Rugby Championship: South Africa - New Zealand (06/10/2012)

[Darwin]

This will be the match of the year, no doubt about it. After a Super Rugby final with the Chiefs and Sharks (painful to watch but still, we made it) we now have a Test to end the season on a high. Springboks - All Blacks is always amazing!

I just hope we see a similar line-up (Maybe Lambie starting if Kirchner is injured)

I reckon Morne Steyn will have learnt a lot from his week off and should be given another chance.
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Please.

 

[admartian]

Apparently Meyer is sticking "old school" (read: more of the same).
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10838001

90,000 Afrikaaners? Easy - just stick Dagg and Nonu in there = neutralised.

 

[Gena_ZA]

Carlos Spencer on the game:

"Spencer, who was fired as Lions backline coach, told Fairfax Media that the World Champions will put matters back into perspective this weekend with a match that will bring Bok fans crashing down to earth.The former All Black believes Australia were so bad in their five-try defeat at the hands of the Boks at Loftus that the All Blacks would show the Boks just how out of touch with reality they are.
"The Springboks obviously needed a good win but the Aussie weren't great. I think the All Blacks will destroy them this week," Spencer said.
"It will be a big confidence booster for the Springboks. There was a lot of pressure on them over here in terms of their last couple of efforts. They played some good rugby at times and didn't kick away as much ball as they had previously. That's definitely a step in the right direction for them.
"But they are going to come up against a better defence this week. If they can hold the ball for long periods and not kick it away they'll be in with a chance, but the All Blacks will be too good for them."
Spencer believes the fact the All Blacks have claimed the Rugby Championship already will allow them to play with a freedom seldom seen and will lift the tension of the occasion and motivate them more."

 

[TRF_heineken]

Carlos Spencer on the game:

"Spencer, who was fired as Lions backline coach, told Fairfax Media that the World Champions will put matters back into perspective this weekend with a match that will bring Bok fans crashing down to earth.The former All Black believes Australia were so bad in their five-try defeat at the hands of the Boks at Loftus that the All Blacks would show the Boks just how out of touch with reality they are.
"The Springboks obviously needed a good win but the Aussie weren't great. I think the All Blacks will destroy them this week," Spencer said.
"It will be a big confidence booster for the Springboks. There was a lot of pressure on them over here in terms of their last couple of efforts. They played some good rugby at times and didn't kick away as much ball as they had previously. That's definitely a step in the right direction for them.
"But they are going to come up against a better defence this week. If they can hold the ball for long periods and not kick it away they'll be in with a chance, but the All Blacks will be too good for them."
Spencer believes the fact the All Blacks have claimed the Rugby Championship already will allow them to play with a freedom seldom seen and will lift the tension of the occasion and motivate them more."

Oh wow!

The same can be said about the Boks... they have nothing to lose going into this match. they can't surpass the All Blacks so they will also have some freedom to play.

The Boks will get their motivation out of just playing against the All Blacks.

 

[Gena_ZA]

The same Spencer said the Lions had a real good chance of making the semi's this year in the S15

 

[TRF_heineken]

The same Spencer said the Lions had a real good chance of making the semi's this year in the S15

for one of the most creative attacking players ever in World Rugby, he's not very bright...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I'd rather base my expectations of this game on the previous encounter between these two sides than last weeks games. Both teams have improved since then but I just feel we have more scope for improvement and with the game at home... well I see us as even favorites TBH. I think its going to be the smallest of margins that will determine who wins.

 

[TRF_heineken]

The Bok Team was Announced today:

1. Beast Mtwawarira
2. Adriaan Strauss
3. Jannie Du Plessis
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. Andries Bekker
6. Francois Louw
7. Willem Alberts
8. Duane Vermeulen
9. Ruan Pienaar
10. Johan Goosen
11. Francois Hougaard
12. Jean De Villiers
13. Jaco Taute
14. Bryan Habana
15. Zane Kirchner

16. Tiaan Liebenberg
17. Coenie Oosthuizen
18. Flip van der Merwe
19. Marcell Coetzee
20. Elton Jantjies
21. Juan De Jongh
22. Pat Lambie

So just the one change on the Bench with Coenie in place for Pat Cilliers

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Kirchner scoring a try last week gone done it.

