• Welcome to the forums of Green & Gold Rugby.
    We have recently made some changes to the amount of discussions boards on the forum.
    Over the coming months we will continue to make more changes to make the forum more user friendly for all to use.
    Thanks, Admin.

SA vs NZ matches

Status
Not open for further replies.
PaarlBok

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
This weekend the Sharks will meet Da Blues in the Shark Tank. Going to be a cracker, both teams from wins in round 1. Da Blues havent beat them in ages and surely will be eager to set the record straight. Cant see this happening in Derban, against probably the best pack with the biggest structured gameplan.
 
Cutter

Cutter

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
Blues were very good in rd 1. Whether they are more consistent than they've been in the past is the question. The front row clash is mouth watering.
 
Hawko

Hawko

Tony Shaw (54)
PaarlBok said:
This weekend the Sharks will meet Da Blues in the Shark Tank. Going to be a cracker, both teams from wins in round 1. Da Blues havent beat them in ages and surely will be eager to set the record straight. Cant see this happening in Derban, against probably the best pack with the biggest structured gameplan.
Click to expand...

If the Blues take their game from Auckland last saturday then the Sharks are in for a torrid time. The Crusaders/Blues match was as intense and competitive as Super rugby gets and the skill level and speed was very high. It looked like a semi-final rather than a first round hitout. I'm picking a Blues win this week even though the Sharks are at home and have a very physical pack. I thought the Blues pack were slightly shaded in the set piece, but it was very close and the Crusaders pack had a lot of All Blacks in it. The Blues backs were very good and Ranger is a constant threat. In the loose the Blues were very competitive, with Kaino outstanding; the Sharks will find the Blues a big step up from the Cheetahs this week.
 
PaarlBok

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Problem is the Blues never play the same way each week, one week better then the All Blacks next week kakker then anything. The Sharks plays the perfect gameplan to strangle them, no wonder they have beat them now for a long time. The Sharks just need to sort out their lineouts.
 
Ruggo

Ruggo

Mark Ella (57)
I'm with you on that one Paarl. The Blues are far too hot and cold to be talked up yet. The Crusaders looked very strong even without McCaw and I would be talking them up but the horror in Christchurch may have their minds away from Rugby but you never know how these things pan out. The Highlanders are now one to watch and are only going to be better when Donally and Slade return. I rate them a huge chance of being two from two after this weekend.

The Blues and Sharks should be a good game and bloody physical.
 
PaarlBok

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Two of them this weekend. Brutes vs Highlanders and Lions vs Blues.

Lions look quite good in the first two rounds despite losing and are in desperate need of a win. Brutes look way below their strengths, still had two away wins and a early top of the log clash against the Highlanders.
 
Gooch

Gooch

Fred Wood (13)
As good as they have started the season, I can't see the Clan beating the Bulls at home. Also the Lions have been competitive the first 2 weeks and who knows what Blues team will turn up. I'm tipping wins for both of the SA teams.
On a side note, one effect of the conference system is that I have yet to see a SA team play this season. I don't have Fox so am reliant on my local club. It is great to see more local derbies but I also enjoy watching the games from the rest of the comp. I now rely on the wise heads on GAGR for game and player reviews to base my tipping and fantasy teams on.
 
PaarlBok

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Gooch said:
As good as they have started the season, I can't see the Clan beating the Bulls at home. Also the Lions have been competitive the first 2 weeks and who knows what Blues team will turn up. I'm tipping wins for both of the SA teams.
On a side note, one effect of the conference system is that I have yet to see a SA team play this season. I don't have Fox so am reliant on my local club. It is great to see more local derbies but I also enjoy watching the games from the rest of the comp. I now rely on the wise heads on GAGR for game and player reviews to base my tipping and fantasy teams on.
Click to expand...
Dont worry you are in good hands. :nta:

This weekend I am confident about an ll SA teams wins, the Stormers vs Tin Ears a bit of a worried one.::)

Exactly hate this conferense system, its against my wish list of always back my favourate team, Stormers and then all SA teams. Now you sort of want some of them to drop games against the other countries to give your team a better changes. The Brutes surely are handy after two rounds, not even close on form but already two away wins behind them.
 
