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Spring Tour: South Africa - England - 1st Test (09/06/2012, 16:00 GMT)
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Darwin
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Right, my thoughts on the match as a neutral:
I'm expecting it to be a close match, with some great match-ups in a number of areas. I'm interested to see how Marler goes up front. There have been big questions over his scrummaging ability in the past, but I don't think that the South African really has the scrum to exploit any weaknesses he may have (their scrum is solid, but not destructive in my opinion). It will be great to see Marler and Mtawarira running around in open play though! Overall I give South Africa a small edge in the front rows, largely due to their (slightly) greater experience in this area. The locking battle will be interesting - I am not overly familiar with either of Englands locks, and South Africa will be fielding two rookie locks. I actually really like the look of the South African locking combination. Despite his young age Etzebeth has been the best lock in Super Rugby in my opinion (along with Retallick), while Kruger is an outstanding lineout forward in the mold of Victor Matfield. I think they are a really well balanced combination, and actually would give them a slight edge over the English duo, despite them both being on debut (though this could well be due to my naivety on the English locks!).
The loose-forwards look pretty evenly matched to me, though I may give England the slight edge. I really rate both Coetzee and Robshaw, despite the fact neither are genuine opensides in my opinion. Don't know much about Johnson, but I'm not a big fan of Alberts. He makes good metres with ball in hand, but doesn't offer that much more around he field in my opinion, and can be a bit hit and miss in defense. I'm not a huge Spies fan, but he can be effective with space to move, but I do like what I have seen from Morgan thus far.
The halves battle is very interesting. Hougaard to me is an exceptional rugby player, but whether he is best suited to halfback is an interesting question. He is certainly a threat at the base of the ruck, but still needs to do a lot of work on some of the basics of halfback play (decision making, box-kicking). He is at his best when he drops back to catch high kicks, as is electric on the counter-attack. Youngs seems to have a lot of pace, but his halfback play is a bit up and down (I personally didn't expect him to be in the 22, which shows what I know about English rugby!). Farrell and Steyn are both good kicking 10's, and the result of the game may well come down to who goal-kicks better on the night.
Really looking forwards to the midfield battle. Steyn adds another dimension to the Boks midfield when he plays there (and I'm not just talking about his width
) - I expect to see him running a lot at Farrell and Barritt. Tuilagi is a massive weapon for England, though South Africa do have the size in the midfield to somewhat combat him (though he may well be charging straight at Morne Steyn!). Not too surprised to see England pick two fullbacks given South Africa's likely approach. Overall I think the back threes are pretty evenly matched; it will be interesting to see whether either teams outsides backs are required to run with the ball, or are simply used a kick chasers/catchers throughout the match!
Overall I'm picking South Africa by 5-10 points, mainly because of their home ground advantage, but wouldn't be surprised at all if England pull off the win.
I'm expecting it to be a close match, with some great match-ups in a number of areas. I'm interested to see how Marler goes up front. There have been big questions over his scrummaging ability in the past, but I don't think that the South African really has the scrum to exploit any weaknesses he may have (their scrum is solid, but not destructive in my opinion). It will be great to see Marler and Mtawarira running around in open play though! Overall I give South Africa a small edge in the front rows, largely due to their (slightly) greater experience in this area. The locking battle will be interesting - I am not overly familiar with either of Englands locks, and South Africa will be fielding two rookie locks. I actually really like the look of the South African locking combination. Despite his young age Etzebeth has been the best lock in Super Rugby in my opinion (along with Retallick), while Kruger is an outstanding lineout forward in the mold of Victor Matfield. I think they are a really well balanced combination, and actually would give them a slight edge over the English duo, despite them both being on debut (though this could well be due to my naivety on the English locks!).
The loose-forwards look pretty evenly matched to me, though I may give England the slight edge. I really rate both Coetzee and Robshaw, despite the fact neither are genuine opensides in my opinion. Don't know much about Johnson, but I'm not a big fan of Alberts. He makes good metres with ball in hand, but doesn't offer that much more around he field in my opinion, and can be a bit hit and miss in defense. I'm not a huge Spies fan, but he can be effective with space to move, but I do like what I have seen from Morgan thus far.
