A toast to the Springboks as Eden Park history looms

I have a few superlatives for this excuse of a “journalist” and I've resisted the temptation on a number of occasions to be sucked in by his ongoing and deliberate hate for the everything Springbok related. It really doesnt make sense to me how one person can be so obsessed to the point of clear rage bating sarcasm with a platform like RP allowing free reign. Im a lifelong Bok fan and I conincidently live in NZ. Kiwis are by and large very respectful. A proud rugby nation. A powerhouse rugby nation and history confirms that fact but recent history has also shown that you cannot always be the best. By and large the Kiwis I mingle with accept that. Accept the Boks have been better than them for a while now and the respect remains. The boks beat Australia and guess who jumps to twitter with something along the lines of “Oconnor missed kicked and the Boks scraped through , the writing is on the wall”. Followed by “ABs have 2 massive tests coming up…. Against their biggest rivals…. Australia”… You just have to wait 6 hours for “ we knew argentina were good” and the excuses followed. Ben Smith is a coward behind a keyboard. South African fans on social media dont often help our own cause but so do fans from every single country on this planet. There are a few Kiwis on instagram who bash the boks on every rugby post. A certain “MarkGoodwardnz” comes to mind. You would be forgiven for thinking that perhaps these individuals like BS (yes he does write bullshit too) are just so incredibly sour that their beloved ABs just aren’t the powerhouse they once were. South African fans know the power of the AbS. I grew up watching the boks get hiding after hiding after hiding. In my adult years i’ve seen the boks turn those records and im incredibly proud of what the Rassie era has done. Turned the tide. Yet STILL the discredit act towards the boks goes on and on and ON. Its so tiring. Its always someone else’s fault. Its always some favour the Boks were given. As if down the years the ABs never had the “rub of the green”. You’d be a fool to think otherwise. The sarcastic excuse of a toast to the boks has just reaffirmed one thing for me. BS talks about destiny. We all know its sarcasm but come 6 September, for all the hate and discredit from such individuals I hope those boys in green and gold fulfill that destiny. For people like BS. The sweetest form of humble pie that can be served. Rugbypass youve got your engagement. Now afford Bok fans some respect because this is poor.

Sarcasm , that's cute try wit next time Benjamin😉

The sad truth is that Desperate Ben is actually winning. 75 comments on this post. (a quick glance shows real articles from real journos on the same day sitting at 156 comments). For those wondering if he really wrote this, remember, sarcasm is the LOWEST form of wit, so yeah was probably Desperate Ben’s work. There is of course the possibility that after the AB’s performance against the Puma’s that he’s a broken boy and that was written from the heart! :)

If anyone knows a saffer that’s passionate about the Boks and is a lawyer to boot (pun) please let me know. I want to know if there’s grounds for a case in question to perhaps force transparency from RP. I’m going to start searching for a lawyer myself to get some feedback.

By the way, if I’m banned, all the more … There’s snippets of evidence at my disposal.

My question is: If Ben has been created by RP for the purpose of mocking and criticising a country’s National team to gain greater revenue, would PR be held responsible for this kind of behaviour, and could there be consequences? .. maybe banned as a website or boycotted? There might be findings of a type of ongoing mass cyber-bullying against the SA public rugby supporters from this website.

To many this type of bully mentality journalism is not a joke. If BS is made up and RP is somehow responsible for provoking people (who love their sport) and doing so for their own gain, while laughing behind closed doors all the way to the bank, it just might be worthwhile investigating.

An equally sarcastic take on the AB’s would be very easy to write ✍️ but why? I don’t understand how bitter one must be to do this

A Churchill quote comes to mind:

“a fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject”.

Actually met Ben Smith a few weeks back. Very nice guy and we had a great chat about rugger. He knew a lot about Saffa rugby and had been here a number of times and understood our setup. So found it strange to read what he then writes about Saffa Rugger. But then realized it as another Ben Smith and not the guy who writes on Planet Rugger. Everyone can make a mistake .

Ben, lekker

How are the ABs doing? Foster was not up to it so the real guy arrived. The Argies are a nightmare in their backyard we know. But it is the ABs. They have the god given right to always win. Always. How can the ref not help that. It is inconceivable that the ABs cannot win against a nation that only has a handful of professionals. Ben, focus pal. Time to look at home and rather discuss the homeboys. Rassie knows we can and do lose the odd game as we not as good as the ABs. But hopefully we try and peak when it matters. But the ABs, they never lose and cannot accept defeat to anyone.

Hey everyone, before Hammerhead tries to distract you, please read my comment below and then read his reply to me. Could this be the notorious Ben Smith replying to me and then commenting afterwards as well to provide a distraction to not read my comment? I don't know - maybe?

Please note the sarcasm in his/her response to me (referring to South Africans as clubbing baby seals, etc. - he can't help himself) and how a RP tactic may be to deliberately upset South Africans to gain more traction and revenue.

