Okay if that is the case where do you draw the line?
Will it be okay to drop to say 10th on the world rankings as long as we play good but not win or does it only apply if we play against certain teams like New Zealand?
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Okay if that is the case where do you draw the line?
Will it be okay to drop to say 10th on the world rankings as long as we play good but not win or does it only apply if we play against certain teams like New Zealand?
sand_man
Honorary Master
The draw/fixtures have already been decided. Quarter finals are likely NZ/France v Ireland/SA so no free rides this time round...
I'm just thinking that we got two things that we most needed from the NZ games.
1. We can and do know how to beat the ABs.
2. Keep Fozzie in a job.
All in all was a delicate balance but I think we did a great job a year out from the WC. Because these days it's all that matters to SA Rugby.
1. We can and do know how to beat the ABs.
2. Keep Fozzie in a job.
All in all was a delicate balance but I think we did a great job a year out from the WC. Because these days it's all that matters to SA Rugby.
sand_man
Honorary Master
It was a fantastic game of rugby! Thoroughly enjoyed it and I hate losing, especially to the All Blacks!
On the day the AB were just a little more hungry, accurate and clinical. They also seemed to get the rub of the 50/50's.
The problem with our style of rugby is that it's not sustainable. We basically bash and bully our way to victories with the sort of brutality most teams can't live with. But it requires a huge amount of physical effort, week in week out, and when opponents gain parity in the forward exchanges, much like NZ did yesterday, it forces us to a plan B. Our plan A,B and C is more or less the same. Dominate and subdue (slow poison) and make territorial gains by way of efficient and effective kick chases. NZ clearly worked hard over the last 6 days on the structure required to effectively contest the kicking game and not only neutralized the threat but countered with great success. Our defensive line wasn't as effective or aggressive enough and one wonders what effect moving Am to wing had on disrupting our defensive structures? He is a BIG part of organizing our back line D.
I enjoyed the game and in particular the Bok performance, despite the loss and I'll reiterate, I HATE LOSING!! So why so upbeat?
Willemse had an amazing game as did Am, Mapimpi and Wille le Roux. We showed great endeavor on attack and scored some damn decent tries. Mapimpi's try that wasn't, debatable but probably the right decision but to follow it up only minutes later with a legitimate score had me totally confounded. How were we scoring tries, seemingly at will?? And not via a lineout maul or winning contestable kicks but superb, attacking flare. Magnificent!! Player of the match for me was Am, by a country mile! He was absolutely amazing, not only playing on the losing side but out of position too!! He put in a massive shift!! He's always good but yesterday?? Over and above. He scored a double ton in a losing cause. Disappointing for the team.
To go down 15-0 and pull it back to lead 23-21 after 68 minutes took massive effort and showed character, fight and determination. Tactically we may have erred in the last 10, lots of criticism over continual box kicking but this is a tactic we rely heavily on and if Mapimpi had scored the winning try off of the back of a kick chase we would be applauding the tactical astuteness. Hind sight is a perfect science.
There's been criticism of Luke Pearce, blaming the ref is getting tired and tedious. Yes, there were inconsistencies, yes SA didn't seem to get the rub of the 50/50 calls but to the best of my knowledge Luke didn't miss any tackles (late or otherwise) or throw any skew lineout balls or go off his feet at the breakdowns...
Anyway, 4 more games to go against Aus in Aus which hasn't proved to be a happy hunting ground for the Boks. Argentina won't be a cakewalk either. Mallett famously said, "rugby championship is tougher than a world cup campaign". SO, SO true!!!
On the day the AB were just a little more hungry, accurate and clinical. They also seemed to get the rub of the 50/50's.
The problem with our style of rugby is that it's not sustainable. We basically bash and bully our way to victories with the sort of brutality most teams can't live with. But it requires a huge amount of physical effort, week in week out, and when opponents gain parity in the forward exchanges, much like NZ did yesterday, it forces us to a plan B. Our plan A,B and C is more or less the same. Dominate and subdue (slow poison) and make territorial gains by way of efficient and effective kick chases. NZ clearly worked hard over the last 6 days on the structure required to effectively contest the kicking game and not only neutralized the threat but countered with great success. Our defensive line wasn't as effective or aggressive enough and one wonders what effect moving Am to wing had on disrupting our defensive structures? He is a BIG part of organizing our back line D.
I enjoyed the game and in particular the Bok performance, despite the loss and I'll reiterate, I HATE LOSING!! So why so upbeat?
