This year’s Rugby Championship saw the competition go right down to the wire with the Springboks hoping to deny the All Blacks in their final week encounter at Ellis Park.
The venue, the scene of the iconic World Cup Final in 1995 was packed to capacity with throngs of Bok fans, with the odd pocket of Black clad devotees amidst them. The contest itself exceeded the pre-match hype, as the game ebbed and flowed with both teams putting on show some breath taking skill. A reverse flick pass from Kieran Reid put the mightily impressive Ben Smith in space to score the opener. Reid‘s performances over the span of the competition further enhanced his reputation as arguably the best Number Eight in the business. He possesses the complete bag of tricks – brute force in attack and defense, as well as subtlety in those key moments when the situation demands that little something special. Richie McCaw, coming back from injury didn’t have his best eighty minutes in Black jersey. But you could say that his very presence was a lift for the side. His new breed of All Blacks have locked up the ‘choker’ tag for good and thrown away the key. For periods of the game, they found themselves under serious pressure. Longtime nemesis Bryan Habana scored two tries in quick succession to really throw the cat amongst the pigeons. At the 20 minute mark the Boks held the initiative leading 15-7. However, there was no denying the Black machine that just kept plugging away. Liam Messam continued his good form. Playing at the expense of Stephen Luatua, Messam was immense at the breakdown area. No doubt he was picked by Steve Hanson for the physical edge knowing the Boks were going to try to soften them up. He did not disappoint and was rewarded with two tries, one virtually at the half time hooter that gave the All Blacks and important 21-15 lead at the break – effectively one hand on the trophy.
There are three reasons why the All Blacks are the best team in the World. A. They play the game at a very high level of intensity which leaves opposition little time to organize defensive patterns. B. They are prefect at creating mismatches in open play. C. Last but not least, they have strength in depth from one to fifteen. Sam Cane and Beauden Barrett exemplify this last point. Cane filled in brilliantly during his skipper’s injury absence, and Barrett continued from where he left off from his previous outing at home against the Boks. He has proved be a real thorn in the flesh slithering his way through the ten / twelve defense line. His terrific try, slipping pass three would-be tacklers put paid to any Springbok dreams of the championship. Scoring what was their 4th try gave them the solitary bonus point needed to hold on to the Rugby Championship for the 2nd successive year. I was glad that New Zealand won the game to get there. Had they won by a bonus point having lost, Roman Poite’s debacle in dismissing Bismarck du Plessis would have raised its ugly head again. Next on the radar for them would be to exercise some retribution when they visit Twickenham in the Autumn Tests. You wouldn’t want to miss that.
The permutations involved to win the Championship were always going to be a bridge too far for South Africa. Beating the All Blacks in itself is a rarity. They needed to do so by scoring four tries and with a gap of seven points between them – wishful thinking given the form books. However, once Habana crossed over for the second time, there was a glimmer of hope. They only needed two more, and with the huge support behind them, it was game on. However, Habana’s exit after straining his hamstring moments later proved to be a crucial twist in the tale. He was absolutely vital to their plans in short circuiting the black machine. Willie Le Roux was magnificent in attack and defense. The Cheetah’s star kept trying to the bitter end along with skipper Jean de Villiers and their marauding set of forwards. Eben Etzebeth has announced himself on the world stage as an enforcer taking over the mantle from his predecessor Bakkies Botha. What impressed me most about South Africa’s last game was their willingness to run the ball out wide and the linkup between forwards and backs, Francois Louw pulled off a gem of a pass behind the defender to set off Habana for his first – the sort of skill we are not accustomed to seeing from the Boks. The biggest surprise for me was when the du Plessis brothers were pulled out from the game early in the second half. This was a bizarre move, especially to take off Bismarck who was right in the thick of it. He cut a very disgruntled figure leaving the field. I dare say this backfired on Coach Heyneke Meyer as they lost a bit of momentum from there on. However, to their credit, they did put four tries past the Blacks. If this new generation of players such as Le Roux, Louw, Etzebeth, and co can improve this area of their game they would be a real handful for any opposition. Overall, Meyer and the rugby mad republic will be happy with the progress they have made over the last year. Come the Rugby World Cup in 2015, this side should be firing all cylinders, with the likes of Pat Lambie and prodigy Jan Serfontein waiting in the wings.
Over in Rosario, the Australians were thought to be ripe for the taking, given their poor showing leading up to the game. It was planned to be a grand send off for Phillipe Contepomi, playing his last game in a career spanning fifteen years. However, the Wallabies had other ideas. Finally, their misfiring backline clicked and Israel Folau was provided with attacking ball early. And he delivered. They ran in seven tries in all, three of which were scored by the Rugby League convert playing in his rookie season. We once again we witnessed his blistering side step off the right foot that leave Full Backs standing and clutching at thin air. Even their scrummaging – long considered to be their Achilles heel coped well in the face of the mighty Puma pack. The final score read 54-17 with as many as nine tries being scored in total. One might feel this performance was a bit late in the day. But it was much needed to restore some pride and belief that they can still pose a threat on the world stage ahead of their year-end tour of the North. At least now Ewen McKenzie has some base to build on, and will look keenly to the return of Pocock and Higinbottom to bolster their ranks. Quade Cooper is still a question mark for me, but at the moment they have little else to choose from. Rugby Union has clearly lost the battle of the footballing codes in Australia – a result of which is the lack of depth in International level quality. This is something the ARU will need to address. If not they risk a further slip down the rankings in time to come.
The Pumas will be bitterly disappointed with their campaign. They gave the Springboks a real scare in Mendoza as they did last year, but just didn’t have enough left in the tank to get over the line. Then in Perth, in horrendous conditions the game was there for the taking. However, lack of composure at crucial moments cost them dearly to lose out by a single point. Sadly, the South Americans are still sans that elusive win. As their Technical Advisor Sir Graham Henry very correctly stated, they need to have more exposure at this level. This could perhaps be by way of having a part to play in the Super 15 at some point. The Pumas need regular competition against quality opposition to improve their overall game. They certainly have the right ingredients with some great talent coming through. Figallo is outstanding in the scrums, as is Number Eight Leguizamon. Marcello Bosch has just been plucked up by Saracens, with Agulla plying his trade with Bath. With Juan Martin Ferandez Lobbe staying fit and more maturity under their belts, 2014 may well be a hallmark year for the famous side with the light blue and white stripes.
