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Kolisi's Green team bully Am's Gold team in Springboks trial
The Green Team claim bragging rights with a hard-fought 25-9 win over the Gold team at Newlands on Saturday. In an empty Newlands stadium, the Green team, coached by Mzwandile Stick, scored three unanswered tries during the Springbok Showdown.
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The Gold team, coached by Deon Davids, only managed to produce three penalties, one belonging to Damian Willemse and two for Curwin Bosch.
The Gold team dominated the early exchanges and kept the Green team inside their own 22.
Nonetheless, Springbok Elton Jantjies did well to clear his line and relieve some pressure with the boot.
After eight minutes of play, Gold had a chance to open the score, however, Willemse pushed his penalty attempt wide – one of many to come.
While the Gold team appear the better team on paper and in the opening minutes it was the Green team who were first on the board. They managed to absorb the pressure and earned a scrum penalty. Elton Jantjies made no mistake as he opened the scoreboard with a successful three-pointer, 3-0 to Green.
The Green soon extend their lead as their forwards produced another powerful scrum and were awarded a penalty. 6-0 after 20 minutes of play.
Green had another shot at goal, however, this time a 47-metre kick had the better of Jantjies.
After 33 minutes of play, the Gold team finally broke their duck with a successful Willemse penalty kick.
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However, the flyhalf contest certainly belonged to Elton Jantjies as Willemse missed two of his three penalties kick before the half-time break, making sure Elton Jantjies team take a 6-3 lead at the break.
The first try of the Castle Lager #SpringbokShowdown goes to Team Green. Good work from Lombard, Nohamba and Penxe who is pulled back in the chase, with a penalty try awarded by the TMO.
Watch live: https://t.co/7lMogXNPzy pic.twitter.com/sLZSAEdLJ5
— SuperSport ? (@SuperSportTV) October 3, 2020
Aside from the powerful scums by Green team, the first half was anything but exciting. Both teams struggled to build momentum and the teams lack cohesion, while the breakdown and lineouts were just as scrappy.
In the second half, the teams came out with more intent but were still well below par. Three minutes into the second half, the Greens produced a noteworthy passage of play as a break by Gianni Lombard followed by great interplay between Sanele Nohamba and Yaw Penxe got the side inside the danger zone.
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However, in the build-up, Green wing Penxe was blatantly pulled back by Willemse, who was handed a yellow card conceding a penalty try – taking the score to 13-3 in favour of Green.
The coaches finally made some changes as Curwin Bosch made his way onto the field. Bosch took over the kicking duty and added two successful penalties to the Gold’s team tally
The Green extended their lead as Siya Kolisi powered over at the back of maul for the try. Elton missed the conversion, 18-6.
Green delivered the killer blow as replacements Juarno dived over the try line. Wolhuter added the extras for the win.
Man of the match: For the Gold, Steven Kitshoff was the standout performer, while Sikhumbuzo Notshe, also made a noteworthy contribution. For the Green, Sanele Nohamba was impressive and made his case for the Springbok spot, while Siya Kolisi, Duane Vermeulen and Retshegofaditswe Nche also deserve a mention. Our nod goes to Springboks veteran and Green flyhalf Elton Jantjies, The Lions flyhalf dictatored proceedings and decision-making place the opposite number under pressure.
The scorers:
For Green:
Tries: Penalty try, Kolisi, Augustus
Con: Wolhuter
Pens: E Jantjies 2
For Gold:
Pens: Willemse, Bosch 2
Yellow card: Damian Willemse (Springbok Gold, 45 – cynical infringement)
Teams:
Green Team: 15 Gianni Lombard, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Malcolm Jaer, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Arno Botha, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 JD Schickerling, 3 Luan de Bruin, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Retshegofaditswe Nche.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Erasmus, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 JJ van der Mescht, 20 Juarno Augustus, 21 Junior Pokomela, 22 Embrose Papier, 23 Manie Libbok, 24 Jeremy Ward, 25 Kade Wolhuter.
Team Commissioner: Rassie Erasmus
Team coach: Mzwandile Stick
Gold Team: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Rosko Specman, 13 Lukhanyo Am (captain), 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Nizaam Carr, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Dylan Richardson, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Jason Jenkins, 20 James Venter, 21 Vincent Tshituka, 22 Ivan van Zyl, 23 Curwin Bosch, 24 Werner Kok, 25 Manual Rass.
Team Commissioner: Jacques Nienaber
Team Coach: Deon Davids
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen, Rasta Rasivhenge
TMO: Joey Klaaste-Salmans
Comments on RugbyPass
Following his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
1 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to comments