@MiketheSnow said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@Dodge said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

I reckon Rassie will double down, they'll definitely try and correct the mistake of going too wide too early and will try and commit the aussies around the ruck but i reckon he's too stubborn to change their 'new total rugby' style

This

But what about the Bok biltong "aura"? Seeped away on the weekend!

On another note, I read an interesting thought that maybe playing at attitude is not such a great home advantage these days as some of their players are now almost as often foreign/overseas as the actual foreign/overseas players...

@NTA said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@nzzp said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

From what I saw, SA dominated everywhere but the scoreboard

And the lineout
And the ruck
And handling errors

Tbh I think they'll revert to Boklodyte and smash shit out of us.

With Slipper and Pietsch out, and probably Wilson as well, time to go large.

Bell
Pollard
Tupou (tho he was useless)
Frost
Skelton
Hooper
McReight (c)
Valetini
White
JOC
Kellaway
Ikitau
Suaalii
Jorgensen
Wright

BPA, Ross, Nonggor, LSL, Gleeson, McDermott, Edmed, Daugunu

Having seen Bok team I’d swap Ross and Bell. Also some argument for 6 - 2 to allow Tinzanno to come off bench.

Bok side named:

15 Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 100 caps, 75 pts (15t)
14 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 15 caps, 35 pts (7t)
13 Jesse Kriel (captain, Canon Eagles) – 81 caps, 95 points (19t)
12 Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 89 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath) – 41 caps, 111 points (18t, 3c, 5p)
10 Handre Pollard (Vodacom Bulls) – 82 caps, 797 points (7t, 116c, 168p, 5dg)
9 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 20 caps, 25 pts (5t)
8 Jean-Luc du Preez (Bordeaux Begles) – 14 caps 10 points (2t)
7 Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 80 caps, 20 points (4t)
6 Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 28 caps, 15 pts (3t)
5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 8 caps, 0 pts
4 RG Snyman (Leinster) – 42 caps, 10 points (2t)
3 Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 25 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 79 caps, 115 pts (23t)
1 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 42 caps, 0 pts

Replacements:

16 Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets) – 1 cap, 10 points (2t)
17 Boan Venter (Edinburgh) – 2 caps, 5 pts (1t)
18 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 19 caps, 0 pts
19 Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 134 caps, 35 points (7t)
20 Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 68 caps, 25 points (5t)
21 Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 54 caps, 45 points (9t)
22 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 41 caps, 70 pts (14t)
23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 10 caps, 54 points (15c, 8p)

Christ sake Nick, is there genuinely a Wallaby game you haven't tipped the opposition by 50? Getting tiresome.

We have as good a chance in this as any. We have belief, and the feeling we're playing with house money now.

And I don't know how you can think the loss of Kolisi, Esterhuizen and the benching of Etzebeth is a good thing for the Boks. To me this is a lesser version of their side last week. Which doesn't mean they will lose, but the idea we will get flogged is mindlessly pessimistic.

10 changes after a loss is crazy, yeah they have a lot of depth but it'll be interesting to see how cohesive they are. Aus will be fired up, 2/2 in SA would be incredible. Might actually get up for this one.

@barbarian said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

Christ sake Nick, is there genuinely a Wallaby game you haven't tipped the opposition by 50? Getting tiresome.

Pretty sure I said we'd beat Fiji and we nearly fucked that up.

@barbarian said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

Which doesn't mean they will lose, but the idea we will get flogged is mindlessly pessimistic.

Call it PTSD.

That Bok team might not be their best in terms of individuals. Or cohesion as a unit.

However they're going back to the blueprint: kick the skin off it and pressure us up the right end of the park. They won't care if we actually take the high balls - as soon as a toe touches the ground they'll be looking to put in a massive shot and get us gunshy.

There's nothing subtle about a 6-2 bench. The question is whether Schmidt responds in kind.

Hey Rassie, keep leaving out PSDT please.

