Springboks EOYT

[Logorrhea]

Cronin has been a prospect and is now delivering. Had a wobbly first game against the ABs, courtesy of Heaslip being a twat of note, but looking superb. Good on the fundamentals of the job, and paaaaaaace.

I am a fan of Ferris, but he's not playing great stuff, even in a mediocre Ulster team. Meanwhile, Leamy is on fire. If Ferris doesn't deliver, Leamy will take his place back, on form.

And while Sexton is the future, that does not mean he's the present. He was drek against Connacht, and has a nasty trend of choking in tests. If he doesn't deliver, with ROG on the form he's on, again, the crook is quite likely to come out.

So along with Best, Healy, Kearney and Ferris who you probably suspect are going to lose their places to Munster players of one sort or another, you believe that Sexton and Reddan should be replaced by ROG and Stringer?

You know its okay to take off the Munster jersey for internationals?

Healys has been scrummaging really well this year. Its something Leinster and I presume yer man Feek, have been focusing on. Hes not destructive but hes rock solid so far (Including against Sarries and Racing) and very mobile around the park.

Kearney has been solid if unspectacular this year. Hasnt had many games to be honest but those he has played in hes been ok.

Ferris has come into form over the past two - three games. Especially in the HEC encounters hes been getting back to something close to his old self.

Ireland weakness will be out of touch and the scrum but our backrow will be right at it all game. Get enough ball and we should have some joy against this experimental Bok backline.

 

[Lee Grant]

South Africa:

15. Gio Aplon;
14. Bjorn Basson,
13. Zane Kirchner,
12. Jean de Villiers/Patrick Lambie,
11. Bryan Habana;
10. Morne Steyn,
9. Ruan Pienaar;

1. Tendai Mtawarira,
2. Bismarck du Plessis,
3.Jannie du Plessis;
4. Bakkies Botha,
5. Victor Matfield;
6. Deon Stegmann*,
7. Juan Smith,
8. Pierre Spies.

Replacements:

Chiliboy Ralepelle, CJ van der Linde, Flip van der Merwe. Willem Alberts/Keegan Daniel, Francois Hougaard, Adi Jacobs, Patrick Lambie/Lwazi Mvovo.

 

[dobduff11]

At least you got Bismarck back

That is one of the weakest backlines I have seen RSA put out for a while. Kirchner at 13 is risky has he ever played there for the bulls.

Like the selections of Aplon and Basson though they are exciting players.

Would like to see Lambie get the start at 12 and Keegan Daniel is a good player so it would be good to see him play.

 

[Blue]

At least you got Bismarck back

That is one of the weakest backlines I have seen RSA put out for a while. Kirchner at 13 is risky has he ever played there for the bulls.

Like the selections of Aplon and Basson though they are exciting players.

Would like to see Lambie get the start at 12 and Keegan Daniel is a good player so it would be good to see him play.

Makes no sense. At least they should have bracketed de Villiers with Kirchner at 13 and played Lambie regardless. Baffling. But that's what we've come to expect. At least Stegmann is a positive.

Irish by 7. Irish score twice in a close game running a couple of circles around the midfield. Bugger.

 

[Thomond78]

So along with Best, Healy, Kearney and Ferris who you probably suspect are going to lose their places to Munster players of one sort or another, you believe that Sexton and Reddan should be replaced by ROG and Stringer?

You know its okay to take off the Munster jersey for internationals?

Healys has been scrummaging really well this year. Its something Leinster and I presume yer man Feek, have been focusing on. Hes not destructive but hes rock solid so far (Including against Sarries and Racing) and very mobile around the park.

Kearney has been solid if unspectacular this year. Hasnt had many games to be honest but those he has played in hes been ok.

Ferris has come into form over the past two - three games. Especially in the HEC encounters hes been getting back to something close to his old self.

Ireland weakness will be out of touch and the scrum but our backrow will be right at it all game. Get enough ball and we should have some joy against this experimental Bok backline.

