Willie le Roux was electric against Wales!
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer praised his team’s character and commitment in Durban after they defeated Wales 38-16 in the first of two tests in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Growthpoint Kings Park on Saturday.
The coach admitted that they had a tough week leading up to the Test match, as they had to take to the field with a number of new combinations and debutants.
“It was a tough week with a lot of disruptions. I asked the guys to put their bodies on the line today as it was important for us to start well. I am very pleased with their response and effort, especially in the first half. I am very proud to be coach of this team,” Meyer said.
The coach was pleased with the effort on attack, which resulted in 5 tries, and he applauded the impact of Willie le Roux at fullback.
“I will take 5 tries to 1 anytime, anywhere in the world,” said Meyer. “Last week we scored 6 against a World XV and now 5 against one of the top defensive teams around.”
“Willie is probably the best fullback in the world at the moment. He is playing with a lot of confidence and has a license to express himself. I am very happy about his progress since he started on the wing last season. I challenged him to improve his aerial skills and defence last season and he did that very well.”
“We wanted to improve our scrummaging and we conceded no penalties there. We have good options in the team, and to see the young guys like Lood (de Jager) and Cornal performing the way they did was very pleasing. Jan (Serfontein) also did very well in his first start, especially as he has not played with JP (Pietersen) in the midfield before.”
More information on injuries will be made available on Sunday, but Meyer indicated that Johan Goosen (knee) and Bakkies Botha (Achilles) left the field in discomfort.
Springbok captain, Victor Matfield, said the scoreline was indicative of his team’s effort, especially in the first half. “We are happy,” said Matfield. “But there is still some hard work ahead as we made too many mistakes in the second half. However, the nice part of that is that we can put in the hard yards this week. We can only get better the more we play together.”
“We made some errors in the second half, but none in the first half. At this level, if you give away ball, you can be without it for 10 minutes.”
The Springboks and Wales will play the 2nd of their 2 Tests in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit next Saturday.
@Nama
Jy die stukkie gesien uit Spiro se nuutste stuk?
Neem aan die Shark fans gaan seker nie hou van dit nie….
McKenzie explained that the tactics the Wallabies used were to kick out of their own half on all occasions. In other words, the dreaded ‘Jakeball’ method has now insinuated its way into the DNA of McKenzie’s Wallabies. Say it isn’t so, Ewen!
His explanation casts doubts about his expressed conviction that the Wallabies want to win with entertaining rugby. The half-time scoreline was 0-0. It was clear then that the Jakeball game the Wallabies were playing wasn’t working. But after half time, the Wallabies came out and continued the kicking.
The Wallabies don’t go into the bowels of the stands at half time. They stay out on the field where the crowd can watch the coaching staff in action, or inaction, trying to get a message across to the players. For most of the time, McKenzie stood by himself or with the attack coach Jim McKay. They were deep in conversation. Occasionally there was pointing of arms to distant parts of the field.
McKenzie had a few words to the squad before they went back on to the field. The team got into a huddle by themselves. And for several minutes they stayed there until the French came back out.
What were the Wallabies saying to each other? What was Michael Hooper, the new captain, saying?
It certainly did not go along the lines of “Plan A our Jakeball game is not working, let’s go to Plan B which is how we played at Brisbane.”
Who is to blame for this failure to seize the moment – McKenzie or Hooper?
Contrast this with the All Blacks earlier that night in Dunedin, down 10- 6 against a rampant England side and playing poorly. They stormed into the second half and overwhelmed England to establish a big lead with 10 minutes to go before being pegged back by two soft tries to England at the end.
Hooper also gave away a chance early on in the Test to kick for goal. The tactic bombed when the French foiled the ensuing Wallaby lineout drive.
France missed their only two penalty shots at goal, while the Wallabies converted two of their five.
This last statistic and the lineout statistics, where France won 22 lineouts with 2 steals and 2 penalties to the 8 wins and 1 steal by the Wallabies, point to the inevitable conclusion that this Wallabies side should never try to play Jakeball.
Jakeball is actually a far more sophisticated method than most rugby commentators give it credit for.
First, you never play any rugby inside your own half.
