Beaten Boks rated
Posted by Boertjie - 04/07/09 at 08:07 pm under British & Irish Lions Tour 2009, SpringboksThe Springboks were well and truly beaten in Johannesburg. After 10 changes, the off-field antics of their coach, two citings with suspension and then their protest about the “ridiculous” suspension of Bakkies Botha, they were a fairly bedraggled lot, playing without cohesion or conviction.
RUGBY365
The Lions on the other hand were filled with determination especially when it came to tackling and what happens afterwards. They did what the Lions did in 1938 and 1980 – win the last Test with the series lost.
In the first Test the Springbok substitutions were not good and nearly lost the match for South Africa. In the second Test the substitutions made a great contribution to the winning of the Test.
In this match it is hard to see what of the 10 changes were worth making. Only Zane Kirchner and Morné Steyn came out of the match with plusses. And certainly Bakkies Botha was sorely missed. Even Victor Matfield was a lesser man without Botha.
Paul Dobson rates the Springboks out of ten:
15 Zane Kirchner: 7
Playing his first Test he performed with great confidence and skill from the start. He wants to play and wants to run. Substituted 16 minutes into the second half.
14 Odwa Ndungane: 5
He plays, he tries, he works hard and he defends well but he just hasn’t got the speed. He should have scored late in the match.
13 Jaque Fourie: 8
He certainly played in a match when opportunities for players outside of 12 had few opportunities. He was brave and aggressive and was certainly the best of the Springbok backs.
12 Wynand Olivier: 4
He started well and defended well but his attacking skills were limited to charging into unyielding defenders over and over again. It was his long pass that Ugo Monye intercepted for the try that broke the Springboks’ resolve.
11 Jongi Nokwe: 2
Obviously he is no Bryan Habana. Habana was on the bench and Nokwe was on the field as was occasionally obvious till his place was taken – on the wing – by Pierre Spies with 16 minutes to go. Spies was more in evidence.
10 Morné Steyn: 6
Defended well and kicked really well. He tried to give his backs a chance but lacked a flyhalf’s spark and variation.
9 Fourie du Preez: 8
He was injured late in the first half when Simon Shaw dropped his knees into his back and left the field at half-time. But for the half he was on he was quite the best of the Springboks, even behind a sloppy pack.
8 Ryan Kankowski: 2
Without being presented with the ball, he did not play. He drifted about the field even in urgent situations and avoided tackling. In contact the ball was not secure with him.
7 Juan Smith: 5
He was good in the line-out and was, rarely for the Springboks, committed to the tackle collision. He ran with the ball but in a non-threatening, upright way. 5/10
6 Heinrich Brüssow: 8
His silly involvement in a squabble that was not his cost his team three points but for the rest he was worth gold to the Springboks with his strength, determination and skill at the breakdowns. And when he has the ball you know that his side will get the ball.
5 Victor Matfield: 4
Perhaps his worst match in a Springbok jersey. He was the first player penalised in the match and that at a tackle, which maybe why he avoided so many collision places later on. He caught well in the line-out but once lost the ball and once flung it past Fourie du Preez.
4 Johann Muller: 3
He had an anonymous afternoon but he was obvious when he jumped early at a line-out five metres from the Lions’ line and the maul was nullified. He jumped early again later on and Mike Phillips took advantage of it.
3 John Smit (captain): 7
He gave it his all. The scrumming problems were not of his making and he was on hand to compete at the tackles, make tackles and take the ball up.
2 Chiliboy Ralepelle: 5
His replacement at half-time by Bismark du Plessis and the great improvement in Springboks scrumming after that suggests that this enthusiastic but perhaps naive player is not up to it though his line-out throwing was impeccable.
1 Tendai Mtawarira: 7
He gets about, he tackles, he contests at the tackle and with Bismarck du Plessis at his side his scrumming was again powerful. 7/10
Replacements:
16 Bismarck du Plessis: 7
His appearance on the field restored the scrumming power of the Springboks. He also played with energy and intent once making three successive tackles in one bout of play. The three points conceded for a late tackle were silly. 7/10
17 Gürthro Steenkamp
He was on for only the last 10 minutes.
18 Deon Carstens
Did not play
19 Steven Sykes
Did not play
20 Pierre Spies
Spent 16 minutes on the left wing and charged a few times.
21 Ruan Pienaar: 7
Played the whole second half at scrumhalf and showed his class – a skilful and aware player.
22 François Steyn: 7
Had two bites at the match – on at centre for four minutes when Jaque Fourie was off bleeding and then on at fullback for 24 minutes. His performance at fullback was impressive – one great clearance and willing to run to produce chances for the Springboks to play off him. The chances he created were by bashing ahead, not by passing the ball.
