Kapa O Pango
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I am afraid of Frans Steyn powerful rocket boot. Bad memories of 2009 haha.
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[RWC2019][Pool B] Round 1 - New Zealand vs. South Africa (21/09/2019)
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I am afraid of Frans Steyn powerful rocket boot. Bad memories of 2009 haha.
looks like a AB #1 side,
bad News for Rieko Ioane, one has to wonder where he is going to fit into this WC. I'm guessing he's over his injury/****le issues by now. And maybe the coaches are not seeing enough from him at training yet to put him back into the starting lineup.
Not sure how sold I am on the 12/14/22/23 selections. I wonder if Ben Smith is more of an 80min option who can steady the game early rather than an option for impact late. Same with SBW but he is coming back from injury. Also wondered if SA was a side we would go for a bigger option a 6 to start but I would back Cane, Whitelock and Scott along with our props to look after the middle well enough with Ardie & Read allowed a bit more range.
Have to expect the boks will target Sevu with a kicking game. Despite being quite small Sevu is actually really polished on defense.
overall feeling pretty confident in the ABs here, looking at how the AB's have developed compared to the boks since that Draw. IMO the AB's controlled the majority of that game and the boks needed a last minute hail Mary to snatch a draw. But since that game and the subsequent loss to Aussie with a similar side the AB's have made huge changes and seemed to have found a far better formula. While the Boks side is almost the same and likely to be running a similar plan. Mostly hope the important guys remain injury free, Retalick was clearly taken out with a blatant illegal clean-out in that last game.
bad News for Rieko Ioane, one has to wonder where he is going to fit into this WC. I'm guessing he's over his injury/****le issues by now. And maybe the coaches are not seeing enough from him at training yet to put him back into the starting lineup.
Not sure how sold I am on the 12/14/22/23 selections. I wonder if Ben Smith is more of an 80min option who can steady the game early rather than an option for impact late. Same with SBW but he is coming back from injury. Also wondered if SA was a side we would go for a bigger option a 6 to start but I would back Cane, Whitelock and Scott along with our props to look after the middle well enough with Ardie & Read allowed a bit more range.
Have to expect the boks will target Sevu with a kicking game. Despite being quite small Sevu is actually really polished on defense.
overall feeling pretty confident in the ABs here, looking at how the AB's have developed compared to the boks since that Draw. IMO the AB's controlled the majority of that game and the boks needed a last minute hail Mary to snatch a draw. But since that game and the subsequent loss to Aussie with a similar side the AB's have made huge changes and seemed to have found a far better formula. While the Boks side is almost the same and likely to be running a similar plan. Mostly hope the important guys remain injury free, Retalick was clearly taken out with a blatant illegal clean-out in that last game.
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- SBW played a pretty good role off the bench in 2015 remember (although the starters were much better back then).
- Suspect Ben Smith is there for versatility on the bench rather than impact, covering 13, 14.11 and 15. also, what better guy to have coming on to make good decisions at the end of a tight game.
- I think the boks have improved since then as well, and expect them to be a much improved outfit from the Wellington game (where they looked a bit disjointed with the ball).
Will be a huge game either way.
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I can see good reason for every selection so if these guys cant do the job then i dont think any team i could name would do any better
Kapa O Pango
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I think SBW offers more from bench. He is a big impact player, his offloads and big runs in the later stages of games are really effective against tired defence.
Dont disagree but Ben Smith can cover all those positions if he starts at 14 and Sevu or else comes on as impact from the bench. While smith may offer some more experience early in the game while the boks unveil their tactics and what is normally a ferocious start. Also think Jordie Barrett has done a really good job off the bench recently as well, and been excellent under the high stuff. And I'm really keen to see Rieko's response to being dropped. I hope when he eventually takes the field he blows the cobwebs out and gets back to his best.
I also think having SBW's size in the midfield would help blunt the big bok ball carriers early in the game while Goodhue IMO can be a really good dynamic option off the bench, he has shown he can slot in well in that role. But Crotty looked fresh and sharp after his injury break and ALB absolutely deserves his selection. Crotty is also so experienced and organises the defense around him well, much in the way the Snake did for so long.
At the same time, maybe more than anything else this is another test for Bridge and Sevu to confirm the combination that has been so good the last two tests. Last chance to test them against top quality opposition before knockout time.