The halves battle is very interesting. Hougaard to me is an exceptional rugby player, but whether he is best suited to halfback is an interesting question. He is certainly a threat at the base of the ruck, but still needs to do a lot of work on some of the basics of halfback play (decision making, box-kicking). He is at his best when he drops back to catch high kicks, as is electric on the counter-attack. Youngs seems to have a lot of pace, but his halfback play is a bit up and down (I personally didn't expect him to be in the 22, which shows what I know about English rugby!). Farrell and Steyn are both good kicking 10's, and the result of the game may well come down to who goal-kicks better on the night.
Really looking forwards to the midfield battle. Steyn adds another dimension to the Boks midfield when he plays there (and I'm not just talking about his width
) - I expect to see him running a lot at Farrell and Barritt. Tuilagi is a massive weapon for England, though South Africa do have the size in the midfield to somewhat combat him (though he may well be charging straight at Morne Steyn!). Not too surprised to see England pick two fullbacks given South Africa's likely approach. Overall I think the back threes are pretty evenly matched; it will be interesting to see whether either teams outsides backs are required to run with the ball, or are simply used a kick chasers/catchers throughout the match!Overall I'm picking South Africa by 5-10 points, mainly because of their home ground advantage, but wouldn't be surprised at all if England pull off the win.
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Got a feeling that England might sneak this one. Don't watch a lot of super rugby so can't comment on the debut boks but regardless of club form, test rugby can prove a step too far for some youngsters.
Also, brussow would've had a field day against England to the extent that if he were playing, I would be swayed back towards the boks.
Also, brussow would've had a field day against England to the extent that if he were playing, I would be swayed back towards the boks.
Good post there darwin.
Parling is a lineout nerd who also carries fairly well. Stereotypical five really, who's looked fairly good for Leicester recently. Has been unfortunate with injuries throughout his career. However, there's doubts over whether he's really top class at what he does.
Mouritz Botha is basically an engine. He works all day long. His hands look like they might be improving. I'm not sure he really has the physical clout to set him aside at the top level though.
In short, our guys might be more experienced, but I think theirs have more class.
Parling is a lineout nerd who also carries fairly well. Stereotypical five really, who's looked fairly good for Leicester recently. Has been unfortunate with injuries throughout his career. However, there's doubts over whether he's really top class at what he does.
Mouritz Botha is basically an engine. He works all day long. His hands look like they might be improving. I'm not sure he really has the physical clout to set him aside at the top level though.
In short, our guys might be more experienced, but I think theirs have more class.
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On SA's rugby magazine program a lot of interesting things came up about this match.
David Campese was one of the guests, and he made 3 interesting comments:
1. the Reason he would also have picked Kirchner over Lambie, was because Lambie only played 3 games this year at fullback, and his last one was vs. the Lions, where he got beaten all too often.
2. David thinks it's a bad idea to start Farrel vs. the Boks, as they thrive on taking out the inexperienced guys first and Fly Half is the one area where big forwards love to run at
3. Tuilagi at 13 doesn't pass all too much, and with Ashton outside him, it's a waste. And if SA plays the flat in your face defense, you need to give your wingers some space.
Bob Skinstad made the point, that he has no idea what to expect from the Boks backline, as he thinks that they might just fool us all and play some running rugby.
David Campese was one of the guests, and he made 3 interesting comments:
1. the Reason he would also have picked Kirchner over Lambie, was because Lambie only played 3 games this year at fullback, and his last one was vs. the Lions, where he got beaten all too often.
2. David thinks it's a bad idea to start Farrel vs. the Boks, as they thrive on taking out the inexperienced guys first and Fly Half is the one area where big forwards love to run at
3. Tuilagi at 13 doesn't pass all too much, and with Ashton outside him, it's a waste. And if SA plays the flat in your face defense, you need to give your wingers some space.
Bob Skinstad made the point, that he has no idea what to expect from the Boks backline, as he thinks that they might just fool us all and play some running rugby.
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I don't think being targeted will effect Farrell all that much.
I'm not his biggest fan but he's probably one of the "coolest" young rugby players around (as in nothing phases him) and he's taken to international rugby like a duck to water.
In his debut at 10 he also got absolutely decked by George North at one point, and it didn't bother him in the slightest.
I think he's got the temperament to handle it, though it's not going to be a walk in the park for him, obviously.
