That was unexpected. I was at the AB v Boks game at Newlands last year and that was a thrilling match. One the Boks could've / should've won, except for the fact that the AB's just seem to have no clue how to lose, so when Francois Louw coughed up a simple ball with 2 minutes to play I fully expected this to be another close-but-no-cigar match. Fliiping delighted the defence held out though. A heroic loss is sometimes more gutting than getting smashed.

A couple of random thoughts from this Bok supporter.

On the plus side:
Good aggressive effort from especially the pack ensured that the AB's didn't always get the go-forward they have managed in the past.
Faf de Klerk is turning into a fabulous nuisance. He'd irritate the hell out of me if I he played against us.
Nice to see we can actually set up some running rugby tries.
Willie le Roux pitched up big time. Yellow card notwithstanding, one of his best games in the Bok jersey for quite some time.

On the minus side:
Boks leaked 6 tries. As impressive as the defence was, especially in the last 20 min, that's still a lot of tries. Had Barrett kicked a touch better, this would be yet another loss for us.
We still don't have a convincing midfield combination. They are ok, but nothing that really asks questions of the defence.
Jessie Kriel... I am not a fan.

On the realistic side:
The Boks had a good day and took pretty much every chance that came our way. The AB's made a few more mistakes than usual - whether caused by Bok pressure or simply being too used to having it all their own way I don't know - but the net result was a narrow win for the Boks. On current form , with current skill sets, the Boks remain a good few steps behind the AB's. While I am super chuffed with the result, this Bok team have a long way to go to consistently being a realistic challenger against the AB's. And I mean that in a really positive way. The team has made good strides under Rassie and there are some promising signs, but we are not close to being back towards the top of the rugby tree... yet.

Thoroughly looking forward to the return game in Pretoria in 3 weeks time. I expect a hugely motivated and ruthless AB challenge up at one of their favourite SA grounds. The Boks will need to be at their best.

Super chuffed.
About to be completely shitfaced.
Post more coherent thoughts when I sober up.

Bokke!

A couple of arbitrary observations from this Saffa:

A much better game to watch this week.
Obviously nice for me that the rugby gods chose to smile on the Boks this time around - but this game was ball-hair close again. 3 of them on this tour so it was about time we came out on the rights ide of things

Been reading some of the comments about the AB lineout... I don't think it struggled nearly as much as some of you seemed to think. I guess what hurt was losing one or two crucial ones, but don't forget the one you nicked off us for Webber's try.

Also saw some comments on Ardi Savea's captaincy. Can't say I was paying too much attention to it, so won't comment on that, but lordy he is playing some sublime rugby though!

And Jordy Barrett... never really rated him before, but I have to revise that view now. And he has some serious BMT when it comes to those clutch-moment penalties.

On the Bok side I thought Kwagga Smith played well, Duane Vermeulen is an absolute machine, and Lukhanyo Am is fast establishing himself as one of our best ever 13's to join the ranks of some illustrious predecessors like Danie Gerber and Jacques Fourie. His defence-organization is supreme, and he really is the creative force of our backline.

All-in-all a test match worthy of the proud rivalry between the AB's and Boks.

Nice to see that humour is still a go-to coping mecahnism:

Finally found a minute to comment on this game. And what i really want to say is:

Fuck you All Blacks.
Seriously, when are you guys going to learn to lose?!
You spoiled a good game of rugby because after 10 years, you still haven't properly leant the skill of losing a rugby game.

note: the smiley face is just insurance before one of you takes the above comments all wrong...

Bloody dramatic game. Gutted to be on the wrong side of the result. But probably balances the books a bit if one recalls Wellington. Still work to do for the Boks. But pleasingly they at least keep learning. And the big lesson of the day... you need a bench that delivers. BIG difference on the day.

@ Sam Kane: hope you make a swift and full recovery. You're a pain-in-the-ass to play against. Respect.

@Billy-Tell said in Bledisloe #2:

@taniwharugby said in Bledisloe #2:

@Bovidae they should save Garces for French schoolboy rugby.

Whinging poms Kiwis

The guy is a decent ref, and the forum is pathetic the way people whine on all the time about him.

Let's not mention the NZ Herald with their "wasn't a red card" crusade this week, and you can see why Stephen Jones whips himself up into a state of frenzy.

