The Springboks won – just – with a convincing performance by the forwards pack but the dangers and limitations of our old school style was again ominous.
In fairness, the way the pack dominated we should have won this match by at least 17 points, but lack of structure when we play the ball wide /down the line culminated in a comedy of errors and some frustrating decisions by the referee which almost cost us the match.
It was wet, greasy and raining hard at times which made handling difficult and there was some infuriating knock-ons and passing lapses by mainly Morné Steyn and Pierre Spies at the start of the match and some more showed-up by players at occasional – tense moment – intervals right throughout the game.
The Springbok pack was magnificent and it was the senior boys like Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Juan Smith & Beast Mtawarira as well as the experienced backline players like Ruan Pienaar, Bryan Habana and Jean de Villiers who combined well and who put their bodies on the line. The credit for the win must go to these senior boys and especially the pack of forwards for a sterling performance in the set piece.
The pack totally outplayed the Irish in the set piece (lineout, mauling and scrum) and it was therefore disturbing to notice yet again our lack of structure and tentativeness when we did play the ball down the line. We just lack that explosiveness and all round structure, precision and decisiveness one perceive with the Wallabies and the All Blacks when they run the ball. We are still too much into arm wrestling at the breakdowns and not blowing over with speed, structure and authority when we go into contact. It is our inability to force the defensive lines to re-align themselves that is the problem. This inability stems from a lack of directness, impact and good body positions by the ball carriers and our blow-over cavalry’s lack of urgency and structure when they support. The result is that we recycle the ball too slow and without influence and are therefore not able to force the defensive lines into retreat and eventually to disintegrate.
Morné Steyn had a 60 /40 type of game, his place kicking and tactical kicking hot and cold but his limitations as a ball carrying flyhalf and as one that can really control a match with the decisiveness and authority that Ronan O’Gara demonstrated when he came on for Ireland was again clear as day. It is partly his tentativeness and as a ball distributing flyhalf which caused some of the passing lapses out wide.
Zane Kirchner had a reasonable game considering the world class opposition he faced but he was one of the main culprits in terms of losing the ball in contact, which contributed to the Irish comeback. His pass to the inside to Gio Aplon was mostly the result of Aplon’s decision making and I’ll be hesitant to give Zane Kirchner all if any credit for that try creating moment.
Gio Aplon’s unorthodox running lines on defense worked against him this time round and were instrumental in both tries scored against us. His natural instinct is to seize on attacking opportunities and he will do it even if he is the only person out wide with his back against the goal line. He went for the ball on defense where he should have gone for the man. In both instances his instinct to go for the ball could have resulted in opportunistic tries and I am tentative to blame him for sticking to his instinct but he should be coached to read the game and circumstances and temper his impulsiveness to attack according to the situation.
Pierre Spies tried hard but his two old limitations, weak hands and lack of flair, showed up again in full annoying glory. He knocked a couple of times and he lost the ball going into contact a few times but that flair or ability to offload and/or create gaps with a step and turn of the body is seriously missing in his game.
Deon Stegmann was quiet but did contribute at maul time and I believe he was instrumental in our improved forwards ability, in contrast to Tri-Nations, to pull the mauls off on a number of occasions. My feeling was that the referee hamstrung us by going for his whistle way to soon when we were still clearly controlling the ball and moving forward at maul time. Why would you dish out penalties for people coming in from the side while the mauling team is still clearly in control and moving forward? What happened to advantage?
We did play the “pods” occasionally, like I predicted and we did play the territorial box kick and chase game, but without wallop and precision and therefore with disappointing results most of the time.
Considering the injury woes and amount of replacements to the team, one the of the great Springbok victories! Well done to the boys for a hard fought victory but one has this nagging feeling that they made it harder than was necessary towards the end.
One does’nt want to appear negative and the boys should feel proud with this outcome against a well drilled side in their backyard, but – and I say this only because I know we can get this right- our lack of structure and authority at the breakdowns is becoming a scurge for the Springbok supporter, in general. This together with our inability to create space, by using dummy runners like the Australians and passing the ball flat and then deep for instance, is essential requirements of the modern game that we just have to correct and employ.
McLook wrote:
Incorrect, on the last try we were short on defenders out left, the hail Mary pass from O’Gara went off the hand of Habana who realised there aren’t defense out wide, the bounce of that ball could have gone anywhere.
I thought that we were going to get a klap from the Oirish,I am very very happy that we won.
The forwards were outstanding. For me Spies was ok. He has had enough ok games to make people ask the question: surely there must be someone else who is better than ok. And no it is not Kankowski.
Pienaar was super, Steyn ok, and well done to Kirchner, he did well enough under the circumstances. It is time for Habana to go…….he is not a shadow of what he once was.
