[June Tests 2018: 1st Test] South Africa vs. England (09/06/2018)

[Scotty]

Disagree with switching williams and sinkler, williams is a better at the rucks and clearing out, with sinkler bringing that physicality and carrying in the second half. Especially if billy doesnt last the 80. Genge, LCD and sinkler to come on as a unit at 60 min.

This is obv only if williams is fit as hes been injured but if hes fit enough to start he should

 

[ratsapprentice]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/...to-cope-with-altitude-at-ellis-park-76k5lfq8m

Anyone with a Times sub?

Adam Beard (ex-Wales/Lions S&C, current Browns Head of Performance)

 

[SomeOke]

Bismarck and Frans Steyn ruled out of the June tests with injuries.
I call BS on those sneaky frogs but what can you do.

No Steyn is a blessing IMO, no Bismarck stings with Marx out.

 

[RedruthRFC]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/...to-cope-with-altitude-at-ellis-park-76k5lfq8m

Anyone with a Times sub?

Adam Beard (ex-Wales/Lions S&C, current Browns Head of Performance)

Thanks for that, I haven't used any of my free articles this week. The article doesn't say anything earth shattering. The author says that he's an advocate of training at altitude to prepare to play at it, but acknowledges that there's a different school of thought. He goes on to say that monitoring the players' heart rates will be important in identifying fatigue to identify when players need to be substituted, that hydration is important (less water vapour in the air), that altitude suppresses appetite, so eating little and often is the way forward and that nitrates can be used to reduce the oxygen cost of exercise.

 

[ratsapprentice]

He knows his ****.

Curious as to whether anyone ever uses oxygen masks at HT (a la NFL)... whether there's anything to be gained from that.

 

[unrated]

Bismarck and Frans Steyn ruled out of the June tests with injuries.
I call BS on those sneaky frogs but what can you do.

No Steyn is a blessing IMO, no Bismarck stings with Marx out.

I also do not believe it for a second. Something fishy is going on and i dont think its the players.

Obviously Rassie would have communicated with them before the call ups to discuss it, and if they were not interested in joining the Boks then they would have indicated to him then and there. I don't think these two players are twisted enough to pull such a massive prank on Rassie and South Africa. Thus i will assume that they wanted to play for the Springboks.

Firstly the story was that they would be arriving late because of the Top 14 final. Later Rassie indicated that Bismarck will be arriving on wednesday and Frans Steyn on Thursday where they would have the compulsory medical assessments that every player goes through. Rassie clearly had contact with these guys all the time otherwise he would not have know the specifics of when they will be arriving.

Suddenly we hear of both players (conveniently both from Montpellier) that they mysteriously sustained injuries. Why did they seem fine when they played in the final? would these players really withhold from the Springbok camp that they were injured then fly halfway across the world to let the Springbok staff find out for themselves that they were in fact injured.

I think they wanted to play for the Springboks but Montellier got their dirty paws involved again just as they did with Jan Serfontein. They probably blackmailed the players with their contracts as leverage to pull out. This must be a contractual issue.

I hope the journalists can push the coaching staff for more clarity, if they spin us a fake story then truth will come out eventually, i hope.

 

[SomeOke]

@unrated, completely agree.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I agree with you @unrated this is just too fishy and I'm not buying the whole injury issue. But then again it seems like there is always an issue with our guys that play in France. I wonder if other players were called up from France, if the same would have happened? And if Rassie would be calling up replacements for these 2 also from France, if the same would happen.

Speaking of Replacements, it seems like Rassie is not calling up others in place of Bismarck and Fransie. So I guess he'll use the guys he already has in his squad. This basically paves the way for Andre Esterhuizen and Akker vd Merwe to be part of the 23.

Anyway, I see the newspapers are just oozing about the poilitical milestones the Boks will be having this first match in having the first black springbok captain (which is false as Chilliboy captained the boks in a tri-nations match for about 20 minutes a while ago) and we could also field our first all black front row.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Bok team has been announced and added to the OP. No real surprises, basically the team we all thought would feature.

