2018 November Internationals

Stargazer

18 Minutes played and World XV are leading 12 to 0. They have only been in the Japanese 22 twice and scored on both occasions. Toni Pulu, who scored the second try, has left the field with what looked like a broken arm.

Tim

Someone keep an eye on Nonu for me. Not looking too fast so far.

Daffy Jaffy

Karl Tu’inukuafe is nominated for World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year 2018 award along with Aphiwe Dyantyi and Jordan Larmour. Go the big man I say.

rotated

Thought Coles might have been worth releasing for this off the bench.

booboo

@daffy-jaffy said in 2018 November Internationals:

Karl Tu’inukuafe is nominated for World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year 2018 award along with Aphiwe Dyantyi and Jordan Larmour. Go the big man I say.

You'd think he'd get a nomination for PotY as well.

Stargazer

The Springboks touring squad (in order of name, surname, position, province, Test caps, Test points):

Forwards:
Schalk Brits (Hooker, Unattached, 11, 5 - 1t)
Lood de Jager (Lock, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 36, 20 - 4t)
Pieter-Steph du Toit (Loose forward / Lock, DHL Western Province, 42, 20 - 4t)
Thomas du Toit (Prop, Cell C Sharks, 5, 0)
Eben Etzebeth (Lock, DHL Western Province, 73, 15 - 3t)
Steven Kitshoff (Prop, DHL Western Province, 33, 5 - 1t)
Vincent Koch (Prop, Saracens, England, 10, 0)
Siya Kolisi (captain – Loose forward, DHL Western Province, 37, 25 - 5t)
Francois Louw (Loose forward, Bath, England, 62, 45, - 9t)
Wilco Louw (Prop, DHL Western Province, 11, 0)
Frans Malherbe (Prop, DHL Western Province, 25, 0)
Malcolm Marx (Hooker, Xerox Golden Lions, 20, 20 - 4t)
Bongi Mbonambi (Hooker, DHL Western Province, 22, 10 - 2t)
Franco Mostert (Lock, Xerox Golden Lions, 26, 5 - 1t)
Sikhumbuzo Notshe (Loose forward, DHL Western Province, 6, 0)
Trevor Nyakane (Prop, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 37, 5 - 1t)
JD Schickerling (Lock, DHL Western Province, uncapped)
RG Snyman (Lock, Honda Heat, Japan, 8, 0)
Duane Vermeulen (Loose forward, Kubota Spears, Japan, 42, 15 – 3t)
Warren Whiteley (Loose forward, Xerox Golden Lions, 21, 15 - 3t)

Backs:
Gio Aplon (Wing / Fullback, Toyota Verblitz, Japan, 17, 25 - 5t)
Damian de Allende (Centre, DHL Western Province, 33, 20 - 4t)
Aphiwe Dyantyi (Wing, Xerox Golden Lions, 9, 30 - 6t)
André Esterhuizen (Centre, Munakata Sanix Blues, Japan, 5, 0)
Elton Jantjies (Flyhalf, Xerox Golden Lions, 29, 223 - 2t, 42c, 43p)
Cheslin Kolbe (Wing / Fullback, Toulouse, France, 4, 10 - 2t)
Jesse Kriel (Centre, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 36, 50 - 10t)
Willie le Roux (Fullback, Wasps, England, 50, 60 – 12t)
Ruhan Nel (Centre, DHL Western province, upcapped)
Sbu Nkosi (Wing, Cell C Sharks, 3, 10 - 2t)
Embrose Papier (Scrumhalf, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 4, 0)
Sergeal Petersen (Wing, DHL Western Province, uncapped)
Handré Pollard (Flyhalf, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 35, 293 - 3t, 55c, 53p, 3d)
Louis Schreuder (Scrumhalf, Cell C Sharks, 1, 0)
Ivan van Zyl (Scrumhalf, Vodacom Blue Bulls, 3, 0)
Damian Willemse (Flyhalf / Fullback, DHL Western Province, 3, 0)

The uncapped trio of Sergeal Petersen (wing), Ruhan Nel (centre) and JD Schickerling (lock) were on Saturday named in the Springbok squad of 36 for the 2018 Castle Lager Outgoing Tour to the United Kingdom and France.
Apart from the inclusion of the three uncapped players from DHL Western Province, there were recalls for Gio Aplon (outside back) and Louis Schreuder (scrumhalf), who captained the Cell C Sharks in Saturday’s Currie Cup final.

Schreuder and the uncapped DHL Western Province trio were among 10 players who rushed from the Currie Cup final to catch a flight to the UK to join the Springboks on tour.

