In a game where there is nothing riding on the result for the Emerging Boks, and when I can’t recall us retrieving one up and under, what was the point of all the kicking?
I thought this was about playing running rugby. And yes, it might have been storming, but you can’t constantly test Northern Hemisphere players under the high ball, especially if they catch 90% of them.
When you give away 100% of your possession and regain 10%, then that is a stupid tactic. It’s the definition of insanity – doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
From that aspect, a severely disappointing showing.
Other disappointments were the scrums or the constant penalties emerging from them. Not being a front-rower (or rugby player of any class in general) I can’t comment on what was going wrong there. A disappointment nonetheless.
I thought SuperSport felt obliged (or forced?) to give Earl Rose top marks, but I have to say he was woeful in general. At one stage he had made 3 tackles: 1 made, 2 missed. He may have been playing to coaches orders to kick, but he is no Springbok, nor is Kirchner.
On the positive side, thought Sykes stood out at lock and certainly would have given the Bok coach food for thought – one hopes. His work at the setpieces and around the field was massive and I’d say he outclasses Andries Bekker by some distance.
Deysel was massive but quiet in the second half before being subbed – Botes came on, did his bit, I thought one of his better games in what has been a relatively quiet year for him. Vulindlu got little ball, looked good but I think he is still some way off the polished article and given time, may well become really good – I must admit I was a little taken aback at his selection – not that it was undeserved, but that he had a fairly limited Super 14 and possibly others might have had more argument for inclusion.
He got little ball thanks to the incessant kicking!
Overall, I felt it was a bit flat and would have liked to see the ball in hand more than in the air. But a good result nonetheless and another psychological strike for South Africa ahead of this weekend’s crunch series decider.
Tweet
Fair comments.
I also noticed that Sykes was working hard around the park and competing (legally) for the ball…good job.
I am I really the only one who thought Rose played well?
Blaming him for Newman’s nightmare (har har har) is misplaced, while he kicked well pout of hand and asked questions of the defence in poor weather.
hey i was talking to a mate about this exact topic this morning. look at stefan the king of kicking good ball away. i think it is a problem with unimaginative coaches.
@Big Fish (Comment 2) :
The weather didn’t allow for much accurate kicking for most parts of the game – so I will give him another shot based on that…
Vermaak was sharp…but how slow was the passing from the rest of the backs??? At one point it was like they were literally passing a huge egg from hand to hand…
If we’d tried to run everythign last night we would’ve lost badly.
Sadly conditions just didnt allow.
Fantastic feat by these young men.
@Big Fish (Comment 2) :
Nope, I thought he didn’t have a bad game at all. It wasn’t a blinder, but that wouldn’t be realistic undr those conditions. He was also committed to his tackles and was very quick in going for the turnover.
Re. the kicking, the scrumhalves did a lot of it as well, so it seemed to be on orders from Muir.
@VinChainSaw (Comment 5) :
Point taken, but then make the kicks work, don’t kick up and unders if A. you don’t chase (note how de Waal and Rose hold off ever so slightly so they don’t have to compete in the air) and B. you don’t regather possession.
Like I said, of the 100% ball we kicked away we regained very little at all.
Let me guess, you wouldn’t mind if Stefan was in the Bok squad?? 🙄
Folks not in CT have no freaging clue how wet it was yesterday
@try time (superrugby’s kryptonite is SANZAR) (Comment 3) : Still on Stefan’s case and he hasn’t played any rugby in months 🙄 😉
Stefan is going to be a key player for us in the CC – for better or worse 🙂
Jano Vermaak is looking good for the future… Rory better pull up his socks if he wants to get ahead of him…
2 things: 1st, sharks also do the stupid thing. 2nd, the eboks didnt lose, although a draw aint that much better