It is way too early to start hitting the panic buttons after the Springboks narrow win over Wales on Sunday.
Let’s start with something I have not seen a lot of on the web and social media, and that is giving Wales credit for their performance on Sunday. It has arguably been the best game I have seen the Welsh play in 10 years, and I am sure Gatland and his troops must be dumbfounded as to how they lost a game in which they controlled 60% of possession and territory.
It also says something about this Bok team… Not many teams in world rugby would have walked away with a win in the same situation, they did, and it’s the Boks who has a tick under the ‘W’ column in Pool D, not Wales.
Of course we cannot be oblivious to lessons we must learn from this match if we have any hope of winning the World Cup, but there is also no reason to start pushing the panic buttons and make major changes.
If we are to state the obvious, most of us would agree this was hardly one of the better performances we saw from the Springboks. Apart from the opening 10 minutes, uncharacteristic errors and poor decision making characterized this Bok performance. It’s worrying especially given the experience of this team and it is something the senior Boks and coaches will need to address as a matter of urgency.
Apart from Schalk Burger, Heinrich Brüssow and Jaque Fourie, the senior Boks in this team produced a game that could be best described as a shocker. One or two errors can be forgiven, but some of the decision making and lack of commitment from these players are simply not acceptable – and it is in the commitment department where we should be most concerned.
If these guys are serious in their commitment they made to each other to achieve something no other team has achieved before in defending the Rugby World Cup, they had better catch a wake up. 50/50 passes, putting the guy next to you under pressure through poor decision making, no urgency on defence are just a couple of things you wouldn’t expect from test veterans (and Rugby World Cup winners).
If they want an example of what I am talking about, they can easily look at the hunger, urgency and commitment players like Francois Hougaard, Bismarck du Plessis and Willem Alberts showed when they took the field from the bench compared to their own. That is the commitment need to win the Rugby World Cup, not the rubbish we saw from our veterans.
This also brings me to the hottest topic of the day – what to do with Bismarck…???
Calls for the dynamic hooker to start in place of a ageing and seemingly ‘tired’ Springbok captain John Smit has generated more column inches in Monday morning papers and online views than Julius Malema managed in the last year!
The arguments for the inclusion of Bismarck are sound, more than that, they are backed up by the performances this guy puts in on the park.
It is difficult if not impossible to counter these arguments, because if you measure the one against the other, there is simply no contest.
Following the match on Sunday and some debate with friends, we did come across an important point however.
John hardly had a bad game on Sunday, and even though it might not have been a 7 out of 10 performance, the captain worked extremely hard on the field, putting in some good tackles and carrying the ball strongly on a few occasions. He was solid, without being spectacular, and what Bismarck brings (and brought) was ‘spectacular’.
Given that any match-day 22 will always include 2 hookers, the only question should be how the Springbok manage this situation?
Do we start with John, solid, leader, but unspectacular? Or do we start with Mr. Spectacular and have John covering from the bench?
In our debate yesterday, this is more or less where we ended up, and to answer that question, you have to ask what you want from your bench? Modern rugby is after-all, a 22-man game today where the selection and use of your bench is as important as the selection of your run-on XV.
Do you want solid, dependable coming off the bench in the last 20 or 30 minutes against tired opposition legs (especially in the tight 5), or do you want explosive, spectacular, impact coming onto the park?
In Smit and Bismarck you have those options, and it is an option not many teams (even the top ones) have in their arsenal. The fact that we have both is a massive positive for the team, one which gives us options, options when managed effectively to get the best out of both would give us the edge.
Yesterday we did reach a conclusion (albeit after a couple of beers), one I am happy to share with you, but I am more interested in what you think first.
elcamino
ROOILEEU
Tina
JT_BOKBEFOK!
garyj1-Bulls
Thomas_Bulls
Amethyst
logan
Aldo
KingPaul
Deon
Methos The French Stormer
RUGGA_MIND
Quinn25
namboer
trevormayhew
Marcel
Pom in Joburg
Pokkel
moose
Vernonimous
Jacques(Bunny)
Watte
niekie
Dante
Panther
Vetgesmeerde Blits
bryce_in_oz
Kozac
Blokkies
Number12_Lions
Brutus2
Lehe6
Estian Nortier
DavidS
Francois
johanleroux13
Morné
Tafelberg
pietstreak
Ollie
Koos
September 12th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Sound intelligent reasoning Morne
Unfortunately certain elements have an agenda about the senior players and the coach and the way the Boks are perceived to be playing so that a performance below par like that on Sunday effectively plays straight into their hands and they gleefully spring in with “Ek het mos gesê!!”..”Ek het mos gesê!!”.. “Ek het mos gesê!!”
