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[RWC2019][Quarter-Final 4] Japan vs. South Africa (20/10/2019)

What's the weather for Tokyo on Sunday - Will the match be played under cover?

When are the teams announcing their line-ups?
 
What's the weather for Tokyo on Sunday - Will the match be played under cover?

When are the teams announcing their line-ups?

23 degrees sunny/cloudy. 30% chance of rain. Reckon it will be perfect for ruggas. No idea on teams. Probably tomorrow morning pretty early here by us.
 
What's the weather for Tokyo on Sunday - Will the match be played under cover?

When are the teams announcing their line-ups?



Teams are usually announced 48 hours before the match. So by Friday. Although I recall the Boks announced theirs earlier when they faced NZ. Bit strange I thought at the time giving the NZ notice of their line up in advance.
 
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id pick

1. Beast
2. Mbonambi
3. Malherbe
4. Snyman
5. De Jager
6. Kilosi
7. PSDT
8. Vermeulen
9. Reinach
10. Pollard
11. Mapimpi
12. De Allende
13. Am
14. Kolbe
15. Le Roux
16. Kitshoff
17. Marx.
18. Koch
19. Etzebeth
20. Louw
21. De Klerk
22. Steyn
23. Willemse/Mostert
 
We definitely have an issue currently with quality 13's, to me Am is just another Bobo. He offers nothing and is mediocre at best.
He offers similar qualities to what Jacques Fourie offered. He is a great defensive player with defensive organisation qualities, good with linking play and reasonably fast. I would have played Kriel instead of him for his physicality and fitness but since Kriel is gone there is no doubt that he is the best man for the job currently. Better player all round than de Allende
 
We definitely have an issue currently with quality 13's, to me Am is just another Bobo. He offers nothing and is mediocre at best.

Or Wayne Julies lol. Also think he is very overrated, but we dont have anyone else. I wish Nkosi would move to 13 as I reckon he could excel there.
 
I think Am is the best we have ATM to partner DDA. He is limited but a good all rounder. Steyn, DDA and Kriel have their own limitations but their physical presence does count for something and while Kriel has good speed DDA and Steyn have a bit of a kicking game. Serfontein IMO is our only truly world class center.
 
Or Wayne Julies lol. Also think he is very overrated, but we dont have anyone else. I wish Nkosi would move to 13 as I reckon he could excel there.

I actually think that was the plan with Dyanthi...

But I have a feeling Wandisile Simelane is going to take that spot from next year.
 
I actually think that was the plan with Dyanthi...

But I have a feeling Wandisile Simelane is going to take that spot from next year.

Wasn't William Small-Smith also a 13 originally? Diyanti is probably gonna cop a 4 year ban so he is goners. What a damn pity. Jacques Fourie left such a massive hole lol. That guy was devastatingly good.

On refs I just read we have lost 9 out of our last 10 games reffed by Garces. But won 11 out of 14 reffed by Barnes. That's quite the statistic. Garces is a poo.
 
Wasn't William Small-Smith also a 13 originally? Diyanti is probably gonna cop a 4 year ban so he is goners. What a damn pity. Jacques Fourie left such a massive hole lol. That guy was devastatingly good.

On refs I just read we have lost 9 out of our last 10 games reffed by Garces. But won 11 out of 14 reffed by Barnes. That's quite the statistic. Garces is a poo.

Small-Smith was first a 14 then moved to 13 and is now back at 14. Sometimes the switch works, sometimes it doesn't. But Simelane has been playing at both 13 and 14 and he has the step and the pace to play both positions.
 
Austin Healey thinks Japan will win

Wonder if he conceived in the back of one?

I always preferred Ford Granadas myself.
 
I like both nations here but I will be cheering the Boks ever so slightly.

Only because they can help continue the Southern Hemispheres rugby world cup domination.

AB's vs Boks final sounds pretty epic to me
 
I'm slowly talking myself into believing Japan can win this... there was a stat much bandied about in the first week of the tournament that people seem to have stopped mentioning... no team that has lost a match in the pool stage has gone on to win the whole thing. Going into this weekend, Japan have lost 0 and SA have lost 1. On top of that, Japan didn't know they could beat Ireland and they did. They already know they can beat the Boks. Tokyo. A nation on FIRE with enthusiasm and hope. If South Africa doesn't build a huge lead early, I'm starting to think this will be the greatest moment in Brave Blossom history...
 
I'm slowly talking myself into believing Japan can win this... there was a stat much bandied about in the first week of the tournament that people seem to have stopped mentioning... no team that has lost a match in the pool stage has gone on to win the whole thing. Going into this weekend, Japan have lost 0 and SA have lost 1. On top of that, Japan didn't know they could beat Ireland and they did. They already know they can beat the Boks. Tokyo. A nation on FIRE with enthusiasm and hope. If South Africa doesn't build a huge lead early, I'm starting to think this will be the greatest moment in Brave Blossom history...

I really think people are overhyping the Japanese. Sure they have been great and fairy tale and all that jazz, but don't forget who the Springboks are. Would you have said the same thing had they been playing the All Blacks? Japan have lost 0 and SA lost 1? You reckon they would have beaten NZ in the pool stage as well? Ireland lost by 50 points to England before this WC and Scotland are not as good as the Springboks by a long shot in this tournament.

Japan have been brilliant, and have rightly been rated now as tier 1, but to all of a sudden think they are world beaters is Imo jumping the gun big time. They beat us in 2015. A disorganized Mish mash who played golf the day before, didn't take the game seriously, had no warm up games, and were very very bad on the day. They are now facing a team who are prepared, and who beat the All Blacks in New Zealand, then drew with them earlier this year and won the Rugby Championship. Nevermind that they put 41 points on Japan merely 2 weeks before this tournament.

This is probably the biggest case ever of people calling a game with their hearts instead of their heads.

I'm by no means saying it's not possible... it's very possible, but if both teams show up and give their all, I guarantee you it will be the same winner every time. I would say the same with all of NZ, Wales, England if they were the ones playing Japan.

The rhetoric was very similar in 2007 when an in form on fire Argentina side made it to the semi final. Then the party stopped rather abruptly. I guess only time will tell on this one...

On the bright side if Japan do win at least we will still have a team to support going forward.
 
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Oh, you're 100% right that my post was about emotion over intelligence... I picked the 'Boks to win it all before the thing started, but this amazing run... if Japan wins this weekend, I think they run the table. If SA win, I'm sticking by my original prediction.

(Obviously I'm 'sticking by' my predictions regardless, it's not like I can take them back)

If Japan wins this weekend, how scared is whatever next team faces them? Can you imagine the pressure? The home crowd support nearing all-time levels?

Wow. I can't WAIT for this weekend!
 
Oh, you're 100% right that my post was about emotion over intelligence... I picked the 'Boks to win it all before the thing started, but this amazing run... if Japan wins this weekend, I think they run the table. If SA win, I'm sticking by my original prediction.

(Obviously I'm 'sticking by' my predictions regardless, it's not like I can take them back)

If Japan wins this weekend, how scared is whatever next team faces them? Can you imagine the pressure? The home crowd support nearing all-time levels?

Wow. I can't WAIT for this weekend!

Yeah it's a real tough one either away, because it feels like the whole world will be against us this weekend. It will be a lonely place for us on that field on Sunday that's for sure.
 

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