So how about that ball in hand rugby?

The deluded notion that we were going to beat NZ at their own game came crashing down today. When this backline was selected against France I called it the worst defensive unit ever....the poor play of our opponents to date disguised that. Today we saw just how pathetic our whole back 5 really is. .. And how about those painfully slow phase attacks.....which could only end one way, a turnover to NZ. What would one have given for a pinpoint Morne kick to the corner flag and Victor to contest the lineout. No I'm not suggesting they come back....I'm noting we have lost that weapon and we don't even register it. .. This humiliation for Bok rugby was not necessary. But it was inevitable. The bile directed at our WC team, the revelation of new tactics could only end here. There is no progress....none. I noted that last week as we scored tries from turnover ball given to us by the equally hapless Aussies. And our pathetic rugby media frothed about it.....failing to note we hardly gained a metre in non turn over play. ... Where we go from here is an interesting question. The experiment of Jantjies taking the ball to the gain line hasn't worked. What tactics do we adopt next.....England's or NZ? Do we continue to try to play a game which we can't play as well as NZ and Oz, or do we find a more balanced game which suits our stength. .. And it's time all this deluded bleating for ordinary players stops. No Kitshoff wasn't nearly as effective as the Beast. No du Preez is not a physical monster, NZ handled him with ease. No Stephanie is not a wonder lock, he has to earn his place with consistent performances. It's a pity Kleintjie wasn't playing so we could better assess him as well. .. Stop the frigging BS. Populate the scrum with a proper tighthead. Send Marx for yips training, and be prepared to sub him early with a proper hooker, not Bongi, if he implodes. And think about getting a few pros back from the NH.

 Nothing has changed between the two teams. SA are as unable to build up a path to score a try as they were during the WC semi finals.

The rebirth of SA and a change in play were powder to the eyes: at its core, the ideas about rugby have not changed one bit. Just different dressings.

'Nothing has changed'.....rubbish, at the WC we were able to extend our challenge deep into the second half, in 2014 the Boks won. Everything has changed, our old team was real competition, the new guys only serve to make the ABs look invincible,

 Moz its as I posted in another thread ,Morne carving out territory Victor stealing the ball and a massive meatshield of forwards.I of course mean if not Victor or Morne guys like them .

WD it always seemed to me we should add to what we had.....evolve.....rather than discard the strengths that won two world cups. We will never beat you chaps in a running game.....most of our Bok backs would struggle to get a Super Rugby berth in NZ. And this idiotic notion that we should exclude our NH Boks players is coming home to roost.

 The ABs forward pack picked up the pace, they've been playing weak rugby lately and if they didn't front up the score would have been different. But they defended very well, and made aggressive tackles and forcing the SA players back in most contacts. They made sure the breakdown area was clean and clear to get quick ball... They've been lacking in that area the whole year. That forward power creates breathing room for our backs to finally find space. The Bok forwards didn't do the hard work up front, they lost their composure and lacked momentum and that puts the Boks backs under pressure when they did have the ball... But the little chip kicks actually looked good, but wasn't their day in Albany. Just looked like the Springboks after the 3rd try in the first half they gave up and never really looked interested.

 Good post..

 What a load of crud, the lions proved South Africa can play a running game. Boks of old were able to score tries, had a murderous defence and dominanyt forards - not the pathetic pap stringbean Matfiled type of player
The facts are that the coach is a quota pick, there are also several quota picks in the squad and you have to be a completely dishonest halfwit to ever think you will win with this shambles. Adopt the merit principle or perish. So far it's all about perishing.It was easy to identify the shocking selections. I pointed out how weak a scrummager Dreyer was. HE HAS NEVER EVER BEEN ANYTHING BUT A POOR SCUMMAGER. Redlinghuys was the guy who gave the Lions scrum their edge. Beast palys for about 20 minutes and the fade beginsMostert is not a lock to dominate at the top level. Steph is your man as he proved against OZ. Lood also is fine.
Then we had Cassiem who was way out of his depth.

Our best scrumhalf De Klerk was not even in the squad. The moost dangerous SA center in 2016 Janse van Rensburg was givenm no chance and neither has the very abl;le Allende.
Everyone knew that our two wings cant defend. Surely a professional coach should realize this or is it just about quotas? Coetzee is no Willie Le Roux - who was the single biggest threat on attack we had.
Bongi the second best hooker in South Africa. Don't make me laugh or should it be cry. Nyankane is no tighthead and is fat and overweight. Bongi Dreyer and Nyankane are jokes.
Only a rank ruby moron would have put together a squad like this. Yes the ability to score tries against lesser opposition improved but too many sub par players sunk the ship big time.Young Du Preez did very well in his opening game. We need merit selections from coach to player and we need BRAINS to put it together.Fire this quota coach now. Kick out all quota players and non performers like Dreyer NOW. Of course that wont happen as its race above anything else and there is a deep dedication to mediocrity and a totally dishonest approach whereby the real issues cannot be discussed as its all so raaaaaaaacist. Selection on colour IS RACIST!!I also have doubts about Jantjes mental ability to cope.Best prospect I have seen is R obert Du Preez.

 I applaud the efforts of coaches trying to get South African sides able to score tries.Dr Mozzzzz must realize that with a try valued at  points tries are vital. Bok backlines of old scored tries and the Lions showed we could attack via the backs. 
Dr Moz scop and charge rugby was never the traditioanal South African rugby. It was an inventions of the bulle.

I have been watching Bok rugby since 1960.....I know what it is Hasbeen.But you need to take off the blinkers. You blame Cassiem, but don't mention the blundering du Preez who was worse. You blame Coetzee, but last week the 'improvement' was all down to Smith and Venter. .. The Lions are a very well balanced, well coached team. They do the basics very welll. But they lost....twice. So let's not set that up as the standard. No team wins without scoring tries, but Jake's teams did score tries....in 04 when they won the TN and in 07 when they won the WC. But they also won the collisions, took their lineouts and scrums and defended massively. .. Yes the offload is important. But our forwards are trying to offload in the tackle when they can't even excecute a well timed pass. .. Until we have the guts to be truthful and admit the obvious we can't make a plan. And we ahould start with the obvious yesterday, the player who damaged us the most yesterday wasn't Rhule or Cassiem or the Beast.....it was Marx who totally destroyed our lineout.

Marx was sh1te yesterday but is that the character of his normal game? I don't think so. Put yourself in the shoes of a bok who is worthy of selection then imagine week in and week out having to play in a team where you all know you are carrying a third of the team as totally dead wood. No matter how pathetic they are they will play again next week. Every player has to think about how he is going to cover his position as well as 50% of someone else's. At this level -5% is a game lost. Our genius administratorsare not concerned about winning, it's all about the faces of colour in the team photo.We shouldn't even rate player's when 2/3 are having to do all the work. I say congrats to those who deserves to be surrounded by better players yesterday.If I were one I would head home pack my bag and head North.If any of you think that there is going to be any change in SARU (ever) you are deluded.