I've been on this forum circa 15 years.
In that time there have been a fair few whinges about reffing calls - mostly from us Saffas and quite often against kiwi refs - yes Bryce Lawrence I do mean you.

But generally speaking - and I make the very large exception of a certain Wayne Barnes in a certain 2007 match - I don't think commentary on reffing has ever been at a "pathetic" level on this forum.

Refs are like players. Some have better natural talent than others. Sometimes they have good games and sometimes they have bad games. Sometimes they have a brainfart. What's the point of a rugby forum if we didn't express our opinions on that?

@sparky said in Team of the tournament:

1 Moody (NZ)
2 Owens (Wales)
3 Sinkler (England)
4 Wyn Jones (Wales)
5 Itoje (England)
6 Savea (NZ)
7 Underhill (England)
8 Vermeulen (SA)
9 De Klerk (SA)
10 Pollard (SA)
11 Adams (Wales)
12 Leinert-Brown (NZ)
13 Tuilagi (England)
14 Kolbe (SA)
15 Beauden Barrett (NZ)
16 Marx (SA)
17 Mtawarira (SA)
18 Malherbe (SA)
19 Scott Barrett (NZ)
20 Curry (England)
21 Nagare (Japan)
22 N'Tarmack (France)
23 Matsushima (Japan)

Scott Barrett? I assume you have him in as a lock.
You'd pick him ahead of Lood de Jager? Ahead of Etzebeth, Mostert and RG Snyman?

Or if you have picked him as loosie... you'd pick him ahead of PSDT?

I am clearly biased, but based on this tournament alone, I'd say most of the Bok tight 5 (both of them ) would be pretty strong contenders to make a team of the tournament.

Game is at midday SA time on Friday.
I have arranged for a braai and beers for all my staff so they can watch the game in true Saffer style.
You'd better bloomin well be right. Otherwise I am pouring water on the braai and making them all work overtime on the weekend.

@Stargazer said in Brumbies v Highlanders (round 3):

@Machpants Luck had nothing to do with it. Mid-range entry point is 6 weeks. With the usual 50% deduction for clean judicial record, showing remorse etc, it was always going to be 3 weeks. His only luck was that he didn't get red-carded during the game.

I always ponder the justice in these instances.
Brumbies could have had a man advantage for an extra 25 minutes (35 minutes minus the 10 for the yellow).
In a close game like this, that could have changed the result.
Instead, Highlander opponents for the next 3 weeks get the advantage of them having to play a replacement winger.

Seems wrong but I'll be damned if I can give any suggestion on how it is fixed.

Well that sucked! At least for this Bok fan.
But congrats to the BILs.

Thought the Boks looked really good in the first half. Felt pretty confident when it was time for the oranges. But then the Boks just seemed to drop a gear. Less accurate and some pretty stupid penalties given away. I started wondering about fitness levels...
The Lions by contrast seemed to get better and started playing with more confidence and freedom. Good win for them.

I thought the match officials were fine. Some calls I didn't love, but that would apply both ways and happens in every rugby game. The only one I feel a bit aggrieved by would be when Itoje (who I thought had a great game) won a penalty 5m from the BIL tryline poaching the ball. To my mind, he was on his knees and the penalty should have been the other way. But cest la vie. Pretty sure a BILs fan could equally point to a call favouring the Boks that was incorrect, so one can't have a whinge about one incident.

The Boks will have a bit of work to do for the 2nd test. More discipline, clearer heads required for the full 80. And the much vaunted replacement frontrow needs to hit the scrumming machine. They looked poor and got monstered a few times. Pretty surprising.

Looking forward to the next one.

@rotated said in GOAT 10:

Don't get the hype for Larkham as an all timer. Many of Barrett's weaknesses were Larkham's too. Was he really that much better than other playmaking 10s with wobbly goal kicking and weak defence like Spencer and Honiball?

As a matter of principle a GOAT 10 should be able to goal kick to an above average level.

Honiball's nickname was "Lem" which translates to "Blade".
This was because of his highly effective defence - basically tackling around the ankles and not missing out on cutting down his target too often.
So I find that take a bit odd.

In terms of AB flyhalves - and admitting that different eras are tough to compare - I'd have to rate DC ahead of everyone I've seen with some daylight to the next one.
And I am hard pressed to think of any better in the world.
Certainly Wilkinson and Larkham would feature up there.

@majorrage said in England vs Springbokke:

….. and one scrum aside, brushed off the completely absurd claim from above that SA have the two best front rows in world rugby. That starting front row is average at best.

