Greetings simpletons. No Happy today as he’s away to renew his vows with spiritual life partner, Danika, and from now on will write as ‘Far Less Happyman’. Today you get Thursday’s entree edition before Friday’s sumptuous rugby banquet. A double helping of Hoss you might say, and quiet possibly fantasise about.
Battered Boks.
The bashed and beaten Boks have rung the changes for this weekend’s next Wallaby win by naming 10 changes to the first test team that got absolutely smoked in the murder capital of the world last week.
A knee injury sees them without post try poser and part time skipper, Siya Kolisi, while PSDT is out with PTSD (ie, in accordance with concussion protocols for failing a post match HIA). They’ll also be without their two speedster wingers who are both out with injured pride for not being able to run down a busted and broken Harry Wilson with a bung knee for his second try.
Apart from that, coach Johan welcomes back a couple of rather handy type players with Cheslin Kolbie and Damian de Allende returning from injury, Canan Moodie back on one wing and with Willy le Roux chalking up test #100 getting the start at #15. As for the rest, only centre Jesse Kriel, halfback Grant Williams, loose forward Marco van Staden, hooker Malcolm Marx and prop Ox Nche keep their places. Even Tom Hooper rag doll, Eben Etzebeth, has been sent to the pine with Kriel named captain.
Call me a one-eyed optimist, but I reckon last week’s Bok side looked stronger.
SPRINGBOKS (15-1): Willie le Roux; Canan Moodie, Jesse Kriel (capt), Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe; Handre Pollard, Grant Williams; Jean-Luc du Preez, Franco Mostert, Marco van Staden; Ruan Nortje, RG Snyman; Thomas du Toit, Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche
Replacements: Marnus van der Merwe, Boan Venter, Wilco Louw, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Kwagga Smith, Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
The book of St Joe.
Let’s look at the records broken last week by St Joe and his men at Ellis Park:
- First win in 62 years by a Wallabies team in Johannesburg.
- First Wallabies win in any test for 14 years in the lands of the DDF.
- Biggest winning margin against DDFs in DDF-ville.
- Biggest deficit ever overcome against SA.
- Most points ever scored against the Boks in a test anywhere.
- First time a team has ever scored 6 tries against the Boks. Could’ve been 7 if BPA (held up at end of match) was named Jac Morgan.
- Won second half 33-0. Yep, 33-0.
- St Joe – 100% unbeaten in all tests as Wallaby coach in South Africa.
- St Joe – most successful Wallaby coach ever at altitude. 100% win record that he will always have and that can never be beaten.
Rankings.
What a difference a week makes. Beating a team ranked above them, away from home and by 15+ points saw the Wallabies get the maximum 3 point bump in the rankings score. While still ranked #6, another win this weekend (a gimme) and one against the FISMs back home and we will have locked up a top #6 ranking and seeding for a RWC pool. We’ve suddenly gone from .03 in front of the Argies to be 3.48 clear and in control of our destiny.
Unfortunately our massive win also gave the sheep shaggers a boost and they now warm the #1 spot for us for a few weeks. On the flip side, another 15+ win this weekend and we could rise to #4 in the world. Wouldn’t that be nice.
Bye bye bye Delilah?
Last night bbc.com.sport/rugby are reporting the WRU are considering halving the number of Welsh professional sides from 4 to 2 in a move that many worry will decimate the game in Wales and have them ‘facing oblivion’, which to be fair I thought they did a few months back. Be interesting to get Eloise’s insight here.
Happy birthday to us.
Today is the second anniversary for G&GR under the ownership of Ponderosa Publishing with my great mates (and business partners), Brisneyland Local and Heidi. It was two years ago today Matt Rowley handed over the keys to the G&GR kingdom for an exorbitant fee and it’s been a fabulous few years of fun and rugby frivolity.
A special thank you to the whole G&GR team of RAWF, Nutta, KARL, Yowie, Happyman, KB, Eloise and those contributions from Allyoz, Damo, Georgia Satellite. Also to our dedicated Talking Teams podcast crew of Happy, Sully and co. The Dropped Kickoff guys of Nick Wasiliev, Nick Hartman and some other dude from RA, William-something. There’s also a huge thank you to two gents in the shadows: Stephen Tremain for access to his wonderful photography, all at no charge, and our long suffering edita, edeta, editor, Lindommer, for his efforts in polishing the Mon-Thu turds articles. To our forum moderators, lead by the G&GR Godfather Sully, we are so grateful for the roles you perform in what can sometimes (often) be a wild-wild rugby frontier. And a reminder that all who contribute on these pages are volunteers and their contributions are so generous and we are all grateful for it. To our sponsor John at Goodradigbee Distillery (still 20% off for G&GR members) thank you for your commercial support.
And lastly to you, the little people, who read, listen, comment or just enjoy G&GR from the digital shadows, thank you, thank you so very much. Without you it would count for nought. Oh, and just a reminder, we have a donations tab on the right hand side of the page as well. Just saying.
That’s all for today. Some extremely talented guy back tomorrow with what many critics have called puerile shit ‘brilliant rugby entertainment and insight’. Sounds awesome.
Toodles.
