The final week of the inaugural Rugby Championship starts with the Springboks hosting the All Blacks at the FNB Stadium in Soweto, the scene of a come from behind victory for the All Blacks not so long ago.
The Boks come off a good victory over Australia last weekend, but will have to improve to overcome the challenge they face today, against a team that has not only wrapped up the Rugby Championship already, but has not lost in 15 consecutive test matches.
The All Blacks will go out today looking for their sixteenth victory on the trot, one away from a record 17 wins they share with the Springboks, and two away from the World Record holders Lithuania.
Any talks of a dead rubber are completely out the window in a clash between the world’s two best teams, a game that is sure to be a mammoth affair, and a match that will give the South African rugby loving public a great boost of confidence if a victory is pulled off.
South Africa: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jaco Taute, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 François Hougaard, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 François Louw, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Marcell Coetzee, 20 Elton Jantjies, 21 Juan de Jongh, 22 Pat Lambie.
New Zealand: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Liam Messam, 5 Samuel Whitelock , 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Luke Romano, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Tamati Ellison.
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I hope we win this time like we SHOULD HAVE in Dunedin and like we SHOULD HAVE in Soweto 2010… There can be no SHOULD HAVES after the final whistle today..! It’s time for the BOKKE to beat the No1 side in the world… The Mighty All Blacks!!
I am watching the pre-game show on SuperSport and one thing that has been bugging me, and bugs me again today, is the truly awful way Botha and Willemse talk. They hardly manage to finish a word. Don’t they appoint people for tv based upon appearance and linguistic abilities anymore? It’s like listening to two drunk guys.
@TRF_Ezequiel (Comment 2) : they want to make Blayden sound sober by comparison…
As Trevor Noah says… This is one area where the world said let’s go this way, we’re gonna make TV sound cool and amazing… And then we were just like, no gonna go dat way…
What I do like about Heyneke…he respects opposition but always reverts to that the Bokke should be the best in the world…never referring to the AB as mighty AB…just AB….
Go Bokke!!!!!
With Taute there the AB will have less space in their midfield…which will cut down their scoring opportunities a bit…
Boo’s are so load you cannot even hear the Haka…
game on!
Bokke aggressive off the bat….
Early chance here. Cant miss too many of these this week
First change for Bokke…
Goosen going for goal after NZ penalised at the ruck….
Shite! Thats not the start we wanted
Another shot. If this misses, a rethink will be needed again.
Another penalty for the Bokke with Messam early release off the ruck…
Goosen going for posts again…
Goosen missed again…..
Another f%&king miss. This is absurd. How many kicks have SA missed in the 4 nations this year??
Goosen striking it better but still 0/2.
Pienaar to take over soon?
4 misses in a row for Goosen…
I think the issue is Louis Koen….everyone started kicking worse with him as kicking couch…
On B&A this week they interviewed Ru and he said he’d been given the kicking duties. What gives?
PS…I am at gym, so no commentary today.
So our erratic kicking record continues…
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 17) :
Everything barring about 4…lol
Have ABs left their half yet?
Sideshow puts it out on the full…
@Hmmm (Comment 22) : Too damn right!! It must be the worst Bok kicking display since the 1st months of readmission
Useless play by Zane…
Hougaardt draws two…passes to Zane…3 man overlap and he kicks from 3 meters out of his 22 direct into touch…
Haban in, but maybe forward?
Nope, try stands!!! Awesome
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 25) :
And these are kickers that kicked 90% in the entire S15…over 60 kicks….
So must be Koen…
Now, a chance for Goosen to get some confidence. From dead in front.
Shit I missed that doing lying leg curl.
Great try by Bokke….
Bokke 7 – 0 NZ
Bokke looking more aggressive and looking better with ball in hand….
Lets see how long it lasts….
Good steal in the lineout. Boks blowing hot, but a long long way to go
The Smiths in NZ are inbreeds….Aaron is the 13th Smith…!??!
Scrum looking solid today, JdP and Beast up for it.
