[June Tests 2018: 3rd Test] South Africa vs. England (23/06/2018)

[TRF_heineken]

Venue: DHL Newlands​

Time: 17:05 (CAT, GMT+2)​

 

[MikeTheNative]

Can Lozowski play 13? I would move Farrell to 10, but Slade has exactly shone at 13 and has Daly ever played a test there?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Dead rubber time.

Bit of a no win for us. If we do win, everyone will say the Saffers switched off as there was nothing at stake. Not entirely sure that's in their nature and I'd think they'll be really keen to keep their momentum going.

If we lose, that's 6 in a row. We won't have a defence coach, we won't have an attack coach and you can scarcely say that our forwards coach is covering himself in glory. That's a mess by anybody's standards. Yes, there are injuries but that's just part and parcel of top level sport. It's the lack of coherency that troubles me more and the papers have also had some oblique references to discontent in the camp, which wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

Interesting radio interview with a couple of journos for the nationals over the weekend. They were basically saying that Jones needed to get people in his back room team who'd stand up to him and wouldn't take any nonsense. Absolutely right, he needs some real heavy hitters in there and he needs to start listening to them. I'd probably start by breaking the bank for Farrell or Edwards.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Doubt you'd need to break the bank for Edwards

 

[SomeOke]

Rassie has already said he's going to make a few changes. Possible changes for my mind include:

The quite possibles:
Andre Esterhuizen in for Damian de Allende
Gelant in for Willie le Roux (le Roux perhaps to 14 instead, dropping a young wing)
Kriel in for Lukhanyo Am
Kitsoff in for Beast
Akker van der Merve starting

The maybes:
Jean luc Du Preez to start perhaps.
We give an alternate fly-half a go (maybe Jantjies, maybe Rob du Preez)
We give an alternative scrumhalf a go (Ivan van Zyl?)


Personally while building depth at 9 and 10 seems like a good thing I don't think it will happen.
Otherwise I do think he will shuffle our 12/13 combo, and front row and maybe give Gelant a start. The only issue is in a lot of those cases the balance of our team quota wise will be screwed up - so maybe not all of the changes, maybe just one or two.

 

[MikeTheNative]

England just need to put in a positive performance, you can play well and lose when the other team is just better than you. It's just the manner of defeats of England so far and the fact that they don't seem to learn anything, same mistakes time and again.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Believe me, We won't be resting on our laurels. This will be our last game before the start of the Rugby Championship, so it's basically Rassie's last chance to try something out before we go up against our SH rivals.

Add to that the incentive that if we win the Poms 3-0, we will jump in the WR rankings. I think we can go up to 3rd in the rankings...

 

[MikeTheNative]

I don't think now is the time to make wholesale changes for SA just to give some guys a run out. They have had such a bad few years that a 3-0 win against England is a massive morale booster and now other teams will start to take them a bit more seriously.

 

[SomeOke]

I don't think now is the time to make wholesale changes for SA just to give some guys a run out. They have had such a bad few years that a 3-0 win against England is a massive morale booster and now other teams will start to take them a bit more seriously.

I agree but it is a tough balance for Rassie, on the one hand he wants to build some momentum, but on the other hand he has a year and a bit to experiment and build depth for the world cup.

I doubt wholesale changes will be made, but one or two things might get tried out. Lack of depth at 9 is my biggest worry. If Faf remains fit great, but for such an important position our depth their is woeful.

The general public is calling for DDAs head, I wouldn't because he's my man crush, but I get the feeling AE will get his chance to sink or swim this weekend. They might add Kriel in for good measure.

 

[Scotty]

Marler
LCD
Williams
Launch
Isiekwe
Wilson
Curry/simmonds
Hughes(unfortunatly)
Spencer
Faz
May
Loz
Daly
Solo
Brown/woodward

George (better impact)
Hepburn
Sinkler
Itoje
Simmonds/curry
Youngs
Slade
Brown/woodward

I put half this team in the eps thread, this is the Full team. As i said abit out there but tbh with the series lost take the risk, 9 10 12 play together , loz and daly can be a good combo,
May solo brown solid, may solo woodward attacking.

Simmonds adds real pace but currys not slow its who will make impact off the bench. Second half simmonds on for hughes, leaving simmonds curry wilson.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I agree but it is a tough balance for Rassie, on the one hand he wants to build some momentum, but on the other hand he has a year and a bit to experiment and build depth for the world cup.

