*Whistle* “Free kick to the Wallabies. No! Wait, not there... The mark is here, 10mm from where you took the quick tap.” Why? Well I am not sure. There are plenty of silly rules in our otherwise perfect game. You would be hard pressed to find any fan that does not have some quam with a rule that really should not be a rule
.
The quick tap taken just off the mark, this rule is soooooo inconsistent and simply pedantic at times. I don’t know about you guys but I am not a big fan of referee discretion and this law shows just how annoying referee’s discretion can be.
That brings me to my next point. Referees discretion. I do understand that it is a necessary part of the referee’s job but in some cases it should just be ruled out completely because it often causes’s a lot of controversy and frustration among players and fans alike. A prime example would be the scrum. Half the time when a scrum collapse’s its pure guess work, the ref has no idea what is going on so he uses his discretion and makes what is a 50/50 decision (unless the All Blacks are playing, then it’s more like a 90/10 decision. *wink wink*)
Yellow cards. I hate yellow cards. I am a Springbok fan, so I am particularly unhappy about how often they get thrown around. We as fans pay good money to see 15 play against 15 players. If players offend, cite them after the game. For offence’s such as infringing at the ruck consistently, use a two yellow’s equals a red system, like they do in soccer. Except make it two yellows equals 10 mins in the bin rather than the remainder of the game seeing as being a man down in our game would have far greater affect than in soccer.
Throwing the ball in quick. A lot of you might not agree, but this is a dumb rule. It helps teams with weaker line outs avoid having to compete, why? Line outs are a crucial part of the game that teams should be made to compete at, regardless of their skill... or lack of.
Some of these and many others really annoy me, but nothing is more annoying than a player kicking the ball perfectly a metre in from the sideline and the opposition is allowed to put a foot out and catch the ball and its considered kicked out on the full. Why is this a rule? Who decided that the player catching the ball has the right to turn what is a very good kick into a very bad kick? As far as I am concerned, if a player kicks the ball a metre in from the field as a tactic, he has executed a skill to perfection and should not be punished for being accurate.
I could think of many others that are very annoying but I would just raise my blood pressure and spend a few days writing up this article. But with that said, please comment and let me know which rules annoy you most and why.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Springboks vs Wallabies
No rest for the wicked. The Springboks get little reprieve from their disappointing tour of New Zealand as they prepare to continue their tri nation’s defence at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday night. The Wallabies will be looking to make the most of the Springboks disappointing form during the opening stages of the tournament and get their campaign off to a perfect start.
The Springboks have made nine changes to their squad for Saturday nights must win game, four of the changes in the starting fifteen. Ruan Pienaar comes in for Ricky Janurie who falls out of the match 22 completely after poor performances during the two losses to the All Blacks. Gio Aplon replace’s Jean De Villiers on the right wing while Sharks loose forward Ryan Kankowski takes the place of Francois Louw. BJ Botha is promoted to the starting side ahead of CJ Van der linde who will come off the bench. The remaining change’s on the bench sees the inclusion of Juan De Jongh, Flip van der Merwe, Dewald Potgieter and Francois Hougaard. Springbok coach Peter De Villiers said on Tuesday that his selections are a reflection of the fast paced nature of Suncorp Stadium. “Statistics show that Suncorp has the fastest playing surface in Super 14 and we have to be prepared for a faster game,” he said. “We have two tough games behind us, but if we stick to our structures and use our opportunities I believe this team is capable of getting a result.”
The Wallabies announced a fairly predictable squad with perhaps the only surprise being the inclusion of Drew Mitchell in the starting side after he was dropped from the squad by Wallabies coach Robbie Deans for under performing in the June tests against England and Ireland. Matt Gitue made the squad despite speculation he would not be preferred over reds inside centre Anthony Fainga. Rob Horne gets his first tri nations start at outside centre while Adam Ashley Cooper starts at fullback. James O’Connor will be starting on the right wing in the fourteen jersey as a result.
The Springboks have not been successful at Suncorp in the past, conceding seven losses in a row at the Brisbane venue, the latest being last year’s 21 – 6 loss. Overall, the two countries have met on 71 occasions, with the Springboks winning 43, the Wallabies 27 and one draw.
So, the teams have been announced and the stage is set. Who is going to win and why? History suggests the Wallabies. But it would seem history is wrong. The Springboks are wounded and angry after they were hammered by the All Blacks, amidst controversy. A statement which in its self may be controversial depending on which team you bat for, figuratively speaking.
