The Wallabies have their ammunition for a drought-busting Newlands ambush thanks to derogatory newspaper comments that have made the Springboks wince.
Coach Ewen McKenzie is certain to plaster the back-page of the Cape Times over the Australian dressing room wall on Saturday night after their chief rugby writer claimed the Wallabies didn’t deserve to be on the same field as South Africa.
SMH
“Let’s be honest about this – there is no way this Wallaby team should be living with the Boks, let alone play on the same field,” wrote Ashfak Mohamed.
“That is why it was actually embarrassing to see Heyneke Meyer’s team roll over and die in their last match against Australia in Perth.”
Springboks captain Jean de Villiers, preparing for his last Test at his home ground, visibly winced when notified of the incendiary column at his press conference on Friday.
Worried about what sort of motivation that would give the Wallabies, who haven’t won in Cape Town since 1992, De Villiers stressed it would be a tough encounter.
“I wouldn’t agree with that (belief),” the veteran centre said. “I think Australia have shown they have come a long way under Ewen and beat us the last time they played us (24-23) so I don’t think there is any way we can say that.
“I always enjoy playing against Australia and it’s never easy.
“Both sides have come out and said they want to keep the ball in hand and that will make for a great game.”
Dry and sunny conditions are forecast and De Villiers also expects that Welsh referee Nigel Owens will ensure an open contest, which will suit both sides as they battle for the Mandela Plate and the world No 2 ranking.
The South African skipper spoke with class when he chose to ignore the media debate about the surprise selection of rising black flanker Oupa Mohoje ahead of 71-Test local hero Schalk Burger.
“What I care about is the individual, and the person, and Oupa is an unbelievable guy,” he said. “I think we’re way past those days where we judge each other by our colour.
“We play for each other and we care about each other.”
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Bok face-off: To kick or run?
26 September 2014
By Zelim Nel and Ashfak Mohamed in the Cape Times
Should the Boks run the Aussies off the park on Saturday at Newlands or should they grind out a win with the percentages and kicking game? Cape Times rugby writer Ashfak Mohamed and Cape Argus rugby writer Zelim Nel face off on the issue.
Zelim Nel – Kick
The Boks shouldn’t commit to a shootout against the Wallabies on Saturday but, without the sniper rifles required to fire up a lethal percentage game, they may have no choice.
With Fourie du Preez and Ruan Pienaar out injured, Francois Hougaard will feed the scrum. The all-action Bulls halfback is an inspirational competitor who will challenge the Wallabies as a line-break threat, but who does not have the boot to keep the opposing back three on their toes.
Speaking of the Aussie back-three… like the Super Rugby champion Waratahs, the Wallabies have a bloke at fullback called Israel Folau. By rugby standards, he is a freak of nature.
Players capable of breaching well-organised defensive lines on their own are in extremely rare supply. Folau is joined by All Blacks gamebreaker Sonny Bill Williams on the exclusive short-list.
The rangy Aussie fullback arms the Wallabies with a get-out-of-jail free card. Any time their attack sputters, Folau can be trusted to get across the gain-line, putting the pressure back on the defending team.
The game-changing phenom allows Australia to laugh off the idea of kicking the ball.
The Boks don’t have that luxury. With Hougaard at No 9, they are also too short-staffed to mount an aerial assault, despite flyhalf Handré Pollard’s tactical expertise.
Consequently, coach Heyneke Meyer appears to have resigned himself to taking the Wallabies on at their own game.
Hougaard is capable and eager to exploit gaps around the fringes, while Oupa Mohoje will boost the pack with speed.
However, it remains to be seen whether the decision to load the bench with four grizzled veterans was the right one.
Meyer rightly believes that Bismarck du Plessis, Bakkies Botha, Schalk Burger and JP Pietersen have the experience to close out a tight contest, but experience is seldom the top priority for impact players.
With the possible exception of Pietersen, these veterans are past their physical prime. Bakkies turned 35 on Monday this week.
The whole concept of an impact player centres on the physical mismatch created when a fresh, nimble athlete comes off the bench in the final quarter to take advantage of flagging rivals. The Boks would have been better served by the experience of this savvy and abrasive group in the early exchanges. The 270-cap quartet also run the risk of becoming redundant reinforcements if the Wallabies take an early lead and the hosts are forced to chase the game.
