Sanjay's Rugby World

The “Super 15″ will simply be known as Super Rugby. Here is the draw for the 2011 Super Rugby Competition.

The Round robin phase will take place over 18 weeks, before a 3 week play off system.

Every round at least 1 side will have a bye, with each team having 2 for the season.

Each team will play a double roun robin against sides within their own country (their own conference) and 4 out of 5 of the other 2 conferences.

Super Rugby Draw 2011

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Play Offs

Semi-Finals

Final

Although it’s still early in the year, Australian Rugby show, “The Rugby Club” bring us their plays of the year.

Featuring the best plays from the Super 14, Tri-Nations, International season, ITM Cup and more!

On Monday, SANZAR unveiled the details for the new Super Rugby competition (Super 15).

"New" Super Rugby Logo

New SANZAR CEO Greg Peters, unveiled the new name, new logo and new colours and said, “For the first time since its inception in 1996, Super Rugby will take on a whole new look in 2011.”

“The 15 teams will take part in a three-conference format which will see all of the teams in each conference tackle each other home and away; supplemented with inter-conference games and culminating in a new, six-team finals series.”

“We believe this competition will deliver even more of what our fans in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are telling us that they love about Super Rugby including more local derbies, intense cross-conference competition and the expanded final series with the guarantee of a home final for each of the conference winners.”

“These changes promise to take Super Rugby to a whole new level. For all of our fans and especially our younger fans who look forward seeing all of their heroes taking the field in their local colours,2011 will be a big year in prospect.”

NEW COMPETITION FORMAT

With an expanded competition of 15 teams, the new Super Rugby competition has been revamped dramatically.

Instead of the usual round robin format, there is a 3 way conference system where the 5 teams of each country essentially compete amongst each other. (Although the total points are calculated accross every side to determine places 4, 5 and 6.

This will mean each side plays 16 regular season games (as opposed to 13 with the Super 14), and a three week play off system.

Each conference winner is also ensured of a home finals match. Therefore, at least one finals match will be played in each country each year.

Confused? Well you should be.

Rugby has a habit of taking something simple and making it more complex! And I thought the aim was to attract more people to the sport!

A more detailed description of the new Super Rugby format can be found here.

SUPER RUGBY FACT FILE

• An increase in overall matches from 94 to 125 (an increase of 33%)
• A 50% increase in the length of the season in non-World Cup years – from 16 weeks to 24 weeks
• A 31% increase in the length of the season in World Cup years – from 16 weeks to 21 weeks
• 40 Super Rugby regular season matches played in each country each season as opposed to 26 in Australia under the Super 14 structure and 32 or 33 in South Africa and New Zealand
• There will be 20 regular season local derbies in each country as opposed to six in Australia, 10 in South Africa and 10 in New Zealand under the Super 14 format
• Half of all regular season matches will be local derbies
• Each team will play 12 of its 16 regular-season games within its own country – and only four matches overseas

FINALS SERIES FACT FILE

• The top team in each Conference will automatically advance to the finals in positions one, two or three (depending on their individual competition points totals)
• The other three teams to advance will be those with the highest number of competition points outside of the Conference winners
• The teams qualifying in fourth, fifth and sixth can come from any Conference – they could all come from one Conference
• In week one of the finals the teams qualifying first and second will earn a rest
• The third-placed team, as a Conference winner, will host the sixth-placed team in a sudden-death qualifier
• The fourth-placed team will host the fifth-placed team in another sudden-death qualifier
• The two winners will play the top two sides in semis the following week
• The winners of the semis will meet in the final

Television Match Official (TMO) Johan Meeuwesen explains the role of the TMO and how the television match official process works.

The video was made by Supersport, intervieing TMO Johan Meeuwesen before the test match between the Springbok and the Wallabies in Bloemfontein. Meeuwesen explains his job and how the TMO process works.

Week 10 of the Currie Cup and the Lions move into the Top 4!

The log jam in the middle of the table has changed order, with the Lions moving into the Top 4 and establishing themselves as genuine semi-final contenders.

By disposing of Griquas 40-29 in Kimberly which is always a difficult venue, the Lions have shown their recent results are no flash in the pan, and have probably killed off any hopes Griquas had of seriously making the semi-finals.

The Sharks were fairly scrappy in accounting for the Pumas in Witbank. But they got the vital bonus point win and will probably end the regular season top of the log. However they’ll be concerned at their loss of momentum, especially without the Beast and Bismarck du Plessis.

