Mr Happy

I found this sensational clip below from the boys down under - a super blog called green and gold rugby. Before watching it there are a few points to consider.

I've just had a quick squizz back on some of my older posts and there are two posts that follow each other one after the other excepting that the one was written in November 2009 and the other in March 2010. Both pretty much talk about the same thing - Boks Need Flexibility and SA Sides Play Dumb.

It seems that old habits die hard!

After a superb first half of 2009 it had seemed that the Boks had finally learnt from the past and were playing to the interpretations of the referee on the day (excepting perhaps the 3rd test against the ABs where they won despite Nigel Owen's dubious intentions). However, things seemed to fall apart again on the end of year tours where it was easier to blame the poor form on 'fatigue'. Come 2010 and we are again in the same boat of falling foul to refereeing interpretations and a seemingly unchanging approach to test match rugby.

The point I'm trying to make is that SA sides have for many years been unable to adapt their game plan and be flexible in their approach - in other words, they seem to be hitting their heads against a brick wall and play dumb rugby. The end of year tour would have been the perfect platform to not only find depth in the squad but also to continue tweaking and honing the Bok skills, structures and game plan.

Yet, it seems as though we are quite content with a good win here and there. Tri-natins won - job done - now we don't have to win it again for another few years. There isn't a ruthlessness or motivation in the SA psyche but that is a topic for another day.

Getting back to the topic at hand, former ABs Craig Dowd and Jeff Wilson recently said on a podcast that the ABs are just 'too clever' and beating opposition in the 'top two inches'. And it's impossible not to agree with them.

Video evidence below shows that they play the ref to a tee and for too long have SA sides not been able to adapt to the interpretations of the man in the middle on the day. Not only that but SA rugby on the whole is constantly the 'victim' in world rugby and everyone is always out to get us. While you cannot deny that there are certainly plenty dubious calls and incidents that go against SA rugby, the question is - why are we not smart enough to be like NZ and have all involved in world rugby on our side? If this was a game of 'Survivor 58 - World Domination' South Africa would surely be the first voted out at tribal council.

Change is constant and it requires teams to constantly innovate and constantly hone their game. After last year's Tri-nations, it was a perfect time for the Boks to do this yet we seem to have gone backwards...

To the video: You can make your own mind up about it but to my mind, it is all clearly illegal yet a briliantly thought out tactic. Watching those tactics at hand at full speed, it seems as though the ABs are just too strong at every breakdown and seem to be 'going forward' every single time. For a referee watching this, it would be hard not too constantly side with the team going forward. Yet, a better ref on the day would have spotted this and it shouldn't be too long before other refs will catch on.

The All Blacks gave the Boks an abject lesson in rugby today and the one word that summed it all up was the word they had been talking about all week - intensity.

The ABs brought intensity to the game while the Boks looked off the pace and lethargic.

Points to ponder:

1. ABs brought the intensity and blew the Boks off the park in all aspects of the game.

2. ABs tackled Boks back in the tackle and stopped any momentum which is what the Boks are normally known for and didn't do this game.

3. Bakkies' headbutt was stupid. Showing the replays on the big screen was irresponsible. His yellow card was harsh for the infringement but ref was more than likely swayed by the replays of the headbutt.

4. Francois Louw went missing but probably deserves another start given his recent form.

5. Spies also went missing as he is wont to do on the back foot. Doesn't seem to have the confidence and throw his body on the line when the team is struggling as say a Burger does.

6. Jean De Villiers although capable, is not a wing especially in big test matches. His defence was woeful although not entirely his blame. In fact, J Fourie even started shooting off the line at times. Lack of confidence in Olivier? Bottom line, backline defence lines and structures were just terrible. Massive lack of communication.

7. Januarie tackled well but was flustered for the most part. F Du Preez is a massive blow.

8. Kick and chase game only works when you kick the ball in the right areas and have an effective chase. Kicks were too long for the most part and the chase was poor. At very least should be coming up in a defensive line and not be leaving gaping holes.

9. Substitutions were poor yet again. Why are we trying Bekker and Matfield together at this stage? And why are we bringing on a 'heavy' loose forward when the game requires a mobile flanker at this stage. Why did Aplon not get on earlier, especially considering JDV's poor game at wing, Olivier's no-show and the match screaming out for a game-breaker..??

