Tri Nations Game 4 South Africa v Australia - Saturday 13 August 2011 - 3N2011

[maxdacat]

He did. Kepu got up and asked and the refs mic while muted he said "its wasn't you it was against 2 for not rolling away".

yes but before that he said clearly said both of them. It just seems odd to say effectively "1 and 2 both penalised" then to say 2 you're fine. He also initially called a five metre scrum then realised it was a 22 drop.

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

So he corrected himself, not sure what the problem is.

 

[daz]

Hey, you can only play what's in front of you and this was the World Champs A team on home turf with a point to prove and a fucktard ref.

Yes, there's a gulf between NZ and everyone else, but what else is new? that Bok team would have taken care of just about everyone else going round for sure. You obviously didn't watch the Poms today.

A good solid win that wasn't arsey on RSA soil. I'll take it.

I understand your point and mostly agree with the sentiment. All I am saying is that I expected a bit more from the lads.

I disagree that the Boks would have likely beaten anyone bar us and the AB's yesterday. You are right, I had not seen the Pom game (I think the Poms have gone backwards, not forwards) but I think some of the NH teams would have stood up to the Saffa's better than us.

Like I said, forget the score, opposition and ref. The basic errors and hot potato game plan is frustrating and not likely to take us too far into the RWC knock out. Happily, they are easily fixable. Let's hope the rust comes off and the skill level goes up ASAP.

 

[maxdacat]

Whoever lit a fire under Rocky to make him play like that should do it again in future as he looked like a man posessed at times. He has a lot of ground to make up after limited playing time this year and maybe he's starting to reach the level we all know he can be at. However, I wouldn't have been surprised if he got carded and/or got a trip to the judiciary for his tackle on Bakkies - he might just need to control that aggression or it could proves costly during the RWC.

+1 He was criticised earlier here for not looking for support, but it was a good break and he did all he could to try and link up.

We do need to get better at supporting the ball carrier. The saffas were very good on occasion in getting (legally) all over the tackled player and disrupting our recycling.

 

[gladiator]

Barbarian, I presume your main issue is with my last sentence. The post was intended to be very much tongue in cheek but I have genuine issues with the standard of commentary we are forced to put up with. In my ideal world professional commentators would be chosen on their deep knowledge of the game and their ability to communicate insightfully about it. I think that they should be required to gain a thorough understanding of the Laws and their application by obtaining refereeing qualifications as well as some practical experience controlling games. Instead we get boof heads who come across as if they are auditioning for spots on a rugby league style Footy Show. In my view the ABC's coverage of Sydney club rugby isn't a bad example of the sort of coverage that I think we deserve.

With regard to the last sentence it contained a heaping helping of hyperbole but I see a definite tendency to focus on perceived failings of the referee which disadvantage our side.

In any case no one really cares what a grumpy old bastard like me thinks. So I'll just continue to muddle along making mischief.

keep your head up bruce , i may not be intellectually up there to understand some of your phrases , but i do know one thing for sure , your no grumpy old bastard .

 

[maxdacat]

So he corrected himself, not sure what the problem is.

it seemed indicative of his curious decision making or lack thereof, is all.

 

[Gnostic]

So he corrected himself, not sure what the problem is.

Doubly so with the wrong call on the 22 drop out. I remember a few calls that refs have totally got wrong and they knew it and refused to change even though they knew it was an error. Whilst I think he wasn't great I see no reason to fault him for admitting fault and fixing the issue before play resumed incorrectly, he should be applauded for this honesty and humility. SO yay for Bryce from me.

 

[Blue]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QkMinsjwTE

The scrum action between the 5 minute and 6:15 marks of this clip is awesome. Best I've seen from us since we smashed England a few years ago.

Scrum analysis from this match and Smit's performance at Hooker and THP would make for some interesting viewing.

Also the questionable Lineout is at 9mins20secs in and Moore getting pinged for not coming in through the gate is at the 12 minute mark, then Kepu pinged at 13 minutes for those interested in having a look for themselves.

Hate to steal your thunder but with Smit at 3 and Steenkamp at 1 it's possible the worst combination SA could field. This is Steenkamps first rugby in 12 months and we all know about Smit at 3...

It's the rough equivalent of bringing Daley on at 1 and moving Stephen Moore to 3.

Up to that point The Bok scrum look just dandy to me in fact Jannie du Plessis looked very good.

Just consider the facts before you get too excited is all I am saying. This does not fix the failings against the ABs a week ago.

The best bok scum situation will to bring CJ vd Linde off the bench to replace Jannie 3 and Beast plays 80. I am more than comfortable with that. That combination of props dominated the England scrum comprehensively last year (the same props that ripped through the Wallabies in Sydney earlier in the year). It's a far cry from the combination that the Wallabies ended up smashing.

 

[Thomond78]

Steenkamp was a major disappointment. I thought he would be much better than that.

Smit was just appalling. When you find yourself looking at a player you like and thinking why the hell he won't retire, it's bad.

 

[Beefcake]

Undoubtly a courteous display from the best wb backs in history... and with QC (Quade Cooper) on the rise undoubtly leaving his audience awestruck with the audacity to mask his game in a sheepishly underhanded manner, the game was brilliantly orchestrated to:

1). Regain the underdog status impolitely shanghaied/hongkonged last wkend - then slip into WRC as febble boot polish merchants

2). Then surprising all the with THE masterplan hitched 4 yrs ago in the making by the ARU Illuminati (Antipodean Arm) by world provincial rugbys best coach unveiling the real & modified best wb backs in history....

