Bok flyhalf Morné Steyn’s sublime kicking performance was the spark that brought the home team to the brink of victory, but it was not to be enough. Rugby365 rates the Boks.
Jan de Koning rates the Springbok players:
15 François Steyn:
He again lacked concentration and looked far too casual. Not the standard we’ve come to expect of this World Cup winner.
5/10
14 JP Pietersen:
Another disappointed showing by a quality player. He could have made more of an effort on defence and there was also a penalty for incorrect entry at the tackle.
5/10
13 Jaque Fourie:
He was solid as always and a couple of nice half-breaks. However, his real value was in the second half on defence.
6/10
12 Jean de Villiers:
He showed his value on defence and with some strong carries in the second 40. Then there was that brilliant cut-back for his try.
6/10
11 Bryan Habana:
On merit he does not deserve his place in the side at the moment and it was not a surprise when he was replaced in the 51st minute. He conceded an early penalty, he was found wanting on defence again and missed the tackle on O’Connor that resulted in Elsom’s try. In fact, it became really ugly when the crowd even started booing this great player.
2/10
10 Morné Steyn:
His first-half touch kicks were not up to standard. But then he turned the game on its head. His distribution was much more effective after the break and he landed a beauty of a penalty from almost 60 metres out at a crucial stage in the game. His tactical kicking was also so much better after the break.
8/10
9 François Hougaard:
His first kick didn’t find touch and it appeared he was almost trying too much. However, after the break he was back to the match-winning standards of last week.
7/10
8 Pierre Spies:
He showed more intent from the outset and produced a physical game. He is working his way back to his best form… slowly.
6/10
7 Juan Smith:
Really good runs with ball in hand and, as always, a monster on defence. However, like most of the Boks he had a slow start, which ultimately cost the hosts.
6/10
6 Schalk Burger:
He was working very hard off the ball and very strong with ball in hand. But he also had his quieter moments.
6/10
5 Victor Matfield:
There was an insane chip-’n-chase to set up Jaque Fourie’s try and he was supreme in the line-outs. Not his fault the Boks lost.
7/10
4 Danie Rossouw:
He did not have his best game and could have been replaced much earlier. Even his carries were less effective.
5/10
3 Jannie du Plessis:
Poor effort on defence in the first half and also conceded a penalty at the tackle. He was better after the break.
4/10
2 John Smit (captain):
The pace of the game seemed to get to him in the first half, but he was involved far more after the break and there was that brilliant one-handed pick-up off his toes. Also a great heel against the head and was very instrumental in the Boks’ comeback.
7/10
1 Gurthrö Steenkamp:
In the first half he looked like a man in dire need of a rest, but came back strong after the break – his scrumming and ball-carrying were immense.
7/10
Replacements:
16 Chiliboy Ralepelle (on for Smit, 65th min):
He worked hard on defence, but probably not enough time to make a real impact.
5/10
17 CJ van der Linde (on for Du Plessis, 55th min):
Was strong in the scrums, but he must still improve his overall work-rate.
5/10
18 Flip van der Merwe (on for Rossouw, 60th min):
As always he worked hard and made an impact, but it was a ridiculous penalty against him that gifted the Wallabies the win.
5/10
19 Ryan Kankowski (on for Spies, 65th min):
Worked hard on defence, but not enough time to make a real impact.
5/10
20 Ricky Januarie:
Not used.
21 Juan de Jongh:
Not used.
22 Gio Aplon (on for Habana, 50th min):
He showed his defensive and attacking abilities and should have started.
6/10
September 5th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Steyn 8 out of ten what a joke – if he’d planted every kick to touch into the crowd we could have won.
http://fromthebottomoftheruck.blogspot.com/
September 5th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Reply to Fromthebottomoftheruck @ 2:39 pm:
Ja, dit was ook my kritiek.
Wobblies is kookwater met ‘n
vinnige ingooi, hy het hulle
4-5 keer die kans gegee.
Skop die bal nader uit, maar
skop hom UIT!
September 5th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
How many tries did they score from the quick throw-ins?
September 5th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
That’s one of the many problems we have, not being able to read the game and make adjustments to the game plan. In the old days, Habana and Pietersen would have been there to stop the quick throw in. Now they are more like spectators.
http://fromthebottomoftheruck.blogspot.com/
September 5th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Die Wallabies het nie een punt uit hulle vinnige ingooie aangeteken nie so eet bietjie STFU idiote…
September 5th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Reply to fyndraai @ 5:07 pm:
I swear to god this world is made up of hysterical idiots who are having period halfway throuigh the rugby season… and most of them unfortunately work for media houses… and the other half are in the Cape
September 5th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 6:02 pm:
Yes, but it lead to continuous
pressure.
Interesting that Ashwin and
Brosnihan also stressed this
point in All Out Rugby about
an hour ago.
Maar ag, hulle is seker ook
maar poepolle.
September 5th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 6:04 pm:
Yet somehow their comments
are mostly more balanced than
some of the rants we get
treated on.
September 5th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 6:08 pm:
Consider the alternative.
An Aus line-out somewhere between the 22 and 10m lines, clean ball from a set piece, 7 on 7 in the back-line.
What could the Aussies do with that?
I say more than they did yesterday.