Or
“Heheheheheh Told you so told you so”
It is amazing that people wish failure upon the national team because they do not understand rugby… and blame the team for their stupidity…
I have a strong suspicion that despite Bryce’s fantasies to the contrary Australia would have come off second best against this Welsh side too…
September 12th, 2011 at 7:07 pm
Very good article, Bissie comeing on when every one is exhausted seems logical and must strike fear and dread in2 the hearts of the opposition
September 12th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Well someone had to call for calm …
Wales always give us a run for our money and as well as they played – the Boks pretty much stood by and said win it and they couldn’t.
Seriously … Have you ever known a close game or defeat not to be followed by this kind of rumination?
Its a typical Bok media / fan reaction.
Its just amplified because its a long in the tooth talking point round Smit and Bissie.
Div’s going to be the only person to decide – so its kind of pointless arguing for Bissie to be included. Personally from the quarters Bissie would be getting close to 80 every week.
All this hallabalooo is blinding everyone to the real issue – our second row.
September 12th, 2011 at 7:47 pm
Begin met Barney, maar bring vir Bissy op direk na halftyd. My ander worry is om plek te kry vir Hougaardt! Hy moet ook tenminste 40minute speel!!!
September 12th, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Start with Spectacular and establish domination. Then when Spectacular is too tired to continue being spectacular, you bring on Dependable. Dependable may even look spectacular when everyone else is tired.
Dependable’s solid leadership qualities may be more crucial in the last 20 minutes than in the first 60.
September 12th, 2011 at 8:05 pm
Reply to Sauce @ 7:35 pm:
All this hallabalooo is blinding everyone to the real issue – our second row.
I have to concede I agree that we are in real trouble here…
September 12th, 2011 at 8:28 pm
Indeed a sad day when we are NOT panicking after nearly losing to Wales on neutral ground…just indicative of the sad state of SA rugby under a quota coach
September 12th, 2011 at 8:48 pm
Reply to Timeo @ 8:00 pm:
You have a good point.
The other option is of course to start
with Chiliboy and bring Bismarck on at
half time.
What pisses me off is that after all the
hype, all the preparation, all the
experience the Boks come and almost
makes a mess of everything by screwing
up on all fronts – despite
having the captain of all captains
leading them.
September 12th, 2011 at 9:34 pm
Just listened to the panel of
Mitchell, Garth Wright, Allister
Coetzee and Joel.
They were unanimous: You are stupid
if you don’t start with Bismarck and
get early ascendancy.
September 12th, 2011 at 9:42 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 9:34 pm:
bring on Smit to close out the game if needed!?
SA fans/media is a real pain at times! If we win by 1 point you get this reaction, if we win 36-0 we had the reaction “the opposition is kak and we can’t read anything into it”, if we lose “pdv is a quota”, if we win by 100 “the players coach themselves!”
sit back and enjoy 
poor a
September 12th, 2011 at 9:44 pm
I would rather be SA today than Wales! Poor buggers played their best game against a team stuttering to get going and they STILL can’t win
September 12th, 2011 at 9:52 pm
Wales have traditionally taken us close outside SA
Even the 1951 Super Boks (6-3) and the 1931 powerhouse Boks (8-3)managed just single digit wins against them.
Our last three games against them since their 2008 tour to SA where we killed their B side were
5 point spread
3 point spread
4 point spread
Now calm the f**k down…
Reply to JT_BOKBEFOK! @ 9:42 pm:
Hey there are people who are still pissed cos Jake White won RWC … but not the way THEY wanted it done…
September 12th, 2011 at 10:03 pm
Reply to DavidS Bok on his heart not his shoulder @ 9:52 pm:
The way we beat the Poms 36-0 and the Argies
with 4 tries in 2007 was good stuff.
I see heavy weather against Samoa and Fiji on
the horizon.
