While this has been overshadowed by the FIFA World Cup, it also started the past weekend.
Too bad the game was marred by yet another Northern Hemisphere referee who doesn't mind one team killing the ball at the breakdown.
Congrats All Blacks, you guys really exploited our apparently sleepy midfield defence. If only the boks could get some clean ball to actually compete in the match...
Referee Alain Rolland next week, so you guys will win again. He's another sub-standard ref who allows the breakdown to become a free-for-all, the boks will again not break the rules and McCaw and his charges will be able to do what they please again.
The Bakkies Botha incident is a shining example of what happens when you let sub-standard refs blow important games like this.
Botha charges down a kick and charges past Cowan to recover it. Cowan pulls him back, yet neither ref, nor assistant spots it. Bakkies then retaliates with a head-butt, because he's a mindless idiot in the body of an awesome rugby player.
Lewis then decides to punish Bakkies a few minutes later by sin-binning him when the AB's should have been penalised for going off their feet.
Cograts on starting the Tri Nations with two victories.
I feel like theres no way that I can win by replying to this... as whenever we talk about our own team we don't take well to criticism... but here goes...
Jimmy Cowan held Bakkies back, I agree, and we said it ourselves when we were watching it, and he should have been penalised, either way, a head butt into the back of the head in a very dominant position isn't the greatest way to make a point! It was early in the game, still sorting each other out, so at that stage of the game there is no way it can be down to frustration. Its just dirty rugby.
As for him being sin binned, he killed the ball in the breakdown twice in a row, when we were dominant, and if we had had quicker ball would have scored. It was a professional foul so deserved it without warnings.
I would like to congratulate your scrum though, you managed to disrupt every scrum by falling down, popping up, even managed to fall over your shoelaces going backeards, and managed to keep it going for a whole minute and a half with 7 men, how that isn't obvious time wasting tactics I don't know! Shows technique is better than a big pack any day, as we clearly had dominance though may have evened up in the second half.
We don't like northern hemisphere ref's either, though I probably hate stu dickinson on the sidelines even more!
The honest assessment is South Africa weren't physical enough. Totally blown off the ball, the SA loose trio completely out muscled, outmaneuvered and out played. The forward pack were too slow, in fact the one facet you guys have always had the edge was the lineout and that completely failed for you too.
But you could see it in the way SA play that they weren't that interested in winning the game with attractive rugby (think drop goal every chance that Morne Steyn can get), and if they are going to play defensive rugby and get outmuscled then they can't expect to win.
I think the penalty count was for the boks, and for every wrong thing you saw NZ do in the breakdown, I can assure you the same was here looking at the boks! I think you should be happy the score wasn't a blow out!
Next week will be different, SA will be more intense - which they will have to be, and it will be closer maybe even a bok win, and this time it will be me complaining about the northern hemisphere ref aiding the South Afircans!
🙂
SA were definitely out-muscled on the day. Having to defend against a very hungry All Black side all the time is a recipe for disaster. No team can keep this AB side out for 80 minutes.
It was a frustrating game. Nothing went our way, notwithstanding the bad refereeing. Charge downed kicks worked like passes to NZ players. The bounce of the ball was unkind the whole game, even our usually excellent lineout struggled...
This is why SA fans get so frustrated when the AB's are allowed to kill basically all quick ball we may get - meaning we could never see if the boks could find an answer.
Many people will say that you have to "play the ref" and take your chances with him when he's not on the ball.
I don't buy that. The IRB should be making sure every ref is as consistent as possible.
The head butt type incident should be stamped out of the game, but it sits wrong with us when the SA player get 9 weeks for something like this, and Brad Thorne gets one week suspension for almost killing John Smit in '06.
Double standards that we are used to by now.
I'm not condoning the retaliation at all, but if the ref had done his job, this wouldn't have happened. "couldn't have been out of frustration" you say - It happened in open play, right in front of both ref and assistant!
SA players and teams always get the short end of the stick...
Originally posted by CrowleyI thought the Burger incident against the Lions was lenient. Eye gougers should be thrown out of the game for life.
The head butt type incident should be stamped out of the game, but it sits wrong with us when the SA player get 9 weeks for something like this, and Brad Thorne gets one week suspension for almost killing John Smit in '06.
Double standards that we are used to by now.
I'm not condoning the retaliation at all, but if the ref had done his job, this would ...[text shortened]... of both ref and assistant!
SA players and teams always get the short end of the stick...
Not all SA players are hard done by.
Originally posted by CrowleyI don't think any team in the world would have beaten the Kiwis on Saturday. It was their day and they truly deserve the win. Nothing to do with the ref.
SA players and teams always get the short end of the stick...
This Saturday however will be a different matter. The boks will show up and kick some all black ass again.
My prdiction: boks win by 12+
Originally posted by LucardoThe boks didn't lose because of the ref. The ABs deserved the win.
I don't think any team in the world would have beaten the Kiwis on Saturday. It was their day and they truly deserve the win. Nothing to do with the ref.
