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.”
MacroBok wrote:
Look, I will give them this, they are consistent….consistently kak.
I think it’s Bosch who has now lost 18 straight tests. The opposite of what the All Blacks were aspiring to 😀
The Boks are not the first Team to be embarrassed at scrum time in Argentina,
and they most certainly won’t be the last.
Argentina have been a little unlucky several times now, not to notch up their first RC win.
I got a feeling ……………………..this is the year.
SA supporters should take heart.
You got through these two games and now lead the Table.
Your Coach will have learned a lot from these two matches. (lets hope so anyway, for your sake that is).
Good luck in Perth,
but be warned,
Aussie are not as bad as that pasting they got from the All Blacks might indicate.
They have many fine players. They were just out passioned on the day.
I think they (The Wallabies) began to believe what their Press was telling them,
and not what history has told them. It’s tough to win at Eden Park. Very tough.
I’m picking…………………………………………….
@ nortierd:
Absolutely.
But you’ve been going on about little else for two weeks.
If you think that’s a twelfth place team that played us on Saturday you need your head examined.
😆
@ Jeraldjay:
Swak gevaar
😆
@ nortierd:
you missed the point
It’s an upper classes game in Argentina, their best players picked by scouts from Europe Union , the rest play club rugby, not aware of provincial unions or franchises there, club players are basically amateurs, that’s is how rugby survives there
@ gunther:
You would swear he is confusing them for France 😀
with*
@ nortierd:
18
Sat, 09 Jun 2012 ST ARG v ITA 37-22 San Juan H
Sat, 16 Jun 2012 ST 1 ARG v FRA 23-20 Cordoba H
Sat, 23 Jun 2012 ST 2 ARG v FRA 10-49 Tucuman H
Sat, 18 Aug 2012 RC ARG v SAF 6-27 Newlands, Cape Town A
Sat, 25 Aug 2012 RC ARG v SAF 16-16 Mendoza H
Sat, 08 Sep 2012 RC ARG v NZL 5-21 Westpac Trust, Wellington A
Sat, 15 Sep 2012 RC ARG v AUS 19-23 Skilled Park, Gold Coast A
Sat, 29 Sep 2012 RC ARG v NZL 15-54 La Plata H
Sat, 06 Oct 2012 RC ARG v AUS 19-25 Rosario H
Sat, 10 Nov 2012 AI ARG v WAL 26-12 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff A
Sat, 17 Nov 2012 AI ARG v FRA 22-39 Lille A
Sat, 24 Nov 2012 AI ARG v IRE 24-46 Lansdowne Rd, Dublin A
@ gunther:
He he, well, Wales is 6th and we beat them by a point, precisely 50% less than we beat the 12th ranked team by.
Maths do add up
@ gunther:
Have seen thousands of Bok tests but I have never seen our scrum turbo reverse in that manner.
Did our props become that poor overnight or can we at least give the Argies little bit of credit.
@ MacroBok:
with?
I do like brevity. But this might be a little too brief.
😉
Jeraldjay wrote:
Your mad, the Japanese Goliath would destroy this Argentine pack.
MacroBok wrote:
They are pretty similar aren’t they, don’t have the temperament to string more than 2 decent games together in a row.
Cry before kickoff….and usually again after the final whistle when they see they lost, AGAIN
Latin temperament, aai
cane wrote:
haha look at the previous post!
As for the Venue Salta.
I only saw a Sports News 40 second summary.
But f#*k it did look like an intimidating atmosphere and ground.
MacroBok wrote:
The major difference between Japan and Argentina is simply, Japan has won 9 out of their last 9 tests, Argentina have lost theirs.
And they both played against the same Scotland side.
Bear in mind, just as they don’t choose their stronger teams in June, neither do the teams that tour there.
These last few years England, Ireland and Scotland sent experimental sides to Argentina…yet, they still won there
@ MacroBok:
Oooops.
now it all makes sense.
😉
@ cane:
C’mon Caner, are you talking them up for in case your mob struggles to put 50 past them?
cane wrote:
I guess that 40 second clip was the duration of the Bok’s highlights?
The really sad thing is the “half empty club” is hoping the AB’S will strike down upon the Boks with great vengeance and furious anger, to vindicate themselves.
@ nortierd:
and we put 50 past the same Scotland side… excellent point 😉
@ nortierd:
That Argentinian team never played Scotland.
Why are you even arguing that?
😆
@ nortierd:
An AB performance like last week. Comes only once a year.
Just as the Bokke performance of last weekend, will not recur again this year.
And Oz will regroup, same as they always do.
This is a tough Competition. The Toughest in the World , and Argentina are tough nuts as well. Very tough nuts.
@ gunther:
The two test against this Argie team is the equivalent of a two test cricket series against Zim or Bangladesh.
😆
@ Jeraldjay:
or rather 2 T20’s
gunther wrote:
They did, after they lost two against Ireland they lost against the second string Scottish side, their first team came to SA
@ MacroBok:
I’ve got a feeling this year’s Championship is gonna be a humdinger.
#50 @ Jeraldjay:
No, they don’t.
They are hoping that the Boks play consistently GOOD, winning rugby. Especially against sides ranked 10 positions behind them.
MB, JJ, Cane and Gunther.
I understand you fellows rate the Argies, but just one question, do you really think they have any chance of winning any tournament of note?
Or springing a major surprise by beating England, NZ or Aus?
Serious question
Nama wrote:
Precisely
Not asking too much are we?
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