Mediocre Media Coverage Continues

The paucity of coverage from the Republic of this evening’s game and the fortunes of the national team has finally been broken by the publication of the following article that can be read by clicking here. I have been astonished at the lack of media coverage, waiting most of the week to read this short piece which is not exactly cutting edge stuff. “Australia Wary of South African Backlash” trumpets the headline. Wow. Really? You think? A 49-0 thrashing and you think the Wallabies are wary of a backlash? Really, this is just spouting the platitudes dished out by Captain George at the last press conference (where, incidentally he refused to answer questions about his involvement in the sacking of coach Eddie Jones – see article below).

This cutting edge journalism includes the insightful “South Africa's prospects will depend largely on their ability to dominate the set pieces while shutting down Australia's explosive backline.” Sounds like someone has been watching videos of the game in Brisbane and learning important lessons from it. Yeah, whatever. As if the game was ever going to be about anything else other than dominating up front at the set piece, and controlling the possession that the other team wins by shutting down their back line. Sounds like the recipe for every game of rugby really. What a sorry state of affairs when this sort of thing passes as reporting on rugby.

My reading of the Aussie media makes one thing clear, this is a no contest situation as far as the Wallabies are concerned. The South Africans have been written off as losers after the first half of their opening game of this Tri-Nations series. According to Greg Gowden, whose contempt for the African team was palpable in the video linked from this site in the last post, “The Springboks talk dumb and consistently play dumb, reverting to neanderthal football.” He was suggesting that the Springboks have worked hard to create a siege mentality, with complaints about training facilities and threats to target Larkham by having Butch James take his head off in a trademark high shot. The South Africans are being cast as a desperate team that in the past have resorted to all sorts of deplorable tactics in desperate situations to try and win, and look set to do it again. For more from Gowden, click here.

I think that being written off by the Aussie media is very likely to have had a negative effect on the Wallabies preparation. It would be very hard for it not to. Everyone expects them to win tonight, and to win big. Why shouldn’t they? It was a record hiding last time, and since then the Africans have been defeated again by the All Blacks, and made a few desperate changes to the side. The focus this week has not been on the game, it has been on off field incidents, and more particularly the role George Gregan played in the sacking of Coach Jones six months ago. For an interesting record of what took place at the team press conference yesterday, click here. I must say that I do like the way Gowden reports questions, and answers (presumably fully) from the press conferences as it gives the reader a better insight into how teams and players are really functioning, and fronting the media. Here there is more going on than meets the eye – why else the avoidance of the question.

Bring on the game tonight I say. It is pretty cold and wet here which should add some spice into the mix tonight. Rain is known as the great leveler and can play into the hands of the heavier or better pack. It could also make things a bit greasy underfoot and make handling a bit difficult for the Wallaby backs tonight. You’d have to be a brave man to pick the Africans after the last game against Australia, and I am not going to do that. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it would be great if the Springboks could put some spring back in their step and pull it off tonight. Short of divine intervention, I think that is unlikely to happen, but I’ll be cheering them on tonight, just for the spectacle and in the hope of a good game.

Look out for my post immediately after the game.