SPRINGBOKS http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/1182/header5co.jpg

Celebrating the Springboks 100th year

Our Captain John Smith
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/2816/smitjohn041028portraitt5vc.jpg


Since we all love our sports & our Rugby boys got some talent that we can brag about I thought why not start a thread going. The Springbok Tour (or Season) for 2006 has officially kicked off with the match against Scotland in Durban last week (we beat them nicely that day). We can track their progress & all the news that happens on & off the field in this thread. This season is important so that the team gets ready for next years world cup in France.


Here are the fixtures for 2006
& the group games for the World cup next year
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/1734/fixtures8lo.jpg

How will the boks fair this season? Can they win the Tri-Nations this year?
Predictions for the world cup? Is there anyone you wouldnt want in the squad? Prob change him for someone else? Are quota's good for the game?
Does Jake White have what it takes to take us to World Cup glory again?

Well those are the questions that will come up sooner or later.

But for now Go Green & Gold!
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/3974/bokanthem041113sarwp8001qq.jpg

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/6158/paulsesteps060610tfm2ly.jpg
^^Nice fro paulse

South Africa celebrated a 100 years of the Springbok by outclassing Scotland 36-16 in their rugby international played at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday.

The Springboks, though far from perfect, looked in a different league as they scored four tries to one to register a record victory on home soil over the Scots.

The Boks dominated every phase of play against a disappointing Scotland side who were lucky to escape a bigger hiding as the match yet again illustrated the worrying rift between South Africa’s best line-up and the second-string who played the World XV a week ago at Ellis Park.

It was soon apparent that fears of the Scots being able to shock the Boks were unfounded as John Smit and his eight dominated the scrums from the outset and had their opponents constantly on the back-foot with powerful and well-set mauls.

And it was from a scrum that Schalk Burger, in the midst of a man-of-the-match performance, wrestled his way over and forced the ball onto the line for the first try of the match – the touchdown having to be confirmed by TMO Simon McDowell.

The try was just reward for a solid start by the Boks and within seconds the fourth official was again called into service to rule on an excellent piece of work by Breyton Paulse.

Showing a touch of French panache with his new hairstyle and red boots Paulse did well to recover the ball after a pass went to ground during a sharp blindside foray sparked by Fourie du Preez and then put on the backburners to skid in at the corner.

McDowell confirmed that the little winger had not strayed into touch and with the score moving to 15-3 after 23 minutes it was apparent that Scotland were not in the form or mood to see off Proud John’s army. Halftime came with the Boks 18-6 in front and it had to be said that the scoreline flattered the Scots.

Up against a five-pronged lineout, with Danie Rossouw, Juan Smith, Joe van Niekerk and Schalk Burger taking the attention off the ever-reliable Victor Matfield, and unable to find a counter in the hand-to-hand exchanges the Scots were battling to get their hands on the ball and it came as no surprise when the Boks sealed their victory with the try of the match after 13 minutes of the second half.

A turnover by Matfield provided possession against the flow and a flat pass by Jaco van der Westhuyzen, who gave a competent performance at flyhalf, arrowed to Jean de Villiers sprinting on a beautifully straight line.

The centre’s pace carried him clean through and when confronted by the last man in defence he deftly unloaded to Andre Snyman who sprinted in from 25 metres and wheeled around behind the posts to celebrate his unexpected return to the Springbok fold.

That made it 25-9 and the coup de grace was delivered by Percy Montgomery who fought his way over on the right after a strong counter-attack that had been started by replacement scrumhalf Ricky Januarie and carried on by Danie Rossouw down the left-hand touchline.

Montgomery contributed a total of 21 points by adding two conversions and four penalties to his try but his failure early on to deal with a high kick blotted his overall performance record.

With all the replacements on the Springboks lost their accuracy and domination in the scrum and a poorly-controlled setpiece allowed the Scots to move the ball wide to the left and an unmarked Simon Webster scurried over for the visitors’ only try.

In the end it was a most competent performance by the Boks with spirited defence, a hunger for the ball and enthusiasm in re-grouping for counter-attacks complementing their good work in the forward exchanges.

There must be concern over how their standard fell away at the end, plus continued worries over the limp in Os du Randt’s gait, but it must say something for the Springboks’ capabilities that they could so easily see off a team who beat both France and England.

Scorers were:
South Africa 36: Tries by Schalk Burger (22 min), Breyton Paulse (24 min), Andre Snyman (63 min), Percy Montgomery (76 min). Montgomery kicked two conversions and four penalties.

Scotland 16: Try by Simon Webster (92 min). Chris Paterson kicked a conversion and three penalties.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/7760/whitejake060523trainingtbg0yx.jpg
South Africa's convincing victory in the first test against Scotland has brought back some of that old Springbok fever as rugby enthusiasts prepare for the second encounter in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
"That was the best start to an international season we've had since I became Springbok coach," Jake White said after the 36-16 victory in Durban.

White is in his third season in charge of the national team and during that time the Springboks have not lost a home Test.

Only 32 066 spectators - about 20 000 below capacity - watched the Springboks beat Scotland in Durban's Absa Stadium. But the EPRU Stadium in Port Elizabeth could be packed for this week's match.

Phillip Joseph, CEO of Eastern Province rugby, told John Goliath on Sunday that 10 000 tickets for the open stands had been sold. The rest of the tickets would be snapped up this week, he predicted.

The EPRU Stadium has a capacity of approximately 35 000. All grandstand tickets have been sold at R350 each. The other tickets are priced at R250 each.

The Springboks proved their ability to play attacking rugby when they scored four tries to one in Durban. "And we can still strengthen the team now that CJ van der Linde, Bryan Habana and Bakkies Botha are fit," White said.

These players and Albert van den Berg are all available for this week's match.

PREPARING FOR A REAL ONSLAUGHT

The Springboks won't relax now. White and the players are preparing for a real onslaught from the Scottish team that beat England and France in the Six Nations not so long ago.

White's senior players were outstanding in Durban. Flankers Schalk Burger and Juan Smith, loosehead prop Os du Randt, hooker and captain John Smit, scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, lock Victor Matfield and wing Breyton Paulse provided - as the coach had predicted - the edge after the disappointing showing against the World XV.

Lock forward Danie Rossouw, standing in for Botha, was the brightest star among the Boks. He gave a commanding performance at No 4.

White could also not stop talking about his veteran "tractor," Du Randt.

"The first four scrums were decisive," he said about the way the Boks had put the Scottish pack on the back foot. "John (Smit) says he told Os after the first scrum it was going to be an enjoyable 80 minutes. Os replied by just smiling.

