Australian rugby union player Will Genia at Wallabies training. AAP Image/Paul Miller
The Springboks go to their hoodoo ground at Brisbane on Saturday night ready to be put to the sword by the Wallabies. The 2007 RWC champions are an aging, leaden-footed, lacking-in-ideas imitation of the great side of the last three years.
Without the genius of Fourie du Preez they play their kick-chase, force penalties game as if they are painting by numbers.
Beaten 31-17 and four tries to two, the Springboks sent out a side against the All Blacks that had 700 caps, the most experienced South African side of all time. The side has only one new 2010 cap, the impressive Francois Louw.
The senior forwards, particularly, have reached their used-by date.
John Smit looks to be massively over-weight. The huge back row are flat wicket bullies who do not front up when the going gets fast and furious. And their second row, especially 33 year-old Victor Matfield, provides nothing around the field except at lineout time.
It has been noticeable, for instance, that the Springboks have not been able to mount even one rolling maul (the staple of the Bulls dominance in 2009 and 2010) in two Tests.
There is no variety or cunning in the backs without du Preez, either.
Bryan Habana seems to have lost his eagerness to chase everything. The rest of the backs are solid but without the sort of skills and footwork of most of the All Blacks and the Wallabies backs.
The All Blacks run-on side had 596 caps. During the Test there were four new 2010 caps on the field, with Aaron Cruden, Sam Whitelock, Israel Dagg and Renee Ranger. Both Ranger and Dagg scored tries. Both played in a way, aside from Ranger’s occasional handling lapses, that suggests that will be super-stars in the future.
Dagg’s try was the sort of genius running effort that a young Habana or Christian Cullen would have been thrilled to have pulled off in their prime. It was try 152 by the All Blacks against the Springboks, and one of the best individual efforts in that tally.
I always believe that a well-selected side has growth built into it. The All Blacks have this.
The Springboks, however, remind me of Disraeli’s joke about Gladstone’s ageing front bench in his last administration that they were “a range of extinct volcanoes.”
Last Monday I suggested that the Springboks might resort to more thuggery to get their game plan working. The referee Alain Rolland, an Irishman and a splendid referee on the night, was obviously expecting something of the same thing when he reversed a penalty after three minutes of play and yellow-carded Danie Rossouw.
Initially it seemed like the yellow card was harsh. But replays on YouTube suggested that Rossouw had flicked his fingers across and into Richie McCaw’s eyes and then kneed him on the ground. This is reckless play by any standards and the yellow card was justified. The referee was standing virtually right beside Rossouw so he saw every part of the incident.
It will be interesting to see if the Springboks change their side significantly for the Test at Brisbane.
The odds are that they won’t. For right now the back-up players are very much in the same old mould of the starting side. Ruan Pienaar, for instance, didn’t bring much difference to the game plan when he came on for Ricky Januarie.
So the game the Wallabies will have to beat at Brisbane will be the kick-chase and pressure game of the last three years. The difference for the Springboks and the Wallabies is that the chase has gone out of this game, for the time being. Some of the venom in the forwards play has gone too.
And most importantly, the tackled ball rulings now favours the side with the ball in hand. This change was not refereed particularly well at Auckland by Alun Lewis who gave something like seven consecutive penalties to the out-played Springboks during the middle part of the Test. Rolland, though, did well and the penalty count was ten to New Zealand, and nine to South Africa.
The Springboks were lucky that on a foul Wellington night Daniel Carter missed six kicks, most of which he would normally kick.
The tackled ball ruling has been exploited by the All Blacks by keeping the ball in hand for long periods of time. The Wallabies will have to play a similar game. But with a difference. The All Blacks pack was too strong for the Springboks with the consequence that they won the advantage line battle easily.
It is doubtful if the Wallabies pack is at the same level of power and have the same technique of a low body height when charging into the opposition as the All Blacks. Most the ball running by the Wallabies will have to be done by the backs with the ball moved out wider more often than the All Blacks have done this season.
The effect of the different styles of keeping the ball in hand, though, is the same. The Springboks do not seem to have the aerobic fitness to last out this type of game, or to launch a similar type of ball-in-hand game themselves.
