By AP
November 29th 2009 @ 3:33am
Related coverage
Sexton kicks Ireland to win over Springboks
Jonathan Sexton kicked all Ireland’s points to give his team a 15-10 win over world champions South Africa on Saturday.
The 24-year-old flyhalf landed five of his seven kicks to justify his selection ahead of record scorer Ronan O’Gara and give his side a third straight win over the Springboks.
South Africa did score the only try of the match through Schalk Burger but were lucky to keep 15 men on the field for the whole game as their discipline crumbled under pressure.
Ireland have now completed their November internationals unbeaten. They drew 20-20 with Australia and defeated Fiji 41-6.
South Africa head home with only a win over Italy to show from four Tests.
Ireland dominated South Africa in the second half to overturn a 10-6 halftime deficit, taking two thirds of possession and three quarters of the territory to force the World Cup holders into elementary errors.
Although the Irish struggled to get the try their pressure merited, Sexton succeeded with enough of his penalties for a win that was clinched when captain Brian O’Driscoll halted a late South Africa attack with a crunching tackle.
Morne Steyn had a poor match for South Africa, missing several kicks and struggling with his distribution.
His high tackle gave away the 48th-minute penalty that allowed Sexton to kick Ireland to within a point of South Africa and then kicked straight into touch to concede a lineout that put his side under more pressure.
Lock Andries Bekker was lucky to stay on the field when he dropped his knee and forearm on a grounded opponent and Sexton struck the resulting penalty to put Ireland 12-10 in front.
South Africa’s other second-rower, Victor Matfield, was then called for not releasing on the ground after a turnover and Sexton kicked Ireland into a crucial five-point lead.
Springbok winger JP Pietersen halted an Irish attack with a high tackle that left Tommy Bowe with a bloody mouth and was fortunate that the referee did not spot it and hand him a yellow card.
Ireland had led early on through Sexton’s first penalty but Burger put the visitors ahead at the end of the first quarter.
South Africa opted against taking a kick at goal to instead pressure the Ireland defence and Burger shifted his weight to step between two tacklers and create space to charge over the line.
The Croke Park crowd jeered the flanker as he celebrated by kicking the ball into the stand and Steyn made it 7-3 with the conversion.
The flyhalf landed a drop goal but Sexton responded with another penalty to keep the gap to four points at halftime.
Super 14 Tipping now live on The Roar. Join now.
Like this content? Buzz it up!
Free Email updates:
Our daily emails are only sent if there is content for the sport or that author. You can subscribe to multiple daily emails; or get the daily Roar email with all our content in it. We value privacy. More...
(88)
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 3:59am | Report comment
Whee!
Knives Out said | November 29th 2009 @ 4:04am | Report comment
Great result. I noticed a lot of rather unpleasant behaviour from various SA players. Not only have they lost games this tour but they’ve also lost friends. Btw, nice kick, Schalk.
katzilla said | November 29th 2009 @ 8:02am | Report comment
HAHA yeah he looked like an absolute tool.
He was trying to get up to kick it but his mates were holding him down and it looked like he was having a fit.
I think it was Schalks way of saying ‘Thats payment for your boy assaulting my fingers with his eyes!’
MM said | November 30th 2009 @ 5:26am | Report comment
Knives – unpleasant behaviour from the Boks? Unless many of us are blind, there was a lot of ill-discipline from the Irish. There was a pertinent stage at which the Bok skipper motioned to his team, “Let if go”.
Taking nothing away from the Irish who played a brilliant game, no team is all good or all bad.
Re: your comment on team of the year further on – now who would qualify as the winning team other than the Boks? It might feel rather unfair considered subjectively, but objectively speaking, no other team qualifies unfortunately – their tour up here did not count towards a “must win” result. How would any other team qualify for team of the year when overall the Boks ruled?
Back to the game just played, why did DIV bring de Villiers from Munster only to have him on the bench until too late? Why replace Morne Steyn when Ruan Pienaar could obviously do no better and seldom does these days. Too many players kept on the bench – but one has to respect the fact that other players had to have their chance – for any team, I’d certainly prefer this avenue than during a critical test if I were the coach.
It’s easy to play ref from the outside and I believe the Boks seriously used the experience as a learning curve.
Ora said | November 30th 2009 @ 6:24am | Report comment
I don’t believe the Boks ruled at all if they had they would not have lost so many games on this tour and they would’ve maintained their number one ranking. I think the general consensus MM is the New Zealanders are not the same team that played South Africa in the Tri-Nations nor vice versa the South African standard of play has fallen to the wayside dramatically.