@sparky said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

Hey Rassie, keep leaving out PSDT please.

he's injured

@No-Quarter said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

10 changes after a loss is crazy, yeah they have a lot of depth but it'll be interesting to see how cohesive they are. Aus will be fired up, 2/2 in SA would be incredible. Might actually get up for this one.

Would be the first time since 1963 and to do it without someone of Catchpole's calibre would be immense.

@voodoo said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@sparky said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

Hey Rassie, keep leaving out PSDT please.

he's injured

They seem to have been pretty lucky with injuries to their top side to date, but now him and Kolisi? Jeez

@barbarian Anyway I already bought tickets for Wallabies v Pumas at the SFS next month, so blow that out your arse :winking_face_with_tongue:

@barbarian said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

Christ sake Nick, is there genuinely a Wallaby game you haven't tipped the opposition by 50? Getting tiresome.

We have as good a chance in this as any. We have belief, and the feeling we're playing with house money now.

And I don't know how you can think the loss of Kolisi, Esterhuizen and the benching of Etzebeth is a good thing for the Boks. To me this is a lesser version of their side last week. Which doesn't mean they will lose, but the idea we will get flogged is mindlessly pessimistic.

One man's overwhelming pessimism is another man's strong jinx game, or defensive mechanism. It's the hope that kills

@canefan said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

One man's overwhelming pessimism is another man's strong jinx game, or defensive mechanism. It's the hope that kills

I see what you (Canes supporter) did there...

@NTA said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

That Bok team might not be their best in terms of individuals. Or cohesion as a unit.

However they're going back to the blueprint: kick the skin off it and pressure us up the right end of the park. They won't care if we actually take the high balls - as soon as a toe touches the ground they'll be looking to put in a massive shot and get us gunshy.

There's nothing subtle about a 6-2 bench. The question is whether Schmidt responds in kind.

Far better backline

If the fatties can win good, clean, quick ball by taking it up the guts and tying in the Aussie loose forwards then that backline can do some damage

@sparky said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

Hey Rassie, keep leaving out PSDT please.

Failed HIA

via Reddit:
Fun Fact: since 2019, there have been 8 matches between the 2 sides and both have won 4 each.

2021

28 vs 26 30 vs 17

2022

25 vs 17 8 vs 24

2023

43 vs 12

2024

7 vs 33 12 vs 30

2025

22 vs 38

Total Score: 160 vs 212

Average Score: 20 vs 27

Love the presentation of that data

@nzzp said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

via Reddit:
Fun Fact: since 2019, there have been 8 matches between the 2 sides and both have won 4 each.

2021

28 vs 26 30 vs 17

2022

25 vs 17 8 vs 24

2023

43 vs 12

2024

7 vs 33 12 vs 30

2025

22 vs 38

Total Score: 160 vs 212

Average Score: 20 vs 27

So Dave Rennie was 3 from 4. Eddie dogshit.

I'm picking an absolute kicking by SA this week.

I have been wrong before though.

Like just last week for example.

@MiketheSnow said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@Dodge said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

I reckon Rassie will double down, they'll definitely try and correct the mistake of going too wide too early and will try and commit the aussies around the ruck but i reckon he's too stubborn to change their 'new total rugby' style

This

Doesn't need to change the 'new style', players just need to be patient and focused

If they had done that last weekend it could have been close to 42-0 up and out of sight

If SA improve their accuracy once they've created the space then look out Oz

Doubling down on your "Boks should win easily in third gear" prediction from last week?

Fact is, for all the squad depth SA have (and they do), you can only pick 23 players on the day and they still have to perform or they will get turned over. Even at home against an Oz team that was written off by nearly everyone in the Republic. Confidence is a difficult beast to control. AB teams from the past know this when they have played cannon fodder in the world cup pool games only to meet an opponent up for the fight in the knockout stages. You have to earn every win. There's no God given right.

SA isn't as far ahead of the chasing pack (if at all) as some of their supporters believe, which is why the fall to Earth has been so profound this week. They still have a very good team and a great coach.

