This weekend saw Round 2 of The Rugby Championship.
In johannesburg, South Africa it was heart-break for the Springboks again, 2nd week in a row, this time losing in the dying minutes against a better conditiond and fitter All Blacks side, by 20 / 27, with All Blacks capatin Richie McCaw doing the damage to snatch the lead from the South Africans with only 6 minutes to go in the match.
In Mendoza, Argentinia, the Wallabies led 8 / 6 at halftime before tuning in all the screws and beating Los Pumas comfortably by 34 / 9, also earning their bonus point for tries in the process.
As a result of the Round 2 results, the All Blacks and Wallabies are joint leaders of The Rugby Championship Log, with 2 wins apiece, whereas the Springboks and Los Pumas are still winless in the Competition, with the Springboks on a paltry 2 Log points and Los Pumas still not out of the starting gates, on 0 Log Points.
In 2015 there is of course only 3 Rounds in total, in the abbreviated version of the prime Southern Hemisphere international competition due to this year being a Rugby World Cup year. In this shortened version of the competition, where in stead of the normal double Round of matches by every side against the other sides, there is only a single Round of matches by every side against each of the other nations.
Round 3 is only in a fortnight, where the focus will be on the Bledisloe clash between the Wallabies and All Blacks for this year’s overall title.
The Springboks dominated most of the 1st half but at the break the scores were still tied on 10 / 10 and later on 17 / 17 before South Africa took a slender 20 / 17 lead and held that lead untill 6 minutes from time, whereafter the All Blacks showed their class and superior fitness and better bench selections to add 10 further points and running out 7-point winners.
All is not lost for the Springboks and one feels that they showed some quality rugby 2 weeks in a row, but they will surely now realize that their overall conditioning, fitness as well as the impact their bench is supposed to have in the vital Rugby World Cup during September and October still need a massive amount of work if they are to stand a proper chance of winning the world showpiece in 2015.
The All Blacks once again appear to be massive favourites to not only win theis year’s Rugby Championship but to also go on to clinch the Rugby World Cup title in October.
Argentina seem to be dogged by the same “Illness” that the Springboks are suffering from, as they also seem incapable of ending games strong enough and also tend to kick tactically poorly, which invariably results in scores against them in the latter stages of games when defences are no longer as tight as in the beginning of matches.
The Wallabies are building up nicely towards the Rugby World Cup, having first narrowly dispatched the Springboks week before last and now comforably beating Los Pumas on the weekend. They managed to score 2 quick-fire tries towards the end of the clash in Argentina, first by Tevita Kuridrani and then barely 3 minutes later one by Adam Ashley-Cooper (to earn them the bonus point for tries) to hammer the nails in properly against the Pumas.
Springboks (10) 20 / 27 (10) All Blacks:
A late Richie McCaw try helped the All Blacks clinch a closely-fought clash with the Springboks at Emirates Airline Park (Ellis Park), Johannesburg on Saturday, winning 27 / 20.
New Zealand have become masters of the fast finish and it was fitting that McCaw – in what was probably his last Test on South African soil – landed the killer blow against their fiercest rivals.
With the Springboks having crossed the Indian Ocean twice in the last fortnight, the last 20 minutes needed a big effort, but – as was the case last week against Australia – the Springboks faded at the death of what was a thrilling game and an epic Test match.
After being outscored 3 tries to 2, the home side will rue a number of close calls having had their noses in front for most of the game.
The scores were locked at 10 / 10 at the interval as Willie le Roux’s early try was cancelled out by a Ben Smith try.
South Africa had led for almost the entire half and looked in control but – in typical fashion – the All Blacks struck with the last play of the half to level matters. It was sign of things to come.
Quick-fire tries from Jesse Kriel and Dane Coles early in the 2nd half kept the contest tight before McCaw’s late try snatched victory for the world champions.
After a poor tactical kicking display in Brisbane last week, South African coach Heyneke Meyer was looking for huge improvement but he will have mixed feelings as the Springboks mixed the excellent with the mediocre when kicking from hand.
It took the Springboks less than 2 minutes to cheaply hand possession over to the All Blacks with a poorly directed box kick. The ensuing ruck saw the visitors awarded a penalty, which Lima Sopoaga duly slotted for his 1st Test points. The home crowd feared the worst.