Will be interesting to see Steyn vs Barritt - Barritt is a superb defender, so if Steyn is just going to run straight at him he's not going to get far, but Steyn has a more well rounded game than Barritt, I feel, due to his experience at both 10 and 15.
I'm not his biggest fan but he's probably one of the "coolest" young rugby players around (as in nothing phases him) and he's taken to international rugby like a duck to water.
In his debut at 10 he also got absolutely decked by George North at one point, and it didn't bother him in the slightest.
I think he's got the temperament to handle it, though it's not going to be a walk in the park for him, obviously.
Will be interesting to see Steyn vs Barritt - Barritt is a superb defender, so if Steyn is just going to run straight at him he's not going to get far, but Steyn has a more well rounded game than Barritt, I feel, due to his experience at both 10 and 15.
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Those are all very interesting points. I only really would disagree about Farrell. Campese is missing the sort of player that Farrell is, quite confrontational, big-hitting (although not big himself) and thriving on pressure. The battle is as always to be won up front first and this will determine whether Farrell can play his normal game. I think in general you have to decide to play your normal game, and not admit in advance that you're going to be rattled by the oppositions physicality. Also, Flood has been out for a few weeks recently whereas Farrell has played in all the big games for his club. So in general I think it would have been counter-intuitive to not start farrell.
Definitely interested to see whether SA do come at us with the running rugby style. The question is, can Morne Steyn adapt to that game? We know the rest of them can.
I wonder whether SA will switch Francois Steyn to 10 and if they do, I wonder if we'll change too to counter that?
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I don't think we would, Farrell is hardly a poor defender.
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What the ex coaches has to say on the selections:
-White: "Well, I hope he's got the team right. If he hasn't and we lose the series, I'd like to coach South Africa again. If he gets it wrong and they give England a hiding, I would like to coach England. We'll see, because I'd also like to coach Australia, but my loyalty is with the Brumbies."
-Mallett: "There's not enough positions covered on the bench. Wait, I'm getting an sms from Andre Markgraaf… it says 'I like the whole bench.'"
-De Villiers: "It's not the team I expected. Fool me once, and shame on me, but if the little boy who cried wolf leads the horse to water, I shall not drink. For I am not a sheep. I am the walrus."
-White: "Well, I hope he's got the team right. If he hasn't and we lose the series, I'd like to coach South Africa again. If he gets it wrong and they give England a hiding, I would like to coach England. We'll see, because I'd also like to coach Australia, but my loyalty is with the Brumbies."
-Mallett: "There's not enough positions covered on the bench. Wait, I'm getting an sms from Andre Markgraaf… it says 'I like the whole bench.'"
-De Villiers: "It's not the team I expected. Fool me once, and shame on me, but if the little boy who cried wolf leads the horse to water, I shall not drink. For I am not a sheep. I am the walrus."
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Olyy, i meant would we change our back 3 at all, which was picked like that only because we expect SA to kick
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Ah, I'm not sure.
I'm not 100% that the back three was chosen because of the kicking threat, and more that they want to play both Foden and Brown so they've shoe-horned Foden in at wing.
When you look at our wingers, from the experienced ones (I wouldn't expect Wade/Joseph to start, for example) they don't exactly fill you with confidence (Monya/Strettle aren't really world class, imo).
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Definitely agree, although surely Lancaster rates them to some degree, otherwise he could have taken Benjamin, Short, *struggles to think of other quality wingers* Ojo, Jonny May...
Actually, Monye's grown on me over the years. i know all he really does is run very fast in a straight line, but he's also a f**king king at the breakdown! How many breakdown penalties has he won this year!? We should shoe-horn him in at 7.
Yeah I suppose in general Lancaster has shown he likes to shoe-horn players in (barritt > 13 + Robshaw > 7 springs to mind), so you're probs right about Lancaster just wanting to crack in as many form players as possible
The Springbok match 22 has been selected to face England in the first test in Durban on Saturday. Here’s a list of the 22, along with comments made by some past Springbok coaches.
