Eish! This was not a good performance. The Baby Boks did not play as a team, had very little structure and made some fundamental errors but were still good enough to beat a very spirited French team 26-19. The game excited the home crowd and the French team fed off this passion but it was very much a start stop affair with tons of basic errors and with just bits of individual brilliance rather than teamwork ruling the day.
Both fullbacks had tremendous games with ball in hand. France’s powerfully built number-15 Teddy Thomas was a thorn in South Africa’s side, while Baby Bok Cheslin Kolbe dazzled with his footwork and even showed outstanding passing technique in helping to set up his team’s second try. France’s frontrowers Cyril Baille and Christoper Tolofua also had big games. However with so much possession coming their way, most of the French players looked better than their SA counterparts during the game. For Handre Pollard is was another outing to forget. The highly rated player continues to struggle for form. There were a number of his teammates who will also be looking to improve in their next game up, the semi-final against Wales on 18 June.
|
MIN |
SCORE |
DETAILS |
|
1 |
5-0 |
Dries Swanepoel spots a hole. Goes through it, then dummies and backs himself to complete a good individualistic try. A good bit of continuity by SA to start the game was what gave them the good field position for this score. Pollard misses the conversion. |
|
5 |
|
French fullback Thomas, one of a few French players that had a good game sets off on the first of his good runs. |
|
10 |
5-7 |
After a series of poor passes, SA don’t consolidate, instead continuing to run bad quality ball down the line. On the wing Obi runs sideways then makes a poor decision. He tries to make a cute pass backhand pass that is not on. France’s no.6 Yacouba Camara intercept and offload to no.12 Thibault Regard who runs in to score a soft try. Poor Stoney Steenkamp misses his second key tackle of the game in the process. |
|
|
|
The game becomes is very loose. There is no structure and the disorganisation is suiting the French style of play. |
|
13 |
8-7 |
Cheslin Kolbe sets off on one of his many eye-catching runs. It involving some serious stepping past defenders. Eventually SA wins a penalty that Pollard converts. |
|
|
|
France are full of life but their handling errors border on being pathetic. |
|
|
|
Flyhalf Pollard is still looking for form and surprisingly he decides to take contact like a crash centre on a few occasions. |
|
|
|
The ball skills of some of the SA players are not up to scratch. |
|
|
|
The SA team are unsettled and producing very untidy pieces in a start-stop match. |
|
|
|
The SA scrum is also under unexpected pressure. The result is that scrumhalf Hanco Venter is under all sorts of pressure at the base of scrums and rucks. He turns out to be a wreck in this match. |
|
|
|
France continue playing off emotion. Plenty of passion makes up for their poor technique at times. |
|
32 |
|
France no.13 Florian Vialelle makes a crucial midfield break. From their France keeps possession and eventually no.8 Mathieu Babillot breaks a Luther Obi tackle on the left wing. France eventually knock the ball on over the line to hand SA a 5-metre scrum, this all after the ref consults about whether a try was scored by France. |
|
|
|
The SA teamwork is nowhere to be found and in terms of character, they are failing the test. Leadership in the team also seems to be lacking. |
|
38 |
|
Marne Coetzee gets pinged for not rolling. The French flyhalf lines up a kickable shot but does not strike it well. |
|
40 |
8-7 |
A disappointing first half by SA comes to an end. France are the dominant team. SA needs to regroup and do a lot more to control the tempo and force France to do more of the defending. |
|
43 |
15-7 |
Left wing Obi comes up with a world class finish in the left corner, this after Kolbe set him on his way with an equally good hands through the tackle pass. SA started this move by playing more purposeful rugby. They got clean ball and generated good go-forward, stretching France’s defence on both sides of the field in the process. |
|
44 |
18-7 |
Pollard’s kicking timing is now really good and he lands a penalty with comfort to back up his difficult conversion from a minute earlier. |
|
47 |
|
Lock Irne Herbst who cost SA a try in the England match via a high tackle, dodges a bullet when he is not carded for a second game in a row. Herbst is one of the strugglers who’s skill sets are looking below par but he continues to try hard for duration of the game. His lock partner Dennis Visser is however almost invisible. |
|
50 |
