[2014 TRC] New Zealand v South Africa in Wellington (13/09/2014)

[Icemn]

If we continue kicking the ball away for no reason, we are going to get smashed. Hopefully Habana will be marking Savea, because he will have a field day running at little Cornal Hendricks all night. I can see us being competitive, but with the gameplan we have, along with Pienaar, we will lose. AB's by 15-20.

banana cant tackle to save his life... he has speed, so he can chase you down and tackle you from behind which is much easier...

i hope the weather is going to be good... its wellington after all... its so wet in wellington if you set a mouse trap, you will catch a fish... and the chips...

and i dont want SA to blame the loss on the weather, some card or a referee decision...

 

[austingtir]

Last year they'd of picked Luatua in a hearbeat at 6 will be very telling if he's not selected and they basically run two "opensides" (even though Mccaw plays like a cross between the two imo).

I hope Luatua gets a shot myself. Sam Cane has been poor from what iv seen of him and I prefer Todd atm. Canes going to be around for years best to not select him when he plays like ****e to wake him up.

 

[austingtir]

banana cant tackle to save his life... he has speed, so he can chase you down and tackle you from behind which is much easier...

i hope the weather is going to be good... its wellington after all... its so wet in wellington if you set a mouse trap, you will catch a fish... and the chips...

and i dont want SA to blame the loss on the weather, some card or a referee decision...

This is the thing that irks me the most going into this match... its like what decision is this Ref going to cock up in this match? It just seems in every match they are making huge errors.

 

[Icemn]

i'd also go for luatua at blindside, king richard at openside and Read at 8...

damn the injuries are rolling in thick and fast now... i wonder if there is a thread on this?

i think AUS prob has the most injuries, then Nz followed by SA... i think :?

 

[Darwin]

Last year they'd of picked Luatua in a hearbeat at 6 will be very telling if he's not selected and they basically run two "opensides" (even though Mccaw plays like a cross between the two imo).

I hope Luatua gets a shot myself. Sam Cane has been poor from what iv seen of him and I prefer Todd atm. Canes going to be around for years best to not select him when he plays like ****e to wake him up.

Cane has been poor? Cane was good against Argentina. Very good.

The strange thing about Cane is that he seems to perform much better at test level than at Super Rugby level. If you were picking the test side purely on Super Rugby form I would agree that Todd (or Braid) would be well ahead of Cane (who is solid, but unspectacular at Super Rugby level), but Cane just seems made for test rugby IMO. He topped the tackle count against Argentina despite only playing 37 minutes. These weren't passive tackles either - he hits pretty damn hard! I still think he needs to work on his accuracy, and could improve his work at the breakdown, but I can certainly see why the AB's selectors rate him so highly (he is already included in their leadership group!).

 

[TRF_heineken]

Jerome Garces has just been announced as the referee for the match!

Oh Dear

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Jerome Garces has just been announced as the referee for the match!

Oh Dear

Goeiste. TBH I would've even prefered Poite. At least he might have looked to 'make up for' 2013 unconsciously.

 

[Jer1cho]

Jerome Garces has just been announced as the referee for the match!

Oh Dear

Oh god another french referee? Bismark better not start then.

 

[Icemn]

well for me there has only been 3 good referees in sport...

Andre Watson
Pierluigi Collina
and Cyril Mitchly

 

[kusta]

Why is Pienaar still there? Let Houggard start and lets give Cobus Reinach a chance, that guy has immense talent.

Stopped Complaining about Morne Steyn cause that change will never come. I believe Lambie is the way at 10 and should be given that position to be able to settle in. In fact im surprised there arent as much Sharks players in the match-day 23 considering they got the furthest in the competition than any other SA side but oh well its Heyneke what can we expect.

On this game im saying NZ to win by 10-20 points easily.

 

[Big Ewis]

think it's impossible the Boks will win this. How quickly things change, would've bet it was their best chance to go knock the AB in NZ in a while just some time ago. AB are too good right now - not invincible, but just very very good. They just react too well to things we throw at them, have a brilliant sense of urgency, can come back in games easily, don't break under pressure, too much talent everywhere on the roster, great bench; and their two biggest flaws (at least according to little old me) aren't even a concern per se, just something to look out for maybe later: scrum and kicking at goal. It would take a team that's shown pure quality throughout their season, and neither of England, Ireland, Australia, France, Wales or Argentina have shown that. All have at least one soft area. Not even the Boks who have shown substantial vulnerability as of late, and repeatedly.
The Boks may surprise us, they're still the most likely team to beat NZ in this tournament, and the 2nd best in the world; but going into NZ right now, winning ? Just can't see it.

