XV Reasons To Be Excited: #2 Bismarck
Bismarck du Plessis
What started off as such a promising season for the Springboks in 2010 imploded in rather spectacular fashion on an unsuccessful away leg of the Tri-Nations. Injuries to key players, fatigue and an unwillingness from the coaching staff drop misfiring players all contributed to the winless trip.
We’ve compiled a list of fifteen players who didn’t get a chance – either through injury, cooling their heels on the bench or being left out – to play in the Tri-Nations to prove to you that things aren’t all doom and gloom in South Africa. We’ll be unveiling our team over the next week.
Keep logging on to see who we’ve selected and have your say on our facebook page. We move on to hooker now where John Smit has been some way off his best game. Smit looks to have bulked up to play at tighthead prop and has been cutting a rather ungainly figure at hooker.
The good news, though, as Bismarck du Plessis is back in training and should be pushing to grab back his Springbok place.
2. Bismarck du Plessis
Du Plessis’s neck injury cost the Springboks one of their more physical players. The young hooker may tread on thin ice when it comes to towing the disciplinary line, but part of that stems from him being in full out enforcer mode. With Bakkies Botha out the Boks desperately need a hard man in the pack, but he’ll have to tread carefully as the team is under the spotlight for poor discipline once again.
An overlooked fact is that Du Plessis executed the second most turnovers for the Springboks last season during the Tri-Nations, behind Heinrich Brussow, and his mobility and influence in the tackle is clearly missed. With the Bok captain struggling to recreate his best form there are many eager to see him reclaim the number two jersey.
Ones to watch: There are a number of other hooking options in South Africa, but few of them stand out as world class players. Tiaan Liebenberg and Gary Botha both give a full-hearted effort up front while Adriaan Strauss also continues to build an impressive reputation. None of the trio would be out of place in the Green and Gold and then there’s still the unknown quantity of Chiliboy Ralepelle and the impressive Bandise Maku waiting in the wings.
The Boks, According To Dwyer
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
Fourie And Cooper Hit With Bans
Quade Cooper illegally tackling Morne Steyn.
South Africa centre Jaque Fourie has been handed a four-week ban and Australia fly-half Quade Cooper a two-week suspension in the wake of Saturday’s Tri-Nations clash in Brisbane.
Fourie was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle on Australia’s Richard Brown after just two minutes of the Wallabies 30-13 victory at the Suncorp Stadium and was cited following the game along with Cooper who was also sin-binned in the second-half for a similar challenge on South Africa’s Morne Steyn.
The 27-year-old Fourie, who also picked up a four-week ban for a dangerous tackle on All Blacks centre Ma’a Nonu during last year’s Tri-Nations, is now banned from playing until August 22 that will see him miss two Currie Cup matches for Western Province and the Tri-Nations clash with New Zealand on August 21.
The suspension brings an end to a disastrous tour for the Springboks that also included two defeats to New Zealand. Lock Bakkies Botha was sin-binned during the opening loss to New Zealand and was subsequently banned for nine weeks for a separate incident – a head-butt on All Blacks scrum-half Jimmy Cowan.
Lock Danie Rossouw saw yellow against New Zealand in Wellington while wing Jean de Villiers was suspended for two-weeks following the same game for a dangerous tackle on All Blacks winger Rene Ranger. And in their latest outing, prop BJ Botha was also sent to the sin-bin for deliberately slowing the ball.
In a massive blow for the Wallabies, Cooper will miss Australia’s back-to-back Bledisloe Cup Tests against New Zealand in Melbourne next Saturday and in Christchurch the following week.
He appeared before SANZAR’s Bruce Squire QC of New Zealand in Brisbane on Sunday. Squire found Cooper guilty of a breach of Law 10.4 (j). He compared the offence to that of Springbok wing Jean de Villiers in last week’s Tri-Nations match against the All Blacks, for which the South African was suspended for two weeks.
“This is consistent application in terms of like penalties for like offences,” said Squire. The suspension ends on August 8 but Wallabies coach Robbie Deans revealed he would consider an appeal.
“Obviously Quade’s disappointed, we’re disappointed but we’re in the process now of contemplating where to from here,” Deans told reporters. “It obviously means that we’re posed with a different challenge I guess, but it will still be a significant challenge that we’ll bring to Melbourne.”
In a further blow to the Wallabies’ Tri-Nations aspirations winger Digby Ioane has been ruled out of the remainder of the competition with a shoulder injury. Ioane had dislocated his left shoulder during the Wallabies 21-20 loss to England in Sydney last month and was expected to be out for the season before a later assessment offered hope he may be fit for the Melbourne clash against the All Blacks.
But a recurrence of the injury in training has dashed those hope. “It’s tough on Digby because he got his hopes up,” Deans said. “He’s a tough bloke and he’s a great bloke and he deserves a lot. He will get a lot. He will be rewarded as an individual he’s just paying forward, I guess.”