Way back the Boks had to deal with long tours,
home side referees and attrocious weather when
playing the Welsh etc.
BTW that 44-0 victory: I never realised it was
against a Scottish team scraped together. They
only had their trials for the Five Nations a
few weeks later.
September 12th, 2011 at 10:37 pm
I will side with Grant Ball here:
“It’s also up to the supporters to demand more from their team. ‘A win is a win’ can’t be the excuse used; we should be demanding better showings.”
“Others point to Smit’s great leadership – but is his leadership encouraging players to make the extra five tackles and turnovers that Du Plessis would bring if he started? The way the Boks limped through minutes 10 to 55 in Wellington suggest Smit is offering little inspiration to his side.
“Du Plessis’s time is now, the Boks can’t afford to squander what he offers.
“The main culprits who dig their heads in the sand and enjoy the majority of the public being ignorant are the coaching staff and SA Rugby. SuperSport’s ultra-positive commentary favouring the Boks is an insult to their subscribers.
“Ian Jones and Stuart Barnes offered some great insights and no-holds-barred analysis in their short stints on South African TV, as they do when on Sky New Zealand – informing the public and giving different opinions. But De Villiers and SARU apparently told SuperSport they’re not allowed to use the third member of the triumvirate, former coach Jake White, as an analyst
“That the Bok coach decides who can and who can’t analyse the Boks’ sub-standard showings emphasises his insecurities and indicates why we have to listen to commentators and studio guests repeatedly blame refereeing decisions for the poor performances, glossing over the Boks’ weaknesses.
“The sooner the public and coaches acknowledge the problems in the Bok set-up, the more chance the Boks have of doing what has never been done before – winning successive World Cups.”
September 12th, 2011 at 10:48 pm
supporting the bokke on top of the world
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rugbyclubinnsbruck/6141163507/in/set-72157627656167644/
September 12th, 2011 at 11:42 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 10:37 pm:
Start with Bissie. Now that Muller is in the team use him for his leadership as well. Burger and Fourie are too excitable and Victor has his own problems to worry about. Bench hooker…..hmmm ….Chillie. That might stop Johnnie from thinking about his next four ball with Victor, Fourie and Pierre….
Attitude! I pull my hair out (and scream at the TV) everytime I see FdP throwing his hands up in the air instead of getting the ball out of the ruck.
We’re getting White’s analysis here. Nothing earth shattering but Justin Marshall’s commentary is superb. Balances up the other sh*t that gets dished out in NZ.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:45 am
Good article. I was shocked by our arrogance thinking this great Wales side would be a walk in the park.
For the same reason the Kiwis will choke, Wales dont know how to win against the Boks. It must be some kind of deep rooted physco issue? Kinda like English rugby not playing to win but playing not to lose.
IMHO we need more laatijies on the field. The game has sped up and requires more ethusiasm, than say FDUP simply wathing the players run past him. Our top players were handed places without form. Really poor management.
Besides Mornes defensive lapses I thought he played well and because he had to fight for his position it shows in his game now.
Its time for changes, not out of fear or knee jerk reactions but out of belief that our new younger players can win this trophy.
For a good laugh this great Kiwi piss take video: http://www.24.com/news/2011/soundslides/webb_ellis/index.html
September 13th, 2011 at 1:09 am
slip-sliding away. comical ali type stuff. Its probably our fault as supporters that our 900 cap team cannot attack.
And no, the amount of kicks missed suggests Wales did not play all that well either.
September 13th, 2011 at 1:55 am
For the most part I agree… however… a sitter of a drop-goal and a piss easy penalty missed and this Bok side was toast quite simply…
It’s also very well to say just the bench injected that pace… but it was a general turn around by all the team…
Watch last quarter again and see just how deep guys like Frans Steyn, JDP, Danie, Schalk to name but a few upped their tempo yet again particularly at the tackle-zone and counter-rucking…
Second game in a row now the bench has been used the way it should be… so that’s one positive.
Defensive stats have also showed a marked improver on average with 69%, 73% and 81% in the last 3 consecutive tests… albeit it must be said so the quality of opponent has also decreased.
