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Bok Exodus: Good or Bad?

April 22, 2013 in International, Rugby

Tags: andries bekker, bryan habana, cj stander, dewalt duvenhage, exodus, jaque fourie, jp petersen, juandre kruger, morne steyn, overseas, springboks, zane kirchner

Bye Bye Bokkie….

I am losing count of the number of Springboks who have signed overseas contracts since Heyneke Meyer has become the Springbok coach. Up to last year still, Ruan Pienaar, Francois Louw and Frans Steyn was the only real candidates for overseas based selection while one or two other not so noteworthy players were also selected as stop gaps during the Northern Hemisphere tour.

News has now broken that JP Petersen and Zane Kirchner will also be leaving. Two key roles in the Springboks squad. I am left wondering what we have left. Very recently Andries Bekker has signed for Japan, Juandre Kruger also signed for somewhere in Europe, leaving our lock stocks a little bare, and Bekker was not even being considered for the Springboks, having been one of the top locks in SA this season so far. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Kings are here to stay

April 11, 2013 in International, Rugby, Super Rugby

28 Comments »

Tags: cheeky watson, keo, Kings, lions, luke watson, port elizabeth, rebels, sharks, stormers, super rugby, super xv

Let’s forget for just a second about how the Kings, under the directions of chaps like Cheeky Watson, Mark Keohane and their cronies managed to wriggle their way into the Super Rugby at great loss to the Lions Rugby Franchise.

Let;s forget for a second about the conspiracy theories and real reasons behind the drive by these chaps to get the Port Elizabeth Stadium into the Super Rugby fold.

Let’s forget for a second that the Kings abused the system and portrayed themselves as an entity with a noble cause to promote Transformation,while they have done nothing to justify those claims, in fact, they have proven the opposite by allowing more “foreign” players in their squad than allowed, and that is not counting those from African countries who got place in the side ahead of other, more deserving South African, black citizens in that very Union.

Let’s forget Luke Watson’s comments about Dutchman and the Springbok jersey making him nauseous….

The Kings are here to stay. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

MO(m)Bela Stadium to Rock!

April 10, 2013 in International, Rugby, Springboks

3 Comments »

Tags: 15 june, 2013, heyneke meyer, italy, kruger national park, lowveld, mbombela stadium, mob, nelspruit, samoa, scotland, springboks, test rugby

MOB 2013 is only 2 months away. “2 months is still long!” You say, but when you consider accommodation to be arranged and tickets to be purchased to have the best possible seats in the house, 2 months is not alot of time at all! Heyneke Meyer has already started with his preliminary training squad, a squad on which I am sure you all have lots to say…

Be that as it may, coming to the MOB is going to be about much more than watching Stampkar rugby by Heyneke’s boys. It your chance to meet some fellow bloggers, or if you don’t blog, to meet some sports lovers. Its your chance to be part of a historic event which is the first time ever that Nelspruit will host a Rugby Test Match, and not just one, but two! Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

The 2013 MOB, don’t miss out!

March 25, 2013 in International, Rugby, Rugby Championship

16 Comments »

Tags: italy, mbombela, mob, samoa, scotland, sport24, springboks, test rugby, uysh

I am sure there are many of you who regret not having been to the inaugural MOB last year in Durban, where some of the bloggers met up for the weekend and watched the Sharks thrash the Stormers.

This year, the MOB has been set for the weekend of 15 June. It’s a long weekend, so if you don’t have any plans yet, you do now! And if you do have plans already, well, cancel them, cause you don’t want to miss this one!

Zebra and Giraffe, the picturesque Mbombela Stadium

They key attraction for this year’s MOB will be the first ever Test Match the be played in Nelspruit. Not only will one be played, but two! The Springboks, Italy, Scotland and Samoa will be at the Mbombela stadium in which you will get two tests for the price of one! Tickets are set to sell between R350 and R500 and unofficial reports are that it WILL BE SOLD OUT!

We need numbers. Phone numbers, number of people, number of nights, medical aid and Swiss Bank Account numbers! (Ok, not those last two). Tickets need to be bought, accommodation needs to be arranged and depending on how the group feels, a trip to the Kruger National Park will also be arranged.

Meet the King of the beasts!

So, Baylion, step away a bit from your PC for a bit and live a little by coming to meet up with us in the sLowveld. De La Rey, Sheriff, LeeuBok, Darwinia, Hanjo, Bloues, Dutchman, LT, REM and all the other guys and gals, come on over!

Only 80 days until the MOB 2013! Are you guys ready to have a blast?

by Met uysh

The battle for number 8 is on!

