RWC SF: England v Springboks

[African Monkey]

@OomPB I think they have. Getting this far for them is a great result with how limited they are. They're just not very good.

[taniwharugby]

@African-Monkey I think England will be competitive for about 50 mins, then the SA grind game will beat them into submission and run away with it, especially once they utilise thier HIA bench

[stodders]

@Dodge England beat the Boks last time they played in 2021. Marcus Smith was playing 10 though 😬

Teams from that day:

England Team
1 Bevan Rodd
2 Jamie Blamire
3 Kyle Sinckler
4 Maro Itoje
5 Jonny Hill
6 Courtney Lawes (Captain)
7 Sam Underhill
8 Tom Curry
9 Ben Youngs
10 Marcus Smith
11 Jonny May
12 Manu Tuilagi
13 Henry Slade
14 Joe Marchant
15 Freddie Steward

South Africa Team
1 Ox Nché
2 Bongi Mbonambi
3 Trevor Nyakane
4 Eben Etzebeth
5 Lood de Jager
6 Siya Kolisi (Captain)
7 Kwagga Smith
8 Duane Vermeulen
9 Cobus Reinach
10 Handré Pollard
11 Makazole Mapimpi
12 Damian de Allende
13 Lukhanyo Am
14 Jesse Kriel
15 Willie le Roux

[Catogrande]

@stodders

Are you forgetting the November 2022 game when we got mullered?

[mariner4life]

I think the English back row can live with the Boks. I'm not sure the tight 5 can. And i don't know where their points are coming from.
I think some are underselling the Fijian pack a little. They are really physical, and really hard at the breakdown, and the English beat them.
South Africa will have to work to win this, but it i think it's the weapons out wider that will make the difference.

[Nepia]

@Billy-Webb said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:

There is a memory from a 2019 semi England played in that is haunting me....

You'll be fine, I'm sure Rassie Nienaber wont change the make up of the team to combat one aspect of England's play and then not combat that aspect at all during the game.

[NTA]

@mariner4life said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:

I think the English back row can live with the Boks. I'm not sure the tight 5 can. And i don't know where their points are coming from.

[stodders]

@Catogrande did England play last November? I thought they took the time off 😂

[Catogrande]

@stodders

Touche mon frère!

[KiwiMurph]

Ben O'Keeffe is the ref

[pakman]

@KiwiMurph said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:

Ben O'Keeffe is the ref

16 Boks against 15.

[pakman]

Luke Pearce for final, please.

[stodders]

Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) will take charge of England v South Africa in Saint-Denis on Saturday, 21 October (21:00 CET). He will be joined by assistant referees Andrew Brace (Ireland) and Paul Williams (New Zealand) and TMO Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand).

[stodders]

The New Zealand official will referee England v South Africa for the second time, having been in the middle for South Africa’s 42-39 victory in June 2018.

[Billy Webb]

Happy with B.O.K.
Despite all the flak he copped recently, I rate him as the best ref at the RWC.
I just hope all the criticism doesn't change the way he oversees a game normally.

[stodders]

@Billy-Webb He'll be watching the review of the France game and pinging the Boks all night at the breakdown

[Billy Webb]

@stodders

Yeah... that's what worries me. An over-correction.
But to be honest, I expect him to be better than that.

[stodders]

@Billy-Webb said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:

@stodders

Yeah... that's what worries me. An over-correction.
But to be honest, I expect him to hope he'll be better than that.

FIFY

[Dodge]

@Billy-Webb said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:

@stodders

Yeah... that's what worries me. An over-correction.
But to be honest, I expect him to hope he won't be better than that.

FIFY

[Dodge]

Was trying to work out what would have to happen during the game for me to think we have a chance, I think the Boks will have to lose two loose head props early in the game, preferably to red cards, then Eben & PSDT to reds, then for Kolbe to pull a hamstring