15. ZANE KIRCHNER
-Jake White: “Lambie is very unlucky not to make the starting team. Big call from Heyneke.â€
-Nick Mallett: “Bad selection. He tries to join the backline too much, he can’t kick with his left foot and he clearly doesn’t use Lambie’s shampoo enough.â€
-Andre Markgraaf: “I hate him.â€
-Peter de Villiers: “Most of us were expecting him to pick Lambie, but it seems Heyneke has pulled a bull out of a hat. But Heyneke must be careful, because pulling a bull out of a hat is not magic. That is why God made rabbits.â€
14. JP Pietersen
-White: “Has been the classiest, most consistent right wing in the country for years.â€
-Mallett: “Bad selection. He’s been playing at centre too much this year, he doesn’t communicate enough and sometimes he wears coloured boots that puts his teammates offâ€.
-Markgraaf: “I hate him.â€
-De Villiers: “Hopefully he’ll get some ball that will enable him to attack, because attack is the best form of defence. Except tackling, of course. That’s much better defence.â€
13. JEAN DE VILLIERS (Captain)
-White: “Was one of my most trusted senior players and he fully deserves to be captain.â€
-Mallett: “Too much of a maverick to be captain and even though I haven’t seen him play outside centre for 10 years, I know he’s too slow for the position.â€
-Markgraaf: “I like him.â€
-De Villiers: “I’m happy for him. He has the same surname as me and people often ask if we are related. That makes Jean laugh. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I’m much shorter than he is.â€
12. FRANCOIS STEYN
-White: “Heyneke’s just copying my World Cup selection.â€
-Mallett: “Bad selection. What if he tries one of those huge drop kicks that hits the post, bounces back so far it lands in our 22 and puts us under pressure? Liability.â€
-Markgraaf: “I like him.â€
-De Villiers: “We had our differences when he wanted to stay in France. I told him that if God wanted us to live in France, why can you buy croissants at Checkers on a Sunday?â€
11. BRYAN HABANA
-White: “I taught him everything he knows about wing play.â€
-Mallett: “His peripheral vision is not up to scratch, he doesn’t cover his fullback on defence and he eats too many carbohydrates on match day.â€
-Markgraaf: “I hate him. Wait…I like him. Wait…ag, I don’t know. They must bring back the Race Classification Council because some of these ohs are bladdy confusing.â€
-De Villiers: “People have been critical of him in the past because they expect so much of him. I told him not to worry, because people also expected us to win the World Cup, and look how that turned out. It just goes to show that sometimes people are wrong.â€
10. MORNE STEYN
-White: “He’s been playing well and has a history of kicking well under pressure.â€
-Mallett: “His defence is shocking, his distribution’s appalling and I’ll bet that if you tell him his faults, he’ll cry just like Gaffie did.â€
-Andre Markgraaf has been forcibly removed due to his inappropriate outbursts
-De Villiers: “People say that the way he plays isn’t pretty. But beauty is only skin deep. Ugly goes right down to the bone.â€
9. FRANCOIS HOUGAARD
-White: “Can’t find any fault with his play.â€
-Mallett: “I can. His box kicks aren’t effective enough. One day he’s going to drop the ball during one of his ’swallow dives’ over the tryline. Too many tattoos.â€
-De Villiers: “Has had to bide his time, but good things come to those who wait, and if you wait long enough for delivery, the pizza will be free.â€
8. PIERRE SPIES
-White: “Magnificent athlete.â€
-Mallett: “His tackling is weak, his running with the ball is mindless and he gets homesick.â€
-De Villiers: “I treated him like a bull in a china shop. He didn’t understand why we were talking about Bulls in China when he wants to talk about the Bulls playing in Japan. He has a lot to learn.â€
7. WILLEM ALBERTS
-White: “Has all the attributes fill the void left by Juan Smith.â€
-Mallett: “He’s too slow, he doesn’t link with the backs and the players don’t know whether to speak English or Afrikaans to him.â€
-De Villiers: “He was disappointed that I kept picking Schalk Burger ahead of him. I told him that if he wanted to play in a Springbok team without Schalk in it, then he better buy a tutu and play in a ballerina outfit. Then he understood, and told me that he didn’t like the Bulls away strip either.â€