March 11, 2013 in International, Rugby, Springboks, Super Rugby

26 Comments »

Tags: blues, bulls, chiefs, duane vermeulem, heyneke meyer, pierre spies, springboks, stormers, super 15, super rugby, superxv

With Pierre Spies’ performance this past weekend against the Blues, Heyneke Meyer will have taken note and may even be having a wry grin on his face. Spies’ performances over the past few years were short of satisfactory, and along with his hand injury last year, allowed for Duane Vermeulen to step up and take his place in the Springbok camp.

Many viewers will regard Spies as the better player, but it is often the non-flashy players who are doing the hard graft around the park and goes unnoticed because they do not rely on open space to ply their trade as does Pierre Spies. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Rugby: Not for dummies anymore

January 29, 2013 in International, Rugby, Super Rugby

11 Comments »

Tags: blues, brumbies, bulls, cheetahs, chiefs, crusaders, force, highlanders, hurricanes, irb, Kings, laws, lions, rebels, reds, sanzar, sharks, springboks, stormers, super rugby, waratahs

You know the stereotype. Rugby players are dumb. They are the fat overweight props that won’t amount to anything in life, and then the fast 100m athletes who become wings, but cannot catch a ball, and then the only smart guy on the field is the flyhalf or scrumhalf who decides where the ball must go. The rest are dumbasses that barely scraped through matric, don’t study at varsity, and spends all their time playing with balls.

Almost as dumb as boxers who get their brains bashed in all day long. Rugby players are just a bit smarter cause they let their bodies take the beating. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Highs and lows of 2012 ~ in pictures

December 12, 2012 in Cricket, Currie Cup, International, International, London 2012, Other sports, Rugby, Rugby Championship, Springboks, Super Rugby

14 Comments »

Tags: blitzbokke, chad le clos, currie cup, doping, eben etzebeth, ernie else, graeme smith, heyneke meyer, icc mace, Johan goosen, lance armostrong, lions, llondon 2012, marcel coetzee, mbombela, mob, morne steyn, patrick lambie, pumas, richie mccaw, rowing team, rugby, rugby championship, sa gold medalist, southern kings, springboks, test cricket, western province, zane kirchner

As we come to the final few weeks of the year, and with absolutely buggerall to watch anymore, except for some Heineken Cup, where you can see old Southern Hemisphere has-beens in action against the best of Europe, it’s perhaps a time to reflect on the year which is past…a year that flew by quicker than Rickie Ponting’s last test innings…

Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Heyneke taking “ugly” too far?

November 25, 2012 in International, Rugby, Springboks

15 Comments »

Tags: all blacks, argentina, australia, england, heyneke meyer, ireland, patrick lambie, rugby championship, scotland

It was a tough year for the Springboks. Something that the results of 7 wins from 12 can confirm. The 7 wins include 3 wins over England, 1 win over Australia, 1 win over Argentina and a win against each of Ireland and Scotland.

Having drawn the third test against an injury depleted England side in June, flying over now with our own spate of injuries and unsatisfactory Rugby Championship results, I’ll admit, I didn’t think we’d win even 1 match on tour. But the Springboks pulled it through and comes home with a clean slate on the tour of the UK. I’d guess congratulations is in order.

But none of the wins, save for the win against Australia at Loftus, was really something to get excited about. Uninspiring backline play with a lack of oomph! and creative skills was an earmark of this year’s campaign.

But a win is a win, be that by 1 point or by 20. In fact, the win results this year averages on a scoreline of 24-14. What Heyneke Meyer said earlier this year is that he’d rather take an ugly win over a pretty loss.

Considering the way the Springboks were playing this season though, focussing on forward dominance with the forwards hogging more than half the ball between them and the scrumhalf, is Heyneke not perhaps taking this “ugly win” thing a bit too far?

by Met uysh

Springbok’s forward approach smothering the game?

November 20, 2012 in International, Rugby, Springboks

35 Comments »

Tags: all blacks, australia, currie cup, Dan Carter, duane vermeulen, heyneke meyer, ireland, kurtley beale, morne steyn, new zealand, northern hemisphere, patrick lambie, pierre spies, piri weepu, rugby, rugby championship, scotland, sports, springboks, statistics

20 more phases then Ruan will pass the ball to us….

Heyneke Meyer has done very little this year to confirm the belief the Springbok supporters had in him, when he was announced to take over from Peter de Villiers as Springbok coach.