Also on the flight after the final were Wilco Louw, Bongi Mbonambi, Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Damian Willemse (all DHL Western Province) and the Cell C Sharks’ Sbu Nkosi and Thomas du Toit. The final of the Currie Cup, sponsored by Nashua and DirectAxis Financial Services, was won by the Cell C Sharks by 17-12.

Trevor Nyakane (prop) and Lood de Jager (lock) are back in the Springbok fold after missing the entire international season to date due to injury, while Duane Vermeulen (loose forward) also returns after missing the Castle Lager Rugby Championship campaign.

Lionel Mapoe, who was part of the training squad in Stellenbosch, was ruled out of the tour due to injury and joins Tendai Mtawarira, Ross Cronje, Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi, all of whom were part of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship squad, on the sidelines.

http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?category=sarugby/springboks&id=4415614

sparky

Current forecast is for light rain and breeze at Twickenham on November 10th, the date of the England-ABs match.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2635308

Bovidae

Are Cheetahs players available for SA selection, or just not good enough now?

Crucial

@sparky said in 2018 November Internationals:

Current forecast is for light rain and breeze at Twickenham on November 10th, the date of the England-ABs match.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2635308

That was todays forecast as well and it has been raining all morning.

sparky

@stargazer

Is Faf de Klerk injured or are Sale not releasing him?

Crucial

@sparky said in 2018 November Internationals:

@stargazer

Is Faf de Klerk injured or are Sale not releasing him?

SA did a deal with Sale to release him during the TRC but they could keep him during November.

This is the kind of rubbish the NZRU are trying to avoid as long as possible.

sparky

@crucial Sad news. I am a traditionalist who thinks the best players in the world should be released for international Rugby.

Bovidae

@sparky Look again.

Machpants

@sparky traditionally you played in your home country so it never came up.

sparky

Sir Clive Woodward previews the November Internationals:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-6324459/Stop-nonsense-Eddie-Jones-England-capable-ruling-world.html

Rapido

@sparky said in 2018 November Internationals:

Sir Clive Woodward previews the November Internationals:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-6324459/Stop-nonsense-Eddie-Jones-England-capable-ruling-world.html

This bits interesting

Many feel South Africa squandered a win over New Zealand last month when they subbed key players in the last 10 minutes. Why is it so important that your best players see the game out?

Those critics were right, it did cost the Boks the game! Always keep your best players on the full 80 unless they are injured. Seeing them go off lifts the opposition. Boks coach Rassie Erasmus surely also regrets resting players for the third Test against England in the summer which saw England gain a victory to stop the rot. No gifts in Test rugby, ever, and those decisions by Erasmus will come home to haunt him in a week.

Not sure I agree, but maybe this comes from supporting a team with a good bench.

You have to have bench cover for hooker and halfback (Hooker by the actual laws). Clive is suggesting South Africa never use 2 of their 8 replacements?

Might work if you had a Francois Hougard (or Ruan Pienaar) who can cover more positions than just halfback. But if you had Francois or Ruan you wouldn't be scared to bring them on anyway, because they are/were actually good.

I think Clive's living in the past on this one, I'm not a fan of rugby being a 23 man game either, but it currently is.

Let alone the politics of leaving un-used non-white subs on the bench.

The only solution to this is, either:

get better bench players, or
have you best (irreplaceable) players not in those positions.

just like the only workable solution for quotas is to train up better nonwhite players. and do it as soon as you can.

An 80 minute front-rower is a relic of the past. Just like a front-rower captaining at this level is (almost) a relic of the past . Cough Creevy, cough hartley.

Stargazer

Wallabies' squad for the Northern tour:

Forwards

Jermaine Ainsley (1 Test, Melbourne Rebels, 23)
Allan Alaalatoa (30 Tests, Brumbies, 24)
Rory Arnold (19 Tests , Brumbies, 28)
Adam Coleman (28 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 26)
Jack Dempsey (7 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 24)
Folau Fainga’a (6 Tests, Brumbies, 23)
Ned Hanigan (18 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 23)
Jed Holloway (uncapped, NSW Waratahs, 25)
Michael Hooper (c) (88 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 26)
Sekope Kepu (100 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 32)
Tolu Latu (10 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 25)
Brandon Paenga-Amosa (4 Tests, Queensland Reds, 22)
David Pocock (75 Tests, Brumbies, 30)
Izack Rodda (14 Tests, Queensland Reds, 22)
Rob Simmons (91 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 29)
Pete Samu (7 Tests, Brumbies, 26)
Scott Sio (52 Tests, Brumbies, 27)
Taniela Tupou (9 Tests, Queensland Reds, 22)