Hawko

Hawko

Tony Shaw (54)
PaarlBok said:
Dont worry you are in good hands. :nta:

This weekend I am confident about an ll SA teams wins, the Stormers vs Tin Ears a bit of a worried one.::)

Exactly hate this conferense system, its against my wish list of always back my favourate team, Stormers and then all SA teams. Now you sort of want some of them to drop games against the other countries to give your team a better changes. The Brutes surely are handy after two rounds, not even close on form but already two away wins behind them.
Click to expand...

I expect the Bulls will top the SA conference, they've got a pretty good draw with most of the other conference top teams at home. I'm picking them to be 1st or 2nd on the ladder but I think the battle with the Stormers will be ferocious. Looking forward to the first Bulls/Stormers derby.

Paarl, you must at least like that the new format means that SA teams spend less time on the road overseas. They've always been at a disadvantage because of this.
 
PaarlBok

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Hawko said:
I expect the Bulls will top the SA conference, they've got a pretty good draw with most of the other conference top teams at home. I'm picking them to be 1st or 2nd on the ladder but I think the battle with the Stormers will be ferocious. Looking forward to the first Bulls/Stormers derby.

Paarl, you must at least like that the new format means that SA teams spend less time on the road overseas. They've always been at a disadvantage because of this.
Click to expand...
They still have 4 compare to 2 for the Aussies and 3 for some NZ teams. The main diferense is that they can come back and hit form at home. Supe Rugby is all about getting back to a win after a loss or losses, cant afford to look further then the next game.
 
PaarlBok

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Brutes:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 , 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Subs: 16 Derick Kuun, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Juandre Kruger, 20 Ruan Snyman, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Stephan Dippenaar.

(Bakkies out, Rossouw in and Kruger on the bench)

Lions vs Blues
Lions - 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Michael Killian, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Josh Strauss, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Franco van der Merwe (c), 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Patrick Cilliers, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Subs: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Kevin Buys, 18 Dries van Schalkwyk, 19 Cobus Grobbelaar, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 Burton Francis, 22 James Kamana.

Blues – 15 Isaia Toeava, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Jared Payne, 12 Benson Stanley, 11 Sherwin Stowers, 10 Luke McAlister, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Peter Saili, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Jerome Kaino (c), 5 Ali Williams, 4 Kurtis Haiu, 3 John Afoa, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Subs: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Charlie Faumuina, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Daniel Braid, 20 Toby Morland, 21 Stephen Brett, 22 Rene Ranger.

Lot of changes by the Blues, look like they want a strongh bench to combat altitude. They went straight to JoBurg compare to other teams staying at the coast.
 
Hawko

Hawko

Tony Shaw (54)
Brumbies Guy said:
Daniel Braid benched for his brother :eek:
Click to expand...

Looking at the way the team has been selected I think this (and Mealamu/Ranger at least) is more a planned rotation against a weaker team. The Blues don't have a bye week till round 8, so some rotation would keep the squad fresh for later. They probably picked the wrong team to do it against as the Lions have looked way better this year than last.
 
Hawko

Hawko

Tony Shaw (54)
Larno said:
Got to hand it to the Highlanders, takes something to best the Bulls at home.
Click to expand...

It was a great tribute to the Clan. Last time anyone beat the Bulls there was years ago. But I think the Bulls are way off their game at the moment. These three weeks are the biggest test possible in Super Rugby: Bulls and Stormers away, travel back, Crusaders at home. The Stormers too are not looking on the top of their game, but the Crusaders are white hot. If they are three from three then they become Super favourites, but I am still tipping two losses to go with the win.
 
PaarlBok

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Two great wins for the NZ teams. Blues and the Clan brough down the Brutes and Lions with a bang back to earth. Highlanders played with a lot of speed and passion for 80 minutes. Think they are favourates to beat the Stormers on Newlands on friday night. The Stormers not near their 2010 form but the differense between them and the Brutes is their stronger defense and they usually like an opponent who spread it wide.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top