THE OUTSIDER: The first annual ‘Meats’
Phew! It's finally over. All 10 months of it. Now that there's time to catch our breath, we can start that sordid review process:…
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The Outsider was, in a previous life, an Insider with connections to the Australian Rugby Union. Shhh, no names! But we will give you one clue; he once wrote under the pseudonym 'The Insider'. We hope you enjoy the unique insights you'll be reading in this column.
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Phew! It's finally over. All 10 months of it. Now that there's time to catch our breath, we can start that sordid review process:…
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Have heard the story Uncle Argyle, it was mentioned at a couple of team meetings I was in over there. Basically telling everyone that they had to stand up physically, it is the only thing the Springbok understands – and respects. Same will be true on Saturday. Concur with what you are all saying, a great country to visit, just very intense for visiting players, & with many distractions. For all those Roarers who haven’t yet been though, it’s a must. From the beauty of Table mountain to the pure fanaticism of a full Ellis Park, it’s not to be missed!
The Outsider: Welcome to South Africa
Think blaming fitness levels is a bit too simplistic especially as the fitness base for all of the players is built up at their states, not in the national team. The Wallabies inherit what has already been done at state level – if the fitness levels aren’t up to scratch by then, it’s too late. While the South Africans did the bulk of their scoring in the last 10 minutes at Newlands, that was a manifestation of all the pressure that had been applied earlier, most notably in the physical exchanges. The reasons the stats (penalties conceded etc) read as they do is because of the dominance the Springboks had. The fact that they didn’t get frustrated, even though missed SA goal-kicks had kept the Wallabies in it, is a credit to de Villiers and the on-field team leadership. It’s important that the Wallabies continue to aim high but am not sure the fact that the Springboks had to wait until the last 10 to wrap up the game is a fair indication of the gap between the two teams – the Springboks are significantly ahead. Saturday just served to reaffirm that a certain refereeing decision in Perth probably did decide the outcome of that Test match. With the long trip, and a hungry Pumas team waiting for them in Mendoza, where none of the Wallabies players have been before, a massive character test awaits. I mentioned last week my surprise that McKenzie and co decided to go into Cape Town relatively late in the piece. The same applies this week where they are staying in Buenos Aires and only going into Mendoza late in the week. I guess we will know this time next week whether that strategy was the right one or not.
SPIRO: The Wallabies can't be winners playing well for only 60 minutes