The Springboks' 49-3 win over Fiji is important for a number of reasons. The Springboks have dispelled the myth of not having a deep enough squad to cover for some crucial positions. The absence of Victor Matfield followed by the 11th hour withdrawal of back-up lock Johan Muller and the doubts about Bakkies Botha's fitness harbored doubts of the Springboks' chances of being able to compete in set phases. Even in Bakkies Botha's absence in the second half the team became more clinical in the set phases, resulting in turning over Fiji's ball at the lineouts and getting numerous tight-heads at scrum time.
Francois Steyn's penalty kick from his own half would have also sent shivers down any of the Boks' opponents and potential opponents in the World Cup. Teams now know that they can ill-afford to give away penalties to the Boks as it's become evident: they will be punished for it!
The Boks were full value for their win as they outclassed Fiji in all departments of the game with all players on the park putting up their hand. The Boks also dispelled the theory of playing 'boring' rugby as they opted to run the ball wide when given an opportunity to do so.
With the second game under our belt it seems the Boks have hit their stride and should have re-affirmed their credentials of being World Champions and definitely one of the front-runners to lift the Willilam Webb trophy aloft at the end of this year's global rugby showpiece.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Springboks douse the Dragon's Fire
It may have only been by 1 point but the Springboks will take their win over a much-improved Wales outfit. Many people, including myself, were beginning to get annoyed by the pregame warning sounded by a bullish Wales. The match will have gone a long way in cementing Welsh players' self-confidence in their systems and further instilling a strong belief that this current Wales team are world beaters.
Wales have only themselves to blame for the loss. They were dominant in just about all phases of the game and their two missed chances (a penalty and an attempted drop-kick) in the latter stages of the second half proved costly. As with any championship side the Springboks, with their backs to the wall for the majority of the clash were able to hang on and in the end it will be taken as 'mission accomplished' by the Bok management.
Warren Gatland, back in his homeland, needed his players to back up all the pregame banter. Having promised to take the game to the Boks upfront the Welsh didn't disappoint to live up to their promise. Warburton showed why he is regarded as a prodigious talent in Wales and was never far from the thick of the action from the start of the game to the final whistle.
For the Boks the most important things is that the "W" is in the bag and the players and team management can breath a heavy sigh of relief. Players have had top put on brave faces in the build-up to the much-talked about clash against Wales.
Expectations from all South Africans are high and being 1 of only 2 teams to have lifted the William Webb trophy twice, the Springboks have given us all the reasons to expect so much from them.
Wales have only themselves to blame for the loss. They were dominant in just about all phases of the game and their two missed chances (a penalty and an attempted drop-kick) in the latter stages of the second half proved costly. As with any championship side the Springboks, with their backs to the wall for the majority of the clash were able to hang on and in the end it will be taken as 'mission accomplished' by the Bok management.
Warren Gatland, back in his homeland, needed his players to back up all the pregame banter. Having promised to take the game to the Boks upfront the Welsh didn't disappoint to live up to their promise. Warburton showed why he is regarded as a prodigious talent in Wales and was never far from the thick of the action from the start of the game to the final whistle.
For the Boks the most important things is that the "W" is in the bag and the players and team management can breath a heavy sigh of relief. Players have had top put on brave faces in the build-up to the much-talked about clash against Wales.
Expectations from all South Africans are high and being 1 of only 2 teams to have lifted the William Webb trophy twice, the Springboks have given us all the reasons to expect so much from them.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Where are the Boks?
The biggest disappointment thus far in this year's Super 14 has, no doubt, got to be the Sharks. Many people, including myself, made predictions of the Sharks being one of the teams to beat in this year's campaign. The loss against the Chiefs was a very sloppy affair, and one can be forgiven for thinking that the Durbanites would bounce back, but then the following week they were soundly and convincingly beaten by a spirited Cheetahs outfit led by Juan Smith. What's perhaps even more noteworthy about these losses is that they were both home games for the Banana Boys.
The "all-encompassing" Springbok front row failed to dominate & deliver. Bismark's indiscipline is rearing it's ugly head once again & John Smit's captaincy's: nowhere to be seen! Maybe it's a good thing that I am not a Springbok convenor of selectors because was I to select a Springbok team I would certainly be casting my eye in the Bulls & Stormers direction. (And the fringe players would come from the Cheetahs & the Lions). As things stand at the moment I do not see one player in the entire Sharks team that's putting up their hand for Springbok selection.
