Dear Rassie - Springbok Coach

Dear Rassie!!!

The excitement is palpable!!! Many of us will be making the Groot Trek to Jozi to watch the 3rd test at the Callabash Stadium aka FNB Stadium. What a jol this going to be!!!

But alas, no fly over. Fok man, the people of RSA must learn to keep their comments off social media, this s**t storm has caused major kak for Airlink. Anyway, I digress…

The team is ready, it looks good, no major concerns.

We hope that Sacha and Cobus click this weekend and send the ball down the line as opposed to kicking it away. Let’s play some running rugby, apparently Tony Brown has a few tricks up his sleeve. Let’s hope he hasn’t told Dave ‘heart burn’ Rennie about any of the Boks plans?

Also important for the forwards to maintain the set piece dominance. Please can Siya talk to the ref, we want the AB’s to scrum straight and not walk around the scrum and please can the ref watch the offsides.

Jesse and Damian must put in a proper effort and ensure we get on the front foot. Damian is a beast, he must break the line and get us over the gain line.

Cheslin is becoming a proper utility player….kick for poles, moer the okes if they play dirty and now fullback. We are going to miss Willemse but in Chelsin we trust!!!!!!

This is going to be a humdinger of note!!!

Your score prediction and go……

Let’s go Bokke!!!

Dear Rassie!!!

Boom Boom we are back in the room!!! One all my China!!!!! Lekker man!!!! We’ll take that win with open arms and appreciate the fact that we are playing the mighty All Blacks. Maximum respect!!! This is a dangerous All Black team, in all areas of the pitch. Stoked to be a Bok supporter!!!!

Ok, let’s talk about the game……

The first try was a thing of beauty, probably the fastest try scored in a test match.

And then….the AB’s returned the favour.

And then, then, we started kicking the ball away to the opposition……for fffffff….crying out loud. I ask you with tears in my eyes, why????? We work out rear ends off to secure ball upfront and then kick it away. Surely that cannot be a strategy????? Maybe in their half, actually never.

We set up phases, our primary ball was as solid as it could be BUT what the ffffff……crying out loud is going on between 9 and 10? Is Sacha the answer at 10? I’m asking for a friend. The Boks had 3 balls through the hands on the wing runs. If you don’t understand that, tough!!!

The All Blacks on the other hand were superb with ball in hand. Every single time they got the ball it went through the hands to their very very dangerous wings. Both scored by the way.

I honestly believe that if we didn’t have such a potent, powerful, dominating scrum and Kolbe we would have got milked. There is a lot to work on and fortunately…….in Rassie we trust.

I love winning!!!! Like I really love it Rassie but ffs, let’s get our s**t together and play proper rugga for 80 minutes.

And this is for the AB supporters who love the SAFFA moan about the ref…. Please stop watching the scrum and take a look at the offside play. Not once but 6 times…..open your eyes. And you cannot hold a player around the neck, even if he is 5ft5 and his name is Kolbe. That was a red card. Chop!!!!

Anyway, we are grateful for the win. The series is alive and well.
We’ll go back to high altitude and see what happens next.

FNB Stadium awaits….

Let’s go Bokke!!!!

Dear Rassie!!!

A last minute change to the team sheet…..

Kolbe in…..
Sacha in……

Ok then, let’s go Bokke!!!

Dear Rassie!!!

Here we go again!!! The team sheet for Saturday’s test in Cape Town.

The team is the team, you know what we don’t know Rassie.

Cape Town is a happy hunting ground for the Boks. Let’s get behind our team and show them how much they mean to us.

Let’s go Bokke!!!

Dear Rassie!!!

Well, well, well, not so clever after all!!! 33-16!!!

Well done All Blacks, a 5-1 try count is significant. No argument, the better team won on the day. Patience, composure and keeping their gun powder dry in the first half made all the difference. A formidable opponent, today and always. Maximum respect!!!

Before we paste the Boks for this loss, let’s just remember who we were playing. This is the ultimate Rugby Rivalry, All Blacks vs Springboks.

The number of handling errors on the part of the Boks, was simply unacceptable. 5 entries into the All Black 22 and only one conversion. So many mistakes in the red zone. We just lacked composure, the chaotic play was so unlike this world number one team.

Sacha looked like he had his wings clipped, not ideal for a play maker. Grant Williams, 2 steps before distributing the ball made the All Black defence easy as pie. Williams as also frantic at times, the players didn’t know who he was going to pass to. 3 full backline runs the entire game. We need to build phases. What on earth was going on?

The forwards played their hearts out but the retention of the ball was appalling. Knock on after knock on after knock on. My goodness, we haven’t seen that for years. Jasper Wiese you were immense.

Lots of work to be done between now and next Saturday. Rassie in you we trust, please bru, sort the team out. Calm down for goodness sake!!!!

One little word about the ref…..good job to be honest but the rules are the rules, I have never heard about whiplash being considered when there is head contact? And if Eben’s charge down was offside the All Blacks 5 charge down and subsequent try was a mile offside. And if Marco Van Staden was offside then my Granny is Rassie. Anyway…..

Disappointing to lose, we are not used to losing, but, every great champion gets up from being knocked down. Let’s get up and bounce back. It’s not going to be easy, we now have to win 3 in a row.

Again, well played All Blacks!!!

Let’s go Bokke!!!

Dear Rassie!!!

Anyone have pre match jitters????? Fok this is massive boys, like proper!!!!

Dear Rassie!!!

Apologies for the previous comments, wrong team sheet.

Great team selection and maximum respect shown to the mighty All Blacks.

Pace at 9 to get us on the front foot and Reinch on the bench in case we get bullied. Hopefully that doesn’t happen.

10 is solid, hopefully Sacha doesn’t get too clever against this team. I would have preferred to see Pollard on the bench for this one so Manuel will have to step up.

The forwards are all deserving of their selection and there is proper cover on the bench. Note that Esterhuizen is a forward/back 😜

It’s going to be a humdinger of note!!!

Best of luck PSDT, a worthy and capable captain.

Let’s go Bokke!!!

Dear Rassie!!!

Don’t read anything into this match or the score, the end!!!

Thanks for coming All Blacks!!!

Dear Rassie!!!

The Pumas in Argentina are always going to be a tricky side to beat. Take nothing away from them, as always they put their bodies on the line and gave their everything. They were gutsy and played with pace. Maybe they were unlucky not to win, maybe…

The Boks looked like a new team. Lots of new combinations, very little cohesion and far too many players playing for themselves and not the team. Scrappy and the boys lacked a game plan of any sorts. But…..they won, even if it was dirty, unattractive and a poor performance.

So what’s changed?? Well nothing really, all the big boys (A Team) were not on the field. When they return, all things will be back to normal. Rassie is a master craftsman, there was no way he was going to show Dave Rennie the A Team before the first test. Why would he??? We’ll be clinical and fast and superb when we play the All Blacks.

So, let’s calm down, enjoy the win. It was tough and we roughed it out and got a result. Nobody cares if you win by 1 point or 20 points, it’s a win.

Well done Bokke!!!! Proud!!!!