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Deans calm despite Bok humiliation

Greg Growden Chief Rugby Correspondent in Johannesburg | September 1, 2008

South Africa 53 Australia 8

DESPITE the ignominy of Australia's worst Test loss, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans remained calm yesterday, claiming his players will overcome this embarrassment in time to be primed for the Tri Nations title when they meet the All Blacks in Brisbane on September 13.

It will still involve an enormous form reversal, even if the Wallabies this season have been the masters of the roller-coaster ride, excelling in Perth, Sydney and Durban, but falling apart in Auckland and now Johannesburg.

But what was most disconcerting in the eight-try to one 45-point drubbing - which surpassed the previous biggest losing margin of 39 points, also against the Springboks, in Pretoria in 1997 - was that so many of the Wallabies' traditional strengths fell right away.

For so long, the Wallabies have prided themselves on their midfield defence. Several Springbok tries, including at least two of winger Jongi Nokwe's record four, were soft, primarily because Wallaby defenders had suddenly gone missing.

The Australian lineout was again messy, especially with numerous wayward throws, first from Tatafu Polota-Nau and then his replacement Stephen Moore. On top of bad handling errors, Australia's backrow work was second-rate. The South African trio of Pierre Spies, Juan Smith and Schalk Burger dominated that area, prompting the Springboks to revert to their traditional power game, which succeeded in sucking in so many opponents close to the ruck, before they cleverly threw it to space, taking advantage of endless wide overlaps .

What was most puzzling was how quickly the Wallabies succumbed to this pressure, and for most of the game looked lethargic. The Australian drive was at times near non-existent, a factor which would worry so many coaches.

But Deans, unlike his players, attempted to remain composed, realising the Tri Nations tournament has been marked by wild fluctuations, and knowing that in less than a fortnight they can still win the trophy. He did not seem as bothered as others in approaching the task of quickly transforming a dishevelled team by making them forget about the Ellis Park woes and again believe they can beat the All Blacks.

When asked if he was embarrassed to be involved in Australia's worst Test loss, Deans replied: "I'm not too concerned about the numbers, to be frank.

"I don't go home and look at the scoreboard. I'm quite often not conscious of the scoreboard. Still it hurts when you lose. You can chase the statistics all you like. The fact was it was a belting," Deans said.

"We did achieve something - the Mandela Trophy - and we have the opportunity to achieve more. So we won't be taking too much out of this experience, other than the things we dropped away from. And we have a great opportunity in two weeks to show we have made some headway."

Nonetheless, Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock admitted it felt strange being handed the Mandela Trophy, for beating South Africa 2-1 this season, at the same time as trying to come to terms with such an inexplicable thrashing.

"It felt like a consolation," Mortlock said.

"We genuinely got out-played today. We got belted. You always go into the game with a positive mindset. You never go into a game expecting the opposition to put 50 on you."

Deans said it was not wise to ever underestimate a threatened Springboks outfit.

"The Springboks had two pretty valuable components today - they were desperate and they were uninhibited, because they had nothing to lose," he said. "It's a powerful mix when you get your foot in the door, particularly when you've been suffering for awhile.

"We also dropped off it, and that's what happens at this level."

Deans at least conceded he was frustrated by the team's inability to put two good performances back to back, and that the team's "enthusiasm in defence dropped away".

"The big difference this week was that the Springboks got momentum, and they utilised that very well," Deans said. "Last week, they (South Africa) created opportunities, but didn't get too many points from them."

Australia with nowhere to Hyde as Dr Jekyll slices them up on the high veldt

AFTER an outstanding first two minutes the Wallabies collapsed in a heap for the next 78 and the result was a record defeat. It is customary after such disasters to search for the rubies in the mud, but on this occasion that would mean getting very dirty to no effect. There are no jewels to find.

There was a jewel off the field, however, which was that the Wallabies didn't make excuses. They acknowledged the Springboks had played well. They accepted they had played without the necessary intensity and the result reflected it. That's a great start to putting this behind them and moving on, which is all they can do.

The most important question for Robbie Deans and the team to answer is: can the problems be fixed with this group of players? If so, it's a matter of getting their heads right and looking forward; if not, a much more comprehensive rebuilding is required.

The scrum was disappointing. It has come a long way in the past 12 months and all three of the props - Dunning, Robinson and Baxter - have contributed, so it was disturbing to see things go badly awry. Good scrummaging requires concentration, timing, technique and muscle. The scrum deserves the benefit of the doubt. Clearly, concentration slipped, but after four Tri Nations matches, one poor display is no reason to panic.

The forward pack generally was so overrun it's hard to judge individuals. No one plays well in a beaten pack, least of all loose forwards who start a metre behind in the race for the ball and are on the back foot when trying to tackle runners. The chances of dominating tackles and turnovers are slim.

That said, there was little evidence of a cohesive trio hunting together. Palu was absent for long periods and Waugh was exposed without support at the breakdown. Elsom battled physically but the weight of numbers defeated him.

Cordingley and Giteau were sound, generally making the right decisions and maintaining their precision under fire. Outside them, however, it was, frankly, a bit of a mess.

Timana Tahu is a fine footballer and his time will come, but his defence was a problem. He was unlucky Jean de Villiers chose this match to demonstrate that he is the best inside centre in world rugby. Tahu was exposed in decision-making early, most notably when Bekker scored, and as he became a little unsure who to take, the explosive power in his tackling waned. Inside and outside centres in modern rugby have to blow attackers back to give their loose forwards the help they need and Mortlock and Tahu, both good tacklers in their own right, couldn't find their targets as partners.

The two wingers and Ashley-Cooper had no chance on attack but particularly struggled with the Springbok kicking. Return kicks were generally too long if they were kicked high, too directed to Jantjes, or not long enough if looking for position. Effective chasing was non-existent. One to forget and move on for all three.

What can we say about the Springboks? They confirmed they have great talent. Jantjes, de Villiers, Piennar, du Preez and Butch James on the high veldt are as good as any around. On the day their forwards played like supermen. But they remain unpredictable. The Wallabies were run over by Dr Jekyll but no doubt Mr Hyde is still lurking in the shadows.

Percy finishes on a positive

SOUTH AFRICA fullback Percy Montgomery announced his retirement from international rugby on Saturday after the Springboks' resounding 53-8 victory over Australia in a Tri-Nations match.

"Not many players get to choose when they want to leave test rugby, and I think that's what makes it so special for me because I know that at test level it's time to go," the country's most capped player and leading points-scorer said.

"It's been a privilege to play for my country and to play in some of the best teams the world has seen," added the player, who earned his 102nd cap against Australia on Saturday." Joost van der Westhuizen, with 89 caps, is South Africa's second most capped player.

Montgomery scored 893 points in an 11-year career spanning South Africa's Tri-Nations championships in 1998 and 2004, as well as the 2007 World Cup in France.