Rodzilla to rock Boks
10 Jul 2006
The Wallabies are counting on 130 kilogram beast Rodney Blake to neutralize any potential Springbok forward advantage in Saturday’s Vodacom Tri Nations test.
Blake made his test debut against England but has been out of action since because of an ankle injury. He is expected to return to the Wallabies front row in his first home ground international. Blake plays for the Queensland Reds.
The Springbok coaching staff wasted no time in telling the Australian media that the scrum would be an area to target and one in which they believed they would get an advantage.
But the Wallabies have dismissed the talk of the visitors, with veteran hooker Jeremy Paul telling the Boks to bring it on.
Paul, Blake and Al Baxter could potentially start the test, which would mean an entirely different front row would face the Boks to the one demolished in Christchurch.
Connolly, a man with enormous respect for the talents of South African rugby players, told the media that the Boks would still field a very good side, despite injuries to key players. But Connolly was equally frank in believing he could field a pack capable of holding its own against the Boks.
“The Springboks are probably a step up from the All Blacks in terms of physicality, but they don’t have quite the skill of the All Blacks or the nous,” said Connolly. “But I think the All Blacks scrum, when (Carl) Hayman’s there, is probably the best in the world. I don’t think it’s a step up at all (facing the Boks).”
Paul said the Wallabies would be prepared for the Boks physical challenge.
“They’re a big side and again our set pieces will be under pressure. They’ll obviously have looked at the (Christchurch) game and try and target us in the scrum. But I think we’ll go okay this weekend.”
Jake White has said the message would be to dominate in the scrums, but the truth is that with Eddie Andrews at tighthead and Solly Tyibilika likely to scrum down on the tighthead side, the Boks don’t pose as big a threat as some may believe.
50 Comments
10 Jul 2006, 15:00 pm
Pakslaezilla sal hom uitsort!!!!
10 Jul 2006, 15:02 pm
O hel vergeet van Eddie en Solly op die vasskopkant – dit kan ‘n lang dag word..
10 Jul 2006, 15:02 pm
Spot on. After seeing the way we struggled against the French we are not as dominant as we think we are. We will be more or less on par with Aus. There loose trio are going to be all over us and their line outs are realy not bad. This Boks will be in for a surprise if they think they are going to dominate. Unfortunatily all goes for a pot of snot for the whole team if the scrum struggles.
10 Jul 2006, 15:03 pm
“with Eddie Andrews at tighthead and Solly Tyibilika likely to scrum down on the tighthead side, the Boks don’t pose as big a threat as some may believe.”
Does that mean they are quota players?
Cos you’ve been banging on about giving Solly a chance for a while now!
10 Jul 2006, 15:13 pm
bring in ollie, he’ll sort rodzilla out
10 Jul 2006, 15:15 pm
Kemp, Kobus Visagie will be a better bet.
10 Jul 2006, 15:16 pm
if we get one win in aussie and remain unbeaten in SA, we will finish second this year. thats as a result of the rubbish imbalanced fixture list in the near expanded cash fest. sorry, tri-nations
10 Jul 2006, 15:20 pm
This oke is one huge fat *******.
10 Jul 2006, 15:24 pm
he was 30kg heavier in school grade, his team was only allowed 1 other front rower, fat chubber
10 Jul 2006, 15:25 pm
Blake looks like an “EASTER EGG with” LEGS:-)
10 Jul 2006, 15:28 pm
where’s CJ & Guthro?
10 Jul 2006, 15:33 pm
Eddie gaan saterdag leterlik sy eie gat sien en hy gaan solly sin ook sien!
10 Jul 2006, 15:38 pm
Maties,
Post #4.
The could possibly be huh … just like Grandpa Snyman and No Temprament (Gaffie) Du Toit.
Up SK WALMERS!
10 Jul 2006, 15:39 pm
Lollie sal hom opvreet..
10 Jul 2006, 15:40 pm
Andrews will sort the beast out (Not!). A long weekend awaits the boks. One step closer to the precipice for Jake I fear…
10 Jul 2006, 15:43 pm
We will be taken out come scrum time. Aussies to take the game 25-15
10 Jul 2006, 15:46 pm
Just like the Bulls, Rodzilla may be big … but is he smart? It ain’t all about size, some street smart helps to.
Go Bokke!
10 Jul 2006, 15:51 pm
LARDZILLA??!!!!
Ha! Just like the huge Bulls pack against WP this weekend or the massive Bok pack against the frogs at newlands. It means nothing without skill and and a clever pip in your noggin.
Its not even muscle on that oke, he’s running around with the equivalent of a small person wrapped in fat around his belly.
10 Jul 2006, 16:04 pm
Damnit, why do we face the better frontrow? Still we can take these guys. Rodzilla is a huge improvement and even Baxter and Paul have it over their opposite numbers.
my guess Connoly was experimenting against the kiwis away from home.
10 Jul 2006, 16:04 pm
“opposite” = “corresponding” numbers from the week b4.
10 Jul 2006, 16:22 pm
Every time we tour I hear about our great front row and how we will demolish the front rows of the opposition. I have yet to witness it. It seems we like talking ourselves up. In the last two years in the 3N we did not demolish the srums of the Wallabies or All Blacks. If I recall the Wallabies did not lose any of the scrums where they had the put-in. We over-rating our scrumming ability. The proof was not just in the game against the French, but a long time coming.
10 Jul 2006, 16:26 pm
FATBOY TO WOBBLE BOKS….
10 Jul 2006, 16:38 pm
Cab: Connolly is not known for experimenting. Blake was injured, that’s why was out previously.
