Ken Borland

It was a day for the extraordinary at Twickenham on Saturday as the Springboks shaded England 16-15 courtesy of heroic defence, one of the strangest tries ever scored in international rugby and an outlandishly poor decision by the hosts at the end of the Test.

Rain before and throughout the match put paid to any hopes of expansive rugby, but it was still a gripping, thrilling encounter, played with great intensity.

As forecast, England posed the toughest challenge of the tour but, in truth, they were outplayed for long periods before the Springboks reacted to their 10-point lead by making a host of stupid mistakes that let their opponents back into the game.

Having battled their way into a 9-6 lead after a troubled first half, the Springboks piled on the pressure at the start of the second half, but had to rely on quite extraordinary bounces of the ball for their only try. Pat Lambie’s grubber first of all deflected kindly for the visitors, putting them into the England 22. Lock Juandre Kruger then spilt the ball, but it went backwards. The attempted hack clear by England scrumhalf Ben Youngs rebounded off JP Pietersen and flew high towards the tryline, where two England players failed to gather the ball, dropping it into the hands of Willem Alberts, who just had to fall over the line to score.

The Springboks led 16-6 and were poised to shut England out of the game. But it should be a major concern for coach Heyneke Meyer that his team once again failed to follow-through on a commanding position, letting England back into the game through mistakes like kicking directly into touch after taking the ball back into their own 22 or from the kickoff.

England responded by thoroughly dominating territory in the final quarter and, trailing 12-16 with 80 seconds left to play, they won a penalty. But instead of going for the try that would win them the Test, they kicked the penalty but then did not have enough time to get back into the South African half after they failed to win the restart.

England captain Chris Robshaw has been widely criticised for his decision, which was inexplicable. But one could see the worry in England’s eyes all the way back in Johannesburg whenever they contemplated a lineout or even trying to find a way through the Springboks’ outstanding defence.

Well-marshalled by captain Jean de Villiers, South Africa’s defence was phenomenally efficient, with every player willing to get down and dirty for the team as England unleashed wave after wave of big ball-carriers. But there was also minimal flair from the home side and the Springboks, who showed some neat touches on attack despite the conditions, always looked the more likely team to score.

Eben Etzebeth and Duane Vermeulen were once again major factors in the lineout, with England hooker Tom Youngs suffering an awful afternoon with his throwing-in, and the Springboks used their advantage in that set-piece to the maximum.

After a torrid first 15 minutes in which referee Nigel Owens could see only fault in the visitors and no wrong in the English, South Africa dominated territory, keeping England under pressure, and it was pleasing to see Lambie play with such assurance at flyhalf. The 22-year-old kicked especially well, but also ran with the ball and showed some fine touches on attack in a far more balanced display at pivot.

One of the areas where the Springboks struggled was in the scrums, but that was largely due to Owens not seeing loosehead prop Alex Corbisiero scrumming in on the angle against Jannie du Plessis.

Whatever their other shortcomings, the Springboks of today are a hardy, determined bunch and they can be well-pleased with a perfect three-from-three record on tour. Their play was far from faultless but, for a team that is still developing, they showed impressive mettle in absorbing pressure in all three matches and ensuring victory was achieved, even if it was in ugly fashion.

There is no doubt that the future is full of promise for Meyer and this team.

http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-11-26-boks-play-it-by-the-book-victory-first-entertainment-later

Heyneke Meyer is ending his first year in charge of the Springboks the way it began – with a Test against England.

Back in June, Meyer’s tenure started with a 22-17 win over England at King’s Park, but on Saturday the match will be at the more daunting venue of Twickenham, London.

And the danger is that progression from that first Test in Durban to the last of 12 fixtures in 2012 may not be evident.

The Springboks’ play is still characterised by halves of hugely differing quality – they were held to 6-6 in the first half in Durban – and the backline is still miles behind the pack in terms of match-winning contribution.

South Africa scored two tries against England in their first meeting this year, but such was their forward dominance in the second half that most people felt they should have scored more.

And England, as they showed in snatching a draw against the Springboks in the final match of that series, are also a team that is developing and their coach, Stuart Lancaster, is certain they can end a 10-game winless streak against South Africa.

Twickenham is something of a fortress for them as well and Springbok fans can expect the toughest challenge of their three tour matches this weekend.

In terms of personnel, there are also areas where the team is no more settled than they were back in June.

The debate is still open over who should be flyhalf going forward. Morne Steyn played in Durban, scored a try but missed both conversions and a penalty, and has now disappeared entirely from the match-day 23.

Johan Goosen has started but then suffered a season-ending injury, while Pat Lambie has not yet set the world alight during his two starts against Ireland and Scotland.

Meyer has been making encouraging noises about wanting Lambie to open up more this weekend, and hopefully another great young talent, Elton Jantjies, will get a chance later in the game.