"As coach, I cannot describe the value of his experience and presence," White said.

Jean de Villiers's rib injury is a set-back for White and his team. He starred on the attack on Saturday and his individual brilliance paved the way for André Snyman's try. Now the powerful centre will not available until the start of the Tri-Nations series.

Wynand Olivier, who made his Test debut as substitute for De Villiers, could be Jaque Fourie's new centre partner, although White has also recalled inside centre Wayne Julies to the squad

source : www.sarugby.net

Springbok centre Wayne Julies will replace the injured Jean de Villiers for Saturdays 2nd test against the Scots

afroooo

Hey durbsboi....well done...good to see a great new thread...esp since u started it...i think u sad u cant pur shark cheerleaders up....pity the boks dont have...

do u remember the sharks had male and female cheerleaders last year...thats was hot

Ya hopefully instead of impimi's again the Boks could opt for the cheer leader, one can only hope,

Anyway Jake White has said there will be two changes to the squad that played in Durban last week, after the boks totally dominated that game he is deciding to try a few things.

noooooooooo I love the impis. The dancing guy with the spear is awsome!!! COME ON THE BOKKE!! Was sad to see kings part so empty on saturday. not a good show from you guys down in durbs!!

yeh, that guy is kinda cool, but HOT cheer leaders on the side is nice too

Mike read the article mo posted about the game in the durban thread...why spend money to go watch scotland! like the article says, those small teams should play in smaller centres that are starved of rugby...or they should lower the prices for those games. i'd rather pay to watch the sharks than boks against scotland, wales, italy or argentina

Mike read the article mo posted about the game in the durban thread...why spend money to go watch scotland! like the article says, those small teams should play in smaller centres that are starved of rugby...or they should lower the prices for those games. i'd rather pay to watch the sharks than boks against scotland, wales, italy or argentina
big mathces should be played in big cities spread the less important matches around to free state etc.

yep totally agree, plus if the sharks play scotland, it would be good practice for the currie cup! well we beat them again, unconvincingly

This is serious guys, eish its about time he realised he wasnt the Hulk!

Fears for Schalk Burger's future in rugby
Stephen Nell
June 20 2006 at 07:13AM


Schalk Burger has been ruled out of rugby for the year and there are fears he may never play again.

Coach Jake White briefed the media on the shock news at a Press conference in Cape Town on Monday.

"I have an important announcement to make. Schalk Burger has been ruled out officially until January next year. He has got to go for a neck operation.

"It is amazing that a 23-year-old guy has to go for a neck fusion operation," he said.

'I am scared to send him to another doctor'
Asked whether he was concerned that the injury could mean the end of Burger's career, White replied: "Of course I am scared of that. Within a space of an hour it has gone from three weeks to eight weeks to six months. It's a major operation.

"I am scared to send him to another doctor because he may say that Schalk can never play rugby again."

Burger described the injury setback as a "big disappointment".

"We will just take it one step at a time after the operation. I want to thank my team-mates for all their encouragement and support and wish them well for the test on Saturday," he said.

It is believed that Burger's head collided with a player's hip and he continued playing with the injury for an hour.

'It's typical of Schalk not to say that it was sore'
"I wasn't aware that he was injured, but I was aware that he wasn't performing as well as he normally does. He was getting the gears from the senior players because he was lagging behind.

"It's typical of Schalk not to say that it was sore," said White.

"When we were on the aeroplane coming back to Cape Town, he said it was sore - and for him to say that, you know it must be really sore.

"His back was sore and his neck was sore and he started to get pins and needles in his left hand.

"Once that started, we realised it was serious. His pain threshold is higher than most. He's 23 and gives you more than most."

Springbok captain John Smit described the loss of Burger as a "massive blow". "He gives everything in every game for whomever he plays. I wish him well and hope his rehabilitation will be speedy and he will recover fully," said Smit.

Burger will undergo surgery on Saturday.

However, former Bok prop Robbie Kempson, who retired in 2005 after a fusion in his back, said Burger should consider seeking more opinions before something as drastic as that was done.

"I am shocked that a diagnosis like that has been made so early on. A fusion is the final frontier," said Kempson.

He added that Burger should seriously consider his future if he went the fusion route. "As soon as you have a fusion the vertebrae above and below take all the strain.

"You have to look at it long-term and consider life after rugby. It's a shock that it happened to such a young guy

SHARKS currie cup fixtures

okay I know this is a "springbok thread" but when the currie cup starts we can start a "Currie Cup Thread" then.

Sharks Currie Cup fixtures
June 20, 2006 Edition 1


Friday: Sharks v Lions (ABSA Stadium Durban, 7.10pm) SS1/CSN

Saturday July 1: Western Province v Sharks (Newlands, 3pm) SS1/MNET

Friday July 7: Sharks v Pumas (ABSA Stadium Durban, 7.10pm) SS1/CSN

Saturday July 15: Griquas v Sharks (Kimberley, 3pm)

Friday July 21: Vodacom Blue Bulls v Sharks (Pretoria, 7.10pm) SS1/CSN

Saturday July 29: Sharks v Free State Cheetahs ABSA Stadium, Durban, 5pm) SS1/MNET

Friday August 4: 19:10 Valke v Sharks (Brakpan, 7.10pm) SS1/CSN

Saturday August 19: 17:00 Lions v Sharks (Ellis Park, 5pm) SS1/MNET

Friday August 25: Sharks v Western Province (ABSA Stadium, Durban, 7.10pm) SS1/CSN

I saw that the other day and have "arrainged" for my long overdue trip home with my wife and son to co-inside with the WP( We got Problems) vs Natal game.

Funny how all my trips co-inside with rugger or cricket fixtures

lol, exellent planning mate
fly the black & white flag high in Newlands now! I'm sure there will be plenty of us there...........as usual

Well the french taught us a good lesson on Sat, its a pitty that the baby boks also got murderd by the baby french in the final of the under 21 world cup.

White - 'I won't stay if my players don't'
Sunday June 25 2006
'As a coach in SA, you play to survive on a weekly basis'

Springbok coach Jake White has once again pledged his commitment to South African rugby - but he wants the assurance of being able to call upon his big-name players after the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

White on Friday confirmed his loyalty to the Bok team - when news first emerged about his possible contract extension until 2009, coupled with rumours of job offers from abroad - and he reiterated his stance at Saturday's post-match press conference,

"My loyalties lie with the Springbok team," he declared after his team's 26-36 loss to France at Newlands.

He added: "I spoke to [France coach] Bernard [Laporte] before the game and he used the word 'ridiculous' to describe the fact that I seem to play week to week. As a coach in South Africa, you play to survive on a weekly basis."

