The Rugby thread

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The last 15 mins showed that we can play better. The AB's were struggling in the closing stages. We played badly and only lost by 7. yes, we can win this weekend if we play to our full potential.
Lost the game in the first 20 minutes.
Things picked up significantly when Reinarch came on.
What happened? We used to have 10 good scrummies. Reinach is okay, but he is exactly the same player as Williams, okay but not great. It doesn't even matter which one you pick. Where's faf?

Both are fast and great at snipping around the ruck. More than anyone else. But they really need a good 10 for distribution. Reinach was actually bit slow he runs too much with the ball before he passes
Reinarch was significantly better than anything Williams offered while on the pitch though... Williams been a weaklink each test he has played so far this RC.

Both Williams and Libbok are overhyped from their debut URC seasons etc. Been on downward spirals since, oodles of talent, flare, but no mental game and URC/EURO showed everyone blueprints to how easily they can be picked apart and how predictable they both actually are.
 
Lost the game in the first 20 minutes.
Things picked up significantly when Reinarch came on.

Reinarch was significantly better than anything Williams offered while on the pitch though... Williams been a weaklink each test he has played so far this RC.

Both Williams and Libbok are overhyped from their debut URC seasons etc. Been on downward spirals since, oodles of talent, flare, but no mental game and URC/EURO showed everyone blueprints to how easily they can be picked apart and how predictable they both actually are.
I mostly agree. I think Grant Williams is potentially really good and not over hyped, but game management can be a problem, he still feels inexperienced.

Sasha at 10 should fix that. His game management and distribution is great. You don't need everyone to have perfect game management. Either 9 or 10 is fine.

I have never been a big libbok fan.
 
Damien Willemse. 12. I didn't even know he plays 12.

Seen him play a few times at 12 or at least fill the gap now and then. But he looks rusty in my opinion.

Damien and Jessie haven’t been that fantastic this season, there was some communication between them both on the weekend but it didn’t click on attack.
 
I mostly agree. I think Grant Williams is potentially really good and not over hyped, but game management can be a problem, he still feels inexperienced.
I’ve always considered Grant more an impact player. He is very effective as that last 20 - 30 mins when the forwards are sucking in the air and he zips through you like a hot knife on butter.

I’d also start Wessels and bring Marx on 60 min mark, like the old days, bomb squad general fetcher.
 
I mostly agree. I think Grant Williams is potentially really good and not over hyped, but game management can be a problem, he still feels inexperienced.

Sasha at 10 should fix that. His game management and distribution is great. You don't need everyone to have perfect game management. Either 9 or 10 is fine.

I have never been a big libbok fan.
I don't agree its a one or the other, the modern game has gone beyond this, where its a combination, 9 AND 10 with fullback to some extent a tri-fecta. Where things keep going wrong for Boks post 2023.

Willie on form, with Pollard and Faf in the past, we had this 3 ways management 'team' on the field. We've lost it since and it shows.

The rugby smarts is something should have already engrained when hit stride in URC lvl. Not something teach at test lvl. Either have it, or they don't by that point. Libbok and Williams are not going to bridge that gap I feel, much like Elton and Herchelle couldn't in the past. By the time players ready for senior lvl, its too late to as needs to be 2nd nature by this point.

Some real prospects at u20 lvl in this regard, so future for 2031 looks good, but 2027, Im very concerned. The wrong "juniors" got focused on, but hindsight is 20/20 next 2years need to focus on right that ship.

Fingers crossed for Sacha at 10, but there is a real problem at 9 and 15 at the moment, can't function on a single 10, with no fullback or 9 in the picture that present the necessary mental game. Our backline getting sold downriver without a paddle every game cause little to no mental game from the 9, 10, 15 decision making group to lead the way.
 
Oh boy. I just hope they will not opt to play Tonyball this weekend. Against the AB that will be suicide and things can get even worse than it did against the Ozzies at Ellispark...
 
Oh boy. I just hope they will not opt to play Tonyball this weekend. Against the AB that will be suicide and things can get even worse than it did against the Ozzies at Ellispark...
Can we really blame Tonyball for the lacklustre, leaky defense? Had the same issue at Eden Park, with different, so called more "Bok" gameplan.

Seems quite possibly a selection, specific player performances issue more than anything else at this point.
 
There is an interview with Rassie where he says he wants to give as many guys the exposure of playing against the AB's in NZ as possible. That was always the plan regardless of the previous result/s.
 
No, I'm not really.

He has started a few tests at 10 which is arguably more difficult.

My concern is his math readiness but he has to play at some point.
He hasn’t played a lot no, but Rassies mandate is rotate rotate rotate oupas and youngsters.

I don’t think we will beat them on the weekend. But if we do it’ll show the depth Rassie has been building.

Lineouts and being isolated with ball in hand has been our downfall this season. Oh and a Manie and Willie meltdown as well. Needless to say Karl Dickheadson didn’t really feel like blowing when the AB infringed, who knows who is blowing him there in NZL but he seriously loves it there. Maybe they have Suzie that side ?
 
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Oh boy. I just hope they will not opt to play Tonyball this weekend. Against the AB that will be suicide and things can get even worse than it did against the Ozzies at Ellispark...
Hopefully we can have a balance between Tonyball and when to keep it tight. But ja, if we persist with Tonyball at all costs, the Kiwis will have a field day and we could be looking at a monster defeat.
 
Kolisi - Ankle & knee niggles on and off this season
Etzebeth - NIggles and concussion issues for large chunks of this season and last season
PSdT - Has only played 4 games since November 2024 - the 4 he has played for the Boks this season
Mbonambi - Off the pace, looks unfit
Marx - Not quite the same after his broken leg vs NZ 2023.
Kolbe - Does not look as quick as I'm accustomed to - but my eyes may be lying to me.

Our youngest winger to date has been Edwill van der Merwe/KLA at 29 years each. Good time to bring in Hooker. NZ, Australia, and France all have insane speedsters emerging in Leroy Carter, Corey Toole, and Louis Bielle Biarrey. We need some raw young speedsters injected into the squad.

I think Makhaza will be the bolter for 2027 and may even feature next year.

Our work around the rucks and breakdown is not up to standard. Some of it may be because of a change in game plan because our forwards are spread out across the field and we go to the side often and get isolated. Even when not, and we truck it up, our breakdown is not what it used to be.

Same with our defense. The shape seems different.

And, a player may play something like 32 games or 2400 mins or such a season. That means rotation is inevitable. The constant rotation plus evolving game plan and players out of form explains what we're seeing lately.

EYOT 2022 is when we saw the Boks consolidate their game plan and squad. I expect things will be similar come the EOYT for 2026.

It feels like our older Boks are just not getting to their former levels - some understandably so (PSdT) and others perplexingly so (Mbonambi).

I would probably refresh the team for this season and hopefully stirr the hunger in the old guard for next season. Win-win, in my opinion. They get a rest and a proper pre-season and the fringe and younger players get some experience.
 
While I applaud the effort put in making these videos, but at the end of the day what can you do. Watch dont watch.



The lineout shenanigans and the slap in front of the ref was confusing
 
While I applaud the effort put in making these videos, but at the end of the day what can you do. Watch dont watch.



The lineout shenanigans and the slap in front of the ref was confusing
I don't like these videos.

It gives credence to those who claim South Africans always moan about the referee. We lost. Let's suck it up.
 
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