Despite the closeness of the scoreline and the fact that the All Blacks scored 12 points in the last five minutes of play, the home side was really thrashed all over the field. The Springboks scrum was under pressure most of the game, even though it won a penalty when Smit went up early. The famed lineout dominance has gone with penalties conceded for crooked throws and taking too long to throw in. The All Blacks missed five chances of scoring tries and scored three while the Springboks took their only chance which came from a couple of barging runs near the try line following a tap kick.
Spiro Zavos
Most importantly for the Wallabies, who play the Springboks at Pretoria on Saturday (Sunday morning Sydney time), the home side did not show anything new in its strategy and tactics, aside from playing its pressure game with a bit more physicality. But it was essentially the same game that has failed so far – that of kicking away first-phase ball to the opposition and trying to force errors. This game does not work, as the Wallabies demonstrated in Brisbane and the All Blacks at Soweto, when the defending side doesn’t make serious errors, when it keeps the ball in hand (Quade Cooper kicked once in Brisbane) and when it plays at pace to tire out the big, unfit Springboks pack, a tactic I call “the running of the bulls”.
One interesting statistic was presented during the broadcast. The Springboks pack weighed in at 901kg and the All Blacks 876kg. It was noticeable, too, how the old bulls of the once-great Springboks pack have slowed. Smit, playing in his 100th Test, was hardly able to keep up with the play. I did not notice him in action until the last minute of play when Nonu burst past him. Victor Matfield, who plays his 100th Test against the Wallabies, is also a passenger around the field, and increasingly in the lineouts. The Springboks tried some rolling mauls, and won a penalty from one them, but a tactic that was once so effective for them was easily contained.
You had the sense before and during the Test at Soweto that the Springboks were essentially relying on mind games and the history of inevitable victories at altitude to carry them to victory. One of the banners held aloft before the Test said it all: “Today We Save The Bokke.” There was the triumphalism of Smit coming out on to the field (before the Test) with his kids. The mic was turned off for the All Blacks haka allowing the crowd to shout it down with inane chanting of “Ole! Ole! Oleeaaay!” The presumption, which was ludicrous and self-defeating, was that the All Blacks, a side which has won 75 per cent of its Tests, would crumble.
The Wallabies must show similar mental and physical toughness on Saturday. I’d like to see Scott Higginbotham in the pack to give some speed and additional aggression to the back row. The faltering Springboks lineout needs to be challenged in the air and on the ground. The Wallabies have avoided contact clashes with the Springboks pack in recent Tests. This made sense last season. But this year the old bulls are ready to be taken to the slaughterhouse. The match referee, Irishman Alain Rolland, likes to referee a fast game. The Test, therefore, is set up for the Wallabies to give the Springboks another order of the boot.
ek voel eerlik die Twatabies gaan lekker pakslae kry…..asb Bokke, moet my nou nie verkeerd bewys nie. Ek kan die vente nie staan nie. 🙂
Boks to really moer the shackledraggers if only to see Spiros eat his words. His writing really irritates me.
I’ve seen his photo and he and PDV look like Cheech and Chong with their Brakpan Speedkop taches.
If any Brakpan speedkops can read (this) I apologise for insulting you by comparing you to the 2 clowns of Southern Hemisphere rugby.
2@ Mielie Pap Mike:
Funnily enough, I live in Brakpan and I have not seen a single speedcop with a moustashe…. sorry Mike, wrong analogy…. use your own town or hole as analogy
@ grootblousmile: ek hoor spietkops word demote na polisiemanne toe as hulle toelaat dat hulle boom vrek…
Kruip die spietkops nogsteeds so onder die bome weg? Ek hoor die hele SA is deesdae vol spoed kameras.
Hey GBS nothing wrong with Brakpan, I spent a few happy years there as a kid but I do recall the traffic cops and firemen had huge moustaches.
My folks then moved to Sandton and they were all hairless.the roadhouse in Brakpan also did the best dagwoods so it has loads a good points.
In my current “hole” there are no speedcops just millions of unmanned cameras.
After my long and more serious post it was a tongue in cheek comment.
In the interests of balance please have a pop at either pasty poms or Sandton kugels – I can relate to either.
I thought you were in Pretoria ??
5@ Mielie Pap Mike:
I am FROM Pretoria, now already in Die Panne for 9 years plus…
I take it you are referring to the roadhouse near the Sports gounds…. Casbah. Fark, there are 6 Roadhouses here that I can quickly think of.. Casbah, The White House, The Burger Bar, Wimpie at Dalview, and one up Voortrekker Rd near where Carolines Cafe is… oh and UFO Roadhouse on Heidelberg Road on the way to Carnival City from Benoni area.
4@ bos_otter:
Ek sallie weetie, dinkie veel van speedcops nie… hulle IK’s is demm naby aan daai bome waaronder hulle sit.
Can’t remember name of the place – I was last there about 22 years ago whilst trying to hitch a ride back to army camp in Middelburg.
I am back in SA over xmas and will have to take my pommy kids to Brakpan so they can experience this and the delights of Dagwoods, Russian and chips , garlic burgers etc,
6 roadhouses makes it sound like paradise – I thought it was the Casablanca ?? Probably was the Casbah.
Cradle of Civilization + GRC se moer
Has anyone ever considered a Brakpan tourist trail – roadhouses and mine dumps.
Its a slow day folks.
grootblousmile wrote:
loved those roadhouses as a student…loved their food.
7@ Mielie Pap Mike:
Casablanca is The White House.
By the way most of the mine dumps were waterblasted down to ground-level, and the remaining gold extracted… there’s now one central makulu mine dump between Carnival City and Heidelberg, where all the slurry was re-routed to…. and one fugly little dump between Brakpan and Benoni is left, near the Snake Road offramp on the N12.
Careful you need a special Passport to come to the Republic of Boknaipan…. hehehehe
Fond memories
My family is originally from Heidelberg.everytime I come to jhb I notice how the dumps are disappearing.shame as they added character and a great(but dangerous) place to muck around.
Where do I apply for my visa ?
Return ticket ? Proof of sufficient funds ?
10@ Mielie Pap Mike:
As Official Unofficial Mayor of the Panne I’ll grant the Visa as long as your Goose is OK and your kids don’t have vuilbekkies… hehehe
Is your mayoral chain a motor bike chain with a Mercedes badge.
Mayoral car – Hilux double cab.
My goose and children are all lovely even if they are Poms.
Can we take photos of the locals ?
12@ Mielie Pap Mike:
We have evolved here… my Mayoral Chain is a 64Gb Flash Stick.
You can take photo’s but on condition we take pics of the pasty Poms as well!
The problem is after the kak summer here they are virtuall transparent.
No sun is not good !
Go to go as work needs to be done – good to talk rubbish for a few hours !
Let’s hope Saturday is not another nightmare.
14@ Mielie Pap Mike:
Cheers Mielies, I need to get into the Mayoral Vehicle and travel to the Neighbouring Kingdom of Pretoorsdorp on a diplomatic mission (read clients) as well…
Hehehe
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