• Welcome to the Green and Gold Rugby forums. As you can see we've upgraded the forums to new software. Your old logon details should work, just click the 'Login' button in the top right.

1st Test, Australia vs. South Africa, 9 - 13 Nov at the Gabba!

Status
Not open for further replies.

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Sledging is a good ploy in cricket but then you need to back it up. Cricket Bokke is way to experient to try this and not a good one to use against Dale Steyn. He sure is the one that can give back double dosis in his current form and get fired up pretty easy. Clarke and Ponting is the experience batters and have a massive role to play for Australia. I am also very please with Kirsten and Donald coaching. The seem to took the Cricket Bokke up one level and this series very important for them. If we get a draw out of this series, I'll be happy.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
Sledging is a good ploy in cricket but then you need to back it up. Cricket Bokke is way to experient to try this and not a good one to use against Dale Steyn. He sure is the one that can give back double dosis in his current form and get fired up pretty easy. Clarke and Ponting is the experience batters and have a massive role to play for Australia. I am also very please with Kirsten and Donald coaching. The seem to took the Cricket Bokke up one level and this series very important for them. If we get a draw out of this series, I'll be happy.


Australia v South Africa always has a fair bit of chat going on. It's a function of how hard both teams go at it out on the paddock. I doubt it would have too much effect on either side to be honest. You are right that the chat needs to be backed up with deeds though. You look like a doofus otherwise. Expect the quick bowlers on each team to be breathing fire out there and I for one can't wait. Two good pace attacks wanting to kill the opposition. Nothing better in my view.

You should expect to win this series. The Saffers are (rightly) the number one team in the world and have won here before. I'd be disappointed with a draw if I were Graeme Smith.
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Australia v South Africa always has a fair bit of chat going on. It's a function of how hard both teams go at it out on the paddock. I doubt it would have too much effect on either side to be honest. You are right that the chat needs to be backed up with deeds though. You look like a doofus otherwise. Expect the quick bowlers on each team to be breathing fire out there and I for one can't wait. Two good pace attacks wanting to kill the opposition. Nothing better in my view.

You should expect to win this series. The Saffers are (rightly) the number one team in the world and have won here before. I'd be disappointed with a draw if I were Graeme Smith.
Mickey Mouse add his bit to the spice up of this series. Myself never been a big fan of him, he may loose the plot if SA beats Australia in this series and pretty sure Smith (also not a big fan of him) and the Cricket Bokke will be motivated by him coaching Australia.
 

whatty

Bob Loudon (25)
Very excited for this. Apparently a very docile pitch and a venue we have never played at since readmission?

At the minimum a drawn series or it will be a failure for the team.

Smith would be a very difficult person to like if you are non Saffa. He does come across fairly arrogantly but then he has bee captain for a 100 tests and 92 as captain!
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Smith would be a very difficult person to like if you are non Saffa. He does come across fairly arrogantly but then he has bee captain for a 100 tests and 92 as captain!
Can live with that and I am a Cape Cobra supporter. Gary Kirsten on the other hand is a very likeable person in my books.
 

The Red Baron

Chilla Wilson (44)
Yeah I was wondering how they'd sledge him. His beard? Wife's burka? All a bit dangerous no?

Dean Jones would be the guy though. Doesn't give much of a shit about petty boundaries.

I'd be going for his beard. Not unsettling by way of insulting but more humorous; for instance if he got a nick I would be saying "that was a close shave, but you wouldn't know about that". Or "I heard Gillette recently brought out a new razor called the Amla. They had to stop production due to poor sales". I wouldn't be unsettling him through religious or racial slurs. (yes I know the beard is a religious symbol, but he can be sledged about the beard through non - religious avenues. As a bearded individual myself, I always admire a sportsman that sports a killer beard!) Humor would work so much better there.

It is a pity Warne and Cullinan aren't playing. Quality sledging between those two.

You are right about not letting Amla get in too Blue. If he gets in, we are in trouble. I love his technique. He starts well outside leg stump, then takes two small steps as the ball is bowled. He is in a great position by the time the ball gets to him, and will play his shots with minimal foot movement. Really unorthodox, but it really works for him.

Have to agree with the 'leaked' dossiers too. Quite contrived, and seem to be a product of rubbish cricket journalism. While I'm on the subject of Cricket journos, Malcolm Conn has to be one of the worst out there.
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Sensable stuff from Smith
Sport24
Proteas dismiss Oz mind games


2012-11-08 14:05


Sydney - Australian attempts at mind games ahead of the Test series against South Africa were at worst irrelevant and at best a motivation to the tourists, captain Graeme Smith said on Thursday.

Individual plans for targeting South African players, including psychological profiling, supposedly derived from an Australian team dossier were published in the Courier-Mail newspaper on Thursday, the eve of the first test at the Gabba.

Smith, however, backed his team, unbeaten on the road in test series for six years and coming to Australia fresh from having earned the number one ranking by beating England in England, to brush off any attempts to get under their skin.

