Tough win for the Soringboks

I am not going to pretend to understand penalties anymore, but South Africa needs to figure that one out.

You can't start a test match with 11-4 penalties against your team. Considering that Sexton is one of the better goal kickers in test match rugby there are certain things you don't do.

Although some of the penalties were just inexplicable, others were simply blatant stupid. there were one penalty for a supposed late tackle by Taute which was certainly not, Taute tackled the Irish back within milliseconds of him kicking the ball, and Hougaard were penalised for offside in open play which was also astounding to say the least.

Apart from that whether you want to call it discipline or stupidy but for Pete's sake when will we learn to adapt to the referee?

Adding to extreme frustration was the inability of Jean de Villiers to complete a pass that doesn't go forward. What must he do to get dropped?

Lambie had a quiet game beacue he didn't get much momentum ball, and the number of handling errors were simply pathetic.

At least the Boks showed some guts when they came on for the second half, I think that was important to show that they not only have the character but ability to come from behind, not something we have done well in the last few years.

Two aspects of the Bok game stood out, defence and lineouts.

Etzebeth has really matured in the number 4 jumper, he started this ability to steal lineouts in the Currie Cup this year and seems to have grown in confidence to take two steals tonight.

On defence the Boks read the Irish attack well and slipped very few tackles, in fact the Irish never really looked like scoring a try.

Ireland as decimated with injuries as the Boks never gave up and tried everything, my player of the match for Ireland was Zebo, he came into the line well and looked threatening at times, looks like the man has quite a bit of pace.

Man of the match for SA, Etzebeth without a doubt.

Commisseration to Ireland, it was a close one.

I think the ref's couple of dodgy calls went both ways, and as for SA's stupid deserved penalties in the first half: I think it's good to see that after half-time they cut them out, so they are learning to adapt.

A well-done must go to the Irish back-row, who ruled the break-down for much of the game...

Tight match....oh and, how long does Sexton take to kick a penalty? He seemed to take for ever..

And in fairness to Barnes, two of the dodgy calls that went against the boks (the early tackle-yellow, which in my opinion should have been just a penalty, and the 'late' tackle) came from touch-judges...

JDV had a good second half with strong defense and powerful carries. Much improved like most of the team.

Pienaar, Strauss and Eben our standout performers.

We couldn't have played worse and still won comfortably. A good sign I think.

Biltong wrote:I am not going to pretend to understand penalties anymore, but South Africa needs to figure that one out.

You can't start a test match with 11-4 penalties against your team. Considering that Sexton is one of the better goal kickers in test match rugby there are certain things you don't do.

Although some of the penalties were just inexplicable, others were simply blatant stupid. there were one penalty for a supposed late tackle by Taute which was certainly not, Taute tackled the Irish back within milliseconds of him kicking the ball, and Hougaard were penalised for offside in open play which was also astounding to say the least.

Apart from that whether you want to call it discipline or stupidy but for Pete's sake when will we learn to adapt to the referee?

Adding to extreme frustration was the inability of Jean de Villiers to complete a pass that doesn't go forward. What must he do to get dropped?

Lambie had a quiet game beacue he didn't get much momentum ball, and the number of handling errors were simply pathetic.

At least the Boks showed some guts when they came on for the second half, I think that was important to show that they not only have the character but ability to come from behind, not something we have done well in the last few years.

Two aspects of the Bok game stood out, defence and lineouts.

Etzebeth has really matured in the number 4 jumper, he started this ability to steal lineouts in the Currie Cup this year and seems to have grown in confidence to take two steals tonight.

On defence the Boks read the Irish attack well and slipped very few tackles, in fact the Irish never really looked like scoring a try.

Ireland as decimated with injuries as the Boks never gave up and tried everything, my player of the match for Ireland was Zebo, he came into the line well and looked threatening at times, looks like the man has quite a bit of pace.

Man of the match for SA, Etzebeth without a doubt.

Commisseration to Ireland, it was a close one.

Agree Zebo looked better at 15. He toured NZ and was made to look like a schoolboy completely out of his depth.

It was more of the same from the Boks, a lack of anything except a one dimensional driving power game and a bizarre desire to kick the ball away. They did come to terms well with Barnes in the second half and showed more intent to play rugby and less intent to be idiots and start fights which is gratifying. Kirchner can't be the best option at 15, and the back row look better when they're being a back row rather than a mid field. Great guts to come back and get the win in a hostile environment. I thought both late tackle penalties and the yellow were rough calls.

The yellow was a rough call?

JP ran straight in and knocked the guy over without even looking at the ball!

He was banking on his earlier glimpse of the ball in flight being enough to support thinking his timing on the hit was right based on the fact that he drove into the guy early enough for the ball to land on his own back!

It was reckless and I reckon lucky not to be a red.
If he had been looking at the ball he could have contested it- given he was the only one that touched it.

