The omens were good enough...The Black Eyed Peas belting out "I got a feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night". But what is with this Maori horn? Is that for real part of Maori tradition? Or are we getting gimmicky? Forgive my ignorance here, someone please enlighten me. And that prompts me to ask why the French trumpeting? I do like it & I do get the urge to cry out OLÉ! while sitting in my living room...but why impose this as standard for games of rugby at a NZ World Cup yet disallow the great sound of the bagpipes? At times us Kiwis can be such wannabes (the Wellywood sign springs to mind...how embarrassing).
Another bug is what's with these pregame player stats? The Samoan 1st 5, Tusi Pisi, 197cm?? Reminds of 1 Glen Osborne filling his wallet with loose change then placing in his back pocket before the "weigh in" to make sure he broke the 80kg mark!
On to the game and our small South Pacific neighbour weren't to disappoint. With nearly All Black Paul Williams expertly defusing the Boks kicking game from fullback it gave the Samoans a foot in the door. With an intelligent kicking game mixed with power & flair, plus their renowned physical intimidating defence the Islanders had the right recipe to put the Boks under pressure. As the game went on the South Africans didn''t seem too keen to take the ball up one off the ruck. Add to that the delayed appearance of any green jerseys at any scuffle can't help but wonder if the boys from the republic are a little bit afraid when it comes to these clashes.
Before anyone asks no I'm not anti South African. I am anti Springbboks. I despise the way they play the game. Face it, if every nation played that way we wouldn't be turning any new fans onto our wonderful sport. Once a Saffer rebuttled that by saying "Why should we play entertaining rugby for other people? Let's just keep this game for the countries that do play it"? I'm surprised to hear most Kiwis are saying anyone but Aussie. I'm saying anyone but the Boks. Aussies will rib us but it's always a bit of give & take between us. Aussies know how to take it as well as give it. Ever since that bigot Luyt remarked "There were no true world champions in the 1987 and 1991 World Cups because South Africa were not there" (prompting the All Blacks, French & English to leave the post final dinner) we get to listen to certain Saffers
spout how only their 2 cups are legit. I beg to differ. I'd say the 2 South African cups hold less water than any. I swear 80% of Spring Bok fans know no other phrase than "we have 2 world cups". I do hate ignorance. And I do hate some of the tricks got up to in the past(from middle of the night car alarms to street protests at ungodly hours strangely stopping outside hotel windows). To my personal Saffer friends nothing is aimed at you, I know I can be very general at times but I do enjoy a good night out at the pisser with you all(even if you do support arguably the dirtiest international sportsteam on the planet). I don't like Bakkies Botha...but outside the Rainbow Republic...who does? I'm not a Matfield fan...he's a 1 trick pony & his days of being lineout kingpin have passed. One way to stop any rare Bok ball in hand attack is pass the ball to him. I think Brussow gets away with murder at the rucks (without mentioning his offside play), never lament McCaw & praise Brussow. Bismarck Du Plessis doesn't come across as the brightest lamp in the street. Surprised teams don't target him as a weakness, he needs to be needled, exploit the chink in his armour. A great physical impact on the game but no self control in heated situations. A remnant of frontrowers from a bygone era. But I like Fran Steyn, even though when he was younger he was like temperamental little bitch of a menstrual schoolgirl(at 95kg). You can't help but admire anyone who can boot 60m field goals. Danie Roussow is huge, can't understand why he isn't 1st choice ahead of either of the other 2 locking stalwarts. Love watching little Francois Hougaard. What isn't to like about a gutsy little dynamo having an impact in top flight rugby games? Top of my list is one Schalk Burger. Blonde hair, knees & elbows flying, I have long been his fan. The gusto with which he throws his body into contact, with or without the ball, epitomises the sport. He is a real rugby man. Not a huge Habana fan. I do respect what he's done & has been a great ambassador for the sport in breaking down the barriers in his homeland. Add to that it could never have been easy for a coloured lad playing in Transvaal. Big up to him, but he is past it. And he looks like a monkey. No, I'm not saying that because he's black. No, I'm not being racist. I'm saying it because he looks like a monkey. But great thinking from him to launch himself when scoring that try. Kept him well above the touchline while dotting the ball down. Great finishing.
Now what will a rugby game be these days without some incompetent officiating? Touchjudge Barnes, no stranger to controversy flagging Jannie Du Plessis for slapping Schwalger when it was only retaliation for the same offence. All game long(and a common Bok ploy these days) the Boks were masters of being told to leave the ball yet infringing for that extra second often resulting in a turnover, at the least slowing the opposition ball down.
Penalty on the Samoan lock Thomson for going in the side when he clearly went through the middle of maul. Result 3pts to the Boks. Huge kick from Steyn, 57m.
Penalty on Lemi for not releasing....come on, he wasn't even close to being held. Owens' decision halting a strong Samoan foray into the Bok half, the defence at 6s & 7s. Quite possibly a try costing decision.
Boks trying to maul over line early in 2nd half, 3 or 4 players clearly no part of maul and clearly trying to only clear path for ball carrier even diving on ground over line to make it difficult to defend. Justice the TMO couldn't give the try on the footage available. Time for refs to smarten up on Bok mauling practise...it turns the art into a sham.
13-5 Boks, Peterson's hand swiping at the ball while clearly off his feet at Samoan ruck 1m from the Springbok line. The defence in disarray, what was obviously cynical play, should have been a yellow card & clear call penalty try. South African turnover and a real match deciding decision from Owens. When questioned by Schwalger responded "Yep they were all back behind the last feet, I was watching it"...??? What was he watching? Weak weak weak.
Red card on Williams? A punch that was actually a palm in the face. And stating Brussow was hitting Williams' arm because was being held...I saw bout 3 clear smacks to the back of Williams' head. All from a touchjudge 3m from the action but still managing to get it all wrong.
Then the yellow on Smit? Crazy call. Still, put both teams down to 14 for last 10mins and 2 bad calls evened it out. Still...bad, bad officiating. Diabolical.
Yet what would a rugby game be without absolute crap dished out by the officials?
Summarizing the match, despite the pathetically weak refereeing, the best match so far. Is Samoa a team come of age? I doubt it but wouldn't it be great if they could perform like this every international? Wouldn't it be great to have another world heavyweight? And wouldn't the Boks be shaking in their boots? That was one impressive game after a 4 day turnaround.The Boks showed their typical moments of ill-temper, standard fare, they could never handle being tested by lesser teams. When the opposition man up, match fire with fire & dominate (or achieve parity) versus the Springbok pack...the Boks have no plan B. It's only a matter of time before one of these tiny Pacific nations makes history with a South African scalp(remember the heroics of Tonga & Fiji in 2007?). No question which team played the rugby...in both halves. I introduced the bar manager at one of my locals to this sport during this World Cup, & no prizes for guessing which team he came away a supporter of after this clash.
My man of the match...forget the stigma of the winning team. Williams was great nullifying the Bok kicking game. Lemi was a constant danger out on the wing. But no one comes close to the Samoan 2nd5, Eliota Fuimaono Sapolu. An advantage line, defence breaking threat every time he got the ball.
Boks dodge another South Pacific bullet.
And as I said...there's just something about watching the island boys smash the Saffers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF8ctts9LOk
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