Dear fellow rugby fans, let me start off by eating humble pie and declaring out right that the Springboks are currently the best team in the world! And coached by a damn great coach too I might add, inherited team or no inherited team...just an example to illustrate this...Big Phil Scolari went to Chelsea inherited a great team but something didn’t click and they didn’t perform. It takes a great/good coach/man to inspire his chargers to perform. Guss Hiddink came, same team, different results...

You know i missed this weekends game because I knew the Boks would win and i expected more of the same, but i should have known better though. Media reports slamming them as a boring side, a weakened and inexperienced Wallaby team with new combinations at crucial positions...they were bound to exploit this. Evidence being 2 out of the 4 tries came from set piece ball both attacking the flyhalf/inside centre channels as well as the inside and outside centre channels...both well constructed tries, the last one had a hint of obstruction (if you were a south African commentator and Australia had pulled that move ;)) but both very classy.

De Villiers and Fourie, if they played together more often would be undoubtedly the best centre combination in the world. I like Adi Jacobs and I was rooting for him to keep his position because over the last 2 seasons he has done nothing wrong and his combination with Jean was pretty sublime too!! But alas injury took its toll and what Jacques brings size, mobility, skill and defence, Adi has the other 3 but not size.

The backline selected baffled me a lot though. Why Morne at no 10 when you could play Ruan there and Morne at a position he has played before, no 15??

I feel for Oz, but to be honest I’d prefer to be in their position than where we are currently (we being the Abs) we are sooo at sea at the moment. Our whole game hinges on 2 players, Richie and DC, but mind you, i’d think SA’s game hinges on John Smit and Bakkies, when those 2 are not available you can see a marked difference in the team. Oz on the other hand have had about 2 yrs to rebuild and are getting it right. Even though Stirlo is integral to the team, they were quite competitive with a new centre combo a talented yet young fullback. Their scrum was solid and even got the better of the Boks from what i read.

The game before was impressive in that both teams tried to move the ball and for me that was a spectacle. Out of all the Tri-Nations games o the year i really enjoyed that one and not because of the result. For me the saddest part of it all was that it implied that a 70% Dan Carter is better than a 100% Steve Donald, and really i thought his game was coming together a lot more, how is that going to affect his confidence? I am still of the opinion that Conrad Smith should be at 12 and Ma’a at 13 if they are to insist with him. I enjoyed Read at no 8. All i say is more damn game time for de Melmanche!!

Anyway i think this weekend its all done, it would be interesting if not though because then there would be fire and brimstone in NZ the weekend after 

Well done to the Boks, they did what they had to do, i guess it is a sign of a great side.

Happy viewing

Y