JF and the two wingers are still missing just over 50% on average of their tackles… which is not a good sign when stretched out wide…
But it’s hardly all doom and gloom… other than the fact the only place they seem to have been coached the last few years has been the last few months on defence and the set-pieces…
They’re simply not sharp enough in the conditioning, handling, attacking front for where a top 5 side should be… there’s been no drilling by coaching side at all… other than in the forwards and 3 weeks of defence…
September 13th, 2011 at 1:58 am
In short it was another ‘gees’ win… this time with a hellava lot more luck going their way…
There is a drastic need of improvement in the many aspects that many punters have been crying for for quite some time… yet there appears to be none…
And it has nothing to do with aging players…
September 13th, 2011 at 5:21 am
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 1:55 am:
Bryce – every game now when Smit gets replaced the whole team plays better.
WRT the bench – the best plyers should not be on the bench, but should be playing the majority of the game.
September 13th, 2011 at 8:17 am
Dan Carter inury…
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/injury-cloud-over-dan-carter-20110913-1k6w0.html
September 13th, 2011 at 8:23 am
Reply to Kevin_rack @ 8:17 am:
Surely wouldn’t be playing him against the Japs anyways?
September 13th, 2011 at 9:10 am
I agree Boer – the same applies to this site where people want to hide / ban any negative comments and rather suggest that all is well in LaLa land. Just look at the performance of Wales in the 6N and tell me why we should be happy with a 1 point win??? Crazy!
September 13th, 2011 at 9:42 am
Reply to Bekke @ 9:10 am:
Show me one person on this site that says everything is hunky dory and perfect at the Boks and are happy with the way we played to get the win?
Read and try and understand what the people are saying that try and negate the negative comments. Once you understand you will note that the comments are far more balanced than the sky is falling on our heads, chicken licken comments that are going around.
September 13th, 2011 at 11:55 am
Reply to Bekke @ 9:10 am:
And I would love to know which posts we have censored or banned on this site stating rugby views.
In this sites history only one person was ever banned.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Reply to Bekke @ 9:10 am: What do you mean ban because of negative comments, you have the wrong site from what i have seen you can basically say what you want here, freedom of speech and all that jazz
September 13th, 2011 at 12:29 pm
Reply to Morné @ 11:55 am: must have been a humdinger of a comment.
OH and sunglasses ???????????????????
September 13th, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Reply to Treehugger-shark @ 12:29 pm:
It was not just one comment, it was a range of them over a long period and several warnings (about a year or more if I remember).
September 13th, 2011 at 12:38 pm
Reply to Morné @ 12:37 pm:
hehehehehe
I remember those days.
Some people will just never learn
September 13th, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Reply to Ollie @ 12:38 pm:
Haha, ja boet, I still liked old Stan, but some of that stuff could have gotten us into serious trouble.
Ollie, mail me boet.
Reply to Treehugger-shark @ 12:29 pm:
Sunglasses?
September 13th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Reply to Morné @ 12:40 pm:
Just mailed you
September 13th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
Yip Morne I miss him too !!!
September 13th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Reply to Bekke @ 9:10 am:
The site is setup to not allow certain vile and abusive words. Other than that there is no active moderation happening. We do not have the time to do that.
Morne you are cintridicting yourself by asking people to be calm and get into discussing how to handle Smit. No different from other requests to change the setup.
September 13th, 2011 at 1:33 pm
can anyone remember what Stan used to call me?
something like ‘pisdruppel’ but even more sharp?
I will make it my new nik if anyone can find it?
September 13th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
and anyways I wont calm down. Digby is a huge loss to Oz and I reckoned he would be player of the tourney! Hell I hope that finger gets fixed!
September 13th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Reply to Kumbaya Bokke! @ 1:33 pm:
Het jy n identiteitskrisis? Hoe track jy al jou email adresse
September 13th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Reply to Deon @ 1:37 pm:
nee maar het `n baie goeie rede om so baie eposse te he.
September 13th, 2011 at 1:43 pm
Reply to Deon @ 1:37 pm:
my vroutjie en twee kiddies is almal in Brisbane as we speak. Het troue daar gehad die naweek. Gese alles was sweet. Hoop die etters bring vir my so Reds persentjie saam!
September 13th, 2011 at 1:47 pm
Sometimes – in an off-moment – I find
myself for a brief moment wanting this
side to get a 40-pointer over them.
Maybe that will show everybody just how
incompetent they really are judged by
world standards.