If anyone deserves team of the year it should have gone to the Irish they had a impressive year in 09 unbeaten if I am not mistaken!
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 4:53am | Report comment
Boks have won the Team of the Year award from IRB. And Kidney takes the gong for Coach of the Year – well deserved.
Knives Out said | November 29th 2009 @ 5:41am | Report comment
Mmm… Not sure how much I agree with the team of the year, and it’s a bit odd that the team of the year’s coach isn’t rewarded.
katzilla said | November 29th 2009 @ 8:07am | Report comment
Pre tour I would have given it to SA in a heart beat.
They’re just not even a shadow of the team they were in the 3N.
For mine either Ireland or if France had a better showing in the 6N.
Ora said | November 30th 2009 @ 6:25am | Report comment
Ireland were more deserving I believe
NickSA said | November 29th 2009 @ 6:08am | Report comment
its a pity, the boks turned a very good season into a very average one. 1 positive is how good the scrum was…
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 6:56am | Report comment
well done Ireland, and well done the Boks who had an awesome season. the end of year jolly in no way taints the Lions and Tri-Nations success, not to mention S14 and 7’s. year-end tours are meaningless at the best of times, particularly in a Lions year. i completely agree with PdV that year-end tour results are not important, but testing new players and experimenting is. my approach would have been different tho. i would have left the run on 15 at home and selected the next best 15 (whether based in euro or SA), as opposed to the 4th best 15.
Knives Out said | November 29th 2009 @ 6:58am | Report comment
When did PdV say that and when has he experimented?
NickSA said | November 29th 2009 @ 7:13am | Report comment
dingbat
I disagree that the end of year tours are meaningless, if we have that attitude we will only do well against aus and nz!! we carry on like this and soon we are gonna land up with a losing record against the NH teams. consistancy is key!!! PDV picked his best team available for the france, italy and ireland games!! the boks looked really tired, they have got to start managing the players better. how do aus and nz do it?? they dont look nearly as flat as the boks!! First half we did well and then second we just looked flat. Morne steyn missing nealry all his kicks didnt help either…
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 7:40am | Report comment
“…best team available for the france, italy and ireland games!! the boks looked really tired, they have got to start managing the players better”
EXACTLY. Leave the usual run on 15 at home and pick the next best 15!!!!!!!!!! The year-end games are one-off test matches. A quick money spinner. Of secondary importance to tri-nations (ie: best three teams in the world), and way less important to a Lions tour. When the Boks planned the yr I assure you the games against Fr, Italy and Ireland were the bottom of the list. And then PdV, as only he can, selects complete plonkers for the mid-week games – our starting 15 got stronger and stronger as the “best 22″ got injured!!!!
NickSA said | November 29th 2009 @ 8:57am | Report comment
Dingbat
I agree the trinations and lion series is of far greater importance but the year of end tours are still important!!
U cant claim to be the best side in the world when u cant be consistant hence us losing the no 1 ranking.
How did NZ in the past manage to win the tri nations and then go on tour and do well?? If they can do it, we can do it too!! all i am saying is that we are doing something wrong with the player management. U cant change the entire 15 because we will not win then but maybe key players should be given more time off…
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 7:57am | Report comment
Dingbat – you’re deluding yourself. There aren’t three best teams in the world. SA got found out on this tour. They pulled a great trick that lasted them for the length of the 3 Nations, and then fell flat. We were all duped that their style of play and game plan would survive – the so-called kick and chase. It’s already redundant. The Boks were out-Bokked today and two weeks ago.
Australia were comprehensively chomped by NZ and SA.
Meanwhile in Marseilles, NZ and France showed how the game should be played – and NZ showed how they and the game could be winners.
There’s NZ and there’s everyone else.
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 8:12am | Report comment
pothale, let’s talk delusion. how many world cups has NH won? name how frequently a NH team has made the top 3 rankings over the last 10yrs? for NH teams to judge the ability of SH teams on yr-end tours is laughable. world cups and lions tours, followed by tri-nations and 6 nations is all that counts. having said that, i would welcome a global season with proper NH and SH match-ups more frequently than once every 4yrs. eg: every second yr we forfeight the 6N and tri-nations, and hold a 9N.
NickSA said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:06am | Report comment
i agree
i think this irish team is very over-rated, the boks were shocking and had morne steyn landed his kicks they probably would have won. France is the only team in the NH who can play rugby that can match the SH teams at the moment…
Knives Out said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:12am | Report comment
Obviously not as overrated as SA. SA had nothing to trouble Ireland beyond the scrum and like Kidney says, had O’Gara played then Ireland may well have won by more. The Boks were shocking because they are stunningly one-dimensional.
