[2013 TRC] New Zealand vs South Africa in Auckland (14/09/2013)

[Gena_ZA]

Messam is a quality act, some players can fit in almost immediately on the international level, with what the AB's have they made the right choice to counter Alberts and Vermeulen.
Coles in the new breed coming through,
Cane has never had a bad test game and where there s a tackle there is a Todd.

The Boks are at their best now in a long long time and hope for that one clinical win.
The Blacks are a bit off their best and hope not to loose at home for once
Still a big gap between the two teams based on the last few years but the Boks are showing signs of challenging that top spot

I am wishing for 2 teams to be massively competitive over an extended period of time
and this Saturday might just be the start of that era

 

[TRF_heineken]

What!? Me, a doomsayer.. have you read therough some of my posts on here? I just said we do put Willie on a pedestal which is true but I never said people couldn't or shouldn't
, well at least not around a braai but the media should be careful of not overhyping players but I think HM is lightyears ahead of PdV ITO keeping players grounded and managing expectations.

The Doomsayer wasn't aimed at you, it was aimed at your response to the other post. Sorry for being a bit vague.

I think Hansen is taking a bit of a gamble.

Changes at Hooker and 2 new backrow changes plus inside centre. Those are 4 vital tactical positions. If your Hooker gets frazzled or is under pressure, then your first phase ball possession is lost. Having 2 new flankers can be detrimental to getting momentum. And Nonu, after just coming back from injury could be a defensive liability.

All this considered, they are quality players, and shouldn't have any problems. I just think that this is more fuel to the fire for the Boks to win.

Some other interesting stats:

The last time the All Blacks lost the Tri-Nations was when they were smashed the previous EOYT by a NH team.
Saturday is the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, and interestingly enough, in 1937 when the Boks last won at Eden Park, it was also on the Yom Kippur holiday.

The Stars are aligned!!

 

[RyotoTheDragon]

Looking forward to the game, especially since it's against SA. They are and have always been the ABs greatest rival, so I hope we blow them out of eden park haha. I dont think the ABs have been playing that well so far, so SA could very well get the win, which makes for an even more exciting test.

 

[Ho3n3r]

yeh I know. But I'm saying NZ have a clear advantage there. SA hasn't looked scary on attack in "big games" for a while. I know they've scored a bunch of tries against Italy, Samoa and more recently Argentina at home, but though they had a few against Australia the other day they were struggling on attack. It was due to lapses from Australia on defense that SA got those tries. Habana never looked threatening..I'm just saying, SA could improve a lot in that department, as especially for this match-up I think they sure could use some good backs play. The forwards and scrums and rucks may not be enough.

Hello.

Sorry for falling in here, but have you been watching test rugby for the last 20 years? Test rugby, and especially 'big games' is won more by dictating the game, extremely solid defence and good tactical kicking, and somewhat by capitalising on opposition mistakes. Airy fairy great running rugby will get you nowhere, as you need gaps everywhere for that, and that does not just fall out of the air in big games.

You watched the 2011 RWC final, you should know that. New Zealand had to divert from their normal gameplan there, as they would've lost again in a final otherwise.

Balance is key. All-out attack is just dumb.

 

[Big Ewis]

Hello.

Sorry for falling in here, but have you been watching test rugby for the last 20 years? Test rugby, and especially 'big games' is won more by dictating the game, extremely solid defence and good tactical kicking, and somewhat by capitalising on opposition mistakes. Airy fairy great running rugby will get you nowhere, as you need gaps everywhere for that, and that does not just fall out of the air in big games.

You watched the 2011 RWC final, you should know that. New Zealand had to divert from their normal gameplan there, as they would've lost again in a final otherwise.

Balance is key. All-out attack is just dumb.

no disagreement there. Not just Rugby but all team sports: finals (or very important matches) are won with conservatism, nobody's even questioning that...
And NZ were looking to run a lot during that 2011 Final, it's just France met them at every corner each and every time, not sure if you noticed what form France was on that day.

"Airy fairy great rugby will get you nowhere": right, tell that to the AB who separate themselves clearly from everybody else because they do exactly that. The AB do have a scrum, and forward play, they do have great penalty kickers and play good territorial in-game kicking, they will collect penalties from the pressure they apply - but they also score a ton of tries on all opposition. They're always looking to attack, and they waste very few occasions. If they didn't have that attacking dimension, they wouldn't be the AB, and they would NOT hold that no.1 world spot with so much domination and consistency.

It seems their motto goes something like "7 points are more than 3", and not only is it by far the prettiest brand of rugby there is; though that isn't nearly the point; it's also the most prolific and devastating kind.

And since we're on a 'NZ VS SA' thread, let me stay on topic and repeat my concern: I don't know that SA can beat NZ at home "without their backs".