However, a much better kick from Ruan Pienaar was at the origin of the 1st try. Bismarck du Plessis caught Kieran Read in possession after Israel Dagg’s pass, forcing the turnover. The ball was sent wide and inside again by Jesse Kriel to Willie le Roux and the fullback split the outnumbered Kiwi defenders to race home. Handré Pollard added the easy extras.
The All Blacks had a golden opportunity to strike back, but Conrad Smith couldn’t hang on to the snap pass from Aaron Smith, who had decided to run from a penalty dead in front of the posts.
The Springboks were taking no such risks, and Pollard extended the lead with a penalty for offside play, meaning the hosts led 10 / 3 at the end of the 1st quarter.
The visitors were clearly intent on keeping the pace of the game as high as possible and avoiding set pieces wherever possible, robbing the Springboks of attacking chances from lineouts, with a few quick throw-ins.
Pollard fell short with a shot at goal from inside his own half before Sopoaga was also off target with a much easier effort.
The home side looked set to take a 7-point gap into the break but a brilliant run up the middle of the field from Lima Sopoaga changed the complexion of the game as Ben Smith collected his fly-half’s pass to cross for a well-worked try. Sopoaga added the conversion to draw his team level at the break.
A knee injury meant that Springbok tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis did not emerge from the tunnel for the 2nd half, giving Vincent Koch his 1st taste of Test rugby. Francois Louw lasted just 2 minutes after the restart and home-town boy Warren Whiteley was given a huge welcome.
Jesse Kriel backed up his brilliant try last week with another great score as he split Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith off a Pollard pop pass to sprint over. Pollard added the conversion as the home crowd roared their approval.
The counter-punch from the All Blacks didn’t take long to follow though, as Dane Coles showed incredible pace for a hooker to charge over under the sticks. Sopoaga’s extras meant it was all-square with a half-an-hour to play.
Beauden Barrett was given a run at fullback as Israel Dagg was replaced but it was the visitors’ forwards who were in the firing line.
The TMO ruled that Lood de Jager had placed the ball millimetres short of the line – much to the hosts bemusement – but Pollard was able to put the Springboks back in front with a penalty as the All Blacks gave away a penalty under huge pressure on their line.
A break from Willie le Roux put the visitors under more pressure and Sam Whitelock was sent to the bin for his attempts to kill the attack. The Springboks opted for the scrum rather than 3 easy points, but Eben Etzebeth was held up after a big shove for the line. A knock-on from Vincent Koch – who had blood streaming from his face – meant that they failed at their 2nd attempt as precious points were left by the wayside.
The Springboks breathed a huge sigh of relief as a long-range shot from Sopoaga fell short of goal, allowing the Springboks to take the slim lead into the final 15 minutes.
Koch’s trip to the nurse’s office meant the hosts no longer had a specialist tighthead (although Trevor Nyakane easily plays both sides of the front row), resulting in the referee calling uncontested scrums in the last 10 minutes.
Brodie Retallick was held up over the line but New Zealand was awarded a penalty and they opted to go for the corner, where Richie McCaw ghosted through the middle of the lineout to bump Ruan Pienaar out the way to score an all-too-easy try in the 73rd minute. Sopoaga’s 3rd conversion of the night put the men in black 4 points ahead, forcing the home side to chase a late try.
But it was Sopoaga who slammed home the final nail, sending over a penalty in the last minute.
Man of the match:
A mention for Lood de Jager, who worked tirelessly but Charles Piutau booked his ticket to the Rugby World Cup with a faultless display on defence and an electric performance on attack.
Moment of the match:
How do they always do it? McCaw’s try was another example of New Zealand’s clinical execution as they came back from behind once again.
Villain of the match:
No nasty stuff to report.
Scorers:
Springboks:
- Tries: Willie le Roux (1), Jesse Kriel (1)
- Conversions: Handré Pollard (2)
- Penalties: Handré Pollard (2)
All Blacks:
- Tries: Ben Smith (1), Dane Coles (1), Richie McCaw (1)
- Conversions: Lima Sopoaga (3)
- Penalties: Lima Sopoaga (2)
Teams:
Springboks: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Schalk Burger (Captain), 7 Francois Louw, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Warren Whiteley, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Lionel Mapoe.
