Italy - South Africa

[danit]

five changes for Nick Mallet XV

15 Luke MCLEAN (Treviso, 12 caps)
14 Matteo PRATICHETTI (Viadana, 19 caps)
13 Alberto SGARBI (Treviso, 4 caps)
12 Gonzalo GARCIA (Treviso, 11 caps)
11 Mirco BERGAMASCO (Stade Francais, 64 caps)
10 Craig GOWER (Bayonne, 4 caps)
9 Simon PICONE (Treviso, 18 caps)
1 Salvatore PERUGINI (Bayonne, 64 caps)
2 Fabio ONGARO (Saracens, 62 caps)
3 Martin CASTROGIOVANNI (Tigers, 60 caps)
4 Carlo Antonio DEL FAVA (Viadana, 39 caps)
5 Quintin GELDENHUYS (Viadana, 4 caps)
6 Simone FAVARO (Rugby Parma, 3 caps)
7 Alessandro ZANNI (Treviso, 35 caps)
8 Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais, 66 caps) - c

16 Leonardo GHIRALDINI (Treviso, 23 caps)
17 Ignacio ROUYET (Treviso, 4 caps)
18 Antonio PAVANELLO (Treviso, 3 caps)
19 Josh SOLE (Viadana, 39 caps)
20 Mauro BERGAMASCO (Stade Francais, 77 caps)
21 ***o TEBALDI (Gran Parma, 4 caps)
22 Gonzalo CANALE (Clermont-Auvergne, 50 caps)

 

[Jer1cho]

Springbok Team Announced:

15 Zane Kirchner
14 JP Pietersen - Should have been Nokwe
13 Jaque Fourie
12 Adi Jacobs - Should have been Olivier
11 Bryan Habana

10 Morné Steyn

9 Fourie du Preez

8 Ryan Kankowski
7 Danie Rossouw - Should have been Deysel
6 Heinrich Brüssow
5 Andries Bekker
4 Bakkies Botha
3 John Smit
2 Adriaan Strauss
1 Wian du Preez.

Subs: 16 Beast Mtawarira , 17 BJ Botha, 18 Victor Matfield, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Ruan Pienaar, Wynand Olivier.

We are going to get monstered in the scrum again, but Brussouw will be too good on the ground for the Italians. He is going to steal their ball all night long. Kankowski needs a very VERY big performance here, otherwise he is going to ensure that he will play second fiddle to Spies forever. Nokwe needed to be in this team, and so did Olivier. I still think though that this team is far too strong for Italy. Even at our worst we shouldn't lose this.

Boks by 20.

 

[Steve-o]

Stupid move from the Bok management to play such a strong team, our senior players are burnt out, and this is really a game our 2nd team can win. Our REAL 2nd team that is, not that rubbish that has been playing mid-week games. I fear a determined Ireland may be too much for the jaded Boks, who have one eye on a beach holiday and one leg on the plane going there.
Interesting to see Italy have 2 South African locks.

 

[stormer2010]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jer1cho @ Nov 19 2009, 03:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Springbok Team Announced:

We are going to get monstered in the scrum again, but Brussouw will be too good on the ground for the Italians. He is going to steal their ball all night long. Kankowski needs a very VERY big performance here, otherwise he is going to ensure that he will play second fiddle to Spies forever. Nokwe needed to be in this team, and so did Olivier. I still think though that this team is far too strong for Italy. Even at our worst we shouldn't lose this.

Boks by 20.[/b]

Brussouw really has been a revelation and I can't see how McCaw got a nomination for IRB player of the year ehead of him with Brussouw coming up tops in the head to head clashes. Agree that Olivier and Nokwe should have gotten a go and I hope Kanko does show us that he is the man for the job as I think he might not only play second fiddle against Spies but might find himself behind Johnson as well if he doesn't pitch. Also thought senior players should have gotten rested but think we should first try and get a bloody win under the belt. imagine going down to Italy and plumeting to 6th on the rankings. Its not so far fetched.

That said, go Kanko, make me eat my words... and thank God, Bartolomi isn't there again.