I doubt wholesale changes will be made, but one or two things might get tried out. Lack of depth at 9 is my biggest worry. If Faf remains fit great, but for such an important position our depth their is woeful.

The general public is calling for DDAs head, I wouldn't because he's my man crush, but I get the feeling AE will get his chance to sink or swim this weekend. They might add Kriel in for good measure.

The areas I think Rassie will maybe look to experiment/change personnel is:

• Prop:

Rassie is looking for the top 6 SA props to take to the World Cup. So maybe he'll give Thomas Du Toit a run, although Malherbe just returned from injury.
​

• Hooker:

Schalk Brits or Akker van der Merwe might be given a run for this last match to maybe see who will be Marx's understudy.
​

• Scrumhalf:

Both Ivan van Zyl and Embrose Papier are still with the squad. Maybe one of them will get a start with Faf on the Bench.
​

• Centre:

DDA keeps on screwing up. So I think Rassie will have no choice but to give Esterhuizen a chance. Especially after his performance against Wales. Am might get swapped for Kriel
​

• Back 3:

Gelant might come in for either Dyanthi, Nkosi or Le Roux. But my guess is that these 3 guys will keep going to try and improve as a combined defensive unit.​

 

[Mr Ruggleby]

I think it's actually crucial that we win this game, if only to show that we are capable of getting over adversity and not repeating the same mistakes ad nauseam. That being said I'm terrified that our players have had their natural ingenuity and joy of rugby coached out of them and it's had a serious impact on them mentally. I'd like to see:

Marler
LCD
Williams
Launchbury
Isiekwe/Hill
Shields
Wilson
Ben Earl

Spencer
Cipriani
May
Farrell
Lozowski
Solomona
Daly

George
Hepburn
Sinckler
Hill/Isiekwe
Simmonds
Robson
Francis
Woodward

 

[SomeOke]

Worth noting it's also the first game not at altitude, not that I think England have shown any fatigue towards the end of the games.
Also there's a good chance the weather will be poor, Cape Town has been miserable lately and there is rain forecast.

 

[Mumbles119]

England just need to put in a positive performance, you can play well and lose when the other team is just better than you. It's just the manner of defeats of England so far and the fact that they don't seem to learn anything, same mistakes time and again.

This.
I am worried that because of no Billy and Mako, Eddie will just shoehorn replacements into their positions and not change anything to the plan or tactics. When actually I feel it is time to stop making the same mistakes and change things for the better. Starting with dropping George, Sinckler, and Maro. replace with LCD, Williams and Isiekwe.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

For me (**** It team)

1. Marler
2. Singleton (he seems really fast from what ive seen and WHY TF NOT)
3. Sinks
4. Isiekwe
5. Launch
6. Shields
7. Curry
8. Simmonds
9. Spencer
10. Faz
11. Earle
12. Loz
13. Daly
14. May
15. Woodward

16. George
17. Hepburn
18. Williams
19. Itoje
20. Wilson
21. Robson
22. Slade
23. Brown (just to sure it up if it goes ***s up)


THIS, MR JONES, IS HOW YOU STRUCTURE A BENCH! YOU SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN

 

[MikeTheNative]

Dan Robson is down in the squad on Wikipedia but did he travel to SA?

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Dan Robson is down in the squad on Wikipedia but did he travel to SA?

Yup he did

 

[MikeTheNative]

1. Marler
2. Singleton (he seems really fast from what ive seen and WHY TF NOT)
3. Sinks
4. Isiekwe
5. Launch
6. Shields
7. Curry
8. Simmonds
9. Spencer
10. Faz
11. Earle
12. Loz
13. Daly
14. May
15. Woodward

16. George
17. Hepburn
18. Williams
19. Itoje
20. Wilson
21. Robson
22. Slade
23. Brown (just to sure it up if it goes ***s up)

I would pick this team although Brown at 15, I'm not a fan of dropping too many senior players when the team is doing badly however since it's many of them who are out of form at the moment I'm not sure what else you can try. itoje is a borderline liability at the moment, I would make him sit this one out (not even on the bench) and give him a long pre season rest.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Worth noting it's also the first game not at altitude, not that I think England have shown any fatigue towards the end of the games.
Also there's a good chance the weather will be poor, Cape Town has been miserable lately and there is rain forecast.

Yes. But it might be the last ever test at this venue...

 

[SomeOke]

Yes. But it might be the last ever test at this venue...

Good riddance IMO, I am going however just in case haha.