Wales vs South Africa, Sunday 10 Nov, Cardiff

[Blue]

Meanwhile back in the valleys...

Wales looks strong with few injuries other than Jamie Roberts. The main talking point seems to centre around flyhalf - Biggar vs Priestland.

Likely team seems to be:

15. Leigh Halfpenny
14. Alex Cuthbert
13. Jonathan Davies
12. Scott Williams
11. George North
10. Rhys Priestland
9. Mike Phillips

1. Gethin Jenkins
2. Richard Hibbard
3. Adam Jones
4. Ian Evans
5. Alun Wyn Jones
6. Dan Lydiate
7. Sam Warburton (Capt.)
8. Toby Faletau

Cracking team that. Phillips will start clubless as he has been fired from Bayonne for rocking up pissed at training.

They will give us a hard time in the scrums and it's hard to find a more balanced back row.

For SA the big news is that Jannie du Plessis is out with an injury which is not a bad thing he looked tired. He is being replace by Lourens Adriaanse who in my opinion is the best TH scrummager in SA. It will be interesting to see if Meyer will trust his plan to convert Coenie Oosthuizen up against the very powerful Jenkins. He also has the option of Frans Malherbe who I believe will develop into our best TH prop of the modern era. So Th is looking a bit dodgy for us.

Very good news for us is that Fourie du Preez is available and we see the return of JP Pietersen, Jacques Fourie and wait for it, Bakkies Botha.

Jacques Fourie gave the international game up way too early so its good to see him back. Will he start or play from the bench?

Bakkies has been in excellent form for Toulon for a couple of seasons now. It will be interesting to see how he is used with the rise of the young PS du Toit at 5. I suspect he will play from the bench in one or two tests but we all want to see PS du Toit start with Ysterbeth. It is the future.

After Lambie's excellent CC final I hope he gets a start byt Meyer will go with Steyn.


The team I would like to see starting (with what Meyer will probably do in brackets):

15. Aplon (Kirchner)
14. JPP
13. Jacques Fourie (JJ Engelbrecht)
12. Jdv
11. Habana
10. Lambie (Steyn)
9. Fourie du Preez

8. Vermeulen
7. Alberts
6. Louw
5. PS du Toit (Flip vd Merwe, meh)
4. Ysterbeth
3. Adriaanse
2. Battleship
1. Beast.

But what do I know.

 

[RoffsChoice]

That Wales team looks damn good. Basically the Lions.

I think we'll see a RSA team of
Beast, Battleship, Adriaanse, Etzebeth, Botha, Louw, Alberts, Vermeulen, FdP, Steyn, Habana, JdV, JJ, le Roux, Kirchner
Strauss, Oosthuizen, Malherbe, Flip vdm, Kolisi, Pienaar, Goosen, Serfontein

And I like that team.

 

[PiXeL_Ninja]

Goosen wont make the 23.
Botha will warm the bench in a straight swap for flip

No Jaque Fourie in your 23 RC??

He will make some telling linebreaks this weekend, I think he will crack the nod for 13. (Provided he has learnt all the set plays)

 

[RoffsChoice]

Goosen wont make the 23.
Botha will warm the bench in a straight swap for flip

No Jaque Fourie in your 23 RC??

He will make some telling linebreaks this weekend, I think he will crack the nod for 13. (Provided he has learnt all the set plays)

I'm in the mind of Meyer right now and that's what I'm seeing. He won't go without a second 10 and I don't think he'd drop Serfontein or JJ right now.

If it was my team, it would be Fourie at 13. I don't rate Lambie so it would be Goosen as my backup 10.

 

[Bairdy]

Priestland and Steyn (or Lambie) are going to get absolutely belted in the inside channel this weekend.

Potentially Scott Williams & Jiffy Jr, up against Jean De Villiers & Jaque Fourie / JJ - and all up in that 100kg+ range, bar Williams.

 

[PiXeL_Ninja]

I'm in the mind of Meyer right now and that's what I'm seeing. He won't go without a second 10 and I don't think he'd drop Serfontein or JJ right now.

If it was my team, it would be Fourie at 13. I don't rate Lambie so it would be Goosen as my backup 10.

Lambie is ahead of Goosen in the pecking order and the spot on the bench will go to him. Serfontein will also drop out the 23 for JJ

 

[JSRF10]

If South Africa bring their Tri Nations form they will smash Wales, I don't expect NZ or the Saffers to be troubled much on their tours.

