South Africa Wales - match thread

[Gatts]

First topic message reminder :

Well my comments today about the mighty 'W' and the performances of the minnow sides have obviously caused some controversy. I wouldn't be Gats if I didn't prod the opposition occasionally, usually just before a big game.

I for one loved watching Japan's bushido approach to tackling and Romania's scrummaging, it only served to highlight the soulless nature of the professional era when contrasted against the big teams seemingly inept but effective closing out. Namibia outplaying fiji for long periods and as for Argentina they played like warrior poets and i know all about them.
It reminded me of the good old days when giants could be slain and perhaps all these teases will finally come to fruition tonight when a new Welsh breed takes on the might of Bok experience . I am a romantic at heart, Tommo's kiss was old school class, the way we used to get under the oppo skin before tmo and yellow cards. But that era is gone, Wales played on passion alone for years and that, in my view and in hindsight, was our biggest problem. Gatland, a Kiwi and therefore fundamentally unable to get the significance of rugby in Wales, comes form a place where, clearly , rugby is life. That is a beautiful thing that we are all lucky enough to share in. I pity those that never pulled on the shirt, smelt the ralgex, bled and bought your opposite number a jug.
Gatland stumbled over the transition of Wales from a team that had to play offload catch up in the last third, to a team that is within a few hours going to play a game which may define how we progress for years to come. i know they can win but history tells us they can't.

Its now or never. No more talk. Bring on the boks and may the best team win.

[Standulstermen]

Have to say though i find myself slightly rooting for Wales now. SA have shown zero ambition. Hougaard must start in future for them

[Guest]

Lydiate unlucky there I thought.

[Cari]

Oh FFS! One point in it, Wales need to get back....a penalty, a DG anything!!!

[Standulstermen]

Warburton is a deserved MOM. Brussouw i believe has over 20 tackles though. But for him i do believe Wales would be out of sight

[PJHolybloke]

SA just need to keep this tight now.

Not happy.

[WillyGilly]

SA setting up for the drop?

[Taylorman]

SA wont throw it away from here. Wales had their chance and blew it. Lost composure and gave the ball away several times.

[Cari]

A few Wales players have been absolutely superb - Priestland, Warbs, Toby...

[Cowshot]

We're into drop goal time. Nailbiting stuff.

SA running down the clock.

[Shifty]

drop goal coming

[eirebilly]

A hollow sentiment if Wales lose but they have looked the best NH team and more comfortable than the ther NH teams so far.

[Cari]

Watch for the DG!

wales will still get a LBP though?

[Cari]

YO! Turn over!!!!

[Ozzy3213]

One last chance here for Wales, got to summon up everything they have!

[Guest]

Last chance Wales, last chance.

[eirebilly]

Please Wales, pretty please

[Cari]

fairdo's to Priestland not kicking away there.

[kiakahaaotearoa]

Wales look out on their feet. It´ll need a line break (Roberts has looked likely) to get down the right part of the field. They need to keep this ball and be patient.

[Shifty]

[Cari]

Awh Wales. Victory was so close. LBP.

[Cymroglan]

Well done South Africa

[Otagolad]

Just goes to show that the better team does not always win - SA were dire tonight

[FerN]

How tight was that

[Standulstermen]

Cruel result imo. Probably the best display of all the home nations and they lose.

In saying that well done St Johann

[Guest]

Turnover.

Wasted chance Wales, wasted chance





I'm really upset.

Well done SA, but oh my Cymru, how do you do this to us? You played your hearts out, I'm so, so proud of you. SOme players came of age today.

Effort, pride, passion and heart, and just fell too short. We needed to take our chances. We'll learn.

Would love closer looks at Hook's missed pen in the first half though. I honestly was convinced that went over.

[eirebilly]

Well done SA but what an effort from Wales. Even Biltong must give them praise for that effort.

[Mad for Chelsea]

Drat! Wales should have won that, but those missed kicks cost them in the end, and they lacked composure in the key moments

[GunsGerms]

Wales threw it away and really should have won. Roberts, warburton and priestland were very good.

