RWC: SAM v SAF (Birmingham): POOL B

[waiopehu oldboy]

Ref: Barnes
AR's: Doyle & Gardner
TMO: Hughes

 

[Dewald Nel]

Probable Springbok team:
15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jean de Villiers (captain), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 JP Bryan Habana, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Substitutes: 16 Adriaan Strauss,17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Morne Steyn, 23 Jesse Kriel

As said in other thread, nothing unexpected, and indeed even a few improvements.

 

[saulityvi]

Is Willem Alberts still crooked? Kolisi did not offer much

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jean de Villiers (c), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Jesse Kriel.

Bismarck not in the 23: injured or dropped?

 

[Hawko]

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jean de Villiers (c), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Jesse Kriel.

Bismarck not in the 23: injured or dropped?

Brits has got to get some time on the park. I guess this is one game where he will be OK.

 

[saulityvi]

I think Bismarck needs a kick on the arse and this might be it.

 

[Dewald Nel]

I think Bismarck needs a kick on the arse and this might be it.

So many in this team need it. Matfield has been one of my all-time favorite players, if not thee favorite, but he probably needs one more than most. If he doesn't perform this match, he needs to be dropped for the last 2 games, to the bench, at best.

 

[Baldric]

This is the game that I have been worried about. Games between these two team are usually extremely physical. After the loss to Japan the Samoans will lift for this game. If the Boks give them a sniff they will end up losing again.

If we dont get control of this game in the first 20 minutes then its game and tournament over.

 

[Cardiffblue]

Probable Springbok team:
15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jean de Villiers (captain), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 JP Bryan Habana, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Substitutes: 16 Adriaan Strauss,17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Morne Steyn, 23 Jesse Kriel

As said in other thread, nothing unexpected, and indeed even a few improvements.

That looks like a full first XV. Don't you think he'll put some of these guys on the bench to cut down the risk of injuries for the showdown with Scotland?

 

[qwerty51]

So many in this team need it. Matfield has been one of my all-time favorite players, if not thee favorite, but he probably needs one more than most. If he doesn't perform this match, he needs to be dropped for the last 2 games, to the bench, at best.

Dropped to the nursing home.

 

[Braveheart81]

That looks like a full first XV. Don't you think he'll put some of these guys on the bench to cut down the risk of injuries for the showdown with Scotland?

That is the starting side. Couple of changes on the bench.

Samoa and Scotland are their too biggest pool games and they obviously have to win both now. Definitely both "first XV" matches pretty much on equal footing.

 

[emuarse]

Dropped to the nursing home.

Matfield is still a suburb line out jumper/tactician, probably still the best, but his age is effecting his input otherwise.

 

[Highlander35]

I thought du Toit [de Jager] (the lock with the 6 year olds face?) played quite well against Japan, why would he not start with Etzebeth instead of Matfield?

 

[Braveheart81]

I also thought Lud de Jager had a pretty good game.

Matfield has tenure. I'm sure he'll find his best form again once he's in his early 40s.

 

[Viking]

I thought du Toit [de Jager] (the lock with the 6 year olds face?) played quite well against Japan, why would he not start with Etzebeth instead of Matfield?

I think its similar to Simmons at the wallabies. Matfield is needed to run the line-out. The other 2 fill the aggressive enforcer role. Maybe.

 

[the plastic paddy]

I think its similar to Simmons at the wallabies. Matfield is needed to run the line-out. The other 2 fill the aggressive enforcer role. Maybe.

Too many players in the SA side seem to be looking to fill the aggressive enforcer role. They could do with a few more players trying to play rugby and a few less trying to hit people, IMHO. I'd drop Burger straight away, the man is a liability at this stage. Matawira won't be excluded, for obvious reasons, but has been phoning in performances for many a year now. I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that SA's games against Samoa and Scotland are existentially important. Lose one or both and SA could be looking at a decade in the doldrums.

 

[PaarlBok]

Never write a Bok team off. They'll bounce back tomorrow in style. Bokke by 50. MOTM Jean de Villiers.

 

[the plastic paddy]

Never write a Bok team off. They'll bounce back tomorrow in style. Bokke by 50. MOTM Jean de Villiers.

I am not writing them off. Just stating that I think this is an absolutely massive game for SA rugby. Personally I think I am looking forward to it more than Wales V England which has descended into the usual two toddlers squabbling nonsense.

 

[Quick Hands]

I tend to think that the Boks will win this one. Samoa will no doubt be physical and may get close, but I suspect that they won't have the same discipline that the Japanese showed. I'm not expecting the Samoans to get any favours from Barnes either - quite the reverse in fact.

 

[qwerty51]

SA 57-Samoa 13