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:28am | Report comment
KO we tend to rate teams over a season. Teams set priorities. The Boks achieved their objectives this year. Sorry, but playing Ireland etc…at the end of a long successfull season is just not a big deal for us.
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:38am | Report comment
Says who? You?
Knives Out said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:13pm | Report comment
According to a fan who has just seen their team plummet to 4 losses in 5. Having been knocked off top spot by a resurgent NZ I’m sure the Springboks couldn’t give a toot about these tests. I could see the match wasn’t a big deal to that genius Schalk Burger. I wonder if NZ take these tests seriously?
MM said | November 30th 2009 @ 5:35am | Report comment
Myself as well Pothale – with respect.
It might appear to be disrespectful, however – after an overtly long year – it wasn’t a first prize situation. Besides, during critical times of the year when the NH could prove their worth, they didn’t quite get there. I doubt the Bok’s reign of supremacy will last through until world cup though.
Certainly – the All Blacks were impressive!
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:35am | Report comment
Dingbat – I’m talking in the context of 2009. For NH teams to judge the ability of SH teams during their season is quite reasonable. SH teams do the same to NH teams when they play them in June, don’t they? NH teams are always sending second-string teams South is a regular refrain.
Use Lions tours to judge ability of SH teams? You must be joking. A team that plays a scratch team that has had 3-4 weeks to prepare is not something I would use to rate a team. I fail to understand why SA fans keep claiming this is one of their biggest achievements of the year in playing terms. In advance of the tour, there were plenty of commentators talking about how the Lions had failed as an enterprise in the professional era. The Lions would be whitewashed and tanked by the Springboks. After the tournament was won on the squeakiest of margins, it was paraded as the Second Coming by the Boks, by PdV and by fans. Who’s kidding who? After the Lions series, it was stated by a number of people that the Lions had pointed the way to how the Boks could be beaten. NZ and Oz failed to pay heed until it was too late in the 3N. Then the Boks arrived in NH and found out their scrum wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Numerous props went home shaking their heads. The kick n chase game was exposed. By the end of the year, the Boks are but a shadow of the team they were set up to be. And what do we hear – the team is tired, etc, etc. The excuses that the NH teams are told to stop using when they visit the SH in June.
Delusional? Keep talking.
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:45am | Report comment
In response to your question “says who”?, the answer is:
the IRB
the IRB have named the Boks the team of the year.
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:52am | Report comment
Well two points on that:
I wouldn’t have thought the Boks would welcome such an accolade from the IRB since they view them with such deep suspicion most of the time, particularly during the Lions tests and they’re full of NH blazers.
Secondly, the end of year tours are counted as part of the assessment of a team’s performance. So their end of year tour last year contributed to them winning the award.
A Lions tour occurs only once every 12 years so it’s hardly a regular form of measurement.
The Boks don’t participate in the 6 Nations. So you;re saying the only thing that matters to the Boks is playing in the 3N. Pretty limited thinking in my view.
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:05am | Report comment
no not at all pothale. the irb are revered in SA. they are obviously all-knowing, and seriously intelligent, hence the Boks being named irb team of the yr.
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:49am | Report comment
of course SH and NH teams are equally disadvantaged when they tour at times that are not optimal. that’s why we can only judge when teams are equally well prepared, and care equally about a match or tournament ie: world cup. The Boks have played 4 and won 2. 50% aint bad. NH has won 1 out of 6, and it wasn’t Ireland…
Knives Out said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:15pm | Report comment
I hope the 1995 WC comforted you through all those years of wooden spoons and record defeats. And I hope the 2007 WC comforted you through last seasons 3N. It doesn’t hurt to have a bit of grace.
ohtani's jacket said | November 29th 2009 @ 8:13am | Report comment
One match doesn’t make the All Blacks unbeatable.
Springbok fans ought to accept this tour as part of their year, instead of acting like rugby finishes after the Currie Cup, but the Tri-Nations is six months away and a completely different season. Beating the Boks next year will be a big deal for the All Blacks and I imagine they’ll be a tougher prospect than they were on this tour. The same thing happened the last time the Boks won the Tri-Nations in 2004 when they tanked on the Grand Slam tour. They were excellent the following year.
NickSA said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:02am | Report comment
OJ
I agree they need to be competitive the entire season.
Next tri nations is going to be epic…
There is no greater game than a good bok side vs a good ab side!
Parisien said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:27am | Report comment
any chance the Wallabies can squeeze into your playoff/party?
Viscount Crouchback said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:45am | Report comment
This is poppycock. The Boks were knackered, chum – completely and utterly fagged. The notion that they “have been found out” is utter tosh. They would have put 40 points on Ireland today if fit and fresh and playing in something other than 1 degree mist.
