Tri Nations: Springboks - Wallabies @ Kings Park, Durban (13-08-2011, 16:00 GMT)

[User1245]

I'm going to the game, so I'm super stoked we are putting out such a strong team!

Very happy to see that M.Steyn has been relegated and I think Butch will handle the kicking responsibility just fine. He's developed in that department since coming back from Bath.
Danie at 7 is kind of :mellow: but he should do a solid job. He need to get more involved in broken play though.
As mentioned already, Frans Steyn's positioning has always been suspect at the back, and he rarely joins the line on attack. He would be a great 15 if he actually got game time there! Ever!

 

[Sker]

It's going to be really really interesting to see Butch James play at 10 again, and Frans at 15. I don't know... for some strange reason that team is making me excited, even though I know they are old and there are better players, especially Habana, but still...

Can't wait to see Brussouw in action again, and I hope du Preez has regained his form, that's a WC winning combination we have there. Agreed Steve, Danie at 7 is a bit meh, would rather have Deysel there.

Okay it's official, I can't wait for this game.

 

[cardassian]

Looking forward to this game.
Hopefully the Boks are just too strong for Aussie and we see Cooper have another awful game.
Good luck S.A. stick it to them.

 

[Dougydeluxe]

I but my money on AUS as did a few people. I think SA will play well, but it will be their rust that does them in.

 

[Darwin]

Watch the N.Z. game again Elsom was in a lot of rucks and Higginbotham is way flashier.

Good suggestion, I think I shall - I really enjoyed it the first time! Elsom hit a more rucks than usual during the NZ game, though he didn't really hit that many (apparently he was one of the 1st 3 at the breakdown 28 times). Elsom in general does not hit many breakdowns; collated stats (from http://www.ruggastats.com/), show that over last years tri-nations, and the two games this year, Elsom was amongst the 1st 3 at the breakdown 23.9 times / 80 mins. This is poor compared to other loose-forwards e.g. Pocock (56.8 times), Brown (39.9), McCalman (30.5) and he is even shaded by most of the tight-forwards e.g Alexander (30.0), Simmons (37.9), Benn Robinson (26.9), Moore (25.1), and Horwill (24.5). Indeed the only forward who he is hitting more breakdowns than is Nathan Sharpe (22.4), who unfourtuantely for the Wallabies is also playing this game!

With Higginbotham and Elsom in the loose-forwards and Sharpe at lock the rest of the forwards are going to be very busy at the breakdown while these three stand out in the midfield (Sharpe) or on the wing (Higginbotham, Elsom). Luckily for Australia, I don't think South Africa has the loose-forward trio to exploit this - Brossuw will be at every breakdown (battling with Pocock), but Spies doesn't really hit many breakdowns, and while Rossouw does hit plenty of breakdowns he is so slow around he field that the breakdown is almost over by the time he arrives....

Anyways onto the game. Looks like it should be a good game with South Africa naming basically their first-choice lineup. It will be an interesting battle at scrum time - the Australia scrum held up well against the AB's; it wouldn't actually surprise me if they put a bit of pressure on South Africa's scrum at times. The loose-forward battle should be interesting, but as I've mentioned I don't like the balance of either trio. It will definately be a battle of contrasting styles in the backs. I'm sure South Africa will look to put a lot of pressure on Quade Cooper (as the AB's successfully did). If they can do this South Africa could get a couple of intercepts during the game, with Habana and de Villiers experts in that department. South Africa look to have the edge in the midfield, but Australia does have a big edge out wide. I expect South Africa to kick a lot, but they will have to make sure they kick accurately and chase well, or kick the ball out (and well out to avoid a quick lineout), as Australia are deadly on the counter-attack. I expect Genia may cause South Africa quite a few troubles darting around the base of the rucks, as the lateral defense of a number of the South African forwards (Rossouw and Smit in particular) is very poor.

Overall it thinnk it is a very hard game to pick. I'm picking Australia to win it (largley due to South Africa's 'rustiness') by about 10 points, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if it went the other way.

 

[Shaggy]

... Don't try and baffle us with this "Logic" and "quoting statistics" approach Darwn ... I think i'll back the Boks to win by 6 points - they should be stronger in the scrums and lineouts, will probably the rolling maul well. I also have more confidence in the Bok goal kickers (they seem to be more consistent at test level), plus, the home ground advantage should give the Boks the win.

 

[Sneaki]

Looking forward to this one, I'm hoping the Boks can pull it off, but expecting the Wallabies will probably bounce back with a win after last week.

 

[TRF_heineken]

We must also bear in mind that Jaque Fourie is back, so our defensive co-ordination will be much better in the back line, if we close the gaps from the outside, with cooper running laterally and Butch and co heading straight towards him, it could be a long night for Cooper, if he does try the extravagant over the top pass... JDV (the intercept king) and Habana will be there to pounce...

I won't be surprized if the aussies go a little bit more conservative this time around...

Go Bokke!!

P.S. i will be watching the game at a bachelors party!! gonna be Awesome!!

