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.
GBS dis ‘n bietjie vroeg om al onder die prop te wees.:lol:
The game is being played at Croke Park, not the Millennium Stadium.
GBS Bakkies is out boet. He has withdrawn. Bekker in his place and F.Hougaard on the bench now.
Go read Die Burger.
Sorry man, ou foutjie wat ingeslip het…. dis reggestel.
Ok maar is jy alreets onder die prop?
Going to miss our enforcer for sure. Bekker to start? He has being playing well but he is not a Bakkies.
4@ Loskoppie – Fokkollll, ek is so nugter soos kan kom…. demmmm, ek werk my komkommer krommer!
Hahaha there goes Jean de Villiers’ stupid nr. 21 story…
Morning all. Well the big day has arrived. Really looking forward to this game. Pity about Bakkies not going to play.
I would have had Danie at 4 before Bekker. Deysel at 7 and Burger at 8.
Hope there is better weather there today.
Dink nie Bekker kan met sy longdrop lyf n goeie scrummer wees nie.
Physics en daai jazz.
Morning Pumba
Ek lees dat Gary Gold weier om te glo dat daar iets fout met ons scrum was die jaar. Net in SA se ek vir julle.
Has anyone seen Sexton play? I have never, so looking forward to seeing what he can do.
Hope Morne has those kicking boots on today. Then only just had a bit of a off day in the first half last week. Today though in the wet we need him to be back to his brilliant best.
Good luck Bokke.
Morning Pill and Snoek.
How I wish this game was played here. Should make them tour down here eoyt. Good weather always. Should alternate each year us going there and NH teams coming down here. Forget the June tours here they are a waste of time sending their 3rd rate teams here. Imagine if this game and the French game was played at Loftus and Ellis Park this time of year? Awesome. Maybe a bit hot but we could have it start at 6pm. Just wishful thinking..hehe
13 – The highveld thunderstorms would scare those europeans out of Africa for ever. 😆
9 – Pill with Bakkies out they should have played Danie at 4 and maybe Burger at 8 and Deysel at 7. Think it would have been better. My view though. Then our front row will work well today with John back at hooker and BJ at TH with Beast at LH. Still think we needed Danie at 4 though.
14 – Snoek……..hahahahahah. You very right. Did think of that. Cant play during the day far too hot. What a great festival atmoshphere though this time of year and to have the rugby right here would be a bonus too.
typo sorry – atmosphere
Ja puma, what a beautifull sunny day we have here in Northen KZN today. Going to braai with about 20 friends and their wifes this afternoon. Lekker, and only in SA.
Snoek, The Cape weather this time of year is awesome. Maybe we could have it there. They don’t have a lot of rain this time of year. Then they do have plenty wind.
Durbs is great but we have a lot of rain this time of year.
Just like to see teams suffer in the altitude. Our big weapon… 😆
18 – Big screen rugby and beer for the night. Even aranged for someone to do our spitbraai while we watch the game.
18 – Snoek that sounds awesome mate, I will braai later as I normally do in Joburg. Going back to Umhlanga next week. Wanted to go back today but it is a rush. Only came up for two days and now here over a week already. Weather great though very hot.
20 – Snoek that sounds awesome. Big Screen too? Brilliant. Great to have mates around with the rugga. Always a good atmosphere. In Umhlanga I normally go to the clubhouse. All my neighbours there go to, so it is great and watch on the big screen. Here my neighbour comes over as well but we braai together and do the normal SA thing here. Still great.
Puma, i remember watching the S14 game against the Lions and Sharks end February this year. We left Kingspark for Balito at 22:15 that night and the temp gage in the Landie said it was 32 deg C. The humidity that day was unbelievable, i couldn’t even hold my beer without it slipping through my fingers.
Snoek spit braai? NOW I am envious. Just throw some my way….hehe.
Helloooooooooo
Game threads are scheduled for:
1. Scotland vs Argentina (SS6 & CSN at 16:30)
2. Ireland vs Springboks (SS1 & M-Net at 16:30)
3. Wales vs Australia (SS1 & CSN at 18:15)
4. France vs All Blacks (SS1 & CSN at 21:45)
23 – Snoek, The humidity in Durbs in Feb is the worst. That is the hottest and most humid month. Not good for rugby.
The heat in Joburg much dryer than Umhlanga though. I see that the gov is now complaining that they want to change all signs of umhlanga, to Umhlanga Rocks, wasting money if you ask me.
24 – Puma
I will give you testimonial on the food Sunday morning. 😆
25 – GBS. Helllllllllooooooooo.
Thanks for those threads. Especially thanks for my crici thread yesterday.
Cheers puma, have some things to do before the party. If you see Irish Devil before the game today, tell him goodluck from me.
Enjoy the game mate.
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