Springbok EOYT Squad
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Mank
Ted Thorn (20)
I'll have to go home to view that video, but fingers over the eyes or near the eyes isn't an indication of intent to gouge. Etzebeth wraps both arms around Laidlaw who is very low, and one hand is over Laidlaw's face. He is clearly trying to hold him up, and even drops his hand at one point when he seems to realise where it is.
See my post here for my view on another incident:
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/co...t-rebels-v-force-57m-12sec.10832/#post-363609
(I only mention that so you don't think I'm just trying to defend a Saffer)
See my post here for my view on another incident:
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/co...t-rebels-v-force-57m-12sec.10832/#post-363609
(I only mention that so you don't think I'm just trying to defend a Saffer)
aeneas
Tom Lawton (22)
That looks ugly rather than perhaps actually being ugly in reality. The problem for Etzebeth is that the judiciary are going to see him as a repeat offender. I suspect he might get a reasonable break from rugby as a result. Someone needs to take him aside and tell him that getting a reputation as a dirty player, deserved or not, at 21 is not going to result in a long international career in this day and age.
PaarlBok
Rod McCall (65)
Some very precious replies and jumping on the Bok thug wagon as expected. He let go his head anyways. You dont want to chance Ysterbeth, he is just fine.
Sport24
Sport24
We'll need him on saturday. Excellent call up for the Lions captain JC Janse V Rensburg. He should have been there in the first place.
PiXeL_Ninja
Bill Watson (15)
England have selected a back row that might be bigger than ours..
<sic> Exeter flanker Tom Johnson and Leicester No 8 Thomas Waldrom, who started the last three Test matches, both released back to their clubs. Northampton flanker Tom Wood and Gloucester No 8 Ben Morgan are expected to join Chris Robshaw in a new-look back row to face the Springboks, with Wasps flanker James Haskell recalled to add a physical presence on England’s bench.
English:
Ben Morgan
Height
1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight
116 kg (18 st 4 lb) [1]
Tom Wood
Height
1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight
113 kg (17 st 11 lb) [1]
Chris Robshaw
Height
1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight
112 kg (17 st 9 lb) [1]
Boks:
Match of round one went to France vs Aus, Match of round two was Aus hitting back at Eng, Now this will be Match of the round with Eng trying to do the same to us.
<sic> Exeter flanker Tom Johnson and Leicester No 8 Thomas Waldrom, who started the last three Test matches, both released back to their clubs. Northampton flanker Tom Wood and Gloucester No 8 Ben Morgan are expected to join Chris Robshaw in a new-look back row to face the Springboks, with Wasps flanker James Haskell recalled to add a physical presence on England’s bench.
English:
Ben Morgan
Height
1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight
116 kg (18 st 4 lb) [1]
Tom Wood
Height
1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight
113 kg (17 st 11 lb) [1]
Chris Robshaw
Height
1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight
112 kg (17 st 9 lb) [1]
Boks:
Willem Alberts
Height
1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight
125 kg (276 lb; 19 st 10 lb)
Duane Vermeulen
Height
1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight
116 kg (18 st 4 lb)
Francois Louw
Height
1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight
112 kg (247 lb; 17 st 9 lb) [1]
Match of round one went to France vs Aus, Match of round two was Aus hitting back at Eng, Now this will be Match of the round with Eng trying to do the same to us.
Bardon
Peter Fenwicke (45)
The English team in recent years, especially their back row, shows that having a big player base is not always a good thing. England have a wide selection of back row players who are all around the same level. This has led to them being based on form, a good thing in the opinion of many fans. However this has led to constant chopping and changing and a lack of a consistent established back row. One week someone is the shinning light the next they are banished back to their club.
Form is an important factor in picking players and many fans including myself bemoan the fact that so many out of form players are retained in our national teams. However I think at times England go too far the other way and make too many changes hindering the efforts to establish a settled side. Sometimes you can have too much choice.
If they beat SA they were the right selections to make but that doesn't mean that will be England's back row for NZ or for the 6Ns.
Form is an important factor in picking players and many fans including myself bemoan the fact that so many out of form players are retained in our national teams. However I think at times England go too far the other way and make too many changes hindering the efforts to establish a settled side. Sometimes you can have too much choice.
If they beat SA they were the right selections to make but that doesn't mean that will be England's back row for NZ or for the 6Ns.
Blue
Andrew Slack (58)
Great observation.
Same with their centre combination. Since Greenwood and Sir Kickamidgetandbangabird they have not had anything settled.
Since 2003 the back row has never really looked like a balanced combination. Good players like Easter and Wood have come and gone and Moody at one staged looked very good but they have been unable to build a proper combination.
It's tough to get a pack to dominate if the back 3 doesn't gel.
Now watch how their back row hands ours the arse (although I'd pick ours every day of the week and yours too, especially if that beast Ferris is healthy. My favorite Oirish player that bloke. Hard as an icy Limerick sidewalk after too many pints of the black stuff wearing improper footwear. That's very hard for short. I know.)
Blue
Andrew Slack (58)
He is good reliable military medium that guy. Not a lot more.
The bloke they brought in for him is really slow though.
PaarlBok
Rod McCall (65)
South Africa:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp
Substitutes: 16. Schalk Brits, 17 Heinke van der Merwe, 18 Pat Cilliers, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Marcell Coetzee, 21 Elton Jantjies, 22 Jaco Taute, 23 Lwazi Mvovo
Stats and facts:
• South Africa and England have played each other 35 times since 1906, with the Springboks winning 21 Tests, losing 12 and with two draws. The Springboks have scored 733 points and 68 tries and conceded 549 points and 39 tries for an average score of 21-16.