All Blacks: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Charles Piutau, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (Captain), 6 Liam Messsam, 5 James Broadhurst, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Tony Woodcock
Replacements: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Ben Franks, 19 Sam Whitelock, 20 Victor Vito, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Malakai Fekitoa.
Venue: Emirates Airline Park (Ellis Park), Johannesburg
Referee: Jérôme Garcès
Assistant Referees: Romain Poite, Leighton Hodges
TMO: Graham Hughes
Los Pumas (6) 9 / 34 (8) Wallabies:
Australia’s Wallabies outscored the Argentinian Pumas by 4 tries to none, gaining revenge for their 2014 defeat by winning 34 / 9 in Mendoza on Saturday.
Adam Ashley-Cooper scored a try with the final play of the match to secure the bonus point for the Wallabies, whose bench played a major role once again.
Argentina often sparkled individually but never showed enough control or composure when it mattered most, committing basic errors that undermind their efforts.
For a while the Wallabies were sucked into an attritional battle without making much progress. However a special try for Dean Mumm, the Australia lock who recently returned from a stint in England with Exeter Chiefs, proved to be a finishing blow that killed off the hopes of their hosts.
Soft penalties meant that Australia made harder work of the contest than required, particularly with off the ball incidents that cancelled out their penalty advantages.
Quade Cooper’s Yellow Card in the 2nd half was inevitable and if they leak penalties against the All Blacks in 2 weeks time the Wallabies will be in real trouble.
Despite that the Wallabies greater structure shone through as Los Pumas relied on moments of individual magic, especially from the livewire fullback Santiago Cordero, to make any real progress without aimlessly kicking the ball away. After the thrilling finish to last year’s Rugby Championship, with their 1st win in the competition, Argentina has started 2015 very slowly.
Israel Folau was lucky not to see Yellow for a mid-air challenge on Nicolás Sánchez in the opening minutes, with a penalty against the Wallabies ending a dominant opening period from the visitors where they enjoyed 90 % possession.
Australia lost Matt Toomua to an early concussion, forcing a re-shuffle in the backline, with Quade Cooper replacing him as Sánchez pushed a long-range drop goal attempt narrowly wide.
More loose kicking then cost Sánchez and his side when Folau returned 1 with interest, combining with Bernard Foley to release Joe Tomane down the touchline for the opening try.
Excitement was never far away when Cordero was involved for the home side but the Pumas lacked that final touch to finish off some promising early moments.
They were lucky the Wallabies persisted to squander their advantages, like when Will Skelton saw a penalty reversed for grabbing a player around the neck at the bottom of a ruck.
Inaccuracies from both sides meant the Wallabies still led 5 / 0 approaching the half-hour mark, before Sánchez knocked over his 1st penalty to put the hosts on the scoresheet.
The Wallabies though persisted to threaten with the ball in hand, a show-and-go from the captain Stephen Moore being a highlight as the Wallabies forced a penalty out of the defence which Foley was unable to convert.
Argentina had to control the scrum to have a chance of winning and after a quiet week against New Zealand they looked to have rediscovered their rhythm, with James Slipper feeling the heat as a result.
Foley rediscovered his accuracy to add a 1st penalty but Sánchez instantly responded with the final act of the half to leave Australia ahead by 2 points at halftime, leading 8 / 6.
A 2nd penalty from Foley right after halftime stretched the visitors advantage to 5 points, even if it wasn’t the cleanest of strikes from the Waratahs flyhalf whose form off the tee is becoming a minor concern.
The Pumas weren’t short of attacks but the Wallabies, more often than not through the excellent David Pocock, were always there ready to turn over possession or slow them down. Appropriately the openside flank put in an impressive run down the wing, before being bundled into touch by the cover defence.
Another penalty from Foley gave the Wallabies a comfortable 8-point lead as they welcomed back Mumm from the bench for his 1st Test appearance since 2010.
The Pumas received some reward for the efforts of Cordero and Juan Pablo Socino when Sánchez added this 3rd penalty coming up to the fourth quarter, making it 14 / 9 and keeping Los Pumas in the hunt.
Mumm though crushed those hopes with a barnstorming run of his own down the touchline, fending off tacklers to score a fine solo try in the corner and open up the gap to 10 points.
