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The Boks, According To Dwyer

denver — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:13:22 +0000

Australian World Cup-winning coach Bob Dwyer addresses the media

Australian World Cup-winning coach Bob Dwyer last night produced a devastatingly frank assessment of Peter de Villiers’s ailing Springboks.

Dwyer’s view on John Smit? “He is not up to standard. He’s too slow and doesn’t seem to have much enthusiasm for the game anymore. In the case of both Smit and Victor Matfield, it is feasible that as team leaders they are struggling with their own games versus the team’s game. But I think Smit is past it and Matfield may well be past it.”

Dwyer offered a serious alternative to the long-established Victor Matfield/Bakkies Botha second-row partnership. “I think the two best locks in South Africa right now are Danie Rossouw and Andries Bekker. They complement each other and are terrific competitors. But I’m not sure you can play Bekker and Pierre Spies in one team because they’re both wide runners and you might be short of guys in close to do the hard yards.”

Saturday evening at Brisbane’s Suncorp stadium represented a much-improved Wallaby performance, in Dwyer’s view. It condemned the Boks to a third straight loss and virtually no chance of defending their Tri-Nations title.

“I have described the Wallabies’ performance as much improved and declared them on the right track,” said Dwyer. “This is accurate but I don’t want to give cause for too much optimism – yet. Over the past two weeks, I have described the Springbok performances as poor, so a performance with any sort of quality should have produced a win against them, with their current squad and form. They have, after all, conceded about 100 points in the last three weeks.”

CAPITULATION

What then for the Boks?

“Their capitulation on last season’s end-of-year northern tour was nothing short of astonishing, and that same form has continued into this year’s internationals.

“Certainly, they are missing Fourie du Preez, Heinrich Brussouw and Jannie du Plessis, but their established players are just not producing.

“Dare I say it? Victor Matfield and John Smit look past it, and even the great Bryan Habana is having no impact on the game. Why is that, in Habana’s case? There were a number of parts to his game: he had a fantastic kick-chase game but the kicking is now not as accurate because all the kicking is now in the domain of Steyn, whereas before it was shared by Steyn and Du Preez. So the defence against the kicking can be much more focused and the kicking is subsequently not as accurate.

“Habana’s attacking game had two strings to it. One was at the end of a backline attack which, without Du Preez, and Jean de Villiers at centre, has lost most of its sting and there are now virtually no opportunities for him.

“His other attacking opportunities came either as first receiver or as pick and go when he injected himself in close. But the South Africans’ ball recycling has become so stilted that no opportunities exist.”

FLAILING BACKLINE

What of some of the other players in the Bok back line?

“Zane Kirchner is a good player but I have real doubts as to whether he’s a world-class player,” said Dwyer. “He doesn’t have any distinguishing features. He’s reasonable under the ball, reasonable on kick return, fair as an injection into the backline and on defence. But in no facets of the fullback game is he a world XV choice.”

Gio Aplon? “I like him; he’s a nuggety type of player prepared to have a go. But he’s yet to prove himself international class, even though he was outstanding in the Super 14.

Wynand Olivier? “I had to ask a colleague whether he actually played in the second Test against the All Blacks. That may explain Morné Steyn’s absence of form.

“I am most impressed with Steyn’s development as a flyhalf rather than just being a kicker but I haven’t been impressed at all with his international performances.

“But this may well be influenced by a less-than-great performance by the scrumhalf (Ricky Januarie) and inside centre (Olivier). It’d be pretty impressive to play well if you had duds inside and outside you. For me, Januarie isn’t up to it, whereas Ruan Pienaar is quality at both 9 and 10.”

What of Pienaar’s former Sharks colleague Frans Steyn, who is now playing in France?

“Frans Steyn is one of those guys that produces the occasional sublime moment. So I’d always pick him. He is a big strong kid, has pace too and can kick a goal from 60m to win you a game.”

“I’ve just felt in recent times that the South Africans’ adherence to quality technique had really taken some forward steps,” he added. “But in the last year their game seems to have fallen apart. They don’t seem to be doing anything, that seems the biggest problem.”

