Rugby (6N, Tri-N, IRB 7s, etc.)

[RugbyBuck]

I thought we could use a more general thread rather than just Super 14.

The Tri-Nations got off to a great start (although I would've preferred a Bok victory) last week. Both sides brought it hard. Second match b/w the Springboks and All Blacks is on Setanta US at 6:00 Saturday night.

Go Bucks; Go Boks!

[tmporter]

So who won the first match? I haven't been able to watch any real rugby since fox soccer stopped airing super 14 games a year or so ago.

[wadc45]

New Zealand beat South Africa 19-8.

Rugby So'oialo happy with second half slog

[Steve19]

Thanks for the support guys.

The weather was terrible and the All Blacks played a very dirty game. We didn't help ourselves with some silly mistakes.

The level of dirty play surprised people here. Usually, it's like Ohio State TSUN, hard hitting but clean. Smit was seriously injured with a real spear tackle to the groin. We really got homered and a suspension was not given to that guy. Smit flew back to SA right after the game. He was seriously injured.

There have been a lot of racial taunts and crap this week. Real rubbish. Not supposed to win this week but I think they just might. Whatever happens, the All Blacks will get a really rough ride over here. The Boks are not fielding their best side over there and folks here are angry about what has taken place.

[Steve19]

Springboks Stung By All Blacks Welcome

Thu 10 Jul, 06:09 PM


[some snippets, full article here]



South Africa have reacted furiously to their treatment by New Zealand as tensions mount ahead of Saturday's Tri-Nations clash in Dunedin.


The Springboks - still reeling from the controversial spear tackle that has sidelined skipper John Smit - have been further incensed by comments made by All Black front-row great Craig Dowd.


Dowd dismissed their coach Peter de Villiers as a "puppet" in a radio interview and questioned if he knew anything about rugby.


....But SARU chairman Mpumelelo Tshume has demanded a public apology, raising the temperature of a match full of lingering bad blood from last Saturday.


"SA Rugby has noted with shock and disgust comments made by former All Black Craig Dowd in which he described Peter de Villiers, the Springbok coach, as a puppet, among other things," Tshume said in a statement.


"Mr Dowd's comments are not only deeply and personally offensive to Peter de Villiers and SARU but also comically ill-informed on the affairs of South African rugby.
....

Smit will miss Saturday's Test as well as the clash with Australia because of a groin injury, which he claimed was caused by the tackle that was punished only with a penalty.


"Just imagine Bakkies Botha doing something similar to Richie McCaw. World rugby would have come to a standstill," Smit told Supersport.


"Yes, I'm angry. I'm really not happy about having to sit in South Africa and watch the Springboks beat the All Blacks in Dunedin.


"One almost gets the idea that anyone who is not from New Zealand does not have same rights as someone who plays for the All Blacks.


"A few seasons ago, Graham Henry asked everyone not to tackle Richie McCaw. Now Richie is injured and Henry is asking everyone not to tackle Dan Carter."


Smit's comments will have plenty of support in England, who have longed complained that the All Blacks are treated more leniently in their own back yard by disciplinary chiefs.

[Steve19]

Rugby ref to intervene in All Blacks, Springboks pre-Test war

[full long article here]

DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AFP) - Rival Springboks and All Blacks coaches are to meet referee Matt Goddard before Saturday's second rugby clash in an attempt to stop an escalating war of words spilling onto the field.


All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith fired the latest shot in the verbal sparring match on Thursday when he accused the South Africans of trying to influence Goddard with their criticism of the way the All Blacks won the first Test 19-8.


Sniping from both camps following the intensely physical encounter has forced International Rugby Board (IRB) referees boss Paddy O'Brien to call them together before Goddard on Friday in an attempt to ease the tension.


Accusations this week have included South African coach Peter de Villiers charging All Blacks prop Tony Woodcock of cheating, and saying that's why the world champion Springboks had trouble at scrum time.


Springboks captain John Smit who was picked up and hurled to the ground by Brad Thorn objected to the one-week suspension for the All Blacks lock and claimed the New Zealanders are protected by the rugby judiciary.


The Springboks are also angry that Smit suffered a groin strain in the tackle and will not be able to play in the second Tri-Nations Test.

[RugbyBuck]

I agree. It was a physical contest, but the AB's were surprisingly dirty and not just on the spear tackle.

I told the NMR that the All Blacks have an enormous chip on their shoulders from their repeated flameouts. It clearly still gripes them that they lost to Fance last fall and the Boks went on to beat England for the World Cup. The way to resolve that is to win back some respect on the field. They won the match last week, but lost some face. Also, had their new #8 not played his ass off (don't remember his name), they might not have gotten the win. It wasn't a blowout.