Indiscipline however kept pulling the Wallabies back into the game, with Cooper heading to the sin-bin for a high tackle, but a crucial lineout steal from Rob Simmons prevented Argentina from attacking through their rolling maul.
Foley curled in a 4th 3-pointer to make it 22 / 9, putting the result almost beyond doubt with 10 minutes to go as the Pumas’ attack failed to make in-roads, capping off a frustrating night for their supporters.
There was still time for the Wallabies to add a 3rd try – Tevita Kuridrani the man to go over for his 2nd score in a week, after a good pass over the top from Foley and the bonus point try wasn’t far behind.
Ashley-Cooper was the man to finish it off but only after great input from Kurtley Beale, on his 50th cap, and Folau to make sure the Wallabies head back home with all 5 Log points.
The bonus point also moves them level on points with New Zealand at the top of The Rugby Championship, ahead of their meeting on 8 August.
Scorers:
Los Pumas:
- Penalties: Nicolás Sánchez (3)
Wallabies:
- Tries: Joe Tomane (1), Dean Mumm (1), Tevita Kuridrani (1), Adam Ashley-Cooper (1)
- Conversions: Bernard Foley (1)
- Penalties: Bernard Foley (4)
- Yellow Card: Quade Cooper
Teams:
Los Pumas: 15 Santiago Cordero, 14 Gonzalo Camacho, 13 Matías Moroni, 12 Juan Pablo Socino, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Martín Landajo, 8 Facundo Isa, 7 Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, 6 Javier Ortega Desio, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Manuel Carizza, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustín Creevy (Captain), 1 Marcos Ayerza
Replacements: 16 Santiago Iglesias Valdez, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Matías Díaz, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Leonardo Senatore, 21 Tomás Cubelli, 22 Santiago González Iglesias, 23 Lucas González Amorosino.
Wallabies: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Matt Toomua, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 David Pocock, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Will Skelton, 3 Greg Holmes, 2 Stephen Moore (Captain), 1 James Slipper
Replacements: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 Scott Sio, 18 Sekope Kepu, 19 Dean Mumm, 20 Michael Hooper, 21 Nic White, 22 Quade Cooper, 23 Kurtley Beale.
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Stuart Berry (South Africa)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
Was Richie McCaw’s try legal?
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Comment
By: Brenden Nel – SuperSport
2015-07-27 19:00
Cape Town – Much has been made of All Black captain Richie McCaw’s match-winning try against the Springboks in their Rugby Championship match on Saturday, but the real question was whether or not it was a legal move?
McCaw scored in the 74th minute to give the All Blacks a lead they didn’t let go of, by flummoxing the Springbok defence at the lineout on the Bok line and scoring almost untouched.
But, according to the
supersport.com website , replays of the try show that it should have been referred and possibly even disallowed as McCaw was offside on two counts.
Not the commentators, not the assistant referees nor referee Jerome Garces picked it up live and never referred it to the television match official with the try eventually leading to New Zealand’s win in the epic game.
Watch the try again though and keep in mind what the laws say, and it becomes clear that it should never have been given and referee Garces made a mistake.
Firstly when the lineout is formed, McCaw stands in the halfback – or receiver – position and therefore is not part of the lineout.
According to World Rugby law 19.8.i – (i) Where the receiver must stand. If a team uses a receiver, then that player, must be positioned at least 2m back from team-mates in the lineout, and between the 5m and 15m lines, until the lineout begins. Once the lineout has commenced, the receiver may move into the lineout and may perform all actions available to players in the lineout and is liable to related sanctions.
McCaw is within the two metre rule and while referees don’t always police this fairly, as the receiver/halfback teams do not position their lineout defence for a halfback entering the lineout as it is illegal.
Then there are two more aspects which makes the try illegal – the first that McCaw moves before the ball is thrown in, which places him in an offside position.
Read with law 19.9 (a) – which says “The lineout begins when the ball leaves the hands of the player throwing it in”, it is clear that McCaw has moved before the ball has left the hooker’s hands, and since he is not 2 metres back, has all the advantage from an illegal position.
But to take it further, law 19.10 (f) says “A player must not jump or be lifted or supported before the ball has left the hands of the player throwing in.” If you watch the video, you can see how Kieran Read is lifted before the ball leaves the hooker’s hands, taking the Springbok attention away from McCaw.