.
Backs

Adam Ashley-Cooper (116, Kobe Steelers, 34)
Tom Banks (3 Tests, Brumbies, 24)
Kurtley Beale (81 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 29)
Israel Folau (70 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 29)
Bernard Foley (65 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 29)
Will Genia (97 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 30)
Jake Gordon (uncapped, NSW Waratahs, 25)
Dane Haylett-Petty (28 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 29)
Samu Kerevi (22 Tests, Queensland Reds, 25)
Marika Koroibete (18 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 26)
Jack Maddocks (5 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 21)
Sefa Naivalu (8 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 26)
Jordan Petaia (uncapped, Queensland Reds, 18)
Nick Phipps (70 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 29)
Matt Toomua (39, Leicester Tigers/Melbourne Rebels, 28)

Development Player
Rob Valetini (uncapped, Brumbies, 20)

Adam Ashley-Cooper is back.

The 116-Test utility will join the Wallabies squad in Odawara on Monday along with boom Reds rookie Jordan Petaia and big, ball carrying Brumbies backrower Rob Valetini.

Ashley-Cooper last played for his country against the All Blacks in 2016 but will be eligible for selection against Wales should coach Michael Cheika call his name.

If he does earn another cap it will make him Australia's third most capped Wallaby of all time.

"We need a couple of extra backs here on the trip.

"(Ashley-Cooper) will train with us, we’ll see where he’s at.

"He’s come on the tour with us to be available for selection, he’s not coming for a holiday."

Petaia isn't coming for a holiday either.

The 18-year-old has just 13 Super Rugby caps to his name but embodies the term meteoric rise.

Petaia is most likely to line up on tour against Italy in Australia's final match of the year.

Cheika is expected to hand his big guns a break in that Test and, as a result, see what some of his fringe players have to offer.

The other notable addition is Valetini.

The 20-year-old has just three Super Rugby caps to his name but has shown through Australian U20s and NRC football that he has what it takes to thrive on the world stage.

He has been added as a development player and will not be considered for selection on tour.

Matt Toomua will also rejoin the squad after completing Leicester duties but Tatafu Polota-Nau will stay in England to give his body a break for the remainder of the year.

Skills coach Mick Byrne has also linked back up with the team after being absent in the lead up to the Yokohama Bledisloe for personal reasons.

https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2018/10/28/petaia-valetini-ashley-cooper-return-to-test-fold

Derm McCrum

Schmidt has named his squad for Italy Test in Chicago

Forwards: F Bealham (Connacht), T Beirne (Munster), J Conan (Leinster), S Cronin (Leinster), T Furlong (Leinster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), Jack McGrath (Leinster), J Murphy (Ulster), A Porter (Leinster), Q Roux (Connacht), R Ruddock (Leinster), James Ryan (Leinster), N Scannell (Munster), D Toner (Leinster), J van der Flier (Leinster).

Backs: W Addison (Ulster), A Conway (Munster), D Sweetnam (Munster), J Larmour (Leinster), J Stockdale (Ulster), G Ringrose (Leinster), B Aki (Connacht), R Byrne (Leinster), J Carbery (Munster), J Cooney (Ulster), L McGrath (Leinster).

So maybe the 23 might look like:

FR: Kilcoyne, Scannell, Porter
L: Beirne, Ryan
BR: Ruddock, vdF, Conan
SH: Cooney
OH: Carbery
C : Aki, Addison*
W: Sweetnam*, Stockdale
FB: Larmour
Reps:
Cronin, McGrath, Bealham, Roux, Murphy, McGrath, Byrne*, Conway

*=uncapped

nzzp

@rapido said in 2018 November Internationals:

I think Clive's living in the past on this one, I'm not a fan of rugby being a 23 man game either, but it currently is.

Yep.

What he's not talking about is a good but tired player coming up against a fresh player who is almost as good (or in some cases, different). After 70 minutes you can lose speed, fall off tackles, etc -- and then it's easy to write about how you can't flog the players.

Clive's living in the past generally I think on this one

nzzp

@nzzp said in 2018 November Internationals:

@rapido said in 2018 November Internationals:

I think Clive's living in the past on this one, I'm not a fan of rugby being a 23 man game either, but it currently is.

Yep.

What he's not talking about is a good but tired player coming up against a fresh player who is almost as good (or in some cases, different). After 70 minutes you can lose speed, fall off tackles, etc -- and then it's easy to write about how you can't flog the players.

Clive's living in the past generally I think on this one

Also: it's OK for a week, but what happens in weeks 2 or 3 when you need them to play the 80, and they are backing up full game after full game. The legs get tired, players get jaded, etc...

The Silver Fern

2018 November Internationals