Argentina outplayed, outclassed and completely out-wit the Springboks in Durban tonight, but the word that best describes the action is embarrassed. By doing the basics right and playing with some pride, the Pumas beat a hapless and heartless Springbok outfit 37 – 25.
Argentina started like a house on fire, silencing an expectant Kings Park crowd with a try under the poles in the opening minutes. That try was followed up with a second minutes later, the Pumas showing hunger and drive to win, proving the first try was no fluke.
Lood de Jager finally got the Boks into the match, scoring a driving try a quarter of the way into the match, but Argentina were not done yet, scoring a third and taking a 14 point lead into the half time break.
The half time talks done, Argentina came out and scored a fourth try, leading the Springboks by 21 points at one stage, before Willie le Roux ran the length of the field to score a great individual try. Habana scored a late try to reduce the margin of defeat to only 12 points. The biggest margin of defeat for the Boks in the Rugby Championship this year.
It was a difficult match to watch, the Boks battled in the scrums, so much so that Vincent Koch was replaced at half time in a hope that Marcel van der Merwe would do better, with little success. The front row was completely bamboozled by an experienced Argentine front row.
Apart from the scrums, where they were completely outplayed, it was the basics which let the Springboks down most. Simple rugby principles such as catching a ball, passing the ball backwards and making tackles were lacking throughout. I am not going to attack individual players for this aspect, I feel the coaching staff should take some flack for this. As a team, comparing the play to the earlier match between Australia and New Zealand, it leaves a lot to the imagination. Surely the players should be taught to not pass the ball in the event that the receiving player is in front. Rather take the contact than losing the possession by way of a scrum.
Where I will mention individuals, is when it comes to flyhalf Handre Pollard. He could do absolutely nothing right on the night. He was struggling in general play, not able to make a decent pass or kick from hand. Basics such as taking a kick off went wrong as first he couldn’t get the ball 10m, and then later kicking it out on the full. When the ball had to be kicked out from a penalty, he couldn’t manage that either.
Surely if Vincent Koch can be taken off at half time for struggling in the scrums, how can it be that Pollard remained on the field until the 63rd minute, leaving replacement flyhalf Pat Lambie with an 18 point deficit and needing an absolute miracle to salvage anything from the match.
I will not place this loss squarely on Pollard’s shoulders, not at all, but somewhere responsibility should be taken for ending fourth out of four teams in the Rugby Championship. Pollard did not pick himself to start this match, and could not replace himself when he was struggling. It comes down to a coach who cannot adapt to what is happening on the field of play. It was obvious that Lambie was planned to get on 15 minutes, and no matter the situation, that was not going to change.
The referee on the night, Mr Romain Poite, did not exactly cover himself in glory. His instruction to Jean de Villiers to talk to the team and then call time on for the third Argentina try, was somewhat of an iffy call, and in the second half he completely got it wrong when Cobus Reinach scored a try from a quick tap. You can say that those tries could have saved the Boks’ blushes, but they certainly did not deserve to win this match.
It is certainly back to the drawing board for the Springboks with only one match remaining before the World Cup kicks off.
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These french refs are shite … boks werent great …time to go drink
@byron (Comment 1) :
The ref was kak, but the Boks were worse!
One of the worst Springbok games I have had the misfortune of watching. Sheesh.
Where is coach Sheldon tonight?
Schalk Burger is only there because of his name. Shouldn’t even make the Stormers starting team if all are fit yet alone the boks. And don’t even get me started on Pollard and De Villiers. And yet Heyneke won’t learn anything from this and will still make the same bad selections come world cup
What’s the bet Pollard will not even see the bench next weekend??
Heyneke Meyer is a bloody fool.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 6) : Heyneke’s excuse will be that Pollard was playing with a concussion and he thought that Pollard did very well for a player with his condition. 🙄
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 6) : He will start Pollard again next week
@Ben (Comment 8) :
To be honest, he looked like he was playing with a concussion…
Still, whatever his condition, he should not have started this match, and even if he should have started, he should have been replaced by the latest Half Time
Wow that was all kinds of shit
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 10) : Pollard is the future Richard. Guess we better get used to it. 🙄
….pumas embarrassed the Sharks too
@woody (Comment 5) : To be fair Thor and Whitely are both injured. He could gave gone for Spies
Pumas!!!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 6) : If up until ow he kept playing with Pollard as he considers him his best FH (I am so tired of seeing him being picked there week after week), meyer might very well still think he is and that he just needs more game to get his confidence back…Who understands exactly how meyer thinks when he decides who his team will be…?
@Ben (Comment 12) : we can get use to it or hope the next springbok coach has just a bit more common sense or can just see properly while watching the games!