The Bok boss, however, is concerned that his top players could be tempted with overseas offers if there is any uncertainty over their coach's future after the World Cup.

"I have a contract until the World Cup next year and a lot of the regular players want to know what will go on after that," he added.

"I'm one of those guys who like to look ahead, and the question is whether I want to stay until the Lions tour in 2009.

"If I'm honest with myself, I don't want to stay for 2009 if my players won't."

Contractual issues aside, White was grilled in the post-match press conference for his reluctance to pick Western Province captain Luke Watson (especially now that Schalk Burger is out injured), with the Bok coaching having said last week that all 15 players in his team could fetch and that he did not believe in playing a specialist 'fetcher'.

"If Monty's conversion kick had gone over (for Brent Russell's second-half try) it would've put us in a superb position and we would have gone on to win and would not have needed a fetcher," he said.

"There are other ways of looking at the game. Obviously crucial things happened in the game - the penalty that Jaco (van der Westhuyzen) gave away to (Serge) Betsen, the kick that hit the upright and the penalty just before half-time.

"Had we got those calls we probably would have won the Test."

Regular eighthman Joe van Niekerk had a useful enough match in the No.6 shirt, but the loose trio of Van Niekerk, Juan Smith (No.7) and Pedrie Wannenburg (No.8) did not have the same effect as the French loosies, with Rémy Martin having an excellent match as a replacement for the injured Thierry Dusautoir, who limped off with a knee injury in the 14th minute.

"There's no doubt in my mind about the importance of continuity of selection," added White.

"The players who normally play for me would never have given up a 23-11 lead."

White is currently without first-choice players Schalk Burger (neck), Bakkies Botha (Achilles), Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie (both ribs), but the harsh reality is that too many balls were turned over, the SA scrum was weak and crucial tackles were missed on Saturday.

There can be no excuses made for that...

By Howard Kahn

source:www.rugby365.com

White looking for excuses, again
It was a case of backs to the wall and an assortment of explanations to why they lost the game.

But the facts wouldn't change the facts - the Springboks were completely out of their depth in failing to add one more victory to their impressive 13 unbeaten home matches when they lost 36-26 to France in Cape Town on Saturday.

The Boks were beaten by a better drilled pack of forwards, an enthusiastic backline and also by a side that has come to realise that victory is a privilege and not a right.

Fortunately for the Springboks, the difference between them and a thrashing at this level of the game was the boot of Percy Montgomery as the Boks seemed to lack the initiative of taking the game to their opposition.

At crucial moments when the Boks had the French pinned deep in their half, the hosts failed to make full use of their territorial and possession advantage.

Instead Bok captain John Smit sought to show his adversaries much respect by opting for the three points instead of going the direct way which offered five points with a possibility of two more if the conversion went over.

The Bok forwards were neutralised at vital moments, when the game was on and the French looked vulnerable.

The Bok centre combination of de Wet Barry and Wynand Olivier failed dismally on their first showing together while flyhalf Jaco van der Westhuyzen dished out another diabolical performance with the boot and option taking.

But White seemed loath to put the blame of the loss squarely on the door of his team.

"If one or two things had gone our way we would have won the game. Had Percy Montgomery kicked over the conversion and not missed that penalty.

And if Jaco was not penalised for that punch on Serge Betsen then things could have gone differently. The reality is that we played against a good French side that deserved to win and we didn't get going," White said.

White also emphasized the effect injuries to key players have had on the team, resulting in the new pairing of Olivier and Barry.

"I am not making excuses but this is what happens when one breaks combinations. We need consistency in our selection.

"We've lost crucial players like Schalk Burger, Bakkies Botha, Jean de Villiers, Jaque Fourie and Guthro Steenkamp," said White.

Smit, though, was more realistic, acknowledging that the Boks failed to take control in the engine room and that the French played all the rugby on the day.

"They scored at crucial times and their tight five put us under pressure. They turned the heat up when we should have done so. They followed our script," Smit said.

Source: www.sasi.co.za

Todays Mercury reported that Jake White had applied for the job as Englands manager for next year & if he does get the job then SARFU wont be in his way & he can take that job

Dam this thread got dusty, well the Tri Nations kicked off last week with NZ giving the Wallabies a leeson in how to play rugby, its our turn to play those naff kangaroo's tomorrow, how do you think we will fare with our new "quota" squad?
We got some good talent out there, & I think Jake & the guys must do what Dicky is doing down here in Durbs, by getting those academy's going, we must encourage the rest of the teams to do that, there is no need to buy players from other teams, just harvest your own!

'Rodzilla', Paul expected to face Boks

Posted on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 22:15

A 130 kg prop forward nicknamed 'Rodzilla' is likely to be called upon to bolster Australia's scrum against the South African rugby team in Brisbane on Saturday.
Rodney 'Rodzilla' Blake and hooker Jeremy Paul are expected to be back in the front row for the Tri-Nations match at Suncorp Stadium.

The difference Paul makes to the Wallaby scrum was clear in the match against New Zealand last Saturday when he took the place of the injured Tai McIsaac.

McIsaac has a rib injury and could be out of rugby for at least three weeks. Sean Hardman, of Queensland, should now come into the squad as substitute for the experienced Paul.

Gert Smal, who coaches the Springbok forwards, was impressed with the difference Paul made to the Wallaby pack in Christchurch.

"We are preparing to see Paul in the front row," Small said on Monday. "He is a classic example of how beneficial competition can be, even for an experienced player.

"His omission from the starting line-up would have caused him to look at himself. Self-examination makes any player hungry to show what he is capable of. One could see it last Saturday. Paul was fired-up again."

Paul's inclusion could be one of several changes to the Australian run-on team. To avoid being mauled in the scrum again, more than a change at hooker will be needed.

CHANGE TO THE BACKLINE

Australia will seek more solidity up front after the problems Greg Holmes had against New Zealand's Carl Hayman. Blake may provide the solution.

Scott Fava could also return to the pack after Mark Chisholm's unconvincing performance on the flank.

The only change in the backline could be at inside centre, where Matt Giteau is challenging Mat Rogers.

Former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones and Nick Farr-Jones, captain of a World Cup-winning Wallaby side, feel Australia need more than front-row changes.

Farr-Jones has said the Wallabies were not only outclassed in the tight phases last week, but that their loose forwards also came second.

Jones agrees. He feels Chrisholm, usually a lock forward, is not a success on the flank. The ideal No 6, he said, should have a higher work rate in the loose.

