'Right now, I am the chump': SA journo swallows loss to Wallaby 'wimps'
Confident South African rugby journalist Mark Keohane has praised and applauded the Wallabies for their win over the world champion Springboks following a week where he labelled them “wimps” that would be “walloped”.
Keohane boldly predicted the Springboks would reverse their troubles in Australia, where they haven’t won since 2013 and have pulled just four wins from 27 outings against the Wallabies in their backyard.
However, the resilient Wallabies rallied to beat the world’s number one side 28-26 on the back of seven penalties goals to Quade Cooper and a try to Andrew Kellaway to continue the Springboks troubled record Down Under.
There was something just not right about @Springboks today. They scrambled but not with the intensity of @lionsofficial … I reckon Boks are like that boxer who first has to get hit & bleed before we see their best
— Mark Keohane (@mark_keohane) September 12, 2021
The recently reinstated Wallabies flyhalf Cooper completed his 10th win over the Springboks in his career, and he holds a 7-2 record when playing the South Africans at home.
Keohane had attributed the Springboks poor run of results in Australia down to former coach Allister Coetzee, despite the run of results stretching over Heyneke Meyer’s and Rassie Erasmus’ tenures as head coach.
“The Boks back then lacked an identity in they forgot their own DNA and wanted to be a combination of Australia and New Zealand in how they played,” he wrote before the match.
He explained that the Springboks had now re-found their identity, built on “rugby intelligence” among other factors, which would separate them from the teams of the past that had failed in Australia.
“Kolisi’s Boks have an identity, which is founded on strength, rugby intelligence, physicality and breathtaking counter-attack ability.”
After the seventh-ranked Wallabies, who had just succumbed to a run of three defeats against the All Blacks, handed the Springboks their second loss of the year Keohane described himself as “the chump”.
“Right in this moment, I am the chump,” he wrote.
“But as Australia proved so heroically, it takes just 80 minutes to go from chump to champ. Next Saturday can’t come soon enough for me.”
The rugby writer could not fault the officials for the proceedings at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast, with the Springboks own kicking woes and set piece to blame for their defeat.
“There can be no complaints about the match officiating because it is not the reason the Boks lost.
“The Boks lost because they missed 10 points on offer and they couldn’t control their own set piece with the last action of the match.”
Writing for the Daily Maverick, rugby writer Craig Ray credited the recall of Cooper as a “masterstroke” by Dave Rennie, and wrote that the Australians showed “more street smarts” in their tactics to defuse the Springboks’ aerial game.
“South Africa were lacklustre, ill-disciplined and sloppy. Australia were the better team and showed more street smarts,” Ray wrote.
“They effectively blocked Bok kick-chasers, and although Wallaby players appeared to be “changing lanes” to impede the chasers, they got away with it and so they continued to do it.”
Under the spotlight by the South African press was Handre Pollard, who came under fire for three missed place kicks that left eight points begging.
Ray highlighted Pollard and Am as two players who let the side down and offered performances well below their usual standards.
For SuperSport, Gavin Rich wrote that it was a game of “narrow margins” and that the Springboks could have, and should have, won had a few more penalties fallen their way.
“It was a game of narrow margins – Wallaby captain Michael Hooper should probably have been penalised with just over a minute to go, those dominant Bok scrums should probably have netted penalties, and the Boks could have, and maybe even should have won,” he wrote.
“But that has often been the story when the South Africans are in Australia and they will go into the return game in Brisbane on Saturday facing a severe test of their mental strength as they go out to end what is becoming a bit of a hoodoo for them.”
The two sides will face off again in Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium, where the Wallabies hold a strong record, this week, and, for Quade Cooper, a return to the venue he spent most of his career playing on.
Comments on RugbyPass
Absolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
5 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
4 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
5 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to comments