It was a bitterly disappointed Springbok captain John Smit who admitted that his team has ‘a lot of work to do’ if they hope to retain their Rugby World Cup crown next year.
Rugby365
A long-range penalty goal by fullback Kurtley Beale, with the last kick of the match, enabled Australia to defeat South Africa 41-39 in a thrilling Tri-Nations match in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The Wallabies scored four tries in the space of 17 minutes in the first half, spreading the ball wide with quick passes which enabled their pacy outside backs to rip open the Springbok defence.
They led 31-6 shortly before half-time, but the Springboks came storming back to go ahead 36-31 with 11 minutes left.
The lead changed three times in a frantic finish before Beale, with his only kick at goal in the match, calmly booted the ball over from near the right touchline, just inside the South African half.
POOR DEFENCE
Smit, lamenting the poor defence and yet another bad start to a Test this season, said hard work lies ahead in the next year before the 2011 World Cup kicks-off in New Zealand.
“Our defence was not good, especially early in the game, and they cut us too easily,” said Smit.
“In this game the margins are small. The try right at end of the first half helped and I thought we started the second half well.
“Usually our defensive system works well, but it did not work tonight. We only have ourselves to blame.”
It’s been a tough year for Smit and his team and the Bok skipper admitted: “I don’t feel good about our season.
FAR OFF THE PACE
“We’ve been disappointing in the Tri-Nations when one looks at the players and experience we have. We’re below par and far off the pace. It will be no use giving a bunch of excuses – we’re off our best and have work to do.
“Everyone knows here we have players with experience.
“I told all the players that we have to get up tomorrow and have a good long hard look at ourselves in the mirror and see if we’ve brought everything we have got to the team.
“The margins are small but for two weeks in a row now we have had to play catch-up rugby and we don’t want that. We want to be clinical for a full 80 minutes and if we are honest with ourselves we are below par and off the pace.”
Bok coach Peter de Villiers said: “If you look at how we started this one, I think we showed character to come back. Our structures are in place and they can take us to World Cup if executed properly.”
De Villiers said they should not have allowed the Wallabies to build momentum. “If we execute our plans perfectly, it will be very difficult to score against us.
“We needed to show more character on defence, like we did in Soweto and last week at Loftus,” added the Bok mentor, who suffered his second home loss to the Wallabies since taking over at the start of 2008.
“I think the turning point was the lineout where we got penalised. The ball did not travel five metres and we were expecting them to be penalised for that, but instead we got penalised and they scored.
“While we can look for answers, the fact is that we can’t afford to play catch-up two weeks in a row.”
September 5th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
“Usually our defensive system works well, but it did not work tonight.”
====
Tonight?
Wake up, Boet – the defence has
been up to shit throughout.
Otherwise how do you explain
giving away 22 tries – the most
ever by a team in the TN?
Daar’s ‘n moerse skroef los
in hierdie span.
September 5th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
We don’t have a defense at the moment, just let the other team get score tries until they get tired and then try and make a come back.
http://fromthebottomoftheruck.blogspot.com/
September 5th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Was this the Boks’ worst 3N campaign yet?
Their win/loss record was 1 and 5. Only 16%. The worst ever.
Competition points was 7 from 6 matches. Better than only 1999 and 2003 when it was 4 from 4.
Points difference was -49. Better only than ’99 (-69) and ’03 (-60) and ’06 (-79).
September 5th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Boks’ defence looked a lot like that of the Lions in the S14.
They have someone in common?
September 5th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
I agree,
Smit and Peter are not on the same page here.
Muir seems totally lost. Gold his arrogant self.
We lost against a greenhorn ozzie side in Bloemfonteinfuckingtein. BUT for the usual Bok heart and guts it could have been a catastrophe.
We are officially back in the Strauli era gents.
September 5th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Morne was saying about our defence waiting then tackleing and i have been thinking the same thing for a while.
Is there something like offensive defence, when our players charge forward almost attacking the opposition ball carriers.
Wouldnt that throw the opposition of a bit and maybe force them into makeing errors and intimidate them a bit.
Hopes this makes sence, am on phone and cant really all i am typeing.
September 5th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
oh feck, see what i mean.
September 5th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
De Jong not used? That last minute ‘play’. Our fat arse props and predictable loosies taking up every singe good ball on offer. Shows our mentality.
Ball went wide about 4 times to BACKLINE. Once Jean did what he always does and ran straight to luckily score. Other time he did the same and was predictably tackled by the first player in the channel.
Other 2 times our players simply have no clue how to pass to the receiving player. our passing technique is not even up to scratch!
Ozzies move ball in no time. We form pods.
