Some start from the All blacks, lovely opening try.
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What a great game of rugby that was. 19 - 17 to the KiwisComment
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All Blacks dropped the ball so much. Tbh the Boks were lucky to be let back in with the shocking handling errors from the ABs. NZ will never screw up this much in good conditions again next week. Fully expect them to win by 15 points or so unfortunately. Whilst I like the tactic of playing ugly rugby against good teams like NZ because it balances it out a little, it was ****ing idiotic for Pollard (?) to boot the ball away needlessly with 3 minutes left on the clock when being ahead on the scoreboard. If he didn't do that, Willie wouldn't have given away the pen and Barrett wouldn't have slotted that amazing pen.
****ing stupid. The forwards were playing so well, if they had built phases there, there was every chance of getting a penalty. Also Pollard smashing that ball out near the end of the first half was idiotic. I like the gameplan but you need to be flexible enough to manage the match or see opportunities, instead of mindless kicking. The ABs will be back to normal next week and will no doubt smash us.Comment
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I had to leave with about 8 mins to go but the script was written.Originally posted by RichC View Post
I missed to football last night as I have a season pass for Edinburgh and was at that game. Really good game of Rugby and a close fought 26-22 win over Scarlets. The first game at the new ER stadium and the first URC match. 2 good try’s from Darcy Graham, and a brilliant debut from Ben Vellacot.Modifying post.Comment
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Le Roux can **** off. I used to like him when he was at the Cheaters but he's absolutely useless. Would get Frans Steyn on for him ASAP.
The speed of play is too high to be ideal. All Blacks flourish in the chaotic. Need to slow it down. Some unfavourable calls, but still somehow unfortunate to be down by so little. Would rather get smashed without the constant box kicks and terrible rugby.
Also huge apology to Am, said a few times here that he's uninspiring on attack. Jesus christ, what a pass on the 1st try!Comment
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Getting shafted by the ref left and right here.Comment
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Think this was a massive result for rugby in general. I'm glad that the Boks lost the previous game because that style was getting putrid. The Lions series, whilst gripping was an abomination from both sides. I don't buy that 'it's in the DNA' bull****. South Africa have always produced great running outside backs. Strong pack and kicking, sure but you can say the All Blacks have great forwards and kick a lot too, you wouldn't say it's in the fabric of their game.Originally posted by Irishnev View PostYet still win
Great result
The weekend was like the more traditional battle and usually the ABs pull it out of the fire even when they're under the pump, this time they couldn't quite. The last few minutes were mad. Elton's drop out of nowhere was outstanding. Huge balls on him to nail that under pressure.
Injuries forced unfavoured players to get a game and they proved that they're better than the starters. Frans Steyn is one of the best of his generation, I know many won't agree but the guy is a freak and hugely underrated. Hasn't played fullback in around 10 years, comes in and smashes it. Wille should never play for SA again. Willemse is pretty **** too for me so I'd bomb them both. Jantjies is a better fly half than Pollard, who plays best at 12. Pollard missed every slightly difficult kick, where Barrett was slotting them for fun. If he was more accurate, the Boks would have won every game except for the 2nd Wallabies contest.
Hopefully this sets a better standard moving forward. End of year tour soon. Wouldn't be surprised if things revert back to the **** style again for that though...Comment
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Interesting. Particularly the insight from Kolisi on how the Boks identified and preyed upon the English weakness.
England in danger of being stripped bare by South Africa and Australia
Autumn internationals could prove dangerous for Eddie Jones, who needs to conjure up major improvements after last season’s disappointments
Robert Kitson
For those scheduled to face South Africa on the world champions’ northern hemisphere tour this autumn, the weekend was an ominous one. In producing easily their best performance since winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup the Springboks went back to the future in compelling fashion, narrowly edging out New Zealand in a tumultuous finale in the 101st meeting between the two proud rivals.
If it made for uncomfortable viewing for Wales, Scotland and England, who are all due to host the Boks next month, it was compounded by the subsequent social media footage of Rassie Erasmus dancing around in his boxer shorts at home in celebration. Very little Erasmus posts online happens accidentally and here was a timely nudge that South Africa’s camera-loving director of rugby is not huddled in a darkened room fretting about World Rugby’s still-pending inquiry into his well-publicised Lions tour antics.
Let us pray it does not lead to a rash of copycat videos – Eddie Jones in his budgie smugglers, Gregor Townsend in a tartan onesie – regardless of how much the social media personnel at Twickenham and Murrayfield would love the viral hits. For Jones, though, an even more alarming scenario would be England being stripped tactically bare by a resurgent Bok squad and an improving Wallabies team also showing signs of renewed bounce.
