The Rugby Thread - Part Deux

lexity said:
From my pov, btw, that wasn't a try.

It was more like the ref making up for an earlier bad decision of his own.

This kind of thing is baked into the cake, with rules that rely on such subjective levels of interpretation.
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My point has always been the same. A ref will make mistakes against both sides every game. Thats just human. But some spectators only see the ones made against their teams.
Also many 50/50 decisions every game that can go any way.
Stop complaining about the refs.
 
The balance of the 23 looks good. Good continuity in selection augurs well for match day rhythm. I do worry about fatigue though. The AB's appear to be finishing tests a lot fresher than the Boks.

Relieved to see Jesse starting.

I don't think we lose much with Cheslin at 15 v Willemse. And Kurt-Lee's 7's experience might stand him in good stead marking a fellow 7's star in Leroy Carter (assuming Carter is picked). Leroy was incredible on Saturday. Can't see Moorby starting ahead of Leroy this weekend.

As is always the case, how the referee officiates scrums and breakdowns will have a profound effect on the eventual outcome. Nika is quite a strong personality, decisive and self-assured in his officiating. However, how he is influenced during the week’s buildup, re the scrums, could have the most significant impact on how the test plays out.

Also, wet weather expected in Joburg from Friday into Sunday.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this weekends victory, in a strange way, I felt we were far more dominant in the 1st test, specifically scrums, possession and territory. We were just so inaccurate in many other aspects of our play, which led to turnovers and/or penalties against us and/or easy tries against and/or missed opportunities…
 
Rassie should, imo, not deny trying to slow the game down.

Totally within the rules. The boks prefer the set-pieces and are naturally going to favor a slower pace against the AB's strength.

What's wrong with that?

🤷‍♂️

p.s. the tendency is for the boks to try to outdo the AB's at their strength.

I think the mindset change is too great to take them on, just yet.

As a result of trying to match the AB's pace - with some exceptions no doubt - is that you get a rather desperate style of play where you lose patience and end up grounding the ball short and being too easily held up or robbed of the ball.

Handling errors and stray passes are also a symptom of allowing your opposition to rush you into making 'unforced' errors.

Don't try to beat them at their game. Slow ..... it ..... right down. Make them stop every time, and reset.
 
lexity said:
Rassie should, imo, not deny trying to slow the game down.

Totally within the rules. The boks prefer the set-pieces and are naturally going to favor a slower pace against the AB's strength.

What's wrong with that?

🤷‍♂️
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Boks haven't in the first 2 tests...
 
sand_man said:
Boks haven't in the first 2 tests...
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Agreed, but they should since it is a case of playing to one's strengths.

Never apologize for playing to your strengths.

Who cares what the opposition says in the media? Rassie has been good mostly because he defied conventional rugby wisdom.

Long may that continue.
 
I thought the Irish was bad but I think the New Zealanders take the cake.

Now the media accusing Rassie of taking mind games to misconduct... :laugh: This is just crazy. They are clutching at straws and it's showing.
 
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cavedog said:
I thought the Irish was bad but I think the New Zealanders take the cake.

Now the media accusing Rassie of taking mind games to misconduct... :laugh: This is just crazy. They are clutch at straws and it's showing.
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Best of all is they (Irish, New Zealanders, France etc.) say we are bad.

1st game we lost, All Black supporters laughing and saying we must not blame the ref and boast about being ranked number 1 etc. etc.

This week we win, they lose their **** over the ref, blaming foul play etc. etc. Even say they still the best because if you combine the scores from game 1 and 2 they have more points than us.

Rugby fans in general are a sad bunch.
 
Devo1 said:
Best of all is they (Irish, New Zealanders, France etc.) say we are bad.

1st game we lost, All Black supporters laughing and saying we must not blame the ref and boast about being ranked number 1 etc. etc.

This week we win, they lose their **** over the ref, blaming foul play etc. etc. Even say they still the best because if you combine the scores from game 1 and 2 they have more points than us.

Rugby fans in general are a sad bunch.
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Crazy. My social media is non stop showing complaints about the fly over and complaints about Rassie's mind games and officials not reffing the boks correctly.

I guess if you are the best in the world, you are the target of the whole world pretty much like politics...
 
lexity said:
Rassie should, imo, not deny trying to slow the game down.

Totally within the rules. The boks prefer the set-pieces and are naturally going to favor a slower pace against the AB's strength.

What's wrong with that?

🤷‍♂️

p.s. the tendency is for the boks to try to outdo the AB's at their strength.

I think the mindset change is too great to take them on, just yet.

As a result of trying to match the AB's pace - with some exceptions no doubt - is that you get a rather desperate style of play where you lose patience and end up grounding the ball short and being too easily held up or robbed of the ball.

Handling errors and stray passes are also a symptom of allowing your opposition to rush you into making 'unforced' errors.

Don't try to beat them at their game. Slow ..... it ..... right down. Make them stop every time, and reset.
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He's not denying it outright. In an earlier statement he said you have 30 seconds to form a lineout. So, if you take 29s, you are entitled to do so.

Legally, that is not slowing the game down. So he is right to deny it.
 
I actually think the Boks are getring fitter. They were flat against Argentina and a little better in test 1 against the ABs.

Lood, PSdT, Eben, Marx, Kriel, de Allende, Kolbe all hail from Japan and have not played that much rugby. Several of them have been out.

Think the fitness regime has had them underperforming with a view to peak tests 3 and 4.


That's just my hunch anyway. Similar thing happened at Ellis Park last year and the Boks were flying by the EOYT.
 
Anyone watch The Final Whistle last night?

Very interesting what they picked up and analyzed.

Marcom Marx and Ox come on and the first thing the ref tells them is not to walk around and not to move their head during the scrum set and not to play games.

Now tell me why would a Ref that is supposed to be completely impartial start and talk about not playing games, don't shift, don't walk around to a specific front row but let all the scrum collapses that happened go and not award a single one.

I don't like it that World Rugby or Coaches can have that kind of influence on officials. Angus came into that game not impartial but with a preconceived notion that the Springboks front rowers walk around. I get why Rassie was so angry.
 
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