Simply; if you're fighting Isaac Boss for your place, you're not playing well. Healy got absolutely minced by the Connacht guys. Ross has been the better of the Leinster props.

I also reckon Ryan is under pressure; and if Cullen were fit, he'd be there instead of MOD.

BTW, you do know Cronin is playing with Connacht, yes?

 

[Lindommer]

So along with Best, Healy, Kearney and Ferris who you probably suspect are going to lose their places to Munster players of one sort or another, you believe that Sexton and Reddan should be replaced by ROG and Stringer? You know it's okay to take off the Munster jersey for internationals?

Welcome, Log. Good to see a non-sectarian spat between our Irish cousins.

Any Welsh ancestry by chance?

 

[dwats002]

TBH think SA will struggle over there, think Ireland might just have this one aye

 

[Lee Grant]

Yeah, welcome aboard Loggorhea - even though I'm a Munster fan, though not being a native I can never have T78's admirable bias and disdain of things Leinster.

Don't tell T78 but I go for Leinster too - except when they are playing Munster.



It's good for Keegan Daniel to get his chance. He's bracketed on the bench only, but it's a beginning. He has had a fine Currie Cup and oftentimes he has had a good Super14, but was overlooked - first because the Boks preferred bruisers on the openside flank and then because of the emergence of Heinrich Brüssouw. By Bok standards he is a small man and I've seen him listed on on the TV at just 86kgs though just now I read he is 94kgs. [This bodes well for the future of young Aussie Liam Gill, although observer has advised us of his mail that says he is up to 100kgs !! But I digress.]


Whatever - Daniel is not that big for a Bok flanker and it just goes to show how a player can succeed when he plays above his weight.


That midfield will be a problem if JdV can't play and on the other hand Drico is at full fitness again (as opposed to passing a fitness test and telling the Ireland trainers he feels fine). He and D'Arcy are potent players and even more so when playing together; so the Boks need a fully fit JdV to help to counter them. Kirchner at 13 defensively and having to read BOD without a JdV to help him would not give me confidence, and more so if tyro Lambie has to play 12.


It is a pity for Matfield that he has to front up for this tour as he both deserved and needed a break; but let's see: he is a champ. Bakkies will have to step up in maturity as this depleted team cannot afford to suffer another of his yellow cards. At his best he is the finest TH lock in the world but at his worst he can cost a game.


On the Ireland side I will be interested to see how THP Buckley competes against LHP The Beast. I think he has taken a big step up this season but you never really know until the tests are on.


I'm also looking forward to watching 2 of my favourite Munster old stagers: David Wallace and MOD. I could imagine Wallace as a gladiator in Roman times with the foot on the throat and waiting for the thumbs down signal. Like all of us time is marching on for him but family DNA holds him in good stead and some of the things he does on the rugby field, still, and the range of it, makes you wag the head. Sean O'Brien can count himself unlucky but I always thought Wallace would start against the Boks.


Mick O'Driscoll is arguably a bit fortunate. He's there because of the long term injury of skipper POC and the too late return of Leo Cullen from his, but he can play his kind of game consistently from weekend to weekend and it will make no difference that the next opponent is the Springboks. He is also one of the most admirable cheats in the game though the highest honour in that category for an Irish player must ever go to Quinlan, his Munster team mate.


Should be a good game but to win Ireland will have to withstand the manic blowfly at the window body launching by the Boks at the start of each half.

 

[DPK]

Battleshiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip!

 

[Blue]

Looking forward to see the Beast v Buckley. Two big buggers. Tendai's scrummaging has come on in leaps and bounds. He has worked very hard on this aspect of his game and will want to use the opportunity with Steenkamp's injury keeping him at home.

The biggest thing we all forget is no John Smit. Bismarck is starting to return to his best form and when he is on he is really on. He will make a huge difference in open play and especially at the breakdown where he is a complete nuisance. This is where I see us possibly getting an edge. Between the Battleship and Stegmann we could make life very hard for the Irish on the ground. Stegmann will have to watch it though, He copped two cards in consecutive matches for the Bulls and got dropped to the bench. He came back successfully after that. I hope Keegan get's 20 and expect him and Kanko to come on as a combination.

