Cycling Is Tougher and More Dangerous Than Rugby

The stereotype remains to this day of the brawny rugby player who is tough as nails, while the spandex covered spindly cyclist is some sort of wimp. The sports are of course entirely different from each other, but in rugby, when I player is hurt and bleeding, he leaves the field. In cycling, he is expected to get back on his bike and finish the race.

It was Martin Dugard who articulated just how incredibly dangeorus cycling is, and how tough the sport is for the top athletes. He compared the accident rate to NASCAR, a US event popularly believed to be 'dangerous'. I'm fuzzy on the stats, but Dugard mentioned the phenomenally high attrition rate in professional cycling season, and the horrific injuries cyclists commonly suffer from: torn retinaes, punctured lungs, cracked craniums, and the cyclists' staple: the broken collar bone.

Obviously it's fair to say that rugby players are tough; they must be. In the World Cup Match against Fiji those high tackles on Schalk Burger were very dangerous. But I'd like to remind the masses that cyclists aren't to be sniffed at. They also put themselves right on the line when they get onto the road.

Meanwhile, Water Polo must rate as the toughest sport of all. It basically amounts to bliksemming each other whilst drowning.

Habana Neutralised in Fiji Game

Did Bryan Habana play yesterday? You'd swear he didn't. He was completely neutralized by the big lugs from Fiji. And you got the feeling if he got the ball more than he did, he would have limped off the field, trailing bloody rags.

On Keo.co.za it's reported that Habana has, what - been nominated for the prestigious IRB Player of the Year award. Re-he-he-heallly? Any chance we can hold off on these awards until AFTER the world cup? Why? Because it seems to me that at least 3 crucial games still need to be played to establish who are some of the best players.

For others on the shortlist, click here.

I'd like to see Habana make up for the Ngwenya defeat. In my book he hasn't, and I'd like to see him do his thing. Handing out awards at this stage of the game seems - to me - to be premature. And anyway, I think there are two or three other Springboks that are impressing me a lot in the last few games: Schalk Burger, Jaque Fourie and Juan Smith. So let's hold up on these nominations...

RWC: Boks overcome Ferocious Fijians (37-20)

Springbok Powerhouse shrug off nerves to pull off convincing win

With a halftime score looking ominously like the New Zealand score (versus France), at 13-3 , it was starting to look like a third upset was on the cards. Jacque Fourie’s easy-as-you-please try in the second third of the first half was an anomaly. After an hour’s play, scores were level at 20-20, and the Boks were tempted to doubt themselves, as their Southern Hemisphere rivals had done to their detriment on Saturday.

Saturday’s upsets provided the Boks with powerful incentives not to make the same mistakes.

Errors

Yet both sides made handling errors; the Fijians messed up their own lineouts, and took chances in scrummages and tackles, while Springbok Francois Steyn’s performance blew hot and cold. Schalk Burger uncharacteristically missed a crucial tackle that led to a try.

The Boks erred in throwing the ball out wide, opening themselves up to the fleetfooted Fijians (and Sevens World Champs).

The turning point came for South Africa in the second half. But not due to the sin binning of Seru Rabeni for his high tackle on Butch James. In fact, with Rabeni gone the fourteen remaining Fijians still scored twice in quick succession. It could so easily have gone the other way. A desperate tackle soon after these two tries saved the Boks from a disastrous third try, and a morale breaking score (perhaps 25-20).

Spoiler

All this happened close to the 70th minute with South African JP Pietersen spoiling flying Ifereimi Rawaqa’s surge for the corner. Pietersen scooped up the big man as he dived across the line, pinning down his arms and preventing him – just – from grounding the ball.

The Fijians disappointment at this near miss began to infect the Boks with the impulse, the nerve to counterattack, and to do so within a prescribed game plan. And so they fought their way back to ascendancy. The match was characterized by ruthless high tackles, perhaps more from the bulky Fijians, but the Boks were also guilty of playing rough, and spilling blood.

Thanks to solid leadership from the Bok captain, John Smit, the Bok troops gathered themselves up, and shut down the Fijians. They effectively placed a garage door on their own try line at one point, barricading this zone against the bulldozing attempts of the muscular Fijians.

