[RWC2019][Pool B] Round 3 - South Africa vs. Italy (04/10/2019)

[TRF_heineken]

Venue: Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa
Time: 11:45 CAT (SA, GMT+2)​

 

[mdaclarke]

I think this will be closer than people think. Italy will be well up for it. The Boks by 12.

 

[TRF_heineken]

This is the only match on Friday. I'm already trying to arrange a business lunch with a "client" so that I can catch the game during my lunch break.

I hope we smash them. The big guns will all start this match, as our next game against Canada is next week Wednesday. So the guys that started against Namibia will all most likely be benched for this game, except for maybe Lukhanyo Am, depending on Jesse Kriel's ****le. There's also a rumour that Mapimpi might not start this game.

 

[Goodey]

Yeah just have to hope that Italy get up for it and defend like crazy to make a game of it.

I feel like Italy turning over South Africa is pretty close to Japan turning over Ireland on paper. But Japan are better coached, more cohesive and played out of their skins.

 

[Kapa O Pango]

Hoping for a exciting match for these two.

 

[Rugbeer]

Surely Azzurri will make it rough but, honestly the Boks are going to wipe out Italy with vague sense of foreboding.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Bok camp on the record as saying the Italian pack are as strong as the ABs. Hopefully they play as well as they evaluate talent.

Italy have at no point under O'Shea shown an ability to defend 8+ phases and the Boks have actually developed some potency to go along with their brawn (whether they'll choose to use it is another matter). Put Mapimpi in your fantasy team (if he is picked).

I'll settle for the Italian 6N special. Score three tries and ship under 60.

 

[rugga658]

Italians are going to get battered

If Boks bring the heat, they'll hammer Italy by 50 points

Italians are only playing for pride

 

[Bada-Bing!]

The Italians have 10 points so far and so that should ease the pressure a bit. Still, having said that I will still bank on the Boks to score 4 tries and bank the bonus point.

 

[TheOvalBall]

Boks will be too good. Their forwards will destroy Italy.

 

[mdaclarke]

This is the only match on Friday. I'm already trying to arrange a business lunch with a "client" so that I can catch the game during my lunch break.

I hope we smash them. The big guns will all start this match, as our next game against Canada is next week Wednesday. So the guys that started against Namibia will all most likely be benched for this game, except for maybe Lukhanyo Am, depending on Jesse Kriel's ****le. There's also a rumour that Mapimpi might not start this game.

What about Steyn? Could he replace De Allende?

 

[mdaclarke]

Bok camp on the record as saying the Italian pack are as strong as the ABs. Hopefully they play as well as they evaluate talent.

Italy have at no point under O'Shea shown an ability to defend 8+ phases and the Boks have actually developed some potency to go along with their brawn (whether they'll choose to use it is another matter). Put Mapimpi in your fantasy team (if he is picked).

I'll settle for the Italian 6N special. Score three tries and ship under 60.

I think you'll do better than than. I have Boks by 12, but Italy will give a good account of themselves.

I assume all this talk of "Italy as good as the All Blacks" is a tactic by the Bok coaches to keep their players motivated?

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I think you'll do better than than. I have Boks by 12, but Italy will give a good account of themselves.

I assume all this talk of "Italy as good as the All Blacks" is a tactic by the Bok coaches to keep their players motivated?

Just politeness I think, and possibly a leading question. The assistant coach Proudfoot who said it seems pleasant enough. I dont think it is even a dig at the ABs, just a slightly unusual thing to come out with.

 

[mdaclarke]

If they beat Italy (which is not guaranteed), the way the draw seems to be going I think the Boks have a good run at getting to the final.

 

[mdmaDeKlerk]

If they beat Italy (which is not guaranteed), the way the draw seems to be going I think the Boks have a good run at getting to the final.

That easy route you've been banding about .

Well as it stands we could be playing Japan and although we beat them fairly convincingly a few weeks ago that performance against Ireland would at the very least trouble us. At the most, well the have beaten us before.

Then if we got past Japan/Ireland we would have to try and pierce the Welsh
defence we have had problems with for the last four or five times we have played them. I'll admit that skipping England or Australia has its positives but there are definite roadblocks regardless of the side of the draw which we end up in.

The last thing we would want is to be talking about how happy we are that we got the easy route and then get dumped out by those easy opponents. It's not a great look.

 

[mdaclarke]

That easy route you've been banding about .

Well as it stands we could be playing Japan and although we beat them fairly convincingly a few weeks ago that performance against Ireland would at the very least trouble us. At the most, well the have beaten us before.

Then if we got past Japan/Ireland we would have to try and pierce the Welsh
defence we have had problems with for the last four or five times we have played them. I'll admit that skipping England or Australia has its positives but there are definite roadblocks regardless of the side of the draw which we end up in.

The last thing we would want is to be talking about how happy we are that we got the easy route and then get dumped out by those easy opponents. It's not a great look.

That's why I said "if" you have to beat Italy first. I think you'd beat Japan and Us (Wales). Easy is relative term

 

[bushytop]

That's why I said "if" you have to beat Italy first. I think you'd beat Japan and Us (Wales). Easy is relative term

You'll beat Italy!

Us (Wales)

Really?

 

[TRF_heineken]

Bok Team has been announced:

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Tendai Mtawarira

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Franco Mostert, 21 Francois Louw, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Frans Steyn

 

[Goodey]

Full strength first XV but I'm surprised by the pace-free bench.

I guess Steyn is there to kick sticks in the event it turns into a messy dogfight like Florence.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Full strength first XV but I'm surprised by the pace-free bench.

I guess Steyn is there to kicks sticks in the event it turns into a messy dogfight like Florence.

I can see the reasoning behind the selection. With this typhoon off the coast, everyone is expecting rainy wet conditions for the matches until Saturday. Should it be a wet and muddy affair it would make sense to have more forwards on the bench as it will be a tussle and a lot of scrums...