 

[dan-the-man]

My prediction: Fourie du Preez to cost the Springboks the game, and here's why:

When du preez is at his best, he is the second best scrumhalf in the world (can't get better then Genia ATM). He is obviously immensely talented and possesses freaky skills. however, he was the Bulls' single biggest liability in the Super 15 this season. This is because he rapes his team of any attacking opportunities by box-kicking the majority of quality break-down ball right down the throat of the opposition fullback. I beg anyone who disagrees with me to go back and watch every Super 15 game that du Preez played in, and watch what happened as a result of his "genius" box-kicks.

By box-kicking, you are hoping that you get lucky by the opponent fullback dropping the ball. Is it just me or does it seem irresponsible to work your game plan around hoping for luck? On current form, Kurtley Beale is probably the best counter-attacker in world rugby, although O'Connor is breathing down his neck.With Beale playing fullback and guys like Ioane and O'Connor around him, du Preez's box-kicks will be met with the utmost ferocious of counter-attacks, that will result in loss of possession for the Springboks and easy tries for the Wallabies. You won't find me dead supporting the Springboks, but I hope for South African's sakes that du Preez plays the running game he did in 2007 when he was instrumental in the Boks' World Cup win. If he sticks to the box-kick, South Africa can kiss this game and all the rest goodbye.

 

[TRF_heineken]

My prediction: Fourie du Preez to cost the Springboks the game, and here's why:

When du preez is at his best, he is the second best scrumhalf in the world (can't get better then Genia ATM). He is obviously immensely talented and possesses freaky skills. however, he was the Bulls' single biggest liability in the Super 15 this season. This is because he rapes his team of any attacking opportunities by box-kicking the majority of quality break-down ball right down the throat of the opposition fullback. I beg anyone who disagrees with me to go back and watch every Super 15 game that du Preez played in, and watch what happened as a result of his "genius" box-kicks.

By box-kicking, you are hoping that you get lucky by the opponent fullback dropping the ball. Is it just me or does it seem irresponsible to work your game plan around hoping for luck? On current form, Kurtley Beale is probably the best counter-attacker in world rugby, although O'Connor is breathing down his neck.With Beale playing fullback and guys like Ioane and O'Connor around him, du Preez's box-kicks will be met with the utmost ferocious of counter-attacks, that will result in loss of possession for the Springboks and easy tries for the Wallabies. You won't find me dead supporting the Springboks, but I hope for South African's sakes that du Preez plays the running game he did in 2007 when he was instrumental in the Boks' World Cup win. If he sticks to the box-kick, South Africa can kiss this game and all the rest goodbye.

Copy paste much?

 

[dan-the-man]

Copy paste much?

huh?

 

[Dougydeluxe]

You always poste about the "Box-kick" being a huge flaw....

I agree with you, but no need to talk about it all the time.

 

[Icemn]

Springbok Team announced:

15 Frans Steyn
14 JP Pietersen
13 Jaque Fourie
12 Jean de Villiers - swak...has been !!!! where is De joghn???
11 Bryan Habana - swak....not a has been...a never was....
10 Butch James

9 Fourie du Preez

8 Pierre Spies - off form
7 Danie Rossouw - out of position
6 Heinrich Brüssow - out of position
5 Victor Matfield - swak...
4 Bakkies Botha - swak...swak....k@k lmk Lmk
3 Jannie du Plessis
2 John Smit (c) - swwak
1 Beast Mtawarira


Subs:

16 Bismarck du Plessis - should play
17 Gurthro Steenkamp
18 Gerhard Mostert
19 Jean Deysel
20 Francois Hougaard
21 Morne Steyn - swak - must never play lmk
22 Gio Aplon - should play

If this team fires, and finds their form, I think both NZ and Aus will be in trouble. Here's to hoping that Dad's Army has 4 or 5 big games left in them...

Aus to win by 15......

 

[ZeFrenchy]

^^ How is Brûssow playing openside flanker out of position?? And I think that Matfield and Botha are a very effective lock combination (as long as they both stay on-field).
And I would change Habana to a "has been" and De Villiers to "on his way to has been but probably still the best option for this WC"

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Icemn is a joke. He is just talking ****. He is from South Africa (apparently) but doesn't know that 6 is openside and 7 is blindside in South Africa.

 

[Seaton]

Awfully windy the day in Durban, a lot of cloud cover which brings the threat of rain, but hopegully not much.

Going by ticket sales, we are looking at a near full-house of 50 000

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Well, for now I am quite happy with things. Bryce Lawrence has been a liability in the Super Rugby play offs, but today he is getting things right. Still far away from the level of Craig Joubert and Alain Rolland though.

Bokke being very cautious not to get any interceptions from the Aussies.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Well, Shaun Veldsman has proven his worth as a reliable TMO. This could have been a try, 50/50 decision for the Fourie knock-on

 

[SelimNiai]

Couldn't be anything else, whilst not 100% clear that Fourie knocked it on it would have been epically harsh on Australia to give the try. Cooper should never have put himself in that situation though.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Boxkicking earned a point anyway.