Australia 16
South Africa 9
Australia’s new direction under Robbie Deans received a massive boost last night when the Wallabies opened their Tri-Nations campaign with a tense 16-9 victory over world champions South Africa at Subiaco Oval.
The more things change the more they stay the same. There are problems in Bok rugby. We’ve won a World Cup and had a change of coach since then. But the ruck and protection of possession problems are the same.
Matfield is just a captain’s arse. When Jake White took over he introduced Prozone and summarily sent Matfield home from Australia – apparently due to his refusal to get stuck in. After the weekend’s match, our lineout supremo walked off the park and lamented the team’s breakdown performance. I counted his attendance at about 3 rucks during the game.
If Pieter de Villiers favours players who read the game situation and adapt, how does our captain excuse understanding the problem and doing nothing about it?
South African sides unwillingness to get stuck in in the loose. Under the ELVs, the need to secure quick multi-phase ball has been elevated further.
On this away leg, we have relied entirely on Schalk Burger and Bakkies Botha to secure any ball at the breakdown, with some assistance from Joe van Niekerk and Juan Smith.
Juan Smith was our player of the day – he tried everything. And our captain alternated between first center and wing. The much vaunted Pierre Spies disappeared. Kankowski made an anonymous late appearance.
I liked the way Jean de Villiers and Steyn changed channels on defense and attack similar to the way De Villiers and Bobo had done in the Super 14. I though Juan Smith had a never-say-die performance and together with Burger and Botha tried to carry the team at the breakdown.
Beyond that it was a terrible performance. Jantjies regressed from Wellington. Januarie struggled with no protection and shocking ball. De Villiers bounced off a tackle that resulted in a try. It was miserable stuff.
I’m scared to think of what injuries to Burger and Botha will do to this side!
De Villiers’ press conferences were hilarious, and there was the danger of walking away from them bewildered and with ribs aching.
You listen, observe and then confront any person wearing Springboks garb to demand: “Whatever he’s on, we want some, too.”
The lead up to De Villiers’ arrival in Perth was perfect. He had been labelled a “puppet” by former All Blacks prop Craig Dowd, and responded by claiming that Australia and New Zealand had a severe racial problem.
Fair enough, but that doesn’t prepare you for the first meeting. De Villiers came out, sat down, and, as if he had sucked in a big gulp of helium, hit us with a scattergun speech, taking reporters on a journey that included how he wouldn’t talk about “bedroom business” – whatever that might mean.
But for all the praise that must be extended Deans’ way, South Africa blew that test in Perth.
South Africa have plenty of muscle but unfortunately for them, some of it is in the wrong place and are certainly aren’t as bad as the All Blacks when it comes to blowing the big occasion. South Africa could be twice the side they are with an accelerator rather than a handbrake at first five-eighths, and they actually looked it briefly when the mop topped Francois Steyn was given a chance against the All Blacks. The Wallabies were ripe to be pummelled into submission in the first half hour but the Boks beat themselves!
After New Zealand’s scrum-half Andy Ellis reappeared in the Bledisloe Cup match, there were widespread allegations of cheating.
New Zealand meet.
