What an extraordinary game of rugby – I can’t remember the last time so many cards were handed out in a Tier One match…
There’s been much criticism of the referee (more on this later) but I really felt for the guys who had to keep track of all the players being carded or heading to and from the blood bins – they had a really big night!
So, back to the cards.
Let us be clear: The first card against Bismarck du Plessis was a significant error, mainly because referee Romain Poite went upstairs and had time to get it right. Looked awful but was entirely legal.
Card two against du Plessis was correct. That was not a legal fend, but of course should have been ten minutes only.
The card against Kieran Read was marginal, but the one against Ma’a Nonu totally correct. Nonu’s foul was perhaps the most grievous of all on the night. He really does this too much.
Now to the match. There were lots of good points:
For New Zealand, the arrival of Brodie Retallick as a world-class lock, and the courage of Sam Cane.
The fact that Beauden Barrett is now looking like the number one first five-eighth in New Zealand.
And the joy of seeing Kieran Read as the best number eight in the world, in full flight.
In all the chaos at the end, that great servant of New Zealand rugby Conrad Smith marshalled his team and brought them home.
Marvelous world-leading rugby, and ultimately a great team result.
For South Africa, we saw the arrival of Eben Etzebeth, a 21-year-old lock who delivered a great performance, and will hopefully play for 12 more years.
There was a pugnacious performance from Bryan Habana, and real bruising passion from their forwards, but in the end too much arm muscle, and not enough muscle between the ears, seems to have been used.
This All Black team out fought and out-thought the South Africans.
The score could and perhaps should have been closer but as others have already said, the winning team runs into gaps and not into players.
But in the end an incredibly tense and engaging game – a true Test.
have some humble pie
Guest
I am very disappointed at the extreme hate displayed by SA fans towards the all blacks , these two teams play each other every year you win some you lose aime, thé vindictive hate is so unecessary, all blacks and SA dominate world rugby they have a mutual respect for each other or so i thought. All blacks will win this time on Ellis park by 5 and SA can eat some humble pie.
TQ
Guest
Wht a game it was btwn All Blacks n Th Mighty Springboks.bt we must accept All Blacks are th best.let us not point at th referee for th loss.one man don't control th whole team he is part of it.Referee is not computerised!he is a person who can make errors.let's just accept it!All Blacks are good.bt we wil one day beat thm.I em tired of SARU nw blaming th referee.it happens and let's just accept n improve
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Except when Our Kwadie visits :)
ohtani's jacket
Guest
The inferiority complex of South African fans is staggering. I've been wondering where all you Johnny-come-latelies have emerged from. A few weeks ago we had a handful of South African posters on this site, the week leading into the game a few more began posting and now they're all coming out of the woodwork.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
I've had a quick scan of that and say it is ignorant-of-rugby deliberately destructive self serving bullship! Do you not enjoy sitting to admire rugby at its very best between the best, accepting its uncertainty and imperfection? Do you wish for this mighty game to descend to the farce that is gridiron, with its rigid structures, formalised hearings, appeals, protests and on field seminars? All that happened on Saturday is a trembling referee, hearing a rumbling crowd or fearing his boss, made a stupid mistake with his first yellow card. Any number of quick witted, mature officials could have stepped in to prevent that, but didn't. They're so bound up by lawyers' stern warnings about measures to be used that they've forgotten how to send out a runner to pretend to fix his dodgy earpiece while he tells the dill what to do and what to absolutely not do. Bismarck du Plessis, an admirable fellow in good standing, made a rare, dopey mistake bringing up his elbow carelessly in a spontaneous reaction which warranted a yellow card. My thought on Messam's reaction at the time was that him staggering momentarily was spontaneous, not contrived, because of the initial hurt. To dissect the minutae and extrapolate from incidents such as these and to use intellectually flawed argument to allege conspiracy is inane, childish, jealous and unworthy. The All Blacks win well all the time because they are a class above. The West Indies used do the same, as did Australia under Ian Chappell, Border, Waugh and so on, the Springboks prior to exclusion, Heather McKay, Jack Nicklaus and Tulloch.
Eszkal
Guest
Cruden is the best pivot currently in New Zealand.
Chan Wee
Guest
1. Your wrong on one aspect : Nonu tackle was reckless, cynical and stupid but not "the most grevios". He seems to be on a one-hit-per-test mode these days. I am not sure why no citing has been issued on all these - Slipper JDV during S15.... The elbow was really reckless and dangerous. In case ur not aware, a blow to the larynx can cause death! the only combat sport i know where elbow is allowed is Muai Thai (thai kick boxing - the art of using 8 hard points, viz. 2 fists, elbows, knees and heels but the head is not allowed) , am not sure if UFC allows it but pretty sure it is not allowed in full contact karate or tykwando. (wwe as we all know is a little bit of acting , lol) as for Brodie and Eben , they both played at under20 worldcup in 2011. in fact 10 boys from that squad are in the MIB training group. Maybe around 5 are in Bok squad too. if the Boks came out second best , maybe its becoz of the scrum half who rarely managed to gain any advantage. As i said before in another post, the difference between 2009 team and 2013 edition is the 3rd row. people may be going gaga about Alberts Flow and Duane but they are NOT Big Scot Burgher, Big Juan Smith and Big Joe Van Niekirk. the difference is the pace the latter had compared to the current lot. Note that even with 15 on the park it was BDP who had a couple of turnovers and not Flow.
Harry Jones
Guest
Test rugby is beautiful; even when flawed. I wonder if halftime could be used to show the ref where he erred. So he won't compound those errors in the second half