[2015 RWC] Pool B: South Africa vs. Scotland (03/10/2015)

[TheSaffycen]

I would go for a 13-17 point SA win. Scotland will probably get beaten up front and then players like Le Roux/ De Allende and Kriel will pick out spots in the backline.

 

[Ospervat]

Still no news on Alberts fitness. If he failed his fitness test yesterday I thought we would have heard by now - so leads me to conclude he passed and HM keeping cards close to his chest for the team announcement?

Any thoughts?

 

[TRF_heineken]

Still no news on Alberts fitness. If he failed his fitness test yesterday I thought we would have heard by now - so leads me to conclude he passed and HM keeping cards close to his chest for the team announcement?

Any thoughts?

According to Supersport they will make a call before Thursday midday. Maybe we'll know by tomorrow when the team is announced but seems like they will delay it until the very last moment.

 

[bazz]

cant see sa winning this game,there a team on the decline.

 

[Ospervat]

cant see sa winning this game,there a team on the decline.

Peaks and troughs.
Trough = Japan
Peak = WC Final

 

[ABs2011]

Not at all.

I might sound cocky here, but I can honestly look at the 2 matchday squads, and say that SA is man for man better than Scotland. I just hope we show that we are.

I see that the Bok Team Announcement will only take place tomorrow evening at 18:00.

Haha, nah mate, it was just a (perhaps too) subtle dig at your comment pre the SA Japan game Couldn't help myself!!

 

[Kiwi_]

Come on Scotland! Hope they can get a bonus point out of it even if they don't win, it will make things a little less tense vs Samoa.

 

[Moose]

Before the RWC started, I could not see the bokke going past the QF/SF given everything that went on leading up to the tournament, never mind the injuries. I probably would not have been surprised if they didn't make it through the pool stages.

Although this is still a very likely outcome, I think the Japan loss was the only thing that could b!tch-slap this group hard enough to re-focus them to actually win the whole damn thing. I am not saying they will, I just think that under the circumstances, that loss gives them the best chance they ever had - albeit slim.

EDIT: Bokke by 7

 

[Bull]

Apparently Matfield will not play against Scotland, he injured his hamstring

 

[TRF_heineken]

Apparently Matfield will not play against Scotland, he injured his hamstring

Matfield was the only player that didn't participate in Tuesday's training. But Schalk (Ribs) and Damien De Allende (Calf Muscle) also have injury ****les, and might not play as well.

The good news was that Willem Alberts trained the entire session without any discomfort, and should be available to play on Saturday.

This means that if Victor and Schalk are both ruled out for this game, we will most probably see a new Springbok Captain, in the shape of Francois Louw, Duane Vermeulen, Fourie Du Preez or Bismarck/Adriaan Strauss. Which will mean that apart from Strauss, we will have our first Overseas Based Captain for the Springboks.

We will know more tonight at 18:00 when the team and captain is announced.

 

[YoungScud]

I would go for a 13-17 point SA win. Scotland will probably get beaten up front and then players like Le Roux/ De Allende and Kriel will pick out spots in the backline.

Inerestingly, that would leave Scotland at the top of the group.

 

[rebel zebra]

Not at all.

I might sound cocky here, but I can honestly look at the 2 matchday squads, and say that SA is man for man better than Scotland. I just hope we show that we are.

I see that the Bok Team Announcement will only take place tomorrow evening at 18:00.

Let's check that statement out on the teams :-

Hogg v Le Roux - draw
Visser v Habana SA win
Bennett v Kriel - Scotland win
Scott v De Allende - Scotland win
Seymour v Pietersen - draw

Laidlaw v Pienaar draw
Russell v Lambie - Scotland win

Dickinson v Du Plessis SA win
Ford v Strauss SA win
Nel v Malherbe Scotland win
R Gray v Etzebeth draw
J Gray v De Jager draw
Strauss v Vermuelen draw
Denton v Burger Scotland win
Hardie v Loew draw

I make that 5-3 to Scotland. SA have depth in positions Scotland don't have, like hooker.
The 3 x SA hookers are all better than Ford.

It all depends on the forward battle. If SA can dominate, maul and deny the Scots the ball, they could
rack up a good win.
If the Scots forwards get quick ball, then these Scots backs wil score tries.
If the Scots forwards get parity then Scotland win.

Would like to her your views on he players.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Let's check that statement out on the teams :-

Hogg v Le Roux - draw
Visser v Habana SA win
Bennett v Kriel - Scotland win
Scott v De Allende - Scotland win
Seymour v Pietersen - draw

Laidlaw v Pienaar draw
Russell v Lambie - Scotland win

Dickinson v Du Plessis SA win
Ford v Strauss SA win
Nel v Malherbe Scotland win
R Gray v Etzebeth draw
J Gray v De Jager draw
Strauss v Vermuelen draw
Denton v Burger Scotland win
Hardie v Loew draw

I make that 5-3 to Scotland. SA have depth in positions Scotland don't have, like hooker.
The 3 x SA hookers are all better than Ford.

It all depends on the forward battle. If SA can dominate, maul and deny the Scots the ball, they could
rack up a good win.
If the Scots forwards get quick ball, then these Scots backs wil score tries.
If the Scots forwards get parity then Scotland win.

Would like to her your views on he players.

Don't know where you got that SA team, so I'll edit what I think the team would look like:

Hogg v Le Roux - SA win (due to X-factor)
Visser v Habana SA win
Bennett v Kriel - Draw perhaps.
Scott v De Allende - SA win
Seymour v Pietersen - SA win

Laidlaw v Du Preez - SA win
Russell v Pollard - SA win (also is Russel going to play on Saturday??)

