Preview: All Blacks vs Wallabies
6 Aug 2010
JON CARDINELLI says the All Blacks will beat the Wallabies this Saturday to secure the Tri-Nations title.
After that mauling in Melbourne, the Wallabies will be hurting. Don’t underestimate the damage that 49-28 loss did to their psyche. Christchurch beckons, and another figurative and literal beating is likely.
Their forwards were outmuscled at the Ethiad Stadium, and this week, the benching of Stephen Moore won’t help their gainline or set-piece aspirations. The Saia Faingaa selection may add to their mobility, but mobility means nothing when you’re losing the battle at the collisions and scrums.
Will Genia isn’t as potent behind a losing pack and was well watched by the defence last week. The Wallabies are also missing Quade Cooper’s ingenuity and running threat in the flyhalf channel. Matt Giteau doesn’t take on the opposition defence like Cooper, and it’s because of this that the All Blacks have had an easier time of stifling the Aussie surge.
Some call it cheating, New Zealanders call it mastery. Richie McCaw will continue his dominance in this year’s Tri-Nations, ruling the breakdown in spite of the plucky David Pocock. That Australian back row aren’t done any favours by the five up front, and as a unit, they are lacking balance. Richard Brown has been a poor ball-carrying option thus far, and will be smashed backward once again.
Anthony Faingaa was impressive in the Super 14, but is in for a difficult Test debut in Christchurch. The All Blacks forwards should have the upper hand, and Dan Carter is in sublime form. Carter’s catalytic distribution should allow Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith to maximise their running talents, and the Wallabies’ new midfield of Faingaa and Adam Ashley-Cooper will find them difficult to contain.
The All Blacks are in rampant mood, and whether the game stays tight or grows loose, they should win comfortably. They’ve been brutally effective when they’ve retained possession or when probing for territory. If the Aussies kick poorly or concede the ball at the breakdown, the awesome All Blacks counterattack has the class to convert opportunities into points.
I called the All Blacks to win by 10 last week, a prediction that may have come to pass had the Wallabies finished the game with 15 men. This week, the All Blacks are at least five points better for starting at home. It’ll be a fourth straight win in the competition and secure them the Tri-Nations title and the Bledisloe Cup.
Prediction: All Blacks by 15
All Blacks – 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Subs: 16 Corey Flynn, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Sam Whitelock, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Benson Stanley.
Australia – 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 James O’Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Anthony Faingaa, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Will Genia, 8 Richard Brown, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (c),5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Salesi Ma’afu, 2 Saia Faingaa, 1 Benn Robinson.
Subs: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 James Slipper, 18 Rob Simmons, 19 Matt Hodgson, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 22 Cameron Shepherd.
442 Comments
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6 Aug 2010, 17:17 pm
jeepers
i cant wait for the rugby
i have never been so bored with Keo in my life!!
Damn ….its so farken childish.
6 Aug 2010, 17:19 pm
@grant10(grant10)-351: childish agreed, like calling for a change of venue because you have this thing about kissing cousins…
6 Aug 2010, 17:22 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-350:lost cause, I think you would die if you had to stick to the topic, I said I disagree with blaming refs, did I not????? Please tell me did I not say blaming the ref by anyone is not on???? Did I not??? Everyone includes div, how can you not see how thick youare??? Seriously???? How many timews must I say I don’t blame refs???? I will say they make mistakes but won’t use those mistakes as reasons why we lost. Repeat after me Sauerez poppa mactoogie does not believe in blaming refs, copy and paste it somewhere for future reference when dealing with me on Keo
6 Aug 2010, 17:33 pm
@MacToogie(MacToogie)-353: openly youve said you dont blame cheating but the ABs cheat..
make up your mind..
which is it?
and stick to the persecution theory, its becoming on you SAs, you guys wear it too well..
6 Aug 2010, 17:34 pm
@grant10(grant10)-351: about as childish as bashing the same player over and over and over because he dissed you best customer hey grantie, gargle gargle
6 Aug 2010, 17:35 pm
@MacToogie(MacToogie)-353: dont burst a pooper valve mate..
calm down, we can agree to disagree surely, or are you much better then that..
the SA male, what a legend..
