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I think that will be what most think to, about SA winning i mean.I don't have a favorite in this one, but I think South Africa will win.
Thing is if our players give 100% i really think we can keep the margain down tbh. We wont win without so luck.We could genuinely lose this by 30 points + which is rather depressing - what's the biggest margin in a quarter ever?
Yeah, I can't see where we can compete tbhWe could genuinely lose this by 30 points + which is rather depressing - what's the biggest margin in a quarter ever?
There's a few outliers but most seem to be 28-32Whats the age profile of this SA team? They have alot over 30 dont they? Not to do with this game they just seem an aging team. Are they going to need a rebuild post WC?
Yep. A whole host of our players will be gone after this tournament. It is going to be what NZ was after 2015. A huge rebuild of new players. I think we are the oldest team in the tournament.Thing is if our players give 100% i really think we can keep the margain down tbh. We wont win without so luck.
Whats the age profile of this SA team? They have alot over 30 dont they? Not to do with this game they just seem an aging team. Are they going to need a rebuild post WC?
Was gonna say this should be our approach as well LOL. I almost expect we will more play the percentages here than anything else and trust our set piece. Marx will be missed this game more than any previous game (or a potential final if we manage it) IMO.I think that will be what most think to, about SA winning i mean.
Would love England to step up and give absolutly 100% and give them a good game, but SA will have to much for us.
I wonder what our gameplan will be? Territory and physical defence...and drop goals.
My thoughts exactly. That semi and also the 2007 final after the pool stages. The danger here as favorites is to try to avoid looking beyond this match because England will be coming out holding nothing back. Just the nature of a semi will very much even the playing field. My hope is that with it being England we'll get that little boost we get from playing them or NZ regardless of context. Another very long week!I expect a game similar to 2019 vs Wales. Needed a Francois Louw turnover to save us, after an absolutely dire quality game. It's gonna be tight, and ugly.
Jip, the team vs France was our most capped pack of all time for instance. I expect almost half our pack to move on directly after the RWC and the rest maybe a quarter makes it to the next in the same Vermeulen made this one and the last quarter continue on for 2 or 3 years in a transition stage. That said we do have young enough players in and around the squad but its difficult to replace the experience of a Vermeulen etc and we'll not have the incredible depth in quality and experience we have ATM. Not for a while I expect. Was wanting to do that thought experiment but won't do it in this thread. I know for Ireland and France this is "their RWC" if you look at their 4 year cycle and Sexton's moving on etc but for us it also will be a kind of end of an era. Think next one will be better for France as they have a very young squad.Thing is if our players give 100% i really think we can keep the margain down tbh. We wont win without so luck.
Whats the age profile of this SA team? They have alot over 30 dont they? Not to do with this game they just seem an aging team. Are they going to need a rebuild post WC?
Yeah, I can't see where we can compete tbh
Scrum will get ruined, our lineout's not been great and they've got about 13 players in their side taller than our locks, speed, power
Essentially they're good at what we struggle at (i.e. playing rugby)
There's a few outliers but most seem to be 28-32
Rugby is a funny game. Never before the 2019 Semi Eng vs NZ had we EVER seen a NZ team dominated like that. If it clicks for England, they become an incredibly tough team to break down.Yeah, I can't see where we can compete tbh
Scrum will get ruined, our lineout's not been great and they've got about 13 players in their side taller than our locks, speed, power
Essentially they're good at what we struggle at (i.e. playing rugby)
There's a few outliers but most seem to be 28-32
In 2019 NZ vastly underestimated England, and England vastly underestimated SA before the final. If SA vastly underestimates Eng this time out, the 'if' doesn't seem so far fetched.That's a mighty big IF
The Boks have played two massive physically and emotionally draining matches against the - formerly - best 2 teams in the world.
This is a point I've seen raised. But I would also point this out from Reddit (was from before the Quarter Finals):
1) We rested our players efficiently in the group stages. Clearly there was an eye on game time and most of or players were in the 145-180 minute range. Only player who has played most minutes is Willemse, and he is one of our youngest
2) We had a two week gap coming into the France game. Our team is relatively rested in general. That France game was massive, but the expectation was always going to be that you needed to do three weeks big in a row, and they'll be prepped for that.
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Only player I think at risk of being gassed is Vermeulen, and I don't think we play him against England.