18-12 |
The French no.8 finishes off a very good French attack with a try in the left corner. It had pace and accuracy. The handling was top notch as well. |
|
|
|
Kolbe goes on a another amazing stepping run. |
|
52 |
|
The Baby Boks reply to the French try with a very high quality passage of their own. The second half is turning out to be a showpiece of fine rugby so far. |
|
|
|
Errors start creeping back into the Baby Boks’ game. For one thing Pollard cannot ever seem to find touch with his kicks. |
|
62 |
|
A good attack by France especially fullback Teddy Thomas. SA’s defence holds out well though as France get close to the tryline. |
|
64 |
18-19 |
France no21 Bastien Duhalde scores. From a good rolling maul it’s France’s front row players No2 Christoper Tolofua and no1 Cyril Baille who do the damage with telling carries. |
|
|
|
The SA errors continue. As a result they have no ball to work with. France are dominating the second half now. |
|
70 |
21-19 |
Dennis Visser has had a very quiet tournament. He wins a penalty for being taken out in the air at a lineout. Pollard get the kick from an acute angle over. |
|
79 |
26-19 |
The SA player of the match Cheslin Kolbe scores a try after a very untidy ruck securing effort by the Baby Boks eventually results in an absolute mess until Kolbe finding himself at scrumhalf, picking the loose ball and sidesteps his way past Frenchmen as he has done most of the evening. The SA Sevens player scores the match deciding try. |
|
Fulltime |
26-19 |
Verdict: not good enough from SA. They looked disjointed with a number of players being exposed as being either undercooked or out of their depth at this level. There is a lot of room for improvement, especially in broken play cohesion but also in setpieces. |
@Tjoppa: No, I agree. A TH cannot run around the field in the same way a LH can. The ideal would be to use him as a LH for 60 minutes of the match and then for 20 at TH while you have a LH as impact player. Towards the end of his career, around 28, perhaps exclusively as a TH, depending on how he develops
@BOG: Bog I know that the Coenie we know will disappear if forced to play TH. His play in the loose etc will simply vanish. Coenie is a world class LH. We must look for a proper TH. This is more difficult than what we think. But they must be somewhere. I think Coenie is a quick solution that will only cost him. Remember my theory of a butchery.
@Tjoppa: @beet: Coenie played LH for the first time at the Cheetahs. A TH who plays at a young age at a high level, like S15, needs to be eased or gradually blended into the role of TH. Only a few years ago, it was unheard of for a player of under 24/25 playing as a tight f/ward at international level- now common. And easing him in via LH, is the correct way. I do think that Os has a reasonable idea of scrumming. Tjoppa did mention what Danie Craven said regarding THs. You first select the TH, then the captain and then the rest. But, with more younger players involved as tight forwards, things have changed. Mark my words- I would be very surprised if Coenie does not “evolve” into a good TH.
@Tjoppa: Well said Tjoppa. If there’s one thing Coenie isn’t, its a good tighthead prop.
I remember when Kitch Christie took over from our beloved Ian Mac of Sharks fame. Kitch almost seemed obsessed with finding the right player for tighthead. Little known Tommy Laubscher earned himself a Bok jersey because Kitch IDed him as having the strongest back around at the time. That sort of attention to scrumming detail has been lost and SA is in danger for becoming the next Aus with regards to scrumming. Fortunately we have plenty of youngsters to choose from, there just needs to be more concentration on development of technique.
Then again with the new scrumming laws coming out we might be looking for flanks who can double as props in the not too distant future
@Hanswors: Jy moet oplet Vaskop moet groot wees beslis groter /langer as loskop. Hy is die anker van die skrum. Hulle word gebore, en met SA se beheptheid met al 15 moet kan hardloop en pass sit ons met grappe op 3. Kyk my woorde Coenie, een van die beste loskoppe in die lande, word na vaskop hersool om, eerstens volgens my plek te maak vir die volgende “Beast” en tweedens omdat daar geen ordentlike vaskop in die land tans is nie. Sal ‘n regte vaskop asseblief tog opstaan.
@SHARKIE AND BEET: I ‘ve watched Marne Coetzee since primary school – he is a good scrummer but I am sure he lost at least 10 kg since January. He is short which is a good think for a nr 3 but he is definately too light at this stage and battle to dominate. The same with Irne Herbst – he also lost a lot of weight.