I think that we can win the Grand Slam.
superBul wrote:
Komaan meneer, hy het 20 minute gehad om sy ding te doen, en hy het glad nie sleg gedoen nie. behalwe vir sy eerste skop wat mis was, het hy verder geen foute gemaak nie. Ek stem saam dat hy nog n’ game as impact speler moet opkom en dan teen Scotland speel.
biltongbek wrote:
If we can get the Grand Slam i would like to see how many minds will change on the Boks performance in the 3Nations
biltongbek wrote:
kyk weer sy eerte twee lopies was briljant en amper deur, toe sien hulle hoe om hom toe te maak. Deur ondervinding gaan hy baie moeiliker wees om aanhoudend te keer. Sy variasie sal ook baie verbeter, dalk so skoppie soos Kurtley Beal ook aanleer. Ek se niks sleg van hom nie ek se net sy ondervinding is te min vir Toets rugby NOU, maar hy gaan goed doen as hy geen beserings opdoen nie.
Our tight forwards dominated on a rainy day, which is exactly what you need to do.
Basically the weather dictated the style of play and this suited us as our backs were not required to attack and defend as they would in dry weather.
I am thrilled for the win and once again congratulate our team especially the forwards.
However this win needs to be seen in perspective by the coaches.
The old fashioned grind suited us on the day and to be honest this Irish team were pathetically bad.
I cannot see this Irish team winning too many games in the 6N this year and I suspect they are both long in the tooth in some positions and seriously lacking in international talent in others.
Their tight forwards were terrible and simply did not put up a fight until the last ten minutes when the chance of an unfair upset was there.
Furthermore I suspect ex players like Keith Wood were embarrassed in seeing an Irish team with no fire in the belly, something that we never see.
I take nothing away from the Boks as you can only play against the team in front of you on the day.
Lastly I have no problem with the Bok subs coming on when they did and it was Lambie that created the Aplon try if you carefully look at how his pass created the space out wide.
spies had a huge game. sure he made a mistake or two, but so did many others in the conditions. he was big on defense, and carried the ball better than he has all year.
sure he was tackled back a time or three, but if you wan’t to criticise him for that, then bismarck should also be criticised since he was tackled back two or three times as well.
even though the boks forwards dominated, the irish forwards defended very well. beast was the only forward who managed to get over the adv line almost every time. go watch the highlights again, and take not of how the irish forwards double-teamed, and even triple-teamed our ball carriers.
and how about that cover tackle from spies?
and don’t even try to tell me kanko would have been better.
and while aplon was safe under the high ball, he was out of position a couple of times at 15. if o’gara had come on earlier, we could have had more problems with aplon at the back.
zane did good enough, he stopped the gap he was asked to. JDV did well to organise the defence.
@ bloubulblog.co.za:
Just remember if ronan O’Gara came on earlier, there would hve been more gaps in the Irish defence.
goooooooooooooooodmorning everyone!!
..
personally think the irish were lucky to even get on the scoreboard the way we played … they certainly got a few questanable decisions to keep them in the game and the same can be said of the penalties awarded to them that let to their tries!!
..
btw
does anyone know who the officials for the nz, aus and sa games are?
bet we’ll be the one to end up with another nh ref!! 😯
o,
and
bokke!! bokke!! bokke!!
anyone look at the superbru standings yet 😉
@ Laagvat (bloubulblog.co.za): Is that your yellow cap?
@ Greenpoint-Gunner:
Laugh it up. Who scored the most tries in the Super 14 the past two years? Who won the competition the last two years?
Who scored over 60 points in a final? Not the Stormers and definitely not the Sharks… I said Lambie’s kicking out of hand and goal kicking is not that good. What’s wrong with that? He doesn’t have much variety in his game. He attacked the advantage line more than he passed and he didn’t kick the ball. In the final of the Currie Cup he also almost never kicked, and he has the same problem as Peter Grant he can’t punt the ball far. You can’t attack the advantage line every time you get the ball in international rugby, international rugby players aren’t stupid like the Province who doesn’t pick something up when it happens for the 15th time. He puts pressure on the team but running from his own 22 rather than putting in a clearance kick.
vanStraaten wrote:
Hahahaha ja ou Bul mater dis seker maar so.
@ tight head:36 – TH, Agree it was Lambie that created that try for Aplon. So really one missed kick was not a train smash. He played well.
Steyn to Umar Akmal, OUT, Gone, full toss and he’s timed that well but straight into the palms of Smith at extra cover right at the edge of the circle, off the meat and he was looking to clear the in-field but didn’t get the desired elevation
Umar Akmal c Smith b Steyn 60 (71b 1×4 3×6) SR: 84.50
@ superBul:
47
wrong thread, haha
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