Of course, the All Black captain went through a gap and was missed by the player the Boks had as their receiver – Adriaan Strauss – and the try was given, giving New Zealand the lead in a crucial stage of the game with six minutes to go.
But while it was planned and is a blatant offside, the referee allowed the try to stand, and didn’t query it even though captain Schalk Burger asked for it to be queried.
Of course the Boks will kick themselves for the chances they never took, including Vincent Koch knocking on with an open goalline, Lood de Jager’s “try” that wasn’t given by the TMO and a wild pass by Willie le Roux with an open Cornal Hendricks on his outside, proving again that to beat the best team in the world you need to take the chances when they come your way.
The Boks will be upset that they lost a game they came close to winning on Saturday, but they cannot be blamed for McCaw’s try, which shouldn’t have been allowed in the first place.
@ smallies:
The article is so typical and such a waste of time…All that really counts is that the match was won by the AB’s and no whinging in the world will change that.
Nitpicking such as in above article is really pathetic….,, For example everybody knows that in reality all teams including the Boks often move a little before the ball is thrown in…it happens all the time and in every match and nobody ever mentions it…..to make such a fuss of this in one isolated incident is typical of dishonest journalism.
@ robzim:
Maybe it should be mentioned more?
@ robzim:
and what do you think journalists should write about?
You report on public interest and opinion to sell the news, journalisms 101.
Everyone knows that this wont change the results, no person right in his mind could say that if that try was not given the Boks would have won, but we OFTEN get controversial decisions, this one included and the public has the right to an explanation (we even had supersport prove that the try from Australia last week was legit), it is a natural order… and I knew someone was going to throw the “we lost we suck get over it, stop whinging” just expected it to be someone else 😆
These type of articles are educational, especially for future and current captains, because the only conclusion I can come to is, did our captain or any player question the legitimacy of the try to the referee? and why not?… hopefully next time they will.
@ robzim: can’t agree with you on this one Rob. I just happen to agree with Marco. That’s why the TMO was introduced to the game in the first place. No?
2 @ robzim:
4 @ MacroPolo:
5 @ Tassies:
How do they say in the classics… hind sight is perfect sight.
While it might be right that the try is technically questionable, it was awarded… and it stands on the record books.
I look at the game and the result as an epic Test by both teams.
What facinates me about the game and the performance of individuals is the way our centres dominated the much vaunted All Blacks centres and how the Springboks dominated the match for long periods.
Now if the Springboks can up their conditioning, sort out the bench selections and the impact they make… and use the six inches between the ears a bit more astutely, then maybe they are indeed a serious factor for possible Rugby World Cup glory!
2 Weeks ago I considered the Springboks as having no chance in winning the William Web Ellis trophy, after the last 2 weekends I have considerably more hope.
I like the way the breakdowns were attacked effectively by the Bokke, I like what the centres are doing, I like the way Bissie & Doc Jannie is really putting effort in.
To me the positives are there for all to see and it was an indication to me that the All Blacks are not as perfect as all want us to believe.
What worries me is that Jean de Villiers & Victor Matfield WILL be back… there is no doubt about that… and I question whether they deserve to be after the performace of Lood de Jager and the 2 Bok centres!
@ grootblousmile:
I don’t think anybody is saying they are perfect, they have lost 1 or 2 test matches since 2011′. A champion side can sometimes be dominated for long periods and still come out on top, the Ab’s know they can beat the Bokke in the last 10 they have done it numerous times so it shouldn’t come as a surprise.
You’re right though, the Bokke are serious contenders for the big one later in the year.
I am an absolute sucker for the underdog, Jannie’s form the last two weeks can only make me smile.
I’m not that sh!t – Jannie du Plessis
Springbok prop Jannie du Plessis has given a frank assessment of how he reacts to criticism from the press following Saturday’s loss to the All Blacks.
Du Plessis had come in for widespread criticism after a very disappointing Super Rugby season with the Sharks, but has received far better reviews for his performances in the Rugby Championship.
The 32-year-old, along with his fellow Sharks front rowers – brother Bismarck and Beast Mtawarira – have had the upper hand against both the Wallabies and All Blacks at scrum-time this year.