@Argex (Comment 15) : As angry as I am at the Boks (I mean HM), I had to enjoy those “old toppies” from Argentina in the stands celebrating the victory 😀
@Bokhoring (Comment 14) : Or he could have shifted one of marcel and brussow to 8 and put a guy like Kriel or Potgieter or Kolisi or Carr or even CJ Stander onto the flank. Rather play PSDT at 7 than play burger
Positives from tonight – The anthems were well sung! Great to c the Argentinian team from ’65
Full stop!
Where are the fucking Jannie Critics now??? All the Koch praise counted for shit. Jannie is our rock at the scrum. Even on an off day he is better than most. Lambie needs to get a full game before the WC comes. No more comments about the game other than that.
Didn’t rate Meter from day one – still don’t. PATHETIC!!!
@Big Fish (Comment 22) : I was hopeful that HM would be a good coach…then he selected his first Bok team – my hope completely vanished, and it has been a tough 4 years since, culminating in this garbage.
@Shark Overide (Comment 21) : Truth!
I’m sorry, but if at a Springbok level you expect the coaching staff to teach the players that they mustn’t pass the ball when the receiving player is in front… Then there is no hope for South African rugby.
It is the most basic rule of rugby, and is certainly NOT something a Springbok coach should be needing to teach Springbok players… Any player that needs to be taught that is just NOT Springbok material… And the way Pollard ranted at his teammates after he was the fuckwit that threw the forward pass just cemented for me my opinion that he has not got what it takes!! 🙁
@CS (Comment 25) :
Have to agree with what you are saying..
@CS (Comment 25) : I hate his facial expressions. Especially every time after he does something good (which doesn’t happen much).
@Ben (Comment 27) : Like after he converts a penalty. He runs back to his half with this look on his face like he’s the messiah.
@Argex (Comment 15) : muy bien! Felicitationes!
Bloody brilliant Pumas.
So chuffed for them.
I guess Izak van Heerden is looking down on his Kings Park with more than a bit of pride tonight.
My prediction is the golden boys don’t travel, Meyer will take all the people that have not played. We will then lose, he will point out that the other players are just as bad, and we will see a team similar to today start the 1st WC game, add Matfield and Du Preez.
Bok performance = Sharks performance = SHIT!!!!!!!
@Shark Overide (Comment 21) : ja must agree today showed how much Jannie is worth!!!!! Secondly can’t understand why he did not bring Pat on just after half time as the current players had nw idea how to change the game against the Pumas!!!! Pathetic!!!
I just dont want to hwar any excuses anymore…the coach has made some humdinger mistakes i.e sub Bizzie when he was on fire v Australia. ….what does Straus deliver as an impact? Brussouw is ok horses vs courses but when its brutal we need power. ….aggg I am just pissed….my sharks. …my boks. …i cant remember a win! !!
SHOCKING, SHOCKING, SHOCKING!
A first EVER loss to Argentina. And at home nogal.
An embarrassing LAST place in the Championship.
It would be funny if I hadn’t predicted the Argentines would knock over the Boks very soon. It would also be funny if arrogant kiwis on another forum had said when Argentina were first reduced that their inclusion would mean SA would fight with them for the wooden spoon…
SHOCKING, SHOCKING, SHOCKING!
“Mark Keohane
[email protected]_keohane
My information is that Saru’s executive have already confirmed Meyer’s reappointment for a 2nd 4 year term”
Someone more trust worthy please tell me this is bullshit?
@Seth101 (Comment 37) : don’t be surprised. Our guys will blindly do what the All Blacks have done in the past. HM has favourites. He still hasn’t learnt that Pollard is one dimensional and is unable to adapt.
We have dropped down at least 1 place in the IRB rankings, but I believe it could be as far down as 6th place.
@Seth101 (Comment 39) : We’re no. 5 on the rankings – congratulations Mr. HM.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 40) : Great achievement! 🙄
I’m completely enjoying this result. Hope Meyer has learnt his lesson now. Names won’t bring you results.
@JarsonX (Comment 42) : ‘Meyer’ ‘lesson’ ‘learn’ 😆 😆 😆
Reading Meyer’s excuses on Supersport is bloody hilarious.
@JarsonX (Comment 42) : The only thing Meyer will learn from this, is how important it is to have all his senior people on the field… He will see this as completely justifying his belief that the World Cup cannot be won without Matfield, DuPreez, Joel Stransky and Andre Joubert on the field!!
@CS (Comment 45) : And if Bakkies still refuses to bail him out after this poor display from the youngsters… I’m sure Meyer will be pleading with Mark Andrews in the coming weeks!!
Tomorrows IRB rankings:
New Zealand
Ireland
Australia
England
Wales
South Africa
Correct me if I am wrong didn’t Koch walk off the field in his first test against the Aussies two weeks ago with a broken rib.This boy is a strong proud guy and there is no way that he would have walked off if it wasn’t serious,we ended up with uncontested scrums.So how can he have recovered from that in two weeks.You could see from the first scrum that he was hurting.