Composure

After some frantic initial countering, the Boks did what the Aussies and Kiwi’s failed to do, they regained their composure, and fell back into a game plan that involved muscling, mauling and rucking their way through the Fijians. It worked again through Free State flank Juan Smith, and again at the death – although Butch James had to clean up the attempt by running it slightly wide and fast from the ruck to score his try. In the end the Boks pulled off 5 tries.

The last of the four quarter finals games is on Sunday between Argentina and Scotland. Argentina are the favorites, but given what has already happened this weekend, there’s almost no point in mentioning that.

SA try scorers: Jaque Fourie, John Smit, JP Pietersen, Juan Smith, Butch James. Conversions: Percy Montgomery (3). Penalties: Francois Steyn, Percy Montgomery (1 each).
Fiji try scorers: Vilimoni Delasau, Sireli Bobo. Conversions: Seremaia Bai (2). Penalties: Seremaia Bai (2).

RWC: French Stun NZ

New Zealand choke; Aussies also on their way home

Southern hemisphere teams and supporters suffered a collective jaw drop as they saw first Australia fold under pressure against England (losing 12-10), and then New Zealand lose their composure. Both sides played with uncharacteristic caution, allowing their opponents to take up the slack and generate their own momentum.

Many rugby supporters, myself included, saw both these matches as mere formalities for the the Southern Hemisphere teams, en route to the Semi’s.

While the Aussies performance reeked, the All Blacks played well, finishing their first half with a 13-0 lead, and a lead that looked unassailable at that point. The French tactic up until then was to boot the ball ineffectually around, giving away possession, and so losing the ability to develop any cogent form of attack.

2nd Fiddle

In the second half, everything changed. Kiwi magician Luke McAlister who had already scored a brilliant try in the first half, was sent to the sin bin early in the second half for a professional foul on the try line. Beauxis kicked the penalty, putting the first points on the board for France. At this point the score was 13-3.

The pendulum begun to shift as the French team surged. Playing with visible courage, they were suddenly committed and believing in themselves. The first French try came soon after ‘caveman’ Sébastien Chabal and Dimitri Szarzewski joined the field. Sustained pressure bore fruit, starting with flanker Thierry Dusautoir’s try. Meanwhile, more and more of the big names from the opposing squad limped off the field. The French fight back was hard and tough. Facing this resurgent French team, the Kiwi’s first faded, then choked.

In one encounter 5 All Blacks converged on the ball as it passed the try line, with two All Black players colliding into one another. Then, with around 10 minutes remaining, French wizard (on his day) Michalak – replacing Beauxis – broke away and squirmed around to hand over to Yannick Jauzion for their second try.

Disciplined Defence

It was a brave and brutal fight back by the Tricolores. The French defended with tremendous discipline, even to the last second of the game. The French scored all 20 of their points in the second half; New Zealand managed only 5 points (from a single unconverted try). Despite the big hearts of the French players, the margin was small in the final score: 20-18.

But New Zealand’s second half performance overall was as off color in the as their shirts.
Captain Richie McCaw was understandably at a loss for words after the game. He described the error of engaging in ‘ping-pong’ with the French, and straying from their own game plan. But even South African viewers were shocked at this double turnaround.

That the TriNations top two teams were stymied was not necessarily due to being beaten by better teams, but losing composure under pressure. Both sides were not really tested until these quarter final games, and vitally, when you’re behind in crucial knock out games and facing a deadline, self belief and composure becomes paramount.

Not Convincing

It’s also fair to say that the 2 point winning margin doesn’t demonstrate convincing victories from either England or France. All it demonstrates is the North’s will to win overcame their adversary’s fear of losing.

New Zealand especially are guilty of putting far too much pressure on themselves when facing defeat in World Cup games. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. When behind, does desperation lead to doubt, or belief?

These matches provide excellent counseling for the remaining Southern Hemisphere powerhouse, South Africa, who are now the favorites on paper. Having seen how giants can be slaughtered, do they have the composure in the face of terrible pressure and possible defeat?

After the bruising encounters on Saturday, it’s unlikely that France or England will be able to pick themselves up to face the Boks, who are looking superstrong. But stranger things have happened.