[2018 Rugby Championship] Round 3: Australia v South Africa (08/09/2018)

[TRF_heineken]

Strange Bok team. Stronger bench than starting line up!

Not so strange, as mentioned before, it's basically the same starting line-up we used during the EOYT with a few tweaks here and there.

What this however does tell me is that it appears that we will be looking at a more forward orientated game, which could be our downfall, but then again, with Beale playing at 10, I think we have a chance to target his channel a lot.

 

[George Ford]

Foley dropped for Beale who is shite at 10.

Arnold finally promoted to the starting team after finish the season on fire. Toomua for his first start in a few years.

Marx rested and Jantjies promoted.

I think the Wallabies have the better team, if only just.

Beale always sparks against the Boks, wherever he plays. The Wallabies boast more caps than the Boks, but they were always lucky to get some sort of result out of this fixture the last few years.

So the 6 changes that were rumoured were true for the Boks. Love the bench though, that will be some impact later in the game.

Here's hoping Kriel and De Allende perform like we know they can, De Allende especially has been pretty good for WP in the Currie Cup, and Kriel has been great all season for the Bulls.

Jantjies getting a second chance, maybe his last chance to impress Rassie.

The pack is pretty much an attempt to try and tick the boxes of covering most areas, and I think the plan is going to be to clear out Hooper and Pocock at the rucks instead of trying to compete for the ball against them.

No doubt there is a definite plan to unleash that bench at some point - or any. Rassie's turn to make a real statement with the tactics he will employ.

Also said that Bok loosie not on par with Aus, will need more support from the other forwards (i.e. Kitshoff, Bongi, Mostert)

There is an optimist feel for the way this team is put together, in spite of knowing this not to be the settled combinations.

 

[SomeOke]

Just to give my thoughts on some of the more contentious selections:

- Elton; obviously Elton has failed to prove himself when it counts again and again, sadly though Pollard hasn't really performed recently, and with Willie taking on a lot of his play-making duties, and him missing a lot of his kicks, he's not offering a hell of a lot. Additionally with a year left to go for the world cup we just don't have time to groom another man for the number 10 jersey (we can't have a Damian Willemse or a Rob du Preez piloting the Bok backline with 10 caps) that means the only other real option is Lambie who I think will probably get a call up if Jantjies and Pollard prove insufficient. Both have higher ceilings than Lambie but lower floors as well. All in all I'm OK with this change, keep letting them fight it out until one of them actually gains some form.

- PTSD for Flouw, a bit of a strange change but I think the tactic is going to be to attack the breakdown aggressively when we have the ball, and don't compete much when we don't have the ball. A bit worrying and regressive especially without any fetching ability from Marx or Vermulen, not having a proper fetcher in the side in any position doesn't feel like the smartest move, the jury is out here.

- Whiteley, maybe Duane isn't available for some reason. In any case I don't think he brings enough to the team, especially with Siya on the field who offers the same kind of skillset in terms of being a wide man on attack.

- DDA / Kriel, probably too early for this change but I can see the logic, in the end AE and AM are tadpoles in springbok rugby, and while this combination has proven problematic in defense in the past, there wasn't a huge improvement in our defense when they left. Also they have both had good season. I'm OK with this change as well.

- Malherbe, why is this guy still around, Thomas du Toit and Louw are just better, let the guy have a season of rugby before rushing him back into the international set-up. Of all the contentious selections this is the one that makes the least sense.

Anyway I'll remain optimistic as always for the game this weekend. Clearly I'm a sucker for punishment.


As for the Aussie team I'm actually a big fan of the Beale/Foley axis, I'm not to sure that Toomua/Beale will improve things, but in general their back line is way stronger and our tight 5 is stronger (just to wildly change the historic nature of this fixture).

 

[TRF_heineken]

Just to give my thoughts on some of the more contentious selections:

- Elton; obviously Elton has failed to prove himself when it counts again and again, sadly though Pollard hasn't really performed recently, and with Willie taking on a lot of his play-making duties, and him missing a lot of his kicks, he's not offering a hell of a lot. Additionally with a year left to go for the world cup we just don't have time to groom another man for the number 10 jersey (we can't have a Damian Willemse or a Rob du Preez piloting the Bok backline with 10 caps) that means the only other real option is Lambie who I think will probably get a call up if Jantjies and Pollard prove insufficient. Both have higher ceilings than Lambie but lower floors as well. All in all I'm OK with this change, keep letting them fight it out until one of them actually gains some form.

- PTSD for Flouw, a bit of a strange change but I think the tactic is going to be to attack the breakdown aggressively when we have the ball, and don't compete much when we don't have the ball. A bit worrying and regressive especially without any fetching ability from Marx or Vermulen, not having a proper fetcher in the side in any position doesn't feel like the smartest move, the jury is out here.

- Whiteley, maybe Duane isn't available for some reason. In any case I don't think he brings enough to the team, especially with Siya on the field who offers the same kind of skillset in terms of being a wide man on attack.

- DDA / Kriel, probably too early for this change but I can see the logic, in the end AE and AM are tadpoles in springbok rugby, and while this combination has proven problematic in defense in the past, there wasn't a huge improvement in our defense when they left. Also they have both had good season. I'm OK with this change as well.

- Malherbe, why is this guy still around, Thomas du Toit and Louw are just better, let the guy have a season of rugby before rushing him back into the international set-up. Of all the contentious selections this is the one that makes the least sense.

Anyway I'll remain optimistic as always for the game this weekend. Clearly I'm a sucker for punishment.


As for the Aussie team I'm actually a big fan of the Beale/Foley axis, I'm not to sure that Toomua/Beale will improve things, but in general their back line is way stronger and our tight 5 is stronger (just to wildly change the historic nature of this fixture).

