New Zealand All Blacks score back to back victories over Springboks

New Zealand All Blacks score back to back victories over Springboks

From correspondents in Wellington, New Zealand
July 17, 2010 The All Blacks again ran the world champion Springboks into submission to win the second Tri-nations rugby Test 31-17 with another four-try bonus point performance.
In the opening match in Auckland played in pristine conditions, the All Blacks won 32-12 but they were just as dominant in the blustery, wet conditions in Wellington with their high-paced, accurate, running rugby.
The margin could have been higher had the usually reliable Dan Carter not had an off-night with the boot, missing three conversions and three penalties before he was replaced by Piri Weepu as kicker.
In two Tests against the reigning World and Tri-Nations champions the All Blacks have scored eight tries and conceded only two to firmly lay to rest their nightmare of last year's 0-3 whitewash by the Springboks.
A week after Bakkies Botha was yellow-carded, his replacement Danie Rossouw was sent from the field in the fourth minute and the All Blacks snared two tries before he reappeared.
But it was the All Blacks' ability to recycle the ball and counter-attack, even when deep on defence that the Springboks found hardest to handle.
Although Victor Matfield regained his lineout dominance, the Springboks again struggled in the scrums while All Blacks loose forwards Richie McCaw and Kieran Read controlled broken play.
The All Blacks' opening try followed Carter's first missed penalty. Read gathered in the Springboks restart to ignite a counter-attack which resulted in Ma'a Nonu scoring in the right-hand corner.
Play had no sooner restarted when Weepu, who repeatedly found inviting holes around the Springboks ruck, cut through a gap deep in All Blacks territory to send Mils Muliaina on a 40 metre run to the line.
Carter's one successful penalty in the first half stretched the All Blacks' lead to 13-0 before Rossouw made partial amends for his indiscretion, charging from deep behind a ruck to crash over the line.
Morne Steyn added the extra points and the Springboks had reduced the deficit to 7-13 at half-time.
It was evident from the resumption of play the Springboks had accepted that running rugby had advantages as they showed a willingness to spin the ball.
They took play up to the All Blacks line and from a penalty Steyn cut the gap to 10-13.
This drew an immediate response with Rene Ranger, in his first Test start, scoring in the corner.
After Carter missed the conversion Weepu took over the kicking and landed a 40-metre penalty to put the All Blacks up 21-10 with 10 minutes gone in the second half.
Israel Dagg in his first touch of the ball after coming on as a replacement beat four to score while Carter resumed the kicking duties to land the conversion and another penalty.
With time running out Schalk Burger scored the Springboks second try with Steyn landing the conversion.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...016959,00.html

Giving away a penalty and sitting a man in the bin for 10 minutes at the start did not help the Bokss cause.
The Boks were weak, the breakdown was dominated by the All blacks and when the Boks forwards managed to get possession Januarie gave it back to the Kiwis.
I am sure there is better schools half backs than Januarie.

Well done to the All Blacks they really deserved to win!!

Boks backline looked very pedestrian.. were too flat in attack, leaked like a sieve and when they did get quick ball seemed to want to kick it straight back to Muliaina & Weepu who tore them to shreds on the counter.

Certainly a lot to be learnt watching that game.... Danie Roussow was unlucky to be given a yellow but his presence didnt help much anyway.. I cant think of the last time ive watched an SA team where not a single player stood out.. they were all pretty poor tonight but January was easily the worst... and probably the best as he was the only one taking his chances..

Dagg had a blinder (contender for try of the year i reckon) as did Muliaina, Read, and Weepu.. Noted yet again the All blacks cheating at the break down, lying all over the ball preventing the tackled player from playing the ball back.. at least three times i saw that the ref didnt pick it up.

Three weeks in a row boys,

Boks have peaked. All Blacks are peaking. Where does that leave the Wallabies?

The All Blacks did deserve that. Weepu just had one of those games. Dagg is also fantastic. The Bokke loose three were a little lacking. Jean deVilliers is wasted on the wing.

I think we can take them - if we play a fast backs game. The Springboks don't mental work at a fast pace - they're always planning their next move, with those little pods and such. Not in the moment really. Doesn't hurt that some of them can't mentally work fast *cough cough* Schalk. I've really got my hopes up for next week. Plus their pack must have 40kg on ours.

They played better when Pienaar came on.

We have to play a fast ball in hand game, kicking only judiciously like the ABs did. And we have to be as ruthless as they were at the breakdown to stand any chance. The Boks will be smarting, but they are carrying a few injuries.

I would have been happy to praise your post Zim, but you ruined it by dragging out the whine at the end.
There were a number of offences missed by the NH refs in both tests, but to zero in on breakdown infringements is looking at the game with green eyes as both teams were guilty.
The Boks did not play well and were clearly beaten in both matches by the better side.
The send off for Rossouw was absolute bullshit.
The All Blacks can only claim supremacy when they beat the Boks in SA, while they manage to keep 15 men on the field for the full 80 minutes.