September 5th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Reply to fyndraai @ 6:49 pm:
Debatable. I wanted to say our
defense would have more time
to regroup, catch a breath.
But then I ask myself:
What defense?
September 5th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
Reply to fyndraai @ 5:07 pm:
Here it is:
1st try: 6th phase after a Aus line-out.
2nd try: 1st phase after a SA line-out.
3rd try: 5th phase after a Aus line-out (big break happened on 1st phase).
4th try: directly from quick throw in.
5th try: 2nd phase after quick tap from penalty from Aus line-out.
IMO
They scored from both. Might as well kick it out as far as you can.
September 6th, 2010 at 8:32 am
The Aus line-out was solid all night – as opposed to the previous match
September 6th, 2010 at 8:33 am
Should say = all afternoon
September 6th, 2010 at 9:04 am
What a joke! And again it proves the denial spirit of some idiots… The Ozzies applied Strategy 101 Saturday. Go and watch the first half again: They ran at Morne the WHOLE time! They know that his defence is useless (a fact that I have been highlighting now for quite a while) and our team know it too. So we either committed extra loosie to help tackle in his channel (in which case the Ozzies attack the inside) or our centres had to come in and help (in which case they ran wide at Banana). And they scored tries like that!!!
Go and whatch their last try – they ran inside straight through Morne’s area – and all he could do was raised his hands in the air! He is an absolute POEPHOL.
And so are those that rate his “performance” – bahwhaaaa.
September 6th, 2010 at 9:07 am
Where are the denialist from last week? Where are the Clown’s structures?
Amazingly, 3 years after the previous world cup, all he can do is STILL try and play with Jake’s players and structures. How is it possible that we still have the same players, with the same ideas, like we had at the previous world cup. While the AB’s and Ozzies moved on and are smashing us at will at the moment?
A record of tries against us? 1 Win out of 6!!! Losing by record scores AT HOME! What a legacy this clown is leaving….
September 6th, 2010 at 9:21 am
8 out of ten is a bit of a joke, but in fairness his channel was more like the grand canyon – teh rest of teh palyers were off catching their breath somewhere. These guys should know the defensive structure like the back of their hand by now.
http://fromthebottomoftheruck.blogspot.com/
September 6th, 2010 at 9:25 am
FTBOTR, use your PVR and watch the banggat’s contribution to defence! He’s a joke and the opposition knwos it and will abuse it (even if we keep denying it…)
September 6th, 2010 at 10:26 am
congratulations to the aussies… well deserved win by the team playing the better rugby…
have to record my digust with john smit…
for all the great captain, leader and ambassador he is supposed to be…
he did not once even acknowledge… let alone congratulate Aus and Elsom for winning the game and the Mandela Plate…
he looked and sounded like a self-absorbed, sulky schoolboy…
sadly… for the first time in his illustrious career…
john smit embarrassed me… and sa rugby IMO….!!
the mandela plate called for a mandela moment… and what smit gave us was a zuma moment…
September 6th, 2010 at 10:34 am
these ratings are a joke… and seems to me that R365 is getting these ‘wrong’… IMO… more and more…
in 80 minutes of rugby morne could not work out that the aussies had a plan to avoid victor in the line-outs by taking EVERY quick throw in they could… and running the ball back at our disorganised defense…
not only did they negate victor’s ability to contest their throw-ins… but it also put the boks under huge pressure for the entire game…
surely morne with his ‘educated’ boot could have shifted his direction a few degrees and put the ball into the crowd to counter this obvious aussie tactic…
had he done so i think the boks could’ve won by 20 points… but morne steyn,entirely of his own volition, kept us playing the game in our half -for the whole game…
WTF…???
as naas always says… first you play for position… and that job falls mainly to the flyhalf… IMO… morne was an abject failure on saturday…
the boys at R365 must be smoking some really good shit….!
September 6th, 2010 at 10:40 am
jpp and jdv rated the same…???
guthro not at least an 8…? should be a nine…!!
vistor only a 7…??
sheesh dudes…
September 6th, 2010 at 10:43 am
eish…
okay okay… mistake about jpp and jdv…
‘pologies…
September 6th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
Reply to UFO @ 10:34 am:
surely morne with his ‘educated’ boot could have shifted his direction a few degrees and put the ball into the crowd to counter this obvious aussie tactic…
====
My feeling too.
But Fyndraai differs – because they
scored no points from those lineouts.
September 6th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Let’s face it too, the whole team scored a fat zero for the first half hour, the marks should be out of 6 anyway. Then Morne got about a 4 which is fair enough. F.Steyns 5 is ultra generous, where was he on defence?
http://fromthebottomoftheruck.blogspot.com/
September 6th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
They all gave up way too easily on Ruan at flyhalf, once off test agaisnt the Lions and he was gone. At least Morne with his tackling style and method of carrying the ball up doesn’t get injured much.
http://fromthebottomoftheruck.blogspot.com/
September 6th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
That was meant to sayy one bad test against the Lions
http://fromthebottomoftheruck.blogspot.com/
September 6th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 2:28 pm:
jaaaa boet…
but it allowed them to run it up and gain plenty of field… from where to launch…
and kept us in the wrong half of the field… and on the back foot…
September 6th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
All this hostility….
BRING BACK JAKE!