Rookie Aussie prop to face veteran Os

Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 05:42

Veteran Springbok loosehead prop Os du Randt has been given a 24-year-old, twice-capped rookie to swat aside after Australia announced their team on Wednesday for the Tri-Nations match in Brisbane on Saturday.
Wallaby coach John Connolly has made four changes to the starting XV that lost 32-12 to the All Blacks in Christchurch last weekend, but only one of them can realistically be expected to drag the Australian scrum nearer to parity with their beefy Springbok counterparts.

ACT Brumbies tighthead Guy Shepherdson earned just his second cap last weekend and suffered a thorough working-over by Carl Hayman, while the loosehead side of the Wallaby scrum is not much more experienced, with 23-year-old Greg Holmes earning just his eighth cap on Saturday.

The return of Australia's most-capped hooker, Jeremy Paul, for the injured Tai McIsaac, does, however, add 67 caps to the Australian front row.

Al Baxter, relatively experienced having played 35 times for the Wallabies, covers for the props on the bench, with Queensland Reds hooker Sean Hardman called up to the squad for only the second time since his debut in 2002.

The Australian management have admitted Rocky Elsom's first-half yellow card was the turning point in their match against the All Blacks, but have retained the NSW Waratahs back-rower, although they have shifted him to blindside flanker.

Scott Fava will make his first start for the Wallabies at eighthman, meaning the hosts will lose some height in the lineouts, but George Smith, Fava and Elsom make for a potent ball-winning loose trio.

Smith and Elsom got exposed at the back of a retreating scrum against the All Blacks in terms of controlling the ball and Connolly confirmed Fava had been chosen for his specialist skills.

"Scott is a bit more suited to number eight, even though that means we sacrifice a bit of ground at the lineout. Part of the selection was that if the scrum is under pressure then we need a specialist to deal with the ball at the back," Connolly said on Wednesday.

But in open play, Australia will clearly be looking to move the ball away from the tight phases.

"I'm sure South Africa are looking to play a tight game, given how massive their back row is. They'll be looking to keep play in the channel close to their big forwards and so take the smaller men out of the game," Connolly said.

Utility back Matt Giteau hasn't played a full game of rugby for seven weeks after a knee injury, but Connolly has nevertheless promoted him from the bench to the key inside centre position for Saturday.

Giteau is somewhere in between Wynand Olivier and Brent Russell in terms of size, but the Australian management are confident the physical challenge of the Springboks won't bother him.

"Matt has tremendous athleticism and speed and is great in confined spaces, with beautiful dancing feet and poise. So I think he'll show that rugby is not just a big man's game," Wallaby backline attack coach Scott Johnstone said. "There's probably nothing he can't do on a rugby field and inside centre really suits him."

Mat Rogers and Clyde Rathbone, who had a hamstring injury and missed last week's match in Christchurch, will both be on the bench for Australia and provide pointers to the hosts' desire to play an expansive game.

"We want to be able to attack from anywhere and we have the athletic prowess to do that," Johnstone said.

"We can see an improvement in that area, the forwards are getting more involved in attack, although it didn't reflect on the scoreboard last week," he added.

The highly-respected John Muggleton is back in charge of Australia's defensive patterns and he admitted the All Blacks had forced several holes in the structure last week.

"The defence was very loose and disappointing in Christchurch. The rate of first-tackle success was 77%, which is well below usual and what we consider acceptable.

"We needed more discipline because when one bloke rushed out of line and missed his tackle, it put all the other players in positions they were not used to, running at different angles.

"The players just need to get their heads back on and stick to the game plan," Muggleton said.

Australia - Chris Latham, Mark Gerrard, Stirling Mortlock, Matt Giteau, Lote Tuqiri, Stephen Larkham, George Gregan (capt), Scott Fava, George Smith, Rocky Elsom, Dan Vickerman, Nathan Sharpe, Guy Shepherdson, Jeremy Paul, Greg Holmes. Reserves: Sean Hardman, Al Baxter, Mark Chisholm, Phil Waugh, Sam Cordingley, Mat Rogers, Clyde Rathbone

Wily Wallabies too good for 'dumb' Boks
Tuesday July 11 2006
'I reckon the Springboks are vulnerable'

The verbal sparring ahead of Saturday's Tri-Nations encounter between Australia and South Africa in Brisbane has taken an interesting turn with former Wallaby prop Dan Crowley saying the Springboks are "not clever enough" to achieve the same kind of dominance over the Wallabies as the All Blacks did.


Following New Zealand's 32-12 demolition of Australia in the opening Tri-Nations match in Christchurch last Saturday, where the Kiwis totally destroyed the Wallaby scrum, Bok coach Jake White said his Boks would also target the Aussie scrum.

But Crowley feels the Boks lack the necessary grey matter to achieve that dominance.

And despite all the negative media publicity the Wallabies received in the wake of last Saturday's loss, Crowley is adamant the Wallabies can bounce back and beat South Africa on Saturday.

"I reckon the Springboks are vulnerable," he told Australia's Daily Telegraph.

Crowley believes the absence of lock Bakkies Botha, centre Jean de Villiers and flank Schalk Burger will hurt the Springboks.

He said the New Zealand scrum didn't just try to play with head to head force.

"They try to rotate you and pull back one side and push up another and then when they destabilise you they will go after you," Crowley told the newspaper.

"Whereas the Springboks aren't that smart, they just push against the wall trying to push it over."

Crowley said while the Wallabies got smashed by New Zealand last Saturday it was not the end of the world.

"I thought Guy Shepherdson tried his heart out but still has a lot to learn, hopefully Rodney Blake will bring a bit more security to the tight head side," he said.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/trinations.jpg

Really dissapointed that they not playing in Durban this year round, seeing they last lifted the trophy here. whos going to go the Rustenburg game?

Stupid politics

Really dissapointed that they not playing in Durban this year round, seeing they last lifted the trophy here. whos going to go the Rustenburg game?

Stupid politics

I was born in Rustenburg - now that is a dump (excuse the pun) - LOL. It is as bad as a town called Huntly - here in NZ. How come was Durban not included ?

^^Politics, NRU had a major bust up with SARFU

^^Politics, NRU had a major bust up with SARFU

Oh I see - I didn't even know that Rustenburg has a stadium. It must be going places ;)

The royal bofokeng sports palace, is a cool stadium,

The royal bofokeng sports palace, is a cool stadium,

Oh right - I forgot about Bafokeng (it was in the former Bophuthatswana homeland - right ?) ... so who is going to win - Springbokke or Wallabies .. my bet is on the Wallabies.

Did you see the Wallaby campaign against The All Blacks ?