The record shows that to date, the Springboks won 6 matches from the 11 tests to date, a success rate of 54.5%. It seems quite average, in fact, poor, for someone who stated publicly that he believes in only one kind of Rugby: Winning Rugby. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Jean still not rested

November 14, 2012 in International, Rugby, Rugby Championship, Springboks

8 Comments »

Tags: all blacks, england, fatigue, heyneke meyer, jean de villiers, new zealand, northerm hemisphere, patrick lambie, rugby championship, scotland, scotland vs springboks 2012, springboks, squad

It seems as if Heyneke announced the squad with only two changes from the side that beat Ireland.

Battered, bruised, but still going on…

While I am happy that De Jongh comes into the outside centre role and that Gurthro Steenkamp comes on as loosehead, I am a little bit concerned for Jean who seems to have been struggling with injury and still not being rested. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

SARU at centre of Bok inexperience

November 12, 2012 in International, Rugby, Rugby Championship, Springboks

21 Comments »

Tags: 2012, all blacks, australia, championship, Dan Carter, england, experience, fatigue, heyneke meyer, ireland, jean de villiers, Johan goosen, john smit, june tests, morne steyn, patrick lambie, peter de viliiers, richie mccaw, rugby, scotland, springboks, super rugby, victor matfield, world cup, world cup 2011

The Springboks are still being haunted by SARU’s inability to create stability and consistency within the Springbok Management ranks.

This is what one can conclude when looking at the current lack of depth available in the Springbok squad as compared to arch rivals, New Zealand.

Lack of experience was the major excuse ringing in our ears like a broken record when Meyer’s troops failed to deliver during the Rugby Championship, and New Zealand who seemed to have lost lots of experience too in some key positions stormed to an undefeated victory of the Rugby Championship, winning all their matches. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Why should Mujati get a passport?

November 9, 2012 in International, Rugby, Rugby Championship, Springboks

15 Comments »

Tags: beast, brian mujati, eligibility, england, government, heyneke meyer, irb, ireland, lions, mtwarirra, mujati, northampton saints, passport, south africa, springboks, stormers, tour

Guys, wanna catch a Mujati Beer?

I haven’t blogged for a while. Been quite busy (yes, I actually DO have a job!) and nothing really inspired me to write something…until now.

I will say from the onset that I have always been pro-Mujati coming back to SA for the Springboks. He is a great talent and it was a wry pity that he left and the circumstances under which he left was just as pitiful. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Suddenly it’s OK to miss kicks?

October 1, 2012 in International, Rugby, Rugby Championship, Springboks

38 Comments »

Tags: all blacks, australia, duane vermeulen, heyneke meyer, Johan goosen, loftus, morne steyn, new zealand, patrick lambie, rugby, rugby championship, springboks, super rugby, tri nations

I was happy that the Springboks finally managed to convert their efforts into points this weekend, and most of those thanks should go to Bryan Habana who put his hand up and took responsibility for making sure the Springboks score the tries they created. Full marks to him and those giving him a mere 9/10 should really get their heads out of their arses. 10/10 performance!

What does bug me however, is how many Springbok supporters suddenly think it was OK to miss so many kicks this weekend after they crucified Morne Steyn after the Dunedin test. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

What Meyers shouts on the Walkie Talkie

September 29, 2012 in International, Rugby, Rugby Championship, Springboks

3 Comments »

Tags: all blacks, australia, heyneke meyer, rugby, rugby championship, springboks, tri nations

Via http://www.iol.co.za/sport/rugby/cup-competitions/what-meyer-shouts-into-that-walkie-talkie-1.1392234

Johannesburg – Heyneke Meyer says he is too embarrassed to look at any clips of himself shouting his mouth off in the coach’s box. But it is this image that has had South Africans talking and wondering just what it is the Springbok coach is saying – and to who.

And, is the Bok boss really such an intense man, someone who appears on the verge of having a heart attack throughout the 80-odd minutes the Boks are in action?

“I am very passionate about my job … I love my country and I love my people and as a coach of a national team you have to be a part of the game. Soccer coaches get involved with their teams on the side of the field. I don’t want to do that, but it’s like an orchestra where I pull the strings. Read the rest of this entry →

by Met uysh

Meyer taking control!

September 27, 2012 in International, International, Rugby, Rugby Championship, Springboks

6 Comments »

Tags: all blacks, australia, bulls, duane vermeulen, four nations, francois hougaard, heyneke meyer, morne steyn, new zealand, patrick lambie, richie mccaw, rugby, rugby championship, springboks

Don’t fear, I’m in control

After Dunedin I wrote that I thought things are improving for the Springboks. The way they played improved, their decision making was more accurate and had it not been for the difficult and unfamiliar kicking conditions at Forsyth Bar, Dunedin, and three or four schoolboy errors, we would have beaten the All Blacks in Dunedin for only the second time in history. Read the rest of this entry →