Comments on: Cool heads, warm hearts: Here’s to 2011

By: uefi

uefi — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:04:42 +0000

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By: Jamble

Jamble — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:35:06 +0000

Pete, all highs are followed by lows, or were you not paying attention in Blades class? The trick is to get the cycle to coincide with the RWC cycle.

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By: Castles in the Air

Castles in the Air — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:23:52 +0000

Hey Peter. I agree with many of your comments, though overall I have a somewhat different view on the ‘performance’. We were totally outplayed on all three occasions, sure, but I believe it may be a lot simpler and less complex that it might otherwise appear. Discipline! Having any player sent off the field with a yellow card, whilst playing some of the greatest sides in the world, has significant repercussions. It is almost impossible, unless the opposition is playing tiddlywinks, to not feel the massive impact of that pressure. Those 10 minutes have a huge bearing on the entire game, especially the last 30 minutes or so. The game plan immediately becomes defunct, guys are angry and exhausted, having to defend (less one player), a team running at them at full tilt, trying desperately to take advantage of their window of opportunity.

For a long time, we have been the worst team in the world when it comes to discipline, and with the new rules and focus on hard, clean play, some of our Philistines haven’t come out of dark ages it seems. Having met Jean de Villiers, I would say that he’s undoubtedly the exception to the rule despite his misdemeanour; and what possessed him to make that spear tackle is anyone’s guess. He’s not that sort of chap, and unlike a few there, he has a good compassionate, strategic brain on his head. I say, get rid of the guys who the other teams request the referees to pay special attention to. Generally they’re right, they’re dirty and end up disrupting our game. Last Sat we lost due to penalties only. Rugby doesn’t have to be a Neanderthal sport to be played exceptionally well. It requires skilled thinkers.

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By: GarethV

GarethV — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:34:32 +0000

Hi Peter, great post and I agree in the main.
I am a big fan of John Smit - who isnt?

I would offer however, that he is looking slow and old over the past few tests. Suddenly the World Cup looks an awful long way away for him, still having to negotiate the rest of the season, and at the very least, the Super 15 contest in 2011 before the Challenges of New Zealand.
Besides where are we going to play the guy when Bismarck returns?
Unlike the Gary Teichman saga, we are fortunate to have a shoe-in leader: Victor Matfield, who already captains the bulk of the Boks from the Bulls and should still be strong come WC time.

I am still smarting over the Gary Teichman incident.

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By: Banana

Banana — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:06:02 +0000

Great post Peter and I agree in the main.
I am a John Smit fan - who isnt? However, I think the guy has become old and sluggish on the field, and with the entire season, plus a Super 15 campaign to live through in 2011 before the World Cup, I just cant see how he will and should survive in the Bok set-up.
Unlike the Gary Teichman, incident, we have a captain in waiting - Victor Matfield, who already knows the set-up and is captain to the Bulls players already.

“Let’s see if Pieter de Villiers can timeously find someone like Eddie Jones to help.” Now wouldnt that be fantastic.

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By: Twitter Trackbacks for Sports Leader » Peter Church » Cool heads, warm hearts: Here's to 2011 [sportsleader.co.za] on Topsy.com

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:25:35 +0000

[…] Sports Leader » Peter Church » Cool heads, warm hearts: Here’s to 2011 sportsleader.co.za/peterchurch/2010/07/21/cool-heads-warm-hearts-heres-to-2011/ – view page – cached As the Boks head for Brisbane, scene of their infamous 49-0 defeat in 2006, the whines about bad refereeing are threatening to cloud the real problem. Tweets about this link […]

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