South Africa centre Jaque Fourie has been handed a four-week ban and Australia fly-half Quade Cooper a two-week suspension in the wake of Saturday’s Tri-Nations clash in Brisbane.
Courtesy of Scrum.com
Conspiracy Against The Springboks?
Peter de Villiers
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers is famous for his media outbursts, but he sunk to a new low by suggested his team have been victims of a conspiracy to assist the All Blacks ahead of next year’s World Cup in New Zealand.
Sanzar officials will investigate comments by Springboks coach Peter de Villiers, who has claimed the All Blacks’ recent victories over South Africa were part of a conspiracy aimed at generating support before next year’s World Cup tournament.
Sanzar will be forced to censure de Villiers if they rule the comments brought the game into disrepute.
As South African officials took issue with what they claimed were adverse refereeing and judicial rulings, De Villiers went further, insinuating the All Blacks were aided by referees in the Tri-Nations to help swell Kiwi World Cup excitement.
“I’ve got my own observations about the last two Tests, and maybe I can’t say it in public, but we do have a World Cup in New Zealand next year and maybe it was the right thing for them to win the games so they can attract more people to the games next year,” he said on Australian television.
In a concerted campaign to put pressure on referees, the South African Rugby Union yesterday said it wanted to address what it perceived to be ”bias” against them by referees and the judicial process.
The Springboks and SARU are upset their second-rower Bakkies Botha was suspended for nine weeks for headbutting All Blacks halfback Jimmy Cowan in the Auckland test, while winger Jean de Villiers received a two-match ban for a dangerous tackle on Rene Ranger during the Wellington test.
Botha was also sin-binned in Auckland for a professional foul while second-rower Danie Rossouw received a yellow card in the second match after an altercation with All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.
De Villiers was particularly unhappy about the way Irish referees Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland controlled the breakdown in both matches.
SARU president Oregan Hoskins has instructed South Africa’s representative on the SANZAR legal committee, Judge Lex Mpati, to ”take up” the alleged inconsistent rulings against the Springboks.
”I have stressed to Judge Mpati the seriousness of the matter, and he has promised that he will come back to me in writing, hopefully by next week,” Hoskins said.
“I don’t want to say too much further, as previously I have spoken about the issue in the media and nothing has been done about it.”
South Africa face another Irish referee on Saturday when George Clancy will officiate in their must-win clash in Brisbane, where they have not triumphed in the post-apartheid era.
Courtesy of iafrica.com and stuff.co.nz
Springboks Take Complaints To Sanzar
Oregan Hoskins, Peter de Villiers and Victor Matfield at a press conference.
The Springboks are taking their complaints to an official level with the South African union asking Sanzar to look into what they clearly feel is a bias against Peter de Villiers’ side by the judicial system.
The two match ban on Jean de Villiers for a dangerous tackle on top of Bakkies Botha’s nine-week ban for head-butting has raised the anger of the South Africans after a tough two weeks in New Zealand where they lost both Tri-Nations tests to the All Blacks.
South African Rugby Union boss Oregan Hoskins has instructed the Springboks’ representative on the Sanzar legal committee, Judge Lex Mpati, to look into the matter.
“On the judicial side, I have asked Judge Mpati to take it up,” Hoskins told the Cape Times newspaper.
“A number of stakeholders have complained to me about the lack of consistency in the rulings of the judicial officials in rugby.
“I have stressed to Judge Mpati the seriousness of the matter, and he has promised that he will come back to me in writing hopefully by next week.
“I don’t want to say too much further, as previously I have spoken about the issue in the media and nothing has been done about it.”
Jean de Villiers wasn’t penalised for the tackle on Rene Ranger during the Wellington test by referee Alain Rolland, but was cited afterwards by the Australian citing commissioner Scott Nowland.
The Boks are angry that nothing was done against Ranger for an earlier ”no-arms” tackle against their fullback Zane Kirchner.
The world champions were also vocal in their assumption that All Blacks captain Richie McCaw was getting away with too much at the breakdowns, believing he should have been yellow-carded at the Cake Tin.
Coach de Villiers vented his frustration after the match by suggesting he was considering coaching his team to “cheat” on the field after struggling with refereeing inconsistencies over the first six tests of their latest campaign.
“As a coach, you don’t want to coach your team to cheat, but maybe that is something we are going to have to consider,” he said.
South African Rugby’s manager of referees, Andre Watson, did not want to comment on Rolland’s performance in Wellington.
“I looked at the ref, and he made some brilliant decisions and some not-so-good decisions,” Watson said.
“I can’t say if the Boks got a raw deal from the referee because if I do say that that is the case, then South Africa will love me and the rest of the world will hate me, and if I don’t feel that way, it will be the other way around.”
Courtesy of stuff.co.nz
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