With thanks to IOL

Wallabies Heap Woe On Springboks

jaya — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:02:17 +0000

Schalk Burger gets tackled by two Wallabies.

Australia opened their Tri-Nations account with an impressive 30-13 victory over South Africa at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

Tries from winger Drew Mitchell and scrum-half Will Genia proved decisive, with a resurgent Matt Giteau weighing in with 15 points with the boot in a highly-entertaining clash. The Springboks’ indiscipline returned to haunt them with yellow cards for centre Jacque Fourie and prop BJ Botha, but they rallied late in the game with tries from Fourie and prop Gurthro Steenkamp. However, the Walllabies, who also lost fly-half Quade Cooper to a second-half sin-binning, held on to notch a deserved victory built on superior pace and intensity that sees South Africa return home without a point from their opening three Tri-Nations clashes.

The game did not begin well for the Springboks with their indiscipline proving their downfall again as it was in their recent back-to-back defeats to New Zealand. A reckless tackle from Fourie on Wallabies No.8 Richard Brown was spotted by the assistant referee and he was subsequently shown a yellow card by referee George Clancy with just two minutes on the clock. Replays showed the Bok centre had lifted his man dropped him head first into the turf, leaving Clancy with little choice but to sanction the visitors and reduce them to 14-men with the game in its infancy for the third week in succession.

The Wallabies looked to capitalise by stretching the South African defence but they lacked the precision to make their numbers count, while the Boks were happy to match their rivals’ commitment to a fast and expansive game, and more than held their own.

Steyn was short with a adventurous drop goal attempt as the visitors looked to make the most of their territorial dominance but Giteau was on-target with a long-range penalty as Fourie returned to the fray. Loose-head Benn Robinson and wing James O’Connor then combined to butcher an opening created by an electric break from Genia and an infringement at the breakdown allowed Steyn to level things up with his first penalty of the game.

But a rare error from Springboks wing Bryan Habana handed the Wallabies great field position soon after and a harsh penalty against the speedster moments later allowed Giteau to land his second penalty, which edged his side ahead once more.

Wallabies skipper Rocky Elsom was the next to cut a great line through the Springboks and the flanker powered into the 22 where some desperate defence held the home side up. A sustained spell of pressure eventually saw O’Connor denied in the corner by a great tackle from Habana but play was called back for an earlier penalty against the Boks that Giteau slotted to extend his side’s lead.

A huge tackle from Wallabies centre Rob Horne on Fourie underlined the physical nature of the game but the Boks were undeterred with No.8 Pierre Spies and fullback Zane Kirchner going close only to see the hosts scramble the ball away. Instead it was the Wallabies who kept the scoreboard ticking over with Giteau making it four from four.

The Boks raised their game again as the half drew to a close with flankers Ryan Kankowski and Schalk Burger combining well to create an opening for Habana, who was hauled down just short by a great tackle from Wallabies flanker David Pocock. A penalty went the way of the visitors at the breakdown and the Boks opted for a scrum but their gamble failed to pay off with Pocock again the thorn in their side.

The Wallabies responded with a great score just before the break. Elsom proved elusive in the Springboks’ 22 before Giteau weaved some magic with the Boks’ defence closing in and Mitchell juggled the ball before securing it and touching down for the try. Giteau pulled the conversion wide of the posts but his side ended the half firmly in control of the contest.

Kankowski blotted his copybook with a penalty soon after the re-start and the result was Giteau’s fifth penalty. The dancing feet of O’Connor then sparked a move that saw Mitchell carve his way across field and Pocock added weight to the attack. The ball was eventually worked wide to Mitchell, who ran out of room as he attempted to score in the corner, but play was once again called back – this time for a penalty against Bok tight-head BJ Botha – who was guilty of killing the ball and, as a result, was sent to the sin-bin as Giteau slotted the kick.

To their credit, the Springboks rallied but they were plagued by slow ball and the Wallabies snuffed out the danger. But the home side’s eagerness got the better of them with Cooper guilty of a dangerous tackle on Fourie that saw the Wallabies’ play-maker become the third player to be sent to the sin-bin.

