Puma Joy - Bok Crisis
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Historic day for Argentina
1 This was Argentina’s first-ever
victory over South Africa, and they deserved the win all the way from kick-off
to final whistle. It was a display of vigorous energy, passionate commitment,
and moments of wonderful skill. Their defence was tight, with the Boks denied
time and space, starved of quickly recycled ball, and smashed back in
collisions.
2 With the Pumas backline making
little or no impact against the All Blacks and Wallabies, six of the seven who
started against the Wallabies were dropped, and bringing in new six new backs
paid off bigtime against the Springboks, with all four tries scored by their
backline. Tomas Cubelli, Juan Imhoff, and Marcelo Bosch were outstanding.
3 Loosehead Marcos Ayerza had a major
influence on the game, showing why he is so highly rated by Argentina and
Leicester Tigers. No wonder the Tigers have just given him a testimonial year.
4 Had flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez goaled the two first
half penalties he would normally have expected to goal without problem, and had
his drop goal attempt not shaved the wrong side of the left upright,
Argentina’s win would have been even more decisive.
5 Keep an eye on flank Pablo Matera
at the World Cup. He made his Test debut at age 19 in 2013, played the game of
his life on Saturday, and could be a hero for Los Pumas for many years to come.
Sad day for South Africa
1 It is not often that one sees a
Springbok team so indecisive, so beaten for initiative, energy, and urgency, unable
to adapt, failing to recycle efficiently at breakdown, making so many unforced
errors, conceding soft tries where tries should not have been on, especially
from set-phase, and unable to break the shackles of the opponents’ efforts to
deny them time and space.
2 It was such a shambles that not
even Jean de Villiers, the master of composure as captain, could change the
mindset and stop the team’s descent into near panic.
3 Is any Springbok (besides perhaps
Lood de Jager and Schalk Burger) happy with his performance?
4 Vincent Koch is a powerful prop but
the penalties he concedes in scrums may cost him selection for the World Cup.
Fortunately, Jannie du Plessis and Frans Malherbe will be the World Cup
frontline tightheads.
5 For the fourth consecutive game
Ruan Pienaar and Handre Pollard have failed to convince as individuals and as a
pair. Heyneke Meyer needs to revisit his refusal to give other players a chance
to start in the 9 and 10 jerseys.
6 Willie le Roux does exciting things
on attack occasionally, but he makes too many entirely unforced errors for a
Test fullback. Would you bet against Francois Steyn or Patrick Lambie ending up
with the 15 jersey?