Watch it here - hilarious .. no wonder the All Blacks kicked their asses -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL9ThdmZkFs&search=all%20blacks%20handbag

I was born in Rustenburg - now that is a dump (excuse the pun) - LOL. It is as bad as a town called Huntly - here in NZ. How come was Durban not included ?

Rustenburg a dump....oh my!!! Since when? When was the last time you've been to Rustenburg?

I know this aint a Sharks thread, but what the hell is needs spicing up, so what better way to do it than with the sharks Flasher girls & Nando's! :scouserd:

From last weeks Puma's game

Looking good
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/shpum064.jpg

Try not to smile that hard
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/shpum066.jpg

Be my princess :drool:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/shpum065.jpg

& if you visit the Sharks Website (www.sharksrugby.co.za) you can no vote for your favourite flasher girl! everyweek a new girl will be posted.

This week its Kelly Silson !

Age: 18
Profession: Currently studying BCOM marketing
Hair Colour: Light brown
Height: 1.72 m
Eyes: Brown
Goals: To be the best that I can be in everything I do
Hobbies: Modeling, tennis, dancing, sudoku and hanging out with friends
Favourite TV programme: Saturday Night Live; Desperate Housewives; Greys Anatomy
Favourite Movie: Anchor Man
Favourite Rugby player: Brad Barritt, he's an up and coming youngster who has really shown a lot of dedication and talent
Childhood Nickname: None
Ideal Holiday Destination and Ideal partner? A tropical island with white sandy beaches and sparkling blue water. With a tall dark and handsome guy, must have a nice smile and definitely a good sense of humour.

Complete the sentence:
If I could change anything about myself it would be . . . Nothing, am happy with the way I am.
I could change anything about the world it would be . . .To increase global generosity and to decrease global greed and jealousy
My best asset is . . . My determination to succeed
I wish I could . . . be famous
I couldn't complete the day without . . . my lip ice
My last meal on earth would be . . . seafood platter
The thing I enjoy most about being a Flasher Girl is . . . the adrenaline rush as we flash in front of 1000s of people, all cheering for us and knowing that we're the ones getting them all psyched up for the game to cheer and support OUR TEAM!

:drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash1a.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash1.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash2.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash3.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash4.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash5.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash6.jpg

Oh right - I forgot about Bafokeng (it was in the former Bophuthatswana homeland - right ?) ... so who is going to win - Springbokke or Wallabies .. my bet is on the Wallabies.

Did you see the Wallaby campaign against The All Blacks ?

I dont realy know, who will win tomorrow, because I havent seen this Bok squad in action, so we will have to wait & see, but last weeks All Balcks performance wasnt as convincing as previous years, still think they can do much much better.

Rustenburg a dump....oh my!!! Since when? When was the last time you've been to Rustenburg?

June 2005 (my sister still lives there). I went to the one and only Waterfall Mall, most of the town centre is a no go zone. I lived there for 18 years and not one good memory. Even if they build the World's tallest building in Rustenburg, it will always remain a dump to me. No Boere Dorp appeals to me.

I remember catching the bus to Pretoria as often as I could (I was so excited) and dreaming of living in the big city - Johannesburg. When I matriculated and received my call-up papers for army, I celebrated. It was my ticket out of there and I left in January 1989.

Oh yes - just remembered - the opening of Sun City was the most exciting thing for us back then. Better than playing at the Kloof.

I dont realy know, who will win tomorrow, because I havent seen this Bok squad in action, so we will have to wait & see, but last weeks All Balcks performance wasnt as convincing as previous years, still think they can do much much better.

The Kiwis share your sentiment.

Rustenburgs KFC is the best I have ever tasted

The Kiwis share your sentiment.
Yep lets hope they smash those matilda's next time round.

Whats up with the new haka?

Yep lets hope they smash those matilda's next time round.

Whats up with the new haka?

The handbag one ;) or the slitting throat one ?

Nah Nah, the slitting throat one, it doesnt seem scary enough anymore, even with the slitting throat gesture

Nah Nah, the slitting throat one, it doesnt seem scary enough anymore, even with the slitting throat gesture

There was something about it in the news the other day but I didn't read it - sorry. I personally don't like the gesture.

Its a cool gesture, the haka is a "war dance" so its cool, beats our whole Impi routine, but nothing sucks as much as that dumb waltzing Matilda crap!

June 2005 (my sister still lives there). I went to the one and only Waterfall Mall, most of the town centre is a no go zone. I lived there for 18 years and not one good memory. Even if they build the World's tallest building in Rustenburg, it will always remain a dump to me. No Boere Dorp appeals to me.

I remember catching the bus to Pretoria as often as I could (I was so excited) and dreaming of living in the big city - Johannesburg. When I matriculated and received my call-up papers for army, I celebrated. It was my ticket out of there and I left in January 1989.

Oh yes - just remembered - the opening of Sun City was the most exciting thing for us back then. Better than playing at the Kloof.


I've stayed in Rustenburg for a year,but my brother has been staying in Rustenburg since 1981.I've seen the transformation from a little "boere dorp" to a small city.Well I don't know if it's a dump,but I kind of like the place.The "new" Waterfall Mall has got some nice new restaurants.Well I'll never move back there,seeing that I now stay in Taipei,I'll miss my Starbucks,MRT and Ministry of Sound too much!! :) :) :)

OMG a game in rustenburg?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF?!!!!! Who in gods name thought of that one?

I've stayed in Rustenburg for a year,but my brother has been staying in Rustenburg since 1981.I've seen the transformation from a little "boere dorp" to a small city.Well I don't know if it's a dump,but I kind of like the place.The "new" Waterfall Mall has got some nice new restaurants.Well I'll never move back there,seeing that I now stay in Taipei,I'll miss my Starbucks,MRT and Ministry of Sound too much!! :) :) :)

LOL - I tell me sister that I am a Starbucks addict and she has no idea of what I am talking about - LOL (bless her soul). The town has grown alot. My bf used to hate driving around and always got lost because he says that all the houses look the same (all the little mine houses with those concrete prefabricated walls - you know what I am talking about) ... thinking of it now, I lost my virginity in Rustenburg ... ooooh, how awful .. LOL. The shame.

Its a cool gesture, the haka is a "war dance" so its cool, beats our whole Impi routine, but nothing sucks as much as that dumb waltzing Matilda crap!

The Springboks need a war dance - maybe they can do some sort of gum boot dance ;) .. imagine .. LOL

Hmm, it will take quite a while to put the gumboots on, then after the dance, take them off, then put on their togs, & tie their lace. Plus the way the shuffling the squad like a pack of cards, every player from every province will need to know the dance, not knowing when they will be called for duty.

Sorry Boys - the score is 49 - NIL to the Wallabies.