• South Africa and England last met on June 23, 2012 in Port Elizabeth. That match was drawn 14-14.
• Jean de Villiers will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok centre, with 68 Tests in this position.
• Gurthrö Steenkamp has scored the most Test tries as a Springbok prop – six.
• Ruan Pienaar jointly holds the record for the most career conversions at Twickenham with Percy Montgomery – three.
• Pat Lambie and Willem Alberts will earn their 20th Springbok caps and Gurthrö Steenkamp will play in his 40th Test for South Africa.
• JP Pietersen needs two tries against England to equal the Springbok record of six career tries against England, held by Bryan Habana.
• Ruan Pienaar needs six points to equal the Springbok record of 26 career points at Twickenham, held by Braam van Straaten.
• Jean de Villiers, Francois Hougaard and Jannie du Plessis will end the season having started in all 12 Tests in 2012.
• Adriaan Straus and Ruan Pienaar will have played in all 12 Tests with four and five appearances from the bench respectively.
• Flip van der Merwe and Marcell Coetzee could also complete a full-house of 12 Tests for the season should they be used as substitutes on Saturday.
• The referee is Nigel Owens of Wales. He’s referee in eight Tests involving South Africa before, of which the Springboks have won five and lost three.
Springbok Test match records at Twickenham:
Most points – 21 by Jannie de Beer (6p, d) against Australia on 30 October, 1999 (and 20 by André Pretorius (c, 2p, 4d) against England on 25 November, 2006)
Most tries – two by Chester Williams against England on 18 November, 1995
Most conversions – three by Ruan Pienaar against England on 22 November, 2008
Most penalty goals – six by Jannie de Beer against Australia on 30 October, 1999 (and four by Braam van Straaten against England on 2 December, 2000)
Most drop goals – four by André Pretorius against England on 25 November, 2006
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp
Substitutes: 16. Schalk Brits, 17 Heinke van der Merwe, 18 Pat Cilliers, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Marcell Coetzee, 21 Elton Jantjies, 22 Jaco Taute, 23 Lwazi Mvovo
Stats and facts:
• South Africa and England have played each other 35 times since 1906, with the Springboks winning 21 Tests, losing 12 and with two draws. The Springboks have scored 733 points and 68 tries and conceded 549 points and 39 tries for an average score of 21-16.
• South Africa and England last met on June 23, 2012 in Port Elizabeth. That match was drawn 14-14.
• Jean de Villiers will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok centre, with 68 Tests in this position.
• Gurthrö Steenkamp has scored the most Test tries as a Springbok prop – six.
• Ruan Pienaar jointly holds the record for the most career conversions at Twickenham with Percy Montgomery – three.
• Pat Lambie and Willem Alberts will earn their 20th Springbok caps and Gurthrö Steenkamp will play in his 40th Test for South Africa.
• JP Pietersen needs two tries against England to equal the Springbok record of six career tries against England, held by Bryan Habana.
• Ruan Pienaar needs six points to equal the Springbok record of 26 career points at Twickenham, held by Braam van Straaten.
• Jean de Villiers, Francois Hougaard and Jannie du Plessis will end the season having started in all 12 Tests in 2012.
• Adriaan Straus and Ruan Pienaar will have played in all 12 Tests with four and five appearances from the bench respectively.
• Flip van der Merwe and Marcell Coetzee could also complete a full-house of 12 Tests for the season should they be used as substitutes on Saturday.
• The referee is Nigel Owens of Wales. He’s referee in eight Tests involving South Africa before, of which the Springboks have won five and lost three.
Springbok Test match records at Twickenham:
Most points – 21 by Jannie de Beer (6p, d) against Australia on 30 October, 1999 (and 20 by André Pretorius (c, 2p, 4d) against England on 25 November, 2006)
Most tries – two by Chester Williams against England on 18 November, 1995
Most conversions – three by Ruan Pienaar against England on 22 November, 2008
Most penalty goals – six by Jannie de Beer against Australia on 30 October, 1999 (and four by Braam van Straaten against England on 2 December, 2000)
Most drop goals – four by André Pretorius against England on 25 November, 2006
Brisbok
Cyril Towers (30)
Even though he is a chicken runner?!
Italophile
Alfred Walker (16)
I wouldn't call Morgan slow. Overweight and unfit is closer to the mark. He can be quick and powerful for half a game, or at least that was his story last season. Word is that Lancaster told him to improve his fitness before he'd be selected again. We shall see. Waldrom can do his shtick, such as it is, for 80 minutes.
Blue
Andrew Slack (58)
He was pretty average in SA on tour earlier this year. Just looked off the pace.
Italophile
Alfred Walker (16)
Who? Morgan or Waldrom?
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
He got go forward and the statsman was very generous. I know they really have an eye to Morgan as a longterm option but at 29 Waldrom will easily make the WC, you've got to go with him.
Italophile
Alfred Walker (16)
I thought Waldrom was their best forward too. Not that he had a lot of competition. They really have a problem with 8s. Easter is a great club player but nothing more. Waldrom makes the absolute most of what he has but is never better than workmanlike. Morgan has the potential to be dynamic subject to his fitness levels. This weekend should tell us more.
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