Two, unless kicking very deep for territory, you put intense pressure on the opposition catchers of your high ball (think Bryan Habana).
Three, you have a superior lineout that ensures you win your own ball and contest ferociously and often successfully for the opposition ball (think Victor Matfield).
Four, you put enormous pressure on the opposition ball runners when they are trying to get passing movements going (think Bismarck du Plessis).
Five, your scrum forces kicking penalties.
Six, inside the opposition half you use the big runners to smash the ball into the defence until holes are created (think Bakkies Botha).
Seven, you kick all the penalties your lineout, scrum, high ball chasing, tackling and running can force (think Morne Steyn).
The Wallabies exercised none of these principles of the Jakeball game in Melbourne, and as a consequence came very close to losing a Test they should have won in a canter.
The Jakeball game can only be a winner if you kick the majority of your penalties and the opposition miss some of theirs. The Wallabies missed three penalties. France missed two penalties. Neither of the misses was by much.
@ nortierd:
Die Aussies is basies in dieselfde bootjie as ons. Nadat hulle verlede week baie goed vertoon het, het Frankryk Saterdag uitgekom en alles in hul vermoe gedoen om te “spoil”
Bokke moet oppas dat Saterdag se wedstryd nie in ‘n soortgelyke getjommel ontaard na ons goeie wedstryd die afgelope Saterdag nie.
121 @ nortierd:
klink of hy se die sharks kort meer bulle in hul span
in all seriousness. last week ewan was hailed. this week he is the new robbie deans
@ nortierd:
die tjorkies gaan meer negatief wees oor wat gavin rich geskryf het
” It wasn’t so much Matfield’s lineout work that caught the eye, for we all know that is pretty special, but rather his
industriousness around the field. Those who felt that Matfield might be scared of engagement, and there were many
who did, would have had their mind thoroughly changed by Matfield’s outstanding performance on a day where the
only downer for South African rugby was the poor turn-out (37 000), but perhaps that wasn’t helped by the negativity
that seemed to pervade in the build-up, and also possibly the fact that so many Durbanites seem aggrieved at the
style of rugby being played by the Sharks at the moment.
But the Boks aren’t the Sharks and Meyer has his team playing a far more complete style of rugby than the country’s
top franchise is at present. And that is a pleasant change from the usual trend of the Boks aping the style of the
premier local team”
@ MacroBok:Of course!
What does he expect?
F Steyn wasn’t playing…
37 000… what a poor effort by the supporters of the country’s leading franchise & SR pace setters…
gosh the people calling into RSG is still pissed off about the bok team. kanniewennie
127 @ BrumbiesBoy:
Remember, the Sharks supporters in Natal and around the country think the June Tests are a nothing series against weakened opposition and they believe the June Tests and the Springboks are far less important than the Sharks in Super Rugby…. so it’s only natural that there would be less spectators.
I said / asked yesterday why the Springboks had to play in Durban, of all places. Their Sharks supporters certainly do not deserve any Test rugby at Durban, with their attitudes and unnatural Sharks bias!
It was like playing an away game for the Bokke!
It does seem that the Sharks are more important than the Boks… If you look at the support the Boks got at Kings Park… A pity really…
the sharks dont support the boks because of the type of rugby heineken makes the boks play
Gavin Rich on SuperSport, reprted on News24 today:
”……..outstanding performance on a day where the only downer for South African rugby was the poor turn-out (37 000), but perhaps that wasn’t helped by the negativity that seemed to pervade in the build-up, and also possibly the fact that so many Durbanites seem aggrieved at the style of rugby being played by the Sharks at the moment.
But the Boks aren’t the Sharks and Meyer has his team playing a far more complete style of rugby than the country’s top franchise is at present.”
Enough said, I should think.
@ MacroBok:
@ MacroBok:
O gaats, jammer man, ek sien nou eers jy het dieselfde berig reeds hierbo aangehaal!
I suppose I better make my Pick for the Crusaders / England game… and it’s a farking difficult pick to make.
I think the Crusaders have a more balanced side, but I think the England dirt-tracker might be more motivated…
Eenie, meeny, miny mo….
