Week 3: Springboks vs All Blacks - Round 2

[Jer1cho]

Springbok Team:

15 Frans Steyn
14 JP Pietersen
13 Jaque Fourie
12 Jean de Villiers
11 Bryan Habana
10 Morne Steyn

9 Fourie du Preez

8 Pierre Spies
7 Juan Smith
6 Heinrich Brussow
5 Victor Matfield
4 Bakkies Botha
3 John Smit ©
2 Bismarck du Plessis
1 Beast Mtawarira.

Subs: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Andries Bekker, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Adi Jacobs, 22 Wynand Olivier.

Morne Steyn is starting at 10, and Kankowski is the man left out. What's the point of having Bekker and Rossouw on the bench??? Stupid coach. Anyway, my money is on the Springboks.

 

[munross]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers made three changes to the match 22 that beat the All Blacks by 28-19 in Bloemfontein last weekend – one in the starting fifteen and two on the bench – for Saturday's second Vodacom Tri-Nations Test against New Zealand at the Absa Stadium Durban.

At flyhalf, Morné Steyn starts ahead of Ruan Pienaar, who is injured. Lock Andries Bekker returns in the place of loose-forward Ryan Kankowski on the bench, along with fit-again centre Adi Jacobs, who takes Morné Steyn's place amongst the reserves.

Springbok wing Bryan Habana and centre Jean de Villiers will both earn their 50th Test caps for South Africa, while Bok captain John Smit becomes the sole record-holder for the most experienced Test captain ever.

Habana, the International Rugby Board's Player of the Year for 2007 and SA Rugby's Player of the Year in 2005 and 2007, made his Springbok debut as a replacement against England on November 20, 2004 at Twickenham. With 33 Test tries he is second behind Joost van der Westhuizen on the list of top try scorers for South Africa.

De Villiers, SA Rugby's Player of the Year for 2008, made his Springbok debut on November 9, 2002 in Marseilles against France. Because of injury he only played his second Test against the Pacific Islands in Gosford on July 17, 2004. Of his 49 Tests to date, De Villiers has played 11 on the wing and 38 at centre. He will equal De Wet Barry's record for Bok Tests at centre this weekend, with 39.

Smit will lead the Boks for the 60th time in his 86th Test. Last weekend he equaled the record previously held by Wallaby skipper George Gregan and England's Will Carling.[/b]

www.supersport.com

Seeing as you beat me to it Jer1cho I won't post the team list again .Anyway great moment for JdV and Habana, getting their 50th test caps and also for John Smit, leading the Boks for the 60th time.

Pretty happy with the team, although I also would have liked to see Kanko on the bench and getting some game time at his home ground.I just have a strange feeling that this game might end in a draw...24 all, but then again I might just be crazy

 

[munross]

Henry makes two changes to All Blacks

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

All Blacks Coach Graham Henry and his Assistant Coaches Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith have named the All Blacks team to play the TriNations Test against South Africa in Durban, on Saturday 1 August.
The starting XV features two changes from the team which started the first Test against South Africa last weekend: 2009 All Blacks debutant Owen Franks gets his first start in his fourth Test, coming in for tighthead prop Neemia Tialata who sprained his right knee on the weekend, and Jimmy Cowan replaces Brendon Leonard at halfback.

John Afoa comes onto the bench.

All Blacks Coach Graham Henry said the All Blacks were taking positives out of last weekend's 28 - 19 loss to South Africa: "I said that last week's Test in Bloemfontein would be a massive challenge and this weekend's Test in Durban is no different. But this team has a lot of character and resolve and we are approaching it in a positive frame of mind."
Four All Blacks - Mils Muliaina, Ma'a Nonu, Brad Thorn and Isaac Ross - will be starting in their sixth consecutive Test in 2009 with Nonu starting in his 15th successive Test.

Muliaina is playing his 74th Test and this weekend joins former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga as the fourth most-capped All Black in history.

This weekend's game will be the All Blacks 450th Test match and the 77th Test between the two great rivals, which started way back in 1921.

The All Blacks have played South Africa seven times in Durban, with the most recent Test match, the 26 - 21 win to the All Blacks in 2007.

All Blacks Team

1. Tony Woodcock,2. Andrew Hore,3. Owen Franks,4. Brad Thorn,5. Isaac Ross,6. Jerome Kaino,7. Richie McCaw - captain,8. Rodney So'oialo,9. Jimmy Cowan,10. Stephen Donald,11. Sitiveni Sivivatu,12. Ma'a Nonu,13. Conrad Smith,14. Josevata Rokocoko,15. Mils Muliaina

Reserves:,16. Keven Mealamu,17. John Afoa,18. Jason Eaton,19. Kieran Read,20. Piri Weepu,21. Luke McAlister,22. Cory Jane[/b]

www.rugbyweek.co.za

Solid looking All Blacks team, why doesn't Keven Mealamu start anymore?Is Andrew Hore really better then Mealamu or do they just use Mealamu as an impact player?

