Ahhh, the match that we are all looking forward to… with a bit of reservation and a lot of excitement! The SIX NATIONS champions vs the TRI NATIONS champions.
A lot has been made that this match is the so-called MINI-WORLD CUP, well it is not! The Irish are desperate to give it this hype but the reality is that it is a fatigued lot of Bokke against a fresh lot of Leprechauns… simple as that.
Having said that, the Bokke management have probably picked the strongest unit since the British and Irish Lions series, hell maybe even a stronger team that that, with John Smit reverting to his rightful position at hooker and with BJ Botha anchoring the scrum at tight head. There appears to be a a fine balance in the loose forwards chosen as well, even better than that is the fact that this team is full to the brim with combinations… by that I mean that the front row is a combination, the locks are a combination and 5 out of the seven backline players played in combination in the Super 14 and in the Currie Cup for the Bulls.
Add to that one of the best outside centres (Jacque Fourie) and the somewhat lazy JP Pietersen and you’ve got a team which should run over Ireland under normal conditions.
The conditions are’nt normal though, there is the weather to contend with, the referee (Nigel Owens), the fact that the game is played at Croke Park in front of more than 82 000 vervent Irish supporters and… probably most importantly of all, it is the end of a very long season for the battered Bokke.
No excuses though, this is what we live for, this is what pride is for…
Ireland are always a tough bunch to contend with and this year will be no different! They are after all the Six Nations champs, boast a host of Lions series players and seem to be a well-oiled machine at present.
The Irish are full of game breakers and probably field the 2nd best lock pairing in the world. Compared to some of the other Northern Hemisphere sides however, they do not have the most feared scrum.
In the backline there is the excitement of Brian O’Driscoll, Tommy Bowe, Rob Kearney and the exciting new fly half, Jonathan Sexton.
This will be a huge match, difficult to predict the outcome, but one has to saythat the pedigree of the Springboks should carry them through. At the end of last year, the Springboks scraped together all their last power and emptied the tanks on England in a run-away victory for the last match of the year. I predict more of the same and give the Bokke a comfortable win…. Bokke by 12 PLUS.
Bold prediction… and I could be seriously wrong, so whatch out, do not quote me!
Players to Watch: First there is Jonathan Sexton, new and bright, has the quality to be the star of the match. Much will rest on his shoulders as he takes over from the iconic veteran, Ronan O’Gara. Keith Earls is another, new, young, fresh, electric player who could give the largely anonymous JP Pietersen a hard time. Of course, you will be aware of Bryan Habana. Whenever play goes his way there is a frisson of excitement, and he is a man who gets stuck in for the cause. In the pack young Cian Healy of Ireland has had a great start to his Test career – a prop who can scrum and who can play a vigorous role about the field as well. Heinrich Brüssow is South Africa’s new boy wonder and he has been of astonishing value at the tackle. Clearly the Irish will target him because he is such a threat, turnover ball being the best available.
Head to Head: There will be several fascinating match-ups – Brian O’Driscoll, fast, strong and cunning, against Jaque Fourie, fast, strong and opportunistic, strong Tommy Bowe against whippet-like Bryan Habana, mercurial Jonathan Sexton against calm Morné Steyn, Paul O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan against Andries Bekker and Victor Matfield, and then front row against front row at a time when scrums are such a talking point, especially as the Italians have been destroyers in chief. This time one would expect the Springboks’ front row to be more than up to the task.
Previous Results
2006: Ireland won 32-15 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
2004: Ireland won 17-12 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
2004: South Africa won 26-17 at Newlands
2004: South Africa won 31-17 at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
2000: South Africa won 28-18 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
1998: South Africa won 27-13 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
1998: South Africa won 33-0 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1998: South Africa won 37-13 at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
1981: South Africa won 12-10 at King’s Park Stadium, Durban
1981: South Africa won 23-15 at Newlands
1970: Draw 8-8 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
1965: Ireland won 9-6 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
1961: South Africa won 24-8 at Newlands
1960: South Africa won 8-3 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
1951: South Africa won 17-5 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
1931: South Africa won 8-3 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
1912: South Africa won 38-0 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
1906: South Africa won 15-12 at Ravenhill, Belfast
Teams:
Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O’Driscoll (captain), 12 Paddy Wallace, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Tomas O’Leary, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 David Wallace, 6 Stephen Ferris, 5 Paul O’Connell, 4 Donncha O’Callaghan, 3 John Hayes, 2 Jerry Flannery, 1 Cian Healy
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Tony Buckley, 18 Leo Cullen, 19 Sean O’Brien, 20 Peter Stringer, 21 Ronan O’Gara, 22 Gordon D’Arcy
South Africa: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Danie Rossouw, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Andries Bekker, 3 BJ Botha, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Jean Deysel, 19 Dewald Potgieter, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Jean de Villiers.