In such an eventuality, Meyer will wish he’d started Burger ahead of Mohoje, Pietersen instead of Jan Serfontein or Cornal Hendricks, and that he’d kept Lood de Jager on the bench instead of Botha.
Ashfak Mohamed – Run
There’s no question that the Springboks should run the Wallabies off the field at Newlands on Saturday.
Let’s be honest about this – there is no way that this Wallaby team should be living with the Boks, let alone play on the same field. That is why it was actually embarrassing to see Heyneke Meyer’s team roll over and die in their last match against Australia in Perth.
The fact that it was such a tight game in Perth was due to the Boks not backing themselves enough on attack. They were way too cautious with their gameplan, despite the wet conditions caused by heavy downpours just before kickoff.
Poor old Willie le Roux, normally an excitement machine, had to be reduced to a kicking machine as he hoofed the ball back time and again, sometimes directly into touch, going against his natural instincts entirely and robbing the Boks of their main attacking weapon.
The Boks have just the right man to get their attack going in the shape of Francois Hougaard. The Bulls star made his name in the past as a dashing halfback capable of breaking open defences around the rucks with his incredible speed and stepping abilities, and it is vital that coach Meyer gives him the licence to play his natural game.
We all know that Hougaard is not the best tactical kicker around, but he needs to put those awful box-kicks away – preferably in a box – and have a full go at the Wallabies with ball-in-hand. He should use tactical kicks for variety and not as his chief weapon.
And then there is a heavyweight bench of outstanding operators, all capable of starting a Test, who will make a huge impact in the second half. Bakkies Botha and Schalk Burger might be over 30 and have been brought in from overseas clubs, but imagine the looks on the Wallaby players’ faces when they see these two Bok legends charge out on to Newlands pitch with about 30 minutes to go?
Bok coach Meyer has stated that it is easier to “grind” your way to victories away from home as it’s more difficult to get front-foot ball and attack.
But I say there’s no time for “bump and grind” – whether you are home or away. The Boks should rather “bump and run”, and they proved in Brisbane last year when they scored four terrific tries against Australia that show they can embrace a positive mindset away from home.
Now that they are back on home soil, there’s even further cause for making the ball do the work instead of bashing into defenders. Even the notoriously fickle Cape Town weather is set to play ball, but will the Boks?
If they are serious about being worthy challengers to the All Blacks, on Saturday at Newlands is the time to prove it.
53 @ Tassies:
The public has set up Oupa to fail with his squad inclusion. The best we can do is be realistic about our reality and to support him/or not the Springboks at all, no use putting our head in the sand.
@ MacroBok:
You are completely missing the point, how many players could they actually pay to play instead of wasting money (does it matter how much) on someone who plays one or two games a year?
Anyway, that is your problem as a Bull supporter, luckily not ours.
Why do you think we Stormers are so gatvol of Tiaan?
He is a walking sick note, but even he plays more games than Arno, and I’m guessing his salary is less, but he is forever getting injured
@ nortierd: Let’s see how he goes today before rating his potential, his first start so will be nervous. I remember people saying Bhabana was transformation player.
48 @ Tassies:
They were quite succesful playing the same type of rugby with their experienced players. Then they bought these youngsters or loads of money and asked their experienced players to take a pay cut.
There were talks of Pollard being offered R2.5mil for three years. That’s more than R800k per year! Fresh from matric! With no pedigree behind you exept school boy rugby!
Then you expect Jano Vermaak (a Bok, mind you) to take a pay cut so that you can afford to pay a snotneus laaitie?
They fully deserve what they are getting right now.
@ Best:
I’m sure he will do ok, the others will help him along to settle.
My point is simply that Boom and Lappies at the Cheetahs are better loose forwards than him, and Brussouw was by far their best loosie. So we all know that he isn’t even the best at his own franchise, let alone in the country.
The best loosie we had this year was Potgieter, simply because the Aussies taught him to think as well as play.
@ nortierd:
But how could be an administrative problem that Arno is injured now?
There would a countrywide player revolt if Unions stopped playing injured players.
Do you think Schalk Burger’s “tiny” salary was suspended when he spent two years on the sidelines? Do you honestly believe Schalk earns less than Botha?