Sorry Boys - the score is 49 - NIL to the Wallabies.
it was fantastic.

That's a disgraceful score by any stretch of the imagination. Even worse than the 4-0 thrashing I witnessed Pirates receive at the hands of Man United.

Bad day for SA sport. :ohno:

:badnews:

& Sharks lost! BY 1 FREEKEN POINT! :cry:

I guess there's only one word that can sum up today............EISH

oh dear oh dear. not a great day for the bokke!!! Iam sure we will bounce back. last year we were awsome and this year we are pathetic. I dont understand!!!

Its that blody fly half! they need to shoot him!!! PLAY PERCY AT FLY HALF & RUSSEL AT FULL BACK!!! END OF STORY !!! KAPISH?

That's a disgraceful score by any stretch of the imagination. Even worse than the 4-0 thrashing I witnessed Pirates receive at the hands of Man United.

Bad day for SA sport. :ohno:

:badnews:
wheres the pics of the match roman :(?

They calling for Re-enforcements!

THE BADBOY OF SA RUGBY IS BACK!!! :scouserd:

Butch James!!!

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/05james.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/Apr2006ButchJames.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/ButchJames.jpg

Sharks coach Dick Muir has applauded the call-up of his flyhalf, Butch James, to the beleaguered Springbok squad and said that he was quite happy to deal with the problematic issue of filling James’ boots for Friday night’s Absa Currie Cup match against the Bulls in Pretoria.

“Butch is the man for this type of situation the Boks are in,” Muir said. “His aggression, confidence and skill lift a backline and he is the kind of character that relishes tough situations. He is very excited about his call-up and we are very excited for him. He will do a great job.”

James replaces injured lock Danie Rossouw, and Jake White must decide whether to rush James straight into the starting line-up for Saturday’s match against New Zealand in Wellington or play him off the bench, with youngster Meyer Bosman starting.

There is no doubting what Muir would do, but the Sharks coach instead must make a call on who will play at No 10 for the Sharks against the Bulls.

This week AJ Venter’s team returns to match duty, and that side had James and Ruan Pienaar as the halfback pairing. Muir said he is considering a number of interesting options, including playing Pienaar in the position; continuing with Steve Meyer (who played against Griquas last week); giving fit-again Bradley Barritt a run in the position, or even giving Rovers flyhalf Andrew Binikos an opportunity.

At training last night, Muir seemed to at least have settled on a midfield combination, with Grant Rees and Gcobani Bobo teaming up. Odwa Ndungane ran on one wing and there was a new face on the other in the form of Craig Burden, the sturdy former Maritzburg College star who was due to play against Griquas but withdrew from the team because of flu.

The pack looked settled compared to the question marks over the backline. Venter, Jacques Botes and Warren Britz will make up a highly competent and experienced loose trio but the second row will have a fresh look about it – youngsters Steven Sykes and Wouter Moore are the likely starters, with Johan Ackermann still out injured and Johann Muller and Albert van den Berg away with the Boks. The front row will comprise Kees Lensing, Bismarck du Plessis and Danie Saayman.

Muir is likely to have some potent ammunition on the bench. BJ Botha, the Super 14’s form tighthead , has completed his rehabilitation following neck surgery in May and might well get a run off the bench, and flanker Keegan Daniel is over the hamstring strain that kept him out of the trip to Kimberley

What will the score be boys ? My bet is on the All Blacks but I am sure that the Springboks are going to fight really hard.

Me to, I think the All Backs to win by 5-10 points, it will be a close one,
if Butchy plays from the start with Brent Russel, the bokke might just snatch it

Me to, I think the All Backs to win by 5-10 points, it will be a close one,
if Butchy plays from the start with Brent Russel, the bokke might just snatch it

In a sneaky kind of way I hope that the bokke win - I felt so sorry for them.

They will bounce back.................
..................I hope

Okay before tomorrows cruncher match between da black boys & the bokke,
theres a small matter of local rivalry happening tonight in Pretoria.

Now who you think is gonna win?

Them
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/BBabesCC06LSB.jpghttp://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/BBabesCC06LSC.jpg

Or Them
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/shpum064.jpghttp://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/shpum066.jpghttp://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/shpum065.jpghttp://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash1.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/shlio06fla1.jpg

GO SHARKS GO!

What will the score be boys ? My bet is on the All Blacks but I am sure that the Springboks are going to fight really hard.
NZ 76
RSA 3

I think they will fight hard for this one, ABs to win but it wont be a slaughter
34-23
Sharks/Bulls
sharks by 26-18

I was close sharks 37-bulls 28

12 years later still mostly white?

Lol, paulse's try was good,
after the quickest try in Tri Nations history was scored, thought we had a chance, but
to many penaltys in our own half killed it for us. & we didnt find touch often which cost us 14 points! & Percy wasnt on form, why they didnt give butch the kicking was beyond me, but Butchy had a good game, kept the ball in hand, threw some good passes. ............ya wait for 2 weeks now.

This week its Kelly Silson !

:drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash1a.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash1.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash2.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash3.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash4.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash5.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash6.jpg


Lol she's one of my sisters mates!

i have no time for paulse, never have.

Think they really need to work on getting a proper game plan...cos the way they going they gonna get less crowds than a elephants - bulldogs game!

Hey hey , they played well on Sat, Monty wasnt wearing his kicking boots & we gave away too many penalties in our half which were kickable (then again Carter can kick them over from anywhere!) hope they hit form at home..............i hope

Hey hey , they played well on Sat, Monty wasnt wearing his kicking boots & we gave away too many penalties in our half which were kickable (then again Carter can kick them over from anywhere!) hope they hit form at home..............i hope
a couple of records for monty..but dan carter is in his zone and u cant stop him..

