Springboks v England - Test #2
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The Springbok team to face England in Bloemfontein (in order of name and surname, franchise/club, caps and points):
15 Willie le Roux (Wasps, England, 42, 55 - 11t)
14 S’busiso Nkosi (Cell C Sharks, 1, 10 - 2t)
13 Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks, 2, 0)
12 Damian de Allende (DHL Stormers, 29, 15 - 3t)
11 Aphiwe Dyantyi (Emirates Lions, 1, 5 - 1t)
10 Handré Pollard (Vodacom Bulls, 27, 235 - 3t, 41c, 43p, 3d)
9 Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks, England, 12, 5 -1t)
8 Duane Vermeulen (Unattached, 40, 10 - 2t)
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers, 34, 20 - 4t)
6 Siya Kolisi (DHL Stormers, 29, 20 - 4t) - captain
5 Franco Mostert (Emirates Lions, 19, 5 - 1t)
4 RG Snyman (Vodacom Bulls, 1, 0)
3 Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers, 17, 0)
2 Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers, 15, 5 - 1t)
1 Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks, 99, 10 - 2t)Replacements:
16 Akker van der Merwe (Cell C Sharks, 2, 0)
17 Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers, 25, 5 - 1t)
18 Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks, 2, 0)
19 Jean-Luc du Preez (Cell C Sharks, 11, 10 - 2t)
20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe (DHL Stormers, 2, 0)
21 Ivan van Zyl (Vodacom Bulls, 2, 0)
22 Jesse Kriel (Vodacom Bulls, 30, 40 - 8t)
23 Warrick Gelant (Vodacom Bulls, 3, 5 – 1t).
Mtawarira reaches century of Springbok caps
Tendai Mtawarira will make his 100th Test appearance for South Africa in Bloemfontein on Saturday in the second Test in the Castle Lager Incoming Series against England, becoming only the sixth Springbok to reach this special milestone. Kick-off at the Toyota Stadium is at 17h05. The 32-year-old Mtawarira, better known as “Beast”, is the first Springbok prop to reach a century of Test caps and he joins an elite group of only seven props who have made 100 or more Test appearances. Mtawarira will anchor the Springbok scrum in his milestone Test alongside hooker Bongi Mbonambi and Frans Malherbe, who makes a return to the front row after a lengthy absence due to injury. Malherbe’s inclusion is one of only two changes in the starting team that beat England 42-39 last weekend in Johannesburg. He replaces his DHL Stormers team mate Wilco Louw. The other change sees Pieter-Steph du Toit returning to the starting fifteen in the No 7 jersey, with Jean-Luc du Preez moving to the bench.Stats and facts: * It will be a special day for Tendai Mtawarira, who will play in his 100th Test match for South Africa, becoming the first Springbok prop forward to do so. He joins an elite group of only seven international prop forwards who have played in 100 or more Test matches – Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones (both Wales, British & Irish Lions), Jason Leonard (England, British & Irish Lions), John Hayes (Ireland, British & Irish Lions), Martin Castrogiovanni and Andrea Lo Cicero (both Italy) and Tony Woodcock (New Zealand). * Only five other players have reached 100 Test caps for the Springboks – they are Percy Montgomery (in 2008), John Smit, Victor Matfield (both in 2010), Bryan Habana and Jean de Villiers (both in 2014). * The number of caps in the Springbok starting line-up are 368, with 114 caps in the backline and 254 amongst the forwards, while on the bench the number is 77. * The average caps per player in the backline is 16, the forwards 32 while the players on the bench average 10. The average age of the starting 15 is 26.* This will be the third Test between South Africa and England in Bloemfontein. In June 2000, England, under the captaincy of Martin Johnson, undertook a five-match tour to South Africa. Two Test matches were played of which the first was won by the Springboks in Pretoria. The second international, which was the first Test for England at the Free State Stadium (as it was called back then) in Bloemfontein, was won 27-22 by England. * On that day, all 27 points came from the boot of Jonny Wilkinson, with eight penalty goals (a record for any player against South Africa) and a drop goal. The 27 points is a joint record for any opponent against South Africa. The other two players who achieved this are Rob Andrew of England and Gerald Merceron of France. * Almost seven years later, on 26 May 2007, South Africa scored their biggest win (58-10) against the English in Bloemfontein. The score of 58 and the winning margin of 48 are still Springbok records against England. * England’s best performance against South Africa was in 2002 at Twickenham, when they defeated the Springboks with a score of 53-3, the second biggest defeat for the Springboks in history. * South Africa are undefeated in five series against England. * South Africa’s record against England in South Africa is : Played 14; Won 10; Lost 3; Drawn 1; Points for 404; Points against 252; Tries for 41; Tries against 16; Average score 29-18. * The overall record of the Springboks against England is Played 39; Won 24; Lost 13; Drawn 2; Points for 843; Points against 668; Tries for 79; Tries against 51; Average score 22-17. -
No specialist flyhalf on the Springbok bench.
Bit of a risk...Apparently Willie le Roux will cover for flyhalf, and Faf de Klerk would take over kicking duties if Pollard was injured.
Pretty big call...
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Still can't see England winning this. I would say playing at Bloemfontein is just as hard if not harder than playing in Joburg.
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I wish I could remember the name of the poster who called me arrogant and delusional for saying any fringe AB back row forward could walk into a test rugby team. He claimed Luke Whitelock could not replace Robshaw or play in England 2nd row and here Brad Shields has done both! Still think it is a bad decision not to wait for him to step onto English soil, it just sends a bad message.
Will be interesting to see the adjustments that both teams make, I do have the sense that the English outside backs are more settled but England really need parity upfront to have a chance. Totally underwhelmed by Itoje and have been for a while.
