Internationals
The desperation in Australia to turn around a four-match losing streak has reached such a dire stage even their best players are now in the firing line.
The Wallabies have failed to fire in three losses since Ewen McKenzie took over as coach, with the team copping plenty of heat following last week’s record 12-38 belting by South Africa in Brisbane.
Scrumhalf Will Genia, who aside from South Africa’s Fourie du Preez is regarded as the game’s foremost No.9, is in the cross hairs of critics looking to find a scapegoat for the team’s dismal run.
The Wallabies have brought in two Waratahs forwards to bolster the squad, in the form of Dave Dennis and Sitaleki Timani.
They have been called up as replacements for the injured James Horwill and Jake Schatz, who will be sidelined for six weeks with injuries.
The Springboks emerged from Saturday’s massive 38 / 12 victory over the Wallabies in Brisbane with no worrying injuries to report.
The new week presents new challenges against the New Zealand All Blacks, the number one team in the world but it appears that Heyneke Meyer will be able to name an unchanged side for this important clash.
There is an air of happyness in the Springbok camp, yet a groundedness, knowing the challenge they will face in New Zealand, where wins is almost as scarse as chicken teeth.
After every Tom, Dick & Harry and every Australian journalist really lay into the Wallabies, they are busy regrouping and trying to circle the wagons around themselves.
The Wallabies face the Pumas from Argentina this coming weekend, after the New Zealand All Blacks and South African Springboks face off in the battle of the two best sides on the planet.
Australian players and coaching staff spoke of remaining unified and circling the wagons, as they look to end a four-match losing streak and avoid their worst run in recent years.
On a bright Monday morning, I look back on a weekend where the rugby gods smiled on me and the teams I support.
On Saturday morning at 09:35 SA Time, the New Zealand All Blacks and Argentinian Pumas met at the Waikato Stadium, Hamilton in wether which was never going to suit high-scoring running rugby, with wind and rain pelting down. The All Blacks won a tough encounter against a spirited Pumas side by 28 / 13.
A bit later, at 12:05 SA Time the Australian Wallabies and South African Springboks met in Brisbane, in perfect weather for rugby. By the end of this game the Wallabies would have given anything to rather have played in attrocious weather conditions, because the Springboks hammered, destroyed… and educated the Wallabies, setting up the biggest win against the Wallabies by a Springbok team in Australia of all time, the final score Springboks 38 / 12, a margin of 26 points!
Heyneke Meyer emotional and animated in the game between Wallabies vs Springboks, 2013
Gesels jy op ’n gewone oggend met Heyneke Meyer sal dit jou dalk opval dat daar onder die goeie maniere en vriendelikheid waarskynlik ’n paar senuwees en ’n bra intense persoonlikheid ook is.
Last week I lamented about the lack of presence, urgency and innovation in the Springbok team when they played the Pumas in Mendoza. I concluded that on evidence of the lack of presence of the tight five and the slowness of the back row, I can’t see them winning in Brisbane.
The Springboks corrected all those shortcomings this weekend in Brisbane. The result – the greatest ever victory in Australia and the first win in Brisbane in 41 years.
Here is my list of things that really impressed me in this Test followed by a list of things I think they need to work on before they tackle the All Blacks at Edenpark.
The hype building up to this match was big and the result as well especially if you support the Springboks. They dominated from the word go and also built the lead from early on. The match started at a huge tempo and held that most of the match, giving fans a great match to watch. The scoring of the match started slow with the Springboks scoring a early try but the Wallabies stayed in touch with penalties.
The end result of 38 – 12 in favour of the Springboks and a bonus point to boot has moved the Springboks 1 Log point clear at the top of the Log, 1 point ahead of the All Blacks, who they will be facing next weekend.
The All Blacks managed a win as expected over the Pumas, but it was far from convincing. The weather played a big part here as it rained for about 70% of the match. This contributed to the large amount of handling errors and lack of running.
The end result of 28 – 13 for the All Blacks and no bonus points, favoured the Springboks more over this past weekend, as they now top the Log with 1 point more than the All Blacks. Argentina still find themselves in third place ahead of struggling Australia and with their next match in Australia will most probably back themselves for a win.
It would seem Springbok fans don’t allow too much margin for error when it comes to rugby.
Are Springbok fans putting too much pressure on rugby players to perform at 150%, week in and week out.
Wallabies (6) 12 / 38 (16) Springboks (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and South African Springboks did battle in The Rugby Championship at
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Australia at 12:05 SA Time (20:05 AEST, 10:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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All Blacks (15) 28 / 13 (10) Pumas (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks and Argentinian Pumas did battle in The Rugby Championship at
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 04:35 Arg Time, 07:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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In anticipation for this weekend’s clash between the All Blacks and the Pumas, here is a head to head breakdown of how the two teams compare.
These teams have met each other 16 times in the past, with the All Blacks not having lost once against the Pumas, there is however 1 draw between these teams but this was way back in 1985 with a final score of 21-21, which ironically is also the highest ever score posted by a Puma side against the All Blacks.
The All Blacks score a average of 43 points per match vs the 13 of the Pumas. So an average result of 43-13 in favour of the All Blacks sounds like a very accurate prediction. The All Blacks will be firm favourites to take this one and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise.
Scrumhalf Will Genia will captain Australia against South Africa in their Rugby Championship match on Saturday, after James Horwill was ruled out through injury.