10. Have Div's selection policies of the previous games coming back to haunt him..?

11. BJ Botha looked very 'light' when he came on and looked out of his depth. Although, many of the other Boks on the day did too.

12. Seemed very little in the way of planning and preparing for this game. And especially very short of ideas and Plan B's when all else failed. We were still kicking the ball with 10 minutes when we should have shown some confidence with ball in hand.

13. ABs on the other hand, had done their homework. Even showing up the Bok lineout. Smit's throwing was poor at times.

14. Amazed how the ABs are able to push the limits of the law to the brink without breaking it. Push the offsides, are able to slow the ball down just before being penalised - perhaps just hungrier for this game?

15. Ref Lewis didn't have his best game but for both sides, it has to be said.

16. ABs looked like primed and hungry athletes today. Boks looked like over the hill and lethargic old school rugger players. Perhaps just an off day and they will be ready to come back firing in the next test..?

Hopefully, it was just an off day for the Boks but the ABs looked on another level today. At least, this gives a Div a better idea of who is capable in big test matches as opposed to an Italian and blase' French side.

I have no doubt they will come back with the right intensity next week... Come on the Boks..!

The Sports Illustrated New Model Search is heading into the final corner and this is the beauty that I'm backing -

That hotness right there is one Simony Santos...

Yes please..!

You can vote for her HERE..!

Enjoy the weekend all - C'mon Bafana, Boks and Proteas..!

... and buys mansion in Mauritius (right next door to Marius Jonker).

[Disclaimer: just a biased rant from a hungover Stormers fan in mourning, who has no voice after shouting 'ref' at the square box they call a television for the entire 80 minutes.]

The Super 14 final was a massive occasion, perhaps (some would say) too big an occasion for the Stormers but most definately too big for one Craig Joubert.

This referee has gained a reputation this season for having a very close relationship with his whistle and it very seldom leaves his double-crossing lips. Yet, come Saturday and the man is in such shock and awe that either he swallowed his whistle or lost the f*$^ing thing!

His handling of the breakdowns was just atrocious and he let the Bulls get away with blue murder.The Stormers were repeatedly shouted at to 'get out' and 'roll away', yet the Bulls were given a free ride to lay on the wrong side, slow the ball down and even put their hands into the ruck and play the ball while tanning their smug faces.

The Bulls' infringements were so blatantly obvious that at half time, I was tempted to pull myself out of the local, hop on a Kulula to Joburg, jump in a taxi to Soweto and present Craig with an honourary no 23 Bulls jersey and the man of the match award.

And don't get me started on the assistant referees! Does Craig choose his own assistants..? Who the f*&! chose that mug sitting in the tv ref's box? Adjudicating on Schalk Burger's try/non-try incident, all this guy says to Craig is that the player 'pussed' or 'poesed' the ball over the line. Really? Where do Sanzar find these guys? [Can someone please find the soundclip from that incident - we could remix it and turn into a Hofmeyer hit single]

It would make for some interesting reading to see the stats on how many times Joubert blew his whistle on average throughout the Super 14 campaign and then how many times he blew that swindling thing in the final. Coupled with the fact that he was so determined not to blow his whistle, his blue tinted contact lenses made it difficult for him to see the blatant knock-ons, the 'offside' defence, the constant 'blocking' from dummy runners, the cheating at the breakdowns and that the Stormers were the only ones dropping the scrum.

Never mind the fact that he seemed to have forgotten that when a scrum is wheeled past 90 degrees, the put-in goes to the opposition team, what was even more unbelievable was that every single Bulls' turnover was deemed to be fair yet nearly every single Stormers' turnover resulted in a scrum for the Bulls! What..?

What was even more embarassing for Joubert was the fact that he got played. The real ringmaster in all of this was George Gregan who (in some crazy, voodoo ritual sh*$) managed to inhabit the body of Fourie Du Preez and pulled all the strings 'til his heart's content, reliving his glory days as the grand puppet-master.

How Kaplan didn't get the call up for this final is beyond me.

Sanzar - you made a big 'oops' on this one!

[ This article is unashamedly biased and makes no bones about it! If you would like a more objective account and more accurate report of the Super 14 final, can I suggest going to the top of your browser, clicking on the 'refresh' button and begin reading from the top again. ]

Just a little pic to kick-start the banter for this week... All in good fun, chaps... All in good fun...