Plain dumb rugby for me, and reckless. One thing you need to make sure of when you hit someone that purposefully is that at least theyve got the ball, and he was nowhere near it.

Taylorman, if you reckon JP is lucky no to have gotten a red card there, what was your opinion onthat tckle (with no arms) on Mvovo early in th Super XV?

Youd need to post it biltong- cant recall the detail.
What Im against is a guy going head full on to someone who is standing still looking up, without even having a clue where the ball is. If Mvovo was tackled in the same way, Id say the same. Its not a SA or non SA thing.

Any news on Mtawarira?

They say the doctors are working on him, apparently he has some hereditary heart disease, they said he should be OK.

He was hospitalised for the same condition in february

He was a split second early, the tackle-technique itself was legal (not high, not shoulder charge)...everyone puts their head down when they tackle...

I agree Fishpaste. A split second later and it would have been a great tackle and the same commentators would have been raving about it.

Disagree. When you have one player standing still looking up and you bowl into him at full tip you have a responsibility to be certain he has the ball.
My gripe is at no time was JP ever looking up at the ball. He ran full on and based his hit on the player looking skyward with no idea whether he would be early or late.

...it's just that I don't recall seeing JP do any malicious play before....oh well, we'll just have to agree to disagree (if you don't mind the old cliche)

Mr Fishpaste wrote:He was a split second early, the tackle-technique itself was legal(not high, not shoulder charge)...everyone puts their head down when they tackle...

First of all, congratulations to SA, deserved victory in the end.

Though from an Irish perspective, very frustrating and disappointing as we couldn't string a decent number of phases together in the SA half and had no penetration whatsoever.

With regards to what I have quoted about above, if you look at it again it wasn't actually a legal tackle, no attempt was made to wrap the arms. It was also a case of tackling the man without the ball and he got yellow which I think was a fair enough call so no gripes on that one. Was just making the point that it was an illegal tackle technique in my view.

Anyway congrats again to SA you didn't look bad in the second half even with so many players missing!

Shoulder charging a standing target really shouldn't be tolerated in any level of rugby and might even attract the citing officer's attention - as might Alberts knee to Sexton's ribs.

Anyone else notice that Pienaar didnt actually knock the ball on in the tackle on Sexton? And I'm saying that as an Irish fan.

Just to prove I hate seeing wrong reffing calls in general, not just when its against my team...

BBC showed that it was a knock on...have another look

DOD wrote:BBC showed that it was a knock on...have another look

No it didnt DOD. You need to take another look. And the commentator too.

Slowmo, Matthews, Butler and ref said it was a knock on,

Will get the specsavers number for you

Mr Fishpaste wrote:...it's just that I don't recall seeing JP do any malicious play before....oh well, we'll just have to agree to disagree (if you don't mind the old cliche)

No JP's a great player. I just thought it was a dumb thing to do. Watching him tearing through, oblivious to where or when the ball was going to arrive was what got me. I'd compare him to say Dagg or Jayne in the same conditions and both would have eye on the ball and probably would have climbed and taken it judging from the fact that the ball hit his back after he hit the stationary, feet on the ground player.

Different attitude, and skillset. JP was only ever interested in one thing- Knocking someone to the ground. Reflects a lack of creativity and a positive attitude and I'd like to think JP is better than that.

I wonder if Taute will be moved to full back and allow De Jongh to start outside De Villiers next week. As a scotsman i hope that doesnt happen as i feel it could make the SA back line much more dangerous. Kirtchener is a solid S15 player but for me he doesnt cut it in a sprinbgok shirt. He is a solid defender and decent under a high ball but hasnt the pace or guile to threaten defences too often.
Also worrying to see the strength of the Boks forward bench, both replacement props were good and Coetzee made a positive impact, often qiute literally.

If Scotland are taken apart by the AB's then next week will be a very big game for us. Lose it and we can forget about finishing 8th for the world cup rankings, which would pretty much guarantee not making the quarter finals.

DOD wrote:Slowmo, Matthews, Butler and ref said it was a knock on,

Will get the specsavers number for you

You should forward that number to matthews Butler and the ref then.

http://www.viddler.com/v/faff8ef0

I do love how my eyes and brain both work seemlessly together...

It's no use arguing with me on this Taylor, what you don't seem to understand is that I'm completely biased JP is a Bok and a Shark: he can do no wrong And as a wise old rugby sage once said: it's rugby, not ballet

Henry had received the ball on a number of previous occasions. Pietersen targeted him knowing Henry was going to receive it. He paid no attention to the ball once he knew that Henry was going to catch it - again. Timing was the issue, and in my view, he led with the shoulder and made little attempt to use his arms. Classic PI tackle. Yellow card. Pietersen knew it too.

The fact that Ireland didn't take advantage of it is the real problem.