South Africa opted to replace Steyn and inside centre Wynand Olivier with Butch James and Juan de Jongh in the hope of sparking a turnaround in their fortunes and the result was positive, with the Boks eventually making their numbers count with a try for Fourie, who showed great upper body strength to shake off the Wallabies’ defence. Pienaar pushed the conversion attempt wide of the posts to leave his side 15 points adrift with a quarter of the game remaining.

Cooper’s return made it an even contest once more before Giteau was short with his latest penalty attempt. The impressive Fourie was then hauled down by Mitchell on the Wallabies’ 22 after another strong run but the Springboks re-grouped for the next lineout and Steenkamp collected the ball from a towering Matfield before being driven over for a try. But once again Pienaar failed to add the extras in his last contribution to the game. However, any hope of a dramatic late escape were dashed by Genia, who darted over from close range to put the result beyond doubt. O’Connor kicked the conversion to cap a fine personal display and the Wallabies closed out the game for a famous win.

Courtesy of Scrum.com

Where Do The Boks Stand?

jaya — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 07:20:29 +0000

The Springboks watch a successful conversion in their match against the All Blacks.

All is not over for the Springboks, although the odds are against them as they go up against the Australians on Saturday.

They go into this weekend’s game having lost to New Zealand in the past two matches.

The Springboks have also not won in Brisbane since 1971. The Springboks’ hold a dismal record of five losses from five encounters at Suncorp Stadium and their present poor form adds to their disadvantage.

In the five Brisbane Tests to date, the Springboks registered double figures on only one occasion. That was 13 years ago in 1997 when they lost 32-20 and scored three tries – the last time they’ve scored a try in Brisbane.

Even last year, when the Springboks swept all before them in the Tri-Nations, their only loss in the Tri-Nations came in Brisbane when they were beaten 21-6 in a surprise result.

The Springboks’ lowest moment came in 2006 when six Wallaby tries secured a record 49-0 victory.

Their morale is down, they have felt hard-done by the referees, and they have also lost Andries Bekker to a back injury.

On the flipside, they have a few fresh faces in the starting line-up to inject some impetus, and can also point to a positive win record against the Wallabies, having won 43 to the Australians’ 27 since their first meeting in Sydney in 1921.

Facts and Stats

The scores in the five Tests between Australia and South Africa at Suncorp Stadium are (Australia first):

1997: 32-20

1999: 32-6

2003: 29-9

2006: 49-0

2009: 21-6

All-time record: South Africa won 43, Australia won 27, drawn 1

Biggest winning margin: SA: 45, 53-8 at Johannesburg, 2008; Aus: 49, 49-0 at Brisbane, 2006

Highest score: SA: 61 (61-22) at Pretoria, 1997; Aus: 49 (49-0) at Brisbane, 2006

Most tries: SA: 8 (53-8) at Johannesburg, 2008, (61-22) at Pretoria, 1997, (28-3) at Johannesburg, 1961; Aus: 6 (49-0) at Brisbane, 2006

Longest winning sequence: SA: 7 (1953-1963) and (1969-1971); Aus: 4 (1999-2000)

Most points (individual) : SA: Percy Montgomery 140; Aus: Stirling Mortlock 150

Most tries (individual) : SA: Breyton Paulse 7; Aus: Matt Giteau 9

Most points in a Test: SA: 26 Jannie de Beer at Pretoria, 1997; Aus: 29 Stirling Mortlock at Melbourne, 2000

Courtesy of Scrum and Timeslive

Jordy Smith Wins At Jbay

jaya — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:59:11 +0000

Jordy Smith

Jordy Smith was crowned the Billabong Pro J-Bay 2010 champion at Jeffreys Bay, convincingly defeating Adam Melling from Australia in the final to become the first South African surfer to win an ASP World Tour event since the legendary Shaun Tomson back in the mid-eighties and cementing the 22 year-old Durbanite’s position at the top of the ASP World Title Race Rankings.

Smith stamped his authority on the final from the outset, locking in excellent scores of 8.90 and 9.03 in the first five minutes to leave his opponent in a combination situation and needing to improve on both his scores throughout the 35 minute match-up.