 

[Steve-o]

Good team although it's unnecessary to have both Pakslae and Bekker on the bench, as Jer1cho rightly pointed out. Also IMO Chiliboy is dead weight. We should have another loosehead on the bench. Smit can cover if Bismarck comes off, although Bismarck is a 80+ min player. If, God forbid, some happens to Brussow we lack mongrel in our subs. Something Kanko adds.
That said, I still believe this team can beat the AB's again.
BTW since Pienaar is injured now, we can really see what Morne Steyn is made of.

 

[Flux]

I think/hope that the All Blacks will win this one. They can't blame a lack of preparation this time, so they should hopefully be better for it and claw one back. Here's hoping anyway.

Good to see Cowan back and Franks replacing the tub of lard.

 

[William18]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Intercept King JdV @ Jul 29 2009, 12:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Solid looking All Blacks team, why doesn't Keven Mealamu start anymore?Is Andrew Hore really better then Mealamu or do they just use Mealamu as an impact player?[/b]

Hore was the All Blacks player of the year last year. I think Hore has proven his superiority.

I can't believe you guys dropped Kankowski, he is an awesome player. Hopefully we can attack Steyn's weaknesses (i.e defence). Having Steyn in there means we will have to be a lot more disciplined.

For us, picking Cowan was inevitable with the way Leonard played last week. I like Leonard but you don't play like that and deserve to be re picked.

 

[Jer1cho]

I really am disappointed about that decision. Kankowski is such a good player, but he is doing nothing. How can he perform if he only plays once every 2 months? Kankowski offers so much more than Danie Rossouw does. Really disappoints me. He sat on the bench against the All Blacks, and now he left out completely. Utterly pointless.

Still though, if we can just keep our composure, and really play to the ability that this team has, we should thrash New Zealand. I'm not being arrogant, but the fact is, this is one of the best teams we have had in over a decade. Better even than the one that one the WC in 2007. This is also one of the worst teams that New Zealand have sent to our shores in over a decade. How we managed to be so dominant in the first game last week, yet were still not home and dry 10 minutes from time is beyond me.

If we get our game right in Durban, we could see one of the biggest wins against our old rivals in a long long time.

 

[shazbooger]

Who's the ref?

 

[munross]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Logorrhea @ Jul 29 2009, 01:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Who's the ref?[/b]

Nigel Owens of Wales will be the ref in this game.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

The Tri-Nations is the main focus of this weekend's rugby and again it will be that massive rivalry, All Black vs Springboks, and this time Nigel Owens of Wales will be the referee.

International

Tri-Nations

South Africa vs New Zealand at Absa Park, Durban
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Tim Hayes (Wales)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)[/b]

www.rugby365.com

 

[shazbooger]

Dont want to dig up ghosts of the last test (didnt read the thread but I assume Alan Rolland was mentioned frequently) but the one reason I like being a fan of the Irish side (aside of course from being Irish) is that Alan Rolland can NEVER referee one of our matches.

I'm a huge fan of Nigel Owen. Granted he's Welsh but aside from that he's the best ref in the Northern Hemisphere. Where Alan Rolland seems to take a dislike to one side and carries that through the whole match, Nigel Owens calls it as he see's it in that moment. No ref ever gets it right but he's the best Ive seen in a long long time.

Still expect the Boks to win comfortably. Very dissapointed with the AB's and suitably impressed with the Boks.

 

[Charles]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Logorrhea @ Jul 29 2009, 03:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Dont want to dig up ghosts of the last test (didnt read the thread but I assume Alan Rolland was mentioned frequently) but the one reason I like being a fan of the Irish side (aside of course from being Irish) is that Alan Rolland can NEVER referee one of our matches.

I'm a huge fan of Nigel Owen. Granted he's Welsh but aside from that he's the best ref in the Northern Hemisphere. Where Alan Rolland seems to take a dislike to one side and carries that through the whole match, Nigel Owens calls it as he see's it in that moment. No ref ever gets it right but he's the best Ive seen in a long long time.[/b]

Mate, you realise I could write the (almost) exact same, just with Rolland instead of Owens. Owens is a crap ref.