"It doesn't really make a difference to be honest with you," Smith told reporters at the Gabba.

"We know in our minds what we're expecting over the next few days. The most important thing for us was our preparation. I think we've done that really well and we're looking forward to starting on Friday.

"In terms of that stuff, it's neither here nor there, it's all going to start on Friday."

Four years ago, South Africa won a tight three-match series 2-1 for their first triumph on Australian soil. That was under the guidance of Mickey Arthur, who now coaches the hosts.

Arthur has obviously shared his knowledge of the South Africans with his new charges and made a few public comments about perceived weaknesses, most notably that top ranked pace bowler Dale Steyn did less well against lefthanders.

"Certainly the stuff in the papers and maybe Mickey has said has only added motivation for us," Smith said, adding for emphasis: "They've certainly touched the motivation button."

That said, though, Smith said he expected a businesslike approach from his team during the Brisbane test, which is followed by further matches in Adelaide and Perth.

"When you play in other people's back yards, there's a different kind of pressure. You need to be able to handle different things. In recent memory in England, we were able to show that," he said.

"We were able to perform under pressure, we were able to stand up at key times. When good teams play each other, there's small margins. You need to be able to handle those small margins better than the other team if you are going to be victorious.

"Our goal is to match up again like we did in 2008 and 2009. I don't expect us to be too emotional about things, I think if we can be really focused and clinical in the next five days, I'll be happy."

Like Australia, South Africa are still weighing up whether to play four quicks in Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Rory Kleinveldt on what is expected to be a bouncy Gabba track.

Smith suggested, however, they would be unlikely to rest spinner Imran Tahir to make way for uncapped paceman Kleinveldt.

"We've backed our spinner a lot in the last few years and it's given us a lot of success and balance in our team," he said.

"We'll have to have a look at it but we're pretty sure which way we'll go."

Even if they could lose the top ranking with defeat in the series, South Africa look the most likely team to dominate test cricket in the way the Australians once did - a fact that has not been lost on Smith and his team mates.

"We would love the opportunity to create a legacy but you've got to take steps at a time," he said.

"There's been a number of teams that have touched the number one ranking. This is the next stepping stone for us and it's tough challenge.

"We believe we have the capability, but you've got to go and earn it."
 

Sully

Tim Horan (67)
Staff member
Test cricket starts today, rain forecast for tomorrow! Love it.

Sent using Tapatalk
 

The Red Baron

Chilla Wilson (44)
Kallis and Amla looking pretty comfortable. We have to get one of them out soon or we could be looking at a very big score.
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Lady Luck is against Australia. Kallis on his way to pavilion, called back after a maybe maybe not no ball, dicy TMO not out, Amla dropped. Anuway 2/206 with 27 overs to go the Cricket Bokke is well set to get a big total. Kirsten decision to drop Tahir for a quickie but Smith to bat first not understandable. JP Duminy the only spinner now.
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Kallis 52 from 72 ballls the danger for Aus. He look comfortable and full of confidense since he strik that unbelievable six from the spinner. problem for Aus is that they dont have referals left, Cricket Boks still their full qouta.
 

The Red Baron

Chilla Wilson (44)
Lady Luck is against Australia. Kallis on his way to pavilion, called back after a maybe maybe not no ball, dicy TMO not out, Amla dropped. Anuway 2/206 with 27 overs to go the Cricket Bokke is well set to get a big total. Kirsten decision to drop Tahir for a quickie but Smith to bat first not understandable. JP Duminy the only spinner now.

The decision to bat is so far proving to be the good choice. The pitch is not offering a lot to the quicks, and there is little movement in the air. I live on the north side of Brisbane, and I got some rain today. With that in mind, the increased humidity could see the ball starting to swing in the next couple of days.

In regards to Tahir not getting picked, I'm not sure on that one. But I suppose if the pitch is not providing any assistance to the quicks, then the spinners wouldn't fare too much better.

God we need to get either Amla or Kallis out. Ideally both. I like both those guys, but only when they are scoring runs against the Poms. :)
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
we need to get either Amla or Kallis out. Ideally both. I like both those guys, but only when they are scoring runs against the Poms. :)
Amla pushes his test average now over 50. What a year he is having? regarding the pitch, I can see Steyn having a go on that greenish pitch. Just that extra bit of speed and it bring out the bounce.
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Cricket Boks ending day 1 on 2/255. Pretty well set and winning all three sessions and day 1. Tests is about winning the next session and tomorrow Kallis and Amla first aim will be to see off the second new ball. Still a lot of hard work to be done.
 

mark_s

Chilla Wilson (44)
Still a lot of hard work to be done.
Yep, but if SA only lose 1 wicket of less before lunch then they will be in an almost unbeatable position. Aus needs early wickets or it couldd get very ugly as this pitch will be good to bat on tomorrow.
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
It's got to be said. In a game where you know that they are going to check where your foot lands why, oh fucking why would you put it anywhere near the fucking no ball line.

Sent using Tapatalk

151559.2.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top