[screamingaddabs]

Well, unfortunately that's the difference between the NH and the SH right there. SA closed it out. Every time they got to the Wales 22 they went away with points.

Unlucky Wales, good performance but not quite good enough

[nathan]

Good effort by Wales but unfortunately you don't win medals for effort.

[B91212]

How did Wales not win that?

[WillyGilly]

Fair play Wales. Unbelievably well played. Hook at fb doesn't work for me. Wales's best player shouldn't be stuck at the back he needs to be leading the attack.

Oh and cheers for not breaking our boy Muller.

[PJHolybloke]

Absolutely gutted for all you Welsh fans today.

You can hold your heads up high but that's a wounder, I thought Wales were the better team but SA just that little bit smarter where it mattered.

Great game.

[MrFahrenheit]

So frustrating. With Hook at 10 and Lydiate left at home we'd have won by ten. We were the better team for most of it.

Gatland's selection strategy lost us the game.

[Cari]

What a great match for the neutrals though.

And if only Hook's kick had been allowed!

[kiakahaaotearoa]

Heartbreak for Wales. The drop goal miss proved decisive. Now they have to pick themselves up for the Fiji and Samoa games whereas a win here would´ve put them in a much better frame of mind.

Some unconvincing stuff from the top nations so far but plenty of rugby still to come.

[Guest]

cant believe hook's kick wasnt allowed.

[JDizzle]

Devastated. Great performance just failure to close out a game again. If we'd have won that game we would have had so mush momentum behind us. Ah well. One thing was I thought we attacked so close to the rucks where SA were strong, we should have gone wider and used Roberts and Faletau hitting the 12/13 channel at pace more often, that is when we looked really threatening.

[Shifty]

Our players gave everything and we can be very proud, be we expended a lot of energy today and we still have 2 very hard games against Fiji and Samoa coming up. the next game we lose will knock us out of the World Cup.

[Guest]

can't believ some people are criticising Lydiiate. He was superb.

That was the best Welsh performance I've seen since 2008

[majesticimperialman]

Realy, realy bad luck on the part of Wales today.

I truely believed that Gatland had made a big mistake playing Hook at 15.

But in all honesty Hook seemed to do alright.

Well played to Wales though on what could of been Wales best performance this year.

[Bullsbok]

Springboks were disgustingly awful . Sh*test Bok perfomance i ever saw in my life of supporting Springboks . Still they have the heart of champions and the drive to never ever quit !!!!! GO BOKKE!!!!!

[westisbest]

Best performance by any of the home nations, fair play to them, unlucky they couldnt pull off the win.

[EnglishReign]

I'm devastated for you guys. Played better rugby, looked the more powerful side. It was that early SA try that was the difference, it was the only moment in the game where SA looked the better team.

[Shifty]

So frustrating. With Hook at 10 and Lydiate left at home we'd have won by ten. We were the better team for most of it.

Gatland's selection strategy lost us the game.

Lydiate was magnificent today, and Hook is prone to gifting intercept passes to blitz defences. Gatland was probably right, though maybe switching Priestland and Hook around for the last 20 might of made the difference.

[HammerofThunor]

Really well played Wales. That was a very good South African side.

It was as though Barnes had asked Wales how to ref it before the game. I don't think he was biased but the things he was letting go were the things Wales were doing (going off feet at ruck and not releasing the tackled player).

Losing bonus point might be important in the group

[Cymroglan]

Bullsbok of course Wales did not force them to play badly.

[TheGreyGhost]

Well done south Africa! Real world cup grit there.

Classy and in the end a well deserved win.

[HammerofThunor]

Just to add that must be heart breaking. Giving it all, having them on the ropes for most of the game and then lose by a point for a moment of inattention at the ruck

[scoi]

So frustrating. With Hook at 10 and Lydiate left at home we'd have won by ten. We were the better team for most of it.

Gatland's selection strategy lost us the game.

Priestland had a great game at 10 and Lydiate was outstanding all game and made the breakdown a very competitive place, yes he gave away a few penalties but he's a flanker, thats how they have to play to be effective. Hook didnt have a good game at 15 but who else could have played there?

Gatlands selection should be applauded

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