The depth

So Van Staden covers hooker to make space for Kwagga on an otherwise unchanged bomb squad.

Fairly obvious now that the boks see the closers as a unit with a specific role/mandate. Up the tempo and take the game away from opposition that should already be stretched.

By extension the starters’ job is to absorb the adrenaline and passion fuelled early onslaught while redlining the opposition. Forcing their forwards to work in mauls and scrums and then to chase back to support the kick receipt.

Like so much of what Rassie cooks up it’s the classic South African plan of “maak sag voor en skop op die fullback boys - tien teen een is hy n pateet.” (Soften them up up front and kick on the fullback boys - ten to one he’s a co-ord.)

@Smuts

It's the obvious test match strategy; surpised everyone else is not at least trying it.
Start with a bash-a-thon/arm wrestle; when you get the edge; finish with a bitch slapping.
Everything else is just a bit of nonsense really.

@mohikamo yeah, it’s what you guys did to us for years.

I wonder what the long term plan is for handre pollard. He is still pretty young, and when the big pressure is on he is absolutely indispensable .
I really hope rassie and co keep him suitably psyched so that he doesn’t lose interest.
A u20 WC as well as several rugby championships and two world cups is some kind of experience.

Italia
15 Ange CAPUOZZO (Stade Toulousain, 29 caps)
14 Louis LYNAGH (Benetton Rugby, 8 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Toulon, 47 caps) – capitano
12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 32 caps)
11 Monty IOANE (Lione, 40 caps)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Toulon, 48 caps)
9 Stephen VARNEY (Exeter Chiefs, 35 caps)
8 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 31 caps)
7 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 36 caps)
6 Ross VINTCENT (Exeter Chiefs, 18 caps)
5 Andrea ZAMBONIN (Exeter Chiefs, 13 caps)
4 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 56 caps)
3 Marco RICCIONI (Saracens, 35 caps)
2 Giacomo NICOTERA (Stade Français, 35 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (Northampton Saints 56 caps)

A disposizione
16 Tommaso DI BARTOLOMEO (Zebre Parma, 4 caps)
17 Mirco SPAGNOLO (Benetton Rugby, 18 caps)
18 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 67 caps)
19 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 65 caps)
20 Riccardo FAVRETTO (Benetton Rugby, 7 caps)
21 David ODIASE (Zebre Parma, 2 caps)
22 Martin PAGE-RELO (Bordeaux, 19 caps)
23 Tommaso ALLAN (Perpignan, 86 caps)

@Smuts maak sag en slaan met die agterlyn was Craven's recepy.

I think the Italian starters will give Bok B starters a run for their money. But hard to see them holding out when the A finishers come on.

Like the Bok model for AB Wales.

Pace is too fast for SA already and not even ten minutes in.

Garbisi hit high?

Based on last week that’s a RC

Sounds like it

@MiketheSnow said in Italy vs Springboks:

Based on last week that’s a RC

Fuck yes that's red

Saffa claiming mitigation for an on purpose shoulder because he was being tackled already.

Only yellow if it's against black but red for anyone else.

Consistency

That’s all we ask for

Only yellow, his feet shifted slightly backwards.

Pretty unfair, there's no way Mostert was expecting to have to make a tackle there. Just bracing himself for impact after being surprised by a ball carrier changing direction.

And that was fucking dodgy by Moodie.

Saffa commentator is fucking hilarious. Trying to claim Lynagh tackled Moodie in the air because both his feet were off the ground, as though he's never understood how running works.