Spring Tour: South Africa - England - 1st Test (09/06/2012, 16:00 GMT)

[User1245]

Yep. Spies not captaining the side leaves a spot open for Kanko haha

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Gosh! That would be a pity cap haha

I want to believe Heyneke Meyer is not stupid, I really really do. He must have a masterplan, he must have some devious scheme. Fooling us all! Maybe if I repeat that over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over...

Me too bru. It's quite amusing to see the uproar due to Meyer selections. A few months ago 90% of those people were touting him as the saviour of Bok rugby, and now he's already accused of being having an agenda!

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Theres lots of tough choices for lancaster which is why I think he will rely on the midweek games to judge where players are at.
For example even though care is currently our best 9 I think he'll be told to show what he can do against the south african barbarians with a view to possibly coming in for the 2nd test. Makes sense really, as dickson and youngs have done liTtle wrong recently.
I think marler, joe gray and lowe will also be told to prove themselves against the baa baas first. My worry here is that mears will likely start on the bench for the first test and hes hardly the sort of guy I'd want in a muscle-off versus the boks.

I think its very important that the experienced guys are in the 1st test 22 such as palmer at 18 and flood 21.palmers physicality and defence could come to be very useful late on in the match, but we've still got to show confidence in the guys who did so well in the six nations.

With the back row injuries and haskell seemingLy unavailable theres a slight dilemna. Considering dowsons strong showing last week i'd expect to see him feature at 6, robshaw at 7, morgan at 8 and fearns at 19. I suppose another option is 6 johnson 7 robshaw 19 dowson - which of the two depends on who out of fearns and johnson impressed lancaster most, effectively. My feeling is that johnson isn't ready yet to start against the boks.
Oh, theres also (he option of having robshaw at 6 and bringing in fearns at 7, although if lancaster believes fearns' showing against the baa baas justifies this then hes a less sensible man than I thought. Anyway, all we know for sure is that dowson robshaw and morgan will all feature on saturday if fit.

Torn about strettle. Part of me would appreciate having his defence but at the same time I don't think i can bear to see him screw up another try. Otherwise things should stay the same. With farrell at 10 barritt 12 and tuilagi 13:

So: I expect something in this ballpark for mid-week:

1) Mullan
2) Gray
3) Pdj? (Even though will likely bench for first test)
4) Launchbury
5) Robson
6) Johnson
7) Fearns
8) Waldrom
9) Care
10) Ford
11) Wade
12) Allen
13) Lowe
14) Monye
15) Goode

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Launchbury has gone home injured, unfortunately, replaced by Jamie Gibson.

It's hard to say who'll be mid-week loosehead with both Mullan and Marler great options. I have a feeling that Marler will start the first one, and may even find himself in the test squad if he performs well.
I presume you mean Flood, not Ford

 

[Peat]

If Marler's not involved in the first 23, he'll be starting the midweek. Of this I am nigh certain.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Apologies, I don't know why I said above that I expected Marler to start mid-week, but then forget to put him in the XV I did - agree Peat, fully expect him to start. Olly, I couldn't remember whether Ford was touring- by your reply I assume no? In this case I would expect Hodgson to be leading the younger guys in mid-week

 

[Sker]

Can't wait for the team announcement tomorrow, I need some good news, really really good news.

... f...ing women are the spawn of satan...

 

[SavageLez]

If the Transvaal LIONS can beat the Springboks (SHARKS) and the STORMERS can beat the PINK Springboks imagine what the ENGLAND team is going to do to them?
Hope the Springboks don't play in PINK on Saturday!

Only 3 x Springboks selected from the STORMERS, this after beating the BULLS on their turf without players such as Schalk, Duane Vermuelen, Andries Bekker, Joe Pieerson and Nick Koster. Hope the boks win but where is Peter Grant, Siya Kolisi or Elstadt, can't believe they can't make theSpringbok squad? Guys like Kankowski make it after one appearance (poor Kolisi).

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Experience, Lez. Meyer picks Kirchner over Ludik, Olivier over Ebersohn, Vermaak over van Zyl, Kankowski over Kolisi... He is playing it safe.

