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Written by PaarlBok
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Friday, 15 June 2007 |
Its TriNations time. Starting saturday on Newlands its the Bokke vs Wallabies. All tickets sold before Monday show the Saffers interest in this tournament.
The season start for us with a bang in the S14. We delt with the England whatever team in record scores with only twenty minutes firing. We have beat the Samoa side , so the scars was given to our pool enemies at home. So we took the much needed first steps needed for this WC season. Now for the highest step before the WC tournament, the 3 Nation one.
Strengths
The Boks have the best calender to play. First the two home games and then the away trip. So all they really need to do is take it game by game and get a win first up and try to better on their performance from week to week.
The Bokke will look to their tight five to bring successe. Quality first phase is a non negotiable for them. Lineouts should be no problem with the best pairing in the business. Scrums should be even at least. All depends on big Os fitness. He started rather quietly on saturday against the Manu boys but the diesel engine will get hotter as the games come along. We have enough backup to take over if the engine dont heat up.
In the loosies there is more then enough dept. Its just a qeustion to get the right partner for Spies and Burger to get the combination right.
Inside Backs. We dont have the quality combination like the Aussies neither the all important 10 like the Larks or Carts but we do have two very capable 10's to do the business. James and Petoors is the perfect ones for the diffirent styles you want to play. But then we have the best 9 in Fourie du Preez and not far behind him Ruaan. So all in all they just need to combine well. Midfield is not that shaby with Jean and Fourie and with Habana looking like the best in the business the backs should be on par.
The Boks have a injection of quality young players that need to step up on the big platform. The young Sharks like JP , Steyn , Murray and Ruaan falls in this catagory to join the likes of Burger and Spies. This really is the exciting factor with Jake White now. He had his own U21's like John Smit, Burger, Jean, exct now three to four years with him plus he got this youngsters to add in, plus the very old Os , AJ and Percy. If things dont go his way he can always fall back on the likes of Breytie, Barry, Joubert, Russell and even add in exciting already S14 prooven youngsters like Kabamba, Brits or Baywatch. Any coach's dream and its not a question for picking the right one's but rather to gel them all in a team. No better test then the All Blacks and Wallabies to get this right.
Defense
One thing we showed in the S14 and autumn tests is our defense was out of the top drawer. Against Samoa our defense was tip top and the English struggle to breach our defense.
Weakness
Over the years in this tournament showed the Boks struggle at the backs compare to the Aussies or the All Blacks. We have to get that one right. Habana is a force we need to implement. We need to score tries out of nothing and we need to be patient. We dont need a Hougaard kicking the leather from the ball. We need to get hold of the ball and keep it and taking it through phase after phase.
Bok rugby is built on passion , physicality and hunger to win. We need to display the same PPH when we play the Wallabies as when we play the Blacks. In the autumn tests we lost a bit of this and we need to get this back every weekend starting on saturday.
Politics. This is one we have as a hand out. Before the tournament start Jake White already feel the heat of this and it put added pressure on the team. Its one thing to pick qouta based players against Samoa or England's C team then to try and beat the two top ranked teams. For Jakes sake I hope he can show them a sign if the Boks can get it right. I'll help him with that.
Players to watch.
Pierre Spies. This 22 year old is already on the list of top nr8's. This series will show him grow to the very best one. His combination with Schalk Burger is one which make me excited. Their play fit to one another and these two is members of the new age loosies. Habana is already their but JP Pietersen have to follow him. This is the tournament for this four players to put up their hand and go to the very top.
Rating
After watching this weekend the Boks and Blacks one thing strike me. The Blacks look like a well oiled team machine. For me any win over them will feel better then a WC win. The Aussies is a team cabable of playing wise rugby. I'll rate the Boks to take the 2nd spot. A trination tournament win will be a added bonus.
Hopefully this years trination will be more exciting then in previous years.
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