One other point, too. There has not been much discussion of the change in the All Blacks’ tackling style. They have given up the ball-and-all style of last season. Whenever they can, they tackle low. The Springboks runners toppled to the ground like felled logs.
As soon as the runner hit the ground with this type of tackle, the second tackler can make a play for the ball. This led to several important turnovers, including one by McCaw after the Springboks had driven from a 5m lineout.
According to an interesting article in the Sun Herald by Josh Rakic, Robbie Deans ran a backline at last Friday’s training session of Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Matt Giteau, Rob Horne, Adam Ashley Cooper, Drew Mitchell and James O’Connor.
If this is the backline then it suggests a wide game rather than hitting the middle of the field with Anthony Faingaa, the Reds inside centre. Although you’d expect Faingaa to feature some time in the Test.
There has also been talk, too, of a backrow of Scott Higginbottom and Rocky Elsom as flankers and David Pocock at number 8.
The idea here is to have two runners and a digger at number 8 coming in as the second tackler. Tim Horan has also suggested that Elsom should play wider from general play to give the Wallabies some sort of bulk in the middle of the field.
After the demolition job done on the Springboks by the All Blacks it is clear that now is the time for the Wallabies to do the same thing. Although the Springboks have played two Tri-Nations Tests and the Wallabies yet to start in this season’s series, both sides have the same number of competition points: none.
The only acceptable result next Saturday night is a Wallaby victory.
Amorita Maharaj
Roar Rookie
I really do hope that the Boks learn from their past 2 games and do better in tomorrow's match.
Ai Rui Sheng
Guest
I thought that Smit's shoulder charge should have got a red card. Why doesn't P dah V get a look at the match that really was lost as soon as he was born!
Ai Rui Sheng
Guest
But he should have given three more yellows to the Bokke and a red!
Jerry
Guest
If he was catching him he wouldn't have tried a last ditch ankle tap at the 22.
Karlos
Guest
Oh it's on!
Franco Ozzie
Guest
quote bob dwyer.. Once again, the refereeing was puzzling. How many times is a referee ‘allowed’ to say “Next man to go over the ball, will go!’. Unless it Richie McCaw, that is. In the 47th minute, he failed to release the ball-carrier, then went over the ball – three metres out from the line, no less - and didn’t go. After Rousseow’s early yellow card – for what? – this was most surprising.
Auabob
Guest
I happened to come across the latest addition of All Out Rugby last night and I was totally gobsmacked at the arrogance of the shows hosts the total misconstruing of the facts and the all out sore loser attitude that came across. At One stage one of the journos was saying McCaw was warned 5 times which in fact we all know he wasn't. You have to feel for SA about the yellow card while technically correct it was a little harsh. But the way the coaches, Smit and now hosts of the SA version of The Rugby Club carrying on like they did, it was an absolute embarrassment and was some of the worst television I have ever seen. Ok I can understand being disgruntled but the way they carried on took it to a whole new level. I try to see the positives in everything but this was a very poor show and a poor showing of sportsmanship.
Franco Ozzie
Guest
mostly agree in your summation. Bi\mark like extra ball carrying flanker at 2.. and Brussow return will lift possession stats dramatically under selected and coached side...
Auabob
Guest
And haven't even played a game lol whoop whoop :-)
Franco Ozzie
Guest
agreed..
Franco Ozzie
Guest
Two words Boks got rare pens last year = Heinrich Brussow he turned Lions series when ironically Rossouw was subbed in key 2nd test, almost took Cheetahs to win over Lions... Pens flowing all the time.. NZ churn out loads of Ball retainers and Moles.. kronveld was excellent in the role ,Boks don't they produce ball in hand runners .. Burger, Spies, Louw less good on deck and slower to breakdown.. HB is unique in SA... Richie is one of a long line.. AB's always retain better.. even Bok wins are on less than 50% possession, cultural style advantage to NZ. One Boks neede to develop or get HB fixed..
Franco Ozzie
Guest
For your information.. the UK Sunday Times reporters, Michael Lynagh, Sean Fitzpatrick comms on sky.. all thought it a bad blow. I maintain right result, but for NZ to get given lollipops actually helps Boks and sets NZ back in WC preparation in my view..As it motivates those percieved hard done by and may force necessary change whilst inflating expectation, and ease of play perception for cameo moments when Ruan was on NZ didn't look so sublime they need that testing more often for WC prep even at home a blow like that in the key tourny against a major nation will cause backlash, with rest of world media and IRB. You want a win with out scope for rival quibbling esp at home..
