When the boks dont kick away possession they are great...simple.
surely there is enough evidence of this in 2013!!
At first I was gutted when the blacks got that 4th try but now Im thinking, actually this is good coz it will force the boks not to play stupid rugby and to run the ball.
roll on next saterday!
What was a certainty is we looked damn good against NZL at Eden Park when we kept it in hand. Not just at the end of the game. Even in the beginning.
We need our big forwards to set good attacking platforms. We need the 60k strong crowd to take a leaf out the Argies fan book and make NZL know that they are in SA. Not with dirty laser tactics, but by singing and shouting all game long. Really get behind the boys and keep their morale up. Even if they are finding it tough to make yards against the defence, keep chipping away and it will come. Crowd will play a massive part. Newlands sounded like a funeral at times last weekend. I believe that crowd could have willed SA to that 4th try but getting behind them and making noise when the boys went flat mid game!
With the crowd lifting the players, guys like Willie and Habana will feed off that and can hopefully work their magic. Forwards get stronger and have more in the tank.
If we are constantly hammering away at the AB's with ball in hand and our massive forwards with Bizzy going wild, in the last 20 we might see NZL blowing and slipping off a few. End of the day, they have gone from NZL to Argie to Jhb. Signs of that travel and altitude mixed with a crowd that "hates" u could all play a part. Stadium needs to sound like an EPL soccer game! Not just when the players make a break or do something good. All the time! 80 mins is not a long time! I believe that crowd on Mandela day (All those black supporters lifting the white supporters to sing) was a big reason we trashed a pretty decent Argies team and the boys had confidence to run. Their tails were up and they can hear the crowd and feel the positive energy. Argie could feel they were not at home and they were not comfortable!
We can do this. You wouldn't select any other stadium for the Boks to do it at too.
Bad, Bad position for the bok to be in. Theyre chasing the game and the match hasn't even started.
Just wondering how the ABs are going to approach this one. A side under G.H right from kickoff I think would go for an all out attack and kept ball in hand more often rather than kicking and kill any chance of the bok getting into the game. Now days the ABs prefer to build and absorb pressure and play smarter right from the start. Especially against a good defensive side like the boks.
If they choose to go for an all out attack from the start, ill be surprised but ill know what there intentions are. If the ABs pile on the points in the first half, I don't expect the bok to make a miraculous comeback, heck like I said theyre already chasing the game.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer may have raised eyebrows with his openness in going for the bonus point victory needed to win the Rugby Championship, but it was made clear afterwards that the Boks aren’t exactly going to try and run everything at the world champions.
More at http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/RugbyChampionship/Boks-wont-run-everything-20131002
There are times for keeping the ball in hand and there are times for making strategic or relieving kicks. Howev er, I agree with Saffex - Morne's kicking game is bad news - since he is poor in execution. The other problem with Morne is his ball sense and attacking flair - both are virtually non-existent.
My problem remains that one of the major problems will be ball retention by the Springboks and will centre around Morne as the pivot.
There are other problems as well - like ball handling capacity by some of our players - especially the back row players.
