It seems the the Bookies, around the world have made the Springboks slight favourites to win the Tri-Nations over the All Blacks and the Wallabies trailing way behind in the backgroud.
Leading SA bookies have the Boks on offer at 5/4 while New Zealand can be backed at 4/3.
Australia are favourites for the wooden spoon at 4/1.
The Boks open the defence of their title against the All Blacks in Auckland on 10 July whereafter they again go toe to toe on 17 July in Wellington. The Springboks play the Wallabies once in Brisbane, Australia on 24 July before returning to South Africa.
South Africa’s home fixtures are against New Zealand in Johannesburg on 21 August and against the Wallabies in Pretoria on 28 August and in Bloemfontein on 4 September.
I can’t see how that can be realistic though. Two home game for NZ over SA must be in their favour. Also our back three is the weakest in the competition, with PDV not wanting Frans Steyn for whatever reason, we sit with Habana as our only experience in the back three.
Who would PDV pick, hopefully de Villiers on right wing with aplon at fullback.
Most likely he will pick Habana, Kirchner and Aplon.
1@ biltongbek:
Welcome to Rugby-talk, by the way.
I cannot agree that our back 3 is weak, Habana knows Kirchner well from his days at the Bulls and Habana and Gio formed 2 of the back 3 at the Stormers who had the wood over all 5 NZ Super 14 sides.
Frans Steyn was way off his game in the Wales game, showing that Frans has indeed regressed in France.
I get the distinct feeling that you dislike Zane Kirchner, but remember he has been Fullback at the Bulls for the last 2 Super 14 winning seasons, he is solid and apart from a bad knock against Wales where he came on for 4 minutes at the end, he’s improved every game at the Bokke this season.
Gio is solid enough at right wing.
grootblousmile, I don’t dislike Kirchner, I have been following his career since he played for Griquas in the vodacom cup number of years ago, he is a very athletic and solid player. The problem is he shows inconsistencies. Especially under the high ball, and with him and Gio to inexperienced players at the back can be very dangerous against the Wallabies and All Blacks. Add to that Habana’s recent need to jump the defensive line for intercepts, this could all cuase us to have big lapses in our defense.
With Jean de Villiers at least combined with one of the two new guys, we have someone who is astute in defensive organisation and he will be able to keep the back three defensively in tact.
3@ biltongbek:
Jean is a centre…
I’m no fan of playing players out of position a la Trickie Dickie.
Stormers prided themselves as the most solid defensive team with Habana and Gio as the 2 wings in the Super 14, I do not see a defensive problem in that regard.
Similarly Zane has been solid under the high ball except one blunder against Wales.
In fact, Jean de Villiers would not make my Bokke bench at the moment… he needs to find form again after his Northern Hemisphere sojourn.
You do know that Jean de Villiers started his career as a wing?
5@ biltongbek:
Yip, his debut for the Bokke was on wing too…. but he is a centre, has played mostly inside centre in his career and in the UK as well.
Point is, he is fresh from the Northern Hemisphere… needs to regain Southern Hemisphere form and is he really a better option at No 14 over Gio who played there for the Super 14 in a very tight defensive structure?
ha ha ha…Biltonbek made it….welcome dude 🙂 Poached him of the bbc forums 🙂 Quite here at the moment Bilton, but it can get very busy 🙂
*biltongbek
@ bos_otter:
Hello, please be a SHARKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK.
@ Treehugger:
Sorry bossie that was meant for Biltongbek
lol…np 🙂
Treehugger, bud, as a kid I lived every where, except for Natal. Settled in JHB and became a Transvaal supporter, I remember in the late 80’s when the Currie Cup final score was something like this Transvaal 30, Northern Transvaal 4, Naas Botha 28.
Had some good times in those days, but ever since they kicked Louis Luyt out of rugby Lions rugby has gone downhill bigtime.
got so fedup with that, decided not to have a favorite team anymore, except maybe having to say the Bulls are my least favorite team.
When I grew up every club 707 book I read, there was some private investigator who played rugby for the Blue Bulls and was a lock. Decided that was indoctrination via media, and as a rebel decided I’ll never support them, unless they are our only hope for a trophy(as in the Super 14)
So now I find myself to be more objective and enjoying the game more as I don’t get so the “noer in”
@ biltongbek:
Biltongbek, Treehugger is a budette (and so am I)!!! and I do hope you mean the “moer in” and not the “noer in” 🙂
Welcome here on RT!!!!
Oh by the way, you do not realise what you are missing by not supporting the Bulls, it is a great place to be!!!
Oh hi everyone, should be able to come chat more often now!!!
13@ Tripples:
Hello Maiki… hoe gaan dit met die kromvingers?
hallooo GBS, hahahaha het probleme opgetel met my linkerhand, het blykbaar na binne gebloei en die staan nou so dik!!! kan glad nie my linkerhand gebruik nie, veral duim en wysvinger, senuwees word heeltemal vasgeknyp, hetnou pille gekry om die gestolde bloeding ens op te droog!!! dis al friggen 9 weke en ek is soooo gatvol, moet sê die regterhand kom baie goed aan darrem….
Jammer dames, dankie vir die welkom. Tripples the speed and accuracy of my typing does let me down quite often, and I hate to backtrack to fix an error, bu yes, I meant Moer in.