Ek was n groot ondersteuner van Jake White, en het hom venynig verdedig tydens 2007 tydens die wereldbeker, veral daar op Voldy as die mense hom so kwaai aangevat het.
Maar nou begin ek n ander idee kry van die man.’
Kyk wat se Matfield aan Hannelie Retief in ‘Rapport’:
“Hy’t dalk nie meer 2007 se lyf nie, verwys hy weer na Jake White se opmerking, maar hy’t ook die windgat-ingesteldheid van daai dae verloor.
Einste White het hom in 2004 teruggestuur huis toe van Australië af, kwansuis oor ’n kniebesering, maar dit was eerder om “windgat” Victor te leer kniebuig.
In 2007, skryf Victor in sy boek, het dié twee weer koppe gestamp by Fancourt toe Victor verkondig het Heyneke is die beste afrigter onder wie hy nog gespeel het. Toe gryp Jake hom teen die bors.
Groet hulle mekaar darem deesdae?
“Ek het baie respek vir wat hy by die Sharks en Brumbies gedoen het. Ons hét by tye gehaak, miskien is ons te veel dieselfde.”
Jake gryp Matfield voor die bors?
grootblousmile wrote:
Nee wat, maklike een om te pik, Engeland met ten minste 15 punte….
@ Pietman:
I heard Victor tell that story as well when promoting his book?
“What do you mean Heyneke’s a better coach – I won you a World Cup.” That’s Jake White for you.
136 @ Pietman:
Het jy die Engeland dirt-trackers span gesien?
@ grootblousmile:
het die dirt trackers nie die eerste toets gespeel nie?
139 @ MacroBok:
Wel, hierdie Engelse span wat gekies is, is dan die “Mid-week dirt-trackers”… en verskil hewig van die span wat die 1ste Toets vir Engeland begin het… kyk, daar’s ‘n artikel oor hulle span.
@ grootblousmile:
Ek en Bully het ook vroeer oor die span gepraat, ek het Crusaders gegaan, groot risiko ek weet, maar dis nie soos Wallis teen die Kings nie.
Ek het myself afgevra dat as die Engelse span teen die Sharks, Bulls of Stormers moes speel, sou ons seker die tuisspan gekies het, en die Crusaders tuis is niemand se speelmaat nie. Meeste van hulle span speel wel SR.
Miskien dink ek nog te min van NH spanne? Ek ken skaars meer as 4 van die Engelse span se name
141 @ nortierd:
Ek het ook die Saders gepick… nie met baie nie, maar wel.
@ grootblousmile:
Laat ek dit so stel, as die Engelse wen is ek in my kanon in, veral in my geld poel waar ek tans 4de le, ek sal seker val 12de of verder toe, maar as hulle wen……..
143 @ nortierd:
Ek het elke pick sover reggehad, maar die flippin margins ontwyk my heeltyd… sal goed wees as ek ook reg is met die Saders pick
@ grootblousmile:
Siem my vroeer comments aan Nama, ek het ook 13/13 sover, maar slegs 2 margins reg.
Ek is bv net 1.5 punte minder as die ouens wat 1ste is op RT se groep, maar sit maar in 10de plek.
So of ek gaan Dinsdag bietjie klim, of ek gaan totaal en al uit contention uit val.
Ek sal maar woes skreeu vir die Crusaders….
145 @ nortierd:
Ek het ook al 13 reg, maar lê op 41 van 59… eish!
@ grootblousmile:
Het jy nie verlede week ook vir Italia of Argentinia gegaan nie?
Verlede week het ek al 7 gehad, maar nie een margin nie, maar die GSP was werd 2 punte, so het geeindig op 9 punte.
Sover die rondte het ek 6/6 met 2 margins, so ek le 10de.
Jy moes iewers verlede week een verkeerd gehad het, want anders sou jy ook op 15 plus punte gewees het, en sou meer na bo gewees het
Lets see if Cristiano Ronaldo and co can stop the Germans..
grootblousmile wrote:
Moenie later by my kom huil nie, ek het jou gewaarsku….
147 @ nortierd:
Ja man, ek onthou ook ek het Italy of iets gepick… maar Bru sê ek is op 100%… so ek weetie!
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