 

[TRF_heineken]

And since we're on a 'NZ VS SA' thread, let me stay on topic and repeat my concern: I don't know that SA can beat NZ at home "without their backs".

What do you mean without our backs?

Do you think we will JUST use our forwards and perhaps Morne Steyn??

in the last 6 matches the Boks scored 31 tries.

HM's teams always score tries, whether its the Bulls or the Boks, the team score tries, and more often than not it's the backs that will score...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Also don't know where Yoe91 is coming from WRT "without our backs"... but the man will learn. It reminds me of people moaning about the Bulls winning SR "on the back of Morne Steyn's boot" when they were the leading try scorers for two years running (pardon the pun).

 

[TRF_heineken]

Also don't know where Yoe91 is coming from WRT "without our backs"... but the man will learn. It reminds me of people moaning about the Bulls winning SR "on the back of Morne Steyn's boot" when they were the leading try scorers for two years running (pardon the pun).

In 2006 and 2007 the Bulls were actually 2nd on the amount of tries scored, just behind the Crusaders.

 

[Da Grappla]

The Doomsayer wasn't aimed at you, it was aimed at your response to the other post. Sorry for being a bit vague.

I think Hansen is taking a bit of a gamble.

Changes at Hooker and 2 new backrow changes plus inside centre. Those are 4 vital tactical positions. If your Hooker gets frazzled or is under pressure, then your first phase ball possession is lost. Having 2 new flankers can be detrimental to getting momentum. And Nonu, after just coming back from injury could be a defensive liability.

All this considered, they are quality players, and shouldn't have any problems. I just think that this is more fuel to the fire for the Boks to win.

Some other interesting stats:

The last time the All Blacks lost the Tri-Nations was when they were smashed the previous EOYT by a NH team.
Saturday is the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, and interestingly enough, in 1937 when the Boks last won at Eden Park, it was also on the Yom Kippur holiday.

The Stars are aligned!!

Is there any jew left on SA rugby?

 

[TRF_heineken]

Is there any jew left on SA rugby?

Does it really matter???

We are not Germany

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

In 2006 and 2007 the Bulls were actually 2nd on the amount of tries scored, just behind the Crusaders.

Okay, so 2nd but the point still stands doesn't it..??

 

[Da Grappla]

Does it really matter???

We are not Germany

Hahaha...It's there a german in the house to be offended? :lol:

Well...I'm jewish, so I'm just curious about it...not the most casher type I recognize that (sorry grandma). Since I'll be attending Kippur services at the synagogue, I wondered what the average Moses would do if he were a rugby player on the holiest day. As holy as most jews, even atheists attend.

I remember a scottish player who wouldn't play on sundays or the triple jumper Jonathan Edwards (his 1995 world record stands still) who was largely unknown to general public because he didn't compete on sundays either, until his (priest? Vicar? Shepherd?...sorry) told him otherwise.

 

[Tadginator]

Messam to start
NEW ZEALAND: Liam Messam,

hes back

 

[Big Ewis]

uh oh...there's a jewish guy on the forum. Did you HAVE to be jewish dude ?! That's anooother thing I can't joke about now on this thing !
Can't make fun of the haka, can't make fun NOTHIN on here, and now THIS ?!

And yes...I've got someone dear to me in my family that's German. But I don't mind jokes, as long as they're not pathetic that is.

 

[ratsapprentice]

A Spanish Jew?

 

[Peat]

Euan Murray doesn't play Sundays. Didn't Michael Jones also have a problem with it?

 

[TRF_heineken]

In SA there is no rugby ever played on Sundays.

Sundays are still seen as a holy day in SA, not only for Jews, but for most Christians in SA. Guys like Pierre Spies and Bakkies Botha, have spoken out about it in the past.

That said, it seems that when they play in NZ or Aus, they are a bit more lenient about their faith principles.

But this is a discussion for another thread...

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Is it like that with a lot of other things. When I was living in Phalaborwa, we could not buy alcohol on Sundays. However, when I went and tried to buy it, the guy asked me where I was from (because of my accent). When I told them, I was from Holland, he made an exception and sold me alcohol on a Sunday.

Ever since that day, I had to buy alcohol for a bunch of guys and on occasion drove to several liquor stores in 1 day.

 

[Draggs]

Is it like that with a lot of other things. When I was living in Phalaborwa, we could not buy alcohol on Sundays. However, when I went and tried to buy it, the guy asked me where I was from (because of my accent). When I told them, I was from Holland, he made an exception and sold me alcohol on a Sunday.

Ever since that day, I had to buy alcohol for a bunch of guys and on occasion drove to several liquor stores in 1 day.

You are like that older guy teenagers hang out with so they can get alcohol.
I just hope you switched up stores each time you went, rather than visit one a few times in a day.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Yeah, I visited different stores each time. I did collect a lot of discount for myself by the way