@beet: I agree with you , watching yesterdays struggle in Nelspruit just confirmed that proper agressive scrumming and tight five cleaning off the ball seems to be a tactic that is something of the past in SA rugby. We lack that aggressive pitbull killer instinct in the forwards, almost a trademark of the Springboks that were feared the world over, but it seems to be a thing of the past. All the tight five guys hang around the loose to receive the ball for a runoff, and two guys are battling their ass of in the loose to win the ball,…then,..if you look at the All Black game against France you see a totally different approach……WHY??????? this Springbok pattern of play can be seen at the premier school level also,..maybe an instruction from SARU so that the boys don’t battle at the unions when they leave school….. the game plans look almost like the American Football type of approach with different moves for every quarter. I miss the unpredictable rugby moves from the Ray Mordt, Danie Gerber era of play,..am I too old for this type of game or just not keeping up .
@sharkie: I think the scrumming performances have been testimony to a general lack of emphasis on scrumming in junior rugby in SA. Also our u19 system is so tiny that that there are too few opportunities for those who don’t crack the nod to play provincial u19 rugga, so perhaps the real strong scrummers are not being given the chances they deserve.
With regards to Marne, his scrumming hasn’t let him down at SA provincial u19 level and he has a high workrate. However against France, he really got shown up by that French no.1 Cyril Baille who was my favourite player of that game. I’ll be very keen to see how his career progresses coz ball skills and passing game are off the chart for a prop and he did relatively well in the scrums as well.
Sorry should read tight head is one of the most
I watched Marne Coetzee last night and the tight head has to get the right shoulder he was very weak and got scrummed badly. Not sure what the selectors see in him. Tightness is one of the key positions on the field.the junior books are not looking great but are still winning which becomes a habit so good on them let’s hope than can go all the way. Please glen wood thismisntba dig at you about Marne but just an observation in my opinion
@BOG:
It doesn’t matter forget about the ugly ones……these days even the pretty ones will do just about anything to get a with a guy that is loaded with cash.
I had such high hopes for hougaard…..if it were up to me I’d offer him a pay cut and if he starts becoming windgat then he can go back home to newlands.
@HORSEFLY NO.1: You quite right about your prediction and sadly , I reckon about 80% + of this team will disappear from the rugby map in the next two years@Speartackle: Rather Elijha than Samson after loosing his sight@Muzi: Does Hougaard get all the ugly ones? He is hardly an “oil painting” and the rugby to match
@Speartackle:
No boet. Just years of watching SA rugby proves my point more often than not. Thing is, most small loosies who’ve made it have something special about them, Stoney doesn’t. That’s the hard truth. Come down here in KZN and see some real talent at #8. Glenwood,Kearsney and College will tell you all about that.
@Muzi: First off, agreed on Bongi, that boy can play! Kallie should stay where he is for now, maybe head back home to the leafy suburbs of Durbanville once his contract is up
The Stormers would have done nicely with his services this year. Justin was also signed by you guys, very funny! Honest and hardworking boy, think him and Arno will be joined by Matthys next year, not? Like I said previously, hope these guys can some opportunities and don’t end up at the Pumas eventually. BTW, one of the Boland props from last year, Evert Grobler, is at Pukke this year. Keep an eye out when he eventually gets a chance on the bigger stage, scrums very well and doesn’t mind the odd trundle over the opposition either. From this year’s Boland crop Heinrich Buhr and Tian Nel are the stand-outs, would be interesting to see where they end up.
@HORSEFLY NO.1: You seem to be Elijah’s brother.
@BOG:
Remember the French had their backs against the wall and played excellent disruptive rugby (which the ref allowed). So the Boks played well to keep their heads and not crumble.
Line out throws by Boks were terrible – and although Kolbe was amazing – I felt he was playing a little too much “7’s” and not keeping the defensive lines and trying a few runs with no support. But that said – when he got it right he was sublime to watch.
Some good defence and tackles made too.
@Ploegskaar:
maybe he could be the next James Dalton.
I’ve heard good things about Arno van Wyk with Chilliboy leaving we really don’t have a quality hooker coming through.
Bulls shoulf just make an offer for Callie Visagie….sharkies Kyle Cooper is a n impressive player.
