The Springboks wrap up their tour of the British Isles this afternoon against a team of mostly Southern Hemisphere Barbarians, with absolutely no pressure of Grand Slams or coaching staff on the brink of getting the boot, and as a result one would expect a great game of rugby.
The reality of the match is that these guys have all, bar 2 Northern hemisphere blokes who managed to get out of their club commitments, have played each other time and again, either during the Super 14 or during the Tri Nations, and most of the players will be looking forward to the trip home to take a form of break.
The excitement of a young flyhalf for the South Africans was by and large extinguished on Wednesday when Elton Jantjies was named as the flyhalf, with the incumbent and much anticipated Pat Lambie filling the 15 jersey. My opinion on this does not really matter, but a feeling of getting behind the team on this should trump all others. There will either be a few ‘I told you so’ or ‘apologies’ come 19h00 tonight.
The Barbarians celebrate their 120th year of existence and play the Springboks for the 7th time and the main aim for them is go out and have some fun, even though the concept has taken a back seat in the professional era. One would have loved to see a mixed bag of players, but as a result of clubs and other tournaments on the go, this will probably never be a reality.
My prediction for this game is that, weather permitting, the Barbarians will run at the Bok backline with everything they have, and will make for some wonderful entertainment. We can only hope the Boks can match them in all areas.
The teams:
Barbarians: 15 James O’Connor, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Matt Giteau (captain), 9 Will Genia, 8 Colin Bourke, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Rodney So’oialo, 5 Chris Jack, 4 Anton van Zyl, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Salvatore Perugini.
Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 John Yapp, 18 Quintin Geldenhuys, 19 Daniel Braid, 20 Andy Ellis, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Seru Rabini.
South Africa: 15 Patrick Lambie, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Adi Jacobs, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 François Hougaard, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Juan Smith (captain), 6 Willem Alberts, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Werner Kruger, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Keegan Daniel, 21 Charl McLeod, 22 Gio Aplon.
Date: Saturday, 4 December
Kick-off: 14.30 (14.30 GMT; 16.30 SA time)
Venue: Twickenham, London
Expected weather: There is a 20 percent chance of snow, a high of 5°C (windchill: -3°C), dropping to-2°C, and a southwester of 14 km/h
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)
Assistant referees: Christophe Berdos (France), Peter Allan (Scotland)
GO BOKKE !!!
Well should be an interesting match, the young guys in the bok team don’t have the intensity and experience the Barbarians have in their side, but i am hoping to see some down right hunger from these young guys and give the BaaBaa’s a good run for their money.
damn Charlie… 30seconds! haha
I am Legend !
Sheeeeep Rams vs Springboks – Although we play like a Ram and they play like a springbok . Weird huh?
Go boks(sharks)!
@Charlie (Comment 4) :
I picked Barbarians by 27
Anyone know if this game is being streamed live on the internet?
Go Bokke
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 9) : not the greatest but it is in English.
http://www.chavster.org/
Bokke by 10, off to play now !!!
try baa baas
o’connor pushes the conversion wide
baa baas 5 – boks 0
penalty to the boks, going to for the posts
baa baas 5 – 3 boks
If the Boks win, it will be because of the 10 amazing Sharks in the squad, if we lose it will be the 5 stupid Bulls’ fault
@lostfish (Comment 16) : @lostfish (Comment 13) : Will be nice if you could give us their names
hehe I am lazy
try was scored by drew mitchell for the baa baas
penalty was kicked by jantjies
Go Sharks!!
try by o’connor for the baa baas
bok defence very gappy
@lostfish (Comment 20) : Looking for possible FL candidates for next year
o’conner with the conversion
baa baas 12 – 3 boks
penalty to the boks after the restart the crowd is booing the decision to kick for the posts
jantjies taking forever to set up the ball and as he steps up it falls over and the ref tells him 10 seconds. he resets and kicks quickly but misses
adi finding gaps in the baa baas defence but is turned over, drew mitchell scores his second try
Are we being murdered? On my phone so no TV.
o’connor nails the conversion
baa baas 19 – 3 boks
seems my 27 point margin is goin to be too small
@KSA Shark © (Comment 29) : 22 minutes gone
baa baas scored 3 tries, boks have hardly had their hands on the ball
carnage at the moment
@KSA Shark © (Comment 29) : That’s putting it softly
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 31) : I was being kind to SA and gave the baa baas a 9 point margin
boks holding a few passes together near the tryline and knock on 5m out
when the boks get the ball they are either turned over or knock on
Nothing interesting happening?
o’connor misses a very kickable penalty
Holy cow are the Boks being shown up for the ponderous unimaginative bunch they are. Dick Muir gets paid to coach the backs??
