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Oh, how depressed was I over the weekend (well, at least 2 hours after the match still LOL)! Oh, congrats to Aus, they didn't panick (mainly because we couldn't put points on the scoreboard) and stuck to their guns.
Some good and some bad;
- had a slight upper hand in the scrums... until PdV did what he learned (or at least what everyone else learned last year) he shouldn't do and moved Smit over to tight head. Hopefully that's the last we'll see of that.
- while Smit hada decent game, BdP was immense when he came on, was world class in ecery department except for throughs into the line-out where he through one badly. I'm sure with time he'll get that right again but the question is whether he'll get that time. Personally I hope we go with Smit on the bench.
- Brussow and Du Preez came through the game without injury but have some while to go before they recpture their form and while it can be said of most of the squad they weren't good for more than 30 minutes.
- Danie Rossouw was horrible at 7 like most people felt he would be but at least the incumbents in Smith and Burger and bench option in Alberts will be available soon.
- Pierre Spies looked a bit more dangerous and didn't get gangtackled like he usually does. Maybe that is more Aus' fault but still good to see. He needs someone to run off of him though.
- There weren't any support runners to build on some of the good work done
- we were terrible near the goal line. Seriously there were many opportunities gone begging but at least there was something if only chance. Hopefully the guys get the accuracy right with more gametime and match fitness. If it isn't too late already.
- too many forwards handling the ball when it's on for the backs
- we still don't have a 15; I stay by my point that Steyn is too 1 dimensional at the back and Aplon doesn't have a dependable enough boot and presence at the back for it.
- no cohesion, hopefully thats just the rustiness but we've seen it from SA for a while now...
Team I'd like to see against NZ;
1 Tendai Mtawarira - had a good game
2 Bismarck du Plessis - just too much better than Smit
3 Jannie du Plessis - at this stage our ONLY reliable tighthead
4 Bakkies Botha - needs gametime
5 Victor Matfield - needs to lead with Smit on the bench
6 Heinrich Brussow - showed he still has it but needs match fitness
7 Juan Smith/Schalk Burger/Willem Alberts - anyone other than Rossouw if at least 1 is fit
8 Pierre Spies - had a good game and would like to see more though I think NZ are goint to be more clever countering him
9 Fourie du Preez - needs gametime to get his edge and confidence back
10 Butch James - would like to see him get familiar with the SA environment
11 Bryan Habana - looks to be slowly but surely getting back
12 Juan de Jongh - JdV too similar to Fourie and not what he used to be
13 Jaque Fourie - our leader in the backs
14 JP Pietersen - solid
15 Patrick Lambie - I'd have liked him to play at 10 from the bench for SA with Riaan Viljoen at 15 but that ship has sailed but at least Lambie is somewhere in the Bok frame
- at least the defense was up there even if it did slide with a very visible lack of match fitness
Some good and some bad;
- had a slight upper hand in the scrums... until PdV did what he learned (or at least what everyone else learned last year) he shouldn't do and moved Smit over to tight head. Hopefully that's the last we'll see of that.
- while Smit hada decent game, BdP was immense when he came on, was world class in ecery department except for throughs into the line-out where he through one badly. I'm sure with time he'll get that right again but the question is whether he'll get that time. Personally I hope we go with Smit on the bench.
- Brussow and Du Preez came through the game without injury but have some while to go before they recpture their form and while it can be said of most of the squad they weren't good for more than 30 minutes.
- Danie Rossouw was horrible at 7 like most people felt he would be but at least the incumbents in Smith and Burger and bench option in Alberts will be available soon.
- Pierre Spies looked a bit more dangerous and didn't get gangtackled like he usually does. Maybe that is more Aus' fault but still good to see. He needs someone to run off of him though.
- There weren't any support runners to build on some of the good work done
- we were terrible near the goal line. Seriously there were many opportunities gone begging but at least there was something if only chance. Hopefully the guys get the accuracy right with more gametime and match fitness. If it isn't too late already.
- too many forwards handling the ball when it's on for the backs
- we still don't have a 15; I stay by my point that Steyn is too 1 dimensional at the back and Aplon doesn't have a dependable enough boot and presence at the back for it.
- no cohesion, hopefully thats just the rustiness but we've seen it from SA for a while now...
Team I'd like to see against NZ;
1 Tendai Mtawarira - had a good game
2 Bismarck du Plessis - just too much better than Smit
3 Jannie du Plessis - at this stage our ONLY reliable tighthead
4 Bakkies Botha - needs gametime
5 Victor Matfield - needs to lead with Smit on the bench
6 Heinrich Brussow - showed he still has it but needs match fitness
7 Juan Smith/Schalk Burger/Willem Alberts - anyone other than Rossouw if at least 1 is fit
8 Pierre Spies - had a good game and would like to see more though I think NZ are goint to be more clever countering him
9 Fourie du Preez - needs gametime to get his edge and confidence back
10 Butch James - would like to see him get familiar with the SA environment
11 Bryan Habana - looks to be slowly but surely getting back
12 Juan de Jongh - JdV too similar to Fourie and not what he used to be
13 Jaque Fourie - our leader in the backs
14 JP Pietersen - solid
15 Patrick Lambie - I'd have liked him to play at 10 from the bench for SA with Riaan Viljoen at 15 but that ship has sailed but at least Lambie is somewhere in the Bok frame
- at least the defense was up there even if it did slide with a very visible lack of match fitness