Speaking to many of the same pundits who were calling for his head not long ago, the Bok veteran didn’t mince his words, explaining that he took criticism with a pinch of salt. He added the Springboks wouldn’t lose self confidence because of recent results.
“If you play rugby long enough, and read in the paper you’re sh*t enough times to know that you have to pick yourself up,” said Du Plessis after the game at Ellis Park.
“If you’re going to start believing in the loss, It’s like believing what you read in the press – when you’re good you’re not actually that good and when you’re sh*t, you’re not actually that sh*t.
“It’s a very lonely place if you don’t have a successful season. Then it’s easy to find mistakes.
“Criticism, give me one guy who it doesn’t affect, that man will be a liar.
“It does affect you. The thing about criticism, if you’re a player you’ve had enough criticism in your life to know how to deal with it and whose opinion counts.
“The thing about criticism is that it really hurts your family more than you and people confront them.
“I don’t think I doubted at any time of the year whether I still have the desire or the skills.
“Unfortunately our season at the Sharks didn’t go as planned, but that happened and it wasn’t for a lack of trying. But I am really happy that we can play better when it matters most.”
While the 62-cap veteran admitted the Springboks were bitterly disappointed to have lost in the closing stages once again, he insisted they would use the defeat as motivation.
“We’ll be over it by Monday,” he said.
“In, fact I think it will make our resolve even more. You never play to rectify a wrong, because you can’t fix something that’s in the past.
“But looking back at disappointments it can push you to higher levels.”
Dr. Du Plessis did not start the second half against New Zealand because of a suspected medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury to his knee.
“It is actually not sore, it just feels weird, we don’t really know what it is at the moment but it looks like a medial ligament but by grace maybe I will be good,” said Du Plessis, who is a qualified medical doctor.
“I am a quick healer and even if they take a staple gun and staple it on and I can run, I can be good.”
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_65728,00.html
Man that last quote had me in stitches 😆
@ MacroPolo:
@ 4
My point is that if the journalist wanted to be fair or wants people who can think for themselves to take his article serious he should not only focus on decisions that went against the team supported by his target audience. If he did a similar analysis of the lead up to the Bok’s first try he will most likely also find reasons for the try to be disallowed
( and for captains and people to be educated 🙂
I take your point that he has to sell the news…. but it would be nice if the news is for a change not one sided even if a decision went against the Boks.
I see coach Meyer is quoted as saying only millimetres separate the big Southern Hemisphere 3, he’s probably right but his record now stands at 4 seasons – no trophies and 1 from 7 against NZ, as a coach he has failed, if he wins the WC though he’ll be a hero and all will be forgotten in the republic , he’d have been sacked a while ago if he was coaching the Ab’s.
RIP Clive Rice
One of the greatest Springbok cricketers ever.
http://ewn.co.za/2015/07/28/SA-cricketer-Clive-Rice-dies
http://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/Clive-Rice-dies-20150728
@ BrumbiesBoy:
Well Bumbie,
I saw the Signage,
“Touchdown Restaurant”.
But alas,
not you.
😉
11 @ NZINCHINA:
Has Heyneke failed as a coach or has all of SA Rugby regressed in the last couple of years?
Very closely consider what I am asking above.
Look at it this way, THIS year the 5 SA Super Rugby franchises were all dismal, the Stormers who ended Top of the SA Conference only really ended in 7th Spot if one looks at Log Points.
Last year was not much different in Super Rugby…
Now following this dismal run in Super Rugby, the Springbok coach receives these lacklustre performers from the Franchises… and as we clearly see there is definately a fitness & conditioning problem as they arrive from the Franchises. 2 Weeks in a row the Springboks faded badly towards the end of games… which in my book points towards fitness & conditioning.
So now I ask again… is Heyneke to blame for this overall South African conundrum?
Do you agree with me so far or am I talking out my ear completely?
Now let’s move on and look at how the Springboks are playing and how they have developed and adapted their game plan and style of play.
Do you not also think the type of rugby the Springboks are playing at present (last 3 weeks) is refreshing, exciting, innovative…. bit naiive still and still kicking the ball away a bit aimlessly… but at least showing leaps and bounds of progression and moving in the right direction?
Sure some bold selections have been forced on the conservative Heyeneke Meyer, but is seems the challenge was boldly accepted.