This Saturday however will be a different matter. The boks will show up and kick some all black ass again.
My prdiction: boks win by 12+
The boks weren't given a chance to play by a useless ref, and the fans deserve to see both teams get a chance to play some rugby.
Will get in early... 🙂 6 points - under the influence of bourban
1) Roussow shouldn't have been sin binned - ridiculous call
2) 3 others probably should have been though with late tackles, high tackles/spear tackles, and tackles without ball (just saying this as they are more professional fouls) - interesting point to note though - no head butts...
3) SA much better at lineouts and scrum - dominated us
4) When SA didn't kick - looked dangerous - good to see them play some rugby and hope they continue with it (not a single drop goal).
5) We were still the better team
6) Poor old Australia don't stand a chance against either of us.
Dear Crowley sorry for your loss my old foe.
Sorry you haven't lost the old ref plot syndrome.
The Abs have improved ball handling in the tight and have upped the pace around the scrums getting the ball away quickly making the lumbering old enemy look a bit past it.
In my humble opinion this is something that will get worse in SA if they can't find better.
The Botha Head Butt was blatant he should have been out for a season with warning the next will be life. The man can't help himself.
Good Luck in Brisbane we'll be loving the encounter.. Aus will be quick but I doubt if they'll cope with you old boys up front.
😉
Originally posted by Tirau DanI see you still can't watch rugga and respond to my posts with an open mind.
Sorry you haven't lost the old ref plot syndrome.
The ref was absolutely one sided, as I said he would be 😕
If you can't at least admit that he seemed to "make some mistakes which seemed to always go the All Black's way...", I don't think you should be responding to rugby threads any longer, or at least watch the games before responding...
Originally posted by CrowleyI certainly did watch the game but you just never let up on refs The refs are always the reason the boks come unstuck. If you can't see that no one will want to post in the thread. Sure refs make mistakes but they are not bias against SA in the way you constantly state.
I see you still can't watch rugga and respond to my posts with an open mind.
The ref was absolutely one sided, as I said he would be 😕
If you can't at least admit that he seemed to "make some mistakes which seemed to always go the All Black's way...", I don't think you should be responding to rugby threads any longer, or at least watch the games before responding...
Originally posted by Tirau DanThe All Blacks thieved balls and probably should've gotten 3 yellow cards for what they did. Instead we get yellow carded for an offence that hardly deserved a penalty.
bottom line.. a faster more mobile unit blew the bigger heavier SA's away
Bottom line, twice in a row the boks have not been given a chance by sub standard refereeing.
Originally posted by CrowleyWorld Cup winning Wallabies coach Rod Macqueen believes Springboks coach Peter de Villiers needs to take more responsibility for his side's poor start to the Tri Nations.
The All Blacks thieved balls and probably should've gotten 3 yellow cards for what they did. Instead we get yellow carded for an offence that hardly deserved a penalty.
Bottom line, twice in a row the boks have not been given a chance by sub standard refereeing.
Originally posted by Tirau DanWe have a coach who is a political assignment, and a culture of it being more difficult to play yourself out of a springbok side even when you aren't performing, than it is to get your first cap. Then we have politicians with their noses in the sport, with quota systems etc.
World Cup winning Wallabies coach Rod Macqueen believes Springboks coach Peter de Villiers needs to take more responsibility for his side's poor start to the Tri Nations.
Many fans, myself included, believe this team's success is just spillage from Jake White and a great squad of players.
Still, this squad we have now has more than enough ammunition to beat any team in world rugby.
The coach did what he could. How can you prepare a team to play when a ref is apparently blowing different rules? How do you drill players to respect one set of rules and then disregard them when certain refs are involved?
I'm sorry, but these two Irish idiots killed what could have been a decent Tri Nations series.
Great stuff IRB... We complained about this ref the last game he blew, but no "Those South Africans just want to whine". Now I read that Suncorp can't even fill the stadium for the Aus vs. SA encounter - and it is because the AB's were gifted 10 log points by two incompetent people.
Because the IRB wants to 'make a statement' that they won't be 'bullied' into a situation where they don't allow certain refs and teams to meet.
I've been a genuine detractor believing Graeme Henry to be clueless playing headless chicken rugby. They were running around at pace aimlessly dropping the ball all over the park. All of a sudden it becomes apparent that the new names are filtering in, the pace has gone up another notch and the errors are starting to disappear. So I will shut up on the Henry issue.
The wins of Wales and Ireland were boring but the two drubbings of The Boks came about through effort persistent pressure and strong defence. The extra pace and fitness of the NZ forward pack slow wore down the more powerful heavier foe. They didn't like it and frustration did show.
Ritchie McCaw has shown throughout his career that he can adapt to conditions, referees, tactics etc on the field and lead his team. He's taken a run of knocks and cheap hits over the year but still consistently wins the international accolades.
Best bit in the game?? Who liked new boy Israel Dagg's side step... has anyone seen a better one since the days of a young John Kirwan? So glad to see him in the team. Also How about the come back to pace and form of Mils Mulianlina. I really thought he was brilliant.