 

[TheBokke]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Logorrhea @ Jul 30 2009, 02:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Dont want to dig up ghosts of the last test (didnt read the thread but I assume Alan Rolland was mentioned frequently) but the one reason I like being a fan of the Irish side (aside of course from being Irish) is that Alan Rolland can NEVER referee one of our matches.

I'm a huge fan of Nigel Owen. Granted he's Welsh but aside from that he's the best ref in the Northern Hemisphere. Where Alan Rolland seems to take a dislike to one side and carries that through the whole match, Nigel Owens calls it as he see's it in that moment. No ref ever gets it right but he's the best Ive seen in a long long time.

Still expect the Boks to win comfortably. Very dissapointed with the AB's and suitably impressed with the Boks.[/b]

Could not agree more I rate Owen very highly and he does seem to call it pretty fairly.

 

[shazbooger]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Charles @ Jul 29 2009, 04:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Mate, you realise I could write the (almost) exact same, just with Rolland instead of Owens. Owens is a crap ref. [/b]

You know, being the one non-english speaking nation playing rugby I've always wondered how frustrating it must be to have some guy yapping at you in a foreign language. Must be a right pain in the arse. Your wrong about Owens though.

 

[Jer1cho]

Got a funny feeling all of a sudden this game could go down to the wire. Oh well, i am a bit more confident now that Morne Steyn is in the setup. Eegad i can't wait!

 

[shtove]

Morne was excellent in the S14 semis, but behind a dominant pack. ABs won't let him have that this time - apart from lineout. It is his first full start?

 

[Steve-o]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shtove @ Jul 30 2009, 09:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Morne was excellent in the S14 semis, but behind a dominant pack. ABs won't let him have that this time - apart from lineout. It is his first full start?[/b]

Nah he started against the Lions in the 3rd Test. His pack got dominated and his influence faded. To be fair to him the team was totally changed but I don't buy this hype around him like I didn't buy any of Spies' hype before the Lions. I like him, very good player, won us the Lions series with 'that kick'! But nothing else yet.
He's an excellent kicker but he didn't exactly get all of his kicks over last next when he came on, but we'll over look that one, hey guys .

 

[Nickdnz]

Meh, I won't ride off the All Blacks in this in fact i think there will be a suprise or two installed for the Springboks. How often does the AB's lose a game, people ride them off, and then they come back and win. In fact the AB's seem to function better without the expectation of winning then they do with that expectation there.

 

[wayner]

Hello everyone - I am a new member from Canada who avidly watches all the rugby games that I can. Thankfully Setanta Sports Canada seems to be outlasting its UK counterpart as it shows all of the top rugby

A couple of comments:

I can't believe that Pienaar started last week. Morne Steyn has clearly demonstrated in the last few months that he is a superior player and his kicking game is so much better than Pienaar that it is ridiculous. What has de Villiers been smoking to have put Pienaar in the starting lineup last week?

Hore vs. Mealamu
The AB lineout has been a disaster in the first two games - the game against the Wallabies turned around once Hore was replaced. Certainly Mealamu deserves to be in the starting lineup.

Referees
I have never heard of Alan Rolland. Alain Rolland is the Irish referee.

 

[Steve-o]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (wayner @ Jul 31 2009, 08:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Hello everyone - I am a new member from Canada who avidly watches all the rugby games that I can. Thankfully Setanta Sports Canada seems to be outlasting its UK counterpart as it shows all of the top rugby

A couple of comments:

I can't believe that Pienaar started last week. Morne Steyn has clearly demonstrated in the last few months that he is a superior player and his kicking game is so much better than Pienaar that it is ridiculous. What has de Villiers been smoking to have put Pienaar in the starting lineup last week?

Hore vs. Mealamu
The AB lineout has been a disaster in the first two games - the game against the Wallabies turned around once Hore was replaced. Certainly Mealamu deserves to be in the starting lineup.

Referees
I have never heard of Alan Rolland. Alain Rolland is the Irish referee.[/b]

Hey welcome to the forum. Always good to have a Canadian around. Love their contact sports.

Interesting input you gave there. I definitely think the Boks will target the lineout. They've even been accused of spying on the AB's lineout moves.
Morne Steyn will have his chance tomorrow to prove that he belongs at 10. Good competition should dispell the myth that we have a crisis at 10. Our really problem is at 15 imo. When Steyn leaves for France next season it will become obvious.

 

[Sir Speedy]

Donald nearly did a Donald.

Cowan nearly did a Donald.

New Zealand are deep in it at the moment.

3 - 3 presently.

Ross scores. Fantastic try. Length of the field. Awesome, and totally against the run of play. 3 - 10, touchline conversion.