[2015 RWC] Semi Final 1: South Africa vs. New Zealand (24/10/2015)

[ABs2011]

Just realized, but this the second World Cup semi final these two countries will have contested this year!

Would be nice if we could have the same result with the same dramma!! Just as long as we dont have the same thing happen with the final

 

[RoosTah]

Would be nice if we could have the same result with the same dramma!! Just as long as we dont have the same thing happen with the final

That final was the Australian ODI beast at its ruthless best. They're a side that are the opposite to the Proteas - they just seem to get more punishing when the pressure is on. In Rugby, playing an All Blacks side that has show it has well and truly got the monkey off its back, I'd suspect the final may well be similar, but reversed.

 

[Redcatstorm]

That final was the Australian ODI beast at its ruthless best. They're a side that are the opposite to the Proteas - they just seem to get more punishing when the pressure is on. In Rugby, playing an All Blacks side that has show it has well and truly got the monkey off its back, I'd suspect the final may well be similar, but reversed.

To be Honest I'm not convinced we can beat NZ in the final so i'm praying SA can pull a rabbit.

I do think we will beat Argentina, unconvincingly but still win.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Rain is forecast, the semi final will be a very tight affair.

 

[RoosTah]

To be Honest I'm not convinced we can beat NZ in the final so i'm praying SA can pull a rabbit.

I do think we will beat Argentina, unconvincingly but still win.

I tend to agree. South Africa and Australia are probably more evenly matched these days, with the two sides trading similar wins and losses over the past 10 years (15 wins to Australia and 13 to the Boks). Both sides are much less well matched to the ABs though

 

[KeyboardWorrier]

Rain is forecast, the semi final will be a very tight affair.

Rain is another positive for NZ.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Is it?
Im not so sure anymore...

- - - Updated - - -

Retallick has said in the paper that he's sure that RSA will turn up with their best game ready to go.

 

[User1245]

http://m.ewn.co.za/2015/10/20/Springboks-pay-tribute-to-drowned-teacher

Come on Boks, pull one off for Zukisa.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

As if we aren't up against it already first its Garces as referee and now rain.

On a positive though at least it sounds like De Jager might make it to the Semi.

 

[Durbanite]

I reckon the rain actually counts in our favour, even though NZ are a team better suited to rain I think it'll reduce the likelyhood they leave us behind on the scoreboard. Time will tell I guess.

 

[TheOvalBall]

I reckon the rain actually counts in our favour, even though NZ are a team better suited to rain I think it'll reduce the likelyhood they leave us behind on the scoreboard. Time will tell I guess.

Good point. Accuracy with ball in hand counts for even more now. Rain usually levels the playing field.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I reckon the rain actually counts in our favour, even though NZ are a team better suited to rain I think it'll reduce the likelyhood they leave us behind on the scoreboard. Time will tell I guess.

Good point. Accuracy with ball in hand counts for even more now. Rain usually levels the playing field.

I think the NZ skill levels are good enough to not be noticably effected by the rain. Good pressure on defense from SA will go a much longer way in compounding NZ mistakes and if we are hoping for NZ mistakes in order to win then I just don't want it TBH. In SA we are just too used to perfect weather and we have a tendency though to attach too much value to the weather and will be the likelier team to change our approach. This isn't 1992- you can play rugby in wetter conditions it has been shown on many an occasion.

If it does become a kicking contest because of the rain NZ has the drop on us. Our kicking game has been a horror show for a while now. If NZ doesn't take part in a kicking duel we'll likely be supplying NZ with plenty of ball from kicks anyway. Under Garces we wont be as effective at the breakdown.

We are the team with the more speed out wide (Habana, Kriel, Le Roux all've got more gas than their NZ counterparts). Heavy underfoot conditions favor power and supporting play (handling, decision making) rather than pure pace. Pace (ITO running speed not speed on the ball) is the only aspect of our wide play where we edge NZ.

We are the team that'd have hoped to have an edge at the scrum and maybe milk a few penalties. Rain makes it slippery underfoot. It could go either way there.

The only way I can see rain helping our cause if it does indeed translate to a very close game on the score board despite my misgivings and then 'anything can happen at the death'.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I don't think the weather will give either team much advantage...

Both teams have their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to dry or wet weather.

I do think it's going to be close, and South Africa will have to play better than they have all year! our best performance was against the All Blacks in Johannesburg earlier in the year, and I hope they use that to channel some focus into the team.

 

[WaterboySA]

I think the SA forwards can take the AB forwards. My worry is that the SA backs don't know what to do with the ball when they DO have it. Earlier in the season I thought that was changing. We started to score backline tries. Our 10, 12 and 13 clicked for the first time in years. I have not seen ANY of that in the WC.PLEASE don't put the ball in the air all the time, the AB back 3 will kill us. PLEASE Fourie, don't give every second ball to Schalk. That mean AB captain will take most of them from him. We don't want that!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I think the SA forwards can take the AB forwards. My worry is that the SA backs don't know what to do with the ball when they DO have it. Earlier in the season I thought that was changing. We started to score backline tries. Our 10, 12 and 13 clicked for the first time in years. I have not seen ANY of that in the WC.PLEASE don't put the ball in the air all the time, the AB back 3 will kill us. PLEASE Fourie, don't give every second ball to Schalk. That mean AB captain will take most of them from him. We don't want that!