The inclusion of Ruan Pienaar in place of Ricky Janurie means the Springboks can play the game at a higher tempo and give Morne Steyn the space he needs to unleash the likes of Habana and Fourie. We can expect a lot of up and unders during the opening stages of play from the Springboks but I am sure we will see more running from the Boks as the game continues.
The Springboks will be looking to exploit weaknesses in some of the Wallabies less effective defenders. I believe the Boks have stuck with Olivier at 12 because he likes to run hard and straight and he will be aiming to run straight down Quad Coopers channel. Cooper is not exactly the best defender in world rugby, missing more than 30% of his tackles during the super 14 and often being forced to make a move to fullback during set piece defence.
The Springboks big hard running forwards will be looking to simply over power their smaller Wallaby counter parts. Ruan Pienaars quicker service should suit this purpose and go a long way to ensuring a significantly improved Springbok performance. Gio Aplon will be a handful in attack and provide the pace that has been lacking.
The Wallabies on the other hand only have history to suggest that they have what it takes to win. Brilliant individual players such as James O’Connor and Adam Ashley Cooper are unlikely to win the game on their own. The Wallabies simply lack the personal to compete at the collision zone because they are just too small. The All Blacks showed that beating the Springboks meant taking it to them upfront. I don’t know that the Wallabies are capable of doing so.
My pick: Springboks by 45 to 10. Big strong forwards will win the battle upfront and Ruan Pienaars service will prove the difference in attack and allow the Boks to capitalize on their considerable size advantage and the Wallabies weaker defenders.
The Springboks have made nine changes to their squad for Saturday nights must win game, four of the changes in the starting fifteen. Ruan Pienaar comes in for Ricky Janurie who falls out of the match 22 completely after poor performances during the two losses to the All Blacks. Gio Aplon replace’s Jean De Villiers on the right wing while Sharks loose forward Ryan Kankowski takes the place of Francois Louw. BJ Botha is promoted to the starting side ahead of CJ Van der linde who will come off the bench. The remaining change’s on the bench sees the inclusion of Juan De Jongh, Flip van der Merwe, Dewald Potgieter and Francois Hougaard. Springbok coach Peter De Villiers said on Tuesday that his selections are a reflection of the fast paced nature of Suncorp Stadium. “Statistics show that Suncorp has the fastest playing surface in Super 14 and we have to be prepared for a faster game,” he said. “We have two tough games behind us, but if we stick to our structures and use our opportunities I believe this team is capable of getting a result.”
The Wallabies announced a fairly predictable squad with perhaps the only surprise being the inclusion of Drew Mitchell in the starting side after he was dropped from the squad by Wallabies coach Robbie Deans for under performing in the June tests against England and Ireland. Matt Gitue made the squad despite speculation he would not be preferred over reds inside centre Anthony Fainga. Rob Horne gets his first tri nations start at outside centre while Adam Ashley Cooper starts at fullback. James O’Connor will be starting on the right wing in the fourteen jersey as a result.
The Springboks have not been successful at Suncorp in the past, conceding seven losses in a row at the Brisbane venue, the latest being last year’s 21 – 6 loss. Overall, the two countries have met on 71 occasions, with the Springboks winning 43, the Wallabies 27 and one draw.
So, the teams have been announced and the stage is set. Who is going to win and why? History suggests the Wallabies. But it would seem history is wrong. The Springboks are wounded and angry after they were hammered by the All Blacks, amidst controversy. A statement which in its self may be controversial depending on which team you bat for, figuratively speaking.
The inclusion of Ruan Pienaar in place of Ricky Janurie means the Springboks can play the game at a higher tempo and give Morne Steyn the space he needs to unleash the likes of Habana and Fourie. We can expect a lot of up and unders during the opening stages of play from the Springboks but I am sure we will see more running from the Boks as the game continues.
The Springboks will be looking to exploit weaknesses in some of the Wallabies less effective defenders. I believe the Boks have stuck with Olivier at 12 because he likes to run hard and straight and he will be aiming to run straight down Quad Coopers channel. Cooper is not exactly the best defender in world rugby, missing more than 30% of his tackles during the super 14 and often being forced to make a move to fullback during set piece defence.
The Springboks big hard running forwards will be looking to simply over power their smaller Wallaby counter parts. Ruan Pienaars quicker service should suit this purpose and go a long way to ensuring a significantly improved Springbok performance. Gio Aplon will be a handful in attack and provide the pace that has been lacking.
