What have we learned about the test today

The first thing is that Erasmus made the right decision about the starting props.   After Mtawarira and Louw came on the Sprimngbok scrumming deteriorated.   

I think there is an obvious problem with line-out throw-ins.  Mbonambi made a total balls-up with one throw leading to Toomua's try.   He does near to squad in the test - so that is another Quota problem for Erasmus, 

The fact is that I do not think Mostert is good enough at lock.   I think that we are missing De Jager.

The fact is that we still have a serious loosie problem and I would think that Whitely is unable to step up from Super Rugby to test level.

Faf had a disaster and he together with Mbonambi was the reason for the loss,  Jantjies had an average game - but there was a number of seriously defective decisions by him.  

There was no leakage of through the centers,   The fact si that De Allende each made a try-saving tackle so the fact si that they will nt be replaced next week.

Willie le Roux got butter-fingers today and he was not solid in defense either.

I think the Sprngboks managed to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory in the test - but theyneed to be much more better in ball handling and some players should rather mot be in the team.

    .    

The reason for the loss is that SA rugby missed the turn of professionalism.

The quota policy tale exists to cover that situation.

It was another of these many games that takes a lot of will and determination to believe in that quota policy tale.

SA head coach has no issue with a non existing quota policy.

He has tons of issues with the general level of SA rugby and the mandatory urge to hide it.

What we learned today is that we are F*cken Sh*t.

We learnt that we aren't able to beat an injury riddled side with our "best" team ... that injuries to our opponents key players isn't enough of an advantage ... that we should start praying for a few red cards as well ... and that perhaps budgeting to buy refs off isn't that bad an idea.

This kind of thing will continue to happen when you have a squad that consists of at least 50% proven failures in the mix.

We have much better players to call upon ... but we won't.

I am delighted with this result. Long may it continue.

I wonder if we'll return home ranked 8th? Hope so!!

Think I'll send another well worded email through to Rassie.

SB

I agree with what you wrote,  Pity about the loosie combination and the usage of Mbonambi at hooker was a huge mistake.   Jantjies is not a test flyhalf at all.   He is deficient and neutralized at least two potential tries by useless kicks.   

And that penalty in front of the posts - kicking at goal was an idiocy,  That kind of kick is only used when it would secure victory    The Springbok scrum was too good and a scrum there would have been better,    I am sick and tired of watching BS decision-making  like that,          

Compared to last week there was a huge improvement in defense by the backlinel   Against Argentina the backline made 20 tackles and missed 10.   This week they made 28 tackles and missed 6  -  Last week the missed tackle ratio was 33.3% - this week it was 20,4%/   Not good enough yet, but it was indeed an improvement, 

The main problem was at the half-backs - making 7 tackles and missing 4.   

We just have to accept that we are no longer a premier rugby nation.

Our rugby is a perfect reflection of our country.

We are a 3rd world African country ... with a 3rd tier rugby team.

We should accept our limitations and withdraw from this competition. We would be better served playing against the Sables and Namibia.

De Allende got too many balls  directly from the scrummy and had to try and bteak the line simce outside of him there were too many defenders.   Always took two or three defenders with him in the process,

Why not comment on the rest on what happened during the game and what the real problem areas were.          

We have learned that it was a mistake not to completely remove the springbok from the jersey and change their name after RWC 2015... like they did for the chockers. It is so distressing that our once dominant Springbok rugby heritage is being pillaged by the ANC. The AB's were our only true competitor and guage. E very time we play them under ANC control we disrespect them.

Faf made some errors, but was one the few Boks applying any pressure. Kits better than Beast. Mostert was a failure. Steph was a failure. Jantjies had a brief spell but faded fast. Our backs really weren't anything throughout the game. Pollard did nothing. The centres were iffy. Damian had some secure carries, was poor defensively. Though he did make a good read to cutout the Aussies wide in the second a half. Kriel was the better of the two. Our wings were better than our centres. Willie was patchy. 

We made a mistake changing the centres. We made a mistake with Steph at 7. 

This was a colossal step backwards from the Puma test. Rassie has barely been coach and he is already running out of ideas and straining to make the right decisions. This Aussie team was there for the taking and he failed. I think we made a mistake sacking Coetzee. From the frying pan into the fire. 