6 Aug 2010, 17:36 pm
@MacToogie(MacToogie)-355: yep, like bashing ritchie… hang on, the goal posts have moved..
6 Aug 2010, 17:39 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-352: poppa.
Be fair….
I have called for a move North a decade ago…..
6 Aug 2010, 17:39 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-354: just because it had no effect on the outcome of this game doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist saurez poppa, its like saying a guy who pushes a a suicidal guy off the edge of a building isn’t guilty, the guy more than likely woulda jumped anyways but still doesn’t make it right, get the idea?
6 Aug 2010, 17:40 pm
@MacToogie(MacToogie)-355: mac….keep on choosing plod….
keep on losing mate….i actually dont care….
6 Aug 2010, 17:40 pm
what a bunch of moaners…..
6 Aug 2010, 17:47 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-356: to be totally honest poppa I’ve been pulling the piss all day waiting for the kiwis to come bite, started it yesterday haahahahahahaha, even ask Bill, I smsed as much before I started, was just in the mood to poke the hornets nest a bit, you guys bite every time, its like shooting fish in a barrel, in all honesty, the AB’s might be cheating but they are only being allowed to by poor reffing and poor execution by the Boks, players will get away with what they are allowed to that is the nature of the game, all we can do is hope the standard of reffing improves, thanks for taking the bait bud, you never disappoint hahahahaha
6 Aug 2010, 17:48 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-341:
The arbitrators are copping out to buy some time to see what the result between ABs and Aussies will be.
If ABs win and so wrap up the TNs then the inclination will be to make an example him because of the increasing coaches’ attempts to influence match officials.
6 Aug 2010, 17:49 pm
KEO- “Register for my newsletter keo.co.za, and see the seven changes and two positional changes I would make to Bok XV beaten in Aus”
Damn! Keo got me by the bawls here! I HATE newsletters, but shall I risk forever not knowing what his personal selections would be??
It’s the weekend Keo. Please…PLEASE don’t force me to make difficult choices.
*Sigh*
I’ll just fill in the blanks:
1) Beast
)
2) John Smit
3) Brok Harris
4) Adrian Fondse
5) Andries Bekker (C) (no injury can keep the “Master” away)
6) Schalk Burger
7) Francois Louw (Flo-rida!! JC
8 – Dunae Vermeulen
9) Francois Hougaard (Is a Paarl product afterall)
10) Peter Grant (Mister Underrated)
11) Merc Habana
12) Juan de Jongh (Superlativenessity)
13) Jean de Villiers (In the best 13′s absence)
14) JJP (on fire in his 2 CC games, back from injury- YOU GO LEKKER DING!!)
15) Gif Aplontie!!! (Jaaaa…)
Did I miss anything?
16 Chiliman (Ice Ice Baby)
17 CJ/BJ/MJ whatever
18 Oom Daan
19 Pieter Louw (You can’t have enough Louw’s now can you?)
20 Ricky Januarie (nuff said, numsain?)
21 Butch Jane (Confused myself…)
22 Kirchner (can’t put a foot wrong, especially not with that tekkie fetish)
Wasup.
6 Aug 2010, 17:54 pm
@grant10(grant10)-361: bring brrrrring…. Hi is this kettle? Hey there this is grant10, listen I just want to say you’re black…..
6 Aug 2010, 17:55 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-364: Ok i get the newsletter and here is his 15:
“Aplon, Pietersen, De Jongh, De Villiers, Habana, Steyn, Hougaard, Burger (Yes Burger at No 8), Smith, Louw, Matfield, Rossouw, Steenkamp, Smit and Du Plessis.”
From the horses mouth……
PS the newsletter is actually quite good. I’d recommend subscribing.
6 Aug 2010, 18:01 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-366:
Well, I was jus kiddin bout the WP guys, but jislaaik I was pretty much right on. Burger@8
And Smith had a recent concussion…
And what’s his bench like? No bench? There prob isn’t but if there is, I bet Chiliman is lurking there.