True, how come NZ have such quality flyhalfs? Andrew *cough*Traitor*cough* Mertens, Carlos Spencer & now Danny boy Carter

my backline
what do u think of this backline with the current players we got for the tour as long as the dont force butch to kick which isnt part of his game when we the last time we saw the sharks use those tactics ball in hand
9)Fdp
10) Butch
11) russel
12) habana
13) Jf
14) akona
15) JP/jaco

ps durbsboi u legend i luv the eye candy :drool: :cucumber:

:bash: True, how come NZ have such quality flyhalfs? Andrew *cough*Traitor*cough* Mertens, Carlos Spencer & now Danny boy Carter
cos thay play them in the NPC and super 10/12/14 in their BEST postion of flyhalf, not like SA which has the bulls playing Jaca crapo at fullback ie he is not good enough to be the No1 flyhalf but Jake the snake sees him as the best flyhalf.
What kind of shit is that and it happens all over the place, Lion-Fourie at wing in the S14?
Big joe at 7 in s14 but he is the best No8? and so on and so on.
The rugby structure in our country is fuckud up and for the past 10 years we have been going backwards at a rate of knots, Ok we have a goodish run and end up at no2 in the world but we are not dominat as the AB, Aussies and even the poms (2001-2004).
How can the national body which decides Sas rugby future (presidents council) be Jakes boss as well as NOT looking after their provincial intrests. I mean What the fuck does border,Northern free state etc have to contribute to our future. They are a joke and should go back to the old B-section of the currie cup and be grateful for the off cross section games they played. Let the Governing body be made up of Ex presidents, ex player, coaches or administrators ie noone with an intrest at heart when decitions need to be made.
Fucking boks have cost me thousands of dollars over the past 10 years in bets ive lost.
At least I am seeing the real rugby in our country and that is the youth (sharks acadamy is producing some amazing tallent), progressive coaches (Dickie and rassie are a relevation at the momnet) and Natal is getting their shit together cos of guys like Big Rudolf. The common thread here are ex-players who are investing in their provinces, I mean between Nass(part owner of the acadamy, dickie and rudulf you must have over 50 international caps and probably close to 300 provicial caps between them). These are the guys that should be running rugby in SA not the fat cat presidents who all scratch each ourthers back .
Thats my 2 cents :bash:

and now I read that jake is looking for a new fullback for the world cup and is thinking of Willem de wall(free state flyhalf) WTF are JP and the pocket rocket doing on tour then? I mean there is steffdan basson( I rate him big time cos he thinks like a 7s player, runs into space not into a tackler), roets, JP,brent etc. What does it say to these guys when Jake the moron is looking AGAIN and positional changes in order to find his savoiur.
Flyhalf is another massive fuckup and thats why our backline can score tries , I mean Jaco is the most wooden flyhalf of the modern age, he is a naas close living on a 10 man game. Willem de wall and morne steyn are the best all round flyhalfs in the country, Barrit is a bit young and needs to lean more, derrick hougard has already been to a world cup as the first choise flyhalf, and then there are the province show ponie of grant and naas oliver who while not at international standard and getting better every game.
Its criminal what is happenming to our game and the quicker these clowns get out and let a national body put national intests first the better for us.Even natal are guilty of hoarding players (3 fullbacks from the same province on tour????) Madness. If brwent Monsty and JP all want to live in Durban fine, but Natal should get 1st choice and then the other 2 get drafted to regions that will garuentee them full S14 game time.brent hasent played decent repetitive rugby since he was probably at school. he gets splinters alomng with Shimange and dont get me started on Shimage, wayne julies and Solly.

lets put it this way jake should have man changes ages before the big test like against the scos and france plus why the hell do we have to kick the ball ever time we touch we're starting to look the like bulls everyday but atleast the bulls spread the ball now and then we've got the talent what about to the the under 21's who smashed the oz and then came second place this year and won the tourment last year ???? we've shown at school boy level that we are the best in world

Aha good points there Giles,
but hsark, did you notice the biggest difference bet the Aussie & the one we against the AB's? we kept the ball in hand more often! Btuch spread the ball well, of loaded quicker, not like what we did againts those Matilda's where that ass Van de Westhouzen just kicked the ball into aussies half all the time, & as for the srum half, Du preez is gud but not as gud as Ruan, but i aint complaining his doing wonders for the sharks in our Currie Cup campaign, but du preez did a much better job than Januarie, no offence to the quota, GET PLAYERS OF COLOUR FINE, BUT MAKE SURE THEY GOT TALENT FIRST.

The sharks & Free state youth acadenmy is proof that they are talented young coloured players out there, JP Pieterson, Stick, & Ndungane & so on.
This weeks currie cup game bet sharks & OFS is going to be a cracker, the 2 youngest & talented squands in the country hitting it out, U'll be watching our countries future heros in that match..........I can garuntee you that!

ps durbsboi u legend i luv the eye candy :drool: :cucumber:


No problemo...............more to come soon

me too, thank god for DSTV here in Dubai. I died when I lived in Auckland,Warsaw and Sydney with no good currie cup rugger , although the past 5 years its been pretty tame with no decent natal side

geeze Keo must have read my rant cos this article in todays blog is simmilar to mine
http://www.keo.co.za/2006/07/25/pushing-pienaars-case/

lol, his spying on us!

Well this weekend is a GOOD weekend for the Boks.........cos they aint playing :rofl:

on a serious note, the AB's vs da Matida's tomorrow, if the AB's win they practicaly got one hand on the Tri Nations & they take that bledislow, bednishow......, that cup too. So ironicly we must shout for the Matilda's tomorrow! & pray that they waltz over NZ, its a hard thing to do, but if the bokke have any realistic chance to win the Tri Nations it all depends on tomorrows match.

Other news, is the scrum half Du Preez is set to be the trump card in next weeks mtach against Aus in SA, according to the back line coach, he said Du Pree's kicking will be needed against the Matilda's (not sure if he means goal kicking or just run of play kicking) anyway, lets hope they making good strides forward, cause we do want to get embarrassed in front of a home crowd.


http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/header.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/sharkie140.gif

Well tomorrow see's the 2 youngest & talented squads in the currie cup battling out in Durban,

The SHARKS vs the Cheeters *cough* Cheetah's

Who will win?

Them?
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/Mike20Alexander_fan.jpg

OR THEM!

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/caleytonkinflash6.jpghttp://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/shpum066.jpghttp://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/carlavdwfl5.jpghttp://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash5.jpghttp://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/kellysilsenflash2.jpghttp://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g160/amgosai/shpum064.jpg

:D :D :D :D :D :D

best opening score by SA for ages
South Africa 169 & 150/0 (46.0 ov)
Sri Lanka 756/5d
South Africa trail by 437 runs with 10 wickets remaining

Lunch - Day 4 South Africa RR 3.26


Minimum overs
remaining today 58.0
Full scorecard
Hours of play: 10.30am start, Lunch 12.30-1.10pm, Tea 3.10-3.30pm, Close 5.30pm
Current time: 12:51 local, 07:21 GMT
Batsmen R B 4s 6s SR
JA Rudolph (lhb) 80 153 12 0 52.28 striker
AJ Hall (rhb) 50 134 6 0 37.31 non-striker

Recent overs 1 . . . . 1 | . . . . . 2 | . 4 . 4 . .