Is Pollard injured  ? Why is Mr Bo-Jantjies dancing about at 10 ?Why is the sky blue ?

Answers on a stamped self addressed envelope sent to " The blaming game  C/o Ruckers Forum somewhere in cyberland "

Good question. For the first try. The Wallabies are driving hard into the fringes. All is well until Hopper is at the base. Malherbe is pressed close to the ruck, Jantjies inexplicably moonwalks away leaving a huge gap. Hooper drives hard and low into said gap, easily beating Malherbe on the outside. Try. 

We have been having trouble with players running between defenders. It pulls them in, and offers an easy offload. We've really had no answer for it. It was a run between Faf and Kriel on the edge that got the Aussies rolling. Where is the genius of Nienaber?

Note how easily Steph got beaten by Genia on the ruck fringe. Genia moves slowly laterally then darts inside and Steph ends up on the floor. Missed tackle. Right in our 22.

This is the fools at work.  Du Toit made 14 tackles missing 2 -   Louw played for 19 minutes and made NO tackles whatsoever.   But Du Toit get censured and not a word about Louw.

Malherbe got involved in a  tackle saving a try - but for some stupid reason or another he got censured for Hooper's try.

So two weeks ago the Springbok backline defense was poor with a 33,3% missed tackle ratio.   Outside of Jantjies and De Klerk (missing two tackles each) there were only 2 missed tackles  with a missed tackle ratio of 20,4% - Avast improvement on the previous week.  

I have seen it all with Mozart and AO - they cannot recognize problems at all - so wat do they do - they criticized the players not part of the problem,    What a load of BS - better to pity their total ignorance,

Not singing the praises of the new center pairing at all - I think there were problems in the halfbacks that limited their performances - but at least the defending shambles the previous test  was largely gone. 

We just have to accept that we are no longer a premier rugby nation.

Our rugby is a perfect reflection of our country.

We are a 3rd world African country ... with a 3rd tier rugby team.

SA is one country that thought of making a political statement by adopting rugby.

SA rugby never was a powerhouse as it is revealed by the professional era.

Rugby was chosen because it had little competition and other african nations were playing it.

The result is that SA is now plagued with a non economical activity. Usually, sports performance are tied with economics.

SA despite being one of the largest economies in Africa is utterly bad at football. No academy, no league worth selling, no players worth selling.

Other african nations at least got this right. Even communists did.

So no SA is not just another african country, it is a country that managed to make worse than other african countries.

Humility is not topical, praises must be given when deserved. And in this case, that is a marvelous achievement, being able to do worse than african countries. It takes talent.

Talent you do not want as a neighbour, but talent nevertheless.

Lügnerin, cite one example of the halfbacks limiting Damian. Just one. Thanking you in advance. For nothing. 

There are a bunch of mistakes he made. I love the narrative about Damian being held back. 08:23, he comes onto the ball at pace (in the flyhalf position ) and carries into a passive defence (no rush). His run turns into a slow jog as he hunches before contact. To his credit he does make ground as he burrows between two Wallabies. However, he loses the ball on the ground. Penalty against the Boks. That Faf is such a weasel. A good 9 would have foreseen such a hopeless option before him when gazing at Damian. 

Yep, Steph was not so good. 

They update the4 tackle stats fool.  Mostert made tackles and did nothing else as to Tight 5 play.   Attack on Du Toit as expected - but total silence on the fact that Louw played for 19 minutes and made ZERO tackles.   Not even tried one.  

I did not expect anything from you two anyway,   Mozart started off lying about the scrumming and then went totally quiet  when the lie was exposed.  So Mostert made 13 tackles missing 2 - Malherbe made 13 tackles missing NONE.

Fools will always be fools.    

They update the4 tackle stats fool.  Mostert made tackles and did nothing else as to Tight 5 play.   Attack on Du Toit as expected - but total silence on the fact that Louw played for 19 minutes and made ZERO tackles.   Not even tried one.  

