Jean De Villiers
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers is clear that his team need to take a massive step up before they face the Wallabies in Perth in their next Castle Lager Rugby Championship game on 6 September.
The Bok captain arrived home from the great Salta escape – where the Boks needed a penalty four minutes from time to beat a plucky, aggressive Argentinean team – knowing that the weight of public outrage at the result would be waiting for his team.
But De Villiers is a pragmatist, and, as he points out: it wasn’t the greatest of performances, but a win is a win.
SuperSport
While there is a lot for the Bok management to work on before they take on the Wallabies, and even more before they head to Wellington to face the All Blacks a week later, it isn’t all doom and gloom in the Bok camp, even though it may seem so for their fans.
“We’re not happy with our performance but definitely happy with the two wins,” De Villiers said on arriving back in Johannesburg.
“I think we all know that this is a very tough competition and if you keep on winning – if you are not firing on all cylinders, that is a positive result. We’ll take the two wins but there’s still a lot of hard work that needs to be done before the next game.”
While De Villiers is still adamant that the Argentineans are a lot better side than their 12th place on the IRB rankings portrays, he accepts that the pressure is on the team to show they can do better when they head to Perth. Argentina’s lowly log position comes mainly from the fact they play a B-team in the June internationals and only have their European based stars for the Rugby Championship, meaning their ranking has been in freefall for the last two years.
The ranking clearly isn’t something Los Pumas care too much for, and most rugby fans will agree that on the evidence of the last two weeks they would give most teams ahead of them on the rankings a massive fright, if not condemn them to defeat.
Still, for a team that constantly talks about concentrating on their own game, the Boks have a lot of work to do. They aren’t satisfied with how they played, something that De Villiers took every opportunity to underline.
“I think that’s a good thing (that the public expect more from us),” De Villiers admitted. “If the supporters and public can put as much pressure on us as possible to achieve better and perform better, then I see that as a positive sign. I think once we are happy with mediocrity and just putting up an average performance then I think we are in trouble. We see it as a good thing and we know we didn’t play well. We need to up our game and we need to improve.”
The Bok captain said he did take note of the impressive All Black performance on Saturday in putting up a half century against the Wallabies in their demolition at Eden Park, but that for now, they are in the distance. First priority is the Perth game, and that is where the Boks need to focus their attention right now.
“They were impressive but we are only seeing them in three weeks’ time,” De Villiers said on the All Blacks.
“The focus for us right now is Australia and putting up a good performance against them, after that we’ll take on the next one.”
“At the end of the day we’re happy that we won two out of two and we’re top of the log at the moment in the Rugby Championship.
“But we are very realistic in the way we played and what lies ahead for us.
“There needs to be improvement and if we want to walk away with the trophy at the end of the tournament we need to put up better performances.”
Vice-President of the “glass half full” Club 😆
Argentina, the “ringers” of the rugby world…..they manipulate their ranking in order to lull the others into a false sense of security and to perhaps get a better group in the World Cup?
@ nortierd:
Do you think Fiji and Japan would beat this Argentinian side?
Nortie. After this article, please stop banging on that Puma’s 12th position drum.
😆
Juan Martin Hernandez, I reckon, is on the top of the list when it comes to tactical kicking.
MacroBok wrote:
Everyone else is, when last have they won a game?
@ nortierd:
2
@ nortierd:
Well considering you were banging on about the Stormers “C-team” that beat the sharks, when they had 1 or 2 injured locks, the Pumas are playing with a entirely different forwards pack that lost to Scotland.