If so, very smart of them... but we'll have to see. A pitbull is needed to sniff this out.

LOL, I'm becoming a conspiracy theorist in my own right all of a sudden.

I honestly have no idea how Ben Smith holds down a job as a rugby writer. Any true journalist would be embarrassed to put their name to this sarcastic drivel. Add his constant cynical barbs at Bok fans on his X account and I can only imagine this website employs him as an agitator to drive traffic. If that’s the case, it’s really beneath what is otherwise a great and respected rugby platform.

? THE Ben Smith???

Crap article. Written by a little boy.

Finally. Ben Smith has come to his senses.

I mean you can’t argue it can you?

Over the last 6 years the ABs have only won four RCs and achieved a win % of less than 70%.

They went from being the best team in all of sports between 2011-2015 to becoming the most average AB team since NZ invented rugby.

They’ve fallen second fiddle to SA - Ireland. France. Who hasn’t beaten them (including in the rankings)?

Although, to be fair, all of this is only because of Ian Foster. He single handedly ruined the ABs. all by himself.

Any day now the ABs will suddenly win 90% of their games and be the greatest team in the world again. Any day now.

Any day…

This is fun. I should become a writer for RP. P1ssing people off for clicks is easy.

You’re welcome RP staff. A little contribution from me towards your Christmas party.

I believe one or more journalists on this website may be using 'Ben Smith' as a pseudonym to coerce, bully, and mock South African rugby and the public. This appears to constitute targeted harassment and cyberbullying of the South African community through deceptive means. If this is the case, I wonder whether the use of a false identity for such tactics would provide sufficient grounds to pursue legal action and organise a boycott of the site, should evidence supporting these claims come to light.

Nice try. ABs will win both tests comfortably.

Nobody can beat them at Eden Park. Ever.

No pressure.

And George Ford has just been named the best 10 in the world. #itsofficial

#Luckboks

Shouldn't have won the quarter, semi, or final. Lucky the refs calls went all their way. Actually no, not luck, it is Rassies doing.

He created a culture where if you call against the Boks, you will get lambasted on social media for an hour afterwards.

Disgrace.

Is this what they call journalism these days?

What is he on ?? ABs do not capitulate on their own turf and this Bok side are playing away from their stronghold. Also very lucky to even square their 2 home games against a battered Aussie side bereft of several key players. It is entirely possible that the Boks lose ALL of their remaining matches as they have to date not shown any marked superiority to the other 3 sides.

Ben, you need to look into TRT treatment mate. This article and attitude is dripping with estrogen. You sound like a jaded angry, emotional little girl. Very embarrassing.

For it to work as parody you will need to work in some irony or foolishness. As it stands its just a narrative of what many Bok fans think, which is naturally a little exaggerated but a broadly fair perspective.

For whatever reason, these Boks have tended to win the must-win games.

NZ will be out to disrupt that pattern at Eden Park, which will be fun to watch.

Can the real Ben Smith please stand up?

Ok, who hacked Ben’s account and posted this article?

Seems that AB’s performance finally knocked some sense into Benny Boy. Despite the sarcasm its probably the most honest article he written yet. I won’t be surprised if the AB’s end bottom of the log this year. I’d be hurting too if I was him. That said, hard to believe he wrote this. My moneys on ChatGPT.

Have you gone off your meds Ben? Are you okay? Your sarcastic straw-manning is getting old buddy, try writing something original. Or perhaps do us all a favour and go back to accounting, you lack the imagination to be a decent journalist.

Bender is winding up the saffers again

I kept warning on here KEEP OUR EYES ON ARGENTINA FIRST, when journos & fans were hyping this Eden Park test from day 1. When fans got ahead of themselves I’d respond with one word, “ARGENTINA”! And again I said things like “the Pumas will claw out our eyes if we don’t watch out”, & “we’re not that good enough yet that we can brush them off” . . . blah blah blah.

Now that Eden Park looms large, both teams have had the wind well & truly knocked out of their sails. Humility & a measured tone is required. And then there’s this weird article.

Such a well written article.

This article reads like the ramblings of an unhinged fan rather than a serious journalist. The sarcasm runs thick and we all know sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. I reckon the contest will be very even with the AB’s having the edge that comes from playing at home. The All Blacks have the tools to beat the Boks and they have plenty of firepower in most areas. They will however need to improve certain areas like the high ball and their breakdown. Rassie must look to play some rugby. You cant beat NZ without scoring points and launching an endless stream of bombs while playing 10 man rugby. I expect NZ will score at least 25 points if not 30 so you have to outscore them as well as defend. That is why winning in NZ is so hard.

I suspect that the first test will be in South Africa’s favour as the All Blacks have come off a poor loss and have a lot to fix. Even though the Springboks were by no means excellent in that second test, they have some momentum and Rassie will have a plan - I would bet on him outcoaching Razor just like last year and similar to how Contepomi has done in back to back years.

You sound like one scared and bitter person.