2017 International Tests

http://www.iol.co.za/sport/rugby/springboks/french-veterans-to-storm-durban-9742259

French veterans to storm Durban

It is in the emotionally arousing lyrics of the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, that the Springboks will fully appreciate the backlash that awaits them ahead of the second Test at King’s Park on Saturday.

“To arms, citizens. Form your battalions. Let’s march, let’s march. Let an impure blood soak our fields!” it cries out.

And with that the French will march to Durban, vowing to come out firing and restore some pride in their performance, which was found wanting against the Springboks in their 37-14 loss at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The French failed to keep up with the pace of the game but were also beaten by the ferocity with which the Springboks played the game and the dominance they enjoyed in most facets of play.

“We are going to have a look at the good and the bad from this game and we will have to use the coming week to improve on those areas and try to get better,” said France captain Yoann Maestri.

And so the Boks should expect a backlash as Les Bleus will see at least six of their frontline stars return to the team after spending last week nursing the bumps and bruises from a demanding Top 14 final between Clermont and Toulon.

With the quick turnaround time from playing in their domestic final to preparing adequately for the opening Test of the series, France deemed it sensible to rest their top players and select a new-look side that included 11 changes from that which played in their last international against Wales in the Six Nations.

Regular captain and hooker Guilhein Guirado, prop Xavier Chiocci, lock Arthur Iturria, flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc, centre Damian Penaud, lock Romain Taofifenua and South African-born fullback Scott Spedding are all set to return.
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Teams for tomorrow's B&I Lions tour match against the Highlanders. No Ben Smith for the Highlanders. I wonder if he's injured or wrapped in cotton wool for the imminent tests...

Highlanders: 15 Richard Buckman, 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Teihorangi Walden, 11 Tevita Li, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Kayne Hammington, 8 Luke Whitelock (captain), 7 Dillon Hunt, 6 Gareth Evans, 5 Jackson Hemopo, 4 Alex Ainley, 3 Siate Tokolahi, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Daniel Lienert-Brown.
Replacements: 16 Greg Pleasants-Tate, 17 Aki Seiuli, 18 Siosuia Halanukonuka, 19 Josh Dickson, 20 James Lentjes, 21 Josh Renton, 22 Marty Banks, 23 Patrick Osborne.

British & Irish Lions: 15 Jared Payne, 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Tommy Seymour, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Rhys Webb, 8 Christiaan Stander, 7 Sam Warburton (captain), 6 James Haskell, 5 Iain Henderson, 4 Courtney Lawes, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Rory Best, 1 Joe Marler.
Replacements: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Alun Wyn Jones, 20 Justin Tipuric, 21 Greig Laidlaw, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Elliot Daly
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Agent_Smith said:
Teams for tomorrow's B&I Lions tour match against the Highlanders. No Ben Smith for the Highlanders. I wonder if he's injured or wrapped in cotton wool for the imminent tests...
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The Highlanders are also without their head coach which is busy coaching Japan, so I guess they will stick to what they know, kick and pressure.
 
@DWPTA

A year and two ago, many people openly stated that they are burning anything Springbok, those same people wore those same items on Saturday and Sunday. I wouldn’t argue with the French, we knew that we would play a down watered French team on Saturday. We shouldn't be in a situation where we retire too easily or need a 14th gear to spun a story.

We need to beat the French in Durban as we did in Pretoria, no nonsense. A team stays a team.
 
Fulcrum29 said:
@DWPTA

A year and two ago, many people openly stated that they are burning anything Springbok, those same people wore those same items on Saturday and Sunday. I wouldn’t argue with the French, we knew that we would play a down watered French team on Saturday. We shouldn't be in a situation where we retire too easily or need a 14th gear to spun a story.

We need to beat the French in Durban as we did in Pretoria, no nonsense. A team stays a team.
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Agreed totally with the win in Durbs. That will give us an indication as to where the team stands. I'm under no illusion that there is still a long way to go, but I think we are getting a special group of guys together that will take us to RWC2019 and RWC2023. I don't think we will win 2019, but we should get dam close and then take it 2023.

But let us concentrate on this series first before we even start think of RC2017. A whitewash of the Frogs is non negotiable.
 
10 all right now after 30 minutes. Good game in prospect here...
 
OrbitalDawn said:
Well done Highlanders. Excellent performance and a lot of composure at the end. And did it without Aaron Smith.
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The Highlanders are probably the best executioners when it comes to a kicking game. Like Gatland reacted to the game,

“We were a little bit inaccurate, we tried to play a lot of rugby. They’ve kicked the ball smartly and we haven’t retained possession – we didn’t play enough territory in the first half. We came out in the second half, started well. We thought we could be smart and finish the game off but it didn’t happen for us.
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Prior to the game Hammet and Mcleod said that they will be playing an running game than a kicking game.
 
Mapoe set for Bok starting role
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springboks/mapoe-set-for-bok-starting-role-20170613

Cape Town - Lionel Mapoe looks set to replace Jesse Kriel in the Springbok midfield for Saturday’s second Test against France in Durban.

This comes after it was confirmed on Monday that Kriel would be ruled out of the second Test with concussion.

Springbok team doctor, Konrad von Hagen, said Kriel will continue with his gradual return to play protocol after taking a blow to the head in last Saturday’s first Test in Pretoria.

The Bok coach said he would pick a team that closely resembles the one which won 37-14 at Loftus Versfeld.

He hinted that Mapoe replacing Kriel may be the only change for Saturday.

“There are many who will feel that this is a good opportunity to bring Frans Steyn back into the starting line-up at 12, with Jan Serfontein moving to 13, but I feel this would mean we end up making two changes in the midfield when we only have to make one,” Coetzee was quoted as saying by the Cape Times on Tuesday.

