Am I the only one that thought the test at Loftus over the weekend between the Springboks and Australia was actually pretty good?
Touch rugby, a joke, a sham, the Harlem Globetrotters of rugby are just some of terms used to describe the test from just about every single report I read, and where I agree that this test had one of the most insane starts I have witnessed, I reckon most people actually missed a good game of rugby on Saturday.
I am not one to attack scribes of columns when I do one myself (I leave that for the comments!), but I have been left wondering why we are not reading about how the Springboks successfully nullified the much vaunted Aussie loosies specifically David Pocock who occupied miles of column space last week – as De Villiers promised they would?
Or why are we not reading about the much improved use of substitutions in the last test which was also hugely criticized by rugby writers?
Why is no attention spent on the fact that the Springboks erased a massive lead built up by the Australians in the first 29 minutes scoring their bonus point try within that timeframe, only to be limited to 3 points in the last 50 minutes of rugby?
No mention of the massive defensive effort to keep the rampant Aussies at bay in the last 20 minutes – another point hugely criticized calling the players unfit and coaches not doing their job?
Or how about the fact that the Springboks outscored the Australians 5 tries to 4 in a type of game in which the Springboks are not rated (cast your mind back to the boring Boks columns of last year) and Australia are actually seen as experts in given how they built this from the Reds game plan which saw some degree of success this year?
How about the captaincy of John Smit, in the way he controlled the flow of the game after the first 20 minutes free-for-all in getting the balance almost perfect in deciding when to go for posts or when to go for an attacking line out in an attempt to calmly erase a massive deficit?
All I seem to read about though is how no team was interested in defending but even that is rather confusing, especially considering the Wallabies missed less tackles (14) on Saturday what the All Blacks missed in the previous week in Soweto (15). In fact, the tackle success rate (tackles made vs. tackles missed) was 85% for the Springboks, and 88% for the Wallabies. In Soweto, the All Blacks’ success rate was 82%…
More than this, two of the Australian tries came from direct individual errors on the Springbok side the likes of which you will not see often. Flip the coin and study the Springbok tries and just about every try was well constructed either from a set-move, sustained pressure in building phases in the red zone or turn-over ball which was for once used effectively and not kicked away. The only exception possibly being Steenkamp’s try which can be put down to a bad defensive error on the part of the Wallabies at the line-out but again, it was an attacking line-out close to the opposition line which put them under massive pressure.
I will leave you with this.
In 2000, a total of 109 000 people packed into Aussie Stadium to watch the All Blacks play the Wallabies. The All Blacks had a dream start scoring their first 3 tries in the opening 5 minutes of the game – after 9 minutes they led 24-0 over the Wallabies.
The Wallabies launched a counter assault however where Mortlock scored tries in the 10th and 20th minutes of the first half and with Latham and Roff scoring tries in the 28th and 32nd minutes respectively to draw level.
In the second half Justin Marshall extended the lead for the All Blacks but Jeremy Paul, 3 minutes from time put the Wallabies in the most unlikeliest of leads given the start of the test. On the 43 minute mark, the All Blacks launched their final assault resulting in a Lomu try which broke the Aussie hearts in a game which ended 39-35 in favour of New Zealand, with a total of 74 points scored which included 10 tries.
The test was lauded as one of the greatest tests ever played…
Yet, last Saturday’s test which followed almost an identical pattern, where 75 points were scored including 9 tries, is labelled a joke.
I reckon some people missed a good test match over the weekend…
Very true Morne
What all the doomsayers forget about is the fact that we still miss our super players from last year who are not in the squad as well as several players from last year who are in the squad and have not had a good or mentionable S14. Or are badly off form.
Players I am thinking of is Fourie, Bismark, Beast, Bakkies, Habana, Smit, Brussow and who-ever the other winger was last year.
So several players have been replaced by lesser quality players or players who are not close to where they were last year, so really this current exercise should be called team building. And the point raised in Superbul’s article is also very valid, we played the game required or allowed on the day against the Australians.
And we almost made it against the AB’s last weekend, who are also busy in a team building exercise.
Question is would we make it within the current rules with a full strength team? Of course we would, current coaching team or not.
I am very glad i taped this game in HD for later watching, again and again and again….because it was worth it!
Morne, I agree. There was some very good defensive structures, that varied as the attack varied, at times rush, and at times drift, and then scrambling defences, as a result of very good attacking and running lines. It was clearly a test of different styles of rugby. The helter skelter approach, that requires huge fitness, and pinpoint accuracy vs a more structured subdue and destroy approach. Both require accuracy, because as we saw, with Habanas lapses, mistakes can cost you dearly. And pressure resulted in the Aussies missing passes etc.