Date: Saturday, 28 November 2009
Time: 16:30 SA Time (14:30 GMT)
Venue: Croke Park, Dublin
Expected weather conditions: There 20 percent chance of rain, with a high of 6°C which is 0°C with the windchill factor, getting colder, and a wind from the north of 28 km/h, freshening to 36 km/h
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Chris White (England), Carlo Damasco (Italy)
TMO: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
See the changes to the Springboks lineup with the late withdrawal of Bakkies Botha. Andries Bekker now wears the No 4 jersey and Francois Hougaard comes in on the bench.
27 – Snoek, I agree changing names is a huge waste of money. They said when the come in years back that is one thing they would never do. Now we have had so many name changes every where. Still call Joburg Airport. Joburg Airport. It took me a long time to get used to that as it was always known as JanSmuts. Now just call it Joburg Airport before long they will change names there too.
You have to give me a verdict on the spit braai on Sunday 😀
Have not had a spit braai for years.
Nobody as clever as a bookmaker when it comes to money and the sharpest of all is an Irish bookie – who put SA slightly ahead to win.
They have to back Ireland (coz they sponsor em) but even they believe(ie want) Boks to win.
Must tell you something…
30 – Snoek, Cheers mate. I will do. Think Irish will be sleeping they 2 hours behind us.
Going out now too will be back later. Enjoy your Spit Braai Snoek and the rugga. Let us hope our beloved Boks win today.
32 – Mieliepap, Maybe they feel with our front row changes and JdV on the bench we may win. We have lost our enforcer though. Pity about Bakkies injury. Should have started with Danie at 4 and move Burger to 8 and Deysel on at 7. Think that would have been better to start those players there.
Okay that is me out. Back later.
Irish if you log on later. Good luck to both teams and may the best team win.
Puma
Maybe they dont want to disrupt things to much and be swopping too many players about. Could cause confusion and mess up a whole range of moves that have been worked on. A straight in and out swop might be better than a few positional moves as well. Read what I said on the Bakkies withdrawn thread and see if you agree on the “positives” about Bakkies being withdrawn.
I would always have Bakkies in mind you…
We need to be at our mental best to down these Sly fox Irish team.
I know that the ref is not going to spot all their off the ball niggles.
Morning all. Today seems like not so bad weather – very overcast and windy but it is dry. A shame for Bakkies though. He is a kingpin in the pack.
Hey Puma – yeah sure – may the team with the most points on the board at the end of the game take the victory. Good luck is something us Irish strive on.
The Springboks head out in front of a packed Croke Park on Saturday looking to avoid an unprecedented third straight loss in Ireland after losing their last two games at Lansdowne Road.
The Tri-Nations and Six Nations champions go head to head in a contest that has been billed as the ‘battle of the hemispheres’. Ireland have not lost in ten outings, while South Africa have tasted defeat just three times in eleven Tests in 2009.
The Irish at home have proved to be a major thorn in the Springboks’ side over the last few years after the South Africans went down in their previous two visits to the Emerald Isle in 2004 (17-12) and 2006 (32-15). Fast forward three years later, and the Boks face an equally daunting task with their first visit to Croke Park.
Croke Park doesn`t sound very inviting. 82 000 peeps!
40 – Super it is going to be tough there today. Especially now we have lost Bakkies. A huge, huge loss.
He has to rest though, never play with a back injury. Hope he is up and ready for next year. WE need him.
Not too sure about Bekker at 4. I feel we should have had Danie start there. Move Burger to 8 and start Deysel at 7.
Let us hope it all works out.
36 – Mieliepap, Will go and read what you said on that thread now. Maybe you right don’t change the players about too much. Hope that they don’t target Burger too much. Think he is going to be a marked man there today.
38 – Irish, Howzit mate. Good that there is dry weather. Now hoping it stays that way for the game too.
Should be a cracker. Looking forward to it.
Catch up later. Off to the shops now. Finally we all decided (neighbours coming over) we will do what we done last week. Braai some huge big Tiger Prawns again today for while the rugga is on. TV close by. Should be good. Weather here on the highveld hot and dry. Hope it stays like that and no thunderstorm for later for the braai.
Catch up later mate.
Good day ladies and gents.
In the right hand corner we SOUTH AFRICA Southern Hemispere champions and 2 times champions of the world.
And in the left hand corner we have the IRISH Northern Hemispere champions of Europe.
GBS thanks for the low down on the players (think thats the expression. 🙂
GBS – “A fatigued lot of Bokke against a fresh bunch of Leprechauns” !!
Hey you are just starting to sweat a bit in Brakpan and it is not the heat!!
Back later for the match – Even though I feel very slightly disloyal to the N.H team – Go Springboks……..!! 😆
Good Afternoon all. Hmmmm Carol – how can you do that?
46 – Irish 😳 ….. 😉
Irish are you here later?
I have a million things to do and I must not get sidetracked as I want to watch both matches!!
So catch you later I hope. 🙂
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