Regular skipper Horwill will miss Saturday Round Three encounter in this Southern Hemisphere showpiece in Brisbane, after scans revealed he had strained his left hamstring during Tuesday’s training.
New Zealand rejected suggestions that Argentina will resort to foul play in Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test in Hamilton as they brace for a physical challenge from the South Americans.
Argentina came under the microscope after their recent defeat to South Africa, with Leonardo Senatore receiving a nine-week suspension for biting while Pablo Matera was accused of eye-gouging, though he was found not guilty.
In anticipation for this weekend’s clash between the Springboks and the Wallabies is a head to head breakdown of how the two teams compare.
These teams have met on 76 previous occasions with the Springboks winning 55% of these clashes and these teams have only once played a match that ended in a draw.
Since 2010 the Wallabies have managed to beat the Springboks in 6 out of 8 games. This is building up to be a big clash once more as the Springboks haven’t lost a game in The Rugby Championship this year, whilst the Wallabies haven’t managed any wins.
What makes this clash even more interesting is that the Springboks have never beaten the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium, so it would seem that the Wallabies have the edge in this clash. Having said that, the Springboks are coming off two wins, so maybe they can end their losing streak at Suncorp Stadium.
Flyhalf Daniel Carter will return to the New Zealand side for Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash against Argentina after recovering from a calf strain, while centre Francis Saili will make his test debut.
The 31-year-old Carter had been expected to play the first Rugby Championship match against Australia in Sydney last month but pulled up with the injury at training and missed the return fixture in Wellington.
Quade Cooper returns to the Wallaby starting line-up for Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash with the Springboks, an indication that Australia will unleash a running game on the Boks.
Coach Ewen McKenzie gave further indication of his intentions by shifting Israel Folau from wing to fullback – to make the best use of his attacking potential.
Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth will be given time to recover from illness as the team prepares to face the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer on Wednesday announced a Springbok line-up showing three changes and two positional switches from the team that played in Mendoza for their third Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test of 2013, against Australia at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Irish referee Alain Rolland has withdrawn from Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test between the Wallabies and Springboks in Brisbane due to injury and has been replaced by compatriot George Clancy.
Argentina will welcome back a key figure, in one of four changes to the starting fifteen to take on New Zealand in a Rugby Championship Round Three match in Hamilton on Saturday.
Having missed the opening games of the competition captain Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe returns at blindside flank, with Pablo Matera shifting to openside and Juan Manual Leguizamon moving to No.8.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen believes New Zealand’s former head coach, Graham Henry, is having an even greater impact over Argentina this year.
It was a balmy Brisbane which greeted the Springboks on Sunday evening (Australian time) after a trip of more than 20 hours that started in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon, included a stopover in Sydney and ended at their hotel in the Queensland capital.
The Springboks face Australia in the third round of The Castle Lager Rugby Championship at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday. Although the South Africans have not beaten the hosts at this venue in a Test, they will approach the game with a quiet confidence after two good wins over Argentina last month.
Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer and Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie are both expected to make changes to their starting line ups for this week’s Rugby Championship match.
The All Blacks look set to welcome back star flyhalf Dan Carter from injury as they returned to training ahead of their Rugby Championship clash with the Pumas next weekend.
The bulk of the squad – excluding 10 players who were released for provincial duty – reassembled for their first training session in Hamilton on Sunday following a timely week-long break.
Argentina will be without the injured Patricio Albacete and suspended Leonardo Senatore for Rugby Championship matches in New Zealand and Australia.
A SANZAR judicial officer has found Pumas No 8 Leonardo Senatore guilty of biting Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth and suspended him for nine weeks.
The incident occurred in the 61st minute of the match between Argentina and South Africa at Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza.
South African international flyhalf Morne Steyn revealed he would only start on the bench for Stade Francais in Friday’s Top 14 clash with Biarritz.
The 29-year-old – capped 47 times – only arrived from Argentina on Monday after helping the Springboks beat the Pumas 22-17 in a Four Nations Test.
Exciting outside back Israel Folau has rebuffed a return to the National Rugby League by signing a two-year deal with the Australian Rugby Union.
The ARU said Thursday that Folau, 24, had committed to the code after a stellar first season with the Waratahs that led to his outstanding Test debut for the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions.
Former Wales and British and Irish Lions flyhalf Cliff Morgan has died at the age of 83, the Welsh Rugby Union announced on Thursday.
Zane Kirchner and Chiliboy Ralepelle have been selected to travel with the Springboks to Australia and New Zealand for the next two Tests in The Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
The squad of 26 players who returned from Argentina on Monday was retained, with Kirchner (fullback) and Ralepelle (hooker) the only additions.
The All Blacks’ Bledisloe Cup victory over Australia on Saturday was not the summer solstice, a holy day or the dawn of the age of enlightenment.
It was a poor performance over fatally flawed opposition, aided and abetted by a South African referee who has clearly not yet come to terms with the principle of equality.
Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie insists his team will not drastically alter their approach for their next Rugby Championship match against the Springboks in Brisbane.
McKenzie’s first two Tests in charge of the Australian side have yielded consecutive defeats to the All Blacks, but that has not deterred him from his goal of using possession more effectively.
The Wallaby coach made it clear that his team will continue to play to their strengths by holding on to the ball and using their ‘skill’ to put pressure on the opposition’s defence.
The Springboks’ decision to continue with their overseas-based players had its first impact as the team arrived back in South Africa on Monday with no fewer than six members of the 26-man squad having to fly back to France to represent their clubs this weekend.