What's happening
Springboks - Uruguay

October 11 Match

WHAT'S HAPPENING? (posted 13th October 2003)
The boks have always been an interesting sort of outfit. I always enjoy watching post-game interviews with bok captains. Sure they didn't win, but the other team didn't beat them, it was just an unfortunate series of circumstances on the day that saw them not play to their full potential thus allowing the opposition to get ahead points wise. Too funny! I have to admire their shameless 'we weren't beaten' attitude though - not many teams could carry that off with the conviction that they seem to. I still recall their faces when Stephen Larkham popped that field goal in the semi-final against them in the 1999 RWC semi final to take the match into overtime. Fortune favours the brave :))

But back to the Bok's game against Uruguay over in Perth on Saturday night. Uh oh. Poor Uruguay weren't on the field for long before they felt the full sting of the Bok brigade. Joost van der Westhuizen whipped in a quick couple of tries in the first five minutes, and well, from there, it was all over red rover for the Uruguay boys.

The Boks proceeded to have all the ball possession and to pop try after try after try. Show offs! :) Joe van Niekerk and Botha got over before half time and a bonus point for the South Africans was secured. So, they bunged on another couple of tries. Argh!

Opening the second half leading 36-6, the Boks continued posing to the local Perth crowd and posted more tries. They also managed to keep Uruguay tryless during the match which also helped to show their domination of the match. Mind you, it would have helped Uruguay's cause to score had they had the ball for a bit. It's certainly rather difficult to put tries on when you don't even have the ball :O

While Uruguay were clearly outplaced and outplayed by the Boks on Saturday night the Boks could improve significantly on their game. They had way too many handling and ball errors, and Koen wasn't on his normally freakish kicking spree. Infact, he only averaged a 50% strike rate. Geez - even Matthew Bourke can get close to that :) Here's hoping the Boks will pick their act up so that the Poms don't pound them next up on Saturday night! I can almost hear the Poms carrying on already.. argh!!