That is what test rugby is about, not defensive lines and airial ping pong. On Saturday, we were more clinical, still not our best, and Aus were very, very good, but our execution of our game plan brought about their defeat.
Had we executed in this way against the AB’s we would have beaten them, but as it was we were weren’t quite where we shoiuld have been in that game, and our boys can probably imrove by about 10%, and we will be awesome.
I just don’t like the kind of rugby played. Both teams were desparate and the All Blacks would have klapped them by 50.
@ Loosehead:
Maybe, but look at the way NZ play, ball in hand, breaking down defences, very little kicking. It was a helter skelter first 20, and then settled into a very entertaining game of rugby.
Morne, I also thought I missed the boat on this one, as everybody was playing our performance down.
@ Loosehead: do you really think so? i don’t think so.
When we started playing our rugby last Saturday at Soccer City, the AB’s did not come close to klapping us by 50. Not even within a mile.
So stop being so pessimistic about the Boks and look at the positives from Loftus. We held defensively where in the first three games we did not, we created tries where in the first three games we did not, we did not lose confidence where in the first three games we did, we did not give away stupid yellow’s, where in the first three games we did.
Lotsa positives i see from last Saturday…..
Well you can only play against the team that is in front of you on the day, and if they don’t tackle then you take advantage.
Now this can be said for both teams on Saturday, however there is no doubt that Aussie LOST that test as opposed to us WINNING it.
I cannot remember a major test nation throwing away a game like the Aussies did.
They could not score tries when they had an overlap and the line begging, and their hooker threw the game away with those two line out throws near the end.
Morne, very good article.
@ tight head:
But how many games do we see that the ball carrier has a 2 or 3 man overlap on his outake the side, but chooses to go inside, and tackle and force a ruck/maul? There are times when there is an opposing player that prevents that pass, as happened a couple of times on Saturday, but most times it seems as if it is a lack of communication and/or poor peripheral vision, or lack of confidnce in the next player in the line.
@ Lion4ever:
Exactly.
The All Blacks seem to be doing less of this and have a good nose for the outside.
Rugby sense is about time and space and therefore understanding the right options.
It seems to me that in years gone by there were players with natural instinct for this, but today they all seem to have lost that instinct.
Morne, Finally a postive article about our game. Thanks buddy, I felt similar to you. Only of course I did feel our defence lacked a bit. BUT really I enjoyed this game and was just very pleased to see us scoring tries and most of all not giving up after being so behind at one stage. Then to come back and score 5 tries that is just fine by me. I tell you what had this been the wc cup final, you would have found NOT ONE bad article written anywhere at all. Just praise that we won. We do have some fickle Bok supporters.
So well done to our Boks. Also the big postive here it gave our players confidence. BUT after all the negative talk on blogs and newspapers not good really for our players to read that. Not fair at all. Hope they take no notice of it. No wonder why PdV said they were not going to take no notice of negative talk about the game.
We do however have to try and get first time tackles. Though in such a up paced game many teams do slip tackles.
Do you remember that game at Ellis Park where we played the ABs, think it was also 2000 where Boks scored 46 and ABs 40? Well it was a similar kinda game and there was no negative talk about that game at all. For me it was one of the best Bok/ABs I had watched. I was at Ellis Park that day. Awesome game. Think it was the last game that Mallett was our coach.
Some supporters are far to critical. They want the Boks to win but when they do it is just not good enough. I suppose you can only please some and not all. We should only be this negative if we lose not win.
So I am with you on this one, my feeling too buddy. Good post by you once again. Keep em coming Morne.
Go Bokke for this weekend.
In a game where it was clear that a few Bokke players were not up to par and where the mistakes they made were amaturish and extremely unprofessional, the 2nd half was not bad.
But come on, the 1st 25 minutes was crazy rugby and reminded one of the Lions Super 14 campaign as far as defensive lapses are concerned.
The Springboks did well to rally after being down so far… they showed composure… they got better as the match progressed… I just cannot get past those 1st 25 minutes though…
Should we just shut the hell up because our team won… or may we at least give our opinions?
What shall we say about the form of players which we think are below par now… Nothing??
I feel I have the right to criticise Bryan Habana, John Smit, Pierre Spies, Frans Steyn and some others… and to compliment Chiliboy (for his tackles and 2 vital steals), Butch (for his tackles), Victor (for his critical last 10 minute line-out steals), Juan Smith (for equalling out the breakdown battle), Morné Steyn (for attacking and / or taking the ball up more in addition to not missing a shot at goal).