Western Province easily disposed of the Leopards at Newlands and will be glad to halt their losing streak and rebuild their campaign ahead of the business end of the season. Their vital quest for home ground advantage come the semi-finals still remains strong.

Possibly the most important match of the round belonged to the Cheetahs taking on the Blue Bulls at home in Bloemfontein.

After a dream start which saw Phillip van der Walt scoring after just 31 seconds, the match was characterised by strong defence.

The Cheetahs were able to win this match by a strong second half defensive effort that repelled the best the Blue Bulls could throw at them. The Bulls decision making needs improving in these tight matches, and having slipped outside the top 4, a crucial match against the Lions awaits!

Whilst not much has been made of the new competition format starting in 2011, I fear the Super 15 will be to the detriment of South African rugby.

Whilst expansion was needed, especially to ensure ongoing television rights which fund the game, much of the changes have been made to benefit Australian rugby, who enjoyed the support of New Zealand to effectively outnumber South Africa’s wants.

However in saying that, the South African administrators deserve to be sacked, for they have acted in Australia’s best interests, possibly fooled by the carrot dangled in front of them that expected that by agreeing to the Australian needs, South Africa could have been awarded the 15th super rugby franchise.

Where are the iron-fisted administrators such as Louis Luyt? He’d have never allowed this to happen.

South Africa still provide the bulk of spectators, and should have been leading the negotations, not rolling over to the Aussies demands.


The competition was designed to ensure:

• More local derbies (which attract greater crowds and thus make more money for the respective unions).

• Less ‘relative’ travel for each side which has been especially hard on South African sides.

• A longer season to allow Australian rugby the chance offer a product which can compete with Rugby League and Australian Rules football which run from February to September.

• An Australian designed play-off system which gives more teams a greater chance of making the playoffs and supposedly generate greater interest in the competition.

The Super 15 has been formatted to ensure Australia has a rugby product to rival Australian Rules Football and Rugby League with a product that will be available in Australia every week to compete against these codes.

In South Africa and New Zealand to a lesser extent, there is no competition for these codes, and we don’t need the long season.

It is hardly ideal to have a competition that has to break for the June international season, nor is it ideal to have a competition where teams may not play each other, yet others have to play each twice.

THE FOLLY OF THE PLAY-OFF SYSTEM

Australia has missed out on play-off spots in past years, and doctoring the system to ensure each country has at least 1 side competing in the playoffs is silly. Imagine if we said the 100m final at the Olympics must have 8 runners from different countries rather than the fastest 8 runners!

The playoff system has also been designed to more closely resemble the Australian football playoff formats.

It rewards mediocrity and takes away the meaning of each game by enlarging the number of teams eligible for the play-offs. In recent years Australian sides have tended to miss out on the play-offs by finishing in 5th and 6th position.

It means a side can finish in 6th place and still win the competition rather than reward the top 4 sides who have been more consistent all season.

It also adds to the complexity of an already difficult to comprehend format, with 1 and 2 player the winner of 3v 6 and 4 v 5 respectively, rather than the standard semi-final system most people are use to.

THE END OF THE CURRIE CUP?

However the worst feature is that I think it will signal the end of the Currie Cup as we know it.

The 2 rounds of within conference matches are effectively what we wish to see in the Currie Cup. When the Super 15 ends in August, to be followed by the Tri-Nations/4 Nations tournament, when do we have time for a Currie Cup before the end of year tour?

It means that the Currie Cup will be played without the Springboks, effectively becoming a ‘Vodacom Cup’ competition.

I’m surprised the New Zealanders agreed to Australia’s demands, because it signals the end of their ITM domestic championship too.

Will sponsors and fans want to watch competitions without the top players?

It’s not our fault that Australia does not have a local competition too serve their rugby and fight the competition they face from other codes.

IS THE SUPER 15 SUSTAINABLE?

I don’t see the Super 15 in its current format being a sustainable competition amongst the fans. Coupled with the above arguments, the sooner we get rid of it the better.

I do believe however super rugby needs expanding into new countries, and/or involve less teams so we get meaningful matches. In either scenario we could have keep the season format similar with an expanded competition moving to 2 pools and thus less games (like the old Super 10) or just have less teams, and better quality matches.

The official fixtures for the 2011 Super 15 have not been released yet.

The official Super 15 draw is only due to be released around around October 2010.

Details for the format of the Super 15.

However fixtures have already been earmarked, with talk that the NSW Waratahs will kick off the season against the Melbourne Rebels at AAMI Park.

The 2 sides are expected to play for the Weary-Dunlop trophy.

