'We'll get the tag again': Ex-Bok coach's warning after dirty off-the-ball play against Pumas
Ex-Springbok assistant coach Swys de Bruin has warned the Springboks not to carry on like they did in Buenos Aires against the Pumas or risk getting the ‘tag’ again from match officials.
South Africa’s discipline has come under the spotlight after conceding 13 penalties and a yellow card, but it was the off-the-ball antics that the former coach did not like.
Particularly in the first half where Argentina were able to build a 10-3 halftime lead, South Africa’s discipline played a helping hand in giving the home side the advantage.
De Bruin feared that it could impact their chances at the World Cup with the stigma around being a dirty side sticking with them.
“How was our discipline? It was small little things. Marvin Orie, I coached him, bloody great player but stop doing this stuff,” de Bruin explained on SuperSport TV’s The Final Whistle show.
“Have a look, if this is going to happen in a World Cup we are going to get the ‘tag’ again.”
In the first half lock Marvin Orie and scrumhalf Cobus Reinach got into a scuffle with Pumas winger Emiliano Boffelli that spilled over the sideline.
Boffelli was trapped at the bottom of a ruck underneath a pile of bodies before Orie decided to give him the facial treatment.
Reinach dropped the knee into his rib area while trying to fetch the ball before hauling him out of the ruck underneath his armpit.
The Argentinian was clearly unhappy, springing to his feet to confront the Springboks No 9 who was shoved unapologetically towards the advertising boards.
“No need to do whatever happens there, you’ll see Marvin will come in right in front of the AR [assistant referee], he’s putting his hand on the guy’s face on the ground, on his head,” de Bruin said.
“Remember the moustache tickling with Nic White? You don’t touch in the face. It’s out.
“Now Rienach, I don’t know what he does… he pulls him almost into the AR… now that is causing chaos. Guys leave it.
“Jacques [Nienaber] and the guys, you’ve got to sort this out.”
Another clip showed Pumas flyhalf Nico Sanchez hit extremely late in the back after the pass by openside flanker Franco Mostert on a set-piece launch.
Sanchez was left reeling by the ‘dog shot’ which nailed him in the ribs, leaving the referee no option but to issue a yellow card.
“The ball is passed, there is a double tackle without the ball,” Bruin said.
“We will be in big trouble if we do this, look at that No 10 he gets one in the ribs there.
“It’s unnecessary. There is a fine line between being aggressive and bad discipline. You can be very hard, you can be very tough, but that’s not it.”
After Mostert’s yellow at the very next lineout, Orie was once again caught out with dangerous play taking a jumper out in the air leading to another penalty.
“We’d just had a yellow, we are under the pump and now suddenly Marvin plays him in the air taking his legs out,” he said.
“Not good enough. If we can sort this out, it will be another step in the right direction I think.”
Former head coach Nic Mallett defended some of the critique around the high line defence which has a difficult job to do.
He said at times players will be tackled without the ball due to the speed at which the line is coming forward and the desire to pin the opposition behind the gain line.
“It really is the way we play,” Mallett said of the rush defence.
“We get up for games and we want to knock people back. We want to knock them back a long way behind the advantage line.
“When we ball carry, we try and get over them and get a long way across the advantage line.
“So it’s really hard against teams that take it flat to the line, and I immediately cite Ireland, who come with two or three options, the pullback pass or the guy flat, or the guy himself.
“And they are right in your face. The three runners at you, at the last moment you don’t know whether the ball is going to be passed or not.
“You can’t pull out of the tackle. It’s very good attack, but we are criticising our defence.
“I think it is very, very tough. You’ve got to be watching that ball but also watching that runner, and you don’t want him to get past the advantage line.
“So there are going to be situations when we play against teams that attack on the gain line.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Why cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
31 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
31 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
31 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
31 Go to comments