Outgoing tours

I actually cannot put into words the frustration I am feeling right now … it was anger on Sunday morning, but once the hangover subsided and I had had a chance to take in the game again, it turned into just plain frustration. TANK LANNING on Sport24.
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When Victor Matfield realised at the second lineout of the match that Irish lock, Paul O’Connell, was counting with him in Afrikaans, he could not believe it.
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South African coach Peter de Villiers admitted that the long year finally took its toll on his team and said he may have to bring in some young blood, as the Springboks look towards defending their World Cup crown in 2011. “TOUR WAS STILL A SUCCESS.”
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World Cup and Tri-Nations champions South Africa deserved to lose against Six Nations champions Ireland on Saturday because they weren’t clinical enough, admitted their captain John Smit.
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It’s billed as the Battle of the Champions – the Champions of the North against the Champions of the South, when Ireland and South Africa meet at great Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday.
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Writing on a website called “RugbyIQ,” the name probably chosen to suggest a greater level of rugby intelligence than exists elsewhere in the media, Gary Gold, while refreshingly candid, adopts a somewhat bleating tone in discussing the “experiment” of playing John Smit at tighthead prop.
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Springbok coach Peter de Villiers was forced to make a couple of changes (6 in total) for the test against Ireland which sees John Smit return to hooker, and Jean de Villiers included in a strong bench.
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While the rugby media in Dublin are describing Saturday’s test as a “revenge match” and the “clash of the best of the North and South”, the South Africans are refusing to get drawn into the hype.
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The Springboks have delayed until Thursday the naming of the squad of 22 that will face Ireland at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday.
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Self-confidence is a huge ally, but it can also be an enemy if not utilised correctly. Take the Springbok team who beat Italy 32-10 at the Stadio Fruili on Saturday for example.
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Hands up anyone who still thinks John Smit is an international class tighthead? Hands up anyone who does not think John Smit should be the starting Bok hooker? Hope there were no sweaty armpits visible!
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FIRES OF ANIMOSITY STOKED The Springboks’ flight from Venice into Dublin was a bumpy experience due to the foul weather over Ireland and Britain, but it was a smooth ride compared to the welcome the tourists can expect this week.
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In this beautiful renaissance town the Springboks revived their ailing tour yesterday with a timely display of controlled power. They halted a run of three defeats with their best performance of the short campaign.
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Surely it will not happen. Surely Italy will not beat the team regularly labelled “the best team in the world”. And yet who is so sure?
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“TOUR SELECTIONS WERE ABYSMAL.” There has been a lot of heat on the front-row forwards during the first weeks of the Springbok overseas tour, and the focus will continue into Saturday’s clash with Italy in Udine, but maybe the examination of where it goes wrong needs to go beyond the hookers and props.
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Springbok captain John Smit on Friday praised Alain Rolland, who will officiate the Test between Italy and South Africa after a week of South African criticism of referees. “There are not many short, round, fat guys who end up becoming international referees, so there will always be some grey areas at the scrum.”
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The French sent out the same message as the British Lions and the Wallabies proved in Brisbane: If the opposition are able to front them physically, then the South Africans become extremely mortal and ordinary.
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Four changes, including a Test debut for Cheetahs prop Wian du Preez, are the hallmark of the Springbok team that will face Italy in Udine on Saturday.
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CJ out with hamstring, Bekker injured his ribs. Brendan Venter admitted “it doesn’t get much better for the club than this” after Saracens beat world champions South Africa 24-23 on a remarkable night at Wembley Stadium.
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