The massive difference for Wales in comparision to the Lions team they dominated is in the halfs. Phillips and Priestland are a huge step down from Murray and Sexton who combined for the majority of the Lions best test rugby. Phillips has been woeful this season and was sacked last week, he usually needs about 3 games in a series to get going to somewhere near international standard. Lydiate is another bloke in shocking form for his club, he is key to getting Warburton involved in a game and if Wales are to make anything of this game they'll need his tackling game to come up a few notches from this seasons form.

If South Africa can get Wales backs turning in defense they'll have tries for fun. As good as North et al are in attack they are suspect in defense even more so without Roberts in midfield marshalling the line.

I wouldn't under estimate the weight of Wales crap record against South Hemisphere teams under Wazza. For all his bluster about making Wales a team capable of winning the World Cup they have the worst record of the home nations against the big 3 since he took over (1 win in 08 over the Aussies). His simple game plan just doen't work against teams who have higher skill levels. I expect this game to be close for 50 but then the Saffers to run away with it.

 

[PaarlBok]

Wallis: 15.L Halfpenny, 14. E Walker, 13. J Davies, 12. S Williams, 11. G North, 10. R Priestland, 9. M Phillips, 1. G Jenkins, 2. R Hibbard, 3. A Jones, 4. B Davies, 5. AW Jones, 6. D Lydiate, 7. S Warburton (capt), 8. T Faletau

 

[PaarlBok]

Likely Bok team: Viljoen, JPP, Mossie, JdV, Habana, Steyn, FdP, Duanne, Alberts, Flo, Flippie, Etsebet, Malherbe, Battleship, Beast

 

[Bardon]

Warren Gatland's refusal to meet referee Alain Rolland ahead of this game is making headlines up here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24814317

Seems Gatland still holds a grudge over he Warburton sending off. Stuff like this is why referees at test level are reticent to give out cards. Even when most people think you got it right it can have a detrimental effect on your career.

 

[RoffsChoice]

Just being a fool. He looks like the idiot here and now either way he's the loser.

 

[Blue]

OMFG Gatland. What a total clown. The biggest whinger in the rugby world. Always hard done by. Always unlucky.

 

[Blue]

Likely Bok team: Viljoen, JPP, Mossie, JdV, Habana, Steyn, FdP, Duanne, Alberts, Flo, Flippie, Etsebet, Malherbe, Battleship, Beast

Who is this Viljoen fella?



You mean Willie right?

How do you feel about Malherbe?

 

[FrankLind]

Some kind of misconduct fine should be levied on Gatland for "being a dick."

 

[Muttonbird]

FdP wandering in and out of the side when he feels like it can't be good.

 

[Muttonbird]

Warren Gatland's refusal to meet referee Alain Rolland ahead of this game is making headlines up here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24814317

Seems Gatland still holds a grudge over he Warburton sending off. Stuff like this is why referees at test level are reticent to give out cards. Even when most people think you got it right it can have a detrimental effect on your career.

Poite knows.

 

[Blue]

FdP wandering in and out of the side when he feels like it can't be good.

Well he is in now and I don't think he is going anywhere fast.

He is infinitely better than any other scrummie in SA so I have no problem with it.

 

[PaarlBok]

Who is this Viljoen fella?



You mean Willie right?

How do you feel about Malherbe?

Sorry Blou, must be the age, willie but look now like Lambie will start.

I am not sure about Malherbe, he havent played a full 80 minutes but then Meyer sure like the look of him. Ginga has been in excellent form but he did not made the sqaud.

 

[PaarlBok]

Warren Gatland's refusal to meet referee Alain Rolland ahead of this game is making headlines up here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24814317

Seems Gatland still holds a grudge over he Warburton sending off. Stuff like this is why referees at test level are reticent to give out cards. Even when most people think you got it right it can have a detrimental effect on your career.

here is hoping Rolland stand tall in this one.

 

[Dan54]

here is hoping Rolland stand tall in this one.

Yep, but it is a bit of a storm in teacup, it's not really all that important, in fact I don't think all that many coaches have these meetings. Usually it makes news if they do. Actually think if you read it he didn't 'refuse' to meet him, but more decided he didn't need to??
Still it makes for great moral outrage on internet forums!!
Has Meyer met with him??