It's still early days but past experience shows that players who get into their stride early are able to maintain a very consistent level of play over a much longer period. The Bok selectors will, no doubt , be thinking differently about the composition of the Bok team. But I for one hope that we select players who deserve to be there, not players that have proven themselves in the past: We need to move on & carrying dead weight should not be an option!
"Where are the Boks?" you may ask. One thing for sure: they're not in Durban..
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Heineken Cup calling?
There's absolutely no doubting the simple truth and fact of the matter: Ruan Pienaar is a gifted rugby player. At times his ability to puncture holes in the defensive lines seems effortless. However, this is where the praise stops:at least for now! Unfortunately on the international arena not only are you required to run the ball,in fact this is the last thing you'll be doing most of simply because of the tightness & efficiency of the defensive lines. This year Pieter de Villiers made it clear that Ruan's future with the Springboks is at Flyhalf & it wasn't so long ago that Ruan made it public knowledge that his favoured position is at fullback.
His performances this year have been moderate & below par at most.Bar from his try in the Tri Nations I'm pretty sure that even by his own admissions this is a year to forget. His inability to control &dictate the game at flyhalf was made very evident. What's even more striking for me's my intepretation of him suffering from phase of low self-confidence. There are those that believe that perhaps after this current tour his international career may be at jeorpardy. What's perhaps even more gloomy for Ruan's the simple fact that Morne Steyn (flyhalf) & Fourie du Preez (scrumhalf) are amongst the best in the world in those positions:the latter is viewed by many as being the best rugby player in the world. Morne Steyn can run,tackle,kick & as a result can control the game, something which Ruan is only dreaming of.
As supporters we are quick to expose his faults but maybe we should take into cognisance the simple fact that he's a victim of circumstance. A victim in the sense that he's utilized as almost any backline position & the circumstance can be related to his obvious loss of form.
Let's face it Ruan will not get many opportunities to build his confidence simply because the room for experimenting these days is almost non-existent due to the reality that there are no easy international games anymore,countries are investing more in their rugby. De Villiers seems set to continue using Ruan at Flyhalf yet he is unable to give him more starts in that position. What should be even more of a concern to those who wish to see Ruan growing & featuring more in the international domain is that even his province are reluctant to play him more at flyhalf. The Sharks have the scrumhalf role well-covered but just as you think that this past season would be the perfect opportunity for Ruan to start developing more in the pivotal role of flyhalf. But suddenly there's hype around Durban because The Sharks have acquired the services of Hernandez (one of the best flyhalfs in the world). What messages does this send to Ruan? That he's not good enough to crack it at flyhalf on the international arena & nor will he crack it in the domestic league?
I believe that Ruan should look moving overseas and plying his trade in the Heineken Cup. The 2011 World Cup maybe too close but if we have Ruan's best intentions at heart it would make sense that The Springboks as well as The Sharks need to sit around the discussion table & agree on what will be the best for both unions. I believe that playing overseas will force Ruan to become a more compact player & perhaps a complete flyhalf. The ground's wet & the defence is in your face more often than you'd like. He'll be forced to make decisions quicker & his general all-round flyhalf play will increase drastically. Ruan's blessed with natural flair & he'll always have that.
It is going to be very intriguing to see where The Sharks play Ruan in next year's Super14 campaign. What happens, God forbid, if Morne Steyn gets injured in the 1st few minutes of a crucial game against New Zealand to win the 2011 Rugby World Cup? Do we expect Ruan to walk into that position & win us the game?
His performances this year have been moderate & below par at most.Bar from his try in the Tri Nations I'm pretty sure that even by his own admissions this is a year to forget. His inability to control &dictate the game at flyhalf was made very evident. What's even more striking for me's my intepretation of him suffering from phase of low self-confidence. There are those that believe that perhaps after this current tour his international career may be at jeorpardy. What's perhaps even more gloomy for Ruan's the simple fact that Morne Steyn (flyhalf) & Fourie du Preez (scrumhalf) are amongst the best in the world in those positions:the latter is viewed by many as being the best rugby player in the world. Morne Steyn can run,tackle,kick & as a result can control the game, something which Ruan is only dreaming of.
As supporters we are quick to expose his faults but maybe we should take into cognisance the simple fact that he's a victim of circumstance. A victim in the sense that he's utilized as almost any backline position & the circumstance can be related to his obvious loss of form.