@ nortierd: I realise you are making a joke. But it would be interesting to tally up all the wings in the CC and calculate the race group percentages. I’m guessing maybe 10% pale faces. Down here at WP we have a much feared backline propvol suntanned boys with a few token whiteys to colour up the vase. 🙄
@ Nama:
Arno got 300 000 while in matric, then they upped it to 800K while he did post matric.
I’m sure it’s much higher now, but Macro believes they play for a pair of boots and a coke 😀
64 @ Nama:
Do you still think Pollard needs to prove himself? Even with a test match in NZ behind him that you too felt was successful for him?
@ nortierd:
Not at all, I think that is a going rate for top class players to go to the Bulls, Sharks, PW.
@ Tassies:
Yep, Province is different.
The divide in the Cape is Northern v Southern suburbs 😆
@ Nama: I was completely unaware of the behind-the-scenes issues. I did know they bought Pollard(when he was still at school) but I had no idea of the ramifications. Doesn’t sound right does it?
@ Tassies:
Down there you have thousands more POC’s to choose from, then buy a few token “Africans” from the Eastern Cape… The situation is incomparable to the Northern part of the country, especially Pirates and Chiefs country.
Ok fellows, I’m out, enjoy the rugby later and have a lekker Saturday
@ nortierd: yes. Many of us were impressed with Potgieter. Played his best rugby for the Tahs and helped them win the SR title for sure.
Tassies wrote:
At age 16 Meyer told Pollard he will be a Bok one day if he signs at the Bulls.
Caused a huge stink in the WP corridors, we never even had a chance to keep him.
Meyer also suggested to Dawie Theron to pick him for the junior Boks while still in matric in 2012, to good effect
@ MacroBok: Yes I agree. And there are some gems. That little bugger Kolbe is a case in point. Always enjoyed JdJ and reckon he should be pulling on a green jumper right now instead of recovering after thrashing the Pumas. We have a big talent pool for sure.
Why does it concern fans of franchise A or B what franchise C, D, E and F do or don’t do when it comes to the last mentioned group’s players? Why don’t A & B fans rather concern themselves with their own players, the sick notes of their own players, the erratic treatment of their own potential stars, & the largely non productive fortunes doled out on acquiring players for their own franchises from other franchises/provinces & countries …
‘Vee eers skoon voor julle eie drumpel’
@ nortierd: well, you have to hand it to Meyer for the foresight I suppose. Turns out he was right. But, according to my superiors here, he’s stuffed up the Bulls in the process. My, what a funny game this is of ours.
some blue sky at last. Only some, mind you. 🙂
okay. I’m outta here. Chores to do. cheers
48 @ Tassies:
They were quite successful playing the same type of rugby with their experienced players. Then they bought these youngsters or loads of money and asked their experienced players to take a pay cut.
There were talks of Pollard being offered R2.5mil for three years. That’s more than R800k per year! Fresh from matric! With no pedigree behind you exept school boy rugby!
Then you expect Jano Vermaak (a Bok, mind you) to take a pay cut so that you can afford to pay a snotneus laaitie?
They fully deserve what they are getting right now.
73 @ MacroBok:
Do you take the white sheet off your head when you post?
@ nortierd:
Don’t forget the centre who is with the Cheetahs now (Sadie?). How many games did he play for them in the two years that he was there?
Money down the drain.
@ MacroBok:
He mostly defended on the inside channel. HM’s way of protecting him.
HM knows he’ll get exposed on defence in the outside centre channel. Pity he didn’t do the same with Taute or JJE or De Allende when he played them there.
85 @ Nama:
Good job then?
@ Nama:
Well seeing as JJE played Sadie out of the team proves how ineffective he was…
Gosh this is all rich from guys who support a province that tried their best to end Elton Jantjies career for millions of rands.
@ Tassies: Can’t believe JdJ is not in Bok squad, has good defence, beats his man in one-on-one situations and great pace, doesn’t stop working. Hope he gets to go on end of year tour.
69 @ MacroBok:
Of course he needs to prove himself, Macro. Every Bok player has to prove that he belongs there every time he runs onto the field. Just ask Ruan Pienaar, Morne Steyn etc.
Why should we treat Pollard different? He was average against the Argies. He still has to prove that his performance against the AB was not a once off.
Cheers all, starting to watch game early, important I see game like Clancy, bit of a blur, double vision, and extreme bias.
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