Springboks v British & Irish Lions III
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One thing I read about BIL team selection (based on quotes from Gatland) is that all the coaches come to their meeting with their team and then the coaches discuss and eventually pick a XV and 23. Gatland said none of them had the same team before the 1st test so there would have been compromises. Maybe Townsend needs to have more say in the back selection but will probably favour Hogg and VDM.
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@bovidae said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
One thing I read about BIL team selection (based on quotes from Gatland) is that all the coaches come to their meeting with their team and then the coaches discuss and eventually pick a XV and 23. Gatland said none of them had the same team before the 1st test so there would have been compromises. Maybe Townsend needs to have more say in the back selection but will probably favour Hogg and VDM.
Ian McGeechan didn’t, was reading something on FB and he favoured dropping both of them.
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@mikethesnow said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
What does his 5 selection mean? Is one potential injury or is he sitting with splinters up his arse?
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@majorrage said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
@mikethesnow said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
What does his 5 selection mean? Is one potential injury or is he sitting with splinters up his arse?
He's going to have them fight for the last spot in the change room before kick-off
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15 Liam Williams
14 Josh Adams
13 Robbie Henshaw
12 Bundee Aki
11 Duhan van der Meuwe
10 Dan Biggar
9 Ali Price
1 Wyn Jones
2 Ken Owens
3 Tadhg Furlong
4 Maro Itoje
5 Alun Wyn Jones (c)
6 Courtney Lawes
7 Tom Curry
8 Jack ConanReplacements:
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie
17 Mako Vunipola
18 Kyle Sinckler
19 Adam Beard
20 Sam Simmonds
21 Conor Murray
22 Finn Russell
23 Elliot DalyObviously subject to Sinkler's hearing, assume that Fagerson will be in if he's out.
Some good changes, some very puzzling ones.
How is VDM still there? Back row was poor last week, surprised that's unchanged. Owens also a strange choice, he hasn't been great.
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yeah, some puzzlers there. Owens obviously knows where the bodies are buried.
Williams and Adams are overdue selections neither Hogg nor Watson has played particularly well. VDM was probably the least worst of the back three last week and Gatland obviously has qualms about LZR. Biggar was not very effective last week, but he's a better player than that, give him a better strategy to work with and we might see something. A shame Smith is not on the bench. Beard deserves his chance from the bench, but if he's there as second row cover, I'd be tempted to have Beirne instead of Lawes starting. Tough on Lawes but provides a better balance IMO.
If we play the same game plan this week, we will get mullered, that is the real issue more than selection I feel.
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Agree, apart from the bit about VDM, I thought he was really poor on Saturday and not much better the week before, his inclusion is the most baffling to me.
Back row needed something to change. None of them are playing terribly, but as a unit it's just not working. And unlike some areas there is serious talent to call on - Simmonds, Faletau, Beirne, Watson, Navidi. Could they really not come up with something better than "Same again"?
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@catogrande said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
yeah, some puzzlers there. Owens obviously knows where the bodies are buried.
Williams and Adams are overdue selections neither Hogg nor Watson has played particularly well. VDM was probably the least worst of the back three last week and Gatland obviously has qualms about LZR. Biggar was not very effective last week, but he's a better player than that, give him a better strategy to work with and we might see something. A shame Smith is not on the bench. Beard deserves his chance from the bench, but if he's there as second row cover, I'd be tempted to have Beirne instead of Lawes starting. Tough on Lawes but provides a better balance IMO.
If we play the same game plan this week, we will get mullered, that is the real issue more than selection I feel.
Expect Itoje to go to 6 at 55. Curry/Itoje/Simmonds will make for interesting back row.
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So Gatland is telling us there is nothing wrong with his game plan, it just needs to be executed better.
No FAF is a big loss
SA by much the same margin
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Faf and PSDT out injured -
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Morne Steyn, 23 Damian Willemse -
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@mikethesnow said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
So Gatland is telling us there is nothing wrong with his game plan, it just needs to be executed better.
He's been telling us that for 15 years
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@daffy-jaffy said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
Faf and PSDT out injured -
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Morne Steyn, 23 Damian WillemseHappy with the starting 15 (given the injuries).
Reinach v Jantjies is a bit of tough one.
Glad they went with Mostert at blindside, think he will shine there.
Worried about the back five of the scrum in the last 20, Lood is unlikely to last the 80 and we'll be left with very short and light pack.
Might have rotated Marx and Mbonambi - don't think we have seen the best of Marx in this series and swapping them around may have been a way to get more out of Marx.
Morne fucking Steyn - fair dues to the man, he has been fine for the bulls, but really limits what we will be able to do late in the game. -
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@daffy-jaffy I read in the BBC Gatland was wringing in the changes. Tour in the balance and now he's looking for a little more flair.
Still find it difficult to comprehend Bundee Ali is the best available centre.
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@antipodean said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
@daffy-jaffy I read in the BBC Gatland was wringing in the changes. Tour in the balance and now he's looking for a little more flair.
Still find it difficult to comprehend Bundee Ali is the best available centre.
And Daly his back-up
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@mikethesnow said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
@antipodean said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
@daffy-jaffy I read in the BBC Gatland was wringing in the changes. Tour in the balance and now he's looking for a little more flair.
Still find it difficult to comprehend Bundee Ali is the best available centre.
And Daly his back-up
Really don't see the point of Russell
Coming off injury, hardly played.
Smith shown he belongs. Fit and raring to go.
