Ireland’s tour of South Africa

[TRF_Olyy]

bet that's caused a few people to lose their lunch

 

[big ginger 8]

Give me the all or some of the following or I just won't be that into it:

Porter, Sheehan, Bealham, Big Joe, Beirne, Baird, VdF (if only Connors was fit), Doris, Casey, Crowley, Lowe, Henshaw, Ringrose (c), Nash, Jimmatron 5000

Kelleher, prop, Furlong, Ryan, POM, Murray, Prendo, Osbourne

I cannot imagine a situation where if there's no injuries POM isn't starting the first test. I'm hoping Casey starts but am expecting Murray. Also no way he'd have Prendergast and Osborne on the same bench. From Catt's last interview Prendergast is very much there to learn rather than play and they want Frawley for the 6-2.

Oh and he'll be starting Furlong.

View attachment 20561

bet that's caused a few people to lose their lunch

I presumed it was trolling but they've done the same thing for Esterhuizen.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I cannot imagine a situation where if there's no injuries POM isn't starting the first test. I'm hoping Casey starts but am expecting Murray. Also no way he'd have Prendergast and Osborne on the same bench. From Catt's last interview Prendergast is very much there to learn rather than play and they want Frawley for the 6-2.

Oh and he'll be starting Furlong.



I presumed it was trolling but they've done the same thing for Esterhuizen.

No offence or anything. But you suck.

View attachment 20561

bet that's caused a few people to lose their lunch

That's hilarious to be fair. The one out of ten times that the S.A camp are funny and not cringe.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Confirmed injured:
Steven Kitshoff, Jean Kleyn, Lood de Jager, Cameron Hanekom, Jaden Hendrikse, Henco van Wyk, Canan Moodie and Damian Willemse

Less than I expected and only really gonna miss Willemse. I'd have liked Van Wyk to get a shot vs Wales but he will get his look in. Wouldn't start him vs Ireland in any case and he'd never get on the bench ahead of a more versatile player.

Squad:
Forwards: Phepsi Buthelezi, Ben-Jason Dixon, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth. Johan Grobbelaar, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Salmaan Moerat, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Evan Roos, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Jasper Wiese
Backs: Lukhanyo Am, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian de Allende, Faf de Klerk, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Wilie le Roux, Manie Libbok, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg, Edwill van der Merwe, Grant Williams

Big squad. I expect a rather predictable line-up however for the most part but am really hoping for SFM to crack the nod at 10 ahead of Pollard or Libbok. Pollard on the bench if we need his nerve. I expect the players I colored green will feature though. My expected 23.

Standby list:
Forwards: Jean-Luc du Preez, Joseph Dweba, Neethling Fouche, Celimpilo Gumede, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ruben van Heerden, Andre-Hugo Venter
Backs: Suleiman Hartzenberg, Jordan Hendrikse, Ethan Hooker, Quan Horn, Siya Masuku

All those forwards are welcome but I prefer AH Venter ahead of Dweba. A bit of a trend and it might just be me but as a Stormers fan I'd also have SFM ahead of Libbok at 10, Fouche ahead of Malherbe and Van Heerden ahead of Moerat all of whom are in the squad. Weird that our back up IMO is ahead of the settled starters. Then again, test rugby is a different beast and I don't know what Rassie and co are always looking for. Gonna be a few new faces as well so makes sense to keep enough old heads around the park I suppose. Really excited for Hartzenberg that he has eyes on him but it's gonna be difficult to crack into the backline.

 

[munstermuffin]

I cannot imagine a situation where if there's no injuries POM isn't starting the first test. I'm hoping Casey starts but am expecting Murray. Also no way he'd have Prendergast and Osborne on the same bench. From Catt's last interview Prendergast is very much there to learn rather than play and they want Frawley for the 6-2.

Oh and he'll be starting Furlong.



I presumed it was trolling but they've done the same thing for Esterhuizen.

I'd be shocked if POM isn't 6 for both. Just can't see Faz dropping him at all.

Furlong is the same boat he starts both.

Murray will start too as saw a crazy stat. Casey has 4 starts ever for Ireland. *3vs Italy and 1 vs USA so he isn't trusted and form isn't superb. Reckon Frawley is backup 10 and from what I read Osbourne only plays if Ringrose goes down

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I forgot Aki existed above there. Would have him in 12. That is more likely a test 2 side admittedly. Faz has more up his sleeve than he's given credit for imo, would love to see it.



Sounds very like Siya is fat and transparent.

 

[Saintjay]

Probably weighted down by those world cup medals.

 

[munstermuffin]

Rassie after saying the Irish 23 is interesting

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I'm more interested in what he sees the SA 23 as being. I'm too lazy to do the math but I doubt there'll be any surprises.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Springbok team to face Ireland at Loftus Versfeld:

15 – Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 93 caps, 75 pts (15t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 31 caps, 91 points (14t, 3c, 5p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 67 caps, 80 points (16t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 78 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) - 15 caps, 65 points (13t)
10 – Handré Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 69 caps, 698 points (7t, 96c, 152p, 5dg)
9 – Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 56 caps, 50 points (5t, 5c, 5pg)

8 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 41 caps, 35 pts (7t)
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) 78 caps, 40 points (8t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92) – 83 caps, 50 points (10t)
5 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 74 caps, 15 points (3t)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 120 caps, 30 points (6t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 70 caps, 5 points (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 69 caps, 70 points (14t)
1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 28 caps, 0 pts

Replacements:

16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 65 caps, 85 points (17t)
17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 1 cap, 0 points
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 50 caps, 5 points (1t)
19 – Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers) – 4 caps, 0 points
20 – RG Snyman (Leinster) – 34 caps, 10 points (2t)
21 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 18 caps, 0 pts
22 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 9 caps, 10 points (2t)
23 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 1 cap, 7 points (2c, 1p)

No big surprises. Moerat perhaps a slightly weird call. But happy for SFM to get the nod at 23.

 

[munstermuffin]

Osborne at 15. Interesting call. Might be a great call as his boot is massive and whole he is seen probably as a centre outside Ireland not many would know he has played alot at 15 underage etc.
Saw somewhere some journalist saying it a joke that Nash starting over Jimmy O'Brien. O'Brien a good player but the dismissal of Nash showed how terrible some journalists can be.