Blacks are on too good a streak, not just result wise, mentally. With every win they seem to be more focused for the next game and fix little things that weren't 100%. They look like a very healthy organization, showing great togetherness and solidarity, with just enough simplicity and clarity in the game plan but never predictable. So I reiterate: they're not invincible, other AB squads have looked more unbeatable, but they're just really really good and nobody right now is really really good themselves...
Additionally, whenever they get an injury or make positional changes, they still don't look like a team vulnerable in their cohesiveness. Crotty comes right in at center, no problem, owns his end. B.Smith or Dagg the next match at 15, np. Even their 10, Barret starts, has a great game and AB attack fluidly.

I'm always too eager to giving a prediction, I'll just wait to have a look at the 23's, even though there won't be major surprises from these two..
No doubt on my mind the All-Blacks will win TRC this year, and btw ppl stop it with the "predictable" thing. The matches are fkng awesome to watch, most of the time, and that's all that matters.

 

[Wendigo7]

With everything going on with SA at the moment and the very poor management of Meyer in all facets of Springbok play and selection, I can't see anything at the moment other than a Springbok hiding. A massive hiding at that. Racial discimination from with in ("Half blacks by 2019" slogan this week), old guard coming in and failing, poor structures, forward not monstering opposition of late.

Springbok play is usually disjointed but extremely powerful, this is a mess.

All blacks by 20+ if the boks continue in the same vein they've played this tournament.

 

[The Jones Boy]

You guys are in Lady Gaga land... the Boks are angry and they will come out firing on all cylinders and belt seven daylights out of the AB's especially in the forwards.
The AB's are magnificent, but they are human and they will struggle with any team that serves it up strong all game long.
This game is in NZ and thats always a help but even so, this talk of 20 points couldn't be more of a fantasy if Peter Jackson made a trilogy out of it.
The Boks are way too good for that kind of Blackwash.
AB's are my pick but only by 6 points in a very tough game.

 

[Icemn]

You guys are in Lady Gaga land... the Boks are angry and they will come out firing on all cylinders and belt seven daylights out of the AB's especially in the forwards.
The AB's are magnificent, but they are human and they will struggle with any team that serves it up strong all game long.
This game is in NZ and thats always a help but even so, this talk of 20 points couldn't be more of a fantasy if Peter Jackson made a trilogy out of it.
The Boks are way too good for that kind of Blackwash.
AB's are my pick but only by 6 points in a very tough game.

SA is too predictable and team sports are won off the field, Hansen has a few cards up his sleeve where Heineken Meyer has 1.

You talk about all game long... That is the other issue with the boks, they can only play for 60min, in rugby, if you are fit, you already have the game won. That is what nz is, they are incredibly fit and can keep the intensity up, that is what they will do to the boks on Saturday.

If the weather allows for good rugby, then yes, AB with +20, banana will go for intercepts and create gaps as he always does...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Sadly I also can't see us winning. Angry and focussed we might keep it close but I don't think we'd be able to contain them the entire 80, not in the state we're in unless those underperforming do a 180 and/or we see changes and those perform given the chance. Even then we'd need a bit of something out of the ordinary. NZ +14

 

[Jer1cho]

I was thinking earlier about when we beat New Zealand thanks to that epic Ricky January try, and how, as utterly useless as he was, he still did something that I can remember. Pienaar has over 70 tests now. I don't remember one thing he has ever done apart from be blindingly average and kick like a schoolboy.

 

[Kapa O Pango]

Cane at 9, McCaw at 10, Read at 12. Seems very logical.

 

[kusta]

Cane at 9, McCaw at 10, Read at 12. Seems very logical.

And would probably still beat the Springboks...

 

[Big Ewis]

could see Read at 12...

 

[Big Ewis]

http://www.allblacks.com/News/25907/springboks-named-for-all-blacks-test-in-wellington

Springboks side:

15 Willie le Roux - 18 Tests, 35 points
14 Cornal Hendricks - 6 Tests, 20 points
13 Jan Serfontein - 13 Tests, 5 points
12 Jean de Villiers (captain) - 99 Tests, 125 points
11 Bryan Habana - 100 Tests, 280 points
10 Handre Pollard - 3 Tests, 29 points
9 Ruan Pienaar - 79 Tests, 135 points
8 Duane Vermeulen - 22 Tests, 10 points
7 Marcell Coetzee - 19 Tests, 20 points
6 Francois Louw - 33 Tests, 25 points
5 Victor Matfield (vice-captain) - 114 Tests, 35 points
4 Eben Etzebeth - 26 Tests, 0 points
3 Jannie du Plessis - 57 Tests, 5 points
2 Adriaan Strauss - 37 Tests, 25 points
1 Tendai Mtawarira - 58 Tests, 10 points

Replacements:

16 Bismarck du Plessis - 63 Tests, 45 points
17 Trevor Nyakane - 6 Tests, 5 points
18 Marcel van der Merwe - 2 Tests, 0 points
19 Lood de Jager - 6 Tests, 10 points
20 Warren Whiteley - 1 Test, 0 points
21 Francois Hougaard - 29 Tests, 20 points
22 Pat Lambie - 33 Tests, 68 points
23 Damian de Allende - 2 Tests, 0 points