Ireland look like an average team playing at the absolute peak of their powers. Their admirable mental strength and pluck has been sufficient for them to edge the 1-point games over the past year, but the idea that they have a hope in hell of winning the WC in NZ is utterly laughable.
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:52am | Report comment
Viscount you’re a genius. Only a white legged bunch of carrot tops could possibly succeed in those conditions. Good God man, Africans don’t do cold.
Viscount Crouchback said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:57am | Report comment
Precisely, old fruit. Those were barbarous conditions fit only for men of ghost-like skin and possessed of an unnatural relish for skulking through bogside mists.
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:58am | Report comment
A white legged bunch of carrot tops? Who’s that referring to Dingbat?
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:09am | Report comment
you know pothole, you know. anyone north of london, really. we see them holidaying in africa. wide brimmed cricket hats, factor 250, long sleeve white work shirt with collar up, and plastic nose covers that clip onto their specs. you know, you know, your sort.
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:15am | Report comment
Why do you feel the the need to get personal, Dingbat? I’ve been discussing rugby and rugby teams with you. We each give our opinion – that’s the nature of the debate.
So why attempt to get personal?
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:56am | Report comment
Who is suggesting that they would win the WC in NZ, VC?
Viscount Crouchback said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:59am | Report comment
I sniff Irish optimism on the wind, Pothale.
Let’s see the Irish win a game away in the southern hemisphere (for the first time in decades) or beat NZ (for the first time ever) before the chaps on the Emerald Isle get too excited about the WC.
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:07am | Report comment
VC, old chinster.
You might recall a previous conversation on this topic in which I ventured caution in getting overly excited/positive about Ireland’s prospects in the AIs. Your retort/response at the time was to berate me/Ireland for our lack of spirit and optimism and say that Ireland should beat Australia and South Africa – they are the 6 Nations champs and it would be good for European rugby.
Who’s pissing on whose chips, pray tell?
Viscount Crouchback said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:25am | Report comment
Don’t get me wrong, old bean – Ireland jolly well ought to be winning in barbarous weather conditions against knackered opponents. And I congratulate them for doing so. But let’s remember 2006 – very similar results (in fact, the results were better that Autumn) and then utter humiliation a year later in the WC. My own opinion – and it is only an opinion – is that Ireland punch about 50% above their weight in non-WC years thanks to their superb domestic structure and player welfare system.
The most curious element of this Autumn series for me is that an Ireland team at the top of their game has, in truth, played little more rugby than an England team at the bottom of their game. The team with belief has edged its games; the team without belief has fallen away after sixty minutes in its games. But one expects more of the Irish given their status as Champions of Europe.
I keep hearing from the noisy Irish and Welsh that they wish to emulate the England 2003 team. Well, if that is the standard, they have a jolly long way to go. Where is the 50-point beasting of a Tri Nation team? Where is the #1 in the world status? Where are the wins on southern hemisphere soil? I don’t see them.
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:42am | Report comment
You’ve said this thing before about wishing to emulate the England team of 2003. It mystifies me. It’s not a comparitor I would use, and one I would think generally foreign to an Irishman or Welshman. Well maybe not the Welsh, they do tend to be somewhat fawning.
I would far prefer to be emulating Australia – and would be a good standard setter for the team in 2143.
MM said | November 30th 2009 @ 5:45am | Report comment
I think Dingbat is merely using illustrative measures to explain the differences which do unfortunately have an impact although personally I’d never rely on that type of excuse. The point being made is not entirely unfair.
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 8:27am | Report comment
I luv that about the French, They just didn’t turn up…but they’ll probably come from 20 points behind to beat NZ in a second half blitz at the 2011 rwc. must have the most frustrated fans on the planet.
Parisien said | November 29th 2009 @ 8:52am | Report comment
Congratulations Ireland, well deserved victory, and you showed that snatching a last minute draw against Australia from the jaws of defeat wasn’t a fluke!
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:37am | Report comment
Correct. If they’d had another few minutes, they would have won!
Parisien said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:01am | Report comment
LOL! you can’t be serious?!
And if Australia had converted half their chances in the first 60 minutes, they would have blown Ireland out Croke Park.
As widely reported in the press, even Declan Kidney the Irish coach felt Ireland were lucky to get away with the draw at the death, but I’m glad you know something he doesn’t!
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:04am | Report comment
i get the impression pothole is the irish one-eyed equivalent of spiro
Knives Out said | November 29th 2009 @ 9:17pm | Report comment
He didn’t just say that, as it happens, Parisien. Also, you keep talking about this 60 minute wonder performance but it has never been paralleled by the media nor in the match statistics.
