Durban – Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has lauded the impact captain Jean de Villiers had in steering the Boks to a win over England at Kings Park here on Saturday.
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De Villiers marked his debut as captain with a crucial second-half try to help his team edge out England 22-17 in the first Test of their three-match series.
“I must say there were a few nerves in the beginning with a new captain and few new caps,” Meyer said after a winning start to his reign.
“But I’m very happy with the guys, we stuck to our guns and I thought Jean did brilliantly as captain.”
“We did really well in the second half in what was an exceptionally tough Test match. I’m just happy that we saw it through.”
The Boks started out promisingly enough against an English team also with a new coach, as Stuart Lancaster was in charge for the first time after being appointed on a full-time basis.
It was the visitors who went in front via a 6th minute penalty from Owen Farrell after debutant lock Eben Etzebeth conceded a penalty at the ruck.
South Africa hit back when a Morné Steyn up-and-under was not cleanly gathered, allowing some pressure to form with England then caught off-side, and Bulls flyhalf was able to level the scores.
England took back the lead when Marcell Coetzee entered a ruck from the side and Steyn levelled after the tourists were again off-side, bringing the scores to 6-6 before halftime.
“The plan was always to open up the game in the second half,” Meyer explained. “Jean was brilliant (in the change room) at halftime. I just said to the forwards it’s not good enough and they need to get more stuck in.”
“I wanted them to up the tempo and they responded very well.”
After the restart Patrick Lambie was introduced to replace Zane Kirchner and South Africa eventually broke through in the 48th minute.
The try came after Bryan Habana and Jean de Villiers combined on the left, with Jannie du Plessis bursting through the middle, before the ball eventually made it’s way to Steyn on the right as he dived in.
On the hour, Jean de Villiers took a pass from JP Pietersen on the right and powered over for his 20th international try.
England crossed the whitewash, just after the final hooter, when Ben Foden collected a low pass on the right to squeak into the corner.
“I think we played fairly well and there were lots of positives to take”, said Lancaster.
“We need to work on that third quarter where the Springboks controlled the game, but I was delighted with the fight we showed and there’s a lot for us to take to Johannesburg.”
Jean could very easily become Meyer’s long term captain… hope his injuries stay away.
Jean is articulate and well-spoken and seems to be someone the players naturally gravitate to and listen to.
@ grootblousmile:
He’s done well as captain at the Stormers and most of the fans prefer him to Schalk. The only worry is that he is injury prone, so HM better have an alternative in mind as backup. IMO Meyer should state publicly that he picks the team first and then the captain and that he has sufficient confidence in the leadership qualities in the squad, and not make this whole captaincy thing such an issue.
Goeie kapteinskap gewees Saterdag, maar ek sien niemand noem hoe ons kaptein 2 of 3 keer op sy gat gaan sit het soos die engelse senters bo oor hom gehardloop het nie. Wat gaan gebeur as SBW op hom afhardloop ?
O wag, hy is nie ‘n Bul nie, so kom ons kyk daarby verby.
So ook al Bismark se skewe ingooie, is natuurlik die wind se skuld, maar Morne ou maat, in die daardie moeilike wind moet jy alles oorskop, want jy is mos ‘n Bul, ander standaarde geld vir jou.
En Marcel, hardloop pragtig met bal in hand saam Alberts, maar doen nie die basiese Brussow werk nie, so wie moet die skoonmaak werk doen, ou Spiesie, g’n wonder hy word nie meer raakgesien met bal in hand nie. En niemand noem dat met ons een drie, toe een van ons spelers deurgebreek het en op sy eie was, dit ou Spiesie was wat alleen daar was en die vinnige bal verseker het. Du Anne sal nie naby daardie bal gewees het nie, is net heeltemal te stadig. Maar ja, kom ons kyk dit verby, Spies is mos ‘n Bul, ander standaarde geld vir hom.
Dit is nie dat die Bulle bokke tans op hul beste is nie, dit is net ironies dat die hele span gesukkel het in die eerste helfte maar net ‘n sekere paar spelers uitgesonder word as die probleem, hmmmm.
Ai, dit is lekker in Afrika, dubbele standaarde en al.
