South Africa’s Bakkies Botha, left, Victor Matfield and Bismarck du Plessis celebrate winning the Tri Nations Cup after defeating New Zealand in the Tri Nations International rugby match, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/NZPA, David Rowland)
If that cross-kick by Daniel Carter in the last seconds of an absorbing Tri-Nations Test at Hamilton had been a metre or so lower the All Blacks with the numbers on the ball out wide might have snatched an astounding and undeserved victory against the unrelenting and formidable Springboks.
But the kick was too high. The ball was scrambled into touch. And the Springboks survived a torrid last 20 minutes onslaught to take a well-deserved victory and the 2009 Tri-Nations cup.
The Springboks now join the 1999/2001 Wallabies in winning the golden trifecta of a Rugby World Cup, a series victory against the British and Irish Lions and arguably the hardest part of the trifecta (at least for Australian and South African sides) a Tri-Nations triumph.
The great what-ifs of rugby dominated the post mortem of this Test.
What-if the All Blacks had got their lineout sorted out in the first 40 minutes instead of losing every one of their lineout throws in the first half?
What if captain Richie McCaw had opted for an easy penalty shot right in front of the Springboks posts with the score 19 – 9 instead of taking a scrum and having the All Blacks pack shunted off the ball and conceding a penalty?
What if coach Graham Henry had not once again made a selection mistake of playing the robotic and unskilled Stephen Donald as a play-making second five-eights and see him make three mistakes that lead directly to Springboks points?
We shouldn’t be fooled by the last 20-minute onslaught by the All Blacks as a sign that they were really in this Test with a chance. Bob Dwyer always made the excellent point that it is phony play to start playing daring attacking play at the end of a match, when the game is lost. And this, essentially, is what the All Blacks did.
The fact is that the Springboks won the Test in the first half when they played almost faultless, mistake-free rugby which took the match away from a bumbling, tentative All Blacks side.
The All Blacks were freaked out in the lineouts. They did not have the scrum dominance they believed should be theirs.
Francois Steyn booted over three penalties from inside his own half in a manner that brought back memories for those of a certain age of the great Don Clarke playing at this ground in the 1950s and 1960s.
Especially in the first half, too, the Springboks showed good attack.
I liked the way Morne Steyn took the ball to the line in the opening minutes of the Test. This Springboks side is well-coached despite the fact that Peter de Villiers is a clown in his comments to the media. Someone, probably Garry Gold or Dick Muir, or possibly de Villers (but unlikely), comes up with a new little angle or twist every Test to disconcert the opposition.
The Springboks have done the Wallabies a bit of a good turn. At Wellington the All Blacks face the prospect of winning the wooden spoon for the tournament if they lose.
Henry will certainly have to change his side, in the forwards (Jerome Kaino out, and possibly Brad Thorne who is just too short to be an effective second-rower), and in the backs where Donald, Joe Rokocovo and Mils Miliaina should get the chop.
As they showed at Hamilton, the All Blacks struggle when new combinations are put out on the field.
The Wallabies, on the other hand, have established their best team with the emphatic victory over the Springboks at Brisbane.
They will want to join France and South Africa in defeating New Zealand at home and, in a meaningful way, lay down a marker for the 2011 RWC in New Zealand.
QC
Guest
I wonder if he is still crying into his porridge after last nights match "The only threat in the NZ team who can ignite the backline wont even be there next week – Sivivatu. Jerry G – you can keep singing about the 5 game streak but we will win the one that counts..and in this case…it is to hand you fellas the wooden spoon" Well I guess thats 6 and counting NewGregan still can't find that dam wooden spoon are you sure your boys didn't nick off with it?
QC
Guest
" you can keep singing about the 5 game streak but we will win the one that counts..and in this case…it is to hand you fellas the wooden spoon," Well thats 6 and counting and still can't find that dam wooden spoon NewGregan are you sure your boys didn't happen to pack it in their bags before they left?
QC
Guest
NewGregan, Can I borrow your spoon to stir the contents of the Bledisloe Cup mate. Actually might need to borrow a pinch of salt too if you got some spare and you haven't rubbed it all into those wounds yet? Hmm whats that.................................. silence?
Jerry
Guest
Did that count?
Jerry
Guest
How's that wooden spoon NewGregan? Enjoy.
Rusty
Guest
Hine is a great player, unfortunately, I feel wasted in the colours of Scotland. Perhaps this year will be a turning point for the Scots, their pack has come on really well but their backline play just seems so sterile.