6. MARCELL COETZEE
-White: “Sorry, I didn’t hear you. Who’s the other flank? I was too busy asking Heinrich to fetch me a beer.â€
-Mallett: “Earlier I said he would be my pick, but it’s different now that he’s actually been picked. Bad selection.â€
-De Villiers: “Heinrich is very unlucky. That’s the way the ball bounces sometimes. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it doesn’t make the ball rounder. That’s why he’s been dropped.â€
5. JUANDRE KRUGER
-White: “I hope they’ve updated the line-out calls. ‘Een, twee, drie, Victor!’ isn’t going to work any more.â€
-Mallett: “Doesn’t do enough in the tight loose, isn’t strong enough in the scrums and he doesn’t understand why South Africa has three capital cities.â€
-De Villiers: “On debut, you must put your hand up and come to the party. The coach must tell him that even if the fans are expecting him to turn water into wine, he must relax because everyone’s drinking Powerade.â€
4. EBEN ETZEBETH
-White: “Awesome physical power.â€
-Mallett: “It’s wrong to have two locks on debut. His work at the line-outs is weak and he’s too young to remember when I was coach.â€
-De Villiers: “He’s a huge lock, like the tower of Babel, which is why the coach must speak different languages to him. At first you speak English, and he’ll understand. Then you speak Afrikaans, and he’ll understand. Then you speak to him in Xhosa, and then he won’t understand. That’s when you say ‘That is why I am the coach.’.â€
3. JANNIE DU PLESSIS
-White: “I only picked tighthead props with initials instead of first names.â€
-Mallett: “His discipline is poor, he should get murdered at the scrums and there’s a risk he’ll undermine the team doctor.â€
-De Villiers: “I used to tell him that even though he’s a doctor, laughter is the best medicine. Unless you have a headache, then laughter is just a moersa lotta kak.â€
2. BISMARCK DU PLESSIS (VICE-CAPTAIN)
-White: “They should have brought back John Smit.â€
-Mallett: “Him and his brother are a 5-penalty package. I would never have picked a hooker with such bad discipline. James Dalton was a saint.â€
-De Villiers: “He would always get upset that I didn’t start him. I told him that there’s no difference between starting and being on the bench, except that starting feels better. It didn’t cheer him up.â€
1. TENDAI ‘BEAST’ MTAWARIRA
-White: “On track to being the new Os.â€
-Mallett: “He’s not lifting his jumpers at the kick-offs properly. He’s doing it just to show off his strength to the crowd. When the crowd shouts his name it makes me jealous…I mean, it makes the players jealous.â€
-De Villiers: “He was always my first name on the teamsheet, because I started the team with ‘Number 1′.â€
RESERVES:
16. ADRIAAN STRAUSS
17. COENIE OOSTHUIZEN
18. FLIP VAN DER MERWE
19. KEEGAN DANIEL
20. RUAN PIENAAR
21. PATRICK LAMBIE
22. WYNAND OLIVIER
-White: “Well, I hope he’s got the team right. If he hasn’t and we lose the series, I’d like to coach South Africa an. If he gets it wrong and they give England a hiding, I would like to coach England. We’ll see, because I’d also like to coach Australia, but my loyalty is with the Brumbies.â€
-Mallett: “There’s not enough positions covered on the bench. Wait, I’m getting an sms from Andre Markgraaf… it says ‘I like the whole bench.’â€
-De Villiers: “It’s not the team I expected. Fool me once, and shame on me, but if the little boy who cried wolf leads the horse to water, I shall not drink. For I am not a sheep. I am the walrus.â€
Just a bit of a laugh.
15. ZANE KIRCHNER
-Jake White: “Lambie is very unlucky not to make the starting team. Big call from Heyneke.â€
-Nick Mallett: “Bad selection. He tries to join the backline too much, he can’t kick with his left foot and he clearly doesn’t use Lambie’s shampoo enough.â€
-Andre Markgraaf: “I hate him.â€
-Peter de Villiers: “Most of us were expecting him to pick Lambie, but it seems Heyneke has pulled a bull out of a hat. But Heyneke must be careful, because pulling a bull out of a hat is not magic. That is why God made rabbits.â€
14. JP Pietersen
-White: “Has been the classiest, most consistent right wing in the country for years.â€
-Mallett: “Bad selection. He’s been playing at centre too much this year, he doesn’t communicate enough and sometimes he wears coloured boots that puts his teammates offâ€.