2 Vital out of the box selections followed the injury situation… firstly slotting in an untried Jesse Kriel at No 13, that was a master stroke… and secondly playing a loose forward combination basically consisting of all openside fetcher type of players (Flo, Coetzee & Schalk against the Wallabies and this past weekend Brüssow, Flo & Schalk against the All Blacks), to be able to play towards the ball more and dominate breakdowns… and it worked, fitted the game plan like a glove!
If you do think that is indeed the case, that the Springbok brew is improving… who then is responsible for that… is it not the self-same Heyneke Meyer??
Heyneke is not without faults, nobody is…
He is definately maybe too conservative at times, his bench application of players is sometimes questionable… but something exciting has been brewing in the Springbok pot of late.
@ grootblousmile:
SA rugby has regressed over the last few years, certainly not helped by the mass player exodus or your lack of top quality coaches but Meyer has been able to select most of his top players for important test matches. I was purely looking at results and that tells me he has failed, he would surely admit that himself?
I agree with you the Bokke are playing great rugby and both of their recent games could have gone either way but he needs to win something, isn’t that what it’s all about?
@ robzim:
rob, talking of whinging, did you see that nz herald have been discussing (during July) the food poisoning at the 1995 rwc.
talk about whinging?
and…..
fortunately for the rest of the rugby-watching world, the kiwis won the 2011 rwc at home.
otherwise we would still be hearing about forward passes at the 2007 rwc.
16 @ NZINCHINA:
So, by your reasoning… if you work for an underperforming conglomerate, whose top structure has been head-hunted out and your department keeps improving with the limited resources you are given to work with… then you still need to get sacked?
Rough analogy, I know… but surely it is comparable and stands to reason?
What I am saying is that SARU, the SA Super Rugby franchises and SA Rugby in general needs to have some serious introspection and rectify the existing inadequacies… to afford any Springbok coach the chance to be successful, otherwise we will have to fire Springbok coaches every year.
Let’s start with the heart of the problem… no Central Contracting in SA, I think you would agree that the New Zealand system is serving you well whereas the current SARU system is not serving the Springboks well.
Then we move over to somehow curb the outflux of SA players… a very difficult conundrum as the Rand stands at probably R 19.40 to the Pound and R 14.00 or so to the Euro at the moment.
So what to do about this hugely unfavourable issue?
1. Firstly bar overseas players from qualifying to play for the Springboks (like the New Zealand counterparts are effectively doing). It should keep a few players right here.
2. Secondly we need to do something about privatising SA Rugby Franchises and farm out some archaic Rugby Administrators in SA and introduce more business savvy Rugby Administrators. New Zealand’s Rugby Administrators are miles ahead of their SA counterparts.
3. Thirdly – and this is controvertial – but SA will have to look at getting more Euro & Pound-based revenue into SA rugby to be able to have more funds available to compensate players in SA better, to keep them here, and possibly the only way to achieve this would be to convince the SANZAR partners to join up and take part in some Cross Hemisphere Competition structures where the richer Euro & Pound-based revenue streams and Broadcasting deals would ensure much more money into Southern Hemisphere rugby coffers. It could benefit the whole Southern Hemisphere.
Only with a level playing field, can we take the simplistic look and say “Coach, nothing but wins will save your bacon!”
The unsatisfying results of the Springboks hurt each and every South African who loves his rugby… believe me it does!
Surely that does not mean we have to throw out the baby with the bath water though, we need to fix it much deeper than that!
@ robzim:Charo wrote:
Yep, how few countries’ journalists in any sporting code would spend a lot of time in writing articles or whinging about how the ref cheated the opposing team?
As I recall there was a lot of whinging about us getting a penalty from an illegal tackle last year and people are still whinging about that (Though it is old news from a media perspective).
@ NZINCHINA:
No doubt Meyer is responsible for producing a winning team, no trophies but also some more consistency in results, first coach in a long time to end 2 back to back tours of Europe undefeated.
That said, the biggest worry is that SA has not been able to win Super Rugby in 5 years, or even produce finalists other than the Sharks miracle run of 2012. Realistically there is only so much you can do.