Dickinson v Du Plessis SA win
Ford v Strauss/Bismarck SA win
Nel v Malherbe/Du Plessis - SA win (by default)
R Gray v Etzebeth - SA win
J Gray v De Jager - SA win
Strauss v Vermeulen - SA win (Seriously???)
Denton v Burger/Alberts - SA win
Hardie v Louw - SA win

I added the guys in Bold who would most probably start. This shouldn't be a dickswinging contest, so let's leave it at that. I like your confidence, so we'll see what happens on Saturday.

 

[WaterboySA]

I would love to see Nyakane/Strauss/Malherbe start in the front row. I rate WP Nel, and think he will make Jannie look bad(I think any prop can make him look bad). I support the Bulls but would love to see Victor on the bench...you just can't keep Lood there, he's too good. I hope Thor makes Strauss look like the average hardworking SA loose forward that we have about 10 000 of in SA..... I also hope Strauss won't make me eat my words!

 

[TRF_heineken]

I would love to see Nyakane/Strauss/Malherbe start in the front row. I rate WP Nel, and think he will make Jannie look bad(I think any prop can make him look bad). I support the Bulls but would love to see Victor on the bench...you just can't keep Lood there, he's too good. I hope Thor makes Strauss look like the average hardworking SA loose forward that we have about 10 000 of in SA..... I also hope Strauss won't make me eat my words!

Yeah look, I was a big fan of both Josh Strauss and WP Nel when they played in SA. And in my view they are not Scotsmen, but mercenaries for hire. But If look at Strauss and compare him to the loosies we have, my list is very long of players who are better than him in his position.

Same goes for WP Nel. He was a great runner with the ball when he played for the Cheetahs, but he did tend to give away needless penalties, just like Jannie does. But like we all know props get better with age, and I think Jannie, if selected will play his heart out against his old Schoolmate (they were together at Grey College).

 

[Icemn]

The ABs have been unquestionably the best team in the world in the past, highest win rate, most tries etc, yet you don't see fans in the UK, Aus, SA supporting them. A lot of the English hate their coach and style but they still support them, the French hate PSA but they still support their side, the Scots don't have the population or money to compete consistently at the highest level but they still support their side.

Supporting a different countries national side because they play better rugby is not an excuse to be unpatriotic. If your issues is politics due to apartheid I somewhat understand your viewpoint however.

nice... i guess the same reasoning applies to for all the Man United/Liverpool football fans in SA...

oh by the way, i support the English National football team... there are a hell of a people supporting spain/brazil etc

so please enlighten me some more on your reasoning

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I won't be comparing players as 1) I don't fully know the Scottish players, 2) these types of excersizes don't allow for any sort of team dynamics and 3) the line-ups are subject to variance.

I do expect a cracking match though. Both teams will be going at this hard I expect. SA needs to start gelling early. That is my main concern; a lack of cohesion and game time together. I expect Scotland will have better team cohesion from the get-go and home advantage while I think SA has the higher ceiling and somewhat strangely more to prove?

 

[BraidyBoy]

Afraid the comparisons so far submitted are fairly pointless until the teams are announced . The choice of Scotland's back division is however reasonably predictable The key tp their success lies in understanding of each other's game plan. Scott and Bennett are class as is the somewhat unpredictable Hogg . Maitland and Seymour are try scorers . Russell unlikely to play but Weir came on against the US and scored a try . Laidlaw likely to get the nod but both Pyrgos and HC are more than able subs . In the pack VC likely to continue with the Embra front row with the Gray boys behind Back row currently unclear with the impressive Hardie doubtful . The Boks will undoubtedly try to dominate up front and play the rolling maul card . They may well catch a cold in this department . A good hard game awaits . Predictions ? Tight- but go for the Bravehearts !

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

nice... i guess the same reasoning applies to for all the Man United/Liverpool football fans in SA...

oh by the way, i support the English National football team... there are a hell of a people supporting spain/brazil etc

so please enlighten me some more on your reasoning

Those are club teams that don't play against SA teams though- not at all the same scenario. IF our teams were facing off regularly and those teams were supported above ours then only could it be comparable.

I mean, I support Racing 92 of France. Not the same scenario as I'd be behind WP/Stormers if the two were ever to face off.

The ABs have been unquestionably the best team in the world in the past, highest win rate, most tries etc, yet you don't see fans in the UK, Aus, SA supporting them. A lot of the English hate their coach and style but they still support them, the French hate PSA but they still support their side, the Scots don't have the population or money to compete consistently at the highest level but they still support their side.

Supporting a different countries national side because they play better rugby is not an excuse to be unpatriotic. If your issues is politics due to apartheid I somewhat understand your viewpoint however.

Just saw this and just wanted to point out that SA would have the edge pre-isolation. Its only in the pro era that NZ has come to the fore ahead of SA and the amount of games we play in the pro era (~3 a year vs a fraction of that in the amateur days) skews it somewhat: sure SA is behind on dominance if you look at games played but we are actually ahead if you look at time as a measure since our first match up.

Just thought I'd point that out.

 

[Icemn]

the boks no1 and only card is the running maul or getting a kickable penalty if the maul is stopped illegally. If the opposition finds a way to stop the maul legally then im afraid the boks have nothing else to offer. So i cant see them getting past the 1/4s as they are going to end up 2nd in this group