I feel that I have the right to say the 1st 25 minutes was ghastly rugby just as I have the right to say that the Bokke did well to keep the score to 37 / 10 for the last big portion of the game.
Maybe we look at rugby differently…. maybe some are happy with mediocrity, whereas I am never happy with that….
Maybe we have differing opinions….
Maybe the rugby journalists I sat around are all biased an totally uninformed shitstirrers…. or maybe there was method behind the laughter, the comments, the dissatisfaction of the 1st stanza….
@ grootblousmile:
Touch rugby, a joke, a sham, the Harlem Globetrotters of rugby are just some of terms used to describe the test from just about every single report I read, and where I agree that this test had one of the most insane starts I have witnessed, I reckon most people actually missed a good game of rugby on Saturday.
I don’t recall you saying any of those things, so this does not really apply to you does it?
and where I agree that this test had one of the most insane starts I have witnessed
Remind me where we disagree actually?
@ grootblousmile:
Forget that, take the last part of my article, you can even youtube the 2000 test between Aus and NZ.
In your own words, describe to me the first 30 minutes of that test.
Then justify the rugby writers opinions you sat with who wrote these very reports on the Loftus test…
Here you go, catch the game yourself:
13 – 15 @ Morné:
For the life of me I cannot describe the Test as a “Good Test”…. not after that helter skelter 1st third of the match…
So, I did not miss a “Good Test”, not at all.
I was unhappy about the 1st Third of the game… I was mostly happy with the rest of the Test.
This Test will not go down in my book as a good one though… it will go down as a strange encounter indeed.
Hell, I’m happy we won…. thank fark we did… and I hope there’s another good win on the way this Sturday, so much so that I’m not going to Loftus on Saturday to watch the Blue Bulls and Sharks do battle… simply because I just HAVE TO see the Test live….
I recon Louis de Villiers who mostly writes for Rapport (and Media 24 in general) is an excelent rugby writer and knows the game well…. so too a hand full of other great rugby writers, who were there (Ok, so there were the crappy pimple-faced idiots as well and those who do not know their arse from their elbows).
Wonder what Boots and All’s Darren Scott and Naas Botha and John Robbie will say on Thursday night…
Forget about games of the past… I’m not interested in that statistic, specially not when I witnessed the stunned silence of 43 127 Supporters at Loftus in the first quarter…. they must also be totally farked then….
Anyway, I do not want to cause a fight, I just beg to differ radically!
Fair comment Morne’
However once we had finished with the “helter skelter” play and had taken the lead….we reverted to type and held the Aussies at bay with our normal grinding style.
It was however good to see the backs get some real match practise for a change and JP and Mossie made a discernible difference, as did de Villiers with his normal centre partner.
I think if we rest key players now, with our current squad we are in with a real chance for the world cup.
Is the world cup draw done already? We have to play our cards carefully though at the year end tours, as we dont want to be in the same pool as the Kiwi’s, it would be a travesty.
Oh, I also think Hougaardt is an exceptional scrummie. FDP might actually battle to get his place back and it might not be a bad idea if he plays off the bench for a while when he comes back.
18@ 4man:
Hougie was very good…. and deserved Man Of The Match
@ grootblousmile:
The point this illustrates is very simple GBS.
This test and the Boks suffered more criticism from this win than what we do from a close loss like in Soweto.
The rugby that was played is the rugby people seemingly beg for, in fact, the test most rugby scribes referred to as the best test ever played followed this exact same formula but when it comes to the Boks, it was a joke.
Even the statistics on tackles and missed tackles do not even support these rugby scribes.
This test match did not follow the script, and I reckon you will see one of these every 3 years at most, but the criticism the Boks as a team endured following this test is absolutely absurd.
We can disect parts and individuals and rightly criticise specific aspects of play but the criticism levelled at the Boks as a team is totally unjustified.
@ 4man:
My first comment following this test was this sort of rugby will not win you a World Cup. If you ask any Bok player the same question they will agree. Smit mentioned the opening 20 was shocking and a better team would have put them away (not mentioning we played the team ranked just below us but I believe he was referring to the All Blacks).
But there is a shit lot more positives to be taken out of this game than the criticism raised against the team following the test.
Oh and GBS, Louis is a legend, we have a drink (or 8) every time we meet up.