Pollard was also not right from the beginning.
Now I see Marcel is also on the injured list,he also came straight back from injury into a test match.Thats three,yes I include Polard ,excellent prospects thrown to the wolves and played injured for a nothing game.
This coach is a prize prick and has only one agenda his personal glory.
Another thing what was Jean de Villiers on the field for his sparkling inventive play, or his solid leadership both are myths that need to be forgotten.
I am so sick of his whiny face and practiced humility,the only thing he is world class at is giving the losing speech,should be he has enough practice
Everyone could see Lambie’s face as he was sitting on the bench watching Pollard and the Boks implode. That for me says a lot, that Meyer wouldn’t let Pat start in from of his home crowd. Far be it from me to say that Meyer is a wally because he does have more information than I do, but some things are plain and obvious and Meyer appears to be a Chauvinist when it comes to Pollard. When Lambie finally managed to get on the field the back line worked better, at least it seemed that way to me. Let’s ask the question of, do we really want the Boks to be in the final/semi-final? You just know that Garces or Poite is going to be in the final and make a series of colossal cock-ups and fail in the match-defining moment, thereby making a farce of the competition, like Bryce Lawrence did four years earlier. I would be scared of the Boks making it to the final.
@SeanJeff (Comment 49) : Boks most likely have NZ in the semi.
@Ben (Comment 44) : “Meyer’s Excuses”….is that the official byline for Brenden Nel’s weekly piece?
@Seth101 (Comment 47) : Deservedly. The Meyer Legacy.
@Ben (Comment 44) : No, it’s fucking pathetic! “I don’t mind losing”. Are you fucking shitting me????
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 53) : He doesn’t mind losing. Which is exactly why we find ourselves 5th in the world rankings. This guy is a f&£#£ tool!
@robdylan (Comment 51) : Brenden defending this weekends display is almost as disgusting as the rugby itself.
Even Tank has been critical of the weekend. But not Nel.
Could someone please tell me where to find Brendan Nel’s column?
The Boks losing any test match is NEVER acceptable.
We have fallen so far.
Can you imagine the All Blacks losing to Argentina for the first time and turning around and saying it’s acceptable?
I am disgusted by the Boks
@Orlok Tsubodai (Comment 56) : His column is on the Super Sport website.
His column on this weekend is not up yet, but he’s been tweeting about it.
@Seth101 (Comment 58) : thank you
I revise my initial posts – Nel does not seem to suggest the loss was acceptable. Quite the opposite. But he defends HM to the hilt, blaming the players and the senior players in particular.
Morne Steyn released this week to be with his wife who is giving birth, and le Roux is out injured, so we will see Lambie either at 15 or Kriel 15 15 and Lambie on the bench. I see no way he gets a start at 10 in this match either. Wonderful to have our “2nd” choice 10 with almost no game time. Especially in light of the fact the Kiwis have played 6 different halfback combinations in the past 7 matches.
Hak hak! Die bokke is KAAAK
It seems like the Bokke are doomed to be pathetic in the year of the RWC
I expect nothing less than fire and brimstone from the Boks in Buenos Aires, and a hammering of the Argentines. They really are not in the same league – the All Blacks and Australians proved this without a doubt. We should be expecting the Boks to put this humiliation to bed with at least a 20 point drubbing of Argentina.
@robdylan (Comment 62) : Jol jol! Heyneke Meyer is ‘n poephol!
@Ben (Comment 44) : I was completely out of touch with rugby this weekend (sometimes there are more important things in life). Please repeat some of those excuses here so that I can have a laugh too?
@Orlok Tsubodai (Comment 64) : We ll, at least you’re optimistic…we’ll see I suppose…
@pastorshark (Comment 66) : How about you just go and read the article on Supersport?
@Ben (Comment 68) : Strange how Vin and Sheldon are not so vocal about their views on the future of SA rugby. Like the consistently poor future of flyhalf or Meyers other brilliant choices?
@Dancing Bear (Comment 61) : And the man who could probably marshaled the backline a but better than the dull minded pollard. He gets pressure he retreats into a cocoon knowing uncle Heineke will be sure to give him a good review. Kriel needs to move back to wing and Jean needs to accept the bench role burger can be captain.
@coolfusion (Comment 69) : MIA 😆
@Ben (Comment 68) : Well, maybe too much time has gone by and I can’t find the article…or I’m just old and blind…but I can’t find an article with HM excuses…
@pastorshark (Comment 72) : “Lots of issues need sorting out”
That’s the title of it.
@Ben (Comment 73) : Aha…
@woody (Comment 19) : You called it Woody