All Blacks v Springboks

[Bones]

@nepia said in All Blacks v Springboks:

@bovidae said in All Blacks v Springboks:

I would still prefer BFA to remain at fullback. SBW would have started but for his illness during the week. That tells us who their no.1 midfield combo is, as we all knew.

Happy that Harris has been put on notice.

I'd be happy, except Coltman has been selected. I didn't even know he was in the squad and he barely performs at Super level - has a bushy beard though (Hmm, does he still have his beard?)

What? Barely performs? I get that you hate the South Island but making stuff up isn't going to help. He's often very good for the Highlanders and has been good in his AB appearances.

[Bones]

@act-crusader my outstanding memories of Tuipulotu coming on is some great lineout steals.

[Machpants]

@nepia said in All Blacks v Springboks:

The gap between Coles and Taylor to the next best seems gigantic at the moment.

The gap between a fit, pre injury Coles.... I hope like hell he comes back to full rampant 'Canes leading, back bamboozling, lose forward smashing, half back baiting awesomeness - but after his injuries and time off? I really can't see it sadly

[Nepia]

@bones said in All Blacks v Springboks:

@nepia said in All Blacks v Springboks:

@bovidae said in All Blacks v Springboks:

I would still prefer BFA to remain at fullback. SBW would have started but for his illness during the week. That tells us who their no.1 midfield combo is, as we all knew.

Happy that Harris has been put on notice.

I'd be happy, except Coltman has been selected. I didn't even know he was in the squad and he barely performs at Super level - has a bushy beard though (Hmm, does he still have his beard?)

What? Barely performs? I get that you hate the South Island but making stuff up isn't going to help. He's often very good for the Highlanders and has been good in his AB appearances.

I don't hate all of the South Island (yes, making up stuff doesn't help), I'll support the Highlanders unless they're playing the Chiefs and Otago unless they're playing the Magpies, but Coltman just isn't that good, as isn't Harris - as I've already noted the drop from our two top hookers to the rest of the pack is substantial.

He's not a clear selection over Ash Dixon for the Highlanders and Dixon isn't AB material.

@Machpants I think even a not rampaging Coles is a step up from the other contenders.

[antipodean]

@machpants said in All Blacks v Springboks:

@nepia said in All Blacks v Springboks:

The gap between Coles and Taylor to the next best seems gigantic at the moment.

The gap between a fit, pre injury Coles.... I hope like hell he comes back to full rampant 'Canes leading, back bamboozling, lose forward smashing, half back baiting awesomeness - but after his injuries and time off? I really can't see it sadly

We've seen what injuries and a couple of years off do to wingers.

[mariner4life]

Interestingly, given the discussion?bitch fest below, i just got an email from Rugby News (fuck knows why, i haven't had a subscription in 10 years?) and they are talking about a Drederick Tatum Ian Jones article about the 5 players we need fit for the World Cup next year.

One of the first names that popped in to my head was Taylor, and given the preview, he appears to be one of them.

If it was my article
Retallic
Read
Taylor
A Smith
Cane/Whitelock

They are the only guys i can think of that don't really have adequate replacements

[Bones]

@nepia Pearce off, you said he barely performs at super level, which is a load of shit. As I said, he's often very good, plus has been good for the ABs. Or are you going to make stuff up and say he's also poor for the ABs?

If you've got a problem with him being selected, who's your selection?

[Stargazer]

Springboks

15 Willie le Roux (Wasps, England), 47, 55 - 11t
14 Jesse Kriel (Vodacom Bulls), 33, 45 - 9t
13 Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks), 5, 5 - 1t
12 Damian de Allende (DHL Stormers), 31, 15 - 3t
11 Aphiwe Dyantyi (Emirates Lions), 6, 15 - 3t
10 Handré Pollard (Vodacom Bulls), 32, 254 - 3t, 46c, 46p, 3d
9 Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks, England), 17, 10 - 2t
8 Warren Whiteley (Emirates Lions), 20, 15 - 3t
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers), 39, 20 - 4t
6 Siya Kolisi (captain, DHL Stormers), 34, 25 - 5t
5 Franco Mostert (Gloucester, England), 23, 5 - 1t
4 Eben Etzebeth (DHL Stormers), 70 - 15 - 3t
3 Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), 22, 0
2 Malcolm Marx (Emirates Lions), 17, 15 - 3t
1 Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers), 30, 5 - 1t

Replacements:
16 Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers), 19, 10 - 2t
17 Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks), 104, 10 - 2t
18 Wilco Louw (DHL Stormers), 9, 0
19 RG Snyman (Vodacom Bulls), 5, 0
20 Francois Louw (Bath, England), 60, 45 - 9t
21 Ross Cronjé (Emirates Lions), 10, 10 - 2t
22 Elton Jantjies (Emirates Lions, 27, 223 - 2t, 42c, 43p
23 Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse, France), 1, 0

Pollard comes into the starting line-up and Elton Jantjies is set to play off the bench. Jesse Kriel is picked on the right wing as a result of the injury to Makazole Mapimpi, who has returned to South Africa to undergo further scans on his right knee.

As a result, Am takes Kriel’s position at outside centre and partners Damian de Allende in a new-look midfield combination.

The only change to the pack sees Marx rotating starting places with Bongi Mbonambi in the No 2 jersey and amongst the reserves, Ross Cronje swaps places with Embrose Papier as the backup scrumhalf.

http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?category=sarugby/springboks&id=4384144

[Nepia]

@bones said in All Blacks v Springboks:

@nepia Pearce off, you said he barely performs at super level, which is a load of shit. As I said, he's often very good, plus has been good for the ABs. Or are you going to make stuff up and say he's also poor for the ABs?