September 5th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Again I would like to stress:
the players are not to blame here. Its our mentality and our game plan. If this game was at Brisbane it could easily have been a bigger margin than 49!
And this by a greenhorn ozzie side in BLOEM!
September 5th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Reply to Treehugger @ 8:02 pm:
You don’t always get answers
on this site when you ask
questions – apologies.
I’m not the expert, but I think
you are referring to the famous
“rush defence” Jake White patented.
They sometimes do it – I think that
is what they did second half of
the previous test.
But let’s see if we get a more
technical analysis and answer.
September 5th, 2010 at 8:50 pm
Reply to Brendon Shields @ 8:37 pm:
Ball went wide about 4 times to BACKLINE. Once Jean did what he always does and ran straight to luckily score.
=====
Bog, twak kaf en onsin. Hy het 4
ouens geklop deur regs te sny, toe
reguit gemaak en met die hulp van
‘n tackler oor die doellyn.
Fok, hoe stel jy my nou teleur.
Stem saam met die res.
Ons aanvalle is almal rondom die
afbreekpunte, nooit wyd nie.
September 5th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
I think the main issue on defence is that we commit many forwards on attack. For this reason if we do not secure the ball you have loads of mismatches on defence.
How many times do you see their backline running at our forwards?
Yes perhaps against a team like Oz with small backline players its worthwhile attacking them with our bulky players.
Problem is when your supposed ball cariers make hardly any ground. Make no mistake, Juan Smit was kak yesterday in this role. His simply dies with the ball on the ground every time. Burger is in fact a better link player but not nearly the best in the land. Spies is totally predictable and useless, much like his friend Duane.
September 5th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Reply to Brendon Shields @ 8:53 pm:
Especially with your last sentence.
September 5th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 8:50 pm:
ek bedoel die fokker het geen ander manier van aanval nie. Hy hardloop met die bal en try ouens beat. Geen ‘step’ of stel nie eens belang om te pass nie. Nooit nie.
die ou is een van die groot redes hoekom bokke nie aanvals planne het nie.
September 5th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Reply to Brendon Shields @ 9:10 pm:
Ek sê weer: KAAAAAAK!
Gaan kyk weer na daai drie,
waarin hy wys hy kan step.
En kyk of ek Treehugger reg antwoord.
September 5th, 2010 at 9:18 pm
The guys looked tired, we didn’t adjust to their game plan by kicking it into the crowd, and the whole team (and the whole of South Africa) thought we were back on track with one flaky last minute win. Back to the coach, he’s supposed to be icy cold, not affected by emotion, and realise the threat the Wallabies posed.
http://fromthebottomoftheruck.blogspot.com/
September 5th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
een keer in `n game boer? fok dejong step 30 keer in `n game. Jean is veronderstel om die kreatiewe brein in die backline te wees? Hoeveel keer `n game gee die ou die bal vir sy 13 in `n beter posisie?
Die ou kan nie dinge create op 12 nie. Hy is `n stormram amper kakker as wat halstead was.
dis die probleem: hy druk `n drei en almal dink hy is die man – maar meeste van die game doen hy net mooi fokkol
September 5th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 9:12 pm:
Checked.
There was no “step” in that move. Only change in direction was off the last tackler.
September 5th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
Reply to Brendon Shields @ 9:20 pm:
Een keer in die hele reeks,
sover ek weet.
Maar ek dink nie De Jongh is beter
nie.
Ons speel ook nie ‘n styl wat
kreatiwiteit aanmoedig nie.
Braun n Bash.
Jean het in die vorige toets
drie keer probeer om in die
tekkel vir naby ondersteuners te
voer, maar die tydsberekening
was elke keer uit.
Nie net sy skuld gewees nie.
September 5th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Reply to fyndraai @ 9:27 pm:
Hy het ingesny na regs, 3 ouens
met die rigtingverandering geklop
en links gegaan toe hy getekkel is
(aangehelp deur die tekkel.)
Jy is straks reg oor die ‘step.’
September 5th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
boer dis nie `n 12 se werk om te offload in die tackle nie. die ou moet opportunities create vir 13,14 en 11.
Jou flanke wat bash create deur te offload.
mens verwag so effe meer van jou 12.
hoeveel keer het giteau en cooper ons gestep? Of vir buite spelers in spasie gesit?
grootste fluke in bok rugby is ons illusie dat Jean en Fourie `n effektiewe senterpaar is. Die ouens create een line break in 10 games.
September 5th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Reply to Brendon Shields @ 9:38 pm:
Ook reg.
Maar daai drie probeerslae van
Jean was darem daarop gemik om
die lyn te probeer breek.
Aangesien Spies dit nie regkry nie.