Wrong squad, wrong team - and wrong coach?

J

James

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Springbok coach Peter de Villiers is under growing and increasingly fierce pressure in the light of the mistakes he has made so early in his tenure.

The wrong squad was selected for this Tri-Nations trip, the wrong team chosen against New Zealand last Saturday night and now the wrong things have been said after the Springboks' defeat by the All Blacks. These are not promising portents for the times to come.

De Villiers, having refused to meet the media on Sunday to offer a post-test analysis, emerged on Monday to attack the All Blacks' scrummaging and, by inference, the referee. Seasoned observers could only have wrung their hands in despair at his naivety.

He claimed that the All Blacks had scrummaged illegally on Saturday night. Well, what a surprise.

Anyone who knows world rugby knows that the All Blacks have been scrummaging illegally (and generally getting away with it) for years. This is a world where you get away with what you can.

Why didn't these Springboks know that before Saturday night? Where have they been, if they weren't aware of it? And if they did know, why weren't they streetwise enough to get their retaliation in first, by making public their doubts and accusations before the match?

To complain that a team scrummed illegally, and then cry that the referee let them get away with it, beggars belief in terms of naivety. But de Villiers didn't explain why the strongest available tight head prop available to the Boks, B.J. Botha, was left at home.

Previous coach Jake White believed the most important guy on the team was the tight head prop and the second most important was the reserve tight head.

These Springboks forgot that message and paid a high price on Saturday night. Their scrum was dished, legally or illegally.

Besides, how on earth can you expect a referee as weak as Stu Dickinson of Australia to penalise a team for illegal scrummaging?

He didn't even penalise Brad Thorn for the dangerous spear tackle that has put Springbok captain John Smit out of this Tri-Nations tour.

Dickinson should be nowhere near the test arena, he's just not good enough.

But de Villiers' problems don't end there. I understand that what I was told are "highly placed sources back home" are deeply concerned at the lack of forward planning by the Springboks' new management in comparison with their Australian and New Zealand counterparts. De Villiers' appointment was supposed to hasten that process, but those back in South Africa are said to be disappointed at what they have seen so far.

The Springbok coach faces some tough decisions this week. He got his selection wrong last week and can't afford to do it again.

This is proving a tough testing ground for the new coach.
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Hits the nail on the head if you ask me! Could not have hit it squarer.
 
P Divvy pulls the race card

... and of course as soon as there's criticism...

"I don't know Craig Dowd. As close as I got to him was in the TV in my sitting room. I dont know if ever saw me or knows me.

"What's his agenda? If it is racism or not, I've found out that in South Africa it's a big thing, racism, but in other countries, especially here and in Australia it is big too, really big, so maybe you can ask him that."
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What a chop. Instead of proving Dowd wrong by winning teh test on Saturday, P Divvy gets involved in the mudslinging and of course has to add racism to the all the BS :rolleyes:
 
James said:
http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10520639

Hits the nail on the head if you ask me! Could not have hit it squarer.
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Wow an article on a NZL site :rolleyes:

http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10520639 He claimed that the All Blacks had scrummaged illegally on Saturday night. Well, what a surprise.

Anyone who knows world rugby knows that the All Blacks have been scrummaging illegally (and generally getting away with it) for years. This is a world where you get away with what you can.

Why didn't these Springboks know that before Saturday night? Where have they been, if they weren't aware of it? And if they did know, why weren't they streetwise enough to get their retaliation in first, by making public their doubts and accusations before the match?
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well, from news24

http://www.news24.com/News24/Sport/Tri_Nations/0,,2-9-2185_2353153,00.html
"They were blown for that in the previous games and we were assured the referee would look at that. It didn't happen.

Address the issue

"They were blown up 21 times in the previous three games (against Ireland and two Tests against England) and they were allowed to play it in this one."

The South Africans would take it upon themselves to address the issue on the field rather than expect Australian referee Matt Goddard to respond in the return Test in Dunedin on Saturday.

"We just have to become illegal sometimes too," de Villiers said. "We will have to look after ourselves."
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So they did know about it and the ref must have assured them he will look at it. Which brings us to the ref..

http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10520639
Besides, how on earth can you expect a referee as weak as Stu Dickinson of Australia to penalise a team for illegal scrummaging?

He didn't even penalise Brad Thorn for the dangerous spear tackle that has put Springbok captain John Smit out of this Tri-Nations tour.

Dickinson should be nowhere near the test arena, he's just not good enough.
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Fine, then why would the NZL coach complain about Carter being hit high etc. Aren't they streetsmart too? Surely they know about Butch James?? Where have they been?? Why didn't they do something about it... oh wait, they spear tackled the captain :eek:
 
Hoof-Hearted said:
... and of course as soon as there's criticism...


What a chop. Instead of proving Dowd wrong by winning teh test on Saturday, P Divvy gets involved in the mudslinging and of course has to add racism to the all the BS :rolleyes:
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ROFL :D:D @ P Divvy

LOOOOOOL:D
 
28 all with a conversion for us to come. Go Ricky! :D
 
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
 
wonder what James' NZL writer will say now? I'll be sure to check later in the week. It's so lekke when they turn on their own :D

Sweet.. go Bokke!!
 
I can't wait to see writers of articles such as these come out and eat humble pie.... but you know what... I fear they won't, they will just slip into the shadows until we lose again and then they will poke their heads out.... typical of these types I suppose! :)
 
LancelotSA said:
I can't wait to see writers of articles such as these come out and eat humble pie.... but you know what... I fear they won't, they will just slip into the shadows until we lose again and then they will poke their heads out.... typical of these types I suppose! :)
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LOL, we're thinking alike .... I'll be sure to catch this guy's column during the week :D
 
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