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Springboks vs All Blacks @ Ellispark

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Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
No Gwerty, this wasn't a team visiting the ill, this was a team inviting a highly respected former opposition player to be at a training session, and stopping said training session to acknowledge him. You may find it nothing, but I am personally quite happy to see it happen myself.
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
It's a great gesture not sure where you got the idea that I didn't like it. It is however not unique to rugby at all.
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Jan Serfontein, 12 Jean de Villiers (c), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handrè Pollard, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Duane Vermeulen/Schalk Burger, 7 Tebo Mohoje, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Marcel van der Merwe, 19 Bakkies Botha, 20 Schalk Burger/Warren Whiteley, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 JP Pietersen.

Date: Saturday, October 4
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 17:00 (local, 15:00 GMT)
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referees: Pascal Gauzère (France), JP Doyle (England)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_9497646,00.html
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Will be interesting to see if Meyer will stick with his ball in hand approach. Pollard obvious very important in this regard with his physical abilities.
 

PiXeL_Ninja

Bill Watson (15)
Good call. We need him vs the All Blacks. One big hit from him can set the trend and with Duane doubtfull we'll need his grunt. White Gorilla will get his time.
Schalk has really impressed me with his passing game, and I suppose he has had to evolve as I dont know how much go forward he has in him?

That said, I think that without Duane, we have 4 athletic type losies, and no real go-forward-grunt types(not questioning Schalk's commitment on D, as it will be solid, just the go forward in contact with ball in hand). Hopefully AB's play nice and rest BR :cool:
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
They may have to:

"Assessment of Retallick's concussion symptoms were again delayed yesterday, but the fact he took cover from the Johannesburg sun and sat under a tent at training suggests he is an unlikely starter against the Springboks this weekend."

Looks like Crockett can forget about a modelling career post-footy, too, his face is still cut up & they're worried whether the stitches would hold.

www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/10567484/All-Black-forwards-could-struggle-for-fitness
 

Brisbok

Cyril Towers (30)
Another 15+ point win for the AB's this weekend WO? You were pretty vocal about how poor the Boks were leading into the Wellington test. Something about the Boks needing to pray for rain if they didn't want the scoreboard to get ugly?
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
All Blacks: Israel Dagg, Ben Smith, Conrad Smith, Malakai Fekitoa, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (c), Jerome Kaino, Sam Whitelock, Jeremy Thrush, Owen Franks, Keven Mealamu, Joe Moody Reserves: Dane Coles, Ben Franks, Charlie Faumuina, Liam Messam, Sam Cane, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Colin Slade, Ryan Crotty.
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Hope Bokke play the same gameplan as on the weekend. 1st Phase and breakdowns all important. Pollard need to step up , attacking the line, distribute and defend well. First kick at goal all important for a youngster to get his confidense up.

Bokke by 50.
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Another 15+ point win for the AB's this weekend WO? You were pretty vocal about how poor the Boks were leading into the Wellington test. Something about the Boks needing to pray for rain if they didn't want the scoreboard to get ugly?

In my defence I wasn't the only one who thought the Bokke were poor with the kickbot standing where a 5/8 belongs: the selection of Pollard makes them a much more formidable opponent & that showed in the Wellywood game. That said, though, did you ever honestly feel that SA were the better side & deserved to win? At no stage did I think "we WILL lose this", just "we COULD lose this" which I alluded to pre-match in terms of the match potentially coming down to a moment of genius or madness on someone's part.

As for Saturday/ Sunday (depending on your time zone), I'm expecting more points than in Wellywood but a similar margin, AB by 6ish.
 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
I wonder if Pollard listened to the tapes yet? The 4 hours of cassette tapes that Morne Steyn made.

Pollard was supposed to listen to them but he hasn't even started yet.

This was all in a dream I had last night.

No shit.

It was real.

gest2_zps64cbcf10.gif
 

Ulrich

Nev Cottrell (35)
I have a few things to say here.

Despite the criticism the Boks have received over the years for their kick-oriented gameplay I firmly believe a well executed kicking strategy is just the way to beat the All Blacks. It would have to be really good and we'd have to have the edge in the collisions coupled with excellent defense as is always required against the All Blacks.

I believe the Bok management have done a very good job in gradually evolving the Springbok game rather than forcing it from the start, but I feel not enough time has been spent on our tactical kicking. In contrast, this is where the All Blacks have caught up and surpassed the Boks in recent years so that pretty much leaves us with no advantage whatsoever.

Maybe it's poor defense and poor game reading by the opposition but when I watch games from the 80s where Naas features there always seems to be a clear plan to his kicks which are not pre-meditated but rather assessed speedily beforehand by him so he can launch a kick that puts the opposition under pressure.

Our conditioning, despite what has been made of it, is not on par with the All Blacks' conditioning. Our running game has always been behind theirs. Our forwards which is usually one of our weapons where from time to time we may have felt we had the edge are being matched by an equally physical and fitter pack all around the park.

The defensive pattern employed by the Boks is a little strange. There are so many missed tackles percentage wise compared to most other teams although we are holding out and the defense has not been bad. Still, I feel it can be improved somewhat.

We are trying to play an up-tempo game but we seem to botch it by losing the ball soon, the last game against the Wallabies being the exception. Then, to compound it all the opposition (Argentina, Wallabies 1st game and the All Blacks) keep running at us or in the case of the All Blacks also kicking themselves into better positions to ensure they stay ahead. If they're not ahead the kicking helps to put pressure on the defending side.

It's incredibly hard as it is to beat the All Blacks and then we go talking ourselves up every single time.

This year the news was:

  • Springboks want All Blacks scalp this year, time has come for it.
  • Springboks deny that losing the last game of the RC to the All Blacks will be a major issue.
  • The Springboks claim to have a quiet confidence.
  • So they say the win will come at some point.
  • The confidence is misplaced and the aim is very clear. The team is desperate for a win and in their minds they are starting to believe it is not possible.
  • Duane seems to be so valuable to us that we think we lose all hope of winning without him - hence the delayed team announcement.
  • So despite all of what the Boks want us to believe, the manner of their responses in the media clearly reveals they don't have much faith in themselves to beat the All Blacks.

We're starting to sound like Wales sound every time before they play one of the big three from the South. Before you know it 4, 5...6 years have gone without a victory and boom... 50 odd years later and Wales have not beaten the All Blacks.

The Springoks should be careful not to fall into this mental trap caused by the current AB dominance or 2011's win against a depleted All Black side will be all we have to show for the decade 2010-2020.
 

Ulrich

Nev Cottrell (35)
What's the latest on Duane, when are they making the final decision, up until warm up?
Nobody knows, but yeah, it will be some time tomorrow.

My bet is that anyone who has not recovered by this time should not play. It's entirely possible the bloke will play with his injury and further agrevate it, then his form drops and drops and drops. Next thing you know the player requires surgery and he'll be out for 6 months.
 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
Despite the criticism the Boks have received over the years for their kick-oriented gameplay I firmly believe a well executed kicking strategy is just the way to beat the All Blacks.
But how?
Kick it long, NZ just boot it back.
Up and unders, back 3 are all safe under high ball.
Short grubbers in behind D line, if theyre fielded its going back downtown into the corners. And if the bokkes arent all on the same page and come up as a staggered defensive line, **JAILBREAK TIME**

I reckon its the bokke rolling maul that would cause most problems. Stuff the backs, keep it in tight.

Either way a sumptuous occasion awaits tonight.
Does he have a cassette player?
gest15_zps558f1dbe.gif
 
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