2012 Rugby Championship Round 3 Game 1 Australia vs South Africa - 8 Sep

[emuarse]

Wallabies by 50, Perthfontein wont save us.

Perthfontein? Has a nice ring to it. Lets get Gillard to change the name

 

[emuarse]

It was specifically in reply to a post relating to the team for the two Bledisloe tests.

Various people have questioned whether the players have faith in Deans. I can guarantee that if half the team was axed after beating Wales 3-0, he would very quickly lose the dressing room.

Team changes have to be gradual and you need to maintain cohesion and experience. If we blooded too many inexperienced players at once I am sure we would get smashed by top opposition. Performing in the Bledisloe Cup is a whole different kettle of fish to playing well in Super Rugby. If we suddenly had a whole host of players with less than 10 tests under their belts (and several uncapped players), we'd really struggle.

Like most people here I quite like the shape of the team for this Saturday. The selections are going in the right direction. I very much think the time you can make some big changes is at the start of a season but after that you really can only make gradual changes to your team. If you don't think that continued training with the same core group of players is going to turn them into a better team then you may as well give up.

You must be a prop Braveheart, bull headed & can't take advice

 

[emuarse]

Harris is cover for the ball playing positions of 10 and 12, also because he is the best goal kicker in the country. And if I was coach he'd be cover for 15 if beale is injured or having another Barry Crocker, rather then moving AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) from 13 and putting Faingia on. I too feel for Cummins and wonder what more he has to do to get a crack, It almost makes you want to cry when you think about some of the players who have had their first Wallabies jerseys gifted to them.

The suggestion of Tapuai instead of Harris would be making the same mistake they made selecting Mitchell (and Beale to a lesser extent) of picking a player who is coming back from injury, a little under done, under prepared (in the team environment). The whole lack of match time is less about fitness and more about, decision making in a game, timing and mental confidence in your body and your ability.

I think Harris is there as a threat to replace Barnes if he plays like he has in the last two tests. You know - the big hook if you use the big boot.

 

[emuarse]

I can't see the bok team selection on this thread - has someone got it please

 

[tooms]

I can't see the bok team selection on this thread - has someone got it please

The Springbok team to face Australia in Perth is: 15. Zane Kirchner, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jean de Villiers (c), 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Morné Steyn, 9, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Bench: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Francois Louw, 20 Johan Goosen, 21 Patrick Lambie, 22 Lwazi Mvovo.

 

[Joe Blow]

It's a good looking starting 15. The only change I might make is having Higgers at 6 for the sake of a solid lineout. I know Barnes had that great test against the French in between Cooper and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) but I just think he is not really the bloke to be helping to ignite the backline.
I guess it will be Taps, JOC (James O'Connor) or McCabe at some point in the near future.
The bench looks a bit out of whack. I think we could live without two backrow replacements against SA. I would have opted for Simmons instead of Gill to once again keep our lineout strong.
Not a bad side though. Last chance for Barnes and Beale to impress I would have thought. Maybe also for Fat Cat. Harris is a good choice with JOC (James O'Connor) and Taps not ready. I may have gone with Cummins instead of Fainga'a but the latter has experience on his side.

Pretty good though. Hope we can take it to the Saffas at the breakdown!

 

[tooms]

Pretty sure Higgers is on the bench to be able to exploit tired boks late in the game, which I like. Starting with a bigger Samo and asking him to take the big hits for as long as possible seems to be the plan and I am a fan.

 

[Schadenfreude]

I'm a massive fan of Samo's scrum work. He's impressively composed at the back.

 

[tooms]

I'm a massive fan of Samo's scrum work. He's impressively composed at the back.

Yeah, and it's light years ahead of anyone else in the team ... Even higgers has some massive fails at the back. Remember Elsom at 6? The guy was lost at scrum time.

 

[Scarfman]

I'm a massive fan of Samo's scrum work. He's impressively composed at the back.

Partly because his hands are bigger than the ball.

 

[Lee Enfield]

Hey Lee - they used about 100,000 of your namesakes in the second Boer War to beat them. We have only a few "guns" now but the battle continues in Perth

Those bloody Bokkies still scare me but hopefully Oz will get up. Wallabies by 12

I am feeling positive about our chances, I am going with the Wallabies by 11-15. They boys have a lot to play for, some of them are probably playing for the immediate Wallaby futures. We have for the main, picked a team which could tear the Bokkes apart with high tempo, running Rugby. Hopefully our forwards can keep up with that pace and Deans has let Cooper and the backs off the leash, because slow, set piece to set piece and defensive Rugby will play right into their hands.

Hopefully the Wallabies apply Rule 303 to the Bokkes on Saturday night.

 

[Joe Blow]

Yeah, and it's light years ahead of anyone else in the team . Even higgers has some massive fails at the back. Remember Elsom at 6? The guy was lost at scrum time.

I agree with Samo starting but would have had Higgers at 6. Dennis needs to stand up to and stop some of that prime SA beef.

 

[Grandmaster Flash]

The coaching team is placing a lot of emphasis on attack for this game.
I see AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) brought in at outside centre to play Mortlock's style of running - straight up & hard to make the line bust. It would not surprise me to see QC (Quade Cooper) passing a fast ball to him leaving out Barnes.
This tactic will be assisted by Jean de Villiers, whose tackling of charging heavy backs is not his strong point.

Unfortunately he is very good at snatching intercepts from long wide balls so this could also backfire quite easily.

 

[Blue]

his days as a bok are over

Why? He is still coming back next year. I'd wait and see what happens first. Still

The coaching team is placing a lot of emphasis on attack for this game.
I see AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) brought in at outside centre to play Mortlock's style of running - straight up & hard to make the line bust. It would not surprise me to see QC (Quade Cooper) passing a fast ball to him leaving out Barnes.
This tactic will be assisted by Jean de Villiers, whose tackling of charging heavy backs is not his strong point.

Nothing wrong with his defense. It's his lack of attack that's the problem.

 

[Brisbok]

At the same time, I wouldn't put AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at approx 98kg's into the same category of 'charging heavy backs' as Manu Tuilagi, Jamie Roberts, SBW - all at approx. 110kg's.

Jean de Villiers is in fact both taller and heavier than AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper).

 

[East Coast Aces]

DeVilliers did a very good job stop Tuilagi in the June Tests.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Have gone back as far as Tuesday's posts (page 20) and can't seem to find a Saffer Squad.

I assume that it will be announced sometime today, maybe by 1200 Perth time which is 2pm here.

Edited

For refresh, the teams are:
1. Robinson................Mtawarira
2. Moore.....................Strauss
3. Alexander................du Plessis
4. Timani......................Etzebeth
5. Sharpe.....................Kruger
6. Dennis.....................Coetzee
7. Hooper....................Alberts
8. Samo.......................Vermeulen
9. Genia.......................
10. Cooper..................Steyn (M)
11. Ioane.....................Hougaard
12. Barnes...................Steyn (F)
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)........................de Villiers
14. Shipperley..............Habana
15. Beale......................Kirchner
16. TPN.........................Liebenberg
17. Slipper....................Cilliers
18. Higginbotham.........van der Merwe
19. Gill..........................Louw
20. Phipps....................Goosen
21. Harris.....................Lambie
22. Fainga'a, A. ............Mvovo

 

[barbarian]

?? Scroll up HJ, Springbok team is on this page.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I'm Arking blind. Thanks Barbar.

 

[tranquility]

Shipperley to Habana, Habana?