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Joined August 2014
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The Pool B opener between South Africa and New Zealand certainly didn’t go according to Rassie Erasmus’ intended script. After 20 minutes of bossing…
You make your own luck, said Ernest Hemingway. South Africa certainly did not make their own luck on Saturday night. They were outplayed at…
They say when you hit rock bottom there's nowhere to go but up. Certainly, the last few seasons of international rugby have seen the…
“Comparison is the thief of joy”, said Teddy Roosevelt. It is a valuable mantra, applicable in everyday life but especially as a sport spectator.…
The ecstasy that comes with a dramatic comeback victory makes it difficult to soberly analyse what had transpired. The elation that comes from such…
A delusion is defined as a fixed, false belief that continues to be held despite evidence to the contrary. The perception of South Africa's…
It hasn't been an easy road for Springboks supporters over the past year. In fact, it has been a tumultuous run for the past…
The five stages of grief include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The darkest day in Bok history has seen South Africans grieve for…
There is five weeks to go before the Rugby World Cup kicks off. A determined Australian side seems to be hitting its stride after…
In what is being described by experts as an unmitigated disaster, the Springboks suffered their first ever loss to Argentina last night in Durban.…
There were two moments of utter certainty for me as I watched the Springboks and All Blacks face off in Johannesburg. As the Kiwis…
No matter the opponent, the first few phases of a Springbok match always causes my heart to beat furiously in my chest. A capacity…
Captaincy on the rugby field is a revered responsibility. Yet, for all its importance it is an intangible concept, what is leadership? Is leadership…
What a Test match. The best two teams in the world in a heavyweight bout with all the atmosphere and electricity of a title…
During the game on Saturday night we paused at halftime to eat dinner and resumed after the plates were cleared. After a shaky first…
Thanks RT glad you enjoyed the piece. Pity about deano missing the point
A Black bridge too far
@ Harry- those chop tackles cost Bismarck (in 2013 i think?) a total knee reconstruction. ruptured most of the ligaments he had in that knee. very dangerous
Springboks display failed game plan of a failed coach
unfortunately that’s what other supporters are now resigned to- appreciating when their teams play with heart! the competitive equivalent of a participation ribbon.
A Black bridge too far
thanks zack glad you enjoyed it bro. hansen is an incredible coach, inheriting the mantle from a legend like graeme henry and doing something special to continue the legacy. great stuff. it’s so funny watching him in the coaching box, never shows a bit of emotion. even when they score he looks like a guy who is doing his taxes
A Black bridge too far
unfortunately i don’t think ackerman will see the job for another 4 years biltong. AC is here to stay. and with that conservative selections and impotent attack.
A Black bridge too far
a lengthy piece and that was your take home message! even with the other headings bolded. the prevailing sentiment about p divvy’s tenure as coach is that he wasn’t the coach at all- it’s all but accepted that the core group of senior players (du preez, smit, matfield) were coaching the team and dictating game plans. not to mention the media antics that he held on a regular basis which embarrassed the team. hopefully next time you read the rest of the article rather than a snippet.
A Black bridge too far
thanks harry. accountability is sadly a thing that is missing in a lot of facets of life in RSA. besides, how can accountability be a priority when your backline coach doesn’t have the pedigree to justify his position! or any of the coaches for that matter. we’ve never had the type of culture that cuts players when they don’t perform, instead we persist and eventually our persistence pays off when a player delivers a performance that isn’t deplorable
A Black bridge too far
thanks mate i need a beer or six given the pain that awaits us in the rest of the RC. i really don’t know how this crop of springboks is going to fare overseas. we are going to get absolutely slaughtered
A Black bridge too far
Sad times indeed for the Boks. Heyneke Meyer had a pretty good run for 3 years, the last year of his tenure the wheels came off. We played a much more attacking brand at the start of his time as coach. Can’t believe AC got the job but that’s the reality we find ourselves in.
Until we figure out selections, and get a backline coach with actual credentials, kiss our chances of a cohesive performance goodbye.
Springboks display failed game plan of a failed coach
Lambie is still out with a concussion. Both teams definitely left a few points behind. However jantjies did a good job on the final penalty!!
Springboks get out of jail against Ireland
Thanks Harry. Good point about breaking down the game into quarters. Concerningly our maul is being easily negated by Ireland, whereas they scored fairly easily from a lineout maul. doesn’t seem like it’s a strength area for us anymore.
Our missed tackles were also woeful. When mvovo didn’t gather that kick and toner scored jantjies didn’t even pretend to make an effort to tackle.
You mention AC has found his starting squad- will he be allowed to field it? I can see mvovo starting again….