Wepener is getting old but I’d still go to battle with him….Jason Thomas has potential sigh he couldn’t even find his jumpers last year in the JWC….Mbonambi is a pitbull
Which union has signed Matthys Basson?
Stoney Steenkamp will not make it beyond this level. Nothing at all special about him compared to the other #8s.
Cant wait to see the Doops in next years U20 side!
@Speartackle:
Eish i actually forgot about Faf Tredoux he actually played well in the young guns competition for Tukkies….he will play under 21 rugby with Tony Jantjies.
My only worry though is his kicking game Frans Ludeke is like Heyneke Meyer you need to have a groot boot in order to make their starting line ups.
Let’s hope Derick Hougaard or Vlokkie can work some magic with him…..geez how many kicking coaches are employed at the Bulls.
@Speartackle: Onner die Grasdak
@Muzi: Willie du Plessis is the real deal. But no contract. Look at Pollard’s game next to Willie. He broke the line at will and put outside center in gaps at will. But for the next four to five years there is only one flyhalf in Pretoors stad Willie du Plessis. If he stays that long. Think next year is his last for Varsity Cup.
@Speartackle:
For the rest of the JWC…..I hope Stoney makes me some eat humble pie.
@Muzi: Where does Faf Tredoux fit into the picture?
@Predator: Contract at the Bulls.
@Tjoppa:
Noooo Handre Pollard is a flyhalf a flyhalf let’s stop playing musical chairs with the poor guy…..most Bulls supporters want him to replace Morne Steyn.
We are wasting our time with Louis Fouche he’s the next Willem de Waal
Willie du Plessis proved me wrong though he deserves a contract…..Tony is injury prone and Tiaan Schoeman is decent.
Ou Man Boggie………………….is daar enige waarheid in die gerug dat Grey 1 en die Cherries se onderskeie afrigters gladnie op speaking terms is?
@Tjoppa: Tjoppa boet…..Francois Hougaard is a party pooper he’s all about the chicks,fast cars and tattoos…..that’s why he has lost the plot.
Wessel Roux is the scrum coach….maybe we need to offer the scrum doctor Balie Swart a coaching role…wait minute I forgot we’re flat broke because all the baby boks players are on high salaries.
@BOG: Old Boggie………don’t think you can go as far back as Memory Lane.
@Predator: He must be the greatest prophet since Elijah went up into the clouds.
Down memory lane in die stasie bar, elk met n rum n Coke voor hom, en dan is daar die vermeteles wie die nostalgiese tranedal in die rede wil val met n rugbykommentaar elke nou en dan !
@Tjoppa: You make it sound so final Tjoppa. His got a lot of pitbull in him,.. I’m a firm believer that size does not win games. What does the selectors see in him that we dont?
@Muzi: Muzi ou tjom if I look at all the Bulls teams none of them have a decent scrum. Maybe the coaching? Who is coaching the scrums if I have it right Victor is back line coach so it must be Derrick Hougaardt. He had a lot of time to observe the scrum in his playing days. Must be Hougie.
@Predator: He is not up to it. Had his time at high school unfortunately the end.
@Speartackle: The captain is trying his best,.. in my opinion the problem is the tight five. Very difficult to play a proper #8 game with your own tight five scrumming ( in reverse ) over you.
@Wol ja nee Arnold Taylor was ook hoog in my aansien. Jy is spot on met die gevegte. Onthou jy die atletiek wat hulle Maandag aande uitgesaai het.
@Tjoppa: Grasdak toe
@Muzi: Inside center Inside center Inside center!!! He was brilliant with a proper flyhalf next to him.
@BOG: That was the advice the doctor gave your mother also Bog and look what happened.