They will be dangerous this week because they will be desperate to atone for the embarrassment of last week. Not because they lost to Oz (no embarrassment there), but because for the second half they barely looked like they could compete at home and almost looked lost. That will sting. The over-confidence will be gone.

@stodders said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@MiketheSnow said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@Dodge said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

I reckon Rassie will double down, they'll definitely try and correct the mistake of going too wide too early and will try and commit the aussies around the ruck but i reckon he's too stubborn to change their 'new total rugby' style

This

Doesn't need to change the 'new style', players just need to be patient and focused

If they had done that last weekend it could have been close to 42-0 up and out of sight

If SA improve their accuracy once they've created the space then look out Oz

Doubling down on your "Boks should win easily in third gear" prediction from last week?

Fact is, for all the squad depth SA have (and they do), you can only pick 23 players on the day and they still have to perform or they will get turned over. Even at home against an Oz team that was written off by nearly everyone in the Republic. Confidence is a difficult beast to control. AB teams from the past know this when they have played cannon fodder in the world cup pool games only to meet an opponent up for the fight in the knockout stages. You have to earn every win. There's no God given right.

SA isn't as far ahead of the chasing pack (if at all) as some of their supporters believe, which is why the fall to Earth has been so profound this week. They still have a very good team and a great coach.

They will be dangerous this week because they will be desperate to atone for the embarrassment of last week. Not because they lost to Oz (no embarrassment there), but because for the second half they barely looked like they could compete at home and almost looked lost. That will sting. The over-confidence will be gone.

Yep

That was a great comeback from Australia helped by some really ropey refereeing and dumb, dumb SA attack play

This weekend if SA play smart rugby and execute the game plan they’ll win by a greater margin than OZ did last week

That is 2 great games by Australia in a row.

@nostrildamus said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

That is 2 great games by Australia in a row.

Which is weird in itself

Presume Joe will name team on Thursday?

Without PSDT, the SA pack will be a different beast, certainly not better.

@MiketheSnow said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

really ropey refereeing

Please explain?

@cgrant said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

Without PSDT, the SA pack will be a different beast, certainly not better.

Pack? Looked to me like he was playing on the left wing half that game!

@MiketheSnow said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@stodders said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@MiketheSnow said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@Dodge said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

I reckon Rassie will double down, they'll definitely try and correct the mistake of going too wide too early and will try and commit the aussies around the ruck but i reckon he's too stubborn to change their 'new total rugby' style

This

Doesn't need to change the 'new style', players just need to be patient and focused

If they had done that last weekend it could have been close to 42-0 up and out of sight

If SA improve their accuracy once they've created the space then look out Oz

Doubling down on your "Boks should win easily in third gear" prediction from last week?

Fact is, for all the squad depth SA have (and they do), you can only pick 23 players on the day and they still have to perform or they will get turned over. Even at home against an Oz team that was written off by nearly everyone in the Republic. Confidence is a difficult beast to control. AB teams from the past know this when they have played cannon fodder in the world cup pool games only to meet an opponent up for the fight in the knockout stages. You have to earn every win. There's no God given right.

SA isn't as far ahead of the chasing pack (if at all) as some of their supporters believe, which is why the fall to Earth has been so profound this week. They still have a very good team and a great coach.

They will be dangerous this week because they will be desperate to atone for the embarrassment of last week. Not because they lost to Oz (no embarrassment there), but because for the second half they barely looked like they could compete at home and almost looked lost. That will sting. The over-confidence will be gone.

Yep

That was a great comeback from Australia helped by some really ropey refereeing and dumb, dumb SA attack play

This weekend if SA play smart rugby and execute the game plan they’ll win by a greater margin than OZ did last week

Ropey refereeing? First I've heard that, even from the one-eyed Saffers...

Reckon it’s not on to piss in the cereal of long-suffering Aussie fans after such a magnificent fightback by a team that’s had to battle through more than their fair share of shit.

