This was a really kak game to watch and If you were a sharks or WP fan, even worse after your teams also lost in the Currie Cup. My thoughts on the game:
We were outbullied... Plain and simple. As the Newspapers so aptly put it yesterday: "Marcell Coetzee was like a child looking around how big men are supposed to play rugby". Everyone giving flak to Jacques Potgieter i think is a bit unjust, he was one of the very few forwards who stood up to the Argies bully antics.
In the forwards I thought our front row did okay, except for the terrible miscommunication at lineout time between Strauss and Bekker. Speaking of Bekker, he was our biggest liability. he missed so many tackles, lost the ball nearly every time he made a run, and at lineout time he was awful! he's 2.08m why not stand in front of the lineout and just throw it to him every time???
Hougaard had an average game, and took too long at the breakdowns to get the ball out. Morne Steyn was again quiet, and the clear tactic which worked so well the week before with the up-and-unders and chasing would have worked a lot better if there was actually chasers!!! there was no communication in the backline. If Steyn or Kirchner sent the bomb up, it looked like the guys didn't know who should chase, who should hold the line or who should follow up. I was the most dissapointed with Mvovo, he got a lot more ball than Habana IMO but should much less of a threat and on numerous times his chasing was very poor. Why play the kick and chase game if you don't have wingers that can play that gameplay. Bjorn Basson and Aplon would have had a field day.
Our Scrums was solid, especially vs the Pumas in Argentina, and it looked to me as though the Argies struggled and wasted a lot of time setting up and engaging and again jumping the gun too quickly.
Let's give credit where it is due though, the Argies was very impressive, but this game plan won't last very long as they play spoil tactics. Steve Walsh missed a few calls both ways. He missed a lot of that at ruck time when argentina players would make a tackle, then roll forward, and just lay there in the way of Hougaard and not letting him get his passes out.
Our props did okay. Our Hookers, well, we have no choice left here. Locks, Bekker needs to step up or step out, as well as Flip. Juandre Kruger, Anton Bresler needs a go. Flankers, for once they had a poor game, but we do need a fetcher, just don't think Daniel is the correct guy for the job. Brussouw or Flouw.
Ruan Pienaar should be choice no. 1 for SH. Morne should get a rest, Lambie and Goosen are ready!! Centres, meh... Wingers, against Aus we'll probably try a more expansive route as we are much faster than them so brace yourselves. Fullback, yeah where's Ludick or Aplon or Viljoen or Le Roux or Lambie or whoever else... hell even Clayton Blommetjies sounds better right now.
