EOYT: Scotland v South Africa, 17/11/2012

[Seaton]

3-3 after 10 minutes

3-6 after 14 minutes.

SA controlling so far

3-11, Richie Gray off and game over already.

3-14

 

[Draggs]

Da fuq?

Try for Intercept blob Adriaan Strauss, 40m, nice pace!
This comes just after Willem Alberts steps and outruns Stuart Hogg.

 

[Seaton]

3-21, 46 minutes gone

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Really good try for Scotland

 

[Draggs]

Must have been watching me play Rugby Challenge with that one.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

If Scotland kicked all the penalties they've got in the last 30 minutes surely they would be in the lead by now?

 

[Draggs]

Scrum gone to ****, and coincidentally after CJ comes on.

 

[Seaton]

A fairly turgid game, all effort but no application

 

[YesImAfroJack]

the scots should have gone for the posts some more

 

[Draggs]

A fairly turgid game, all effort but no application

Tough to call the match. SA looked in control for the match, but Scotland tried to play the rugby.
Better result than two years ago, but SA are a long way off from where they should be with those players. Pyrgos looks a decent scrum half, wonder how the match would have gone had Gray not been injured.

 

[SomeOke]

- Really can't stress how much I'm loving our loose-trio at the moment, all monsters in defence, Willem carries like a beast and Flow great on the ground.
- Line-outs looking great, Etzebeth just gets better and better.
- In general I thought our ball carriers were doing a decent job of making ground, but the Scottish rush defence didn't really give our outside backs to do anything.
- Defence was brilliant with a few exceptions (I thought CJ, Guthro and and Kruger weren't up to scratch defensively.)
- CJ is not up to standard, scrumming is horrible, he needs to learn how to bind properly, binding on the arm isn't giving him enough leverage.

Also anyone else notice anything familiar about the Scotish Try?

 

[TRF_heineken]

Ugly win, but a win nonetheless.

I think the win, in any way possible, was what Heyneke wanted, as our previous result was a loss to the Scots at murrayfield, and the fear of history repeating itself would have daunted the Boks.

Our forwards, apart from Flip (the walking yellow card) and CJ, dominated in all facets of the game.

Our backline were great in defence but on attack, a bit meh... JDV was the most potent and his runs on the Scottish fly-half made huge inroads, but we just couldn't capitalize from there on.

Ruan Pienaar kicked again way too much, his service was again slow and he didn't give the backs enough front foot ball.

Lambie was a bit out of sorts, on 2 occasions, we had a lot of guys able to run at the Scots, yet he did the cross-kick, eliminating our numbers.

Again way too much kicking, and I can't help but wonder that the guys just don't know what to do with ball in hand. Hopefully the more they play together, the more it will change for the better...

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[Seaton]

Our forwards, apart from Flip (the walking yellow card) and CJ, dominated in all facets of the game.

Not really, the Boks committed numerous offences at every scrum, whether it be Steenkamp boring in, the front-row standing up, not binding, hands on the floor, backline within 10, Louw disengaging early from every second scrum, etc...

I am quite worried for the Boks, if the Pumas take their chances better next year, Aussies get some semblance of their first choice team back and New Zealand doesn't sink, even with returning players I could very easily see Meyer leading the Bokke to the wooden spoon next year.

Saving grace could be the easy June schedule, but it could work both ways in that it either gives the team confidence, or is too easy and leaves them underprepared with weaknesses not tested heading into the RC.

Hopefully CJ gtfos for the England game, Kruger unimpressive and rightly subbed instead of Etzebeth. Will be interesting to see others opinions on who should be dropped for the next game. (Of course nobody will, maybe Lambie but no-one particular worthy of being so will be)

 

[Draggs]

I can't help but feel that Lambie tried to force a different style upon himself.
I don't know whether it was Meyer's orders or his own choice.

 

[SomeOke]

I can't help but feel that Lambie tried to force a different style upon himself.
I don't know whether it was Meyer's orders or his own choice.

Definitely Meyer's orders, I mean the game plan seemed fairly obvious from the beginning, the ball hardly made it too outside centre, it's hard to be creative working under that type of game plan.

That said should we be upset? Are we asking to much when we call for an expansive game-plan from the Bok's? Let's be honest with ourselves for a second, our biggest strength as a rugby nation is our big physical forwards, when you have good physical ball-carriers, a good line-out, and a good maul should we be fighting against the flow?

Hypothetically if we did decided to play a more expansive game, would we be doing any better? I'm not convinced, if we brought through some of our youngsters who would suit that type of game (Jordaan, le Roux, Van Zyl etc) would we really be able to compete with NZ? It just seems like they have so many players of that type who are of a greater quality, in terms of back line flair even Aus have players far more suited to that style.

All through High School before rugby practice all I ever remember doing is playing Kopperstamp in the goal-line, it's how our players have been bred to play. Maybe we just need to embrace our nature. Is that really such a depressing thought? Or a freeing one...

Yes we aren't coming up with great results at the moment but I'm not convinced it's because we're playing the wrong style, our execution is often just poor, something which should improve with time. When it works it works, I don't think SA kicked to much at all this last game, some of the kicks were very effective, sometimes it just seemed like they were poorly executed or just not the right option at the time.

 

[Dougydeluxe]

Scotland brought to much to late... The back quarter of the game was amazing and Scotland blew it again. I still think they are getting better, Pyrgos played great and should now get a starting chance. Scott in the center was great again. But once again De Luca is lacking. Losing Grey also sucked and had we had him, I think our attacking game would have started firing sooner.

If you take away the intercept mistake by Blair the game was really close. Scotland need to start games better, stay focused, and learn to trust each other. I can't wait for Six nations, if they bring the heat they can upset some games.

In Sir Andy I trust

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

CJ has to go. I'd be very tempted to start Franco van der Merwe. Thought he was the other on form lock along with Etzebeth during the domestic season and he isn't a rookie. Etzebeth was once again fantastic at the line-out and Scotland had to rely on throwing in skew (only got pinged the one tme) or flat to ensure possession.

Hougaard needs to get involved more and has had his chances IMO. Bring in Mvovo and I hope Taute gets a crack at 15. That said eve a back three of Mvovo, Tuate, Pietersen with JdJ at 13 aren't going to do much if the ball doesn't go past 12. Numbers are key. Just yesterday we were playing some sunday touchies and us old guys (30+) humiliated some high-schoolers by just letting the ball go through the hands.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I agree with SomeOke.

The Boks won the game in the traditional way the Boks win games. Why should we be negative about it?

The only changes I'd make to the team is to take Flip and CJ out of the 23, and but Pat Cilliers and Arno Botha in. Willem Alberts and Duane Vermeulen can then be back-up locks.

As for our backline, I'd put Taute in ahead of JDJ, purely because of Tuilagi. Taute is better on defence than JDJ and if Tuilagi gets some ball, I think JDJ will be in trouble...

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[Seaton]

The Boks won the game in the traditional way the Boks win games. Why should we be negative about it?

Because the performance wasn't good enough, nor is the 'traditional way' good enough in the modern game.

Beating the All Blacks or even Wallabies has been dependant in general on them having off-days rather than the Boks having good days in the last 8 years.

If they front up, which they usually do, there is nowt to fall back on. See the same for losses against Ireland/ Scotland.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Nah, JdJ has handled far worse than Tuilagi. Show me one vid of JdJ dropping a tackle.