Round 2 will then see the Melbourne Rebels play the Brumbies in Melbourne, with the Waratahs playing arch-enemies the Queensland Reds.

I have been unable to find any further details of the 2011 Super 15 fixtures, but all should be revealed in another 3-4 weeks.

The Springboks have gone backwards under the reign of Peter de Villiers.

In the latest IRB World Rankings released after Australia beat South Africa at Bloemfontein, the Springboks have slipped back to third place.

When Peter de Villiers took charge in January 2008, the Boks were in first place with 90.81 points. They now occupy their lowest ranking since de Villiers took charge.

The All Blacks have opened a gap of 8.25 ranking points over their nearest rivals Australia, a gap that will be hard to close in the near future.

Top 20 IRB world rankings:

1. New Zealand 94.29

2. Australia 86.04

3. South Africa 85.22

4. France 82.75

5. Ireland 82.03

6. England 81.82

7. Scotland 79.81

8. Argentina 79.70

9. Wales 78.58

10. Fiji 74.39

11. Italy 72.97

12. Samoa 72.74

13. Japan 72.49

14. Canada 69.43

15. USA 67.86

16. Tonga 67.06

17. Georgia 66.38

18. Russia 65.80

19. Romania 65.10

20. Namibia 62.69

Whilst many are calling for patience and no knee jerk reactions to the Boks dismal Tri-Nations performances, the fact remains that the Boks are moving backwards under de Villiers.

With the talent at his disposal the Boks have under-performed. Anything less than a win in the Tri-Nations should be considered a failure.

The All Blacks have a winning ratio around 85% since 2008, whilst the Boks for all their domination in 2009 only have a winning ration of 63% in that time.

Considering the bulk of the side are 2007 Rugby World Cup Champions, and almost half the squad are Super 14 Champions, it represents underachievement from the Boks.

How are these players able to perform so well in their provincial colours, yet look so disjointed for the Boks?

With speculation that Jake White wants his Springbok coaching job back, it is interesting to note that White only had a winning ration of 67%. Not that much better than de Villiers.

I don’t care who coaches the Boks. Just get us back to the number 1 ranking, and get that winning ratio above 80%!

With 365 days until we take on the world in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, it’s time for Springbok fans to unite.

Get in behind the Boks, and give your support to our men in Green and Gold as they look to defend their Rugby World Cup title.

Despite the recent poor form of the Boks in the Tri-Nations it is time for People to stand United Behind the Boks.

You can visit the Unite 2011 website to pledge your support.

365 Days until we take on the world.

365 Days of discipline, dedication and determination.

365 Days for 50 million voices to unite behind 1 team.

The Super 15 is due to kick off in late February 2011, and will change the structure of the rugby season in the southern hemisphere dramatically.

The draw is only due to be released in October 2010.
Until the official draw for the Super 15 is actually released we can only speculate based on the information provided thus far by SANZAR.

The competition will run from late February and end in early August (as opposed to late May as with the Super 14).
In World Cup years, the tournament will start and finish earlier to ensure players have adequate preparation time for the Rugby World Cup.

The competition takes a break in June (from 2012 as there are no June Internationals in 2011 due to the 2011 Rugby World Cup).
Upon completion of the June Internationals, the Super 15 playoffs commence.

Each team will also have 2 byes, with the competition regular season to take place over 18 weeks.

Format

There will be 3 pools/conferences which are based on geography.
With the 15th side awarded to the Melbourne Rebels, each participating country has five sides.

Australia

ACT Brumbies
Melbourne Rebels
NSW Waratahs
Queensland Reds
Western Force

New Zealand

Blues
Chiefs
Crusaders
Highlanders
Hurricanes

South Africa

Bulls
Cheetahs
Lions
Sharks
Stormers

Super 15 Phase One – Local Conference

The competition will start with local derbies.
Sides will play each team in THEIR CONFERENCE ONLY.
4 Matches per team.

Super 15 Phase Two – International Conference

Teams will then play 4 of the 5 sides in each of the other 2 conferences.
Over each 5 year period sides will have missed playing each side in the other 2 conferences once in this phase.
8 matches per team played home and away as is currently the case with Super 14.

Super 15 Phase Three – Local Conference

The competition will continue with local derbies as per phase 1, but the venues will be reversed ensuring each side in the conference has played each other home and away.
4 Matches per team.

At this stage each side will have played 16 matches, and a winner from each conference will ensure Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have at least 1 side participating in the play-offs.

It is expected that Phase 3 will be interrupted by the June International season when it is not a Rugby World Cup year. The competition resumes after these Internationals.