@Hanswors: Lyk my ons dateer uit die selfde era Hanswors. Ek onthou die Calindez / Ritchie Gates geveg goed. Calindez wat sy bebloede gesig elke rondte aan Christodoulo se hemp afvee. As ek reg onthou het Calindez die amerikaner in die 14 de of 15 de rondte uitgeslaan. Het Bob Foster en Pierre Fourie nie 2 of 3 keer teen mekaar geveg nie? Daai bulle was f@k#n dapper. Met die Arnold Taylor / Romeo Anaya geveg dink ek Taylor is 4 of 5 keer platgeslaan. Nogtans opgestaan om Anaya weg te bere. Tot op die stadium was meeste van ons boertjies onder die indruk die souties is “softies”. Taylor het die mite begrawe! Later het Brian Mitchell ons natuurlik ook gewys hoe befonk die souties kan wees as jy hulle die regte pap gee
@Woltrui : ek dink jy verwys na die geveg tussen Pierre Fourie en Bob Vorster wat Spiekeris uitgesaai het en wat Pierre vir Bob so geslaan het maar toe verloor het. Ek het gehuil daardie dag want hoe kan hulle vir Piere so verneuk. Jare later in die laat sewentigs het hulle daardie geveg in ‘n army tent by die Middelburg skou gewys. Ek onthou ek het baie geld betaal om dit te sien – groot was my teleurstelling om te sien hoe Bob vir Pierre deur die hele geveg gewiks het,
Dit laat my ook dink aan die geveg tussen Victor ” die dier ” Calindez en Richie Cates ( ek dink) waar Stan Christodoulo (verskoon die spelling) die ref was. Binne die eerste 3 rondtes het Calindes ‘n sny gekry en het bebloed die geveg klaar gemaak – Stan se hemp was deurweek van die bloed.
En dan ook die aand van Gerrie Coetzee – ek was nog in die kombuis besig om koffie te maak toe is die geveg verby en Gerrie le en prewel……….Goeie ou dae..
@BOG: Wanneer laas het jy op die stoep gesit in die koue windjie en n stywe nek gekry?
@Woltrui: Was op n stadium bang die ou noem ek was op Vrede.
@Westers: The Animal?
@Speartackle: Hiehiehiehie. Spiekeries Viviers. Die einste.
Praat van komentators. Was die komentator nie puik gisteraand nie? Klink of hy elke speler en die se skool van afkoms, goed ken. Van Paarl Gim tot Monnas en Affies word uitgelig en bespreek.
@Speartackle: Kruger National Park ? Al gehoor vd parkie? Jou maatjie hier,kom mos van Malalane, of hoe nou Metusalem?
@Speartackle: It was Victor Galindez.
@Speartackle: Im sure that there are many, many things that are stuck on your mind which you cannot get out of your mind. The signs of ageing- You live on memories(history); You have more hair growing from your ears and nose than from the top of your head; All the names in your “little black book’, are those of doctors; and you struggle to get your rocking chair going and of course, the most common of all, the bulging wasteline.
@Woltrui: Was dit nie ou Spiekeries Viviers nie?
@BOG: Lyk my jy is nou deurmekaar met die HNP………..wat is die KNP waarvan jy praat Ou Man?
@Speartackle: Ai ou Spear. Ek onthou die familie het bymekaar gekom om te braai en daarna die Piere Fourie en Calindez geveg te luister. Ons dag Fourie moker die 7 duiwels uit Calindes. Daar verloor hy die geveg op punte. Ons ooreiwerige komentator het ons ‘n rat voor die oe gedraai! (Ai, wat was die komentator se naam?? Ook rugby uitgesaai)
@Woltrui: @Speartackle: Ja, Victor was deurmekaar met Pierre en Romeo met Juliet. Wat op aarde het hulle vir jou daar langs die KNP geleer?
@BOG: I just can’t seem to get that out of my mind, it was as if the whole Grey backline was in reverse as he sprinted for the corner flag, even having time to change the ball to his right arm to fend off any defenders with his left, but it was not necessary…………..they weren’t even in the photo.
Wish I can see that highlight reel again……………….Moments in Sport 3rd edition
To all those Stoney bashers……………..yes, he is a bit short for a number 8, he could gain a yard of pace maybe, with his heart and conditioning………………..nothing wrong. Not even Kieran Reid can perform behind a pack like the Bokkies’
Stoney has always been a survivor and he’ll be back and even if this is the highest honours he’ll ever achieve……………not bad for the barefoot laaitie from the back streets of Krugersdorp, to have lead your country at 2 age group levels.
@Muzi: I was there to witness that “historic” occasion. That is now an excellent example of “flash” as opposed to skill. And he flashed himself right into the SA schools side. Before and after that sprint, no-one noticed him.And just a reminder of the circumstances. The FS side lost a ball on their own throw-in, their back line was moving in one direction. Mabuza got the ball and dashed for the line. In fact, there was so much time to get to the line, even the Klerksdorp old-age re-lay team could have done it. But that dash stuck in the memories of the superficial observers. And it is, as we see here, still happening.