Come on Goose!! Chance to drive home the advantage
Another penalty for the Bokke…Goosen going for 4th….lets see if he can improve his kicking %
He does, 10 – 0
Bokke 10 – 0 NZ (22nd min)
I’d like to see the possession and territory stats around about now
Another ruck penalty for the Bokke…
Mccaw is a liability for NZ at the moment…
@Hmmm (Comment 42) : He is pissed Hore is doing his job
Game getting lose…
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 43) : LoL
Damn, Abs get once chance and they drive it home. Pity
10 – 5 kick to come
Dannie boy misses…
Bokke 10 – 5 NZ
and 10 – 5 it stays.
Game is fast and lose…
Goose looks in trouble, looks like Jantjes may get his big moment
If Goosen is injured, get him off!!
Try under the posts for the ABs. Habana gambled, lost badly and momentum has well and truely shifted folks
Habana intercept problem coming up again…coming out the line and creating overlap for NZ…
NZ try…
ABs 12 – 10 SA
Why keep Goosen on? FFS! Conceding 12 points in 10 minutes is bad. Jantjies now finally on. Hope he can change things.
Bokke 10 – 12 NZ (35th min)
Habana went for the interception and left a gap.
All Blacks leading now and Jantjies replaces Goosen.
Jantjes has a shot to improve the SA kicking %
Huge roar for Jozi’s Jantjies
Jantjes 1 from 1 and SA back in the lead
Over….
Bokke 13 – 12 NZ (38th)
Dan kick-off out on the full…
Bokke scrum the life out of NZ….
Penalty for the Bokke on middle of the field….
Come on Jantjes!!! Knock another over. Great scrum by SA gets the penalty on the centre spot
Awesome kick Jantjies!!! The man has brought SA back its kicking mojo. Koen hasnt had time to ruin him yet.
No mistake from Jantjies, great strike!
Jantjies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elton 2 from 2…
Bokke 16 – 12 NZ halftime…
All Blacks not even in the game and they´ve scored more tries than us already.
Wow Goosen injured again. Will he ever play 3 games in a row without getting injured?
So Louis Koen has not had much time with Elton since Elton is still accurate with his goal kicking…
@Hmmm (Comment 72) : My thoughts exactly. Koen is a tosser. He was a tosser as a flyhalf, hes a tosser as a coach.
And when the game is played at pace Duane Vermuelen is a f???chi??g carthorse. Only a narrowminded prat can see what a liability Vermuelen is…………….sorry our earst while coach is seriously missing the plot. I suppose he doesn’t want any English speaking guys in the team.
NZ score within 24 seconds of the 2nd half…
Soft soft soft. Where the hell was the defense!!
Awful start to the second half. NZ regather short restart.
Try Nonu
Dagg slaughtered our poor excuse for a D
Bokke 16 – 19 NZ (41min)
Poor def miss by Taute…
Jantjies takign a loooong shot
Nope
Elton just under the crossbar from 56 meters out….a flat kick too
Another kick-off straight into touch from Dannie boy…
Great field position after carter overcooks the 22 drop
McCaw way offside again. Gets an official warning
Another ruck penalty against Richie Mccaw…
Official warning….team warning….
Jantjies gets another chance…
Penalties conceded:
Bokke 0 – 9 NZ
Hits the stoicks and out… 4 kicks missed by SA. Yup, thats 12 points.
Elton off the posts…
2 from 4 now…
Maybe Koen spoke to him at half time and we can see the effects…
LoL
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 73) : you were saying??
Noone wants to tackle Gear..
Bokke dropping off too many tackles now…
@lostfish (Comment 92) :
Bok defense creaking. If the ABs score here, its going to be a looong road back
Okay, please help me out here.
You are behind by 3 points, your line-out is working perfectly, maul is rolling well, kickers are dire. What option do you choose with a penalty?
Apparently you decide to kick for 3 points. MORONS!!!
Way too easy. Off a scrum? WTF!
Where’s Barney when you need him?
Boks getting a second half bashing. 2 mins ago Jantjies had a chance to level the scores on the other side of the field. Now the ABs have a 10 point lead
Oh boy…
And it gets better as Coenie gives away a penalty on his 1st scrum
ABs having a shot at goal
NZ going for goal…scrum penalty against Bokke
Dannie missed by some margin…
Kick is wide… small relief.
