Los Pumas vs Springboks

[Billy Webb]

Bok team announcement only due on Wednesday afternoon (SA time - so probably the early hours of Thursday morning for you kiwis).

But the expectation is that Rassie will put out a pretty-much full-strength side. The Argies in Argentina are a tough nut. We saw our backsides there last year if I recall correctly.

[booboo]

@Billy-Webb said in Los Pumas vs Springboks:

Bok team announcement only due on Wednesday afternoon (SA time - so probably the early hours of Thursday morning for you kiwis).

Good.

[E African Troll]

https://twitter.com/lospumas/status/1158834999648575492

[Stargazer]

So Agustin Creevy back from injury, Guido Petti moved to the bench and Tomás Lavanini rested, with Matías Alemanno and Marcos Kremer getting a start instead. Emiliano Boffelli also back.

[E African Troll]

@Stargazer said in Los Pumas vs Springboks:

So Agustin Creevy back from injury, Guido Petti moved to the bench and Tomás Lavanini rested, with Matías Alemanno and Marcos Kremer getting a start instead. Emiliano Boffelli also back.

Matias Orlando also not considered due to minor injury/rest

Plus the return of Gonzalo Bertranou from log term injury Had a few games for Jaguares XV in CC to get fit again

Return of Benjamin Urdapilleta to Int'l rugby after 6 year absence is something to look out for

Guy has a good record with Castres in Top 14

[Daffy Jaffy]

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain),7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Francois Louw, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Frans Steyn, 23 Jesse Kriel

[Machpants]

@Daffy-Jaffy pretty handy team, if not their top 15, close to their top 23

[E African Troll]

@Machpants

It's their best Matchday 23 minus Siya Kolisi and Elton Jantjes

Boks aren't fucking about with their squad vs Los Pumas in Salta

I suspect things will be much changed in Pretoria

[Billy Tell]

@Machpants said in Los Pumas vs Springboks:

@Daffy-Jaffy pretty handy team, if not their top 15, close to their top 23

What about their injured winger dyantji??

[Billy Webb]

@Billy-Tell said in Los Pumas vs Springboks:

@Machpants said in Los Pumas vs Springboks:

@Daffy-Jaffy pretty handy team, if not their top 15, close to their top 23

What about their injured winger dyantji??

Yeah. He would certainly be in a best Bok XV currently.
Add Kolisi and Lood de Jager and that's probably the top crop currently.

Not sure who you leave out of the 23 though.

[antipodean]

@Billy-Webb said in Los Pumas vs Springboks:

@Billy-Tell said in Los Pumas vs Springboks:

@Machpants said in Los Pumas vs Springboks:

@Daffy-Jaffy pretty handy team, if not their top 15, close to their top 23

What about their injured winger dyantji??

Yeah. He would certainly be in a best Bok XV currently.
Add Kolisi and Lood de Jager and that's probably the top crop currently.

Not sure who you leave out of the 23 though.

May I suggest that new halfback? He's terrible...

[ACT Crusader]

So, if the Boks lose this one are their WC plans down the toilet. Because after the draw against the ABs they were right on song and looking the business.

[Billy Webb]

@ACT-Crusader while it certainly won't aid the cause if the Boks lose, not a complete RWC train smash if they do. Boks are a long way from the finished article and will hopefully continue to improve. Whether they improve enough in time for the RWC is of course the tricky question.

[Billy Webb]

@antipodean said in Los Pumas vs Springboks:

@Billy-Webb said in Los Pumas vs Springboks:

@Billy-Tell said in Los Pumas vs Springboks:

@Machpants said in Los Pumas vs Springboks:

@Daffy-Jaffy pretty handy team, if not their top 15, close to their top 23

What about their injured winger dyantji??

Yeah. He would certainly be in a best Bok XV currently.
Add Kolisi and Lood de Jager and that's probably the top crop currently.

Not sure who you leave out of the 23 though.

May I suggest that new halfback? He's terrible...

Hahaha. he's been a real find. 12 months ago there was just Faf and then ... nada. Now we have 2 decent scrumhalves. And Cobus Reinach is also back in the mix - apparently a much improved player from his stint up north. But I'll withold judgement on that until I see it.

More worrying for me is at flyhalf. After Pollard, the cupboard stocks don't fill me with confidence.

Oh and let me add some more of my worries: our centre pairing is hardly settled. No-one is definitively putting their hand up and becoming a must-pick. Boks need some serious improvement there too.

[Billy Tell]

Comprehensive SA victory there. They are my favourites for the RWC.

[E African Troll]

@Billy-Tell said in Pre-RWC test matches:

Comprehensive SA victory there. They are my favourites for the RWC.

Steady on Billy

Boks were good but Pumas were utterly abject again

Relatively easy to win games when scrum can be used to win penalties and easy territory
Pumas were never in the game after 1st quarter

Boks will struggle in attack once opponents gain parity at scrum time

[Machpants]

But they're certainly biggest improvers last couple years.

[taniwharugby]

SA arent exactly a dark horse, but they seem to be coming into form at the right time, similarly if Aus last night wasnt a perfect storm of them just having a good day and us not...cup looks wide open.

[sparky]

Congratulations to the Boks for their first major silverware in ten years.

South Africa and Wales as the champions of the Southern Hemisphere and Europe are the joint RWC favourites in my humble opinion.

Then not much between Ireland, NZ, England and Australia. Open tournament.

[kiwiinmelb]

South Africa get handed the curse , no team has ever won this comp and the World Cup in the same year.

Not that I believe it means anything in reality, but it is interesting how it has worked out so far.