 

[Sker]

Now it alles makes sense, SavageLez and Icemn fused into CaveDweller a few months ago, but now they've split again.

 

[psychic duck]

Now it alles makes sense, SavageLez and Icemn fused into CaveDweller a few months ago, but now they've split again.

I don't think Cave Dweller was stupid enough to try and portray the two time World Cup winning and three time Super 14 winning game strategies as the worst in the world

 

[Saintjay]

Can't wait for the team announcement tomorrow, I need some good news, really really good news.

... f...ing women are the spawn of satan...

Is the England team annouced today???.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I think England's will be tomorrow, they normally do it two days before.

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[TRF_heineken]

The Boks team will be announced today at 12:30 CAT

 

[Darwin]

The Boks team will be announced today at 12:30 CAT

 

[cyclone101]

30 minutes and counting

 

[TRF_heineken]

15. Zane Kirchner
14. JP Pietersen
13. Jean De Villiers (C)
12. Frans Steyn
11. Bryan Habana
10. Morne Steyn
9. Francois Hougaard
8. Pierre Spies
7. Willem Alberts
6. Marcell Coetzee
5. Juandre Kruger
4. Eben Etzebeth
3. Jannie Du Plessis
2. Bismarck Du Plessis (vc)
1. Beast Mtwawarira

16. Adriaan Strauss
17. COenie Oosthuizen
18. Flip Van Der Merwe
19. Keegan Daniel
20. Ruan Pienaar
21. Pat Lambie
22. Wynand Olivier

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

15. Zane Kirchner
14. JP Pietersen
13. Jean De Villiers (C)
12. Frans Steyn
11. Bryan Habana
10. Morne Steyn
9. Francois Hougaard
8. Pierre Spies
7. Willem Alberts
6. Marcell Coetzee
5. Juandre Kruger
4. Eben Etzebeth
3. Jannie Du Plessis
2. Bismarck Du Plessis (vc)
1. Beast Mtwawarira

16. Adriaan Strauss
17. COenie Oosthuizen
18. Flip Van Der Merwe
19. Keegan Daniel
20. Ruan Pienaar
21. Pat Lambie
22. Wynand Olivier

My thoughts
Great to see a few new faces.
Not overly happy about the inclusion of Kirschner and Spies.
Also think we can do better than JdP at 3 and JdV at 13 but I can accept that for this year.
Alberts also needs to step it up; hasn't been in great form and Jacques Potgieter is just a better option IMO.
LOL at BdP vc; a ploy to encourage him to be more calm on the field? Do we really want to keep a lid on his abrassiveness?

I would also have liked Lambie to form part of the 15 but am happy that he is seen primarily at 10 as I think he will show, when given the opportunity, that he is our premier 10 ATM with Goosen the future prospect and Steyn the back-up if both are injured.

Oosthuizen, Strauss, Daniela nd Lambie are the perfect players to make an impact off of the bench.

 

[TRF_heineken]

My thoughts
Great to see a few new faces.
Not overly happy about the inclusion of Kirschner and Spies.
Also think we can do better than JdP at 3 and JdV at 13 but I can accept that for this year.
Alberts also needs to step it up; hasn't been in great form and Jacques Potgieter is just a better option IMO.
LOL at BdP vc; a ploy to encourage him to be more clam on the field? Do we really want to keep a lid on his abrassiveness?

Oosthuizen, Strauss, Daniela nd Lambie are the perfect players to make an impact off of the bench.

That was exactly what I thought too!! I think Heyneke tried to cover all his bases for this test because of the short time to prepare.

Glad to see Etzebeth and Coetzee getting the nod!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Imagine the levels of generalized fury and hostility if Coenie and Bismarck packs down next to each other; wouldn't surprise me to see the opposition tighthead pass out from the amount of ill will emanating from either side of his nugget.

 

[peanuts40]

I'm actually pretty happy with this team, and surprised to see the negative comments about it on another forum. The only selection I'm not all to happy with is Kirchner, but I don't mind him playing at full back if it means Lambie can come on at fly half with 20 to go.

But yeah, like I said, pretty happy with the team and go into the weekends game with quite a bit more confidence. Here's hoping for Coetzee and Etzebeth to rip the poms a new one.