Springboks get out of jail against Ireland
Wales look slick. Should be a cracker
All Blacks vs Wales highlights: All Blacks win the series
Bloody hell harry what a read! This should be in a magazine. Sounds like you had a brilliant trip. That “forward” pass forever haunts me.
Losing in Wellington: A continuation of the Jones Odyssey
1. I think we are strapped in for the next 4 years unless something truly calamitous happens this year
2a: good luck with that quotas are here to stay and will only grow. it’s sad harry but it’s the future of SA
3. how do we set this tone? maybe we start axing players who don’t show up to play.
4. who is your pick for captain?
5. hear hear. for too long players have owned jerseys and been allowed to wallow in mediocrity at the cost of the team’s performance and reputation
Springbok legacy nearing an end
ya it’s sad charl, don’t really know if the boks will be able to turn this around. they’re really starting to breed a loser culture. i can’t imagine what is going on behind the scenes. maybe the players don’t want to perform for the coach? i don’t know..good pick on the delusion definition are you medical at all??
Springbok legacy nearing an end
it’s a baffling tactic isn’t it? running without any support nearby and risking our hard earned possession of the ball.
Springbok legacy nearing an end
thanks chook glad you enjoyed reading it…it seems writing is the only way to get over these painful losses. this must be what it’s like for parents with kids who fall in with the wrong crowd; you love them but holy crap they are a disappointment.
Springbok legacy nearing an end
can’t agree with you there unfortuntely. the quota system is inherently flawed. other roarers like harry jones have addressed this issue better than i could, but the crux is the quota system has tiers of acceptance- not just black and white. colored players aren’t as favored as african players etc…it’s just a big mess. let the best players onto the field. political interference does nothing to aid our cause, and as for telling players that going overseas for lucrative contracts is a reasonable alternative to the honor of being able to represent their country in test rugby is a poor argument. the boks have several other issues at play though.
Springbok legacy nearing an end
things do happen in cycles, absolutely. good to point out, however it isn’t the loss record per se that is bothering me, it is the actual on field display by the players. the lack of heart, the complete fall in standards and decline in skill! if we were losing touch matches but leaving it on the field i would assume it is a sign of world rugby standards improving and teams starting to equalise. however, the fact that the boks are turning in embarrassing displays is disheartening.
Springbok legacy nearing an end
thanks mate glad you enjoyed the read. the “quota” players aren’t even to blame in my opinion- kolisi fronted up and had some good runs, mvovo was the best in the backline. there’s a wealth of black talent that deserves to be there, but the political pressure just destroys everything. not sure how toxic that is to the playing culture. take the backline coach for instance, his coaching pedigree is definitely in doubt…
Springbok legacy nearing an end
You’d be wasting your breath biltong. They don’t want to listen to sound logic. Take up another spectator sport like netball or darts
Springbok legacy nearing an end
Watching your team lose to the poms surrounded by England supporters…stuff of nightmares. Wouldn’t wish that on anyone
Springbok legacy nearing an end
A thoughtful analysis absent of the usual anti SouthAfrican sentiment usually present in these pieces. I will have to disagree though on a few points.
Execution, rather than the game plan per se, let the boks down in the second half. The panicked, rushed clearances from our own 22 either did not go far enough or didnt make touch, allowing the all blacks to launch repeated onslaughts. A key example was strauss taking the ball with etzebeth in tow who got called for sealing off. Should never have put ourselves in that situation.
You also cant blame the coach for Habana deciding to have his worst night in years. Characteristically comes out the line leading to the abs first try, charges down the conversion by carter, gets yellow carded. This is the most senior backline player on the field!
The lineout went to shambles. We stopped competing for the ball allowing ben smith free reign. Players stood there watching the ball expecting le roux to cover the distance and compete, each time allowing smith to regather.
A few critical mistakes- like Burgers knock on leading to the 2nd ab try were what sealed it in the end. Thought matfields neck roll was around the shoulder but what can you do.
This game plan won us that 1st half. And i am proud of that performance. 2 points difference against the best side to ever play the game. With a team filled with players in their early 20s.
Game was on a knife edge.
SPIRO: All Blacks dare to be great, Springboks play to win
as always brilliant stuff harry. it seems like bok fans are living in a recurrent nightmare. why are we always battling with selections when the choices seem so obvious? why do we not reward form? why do we kick away hard earned possession? these questions have no answers and the coaches don’t seem like they will be addressing them! why is rohan JVR playing in the currie cup?! someone get me a stiff drink
Wallabies vs Springboks: Battle of the underdogs becomes clash of clueless coaches