Double world champions
Double junior world champions
Talent seeping from the seams
Let us not forget where we came from. Those 90s and 2000s were a very difficult time.
I hope we can continue growing like this.
Ah shit I forgot about the junior Boks game. Might have watched that rather than the Welsh borefest.
@Pskie
You missed nothing - in the main the Junior Boks backline was disfunctional because the number 12 killed the ball every time it came to him - he treid to copy the disaster Etserhuizen was in the 2014 Junior Final. wher the SA Juniors lost in the final.
@clevermike omg. What a terrible take on things
What impressed me was the spirit of the under 20s. The last twenty or so minutes they upped the anti and played with huge intensity. Indeed they went over for a number of tries that were disallowed. Nick Mallet thought Ahmed had scored and to over turn that try was a travesty.
The under 20s were short of three stars who were called up to the Bok squad. They were also missing their star fullback Giliomee who had been harshly suspended for the final.
4 star players out and they still won and they should have had more points on the board.
Plod along Pakster could you stop complaining about the Boks for a second. Stick to watching and supporting the wee abs. You know you want to.
Chippo we have been going through perhaps the most outstanding period in South African rugby history. Can anybody name a better period that started with Rassie becoming coach.
YET we have supposed Bok supporters whining away every day to one degree or another. Its frankly astonishing.
Pakster is a prime example.
@Beeno1 - Yesterday I also saw glimpses of what everyone has been seeing in Markus Muller.
Up until yesterdays final - he hadnt done much wrong at all, but he hadnt shone as we;d been hoping.
BUT - come the final - His tackling is astonoshingly strong. For an 18 year old kid (1 year younger than most of the others in that team) he is incredibly strong and ferocious on defense.
THEN - the try he scored... it was a smal touch of brilliance. That line he ran from outside center was really good. I think he has really good "ball brain" if that makes sense.
He is such a nice chappie too.
I really hope we have uncovered a gem, to go with Ethan Adams.
But the star for me all tournament was undoubtedly Yaqeen Ahmed who i hadn't heard much of before this year.
My befok he is a worldie!
Chippo
Dave with all his rugby kno/wedge wote moretan a year ago that Jaqieen Ahmed was a potential future star flyhalf for the Springboks, Since then I watched him on school level rugby and he was never a disappointment and mentioned him as anoher Sacha in the making and wrote a number of times contribution on this site,
He was signed up by the Stormers on eaving school and I think Erasmus think highly about the youmngster hence his selection as flyhgalf for the SA |A" team. When Erasmus was forced to all up an Unde 20 flyhalf the reasoning was that Jaqeen Ahmed was essential for the Under 20 RWC champonship he called up Moyo the send flyhalf available.
The fact is Moyo had a rather dulll game for the Springboks on Saturday and I am sure boith Muller and aqeen Ahmed will be in the squad, going to Argentina.
,
Yes Markus shows power through the tackle too. He is one heck of a player for an 18 year old. Ahmed is a cool and talented customer. He could well be some sort of gymnast the way he hurdled over that knee chopping tackle, somersaulted then got up and scored.
All that said one wonders how many of the side that won will become Boks. The competition for the Bok jersey is becoming fiercer than ever.
The truth is there are many good players. But the real issue is how many world class players do we have that could give us the edge to win another RWC.
One thing I really like is the fire in this under 20 side and the fire in the Bok teams we have seen playing this season
Without being too boastful South Africans can be proud of what their teams have been doing in recent years. Long may it continue. Possibly nothing unites and brings together South Africans more than the Boks. There are exceptions of course and some here fall into that catergory.
Lest we forget, Australia came over, not so long ago, & gave us a hiding.