July 4th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
OFF-TOPIC:
Bobo takes up a ‘fantastic opportunity’
Guinness Premiership club Newcastle Falcons have announced the signing of Springbok and Stormers centre Gcobani Bobo on a two-year deal.
So that’s why Rassie has signed that
useless Frikkie Welsh!
July 4th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Oliiver was good, the problem was we just some loose tries and the pack lacked bakkies and a second prescence at rucktime.
July 4th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Hehehe.
This how one poster on
365 rated Nokwe:
“What a waste of space – proved beyond doubt that pace without a brain is as useless as a toilet roll in a sunken submarine.”
July 4th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Reply to cab @ 8:56 pm:
Not his greatest fan, but I
think Bismarck proved his
worth today.
Meisiekind found a few half-gaps
- and then nothing more. Did he
ever link with Mossie?
July 4th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
I must have been watching another game – I saw Kankowski put in a few tackles (more than his usual), chase kicks, etc. Not great – but definitely not a 2. He was robbed of the ball from a line out maul, but then if you are the line out jumper, your team mates need to assist you.
July 5th, 2009 at 2:10 am
Reply to Bokhoring T @ 10:48 pm: I have to agree, I also through Kirchner should have been rated lower, there was a clear improvement at FB when Steyn came on, and if Steyn gets a 7 then Kirchner must get a lower rating. Also thought Odwa was better than that at 14, no real opportunities given him on attack, everything he had to manufacture with hard work. Meisiekind and M. Steyn are both far too predictable for the international game. Very solid players, but no variety. JdV clearly offers so much more at 12, and Pienaar so much more on attach at 10. Nokwe must go, and if we carry another wing in the squad it should be Akona, both he and his brother are very solid wings, nothing spectacular, but hard workers, and very solid under the high ball.
July 5th, 2009 at 3:54 am
Reply to cab @ 8:56 pm:
There you go mate… another ‘record’ to add to your list of accomplishments…
The first Southern Hemisphere team to lose to the BIL’s in just under a decade!
I hope this puts to bed the South African theory that you can play a province’s second choice hooker for the test team… the man is the slowest player to grace an international standard 15…
:rant: :rant: :rant: :rant:
July 5th, 2009 at 4:45 am
The problem with Morne Steyn and Wynand Olivier is not that they lacked class, or were predictable or whatever.
Our forwards never dominated, FDP got the ball slowly, and our backline got the ball when the Lions’defence was organised.
In the second test there was a marked improvement when Morne Steyn replaced Pienaar.
July 5th, 2009 at 8:19 am
Agree Boertjie, they had their minds on other matters. Should leave the protesting to the administrators and focus on rugby dammit – that’s what they are paid to do.
I agree with comments made above, you rate Kirchner far too highly and he is not an option right now for the 3N series. A couple of other players showed us why they need to up their discipline and skill levels too – Heinrich Brussow is overamped and needs to calm down – the AB’s and Ozzies will just love his brain explosions. Three points in front of the poles what is he doing? The ref was actually quite lenient on some of the “sack of potatoes” treatment he gave Martyn Williams and the stupid stuff he and Spies got up to behind their tryline. You can’t go dishing out all that s..t after the whistle has gone and expect not to be pinged.
Bladen had his caustic remark about the Boks only winning 3/10 games Dickinson reffed and any moment the whingeing on that score is going to start – in fact it already has on the other site well known for sour loser remarks.
Nee wat this game is best put down as some experimentation by the coach which went wrong in a dead rubber game. The Lions outplayed us and although PdV will have the 2-1 series win uppermost in his mind he needs to be magnanimous for a change and acknowledge they outscored us 74-63 and by 7-5 tries in the tests series. Good on Geech for getting his first win in 8 years in his final game and POC was a pretty good captain.
July 5th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Reply to out wide @ 8:19 am:
Great post… particularly on the ‘blame the ref’ part…
I thought POC was great too… but when you read the kak he’s been getting from their local press…
July 5th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Reply to out wide @ 8:19 am:
I thought the sack-of-potatoes
treatment dished out by Brussow
was hillarious.
This chappie is strong.
Also showed what he thought about
players killing the game.
:em24:
July 5th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 10:58 am:
Any “fair” referee would have given extra 10 meters
just so that – out wide – don’t think all of us here think the referee was fair
July 5th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Not that I rate it fair on Kirchner, but I think Steyn injected a hell of a lot more from 15 when he came on.
Chili also had a very good game in my view. But he too is not on Bismarck’s level.
This kid needs loads of CC and S14 games to reach the form he had as a youngster at age-group – but no doubt he has the potential
July 5th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Reply to Morné @ 2:30 pm:
More potential than 4,5 other
hookers?
