 2007.

The fact is it's really hard to predict at the moment:

• Who would win between AUS and ENG (irrespective of venue)?
• Who would win between SA and ENG (irrespective of venue)?
• If SA and AUS were to play another game it would be just as big a lottery.
• Eng could possibly upset NZ at home.
• Games between SA and NZ are (almost) always very close irrespective of where the game is played.
• Ireland are on the up.
• And yet Wales are the champions in the North.
• France = ? as always.

</Slight RWC Interjection>

Class is permanent which is why I have been less critical of the "old guard" than most. The older the fellow the longer it takes to find form since injury recovery time is longer as well.

I felt the entire bench brought massive energy. Lambie's miss at the posts had me fuming, but he actually did pretty well otherwise. A fairly like-for-like replacement to the younger Pollard.

The coaching staff seem to have it right in making it hard for players to make the run on team while still changing it up a bit and even rotating those on the bench with other members in the squad. I feel this has made folks like Bismarck, Lambie, Hougaard etc. more hungry and it showed this Saturday.

It's interesting to note how some legends over the last decade have modified their game. Schalk has improved his passing/offloading game while I feel Richie has become an even better defender than he used to be by making many tackles and I still feel he is not 100% at his best yet. He's not the menace at the breakdowns I remember him to be. Perhaps he will prove me wrong this weekend.

Unfortunate that Duane seems an uncertainty for our game agains the All Blacks and there are some doubts from NZ's side over Retallick as well.

The Boks will likely field an all new loose trio that doesn't feature any of the regular folk over the last 2 years.

The question I guess is whether Mohoje will remain at 7 or if Schalk or Whiteley will fill that role? If we want to finish strongly I'd start with Mohoje again and bring in Whiteley for the last 25 to inject some pace.

Australia travel to Argentina surely feeling a little grumpy which could make them a very dangerous proposition for Argentina, who are usually a bit off the pace at this stage of the season.

The Wallabies did make over 250 tackles so I expect they will have the game wrapped up by halftime and perhaps add a score or two up to the 60 min mark before cruising. If, somehow, Argentina are close by that time however it could get really interesting.

 

[terry j]

What a joy if must be for a Coach to be able to deploy a player of the class of the Battleship off the bench to close out a game, especially when Strauss really did nothing wrong while he was on the oval.

(off topic perhaps) what struck me when bismark came on was that delightful friendly smile Strauss involuntarily gave when he turned around and saw what was his replacement heading onto the field.

I mentally contrasted that reaction to the time (canna recall exactly what or where) when Bismark was hooked and the reaction bismark had to being replaced.

 

[Bernard]

To'omua had nothing. Correction, has nothing.
His kicking is deplorable, missing touch and always finding a player on the full.
He brings nothing to the attack as far as I can see.
Poor old Kurtley comes on under extreme pressure because of the mess To'omua has left him and has to immediately pull rabbits out of his hat to change the game.
Beale was 5/8 when White was 1/2 back so never got the benefit of Phipp's superior service or combination with Foley, as he did for the Tah's.

What is it with Wallaby 12 jersey? Why do we keep picking plodders?
I still blame McCabe's limitations for Quade's bad rap at the 2011 RWC.
And now, with To'omua's lack of inspiration at 12, we are looking at a poor backline plan and blaming everyone and anyone but him.
Get rid of him.