Current partnership 150 runs, 46.0 overs, rr: 3.26 (Hall 50, Rudolph 80)

^^so much for that, we 6 down now! :(

Oh & the AB's won so its another :(

& the cheeters beat us! god dam! another :(

long as Schumi won yesterday :) but Toyota could only manage 7th :(

good win for the sharkies the currie cup is way more intresting that tri nations just imagine any of the 5 could still win this

Currie Cup is flippin brilliant this year, with the top 4 teams there & the Lions are joining us too. I thought the sharks played brilliantly in the conditions.

As for the Springboks...................EISH

to many handling error's, the teams a shambles, they not gelling well, & now with the good performances the sharks are drumming out, ol Jake Whiteboi will porb start pouching some of our guys as usual which could cost our currie cup campaign.

^^ oh please, jake is a stubborn twat, he will stick with his diehards until he is fired.

Is it just me, or do u have to be afrikaans to qualify for the boks? for its hard to spot an english speaker in the team.

Heroic Boks stand up in thriller

Posted on Saturday, September 02, 2006 - 14:40

An angled penalty with three minutes to go from André Pretorius gave the Springboks a nail-biting but richly deserved 21-20 win over the All Blacks in a thrilling Vodacom Tri-Nations match at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg on Saturday.
Click here for our live text commentary.

The result makes no material difference to the Tri-Nations log, but at least it ensured that the Kiwis won’t be heading home for New Zealand on Sunday boasting about their second ever series success on South African soil. The two tests played by the world’s top team here were billed as a series by both camps.

The Bok win also puts to an end an amazing winning sequence for the All Blacks, who were bidding for their 16th successive victory. It was a run of success which started in Cape Town last August, so it has endured for almost 13 months.

Ending the All Black roll was an immense achievement by the South Africans, who have been under intense pressure all season, pressure which intensified when they were outplayed 45-26 in Pretoria the previous week.

But exploding the All Black aura of invincibility will not be the most important thing for the Boks. For them, the big achievement will be the ending the sorry sequence of negative results endured by the Boks since Jake White conceded his first test on South African soil when his team lost to France in Cape Town in June.

It had stretched to five consecutive losses by the start of today’s game, and the Boks needed to lose just twice more to concede an unwanted record as the most unsuccessful South African national team in the history of the game.

They don’t have to worry about that now, and while it would be premature to jump to too many conclusions too quickly, there was plenty of reason at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium to believe that better days may lie ahead for the Boks.

For a start, the changes rung by White during the week worked a charm. The selection of Pierre Spies in the No 7 jersey and Pedrie Wannenburg in the No 6 seemed an incongruous flank combination, so it was pleasing to see when the team took the field that this was not White’s intention at all.

Instead, Spies played openside, AJ Venter wore the No 7, and Pedrie Wannenburg slotted in at No 8. And any one of those three players would have been deserved winners of the man-of-the-match award.

In the end it was claimed by the wonderfully multi-talented Spies, a man who in one brilliant 80 minute performance did more than any other White selection has done in the past few weeks to silence the chorus of voices calling for the inclusion of Luke Watson at No 6.

Spies played a blinder, but Venter was also magnificent as a ball carrier and in ensuring that the Boks, when they needed to, added the necessary width to their game. They did not create much in the first half, with their solitary try in that period coming through a Bryan Habana intercept, but the try that was rounded off by Wannenburg in the second was outstanding.

It was set up by a great little wriggle and pivot through a couple of All Black defenders, so sucking in three Kiwis and creating space for the South Africans, with a ball that went left. Ruan Pienaar, slick in his first test appearance as a replacement scrumhalf (he was at fullback last week), transferred the play to the right, Spies angled his way through a gap, and Pretorius used quick hands to send Wannenburg crashing over in the right corner with a couple of New Zealanders on his back.

Pretorius missed the conversion, and it seemed the Boks might pay when the All Blacks struck back with a converted try to Joe Rocokoco. The big Kiwi Fijian pounced on a ball that had been kicked through into the in-goal area, and the conversion put the All Blacks ahead 20-18 with 15 minutes to go.

This after the teams had been deadlocked 13-all at halftime, and for the first quarter of an hour of a second half in which the Boks gradually, but noticeably, built up impressive confidence.

And they needed to keep their heads when they went into the last five minutes needing a minimum of a three pointer to win it. Pretorius, whose tactical game was excellent, missed an attempted drop-goal, but he made up for it with a superbly struck pressure kick from near his own touchline.

It was a greatly improved Bok performance on several levels. The tactics were much better than they have been, and while it would be incorrect to say the Boks just adopted a policy of all-out attack, they mixed up their play perfectly. There were stages when they kept the ball close, there were periods when they spun it wide, and Pretorius's kicking into the corners and the other little chip kicks ensured that there was nothing predictable about this Bok team.

Apart from looking both more incisive and decisive on attack, their defensive effort was more organised and more physical than it had been in Pretoria. They far more effectively shut down the All Black space, although there were stages of the first half, particularly just before the half-time whistle, when the New Zealanders started to find space and broke too many Bok tackles.

It was in this period that they had a try, dotted down by hooker Andrew Hore, disallowed because the television match official ruled there had been obstruction in the ingoal area.

The first New Zealand try had been scored by Daniel Carter after a host of All Blacks had simply poured through gaps in the Bok defences in a great sweep across the field.

Jaque Fourie’s switch to fullback proved revelatory, and although he never scored a try and obviously hasn’t kicked as much recently as he was required to today, he can definitely continue in the No 15 jersey.

The Boks also have some other interesting backline options, as shown by White when he brought Butch James on at inside centre towards the end and Jean de Villiers moved to the wing.

But it was at forward that the platform for victory was laid. Victor Matfield had another virtuoso performance in the lineouts, where at least five All Black balls were poached. And, lest it be neglected, it should also be pointed out that skipper John Smit stood up from his poor performance at Loftus to turn in one of his best games in a while.

The All Blacks will look back on this game as one where they were unable to get the ball back quite as quickly from the contacts than they had managed to in previous matches. The Boks can thank their loose-trio, but also several other players (Johann Muller did a great job of slowing down an All Black attack at a critical stage before halftime) who mixed in.

Scorers were:

South Africa 21: Tries by Bryan Habana (22 min) and Pedrie Wannenburg (63 min). Andre Pretorius kicked a conversion and three penalties.

New Zealand 20: Tries by Daniel Carter (20 min) and Joe Rokocoko (74 min). Carter kicked two conversions and two penalties.

Source :www.sarfu.org.za

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/4992/smitwhiteking060901tfmgo0.jpg

maybe the Bafokeng tribe blessed us?
how ALL the games are being played in the northen part of the country :? thats F*cken unfair, I know NRU had a bust up with Saru, but still CT should have had a game