What, if any, was his contribution
to the Bok scrum struggling in the
first half?
July 5th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 2:37 pm:
I have made no secret that I am not an expert on the front row. To put this down to one guy is not what I have read on front row in recent weeks, the trio works together and that is the same as any combination all of which were ineffective yesterday.
Outside of the scrums his play was excellent. Line-outs not one lost.
July 5th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 3:54 am:
the alternative was a clean sweep, which no SA team has ever done before.
Reply to Cosa @ 4:45 am:
spot on, they were under too much pressure, our pack was getting drilled, way too light, muller and kanko no-nos for that game, even matfield and chilliboy, not right.
July 5th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Reply to out wide @ 8:19 am:
did the 97 lions acknowledge we outscored them 69-65 and 9 tries to 3?
July 5th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Reply to Dancing Bear @ 2:10 am:
Nou praat jy loutere kak.
Sorry.
Morne Steyn had as good an opportunity as anyone and did his utter best.
His forwards were terrible and Super Kankow was correctly rated as pathetic.
Olivier had no choice but to run into the defence and second phase as every time the forwards gave FDP that slow ball the bananna defence isolated hin from his outside backs.
When Ruan Pienaar made his “appearance” at scrumhalf things went worse because he’s such a dawdler on te ball as a scrumhalf.
The other thing is our inside backs constantly had to cover his defnsive ineficciencies.
Olivier tackles better than De Villiers…
July 5th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 6:55 pm:
I actually agreed (up and till your last sentence) with what you said…
Morne and Meisiekind had good games…
July 5th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
As I said in my post last week it is unfair to judge the second choice players on this game.
Too many changes and a half-hearted effort by the team leadership makes it extremely difficult to shine.
July 5th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Reply to fyndraai @ 7:50 pm:
Yup
You fully called it 100%
July 5th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 6:55 pm: WTF? I am talking kak, but you say nothing different other than you disagree about Kanko. Fine, where did I say anything different about WO or M. Steyn? I said they were both very solid, but too predictable for the international game, you said they had their opportunity and did their best, how do either of these statements contradict one another?
I made not a single comment about Ruan Pienaar at 9, all I said is he offers more variety on attack at 10 than M. Steyn does. I never compared him to du Preez, yet your argument is that we were worse when he came on at 9. Fine, again, nothing that contradicts what I said.
Jislaaik man, you start your post with something like “I talk kak” and nothing you say contradicts what I say. You know perhaps if you chose to have a normal discussion, expanding on my views, offering different views and offering something in the debate other than I talk kak, I would have even a modicum of respect for your views.
It is rare that I post here (and I suppose you have just confirmed why for me) but I didn’t say a single negative thing in my posting, I spoke positively of both WO and M. Steyn, I just felt they are somewhat limited at this level, so why did you feel the need to take the discussion to the gutter?
I really wish there was an ignore button here on Ruggaworld. Perhaps if one were developed I would be happy to test it on your posts.
July 5th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 6:55 pm: Vok man, even when our views have far more in common than different, you have to turn it into an argument. Wouldn’t the world be a much better place if we all focused more on what we agree on and a little less on our differences. Sorry, I post on these blogs to share ideas, information, and to learn and build my knowledge of the game I love. I don’t need to make enemies on the other side of the world because we have small differences of opinion. I would rather have open discussions where we can both learn from each other, and yes, even help stregthen some of the viewpoints we have in common.
July 5th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Pienaar played 3 tests at 10 last year against weak teams and did well. This year he played 5 games in S14 behind a strong pack and was mostly ineffectual (IMO).
Steyn played S14 behind a strong pack and was very successful both kicking and running.
In my Bulls tinted opinion it is true that MS must still prove himself to be a flyhalf at test level, but RP must still prove himself to be a flyhalf, full stop.
Compare the stats from scrum.com
test player kick/pass/run meters
1 RP 13/3/1 0
2 RP 5/10/2 2
3 MS 12/20/5 30
MS actually look quite well on attack.
July 5th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Reply to fyndraai @ 11:18 pm:
MS actually look quite well on attack.
======
Behind a losing pack, getting
slow ball all the time against
a side lying on the off-side line
if not over it.
I think he’s overall just better
than Pienaar.
July 5th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Reply to Dancing Bear @ 8:50 pm:
DB, nice to see you around, don’t take Dawie personally, he’s been in a kak mood for the last 10 years or so, i.e. the last time the Golden Lions had a decent side.
July 6th, 2009 at 4:07 am
Reply to cab @ 11:43 pm:
I showed my wife some ERT posts.
She reckoned he has anger management problems.