Ireland hosts the Springboks at Aviva Stadium, Landsdowne Road, Dublin at 19:30 SA Time.
What is in stock for the embattled Springboks, from the lands up North?
I am apprehensive about this game, like I have not been in a long time, including how I felt during the disasterous Tri-Nations of 2010.
The Springboks seem to be a mish-mash of frontliners and young untested talent, between absolute quality and some shameful selections and we could expect a stutter or three from players who are not used to playing next to each other, players playing out of position and lack of proper training time and bad coaching.
Hell, that sounds ominous and a recipy for failure, but we are standing behind and bargaining on traditional Springbok resiliance, grit and determination.
A good tight 5 combination, with players who we all would go to war with is supplemented by a rookie at openside flank, a great blindsider and an off-beat No 8.
In the backline the selections were strange if not shocking, with Ruan Pienaar suddenly slotting in next to Morné Steyn and thus shunning the form of Francois Hougaard, we have one half-injured Inside centre and at Outside Centre we have a fullback. On the right wing we have a left wing, on the left wing we have a superstar whose star seemed to be burnt out in the Tri-Nations.. and at fullback we have a right wing. Then we have a backline coach who’s had the worst possible run coaching a Super Rugby Team in history.
Ireland on the other hand, has beaten us the last three times, they have possibly the best center combination in world rugby in Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy, and a forwards pack coached by one of our own, Gert Smal.
The Irish forwards will be a hand full at all set pieces, scrums, lineouts and they have an abrasive backrow containing Jamie Heaslip, David Wallace and Stephen Ferris.
OK, prediction time… I hate doing this but I cannot logically see a Springbok win and hope to hell I’m wrong in predicting an Irish win…. Ireland by 15.
Recent results:
2009: Ireland won 15-10 at Croke Park, Dublin
2006: Ireland won 32-15 at Lansdowne Road
2004: Ireland won 17-12 at Lansdowne Road
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
1998: South Africa won 27-13 at Lansdowne Road
1998: South Africa won 33-0 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1998: South Africa won 37-13 at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
Teams:
Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O’Driscoll (captain), 12 Gordon D’Arcy, 11 Luke Fitzgerald, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 David Wallace, 6 Stephen Ferris, 5 Mick O’Driscoll, 4 Donncha O’Callaghan, 3 Tony Buckley, 2 Rory Best, 1 Cian Healy.
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Tom Court, 18 Donncha Ryan, 19 Denis Leamy, 20 Peter Stringer, 21 Ronan O’Gara, 22 Keith Earls.
South Africa: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 Zane Kirchner, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Keegan Daniel, 20 François Hougaard, 21 Adi Jacobs, 22 Patrick Lambie.
Date: Saturday, 6 November 2010
Kick-off: 19.30 SA Time (GMT 17.30)
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Expected weather: Scattered clouds with a 20 percent chance of rain, a high of 9°C and a northwester of 28 km/h. The temperature is set to drop to 2°C, -2°C with windchill.
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand), Keith Brown (New Zealand)
TMO: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
My backline with those that are selected and in the squad.
15 Zane
14 Aplon
13 Habs
12 JdV
11 Basson
10 Morne
9 Ruan (Hougaard should have started. What were they thinking??????) At least he his on the bench.
Anyhow think that would have been more balanced backline with the ones selected to play.
Also in the soft wet fields of Ireland would have had Mvovo on instead of Basson. He is a bigger guy that will handle the soft fields better and his defence great. What a pity but really hope he gets to start in some of the other games.
@ Ashley:60 – Remember Habs played centre at the Lions before going to Bulls. He can play well there and his defence is better than Zane.
Anyhow we just have to support our team boeta. I have Boks by 5 and hoping like crazy they win. They win this one it will set us up very nice for the rest of the other games. Our confidence will be up and that counts for plenty.
pums @ 61
watch the up and under work magic today
basson doesnt have his equal when going for up and unders in sa
and i have a feeling that he doesnt have anyone anywhere else that can equal him for speed AND his ability under the high ball!!
..
just cant think of anyone in rugby at the moment thats as good as him in those 2 areas!!
pums @ 62
i’m already wearing my bok jersey
..
soooooooooooooo
goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo bokke!!!
pums @ 62
i know that habs played centre before he was converted into a world class wing
..
think thats why jw played him at centre (againt ireland, can you believe it?) in 2006. didnt work then … would definately not work now!!
@ Ashley:64 – Good on you Ash, I have my Bok cap on. When I go out later will put on my Bok jersey.
65 – Ash, Zane has never played outside centre so for me it is more of a gamble. I would have moved Habs back there for this game. Damn so wish De Jongh never got injured. Such a very exciting player. Would have loved to have seen him on this tour.