Ora said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:04am | Report comment
Sadly Pothale the game of rugby is 80minutes long and Ireland didn’t do enough to win the match in that time frame so they didn’t deserve to win. Neither did Australia for that matter so it was a fitting outcome for both teams in the end!
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:09am | Report comment
Yes of course. You’re all correct. Ireland were lucky to get the draw with Australia. And they were lucky to encounter a thoroughly flogged to death South Africa who didn’t really care about the match or result at all.
We’ll go back to traipsing the bogs immediately.
matt0931 said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:35pm | Report comment
lol!
Congrats Ireland.
Parisien said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:23am | Report comment
now now Pothale, don’t go traipsing back to the bogs out in Connemara, we’d miss you, and Ireland are a very good team, we love them to bits, even if they were lucky to escape with a draw against Australia.
And they did deserve to win against South Africa, those lazy, tired, don’t travel well, good for nothings…
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:28am | Report comment
pothole, the yr end tours are a fun sideshow. of interest, but not important. they shld be seen as a time to rest key players, blood the next generation, with results being secondary. the body can only take so much, even in the professional era.
and no, ireland thoroughly deserved their victories. they’ve enjoyed a wonderful season, and are a top team. BOD is special.
sorry you took my “wide brimmed cricket hats, factor 250, long sleeve white work shirt with collar up, and plastic nose covers that clip onto their specs” chirp to heart. just a bit of a harmless stereotypical dig, like, all afrikaners are big, dumb and called van der merwe.
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:45am | Report comment
No probs, Dingbat – it’s just your description matched a lot of Englishmen I know. Except they don’t have red hair. Mixing your metaphors is one thing, mixing your stereotypes is simply not done.
Sylvester said | November 29th 2009 @ 11:57am | Report comment
The Tri Nations may be the pinacle for the participants, but if you want to be taken seriously as No.1 you’ve got to keep beating all-comers, home and away, over the whole season. To say the Saffers were tired or experiementing is no excuse, as has been mentioned, the ABs have performed exceptionally on the end of season tours for years.
Without wanting to take away from their 3N success, I’ve heard this Saffer team being referred to as the “best of the pro era”. However, this season they’ve lost as many tests as an ABs side that was described as the worst ever.
Viscount Crouchback said | November 29th 2009 @ 11:04am | Report comment
“You’ve said this thing before about wishing to emulate the England team of 2003. It mystifies me. It’s not a comparitor I would use, and one I would think generally foreign to an Irishman or Welshman. Well maybe not the Welsh, they do tend to be somewhat fawning. I would far prefer to be emulating Australia – and would be a good standard setter for the team in 2143.”
You’ve obviously not been paying attention. Paul O’Connell references the England 2003 template in practically every interview he gives – indeed, I distinctly remember him mentioning it (unbidden) in a post-match interview last year in Melbourne after Ireland lost to the Wallabies. Warren Gatland mentioned England 03 only this week.
There’s undoubtedly an attempt by this Ireland outfit to mimic Woodward’s England. Even the subs clapping out the team in the tunnel before the match is ripped straight from the Woodward playbook. I just doubt that this Ireland team has quite the depth of talent required to match England’s achievements in ‘03. I’d like to see Ireland play some rugby rather than get hung up on an English–designed road-map to WC glory.
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 11:19am | Report comment
I wasn’t aware of O’Connell’s comments but I understand the reference – in other words, he wants Ireland to win games of rugby regularly against SH opponents like England did en route to winning the World Cup in 2003. Seems logical.
I know that Gatland has quite clearly mapped out that he wants to play SH teams more regularly in advance of the WC. He said it again today. And Kidney wishes to do likewise – he has said it also which is why there are more games lined up for next June. Winning them would obviously be the objective (along with development of players). I’d hardly think this represents following an English-designed roadmap to WC glory. What other evidence points to this assumption of yours?
For example, the subs/coaching team clapping out the team in the tunnel or dressing room has been done in a quite a few US sports – are you sure it’s in Woodward’s playbook?
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 11:28am | Report comment
See below. Trend is certainly that coach of yr is the coach of the team of the yr. Not so this yr. I wonder if the IRB thinks PdV is a fruitcake?
