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Official Rugby Thread
- Thread starter KennyD
- Start date
TT Boy
Hall of Fame Member
Seems like the Boks don't fancy an 'easy' game on the weekend, as coach de Villiers makes 10 changes! 
Zane Kirchner (test debut)
Odwa Ndungane
Jaque Fourie
Wynand Olivier
Jongi Nokwe
Morné
du Preez
Kanko
Juan Smith
Heinrich Brussow
Matfield
Johann Muller
Smit
Chiliboy
Beast
Bench - Bismarck, Guthro Steenkamp, Dean Carstens, Steven Sykes (test debut), Pierre Spies, Ruan Pienaar, Frans Steyn.
And the Lions 22 (8 changes there)...
Kearney
Monye
Bowe
Flutey
S Williams
S Jones
Phillips
Sheridan
Rees
Vickery
Shaw
O'Connell
Worsley
M Williams
Heaslip
Bench - Ford, Hayes, Alun-Wyn Jones, Wallace, Croft, Ellis, Hook.
Zane Kirchner (test debut)
Odwa Ndungane
Jaque Fourie
Wynand Olivier
Jongi Nokwe
Morné
du Preez
Kanko
Juan Smith
Heinrich Brussow
Matfield
Johann Muller
Smit
Chiliboy
Beast
Bench - Bismarck, Guthro Steenkamp, Dean Carstens, Steven Sykes (test debut), Pierre Spies, Ruan Pienaar, Frans Steyn.
And the Lions 22 (8 changes there)...
Kearney
Monye
Bowe
Flutey
S Williams
S Jones
Phillips
Sheridan
Rees
Vickery
Shaw
O'Connell
Worsley
M Williams
Heaslip
Bench - Ford, Hayes, Alun-Wyn Jones, Wallace, Croft, Ellis, Hook.
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social
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Funny what happens when you have a ref who applies the scrum laws!
Kiwi is having a blinder in the centres for the Lions
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TT Boy
Hall of Fame Member
Boks were awful and they have been pretty poor all series. The first test was won with 10 men and the second thanks to Brussow and O'Gara. The backs yesterday blew at least four tries that either Habana or JP would score in their sleep.
Kirchner kicked poorly, should have stopped Williams and blew a try, so awful test debut for him.
Wynand Olivier looks just like a good Super 14 player, nothing more. His played over 20 tests now and I don't think he has scored a try.
Kanko and Spies are coming across as flat track bullies, both don't seem to like a scrap and look like they both would prefer playing centre.
Chiliboy is the second choice hooker for the Bulls, so why is he playing for the Boks? Set piece was poor yesterday and the scrum was smashed until Bismarck appeared. I didn't notice Johann Muller was playing.
Only positives I saw was captain Smit, Brussow and Pienaar playing at 9. Ruan should stick to being du Preez's cover. Morne Steyn has a bit of Liefling about him in that he only seems able to kick but the Boks need that.
Aus look good for the Tri-Nations.
Credit to the Lions, who I thought were excellent, especially the second string centres. Rob Kearney looks the business as well.
Kirchner kicked poorly, should have stopped Williams and blew a try, so awful test debut for him.
Wynand Olivier looks just like a good Super 14 player, nothing more. His played over 20 tests now and I don't think he has scored a try.
Kanko and Spies are coming across as flat track bullies, both don't seem to like a scrap and look like they both would prefer playing centre.
Chiliboy is the second choice hooker for the Bulls, so why is he playing for the Boks? Set piece was poor yesterday and the scrum was smashed until Bismarck appeared. I didn't notice Johann Muller was playing.
Only positives I saw was captain Smit, Brussow and Pienaar playing at 9. Ruan should stick to being du Preez's cover. Morne Steyn has a bit of Liefling about him in that he only seems able to kick but the Boks need that.
Aus look good for the Tri-Nations.
Credit to the Lions, who I thought were excellent, especially the second string centres. Rob Kearney looks the business as well.
ripper868
International Coach
The bledisloe cup must be one of the hardest trophies to win back, for the Wallabies to take it, they will need to win 3 out of the 4 matches against the Kiwis.
Smith will be playing his 100th test on his 29th Birthday, and looks to be continuing for a few years yet. All blacks haven't lost a test at Eden Park for twenty matches, last going down to Le Frogs in 1994, and Australia haven't won at Eden Park since 1986.
Think it will be an absolute corker of a test, though plenty will depend on the weather Auckland serves up.
Smith will be playing his 100th test on his 29th Birthday, and looks to be continuing for a few years yet. All blacks haven't lost a test at Eden Park for twenty matches, last going down to Le Frogs in 1994, and Australia haven't won at Eden Park since 1986.
Think it will be an absolute corker of a test, though plenty will depend on the weather Auckland serves up.
James
Cricket Web Owner
Great win by the All Blacks considering the start the Wallabies had. I didn't expect much from Donald, but thought he had a more than solid game. Wallabies really lacking experience you'd have to say, didn't appear to be any leaders out there.