@ Ashley:63 – Basson is world class Ash but for today would have had Aplon on at 14. He has played there many times. Though feel Basson will do fine.
You remember Lambie under the high Ball in the S14? For me I have not seen better than that in many years. Basson is great but under the high ball it has to be Lambie the fearless..hehehe. Pleased he is on the bench. Hope he gets 20min or so today. Good way to ease him into test rugby. Even if he gets 15 or 10min would be great.
Ash what time you work until? Do you work every Saturday or every 2nd?
pums @ 67
i think we still owe o’drol for his comments last year when the pussycats toured here!!
..
KILL THE BASTARD!!
pums @ 68
supposed to work about every 3rd one
but
end up almost working every saturday! 😆
pums @ 68
o, and i will be here till 13h00
Ash for wings think we are going to have so many wont know who to play.
Reading Sharksworld yesterday on the thread. “Whats waiting in the wings for Sharks”
We have a Kenyan that will soon get his South African citizenship. Adongo Ojiambo. Stands at 1.99m (now that is tall) Weighs 110kg massive. Age only 21. PB over 40m is very, very quick 4.88 So waiting to see how he does next year. Has now got a Sharks senior contract.
Then Sharks have – Sibusiso Sithole. Stands at 1.77m. Weighs 90kg. He is super, super fast at 10.5sec the 100m. Now that is blitz. Think he is only 20 years old.
So South Africa have great wings coming through. With Basson, Mvovo, Habs, Mapoe and JPP.
@ Ashley:70 – Well the saying goes, if there is plenty work it is all good. hehehehe.
@ Ashley:71 – Well that is not bad Ash, soon 1pm will be here and you can go and enjoy your Saturday.
pums @73
you mean … go and enjoy me first bear? 😀
cant wait!!
Goood morning all. There is no way the Boks will lose by 15, GO BOKS!
Hello dudes and dudettes… and hello Asbak.
Ashley.ek het gese jones was die expert,anywhy snorman is pateties,hy en sy 2 maatjies is die dood van springbok rugby.gee die bokspan vir die all black afrigter en hulle sal n faktor wees,gee die all blacks vir snor en hulle sal n joke wees.
Morning GBS. Hoe hang dinge daar ander kant die boerewors gordyn?
78@ Scrumdown:
Dinge hang goed, so effe links… hahaha
Hoe gaan dit in Sodom en Gemorra vandag?
Everyone who will be able to actually watch the game (even on TV) can be thankful.
For those of us with clients like mine it’s farking impossible.
Got to go to site @ 13h00 and won’t get away until dark, then another hour and a half drive back.
Thank goodness for PVR. Now I just have to hope my brats don’t cancel my recording for some edition of Hanna Montana that they’ve already seen 5 times!
79@ grootblousmile:
Sitting in the office with the Pipes & Drums band practicing next door. If I close my eyes and dream hard enough I could almost be walking through Dublin on my way to Lansdowne Road.
Just 20° too hot.
#74
my first bear????????? 😳
i meant “my first beer”!!!! 😆
gbs @ 76
yebo broetsie!!
Just to add a bit of perspective, bearing in mind the run on Irish team is dominated by Leinster players, eg. whole backline except for Tommy Bowe, who I rate. Leinster are only 6th out of 12 teams in the Magners League, behind Munster (who seem hopelessly under represented in the starting 15) 2 welsh teams Edinburgh and Ulster, so maybe their backline is not in such good form as is feared by so many Bok supporters.
Joke of the weekend.
Man notices a tasty bird giving him the eye in the supermarket.
“Do I know you?” he asks.
She says “Are you the dad of 1 of my kids?”
He thinks back to the only time he’s ever cheated and says “Were u the hooker I f*cked over the pool table at my stag do while your mate spanked me with a piece of wet celery while shoving that massive cucumber up my arse?”
She stares at him and says “No, I’m Your daughter’s teacher!”
piet @ 77
jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa boet
soe’t ammal oek v jw gesê!!
82 @ Ashley:
Ha ha Ashley seems like you may have had your first beer already 🙂
scrumdown @ 85
😆
bullscot @ 87
lol, naaaaaaaah
more like …. still feeling the effect of those i had yesterday … uhm rephrase … early this morning!! 😀
Ashley.ek hoop jy is reg jake het oorgeneem toe die bokke baie swak was,dit het hom jare geneem om die span op te bou.toe hy sukkel kry hy hulp van jones.snor kry n span wat die world cup gewen het en onder snor word die bokke elke jaar swakker.maar al verloor hulle al hulle games in uk sal hulle nie daardie nar fire nie
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