Previous Winners of IRB Team of the Year
2001 – Australia
2002 – France
2003 – England
2004 – South Africa
2005 – New Zealand
2006 – New Zealand
2007 – South Africa
2008 – New Zealand
Previous Winners of IRB Coach of the Year
2001 – Rod Macqueen (Australia)
2002 – Bernard Laporte (France)
2003 – Clive Woodward (England)
2004 – Jake White (South Africa)
2005 – Graham Henry (New Zealand)
2006 – Graham Henry (New Zealand)
2007 – Jake White (South Africa)
2008 – Graham Henry (New Zealand)
MM said | November 30th 2009 @ 6:08am | Report comment
A factor well pointed out. One has to then wonder how much “politics” have come in to play. Nothing new or unusual.
pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 11:42am | Report comment
Well Ireland’s win this year was quite exceptional given that they hadn’t won the Grand Slam in over 60 years. And Kidney at first time of asking. I’m not sure if achievements with the entire coaching set-up are also taken into account by the judges – Kidney was heavily involved in Ireland A winning the Churchill Cup this year.
One thing I’m unclear about – what is the judging period for the awards? In some IRB articles it seems to say that it runs from November Internationals of previous year up to end of Tri-Nations. In some of the comments this evening on McCaw being awarded Player of the Year, it seemed to imply that his performances in this year’s November internationals were taken into account. I know they can only include one lot of November tests – which is it?
Rin said | November 29th 2009 @ 1:15pm | Report comment
That was the most tired uninterested Springbok side i have seen in awhile, they clearly have had to long a season this year (because of the taxing lions tour). I reckon the boks should not have bothered sending any first string players over for this tour and rather have given them a rest (just like the NH team do for their year end tours to the SH)
The irish deserved to win but they werent great either. I am still bambozzled by the penalty at the end against SA to end the match???
and one more whinge unfortunately ha ha….McCaw irb player of the year!!! i definately thought it was a two horse race with DuPreez and BOD….
Pothale said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:43pm | Report comment
Taxing Lions tour? It was two extra tests. The Irish players wereon that tour as well having played a full season and have now started a new one. This excuse of tired is tired.
MM said | November 30th 2009 @ 5:50am | Report comment
Yup – agree Pothale
James said | November 30th 2009 @ 10:23am | Report comment
ummm three extra tests and they havent had an off season break…like NH teams…
i am sorry you are tired of this tiresome excuse but i dont care. Its good the IRB actually acknowledged who was the team of the year…for a hard fought ‘long’ season.
pothale said | November 30th 2009 @ 10:38am | Report comment
I said two extra Lions tests purposely, since it was agreed that PdV sent out a second-string side for the 3rd test which is the only reason they lost.
The Boks finished the Tri Nations and then had a break before they headed up North. Same as the Aussies and ABs.
Tired is an excuse. It’s not acceptable from the NH teams when they travel in June down south, and equally it shouldn’t be acceptable from the SH teams when they lose up North. The Lions arrived in SA at the end of their longer season, and were up for it – they didn’t complain about tiredness for losing the series. And the squad played 8 more matches before they played the Tests, whilst the Boks were purposely wrapped in cotton wool.
Ora said | November 30th 2009 @ 10:44am | Report comment
Totally agree
it’s rubbish saying the Boks were tired when overall they have played less matches than their opposition.
They got beaten fair and square on a few occasions on this tour, there is a reason why they are not ranked number one in the world and thats because they just aren’t consistant enough. The demise of the South Africans in the North just highlights how poor this years 3N really was and that the Northern unions are getting stronger, all credit to the Boks for sure but 09 was hardly a year of quality rugby from any nation bar one or two matches.
NickSA said | November 29th 2009 @ 3:10pm | Report comment
The boks should have also re- called frans steyn, u only truly realise what a boy wonder he is every time the boks get a penalty in their own half
matt0931 said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:39pm | Report comment
hmmm, and you also truly realise how entertaining rugby can be when one dimensionsal players like Steyn aren’t boring the ass out of us all with mind numbing 60m kicks at goal rather than running the ball back at the opposition.
Stash said | November 29th 2009 @ 10:45pm | Report comment
i actually thought it was a good test to watch – Steyn misses were a surprise!!
No excuses for the Boks – they had a terrible NH tour. Its part of the calendar year for rugby (they played 2 less tests than NZ this year) so South Africa needs to learn how to win on the road.
If NZ can do it, I can’t see why the Boks can’t.
Surprised to see McCaw get the player of the year – I thought it was going to be Brussouw.
MM said | November 30th 2009 @ 5:58am | Report comment
Also very surprised at McCaw being elected as player of the year. On what criteria is that based? He’s brilliant but his team didn’t perform this season except this last NH tour. Although there’s a high possibility of the All Blacks returning as a force to be reckoned with in 2010, there appears to be little merit behind the selection made.