Coetzee said Serfontein was “outstanding” at inside centre and he wants the Bulls midfielder to continue in that position.

“In terms of outside centre, it makes sense to bring in Lionel Mapoe, who is fully recovered from injury and raring to go,” Coetzee continued.

Meanwhile, centre Damian de Allende returned to Cape Town to continue with his injury rehabilitation, with his place in the squad taken by Cheetahs centre Francois Venter.

Von Hagen confirmed that the he rest of the Bok squad were all in good shape and in the frame for selection for Saturday.
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ABs team for their game against Samoa on Friday.

Ben Smith (c), Israel Dagg, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Ardie Savea, Sam Cane, Jerome Kaino, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Owen Franks, Codie Taylor, Joe Moodie.

Reserves
Nathan Harris, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Scott Barrett, Vaea Fifita, TJ Perenara, Lima Sopoaga, Jordie Barrett.
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Japan team to play Ireland on Saturday,

Starting line-up:

01. Keita Inagaki (Panasonic Wild Knights/Sunwolves)
02. Shota Horie (Panasonic Wild Knights/Sunwolves)
03. Heiichiro Ito (Yamaha Júbilo/Sunwolves)
04. Kotaro Yatabe (Panasonic Wild Knights/Sunwolves)
05. Uwe Helu (Yamaha Júbilo/Sunwolves)
06. Michael Leitch (Toshiba Brave Lupus/Chiefs)
07. Yo****aka Tokunaga (Toshiba Brave Lupus/Sunwolves)
08. Amanaki Lelei Mafi (NTT Shining Arcs/Rebels)
09. Fumiaki Tanaka (Panasonic Wild Knights/Sunwolves)
10. Yu Tamura (Yu Tamura/Sunwolves)
11. Kenki Fukuoka (Panasonic Wild Knights/Sunwolves)
12. Timothy Lafaele (Coca-Cola Red Sparks/Sunwolves)
13. Will Tupou (Coca-Cola Red Sparks/Sunwolves)
14. Kotaro Matsushima (Suntory Sungoliath/Sunwolves)
15. Ryuji Noguchi (Tokai University)

Bench:

16. Yusuke Niwai (Canon Eagles/Sunwolves)
17. Shintaro Ishihara (Suntory Sungoliath)
18. Takuma Asahara (Toshiba Brave Lupus/Sunwolves)
19. Hendrik Tui (Suntory Sungoliath/Reds)
20. Shuhei Matsuhashi (Ricoh Black Rams/Sunwolves)
21. Yutaka Nagare (Suntory Sungoliath/Sunwolves)
22. Derek Carpenter (Suntory Sungoliath/Sunwolves)
23. Rikiya Matsuda (Panasonic Wild Knights)

I am not too sure about this team, quite a change to last week’s team. I see Jamie Joseph has dropped Jumpei Ogura which was MotM last weekend and is now relying on Yu Tamura which clearly gives the impression that the Cherry Blossoms will rely on a kicking and territorial game, and that is only whether they can apply pressure. Like many other pundits, I don’t think the Japanese must play like the Highlanders, they are much better at attacking open spaces.

Joseph is also playing three backline players on the bench, bringing in the other young prodigy which was the 1st University student to play at the Panasonic Wild Knights (or in Top League). Good to see Suntory Goliath’s captain, Yutake Nagare, on the bench as he also captained the international side in Shota Horie’s and Harumichi Tatekawa’s absence.

This team has less Super Rugby experience than last week’s team, but the #15 is a player to watch, the youngster did some magic against the Romanians and I can see why Joseph is punting him as a rugby prodigy. Then moving Kotaro Matsushima to the wing, well that is where he played his winning game against the Springboks… so maybe that will work.

Overall, strong 8-pack, superb scrummie, reliable pivot, best centre pair, quick wingers and a young, but capable man at the back. Good strength on the bench. However, the Irish are way more experienced than this team.

Next weekend I would like to see Shota Emi and Jumpei Ogura in the team, and strange that Shokei Kin is not in the squad, but he is apparently in the Sunwolves practising squad.

Good luck to the Japanese, they are going to need it.
 
France ring the changes for Durban
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/france-ring-the-changes-for-durban-20170615

Cape Town - France head coach Guy Novès has made eight changes for the second Test against South Africa in Durban on Saturday.

With those Clermont and Toulon players from the Top 14 final available again, Scott Spedding takes over at fullback with rising star Damian Penaud named at outside centre as he wins his first cap for France.

Baptiste Serin and François Trinh-Duc form a new halfback combination, while the one change to the back row sees Kévin Gourdon take the place of Loann Goujon at seven.

Romain Taofifeuna comes in to partner Yoann Maestri in the second row with the final two changes coming up front, where Rabah Slimani and captain Guilhem Guirado both start.

Bordeaux-Bègles back Nans Ducuing is the only other uncapped player in the matchday 23.

Kick-off is at 17:05.

Teams:

South Africa

TBA

France

15 Scott Spedding, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Damian Penaud, 12 Gaël Fickou, 11 Virimi Vakatawa, 10 François Trinh-Duc, 9 Baptiste Serin, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Kévin Gourdon, 6 Yacouba Camara, 5 Romain Taofifeuna, 4 Yoann Maestri, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado (captain), 1 Jefferson Poirot

Substitutes: 16 Clément Maynadier, 17 Eddy Ben Arous, 18 Uini Atonio, 19 Julien le Devedec, 20 Bernard le Roux, 21 Antoine Dupont, 22 Jean-Marc Doussain, 23 Nans Ducuing
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