It was heartbreak hotel for the Springboks on Saturday as the New Zealand All Blacks left the Springboks all shook up, defeating them 29-22 with two late tries.
The Boks had led most of the way and were controlling the game until the last 20 minutes. The All Black pressure told when first Richie McCaw and then Israel Dagg crossed for the Kiwis. McCaw’s effort was a controversial lunge into the corner which required some consideration before the TV ref confirmed it as a try.
So no fairytale 100th Test for local hero John Smit, but the Springbok hooker led the team proudly and the Boks certainly didn’t lose this Test match for lack of trying. Aferwards Smit said he was bitterly disappointed to have missed the tackle that led to Dagg’s try and that the loss would hurt for a long time.
Now see John Smit amazing skills
***Below is the blog we wrote in the run-up to this special Test, the first in Soweto and skipper John Smit’s 100th.
In a recent blog we wrote that Springbok captain and local hero John Smit was battling to keep pace with the international game and that his lack of form was rather alarming.
“Smit and Victor Matfield cannot carry the attack any longer and should be used sparingly in future, and young blood should be injected over time so that succession plans are in place,” we wrote. “On his day Smit is a great player, and Matfield is still the number one in the world in his position, but not when he’s sweating blood three weeks in a row. Bring in fresh bold now, I say, while we’ve got nothing to lose, because the World Cup in 2011 is approaching at a rate of knots.”
These were harsh words, perhaps too harsh … and we sincerely hope that Smit, as he has done before, can raise his game and silence his critics. As his 100th cap looms, he is deserving of a fitting conclusion to a glittering career, perhaps the most famous in Springbok history. Expect this proud rugby player to run on to the field on Saturday at the FNB Stadium in Soweto itching to prove the hacks wrong yet again. Watch out Kiwis!
News 24 reported that Bok conditioning coach Neels Liebel made his feelings quite clear about Smit’s level of fitness. Liebel said their work showed that there was clearly no problem with Smit’s conditioning or fitness, and that comments that Smit was unfit or carrying too much weight were rubbish.
“I’m very satisfied with him. There is no problem with his fitness or body fat. He is someone who is playing with 12% more intensity than was the case against Wales. It shows that our programme is working,” he said.
Liebel said the Bok squad was definitely in better shape than when the Tri-Nations kicked off on July 10. Well, we hope so, after all the Springboks came home from the away leg tails between their legs with a points deficit of –51.
One thing’s for sure . . . home ground advantage in Test match rugby counts for a great deal. With the groundswell of home support and their determination to turn around those horrible results from Down Under, the wounded Springboks could be a very dangerous team indeed.
It’ll all come down to the Springboks making a good start and using the physical aspect of their game to the maximum benefit, while avoiding the yellow card scenario that played out in Australia and New Zealand.
If we can put to one side P Divvie’s anxiety about the referees, his ongoing tiff with the sorely missed Francois Steyn and the controversy around Smit – and come together as a team – then those Springbok fans who make their way to Soweto on Saturday could be in for a very special treat indeed. – Ridge Correspondent