MM said | November 30th 2009 @ 7:06am | Report comment
Soz Knives – grammatical error – tks for pointing it out.
ohtani's jacket said | November 30th 2009 @ 7:39am | Report comment
McCaw should’ve won it last year instead, but he was back to his best on the end of year tour which pretty much makes him the best player in the world anyway,
Dingbat said | November 29th 2009 @ 11:27pm | Report comment
Tired Boks Theory:
Fatigue is both mental and physical.
Mentally, a Lions tour and a 3N tournament is taxing. With the 3N in particular, the Boks travel like no other team. This is always mentally and physically tiring. And the Boks have never been the greatest travellers anyway.
Physically, I believe the Boks, player for player, have a tougher season than other international teams for the following simple reason: the SA rugby mentality and approach is very, very physical. SA players and teams make up for the lack of deft-footed/quick hand skill and inventiveness by bashing and crashing their way towards the tryline. Their bodies go through more, and the Boks in particular win through defense: tackle after tackle after tackle. Not an excuse at all, just a realistic observation. The Kiwis run more, ball in hand, as do the Aussies. They have always had more skilled players who need to use their physical strength less often. Bok players have always had less skill, and have therefore focused on their strength and size.
Nelson said | November 30th 2009 @ 12:43am | Report comment
the currie cup still means something in SA, the final is still argualby bigger than the s14, culturally and ratings wise. therefore the likes of matfiled (who looked shattered on sat, and all tour for that matter) have a few extra games to play. might not sound like much but a few weeks rest can make a lot of difference.
the AB’s are a global brand selling out stadiums across europe (even italy) and i am sure there is a reenue sharing agreement so the nzrfu makes sure the top players are rested and ready to go for the tour. which is the better approach? depends what the ultimate goal of the governing body is. grassroots rugby is probably healthier in sa but the abs play much better in europe.
its a moot point anyway so before anyone points it out yes we all know the euopean guys play much longer seasons than the south africa do. and on top of this matfield , du preez and habana all signed up for the barbarians, which is surely madness.
also surpised mccaw got player of the year in one of his quieter seasons. i would have gone for BOD – an icon and the best 13 in the world for a decade now.
ohtani's jacket said | November 30th 2009 @ 7:33am | Report comment
Well, South Africa have drawn a line in the sand over their Currie Cup, and you’ve got to respect that, but at the same time their end of tour results took the sheen off everything they accomplished. There’s no way you can rightly say this is a great South African side or even a dominant one. They now seem like a country that will target a particular series or tournament and half ass the rest of the matches, hence why it’s difficult to take them seriously.
Angus said | November 30th 2009 @ 7:40pm | Report comment
OJ your understanding of South African Rugby leaves a lot to be desired.
They have given up a lot to accommodate their SANZAR partners. Their top players
will not be able to play Currie Cup because of the extended Super14/15 comp format.
Through the years they have had the NH send 2nd Class teams during the midyear Tests, They are just returning the favour .
Treat them well and I am sure they will reciprocate.
One of the best games I have seen this year was the Currie Cup Final.
I was impressed with the rugby from both sides in that Cup Final.
I thought Ireland had so much possession and could not score a try. This shows that they are not that great a side.
I think the Boks defence was solid but they kept kicking away possession which seems to indicate they are a tad stereotype.
The Currie Cup Final shows that these guys can move the ball if they want to.
I did not see much of the famed BOD in the Irish vs SA test (he did put in a good tackle at the end of the game).
pothale said | November 30th 2009 @ 8:02pm | Report comment
SA has not had the same kind of history of receiving second-string teams from NH, because NH teams play in SA much less regularly. You’re hardly saying SA sent out a second-class team on Saturday, are you? Frans Steyn and Pierre Spies were the two notable absentees.
“Ireland had so much possession and could not score a try. This shows that they are not that great a side.”
Hmmm – they scored 7 tries in the their previous two matches. The weather conditions, and the tactics of the Boks hugely reduced the possibilities for scoring tries, but at least Ireland were willing to run with the ball, but the Boks have shown themselves to be a good defensive team this year – as the ABs and Australia discovered. Their go-forward, kick n chase strategy though has bitten the dust.
Ben J said | December 1st 2009 @ 12:05am | Report comment
You make it sound like it is a bad thing to target a series…
Rusty said | November 30th 2009 @ 9:05am | Report comment
Well done to Ireland for a good win – to the Boks its back to the drawing board. I dont care what anyone else says about being tired etc etc although there is probably an element of truth to it, it is not an excuse. If you want to be the best team in the world then you need to account for these type of things and as mentioned on this thread the ABs seem to manage quite fine.
