The country is overjoyed right now. The Springboks played the game of rugby without the silly up-and-unders, kicks down field and one dimensional (predictable) gameplan that they usually employ. They ran in five tries, attacked from within their own 22m area, offloaded in the tackle, dummied, defended like champions too… AND Lambie, Jantjies and De Jongh all got to show what they’ve got!
I am taking nothing away from the Bokke. They were superb, however, I feel that the real test is going to come next week against the All Blacks. The Wallabies went into the match crippled by injuries to key players. They were then decimated in the game by more injuries, eventually finishing the game with 14 players. The odds were stacked against the Aussies and South Africa duly thrashed them.
Of course it remains to be seen how the All Blacks are going to approach Saturday’s game in Soweto. They’ve secured the inaugral Rugby Championship title and Steve Hansen may give some fringe players gametime and rest veterans like Richie McCaw. The All Blacks boast some incredible depth though, and I have a feeling that no matter whose name is on the team sheet it will take an effort nothing short of perfect to beat them.
The real test, therefore (for youngsters like Goosen, and also for the new gameplan) will be at 17:00, Saturday in Soccer City.
Tweet
My best part of the game was when Nik-Naks got pulled off and Lambie came on. He got rousing appluase from the crowd AT LOFTUS! Thats when you know Lambie has been given a raw deal!
Hopefully he starts against the Kiwis
I find it perplexing that everybody is mentioning the Aussie injuries, but not SA’s, most (if not all) of whom probably would have been involved from the bench or starting:
Schalk
Juan Smith
Pierre Spies (blessing in disguise)
Bismarck
Francois Steyn
JPP
Coenie
That’s almost half a run-on team.
The win was great, especially the way it was done, but, and its a huge but the Ausie team had been decimated BEFORE the game had even started and the situation only got worse as the game progressed, add to that they were down to 14 men on 2 ten minute occasions and I think that we should have buried them by a record breaking margin, especially at the highveld.
Am I being too cynical here, I hope so, but dont think I am. Saturday will be a truer test.
@MysticShark (Comment 2) : chiliboy, basson
OK
So I’ve had a fantastic Superbru in the Rugby championships.
352nd overall and 1st in all 7 my pools…..
So….who’s going to win this weekend? A very talented All Black side that have already won the cup or a revived Springbok team?
Have the Pumas got enough gas left to beat a desimated Assie team?
@MikeVS (Comment 1) : But the sad thing is that he is going to get broken. He needs to be considered in his best position being flyhalf. Pushing around the backline will not help him
@MysticShark (Comment 2) : Probably because we don’t want to use it as an excuse.
@Dunx (Comment 6) : Agreed but it is looking less and less likely that he will get an opportunity.
At the moment he needs game time to work out those splinters he has acquired over the past month…
Ausies where not injured, they were bashed into submission – so should NZ be approached
Only way for Lambie to show he is the best flyhalf is to tell plum and meyer “pick me at flyhalf or leave me out, I will not play in any other position”
@MysticShark (Comment 2) : Except for Frans Steyn, those guys have been gone for most, if not all, of the championship, and we didn’t lose crucial guys during the match either.