JOC (James O'Connor), QC (Quade Cooper) & DC should take note of Butch James kicking stats : An admirable 52 goals from 51 attempts with 101% success rate as broadcasted last night. (anyone see that)

Better Lawrence than Kaplan any day!!

 

[Hawko]

It appears that Deans has caught Hickey's disease. This is defined in the medical journals as an infection which interferes with the body's ability to replace parts of the team that are suffering fatigue or other deficiencies with fresh players who can strengthen the team. What is the point of having seven reserves, most of whom are marginal candidates for the Cup squad, and only using two?

Selectors don't have any match information as to whether Maafu is up to the required standard. They probably have their opinions, but a person with an opinion and no data is just another person with an opinion. Likewise they have no information on Timani's match form. Luke Burgess has had no match play for months. If he wasn't going to get any time why on earth wasn't he sent to play Shute like Vickerman and Phipps taken as cover instead. And given that two bench players made excellent contributions as reserves and significantly improved the performance, how does Deans know with such certainty that others would not have made similar contributions?

Could one of those who think Deans is the greatest coach since Cobb and Co explain why most bench players got no chance of contributing?

 

[Gnostic]

To quote PdV on this game

"We will bounce back from this of course, but today for me we lost on the scoreboard only.

Wasn't that an old Welsh saying, "we didn't lose we just scored less points.

Whole article here:- http://www.rugby365.com/tournaments/trinat/news/2771482.htm

Ah PdV you are a great laugh. Well done. Robbie you need to put in more effort than just being cryptic if you want to take PdV's title.

 

[Thomas]

JOC (James O'Connor), QC (Quade Cooper) & DC should take note of Butch James kicking stats : An admirable 52 goals from 51 attempts with 101% success rate as broadcasted last night. (anyone see that)

I almost forgot about that, may be the extra one went like this:
[video=youtube;LnCTqhVYbBs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnCTqhVYbBs[/video]

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Could one of those who think Deans is the greatest coach since Cobb and Co explain why most bench players got no chance of contributing?

Don't fit that criteria but I'll throw a theory out there.

The two contentious players on the bench on the cusp of making the 30 man squad, Samo and A.Fainga'a, were given their opportunity, and took it. You'd assume Deans has made up his mind on the rest who have had plenty of opportunity under him. From that, the starting team was dominating at the time and closing out a tight game and getting the wood on SA in the last game against them before the RWC was crucial. Winning that game far outweighed giving the bench a "chance of contributing" for the sake of it and risking throwing off the balance.

 

[Slim 293]

McCabe has yet to be cited...

How long until the deadline passes?

I doubt he'll get off though... the Boks will be sporting armbands if he does...

If he were to cop a one match suspension, would a club rugby match count?

I'm very keen to see a McCabe/Fainga'a centre for the next match.

But I'd also like to see McCabe get a bit more ball, as his ball running is exceptional.

 

[qwerty51]

You mean Fainga'a/Horne combo

 

[Beefcake]

Thought the multi dimensional talents of G Smith could have been really vital in composure, leadership, added spank in forwards attack and well just his own 7 game in general in the past couple of games. Wasted talent. But he is long gone. Even mentoring younger players especially Pocock who will be a great flanker but, i think is still developing others parts of his game such as linking, maybe a cut-ball passing game and an odd chip and regather for himself, all traditional skillsets of the forward....

 

[Stickybeak]

McCabe has yet to be cited...

How long until the deadline passes?

I doubt he'll get off though... the Boks will be sporting armbands if he does...

If he were to cop a one match suspension, would a club rugby match count?

I'm very keen to see a McCabe/Fainga'a centre for the next match.

But I'd also like to see McCabe get a bit more ball, as his ball running is exceptional.

The suspension specifies suspension to a date not the number of matches - unlike league.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

That wasn't bad at all from the boys. It's good to win a tight one away from home, especially against what is probably the best Bok team with the available players. I thought the pack were mostly great last night and really we won it in the tough stuff, which is a positive. Rocky looked great and Pocock had a better game also. Horwill and Moore were absolutely outstanding in the tight and round the paddock. The backs were a disappointment, but the conditions probably didn't help a lot (squally and bucketing down in the second half). Some of those passes need to stick though, or teams playing better will knock us off.

I thought Ant was excellent when he came on and not only has cemented is place in the bext 22, but made a strong case for starting in the next game. His work in defence was very good. I think the shift to outside centre this year has suited him.

What I liked the most was the fact that the boys didn't shirk the contact and were prepared to take it up to the big Bokke pack. I'd like to see some more of that.

And while I don't often comment on the refereeing, I must say that Lawrence's performance last night was utterly dreadful. One of the worst I've see from an international ref.

 

[Tangawizi]

Hate to steal your thunder but with Smit at 3 and Steenkamp at 1 it's possible the worst combination SA could field. This is Steenkamps first rugby in 12 months and we all know about Smit at 3...

It's the rough equivalent of bringing Daley on at 1 and moving Stephen Moore to 3.

Up to that point The Bok scrum look just dandy to me in fact Jannie du Plessis looked very good.

Just consider the facts before you get too excited is all I am saying. This does not fix the failings against the ABs a week ago.

The best bok scum situation will to bring CJ vd Linde off the bench to replace Jannie 3 and Beast plays 80. I am more than comfortable with that. That combination of props dominated the England scrum comprehensively last year (the same props that ripped through the Wallabies in Sydney earlier in the year). It's a far cry from the combination that the Wallabies ended up smashing.

I didn't say that it was the best combination you could field, but it was the combination you did field. And the footage looks great from a Wallabies fan's point of view regardless of who packed on the Boks side.