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RWC 2019 Final: England v South Africa

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
It's really the worlds best attacking team Verse the world's best defensive team. A tally of two styles of play.

Hard to go past England as their defence is superb as well and they just have more strings to their bow.

Either way I'm predicting a cracker of a match. Underhill with MOTM.

Since when is England the most attacking team?
 

Ulrich

Nev Cottrell (35)
I expect the English loosies + Itoje to harry Faf all day to disrupt the whole Bok plan.

Our forwards will have to step up to levels last seen in the Burger and Smith days or the Louw, Alberts & Vermeulen days when they were on song just to counter that at every single breakdown.

Etzebeth will need to play much better than he has of late and the starting forwards will probably have to play 5-10 mins longer in case it goes to extra time.

These English are fit and they play fast. It looked like the All Blacks were not only bullied but struggled to keep up.

Steyn hopefully enters the fray a bit earlier. Feels as though every time he just warms up to a game the game is over. He has BMT.
 

Red Rose

Bob McCowan (2)
Faf plays with the Curry twins at Sale whilst Louw has been instrumental in guiding Underhill at Bath. Therefore, there will be no surprises at all between these sides and i expect the Springboks to take on England at the breakdown. That will be a fierce contest. I think Louw and Marx will be needed there for sure.

And apologies for showing off, but I just booked my trip for this match and leave London on Thursday. Hoping for a cracker decided by great rugby and not by yellow or red cards or controversial TMO decisions.
 

Rugbynutter39

Michael Lynagh (62)
It's really the worlds best attacking team Verse the world's best defensive team. A tally of two styles of play.

Hard to go past England as their defence is superb as well and they just have more strings to their bow.

Either way I'm predicting a cracker of a match. Underhill with MOTM.


Worlds best attacking team - I I think you lost me and probably most of other rugby punters with that comment
 

Lorenzo

Colin Windon (37)
The offside thing is weak innit. I love the balance that rugby provides by allowing the offside line to be at the ruck (as opposed to 5 metre retreat in league) but it needs to be enforced.

I'd like to see the offside line enforced for BOTH teams. If you are not bound to the ruck or playing as halfback, you need to be behind the last feet/body part. Why is the attacking side permitted players in front of the last feet purely so they can obstruct play?
 

John S

Chilla Wilson (44)
Every team does it too. SA, England.. not sure why Australia has caught on yet.

I've seen Aust and NZ do a smaller one - maybe one extra person, stretching right back, but not to the lengths (pun intended) gone to by other nations
 

Jets

Paul McLean (56)
Staff member
I think that England will have the better in this one, I've just watch their YouTube show Rising Sons so I'm in full Eddie fanboy mode.

England have the ability to change things up. The way they started against NZ was very clever. They hit the ball up for the first minute and then started offloading when NZ were expecting more of the same. Resulting in their try that had the Kiwis rattled.
They have an outstanding kicking game with Farrell and Ford, look at all the space they found on the weekend.
Against Australia they new what we were going to do so kept us pinned in our half and trusted their defence.

South Africa are going to kick, let England play rugby, and hope to disrupt with their defence.

I think the variety that England bring will be the difference.

Even though I think SA will loose this I'm expecting a few years of dominance in the Rugby Championship from them. They are on the rise and have more in them. Rassie is an impressive coach and they players seem to have a huge respect of him.
 

Dctarget

John Eales (66)
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Dctarget

John Eales (66)
England: 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Owen Farrell (c), 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Tom Curry, 5 Courtney Lawes, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Jamie George, 1 Mako Vunipola. Reserves: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Dan Cole, 19 George Kruis, 20 Mark Wilson, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Henry Slade, 23 Jonathan Joseph.

SOUTH AFRICA: Willie Le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk; Duane Vermeulen, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (c), Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherb, Mbongeni Mbonambi, Tendai Mtawarira. Reserves: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, RG Synman, Franco Mostert, Francois Louw, Herschel Jantjies, Frans Steyn.


Only change for SA is Koble onto the wing for Nkosi, who drops completely out of the team.

An unchanged XV for England, except Kiwi Willie has dropped out with a hamstring injury and Ben Spencer has taken his place on the bench. No idea who Spencer is, but he flew in to Japan earlier this week, so you'd imagine Youngs probably won't come off.
 
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