6 Aug 2010, 18:02 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-364:
Just for your demented lack of control:
Frans Steyn won’t be considered although I would choose him every Test as the number one fullback. He won’t be at Soccer City so that would be a futile exercise and as I say every week hopefully sanity will prevail before the World Cup and De Villiers and Steyn will put cause and country first. That out of the way, here goes: Aplon, Pietersen, De Jongh, De Villiers, Habana, Steyn, Hougaard, Burger (Yes Burger at No 8), Smith, Louw, Matfield, Rossouw, Steenkamp, Smit and Du Plessis. From the side walloped in Brisbane, that amounts to seven changes and two positional switches. It seems radical but it isn’t. There is just enough fresh blood there to spark something.
From Keo’s newsletter.
6 Aug 2010, 18:04 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-366: not a bad team that, I would put in frans at 15 though.
6 Aug 2010, 18:05 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-367: No bench. But you can be it;ll be the usual suspects. Beast, Chilli, Flip, Potties, Ricky, Butch, WO…
6 Aug 2010, 18:06 pm
@ET(ET)-368:
He swapped Steenkampa and Dupas around.
Now which one is it? Is that the “2 positional changes” he spoke of?
6 Aug 2010, 18:09 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-370:
Nah, Flip got cited. He’s the new Bakkies in many’s eyes now.
6 Aug 2010, 18:10 pm
Is it just me, or is life so strange?
One moment you wanna take a life- next minute you wanna make a life.
6 Aug 2010, 18:11 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-371:
The understanding is Steenie at #1 and Dups at #3
If you query the newsletter order too much then you could end up with Smit at #1 or #3 instead of #2 and that would send G10 into a non-stop out of orbit spin.
So don’t push it too much now.
6 Aug 2010, 18:15 pm
@ET(ET)-374:
Don’t stop me now, I havin a good time…
I’m travellin at the speed of light, I’m gonna make a supersonic man outta you…
uhm…erm…They call me Mister Celcius…
6 Aug 2010, 18:18 pm
Man, I cringed watching Richie’s visit to a NZ school.
Poor kiddies
Such a pity to destroy those youngsters image of their idol…
6 Aug 2010, 18:19 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-375: Mr celcius lol….
Flip got a warning so he’s back in the mix. No obvious alternative, although guys are talking up Vondse. Ricky the only likely at scrummie replacement, although we’d all have Sarel there. Who knows?
And yes, Smit’s lack of losing weight points towards there being another plan for him when Bissie is fit
6 Aug 2010, 18:21 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-376:
I think they preferred the life-less paper mache doll. That cheat, stealing ******* stole that too on his way out of the class.
6 Aug 2010, 18:23 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-377:
Ja, this is South Africa. Actually I should use the absolute scale and call myself Mr Kelvin.
O Rly? They have plans for Smitty boy? Ne’r would’ve guessed it.
6 Aug 2010, 18:26 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-379:
Old Mutual retirement plan
Pfffgghehahaha
Took me a while, hehehe
6 Aug 2010, 18:28 pm
Div faces scrumhalf crisis
14 minutes ago
Johannesburg – The scrumhalf position will
provide Springbok coach Peter de Villiers
with his greatest selection dilemma this
weekend following the shoulder injury
n suffered by Ruan Pienaar.
Pienaar has been ruled out for up to six
weeks, first-choice Fourie du Preez will miss
the rest of the season following shoulder
surgery and his regular deputy Enrico
Januarie was dropped following poor
performances in the two Tri-Nations
matches against New Zealand.
De Villiers, who names his squad for the
home Tri-Nations matches on Sunday, may
be forced to start with the inexperienced
Francois Hougaard, who has only made
two test appearances as a replacement.
Other players ruled out by injury or
suspension include locks Andries Bekker
and Bakkies Botha, and centre Jaque Fourie.
South Africa’s hopes of defending their Tri-
Nations title are all but over after three
successive losses. They host the All Blacks
in Soweto on Aug. 21 and Australia in
Pretoria on Aug. 28 and Bloemfontein on
Sept. 4.
SuperSport
6 Aug 2010, 18:30 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-381:
What crisis?
Ricky+Soweto=WIN
6 Aug 2010, 18:32 pm
Anyways gents…On my way to witness the common (read: tappit) Blue Bull stampeed the lesser-spotted Leopard.