“This is the best day of my life,” a beaming Smith said on the podium. “The crowd on the beach has been supporting me the last few days and hearing the cheers and the vuvuzelas just get me fired up to perform. It feels like they’re pushing me along. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

“I knew the swell was dying and I had to take advantage of every wave that came through,” Smith said of the final.

“Adam (Melling) is such a dangerous surfer. He’s been in form all day and I knew that if he got the waves, he would get the scores. I went out there knowing I had to open up strong.”

Smith defeated Nate Yeomans (USA), Owen Wright (AUS) and Adriano De Souza (BRA) before facing his biggest test in the semi-final against Bede Durbidge (AUS).

The experienced Australian seemingly had a berth in the final sewn up with the swell dropping and less than three minutes remaining. However, urged to catch a hip- high wave by his advisers on the dunes, Smith raced down the line and punted a high-risk ’Superman’ aerial that he landed successfully and performed a couple more moves before the ride ended.

In a classic never-say-die effort before the scores for the ride were even in, Smith then paddled into what was to be the last wave of the heat which opened up and allowed him to execute a series of progressive manoeuvres.

Needing 7.41 to advance, his score of 7.93 resulted in rapturous applause and a cacophony of vuvuzelas and cheering from the packed partisan crowd basking in the mid-winter sunshine.

Rated a lowly 41st on the World Title Race rankings heading into Jeffreys Bay, the 2010 ASP Dream Tour rookie who had not won a single heat in the first three events of the year powered his way through five rounds of competition, including defeating compatriot and 2007 Billabong Pro J-Bay winner Taj Burrow in the semi-finals.

His runner-up finish sees the Australian bumped up to ASP World No. 19, well inside the safety zone for the dreaded mid-year reduction in the field from 45 to 32.

Burrow consistently wowed audiences with his performance from Round 1 onwards, collecting the event’s highest heat total of 18.87 out of 20 in yesterday’s Round 4 to win the Nixon WTA award of a US $10 000 custom built Nixon timepiece. Despite today’s semifinal loss at the hands of Melling, Burrow moves up to the ASP World No. 2 ranking heading into Tahiti.

Sean Holmes’ rampaging run through the event was finally ended by Durbidge in the quarterfinals. The 32 year-old wildcard from Cape Town, who eliminated former ASP World Champions Kelly Slater (USA) and Andy Irons (HAW) yesterday, came within half a point of upsetting Durbidge too, but came up short in the small wind affected waves early Sunday morning.

Courtesy of Timeslive

Charges Against Quade Cooper Dropped

jaya — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:32:41 +0000

Quade Cooper leaves the Magistrate Court.

Burglary charges against Australia fly-half Quade Cooper have been dropped after police offered no evidence against him at his latest court hearing.

The 22-year-old was arrested last year following an alleged break-in at the Surfers Paradise resort in Queensland and the charge has hung over his head throughout this season. Cooper was originally ordered to complete a course of counselling by the Australian Rugby Union but was later recalled to the Reds squad for the Super 14 season and named Australia’s Player of the Season.

Cooper, who pleaded not guilty at an earlier court session, has been training with the Wallabies in Sydney ahead of their Tri-Nations opener against South Africa on July 24. Local media reported that his lawyers had entered into a mediation process with the complainants and police.

Director of Chesterfield Lawyers, Dan McManus, said mediation was an accepted part of the Queensland justice system. “It can only take place with the willing participation and consent of all parties, including the Queensland Police Service,” he told AAP. “Justice mediation is a confidential process and the parties cannot elaborate on the content or details of the events nor the process which has led to this outcome.

“Due to the confidentiality constraints of the justice mediation process, it is not appropriate to comment publicly further now that this matter has been disposed of, and no further comment can be offered.”

Cooper, who is set to retain the Australia No.10 shirt for the clash with the Springboks in Brisbane, was reprimanded last year for his role in a food fight at the Wallabies’ team hotel and later fined $10,000 (R66,000) by the ARU for bringing the game into disrepute following a dispute with a Brisbane taxi driver.

Courtesy of scrum.com