The Wallabies on the other hand only have history to suggest that they have what it takes to win. Brilliant individual players such as James O’Connor and Adam Ashley Cooper are unlikely to win the game on their own. The Wallabies simply lack the personal to compete at the collision zone because they are just too small. The All Blacks showed that beating the Springboks meant taking it to them upfront. I don’t know that the Wallabies are capable of doing so.
My pick: Springboks by 45 to 10. Big strong forwards will win the battle upfront and Ruan Pienaars service will prove the difference in attack and allow the Boks to capitalize on their considerable size advantage and the Wallabies weaker defenders.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Yellow Card Hiding
I had the head line all ready to go in my head, "The Springbok empire strikes back!" It was not to be though. The outcome was decided by certain external forces; Irish refs. The game was virtually over in the first three minutes when Danie Roussow was yellow carded. A very questionable yellow card at that. I watched the game with my dad and little brother on Saturday night and like me and many other Springbok faithful, they were not happy. The game is being refereed on a week to week basis with different laws being applied by different refs. Zero consistency. Last game in Eden Park the Springboks were let down by terrible execution of tactics and ill discipline that saw them lose a man early. From that point they were forced to play catch up rugby. Saturdays game was much the same, except the yellow carding was complete farce and left an ugly scar on what should have been a great rugby spectacle.
De Villiers pulled no punches, calling for greater consistency."We have played six games this year and in the six games we've had six different types of plays on the ground. It's frustrating," he said. "We've got the same skill we had last year when we won the Tri-Nations. We're so used to playing the new laws in the Super 14 and now in the six games we've played they are different. I don't like to prepare guys to cheat and it seems to me that's the only way going forward if you want to be on top of those kind of things. That's 70 percent of your game." Richie McCaw could vouch for the less than happy Boks coach after he was given 3 "final warnings" and an "official warning" but was never sent off.
Its hard to say how the Springboks played on Saturday night, because we are once again not able to judge them on a full fifteen man performance. They were far more improved in the lineout and were very solid in the scrums to round off a stark improvement in their set piece. Handling was an issue in the slippery conditions but again, the most disappointing aspect of the Springbok game was their defence. Normally the best defensive side in the world, they missed tackles and leaked like a siv. This was highlighted by the ease of which Isreal Dagg slipped through the tackles of Pierre Spiece and Schkalk Burger to score an impressive try in his first tri nations outing.
The Springbok attacked was also more improved, particularly toward the back end of the first half and the second half. So what went wrong? Poor reffing aside, the Springbok brains trust made poor selection decisions, again. The area of greatest concern, which I highlighted in my match preview, was at 9 and 12. Ricky Janurie was slow to the break down and often ran when he simply should not have. He lacked vision and appeared horribly unfit. When Ruan Pienaar was introduced the Springbok attack came on in leaps and bounds. Morne Steyn had more space to operate in and the Springbok backs were able to make telling runs which even led to a Burger try. Why did Pienaar not start? Your guess is as good as mine. Had Pienaar started it could have been a totally different game.
The other trouble spot for the Springboks is at number 12. Wynand Olivier is very good at super 14 level but the swap from a blue to a green jersey is just one step too far. He had no impact on the game what so ever and you seldom heard his name. Jean De Villiers would be the obvious answer to problems in this area, but he has been suspended for a dangerous tackle on Rene Ranger. De Villiers pleaded guilty to the charge and was only given two weeks due to his immaculate disciplinary record, conceding only one yellow card in a career spanning more than 10 years. De Villiers will likely call on Juan De Jong as a replacement.
Where to from now? The Springboks will play the Wallabies in Brisbane this week on Saturday night. Brisbane has not been a happy hunting ground for the Boks in the past but that has to change if they are to have any chance of defending their tri nations title. John Smith said after the Wellington test that away points are gold in this tournament and Brisbane is another opportunity to snare a few.
The Wallabies have not exactly been a force to recon with in season's gone by, but they are always difficult to beat in Brisbane. The Springboks I am sure will turn up in force and hopefully a couple new selections will see them play with new spirit and vigour to keep their tri nations defence alive. My early prediction, 45 - 10 to the Springboks, four tries to one.
Check back later in the week for my final prediction, which might be influenced by squad selection.
De Villiers pulled no punches, calling for greater consistency."We have played six games this year and in the six games we've had six different types of plays on the ground. It's frustrating," he said. "We've got the same skill we had last year when we won the Tri-Nations. We're so used to playing the new laws in the Super 14 and now in the six games we've played they are different. I don't like to prepare guys to cheat and it seems to me that's the only way going forward if you want to be on top of those kind of things. That's 70 percent of your game." Richie McCaw could vouch for the less than happy Boks coach after he was given 3 "final warnings" and an "official warning" but was never sent off.