Super 15 Phase Four – Play-offs

The 3 conference winners, and the next 3 sides with the highest TOTAL number of points will make up the top 6.
The 2 conference winners with the highest number of points will get a bye in the first round of the play offs, so that 3 plays 6 and 4 plays 5.
Presumably the winner of those matches plays 1 and 2 respectively as semi-finals and produce 2 winners to contest the final.

The competition will conclude in early August after which the Tri-Nations/4 Nations competition will commence.

Following 5 defeats in this year’s Tri-Nations by the most experienced side ever, how is it that the Boks are on a learning curve?

After the latest debacle in Bloemfontein where the Boks where beaten 41-39 by the Wallabies, and had to hand back their Mandela plate title, it’s surprising how the most experienced Bok side ever fielded, have not endured more criticism for being unable to close out the match when the Wallabies had to play most of the last 10 minutes with only 14 men.

After the match Springbok loosehead prop Gurthro Steenkamp said, “We can take everything this whole tri-nations as a learning curve, put it behind us and move forward.”

The full interview can be seen below courtesy of Supersport.





I struggle to comprehend what learning curve this Bok side needs to be on.

Every single player in the starting line-up has either won the Rugby World Cup or the Super 14 competition. Add to that most of them have won Tri-Nations, Currie Cups, multiple Super 14′s and a British and Irish Lions series.

It was the most experienced Bok side ever fielded. Why the need for a learning curve? Shouldn’t they know what and how to win?

The Wallabies by comparison are a young and inexperienced side and have had massive injury problems to many key players. They certainly learned a lesson pretty quickly from Loftus.

I am not having a go at Steenkamp, who is probably just repeating what is being said by the entire side. What I am having a go at is a side that keeps giving us excuses, fails to learn, and is alienating their supporters further and further every game.

It’s taken 47 years, but the Wallabies finally broke their run of 12 successive losses on South Africa’s Highveld.

Victorious Australian side

The Australians 41-39 victory was only sealed in the last minute with a Kurtley Beale penalty, but it is the mental victory that will hurt the Boks the most.

The Australians have played 18 previous matches on the Highveld, only winning twice. Firstly in 1933 in Bloemfontein, and 1963 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

The Aussies are spooked by the Highveld, usually basing themselves at sea level for their preparations, and more importantly, had not won at altitude since South Africa’s readmission or in the professional era.

The Boks had a mental edge, and only ever have to play at 40% at altitude to beat them. Even Harry Viljoen’s and Rudolf Straeuli’s sides didn’t lose to Australia on the ‘veld’.

That has all changed, and there is no covering up how ordinary the Boks have been this year.

Coach Peter de Villiers deserves to be fired for sub-standard results and if he truly believed in what was best for his side he’d resign.

The Springboks also lost their first test in Bloemfontein since losing 27-22 to England in 2000, losing just their 4th match in the city.





After the match Springbok prop Gurthro Steenkamp said, “I don’t think there will be any mental scars. We must give Australia their dues, they scored some great tries in the first half and cut us to pieces. But there’s no mental effect.”

However this victory was more significant than just the Mandela plate or avoiding the Tri-Nations wooden spoon.

It’s broken a long drought, and the self-belief and confidence it gives future Wallabies will be enormous.

de Villiers has the distinction of some unenviable records.  He’s now the first Bok coach to lose at altitude to the Wallabies in the modern era.

Following the Springboks 41-39 loss to the Wallabies, the Springbok Coach and Captain attempted to explain where it went wrong.

Captain John Smit said his side only had themselves to blame for the loss, “Everyone knows here we have players with experience. I told all the players that we have to get up tomorrow and have a good long hard look at ourselves in the mirror and see if we’ve brought everything we have got to the team” said a disappointed Smit.

Smit admitted he thought the side had it won once Saia Faingaa was yellow carded, and the most expereienced Bok side of all time should have been good enough to close this match out.

Smit also admitted it was disappointing to have to  have the same team talk at half time as the match at Loftus, and felt Jaque Fourie’s try just before half-time had kept them in the match.

“I really didn’t want to have the same team talk in the first half. We wanted to have a good start but we didn’t implement our defensive system properly. While we trained well all week, we made mistakes and we paid the price. We wanted to put in a decent performance but we only have ourselves to blame” said Smit.

Whilst Smit was honest in his assessment of the Boks shortcomings, it was worrying to hear Springbok coach Peter de Villiers once again fail to admit his side’s shortcomings as he said “If you look at how we started this one, I think we showed character to come back. Our structures are in place and they can take us to World Cup if executed properly.”