Unfortunately I can’t upvote @SidBarret response to this more than once. England gamed it right on the edge. Kudos to them. Once that trick was exposed for what it was, normal duty resumed

Rest of your post is spot on on point.

That bit of commentary aside, genuine congratulations to England and English fans. I felt a marginal call here or there could have given the Boks victory but it was the right result in the end. Some great tries against a team that prides themselves on their defense. Definitely going to be a force to watch if they keep building on this.

@catogrande
Excellent post. Spot on in all regards.

@mick-gold-coast-qld said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:

@derpus said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:

What's with the Lions tours becoming so bad natured? Or has it always been this way.

What a good observation! We have tours over here where the supporters wait and queue and miss the rent so that they can pay for tickets, in delight and keen anticipation of the contest. It is "good natured" from start to finish.

Last time they were here in 2013 the British and Irish Lions played from one side of the country to the other - nine games against just about anyone who could scrape together a team - and the mob loved it. We got to see George Smith again - a real player 'n all. They won almost all of them, but the mob loved it still!

You'd reckon the South Africans would be pleased to welcome anyone who bothered to pay them a visit!

Not quite comparable. No traveling fans allowed. No crowds.
Normally, it is actually very festive off the field.

@nta said in Wales v Australia:

@gibbon-rib said in Wales v Australia:

That surprises me a bit. I know the Wallabies are being held together by sticky tape at the moment, but Wales are much the same. And that shambolic display against Fiji has to count for something? Fiji destroyed Wales at the breakdown. We're not ranked 9th in the world for nothing.

Agreed - Wales aren't red hot, but they still won and were pretty close against the Boks.

The Wallabies aren't that far away of course, but fuck we've shit the bed on this tour.

Wales play a game pretty similar to the Boks. Given that the Wallabies found a game plan to beat the Boks twice in a row, I would tip them for the win today.

@mn5 said in Ashes 2021-22:

People can’t do anything now. Certainly nothing dodgy without do gooders finding out and forcing tearful apologies and resignations.

Such different times though, Warnie woulda copped a fine, said ‘get fucked’ and then continue playing.

It’s a new world now.

I’m clearly getting on now, but to me those were more reasonable days.

Good post @MN5

@sidbarret said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:

@billy-webb said in 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to SA:

Gosh - some thread this has been since the verdict against Rassie!

I'm not going to bother to go into any detail about the video or the WR verdict but will simply state 3 views I hold:

1. Nic Berry's performance in the first BIL's test was shit let's say well below par with a vast majority of those poor decisions going against SA.
2. The standard of refereeing in tests 2 & 3 were markedly better
3. Rassie has been and continues to be great for the Boks and SA rugby.

Discuss with vigour...

I think you are being a little too subtle with your trolling here 😁

Hahaha. Not a trolling attempt. Although I have appreciated all the responses and their views expressed.
I have simply removed / attempted to remove the “Rassie did right / did wrong/ should’ve/ should not have “ element from my view of the events and tried to distill it into a few facts …. As I see them

I don’t mind if people don’t agree.

@stodders said in England vs Springbokke:

@oompb said in England vs Springbokke:

@smuts I am not a Jesse fan but he played well against Scotland. The same with Elton Junkies. Then this Bok team is not a XV but rather a 23 team. We got the best two frontrows in world rugby, add the three locks and all add up that's where rugby matches will be won mostly.

Two best front rows? Ireland would like a word 😉. And the French.

I hear you, but without being overly pedantic about who is "the best" @OomPB 's point holds water in that the Boks have 2 world class front-rows comparable to the best in world rugby right now.

Gosh - some thread this has been since the verdict against Rassie!

I'm not going to bother to go into any detail about the video or the WR verdict but will simply state 3 views I hold:

1. Nic Berry's performance in the first BIL's test was shit let's say well below par with a vast majority of those poor decisions going against SA.
2. The standard of refereeing in tests 2 & 3 were markedly better
3. Rassie has been and continues to be great for the Boks and SA rugby.

Discuss with vigour...

@dmx said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

Seems the opposite from DeAllende with whom you are guaranteed that the ball will not go past him unless its a skip move.

Sadly that's true too often.
And I say sadly, because de Allende actually has (had) excellent ability to offload and put a supporting player in space. Just seems like it is not the game plan anymore....