If you've got a problem with him being selected, who's your selection?

I don't have an alternative selection, as I said the gap is just big between the top two and the rest. I hope he plays better than Harris has been.

FFS, disagreeing with your fluffing of him isn't making things up. He's played two tests for the ABs and less than 30 minutes in total, hardly enough to make a judgement.

[antipodean]

Given the shower of shit the Springboks displayed last week after losing to Argentina, I'm not at all concerned about this weekend.

[No Quarter]

@mariner4life said in All Blacks v Springboks:

Interestingly, given the discussion?bitch fest below, i just got an email from Rugby News (fuck knows why, i haven't had a subscription in 10 years?) and they are talking about a Drederick Tatum Ian Jones article about the 5 players we need fit for the World Cup next year.

One of the first names that popped in to my head was Taylor, and given the preview, he appears to be one of them.

If it was my article
Retallic
Read
Taylor
A Smith
Cane/Whitelock

They are the only guys i can think of that don't really have adequate replacements

Agreed. Slightly different topic but I'd also add that blindside and right wing don't have strong front-runners at the moment so are two positions we really need to develop before the RWC. Squire was good in his last hit out but is notoriously inconsistent, and Naholo gives you all four seasons every game he plays.

Jordie goes someway to solving the right wing position but means we have to play our best 15 at 14. Frizzell looks promising to fill the blindside but is very very raw.

[Bovidae]

I assume Vermeulen isn't in the tour party?

[mariner4life]

@antipodean said in All Blacks v Springboks:

Given the shower of shit the Springboks displayed last week after losing to Argentina, I'm not at all concerned about this weekend.

they did almost win in Brisbane. That's not that easy

[antipodean]

@mariner4life said in All Blacks v Springboks:

@antipodean said in All Blacks v Springboks:

Given the shower of shit the Springboks displayed last week after losing to Argentina, I'm not at all concerned about this weekend.

they did almost win in Brisbane. That's not that easy

[antipodean]

@mariner4life said in All Blacks v Springboks:

Interestingly, given the discussion?bitch fest below, i just got an email from Rugby News (fuck knows why, i haven't had a subscription in 10 years?) and they are talking about a Drederick Tatum Ian Jones article about the 5 players we need fit for the World Cup next year.

One of the first names that popped in to my head was Taylor, and given the preview, he appears to be one of them.

If it was my article
Retallic
Read
Taylor
A Smith
Cane/Whitelock

They are the only guys i can think of that don't really have adequate replacements

Retallick is irreplaceable.
Read - be nice if Akira got some gametime.
I thought TJP was very good against Argentina. Perhaps he's another that's better suited to starting? Also TTT has all sorts of promise. Not as worried here.
I've got Sam Cane on my pencil case, but there's a bloke from Canterbury who is pretty handy at a minute's notice.
Captain Caveman is pretty hard to replace too. You can have Barrett on the field for either of our locks, but if we lose both we look much more mortal.

[mariner4life]

@antipodean said in All Blacks v Springboks:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks v Springboks:

Interestingly, given the discussion?bitch fest below, i just got an email from Rugby News (fuck knows why, i haven't had a subscription in 10 years?) and they are talking about a Drederick Tatum Ian Jones article about the 5 players we need fit for the World Cup next year.

One of the first names that popped in to my head was Taylor, and given the preview, he appears to be one of them.

If it was my article
Retallic
Read
Taylor
A Smith
Cane/Whitelock

They are the only guys i can think of that don't really have adequate replacements

Retallick is irreplaceable.
Read - be nice if Akira got some gametime.
I thought TJP was very good against Argentina. Perhaps he's another that's better suited to starting? Also TTT has all sorts of promise. Not as worried here.
I've got Sam Cane on my pencil case, but there's a bloke from Canterbury who is pretty handy at a minute's notice.
Captain Caveman is pretty hard to replace too. You can have Barrett on the field for either of our locks, but if we lose both we look much more mortal.

while I don't disagree with any of what you said
I think Read and Retallic are the guys that elevate our pack from really good to great. Real point of difference players
A Smith is our master organiser. While TJP is not without his talents, he isn't as good at organising our play, and his pass is far below what A Smith provides. I think in a big game we are a different team with TJP at 9.
I agree about Todd, but what Cane provides that none of the other options do is shuddering defense.

[Stargazer]

@bovidae He was never in the 2018 Springboks squad due to contractual issues with his Japanese club. I thought they had sorted it, but apparently not (SARU don't mention him at all). Last weekend, he was still in Japan.

[Bones]

@nepia you said you'd be happy except Coltman has been selected. So you'd rather they didn't drop Harris, or they selected someone else?

You also said he barely performs at super level, which was utter bollocks.

And now I'm fluffing by calling you on bullshit? Yuh huh.

[Nepia]

@bones said in All Blacks v Springboks:

@nepia you said you'd be happy except Coltman has been selected. So you'd rather they didn't drop Harris, or they selected someone else?

You also said he barely performs at super level, which was utter bollocks.

And now I'm fluffing by calling you on bullshit? Yuh huh.

No, the two of them are even - basically I'm not happy either way and I get to piss of BoP and Coltman fans in the process.

He's not a stand out at Super level, his performances don't scream 'pick me' for the ABs. You may think different but that's just your opinion and it differs from mine.

[Bones]

@nepia barely performing as opposed to screaming pick me are quite opposite ends of the spectrum I'd say.

Slightly different note, as Harris can't throw in, he can just take NMS spot on the wing.