[2024 TRC] South Africa v New Zealand - 07/9/2024

[ChicagoKid]

Telea at 11 is the biggest concern. He can't seem to defend that wing and he's kind of useless under the highball.

How Handre and Willie kick versus Jordan and McKenzie is critical.

 

[Becca]

SA are my second team anyway, so I always want them to win

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Razor is still nowhere near settling on his best team yet. I think he's still experimenting and trying to find combinations. To me if ALB isn't starting I wouldn't have him on the bench - I don't think he's a bench player. I'm shocked that Papali'i isn't there - assume he is still injured.

the problem is his experiments are often things that have already been tried several times and failed...even the idea of starting players that have said they are leaving/retiring....whats are you aiming for there?

 

[miccloarch]

the idea of starting players that have said they are leaving/retiring....whats are you aiming for there?

Experience, he said it multiple times. Willie le Roux is starting for the Boks.

NZRU's fingerprints are all over the size of his coaching and selection teams. They know he's not a yes-man like Fozzie so they probably reigned him in with conditions during the hiring process. Step by step, he's breaking free from those constraints, and that started with firing McDonald.

I could be wrong but what's more likely: a 7 time SR champion and serial winner isn't cut out for international footy or he's been constrained by the stubborn, bureaucratic NZRU, the biggest source of all problems in NZ rugby on and off the field?

 

[miccloarch]

Rassie's results in 2018

50% win rate and 7 losses. Razor would be slaughtered if he ended the year with that record lol.

Apparently he also said he'd have resigned if they lost the famous Wellington test but I'm not so sure I believe him. That is the test match that turned the rugby world on its head though. The way the Boks celebrated was... interesting

From an AB perspective, people seriously need to chill. Razor is not Fozzie. He will turn the corner at some point. They're already improving and starting to play a Crusaders brand of rugby.

 

[saulan]

Rassie's results in 2018

50% win rate and 7 losses. Razor would be slaughtered if he ended the year with that record lol.

Gotta keep in mind what he inherited though. The year before we lost to Italy. We were in a terrible way, which provides for a bit of leeway, but yea he came close to going if he didn't win that NZ game

 

[Gavin]

Referee better be consistent with that 5 second ruck rule for the whole of the match now.

Big first scrum from South Africa

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Scrum looking ominous if you're an ABs fan

 

[miccloarch]

Missed the haka. Did the Cape Maori shut those disrespectful Saffas up?

Doubt it.

Respek other cultures, jou doo5

 

[Gavin]

Missed the haka. Did the Cape Maori shut those disrespectful Saffas up for the haka?

Doubt it.

Respek other cultures, jou doo5

I didn't think they were quiet during it. At least for the first bit of it the crowd was shouting

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Death, taxes, Jasper Wiese card

 

[Alex Anghel]

Reece, what an idiot…I hope it's his last test in black.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Pollard's gonna be in the ref's ear at half time
"Sir, their 10 keeps passing the ball - is that allowed?"

 

[ChicagoKid]

Willie having an absolute shocker on offense and defense. Time for Sacha.

 

[miccloarch]

I didn't think they were quiet during it. At least for the first bit of it the crowd was shouting

They were actually a lot more quiet than usual. Cape Maori did their job lol.

 

[miccloarch]

Very high error rate from both teams in this test match.

 

[miccloarch]

Really poor start to second half from the ABs.

We're gonna get smashed if we don't wake up quickly.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

NZ's game management is interesting*.

*bad

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Bad miss.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Sacha and Am are so much better than Pollard and Kriel, night and day since they came on