@Woltrui: Ja, wat n nag was daai nie……………….maar dis Romeo Anaya……………..ek dink jy dink aan Victor Calindez………….Die Dier…………….onthou jy hom ook?
Very disappointing display – not any better than the England 2nd half. I cannot believe that the tight five are the best in SA? Thank goodness for Kolbe – had it not been for him we would have lost to England & France! On this showing NZ will give us a huge klap!
Hopefully the guys can lift their game for the Wales game….they are a better team than what they are showing
@bhkgpa: Mr Bhgpa I agree with you on Pollard. He made one mistake by not kicking out a penalty but further had a good game. How good was those stab kicks to the corners that Kolbe put through in the last 10 minutes?@Speartackle: What memories came flooding back with the mention of the Arnold Taylor/Victor Anaya fight. Listened to that fight as a laaitie with my father on the radio. As Taylor knocked him out my father backflipped of his chair. Yo, where did the time go
@maroon8: please select a different name. I do not want the bloggers to confuse your statements with mine.
@beet: Hi there: does anybody know whether we’ll be allowed to replace the suspended Luan De Bruin ?? I know we have had 48 hours to appeal the sentence but I can’t see that it will be reduced in order for him to play again in the JWC.
What I do know is that we are in serious trouble at scrum time !
IMO it was a mistake to play Du Preez at 10 and Pollard at 12 for the first 2 matches. The communication (especially on defence) is definitely lacking
KWAGGA KWAGGA KWAGGA KWAGGA KWAGGA,and Eugene Le Mitre[Lion’s no2]
Another initial plan of DT’s was for lock Marvin Orie to be captain. Had he been fit, it may have given DT the leeway to select a different prop like Neethling but then again, he might not have gotten around the 3rd hooker situation, a role I presume Martinus who was very weak at scrumming last night, was meant to fulfil.
@Muzi: I can’t help but believe you are going with the flow on the Stoney Steenkamp Craven Week comments. Stoney was very good during that Craven Week and the Lions under his leadership made the final.
@Ploegskaar: There is actually a lock in WP – Jean Kleyn who got promoted from u19 to u21 last year and never looked back. Sadly DT did not even have a look at him during training camps.
WRT Dennis Visser, I have to believe he is carrying some sort of injury. He has been so pedestrian like in these big games it’s not funny.
@Muzi: Agreed on the props, nothing that a bit of conditioning cannot sort out with Bannink either. Please keep me posted on how Arno does in your structures, hope he gets an opportunity to play a few games.
@Ploegskaar:
for a fatty no wonder he couldn’t last 80 minutes poor lad was huffing and puffing in PE…too much KFC….this year I think he has a treadmill at home.
For the first time in years….we finally have under 19 junior props in Tshwane that can actually scrum.
I have faith in Neethling Fouche,Pierre Schoeman and Wilco Louw….Bannink looked over weight last year….130kg
To myself and all my fellow esteemed “extremerugbyknowledge ” bloggers out there,…are we setting the performance bar too HIGH ?,..we are winning every game so far,..just a thought!!!!!
@Speartackle:
…..Mabuza will forever be remembered because of that 60 metre dash…..it’s legendary he stole the show that’s why he made SA schools.
I will never forget that day
Maybe the majority of this crop is not as good as some may have thought, and as I said the other day, a few younger guys could have slotted it. With the dwarfs in the second row Koegelenberg may not have been a bad bet, 1.99m/115Kg, carries well and has a bit of mongrel. And what happened to Schoeman, the SA schools prop, he can scrum a bit? Same goes for Wilco Louw and Bannink, would they have fared worse? At hooker they also did not have to look further than Fred Kirsten, or the best schools hooker in SA last year, Arno van Wyk.
@Muzi: Most of them don’t even deserve to be in Tswene
@Speartackle:
now now please behave yourself sir remember many of these experts can be easily provoked. 
…..Theron is lazy I really wonder what really goes on during the trials.
Forget about the schools there are far too many Bulle players in this quad everytime the team playes k**k…I have to bare the brunt of these experts
It’s no secrect Dawie is a massive Bulls supporter to be honest with you some of those Tshwane lads don’t even deserve to be in france.