Going to be one great tri-nations
Going to be one great tri-nations
Smudge
Hall of Fame Member
Good test match on Saturday night - was a fan. Viewed it at the Station Hotel in Prahran - good Kiwi contingent there.
Donald - better than usual, but still some glaring errors. His kicking style really is primary-school.
Cowan - super game. Took pressure off Donald with his box kicks and swift service helped as well.
Sivi - another searching game and also deputised for Donald as first receiver on several occasions. Excellent work-rate considering he has been chastised for that area of his game in the past.
Tialata - no. Just no. Can we please get rid of the Choker?
McCaw - touch off the pace early on, but got into his work. Still can't believe he got away with that blatant steal at the ruck when he was wandering back from an offside position. Joubert missed that one, along with the American Football passing from the Aussies... (and, for the record, before there is any bleating about the scrum penalties, what is Baxter still doing there? Can't keep the scrum up and doesn't bind properly - oh, and he's ****).
Jane - chased up Cowan's kicks well and is a good percentage winger.
Aussies:
What's wrong with Mortlock? Just not the player he was.
Burgess - moments of talent, but still makes some clangers
Palu - biggest waste of weight at the back of the scrum since Lauaki played for the ABs
Horwill - a definite player of the future. Should be some good battles between him and Isaac Ross over the next few years.
Donald - better than usual, but still some glaring errors. His kicking style really is primary-school.
Cowan - super game. Took pressure off Donald with his box kicks and swift service helped as well.
Sivi - another searching game and also deputised for Donald as first receiver on several occasions. Excellent work-rate considering he has been chastised for that area of his game in the past.
Tialata - no. Just no. Can we please get rid of the Choker?
McCaw - touch off the pace early on, but got into his work. Still can't believe he got away with that blatant steal at the ruck when he was wandering back from an offside position. Joubert missed that one, along with the American Football passing from the Aussies... (and, for the record, before there is any bleating about the scrum penalties, what is Baxter still doing there? Can't keep the scrum up and doesn't bind properly - oh, and he's ****).
Jane - chased up Cowan's kicks well and is a good percentage winger.
Aussies:
What's wrong with Mortlock? Just not the player he was.
Burgess - moments of talent, but still makes some clangers
Palu - biggest waste of weight at the back of the scrum since Lauaki played for the ABs
Horwill - a definite player of the future. Should be some good battles between him and Isaac Ross over the next few years.
ripper868
International Coach
Think Australia were had done by at scrum time, Baxter was getting pinged even though his body shape was good, knees were off the ground, bind was up, while woodcock (was it woodcock?) had an arched back and his knees down on the ground. Agree that Baxter is ****, but there is no way he is going to pull down an attacking scrum 10 metres out from the kiwi line.
Smudge
Hall of Fame Member
Baxter was consistently binding on Woodcock's arm, which is always going to bring the scrum down. That's why it's illegal to bind on your opposite's arm.
James - I like the Cowan-start/Weepu-impact combo that they've got going at the moment. Cowan does the basics right, while Weepu can hammer the fringes as the defence gets tired. Cowan's pass is superior, IMO - Weepu still takes a step or two on occasions.
James - I like the Cowan-start/Weepu-impact combo that they've got going at the moment. Cowan does the basics right, while Weepu can hammer the fringes as the defence gets tired. Cowan's pass is superior, IMO - Weepu still takes a step or two on occasions.
James
Cricket Web Owner
Fair enough. It worked well on Saturday night. Why change something that works I suppose
vic_orthdox
Global Moderator
Ah, good old Station. Yeah, get massive numbers in there for any Bledisloe action.
Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
Big match on Saturday. Smit against Woodcock, won't get a single scrum completed 
NZ executed their kick-plan well in that second half, not sure it'll work quite as well against Frans Steyn at Bloemfontein, though.
NZ executed their kick-plan well in that second half, not sure it'll work quite as well against Frans Steyn at Bloemfontein, though.
Somerset
Cricketer Of The Year
To be honest Australia should've had the stronger kicking game on the weekend - Giteau and Barnes were far more impressive than Donald or McAlister in the tests against France and Italy, but they were poor against New Zealand. Agreed that South Africa appear to have a much stronger kicking game on paper for this weekend's game.Big match on Saturday. Smit against Woodcock, won't get a single scrum completed
NZ executed their kick-plan well in that second half, not sure it'll work quite as well against Frans Steyn at Bloemfontein, though.
Somerset
Cricketer Of The Year
Fair summary there. Fully agree that Mortlock was hardly the dominant figure he usually is when up against New Zealand, while Burgess and Palu were average as well. The other parts to New Zealand's loose forward trio, Kaino and So'oialo, also had strong games for New Zealand alongside McCaw IMO. Didn't think Cory Jane had his best game but I'd feel safer with him on my side than Joe Rokocoko at present.