Article Search

 Wales should not be a major obstacle
    Mike Greenaway
    November 07 2008 at 12:53PM
Get IOL on your
mobile at m.iol.co.za

In 103 years of rugby internationals between the Springboks and Wales, the Red Dragons have breathed fatal fire on the Boks on just one occasion and, barring a minor miracle, Wales' dismal record of 20 defeats in 22 games is about to sink to 21 from 23 (there was a 6-6 draw in Cardiff in 1970 to go with the Boks' 1999 loss in Cardiff).

It is not a case of Wales being a weak team. They are at home and have a stronger combination than the one that almost beat the Boks in Pretoria in June. It is more a case of them being up against a very strong Springbok side that appears to be highly focused and extremely motivated.
Continues Below ↓





We are talking about most of the match 22 that won the Rugby World Cup final versus the team that did not make it out of the Pool stages, and while Wales have certainly improved since France '07 under pugnacious Kiwi coach Warren Gatland, it is doubtful they have closed the gap entirely.

Wales were supposed to meet the Boks in the World Cup quarter-final in Marseilles only for Fiji to tear up the script, and when the teams met after the World Cup in Cardiff, Wales were hammered 34-12 by the newly crowned champions.

Then, in the first of two meetings in June, Wales did an impersonation of stunned mullets in Bloemfontein when they got a 43-17 hiding before improving to a 37-21 defeat in Pretoria against a Bok team that had taken its foot off the gas.

Coach Peter de Villiers initially spoke about resting players for this tour until it was whispered in his ear that these three tour matches are all that stand between the Boks and the first Test against the British and Irish Lions in June.

And now we not only have a Springbok squad at its very strongest but also in a frame of mind very much at odds with the zombies we usually see staggering though the Northern Hemisphere at this time of the year, with the players accused of having one foot on the plane home when they never took their feet out of the arriving plane.


Continues...


Email StoryPrint Story
BOOKMARK THIS STORY
Social bookmarking allows users to save and categorise a personal collection of bookmarks and share them with others. This is different to using your own browser bookmarks which are available using the menus within your web browser.

Use the links below to share this article on the social bookmarking site of your choice.

Read more about social bookmarking at Wikipedia - Social Bookmarking

muti



Subscribe now to Daily News
     Related Articles
More Rugby stories

Watch IOLs latest videos on YouTube Join IOLs Facebook page Follow IOL on Twitter





     Online Services

Date Your Destiny
 
I'm a 21 year old man looking to meet men between the ages of 25 and 40.
 

     More Services

     More Rugby Stories

     Breaking News      Most Read Stories
      Top News Stories
      Top IOL Sport Stories
      Top Reads - Yesterday



     Entertainment      Motoring
Michael apologies to Lisa Marie
VIDEO: Cars? Check. The Stig? Check. Eye candy? No
Madonna eyes new toyboy

     Business
Toyota South Africa recalls 52 546 vehicles
Eskom suspends 4 for talking to Carte Blanche
BHP Billiton profit more than doubles to $6.1 billion
FIRST DRIVES: Hyundai's new 'Tucson' and sexy Sonata
Killer crash-bags in fresh recall scandal
Struggling new teams can miss three races - Todt
Classic machines howl at Killarney Historic meeting
Yamaha, Ducati set pace at Sepang

     Travel
New vision strikes a chord
Discovering the pleasure of paradise
Spend 11 nights cruising the Med
Liquor-free hotel opens in Cape Town
Gateway to love is around the corner
     Careers
Changing lanes in the career highway
Getting to grips with the transport industry
To be your own boss, believe in yourself first
Salary survey puts unstable economy into the equation
Development of child is key