Rusty
Guest
I rate Shaw very highly and had the pleasure of getting quite drunk with him one evening at the circus bar. The man is massive, when I left I shook his hand (read he shook my whole arm in his shovel like paw),. Saying that, the underlying them of his career has been missing the great stage in favour of inferior players. There were a couple of years in the middle though where he did seem to go missing and discipline became an issue. Perhaps that was borne out of fustration but now in the twilight of his career he seems to be getting better and better. It will be interesting to see how long the ticker goes. As for world class number 4s. Well we have had this conversation before, they are a dying breed. Instead we are getting version 4.5 or 5.4. For those remaining O'Connell, Botha, Shaw and Thorn are probably the best. Although O'Connell seems to be drifting a little to 4.5. Not a big fan of Nallet, Pelous was to me a far more complete player
Unhappy Saffa
Guest
I agree with dingbat. the refs are idiots at times. The only people who wont want to see ref scrutinizing wouldd be aussies and poms - for obvious reasons
lone kauri
Guest
donnely over eaton great...tialata back great...henry must be hedging his bets along with grumpy and dopey. he needs a really big kick in the ass from the nzrfu! the coaching this year has been diabolical. in there own words there is nothing wrong with the attitude and professionalism, of this team then what's the problem, don't tell me the boks are to good as they are not. they just by all accounts have a team who take responsibility on the field mainly through their great leader, de villiers is a bigger clown/ rugby imposter than matt dunning and wayne smith put together! anyone could coach and select the boks right now and they would win. they have the brains on the field very obviously in the areas you need it. deans is the best coach...and you got him. s.a. have peaked and will go downhill quickly...australia is going to be the real comp in 2011.
lone kauri
Guest
chiming in as a great zavos supporter from years long by. the ABs, great! in reality as much as it hurts to see us underwhelming you all. beware "the blackness' backlash this saturday. donald was/is a failure at this level, game over. carters return not exactly the remedy, but rugby god help us sans he and mccaw. our lineout 2 words a fit rejuvenated ali williams, did he not play every test last year? matfield, botha, horwill, sharpe where were they? thorns great but ali and young ross is more like it. hore i am not sure...has not come good since terrible achilles heel injury, surprised headmaster henry did not look to the future and give madman de malmanche from waikato a shot. talking of waikato kahui, potentially the best centre in the world at his prime in 2011. who would you pick over him right now as potentially 'promising' against old intercept merchants like de villiers and evil wizard mortlock? with mcalister, smith in the wings we will be right inside and outside if we dont panic. mils, drop him! jane looks hot along with gear. i am afraid mils may fit into the rodney category of despite the experience and professionalism wheres the fire! .put vito on the wing and see what he did in the 7s (they were hailing him as the new lomu!). kelleher and hayman back next year, cruden instead of donald on the tour at years end. and then theres evans, howlett, sonny bill, jack and even gatland to fire up hansen, a little less bash the buffet and lets get the lineout working, smith is a downright clown...they would be better with umaga coming back to help henry talk to the boys. that would work i guarantee it....
stuff happens
Guest
Botha is an enormous asset to the 'Boks. He has a role to play in a pack alongside Matfield, Spies and the excellent Smith which he does superbly.His partnership with Matfield is one of the best in Test rugby.He's the guy everyone loves to hate; that's his job - he's a classic enforcer.The 'Boks will hope they can keep him going until RWC'011. Shaw is a v. good player but hampered by an underperforming English pack and the vagaries of selection.The Irish locks are OK and I'll be interested to see how all these guys go in the Autumn Internationals against the SH teams.
Jerry
Guest
Ah, fair enough. His comment was a throwaway line in response to PDV (he was in Hamilton as there was a ceremony starting the official build-up to the 2011 WC - it's exactly 2 years aways, apparently). I wouldn't take anything from it, it's just playing to populist sentiment, just as Zuma is/was. As a side note, I was quite impressed to see that the Boks got such a big welcome back to the Republic - it does add a bit of spice to the TN when you see how much it means for them to win it. We've gotten a bit spoiled in NZ and the AB's dominant record in the TN, combined with the extra round, has meant that a lot of fans are a bit blase out the whole thing. Next year's TN will be far more anticipated by the casual fan, which I think is great.
Knives Out
Guest
Jerry, I didn't mean Hobbs. I meant the PM. My error.
Jerry
Guest
What comment from Hobbs? By the way, Jock Hobbs may be in charge of the NZRU but he's not the Prime MInister. We take our rugby seriously, but not that seriously!
ohtani's jacket
Guest
IIRC, there was one scrum that South Africa clearly won. If that's a victory then it's a moral one.
Knives Out
Guest
SA don't use the back to attack from. Spies often comes into the middle and Matfield goes to the front. Do SA favour the rolling maul or quick ball off the top? I'd suggest the latter. Fine, the SA scrum can say what they want but the fact of the matter is he has not been part of a dominant scrum this decade, and the 4 lock is the biggest component of a strong scrum. Martin Johnson says that Steve Borthwick is a great leader but it is clear to everybody else that he is a man that referees simply don't respect. I tend not to take such public utterances at face value. Good, you withdraw and trot off into the midfield somewhere.. I'll stay in the front line.
Eagle
Guest
Let's see how Woodcock copes with the Aussies on Saturday then shall we?
Eagle
Guest
You can't do more than take 100% of your lineout balls. We use the back of the lineout because we want to use the lineout to attack from. Until Botha struggles in the lineout we're very happy with him thanks. The whole Springbok scrum thinks Botha carries more than his weight at scrum time and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. I think we're goint to start boring the other folks again with our debating so I hereby cordially withdraw and get back to work.
QC
Guest
Ben J So it is your right but I guess a meaningless third place playoff isn't much. Take a look at the WRU website they're not too kind about it :-)
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Ha, this South African performance gets better every time it's recounted. Smit made Woodcock look ordinary? Next you'll be saying South Africa played all the rugby.