Boks put clumsy Wallabies to the sword

[jargan83]

If I wanted watch someone kick a ball all night I would watch some AFL

"Thou shalt not kick, RUN IT"
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[pieter blackie]

If I wanted watch someone kick a ball all night I would watch some AFL

"Thou shalt not kick, RUN IT"
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you don't really want to see the Boks run the ball do you
Just imagine how far they will win then

[shasta]

Just imagine how far they will win then

Until they try it we'll have to.

[gustafsl]

I suppose there will be a "Ban penalty and drop goals" proposal from Aus and NZ rugby in the weeks to come

OR are they going to blame it all on the referee and have him removed from the refereeing panel

Sure SA won within the rules of the game...and I guess that is their choice to play like that. But to have a big game like that decided by penalty kicks is a joke. Especially now when players are kicking them from 50 metres out. A team could be on attack and a player falls awkward in the tackle and ends up with a holding the ball penalty. Do you really think that is worth 3 points??? Or a player going off his feet (in no way impeding the other team) do you think that is worth 3 points from 50 metres out?

I guess the ELV's are gone so there is no point in whinging about it...but the rugby under the ELV's with free kicks for most offences was so much better than the first 4 games of the tri nations.

I don't think the game can really be blamed on the referee, but there is something wrong with it when the Wallabies scrum is dominating the Springboks and then the Boks captain goes and has a word to the referee and straight away the Wallabies are penalised.

[sandgroperrugby]

For years now I have cringed every time Australia went to pack down for a scrum, especially against the likes of the Boks. Last night I was overjoyed to see Smit complain to the referee like a school boy who had just been Daked and humiliated (at least a scrum time) before packing down. The 2 defensive scrums the Wallabies put on 5 out from the Boks line was a thing to behold and something that the forwards and especially tight five can hold their heads up very high indeed. 2-3 years ago a team of the Boks ilk would have been a guarantee of scoring against the Wallabies from that far out with a scrum. The nail in the coffin was when they opted for a line out instead of a scrum.

[James]

Bit embarrassing for both teams really. How on earth could the Wallabies have been stupid enough to give away that many penalties is beyond me. Browie's yellow card was stupid but forgiveable, but I don't know what the hell he was thinking.

As for the Boks, how on earth did they only manage to score 3 points in all the time Australia had 13 men on the field?! If they were half as good as they and the the rest of South Africa think they are, they would have put double figures on. It'll be great to see them on the road because I think they are going to get exposed as being unable to compete in the running rugby in NZ and Australia, particularly as fatigue sets in and their conservative kicking game will be weakened out of the Republic.

How many times did Francois Steyn try to run the ball himself instead of passing to a team mate with more space. He's off to France anyways they may as well get someone who doesn't stink at 15 in. What are Conrad Jantjes and Hennie Daniller up to? Or are they being overlooked because they can't drop goal?

[tdevil]

you don't really want to see the Boks run the ball do you
Just imagine how far they will win then

That is the reason why they kick, 'cause if they run it they'll get flogged. They can't score tries against the Wallabies and ABs, so only option is to kick. They win all the games on penalties (other teams mistakes), if you take away the penalties they loose every game by far.

[Sheikh]

SA played to the rules of the game. They've adapted better to the post-ELV (pre-ELV?) rules, and executed their game plan better. It might not be attractive, but the object of an international match is to win and they won.

What's happened to the Force players, though? In 13 matches this season we had not one yellow card. Get the players with the Wallabies and both Giteau and Sharpie get carded? Mitch won't be happy with Sharpie (Gits can go whistle - in fact keep it up and get carded at MES!)

[Working Class]

SA would struggle to beat anyone by running it. Pure and simple. They had a 2 man advantage for the better part of 6mins and couldn't cross our line. If you can't capitalise on that then there is something really wrong there.

The Wallaby scrum dished up the Boks. If Moore hadn't stuffed up his throwing allowing SA to steal so much and we had kept our discipline the story would be entirely different. The Boks have had their success this year. Aus and NZ away from the Republic will end their Tri-Nations run.

[BeeJay]

I actually saw some positives in the game for the Wallabies. They did a lot of what they set out to do before the test - the composure under the high ball was good (though the protection of the player after the ball was caught was poor), territorial kicking was good in the second half, they toughed it out when down to 13 men, they went wide after they had achieved a bit of go-forward momentum. I actually thought the team played better AFTER Stirlo went off injured. I would have Crossy or Ashley Cooper at 13 for the next game whatever the case may be. The scrum was FANTASTIC. How amazing to see the Boks pushed back so regularly, even to the point where they chose the lineout option for the 'not thrown in straight' penalty! Even when the subs in the front row came on, the scrum held its ground, and may even have got better.

But too many negatives blotted the good points. Burgess has to go - whether from set piece ball or from phase play, our momentum was stopped by a crappy pass from him. The Boks and Blacks feed off errors like that. Such opportunities are rare and precious. Despite Burgess' snipes and tackling, give Genia a chance with Valentine on the bench.

Palota Nau needs more practice on his throws (AGAIN). Losing lineout ball to the Boks occasionally is no shame. Turnovers on 8 throws is unacceptable.

Its all very well to cite discipline as a factor but if you don't really understand the referee's interpretations, its hard not to infringe. The breakdown was a dog's breakfast. I think the Boks' reputation of power in the rucks and mauls means that opponents are under the microscope. I thought some of the ref's decisions were ok and reflected the Wallabies desperate need to slow the ball down. But others, I don't know.... We did get some penalties too, but they were in the wrong alf of the field!

Though our defense was good, our forwards were outplayed in the loose.

The Boks showed that whether you gain field position and then attack them out wide, or attack from deep in your own half, they have the game to counter it. The problem is that when an attack out wide progresses, there is a time where it necessarily loses structure. At this point, despite the metres gained, the player can become isolated - and here the Boks just counter ruck and turn the ball over. So we need to be more structured in our unstructured attack by getitng more up in support at the inevitable breakdown.

By the way, I saw the game on my computer via peer to peer streaming here in Italy, and I thought the South African commentary was outstanding - surprisingly balanced and perceptive.

[Sheikh]

Does anyone know the news on Mortlock?

[laura]

Ch 10 said suspected torn knee cartilage/ligament, in doubt for the rest of the tri-nations.

Could pave the way nicely for Crossy to get into the team.

[beige]

That was prompt!

[tdevil]

Ch 10 said suspected torn knee cartilage/ligament, in doubt for the rest of the tri-nations.

Could pave the way nicely for Crossy to get into the team.

Blessing in disguise....

[brokendown gunfighter]

mortlock turned the ball over each time he was tackled