10 Jul 2006, 17:02 pm
Rodzilla is lucky Lardy Davids is indisposed,he would swalow him WHOLE
10 Jul 2006, 17:10 pm
Our scrum is poor, Os and Bakkies are power but other than that, watch Oz push us off the ball.
Maybe SA Rugby are right to muzzle Jake , but he still shoots from the hip and forgets to take his pistol out of the holster.
Eishh my toes are sore
10 Jul 2006, 17:33 pm
I am almost an ex fan. He should air his laundry behind closed doors. either that or he really wants to get fired, go to england, get mouldy and work in an office. Does this mean that he thinks he is not able to coach the boks?
I thinks he needs a clip around the ear hole, and be told to develop the team. We needs 10 and 15 and we needs backusp for them. Percy will not go to RWC as he will be injured by then.
JW needs glasses, he is short sighted and narrow minded.
10 Jul 2006, 17:34 pm
jake is palying with them, it is a ploy. this fat oke will be out on his feet after 30 minutes.
personally i am sick of the hype this year, screw it, i am waiting for the game. then i will judge.
10 Jul 2006, 17:36 pm
oz by 20
10 Jul 2006, 19:23 pm
If anyone out there remembers how the Aussie scrum was shoved all over the park and which led to uncontested scrums against England at Twickers is now fearing some fat ******* called blake, we have nothing to fear. Words of wisdom – size does not technique.
10 Jul 2006, 19:24 pm
sorry, size does not = technique.
10 Jul 2006, 21:28 pm
Keo, are you targeting Andrews & Solly as the weak areas in the team? Quotas?
11 Jul 2006, 03:35 am
For what it’s worth, I spent the entire weekend playing Rugby ’06 on playstation. I played this second Tri Nations game in Brisbane and beat the wallabies 45 – 21. Pierre Spies scored a hat trick.
So i feel a lot more confident.
Hmmm, come to think of it, I also won the super14 with the Cats, with Jorrie Muller as the top try scorer…..
11 Jul 2006, 04:35 am
Eddie is going to be crushed by that newbie Rodzilla.
11 Jul 2006, 07:21 am
I can’t wait roll on Saturday.
11 Jul 2006, 07:54 am
Why don’t they just pair Rodzilla up with Pudding Dunning? Hard to scrum against 250kg+ of dough. Problem is, little Jeremy Paul might suffocate between them.
11 Jul 2006, 08:37 am
eddie and solly are definately there to make the team more representative, we don’t have quotas anymore…
Luke watson was again brilliant and showed up whites selections, but white dose have to make the best of a tricky situation.
11 Jul 2006, 08:50 am
why on earth would eddie get a start?
with solly, habana and paulse we already have 3 quotas on the park… eddie and januarie to make up the numbers on the bench and CJ to start!
11 Jul 2006, 08:58 am
I am so tired of this myth that we have the pack to dominate in the scrums… lol….
When last did we dominate a top class pack. We pushed the Scots around a bit, but hey, anyone notice they actually got some of their own back to.
We sometimes manage to hold our own against the bug boys. On a good day. A very good day. But no, dominate Aus or New Zealand in the scrums. Aint seen that for a long long time.
Never fear, after Big Eddie stuck it to the French like he did I am sure our team has full confidence that the best fron three are in the side and will do the job against the Aussies…
Im so upset I cant even type sense… let me just go…
11 Jul 2006, 09:17 am
eish…
I fear I might be wrong about eddie not starting… Clean forgot about White misguided attempts to convert Big Joe to a fetcher, seeing as he had the speed and all the other attributes required for that position — oh, wait.. no.. that cant be! can it? I thought there wasnt such a thing as a fetcher?
a question: is everyone in agreement re the fact that white seems to be on a splippery slope… and every passing match looks to be one closer to his last?
the stream of contradictions.. the unjustified selections and inexplicable omissions! What he did have until now was a fairly good record… but what happens when that starts to go in the next year?
11 Jul 2006, 09:19 am
LUV SA
I agree – we have all these “big players” which supposedly can scrum everyone into the ground, but the fact is that even when England was killing Oz, we ony got parity with them. I have not seen a “dominant” bok scrum in the last five years. They seem to have better technique and conditionng, while we rely on our weight.
Also theu have developed their handling skills and skills at the breakdown, while our forwards have to left hands, and often run away from support and ge isolated. Bunch of big, thick, morons really…
11 Jul 2006, 09:21 am
Rodzilla hey….does that make Eddie King Kong?
11 Jul 2006, 09:33 am
I might be mistaken but OS was also seing his ‘gat’ against the smaller Frogs and a untired CJ always looks good in the last 20 minutes of the game having not played the preious 60 against props who have played a full game …
And those really hefty non fetching loosies were not much help either when getting drilled by a better scrumming pack …
11 Jul 2006, 09:49 am
So what good is this new “enforcer” scrum machine…ironically from Aus!!!
And the Balie Swart sandbag trick…maybe to put the props asleep?
11 Jul 2006, 10:13 am
seems to have to many people pulling his strings and dosen’t or can’t tell the real reasons behind his selections and ideas…
11 Jul 2006, 10:31 am
Eddie’s the man
11 Jul 2006, 10:32 am
The man that is going to take a beating on Saturday……We still wont lose though…..Solly’s playing
11 Jul 2006, 10:33 am
Jake dont need fetchers….Solly is his lucky charm
11 Jul 2006, 11:25 am
Folks
I recon we may just come good.
Why? Well, we are being totally written off and the team has come under ALOT of criticism.
Richard post 31
You wont get an answer from Keo on that one!
11 Jul 2006, 13:18 pm
We will not dominate in the scrums but we might in the lineouts.
Their backs have the edge.
We will need some Habana magic!
11 Jul 2006, 16:29 pm
Balie Swart & The Enforcer has made our scrum *****!!!
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