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There was an interesting article in one of the English newspapers (Guardian I think) making the point that England struggled with the pace of the Bokke pack, lost cohesion at the breakdown as a result and gave away penalties. Will be interesting if Shields can make a difference at 6.
Launchbury will be an improvement in the 2nd row and could keep Itoje focussed.
Still pick the Bokke to win. Have a sense they want to make a statement with a 3-0 result. I'm rooting for England - anything to keep Jones in place.....
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@victor-meldrew said in Springboks v England - Test #2:
There was an interesting article in one of the English newspapers (Guardian I think) making the point that England struggled with the pace of the Bokke pack, lost cohesion at the breakdown as a result and gave away penalties. Will be interesting if Shields can make a difference at 6.
Launchbury will be an improvement in the 2nd row and could keep Itoje focussed.
Still pick the Bokke to win. Have a sense they want to make a statement with a 3-0 result. I'm rooting for England - anything to keep Jones in place.....
Wow the English press have finally taken off the blinkers.
Robshaw has been a great servant to English rugby playing wherever and whenever he's been asked.
He's never given less than 100% and has at times been the best English forward, English player and MOTM on the field.
But, and it's a big BUT, he has been a penalty magnet his whole career. Many times it's been very calculated. Many times he's been caught between the devil and the deep blue sea due to lack of pace.
Will be interesting to see how the back row goes this weekend.
It seems that Itoje has taken on the role of team transgressor and refs are very reticent to card him. Up until now
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@victor-meldrew said in Springboks v England - Test #2:
There was an interesting article in one of the English newspapers (Guardian I think) making the point that England struggled with the pace of the Bokke pack, lost cohesion at the breakdown as a result and gave away penalties. Will be interesting if Shields can make a difference at 6.
Launchbury will be an improvement in the 2nd row and could keep Itoje focussed.
Still pick the Bokke to win. Have a sense they want to make a statement with a 3-0 result. I'm rooting for England - anything to keep Jones in place.....
Surprised they didn't take a leaf out of Lions playbook and dawdle for two minutes at very lineout!
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@mikethesnow said in Springboks v England - Test #2:
Robshaw has been a great servant to English rugby playing wherever and whenever he's been asked.
He's never given less than 100% and has at times been the best English forward, English player and MOTM on the field.I went to a sports dinner 3 years ago where Fitzy & David Duckham* were speaking.
Fitzy raved about Robshaw, saying the AB's would love to have him in the team as his attitude was exactly what the AB's looked for - hating to lose, giving 110%, always respecting the opposition and never a dickhead.
*Mr Duckham (one of my boyhood heroes and one of true greats) was grace personified when I told him I'd seen him play at Athletic Park in '71 as a teenager. Rated Batty as one of the best he ever faced: "Only player I've seen who make JPR look silly". Absolutely top bloke.
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@victor-meldrew said in Springboks v England - Test #2:
@mikethesnow said in Springboks v England - Test #2:
Robshaw has been a great servant to English rugby playing wherever and whenever he's been asked.
He's never given less than 100% and has at times been the best English forward, English player and MOTM on the field.I went to a sports dinner 3 years ago where Fitzy & David Duckham* were speaking.
Fitzy raved about Robshaw, saying the AB's would love to have him in the team as his attitude was exactly what the AB's looked for - hating to lose, giving 110%, always respecting the opposition and never a dickhead.
Yes but you also have to be a top class player...
(I find Robshaw a bit of a journeyman, at least as a 7 anyway)
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Interesting post on BBC website forum
EJ is stubborn and erratic:
- why pick Johnny Hill to tour if you don’t back him
- why no lock cover on bench
- why play Isiekwe at lock in last game when he has been blindsiding all year
- why pick Robshaw when he was clearly in need of a rest
- why play Brown out of position just to see whether Daly can slot in for him
- why not start Solomona against two debutant wingers
- why oh why
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It's actually starting to dawn on people that while EJ may have been able to fix the problems he inherited from Lancaster, he doesn't have a clue about team building or any idea about a Plan B.
Just over a year out from RWC2019, there's a growing fear that that RFU picked the wrong man 3 years ago and the 2019 England campaign will be another fiasco
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@victor-meldrew said in Springboks v England - Test #2:
It's actually starting to dawn on people that while EJ may have been able to fix the problems he inherited from Lancaster, he doesn't have a clue about team building or any idea about a Plan B.
Just over a year out from RWC2019, there's a growing fear that that RFU picked the wrong man 3 years ago and the 2019 England campaign will be another fiasco
Fingers crossed 😁
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I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. As long as Eddie keeps reassuring England Rugby supporters that losing 7 in a row is "part of the process of becoming a better side" everything will be fine
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@mikethesnow said in Springboks v England - Test #2:
Interesting post on BBC website forum
EJ is stubborn and erratic:
- why pick Johnny Hill to tour if you don’t back him
- why no lock cover on bench
- why play Isiekwe at lock in last game when he has been blindsiding all year
- why pick Robshaw when he was clearly in need of a rest
- why play Brown out of position just to see whether Daly can slot in for him
- why not start Solomona against two debutant wingers
- why oh why
Why indeed to all of that.
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@victor-meldrew well if he breaks his duck by upsetting the AB's later this year no one will care
Then he will be able to say he was right, he found a way to beat the ABs, now to find a way to beat all the other teams!
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I don't know why, but the terms "starters" and "finishers" really annoys me for some reason
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@mariner4life said in Springboks v England - Test #2:
I don't know why, but the terms "starters" and "finishers" really annoys me for some reason
Starters not so much. But finishers us a bit wanky
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@mariner4life mate you should see what was on TV this morning, not supposed to call old people Elderly...oh shit, if I cant call them elderly, can I call them old people too?
People that are not young...starters and finishers is the least of your worry bro!
