When did the Springboks turn into the Softboks? I remember a time when they were feared for their mongrel, brutality and acceptance of what happens on the field stays on the field. Now they’re acting like a gaggle of netballers.
I don’t like Peter DeVilliers. I don’t believe that he’s the best man for the job. Actually, I don’t believe he’s in the top 5 best men for the job, however he is likely the best black man for the job, no wonder he’s been branded Peter the Puppet. But he’s not the target of today’s blog.
I used to think that John Smit was a pretty good player and captain who commanded respect. Now I Smite Smit. He’s accused Brad Thorn of “unsportsmanlike conduct” and claimed that the “spear tackle” caused the groin injury that ended his tour.
Bullsh1t. He played on for 30 minutes after the Thorn hit, and from Watching the footage he was unimpaired until:
IMO; it [the injury] happens at the 35:40 mark when he is caught up on one leg driving against Williams. He goes up high on his right leg and the inertia rotates him outward, ouch I can feel my own, there is a slightly audilble yell and after tumbling down on the right side of the breakdown, he is very slow to get up and when he does, he is limping. During the ruck, you can see him struggling to get his left leg back on the ground.
Prior to that, I tracked him from the 29:50 mark and he is fine. From this point: he drove hard into 3 breakdowns, ran back 30 meters after AB grubber, no limp, and seconds later a strong, low driving tackle on Thompson at 30:26, Not the kind a person with a severe groin pull makes, all this while continuing to scrummage and generally get aroung the field. The same tackle that Nesbitt so strongly credited Burger with but it was Smit that drove him back. To me it is clear, and clearly unsportsmanlike to falsely accuse Thorn.
(thanks to Will the thrill for the quote).
Smit goes on to say “I’m really not happy about having to sit in South Africa and watch the Springboks beat the All Blacks in Dunedin.” I guess he’ll be f’ucking spewing when the Sprinboks lose in Dunedin.
Gregan’s long time understudy at the Brumbies Luke Burgess is set to go head to head with his former master in December’s London Olympic centenary match at Wembley.