Flo wins another penalty…
Flo and Adriaan win a penalty as an AB holds on.
Flo wins one back for SA. Pienaar kicks into the corner
Ru sets up a 7m lineout.
Bokke going for lineout….great kick by Ruan….Bokke throw 7 meters out…
Need some points here. Any will do.
Boks close!
Jantjies fucks up 2m from the line. What a shit pass.
Chance blown!!
Knock on by Habana 3 meters from the line…
Lets see if Coenie can get a hot on and not hand over a penalty
Lets see if Coenie can get a hit on and not hand over a penalty
@klempie (Comment 114) :
Was a combination…Habana cut in when Jantjies pushed the pass wide for him…
@Hmmm (Comment 116) : You blaming Habs for that?
@klempie (Comment 120) :
Was chest high…he could have taken it…
@Hmmm (Comment 119) : Hmmm…
Nice one Jean.
Bokke seems rattled…
JdV cocks it up this time. SA ponderous with ball in hand by comparison. No offloads, no angles. Try brute force and ABs just waiting for the inevitable error
That was a crap pass by Jean…
Bob saying Flip was running a dummy line instead of Flip is a dummy
We need to slow the ball down now. Keep it tight.
Why can’t Sideshow get substituted??
ABs have an overlap everytime!!
DG Carter
Bokke 16 – 29 NZ
@lostfish (Comment 129) : There you go.
Game pretty much over. Anyone notice the ABs have scored 29 points to SAs 6 since the 20th minute
Oh HALLELUJAH!!!! I guess Meyer was reading this…
If the Argies dont beat the Convicts, SA are going to come 3rd in the 1st 4 nations…
Another ruck penalty and a yellow against NZ….
Oooooooo….Dagg is carded for cynical offsides.
Dagg gets a yellow. SA get a chance to cock up another great opportunity
5m lineout for the Boks.
So the team warning by the ref was cashed in….
Oh FFS!
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 138) : Bingo. Strauss this time. Congrats on knocking on the ball from less than a metre out.
In all fairness it was McCaw playing the ball on the ground, rather than Strauss knocking it on
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 142) : It wasn’t actually a knock. But he did isolate himself stupidly. White line fever.
That’s the first time I’ve ever seen an All Black getting a yellow card. Stupid play by the Boks though. Come on! You know you play against 14 men, the backline is 1 short. Go wide FFS!!!
@klempie (Comment 144) : Agreed, see comment 143
That was dumb by Pat.
And now Marcell holds on… ABS getting away with quite a bit at the breakdown. They nearly sealed the previous ruck off by going off their feet.
Umm…how exactly was Coetzee supposed to get rid of that ball?
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 148) : Wrong again. Blacks not rolling away.
Did Bob just say this game was a nailbiter? What part of the 13 point lead isnt he aware of?
Game over. Coenie concedes in front.
And that ladies and gentleman will be the ballgame. 16 points with 10 mins… Coenie gives away his 2nd penalty and the ABs will walk this one. So with 14 men, ABs 3 – SA 0
The ref is missing a lot
Ouch, so SA have 10 mins to score as many points as they have in the previous 70 mins. Oh, and SA havent scored a point in the 2nd half
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 155) : That’s to tie.
I hate to say it, but look at the ABs with the ball in hand. Its like night and day with SAs laboured efforts. Also Taute is falling off tackles left right and center. Maybe province can have him next year..
@klempie (Comment 156) : at this stage, that would feel like a glorius win
Not a good game from the Boks, we started on fire the first 20min, but just down hill from there. Very poor 2nd half performance from the Boks. Wasn’t a good rugby weekend for me.
Are SA even trying to chase this game? Doesnt look like it.
Jantjies kicks for touch with 2 and a half minutes left…
Comedy.
Oh boy, SA have conceded and handful of penalties and Coenie is responsible for over half of them
i on the angle … but hinging and no bind ????