“If we execute our plans perfectly, it will be very difficult to score against us. We needed to show more character on defence” said de Villiers.

Well duh…if any side can execute their plans they’ll win. The problem is for 5 game the Boks haven’t been able to execute adequately whilst the opposition has.

Smit also said, “I told all the players that we have to get up tomorrow and have a good long hard look at ourselves in the mirror and see if we’ve brought everything we have got to the team.” He’d do well to make sure he reminds his coaching staff of that fact!

Week 9 of the Currie Cup saw the Bulls bounce back, whilst Province suffered a third consecutive defeat!

There is a log jam developing in the middle of the Currie Cup points table. Currently only the Sharks are reasonably safe, the 5 teams below them all fighting for the three remaining play off positions.

Whereas Province had looked assured of a home semi-final, their third loss in a row has seen them lose considerable momentum, and piled up the pressure they face.

Western Province haven’t been doing too much wrong, they’ve just been unable to execute when it matters, and like the Bulls, that is difficult when Bok call-ups mean you have to bring in youngsters who haven’t played together all season.

The Lions continued on their winning ways, and it remains to be seen if they have turned the corner. At least they have unearthed a gem in Elton Jantjies who looks to have a promising future.

The Cheetahs narrowly beat Griquas in Kimberly which is never an easy task, and that may just signal the end of Griquas’ challenge for the season.

The Pumas had their second 1 point victory for the second week in a row, condemning the Leopards to last spot.

The match of the round however took place at Loftus, where the Bulls came back from an 11 point deficit with a strong second half performance to beat the Sharks.

Prop Jaco Engels scored a wonderful 25m effort, whilst many of the Bulls younger players showed how much they have learnt this season as they were able to step up their performances when it mattered most.

The Springboks were a mixture of the sublime to the ridiculous as they lost 41-39 to the Wallabies at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

Springboks 39

Tries: Jaque Fourie, Gurthro Steenkamp, Jean de Villiers
Conversions: Morne Steyn (3)
Penalties: Morne Steyn (5)

Wallabies 41

Tries: Kurtley Beale, James O`Connor, Stephen Moore, Rocky Elsom, Drew Mitchell
Conversions: Matt Giteau (4), James O’Connor
Penalties: Matt Giteau, Kurtley Beale


The Springboks were awful on defence initially, conceding a bonus point try after just 24 minutes.

The Boks then put up a strong fightback and second half performance before failing to put the Wallabies away, once the Wallabies were against the ropes.

Collectively and individually, the Boks were a mixed bag. One can’t help but feel that half the side is carrying the other half, and it has tended to be the same guys producing strong performances all season.

Springbok player ratings:

1. Gurtho Steenkamp – 8

Another determined performance from the front ranker. Took his try extremely well. displaying the determination and commitment missing from his teammates.

2. John Smit (c) – 7

His best performance of the season as the captain worked hard and led from the front. Earned a valuable tighthead, and carried the ball willingly, although initally didn’t make enough yardage across the gainline, got stronger as the match opened up. Not sure what happened with the lineout error that led to O’Connor’s try.

3. Jannie du Plessis – 5

Made some strong tackles, and solid at scrum time.

4. Danie Rossouw – 5

Inaccurate at times with ball in hand, failing to protect the ball or get across the gain line. Unable to adequately replace Bakkies Botha.

5. Victor Matfield – 9

A colosus all over the park. Brilliant on Bok ball in the lineouts, but strangely didn’t contest much on Aussie ball.

Was superb in picking up with one hand and executing a chip and chase any back would be proud of to get the Boks back in the match. Superb vision and skills all around the park.

However did he blunder as captain once Smit left the field when opting for the kick at goal in the last few minutes when a kick to the corner may have led to a winning try?

6. Schalk Burger – 5

Was not able to effect 1 steal and allowed Pocock to win the battle of the breakdown. Industrious on attack but rarely breaks the gainline which is just not good enough.

7. Juan Smith – 7

Does the bulk of the work for the loose trio on attack and defence. Missed an easy ball from Fourie’s break that should’ve led to a Bok try in the first half, but half-atoned for it with a great cover tackle on Matt Giteau.

8. Pierre Spies – 5

Much better with ball in hand initially, stepping intelligently to get the Boks going forward.

Became less of a threat as the match wore on, and anonymous on defence.

9. Francois Hougaard – 6

Unable to repeat his man of the match performance from a week earlier. His service was slower, and kicks from the base not quite accurate enough. However his decision making wasn’t as sharp at Loftus which blunted his attacking edge.