Franco Ozzie
Guest
Heinrich Brussow played McCaw off the park last year and AB's faced littany of pens for being second to the Breakdown ball, But NZ were 1st, 2nd & 3rd to ball over last 2 w/e's by miles as boks had no on ground scrappers and all ball in hand runners, Louw & Burger, Spies, which is mad especially if you play without ball in hand and have January Kicking Duh! SA miss him, Bizmark DuP for JS, and Francois Steyn at 15, de Jong deserves Wynands place.
Franco Ozzie
Guest
here is the link of Thorn after whistle effort for the 'holy than thou' we play clean others 'dirty Bastrds Brigade' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZchPz1xQII
Franco Ozzie
Guest
So many 'keep hand away from face' crowd forget that Thorn after the whistle had blown, picked JSmit up speared him end of his entire series.. caused massive fracas, Oz ref bottled card and was left to citing commission, also NZ soil. How does that compare to what Rossouw did to McCaw?, McCaw played it up like a diving footballer as if something heinous happened and homer ref bought.. Once again still right result just poor contest for me and double standed officiating, Can Oz have Rolland too , for Brisbane?
Franco Ozzie
Guest
Mate if that flick of the temple area is a card for 'initiating' theN Sean fitzpatrick would have half the Caps he got.. There was a home blow no doubts. Botha was carded for slowing up no warning in 12th minute, AB's got all kinds of warnings, but were still better team result wise.. everyone was probably just denied a better contest Rossouw was subbed and whole plan changed as Rolland wld probably have 'redded' him later, its material effect.. Right team still won though.
bennalong
Guest
SSpiro, Once again we replace a failed prediction (the Boks will win the Tri-Nations) with an extraordinary notion, in fact a reverse notion, that they are over the hill. Doooomed! Perhaps this is a psychological tactic to further crush their spirit(s), assuming that the Boks will be reading the ROAR! In fact we saw that, as previously the Boks don't travel well, while the Blacks, UNLIKE recent seasons, have come out of the blocks sprinting. I agrree with much of your analysis but I believe the Boks will turn things around - hopefully not in tme for Brisbane. Why was there no chase from Habana when Steyne hoisted the ball high? Why was the Boks backline so slow to move up in defence when the Stormers were so successfully aggressive in defending against opposing backlines? I cannot understand WTF is going on but it has happened before, De villiers has been blamed, and the boks have then turned it around. Now I do believe we can profit from these two losses BUT only if wesmash them early and take easly points. We can do it but it remains to be seen what Wallaby team turns up. Unlike the Boks, the Wallabies are still looking for their two key player groupings: the back row still needs a damaging runner at lock, and ,,,,, the back three needs a fulltime Fullback. I'm sure Deans will move things around for the next few matches and that he's prepared to lose for the sake of finding a truly winning combination. His eyes are on the World Cup as are those of the ARU and he will stick to his gameplan. Having been able to demote Mitchell he'll be hoping to provoke a return to Super 14 form at International level ! (Sorry, I can;t see them as "Test Matches) But in our favour,the Boks are wounded and with Fat Cat back our scrum will be competitive. Bekker's injury then improves our lineout chances so the set pieces give reason to believe we're in with a chance, Of course I'm hoping we'll see the Wallaby team that looked so composed against England despite being monsered at scrumtime! The team must start to play at peak levels for mot of the 80 minutes at EVERY match to be credible contenders next year
Brettongs
Guest
This Tri-nations is already reminding me alot of the 2006 version. From memory, the Boks lost a few games and looked a side without direction and then went on to win the 2007 World Cup. At the end of the day, this is the one true piece of silverware that gives you bragging rights for 4 years. If the AB's fail to win it this time (and in their own backyard) - there will be serious questions asked of the toughness of this side. So brag all you want Kiwis - next year is when the real men come out to play!!!
Winston
Guest
Talking yourselves up before a loss. Happens every year
Winston
Guest
I know but how good will the saders be now