Preview: Scotland vs Springboks
19 Nov 2010
JON CARDINELLI predicts a comfortable rather than convincing win for the Springboks in Edinburgh this Saturday.
Scotland have been a team on the relative rise, following a shock win against Australia in 2009 with a big victory over Ireland in the Six Nations. They went on to win a series in Argentina, and the more optimistic punters claimed they would be competitive against New Zealand and South Africa in late 2010.
While they deserved to win the aforementioned matches, special mention must go to the poor quality of opposition. Australia were awful in that loss, and Ireland went on to lose three more fixtures in succession, a losing streak that was only snapped by a scratchy win over Samoa. Argentina have been similarly disappointing, the 2007 World Cup semi-finalists sneaking home against lowly Italy last week.
The All Blacks provided some perspective with a 49-3 hammering of the outclassed Scots. While they’re capable of catching any team on a very bad day, Scotland cannot compete when the southern hemisphere teams show any sort of form. Even though the All Blacks didn’t have everything their own way at scrum time, they still held the ascendancy in other areas. If the All Blacks didn’t lose momentum in the latter stages, they may have surpassed 60 points.
The Boks are without many of their first-choice players, so we shouldn’t expect the same attacking fluidity that characterised the All Blacks performance last Saturday. What we can expect is a determined forward showing, as the Boks will look to produce a consistent effort after the erratic display in Cardiff.
Their scrum is in for a challenge, with British & Irish Lions tourists Euan Murray and Ross Ford supplying the necessary power to the Scottish pack. But as a unit, the Boks boast the better tight five. An accurate showing at the set-piece will allow their ball carriers to build the same kind of momentum that proved so unstoppable in Cardiff. The platform-setting aggression paved the way for Willem Alberts and Victor Matfield’s second-half tries.
Deon Stegmann, Juan Smith and Ryan Kankowski are an inexperienced back-row combination, but should enjoy the benefit of playing behind a dominant tight five. Kankowski has a lot to prove in the ball-carrying stakes. Until the point when the home resistance crumbles he will be asked to play a more bruising role than he’s accustomed to.
Andy Robinson has picked a big Scotland pack in hope of combating the robust South Africans. Traditionally a lock, Nathan Hines is moved to flank to give the Scots more lineout options, and bring more grunt to the all-important battle at the collisions. If the hosts cannot stifle the Boks in this area, then they will cop another hiding.
The severity of the beating depends on whether the Boks click or not. They have played well in patches on this tour, showing an appreciation for depleting a defence and attacking from the right areas, but then also exhibiting a tendency to make bad decisions and run the ball from poor positions. They’ll need to exhibit some tactical intelligence before unleashing finishers like Gio Aplon and debutant Lwazi Mvovo this Saturday.
It could be that Scotland opt to test South Africa’s new-look back three with the high ball. To do so would run the risk of exposing themselves to the counter-attack, and as seen in last week’s outing, Scotland’s scramble defence isn’t great. While the Boks shouldn’t embrace a looser game, they must punish Scotland’s errors. Again, it comes down to decision making of when to counter-attack and when to play for position.
Because of the injuries and the lack of established combinations in several departments, the Boks won’t complete a rout in Edinburgh. They will achieve a comfortable win though, one that gives them momentum for their all-important clash with England, but offers little insight into how youngsters like Pat Lambie may fare in a starting capacity.
Prediction: Boks by 15
Scotland – 15 Hugo Southwell, 14 Nikki Walker, 13 Max Evans, 12 Graeme Morrison, 11 Sean Lamont, 10 Dan Parks, 9 Rory Lawson (c), 8 John Barclay, 7 Kelly Brown, 6 Nathan Hines, 5 Scott MacLeod, 4 Richie Gray 3 Euan Murray, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Allan Jacobsen.
Subs: 16 Dougie Hall, 17 Moray Low, 18 Richie Vernon, 19 Ross Rennie, 20 Greig Laidlaw, 21 Ruaridh Jackson, 22 Chris Paterson.
Springboks -15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Frans Steyn, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Willem Alberts, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Pat Lambie, 22 Adi Jacobs.
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293 Comments
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19 Nov 2010, 23:21 pm
@JockBok(JockBok) : 248
oh, I agree entirely. Boks always make life hard for themselves (and their fans).
19 Nov 2010, 23:23 pm
Jock – and don’t forget how close Fiji actually pushed the Boks in the 1/4final
19 Nov 2010, 23:24 pm
Penalty!