10. Morne Steyn – 8

Kicked superbly, keeping the Boks in the game with his 100% record. Took the ball to the line on numerous occasions and defended well for a strong all-round performance.

11. Bryan Habana – 1

Started off poorly giving away an easy penalty and never got into the game. Missed the tackle that allowed James O’Connor to set up Rocky Elsom’s try and should have been subbed much earlier.

12. Jean de Villiers – 8

Showed great strength to crash through 5 Wallaby defenders to score. Solid on defence and always a threat on attack.

13. Jaque Fourie – 6

Had one great run midway through the first half as he ran 50m upfield, but perhaps should have looked to outflank the Wallabies rather than opt to go down the middle. Offered little else on attack, and doesn’t bring his back three into the game.

14. JP Pietersen – 5

Had one chance on attack but unable to repeat his heroics of a week earlier.

15. Francois Steyn – 5

Poor positional play. Offers very little on attack and still hesitates as last line of defence. Needs to look for more work and join the line more often.

16. Chiliboy Ralepelle – 5

Unable to create the impact at the breakdowns of a week earlier.

17. CJ van der Linde – 5

Minimal impact, and unable to carry the ball strongly like he has in the past.

18. Flip van der Merwe – 5

Minimal impact. Gave away the penalty that allowed Kurtley Beale the match winning kick.

19. Ryan Kankowski – 5

Very little chance with ball in hand.

20. Ricky Januarie –

Not used

21. Juan de Jongh –

Not used.

22. Gio Aplon – 6

Minimal chances, but showed he is always a threat with his pace and running skills. Displayed great courage on defence, including stopping a Wallaby attack when they had an overlap on his wing.

Man of the Match – Gurthro Steenkamp

Had a strong work rate over the full 80, and for the second week in a row was rewarded with a great try that typifies the hard work he has put in this year. Has been consistent all year and developed into the player that had raw potential a few years ago. A pity some of his teammates haven’t done the same!

Power Player – Juan Smith

Like Steenkamp, Smith puts in a consistent effort over the full 80. On attack and defence Smith soliders on and on. Makes the odd mistake like droped balls, but simply puts it behind him and carries on again. Has been the rock in the loose trio over the last few weeks, doing the hard yards that Burger and Spies are often absent from.

The Wallabies were deserved victors 41-39 over the Springboks in their Tri-Nations test at Bloemfontein

Springboks 39

Tries: Jaque Fourie, Gurthro Steenkamp, Jean de Villiers
Conversions: Morne Steyn (3)
Penalties: Morne Steyn (5)

Wallabies 41

Tries: Kurtley Beale, James O`Connor, Stephen Moore, Rocky Elsom, Drew Mitchell
Conversions: Matt Giteau (4), James O’Connor
Penalties: Matt Giteau, Kurtley Beale

WALLABIES DOMINATED EARLY

In what was almost a replay of the opening at Loftus just 7 days earlier, the Boks fell behind early as they conceded a bonus point try (again) after just 24 minutes.

The match was fairly even, but the Wallabies capitalised on their chances better, and errors from the Boks continued to gift the Australians points.

The Boks defended well for extended periods before one or two vital missed tackles allowed the Wallabies to finish off attacking forays and build a commanding 31-6 lead.

The Wallabies then had numerous opportunities to score what I believe would have been a match sealing try, but just came up short as the Boks finally displayed some desperation on defence.

BOK COMEBACK

With half-time looming, it took a brilliant pickup, and chip and chase from Victor Matfield to allow Jaque Fourie to narrow the gap and give the Boks a sniff at the half-time break.

The Boks dominated the third quarter of the match, as it was one way traffic with the crowd and momentum firmly behind the Boks.

Closing the gap to 1 point with 26 minutes to play, the Boks had the game for the taking.

It took a further 7 minutes for the Boks to edge ahead, and the green machine seemed to lose it’s intensity as the contest started to become more even again after the Wallabies looked dead and buried.

The sinbinning of Saia Faingaa, should have allowed the Boks to cruise to an easy victory as altitude and playing with 14 players took effect.

IT WASN’T BEALE’S KICK THAT WON IT FOR THE WALLABIES

Many will lament a last minute penalty that won the test and the Mandela Challenge plate for the Wallabies, but that’s not where the game was won and lost.

The Springboks had engineered a most unlikely fightback. 30 Unanswered points gave them all the momentum, and the age old conservatism that dogs Springbok rugby re-surfaced.

Rather than going for the win, for the killer blow when the Wallabies were down on the ropes, the Boks boxed unintelligently.

