Baby Boks flexing their muscles!
June 18, 2012 in Rugby
What a delightful match to watch last night when the Baby Boks trumped the Pumitas in a 35-3 semi final at Newlands! From the beginning of the match the Baby Boks dominated the game and scored 4 unanswered tries to seal the win.
Paul Jordaan pulled his hamstring as early as the second minute of the game. He tried to battle forth but was just useless without the use of his leg and finally was taken off the field. His replacement, Raymond Rhule, filled Jordaan’s boots with aplomb! He scored two massively impressive tries, running perfect lines off the offload first from scrumhalf Van der Watt and then to schoolboy sensation Handre Pollard, with some defenders left in his wake.
The scrums was massively improved with Kitshoff, Pretorius and van Dyk being solid, although the timing between them and former backline star, Glen Jackson, was off several times, resulting in quite a few free kicks. But the scrums, when succesfully bound, were solid and the Baby Boks were in demand in every encounter.
The lineouts also showed immense improvement from the disasterous first half agaist England. There is still some work to do and to me it seems the greatest issue there is dealing with interfering opposition on the catch to ensure clean ball.
But the win was not without its casualties. As rain seeped down on Newlands, the field became very slippery. As mentioned, PAul Jordaan went off early with what seemed a hamstring injury, and then Talisman captain, William Small-Smith got stretchered off with a knee injury when he bashed his knee into another player when he tried to field the ball on the slippery surface, but he managed to walk a bit to attend the post match interview, so there is hope that he will be ready.
Flank hardman, Shaun Adendorff was once again in the thick of things and seemed to have strained his calve muscle late in the match, but had to finish due to all the replacements being brought on by that time.
It will be a bit of a blow to the Bokkies chances if these three players don’t make it into the final against New Zealand on Friday. New Zealand have won the last 4 tournaments and exude an aura of invincibility. One that was dispelled thank to Wales when they trumped the Baby Blacks 9-6 in their pool match, nearly ending New Zealand’s chances to win the tournament a fifth successive time.
But the Baby Blacks yesterday jumped back with an initial slow start, but then ended up completely dominating Wales by beating them 30-6.
So, the only thing that now stands between the Baby Boks and the Junior World Championship crown, is a very determined Baby Blacks side , a few possible injuries, and the horrid Cape based All Black supporters…so we will most certainly be in for a tough encounter!
The Bokkies have this week to close the gaps in their armory. They still need to get continuity in their lineouts, while their scrums need just a bit of tweaking. The loss, if so, of Small-Smith will be a massive blow, especially if Jordaan is also out with injury, but who is more than able in the nr 13 jumper, but the silver lining is most definitely Raymond Rhule with his eye for and ability to take a gap, while his wing partner, Tshotsho Mbovane was also massively impressive in defense.
I think that Dawie Theron can now feel comfortable with his combinations and just hope that the Baby Boks will pull through with the injuries. Who knows, this year we might just, with hopefully the entire Cape Town behind them, they will win the Championship!
uysh said on June 21, 2012
So Rugby should not be played in mud? Why can Wales win in the mud but not the superior Baby Blacks? Really dude, get real.
And nowhere did I “bark on” about the Baby Boks winning the tournament. Aren’t we allowed to be glad about a performance?
petenpaul said on June 21, 2012
Okay okay, SA always bark on about how good the Young Boks are, that they will win the Tournament, and never have. NZ have never said they were invincible, but yes they got beat in the mud of South Africa, jeez MUD – c’mon my man…but they showed their true grit and made the final. So now they will face their SA counterparts who keep building themselves up, keep it up, I will down a nice bottle of chianti when the NZ U-20′s take the title once again….suck it up lads!!
czardas said on June 19, 2012
Yep, he might lose a few kilo’s with his hair gone. Mind you he is currently 125kg so he would probably still be a monster.
Tumcashm said on June 19, 2012
I think he was solid,he had a better game than Serfontein its just that in Small-Smith they went for a combination.I think he plays for WP and is a big boy who barges over the advantage line
uysh said on June 19, 2012
No I’m wrong! PAt Howard started at 13 in the first game!
uysh said on June 19, 2012
I think Small Smith started all the games so far.
Tumcashm said on June 19, 2012
Ja,would have liked to see it continue.Dummond was the third choice centre before he got injured against Argentina just before the tourney,who started in the 13 jumper in the first game?and I would like to see Rhule start he runs great lines and we also have to thank the injury to Goosen because had he been fit Jantjies would have been the reserve and the 18yr old no where to be seen,Meyer even went to have a chat with the boys and that will boost their confidence knowing that Meyer is watching
uysh said on June 19, 2012
It could turn out to be a major factor for NZ if the support against the Bokkies is as vile and disgusting as we’ve seen from those idiots. These boys were born when Mandela was released, no reason for people to take their apartheid issues out against these kids.
uysh said on June 19, 2012
Great pity that he’s out! I don’t know Dummond, is he any good?
What I know is that Serfontein and WSM combines well and played together since school and now with the Bulls. So its a great combination to break.
Tumcashm said on June 19, 2012
Small-Smith is out,Jordaan looks like he is also out and I think this might lead to the BB thinking they will attack the o/c area only to find Dummond waiting for them
LegendaryRoach said on June 19, 2012
They are really putting it to these other youngsters, makes me positive about the future.
Randy85 said on June 19, 2012
Remember boet, there still is the “Cape Crusaders”….And believe you me, they will attend.
Anonymous said on June 18, 2012
Pity about the injuries.Always great to see the best against the best.No excuses.
RHULE RULES O.K!
Labachtanai said on June 18, 2012
Yes, they did very well. I may be misunderstanding, but do they also have higher log points than the Baby Blacks, despite that horrid showing against the Irish? Not that it means anything in a final, but I definitely feel they can do it and if it rains the BB’s might struggle as they did against the Welsh…
Tumcashm said on June 18, 2012
I liked the team spirit yesterday and boy did they show up in defence or what?I think Victor should give them a pep talk during the week regarding their line-out as there is talent and options since du toit was moved to blindside and proved to be a sensation.Adendorff is out Bakkies he takes no prisoners
Anonymous said on June 18, 2012
Let’s hope Adendorf is fit to play, that guy is everywhere. The Bokkies definitely have the fire power to beat the Baby Blacks, but the forwards need to dominate in the set phases. I believe we have more than enough pace in the backline to combat NZ. The future BOK team will no doubt include quite a number of these guys. I’ll be at Newlands supporting the boytjies. GO BOKKIES!!!!!
uysh said on June 18, 2012
I wonder if that prop cuts his hair if he will look like such a monster?
uysh said on June 18, 2012
Lol! Ja I did! Tell you what, if they didn’t turn it around like they did in that Second half vs England, they would have been a bit of an embarassment…. great character by the boytjies!
sc1pio said on June 18, 2012
and you gave them no chance (like me) to make the knockout phase.
It’s okay to feel silly now Met Uysh
Desertsport said on June 18, 2012
I am looking forward to this one. Might be the time to end the Baby Blacks dominance.
czardas said on June 18, 2012
A lot will depend on key injuries, as you say.
But if we are not disrupted too badly then we have at lewast a 50/50 chance.
Normal Baby Blacks teams haveso much pace to burn at the back that it ishard to stay with them, but the current vintage seems to rely on Emery to inject pace otherwise they seem slightly pedestrian.
That mountain of a prop may cause some bother though and our forwards will have to front up to stop his charges.