@Speartackle: about the 1st time I agree with you knowledge of the game
Anyone who can outsprint a Grey backline with the likes of Goosen, Jordaan, Serfontein and Small Smith in it, can outsprint the world
@BOG:
Our loose forwards could really benefit from Thabo Mabuza’s 60 metre dash.
@Muzi: I like it when the real experts start giving opinions. Jeepers 80 percent of these characters have no clue what they’re kotsing here
@bhkgpa: Please don’t remind me of the Paarl Gim game, I’m still in my emotional recovery phase of my therapy ( according to my therapist ). We are missing something or we are too critical of the boys, the commentators keep mentioning the physical strength of the BOKS but I dont see that in the loose, in the scrums, in the lineouts,… I’m loosing confidence in my rugby judging ability. Agree that Pollard was not too bad but at least tried to brake the line, his defence a little suspect, kicking was good. I know that he can make things happen on a bad day, but he must stay at flyhalf.
I fear for Ruan Steenkamp’s long term future at the Bulls not only is his lack of height and weight a disadvantage in senior rugby…..the poor guy is slow, ineffective and sadly a weak link behind the scrum.
….believe it or not I wasn’t even that impressed with him at the 2011 craven week, Queens College number 8 Johan Meyer was by far a better player in Kimberley.
At hooker in the young guns competition like Malcolm Marx he couldn’t even throw the ball straight.
I can remember Beet in the Sharksworld blog going on an on about the Bulls poaching Stoney from the Lions
Oom Theron’s baby boks tight five is piss poor yet again very disappointed with Dennis Visser he has failed to lift up his game.
Irne Herbst on the hand reminds me of that guy Dean Greyling he’s a bag of mistakes…a walking penalty one of the laziest locks I’ve seen in years…talk about a passenger in the pack. :roll:….what on earth did Xander see in this guy.
Paul Willemse can chill at loftus he has no competition for that enforcer role now I can see why the Bulls are aggressively pursuing the one and only PSDT.
Mike Willemse is the only decent player in that front row…Beerwinkel is a poor mans Brock Harris….Sithole was only selected to balance the demographics.
One has to admit though our back three is deadly with ball in hand especially in open play….Obi’s dodgy defence was targeted by the french players that’s why Jesse replaced him.
Too many Affies, Greys, Waterkloof and Monna players in this team. How can we compete without the millionaire dream team players of Boishaai and Paarl Roos?
@Predator: balls cannot go to the wings if you have our forwards, forwards do not perform then your backs means nothing, surely you must no that after the defeat against Paarl Gim
@Speartackle: not sure on the wickets there, think AB might out think him
@Muzi: pollard was one of he better players and made the difference
@Umtata: agree with most of your comments but Pollard had a very good game, he dictated the game like a flyhalf should. We’re good under pressure and showed bmt with the great kicks. Nothing better at under 20 level in the world, much better than that du Preez guy that played.
Geez beet are you still unhappy because Robert du Preez got axed??
….Hmmm as usual let’s put the blame on one single individual 
….Like they say haters gonna hate….perhaps it’s the fact that he’s a Bulls player 
…..some harsh words towards Handre he certainly wasn’t the worst player out there last night.
It doesn’t help if our tight five gets blown off the park…Pollard’s a confidence player he wasn’t afraid to take the ball to gain line…often breaking the line with ease even in the last 20 minutes he started to play well……at least he has shown he’s got BMT like the commentator said he thrives under pressure.
Without a doubt he made some errors in his game IMHO this comes down to player management like I said before….Dawie Theron,Brenden Venter,Nollis Marais and the Tukkies/Bulls should never have played him at inside centre the lad’s future is at flyhalf.
So glad I don”t have to go to Cardiff today and witness the Proteas getting Gayle forced.
Marne, Herbst, Visser are all completely useless!!! J du plessis jumps in most of the line outs buts he’s not even a lock. There were about 6 line out balls not straight from the french. What’s this policy on not contesting for line out ball?
Pollard did not have a great game but looked better at 10
First time tackling was poor
@Speartackle: Dont be so hard on yourself- even if you confuse Maritzburg Oval with the one in London. And the decline in brain activity is unavoidable at your age. Its natural. So, square your shoulders, chest out, deep breath and have a fart. You will feel better
@Speartackle: So what do you disagree with Spear!
