RWC: Springboks - Namibia (22-09-2011, 20:00)

[TRF_Ezequiel]

"Would Sa like a medal for beating a tier 2 nation (that's Namibia) after the beating they've received from the last two games in an unfair schedule..."The Team: NamibiaThe Two Games: Namibia vs Fiji. Namibia vs Samoa.Unfair Schedule: see RWC timetableIm writing this off my phone therefore Grammar not a priority but if you want I can rewrite that whole sentence?

Please... Don't blame your phone...

Wrong. I just have a higher expectation of the current World Champs.

With the talent they have on Tap - they should have cruised through this pool and dominated every area of the match.

And I'm expecting them to beat the Aussies come the finals.

So beating Wales 17-16, Fiji 49-3 and Namibia 87-0 isn't good enough? It's 20 tries in 3 matches while we only conceded 1!!!

 

[kovana]

Again, the gap in fitness was glaring. Namibia were competetitive in the 60 Mins.. But after that, they just fell apart.

Fitness is really missing in the lower ranked teams. Something needs to be done about this in future.

 

[LittleGuy]

Again, the gap in fitness was glaring. Namibia were competetitive in the 60 Mins.. But after that, they just fell apart.

Fitness is really missing in the lower ranked teams. Something needs to be done about this in future.

I think making the schedule better for lower ranked teams would be a start a lot of these guys have been through the grinder and the lower ranked teams don't have the depth to handle it.

As well I know the IRB are trying to set up High performnce centres in many countries I believe Samoa just had theirs built before the RWC, hopefully these can provide the players with modern facilities for keeping match fit, I would also really like to see these teams compete for 80 minutes.

On an aside there are occasions(becoming much rarer though) where I feel like the Tier one nations are running up the score at the end of these games. No need to try and score a try in the 80th minute if you already have the bonus point and are up by over fifty just kick the ball into touch and be done with it.

 

[UilamOsa]

Please... Don't blame your phone...

Back at work now.

So beating Wales 17-16, Fiji 49-3 and Namibia 87-0 isn't good enough? It's 20 tries in 3 matches while we only conceded 1!!!

They were always going to win. Is the 87 good enough? Who knows. It wasn't for me, I backed 100+ at least - I expected them to SMASH the Namibians. From minute 1 too minute 80.

Of course it was great that the Boks didn't let the Namibians score. Am watching the first half again and it's 31 - 0 after 40 mins.

You highlight the South Africans yet I was providing the fact that they played Namibia, after Namibia had already had previous bruising encounters (versus Fiji & Samoa), shortened turnaround times (3 games in 2 weeks) and less preparation time and less player base, less professional players, less money etc.

The AB's game was a farce, and I watched in disgust as the Japs scored. I didn't reference them but it seems like you want to compare them. So SA performance was way better.

 

[james5000]

Gio Aplon has to be the fastest man in world rugby over 40 meters. He is so damn fast.

I was just thinking today the bok squad must possess the fastest 4x100m relay squad at the world cup haha. I'd put my vcash on it!
They would easily beat NZ, probably Aussie, I reckon the Pom's would give them the closest run. What do you guys reckon?

 

[Jer1cho]

Gio Aplon has to be the fastest man in world rugby over 40 meters. He is so damn fast.

I was just thinking today the bok squad must possess the fastest 4x100m relay squad at the world cup haha. I'd put my vcash on it!
They would easily beat NZ, probably Aussie, I reckon the Pom's would give them the closest run. What do you guys reckon?

If we were to pick the 4 fastest guys in the team, I would say the list, from fastest to slowest is:

4. Francois Hougaard
3. Pierre Spies
2. Gio Aplon
1. Bryan Habana

I know this because the team doctor gave a presentation at the varsity team I played for last year, and told us that they are the fastest guys in the squad. He also said that on a full 100m sprint, there is almost half a second between the running times of Pierre Spies, Bryan Habana and Gio Aplon.

The fastest guys in New Zealand with their current squad would probably be:

4. Israel Dagg
3. Richard Kahui
2. Sitiveni Sivivatu
1. Zac Guildford

That would be my guess anyway. For the Aussies:

4. James O Connor
3. Drew Mitchell
2. Kurtley Beale
1. Digby Ioane

England would probably be:

4. Shontane Hape
3. Ben Foden
2. Tom Croft (Only loose forward in the world that comes close to Spies regarding speed. Perhaps Stephen Ferris and Ryan Kankowski too, but Croft is DAMN fast)
1. Chris Ashton

I actually think that the Welsh team would also be pretty fast. But I do agree that we have among the fastest players in world rugby. Of course, it doesn't help that the New Zealanders have the better players. Except for Francois Hougaard. If this tournament has to have a 'star player' so far, like David-Villa was in the 2010 FIFA WC, then it would have to be Francois Hougaard. If he carries on like this, and gets a starting spot, as well as if we do go pretty far, I think he is a potential player of the tournament, as well as Sam Warburton of Wales.