I hope Mcleod and Daniel get a decent run today. Alberts should move to 7, and Daniel to 6 with Smith taking a shower or something.
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 37) : not really, anytime the boks look like getting anywhere they get turned over or knock on
Aweful turnovers killing the Boks.
thank goodness – half time
If only Bizzie was there aswell.
Well, with the springbok try scoring abilities, this game is virtually over as a contest… O’Connor kindly providing a sniff of hope for us. The second half had better be 100% better
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 44) : strauss is actually one of the better players on the field, had a couple of good runs
Watching this game, all of Andries Strausses limitations have been firmly highlighted. He is great in defense against other ponderous SA backs, but against a team with some pace, he has been shown up. The other Strauss lineout throws have been pretty poor too, and are Hargreaves or Coenie on the field?
@lostfish (Comment 46) : Except he cant seem to throw at the moment, which kinda kills momentum
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 48) : true
We all know that the Cheetahs cant play rugby
Game on!!
Go Bokke!!
Any halftime subs??
odwa gets an intercept and try!
and the carthorse springs us back into the game. What a man!! Boks most dangerous when the other team has the ball.
Yes!! Coenie goes off!
Sharks try!!
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 55) : CJ shouldve gone off 1st
Great work Kanko on OConnor
and then he coughs up the pill…
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 57) : Ok, thats probably true too
The ref’s a plonker
WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dont we WANT to catch the ball!!!!
odwa knocks on, again
So our Sevens are playing the Aussies in the plate final. Go Blitzies!!
BEAST is destroying the scrum!!
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 62) : lambie made a rather good catch
did flip and beast forget it is December…
Thats the third time they have turned over the ball illegally. We are playing shite, but the ref doesnt help with calls like that
I hope none of the Sharks get broken… we need them for the S15
Is Daniel and Mcleod on yet??
Kanko off and Keegs comes on
penalty to the boks for tackler not releasing
@lostfish (Comment 71) : @Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 70) :
Jantjies going for posts
Ok, time for Jantjies to go too.
and Jantjies misses
About 20mins remaining.
And the knock forward!!!!!
try baa baas!
Well, thats probably the game.. now I guess just pride. would be nice to score a try that isnt just an intercept
Jantjies tries to stop Tialata and Tialata brushes him off back onto his ass
baa baas 26 – 10 boks
Macleod on now
I’d love to know who paid off this coprolite French ref who is missing a reasonably good game!!!
This game is an appalling advertisement for Bok rugby. We are simply clueless
Go Bokkies!!
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 86) : Home?
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 87) :
A 16 point margin is not bad considering
Finally. Bakkies made it look hard though
try bakkies
Jantjies misses the conversion
And oh look at that, Jantjies misses the kick.
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 89) : 11 points
Damn stupid Bulls, cant even win a game if you paid them
This has been an awful game to watch
Lesson to be learned here. Lambie should have started at 10 with Charl 9. The ref should be strangled as should the next player who knocks on
Why does the last 2 minutes of a game always take 10 minutes
@lostfish (Comment 96) : agreed
Too late, times up
maku try
I think that a World Cup Fantasy League competition could work
So basically can we say Jantjies poor kicking cost us the game
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 99) : this game has made me glad I don’t have to watch the boks play again for a good few months
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 97) :
Agreed.
Lambie looked much more settled and effective, but I have no issue with Jantjies being given his chance.
We didn’t do badly, considering that the team was largely made up of the guys who didn’t get to play: I’m not disappointed with the result really.
The ref should be taken out and hanged – wouldn’t waste bullets on that idiot.