I thought Januarie (sp?) played a great game for the Boks at scrumhalf. Apparently, he's a bit of a discipline problem off the field, but I like his play. Of course, Habana is just sick. Too bad he didn't get a few more good touches.

[Bleed S & G]

YouTube - Inspirational Speech

[wadc45]

Watched OSU sophmore Nate Ebner play for the USA Hawks in the NA4 last night...the Falcons beat the Hawks 39-24. Former OSU prop John Vitale also represented the Hawks, as did Justin Hundley of Hilliard, OH/Penn State. Justin's younger brother also plays for OSU.

Falcons win big over Hawks to open tournament

[RugbyBuck]

Amusing as that clip is, it's Aussie Rules Football not (thank God) rugby. I had an Australian coach a couple of years ago that would give that kind of speech. I heard last night that he's just been diagnosed as bi-polar and all this time I thought he was just Australian.

[Steve19]

Almost as good as beating TSUN!

Last week, in a game marred by All Black dirty play and home-cooked officiating, the New Zealand All Blacks ended the #1 South African Springbok 14 game winning streak and extended their own five year winning streak at home.

Here's hoping they enjoyed a week as the world's #1 ranked rugby team.

South Africa entered Dunedin, New Zealand's "House of Pain" stadium in an angry mood. Their captain had been injured badly and gone home for medical attention after a spear tackle and an incident where he was illegally tackled and thrown to the ground. They had not won a test on New Zealand soil for a decade. They had endured a week of racial taunting from New Zealand players and supporters.

The result was an exciting, physical game of rugby, in which the Springboks outplayed the All Blacks to win for the first time in more than a decade on New Zealand soil to regain the world #1 ranking.

The House of Pain was supposed to be the clencher for the All Blacks. They were riding a world record 30 game win streak at home in New Zealand. After eight games, stretching back 100 years, South Africa had never won at Dunedin. New Zealand seemed invincible at home and even more so at the House of Pain.

Not on this day. In a physical game, it was the Boks who delivered the pain. With much more left than the All Blacks late in the game, they scored two tries to come from behind and win.



Try to catch a replay of the late try by Januarie. It is likely to go down as one of the best individual tries of rugby in 2008. South Africa were a man short after Matfield was sent off for a high tackle (officiating once again trying to decide the game). Januarie breaks through the All Black line and chips over the defense, takes the ball on one bounce and scores.

Short one man, the Boks hold off New Zealand at home for the final four minutes. Stunning stuff.

When they come to South Africa on the final leg of the Tri-Nations, the All Blacks can expect to find a real house of pain. The racial abuse heaped on our team has made people here quite interested in supporting the Boks. Look for stadiums to be filled to capacity and for a lot of noise. Personally, I think the All Blacks could lose here by 15 points.

For a good summary of the game, go here.

Here are some photos and some links to see them.




South Africa beat New Zealand 30-28

Sat 12 Jul, 10:35 AM


view photo


view photo


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view photo



Battling Boks Back In Business link

Sat 12 Jul, 11:09 AM

[snip]

The match went down to the wire with a piece of individual brilliance by scrum-half Ricky Januarie and the cool head of substitute Francois Steyn, who slotted the winning conversion, sealing the win for the world champions.

A first-half try by JP Pietersen, three penalties to Percy Montgomery and a Butch James drop goal gave them a narrow 17-15 lead at the break.

And they were then forced to withstand a ferocious fightback by New Zealand, whose lone try came from replacement Sione Lauaki, before taking the spoils in the closing minutes.


[snip]

[RugbyBuck]

I stayed away from BP yesterday because I knew I couldn't keep myself from looking at the score. We were finally able to watch it at six last night.

Fantastic match. Again, both sides played hard and there were some momentum shifts, but the Boks were the dominant team this time. That said, they would likely have lost had Januarie not taken it on himself to win. That was one of the best all around plays I've seen in a test match. I jumped out of my chair in our Irish pub yelling at the tv. Our waitress was from Jo'burg, but no one else in the whole place cared. After that, the defense for the next two and a half minutes sealed the win. I was worried that Carter would drop another goal right at the end, but they were able to keep that from happening.

WAY too many penalties. All of NZ's points were on penalty kicks for most of the game.

Congratulations Boks!

[BB73]

Glad to see the All Blacks got some pay-bok.

[wadc45]

OSU's Nate Ebner on the left during this past Thursday's NA4 match...

[RugbyBuck]

South Africa at Australia 6:00pm Saturday (replay) on Setanta US. Most of the bars that show soccer regularly will have it. Another chance to spend an obscene amount of cash on beer. Bless the Tri-Nations.