 

[james5000]

If we were to pick the 4 fastest guys in the team, I would say the list, from fastest to slowest is:

4. Francois Hougaard
3. Pierre Spies
2. Gio Aplon
1. Bryan Habana

I know this because the team doctor gave a presentation at the varsity team I played for last year, and told us that they are the fastest guys in the squad. He also said that on a full 100m sprint, there is almost half a second between the running times of Pierre Spies, Bryan Habana and Gio Aplon.

The fastest guys in New Zealand with their current squad would probably be:

4. Israel Dagg
3. Richard Kahui
2. Sitiveni Sivivatu
1. Zac Guildford

That would be my guess anyway. For the Aussies:

4. James O Connor
3. Drew Mitchell
2. Kurtley Beale
1. Digby Ioane

England would probably be:

4. Shontane Hape
3. Ben Foden
2. Tom Croft (Only loose forward in the world that comes close to Spies regarding speed. Perhaps Stephen Ferris and Ryan Kankowski too, but Croft is DAMN fast)
1. Chris Ashton

I actually think that the Welsh team would also be pretty fast. But I do agree that we have among the fastest players in world rugby. Of course, it doesn't help that the New Zealanders have the better players. Except for Francois Hougaard. If this tournament has to have a 'star player' so far, like David-Villa was in the 2010 FIFA WC, then it would have to be Francois Hougaard. If he carries on like this, and gets a starting spot, as well as if we do go pretty far, I think he is a potential player of the tournament.

Sivi isn't in our squad atm

Guilford and Dagg i'd say would be the quickest in our squad, after that it would be a toss up really. No real stand outs, Sonny Bill might be in with a chance.

I think O'Conner would be 2nd in the Aussie Squad,

1. Digby
2. O'Conner
3/4 Mitchell/Beale



I think Delon Armitage would easily be in the Pom's top four,

Ashton
Armitage
Foden
Cueto/Croft

 

[Jer1cho]

I made a new thread in honor of your suggestion. Cool discussion to have! Especially as we can then get input from the Poms and everyone else.

 

[TRF_heineken]

@Uliamosa

Let's look at another scenario... if this game was a lot tighter and the bokke only managed to score less than 3 tries and still won, then we would have had 13 points on the log, and then if we lose vs Samoa the following week and remained on 13 with Samoa beating us ad Fiji, they would be between 12-16 points and Wales also there, and the possibility of qualification would have been on points difference.

So the signifigance of this game was actually very important and by giving our reserves a run as well i think we killed 2 birds with one stone with a lot of conviction. we now only have to lose with a bonus point to qualify, which takes a lot of pressure off our guys and with 8 days before the Samoa clash, they will be very well rested, hopefully some of our injured players will also be recovered by that time.

So my question now is, which South African Winger will score 4 tries vs Samoa (Hougaard can't qualify coz he's white... Lol)

 

[UilamOsa]

Sivi isn't in our squad atm

Guilford and Dagg i'd say would be the quickest in our squad, after that it would be a toss up really. No real stand outs, Sonny Bill might be in with a chance.

I've read and heard a couple of times that Toeava (believe or not) is the fastest overrall in the AB's.

@Uliamosa
Let's look at another scenario... if this game was a lot tighter and the bokke only managed to score less than 3 tries and still won, then we would have had 13 points on the log, and then if we lose vs Samoa the following week and remained on 13 with Samoa beating us ad Fiji, they would be between 12-16 points and Wales also there, and the possibility of qualification would have been on points difference.
So the signifigance of this game was actually very important and by giving our reserves a run as well i think we killed 2 birds with one stone with a lot of conviction. we now only have to lose with a bonus point to qualify, which takes a lot of pressure off our guys and with 8 days before the Samoa clash, they will be very well rested, hopefully some of our injured players will also be recovered by that time.
So my question now is, which South African Winger will score 4 tries vs Samoa (Hougaard can't qualify coz he's white... Lol)

Fair Point. Whichever winger running down Tagicakibau's side will score four tries.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Again, the gap in fitness was glaring. Namibia were competetitive in the 60 Mins.. But after that, they just fell apart.

Fitness is really missing in the lower ranked teams. Something needs to be done about this in future.

Nobody is denying them the possibility to work on their fitness. I don't think the IRB is responsible for that

 

[DJRonStar]

It's not so much Fitness. Again we go back to the issue of short turn arounds for the minnows. Namibia have had only 3-4 days rest between games. Look who they have been playing. Fiji, Samoa, South Africa and on Monday Wales. Some of the more physical teams in world rugby. If any of the tier one nations had to play those teams in such short turn arouns there would be uproar.

Let's hope when they plan the schedule for the next world cup that it's fair for all countries. 3-4 extra days makes a lot of difference no matter how fit you are.