Its hard to say how the Springboks played on Saturday night, because we are once again not able to judge them on a full fifteen man performance. They were far more improved in the lineout and were very solid in the scrums to round off a stark improvement in their set piece. Handling was an issue in the slippery conditions but again, the most disappointing aspect of the Springbok game was their defence. Normally the best defensive side in the world, they missed tackles and leaked like a siv. This was highlighted by the ease of which Isreal Dagg slipped through the tackles of Pierre Spiece and Schkalk Burger to score an impressive try in his first tri nations outing.
The Springbok attacked was also more improved, particularly toward the back end of the first half and the second half. So what went wrong? Poor reffing aside, the Springbok brains trust made poor selection decisions, again. The area of greatest concern, which I highlighted in my match preview, was at 9 and 12. Ricky Janurie was slow to the break down and often ran when he simply should not have. He lacked vision and appeared horribly unfit. When Ruan Pienaar was introduced the Springbok attack came on in leaps and bounds. Morne Steyn had more space to operate in and the Springbok backs were able to make telling runs which even led to a Burger try. Why did Pienaar not start? Your guess is as good as mine. Had Pienaar started it could have been a totally different game.
The other trouble spot for the Springboks is at number 12. Wynand Olivier is very good at super 14 level but the swap from a blue to a green jersey is just one step too far. He had no impact on the game what so ever and you seldom heard his name. Jean De Villiers would be the obvious answer to problems in this area, but he has been suspended for a dangerous tackle on Rene Ranger. De Villiers pleaded guilty to the charge and was only given two weeks due to his immaculate disciplinary record, conceding only one yellow card in a career spanning more than 10 years. De Villiers will likely call on Juan De Jong as a replacement.
Where to from now? The Springboks will play the Wallabies in Brisbane this week on Saturday night. Brisbane has not been a happy hunting ground for the Boks in the past but that has to change if they are to have any chance of defending their tri nations title. John Smith said after the Wellington test that away points are gold in this tournament and Brisbane is another opportunity to snare a few.
The Wallabies have not exactly been a force to recon with in season's gone by, but they are always difficult to beat in Brisbane. The Springboks I am sure will turn up in force and hopefully a couple new selections will see them play with new spirit and vigour to keep their tri nations defence alive. My early prediction, 45 - 10 to the Springboks, four tries to one.
Check back later in the week for my final prediction, which might be influenced by squad selection.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Springboks vs All Blacks Wellington Preview
Another week, another game, another chance at greatness. Greatness, a word that can be applied appropriately to both the Springboks and the All Blacks. In the week that has followed the Springbok Eden Park disaster a lot has been said but, has a lot been done? The Greatness that both these sides posses would suggest a lot has been done to set up another epic blockbuster clash between the world's two best sides, a clash that has the entire rugby world standing still in awe of another titanic battle for world rugby supremacy.
The All Blacks go into the clash in Wellington as pretty big favourites, but to dismiss any chance of a mighty Springbok comeback would be ignorant. What do John Smit and co need to bring to the table if they are to come out on top at the cake tin? I believe they need to bring a confident, calm and humble attitude. They are good, but they have been proven beatable. Many are calling for a change in tactics from the Boks but perhaps this isn’t the right option. They looked good in patches during last week’s game, particularly when in possession of the ball on the all blacks side of half way. They ran onto the ball well and made the advantage line with apparent ease. The problem area seemed to be between their own 22 and the half way line. Often in this zone of the field the Springbok's lacked direction which culminated in unforced errors. The response from the Springboks was to put up a high ball from Januarie's boot at the base of the ruck which was always too deep and allowed for the lethal All Black back three to run the ball back with often devastating results. Other issues included missed tackles (30 odd in fact), ill discipline (Botha, surprise, surprise), handling errors at crucial moments and all round general lethargic play.
The Springboks announced a mostly unchanged side today with only two forced changes. Botha departs on a nine week suspension and is replaced by Danie Roussow and CJ Van Der Linde takes the place of injured Jannie Du Plessis. Coach Peter De Villiers has showed massive faith in his side to field pretty much the same team. Worries for the Springboks are mainly at 9 and 12 where selection has been highly controversial, otherwise it is a very strong team on paper. I expect them to come out firing and much, much stronger than last week.