Other than that I'm pretty happy except I think Coetzee should start ahead of Alberts but I understand the reasoning to have it the other way around. A few players can feel unhappy but there will always be players that don't make it and other than Kirchner ahead of Ludik I can't see a position where there's anyone in CC truly ahead of someone in the Bok 22 (not considering the injured).

 

[Icemn]

damn, no morne stain ... not good for the AB...

Though i still feel the boks best weapon is their running Maul... if a team is able to stop that, the boks will struggle… as that is always their 1st​ phase play from any lineout

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Well, Kirchner scoring almost 2 tries saved his ass, just like Morne's try against England saved him. Kirchner didn't play bad, I admit that, but he wasn't good either. He is the personification of Average Joe. Ludik should be in the team, but I am happy we have him with the Sharks.

Lambie getting his caps every week is the only positive thing. He is slowly getting to his 20th cap without ever playing a full Test match. The victim of mismanagement.

 

[nickdnz]

Well, Kirchner scoring almost 2 tries saved his ass, just like Morne's try against England saved him. Kirchner didn't play bad, I admit that, but he wasn't good either. He is the personification of Average Joe. Ludik should be in the team, but I am happy we have him with the Sharks.

Lambie getting his caps every week is the only positive thing. He is slowly getting to his 20th cap without ever playing a full Test match. The victim of mismanagement.

Never thought I'd use the term 'poor man's Leon MacDonald'..

 

[Sker]

damn, no morne stain ... not good for the AB...

Though i still feel the boks best weapon is their running Maul... if a team is able to stop that, the boks will struggle… as that is always their 1st​ phase play from any lineout

Not as much the last game, there were a few times that they didn't go for the maul but opted to send it down the backline instead. I still think we'll see it a lot this time around though, seems to work better against the AB's

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I was hoping Mvovo would play in stead of Hougaard. He is hopelessly off with his game. He adds little on attack and cost us a try in the last 2 tests (Dagg and Harris) with his poor decisionmaking and indecisiveness. Overall, I am pretty happy with the team. I would have put Ludik (not in the squad, I know...) and Mvovo/Aplon in the starting line-up and switch Coetzee and Alberts.

 

[big ginger 8]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/1003/1224324773594.html

Interesting stat in their that M. Steyn is the best kicker in training with a kicking percentage of 88%.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Okay, so he can be our first choice during training.

 

[big ginger 8]

Okay, so he can be our first choice during training.

I'm not going for his inclusion I've always thought he's a poor player. What I'm getting at is his kicking in matches has gone to **** yet he's still kicking well in training why has he lost his nerve in the last year?

 

[JG52Hummel]

Since no other springbook kicker has shown any consistency, M Steyn should have been given the chance... IF he is in a good day, he can win a test all by his boot. Admittedly a big IF, from what he has shown lately, but it may happen...

 

[Draggs]

I'm not going for his inclusion I've always thought he's a poor player. What I'm getting at is his kicking in matches has gone to **** yet he's still kicking well in training why has he lost his nerve in the last year?

Training and tests are two different things.
Lewis Robling was outstanding off the tee for Newport RFC, and missed four or five straight early on in his Dragons career.

Two years ago, if I needed someone to kick a penalty for any stake, it would have been Morné by a long shot.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Since no other springbook kicker has shown any consistency, M Steyn should have been given the chance... IF he is in a good day, he can win a test all by his boot. Admittedly a big IF, from what he has shown lately, but it may happen...

I see what you did there

Obviously, Lambie should be our kicker in Test matches, but he is on the bench because of Meyer's man-crush on Krusty.