Welsh eye Bok scalp
16 Sep 2008
Former Welsh wing Ieuan Evans believes the Springboks will be Wales’ easiest southern hemisphere opposition during the end-of-year tours.
Wales play the Boks on 8 November followed by Canada, Australia and New Zealand – all at the Millennium Stadium on successive weekends. Former Welsh captain Evans believes the world champions present the easiest opportunity for the Six Nations champs to cause an upset over the Tri-Nations teams.
“South Africa is the best chance of a win. Australia are probably the most innovative [of the three] and New Zealand are going to be a handful,” Evans told Scrum V.
He cited player burnout, which is not easing up as most of the Springboks have gone straight from the internationals into Absa Currie Cup action, as a reason to make the Welsh favourites. He also highlighted how the Bok players have struggled to understand Peter de Villiers’s game-plan as an added bonus for the hosts.
“South Africa are still unsure what sort of game they want to play. Also, a lot of their players are looking tired. Butch James has played two years of solid rugby.”
Not even a year after their World Cup triumph and the Boks already seem to have lost their aura of World Champions in the eyes of the northern hemisphere.
410 Comments
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16 Sep 2008, 11:50 am
#86 st.a.t.w:
Don’t worry, mate – PdV likes Grant and a little birdie whispered in my ear that PdV’s thinking is that he wants Grant to be flyhalf at RWC 2011.
EOYT will probably see Grant and Earl Rose being picked as flyhalves.
16 Sep 2008, 11:50 am
#96 stodders: how about you keep it within the discussion then and stop trying to take cheap shots then, too hard?
16 Sep 2008, 11:51 am
#87 vindicated: exactly, there is no-one else at the moment. sad but true. it is about the only position we dont have quality, proven depth in and is such a vital position too.
like prop. hold that, tight five maybe.
16 Sep 2008, 11:51 am
#98 Big Hit: A telegrpahed bad pass can be picked off. A telegraphed good pass can result in the defender getting his man and driving him back behind the advantage line.
I never said James was throwing shocking passes, I just noted that the ABs were reading where he was going to send them at times.
16 Sep 2008, 11:51 am
#97 rangerman:
Nobody’s denying the AB’s will be facing a stronger England side. You’re the one still stuck on the whole WC
16 Sep 2008, 11:52 am
#99 stodders: they’re not really all that different, I just think you don’t look beyond what you see at face value in a rugby match, I too was like this when I was much younger. As you watch more u realise there are other more latent and less noticeable facets to the game.
16 Sep 2008, 11:52 am
#102 Big Hit: Yes Sir, Thankyou Sir, three bags full Sir
16 Sep 2008, 11:53 am
Back to the article, he has a point, the Boks are the weakest of the three SH teams, doubt that the Welsh will win tho…… but……if Helium wants to run from all corners of the park on those heavy NH fields we might just see our arses
16 Sep 2008, 11:53 am
#107 stodders: as long as you know ur place
16 Sep 2008, 11:54 am
#98 Big Hit: James, FDP and Montgomery failed in their job to keep NZ pinned down in their own territory. James failed as flyhalf to control the tempo of the game. Carter didn’t have a brilliant game either, but he showed his class when it mattered for his try. He defended his channel too, passed and kicked well and kept the Boks pinned in their own half where the pressure told in the end.
16 Sep 2008, 11:54 am
#108 Tisme: regardless the celtic teams struggle against the Boks, they can’t match the size/power
16 Sep 2008, 11:54 am
#109 Big Hit: And where would that be?
16 Sep 2008, 11:55 am
#110 stodders: he was told to run it, that was the gameplan. It was only in the last two games the Boks kicked for territory before running the ball.
16 Sep 2008, 11:55 am
#103 rangerman: a lot of your percieved depth remains untested because PdV is still selecting the same tired old carthorses
16 Sep 2008, 11:55 am
#105 Richie_7: lol, i am not stuck on anything. i was illustrating your silly approach to a discussion.
but i do enjoy the banter so bygones.
what do you think of our chances against wales?
16 Sep 2008, 11:57 am
#97 rangerman: I never said James is a plonker. Last time i checked, the dictionary meaning of functional does not equal plonker
16 Sep 2008, 11:57 am
#100 vindicated:
Good to have you, mate. Cape Town’s a wonderful place.
16 Sep 2008, 11:57 am
#115 rangerman:
I think the Boks will beat Wales. It all really depends on the game plan once again (sounding so cliched). On the wet cold fields you can’t be running the ball from everywhere – the Boks need to get back to their forward dominated style and bash the Welsh. Maybe after halftime when they’re far ahead enough they can try some of the flash stuff
16 Sep 2008, 11:57 am
#113 Big Hit: The Boks were kicking for territory in Newlands too, just woefully!
16 Sep 2008, 11:57 am
#114 vindicated: who would you pick at 10 for SA vindi?
16 Sep 2008, 11:58 am
#111 Big Hit: did you see Shane William run through about six Boks on the inbound test
16 Sep 2008, 11:58 am
#114 vindicated: thats true. thank goodness habana got injured or we would never have realised nokwe was capable of scoring four tries against the wallabies.
imagine what other players may be waiting in the wings.