@ 4man:
@ grootblousmile:
Hougaard was allright, but for the second week in a row Juan Smith was my man of the match, and no, he has miles to go before he gets to the level of Fourie. but there is no other 9 I would pick for the Boks at the moment.
@ grootblousmile:16 – Gbs, Think maybe you being too critical. Only player I would be a bit critical of is Habana. He gifted Wallabies two very easy tries.
So you going to watch the Boks live? Does that mean you off to Bloem?
Why was Loftus so empty? Especially for Matfields 100th at his home ground?
Me thinks you don’t want to watch you Bulls play the Sharks cause of em playing not too well against Griquas and Pumas 😯 Still think the Bulls will be far better this week against the Sharks. Looking forward to the game should be a cracker.
@ Morné:
Fabulous article, nice to see someone write something positive and i agree 100% with you, as i said the other our poor Bok team Damned if do (win) and damned if you dont (win).
Anycase I am off, later gents.
20@ Morné:
You should have heard Louis brom-brom with that funny voice of his on Saturday.
Wonderful chap, old Louis… no airs and graces, friendly with all and sundry…. bloody good sense of humor too!
Comparing the last 2 Bokke Tests is like comparing chalk and cheese…. in fact it was my opinion for that Test as well as this that Habana cannot deliver at the moment anymore.
My critisism between the Soccer City Test was different but maybe just as harsh if not more so…. running out of puff and gifting 12 points in 3 minutes was scandalous…. to say the least… but it was a much harder encounter….
This Loftus Test, like you said, started out crazily… an anomaly…. and I think for that reason I cannot deem it to be GOOD. There were good moments, a good comeback, and a solid second half.
Jaun Smith makes a wonderful differance to the side, so too Hougie. Still unhappy with our Captain’s play, that of Spies, Habana & Frans Steyn…
@ Morné:
I’m serious, I think FDP might battle to get his place back…he is exceptional, but that shoulder is a problem and Juan Smith if he picks up another concussion will probably have to stop playing. I spotted this with Joost too and said FDP was the better player, I was criticised at the time but lo and behold 6 months later FDP was in and Joost was out. Victor, FDP, Barney, Juan Smith are all very close to their sell by dates…as I’ve said in other parts of the blog on numerous occasions, I hope the old guard can hold it together for the world cup…if we do win that, it will be in a climate of a declining side (I only talk about the top 4 teams here probably and in my estimation that is (SA, NZ, Oz, France)England now and then, but with their current coach they are going to see their arses more and more. If Jake coached England like he offered, they would be a better side, they dont have a flyhalf.
@ Morné:24 – Cheers Morne. Once again thanks for a good article.
22@ Puma:
No, not going to Bloem… but the Springbok game on TV is just before the Blue Bulls vs Sharks game, so going to either means you’ll miss the other one live.
Blue Bulls are struggling man, I’m frustrated with that… recon the Sharks could take this one…
About being critical of the Test… being critical does not mean that I do not absolutely love the Bokke or that I do not want them to win a game… it simply means that I did not get the impression that this game was a GOOD TEST match… to be honest the Soccer City Test was far better rugby (for 77 minutes)…
Sorry, I cannot agree that only Habana was at bad on the day or at fault… he was one amongst a number who now keeps disapointing me in my high expectations of them…
You might differ due to Provincial considerations, but Fransie Steyn was’nt that flash either, neither was John Smit….
From a Bulls perspective neither was Pierre Spies, despite his try…. in a game which actually suits his style (too loose).
Hey, we all see rugby differently… and bloody good we do… otherwise we’d be boring clones of one another.
Loftus’s Eastern Pavilion had big bare patches, but despite that there were 43 127 spectators… with the Tri-Nations crown now a “dead-rubber”, it was to be expected… even maybe more so in Bloem this coming weekend.
I dunno if anyone cares, but I love pie!!
Geeezzzz… I have been following all the comments here today! IMHO…… this is just a “klomp ou ballies” who will never be satisfied with whatever result we get! Always this or that ones fault!!! Grumpy old geezers!! Eish……..
Morne, thanks I appreciate your article and I do believe there is more than 10 persons on R-T that actually feels the same and is just too scared to let anyone know that they feel the same! It is starting to get really boring and actually sad to see all these “GENTS” going on and on and on and on and on…… Same story, just different words in next comment……it seems to me there are a lot of guys doing nothing and R-T is the only kick they get for the day!! Ooopssss…. sorry! Maybe not all of the guys….. and GBS sorry I am not critical of R-T, just the bloggers….. hehehehe :-))
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