I have a lot of respect for Robbie Deans. I feel he is one of the best coaches to ever coach the game we all love. But I feel his thoughts that the Springboks are a better team than the All Blacks right now are nonsense! Let’s forget about the IRB rankings for a second, even if they show that the All Blacks are at the top of those rankings with South Africa second and Australia third. One could easily just say that let’s look at the IRD rankings and silence what Robbie Deans has to say but those rankings do not lie and even without those rankings, it is clear the All Blacks are better than the Boks right now. Why do I say that you may ask. Here we go…
Robbie Deans has said that the Boks’ year-end form showed they are better than an All Black team that won a Grand Slam against the four Home Unions. Deans’ also says that the Boks’ humiliating thrashings of Australia (53-8) and England (42-6) were better value than the Kiwis’ unbeaten run on their year-end tour.
Now Mr. Deans, are you forgetting that apart from the All Blacks Grand Slam-winning exploits on the six-match year-end tour, the Kiwis also retained the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup trophies. Looking at it from a head to head between the All Blacks and the Boks last year, the series ended 2-1 in favour of the All Blacks and that victory by the All Blacks in New Zealand was down to a lucky bounce in favour of Ricky Januarie. If it were not for that it would have been 3-0 to the All Blacks. Besides that, the All Blacks thrashed the Boks at Newlands 19-0 last year. The first time the Boks have failed to score at Newlands.
Just because the Boks walloped you (Australia) 53-8, it does not mean they are better than the All Blacks. I quote Deans and he has said “They were the stand-out performances in the calendar year. (Meaning the Boks) Sure the All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup and walked away with the Tri-Nations but in terms of compelling performances they belonged to South Africa.”
Does having two compelling performances in an entire year make you a better team than the team that wins everything?
I still think you the best coach Robbie Deans but I disagree with you that the Boks are the best in the world right now.
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16 comments
amani says:
Feb 4, 2009
You cant argue with that.I mean,he is potentially the best coach in the world right now and he says the boks are the best…!!
You see, we have now decided how we wanna play, beware,be prepared,greatness becons…!!
BP says:
Feb 4, 2009
hahaha dingo deans is bitter from not getting the all blacks job and inheriting an already formidable side, instead he’s now having to work doubly hard to rebuild a bumbling aussie team built on spent forces, dont get me wrong, aussie are still great, but there’s rebuilding to be done to get them anywhere near the hights they reached before…..
a lucky bounce for januarie means sweet nothing in contexts of compelling performances. the jubulation that PDiv showed when that try was scored showed how much he was s**ting his pants over losing the job as he miraculously turned a world cup winning team in to the laughing stock of world rugby, only to come to the UK and play some decent level of rugby….which, to be honest, should be expected from the current RWC holders…less influence from the coach and more people playing their natural game will reap benefits for the boks, they have the talent but i wouldnt call them the best team in the world, the IRB rankings and the team of the year awards last year bare testiment to who is truely tops at the moment….
amani says:
Feb 4, 2009
Well, i definetly wouldnt call Robbie Deans jelous because with limited stock in terms of Talent in Australia he still managed to beat the All Blacks and he will continue to do so.You saw what he did when he had loads of Talent with the Crusaders…!?
He certainly doesnt have a reason to compliment the boks,but he did.He knows greatness when he sees some,and he saw…!!Not many can identify greatness,not even when it is before their very eyes
Ron says:
Feb 4, 2009
I believe these are sour grapes from Robbie Deans in the way he is having a go at the All Blacks. He wanted the ultimate job which is to coach your own country and it so happens to be the All Blacks. That would hurt anyone so he is just taking out his frustrations.
I do not think he saw greatness at all in the Springboks. He just saw the Springboks as a piece of ammunition to have a go at those who refused to give him the dream job in world rugby.
BP says:
Feb 4, 2009
the all blacks arent immortal or unbeatable, but come on, the aussies even beat this ‘greatness’ of a bok side on their home soil, first time in how many years? haha come now, you have to take this as it is, deans stoking the fire that is the rivalry between the trinations teams. of course its a compliment, and i think the boks have a very good team…but great? haha i dont think so…even with some zimbabwean comrades in there….
greatness doesnt come from a year end tour, lets be serious here…. thats a flipping joke…!
Guru says:
Feb 4, 2009
Well well well well, why am I not surprised that the AB supporters cannot swallow what the great man has stated? When Robbie Deans was coaching the Crusaders all AB supporters touted him as the next best thing after sliced bread. Now that he is telling you were the AB team lies ( a solid 2nd place), now you state that he is bitter…..come now gents…….as Amani has stated….it came from the horses’s mouth. A man who knows all about the NZealanders and who has been there done that.
I just ask of you all not to attack Amani, he is just the messanger, this declaration came from Robbie Deans. LAdies and Gentlemen, Robbie Deans himself has stated that the boks played better rugby than the Ab’s, who are we to question him? All I can say is I totally agree with the great man.