For some reason I'm also optimistic about the weekend, and I don't know why.

Just on Vermeulen, AFAIK he'll only join the group next week in NZ, as per agreement with his Japanese team. So it was basically a choice between Whitely and Flouw or Kolisi at 8.

I think the only fetcher in the starting line-up is maybe Kitshoff, who might be an odd choice to compete against Pocock and Hooper. But I think there is some sort of other plan in dealing with those 2. My guess is that Etzebeth and Mostert along with PSDT and Malherbe will be marshalling them at the ruck, and maybe try and neutralise them 2-at a time...

 

[SomeOke]

For some reason I'm also optimistic about the weekend, and I don't know why.

You and I are just die-hards Heineken, we love the Bokke to much to give up on them .

 

[Bada-Bing!]

For some reason I'm also optimistic about the weekend, and I don't know why.

Just on Vermeulen, AFAIK he'll only join the group next week in NZ, as per agreement with his Japanese team. So it was basically a choice between Whitely and Flouw or Kolisi at 8.

I think the only fetcher in the starting line-up is maybe Kitshoff, who might be an odd choice to compete against Pocock and Hooper. But I think there is some sort of other plan in dealing with those 2. My guess is that Etzebeth and Mostert along with PSDT and Malherbe will be marshalling them at the ruck, and maybe try and neutralise them 2-at a time...

Targeted running at Pocock so he's forever tackling and then smashed back when he tries to get up and compete for the ball. Pretty much what ABs have done to neutralise Pocock at the breakdown.

 

[Durbanite]

A bit of a gamble, but I reckon if the boks finally start well and we play with some patience we can keep it close. Aus got very tired the last two tests and if we can get them as tired as the ABs did then the bench should be hugely impactful.

Duane could not come sooner, glad Flouw is benched after his wobbles in Arg, Siya is back at 6 where he belongs and Mapimpi has returned.

Think Snyman should've started instead of Mostert, hope Kriel runs straight not laterally, and please let EJ have a good performance.

This team is good enough to win if thy want it enough, should be a cracker!

 

[unrated]

I have been optimistic about Rassie and the Boks since he took over, there has been some moves that i was skeptical about but gave him the benefit of the doubt, but i must say that this selection is the one that i most disagree with.
Obviously i hope we win but i dont see that happening, We cant rely on just cleaning out their fetchers as they have the uncanny ability to still steal the balls even if people arrive at the ruck almost immediately. We just had to steal our fair share of the ball.

I think we will win the advantage line battle but that Aus will have the majority of possession and that we will have to make much more tackles than them. We needed to play our best team, Rassie said after the Argentina loss that they were planning some changes for Aus but that went out the window with their loss, but then he goes on and make mass changes anyway, so i guess he reconsidered.

I can understand the need to build depth but at this point in time with our 7th world ranking i would favour just sneaking a win in Australia for the first time in years ( In an attempt to build a winning confident culture) over the need to build depth.

 

[SomeOke]

I don't think this team is obviously worse, I can make an argument for most of his selections (other than Marx).

Once we see our team against the ABs we'll know more about what Rassie fancies his first team to be. It's even possible Am and AE were never first choice but were getting a run against Argentina.

 

[Bull]

I think the Boks have too much natural resources to decline forever. I actually think the "problem" is that the All Blacks are much much much much much stronger than the rest.
All the other teams can beat each other. For example the Boks beat England this summer. England are a strong team.

SA rugby is in the dumps and I have serious doubts it will ever recover. Too much political mingling, poor administration and ultimately players leaving for greener pastures.

 

[SomeOke]

My guide to staying sane:
- Be happy with any small progress.
- Accept we will be bad in the short term (next few years).
- Write off 2019.
- Aim for 2023.

 

[Derpus]

For some reason I'm also optimistic about the weekend, and I don't know why.

Just on Vermeulen, AFAIK he'll only join the group next week in NZ, as per agreement with his Japanese team. So it was basically a choice between Whitely and Flouw or Kolisi at 8.

I think the only fetcher in the starting line-up is maybe Kitshoff, who might be an odd choice to compete against Pocock and Hooper. But I think there is some sort of other plan in dealing with those 2. My guess is that Etzebeth and Mostert along with PSDT and Malherbe will be marshalling them at the ruck, and maybe try and neutralise them 2-at a time...

Because the Wallabies are equally as terrible as the Bokke these days. These two fixtures should be the most watchable in the championship in theory. Both teams are at about the same point.

You can just write off any game involving the ABs. Although the Jags are looking somewhat improved.

 

[Derpus]

Pocock is out with an injury, Samu into number 8. Failed to overcome injury resulting from a neckroll inflicted by the Allblacks.

Aaaand that's the game.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Pocock is out with an injury, Samu into number 8. Failed to overcome injury resulting from a neckroll inflicted by the Allblacks.

Aaaand that's the game.

Yeah just heard about it on the radio. Feel sorry for him, but at least now we'll see if Australia can remain competitive without relying too much on 2 fetchers.

 

[Derpus]

Folau is out too.

 

[Bean]

No way? Kidding? ffs

 

[Derpus]

Maddocks starting with Banks on the bench. Should probably be the other way around.

 

[NDC89]

What is happening with the Wallabies? Adam Coleman has been ruled out as well now according to Sky Sports.

 

[Derpus]

Wallabies looking good to finish last. Based on Argentinas performance.

 

[Ospervat]

SA rugby is in the dumps and I have serious doubts it will ever recover. Too much political mingling, poor administration and ultimately players leaving for greener pastures.

Yep. That's about the sum of it.