Let's face it Ruan will not get many opportunities to build his confidence simply because the room for experimenting these days is almost non-existent due to the reality that there are no easy international games anymore,countries are investing more in their rugby. De Villiers seems set to continue using Ruan at Flyhalf yet he is unable to give him more starts in that position. What should be even more of a concern to those who wish to see Ruan growing & featuring more in the international domain is that even his province are reluctant to play him more at flyhalf. The Sharks have the scrumhalf role well-covered but just as you think that this past season would be the perfect opportunity for Ruan to start developing more in the pivotal role of flyhalf. But suddenly there's hype around Durban because The Sharks have acquired the services of Hernandez (one of the best flyhalfs in the world). What messages does this send to Ruan? That he's not good enough to crack it at flyhalf on the international arena & nor will he crack it in the domestic league?
I believe that Ruan should look moving overseas and plying his trade in the Heineken Cup. The 2011 World Cup maybe too close but if we have Ruan's best intentions at heart it would make sense that The Springboks as well as The Sharks need to sit around the discussion table & agree on what will be the best for both unions. I believe that playing overseas will force Ruan to become a more compact player & perhaps a complete flyhalf. The ground's wet & the defence is in your face more often than you'd like. He'll be forced to make decisions quicker & his general all-round flyhalf play will increase drastically. Ruan's blessed with natural flair & he'll always have that.
It is going to be very intriguing to see where The Sharks play Ruan in next year's Super14 campaign. What happens, God forbid, if Morne Steyn gets injured in the 1st few minutes of a crucial game against New Zealand to win the 2011 Rugby World Cup? Do we expect Ruan to walk into that position & win us the game?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Bafana Bafana keep the flame burning
Friday the 13th lived up to its expectation of doom &gloom for South African sports fans. It turned out to be a weekend which deserves to be forgotten sooner rather than later. And for the 1st time Bafana Bafana should be hailed as the country's unlikely heroes.
Grahams Smitha and the Proteas kicked off the evening in spectacular fashion as we were once again taken to flash backs of poor arithmatics on the pitch:ending with a resounding result of losing by a single run. AB de Villiers was spotted calculating the number of runs required to win the match and though calculations and number of runs required were not colossal we still managed to blotch the run-chase in spectacular style. Does this mean that The Proteas should make use of a full time arithmatician for their Twenty-20 and One Day Internationals?
Then as if things could not get any worse the mighty Springboks took on the unpredictable French in Tolouse:and from the word go warning signs were very evident. Our National Anthem was torn to pieces by Ras Dumisani who came out
singing his own version of the Anthem:well, it would take a very brave person to call his didgeridoo-like screeching singing:it was woeful.Many of the players seemed perplexed by the on-field antics and even some of the French supporters managed a chuckle.
The performance on the field was beyond shocking:players were sluggish & in all fairness after the year they've had many of the senior players should have opted to have stayed at home instead. One thing is certain:the game against Ireland will not only rescue our reputation of being the best rugby playing nation of 2009 but the players themselves will want to go into the December break on a winning note (of course there's the minor hurdle of Italy in the way).The French played as though their lives dependent on it &proved once again that should they wish to play they are capable of beating any team in the world.
In the wee hours of Saturday morning there was another international clash between South Africa and England:this time though it was in the boxing ring..SA's Lovemore Ndou clashed with the soft-hitting Matthew Hatton (younger brother of the much more fancied Ricky Hatton)..Ndou though in great physical form was not crisp and snappy enough..Tom Jones would have been able to move easier were he in the ring. The Bout ended in a draw:a very suprising result!one thing is for sure though:it is highly unlikely that Ndou will be able to hang onto his World Crown for very long..it is evident that he is a shadow of his former self..
All attention turned to Bafana Bafana on Saturday morning &having grabbed the headlines for all the wrong reasons the match against Japan was not hyped up enough.With Parreira back at the healm after a lengthy absence from the game,he started with a draw..Many people would have been expecting us to be on the wrong end of the beating stick but the structure seems to be back in place and with this draw we can expect the team to grow in confidence..It may not have been a victort but one thing for sure it was a morale booster that all the players were in desperate need of..In my books this match against Japan could be exactly what Bafana Bafana needed..The lads have now put themselves in a place where they can grow from strength to strength..Congratulations to Parreira and his chargers let's hope their antics become heroic week-in-week-out..
Grahams Smitha and the Proteas kicked off the evening in spectacular fashion as we were once again taken to flash backs of poor arithmatics on the pitch:ending with a resounding result of losing by a single run. AB de Villiers was spotted calculating the number of runs required to win the match and though calculations and number of runs required were not colossal we still managed to blotch the run-chase in spectacular style. Does this mean that The Proteas should make use of a full time arithmatician for their Twenty-20 and One Day Internationals?
Then as if things could not get any worse the mighty Springboks took on the unpredictable French in Tolouse:and from the word go warning signs were very evident. Our National Anthem was torn to pieces by Ras Dumisani who came out
singing his own version of the Anthem:well, it would take a very brave person to call his didgeridoo-like screeching singing:it was woeful.Many of the players seemed perplexed by the on-field antics and even some of the French supporters managed a chuckle.
The performance on the field was beyond shocking:players were sluggish & in all fairness after the year they've had many of the senior players should have opted to have stayed at home instead. One thing is certain:the game against Ireland will not only rescue our reputation of being the best rugby playing nation of 2009 but the players themselves will want to go into the December break on a winning note (of course there's the minor hurdle of Italy in the way).The French played as though their lives dependent on it &proved once again that should they wish to play they are capable of beating any team in the world.
In the wee hours of Saturday morning there was another international clash between South Africa and England:this time though it was in the boxing ring..SA's Lovemore Ndou clashed with the soft-hitting Matthew Hatton (younger brother of the much more fancied Ricky Hatton)..Ndou though in great physical form was not crisp and snappy enough..Tom Jones would have been able to move easier were he in the ring. The Bout ended in a draw:a very suprising result!one thing is for sure though:it is highly unlikely that Ndou will be able to hang onto his World Crown for very long..it is evident that he is a shadow of his former self..
All attention turned to Bafana Bafana on Saturday morning &having grabbed the headlines for all the wrong reasons the match against Japan was not hyped up enough.With Parreira back at the healm after a lengthy absence from the game,he started with a draw..Many people would have been expecting us to be on the wrong end of the beating stick but the structure seems to be back in place and with this draw we can expect the team to grow in confidence..It may not have been a victort but one thing for sure it was a morale booster that all the players were in desperate need of..In my books this match against Japan could be exactly what Bafana Bafana needed..The lads have now put themselves in a place where they can grow from strength to strength..Congratulations to Parreira and his chargers let's hope their antics become heroic week-in-week-out..
Monday, October 19, 2009
Currie Cup Blues
The semi-finals have gone by and fully lived up to all expectations-they didn't disappoint when it came to 80+minutes of pure rugby entertainment.Rugby ecstacy at its best!!
The Cheetahs lived up to their reputation of being able to drown a Shark in its own water:even with the return of their Boks they were still outplayed and perhaps out-muscled by the guile and speed of the Cheetahs.
In the Cape the north-south battle proved to be the match of the weekend.the meticulous boot of Morne Steyn proved the deciding factor,once again.
With victory seemingly in sight,WP were left to stand in wonder as all the players and no doubt the fans had their hearts in their throats as they watched the ball sailing cleanly in between the poles.
All roads lead to Loftus and you can rest assured that the slaughter houses and butcheries in Jacaranda-country will be working around the clock churning out tonnes and tonnes of meat.
The N1 between Bloemfontein and Pretoria should be avoided at all costs from Friday morning to Saturday afternoon. Derbie games don't come bigger than Cheetahs vs Blue Bulls.The Loftus locals were sure they'd played their
Last match at home for the year and the victory over WP must have sent them into ecstay.this game is going to be as heated gladiators thrown into the closseum &being told the last man standing will be released.
What will no doubt prove difficult to predict is which team will walk away with the spoils come the final whistle at the end of the game.even if the Bulls were to field a Springbok 22-man squad for the match they wouldn't be assured of victory.
In the biblical sense it's the classic battle of "David vs Goliath".The battle lines have been drawn and the reality of this year's Currie Cup campaign is: CHEETAHS vs BLUE BULLS!!
Having no team in the final I'll stick to the old age rugby saying of:"at the end of the day rugby is the winner"..Phillip Burger if you happen to read this the Blue Bulls locals miss you in Pretoria.the Sharks &WP unions will be glad to pay for your ticket..
¶
The Cheetahs lived up to their reputation of being able to drown a Shark in its own water:even with the return of their Boks they were still outplayed and perhaps out-muscled by the guile and speed of the Cheetahs.
In the Cape the north-south battle proved to be the match of the weekend.the meticulous boot of Morne Steyn proved the deciding factor,once again.
With victory seemingly in sight,WP were left to stand in wonder as all the players and no doubt the fans had their hearts in their throats as they watched the ball sailing cleanly in between the poles.
All roads lead to Loftus and you can rest assured that the slaughter houses and butcheries in Jacaranda-country will be working around the clock churning out tonnes and tonnes of meat.