-Markgraaf: “I hate him.â€
-De Villiers: “Hopefully he’ll get some ball that will enable him to attack, because attack is the best form of defence. Except tackling, of course. That’s much better defence.â€
13. JEAN DE VILLIERS (Captain)
-White: “Was one of my most trusted senior players and he fully deserves to be captain.â€
-Mallett: “Too much of a maverick to be captain and even though I haven’t seen him play outside centre for 10 years, I know he’s too slow for the position.â€
-Markgraaf: “I like him.â€
-De Villiers: “I’m happy for him. He has the same surname as me and people often ask if we are related. That makes Jean laugh. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I’m much shorter than he is.â€
12. FRANCOIS STEYN
-White: “Heyneke’s just copying my World Cup selection.â€
-Mallett: “Bad selection. What if he tries one of those huge drop kicks that hits the post, bounces back so far it lands in our 22 and puts us under pressure? Liability.â€
-Markgraaf: “I like him.â€
-De Villiers: “We had our differences when he wanted to stay in France. I told him that if God wanted us to live in France, why can you buy croissants at Checkers on a Sunday?â€
11. BRYAN HABANA
-White: “I taught him everything he knows about wing play.â€
-Mallett: “His peripheral vision is not up to scratch, he doesn’t cover his fullback on defence and he eats too many carbohydrates on match day.â€
-Markgraaf: “I hate him. Wait…I like him. Wait…ag, I don’t know. They must bring back the Race Classification Council because some of these ohs are bladdy confusing.â€
-De Villiers: “People have been critical of him in the past because they expect so much of him. I told him not to worry, because people also expected us to win the World Cup, and look how that turned out. It just goes to show that sometimes people are wrong.â€
10. MORNE STEYN
-White: “He’s been playing well and has a history of kicking well under pressure.â€
-Mallett: “His defence is shocking, his distribution’s appalling and I’ll bet that if you tell him his faults, he’ll cry just like Gaffie did.â€
-Andre Markgraaf has been forcibly removed due to his inappropriate outbursts
-De Villiers: “People say that the way he plays isn’t pretty. But beauty is only skin deep. Ugly goes right down to the bone.â€
9. FRANCOIS HOUGAARD
-White: “Can’t find any fault with his play.â€
-Mallett: “I can. His box kicks aren’t effective enough. One day he’s going to drop the ball during one of his ’swallow dives’ over the tryline. Too many tattoos.â€
-De Villiers: “Has had to bide his time, but good things come to those who wait, and if you wait long enough for delivery, the pizza will be free.â€
8. PIERRE SPIES
-White: “Magnificent athlete.â€
-Mallett: “His tackling is weak, his running with the ball is mindless and he gets homesick.â€
-De Villiers: “I treated him like a bull in a china shop. He didn’t understand why we were talking about Bulls in China when he wants to talk about the Bulls playing in Japan. He has a lot to learn.â€
7. WILLEM ALBERTS
-White: “Has all the attributes fill the void left by Juan Smith.â€
-Mallett: “He’s too slow, he doesn’t link with the backs and the players don’t know whether to speak English or Afrikaans to him.â€
-De Villiers: “He was disappointed that I kept picking Schalk Burger ahead of him. I told him that if he wanted to play in a Springbok team without Schalk in it, then he better buy a tutu and play in a ballerina outfit. Then he understood, and told me that he didn’t like the Bulls away strip either.â€
6. MARCELL COETZEE
-White: “Sorry, I didn’t hear you. Who’s the other flank? I was too busy asking Heinrich to fetch me a beer.â€
-Mallett: “Earlier I said he would be my pick, but it’s different now that he’s actually been picked. Bad selection.â€
-De Villiers: “Heinrich is very unlucky. That’s the way the ball bounces sometimes. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it doesn’t make the ball rounder. That’s why he’s been dropped.â€
5. JUANDRE KRUGER
-White: “I hope they’ve updated the line-out calls. ‘Een, twee, drie, Victor!’ isn’t going to work any more.â€
-Mallett: “Doesn’t do enough in the tight loose, isn’t strong enough in the scrums and he doesn’t understand why South Africa has three capital cities.â€
-De Villiers: “On debut, you must put your hand up and come to the party. The coach must tell him that even if the fans are expecting him to turn water into wine, he must relax because everyone’s drinking Powerade.â€
4. EBEN ETZEBETH
-White: “Awesome physical power.â€
-Mallett: “It’s wrong to have two locks on debut. His work at the line-outs is weak and he’s too young to remember when I was coach.â€