Do you now how much fun I have the the Blue Bull supporters.
A little story of my Blue Bull Bretheren.
A number of years ago the Lions lost all their Super matches bar 1. My one colllegue is a staunch, and I mean one of those one eyed, flaps on the eyes, “my bloed is blou” type of bull supporters.
So he sends me this SMS ” It must be real embarressing to be a Lions Supporter”
My retort to him ” Ja, but what is more embarressing is that your team lost to them”
16@ biltongbek:
Dis maar so, OF jy is ‘n Bulls Ondersteuner OF jy haat die Bulls soos pes uit pure jaloesie… dis maar hoe dit werk.
Dis moerrrrrrrrrrr lekker om ‘n Bul te wees!
Gooi Mieliesssssssss
grootblousmile.
Haat is so lelike woord. dit llat nie toe vir enige “flexibility” nie.
Ek laaik hulle net mooi fo….l, totdat hulle die enigste SA span oor is in die Super 14.
Dan support ek hulle onder streng protes. Ek en my seun het Steve se song so bietjie verander
“n blou bul eet net van die vloer af,
Die blou bul weet net van verloor af,
die blou bul is swak,
die blou bul is k..”
en so aan.
Die groot ding is ons hou dit nie teen julle nie, daar agter die “ystergordyn” weet ouens nie altyd van beter nie!
Ek stem saam ….Vrystaat is n veel beter span om te ondersteun 🙂
18@ biltongbek:
Mmmmmm, die jaloesie skyn bietjie erg deur!
Maar darem is jy nog ‘n trotse Suid-Afrikaner.
Maar nou wil ek ook van jou af weet, as ontnugterde Ex-Lion… wat de joosie gaan aan daar by die Lions en wat is jou houding oor hoe dinge gefix moet word?
Jinne, so kan die Leeue nie aangaan nie!
Ek sien ook dat die Leeugroep vir die Curriebeker maar dun is jong, net blerrie Vodacom Cup gehalte spelers, benewens Jano en Doppies en Killian… en Wikus van Heerden.
Persoonlik dink ek hulle moet maar beursie uithaal en so 7 hoë gehalte Super 14 sterre koop om die kerngroep te vorm vanwaar die Leeu-jonges deurgebring kan word. En natuurlik moet Manie Reyneke en sy Sirkus-Administrateur-boeties ook maar die trekpas kry, want ‘n vis vrot mos maar van die kop af!
Lyk vir my jy begewe jou in die Oos-Rand of Ooste van Sodom en Gemorrah (na aanleiding van jou IP Besonderhede wat na my toe terugbons)… ek selwers sit hier diep in die Oos-Rand…. Brakkenjanpan.
19@ bos_otter:
Ag Bossies, jou Tante se Agterstevoor-Pandoor man…. freegin Mielieblaarboer in Bleekbeen-eiland!
Ag wat kla jy GBS….die helfte van die Bulle is Vrystaters man!! Anyway, baie plek vir julle blou bul supporters hier op die pragtige uitmemoorde Vrystaatse platteland as jy ooit van plan verander en besluit om die Vrystaat so bietjie liefed te gee 🙂
grootblousmile
Nee wat ek is hier in Alberton, net suid van die beskawing.
Die Leeus se probleme het begin net nadat Louis Luyt gewaai het.
Die leeus moet letterlik van voor af begin, daar was sprake n’ paar jaar terug dat hulle Ellispark wou skuif hier na die ou perde wedren baan in alberton, hulle moes dit gedoen het. Niemand gaan meer Ellispark toe nie, dit is nie veilig nie, en daar is geen parkering.
Die Club situasie hier by ons is ook al pateties, so iemand met n’ besigheids brein moet hier in stap en van voor af begin.
22@ bos_otter:
Ek ken die hele Vrystaat goed… my oorle Pa, GBS Maksimus, se mense kom van tussen Kroonstad en Viljoenskroon, daar naby Renosterkop.
My oorle Ma se mense kom van die Oos-Vrystaat… Clocolan.
My Oupas, Pa en Ooms en 2 van my broers was op Grey College in Blingfontein op skool.
@ grootblousmile:
GBS, mooi man….nou waar langs die pad het jy die pad byster geraak en besluit om die Bulle te ondersteun? 🙂
25@ bos_otter:
Ek is in Pretoorsdorp gebore en getoeë… en nieteenstaande die feit dat GBS Maksimus op sy dag die Vrystaat trui oor sy kop getrek het (haker) en ook geswem en geboks het vir Vrystaat, hy het ook vir Noord Vrystaat gespeel… het hy net voor my geboorte ‘n volwaardige Bul-ondersteuner geword… boeties is ook Bulle… Oom ook, nieteenstaande die feit dat hulle op Grey was.
Ek sien. Wie was jou pa? Klink of die man goed was in sport.
27@ bos_otter:
Jy sal onmoonlik my Pa geken het nie, hy sou nou al amper 82 gewees het.
Maar jy sal sweerlik al van my familie gehoor het… een ou het Andy Dalton se kakebeen na moer geslaan in 1987… ‘n flank, Springbok en Bul.
Wie…Burger Geldenhuys?
Ek het aangeneem ek sal nie jou pa ken nie, was maar net nuuskierig.
29@ bos_otter:
Netso
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