I was very worried about the Boks intensity in the 3N. They just did not look psyched up. Maybe those yellow cards in the games in NZ early on just deflated them. I think so.

Big, big test for the Boks. Lose this and all hell will break loose.

 

[PaarlBok]

Glad they picked Steggies. This gives the Bokke the best pack picked all year. Pienaar and Morne shoould dominate , back three poison, midfield a bit of a worry.

 

[fatprop]

I can't see the backs getting the ball much

 

[PaarlBok]

I can't see the backs getting the ball much

you mean Ierland? They wont get much pill.

 

[Larno]

Can't say I'm overly optimistic about our chances here. That Springbok pack is most likely going to paste ours and Best is going to be seriously embarrassed by du Plessis and Matfield come line-out time.

I think SA are better in the halves, but our midfield and back three are better as a unit. Aplon is going to be troublesome.

 

[PaarlBok]

Jeans clear for action

De Villiers cleared to play

Jean de Villiers (File)


Dublin - Centre Jean de Villiers will win his 64 cap for South Africa on Saturday after passing a late fitness test in Dublin on Friday morning.

He takes his place in the centre alongside Zane Kirchner for the first Test of the Springboks’ four-Test tour of Britain and Ireland.

Meanwhile, uncapped backrower Willem Alberts has not recovered sufficiently from a calf strain and is replaced on the bench by his Sharks backrow team-mate and in the similarly uncapped Keegan Daniel.

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers welcomed the news of his namesake’s recovery: “We have been hard hit by injuries to our centres so to have Jean available is a major boost. He is an experienced international and is in charge of the backs on tour so it’s great to see him back on the field.

“We had made contingency plans, and had trained with them in mind all week, but with Jean’s knowledge of Ireland’s players – having played for Munster – it was important to have him available for this match.”

Daniels also a good one. Expect him and Lampie to make a huge impact from the bench.

 

[Logorrhea]

Healy got absolutely minced by the Connacht guys.

Your talking about last years game yeah? The scrum was a non-event this year. The whole game was a non-event really.

Ross has been the better of the Leinster props.

Strange to hear a Munster fan focus on the scrummaging ability of props when youve been brought up on Hayes, Horan and Mushy is the solution. Ross has been one of three effective props for Leinster. Hes certainly the most improved (game time helps) not sure if hes been the best, a tight call.

I also reckon Ryan is under pressure; and if Cullen were fit, he'd be there instead of MOD.

Ryan shouldnt be anywhere near the Irish squad at the moment. Hes neither a second row nor a backrow. Same goes for MOD and Leamy but thats a different debate for a different day.

BTW, you do know Cronin is playing with Connacht, yes?

Your the one who said he was one of yours (Munsters). Do you?

Welcome, Log. Good to see a non-sectarian spat between our Irish cousins.

Ahhh we do them all the time. Check out Munsterfans of Leinsterfans coming up to a derby match. The threads are full of "my red one is bigger and better than your blue one" (even though your blue ones have beaten the living shite out of us 5 times in a row now )

No Welsh heritage thank fook.

As for the game, you'd imagine the boks have to target the Irish front five and try to dominate possession. We have a suspect scrum, a lineout that is going to have to rely on getting Heaslip and Ferris up and down very very quickly, and no real fetcher to turn the ball over at the breakdown.

If they give the Irish too much ball we'll rip them to shreds. Not because were playing well but its a makeshift defensive unit that wont be able to handle Sextons passing and O'Driscolls hands.

Ireland by 10-15 I'd say. Primarily down to the makeshift nature of the springbok team.

 

[macg101]

Can't say I'm overly optimistic about our chances here. That Springbok pack is most likely going to paste ours and Best is going to be seriously embarrassed by du Plessis and Matfield come line-out time.

I think SA are better in the halves, but our midfield and back three are better as a unit. Aplon is going to be troublesome.

