The Rugby Championship 2014 - Non-Wallaby Games

[qwerty51]

Is Matfield injured or is he playing the other TRC matches? I thought he was brought back out of retirement for this?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Is Matfield injured or is he playing the other TRC matches? I thought he was brought back out of retirement for this?

"The Springboks will be without Victor Matfield for a second straight week as he continues his rehabilitation on a knee injury.

"The veteran lock did not fly to Argentina for South Africa's Rugby Championship rematch with los Pumas and was spotted at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday.

"Matfield was ruled out of last weekend's opening Test due to a cartilage tear and is likely to only be available for the clash against Australia in a fortnight's time."

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3821_9430064,00.html

Both teams now out:

ARGENTINA: Joaquin Tuculet, Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, Marcelo Bosch, Juan Martin Hernandez, Manuel Montero, Nicolas Sanchez, Martin Landajo, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Paul Matera, Thomas Lavanini, Mariano Galarza, Ramiro Herrera, Agustin Creevy (captain), Marcos Ayerza. Reserves: Matias Cortese, Bruno Postiglioni, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Matias Alemanno, Leonardo Senatore, Tomas Cubelli, Jeronimo de la Fuente, Horacio Agulla.

SOUTH AFRICA: Willie le Roux, Cornal Hendricks, Damian de Allende, Jean de Villiers (captain), Bryan Habana, Handre Pollard, Ruan Pienaar; Duane Vermeulen, Juan Smith, Francios Louw, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Gurthro Steenkamp. Reserves: Adriaan Strauss, Tendai Mtawarira, Frans Malherbe, Bakkies Botha, Marcell Coetzee, Francois Hougaard, Morne Steyn, Lwazi Mvovo

 

[Marcelo]

Can The Pumas beat Springboks at home this year? Mmm...

 

[Blue]

Seriously I think it will be a massive upset if the Pumas win. They will turn it onto an ugly arm wrestle. The Boks will be more up for it though. They got ambushed at the breakdown last week and with lots of niggle.

I look forward to a more clinical, disciplined approach from the Boks.

 

[Braveheart81]

Seriously I think it will be a massive upset if the Pumas win. They will turn it onto an ugly arm wrestle. The Boks will be more up for it though. They got ambushed at the breakdown last week and with lots of niggle.

I look forward to a more clinical, disciplined approach from the Boks.

They're paying $5.25 so the bookies certainly think it would be a massive upset!

 

[boyo]

Can The Pumas beat Springboks at home this year? Mmm.

Possibly

 

[Nusadan]

Blimey, no wonder they took a drinks break half way thru first half in the Argies v Saffies match on now, temp is 34 deg C! And it's meant to be winter over there!

 

[PiXeL_Ninja]

Puma's dominating in every facet of play. Wish you chaps could face them at full strength, they're a tough nut to crack. We are shit.

 

[Bardon]

Argies were much the better team in the 1st half. Their scrum is a real weapon. SA made the most of their opportunities. A little more accuracy from the Pumas and they can still win this one.

 

[Bardon]

ARG much more accurate in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half and rewarded with 2 tries. Suspicion of a forward pass on the 2nd one but the TMO didn't check it. 25-16 up and a huge chance for them to get their first TRC win.

 

[Nusadan]

The TMO got it wrong in awarding that Saffies try just then, there was a clear blade of green grass between the ball and the goal line!

 

[Bardon]

Fair play to Steve Walsh for telling the Pumas player there was no need to go to the TMO on that missed dropped goal as he was in the perfect position.

 

[Dewald Nel]

The TMO got it wrong in awarding that Saffies try just then, there was a clear blade of green grass between the ball and the goal line!

Look again.

 

[Nusadan]

Look again.

You're obviously a Saffie, eh?

 

[Nusadan]

What a cruel game, rugby, is, Argies were the better team, yet history repeats itself with Saffies winning at the death in a similar way to the corresponding match last year!

 

[Bardon]

Final score ARG 31 SA 33. Unlucky for the Pumas they put in a mighty effort but just couldn't bring it home. When they get into these positions they need to keep the scoreboard ticking over. 3 points in the last 25 minutes just wasn't good enough. They're getting closer to their 1st TRC win.

Good on SA for the way they dug themselves out of a huge hole. They were completely dominated for most of the game but they came home strong and did just enough to get across the line.

 

[Iñaki Zubizarreta]

congrats to the springboks... again we were very close! I think the argentine scrum is returning to the good old days, pushing straight forward. Some things to improve in our side, psychic and mentally to finish the matchs, but good development till now

 

[Pfitzy]

Didn't see the game, but gutted for the Pumas. Nearly their first win!

 

[Blue]

Great moral fibre shown by the Boks. That game looked gone.

I thought Adrian Strauss was the guy who turned it. He came on and really got the pack to lift their game. The du Plessis brothers had a collective mare.

The Boks scrum is in tatters. Jannie Doep badly shown up. Malherbe not much better and not injured again as well.

De Allende is not a 13. He completey fucked up the defensive aligment. At one stage JdV was yelling at him after he had rushed out of the line for the tenth time.

Ruan Pienaar played well. Better effort from Pollard. JdV is short of a gallop. Juan Smith looked a shadow of his former self. We really need a real number 5 to play at 5.

Hendricks is a great finisher but he does not look for work. Saved our arse with that try though.

Good luck Wob scrum. The only way to counter that Argie scrum is to start praying today. It is going to be ugly.

 

[Dewald Nel]

You're obviously a Saffie, eh?

I think you mean you're obviously not. It was quite clearly on the line.