@ grootblousmile:
You have a valid argument but I can’t completely agree with the improving part, sure two close losses this year but last year you blew very hot and cold and were rolled a few times with several very lucky escapes against some lower ranked teams. As I said earlier I think the Bokke will be right there at this WC and a semi against us looks very probable – that will not be good for the nerves..
@ MacroPolo:
Yes true the player exodus has definitely hit you guys harder in super rugby, to be fair though it’s 23 V 23 come test match day and it is the South African public who tells us how much player talent and depth you have so he has got the players at his disposal.
@ Charo:
Hi Charo, long time no talk, that’s exactly what the SAFFA’s were telling me in the bar on Saturday night 😆 😆
@ Charo:
Just because its whinging,
that does not change the TRUTH of the matter.
How lucky can you get.
1: Home advantage.
2; President Mandala geeing up the locals.
3. Playing at altitude.
4. And then …………………………hey presto ………………….the opposition, in the most important game of rugby in the Friggen World in 4 yrs , comes down with food poisoning?
5. And You Mothers call it co-incidence.
6 we call it ………………………………..Suzie.
Actually…………………………………we call it more than Suzie.
We call it “Susan Dawn Von Dronkelaar”.
The slut from Germiston.
cane wrote:
Syphilitic Suzie is still better looking than any Kiwi sheila and tighter than the prettiest hogget in your flock
Heysus… Still some whinging after 20 years. 😆
Ps bryce lawrence referee of the year se moer.
😆
RIP Clive Rice
What a warrior.
@ IAAS:
I remember the last “test” against Kim Huges’ team, when it looked if they would win it and Rice said fark this and bowled them out on his own
Have you seen this article?
Boks score from referee blunder
2015-07-28 11:24
Tank Lanning
Instead of moaning about the legality of the Richie McCaw try that sealed the deal for the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday, perhaps Bok fans should be thanking referee Jerome Garces for not reducing the Boks to 14 men when Vincent Koch left the field with suspected broken ribs!
Yes indeed, such was the farce surrounding the enforced uncontested scrums, that Mr Garces either forgot, or did not know about, Law 3.5 (k) which suggests:
“When 23 players are nominated for a match… where uncontested scrums are ordered as a result of there being no suitably trained and experienced front row replacement for any reason, the team concerned shall not be entitled to replace the player whose departure caused uncontested scrums.”
So instead of being grumpy at having been robbed of the scrum at a key time in the match when the All Blacks were reduced to seven forwards given the yellow card to Sam Whitelock, perhaps Bok fans should just be grateful at not having been reduced to 14 men for the rest of the game?
But that was not the only things that Garces got wrong when making the call to “Go Granny”…
Yes, in a 23 player squad, there must be sufficient front row players on the bench who are suitably trained and experienced to replace all of the hooker, tighthead prop and loosehead prop on the first occasion that a replacement is required in each position.
But according the Law 3.5 (h) it is only when a team cannot provide enough “suitably trained” front row players that the match continues with uncontested scrums.
And given that Law 3.5 (d) states that a “suitably trained” and experienced front row forward may start the match in another position, the laws quite clearly make provision for a prop who has been trained to play on both sides of the scrum.
Trevor Nyakane has played both loosehead and tighthead prop for the Bulls at Super Rugby level, and thus, to my mind, quite clearly “suitably trained and experienced” enough to have taken over from Koch at tighthead prop when the latter left the field.
It was also not Garces’ call to make! Law 3.5 states that “It is not the responsibility of the referee to determine the suitability of trained front row replacements nor their availability, as this is a team responsibility.”
Should new skipper Schalk Burger have queried the call? Should one of the multiple Bok management staff have not queried the call? Should the Bok management have pointed out Nyakane’s ability to play both sides before the game?
Or have World Rugby, who have been notoriously (yet not unexpectedly) quiet on both the McCaw try and the uncontested scrums, introduced a brand new ruling less than two months before the World Cup, and chosen not to inform the public?
As it stands, though, and based on the existing laws, uncontested scrums should not have been implemented given Nyakane’s ability to play tighthead. So Garces erred on that count. But given that they were implemented, Garces then erred in allowing Nyakane onto the field.
What a terrible farce, and for it to happen in the most important game of the year to date is just infuriating. It is almost inevitable that a refereeing blunder or interpretation will influence the result of a key Rugby World Cup game later this year. How sad.
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