 

[SomeOke]

Springbok Team

15. Willie le Roux (Wasps, England, 41, 50 – 10t)
14 S'busiso Nkosi (Cell C Sharks, uncapped)
13. Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks, 1, 0)
12. Damian de Allende (DHL Stormers, 28, 15 – 3t)
11. Aphiwe Dyantyi (Emirates Lions, uncapped)
10. Handré Pollard (Vodacom Bulls, 26, 218 – 3t, 37c, 40p, 3d)
9. Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks, England, 11, 0)
8. Duane Vermeulen (Unattached, 39, 10 – 2t)
7. Jean-Luc du Preez (Cell C Sharks, 10, 10 – 2t)
6. Siya Kolisi captain (DHL Stormers, 28, 20 – 4t)
5. Franco Mostert (Emirates Lions, 18, 5 – 1t)
4. RG Snyman (Vodacom Bulls, uncapped)
3. Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls 36, 5 – 1t) / Wilco Louw (DHL Stormers, 6, 0)
2. Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers, 14, 5 – 1t)
1. Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks, 98, 10, 2 – 1t)

Replacements:
16. Akker van der Merwe (Cell C Sharks, 1, 0)
17. Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers, 24, 5 – 1t)
18. Wilco Louw (DHL Stormers, 6, 0) / Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks, 1, 0)
19. Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers, 33, 20 – 4t)
20. Sikhumbuzo Notshe (DHL Stormers, 1, 0)
21. Ivan van Zyl (Vodacom Bulls, 1, 0)
22. Elton Jantjies (Emirates Lions, 24, 210 – 2t, 40c, 40p)
23. Warrick Gelant (Vodacom Bulls, 2, 5 – 1t)



Pretty much as expected, strong team. PSDT and Louw probably come into the side next week, but they have just traveled from America.
Ivan van Zyl didn't impress me but our options are extremely thin, Notshe probably a bit lucky to crack the side, but that 4th loose forward is a hard nut to crack.

Before the negativity starts I am happy about a few things, namely - the back line is one of the most exciting we've seen in ages and could inflict serious damage is we actually choose to utilize it. I just hope be don't just play a kicking game like we did against Wales because this team is NOT suited for it. If you want to play like that, don't play Faf / Willie / Nkosi / Dyantyi they will all be outplayed by the likes of Daly and Brown in a kicking battle.

 

[MikeTheNative]

After England's 6 nations and ball retention issues you would imagine SA are going to attack the breakdown. Do they have a fetcher type 7? Their back row seems more bruising type than breakdown specialists.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

What time is England's team being announced?

 

[Mumbles119]

What time is England's team being announced?

12:30pm apparently.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

12:30pm apparently.

Cheers. Yep RFU twitter feed confirms 12.30pm BST.

 

[unrated]

This team that Rassie has chosen is much more representative of our provinces than his predecessor Alistair Coetzee. I like it, take the best players from each union instead of focusing heavily on established combinations.

Province rep in the matchday 23: The numbers that is starting in the xv is in brackets
Bulls: 5 (3)
Stormers: 7 (4)
Sharks: 6 (4)
Lions: 3 (2)
Foreign: 3 (3)
Cheetahs: 0
Kings: 0

After England's 6 nations and ball retention issues you would imagine SA are going to attack the breakdown. Do they have a fetcher type 7? Their back row seems more bruising type than breakdown specialists.

No it doesn't seem as if we have a dedicated fetcher, neither Kolisi, du Preez or Vermeulen are known as fetchers but the latter two has demonstrated an admirable ability to steal balls at the Breakdown. What is very clear is that all three loosies are hard running loosies so im expecting a running game with minimal commitment to the rucks.

 

[SomeOke]

After England's 6 nations and ball retention issues you would imagine SA are going to attack the breakdown. Do they have a fetcher type 7? Their back row seems more bruising type than breakdown specialists.

No incumbent fetchers sadly. Kwagga Smith (the sevens player) is the closest in the squad but I would't call him an out an out fetcher. Our best fetching options arguably are injured (Roelof Smith and Marco van Staaden).
If Malcom Marx was fit I'd say we have enough break-down players since Vermulen can get a cheeky turn-over from time to time. As it stands no.

Edit: Ninja'd by unrated.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Mike Brown

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

So for me
+
Front row
Second Row
7+8
Daly @ 15.

Unsure
Ford and Faz at 10 and 12
Slade at 13

---
Robshaw and Brown

Bench
Forwards - Would have Simmons ahead of Hughes but understand it.
Backs - Would have Lz ahead of Francis


Honestly
Watson or Nowell for Brown when fit.
and hopefully Sheilds shows something over Robshaw, maybe even Willis when fit

And I would extremely happy with that team pretty much.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Yeah it's not far off at all.

No lock cover and Brown are the biggest complaints by miles.

 

[TommiG88]

Mike Brown

Hmmmm

Interesting team. Not replacement lock, from 4 in the 6n, to 2.