Ripe for the kill - overconfident Springboks softened up for Wallabies

[Burgs]

Ripe for the kill - overconfident Springboks softened up for Wallabies

SPIRO ZAVOS
July 13, 2010

Peter de Villiers, the zany Springboks coach, dismissed talk of South Africa not winning at Eden Park since 1937 with this comment to journalists: ''If you play the field as well as the opposition, you'll lose.'' I took that remark to mean that the Springboks didn't think they had to do anything extra or different to break their Eden Park hoodoo. This was a big mistake.

They could have arrived in New Zealand earlier than six days before the Test. They were overconfident. A spy claims that on Friday night he spotted Ricky Januarie tucking into a McDonald's hamburger. Sean Fitzpatrick said the senior players looked tired not long into the match.

The game plan of the Springboks did not involve much high-octane play. They played their usual kicking game as if they only had to turn up to win. There was thuggishness from Bakkies Botha, but no energy or thoughtfulness in their play.

The plan ignored the fact that the new interpretation of the tackled ball (with the runner having the first right to place it) has rendered last year's relentless game of kicking high ball, not releasing the tackled player, forcing the penalty and having Morne Steyn bang over the kick, virtually obsolete.

The All Blacks not only ran the ball most of the time, they smashed into the rucks to maintain continuity. They exploited the Springboks' saucer defence by crashing through the slow-footed, tired front-rowers guarding the middle of the field. They worked the blindside. They hardly kicked for touch.

The Springboks were stretched as if they were on a rack and were allowed just nine lineout throws. And when Victor Matfield was outjumped on their first throw, he called for other jumpers, who struggled. The result was that the All Blacks won all 10 of their own lineouts and the Springboks lost two of their nine throws.

The Springboks conceded 14 turnovers to the All Blacks' five. The All Blacks created 119 rucks and forced the 'Boks to make 128 tackles. The Springboks created 76 rucks and forced the All Blacks to make 83 tackles, nine of which they missed. The Springboks, though, missed a staggering total 30 tackles.

Apart from a couple of early dropped balls, the All Blacks played a fast, ball-in-hand game with composure and effectiveness. The huge Springboks pack was run off its feet, a tactic I like to call ''the running of the bulls'' ploy. There was a telling shot of Gurthro Steenkamp, the huge prop, heaving for breath after 20 minutes of play. And Pierre Spies and the other hulking back-rowers had the look of men who had given up well before the end.

Their serial thug, Bakkies Botha, survived making a headbutt (how did the referee and assistants miss this?). But he was correctly given a yellow card for playing the ball on the ground on his own try line. Now for the Wallabies Test against the Springboks at Suncorp Stadium on July 24. The Springboks are the Spartans of rugby. They play one way and generally they overwhelm their opponents with brute force.

The Athenians used to defeat the more powerful Spartans by confounding them with new tactics that upset their unchanging methods. The All Blacks have given the Wallabies this winning Athenian game plan.

As it happens also, the Wallabies haven't lost to the Springboks in the professional era at Brisbane. By the time the Springboks get to Brisbane they should be battered physically and mentally. They also have to face a Brisbane hoodoo.

The Springboks bulls will be primed for the Wallabies to play a matador game to kill them off.

spiro@theroar.com.au

[zimeric]

the thing is ive heard this all before... there are obvious similarities to what the media and public were saying about the Bok team in 2009 remember that? "they only play 10 man rugby.. boring!!" they said.. "Steyn's boot is the only one that does the points scoring" they said.. and then

The boks unleashed and scored 4 tries against the wallabies..
If there is one thing you dont want do its to piss off a Saffa...and nothing pisses them off more than negative press about their beloved rugby team/players or coach.. they are the only ones allowed to criticise them..

Im predicting the boks will unleash their back line (Habana, Aplon, Steyn & Fourie et al) and play a very different game to the one they tried last week.. if not against the AB's then against the Wallabies.

[James]

They'll play infinitely better this weekend against the ABs. You see it again and again where sides back up a woeful performance with a much, much better one. New Zealand will probably still win but it'll be more like a 3-6 point margin than a 20 point one.

Not sure what mental state they'll be in by the time the Wallabies come around. Brisbane hasn't been a particularly happy place for them and I'd imagine they'd be pretty spent after two tough tests in NZ. Be crazy to think you'd get an easy ride though.

[zimeric]

the thing is i didnt think they were THAT bad, certainly the AB's were on fire and ball retention was the key there... Without the ball the South africans became frustrated and made small mistakes.. Steyn certainly was not at his best, kicks over cooked.. and two drop goal attempts in the first half showed that they were perhaps trying too hard and were not relaxed.. certainly were not playing their typical retention dominating game.. to the AB's credit of course!... this week will certainly be different.