-De Villiers: “He’s a huge lock, like the tower of Babel, which is why the coach must speak different languages to him. At first you speak English, and he’ll understand. Then you speak Afrikaans, and he’ll understand. Then you speak to him in Xhosa, and then he won’t understand. That’s when you say ‘That is why I am the coach.’.â€
3. JANNIE DU PLESSIS
-White: “I only picked tighthead props with initials instead of first names.â€
-Mallett: “His discipline is poor, he should get murdered at the scrums and there’s a risk he’ll undermine the team doctor.â€
-De Villiers: “I used to tell him that even though he’s a doctor, laughter is the best medicine. Unless you have a headache, then laughter is just a moersa lotta kak.â€
2. BISMARCK DU PLESSIS (VICE-CAPTAIN)
-White: “They should have brought back John Smit.â€
-Mallett: “Him and his brother are a 5-penalty package. I would never have picked a hooker with such bad discipline. James Dalton was a saint.â€
-De Villiers: “He would always get upset that I didn’t start him. I told him that there’s no difference between starting and being on the bench, except that starting feels better. It didn’t cheer him up.â€
1. TENDAI ‘BEAST’ MTAWARIRA
-White: “On track to being the new Os.â€
-Mallett: “He’s not lifting his jumpers at the kick-offs properly. He’s doing it just to show off his strength to the crowd. When the crowd shouts his name it makes me jealous…I mean, it makes the players jealous.â€
-De Villiers: “He was always my first name on the teamsheet, because I started the team with ‘Number 1′.â€
RESERVES:
16. ADRIAAN STRAUSS
17. COENIE OOSTHUIZEN
18. FLIP VAN DER MERWE
19. KEEGAN DANIEL
20. RUAN PIENAAR
21. PATRICK LAMBIE
22. WYNAND OLIVIER
-White: “Well, I hope he’s got the team right. If he hasn’t and we lose the series, I’d like to coach South Africa an. If he gets it wrong and they give England a hiding, I would like to coach England. We’ll see, because I’d also like to coach Australia, but my loyalty is with the Brumbies.â€
-Mallett: “There’s not enough positions covered on the bench. Wait, I’m getting an sms from Andre Markgraaf… it says ‘I like the whole bench.’â€
-De Villiers: “It’s not the team I expected. Fool me once, and shame on me, but if the little boy who cried wolf leads the horse to water, I shall not drink. For I am not a sheep. I am the walrus.â€
Just a bit of a laugh.
It always fools everyone when a Boks backline plays running rugby.
As for Campese, thought through his comments he has not as
- Farrell has ice water in his veins and loves tackling people. He's genuinely Wilko-esque in that respect. About as safe a newbie as you can pick in that respect.
- Ashton's best work and most damaging runs are made when tracking the ball and playing off 9 and 10, not when receiving the ball from 13, so it doesn't matter that Tuilagi gets a bit carried away most of the time. Ashton's effectiveness will depend on the ability and willingness of the English players to show good hands and cool thinking when playing close to the gain line. Likewise Mike Brown actually.
Icemn
First XV
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say what?
u missed me ne
u know what? i almost gave up my All Black jersey to come and support my beloved country and it's penis hanging president, cuz i thought under new Mgmt the boks might play running rugby... but eish... stampkar, stampkar, stampkar...
the 1 good thing is the inclusion of young players... that mentality about experienced players know how to win is crap...
lambie not in is sad
Bozo selection is not bad, as he is on form (i think), but lambie is on another level.. i would have loved to see Goosen get a run... man that guy is too good for SA rugby... but the bulls will end up buying him and turn him into Naas Steyn...
pity about Taute aswell
another player i like... where is Janjies? he is in the squad right :? or is he still injured :?wtf is Banana doing there ???? :?was/is there no-one else for left wing ???
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Ahh, the Grinch is back
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Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk
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Only returned after nominations had stopped.
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Icemn, the guy who hates everything about his own country.
Maybe we should donate some money to help him move to his promised land, New Zealand. That way he can stop *****ing about everything wrong with South Africa.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk
Maybe we should donate some money to help him move to his promised land, New Zealand. That way he can stop *****ing about everything wrong with South Africa.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk
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