The N1 between Bloemfontein and Pretoria should be avoided at all costs from Friday morning to Saturday afternoon. Derbie games don't come bigger than Cheetahs vs Blue Bulls.The Loftus locals were sure they'd played their
Last match at home for the year and the victory over WP must have sent them into ecstay.this game is going to be as heated gladiators thrown into the closseum &being told the last man standing will be released.
What will no doubt prove difficult to predict is which team will walk away with the spoils come the final whistle at the end of the game.even if the Bulls were to field a Springbok 22-man squad for the match they wouldn't be assured of victory.
In the biblical sense it's the classic battle of "David vs Goliath".The battle lines have been drawn and the reality of this year's Currie Cup campaign is: CHEETAHS vs BLUE BULLS!!
Having no team in the final I'll stick to the old age rugby saying of:"at the end of the day rugby is the winner"..Phillip Burger if you happen to read this the Blue Bulls locals miss you in Pretoria.the Sharks &WP unions will be glad to pay for your ticket..
¶
Monday, October 12, 2009
Leave your ballet shoes at home..
It's that time of the season once again: the automatic knockout phase of the Currie Cup!The final 4 positions have been decided. This year's suprise package: the Griquas have bowed out & suddenly there's an all-familiar look to the log. The 4 powerhouses of SA Rugby namely; Sharks, WP, Bulls & Cheetahs are, once again, going to battle it out for the ultimate domestic rugby glory.
The final will no doubt be a spectacle and a mouth-watering affair to savour, but the battles leading up to the Final are going to be 2 titanic humdingers!
Sharks vs Cheetahs: it won't be much of a suprise to see a sudden influx of orange and white jerseys hitting the Durban coast this weekend..The prospect of seeing Hergard Muller barking commands (with spit coming out at all directions) at his troops from the players' bench is an exciting one..The Sharks will be out to prove that lifting the trophy last season was no lucky fete-and one thing for sure there'll be a sea of black and white in the stadium.
What's interesting to note about this game's that the Cheetahs have in recent years proved to be somewhat of an achilles tendon for the Sharks and they are coming into this game as undoubted underdogs. For the Sharks: their Springboks are back in the team and they stand a great deal more to lose from this match..Either way "There Will be Blood" the only difference this time's that both parties will be going flat out in an attempt to find the "oil"..
WP vs Bulls: the Cape Town outfit's been waiting for some time to be in the position that they're in. Fish and Chips will be flying off the shelves and the Blue and White flags will be swaying with vigour..last weekend's loss to the Lions should not be seen as a sign of bad things to come, instead this may prove to be the catalyst needed to give the players extra motivation. The Bulls are all too familiar with the position that they're in and with the arrival of their experienced Boks they will fancy their chances of walking off the pitch come saturday, with victory assured!
Come the weekend make sure you're sitting in front of a TV screen in your favourite rugby colours: fill your gut with beer and have the meat sizzling on the fire. Have some bandages out in case of emergencies. One thing for sure: Someone is bound to get injured..
Enjoy the weekend and remeber: No Pink Drinks!!
The final will no doubt be a spectacle and a mouth-watering affair to savour, but the battles leading up to the Final are going to be 2 titanic humdingers!
Sharks vs Cheetahs: it won't be much of a suprise to see a sudden influx of orange and white jerseys hitting the Durban coast this weekend..The prospect of seeing Hergard Muller barking commands (with spit coming out at all directions) at his troops from the players' bench is an exciting one..The Sharks will be out to prove that lifting the trophy last season was no lucky fete-and one thing for sure there'll be a sea of black and white in the stadium.
What's interesting to note about this game's that the Cheetahs have in recent years proved to be somewhat of an achilles tendon for the Sharks and they are coming into this game as undoubted underdogs. For the Sharks: their Springboks are back in the team and they stand a great deal more to lose from this match..Either way "There Will be Blood" the only difference this time's that both parties will be going flat out in an attempt to find the "oil"..
WP vs Bulls: the Cape Town outfit's been waiting for some time to be in the position that they're in. Fish and Chips will be flying off the shelves and the Blue and White flags will be swaying with vigour..last weekend's loss to the Lions should not be seen as a sign of bad things to come, instead this may prove to be the catalyst needed to give the players extra motivation. The Bulls are all too familiar with the position that they're in and with the arrival of their experienced Boks they will fancy their chances of walking off the pitch come saturday, with victory assured!
Come the weekend make sure you're sitting in front of a TV screen in your favourite rugby colours: fill your gut with beer and have the meat sizzling on the fire. Have some bandages out in case of emergencies. One thing for sure: Someone is bound to get injured..
Enjoy the weekend and remeber: No Pink Drinks!!
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