So we were beaten 0-20 in the second half.
These All Blacks are all class. Scored a few tries that looked like they were practicing against a club side.
Boks back to the drawing board.
Poor in the second half, and All Blacks did what they had to do. Coenie is a long way from being a tighthead right now.
@klempie (Comment 165) : Yup, and 6 – 32 in the final hour
Fullback, Inside Center and some new wings …. My christmas present
Lack of scoreboard pressure and experience is really costing us…..
We give it horns in the first half but cannot put the ball between the posts … so all our dominance is only worth 4 points at half time…
The match turned when Goosen got injured … They got two tries in the last 10 minutes of the first half
@byron (Comment 169) : Agree. Get Monty back in the coaching setup please.
@byron (Comment 170) : Taute also missed a choice few tackles at 13 which gave the AB backline a lot of leeway. He had a poor poor game. JdVs distribution at 12 was also lacking. Where the Boks looked dynamic last week, they were plodding this week.
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 172) :
I was going to ask for a whole new backline but I didn’t want to come across as greedy…
Habana wasn’t great tonight either …. a missed intercept led to the first try … he was out of position alot too….
wow, but Jaco’s tackling was shit… my goodness.
Better get the agent to phone around tomorrow and find out how many of the Super Rugby offers are still on the table.
@robdylan (Comment 174) : Absolutely agree. His tackling was shocking. Bit of a reality check really
flyhalf is the only problem. The rest of the weak links can be replaced.
@Hmmm (Comment 29) :
A kicker should not be taught how to kick at international level
@JD (Comment 71) :
uuummmm … no probably not
Johan Goosen was, at best, very average vs AB. Elton Jantjies was only slightly better … That leaves Patrick Lambie, still unused at flyhalf by Heyneke Meyer – all we ask is for Lambie to be given the opportunity to play at flyhalf – then it will become clear to everybody that Patrick is the best flyhalf in SA and that he should play at flyhalf (and not at fullback) …..!!
So competing in a 4 Nations competition, which included the worst Wallaby side in history, we came third. Puts it in perspective how kak we really are.
I know I’m going to get flak for this but I don’t care.
Johan Goosen is way to much of a sissy, for lack of any other profanity free terminology, to be an international player .Talented yes ,tenacious certainly not, yet. While we wait for him to grow a pair and learn to drop his shoulder we are overlooking other talented players, completely.
Why is everyone singing F.Louws praises? He isn’t an open side flank by any stretch of the imagination ,he is a blindside flank who is a competent ball carrier and also who is a handy player around the breakdown, that’s it. There is so much more to open side play than just those two aspects .He isnt fast enough to compete in the same running lines as Mcaw,Hooper ,Brussow ,Pococok or even other flanks in this country. People wonder why our defense seems to leave space out wide ? Because our loose forwards don’t cover the areas they are supposed to leaving our centers ,scrumhalves and fly-halves committed to those channels.
We also need to start selecting intelligent players first .
@Zibbie (Comment 177) :
Agreed…but something is influencing then to kick much worse than they did in the S15
@Hmmm (Comment 182) :
Yes . With Goosen its called ‘pressure’. He might be the best player ever potentially . But if he cant stay injury free and handle pressure he will never make it .
I dont think Elton kicked badly . He missed a long range kick ..
Elton looked much more confident . I think given enough time Elton will settle nicely into this Bok team and become a super star …
You can single out a number of players and incidents for this loss…ultimitely, the coach was watching this unfold and was unable to change the flow. Taute was bad defensively, yet he was afforded 76 minutes? Did HM think Taute’s inexperience will enable him to come good??? His unsuccessful touch-finder also lead to an AB try.
Almost forgot…Loui Skoen???? Really?
Where the ABs show us up big time is in the way they use their ball effectively. Whenever they got the ball you felt worried as a S’bok supporter. When we got the ball, our forwards had so much confidence in the backline that they chose to keep the ball and try to pick ‘n go all the time until someone was dispossessed. Also how many aimless kicks did you see. We need to look at our backline and the coaching thereof. Also why do their youngsters seem older than our youngsters?