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Originally Posted by bunter

I would have been happy to praise your post Zim, but you ruined it by dragging out the whine at the end.
There were a number of offences missed by the NH refs in both tests, but to zero in on breakdown infringements is looking at the game with green eyes as both teams were guilty.
The Boks did not play well and were clearly beaten in both matches by the better side.
The send off for Rossouw was absolute bullshit.
The All Blacks can only claim supremacy when they beat the Boks in SA, while they manage to keep 15 men on the field for the full 80 minutes.

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I agree with your comments Bunter, but I'm not looking with green eyes, I'm looking with gold eyes and if the Blackness is allowed to get away with their shit at the breakdown against us we won't stand a chance.

Yes the Blacks deserved the win, yes both teams were as dirty as each other at the breakdown, yes the breakdown was a lottery with the winner picking up the ball whist on their back, bound and having entered from the side and the AllBlacks were better at a game they were both playing, but we don't play that game, we uphold that aspect of law pretty well.

If we can't get a ref to clean up the dog's breakfast I saw last night we're going to get rogered!:verysad:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bunter

The send off for Rossouw was absolute bullshit.

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I disagree.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bunter

I would have been happy to praise your post Zim, but you ruined it by dragging out the whine at the end.
There were a number of offences missed by the NH refs in both tests, but to zero in on breakdown infringements is looking at the game with green eyes as both teams were guilty.
The Boks did not play well and were clearly beaten in both matches by the better side.
The send off for Rossouw was absolute bullshit.
The All Blacks can only claim supremacy when they beat the Boks in SA, while they manage to keep 15 men on the field for the full 80 minutes.

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I dont get it.. where was the whine? I mentioned that the all blacks got away with lying on the ball and killing it.. one of the key rule enterpretation changes this year but the NH refs still havent started policing it properly..
I did see the ref ping the Boks (i think it was Roussow again) for the same thing but only once..

by the way i think ive mentioned before that im certainly not a Boks Fan... but then again i only have grudging respect for the AB's... Wallabies all the way for me. :whatever:

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Originally Posted by bunter

The send off for Rossouw was absolute bullshit.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by beige

I disagree.

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A mate and I had the same extended argument.

I thought it a soft one, but really I reckon it's all about what the ref was thinking. Roussow gave McCaw a pat on the head, where one of his fingers strayed towards the face. McCaw reacted with a bit of a slap to the leg and Roussow flexed his knee back, then it started for real.

So does the ref see the finger near the eye and think gouge? Does the ref see the knee and think Kneeing the head? does the ref see the first real shot thrown (also by Roussow) and think he threw the first punch? I thought at that stage of the match it was pretty severe, given the part both of them played, but if the ref is convinced about an unprovoked gouge or knee (not my thinking, just a possibility of the ref's opinion) I would expect yellow as well.

It all comes down to the fact that McCaw played the ref's man love expertly. I saw him get pinged at least six times for lying on the ball, twice after the general warning for that offence, but no card........and that doesn't take into account the dozens that he got away with.

Yeah Bunter, I thought the Blacks got away with stacks at the breakdown! and I though both refs were extremely intimidated by the occasion.......but you get that in this game, and the Boks didn't look like winning even with a fair ref!

The Ref didn't see anything, if Richie didn't react it would have been 3 points to the Boks.

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Originally Posted by Burgs

The Ref didn't see anything, if Richie didn't react it would have been 3 points to the Boks.

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And Roussow was stupid enough to retaliate :mad:

Springboks wing Jean de Villiers suspended for two weeks

From correspondents in Wellington, New Zealand
July 18, 2010

Springboks wing Jean de Villiers was suspended for two weeks for a dangerous tackle during the second Tri Nations Test in Wellington, which the All Blacks won 31-17.

The ban up to August 1 means de Villiers will miss one game, the Test against Australia in Brisbane next Saturday.

De Villiers, who appeared before a SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia rugby) judicial hearing, was found guilty of a lifting, tip tackle on All Blacks winger Rene Ranger during Saturday's Test.

Judicial officer Dennis Wheelahan said "an important mitigating factor" in de Villiers' favour was his good disciplinary record in a 10-year international career spanning 60 Tests.

It was the second citing in two matches for the Springboks after lock Bakkies Botha appeared before the judiciary for a headbutt on All Blacks halfback Jimmy Cowan in the first Test, won by the All Blacks 32-12.

Botha was suspended for nine weeks and will take no further part in the Tri-Nations series.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html

Though I have no doubt the Wallabies can play the ball at pace, I don't think they will have the penetration and what we may see is the typical lateral play that characterised their play in their past few internationals.