Clearly, there remain some Covid uncertainties – and having spent so long in assorted bubbles who knows whether South Africa can sustain the kind of dynamism and momentum that ultimately undid New Zealand? But what if the return of Duane Vermeulen continues to have a similarly striking effect on those around him and a buzzing Cheslin Kolbe is back available? Suddenly the plodding Lions series will recede further still into the background.
If any further reminder was needed of how significant this autumn is becoming for Jones and his future plans, it has arrived in the shape of Siya Kolisi’s autobiography, which details how rattled England were from early on in the World Cup final in Yokohama. According to Kolisi, South Africa had known in advance they might be. “When they’re under the cosh they start to lose it little by little,” he quotes Erasmus as advising the squad in the buildup. “Play on that. Lean on them, wear them down, make them turn on each other.”
History records that is largely what happened. England can be brutal on the front foot but, as their fifth-placed finish in the last Six Nations underlined, the sum of their parts does not always add up to what it could. They have three new assistant coaches in Richard Cockerill, Martin Gleeson and Anthony Siebold, who have one preparatory game, against Tonga, to bed in their ideas. Any notion of a routine, low-key autumn for England is fading by the day.
Scotland and Wales also have some points to prove, but imagine the howls from English supporters, for example, if their side go down disappointingly to the Boks and the Wallabies.
First up in the Six Nations in February is Scotland away. Murrayfield is never the easiest venue for an Englishman even if, like Cockerill, you were recently Edinburgh’s head coach. Having supporters back at a full Twickenham will be great but not so much, from the management’s perspective, if a torrent of boos is raining down from the stands.
The final England squad is due to be announced on Monday week and Jones’s selection dilemma has, if nothing else, been sharpened by Saturday’s events on Australia’s Gold Coast. In theory, this is the time to be lobbing the keys to Marcus Smith, Adam Radwan, Max Malins, Freddie Steward and some other promising young English backs and accelerating their progress to the 2023 World Cup squad. But is that going to work if South Africa arrive with a pumped up “Bomb Squad” and their forwards start grinding England into the same kind of Japanese pulp as two years ago?
If Jones plays safe and sticks with the old guard, however, the Boks will scent uncertainty and fancy reopening old scars. Kolisi is now on record saying that South Africa used their England-based players, such as Faf de Klerk, Schalk Brits and Vincent Koch, to supply inside knowledge of the habits and weaknesses of several of England’s star men. Jones may be better off trying something for which the Boks may be less well prepared.
That said, maybe there is a bigger picture we are all missing. New Zealand, until the fateful last penalty by Elton Jantjies that clinched the 31-29 win, were again close to knocking over the world champions without Sam Whitelock and Aaron Smith and with the influential Richie Mo’unga and Damian McKenzie on the bench.
The tries the All Blacks did score, particularly Ardie Savea’s outstanding team effort, were prime examples of how lethal they remain off stolen set-piece or turnover ball; this was also the first time they have lost a Test to South Africa having led at half-time since 1998.
The moral of the story is twofold: New Zealand remain a good side and with France improving and the Wallabies reunited with some of their better overseas-based players the home unions have to up their games. The British and Irish public already wants reassurance the Lions was just a bad dream and they want it yesterday. Jones does not have to post videos of himself dancing without any strides on but England fans are desperate for a glimpse of something refreshingly different.Modifying post.Comment
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Watching the Harlequins v Bristol game.
Quins 24 - 0 down.
Marcus Smith comes in after 25 mins. 7-24 at HT.
It’s now 52-24
He is a ridiculous talent. Be interesting to see how Eddie Jones uses him as he is not a typical English 10.Modifying post.Comment
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One of the most promising locks in the world and he’s played less than an hrs rugby for Munster ffs - ACL in his debut and gone again on game 3 of his return
[ame="https://twitter.com/munsterrugby/status/1447537012643336198"]https://twitter.com/munsterrugby/status/1447537012643336198[/ame]Comment
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It's a **** up, but nothing anyone can do about it. Wonder if he'll have any career left moving forward. Wtf is van Graan doing to him?Originally posted by Irishnev View Post
I haven't watched much more than highlights, but see SA teams are finally learning to acquaint themselves better in the URC (stupid name). Did you guys catch Boeta Chamberlain's hatrick of drop goals?
[ame]https://twitter.com/URCOfficial/status/1446587983965171724[/ame]Comment
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He did his ACL in his first game vs Leinster last season - win a line out and an innocuous fall...... 6 mins inOriginally posted by Zapater View Post
Full rehab and slow build up - all games have been off the bench with slowly increased time. Again something innocuous in a ruck and knee gone......ridiculous luck but the club have done right by himComment
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I’m going to the Edinburgh v Bulls game today
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17-10 win.
So, so game scrappy after a load of rain in the second half.
Mad seeing Morné Steyn playing v Edinburgh when he came on in the second half…! Bulls unlucky to have a late try disallowed for double movement.Modifying post.Comment
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