Francois Hougaard was the starting scrumhalf against England in Durban, but is now on the wing. He was shifted there in the second half as he failed to convert the forward dominance into territorial advantage or really spark his backline, and since then Meyer has relied on Ruan Pienaar in the number nine jersey.

Pienaar has been competent on the heavier fields of the United Kingdom, but whether he has the pace or snappy delivery that is required against teams like New Zealand and Australia remains in doubt.

Hougaard, for his part, showed amazing maturity this week by saying he did not want to be considered on the wing next year, but instead wanted to become a specialist scrumhalf and would be putting in the work required to achieve that.

“My preferred position is definitely scrumhalf and I do think that playing wing as much as I have been has hurt my play as a scrumhalf. I have made it known to the coaches at the Bulls that scrumhalf is where I want to specialise from now on. I will only develop as a scrumhalf if I play there regularly. What I need is a full pre-season where I work only as a scrumhalf, and then to play only as a scrumhalf when the season starts. That will get me thinking like a scrumhalf.

“There are a lot of technical aspects of scrumhalf that require a heck of a lot of hard work and preparation, and I just haven’t been able to put in the time that is needed as I have been playing so much on the wing. Playing 10 minutes or so as a scrumhalf later in the game after playing the first part as a wing is not going to help me develop into the player I want to be,” Hougaard said this week.

Other questions that still need resolving as the Springboks head into their last match of the year are:

• Where is Jaco Taute’s best position?
• Will the game plan allow the likes of JP Pietersen and Juan de Jongh to showcase their brilliant attacking skills?
• Is there a viable, trustworthy alternative for the admirable Jannie du Plessis at tighthead prop?
• Who is going to grab the number five jersey and make it his own with consistent performances?

As for how Saturday’s Test will probably unfold, up-and-unders and kicking for territory are probably the pet hate of many Springbok fans right now, but there is an even slimmer chance of the boot not dominating this weekend because Lancaster has already stressed the importance of the tactic to his team.

The changes he has made to the side that lost last weekend against Australia indicate he wants half-backs Ben Youngs and Toby Flood working in tandem with the outside backs, having recalled Mike Brown, who lacks pace but is good in the air and has a strong left boot, on the left wing.

While Lancaster has also tried to beef up his pack, the Springboks go into the Test knowing that their forward unit has seldom been outplayed this year. Much as they did against Scotland last weekend, it will be up to them to lay a solid foundation, from where the tourists can kick England back into their territory and then capitalise.

The kicking will only be as effective as the chasing, however, and this time it can only be hoped that the backs are able to seize the moment and score tries when the opportunity arises.

Until now, the Springboks’ backline has been largely sterile, but perhaps the impending festive season and Meyer’s encouraging words to Lambie will prompt a spirit of adventure if not largesse.

It may be five-to-midnight in terms of the Springboks’ year, but an 80-minute performance in which both forwards and backs contribute equally is better arriving now than never. Hopefully Santa Meyer and his Springbok elves will make the wait as worthwhile as the Night Before Christmas usually is.

* Cyprus successfully maintained their winning streak as they beat Austria 54-20 in their Second Division Fira Championship match in Vienna last weekend. The strong Austrian side put up a stiffer challenge than the scoreline might suggest, but another brilliant performance by the Moufflons netted them their 16^th successive win, just two off equalling Lithuania’s world record of 18.

http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-11-23-santa-and-siege-of-fortress-twickenham

SOUTH Africa’s Test squad were not too far from perfection in beating England and securing the number one ranking a couple of months ago, so it is little surprise there have been only minor changes to the party for their trip to Australia at the end of the month.

While selection convener Andrew Hudson is totally content with the starting 11, he said in Johannesburg on Wednesday that “we have just tweaked our reserve strength slightly to suit expected conditions and the tactical situation”.

Uncapped Rory Kleinveldt and Faf du Plessis have been chosen as the prime bowling and batting cover, while Thami Tsolekile will again tour as a reserve wicketkeeper.

Barring a major loss of form or injury, Tsolekile is probably the most likely to play because of concern about the ability of AB de Villiers’ admittedly wonderfully athletic body to handle the strain of both keeping wicket and being a key batsman. Hudson told Business Day that a final decision on the wicketkeeping berth would need to be made but this was unlikely to happen before the Australian tour.

“We need a long-term solution to the wicketkeeping berth and it’s certainly on the selectors’ minds. We will need to apply ourselves to questions like, is AB keen and able to do the job or do we need to start grooming a new incumbent?

“But we’ll maybe only do that after the tour, it will be a hot topic to talk about.

“AB keeping wicket in England gave us the edge in that series with a recognised batsman at No7 but we will go to Australia with an open mind and be cognisant of his fitness and the demands of keeping affecting his batting,” Hudson said.

The selectors have clearly lost patience with Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s erratic form this year and he will have some much-needed game time with the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins, having sat on the Proteas’ bench for several months.

Hudson said the selectors believed Kleinveldt could have the same dramatic effect Vernon Philander had when he was called up from the same Cape Cobras side a year ago.

“In Australian conditions, we believe Rory will get nice movement and he hits the deck.

“He’s been just behind Vernon in the overall averages in recent years, he’s been bowling with good pace for the South Africa A side.

“He’s done his time, he’s bowled well in four-day cricket and performed for a number of years and we believe he could be similar to Vernon in the way he came through. Plus he’s useful as a batsman down the order, just adding to the package,” Hudson said.

Du Plessis lost confidence on the England tour and during the ICC World Twenty20, but appeared to be on the comeback trail in his last innings when he blazed 65 off 38 balls against India.

He will be on standby to cover any middle-order holes, with Jacques Rudolph on hand to fill in at the top of the order if necessary.

Du Plessis averaged 85.57 in last season’s SuperSport Series, second only to Hashim Amla (90.50), and there was a big gap between him and the likes of Alviro Petersen (62.76), Justin Ontong (59.81), Tsolekile (59.50) and Colin Ingram (57.88).

Petersen, who broke his hand fielding for the Highveld Lions in their opening match of the season, is expected to be fit to play in time for the first Test starting in Brisbane on November 9.

“By all accounts he’ll be fine, I’ve had no red flags from the medical committee,” Hudson said.

PROTEAS SQUAD

Graeme Smith, Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, JP Duminy, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, Thami Tsolekile, Rory Kleinveldt, Faf du Plessis, Robin Peterson.

http://www.bdlive.co.za/sport/cricket/2012/10/11/minor-changes-to-south-africa-squad-for-australia-tour

England, the defending champions, made the ideal start to their ICC World T20 campaign when they hammered Afghanistan by 116 runs in their opening game at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday.

: http://www.supersport.com/cricket/article.aspx?id=1592431

After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, England rode on the back of Luke Wright’s fiery 99 not out off just 55 balls to post 196 for five, the highest score of the tournament thus far.

Afghanistan were in serious danger of making the lowest ever score in T20 internationals when they crashed to 26 for eight in reply, but Gulbodin Naib restored the pride of the gutsy minnows and entertained the sparse crowd as he belted 44 off 32 balls to lift Afghanistan to 80 all out.

Wright batted with tremendous power to batter eight fours and six sixes, leading the charge as England blazed 122 runs in the last 10 overs to surge to a massive total.

The pace of Shapoor Zadran caused England some early troubles, and he claimed the wicket of Craig Kieswetter, playing the ball onto his own stumps, for a duck to end the first over with a wicket-maiden.

But Wright and Alex Hales made sure England made full use of the last two overs of the powerplay, smashing 37 runs from them and England were 52 for one after six overs.

Even though England lost the wicket of Hales, for 31 off 27 balls, in the most unfortunate of ways as Karim Sadiq deflected Wright’s straight drive onto the non-striker’s stumps, it was obvious England were well set for a big total with Wright going strongly at the halfway mark on 38 not out off 26 balls and the world No 1 on 74 for two.

Wright hit the off-spin of Mohammad Nabi for a six and two fours in the 16th over, Eoin Morgan also contributing a six as 22 runs came from the over.

Nabi had bowled his first two overs for 10 runs but finished with none for 46 in his four-over stint.

Wright’s marvellous ball-striking reached its peak in the penultimate over as he smashed the last three balls of Izatullah Dawlatzai’s over for six. The unfortunate seamer conceded 56 runs in three overs, the most expensive three-over spell in T20 international history.

Dawlatzai did, however, claim the wickets of Morgan, for 27 off 23 balls, and Jos Buttler, for 15 off seven.

There was also a useful cameo from Jonny Bairstow, who hit his first ball for six and ended with 12 off five balls.

Considering the carnage, Dawlat Zadran’s figures of one for 22 in four overs were remarkable and he prevented Wright from notching England’s first T20 international century by restricting him to just a couple of singles and two runs to midwicket off the last ball of the over.

England’s display with the ball was amazing as they reduced Afghanistan to 22 for five inside six overs.

Captain Stuart Broad claimed two early wickets and there was the run-out of Karim Sadiq for five as well, before the spinners, Samit Patel (3-0-6-2) and Graeme Swann (4-2-22-2), chipped in to reduce Afghanistan to a catastrophic 26 for eight after nine overs.

Gulbodin took it upon himself to save Afghanistan from unwanted history as he belted five fours and three sixes, but the yawning gap between the plucky good-news story of the competition and the defending champions was only too obvious.