16 Sep 2008, 11:58 am
#119 stodders: they ran alot from inside their own half altho it is true to say a couple of kicks went awry
16 Sep 2008, 11:58 am
#118 Richie_7: Wet, cold fields! Have you visited the Millenium Stadium?
16 Sep 2008, 11:59 am
#123 Big Hit: A couple? Are you a historical revisionist?
16 Sep 2008, 11:59 am
NH rugby is like second division
we will put 50pts on the Welsh
good singers..**** rugby
16 Sep 2008, 11:59 am
#123 Big Hit: I counted at least 5 poor kicks throughtout the match, albeit from from 2 different players – FDP and BJ.
16 Sep 2008, 12:00 pm
#124 stodders:
No, I haven’t
16 Sep 2008, 12:00 pm
#118 Richie_7: they have a roof on their stadium in Wales richie
16 Sep 2008, 12:00 pm
#126 greatest13gerber: I don’t think you’ll post 50. It is the Boks first game on their tour, the Welsh will be pumped and it will be close.
I’d say Boks by 5.
16 Sep 2008, 12:00 pm
#116 stodders: just a question here stodders, do you think michalak or butch would be playing if butch was still at the sharks?
i know who i would choose.
in fact, barring diving dan, giteau and possibly wilko, which side would butch struggle to get into?
scotland?
16 Sep 2008, 12:01 pm
#120 Big Hit: Peter Grant
16 Sep 2008, 12:01 pm
#126 greatest13gerber: its not 1998 Gerber, this will be a tough game, altho i do expect Boks to prevail
16 Sep 2008, 12:01 pm
#128 Richie_7: See Big Hit’s reply at 129. They have a roof. It is NEVER wet in the Millenium Stadium. The welsh don’t like wet weather because it takes away their strengths – passing and offloading out of contact.
16 Sep 2008, 12:02 pm
#101 WP Till I Die:
i see the injury break has’nt affected his play also
16 Sep 2008, 12:02 pm
#134 stodders:
Yes, but surely their fields are nowhere near Loftus, Bloemfontein, or Ellis Park dry?
16 Sep 2008, 12:03 pm
#131 rangerman: I would chose James because Michalak is a mercurial flake. I prefer a flyhalf who can dictate the tempo and allow his outside backs to perform over and above a player capable of magic one minute and disaster the next.
16 Sep 2008, 12:03 pm
#132 vindicated: I think he’ll get the nod for the tour altho he wouldn’t be my choice (rose or m.steyn) but I guess we’ll see what his standard is.
16 Sep 2008, 12:04 pm
#118 Richie_7: i think it will be a cracker game as the welsh have imo always personified a running approach to the game, along with the french.
but i am not a believer in the medias interpretation of PdV’s gameplan at all. i dont think we executed the gameplan or finished off scoring opportunities that we created. it wasnt a case of headless-chicken rugby. thats media spin.
16 Sep 2008, 12:04 pm
#122 rangerman: How much more proof do you need before you realise the Aussies didnt really turn for the Ellis Park game
16 Sep 2008, 12:05 pm
#131 rangerman: James would stuggle to get into NZ, Oz, Argentina and England 1st XVs.
Considering that only leaves Wales, France, Italy, Ireland and Scotland (just) as the other main rugby nations in the world, it says that he is a good player, but he’s not a great one.
16 Sep 2008, 12:05 pm
#137 stodders: Stodders did u see Wilko’s back to form? setting up nicely for a showdown with one DC. Hit a 45m drop-goal off his wrong foot
16 Sep 2008, 12:05 pm
#139 rangerman:
Yes, the media always seems to blow things out of proportion. Perhaps they should write their articles DURING the game instead of 5 HOURS AFTER the game – that way they can be more accurate rather than trying to remember certain instances
16 Sep 2008, 12:06 pm
#127 stodders:
What was BJ Botha doing there?
16 Sep 2008, 12:06 pm
Hope we take a good team to NH and not just youngsters but some senior players too.
16 Sep 2008, 12:06 pm
#137 stodders: well thats answer enough for me then.
16 Sep 2008, 12:07 pm
#142 Big Hit: I mentioned it on a post to you on another thread. I appreciated more his offload for a Newcastle try as he got smashed in the tackle . It was a brillaint piece of skill, and suggests to me that if injury doesn’t hit him again, we may well see the old Jonny once again. His match up with Carter is mouth watering.
16 Sep 2008, 12:08 pm
#141 stodders: Actually I think he’d make it for England based on his GP performances for Bath, but we like a goalkicker at 10.
16 Sep 2008, 12:08 pm
#92 Big Hit:
Difficult to suggest an alternative because of lack of experience but i will start playing Pienaar more regularly and also give Morne Steyn a chance.
I do not rate Grant.
I also think Frans Steyn is a fullback not a flyhalve.
16 Sep 2008, 12:08 pm
#144 WP Till I Die: Don’t be a plonker
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