South African Quadrangular Tournament

[nickdnz]

Amazing. This is whats so frustrating about Samoa (and othe PI teams) situation. It's like every four years they show they have the potential, but then they put forward teams which just aren't up to standard. No other unions would put themselves in a situation where they'd miss most of their key players. They should know that if they're not ganna have these guys avalible then there is no point in touring South Africa when the Pacific Cup is probably ganna be more realistic and beneficial. Know if more players are ganna be avalible for the test matches? I hope so because if not it will be very embarrassing for Samoa.

EDIT: Although looking at the lineup - it's actually not that far off a good team. About 4 or 5 players who I rate better missing from the lineup, most notebly David Lemi and Kahn Fotuali'i - but its not a terrible team compared to a few they've put out in the PI Cup. This just seems to show a terrible lack of depth in some key positions.

 

[psychic duck]

Amazing. This is whats so frustrating about Samoa (and othe PI teams) situation. It's like every four years they show they have the potential, but then they put forward teams which just aren't up to standard. No other unions would put themselves in a situation where they'd miss most of their key players. They should know that if they're not ganna have these guys avalible then there is no point in touring South Africa when the Pacific Cup is probably ganna be more realistic and beneficial. Know if more players are ganna be avalible for the test matches? I hope so because if not it will be very embarrassing for Samoa.

EDIT: Although looking at the lineup - it's actually not that far off a good team. About 4 or 5 players who I rate better missing from the lineup, most notebly David Lemi and Kahn Fotuali'i - but its not a terrible team compared to a few they've put out in the PI Cup. This just seems to show a terrible lack of depth in some key positions.

I am at a loss to explain this result. It didn't have surprised if they lost to a cohesive club side fresh from winning the Vodacom Cup at altitude whilst they have suffered many withdrawals and other players who haven't yet turned up until next week, their original squad named was strong, just lots have pulled out. But I would have expected it to be at least close even though they were weakened, as Little Guy says, the Russian team without the top players didn't get beat that badly.

Only 2 or 3 of the starting lineup are first choice, but you would expect the reserves weren't that bad like Poluleuligaga, Sinoti etc. Just a very odd result. Only #1, #2, #5 and #12 were real unheard of players. There should have been enough there for a good effort.

 

[LittleGuy]

Here is a match report that at least answers some of the puzzle, it seems the game was fairly close(or at least reasonable) at half time only 27-14 Lions. Apparently the set piece was a disaster for Manu Samoa and the outside defence a joke, my guess is they actually gave up at half time. I'd like to see some highlights though.

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/article.aspx?Id=1953604&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

[TRF_heineken]

I watched the game, and at some point they did give up. But give credit to the lions! They were very physical and confrontational. The forwards demolished the islanders and the lions backs played very well and they outpaced the islanders, which was strange to see. It looked at some stages that the lions wingers were just coasting past...

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Finalized squad:

Props:
Tendai Mtawarira (Natal Sharks)
Trevor Nyakane (Free State Cheetahs)
Jannie du Plessis (Natal Sharks)
Coenie Oosthuizen (Free State Cheetahs)
Lourens Adriaanse (GWK Griquas)

Hookers:
Bismarck du Plessis (Natal Sharks)
Adriaan Strauss (Free State Cheetahs)
Chiliboy Ralepelle (Blue Bulls)

Locks:
Eben Etzebeth (Western Province)
Flip van der Merwe (Blue Buuls)
Juandre Kruger (Blue Bulls)
Pieter-Steph du Toit (Natal Sharks)

Back-row:
Siya Kolisi (Western Province)
Arno Botha (Blue Bulls)
Pierre Spies (Blue Bulls)
Lappies Labuschagne (Free State Cheetahs)
Marcell Coetzee (Natal Sharks)
Willem Alberts (Natal Sharks)
Francois Louw (Bath, England)

Scrum-halves:
Ruan Pienaar (Ulster, Ireland)
Jano Vermaak (Blue Buuls)
Francois Hougaard (Blue Bulls)

Fly-halves:
Patrick Lambie (Natal Sharks)
Morne Steyn (Blue Bulls)

Centers:
Jean de Villiers (Western Province)
Juan de Jongh (Western Province)
Jan Serfontein (Blue Bulls)

Wings:
JJ Engelbrecht (Blue Bulls)
Bryan Habana (Western Province)
Lwazi Mvovo (Natal Sharks)
Lionel Mapoe (Blue Bulls)
Bjorn Basson (Blue Bulls)

Full-backs:
Gio Aplon (Western Province)
Zane Kirchner (Blue Bulls)
Willie le Roux (GWK Griquas)



I just wish players like Kirchner, Steyn and Habana would be replaced by younger players, still active in South Africa at the end of the year. Happy to see youngsters like le Roux, du Toit, Botha, Serfontein and Kolisi.

 

[LittleGuy]

I watched the game, and at some point they did give up. But give credit to the lions! They were very physical and confrontational. The forwards demolished the islanders and the lions backs played very well and they outpaced the islanders, which was strange to see. It looked at some stages that the lions wingers were just coasting past...

 

[Big Ewis]

^ my God you've got to be kidding me....
thanks so much for posting, that explains a lot. They probably conceded a few bad tries early and then just entirely, 100% gave up.
I saw the score, I was like wtf you gotta be kidding me...there's Tuilagi in there...it ain't exactly a 4th string Samoa team either.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

People aren't giving the Lions any credit here. Sure, they're not the best side from SA but they are the sort of team that love a broken down game and that is where Samoa lost this match IMO; they couldn't cope with the Lions' pace on every turn-over.