vs Scotland
FB 15 Lucas González Amorosino
RW 14 Santiago Cordero
OC 13 Matías Orlando
IC 12 Santiago González Iglesias
LW 11 Manuel Montero
FH 10 Nicolás Sánchez
SH 9 Tomás Cubelli (c)
N8 8 Tomás de la Vega
OF 7 Javier Ortega Desio
BF 6 Rodrigo Baez
RL 5 Matías Alemano
LL 4 Manuel Carizza
TP 3 Matías Díaz
HK 2 Julián Montoya
LP 1 Bruno Postiglioni
vs South Africa
FB 15 Joaquín Tuculet
RW 14 Lucas González Amorosino
OC 13 Marcelo Bosch
IC 12 Juan Martín Hernández
LW 11 Manuel Montero
FH 10 Nicolás Sánchez
SH 9 Martín Landajo
N8 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamón
OF 7 Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe
BF 6 Pablo Matera
RL 5 Tomás Lavanini
LL 4 Mariano Galarza
TP 3 Ramiro Herrera
HK 2 Agustín Creevy (c)
LP 1 Marcos Ayerza
Yep, 2 players… same thing right? 😀
3 players out of 15
7 @ MacroBok:
Who’s choice was it to play that side?
are they so unprofessional that they don’t take test matches seriously?
The fact is, teams like Japan target every test match because maybe they respect the game?
And if you continue to win, you are rewarded, and the opposite is also true, if you can’t win you fall down the rankings to where you belong.
@ MacroBok:
MB, you seem to have your finger on the stats that count, check up how many matches have they won in the last 2-3 years.
If you have access to it, thanks
@ nortierd:
Well, teams like Arg are in a completely different situation to teams from Japan, Europe and SANZAR… obviously.
So they make due with what they get… in other words not a true reflection, this team will fare much better (even if we should beat them everytime).
@ MacroBok:
Can’t see why they must be treated differently….when they won a game against France in the 2007 WC, they were rewarded with a “free ride” into SANZAR because, shame, they are doing so well.
When Tonga beat France in the 2011 WC, zero, zilch.
When the Kings were awarded a free ride into the big leagues, some are still upset about that.
Same with the Guppies, only, unlike Argentina, they can buy a team to compete for trophies.
We shouldn’t be feeling sorry for them, we should be pasting them by plenty.
Sat, 08 Jun 2013 ST 1 ARG v ENG 3-32 0:4 0-5 Salta H
Sat, 15 Jun 2013 ST 2 ARG v ENG 26-51 2:7 0-5 Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires H
Sat, 22 Jun 2013 ST ARG v GEO 29-18 1:0 4-0 San Juan H
Sat, 17 Aug 2013 RC ARG v SAF 13-73 1:9 0-5 Soweto, Johannesburg A
Sat, 24 Aug 2013 RC ARG v SAF 17-22 2:1 1-4 Mendoza H
Sat, 07 Sep 2013 RC ARG v NZL 13-28 1:3 0-4 Waikato Stadium, Hamilton A
Sat, 14 Sep 2013 RC ARG v AUS 13-14 1:1 1-4 Subiaco Oval, Perth_AUS A
Sat, 28 Sep 2013 RC ARG v NZL 15-33 0:4 0-5 La Plata H
Sat, 05 Oct 2013 RC ARG v AUS 17-54 2:7 0-5 Rosario H
Sat, 09 Nov 2013 AI ARG v ENG 12-31 0:4 0-5 Twickenham, London A
Sat, 16 Nov 2013 AI ARG v WAL 6-40 0:4 0-5 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff A
Sat, 23 Nov 2013 AI ARG v ITA 19-14 1:1 4-1 Naples A
Sat, 07 Jun 2014 ST 1 ARG v IRE 17-29 2:3 0-4 Resistencia H
Sat, 14 Jun 2014 ST 2 ARG v IRE 17-23 2:2 1-4 Tucuman H
Sat, 21 Jun 2014 ST ARG v SCO 19-21 2:2 1-4 Cordoba H
Sat, 16 Aug 2014 RC ARG v SAF 6-13 0:1 1-4 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria A
Sat, 23 Aug 2014 RC ARG v SAF 31-33 3:3 1-4 Salta H
@ nortierd:
Ill check, but they probably won’t have won much… suppose most teams would struggle when they are not playing teams like Scotland and Italy while at full strength…
13 @ superBul:
Thanks SB
So lost 15 out of the last 17 tests, beating the mighty Georgia and Italy.