You Aussies should enjoy it. At least for 3 more days.

Reports saying Wilson is out but Valetini is back. Toole also set to debut.

@Dodge said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@canefan said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@Dodge said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

I reckon Rassie will double down, they'll definitely try and correct the mistake of going too wide too early and will try and commit the aussies around the ruck but i reckon he's too stubborn to change their 'new total rugby' style

If they'd been a little more restrained they would have probably won the game

I thought i read something recently about Rassie wanting to reinvent their game for the next cycle - not wanting to stay the same - I don't think one loss will throw him off course as it is somewhat inevitable that this kind of change goes too far on some occassions. I expect them to tighten up around the breakdown a bit and hit the one out to commit defenders, then go wide.

Whenever i type something like that it always feels like the most obvious statement in the world and what every team is trying to do...

He’s definitely trying some things and I’m not talking about the obvious gimmicky stuff. And I don’t mind it.

But he has to select / find the players to play that way.

The final quarter was interesting to see Bok players out on their feet like they were running on quick sand. Conditions did seem heavyish but not to the level to make a number of good players look ordinary

The thing about the breakdown is that Oz have players that attack it hard and that did seem to trouble the Boks and has the potential to trouble the ABs also. But the real difference was that the Wallabies had a gameplan that was tailored to the 10 they selected and the Boks didn’t have a 9/10 combo to execute theirs.

@ACT-Crusader said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@Dodge said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@canefan said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@Dodge said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

I reckon Rassie will double down, they'll definitely try and correct the mistake of going too wide too early and will try and commit the aussies around the ruck but i reckon he's too stubborn to change their 'new total rugby' style

If they'd been a little more restrained they would have probably won the game

I thought i read something recently about Rassie wanting to reinvent their game for the next cycle - not wanting to stay the same - I don't think one loss will throw him off course as it is somewhat inevitable that this kind of change goes too far on some occassions. I expect them to tighten up around the breakdown a bit and hit the one out to commit defenders, then go wide.

Whenever i type something like that it always feels like the most obvious statement in the world and what every team is trying to do...

The final quarter was interesting to see Bok players out on their feet like they were running on quick sand. Conditions did seem heavyish but not to the level to make a number of good players look ordinary

Watching Kriel unable to keep up with play for Wilsons try was pretty weird viewing

@voodoo said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@ACT-Crusader said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@Dodge said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@canefan said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

@Dodge said in Boks vs Wallabies 2:

I reckon Rassie will double down, they'll definitely try and correct the mistake of going too wide too early and will try and commit the aussies around the ruck but i reckon he's too stubborn to change their 'new total rugby' style

If they'd been a little more restrained they would have probably won the game

I thought i read something recently about Rassie wanting to reinvent their game for the next cycle - not wanting to stay the same - I don't think one loss will throw him off course as it is somewhat inevitable that this kind of change goes too far on some occassions. I expect them to tighten up around the breakdown a bit and hit the one out to commit defenders, then go wide.

Whenever i type something like that it always feels like the most obvious statement in the world and what every team is trying to do...

The final quarter was interesting to see Bok players out on their feet like they were running on quick sand. Conditions did seem heavyish but not to the level to make a number of good players look ordinary

Watching Kriel unable to keep up with play for Wilsons try was pretty weird viewing

My "conspiracy" theory is maybe Rassie has been thrashing the snot out of them with view to tapering for the ABs. Making sure the powder remains dehydrated.

That's always my favourite theory after any loss. The most comforting thing as a fan to think 'well it's clearly because we worked TOO hard before the game, with an eye to the bigger games to come'.

Will be interesting to see how the boks respond, was it a one off bad day or are there cracks appearing ?
while I think they have clearly been number 1 based on results I believe the gap between them and the chasing pack in ability has been closer than many bok supporters think and it will only take small margins of change for there to be no gap , just my opinion.