6 Aug 2010, 19:08 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-354: I see the other fans dislike the ABs more than Bakkies’ head butt
Kiwis have their work cut out for them in the PAr stakes, Paddy has done you lot no favours
6 Aug 2010, 20:18 pm
Reading about the cheating ABs here just fills be with a warm satisfying feeling. Because you know when they go quiet, that’s when thine started winning again.
6 Aug 2010, 20:27 pm
Stinky panty, you lot are good at Golf caddying, ask Tiger Woods and cheating ask Richie and the team
Many of those ABs are average at best and you know it
6 Aug 2010, 21:09 pm
@JL1(JL1)-386:
well if it aint the Head Chorister of the Whing’ena Boys Choir, himself. Keep singing !
BaXXies !
6 Aug 2010, 21:17 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-356:
Its the generalisation of the ‘SA male’ that I can understand them having issue with. You know there are lots of good b@st@rds here to balance out the HGs, Quotas, KKKs and JL1s of this unhinged World. Im not sure I would want to be tainted with those ugly tar brushes either.
6 Aug 2010, 21:20 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-383:
STAMPEDE!!!
A victory by 5 points??? Hahahaha.
You must feel like a fool.
6 Aug 2010, 21:21 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-381:
Ive said alot of mean-spirited things to you here recently, Transformation, but I must say ‘fair dues’ to you offering to be Ryans case-study for his article ‘Hoskins Hogwash’. Its wonderful than you can now be so comfortable with being labelled from a “nation of sore losers” that suffers from a “victim mentality”. How did he pay you for your time, in Keo dollars ?
6 Aug 2010, 21:27 pm
@nama1(nama1)-389:
Not at all…
I wasn’t the one playing. (BTW I wasn’t the one making the substitutions either).
Any tournament can use its upsets and unpredictability. Are all the journos fools too because they predicted a landslide? No. Simple.
6 Aug 2010, 21:30 pm
The Leopards scored 5 tries against the Tolletjies. It seems everybody can score against them these days.
Maybe you guys should buy Toetie to learn you HOW to defend.
6 Aug 2010, 21:32 pm
@nama1(nama1)-392:
It happens.
6 Aug 2010, 21:34 pm
@nama1(nama1)-392:
The Bulls are traditionally slow starters. But let’s not forget their play-offs temperament and record.
6 Aug 2010, 21:39 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-390: case study’ you must be drunk…a sore loser is Poppa, you fellow kiwi who scream ‘the ref is cheating’ when the boks beat the all blacks last year!
look in your backyard first hahaha
6 Aug 2010, 21:43 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-395:
No, he mentioned you by name. Truly he did.
He wrote ‘sore loser’ and ‘victim mentality’. It was like watching one of those cartoon sketches coming to life.
6 Aug 2010, 21:46 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-391:
That maybe true but….
you’re were the one saying, “On my way to witness the common (read: tappit) Blue Bull stampeed the lesser-spotted Leopard.”
You were expecting the “stampeed”, were’nt you? Hahaha.
@poppa69(poppa69)-356:
“the SA male, what a legend.”
Not nice, boet.
You’re not much different from the SA okes using the movie, “Once were warriors”, as an example to generalise about the Kiwi male, are you now?
2, 3, 5 or even 10 “SA males” on this site is not a general view of what SA males are all about. You know that.
I think.
6 Aug 2010, 21:58 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-393:
Yeah, but it is still kak when it happens when you don’t expect it, isn’t it? At least some WP supporters can expect to lose tomorrow against the Kwas (they beat us the past 2 years in CBY, so it would not be a surprise).
You guys on the other hand expected to put 50 points past the Leopards without them scoring a handful of points, didn’t you? I mean, you are the CC and A14 champs, after all.
6 Aug 2010, 22:11 pm
@JL1(JL1)-386:
“Many of those ABs are average at best and you know it” – JLT@386
That must mean that many of the Bok players are below average…at best.
6 Aug 2010, 22:12 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-396: you lame accusations & labelling betray your own inadequacies.
it’s alright though you are what u are…
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