And people ask why they are 12th, goodness gracious 🙄
Sat, 08 Jun 2013 ST 1 ARG v ENG 3-32 Salta H
Sat, 15 Jun 2013 ST 2 ARG v ENG 26-51 Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires H
Sat, 22 Jun 2013 ST ARG v GEO 29-18 San Juan H
Sat, 17 Aug 2013 RC ARG v SAF 13-73 Soweto, Johannesburg A
Sat, 24 Aug 2013 RC ARG v SAF 17-22 Mendoza H
Sat, 07 Sep 2013 RC ARG v NZL 13-28 Waikato Stadium, Hamilton A
Sat, 14 Sep 2013 RC ARG v AUS 13-14 Subiaco Oval, Perth_AUS A
Sat, 28 Sep 2013 RC ARG v NZL 15-33 La Plata H
Sat, 05 Oct 2013 RC ARG v AUS 17-54 Rosario H
Sat, 09 Nov 2013 AI ARG v ENG 12-31 Twickenham, London A
Sat, 16 Nov 2013 AI ARG v WAL 6-40 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff A
Sat, 23 Nov 2013 AI ARG v ITA 19-14 Naples A
Sat, 07 Jun 2014 ST 1 ARG v IRE 17-29 Resistencia H
Sat, 14 Jun 2014 ST 2 ARG v IRE 17-23 Tucuman H
Sat, 21 Jun 2014 ST ARG v SCO 19-21 Cordoba H
Sat, 16 Aug 2014 RC ARG v SAF 6-13 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria A
Sat, 23 Aug 2014 RC ARG v SAF 31-33 Salta H
@ nortierd:
5
The Arg Rugby Union doesn’t seek the services of Steve Walsh or Peyper to ensure success at Test level, they have nothing to gain by improving their ranking,
In case you missed it?
😉
Actually, looking at those stats, this calls for a Fern moment…..dearestfuck, they are bad 😀
@ Hondo:
So they are ringers?
@ nortierd:
Look there is NO way i believe anything that HM does is going to win us the RWC
He started of saying Tests are serious business and you must play to win all.
Sadly we dont get that shocking wake up call.
We were robbed by Poite or were we, The AB,s lost their captain and look what happened when he came back.
SA is in fact HM is not building a new team , he tries to get away with the 2007 team that he invisaged.
Sad but true, HM they are walking dead men.
@ Jeraldjay:
That team would have beetsn any of the four teams above them.
But don’t tell the head prefect that.
😆
@ superBul:
At this stage, we are still far behind NZ, and Aus will be a much bigger challenge this year.
I think we will beat OZ at Newlands, but that will be the only win we will be getting in the RC further.
@ superBul:
Thanks SB,
So that is only 1 in plenty, while capping 35 new players since April 2013, while south Africa have had 19, NZ 16 and Aus 17.
@ nortierd:
“when they won a game against France in the 2007 WC, they were rewarded with a “free ride” into SANZAR because, shame, they are doing so well.
When Tonga beat France in the 2011 WC, zero, zilch.”
Come now Nortie, comparing Results 4 years apart?
I am not feeling sorry for them, no one is, but do you truly want to believe that they wont compete vs Japan or Fiji?
Another conspiracy from Hondkak.
😆
gunther wrote:
So Gunther…lets say they do, and its an oversight and they are better than the 4 ahead of them, we should be struggling to beat nr 8 in the world?
I’m of the opinion that we shouldn’t struggle against Argentina, point.
Doesn’t matter where they are ranked, whether 8 or 12
@ MacroBok:
Don’t cry for Argentina
@ MacroBok:
“I am not feeling sorry for them, no one is, but do you truly want to believe that they wont compete vs Japan or Fiji?”
Which team will they pick?
Because, yes, they might get their arses handed to them.
26 @ nortierd:
lol ok
@ nortierd:
Lets just say the team that played this last weekend.
@ gunther:
Me thinks the head prefect has been brainwashed by the “swart gevaar”
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