Old tight shorts just spat his dummy.
19 Nov 2010, 23:29 pm
Now kick the bloody 3 points!!
19 Nov 2010, 23:29 pm
kick for the draw…
Over!
19 Nov 2010, 23:29 pm
19 Nov 2010, 23:30 pm
Good result by Fiji.
Boy can they tackle but jeez they can’t scrum.
19 Nov 2010, 23:30 pm
hahahahahahahaah GO FIJI hahaha
19 Nov 2010, 23:31 pm
They better nail the furniture down in the welsh dressing room before gatland gets there.
19 Nov 2010, 23:33 pm
16-16. Well done Fiji.
Yep, Spooner, I love to see the wee teams doing well. It’s 15 v 15 and sometimes the big boys forget that. Especially when the fans expect the victory because of the name of the team they are playing and because, well, they always beat them.
Sometimes passion and heart can make a big difference.
19 Nov 2010, 23:35 pm
@gunther(gunther) :
Lol, couldn’t happen to a nicer coach.
19 Nov 2010, 23:38 pm
Great result for Fiji, finally non loss to a “Tier 1″ side in Europe. They were so close 4 – 5 years ago in Cardiff when only late dropgoal saved Wales blushes (11-9).
19 Nov 2010, 23:43 pm
So we narrowly beat Wales, who actually deserved the win. Fiji drew with Wales. Fiji are playing “at home” during the World Cup. It may not be a given that we will make it out of the pool stages.
19 Nov 2010, 23:51 pm
Tier 1
SA
NZ
Aus
Fra
Eng
Tier 2
Wales
Ire
Scot
Arg
Ita
Tier 3
Sam
Fij
Ton
***
USA
Tier 4
Can
Georgia
Russia
Namibia
Urug
Spain
Portu
No way is Wales a “Tier 1″ Nation
19 Nov 2010, 23:53 pm
*** = J.a.p. (abbrev for Japan)
20 Nov 2010, 00:11 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon) : You mean, Argentina who beat France 7-2 since 2002 – a SECOND tier?
20 Nov 2010, 00:13 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon) : Canada are way stronger than USA and beat them comfortably, swap them. Otherwise, except for Argentina, no complaints.
20 Nov 2010, 01:03 am
Habana scored 30 tries in 36 Tests played during the White era. In 32 Tests under De Villiers he has scored eight tries and the bulk of them have come against Italy.From Keo.
He has a point here(Keo is a serial Pdiddy basher) with this statement.
20 Nov 2010, 03:17 am
@rugbygenius(rugbygenius) : Back off on those magic mushrooms, pilgrim. They addle the brain.
20 Nov 2010, 05:04 am
It’s interesting to see how Stu Dickinson will handle the test.
Rumors from Sidney said the ARU is fuming over Craig Joubert’s refereeing of their test against the Poms, a retribution might be on the card.
If none of it, the Boks should get it, so far Sexton and Stephen Jones made no serious effort to put the Boks back
3 under contestant pressure, Dan Park might try it.
The Scots were woeful against the ABs, despite having a superior front row and very able set of loose forward, a slower Test team in the Boks may help them to get themselves together.
20 Nov 2010, 05:11 am
only genius on this thread is rugby genius, the rest of these dumb schmuck whiteys are thick as two planks as per usual. That is whether they hail from petoorsland or expatriated white nosed junkies like this twaddle stick Herr Tackler here. And Especially these other two dumbf’cks agreeing with each other, this dumbdutchman Alucard along with this dumbfck pompous pommiefaced pratt goodthingonerfckwit high on their own magic mushroom juicy potion that dutchie genetics was designed for rugby. Ignoramus supremo’s.
20 Nov 2010, 06:24 am
Ah, Snotskiet, keo’s own Julius Malema! I assume you include Robbie Deans and John Plumtree in your childish race based analysis #271. Snottie, I suggest you don’t try too hard to be funny, especially when you’ve been snorting home made tik. Using the race card just exposes your lack of a coherent argument. Like your pals Thabo, Julius, Jimmy etc.
20 Nov 2010, 06:30 am
#271 SNOTSKIET….yes YOU DOOS,lay off the tik you bloody agent…..
What an IMBECILE you are bwahhahahaahahahaha
20 Nov 2010, 06:33 am
SNOTSKIET….die klongetjie van die Vlaktes nè.
