Eddie Jones had Rassie Erasmus floored, gasping for breath, punch drunk, after twenty minutes of rugby at Ellis Park.
Without question, the first 100 minutes of Erasmus’ Springbok coaching career had been a nightmare. Has any Bok coach had a worse first hundred minutes?
In one of the lamest offensive displays of rugby in Bok history at derelict RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., Erasmus’ team lost by a double charge-down to a Wales B team.
Then, the Bok nation watched one of the worst defensive quarters in any Tier One Test team’s history, in Johannesburg. Makeshift wing Mike Brown knocked over half of the Bok backline en route to the first try, Elliot Daly slid in untouched, and then Owen Farrell laughed gleefully as he jogged in with nary a green jersey in the picture. 24-3 after 20:00 and after the Brown try, all of England’s breaks were so clean, tackles weren’t even missed.
A clear path, no rush, no drift, no nothing.
Lukhanyo Am has been one of the form outside centres in Super Rugby for two seasons, but it looked from his positioning like he had never played with Damian de Allende, Aphiwe Dyantyi, and Willie le Roux. Because he hadn’t.
Rassie’s team was devoid of any tested combinations. None. A new coach, a new captain, no caps; only 320 or so in the squad, with a third of those belonging to one Bok prop.
Eddie Jones must have been licking his lips, imagining the post-test Pinotage and his juicy ‘I told you so’ press conference oratory, explaining his genius for basing the team at sea level, splashing about in the Indian Ocean, his ‘Brad Shields is a Bok-beating lock’ gambit, his karate training regimen, and the Brown-Daly switch.
Daly’s 60 metre thumping kick must have punctuated Jones’ reverie: “I’ve hijacked the Saffas’ altitude advantage!”
Boks fans were all having nightmarish flashbacks of Albany and Brighton. I was thinking maybe Eddie really does have savant Saffa-beating skills.
But then …
A strangely calm Bok squad got the ball, and everything sped up. The pack churned up to Super Rugby level warp speed, with Duane Vermeulen acting as a spine, Faf de Klerk and Handre Pollard took everything to the line, and Willie le Roux acted as maestro, with two Bolt-like wingers inventing blindsides, coming down tramlines in duo, and finishing everything.
The floodgates opened, and would not close until oranges; 56 points later, and the half was over.
Eddie must have been even more shell-shocked than Rassie. Where was his Billy-motored chariot? Why couldn’t Brown and little George Ford keep the Boks in front of them? Why does every kick seem to land in Thor’s brawny arms? Why do we seem shocked that Wasp Willie dummies a defence?
After the match, for the fifth time in a row the losing coach, Eddie was gracious about Siya Kolisi’s historic leadership, the quality of the Boks’ comeback, and the passion of the home crowd. He seemed to enjoy the journalists’ questions.
But what are the questions he will have to answer for the second Test? Here are ten I can think of. What are yours?
1. How do I use my new Kiwi toy? Is he a breakdown answer? A six? An 8? What exactly is Shields’ point of difference?
2. How do we survive the second half scrums? Really. How? It’s a real question.
3. Should I slow it down? How? Walk to the lineouts, or throw in quickly? Test the Bok wings with high kicks? Or keep pushing it wide?
4. How do I cover for Ford on defence? Pollard was going over or around him like he was pudding.
5. Is Billy match fit? How unfit is he?
6. How can I fix our breakdown? Is Robshaw out on his feet?
7. Should we get a new hotel? At altitude?
8. What’s wrong with Itoje?
9. Leaving aside the first try, is Brown able to wing it?
10. Will I ever have a better first 20:00 against the Boks?
Mark
Guest
It would be great if someone had the balls here - just to give the SAFFA's some credit. Talk is all about how tired the Poms are.....well two weeks in a row tired now, and the 3rd awaits. I guess they were also tired in the 6 nations....when will they not be tired - only when they win. Well done to Rassie and is team of youngsters I say and SA back where they belong in the top 3.
IvanN
Guest
Doubt the Boks will be complacent, We had to scramble in the end to get the W, and England slept for 50 minutes of the test. If they kick into their best gear they will smoke us right now, we just dont have the composure of experience to handle a team grinding non stop like the ABs do. I would had loved to see Marx and Etzebeth in this pack - cant be many packs that outmuscle a pack made up of Kitshoff, Marx, Malherbe, Etzebeth, Snyman, Kolisi, PSDT, Vermeulen - close on 940kg and an average height of in the back five of 1.98m. one can only dream.
JimmyB
Guest
Regardless...
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
"off " even
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
You don't know your rugby. May has one of the best straight line speeds in world rugby right now, and a deceptive gait. He'd already outgassed Notshe before he had time to think of a dive at him, Nkosi was never at the races and most regular 15's wouldn't have got a hand on him, so Jantjies was always gonna be left planted. It's not being lazy, it's not letting him, it's simply being outsprinted. It was a very good wingers try.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Well he got a couple right.
moa
Guest
Hey Suzy, Thanks for posting that link about Nuisance.Really interesting and nice to have some real back-story on someone's moniker!
moa
Guest
"I read it’s Beast’s 100th game" That is a significant milestone for Mtawarira.Seems like a fantastic role model for aspiring players. Congratulations to him.
Harry Jones
Expert
There is no way for any Saffa in his right mind (especially if he has a memory of 2016-2017) to feel overconfident going into any rugby match. Certainly not against England, who are ranked a lot higher than SA and were just recently supposed to be serious challengers to NZ, and only lost by a few points in Joburg.
Harry Jones
Expert
Yes, that's why I carefully typed "in SA." hahahahahah
Harry Jones
Expert
Calf injury, Dan in Devon.
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
Hmm Harry, hate to remind you but Albany in 2016 might have even been a bigger nightmare ... the 1st 10-15 mins by memory it started as a it of an arm wrestle then NMS and Reiko Ioane cut loose and HT score was 31(?) but the All Blacks never let up ...
Fionn
Guest
Absolutely, Dan. Launchbury is world class. Surely he and Nakarawa are the standout locks in the northern hemisphere?
Dan in Devon
Guest
I regard Joe Launchbury as the best lock in England. Everytime I see him play he makes an impact. Why he is not in the starting team is a mystery to me.
Harry Jones
Expert
It’s a big worry for Rassie.
Harry Jones
Expert
Nice. Good side-by-side contrast with Neil B.
Harry Jones
Expert
Excellent answers.
Harry Jones
Expert
Good stuff. Especially 7.
Harry Jones
Expert
Willie the Wasp stung them!
Harry Jones
Expert
?