Penalties in the 61st and 76th minutes gave the Boks a narrow lead. Indeed some would say you always take the points on offer in a test match.

A try in either situation would’ve knocked the stuffing out of the Aussies.

FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE

Compare this to the Bulls approach earlier this year. In their match against the Hurricanes at Loftus, the Bulls were 1 point ahead and had a kickable penalty with minutes remaining.

Matfield opted for the kick to touch to deny the Hurricanes a chance to get their hands on the ball and maintain field position.

Had the Boks done the same, and scored a try with their 76nd min penalty, they would’ve won the game.

Sometimes to win, you have to risk losing. Fortune favours the brave, on this occasion the Boks weren’t brave enough.

INCONSISTENT TEAM EFFORT

The Springbok player ratings for Bloemfontein reflect the inconsistent individual performances across the team.

Some players are carrying others who are either grossly out of form, or just not able to compete at this level.

As John Smit said a week earlier, this sort of rugby will not allow them to win next year’s Rugby World Cup!

Springbok assistant coach Dick Muir is interviewed by Supersport ahead of the clash against Australia in Bloemfontein.

Muir discusses how the Boks were able to come back and the role that self-belief played by the experienced guys.

He also talks about the Wallaby approach and the threat of their game breakers.

Springbok assistant coach Gary Gold is interviewed by Supersport ahead of the clash against Australia in Bloemfontein.

Gold discusses the omission of a fetcher and how the Boks can cope at the breakdowns.

He also shows how highly he regards Bok captain John Smit, and discusses what position he should be playing.

Golden Lions president Kevin de Klerk and CEO Manie Reyneke announced on Thursday that John Mitchell will coach the Lions for the next 3 years.

Mitchell was surprisingly called in to coach the Lions for this year’s Currie Cup, even though he was still contracted to the Western Force for the 2011 Super 15.

The Western Force have stated they were reluctant to let Mitchell go but have released Mitchell from the final year of his contract. The Force will now be coach by current Wallabies skills coach, Richard Graham.

“Since John has been with us on a consultancy arrangement, we have been most impressed with his ability across our entire coaching structure” said a delighted De Klerk.

“It has been no secret that we wanted to engage John Mitchell on a longer term basis, but we realised this was always going to be subject to the Western Force agreeing to provide him with a release. We are thankful and appreciative that the Western Force gave us the green light.”

The decision has been made in consultation with Dick Muir, who remains the Director of Rugby at the Lions. This will now allow Muir the chance to operate in the role in a similar capacity to Rassie Erasmus at Western Province, and leave the daily hands on coaching to Mitchell.

Mitchell will be in charge of the Lions in both the Super 15 and Currie Cup, and is the second New Zealander to be in charge at the union after another former All Black coach Laurie Mains.

Mitchell had an 85% winning record with the All Blacks, however his returns with the Western Force have been very modest as they are yet to qualify for the semi-finals. Can he produce a similar turnaround to Laurie Mains?

The problem is that the Lions have a losing culture. They’ll need to recruit some big names, and develop the young talent. Where Mitchell may have an edge over “local” coaches is not being obsessed with bulk like most South African coaches.

It may lead to brave decisions such as promoting Elton Jantjies, which is the way forward for the Lions.

Can the Lions return to their winning ways like when they were the team of the 90′s? I still think not, but if the players show the same passion as Lions President de Klerk they may just have some hope.

“When I took over as president of the Lions I said I was only interested in leading a province of winners. The appointment of a coach of John Mitchell’s stature confirms that goal” said an optimistic de Klerk.

The Springboks and Wallabies are fighting to avoid the Tri-Nations wooden spoon, and lift the Mandela Challenge plate.

Wins for the Wallabies in their final two matches would see them relegated from final position, and a morale boosting second spot.

To do so they’ll have to win at altitude for the first time in the professional era, and break a 47 year drought on the highveld.

HIGHVELD ADVANTAGE

In the 18 Matches played on the highveld between the 2 sides, the Wallabies have only ever won twice. The last time was 47 years ago at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

The Wallabies have won 1 of the 3 encounters in Bloemfontein, however that victory was 77 years ago!

The Boks have yet to lose a test to Australia on the highveld since re-admission, and the only places they have lost home test matches to the Wallabies in this period is on the coast, at Durban and Cape Town.

It’s a strange decision by the Wallabies to base themselves at sea level, this week they are in Durban. They will only travel to Bloemfontein on Thursday. I would imagine the Wallabies will once again run out of puff, and provided the Springboks can at least stay close, they should be able to overpower the Aussies in the last quarter of the match.