September 13th, 2011 at 1:49 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 1:47 pm:
you see its not possible to beat a team by 40 points who play not to lose. Thats the whole plan. We plan to win this thing by avoiding the loss, and we are good at it – well against mediocre opposition anyway.
September 13th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Reply to Kumbaya Bokke! @ 1:49 pm:
I’m sure tha AB’s will be happy that you call them mediocre
September 13th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 10:37 pm:
Boertjie,
I watch the SABC broadcast, and although the camera work etc is not too flash I enjoy Chester and Dan retief’s honest opinion. They called spades spades this weekend.
Dan Retief has always been one of my favourites and he was fired from supersport because he was speaking his mind and not all the PC rhetoric you find now.
September 13th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Reply to onerb’s RAGING BULLS @ 2:25 pm:
Not only SuperSport – also their website.
But surely the SABC takes the same video feed
of the games that we see?
On M-Net we also see tight shots when they should
be medium, medium when they should be wide etc.
And then just to add to viewer confusion, they
fancy these moving ground level cameras for
some action.
And it beats me the way kicks are shown, with
the camera panning with the ball, instead of
using a camera in line with the kick.
I can go on for ages.
September 13th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
“The Fijians are sharing a hotel with a shed-load of
South Africans.”
And here I’ve always been thinking the
term is “shit-load.”
The marvels of the English language.
September 13th, 2011 at 4:14 pm
Reply to Kumbaya Bokke! @ 1:37 pm:
He’s rumoured to be back by the 1/4′s with Drew Mitchell making a miraculous recovery to replace him until then…
Cannot remember what Stan used to call you… but jeez he had some funny ones… ‘krimmel-kop’ being one of them…
September 13th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
It will be a very sad day for rugby when SA supporters finally calm down.
Indifference will mean the death of rugby.
September 13th, 2011 at 4:50 pm
If we are only allowed to clap and say “Go Bokke” we may all just as well buy tutus and go ballroom dancing.
September 13th, 2011 at 4:50 pm
I have never understood why when scoring a try some guys dive into the air and bounce along the ground, specially if they dont have to. Always thought it must be really sore.
WELL !!!!!!! I can now tell you from my own experience today it really really really hurts, and i cannot even begin to tell you how i had to syke myself up to do it.
So all those rugby players that dive through the air and bounce along the ground for the hell of it, “you are idiots”.
September 13th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Reply to Timeo @ 4:47 pm:
September 13th, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Reply to Timeo @ 4:50 pm:
September 13th, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Reply to Treehugger-shark @ 4:50 pm:
Doc Craven always told his players:
“When you score a try, behave like
it’s a very common thing to do.”
And they didn’t have all this kissing
and hugging back then.
September 13th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 5:08 pm:
What I like abut Frans Steyn… bashed over for his try… put his arm up, turned and straight back to business…
September 13th, 2011 at 6:28 pm
What did he call Wesley aka wpw?
I was Kadawer
Oh yes… njamau….
Bwahahahahah
Jis he and Wes used to wind each other up….
Ongekroonde dier… kroeskop…. halfnaai… geez those were some funny but hectic days…
Bekke
I don’t think we’ve banned anyone in three years or so…
Boer what did Stan call you?
September 13th, 2011 at 6:31 pm
Oh recall this one with WPW
“Ek skiet gewoonlik wat ek eet maar in jou geval sal ek ‘n uitsondering maak.”
Bwahahahahahahah
September 13th, 2011 at 6:31 pm
We kept a lot of Stanisms…
Drainfish = Sharks
Rugridders = WP
Welpies = Lions
September 13th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Reply to DavidS Bok on his heart not his shoulder @ 6:31 pm:
Can’t remember him calling me something.
Deon was the Vet Kadet.
I think The Mummy (Rose) was coined by Pietploos.
Somebody came up with Muismangel for that
Delport chap from the Lions(?)
Swanger Meerkat for Januarie?
September 13th, 2011 at 8:22 pm
Vet kadet – bwahahahahaha heel vergeet
September 13th, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Muismangel came from Orakel from when that Marius Delport played for the Bulls
Vet Kadet…
Bwahahahahah
September 13th, 2011 at 10:04 pm
HERE’S A GOOD LINK TO SPORT
PROGRAMMES FOR SAFFAS:
http://www.supersport.com/media