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 97) : But we all knew that from the start. The score flattered the Boks.
Agreed. I still cant understand how Dick Muir is justifying his salary right now. The backs are ponderous and unimaginative. Only when Lambie moved to 10 did we look like we anything going. We cant always win with the forwards.
Fulltime
Baabaas 26 – 20 Boks
Margin – 6
@Big Fish (Comment 105) : As a sharks fan Im probably biased, but Lambie is more mature than Jantjies. The latter didnt look up to the speed of the game. Maybe he should have been left to get more experience than just a currie cup campaign, although to put it in perspective, it was a barbarians game, so there was no real pressure which I guess would support your comment
Bring on the Super 15
Go Sharks
@rhineshark (Comment 106) : Yes it did. Although they played a lot of rugby in the second half. When you go down 19-3 you are always a little screwed, especially when you dont trust your backline to rip the other team apart. You cant come from 16 points back using the maul from your own try line.
Keep in mind that this was a strong Barbarian side guys. It couldve been worse.
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 111) : Sure, but some things just didn´t make any sense. With about 6 mins to go we took our time walking to lineouts, doing the pick-and-drive, etc. as if we were leading by 12 and the ones winding down the clock. WTF???
Superbru Final standings:
1. Molly
2. Bladeza
3. Rqd2
4. Maverick
5. Superviv
6. Rekinek
7. Sharkingmad
8. Mbaysharks
9. Mb1810
10. Wpw
@rhineshark (Comment 113) : True story. I dont think the passion was there.
At least we won a plate in Dubai.
Eng v Samoa in the Cup final.
Eng playing in marmalade coloured outfits for some reason.
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 112) :
Don’t you know perspective is out of fashion nowadays?
I think we learnt a lot from this game. Lets start by getting my Sharks bias out of the way:
- The Sharks team would have beaten this BaaBaas side.
- Overall the Sharks players were the only ones there that seem to have answers on how to take on the BaaBaas
Other observations:
- It’s great that Elton was given a start at flyhalf. We now know who’s the more mature between Elton and Pat at this stage in their careers. Elton didn’t play terribly but Pat has the upper hand for the time being.
- There is a case to be made for McLeod at scrumhalf. Don’t know if he’s better than Hougaard but has an ability to get a backline going.
- The Springbok management continue using their reserves in retarded ways. Daniels should have replaced either Smith or Alberts. Kankowski was playing really well.
- A good kicker can still be the difference between the Springboks winning and losing based on the way they’re playing.
@Big Fish (Comment 118) :
Half Time
Samoa 14-12 Eng
@vanmartin (Comment 119) : The Sharks team would have beaten this BaaBaas side.
Really? You must be making a killing with that crystal ball of yours.
When does the 2nd round of FAN questions start?
Eng take it.
Final Score
Eng 29-21 Samoa
@McLovin (Comment 122) : Without a doubt, same goes for the S14 Bulls team.
Can’t blame them though, only having a weak to prepare.
There was a point about half way through the second half where Lambie started injecting himself into the proceedings in a much more aggressive manner. He started taking the ball at first receiver even though EJ was still on the field. Prior to this, the only times that Lambie had taken the ball at first receiver was to kick. I really thought this was where the Boks started looking much more fluid. McLeod was providing his usual snappy service and Lambie was taking the ball at first receiver, much flatter than EJ had all match.
Now the question for all my fellow Sharksworld bloggers is, was this a tactical decision by Juan Smith or PdV or did Lambie just get frustrated and tired of what was going on in front of him so decided to take matters into his own hand.
I watched McLeod, and he really is a superb scrumhalf. Not only is his service from the base very snappy, but he gets to the breakdown quicker than all the other SA 9s. This allows for much quicker ball. All of a sudden we see the ball going to the first receiver almost before the ruck is formed He is also awesome with his decision making, seeming to always find the right first receiver. And with all this, he showed also that his boot is quite strong as well. I’m not just saying this from a Sharks bias, but to be honest, he seems to do those tasks that are most imprtant for a 9 to do, and he does them very well. A quality scrumhalf without a doubt.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 126) :
I couldn’t agree more with you on the points you made on McLeod, i though Hougaard was inconsistent during most of the match and didn’t really seem to figure out if he wants to play a fast or slow game. The game from the boks side flowed a lot more and the ball actually got spread a lot faster once McLeod game on to the field. Another thing that i picked up on was that Hougaard seemed a bit shaky behind the ruck and his service wasn’t always clean, which i believe contributed to some of the bad handle in the game.