MILESTONES

The 71st Test match between the two sides, and their 34th Vodacom Tri-Nations match with South Africa leading 42-28, and 18-14 respectively.

Since 1992 that record stands at 21-20 to Australia.

A total of 750 caps among the starting XV makes this the most experienced Springbok side of all time. The previous record was the 700 caps shared by the starting XV for the Test against New Zealand in Wellington earlier in the tournament.

Victor Matfield plays his 42nd Tri-Nations match, makeing him the 2nd highest capped player in the tournament behind George Gegan (48).

The Boks have played the Wallabies 3 times in Bloemfontein, for 2 wins and 1 loss and an average winning score of 16-14.

The Wallabies have only ever won twice on the highveld, 1933 in Bloemfontein, and 1963 at Ellis Park.

The Springboks have played 17 times in Bloemfontein, winning on 13 occasions, drawing once and losing just three times.
Their average score is 27-16.

South Africa hasn’t lost a Test match at Vodacom Park since 2000 when it was edged out 27-22 by England.

John Smit leads the side for the 76th time, and for the 28th time in the Tri-Nations making him the most capped cpatin in the competition.

If John Smit scores a try, he will be equal the Springbok try scoring record for hookers in a test match, held by James Dalton and Bismarck du Plessis (5).

Bryan Habana is currently tied for the most Springbok test tries (38) with Joost van der Westhuizen.

Jaque Fourie and Jean de Villiers will play in their 22nd test as a centre pairing since their first test together in 2005 against Australia at Ellis Park, extending their Springbok record as a centre pairing.

Wayne Barnes of England will officiate as referee in his sixth Test match involving South Africa. Of the previous five tests South Africa have won three and lost two.

TEAM SELECTION

Springbok coack Peter de Villiers predictably kept changes to a minimum after his sides first win in this tournament.

Flip van der Merwe and Danie Rossouw trade places after van der Merwe needed time for a neck strain to recover, whilst what looks like a serious shoulder injury to Butch
James brings Gio Aplon onto the bench in his place.

It’s time for this Bok side to show what it can given the largely settled nature of the side and ability to make excuses gone.

WALLABY CHANGES

Australian coach Robbie Deans has made 3 changes to his forward pack, opting for bigger, more physical men to match the size of the Boks.

“All three of the players coming into the pack will offer us energy. They know what to expect and – perhaps even more importantly – know what is required in order to be successful” Deans says.

The opening stanza at Loftus showed that the Wallabies can take the game to the Boks, and by reacting to the Boks lineup, they are trying to take the Springboks on at their own game.

That is a recipe for their disaster, and I suspect they’ve already lost the game before it is played. Add to that the decision to base themselves down at sea-level, and it’s evident the mind games have the Wallabies spooked.

PREDICTION

The game is probably as good as over. The Wallabies won on South African soil in 2008 to take the Mandela plate, but at altitude, with this squad, I can’t see them getting close.

The Boks will be looking for a massive performance before the core of the side earns a rest.

Scrum half Francois Hougaard gave an indication of how important a big win is for the Boks in their last Tri-Nations test. “I don’t think we’re going for 17-10, we want to crush them this time” said Hougaard.

If the Boks get away to a good start it could get ugly, otherwise it’ll remain close until the last quarter similar to Loftus.

Boks by 11

Go Bokke Go!

Springboks:

1. Gurtho Steenkamp
2. John Smit (c)
3. Jannie du Plessis
4. Danie Rossouw
5. Victor Matfield
6. Schalk Burger
7. Juan Smith
8. Pierre Spies
9. Francois Hougaard
10. Morne Steyn
11. Bryan Habana
12. Jean de Villiers
13. Jaque Fourie
14. JP Pietersen
15. Francois Steyn

16. Chiliboy Ralepelle
17. CJ van der Linde
18. Flip van der Merwe
19. Ryan Kankowski
20. Ricky Januarie
21. Juan de Jongh
22. Gio Aplon

The Wallabies:

1. Benn Robinson
2. Saia Faingaa
3. Salesi Ma’afu
4. Dean Mumm
5. Nathan Sharpe
6. Rocky Elsom (c)
7. David Pocock
8. Richard Brown
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. Drew Mitchell
12. Matt Giteau
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. James O’Connor
15. Kurtley Beale

16. Stephen Moore
17. James Slipper
18. Ben McCalman
19. Scott Higginbotham
20. Luke Burgess
21. Berrick Barnes
22. Anthony Faingaa

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)