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Springboks' message to fans upset at worst losing streak since 2016

(Photo by Patrick Hamilton/AFP via Getty Images)

The under pressure Springboks have addressed the mounting criticism from their own fans ahead of this Saturday’s final Rugby Championship match versus the All Blacks on the Gold Coast. South Africa are currently on their worst Test game losing streak since 2016 when the lost their last four matches that year, getting hammered at home by the All Blacks before drawing a blank on their European tour against England, Italy and Wales.  

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Currently under Jacques Nienaber they have lost all three matches since their arrival in Australia, losing twice to the Wallabies and again last weekend versus New Zealand. While two of those losses were confirmed by last-gasp penalties from Quade Cooper and Jordie Barrett as a time when the Springboks were poised to take Championship victories, the general commentary about the team’s form hasn’t been kind.  

Having followed up their 2019 World Cup triumph with success in the recent Test series versus the Lions, Springboks fans are not used to losing and there is upset about a run of defeats that hasn’t been experienced for five years dating back to the era when Allister Coetzee was unconvincingly in charge of the team. 

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Nathan Sharpe’s Rugby Championship preview

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Nathan Sharpe’s Rugby Championship preview

Springboks skipper Siya Kolisi understood why supporters are feeling anguished about their disappointing Championship. He even put himself in their shoes at an eve-of-match media conference at Surfers Paradise, describing now he gets upset as a fan when the various sports teams that he follows such as Liverpool FC don’t win, but he insisted the recent run of losses isn’t down to any lack of effort. 

“Some guys read and some guys don’t read the stuff on social media,” he said. “People are impressionable about rugby now and we can’t get upset about that. People were happy with us but now they are upset and it’s good for us. It’s not good obviously what we are going through right now losing three games in a row but people care. 

“That is the thing. People care and this team means different things to different people. I can’t get upset with that. When I watch my favourite sporting team (Liverpool), I get upset, I get emotional, so I can’t get upset with people (over the Springboks). It is tough. Friends and family are also hurting so it is understandable. It hurts and we’re hurting too. We are here preparing the whole time to try and win the games and when we lose and it is tough on us and we understand what people are going through. 

“As teammates, all we can do is keep on working. We went back after the game (last weekend) and went, ‘What could we have done, how many opportunities could we have taken?’ You look at the game and you see, yes, we could have done that better there, if our discipline was better, if we didn’t give someone so many penalties, all those kind of things, and we worked again on them this week. 

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“All we can control mon Saturday is our discipline and what we do, going in and giving it our best. That is all we can do. We are hurting as well as the supporters. There is nothing any of us in this team and this management can say. Results are the only thing. There is nothing I can say to change how people feel, only by the way we play Saturday.  

“It’s all about results at the end of the day and the results are not showing that the effort is there, the attitude is there. The biggest thing for is us to just play and hopefully we will get a result and hopefully in our efforts you can see we are not giving up, we are not even thinking about that kind of stuff. But the only way you can tell people (this) is by winning and the effort that you put in.”

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J
JPM 39 minutes ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 41 minutes ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

10 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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