Solid optimism there, reckon Best will do a decent job, thats what he's there for, in fairness to the fella he has never let Ireland down, lineouts are decent and so is his scrummaging.

worried about the scrums do, but given that we now have a specialist and Leinster and Munster scrums are much better this season than in recent history it will be interesting to see how this one goes.

More than enough firepower in this pack to go out there and try and gain parity, I reckon it could come down to the half backs and both look equal if a slightly better pair for the boks on paper.

Hopefully the boks play a kicking game and our trump card, i.e. the back 3 come to the fore! To be fair Kearney has started the season well, apart from one game that I can think of!

 

[macg101]

Your talking about last years game yeah? The scrum was a non-event this year. The whole game was a non-event really.


Strange to hear a Munster fan focus on the scrummaging ability of props when youve been brought up on Hayes, Horan and Mushy is the solution. Ross has been one of three effective props for Leinster. Hes certainly the most improved (game time helps) not sure if hes been the best, a tight call.


Ryan shouldnt be anywhere near the Irish squad at the moment. Hes neither a second row nor a backrow. Same goes for MOD and Leamy but thats a different debate for a different day.


Your the one who said he was one of yours (Munsters). Do you?


Ahhh we do them all the time. Check out Munsterfans of Leinsterfans coming up to a derby match. The threads are full of "my red one is bigger and better than your blue one" (even though your blue ones have beaten the living shite out of us 5 times in a row now )

No Welsh heritage thank fook.

As for the game, you'd imagine the boks have to target the Irish front five and try to dominate possession. We have a suspect scrum, a lineout that is going to have to rely on getting Heaslip and Ferris up and down very very quickly, and no real fetcher to turn the ball over at the breakdown.

If they give the Irish too much ball we'll rip them to shreds. Not because were playing well but its a makeshift defensive unit that wont be able to handle Sextons passing and O'Driscolls hands.

Ireland by 10-15 I'd say. Primarily down to the makeshift nature of the springbok team.

Ye ye ye, all you get from Leinster fans is this nonsense about starting Toner ahead of MOD, who had an absolute stormer against Toulon, and was voted Munsters best player last season (A season where Munster got to the semi-final of the Heiniken Cup) Where was Toner then? trying to dodge tree surgeons Id say.. MOD is there by right on form and is by far the best solution out there if Cullen or POC aren't fit.

 

[Thomond78]

Your talking about last years game yeah? The scrum was a non-event this year. The whole game was a non-event really.

Good. So we know you're a spoofer. Connacht, at the end of the game, drove the Leinster pack through their own arses, twice. Everyone commented, even on LF.com, that Leinster were haunted not to give away a penalty there, when it was a one-score game at the time. Claiming it was a non-event means one of two things; one, you didn't watch the game; or two, you're on a troll.

 

[Thomond78]

Can't say I'm overly optimistic about our chances here. That Springbok pack is most likely going to paste ours and Best is going to be seriously embarrassed by du Plessis and Matfield come line-out time.

I think SA are better in the halves, but our midfield and back three are better as a unit. Aplon is going to be troublesome.

I have to agree with the Nordie on this one in the specifics, if not the general. Best's throwing has a bad track record of being erratic. To give him his due, he did a good job this time last year against the same oppo; but, though I know and like Micko, he's not POC. And it was POC who dismantled the Bok lineout last year.

I also think he's not been the same player since his neck injury. Given what happened to poor oul' Simon the brother, I'd be astonished if it didn't wreck his head a small bit; and that small bit can be enough.

The weather, btw, broke about two weeks ago. It's been raining every day since. Don't expect running rugby. Oddly, this suits the Bokke; while Pienaar was kak against Munster in Ravinghell in similar conditions, given the makeshift backine, nine-man rugby could well be the best answer to the conditions. Think we'll go okay at the scrum and breakdown. Lineout worries me badly. If the Bokke try to shift it, it will suit us. If they go for Bloubull skietskopendonner, could get squeaky.