Fitzpatrick Kiss of Death

Oh dear, today I change my mind and there will be a win for South Africa.

How do I know?

Well Sean Fitzpatrick just used his "All Black kiss of death" and said the infamous phrase "Man for man, this All Black team are the best in the world".

Everyone unfamiliar with this phrase might want to remember he used it first before Australia knocked NZ out in 2003 and then it made an appearance in several subsequent defeats including the HK loss to Australia when Stephen Donald featured late on...

First blood Sa - habana

Kurtley Beale and JOC also featured late on in HK.

SA getting the run of everything at the moments except Goosens first 2 kicks. JDVs last pass to Habana was slightly forward in the try which the ABs didnt help by knocking it back twice. Good start from SA all round. ABs need much more accuracy and a bit more luck.

Pressures on and ABs need to stop the errors. Good early pressure from SA. Rollands klling them at the mo but so far they look justified.

Try from not a lot on! Well done Gear...!

ABs don't look like they want to play this one. Kicking a lot of ball away and living on scraps.

Have to say Rolland can only see one team at the moment though! no decisions NZ's way, and even hesitated on awarding the try...

Aye...good finish by the big fella...

Boks tested out wide and lacking a little. Thats what the ABs have to do, Get them out wide.

NZ desperately needed that. 10 - 5 and back in a game that has been all SA. SA set piece looking formidable so NZ need to cut down mistakes and get some ball.

anotherworldofpain wrote:ABs don't look like they want to play this one. Kicking a lot of ball away and living on scraps.

Have to say Rolland can only see one team at the moment though! no decisions NZ's way, and even hesitated on awarding the try...

And I only thought he did that against England ha ha

Nobody ruins a game quite like Rolland.

Why are the Springbok management not taking Goosen off? He's a defensive liability that was just exploited again there for the try!?

Where is Meyers walkie-talkie?

Tide is definitely turning. Try time out wide!Boks are struggling out wide with numbers!

That will hurt SA. All the play for the first half hour almost and then two movements out wide and they get behind on the scoreboard. Goosen hasn't been taken off and ABs have capitalised.

Rolland has just turned a blatant forward pass into an off-side against NZ by insisting that the pass was not forward.

The guy is a complete Homer.

Has South Africa not conceded a penalty all half?

Commentators just notice that Rolland has not penalised South Africa yet - I'd add he hasn't called a free-kick either despite warning SA for lineout indiscretions like a coach rather than penalising as he has for NZ. "Remember to stay out of the lineout 10 until the lineout is over, next time" he was heard on ref mike. Contrast to his penalising of NZ for closing the gap, touching the man in the air inconsequentially...

Surprise, surprise, the scrum problem is all New Zealand's fault in his mind too.

I also thought the penalty against Hore for "coming into the ruck from the side" was a complete joke. He came from about 10 meters behind the ruck and won the ball beautifully.

The guy is a complete Homer.

NZ are not helping themselves by putting them in kicking range. Carter's mistake from restart and SA get attacking scrum. Take the ref out of the game and play in the right area.

Good luck trying to take Rolland out of the game Kia. That bloke loves being the centre of attention.

Granted NZ clearly can't be bothered playing this one. Making lazy errors, and kicking away possession endlessly.

Sad to see Goosen cop a charlie and go off, and also bizarre how long it took them to sub him out of the game, I wonder if it was "constructive dismissal" in an element there, leave him on long enough to look bad...?

All I'll say is we've seen a penalty count of 7-0, with a try from a blatant forward pass once before with a NH ref...

Hmmm.
Fast ball is the only way to win this. Rollands killing us at the breakdowns yet when we move it wide the gaps are huge. All we need to do is drop the error rate. Jantes needs to be put under pressure.

Cmooon ABs!

There you go... out wide...easy!

That suggests AWOP they can be bothered with the game. Important now to not allow SA back into the game.

Dagg and Read combine yet again. How good are they?

Deliberate knock down by Kirchner in front of the posts to stop a try. Penalty? No way says Rolland. Just a knock on. 51:27 and still no penalties by SA...amazing "discipline".

To be honest SA are pathetic out wide. Nothing in defence. The ABs are scoring at will out there.

ABs just look too dangerous with ball in hand. When they go wide they look menacing each time and the gaps appear. Important to keep composure and get out of danger zone.

Amazing Rolland's shoulder didn't seize up there. Looked like it was a free kick rather than a penalty.

Rolland meets his pre-match objective of sending off an All Black. He'll be straight home to put a notch on his bed-stead.

anotherworldofpain wrote:Rolland meets his pre-match objective of sending off an All Black. He'll be straight home to put a notch on his bed-stead.

Who got sent off, and for what?

Ok sin-binned. Dagg. For legitimately stealing the ball at a breakdown...

Not that you are lacking in impartiality of course

I can see how Dagg might have thought that ball was out, it was close but there was an SA foot keeping it in, just.

Richie McCaw lucky to get away with playing the ball on the ground. ABs soak up the pressure on their line and SA strangely don't look to their advantage out wide with Dagg off.

Carter takes the game out to two converted scores and within 10 minutes ABs will be looking to tie up the ball and make their numerical inferiority not matter.

Playing at the right end and time soaking up. This is exactly where NZ want to be and SA haven't looked convincing in the backs today. Their momentum has come from their forwards.

Congratulations to the All Blacks, clean sweep.

We're not good enough, are we?

Well. Last week I mentioned that the Springbok's looked too narrow on both attack and defence.

And without resorting to the I TOLD YOU SO thread, it looks like there was some truth as NZ continuously unlock SA out-wide, especially by flanking Habana as he rushed out of the line in the umbrella. Also SA's failure to score when a man up due to inability to spread the NZ defense and create the overlap is testament to that.

Hosea Gear was quite outstanding today in this respect, his ability to make space in the outside channel and hold Habana back from his intercept role was devastating.

It was an important game for Gear after Savea set the bar high last weekend. He didn't get a try but he set up tries and looked very useful out there. Good to see him rise to the occasion and his decision not to go overseas has been vindicated.

NZ fans ask so much of this team and after a very shaky start they looked composed and clinical out there. I was critical of NZ in Dunedin but today I take my hat off to them.

I'd also like to take the opportunity to say I was wrong about the Fitzpatrick Kiss Of Death.

Or that Read would captain the side and the reserve combinator would start.

Yes. I was wrong wrong and wrong I have to say.

But on the predictor thread my 42-18 that I said back on Aug-7 isn't looking too shoddy!

Thank God I changed mine. I would never have forgiven myself. I predicted initially a SA win but changed today. If Argentina win tonight I get a Grand Slam prediction. Vamos los Pumas!

Good game by the ABs. I thought SA were good for the first half. NZ errors and penalties and tactics not brilliant early on but gee they were good with the ball when they finally decided to run it.
Lucky not to lose Sam for that tackle. By the current rules at the least a yellow.

Yeah, I thought he was very lucky to get away with it.