Another point i would like to make is that EJ is definitely not ready for international rugby, and was completely out of his league against MG. I do believe that the game could have gone a different way if Lambie started at 10 with McLeod at 9.
The first half of the game seemed like the same old boring Bok blueprint rugby, and they (the boks) where shown-up again by a more aggressive attacking side. Maybe it’s time for the Bok players to take matters into their own hands a bit on the field, because the coaches obviously still have no idea what they are trying to do.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 126) : Agree with McLeod, he was superb when he came on. Fast crisp service I thought. Really impressed me seeing he had not played a games since the CC. Seemed to gel straight in. Should have been on this tour from the start. After that showing think he could be our back up to FdP not Ruan or Hougaard. McLeod should have been brought on sooner rather than later. Also Lambie should have been shifted to fh sooner.
I would have moved Hougaard to outside centre or on the wing earlier yesteray.
@Puma (Comment 128) : This is how they should have started in the first place:
McLeod
Lambie
Mvovo
Strauss
Jacobs
Hougaard
Aplon
A lot can be learned from watching the highlights of the Tonga vs French Baabaas on 26 November. Tonga was 27-9 down and made a great comeback against a star-studded Frenchy side:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tKTavxGgQY
@rhineshark (Comment 129) : Yes agree, I had that line up last week too, except never had Strauss cause at that time never knew he was going over. To start I had McLeod, Lambie Mvovo, Adi, Hougaard, Odwa and Aplon.
We really should have started with Mcleod and Lambie seeing they played most of the CC in those positions. They gelled well together yesterday too. Pity PdV missed something there.
Then would have had Janjties coming from the bench. He also needed to play being on tour the whole 4 weeks. Felt for him yesterday missing those kicks, just knew the Bok supporters were going to be ruthless. Shame we behave like that towards our younger players. He will also get better after the S15. But yesterday Lambie should have started.
@Puma (Comment 130) : I agree we are ruthless to the detriment of young players, but I sometimes think the worst enemies of promising youngsters, like Jantjies and Lambie, are the very people employed to develop them.
But rugby is about combinations. People are making out as if this was just another Baabaas game – it wasn´t. It was a Baabaas game full of Kiwis and Aussies the year before the RWC, so an opportunity to test established, form combos like McLeod and Lambie, against the likes of Giteau, Nonu and Genia.
I also felt for Jantjies when I missed those kicks. He looked very nervous all game long and the pressure he must have put on himself probably had an effect on his overall performance as well.
The kicking on this tour was generally poor, including the Steyns and Lambie, so Jantjies was in good company
Well thats the end of the rugby for a while and agree we could of won the BaaBaa’s if we didn’t make so much mistakes and had woken up before the 2nd half
but good work for the baabaa’s and chaz didn’t get her 1st honour but will try next year 4th place is nt so bad
I thought Lambe went to 1st receiver after EJ whent off and Aplon came on?
Either way, poor show by the Boks. I was at the game, and people really were not happy about Smith deciding to keep going for posts in a BaaBaas match too. In hindsight, if they had kicked for touch and scored only one of the missed penalties, we would have wont he game by a point.
Poor strategy, poor performance.
Yeah, looking back at the game I have to admit I over estimated Adi Jacobs.
For some reason I thought his defense improved but he was a liability for us on saturday.
This makes me even more worried about next year. We`re stretched at 13 already and Adi just played himself out of contention.
Wonder how Lindeque defends?
@Original Champion (Comment 134) : I wonder if Adi’s match fit? That would also have contributed to his defense (or lack thereof).
Just another example of a Boks match lost in the top two inches.
Poor strategy, poor execution but even worse was poor option-taking.
@vanmartin (Comment 135) :
Poor technique.