Furthermore, as Amani has suggested on a separate thread, a team cannot claim to be the best in world just because they are Tri Nations specialists, come now, we need World Cup Winners. Teams like Australia, South Africa and England out of all the teams, have won the Web Ellis trophy TWICE each……….and may I just remind you all that when NZ won the trophy, BACK IN 1987 ( 22 Years ago or 5 tournaments ago), SA where not even playing in that tournament……..an d now you want t argue with Robbie Deans? Food for thought…LOL
Guru says:
Feb 4, 2009
Correction, only SA and Aus have won it twice……my bad.
BP says:
Feb 4, 2009
robbie deans had his coaching chance with the all blacks at the 2003 world cup with john mitchell, thats why he didnt get the job as he already had his chancce with a winning team. both mitchell and henry have had great winning records, above 80% as previously stated….
again, 2 games do not make a great team Guru, thats ridiculous to even entertain that idea….coz then we could say the same about SJC teams of 99/00 haha and we know thats a load of rubbish….
SA have won 2 RWCs, no dispute, but that first has no bearing on THIS current bok team, who, as mentioned before, have potential to be a great team, but surely greatness is consistancy of the group over a period of time and not just 2 performances in a calender year?
robbie deans is of course to be respected among the rugby community, but which other coaches have backed up that comment?
if you want to go by stats etc, what is the current ratio for NZ v SA games? that is in favor of NZ, so how can someone who’s beaten this ‘great’ team more than they’ve lost to be second to them?
doesnt surprise me that bok supporters after a dismal and embarressing year after a RWC would jump on deans comments and make it gosspel
BP says:
Feb 4, 2009
lets put deans’ comments into context:
he’s now saying that the Reds can beat the Bulls next weekend at Loftus – where they lost 92-3 the last time they visited the grounds to play the bulls. what are the chances that result will be turned around against a team thats going to be challenging a top half of the log position?
i know deans is a very good coach, but he’s not a magician….
i think he might have been drinking some zim water before those press conferences…..
Ron says:
Feb 4, 2009
The World Cup was two years ago and you still gloating about that! So judging by what the Boks fans are saying on this thread and they agree with Deans: The best team in the world should be the team with the most compelling performances….forget about the team that actually wins???
During the end of year tour, the Boks put in one compelling performance against a very average England team. Are you forgetting that you almost lost to Wales and against Scotland it was not a compelling performance. In all those games the All Blacks played at the end of the year against the SAME opposition the boks played, they never for one second looked as if they would loose.
Thinking of it now, it;s Deans’ job to hate the opposition so all this talk about the Boks being the best is just part of the mind games that come with being a coach…it’s part of his job. Deep down he knows who the best it. He is just saying this to give the Boks wings so they think they are the best. Its all mind games, we have been seeing it for years in sport.
BP says:
Feb 4, 2009
wonder if he’ll say the same thing if/when aussie beat the boks this year…?
but as you say ron, mind games, its part of the coaches job, as eddie jones….!
BP says:
Feb 4, 2009
wonder if he’ll say the same thing if/when aussie beat the boks this year…?
but as you say ron, mind games, its part of the coaches job, ask eddie jones….!
Guru says:
Feb 4, 2009
It’s all about the silverware and bragging rights people. The World Cup gives a team bragging rights for 4 years hey. So yes, until 2011…the Boks are the WORLD CHAMPIONS. Tri Nations gives the AB’s bragging rights for 12 months so until May this year, you have the right to call yourselves Tri Nations Champions. Does not sound as good but it is a trophy none the less…….
Robbie DEans was only giving his opinion and yes, it is not gospel as BP states, but it must hold some water the fact that not eveyone thinks the AB’s are this unstoppable, all conquring machine. Ask Ricky January.
BP says:
Feb 4, 2009
alright, we’ll just put down to opinion….
but just as the ABs arent invincible, neither are the current bok team a ‘great’ team, they have the potential to be one tho…
just had a thought, even in the absence of DC….there’s still a certain richard kahui who was dominating last season, will be interesting to see what he brings to the table.
wonder if habana has found some form after losing it when he was rounded by ngwenya!
Manny says:
Feb 5, 2009
Gotta agree with Ron and BP on this one. I have a suspicion that Deans is just playing mind games with both the AB’s and the Boks.
I really dont see how a team that played two or three good games…ALL year…can be regarded as the best.
The win over England and Australia were probably the most “compelling” performances of the year, but the problem is that the Boks cannot produce such performances week in week out. Until they do they cannot seriously claim to be the worlds best.
Nice Guy says:
Aug 2, 2009
Well, i think we now have the answer.Perhaps Robbie Deans knows more than people gave him credit for. The performances of the Bokd this year has been nothing short of spectaculor. There just doesn’t seem to be much they can’t do and they have been rewarded with the official ranking of number 1 in the world. The aussies face an incredible task this saturday and one which (in truth) i cannot see them getting any points out of. lets see what happens.