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Gary Boshoff
Like most rugby fans, I expected the Springboks to do much better in Wellington than they did the weekend prior in Auckland. In fact, the optimist in me quietly tipped the Boks to win the second Test.
Like so many of you, I could not hide the disappointment when the boys fell victim to a combination of poor decision-making, lacklustre defence and ill discipline, yet again.
Despite the disappointing loss, in my assessment the Boks played much better than at Eden Park.
This having been said, I was somewhat surprised at the almost immediate predictions of doom and gloom that has beset the South African media after this second loss.
All of a sudden, Ricky Januarie is the worst scrumhalf in the world; John Smit is too fat and Pierre Spies can only play behind a dominant tight five; and this and that.
Yes, the Springboks lost two consecutive Tests against the top-ranked team in the world in cold and unfriendly conditions in New Zealand. Let us not forget that losing in New Zealand has always been a possibility (and will continue to be in future) despite the Springboks’ dominance over the All Blacks in 2009.
It does not mean that all is lost or that the players and coach have now surrendered to their arch-enemies; the Springboks can and will come back from this setback because that is all it is, a setback, in the battle for supremacy in rugby. A mere 10 months ago, the All Blacks were in a worse position and look where they are today!
It is normal for the South African public (and some of our fanatic rugby reporters) to go off the deep end when the Springboks lose against the All Blacks, especially while we are the reigning world champions and while we like to believe that we have the “best team in the world”.
The truth is that carrying this title means that you are defending it every time you run onto the field in a Test match, more so when you play the All Blacks. The rivalry is bound to grow more intense and not less, that is the nature of the contest.
However, while I understand the psychological significance of the battle for dominance between this two great rugby nations, I find the latest lamentations and bleating coming from the coach, captain and a host of prominent rugby commentators a little infantile and quite frankly, old hat.
Really, at this stage of the development of the game in South Africa, especially now that we have achieved the highest accolades in world rugby, I expected a more mature and diplomatic approach from our distinguished coach and internationally acclaimed captain.
To hear Peter de Villiers and Smit whine about the referee on television, interview after interview, made me recoil with embarrassment; this after they were thoroughly and comprehensively beaten by the All Blacks.
I really believed that we’d managed to put the idea that the rest of the rugby world somehow secretly conspires against the Springboks, behind us by now. I guess I was wrong because it certainly comes in handy when we get beaten by a better team and need to find someone to blame.
One of the things that has always fascinated me, was how eagerly South Africans criticise their own when they lose against a better team, unwilling to recognise that perhaps the primary reason the team lost was that on the day, the opposition was just tactically, mentally and physically better prepared than the Springboks and deserved to win.
This was indeed the case in the two recent Tests against the All Blacks. Yes, there were some unfortunate refereeing decisions, but then again, there is hardly a rugby match that goes by without a strange or unfair decision or two. Yes, the Springboks looked lethargic at times, but there were many occasions during the match that they played like true world champions and were unfortunate not to score.
Ironically, it was De Villiers who on the eve of the Auckland Test said that the nature of international rugby and the level of professionalism and performance levels reached by the two teams dictate that it is the tactical and mental contest that will determine the winner. Over these past two weekends the Springboks were thoroughly beaten in these areas.
It is now time for De Villiers and Smit to stop whining about referees and start focusing on their own attitude and how they plan to turn around the fortunes of the Springboks; it is after all why they are coach and captain respectively.
Gary Boshoff is a former SARU player and current Afrikaans rugby commentator on SuperSport.
Disclaimer: Sport24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on Sport24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sport24.
Like most rugby fans, I expected the Springboks to do much better in Wellington than they did the weekend prior in Auckland. In fact, the optimist in me quietly tipped the Boks to win the second Test.
Like so many of you, I could not hide the disappointment when the boys fell victim to a combination of poor decision-making, lacklustre defence and ill discipline, yet again.
Despite the disappointing loss, in my assessment the Boks played much better than at Eden Park.
This having been said, I was somewhat surprised at the almost immediate predictions of doom and gloom that has beset the South African media after this second loss.
All of a sudden, Ricky Januarie is the worst scrumhalf in the world; John Smit is too fat and Pierre Spies can only play behind a dominant tight five; and this and that.
Yes, the Springboks lost two consecutive Tests against the top-ranked team in the world in cold and unfriendly conditions in New Zealand. Let us not forget that losing in New Zealand has always been a possibility (and will continue to be in future) despite the Springboks’ dominance over the All Blacks in 2009.
It does not mean that all is lost or that the players and coach have now surrendered to their arch-enemies; the Springboks can and will come back from this setback because that is all it is, a setback, in the battle for supremacy in rugby. A mere 10 months ago, the All Blacks were in a worse position and look where they are today!
It is normal for the South African public (and some of our fanatic rugby reporters) to go off the deep end when the Springboks lose against the All Blacks, especially while we are the reigning world champions and while we like to believe that we have the “best team in the world”.
The truth is that carrying this title means that you are defending it every time you run onto the field in a Test match, more so when you play the All Blacks. The rivalry is bound to grow more intense and not less, that is the nature of the contest.
However, while I understand the psychological significance of the battle for dominance between this two great rugby nations, I find the latest lamentations and bleating coming from the coach, captain and a host of prominent rugby commentators a little infantile and quite frankly, old hat.
Really, at this stage of the development of the game in South Africa, especially now that we have achieved the highest accolades in world rugby, I expected a more mature and diplomatic approach from our distinguished coach and internationally acclaimed captain.
To hear Peter de Villiers and Smit whine about the referee on television, interview after interview, made me recoil with embarrassment; this after they were thoroughly and comprehensively beaten by the All Blacks.
I really believed that we’d managed to put the idea that the rest of the rugby world somehow secretly conspires against the Springboks, behind us by now. I guess I was wrong because it certainly comes in handy when we get beaten by a better team and need to find someone to blame.
One of the things that has always fascinated me, was how eagerly South Africans criticise their own when they lose against a better team, unwilling to recognise that perhaps the primary reason the team lost was that on the day, the opposition was just tactically, mentally and physically better prepared than the Springboks and deserved to win.
This was indeed the case in the two recent Tests against the All Blacks. Yes, there were some unfortunate refereeing decisions, but then again, there is hardly a rugby match that goes by without a strange or unfair decision or two. Yes, the Springboks looked lethargic at times, but there were many occasions during the match that they played like true world champions and were unfortunate not to score.
Ironically, it was De Villiers who on the eve of the Auckland Test said that the nature of international rugby and the level of professionalism and performance levels reached by the two teams dictate that it is the tactical and mental contest that will determine the winner. Over these past two weekends the Springboks were thoroughly beaten in these areas.
It is now time for De Villiers and Smit to stop whining about referees and start focusing on their own attitude and how they plan to turn around the fortunes of the Springboks; it is after all why they are coach and captain respectively.
Gary Boshoff is a former SARU player and current Afrikaans rugby commentator on SuperSport.
Disclaimer: Sport24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on Sport24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sport24.