Their opposition though will do everything they can to ensure the Springboks names on paper mean nothing come the final whistle on Saturday night. The All Blacks have delayed their team announcement but I expect a very much unchanged side provided injury is not an issue. The All Blacks will rely on an up tempo game plan, not too dissimilar from last week to put the Springboks under severe pressure and allow for the dominance they showed during their last encounter.
My take; My brain says All Blacks, but my heart tells me the streets of Wellington are going to be paved in green and gold on Saturday night. So which do I choose? To make an accurate pick I probably should look at some facts, right? Well luckily for me, I did and here they are; The All Blacks have won 6 matches to 3 in Wellington with only one draw. This is an important stat because it shows the Springbok can win in Wellington but the ground obviously favours the men in black. Another stat that I believe is very important is that the Springboks in 30 odd test matches under Peter De Villiers have never lost consecutive games, that is they have never lost two in a row under the reign of Peter De Villiers.
Stats and facts mean very little on the field though. So for this reason I am going to follow my heart. Yes, I am picking the Springboks to come out on top. People that know me probably wouldn’t be shocked but for me the Springboks won’t play that badly again. They have been once bitten, but never twice bitten and I expect that record to stay intact. On paper the teams line up pretty evenly with the Springboks probably edgeing the men from the country with the long white cloud in the forwards but the All Blacks do have a better back line without the inclusion of Fourie Du Preez and Francois Steyn. Although what’s on paper means nothing, I expect the class and experience that comes with the 700 Springboks caps to come through and pave the streets of Wellington in the green and gold that so many hearts of Springbok fans are yearning to see.
Springboks 32 - 27
3 tries to 2.
The All Blacks go into the clash in Wellington as pretty big favourites, but to dismiss any chance of a mighty Springbok comeback would be ignorant. What do John Smit and co need to bring to the table if they are to come out on top at the cake tin? I believe they need to bring a confident, calm and humble attitude. They are good, but they have been proven beatable. Many are calling for a change in tactics from the Boks but perhaps this isn’t the right option. They looked good in patches during last week’s game, particularly when in possession of the ball on the all blacks side of half way. They ran onto the ball well and made the advantage line with apparent ease. The problem area seemed to be between their own 22 and the half way line. Often in this zone of the field the Springbok's lacked direction which culminated in unforced errors. The response from the Springboks was to put up a high ball from Januarie's boot at the base of the ruck which was always too deep and allowed for the lethal All Black back three to run the ball back with often devastating results. Other issues included missed tackles (30 odd in fact), ill discipline (Botha, surprise, surprise), handling errors at crucial moments and all round general lethargic play.
The Springboks announced a mostly unchanged side today with only two forced changes. Botha departs on a nine week suspension and is replaced by Danie Roussow and CJ Van Der Linde takes the place of injured Jannie Du Plessis. Coach Peter De Villiers has showed massive faith in his side to field pretty much the same team. Worries for the Springboks are mainly at 9 and 12 where selection has been highly controversial, otherwise it is a very strong team on paper. I expect them to come out firing and much, much stronger than last week.
Their opposition though will do everything they can to ensure the Springboks names on paper mean nothing come the final whistle on Saturday night. The All Blacks have delayed their team announcement but I expect a very much unchanged side provided injury is not an issue. The All Blacks will rely on an up tempo game plan, not too dissimilar from last week to put the Springboks under severe pressure and allow for the dominance they showed during their last encounter.
My take; My brain says All Blacks, but my heart tells me the streets of Wellington are going to be paved in green and gold on Saturday night. So which do I choose? To make an accurate pick I probably should look at some facts, right? Well luckily for me, I did and here they are; The All Blacks have won 6 matches to 3 in Wellington with only one draw. This is an important stat because it shows the Springbok can win in Wellington but the ground obviously favours the men in black. Another stat that I believe is very important is that the Springboks in 30 odd test matches under Peter De Villiers have never lost consecutive games, that is they have never lost two in a row under the reign of Peter De Villiers.
Stats and facts mean very little on the field though. So for this reason I am going to follow my heart. Yes, I am picking the Springboks to come out on top. People that know me probably wouldn’t be shocked but for me the Springboks won’t play that badly again. They have been once bitten, but never twice bitten and I expect that record to stay intact. On paper the teams line up pretty evenly with the Springboks probably edgeing the men from the country with the long white cloud in the forwards but the All Blacks do have a better back line without the inclusion of Fourie Du Preez and Francois Steyn. Although what’s on paper means nothing, I expect the class and experience that comes with the 700 Springboks caps to come through and pave the streets of Wellington in the green and gold that so many hearts of Springbok fans are yearning to see.
Springboks 32 - 27
3 tries to 2.
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