Willemse had an amazing game as did Am, Mapimpi and Wille le Roux. We showed great endeavor on attack and scored some damn decent tries. Mapimpi's try that wasn't, debatable but probably the right decision but to follow it up only minutes later with a legitimate score had me totally confounded. How were we scoring tries, seemingly at will?? And not via a lineout maul or winning contestable kicks but superb, attacking flare. Magnificent!! Player of the match for me was Am, by a country mile! He was absolutely amazing, not only playing on the losing side but out of position too!! He put in a massive shift!! He's always good but yesterday?? Over and above. He scored a double ton in a losing cause. Disappointing for the team.
To go down 15-0 and pull it back to lead 23-21 after 68 minutes took massive effort and showed character, fight and determination. Tactically we may have erred in the last 10, lots of criticism over continual box kicking but this is a tactic we rely heavily on and if Mapimpi had scored the winning try off of the back of a kick chase we would be applauding the tactical astuteness. Hind sight is a perfect science.
There's been criticism of Luke Pearce, blaming the ref is getting tired and tedious. Yes, there were inconsistencies, yes SA didn't seem to get the rub of the 50/50 calls but to the best of my knowledge Luke didn't miss any tackles (late or otherwise) or throw any skew lineout balls or go off his feet at the breakdowns...
Anyway, 4 more games to go against Aus in Aus which hasn't proved to be a happy hunting ground for the Boks. Argentina won't be a cakewalk either. Mallett famously said, "rugby championship is tougher than a world cup campaign". SO, SO true!!!
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Agent_Smith
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Thank you.
sand_man
Honorary Master
Argentina have been doing it for years now. I absolutely love watching them play. The recent series against Scotland was MAGIC!! Their close to 50 point victory against Australia yesterday was pure poetry!! If they can sort out their discipline deficiencies they might consistently crack a top 5 ranking!
Harold_Crick
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Botched the starting XV and that set us back.
Dweba had an absolute shocker. Penalty on the first scrum, lost possession on our first lineout and for his remaining time on field that had to go easy and throw to Eben because Dweba obviously had no confidence at that point, and it meant we were predictable.
Duane should not have started either.
Marx over Dweba to start, Duane to come on when they inevitably subbed Marx for Dweba in the second. That alone would've made a huge difference.
Dweba had an absolute shocker. Penalty on the first scrum, lost possession on our first lineout and for his remaining time on field that had to go easy and throw to Eben because Dweba obviously had no confidence at that point, and it meant we were predictable.
Duane should not have started either.
Marx over Dweba to start, Duane to come on when they inevitably subbed Marx for Dweba in the second. That alone would've made a huge difference.
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sand_man
Honorary Master
Was a short arm, free kick but agreed. He isn't ready for the bigtime and Duane returning from a 2 month injury layoff isn't either. Duane should be ready for the Argentinian leg if they feel compelled to select him. But at 36 he is no spring chicken and he's keeping a fresh new young gun out the match day squad (Roos)...
sand_man
Honorary Master
Something else that hadn't occurred to me until I just read it, having to sub Kriel resulted in a 4 man back line reshuffle!!! Willemse to 12, DDA to 13, Am to 14 and Willie to 15... no doubt that comprised our defensive structure but on the flip side it seemed to bolster our flare on attack. I can't see DDA throwing a 35m pass to put away a flying Mapimpi! Also Am at 14 had a little more time and space to wreak havoc.
Harold_Crick
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A 6-2 split on the bench was always going to catch us out one day.
One of the best players in the world right now, easily top 5.
Exactly, that's like telling your kid they were rubbish at their piano recital because someone got a gold medal and they only got silver.
Sure, it's entirely possible that one team plays really badly - but it's also possible that a good team just gets outplayed.
Last week ABs played really badly and lost, this week we had a hugely reshuffled team and were outplayed. I see a difference between those two scenarios.
Yeah you know losing the freedom cup 14 times to 2 isn't a big deal anyways right?
You're right, we're the worst team in the world and will never make it past group stages. May as well just give up our spot in the WC
Grubscrew
Executive Member
Looking at the way they approached covid, they need a Freedom Trophy more than us.
sand_man
Honorary Master
Our record against nz in the professional era is woeful. And it's pretty much the same for all teams. They are consistently the best team in the world. That's the reality unfortunately.
EDIT: IN the amateur era SA was the only country in the world that had a positive win ratio against NZ.
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Yup, even Ireland was thoroughly thrashed by NZ in July.
And last week we beat NZ by the biggest margin in nearly 100 years.
The top teams in the world are all able to beat each other on any given day
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