The end of year tour was mostly a disaster for the Boks, I say mostly as there are some things to be taken away from this. Some good, some bad but I think there will be a clearer picture on certain players new and old and their roles within the team. The strategy or lack of it will need also to be reviewed as well as a nurturing of a second tier of players, too much depends on the front liners and perhaps this is why we fall flat later in the season?
As for the IRB team of the year – I suppose you could question it after the tour but I think beating the “scratch” Lions side – whom after watching I think would have beat most nations, the ABs 3 times and Australia twice, both home and away are fairly impressive. Put simply I don’t think any other team achieved as much.
Terry Kidd said | November 30th 2009 @ 9:18am | Report comment
Pothale I hope you celerbrated the win in style.
I have been surprised by the Bok performance throughout their tour. I expected their scrum to have problems but thought they would make up for this with their loose forwards, but that didn’t happen. To me the players did not look totally interested, and did not have their hearts in it, which is despicable when you are representing your country.
I expect a different Bok outfit in 3N 2010, but they might get towelled up a little if they play first up in both Oz and NZ. Then they might switch on in front of their home crowds.
Dublin Dave said | November 30th 2009 @ 11:43am | Report comment
Being Irish I know next to bugger all about cricket, and I suspect neither does Morne Steyn.
The little knowledge I picked up of that strange and exotic game came from a decade lliving in England and a determination to acquaint myself with at least some of the strange native customs of which cricket is surely one. A game of many variables, I was mystified why such things as cloud cover and moisture in the air, not to mention in the ground on which the match was played, were of such interest to writers and commentators.
It would be explained to me with infinite patience that meteorological conditions have a great influence on the behaviour of the ball as it is bowled, especially if a medium paced bowler tries to make it “swing”, to which end I believe a seam bowler spends an inordinate amount of time rubbing the ball against his crotch. (Weird pastime or what?)
And this, mind, is when we’re talking about a ball travelling 20m or so!!
On several occasions last Saturday, Morne Steyn attempted goal kicks from infeasibly long distances. Doubtless, he was thinking back to his series winning penalty against the Lions in Pretoria which he struck from inside his own half. But doing that on a balmy autumn day on the high veld of South Africa is one thing; trying it on a freezing foggy day in Dublin in November is quite another. Towards the end of the match it was quite difficult to see from one corner of the ground to the other as the pea soup shrouded the ground.
But that didn’t seem to deter him. Several times in the first half he tried kicks from close to the half way line, once indeed from inside his own half. Even someone with his prodigous boot hadn’t a hope in those conditions.
I believe the famous wicket keeper Ian Healy, with typical Australian sporting graciousness, used to greet a batsman’s dismissal with the cry “Back to the nets, idiot!” No doubt a quiet word in the ear from a good bowler would do Mr Steyn the world of good as well.
Stash said | November 30th 2009 @ 11:54am | Report comment
Actually the Boks have a tough 3N in 2010 – to start with they face the All Blacks in New Zealand twice, before playing the Wallabies in Australia.
They will need to be at their absolute best for this – otherwise the 3N could be over for the Bok before they get to play at home which is their historic strength.
Terry Kidd said | November 30th 2009 @ 12:03pm | Report comment
Exactly Stash. So I think Bok supporters should be a little worried about the opening games in the 3N next year. It is almost certain that the ABs and Wallabies will be up for beating the Boks on their own soil … home wins are an absolute MUST for any hope in the 3N, followed by bonus points away.
Stash said | November 30th 2009 @ 12:05pm | Report comment
Hmmm…. Chris Ratue said this:
“There is a telling statistic from the first test against the Lions this year: the Springbok team made a total of 49 passes, whereas the Lions’ halfback Mike Phillips made 76 passes on his own.”
Ouch… that can’t be right surely… can any stat fans confirm this?
Watching this game – my fellow rugby comrades continued to note that the Bok running game was again seen wanting with attacking stanzas often losing ground. When the Boks kicking game is out of synch – the running game becomes even more essential.
It doesn’t make sense – because the Bok backline has genuine quality players – whose responsible for the attack strategy?
Stash said | November 30th 2009 @ 12:10pm | Report comment
49 passes….please someone tell me that Chris Rattue ate some dodgy corn-flakes for breakfast.
49 passes – that just more than a pass every 2 minutes??!!
Ben J said | December 1st 2009 @ 12:15am | Report comment
The Irish were passionate, at home and clearly wanted to win. The Boks were frustrated, made bad decisions and did not deserve to win. There is no shame losing against the Irish at home but that is where the Irish fortunes against the SH will stay. They will always be competitive on their home soil but only pretenders anywhere else.