The Rugby Championship 2017

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^^ I'd prefer "if" to "when" but otherwise true, that.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

South Africa

15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Dillyn Leyds, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Francois Louw, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6, Siya Kolisi, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth (captain), 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshof. Substitutes: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Jean-Luc du Preez, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Handre Pollard, 23 Damian de Allende

Louw at 8 is a surprise but du Toit at 7 (6 in the Australasian system) is downright astonishing. AC says it's all good, though:

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/RugbyChampionship/coetzee-explains-loose-trio-surprises-20171005

Not sure what to make of anything the guy says after his "we've got no show" comments mid-week.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Match official-wise it's the Garces & Poite show. What could possibly go wrong

Date: Saturday, October 7
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17:05 local (15:05 GMT)*
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France), Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)

*0205 AEDT, 0405 NZDT.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Background to Beast's absence:

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/i...ra-to-miss-all-blacks-test-for-family-reasons

 

[Blue]

South Africa

15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Dillyn Leyds, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Francois Louw, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6, Siya Kolisi, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth (captain), 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshof. Substitutes: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Jean-Luc du Preez, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Handre Pollard, 23 Damian de Allende

Louw at 8 is a surprise but du Toit at 7 (6 in the Australasian system) is downright astonishing. AC says it's all good, though:

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/RugbyChampionship/coetzee-explains-loose-trio-surprises-20171005

Not sure what to make of anything the guy says after his "we've got no show" comments mid-week.

Just as I thought Coetzee could not get any weirder he does. Astounding. He plays a guy at 8 who has barely ever even played there. PS du Toit has been awful at flank in test rugby. He is a lock. The end. Ruan Dreyer was the most penalised player in the whole Super rugby season, was penalised off the park in the previous test against the ABs yet he starts again. He is awful, just awful. The Boks have real quality issues. The following players will not get a start in a New Zealand Super Rugby team, and would be lucky to make the bench: Coetzee, Skosan, Jantjes, Cronje, Dreyer, Nyakane, Paige, de Allende. This is the worst Bok backline in living memory. Kriel presided at 13 in the 57-0 drubbing and he was supposed to marshall the backline defense? And he is still there? H is a fifteen and has always been a fifteen. Move him there, and bring in Ruan JvR at 12 with Serfontein at 13. For fucks sake it is so glaringly obvious. Jantjes really is not up to rugby at this level. He lacks the composure. It is a deep dark hole we are in.

 

[Blue]

The midfield is screwed if when Crotty goes down.

Have you seen the record of the guys they are playing? You could plonk your props at 12 and they will get through the inside channel.

 

[Scooter]

What a great match. An awesome effort by South Africa, unlucky to lose.

Sensational performance by Malcolm Marx.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Very physical test match. Both teams defended very well.

Thought the AB replacements stepped up well.

Crotty and DMac were superb. NMS very good before getting injured.

The reffing at the breakdown was interesting to say the least.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Now that's proper AB v Bokke Test Match footy for ya!

Pissed off with Marshall prattling on about "control" & "downward pressure" re: the Crotty try when neither are required, ditto saying the card for de Allende was harsh when he copped Sopoaga flush on the chin (probs a Yellow but at 70+ minutes does it really matter?).

Biggest grumble for mine was them choosing to play on after the HT siren, damn near cost us the lead & defo cost us Nehe Milner-Skudder for the foreseeable, not sure if the fact he's previously had the shoulder reconstructed makes his rehab this time easier or worse?

Lastly, how good was Marx. Reminded me of Fitzy in his hey-day. Absolutely awesome shift from him.

 

[Dan54]

Yep WOB, hope anyone that saw it realises that why we like test against the Boks. Geez bloody tiring just watching it, and not sure how the first half went 50 minutes (well I do but can't understand why someone didn't kick it out), I thought end of game when you saw how the players were mingling etc was a good reminder of when a couple of teams have just had a tough test and they respect the efoort of each other.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

The reffing at the breakdown was interesting to say the least.

holy shit there will be some sore bodies today after that. Law of the jungle at the breakdown. People exoceting in from any old angle at any old time of their choosing. Bit disappointed Patrick T didn't throw his weight around a bit more in final stages. Should be capable of usurping S.Barrett who was keen but hardly Murder on Stilts. Frenetic stuff though. I think Dane Coles may have been presenting symptoms for rabies at one stage.

 

[Kenny Powers]

People exoceting in from any old angle at any old time of their choosing. Bit disappointed Patrick T didn't throw his weight around a bit more in final stages. Should be capable of usurping S.Barrett who was keen but hardly Murder on Stilts. Frenetic stuff though. I think Dane Coles may have been presenting symptoms for rabies at one stage.

I think S. Barrett in now king of the cheap shots in the All Blacks taking over from Coles, clean outs with no arms!

 

[Shiggins]

I hope he gets his reff accreditation taken away. It was so bad. Worst reff ever.

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Re: NMS's shoulder, I thought he'd reinjured the one he had rebuilt after RWC but turns out it's the other one so likely gone for ~6 months.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11930745

 

[Blue]

D de Allende is a complete waste of space. What a moron.

EOYT Backline:

15. Kriel / Gelant
14. Nkosi / Gelant
13. Serfontein
12. R J vRensburg
11. Skosan
10. Pollard
9. Adams

We have to try something. Our backline is awful.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Common sense prevails re: de Allende with the judiciary finding it only a Yellow card offence & accordingly issuing a warning but no further penalty:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...damian-de-allende-against-all-blacks--sanzaar

 

[Braveheart81]

The red card was ridiculous. Yellow would have been reasonable. It was a stupidly late hit and he did make high contact.

At least the timing in the game meant the type of card made no difference. He was done for the rest of the match regardless.

 

[zer0]

Milner-Skudder's injury was entirely avoidable and Read should've reigned the backs in, but what's done is done. So I'm now, officially, starting the Matt-Duffie-for-test-winger bandwagon.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^ Naholo will surely start in Bled 3 & the way JSav's been going at 14 for Wellington I wouldn't be surprised if he gets an EOYT gig but Duffie must also be a chance for that, too.

 

[Ulrich]

Marx with BDP on the bench for EOYT please.