posted Sep 30, 2007

SA 64 USA 15

Great try by the Zimbabwean winger, 10.4 is his personal best over 100m which probably makes him the fastest winger at the tournament.

USA tried hard but in the end the SAfricans were just too good. SA could have scored more points but considering the context of the match, where SA already qualified for the QFs and the USA already out of the tournament, it was never going to be more than a practice run for the Springboks. Also, I'm sure they didn't want to give away too much at this stage of the tournament. This was also noticeable when the AB's beat Scotland, they took the pedal off the gas for obvious reasons.

What's the deal with the ref, Spreadbury... Mr Giggles?

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posted Sep 30, 2007

Theoritically this match was of no significance so the most important part was for SA to go through this match without injuries. As luck would have it, tighthead prop BJ Botha injured his knee and it looks serious.

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posted Sep 30, 2007

Bad first half SA - too loose, too loose....
Lovely second half, silky smooth attack and better defense.
Well played USA - a gutsy performance and what a winger youve got - we thought Brian was fast.

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posted Sep 30, 2007

id like to see ngwenya in europe.. he cetainly looks to have what it takes! he is very exctiing to watch!!

2 trys in 2 matches, both beating world class wingers in the process.. tuilagi against samoa and now habana.

he is one of the fastest players i have evr seen!! what a player!!

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posted Oct 1, 2007

??? Firstly Habana made a defensive error. He was stationary when whats his name came running past, so even if it was their bloody lock, he probably would have gotten through. Secondly...Pietersen, for one, is faster than Habana. Habana's danger is in his maneuverability at pace, not his pace per se. I was cracking myself when the crowd had a hissy fit on that try. It's nice to have such a feared player.

There is nothing wrong with our defense. Show me one bloody team that has not conceded points. Hell, I guess the fact that NZ conceded a try against Portugal means that they might as well quit, fire the coach and half the players, and withdraw from the world cup. Please note, for those who lack the savvy, that I'm being sarcastic.

The US were given a hiding. That was the best I've ever seen them play, and still it was 49 points over them. We had a mediocre game at best.

Also remember that NZ vs Scotland...or SA Vs. US means nothing. Good teams raise their game when they are facing the big guns. Mostly because they know that weaknesses and mistakes will be exploited every single time.

I'm happy with the bok performance. It was basically a practice run, nothing more. I'm fairly confident in saying that Fiji should be trounced. The argies should be a good game, but taking note that they have NEVER beaten us, we should be able to win that match. Great seeing the argies top their log, they are really becoming a force to be reckoned with.

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posted Oct 1, 2007

The mistakes by SA in the first half are worrying, I just hope Zenzar is right and they up the game a bit for the knock out stage. Mistakes like that against any of the teams in this round will be even more costly, maybe too much so.

With that said, the 2nd half was alot better, they just need to do that for 80 minutes instead.

Go Game to the USA, they didn't stop trying, and can hold their heads high. I think the ref was slightly biased against them as well which didn't help.

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posted Oct 1, 2007

I had one big beef regarding the ref. Every time the US kicked off their players were 5 meters odd in front of the ball. Correct me if I'm wrong but you need to be BEHIND the kicker. In fact...sprinting ahead of the kicker before he kicks the ball, and then making a play for it, is off side, and a penalty.

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posted Oct 1, 2007

I would like to commend the USA, not only for playing what I thought was an exceptionally high standard of rugby for such a young nation to the sport, but also for always looking like they believed they could put tries past us. They played positive, exciting rugby, and their inspirational winger Takudzwa Ngwenya vindicated this with a try of true test proportions. Really enjoyed the game, well done to everyone involved!

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posted Oct 1, 2007

I was at the game and the way Ngwenya stood Habana up was majestic. So smooth. Reminded me of Carel du Plessis.

SA were mediocre at best against a side of amateurs and the first half saw far too much kicking by the Boks in a game which provided an ideal opportunity to let the backs stretch their legs.

Spreadbury was blowing it the way he saw it but the crowd in the stadium, even the Saffas, were not happy with his pedantic interpretation. The Yanks were outgunned and letting them compete at the breakdown, albeit from the side at times, would have made for a more entertaining game.

Zenzar you need to chill out. You sound like someone who still has a chip on either shoulder.

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posted Oct 5, 2007

South Africa made some defensive errors which would have costed us mightily against a sturdier side. But I believe in the Boks' abilty to learn fast.

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