Sit neer jou tik pypie,vat av jou burka !!!!!
20 Nov 2010, 06:40 am
@skopskiet(yliad) :
Your racist anti white rantings are becomming quite boring. Why don’t you put a cork in it you stupid dooos!
20 Nov 2010, 06:49 am
SNOTSKIET YLIAD writes loads of ****…..how he manages to see and write while wearing his burka is quite an accomplishment…..for one with such a diminished intelligence
20 Nov 2010, 06:53 am
only schmuckheads like this Twatty toothless huthky and his bumchum wpforever along with 99% of their whiteassed brethren who think everything in life revolves around dumbass palookaville politics and who can’t see that its schmuckaby baby idiots like these pompous pricks the dutchie genetics genius Alucard and his pommie faced pomegranite eating punkernickle goodthingonerfckwit who are devolving dumbass derelict delusional defunct European castoff cuckoos while its the likes of rugby genius above who is the true positive south african realist patriot.
These other dumbschmuck delusional dimwitted whiteass licking dickheads should make like these other delirious punkeyed pommiefaced princesses like Tackler and his ilk and go hole up in somebody else’s fuckedup country and make snappy about it before they catch the dreadful intolerable saffa disease. Though look like to all intents and purposes seems its way too late for this pair of delusional denigrating pisswilly punks.
20 Nov 2010, 06:57 am
Dis lekker in die vlaktes ne YLIAD DOOOOOS
Ek ken jou soort….hahaha
gaan slaap jou aapie !
20 Nov 2010, 07:01 am
another dumbschmuck whitey colony swapping whattyeverkins who couldn’t cut it in Africa and ducked for the safety zone of Polypennopolesia promulgating his pompous pommiefaced presuppositions through his premature pom pom prejudices.
20 Nov 2010, 07:05 am
jy dink miskien jy ken vir my soort arme doosiedrol, maar jy raai heeltemaal mis jou domdoos onnosele idiot
20 Nov 2010, 07:06 am
yes, guys. all with good high school education…an even more distorted privilege since Independence. Whiteys and dolphins enjoy the good life; most South Africans are poorer than under the evil of apartheid…wake up you dickheads!
20 Nov 2010, 07:06 am
Your grammar is atrocious YLIAD…..make an effort to improve….now shove that up your tik pipe you idiot !
20 Nov 2010, 07:13 am
dumbfcks like this tumbling thumbalina wanna revert back to apartheid, that says it all for these dumbfck rugby superior genetically endowed tribe of European cast offs, better you fckoff fast like your Whateverkinsmen and the Tackler pricks et al before you dumbfck delusionistas get swallowed up whole
20 Nov 2010, 07:16 am
stoopid vs even stoopider (but whi is which?)…but a good laugh and thanks for matinee entertainment!
20 Nov 2010, 07:18 am
bored s-less, thanks for the giggles f-ups!
20 Nov 2010, 07:32 am
SNOTSKIET DOOS your utter lack of manners and poor grammar clearly indicates that you were not a very bright student at school….You should have paid more attention in the classroom…….instead of toy-toying with your wooden rifle trying to be a “freedom fighter”
20 Nov 2010, 08:10 am
SNOTSKIET
You have serious issues….. go and see you pastor and your sangoma,,, maybe the can help you through this dark patch…..
20 Nov 2010, 08:52 am
Does anyone know if hougard is going to be fit to play?
Please say yes, the pienaar experiment is failing badly on this tour.
20 Nov 2010, 10:13 am
Skopskiet is thicker than a dog. Literally, thick as pigshit.
@last movement(GrubdogSA) :
He’s in doubt? Oh, joy… make way for Sulky face to insert his sloppy box kicks.
20 Nov 2010, 10:51 am
poor genetically endowed dumb schmuck supremo’s still grappling with this concept that dutchie genetics are superiorly toughbred for superior rugby physicality and even brains mind you. How abysmally thick can you actually get to even contemplate such dumb f’ck genetically endowed thick as two brick thoughts? Smoke on the water, fire in the sky.
20 Nov 2010, 11:07 am
@skopskiet(yliad) :
You thought Genia was/is better than FdP. Lol.
20 Nov 2010, 14:39 pm
Guys just ignore skoppie.
Looks like another hit generator character here on Keo.
I refuse to read his posts – just skip over them when I see his name.
Now, anyone know of a good link for the game later?
20 Nov 2010, 14:42 pm
Any idea where I can see the game online?
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