I did not expect anything from you two anyway,   Mozart started off lying about the scrumming and then went totally quiet  when the lie was exposed.  So Mostert made 13 tackles missing 2 - Malherbe made 13 tackles missing NONE.

Fools will always be fools.    

AO 

By the way just look at the number of passes made by De Klerk and the number of passes made by Jantjies.   De Klerk frequently cut out Jantjies and passed directly to De Allende.  That made defense much easier and life for the recipient much more difficult.   It also showed that Jantjies - like Morne of old - never attacked the gain line and that is not ood when it coes to attacking backline play and that Jantjies also made some very poor kicks when he should have passed the ball.   ,

Actually Lügnerin, the gameplan was to have the supposed steam locomotive that is Damian hit up and create a platform. He didn't do that. The plan failed. 8f only Damian wasn't hogging the ball in the flyhalf position all game! 

Speaking of poor kicks. How was that chip from Kriel when we had an overlap? Game changing mistake. A hell of a let off for the Wallaroos. 

If only the old Morné did play. Directing play like a general. The man with 77% retrieval percentage on high balls and the leader of the most successful and potent Bok attack since 2008, and SA super rugby team of all time. The Bok 10 with the best try ratio.

Morne - directing play - LMAO

Yes. 

Also, you aren't answering any of my questions. Did you watch the game? 

What questions? By the way a similar pass was made to Esterhuizen and he knocked it on as well - not a word about that pass.   

Lügnerin, Esterhuizen can't even begin to compete with Damian for balls lost in contact.

I asked you several questions about Damian. You said his defence was excellent. I cited two missed tackles. Two big ones. You ignored them. You rated him as one of our best players, yet you say he was hamstrung by poor balls by the halfbacks which made the work of the defence easier. Is that a cop out from stating he was so good? Or is it a get out clause for where  the game is critiqued more thoroughly? What are these attacking moments you said were exceptional? 

No  -  that question is so stupid it is unbelievable. Listen dimwit how many times must I state for your education that stats are used to indicate tendencies  and not in respect of one match on its own,

So lets look at th tackle stats of the two players in the last three matches they started in

E sterhuizen

Tackles made   4 +  9  +  4   =   17

Missed tackles  3 +  1  +  1   =     5

Average per game                 =     5,67 

Missed tackle ratio                =    22,72

De Allende    

Tackles made   10 +  9  +  14   =   33

Missed tackles            1  +  2   =     3

Average per game                   =     11 

Missed tackle ratio                  =       8,3

The above prove that in the last three tests played De Allende was twice as good a defender than Esterhuizen was.  Can you now understand why I said Esterhuizen's defense is questionable,  Not only is the tackle count low - the missed tackle ratio is way too high.  Comprehende?

Why did neither of the main two fools on site not respond to this post?  

Twice as good? These stats prove nothing. He landed zero effective tackle against England. He failed to make an open field tackle which Esterhuizen made with ease against far better opposition. He failed to tackle inside the Bok 22, slipping off the tackle completely. A good cover tackle prevented a guaranteed try.

So, no. Damian is not provably better than Esterhuizen. Damian is provably technically inferior. Who goes into a crash ball on one foot, bent legs, and bracing themselves for impact, grab the waist, let the feet give way and swing around the attacker until you slide all the way to their feet? He makes cream puff tackles. If you care to disagree, cite an example. It's that simple. You won't find these things on ESPN because you have to be able to read play. I know you can't do that.

Another thing, explain how tendencies are found by a page of numbers. What kinds of tendencies are these? This is going to be hilarious. 

So the BS sounds in buckets again.  Generalized statements to get around facts and that sis factual.   

Esterhuizen made a minimal number of tackles and missed too many - yet he is a good defender.    This type of wild statements is what one can expect from the BSters - so nothing new here,

And then they believe that people must believe whatever they dream up.   By the way I was not satisfied  with what De Allende produced on Saturday - but there was a lot of worst players and to ignore Esterhuizen's defective defense like they do is utter BS.

And for those who would like to verify their facts and (conveniently?) do not have a copy of the game or have it recorded, you can view and/or download it here: Aus-SA

The NZ one can be found here: NZ-Arg

Bakgat Vlag, thanks for the download links.... great find .