 

[LittleGuy]

People aren't giving the Lions any credit here. Sure, they're not the best side from SA but they are the sort of team that love a broken down game and that is where Samoa lost this match IMO; they couldn't cope with the Lions' pace on every turn-over.

The Lions showed up to play and did so well and worked hard but Samoa obviously didn't care, just look at this level of debauchery.

 

[Big Ewis]

this is so amazing to watch, it's almost surreal. It looks like (LOOKS LIKE, I'm not suggesting anything here obviously) they were paid to pretend to tackle...this looks like wrestling, but with Rugby players
wtfffffff was up with Samoa ?! I understand they're trying to keep their strength for the real Safa side and co., but wtf ?!...

 

[LittleGuy]

this is so amazing to watch, it's almost surreal. It looks like (LOOKS LIKE, I'm not suggesting anything here obviously) they were paid to pretend to tackle...this looks like wrestling, but with Rugby players
wtfffffff was up with Samoa ?! I understand they're trying to keep their strength for the real Safa side and co., but wtf ?!...

This one here is pretty bad as well though not at comical levels like the previous two clips.

 

[Big Ewis]

still...quite....quite comical. I was smiling throughout, with the occasional chuckle.
That's Alesana Tuilagi at the end with the no.11 jersey, that guy can beat a cheetah while reading some Stephen Hawking at a footrace (mmm....actually forget the Hawking) and he looks like he's havin a nice little jogging at the park right there...wish I could've been there to jog along and make small talk about the nice weather out.


EDIT: wait I just had a notion...maybe they got confused and thought it was the actual British and Irish Lions, and they felt so overwhelmed by the thought that they gave up just thinking about it, like, "we're not worthy, don't even try...don't even...."

 

[LittleGuy]

still...quite....quite comical. I was smiling throughout, with the occasional chuckle.
That's Alesana Tuilagi at the end with the no.11 jersey, that guy can beat a cheetah while reading some Stephen Hawking at a footrace (mmm....actually forget the Hawking) and he looks like he's havin a nice little jogging at the park right there...wish I could've been there to jog along and make small talk about the nice weather out.


EDIT: wait I just had a notion...maybe they got confused and thought it was the actual British and Irish Lions, and they felt so overwhelmed by the thought that they gave up just thinking about it, like, "we're not worthy, don't even try...don't even...."

HAHAHA pure gold yoe, yeah this effort from Samoa was total bullshit, I'll give the Lions credit they punished them for it, but I honestly have no idea how to rate this match.

 

[sifplay]

That is fair comment but I think the main problem SA fans had with the Bok teams of 2012 was that to a large extent they were damage-control teams rather than the let's-turn-over-a-new-leaf team most SA fans wanted to see. Sure we lost the players you mentioned (as well as G Steenkamp) while other shoe-in 'veterans' were injured (Du Plessis, Pietersen, F Steyn, Habana, J Smith off the top of my head) and the general feeling was that the coach's hand was forced by injury to make the changes he did that were good while at the same time keeping players that everyone thought weren't good enough simply because of their test experience while not being on form (Spies, De Villiers, Kirchner, M Steyn- though he is having a good season this year TBF, Hougaard and Pienaar off form or just not suited to the game HM wants to play). I guess HM just had an impossible job last year and I hope we can build forward during this tournament although we still have some injuries that will stand in HM's way.

No it started with a little law tweak after the 2007 WC. It had a direct impact in the way we play. Anyone disagreeing with me can you please tell me what law tweak I am referring to?

 

[Big Ewis]

HAHAHA pure gold yoe, yeah this effort from Samoa was total bullshit, I'll give the Lions credit they punished them for it, but I honestly have no idea how to rate this match.

I see where you're coming from, but the word "credit" is a very, very hard one to include in this conversation in particular !

 

[sifplay]

I see where you're coming from, but the word "credit" is a very, very hard one to include in this conversation in particular !

How about saying welcome to altitude Beeeches

 

[Icemn]

What is it with SA that selects captain that are not up to par, either form or ability or both. Then they need to be selected because, they are captain. 1st John Smit and now De Villiers. I must say I like de Villiers are a person because he is humble but he is out or form and has been for the last 2 years. |I don't know maybe its just me. Banana is also useless and had to be dropped, poor Robert ebersom missing out bigtime now, but maybe with de Villiers injury (blessing in disguise) he will get a call up.

 

[sifplay]

What is it with SA that selects captain that are not up to par, either form or ability or both. Then they need to be selected because, they are captain. 1st John Smit and now De Villiers. I must say I like de Villiers are a person because he is humble but he is out or form and has been for the last 2 years. |I don't know maybe its just me. Banana is also useless and had to be dropped, poor Robert ebersom missing out bigtime now, but maybe with de Villiers injury (blessing in disguise) he will get a call up.

De Villiers out of form? WTF have you been sniffing? Tampons, paint or glue?

 

[Icemn]

De Villiers out of form? WTF have you been sniffing? Tampons, paint or glue?

sorry you are correct, he is not out of form he is just plain kak...

 

[Gena_ZA]

Luckily he plays for SA and you should not worry about him, just be worried when he plays against Nonu & Kie