‘n paar interressante punte wat jy daar noem bdb, dit plaas ‘n bietjie van ‘n ander perspektief oor sekere van die Bokke se spel Saterdag. Het glad nie die wedstryd gekyk so moes maar rond lees na die tyd om ‘n ‘gebalanseerde’ indruk te kry van hoe dit gegaan het. As ons eerlike moet wees is Morne Steyn se standaard baie hoog en dit lyk of hy baie sukkel met sy gewone dood akkurate skopwerk hierdie seisoen, wat dink jy is fout is hy dalk moeg, ek weet nie die presiese nommers nie maar dink hy is heeltemaal te veel gespeel die afgelope paar jaar juis oor sy puik spel, ek sal verbaas wees as daar baie spelers in SA is wat meer as hom gespeel het. Dan is daar ook ‘off field distractions’ wat dalk ook ‘n rol speel. Hopelik kort hy net een wedstyd waarin hy ‘n klomp moeilike skoppe oorsit om sy vertoue terug te kry. As dit sulke moeilike skop toestande was hoekom het Farrel so veel beter pale toe kon skop?
Ek weet nie of daar wel dubbele standaarde is nie maar om jou gerus te stel as dit so is dan geld dit hier ook, ek het die ratings van ‘n sekere koerant hier deur gegaan en gesien hulle was nie so positief gewees oor ‘n sekere groep spelers, behalwe vir Juandre Kruger en ek het gewonder of dit nie maar net was omdat hy in Engeland gespeel het dat hulle sy bydrae beter geag het as die ander van die groep spelers. Onthou ek het nie die toets gekyk nie, wat dink jy van die ratings? :
Zane Kircher: Lasted a half before getting replaced by Pat Lambie who should start the next Test. 5/10
JP Pietersen: Steady if not spectacular but, then, the Boks weren’t into a wide game. 6
Jean de Villiers: Struggled to lift the side during the first half malaise. Much, much better in the second period. 7
Frans Steyn: Practises by running through brick walls then tries to do the same in the game. 6
Bryan Habana: Electric first run and kept getting better and better. One of the few Boks able to inject pace. 9
Morne Steyn: Scored his side’s first try but has no pretensions as a play-maker. Dull. 6
Francois Hougaard: Quick feet and a splendid tackle on Ashton but needs to learn game management. 6
Tendai Mtawarira: Crowd barely started the Beaaaast chant before he was shackled by England defenders. 5
Bismarck du Plessis: A fine match. Industrious from the start and forced the breaks eventually. 8
Jannie du Plessis: Involved in build-up to Bok’s second try. An impressive ball carrier. 7
Eben Etzebeth: Gave England first kickable penalty but commanding in the lineout. 6
Juandre Kruger: A player who has grown in stature since his move back home from Northampton. 7
Marcel Coetzee: An impressive debut. Was very conspicuous in the physical exchanges. 7
Willem Alberts: Best Bok forward by some distance. Hugely effective on the charge and apparently indefatigable. 8
Pierre Spies: A mediocre effort by his standards. Made mistakes and rarely broke free to make a difference. 5
Replacements: Ruan Pienaar provided some late shape and prop Coenie Oosthuizen bullied tired English bodies. Lambie also impressive. 7
4: kyk na die rating van Zane en JPP, albei het nie veel gedoen nie, was albei gemiddeld, maar een kry 5 en ander 6 ?
Bismark het ‘n horde van foute in die eerste helfte gemaak, soos die res van die span, maar kry ‘n 8 ?
My eie opsomming is:
Alberts en Habana was uitstaande
JDV (ongeag sy hoogvatte) en Juandre Kruger was goed
Die res was almal gemiddeld.
In die eerste helfte was ons voorspelers baie slordig by die afbreekpunte, wat Hougies ook benadeel het.
Tweede helfte het dit baie beter gegaan, en die hele span het beter begin speel.
Die wurmpie moet verban word, en as ons vinniger speel gaan Hougies goed in die wedstryd kom, so ook die res van die agterlyn.
5@ bdb:
Dankie vir jou opsomming bdb. Dit is die probleem as party mense eers ‘n opinie oor ‘n speler het dan kan hulle sukkel om altyd onpartydig to wees wat dit moeilike maak as mens nie met jou eie oe dinge gesien het. Soos jy se daar is twee spelers wat jy dink albei gemmiddeld was maar die een kry meer punte as die ander. Ek sien op ‘n ander site het hulle gese Spies het ook ‘n redelike goeie game gehad veral sy hoeveelheid ‘rucks hit’ staan uit, en dat hy ook so ‘n tradisionele nr 8 goed agter gedek het. So hy moes baie hard gewerk het om by al daai rucks te wees en ook soveel agter to dek. Maar dis seker nie altyd reg om net na die nommers te kyk nie maar hulle kan wel vir mens wys waar daar met seker bias iets teen ‘n speler gese word.
‘n ander voorbeeld is Alberts, al die mense se soos jy hy het puik game gehad maar tog het hy die meeste strafskoppe afgestaan en die meeste tackles gemis volgens die syfers, ek weet nie hoeveel punte het gekom teen ons weens die strafskoppe wat hy afgestaan het.
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