It does seem good how we have got to this stage after 5 tests the team is very much trending in the right direction, making some serious and noticeable improvements and that there is competition within the squad for positions. And that very good players cant make the 23.
no doubt the boks have improved with the time they have had together and with Kolisi back. But the gains and changes the AB's have made post Perth have been huge. Bringing in Mo'unga, swapping franks out for Laulala and the injection of Bridge & Reece you have to think has made for a marked improvement in the side. Plus the plan of attack is starting to unfold after being under wraps.
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Pretty much full strength apart from Brodie and Goodhue.
Hart got it right that Crotty would get picked ahead of SBW. Good to see ALB rewarded for his good form. Have this pair started for the ABs together before?
Goodhue must still not be 100%.
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This is going to be interesting. We haven't faced Reece or Bridge yet and will be interesting to see how they go against our high-ball attack we want to implement. Also interested to see how they fair defensively against Kolbe and Mapimpi who are both slippery customers.
This is going to be exciting.
This is going to be exciting.
Caitlyn Jenner
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Wow, this is literally the exact 23 I would've gone with, reckon they've got it 100% spot on. Sticking with Bridge and Reece on the wings is probably the biggest/toughest call but absolutely the right one imo. Their form is undeniable, especially Reece, he has been freakish right through super rugby till now. On the contrary, Ioane, who would've been considered a shoe in at the start of the year, has really just played himself out of the team. Was relatively slow/uninspired throughout Super Rugby and has continued that form into the ABs.... and is supposedly lazy. I struggle to see him making his way back into the top team barring injury.
Ben Smith on the bench is probably a sore sight for many but I think it's perfect for where him and the team are at right now. Mo'unga/Barret has incredible potential and Mo'unga is the best 10 in the world right now (imo) even if he's yet to prove it at test level. So, he needs to be at 10, and Barrett is a freak at 10 or 15 as he has proven many times. That means that, unfortunately for Smith, the only room for him in the starting 15 is at 14, however he simply doesn't have the form nor ability of Bridge/Reece right now. I would've been tempted to chuck Reece at 11, Smith at 14 and put Bridge on the Bench instead, but the more I think about the more I like the idea of the versatility, reliability and experience of Smith closing out a test match, especially if it's tight.
Only other real selection of note I guess is SBW, but to me that's a bit of a no brainer.... there are many reasons, but all you really have to do is look at the last RWC final.
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in the last game they didn't really tell us who had been left out due to injury so they probably won't reveal it this time either. Ione could be injured, goodhue could be injured, but I think this is what they think is the best team, for this game. Smith and Ione will have the chance to regain form hence their positions but you have to pick the in form players for this game.
I will definitely be watching keenly any high balls to Reece, as I've rarely seen anyone challenge him in that regard.
I'm also suspecting now that Todd has only been in the bench in the last few games due to Jacobson having concussion issues.
I'm worried about the end of the game, I feel like the Boks have a stronger bench, the front row in particular along with Snyman. Steyn is a good option to help win a game with the boot at the end.
I will definitely be watching keenly any high balls to Reece, as I've rarely seen anyone challenge him in that regard.
I'm also suspecting now that Todd has only been in the bench in the last few games due to Jacobson having concussion issues.
I'm worried about the end of the game, I feel like the Boks have a stronger bench, the front row in particular along with Snyman. Steyn is a good option to help win a game with the boot at the end.
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I'd agree with most of that. Re. the high ball piece, I think a lot depends on the chasers too. Reece might be targeted, but is Mapimpi (his opposite wing) known as being particularly good in the air? He might be, I just don't recall it being a notable aspect of his game.
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I remember at the last RWC semi between these two at Twickenham, which I was fortunate to attend, Habana getting the better of NMS in the air a couple of times, which helped the Boks in the first half get real traction going forward. So good point about the rookies on both sides and this aspect being tested.
I can see a lot of up and unders from Pollard and Mo'unga to the opposition wings, especially in the first half.
I can see a lot of up and unders from Pollard and Mo'unga to the opposition wings, especially in the first half.
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Do we have a TRF SuperBru league for the World Cup?Could be a record for the most amount of predictions for a draw in SuperBru history
JohnKA
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If not we can always create one !
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SuperBru?
It's a score prediction game when you can compete with people, and get points for guessing margins correctly.
Interesting AB team, very strong, make no mistake, but I do find it interesting to see Bridge/Richie Mo/Reece included. All three were basically far from selection in 2018 but they are some of the form players of Super Rugby, it makes complete sense but on the other hand I would have fully expected Barret to start at 10 (despite the rugby championship) and Ioane and Ben Smith to be in the side, as the incumbents.
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Hard to pick this to happen at this time last year for sure. I wonder if rob Howley put a bet on it
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