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You were an armband that reads “Justice” in protest of one of your brethren who was ‘unjustly’ sanctioned for a mere 2 weeks and you play one of the dirtiest off the ball games I have seen you play in recent history, isn’t it ironic? And you want to tell me that the Boks are unjustly labelled as a dirty team.
Dont get me wrong, on this account I think Bakkies may have been dealt a bit of a raw deal, what he did was reckless yes, its really tantamount to a shoulder charge, but many others do the same thing, but that doesn’t make it right no? Unfortunately someone got hurt because of his dumbass action. And then there was Schalk. I think he is a bit of a clown, but i have never thought he was a dirty player just a little bit of a hot head at times and that results in him getting sin binned. But his actions of a few weeks ago well i have no words!! Just read this article... http://www.sport24.co.za/Content/Rugby/TriNations/355/953f4bdb5a804921975acbdcab86782e//Arrogant_Boks_set_for_TN3_fall I definitely think Sheridan deserved a citing for his attack on the groin area of bakkies i think it was.
Imagine that a series win and what are we talking about? PdV’s comments. You know what I will say this out loud, even I can’t defend him anymore. There are somethings that just cant be defended. To say on live TV that you saw Schalks actions and don’t think it deserved a yellow card and that it was part of the game is just plain stoopid
Anyway someone asked me the other day if i think PdV is a good coach or he is riding on the back of a good team? Is Rassie a good coach, may would say yes, but Province is failing time after time, and thats a quality outfit of world class players. Is Frans Ludeke a good coach? Because he pretty much inherited Heyneke’s team, why don’t i hear shaite like that?? All it is is the Bulls won the S14, let the Boks win and the conversation is PdV is a clown he doesn’t know what he is doing!! Fact, under his rule the Boks have won 11 from 16 starts. Close on 70%, as a nation so obsessed with winning, I would be happy with that. I mean the Boks play 10 man rugby and win or boring kop and stap and guys are happy with it because ey a win is a win, but let there be a win and little coach of colour (yeah i said it) who is starting to stick his foot in it, well lets forget about the win cos he has nothing to do with it. This all makes me want to vomit. Give him a break for crying out loud...Lions tour 2-1, All Blacks in Dunedin, 42-6 victory against England at Twickenham, 53-8 victory against Australia at Ellis park. If Dick Muir was the coach of this team what do you think the stories in the paper would read? Somewhere along the lines of the amazing Muir does it again with the Boks...
Anyway lets speak about rugby. First test, they played a good game. I don’t think they were as good as everyone thinks they were. In my mind there was a lot of illegal scrumming. I think i mentioned it in my last blog. If you notice the Beast engages under the chest of his opposition and scrums him upwards. It was a team effort from the pack, yes but not entirely legal in my view. Second and third test, I think the Lions had the ascendency in the scrums, you cant tell me that in a week things can change so dramatically in terms of power. To say that the third test was a B-team has some merit but not in its entirety. Front row change...Chiliboy very capable, had a few starts and off the bench appearances for the Bulls. Muller, bloody good player and lock. Brussow, well u tell me if he is good enough. Kankowsky, last years front runner for the no 8 jersey. Steyn, SA’s best no 10 in the S14, Olivier, best centre in SA for the S14, Fourie, everyone loves Fourie at 13, Jongi and Odwa, tried but they didn’t get much ball to work with, and Zayne was the best no 15 in the country, so thats no real B-team to be fair.
I really wasnt impressed with everyones darling Spies at all. He is an athlete of a man, but man when he is under pressure at the back of the scrum he becomes invisible the whole game. Out of the forwards I was most impressed with Brussouw, but I have always liked his style of play, the way he attacks the ball and i hope the Boks never get a coach with the mindset of Jake White again, i.e. someone fixated with bulk and size. I am not the biggest Fourie du Preez fan, but i quite liked the timing of 2 passes in one of the tests that lead to tries. But on the whole, call it prejudice, even though i have no reason to be prejudicial against him, he didn’t have an amazing test series in my view. Ruan failed to impress, but also didn’t ‘unimpress’ either, I would like to see them persevering with him Jean and Adi were once again solid, but their defence was often tested by Roberts and O’driscol, but many a centre pairing would have been. Bryan played well, but JP was pretty solid but wasnt like wow...Steyn???!!! thats all i will say
Well at least the little leagues are done, next weekend is time for the big time. Did I hear you say Tri-Nations??!! Ya man, next weekend 18th July, Abs get their bums handed to them by the somewhat impressive Oz. Granted their wins against Italy weren’t spectacular, but their unit seems to be there or thereabouts. They have a pack that can scrum, something that Robbie has built in the last year and a bit, good interchangeable loosies, stable scrummy, legendary Gits, rising star Barnes and Mr dependable Morts and an able loose trio. They are definitely looking the part i’d say.
I may have been stretching the truth a wee bit when i indicated that the Abs would have their bums handed to them. This is the big time, they will step up. But in all honesty i don’t want them to. There is definitely something amis. Front row is capable, I would give DeMelmanche more game time though, I don’t like Tialata much tho, too hot headed. The lock pairing is decent, i like the skills of Ross, he isn’t menacing like Ali with the personality to stand up to bully boy Bakkies but man does he have skills. Loosies will have the familiar look of Kaino, McCaw and So’ialo, even though i quite like Messam. Cowan hasn’t impressed me much at 9, i would def start with Leonard. At 10 even though Donald had a good S14, i would prefer Luke at 10, Ma’a and Conrad doing their thing, Siti and Cory on the wings and Mils at the back
Just like last year, I think the Boks are the front runners for this year’s tournament. They have come out of a pretty tough series with a win. They are confident. Not to disrupted by injuries in key positions. The combinations have been tested, maybe found wanting in areas but still managed to pull off a series win and that counts for plenty. The only thing that will count against them if they start thinking they are bigger than they really are and signs of this were shown by the over robustness of players such as Juan Smith, Brussouw, Steyn and Bismarck in their last test. If they get that label of bully boys of rugby back, a label they have been trying hard to get rid of, i am afraid it will cost them dearly.
Just read this article... http://www.sport24.co.za/Content/Rugby/TriNations/355/953f4bdb5a804921975acbdcab86782e//Arrogant_Boks_set_for_TN3_fall
Chat again next week