We also need some Wilkinson Sword razors here. These bearded and half shaven boys won’t even create fear in a Dutch Reformed bazaar’s ghost house.
@Predator: I bloody hope not lol
We need Thabo Mabuza here in France
Despite my best efforts to draw a line between skill and flash, clearly, I have failed- looking at the comments here. Let me try it differently. In the first 10 minutes we saw the exhibition of skill and in the last 10, flash.@maroon8: O.a
………………..excluding Tjoppa
@Predator: ………..and clueless bloggers
@phat55: ” Hope WP can hold……….. ” a bold statement by the time their management see the games on video, the Bulls will allready have signed him,… even it is just to sit on the bench. Such a pleasure to see this exiting guy…and to all the Rugby Ghoeroes, coaches, Presidents, ball boys and bad managers,…HE IS NOT TO SMALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I cant believe that is the u20 age groups best tight five! no4 lock is super weak,no lineout contesting,crap scrummaging. having said all that I think the ref was poor at the breakdowns at times,also I can count on one hand how many French lineout throw ins were straight and not one was called! Kolbe is a phenom,superb on attack and solid on defence and also showing a good rugby brain to boot……..hope WP can hold on to him!
@Speartackle: Never seen Viljoen but I think the paler shade of Grey is dimming.
@Grasshopper: This Kolbe is absolutely awesome………….he makes Fred Astaire look like a statue.
@Speartackle: EW Viljoen too, some great fullbacks coming through…..
@Speartackle: Dewald Human is very similar to Kolbe but much smaller, they look like brothers when they jinx and run…..
Absolutely shocking………..embarrassing to watch the cream of the super schools programme perform so poorly. Props and locks can’t scrum, can’t tackle, can’t nothing. Looks like Dr Venter is bringing back the high tackle……………good luck to the Sharks in that regard………first time tackling non-existant…………….sight for sore eyes.
Kolbe a star in the making…………will wear the Bok jersey by next year…………he could be the reason I find new interest in this absolute horrendous game called rugby again. This guy is a phenomenon……………..I haven’t been this excited about an athlete since Arnold Taylor knocked out Romeo Anaya.
@BOG: soos Neetling Fouche?
@BOG: A shocking tight 5 performance, they don’t even contest in the line outs,..Why ? Wonder what this team will do without Kolbe. The centres are very suspect on defense, and why have all the speed on the wings but the ball doesn’t get there. I can recall the ball getting to Seanatla twice but with the defense on top of him. I know we are winning but the team are not playing well as a group. We have won so far on individual brilliance and that can bite you in the ass if they have an off day. Maybe I’m expecting too much.
@Amalekite: agreed, but watch the first half again, the scrum was ok until Beerwinkel and co came on and suddenly we were in turbo reverse. Scrumming has a lot to do with how the locks scrum too and our are pretty kak! Put du Plessis at lock and you will see a change. Did you ever see Bakkies side of the scrum go back? The locks anchor the scrum.
I hate to say this, but if they play like that again, I cannot see them retaining their title.
The tight five were poor in every aspect – scrumming, lineouts and in the loose. Not contesting a single lineout again is shocking, to say the least.
The scrummie was average. Pollard was poor.
Quite a few first time tackles did not take place. The way that France scored by going through the middle of the rucks was pathetic.
The only players worth mentioning are Du Plessis, Swanepoel and Kolbe.
A big improvement is required….We wait in hope!
They dont need a scrumming specialist coach- they need proper props- the ones who were left out for reasons other than rugby. We saw in the last 10 minutes the difference between skill, acquired over years, and “flash” or “magic” Skill lasts and the other two dont. Skill can be used all the time, the other two not. Its fair to say that 80% of these players will not make it into S 15.
Can we please send a front row ( scrumming specialist ) like Pieter de Villiers or Os du Randt to France,.. our pack don’t know which direction is forward,..shocking to say the least. When will Percy Williams be given some game time,..both the other scrumhalfs so far had bad games,.. give him a chance Dawie!!
@Rhino: More satisfying is that I corrected it before I read your comment.
Hah corrected as i said it..
Hey Beet – more so “Struggle”…………..;-)
We’ll take the win huh ! Well done boys !