Blame Schalk Burger (or the genius responsible for him being there if its not of his own accord) with his 26 carries, 1 kick and 14 passes. That's 41 touches compared to Pollard's 39 (I'm taking our QF vs Wales as an example). Worse than that; take away kicks (the majority of which would be necessary for clearing and thus won't be in attacking situations) and it reads Burger @ 40 and Pollard @ 28 touches of the ball!!! Incredulous!

Our backline should get more ball. Jesse Kriel looked anonymous but its not because he's lost his feet. Off 4 runs he made 40 meters and racked up a clean break and 2 defenders beaten. He should get more ball. JPP and Habana are in decent form and our wingers have been scoring tries given the opportunity. But we put Schalk in at first reciever and the ball doesn't go further than De Allende because it moves too slow or goes to a forward on a pop pass from Schalk (the idea being shifting the point of contact but so clumsily and forced/telegraphed it loses all use - timing is the key) or Schalk carries it up himself and he just isn't dominating contact the way any of our other forwards or De Allende are or has the ability to beat a defender or create play with pace or skill like any of backline players. THE weak link for SA currently despite his man of the match award. Crazy!

Someone thinks its clever for a flanker to act as first reciever and while Schalk has more skill than many other forwards he isn't at the same level as Parisse/any NZ loose forward and a fair few tight forwards/ actually I'm not going to carry on with this list its too exhaustive let alone *any* international fly half. Its not novel or revolutionary, its not done elsewhere because its pleinweg stupid.

 

[TheOvalBall]

Blame Schalk Burger (or the genius responsible for him being there if its not of his own occord) with his 26 carries, 1 kick and 14 passes. That's 41 touches compared to Pollard's 39. Worse than that; take away kicks (the majority of which would be necessary for clearing and thus won't be in attacking situations) and it reads Burger @ 40 and Pollard @ 28 touches of the ball!!! Incredulous!

Our backline should get more ball. Jesse Kriel looked anonymous but its not because he's lost his feet. Off 4 runs he made 40 meters and racked up a clean break and 2 defenders beaten. He should get more ball. JPP and Habana are in decent form and our wingers have been scoring tries given the opportunity. But we put Schalk in at first reciever and the ball doesn't go further than De Allende because it moves too slow or goes to a forward on a pop pass from Schalk or Schalk carries it up himself and he just isn't dominating contact the way any of our other forwards or De Allende are or has the ability to beat a defender or create play with pace or skill like any of backline players. THE weak link for SA currently despite his man of the match award. Crazy!

Someone thinks its clever for a flanker to act as first reciever and while Schalk has more skill than many other forwards he isn't at the same level as Parisse/any NZ loose forward and a fair few tight forwards/ actually I'm not going to carry on with this list its too exhaustive let alone *any* international fly half. Its not novel or revolutionary, its not done elsewhere because its pleinweg stupid.

Everytime Schalk gets the ball, in my head i'm saying: "Here we go again"

 

[TRF_heineken]

Blame Schalk Burger (or the genius responsible for him being there if its not of his own accord) with his 26 carries, 1 kick and 14 passes. That's 41 touches compared to Pollard's 39 (I'm taking our QF vs Wales as an example). Worse than that; take away kicks (the majority of which would be necessary for clearing and thus won't be in attacking situations) and it reads Burger @ 40 and Pollard @ 28 touches of the ball!!! Incredulous!

Our backline should get more ball. Jesse Kriel looked anonymous but its not because he's lost his feet. Off 4 runs he made 40 meters and racked up a clean break and 2 defenders beaten. He should get more ball. JPP and Habana are in decent form and our wingers have been scoring tries given the opportunity. But we put Schalk in at first reciever and the ball doesn't go further than De Allende because it moves too slow or goes to a forward on a pop pass from Schalk (the idea being shifting the point of contact but so clumsily and forced/telegraphed it loses all use - timing is the key) or Schalk carries it up himself and he just isn't dominating contact the way any of our other forwards or De Allende are or has the ability to beat a defender or create play with pace or skill like any of backline players. THE weak link for SA currently despite his man of the match award. Crazy!

Someone thinks its clever for a flanker to act as first reciever and while Schalk has more skill than many other forwards he isn't at the same level as Parisse/any NZ loose forward and a fair few tight forwards/ actually I'm not going to carry on with this list its too exhaustive let alone *any* international fly half. Its not novel or revolutionary, its not done elsewhere because its pleinweg stupid.

I think that was a plan to get Biggar and Roberts to defend the inside channels and shift to the outside, but it didn't work as the ball came out too slowly from the rucks and we had no time to create space for Kriel and the wingers outside.

I don't think that we will use that plan at all against the All Blacks. And I also think De Allende and Kriel will get more chances with the ball. And they will use the confidence from the previous match-up against Nonu/Smith where they outplayed them in Joburg.

 

[TheOvalBall]

Sprinbok team to play All Blacks: Willie le Roux, JP Pietersen, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana, Handre Pollard, Fourie du Preez ©, Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Burger, Francois Louw, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira.

Replacements:
Adriaan Strauss, Trevor Nyakane, Jannie du Plessis, Victor Matfield, Willem Alberts, Ruan Pienaar, Pat Lambie, Jan Serfontein

 

[TRF_heineken]

Team has been announced and added to the OP.

So basically just Victor replacing PS Du Toit on the bench.

 

[WaterboySA]

Willie-tripple side step and confuse myself-le Roux made it......NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!:wall: