This call by Breytie before the match turned out to be accurate, but the match was won out wide by a rampant All Black side against a shell-shocked Australia.
The pace was frenetic despite the best efforts of the referee at the start of the game. In fairness, he probably wanted to stamp his authority on the match, and yellow-carding McCaw in front of a partisan home crowd took some guts.
After the match I just breathed a huge sigh of relief that the Springboks were not at the receiving end of this Kiwi side. The men in black were simply awesome, from number one to number 23. It is often said that a wounded Springbok side is dangerous – this appears to apply even more to the All Blacks, who came out determined to set the record straight after last week.
One would be tempted to think that the Aussies were exposed as being a weak side, but one team cannot deteriorate that badly in one week. It was just the sheer brilliance of the All Blacks that led to the record score between the two sides.
If the Wallabies are going to react in the same manner as the All Blacks, we are in for a tough match on 6 September.
Salta’d and Peppa’d
There is little to add to what has already been said about the close shave the Boks had in Argentina. One thing that concerned me even more than the way we were out-scrummed was the impression that I got that we were cowed in the face of the furious onslaught by Argentina. Even Bismarck was noticeably quiet.
When Marcel Coetzee came on, he met fire with fire, and the effect was noticeable immediately. Few commentators mentioned the impact Bakkies Botha made. In hindsight, he should have come on far earlier to counter the aggression of the South Americans.
This result also confirms that it was not only the weather last week which led to the Boks scraping to a seven point victory. This Argentinian side is going to ask some serious questions when they play Australia next.
Moonstone/Getwine Superbru Wenner
Daar skop Melissa van Rensburg toe stof in die oë van die manne wat gedink het hulle weet alles van rugby af. Baie geluk, Melissa – jou wyn word nog dié week afgelewer deur ons borg, Getwine.
Skuimkop Storie
Hierdie tong-in-die-kies rubriek in Die Burger bevat soms kostelike staaltjies. Saterdag berig hy as volg:
“Die hoofindoena van Suid-Afrika se blasers, André Watson, vertel eendag die staaltjie van ’n Wallaby-toets wat hy hanteer het. Soos jy maar van Australiërs kan verwag, het hulle heeltyd kommentaar gelewer op Wattie se beslissings.
Op ’n kol raak hy toe keelvol vir hul teëpratery, stop die wedstryd en sê vir die spelers daar is skynbaar nou 31 skeidsregters op die veld.”
Waarop ’n Aussie-flank toe droogweg van hom laat hoor: “Ja, en jy’s nie in die top-10 nie.”
